When I informed my best friend almost nine years ago that I was expecting a male child, she said, after a distinct pause, "I can't even imagine you with boys." I couldn't imagine it either, …

'I can get a full-bodied Cab for 30 bucks? Right on!'

'Bringing a picture of your dog and saying, 'This is my family dog,' is not much of a story," says San Diego Public Library representative Lynn Whitehouse. "But if you bring a picture of your …

"Well, what did you think your Friday nights would be like?" one might well ask of oneself if one were in the habit of that sort of thing. Friday nights in San Diego cannot be …

I hit two parties in one day. The first was an afternoon affair in PB. A guy named Bruce wanted to get rid of a bunch of Rocky Mountain oysters, or as he called them, …

Just south of today's city of Escondido a lazy river once ran, fed by tentacle-like tributaries that drew water from as far away as the desert-bordering mountains, several days journey to the east. On the …

Dear Matt: When I opened my wallet this morning, I pulled out a dollar and noticed it had a little star printed on it, right after the serial number. None of my other dollars has …

Matthew: First of all, what do Tropicana and Minute Maid and companies like that do with all the orange peels they generate? Is there a use for them? Second, why is orange juice in containers …

A year ago I wrote a column welcoming the Golden Baseball League (GBL) into the pitiless predatory jungle of sports capitalism. The GBL, an independent Class A baseball league headquartered in Pleasanton, California, opened for …

Strange and Amazing 'If I leave, they're going to come get me. They're going to kill me. They want me dead." "Do you at least want your curtains open?" I asked. "No," he said. "They'll …

Thirty Years Ago These are the best cars the English ever made, no matter what anyone may say about how much that is saying. (Some would have you believe that England could have won the …

When you wake up in the morning, the alarm is worse than a nightmare. The sound of it sends waves of nausea through your body. That's how it works, on the principle that you're sickened …

DAMARU "The Damaru is a two-sided percussion instrument that is shaken with two balls striking the membranes as part of spiritual practices in Tibet, India, and Nepal. The most powerful Damarus are created from human …

The Death of Achilles: A Novel (Erast Fandorin Mystery) by Boris Akunin; translated by Andrew Bromfield. Random House, 2006; $12.95; 320 pages. FROM THE JACKET: In 1882, after six years of adventures abroad, the renowned …

"Holy Spirit, we invite you into this place," intoned the singer from the stage of the plush green Sanctuary. "Have your way. We love you." Then he broke into buoyant song, his driving acoustic guitar …

“There must be some damned thing I can afford in there. Hell, I’m worth it.”

Lil Uno released his CD, The Streets, on his Sicko Records label. The title track borrows a riff from "Still Water (Love)," the 1970 hit by the Four Tops. "We had to go through an …

"There was an incident that started inside ['Canes] and got carried outside," says Stone Senses sax player Mike Flanagan. He says "a riot" occurred outside the South Mission Beach nightclub on April 28. Irieside, C-Clan, …

During Devendra Banhart's near-sold-out show at the Belly Up Tavern on April 27, the performer said he needed a beer and then left the stage for a few minutes. While onstage, Banhart asked if there …

"31G's financial situation is not [the] best at the moment," says record-label co-owner Allysia Edwards. "We left our old distributor, the Lumberjack Mordam music group, to go with Redeye. Lumberjack wasn't too happy about us …

"I don't do drag, I do impersonation," says Louis Padilla of his Shakira lookalike act. "Drag is about looks, about being as much like a lady as possible, but an impersonation is a whole show; …

Thirty-seven years ago today (5/11/69), the Grateful Dead headlined SDSU's Spring Fling concert at the Aztec Bowl. One of Spring Fling's promoters was future city mayor Roger Hedgecock. The Dead appeared along with Canned Heat, …

Dog and Pony Show On a dreary Saturday with rain in the forecast and nowhere to go, Rhiana and I decided to practice dancing for our wedding. I queued up the music files in the …

'We are losing the war," lamented Kris Michell, an aide to Mayor Sanders, Saturday morning, April 22, at Ortega's restaurant in Ocean Beach. That's according to my source -- to be identified in this column …

In houses only minutes from their jobs, reservoir keepers remain on call 24 hours a day. Who would begrudge them the low rents they pay the city? I ask keeper Diane Dine what it's like …

I thought I was going to get off easy. This year's family reunion is slated for mid-June. There should be about 150 of us, but unlike years past, which have seen me cooking up a …

San Diego's legislative delegation continues to chow down and otherwise carouse at the expense of the Third House, Sacramento's nickname for the horde of free-spending lobbyists who frequently exercise more power over the fate of …

San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders has filed a disclosure statement covering the income and expenses of the Inaugural and Transition Fund, set up in late January by a group of wealthy donors. It was ostensibly …

Three-course dinner for two: $130. Bottle of David Bruce Pinot Noir: $58. Panoramic view of the bay, the bridge, the downtown skyline: Priceless. The food is pretty good, too. Island Prime shares a building (formerly …