Matthew: The last time my father visited, I learned what seemed a remarkable thing: all three of his best friends in high school were Jewish. He grew up in Poughkeepsie, an hour from New York …

When Ike Turner died at his San Marcos home on the morning of December 12, his band was in the next room setting up to play. It was to be a surprise gig, but Ike …

I took this girl out on a few dates and things seemed to go really well. And, it got to that point where you aren't sure if you're a couple or not. All indications were …

Every new punk band spawns its own subgenre or sub-subgenre. There's Southern California Whine Punk, popularized by the vocal stylings of Tom DeLonge from blink-182. There's Happy Poppy Whine Punk, Uplifting Punk, Emo-Crossed Punk, the …

I won't bore you with why I was in the hospital yet again, but I will tell you I was pretty much kicked out around sundown on a freezing, raining December night. I was given …

Steven Ybarra is a Texas-born Carlsbad resident who began studying music when he was three. He was the front man for 34Below, which released five CDs and toured nearly every state in the country. After …

Name: Pete Lewis Surfing: Windansea Home: Pacific Beach At 10:20 a.m., the high tide began backing off at Windansea. http://www.surfline.com reported the water temperature at 54 degrees and warned of poor water quality. Waves were …

Remember when the Patriots were the baddest team in the NFL? They'd come to your town, trample small children on their way to the gridiron, run up the score until it was 63 to 9, …

"Are you headed to Ballroom 20?" I asked a woman as she strode through the Convention Center foyer. She eyed me, assessing. "What's in Ballroom 20?" "A Muslim woman is addressing a delegation of Jews." …

Josephina Torres Seventh grader, Palm Anime and Manga Club The three DVDs I want for Christmas include Whisper of the Heart because it's a story about a young girl who falls in love and learns …

Boulder-hop for miles to reach one of the tallest waterfalls in Southern California. The hike up Hot Spring Canyon is arguably the most beautiful canyon trek in the Santa Ana Mountains, and supremely arduous to …

The Mess We Have Joe Deegan's story about the lack of restrooms for trolley riders ("Pressing Need," "City Lights," December 13) presents an opportunity for some entrepreneurial spirit to make a killing at piddling. I …

Abraham Lincoln was born on May 6, 1954, to a poor family of Central California date farmers. Baby Abraham came out bald as a spoon except for a full beard. His first photographs, grainy black-and-whites, …

"Mars has a lot of lava tubes from when it was geologically active. You can go in there, spray plastic on the walls to make it airtight, and you've got a house," says Gerry Williams, …

Hold on to your checkbook: an employee of the City-owned San Diego Convention Center is emailing local groups asking for participants to join a new Convention Center Expansion Task Force to help drum up public …

San Diego school board member Mitz Lee, who in June filed papers declaring her intent to run next year for the District 5 city council seat being vacated by termed-out Brian Maienschein, has dropped out …

The definition of "easy to get to" changes depending on what side of the border you're on. In the United States, if you had to drive on a rutted dirt road to get to someplace, …

On November 14 of last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission, after probing the City of San Diego's deliberate concealment of ugly financial facts in its bond filings, concluded that "The City, through its officials, …

"Baa-becue, buddy, baa-becue. People flock to the joint. That's what I herd."

What's the name of your book? "Moon Pies and Movie Stars" Tell me about it. "It's about the owner of a six-lane bowling alley in Devine, Texas, and she spots her runaway daughter on a …

Phil Bateman holds a yardstick up to his bumper to show off the clearance of his low-rider, 1959. The previous year, San Diego hosted its first Custom and Hot Rod Show in Balboa Park. About …

Artist: Di Nigunim Song: "Fascist Degradation (demo)" ( from myspace.com/dernigunim) Heard By: Hunter, South Park Very interesting band. They sound like Gogol Bordello. They're very unusual. They were more gypsy, but not like Gipsy Kings …

Love looks forward hate looks back, anxiety has eyes all over its head. -- Mignon McLaughlin Everything had been going so well. The Seattle sky was uncommonly clear for December. The overall atmosphere was festive …

"I mean, you put one drop in your mouth and it explodes... Our wines are identifiable!"

When I was a kid my mom complained about Christmas starting earlier each year. It wasn't because she was Jewish. We had a Christmas tree and a menorah. I think she felt that it was …

Redefining Chaos Theory

2008 is almost upon us, and the Kelly household is going to party. And party for many reasons: new babies, new engagements, newlyweds, and new friends. We haven't thrown a New Year's Eve bash in …

In probably every English-speaking big city in the world, there's a Hotel Pickwick -- a quaintly faux-Victorian (yet divey) one-star habitation, usually located near a major bus or train station. San Diego's Pickwick just passed …

Thirty Years Ago DENISE: How about going cruising sometime on ATCs?! We can go pick up Mike & Scott. I can dig it!! (Crown Point) Sue. GIRL ON BICYCLE: We shared a smile on 42nd …

Against Me! played 91X's "Nightmare Before Xmas" concert at Cox Arena. Uniformed Marines were at the December 9 show to collect donations for the Toys for Tots campaign. "[Against Me! front man Tom Gabel] told …

Drummer Sharie Hall, 31, says she and her three bandmates in Unloaded share 29 years of "clean time." They all met in recovery and have been a band for two years. She admits they have …

San Diego fans of international underground rock were excited for the December 5 Ché Café performance by Damo Suzuki. The Japanese singer is best known as vocalist for German prog group Can, which set the …

James Brown died about one year ago, on Christmas day. Greyboy Allstars saxophonist/singer Karl Denson played with Brown five years ago -- 12/21/02 -- when Brown made a surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden with …

Belly Up Tavern, Thursday, December 20, 8 p.m. 858-481-8140. $17. Jackson Browne says they're one of his favorite bands, and he compares their vocal harmonies to Crosby, Stills, and Nash -- an appropriate choice, because …