San Marcos isn’t sure what its fate will be. Retired dairy land, bedroom community, college town, a place to raise a family, all these possibilities tend to war with each other.

“WOMEN DURING WAR: RESPONSES TO SITUATIONS IN SAN DIEGO, 1941-1945” — KIMBERLY A. HALL, MASTER’S THESIS, SDSU, 1993 When historians write about war, says Kimberly Hall, they usually write about battles, politicians, diplomats, “even military …

Window shopping at Fashion Valley clothing stores is like window shopping at La Jolla art galleries. Commerce has been raised to high culture by an infusion of atmosphere, and shopping has become an event, an …

'Has anybody ever given you French doors before?" The afternoon's particle-beam-intense sunlight reflects off the hood of my truck, makes my eyes squint and forehead sweat. James Perez, a 57-year-old Native American, replies, "Oh, yeah." …

My husband and I are in a rock band. It keeps us married. Well, that and the psychiatrist we see monthly. We used to see her weekly, but after ten years, we’re on the maintenance …

Dear Matthew Alice: My friend told me about something called the Slow Food Movement. She says it's a bunch of people who think we all should slow down and enjoy our food more, but she …

Hey, Matt: As I sat in my car, parked on the highway at the 5/805 merge the other afternoon, a curious thought came into my mind. There must be 10 million cars and trucks on …

A great blue heron ambles on stilt-legs across the reed-fringed shallows, stabbing occasionally at subsurface morsels of food. Nearby, a willowy egret glides in for a perfect landing, scattering concentric ripples across the surface of …

Just before I hit puberty, I think it was sixth grade, our gym teacher corralled us boys into the boys' locker room to see a movie describing the dramatic — not to say traumatic — …