"A setback is the setup for your comeback," shouts Chaplain Marks to the congregation of 30-plus in the North Island chapel that has served American sailors since December 1945. Knowing that many congregants are miles …

I’m a Recovering Pack Rat Last night it took me just over two hours to pick up and put away every toy, game, puzzle, doll, crayon, pillow, blanket, cup, rock, and book strewn about on …

"We believe that there is only one religion. All other paths that people take are legitimate paths, which represent only one of God's manifestations," said Susan Collins, about Muslims, Jews, Christians, and other world religions. …

A burst of screaming kids blew out of the door , down the steps, and across the rocky front yard. "Happy Birthday, Donovan!" I yelled to one of the grubby little monsters as he shot …

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan. Random House, 2005; $24.95; 201 pages FROM THE DUST JACKET: For the past 16 years, Maureen Corrigan has reviewed books for …

A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized . -- Fred Allen 'What's that?" David asked, pointing to the bag …

Life as an evacuee in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is strange. No routine, no certainty for the future, not much income, bills that still have to be paid...and then all the thoughts about what's …

Livejournal.com user "Mzkitten" posted on her blog recently: "I was wondering if anyone lives in the San Diego area who would like to go-go dance with an up-and-coming psycho-billy band...at the Zombie Lounge [Sept. 3]. …

When Live play House of Blues on September 19, their contract requests the band dressing room have a "spotlessly clean and sanitized bathroom" with "soft toilet tissue, odorless air freshener [and] toilet seat covers." In …

After three years in operation, Margarita Rocks in Oceanside closed its doors on August 31. "The place was definitely mismanaged," says Kathy Baker, redevelopment manager for the City of Oceanside. Before the closure, she says …

"10 Years without Dick," a November 11 Casbah tribute to the late Dan McLain (a.k.a. Country Dick Montana), will feature a reunion of Montana's pioneering punk band, the Penetrators. Montana died during a Beat Farmers …

"They killed it all," says Loss of Control singer Jason Lee about the elimination of live music at the Vista Entertainment Center. "The general manager stood up for us, then they said to him, 'Okay, …

"Rock Star," a music page of band interviews, concert reviews, and full-color photos of local and national bands, has been published every Thursday since November by the Copley Press. The page can be found in …

Dave Mustaine's Gigantour -- with Megadeth, Dream Theater, and others -- had big booking problems. Several venues, including SDSU's Open Air Amphitheatre, couldn't accommodate the show's second stage, and promised bands (such as Symphony X, …

Twenty-two years ago today (9/15/83), Elvis Costello and the Attractions played an experimental "amphitheater seating" show at the Sports Arena with two thirds of the venue blocked off. The bands (Aztec Camera opened) were set …

The climb to Calabasas Peak appeals to both exercise-minded folks and landscape photographers. The non-trivial gain and loss of 1000 feet of elevation makes a great workout, and the geologic formations you pass along the …

Plumbers, Spooks, the Boys in the Band, the Boys Up the River, the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. Or, as former SEAL Dan Cerrillo referred to them when he testified recently at SEAL Lieutenant Andrew …

Will San Diego be Karl Rove's Waterloo? President George W. Bush has now made two monumental missteps while addressing San Diego sailors. The blunders have energized his opponents and enraged some of his supporters. The …

Down in National City, Mayor Nick Inzunza, who recently announced he's running for the 79th District state assembly seat being vacated by Juan Vargas, has ramped up his campaign with an anti-fat theme. "Mayor Inzunza …

"We've got ants in the kitchen again," I told my husband Patrick. "Hmph. That's nothing. My computer is buggy," he grumped in reply. "It's sluggish, and it just isn't working the way I want it …

San Francisco (underdog by 7) leads the NFC West after they prevailed over St. Louis on Sunday. New Orleans (underdog by 7) won at Super Bowl--bound Carolina. Dallas (underdog by 5) beat Super Bowl--bound San …

This restaurant is closed. Contrary to rumor, Cinco de Mayo is not "Mexico's July Fourth." The real Mexican Independence Day is September 16, and in its honor, some genius cook invented a spectacular treat that …

Does it hurt? "Depends on where you get hit," says Ryan Greenspan, a member of Dynasty, a San Diego--based paintball team. "If I were to get shot in the arm or chest or body or …

“People forget sometimes that it’s a liquid in a bottle.”

Haley threw a Dukes of Hazzard theme party at her new Pacific Beach apartment. She wore Daisy Duke cut-offs and a Western shirt. On the small lawn in front of her apartment there were about …

Thirty Years Ago I want to get back at my parents for force-feeding me Gerber's and making me clean my plate at butter-knife--point. "Eat it all and become strong like Mad Dog Vachon." (Mad Dog …

“It’s a very popular Korean dish. Good with Number 22 sauce.”