The hopped trains, took buses, spent long days walking. When their path took them through remote areas, they went hungry.

“I don’t want to stare at bottles simply because they’re that special.”

I found my notes on parties I went to in December that I forgot to write about. I figured when I wrote about New Year's I was done with 2004. But this night of partying …

“He struck oil several times. Trouble was, there was always salt water with it.”

American Writers at Home. Text by J.D. McClatchy; Photographs by Erica Lennard; Library of America and The Vendome Press, 2004; 224 pages; $50. FROM THE DUST JACKET: American Writers at Home affords an unprecedented opportunity …

Thirty Years Ago I believe that it was in the autumn of the year 1973 that word reached our Society of the existence of certain remarkable works of hydraulic engineering, or the ruins thereof, to …

'This is no 'feel-good' philosophy, obviously. It will cause anguish, anger, fear, and hopelessness in the majority of those who understand it. Many will not even dare read it; many others will be forbidden to …

On October 27, 1993, the floor of lower Eaton Canyon (along with 118 homes in surrounding neighborhoods) was reduced to white ash and black cinders by the fast-moving Altadena Fire. By the following spring, which …

Our town's secretive "business leaders" are at it again, but just who in the dickens are those pesky devils, anyway? "San Diego business leaders are putting together their own proposal, but they have declined to …

Always assume that promoters claiming they're out to do good are out to do well. And companies whose mission is saving the world are trying to pocket your savings. Last week, Amr (Anthony) Elgindy, a …

The electricity transmission industry has long recognized that surrounding underground power lines with a metal shield is the most effective way to block their emissions of magnetic field radiation. But on August 3 of last …

"It is really fun taking a group of strangers and making them join your cult."

Just before they went into warp, I beamed the whole kit and kaboodle into their engine room, where they'll be no tribble at all. -- Scotty, explaining how he got rid of the tribbles ("The …

Remember the legendary white chocolate bread pudding at the late, lamented Bayou Bar and Grill? Well, it's back, and so is the man who brought the recipe here from his native New Orleans. Bud Deslattes, …

"One of the things that really irks me is the recent fad of poor end-times beliefs," Pastor Cook replied when asked if his church teaches that the end-times are near. "One of the more popular …

I couldn't sit there for half an hour watching my garments whirl in circles. So I bought some spare time with a handful of quarters, walked out of the "Launder-O-Mat" into the drizzling rain, and …

"My band was the first to put on an all-ages show there," said guitarist Brandon Turner of Parkhurst about the Jumping Turtle in San Marcos. "We played there before for a 21-and-up crowd, and we …

Here's the guts of it. Super Bowl XXXIX is hours away, and Janet Jackson's right breast is unaccounted for. I have warned the NFL by fax and by phone. I have called the Jacksonville police, …

"I'm going to replace her." Belly Up Tavern owner Steve Goldberg says he will miss Diana Martinez, who is leaving her position as Belly Up talent buyer after ten years. Not counting owner/founder Dave Hodges, …

Onetime Grateful Dead mainstay Bob Weir brings his band Ratdog to 4th & B Wednesday, February 9, demonstrating he's gotten over his longstanding grudge against the city, or at least against its police department. "For …

The recent Arbitron ratings showed that the three local rock stations -- Rock 105, 91X, FM-94/9 -- each showed a significant decrease in listeners for the October-through-December quarter. Rock 105 lost 41 percent of its …

Music can cure diseases, according to Dr. Jason Liu (Ph.D., O.M.D.) at the Mind-Body Science Institute on Camino de la Reina. "Through pulse reading, the doctor is able to know everything about your health condition," …

"I first saw Stomp! when I was 14," Chris Rubio tells me via phone from New Haven, Connecticut. He is in the current production, which will be coming to San Diego in March. "I started …

Former San Diegan Michelle Williams can be seen on the CD cover to the soundtrack of Wim Wenders's latest movie, Land of Plenty, but she won't be viewable in North American theaters anytime soon because …

My friend Bernice reigns as gardener-queen of our neighborhood. Her rose plants grow like big bushes; her citrus trees hang heavy with fruit, and her vegetable garden produces more than her family can eat. We …

Heymatt: What do people who are blind from birth "see" when they are dreaming? -- Troy Dante, La Mesa Well, Troy, they don't see nuttin'. At least according to Cousin Wildomar Alice's neighbor's niece Loretta. …

Matt!: Quick, before they disappear completely. I've always wondered what the K in Kmart stands for. Do you know? -- Rex, the net Kafka? Knackwurst? Kinky? Kayak? Knucklehead? Kudzu? Was the emporium founded by a …

Heymatt: Salt and pepper. Salt and pepper. Never anything different on the table. Why salt and pepper? How long have we been in this culinary rut? Why salt? Why pepper? Why not tumeric and chervil? …

Help!! Twitching!! My left eye is twitching because my husband twitches every night before completely sound asleep! I have been married 20 years and love my husband dearly, but I would love to know why. …