I don't envy the native San Diegan. Being born and raised in paradise must be difficult. How do you avoid becoming hopelessly spoiled? How do you gain a sense of the great, big, messy, cold, …

DJ: Rick Station: Star 94.1 Shift:Monday·Friday, 3:00·7:00 p.m. Adam Levine is the lead singer for the group Maroon 5. Adam Levine is cool. It is a warm summer afternoon on a Wednesday [in 2002], and …

In 1958, looky-loos tried to catch a glimpse of anyone aboard the 350-foot yacht Angelita, owned by Dominican general Rafael Trujillo Jr. (whose given first name was Ramfis). The 29-year-old and his crew docked in …

Dracula, by Stephen Dietz, adapted from the Bram Stoker novel North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach Directed by Christopher Vened; cast: Matt Thompson, Brenda Dodge, Robert Grossman, Jason Heil, Sean …

Album: This and That (2007) Artist: Meld Label: self-released Where available/price: At live shows for $5 Songs: 1) Quickly 2) The Gambling Song 3) Sarah's Lullaby 4) Bad Ass 5) Manumana 6) Marbles 7) And …

A transparent phony playing a transparent phony is perhaps too much phoniness.

I have been living with my 30-year-old son for three days now. He invited me here while I transfer from one living situation to another. As yet I don't know what that will be. For …

I nod toward the refrigerator, call out, "No food, bucko." Frank turns around, disappointed. I pour two cups of coffee, hand one to guest, take the other, and sit down at my desk. "You know …

The fires hit close to home; a few friends were evacuated. "We took nothing with us," said Andra, "which wasn't the smartest. If the fire took our home we would have had nothing left." Helene …

"With the fires, we saw just how dry it is," says Marty Eberhardt, executive director for the Water Conservation Garden. "We only get 10 percent of our water locally." At least 85 percent of the …

Michael Addis performed as a drummer 20 years ago in Playground Slap, a top original San Diego band of their day (they reunited a few months ago, sans Addis). More recently, the former SDSU film …

Sophie 103.7 FM switched from an all-talk format to an adventuresome "hot AC" (adult contemporary) format in June. The latest Arbitron ratings indicate the station is 28th in popularity among all local listeners. Those sluggish …

Bassist/songwriter Eric Verniere says the latest, local incarnation of the Wrecking Dead is "...a psychobilly band, but we don't do that whole silly zombie thing." Born in the U.S., Verniere moved with his family to …

After being hospitalized for a protracted illness, Guy Lopez, bass player of the late-'70s punk band the Upbeats, died October 2. The younger brother of Robert Lopez (better known as El Vez and one of …

The just-released Madonna tribute Through the Wilderness includes the Prayers, who cover her 1989 single "Cherish." "We originally wanted to do the song 'Like a Prayer,' " says singer/sax player Brandon Welchez, "not only because …

Artist: As I Lay Dying Song: "Nothing Left" (from the CD An Ocean Between Us) Heard By: James Younger, Clairemont It reminds me a lot of really early Type O Negative. It's actually pretty decent; …

Jon Shimmin is a hard-working local drummer with a day job; at night, he's at area clubs behind the skins. He has played in several bands such as the Reaganomics, Junk, and Negative Filter. Sometimes …

Casbah patron Marc Pierce got a surprise October 27 while watching Southern Culture on the Skids perform. "About three-quarters of the way through the show," he blogs, "midway through the song, [guitarist] Rick [Miller] pulls …

Names: Jeff Knox and Seth Fisher Live: Imperial Beach Surfing: Imperial Beach, end of Imperial Beach Blvd/Coronado Avenue Drive to the end of Imperial Beach Boulevard. There you'll meet locals Seth Fisher and Jeff "The …

Live Nation's major competitor, AEG, has consummated an agreement that will allow the concert company to open a 12,500-capacity outdoor venue on the grounds of the Chargers summer training facility at 4020 Murphy Canyon Road. …

Democratic congressman Bob Filner ranks as one of the most liberal members of the House, frequently castigating the Bush administration about everything from its economic policies to its invasion of Iraq. Yet Filner and some …

Mistake. As soon as I mentioned the storyline, the Chinese lady waiting tables in the Gaslamp Quarter's Moon Cafe clammed up. "We don't talk to the newspapers," she said. That was that. Of course, she'd …

When asked, "How's your wife?" the late comedian Henny Youngman used to crack, "Compared to what?" The local economy is like that these days. If someone asks, "How is the San Diego economy going to …

"Jahja Ling's always in. And the mayor, he sits here, at table number two."

"The people at Saturday School are my people; I keep it to groups of 12."

I heard of about 20 different parties over the two weekends before Halloween. Most of them were cancelled because of the fires. The first weekend, I had intended on going to four of the parties …

At Faith Chapel on Sunday, the crisis had passed; the evacuees had returned to their homes. The 150 air mattresses, donated to the church along with blankets and pillows, had been packed away. The 150 …

My heart goes out to all who will have to give thanks for their lives and families in restaurants this year instead of at home, as a result of the fires. For whatever the reason, …

A month of moved or canceled shows at 4th&B (among them Big Head Todd and the Monsters, the Black Crowes, the Tragically Hip, Ghostface Killah, and Rakim) has culminated in some type of resolution. Insiders …

Name: Moe Occupation: Navy Diesel mechanic Neighborhood: Downtown Where Interviewed: Koi Pond, Balboa Park What book are you currently reading? What page are you on? "The Grace Awakening by Charles R. Swindoll. Page one." Tell …

"Here," my girlfriend said and handed me a sheet of paper. "Read this." "All right." I cleared my throat and snapped the paper twice for theatrical effect. "Number one," I read. "You're too theatrical." "It's …

At church, my dad -- he's a pastor, have I mentioned that? -- sometimes invites the congregation over to the house for pizza and Scrabble. In a few months, it will have been a year since I last talked to my sister.

Thirty Years Ago You've got a good weekly newspaper. One way to make it even better would be to fire that ignorant pseudo-intellectual, Duncan Shepherd. His movie reviews are totally worthless to the general public …

Marisa ScheinfeldDocent and educator programs manager, Museum of Photographic Arts With a new Coens' film coming out, we've chosen to highlight the Coens' cult classic The Big Lebowski for MoPA's next POP (Photos off the …

I speak two languages, Body and English. -- Mae West Exposed as I was to the elements, I was relieved it wasn't raining, but I was thankful for the clouds, which muted the sun's glare …

House of Blues, Friday, November 9, 7 p.m. 619-299-2583. $15. From the moment I first heard the song "Ageless Beauty" from Stars' 2005 album Set Yourself on Fire, I was smitten. I kept on being …

The Casbah, Friday, November 9, 8:30 p.m. 619-232-4355. $12. Heavy Trash (Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray) is like a snapshot of a familiar subject taken from a different angle and in harsh lighting. The Beat …

Smack dab in the middle of the most desolate part of the Borrego Badlands stands a remarkable triad of palm oases. The best known of these, Seventeen Palms, is a popular destination for park visitors. …

Matt: Is my cat left-handed? Whenever she plays with her toys or her food, I've noticed that she uses her left paw more than her right. Do animals have a dominant side like people do? …