I just recently heard “ass antlers” and I think it’s wonderful. It refers to tattoos on the lower back, sometimes also called a “tramp stamp.” They are usually tribal tattoos in a v-shape and sit …

What are you writing? “I’m writing a fantasy/horror/conspiracy novel that takes place during the Fourth and Fifth Crusades: Ottonius, which is a very, very old German name. It’s the name of a semi-immortal being who …

A pedestal stood in the vestibule of the Wyle Chapel at Torrey Pines Christian Church, its sandy surface studded with candles. Another pedestal stood at the entrance to the church proper, this one bearing two …

Clue: Stamped out, thank goodness. Describe this location, name the nearest cross-streets, and win a Reader T-shirt. Click here to e-mail us your answer — include your name and address. (Deadline, Tuesday, February 19, 2008, …

Jay Curia and his surfboard trailer, 1963. A 1963 editorial in our local daily stated, “Our tired shanks are a little too flabby to allow us the privilege of taking up surfing.... Now is the …

There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the man sitting across from me. I had yet to detect a single flaw in his appearance, speech, or demeanor. His hair was black and wavy, his …

“The wet 20th century, the wettest of the past millennium, the century when Americans built an incredible civilization in the desert, is over,” says a superb article in February’s National Geographic. The piece, entitled “Drying …

LETTERS Number One Saw your article on Chris Cantore (Blurt, February 7) and had to laugh. When Clear Channel and I parted ways after nearly 15 years (where I was almost always in the top …

In August 2003, the North County Transit District, preparing to build a train line linking Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido, applied to state authorities for a storm water discharge permit. The train, called the …

It’s no secret that San Diego State’s KPBS public broadcasting department has been cutting back on producers and local coverage, the most prominent examples being the controversial cancellation of its Full Focus TV talk show …

Now that Super Tuesday is out of the way, the real business of politics can begin. On February 20, GOP congressman Brian Bilbray, who replaced the ill-fated Randy “Duke” Cunningham, is set to stage a …

Now that it’s been announced that Padres owner John Moores is splitting up with wife Becky and she is presumed to be in line under California law for half her husband’s substantial net worth, a …

“The reason it’s a bloodier sport than boxing is that you’re allowed to use elbows and knees,” says Eric Del Fierro, chief operating officer for Total Combat Entertainment, a San Diego–based mixed martial arts event-production …

Edoardo MuellerPrincipal guest conductor, San Diego Opera, sdopera.org Renata Tebaldi: Profonda ed infinita is a collection of the best videos Renata did in her life — her interviews and performances, and footage of all her …

Richard Elliott first caught my ear during the mid-’80s as a member of one of the West Coast’s hottest funk/jazz bands, Tower of Power. Later, he put out a solo album called Trolltown that featured …

“We were not really part of that whole MTV, new wavey thing,” says Stan Ridgway, speaking about his old band, Wall of Voodoo. This comment may come as a surprise to the many poor souls …

“Ultimately, this music is our attempt to add a tile or two to the fluid mosaic that is California and its mythology,” says Eric Nielsen, one half of experimental space-rock duo High Mountain Tempel. “It’s …

Thirty Years AgoDear Matthew Alice:How did the word “pot” come to stand for marijuana? Does it have anything to do with the old joke about people “going to pot”?Julie Simms, North Park No. “Pot” is …

My husband Patrick comes down with the home-improvement bug a few times a year. And he’s had it bad lately. He’s tired of the tiny bits of gravel being tracked into the house from the …

I am not a “people person.” Much as I would like to say that getting pregnant with Violet has morphed me into a kinder, gentler version of myself, it hasn’t. I can’t stand hypocrisy, platitudes, …

I got a call about a party in Stockton but thought it was too far to drive. I was tempted, however, when I heard the warehouse was going to be decorated as a brothel. Ken …

By now, most people with even a passing interest in wine have heard of the Sideways effect: a movie takes Pinot Noir as a central metaphor for its thin-skinned and temperamental protagonist, and hey presto, …

When I look at my hands and in my heart, I see stress as Lady Macbeth saw blood. — Berri Clove I was going to tell him after we’d ordered our entrées, but I had …

In Esztergom, Hungary, I saw for the first time in my life a dioramic representation of how human beings have managed to overthrow nature and evolution and how we’ve started to suck. Inside Esztergom Castle …

Nicholas Flat harbors a small oasis of live oaks and an old cattle pond backed by picturesque sandstone outcrops. During the winter and late spring, the grassy meadows above the pond may host an eye-popping …

Heymatt: Why is the human heart considered the center of love and affection? Who decided that? And where did the valentine heart come from? Is it supposed to be a version of the human heart? …

I met Paul online, and it wasn’t long before we were talking on the phone, engaging in the most introspective, enlightening, and enjoyable conversations I’ve ever had, replete with deep discussions about the world, about …

Artist: StolenSong: “Pills from God” (from the CD Drop that Apple)Heard By: Danny M., UTC It was good. To me, it sounded very dated; it sounded like San Diego ’90s rock. I don’t know if …

Name: Dakota Lives: Ocean Beach Surfing: Dog Beach Despite the ripping winds and freezing water, 30-year-old Dakota is out at Dog Beach looking for surf. The cold isn’t new to him; he recently moved back …

The year was 1983, and as always on a Saturday morning, my best friend and I get into my mom’s van and head downtown to the local roller-skating rink. I couldn’t tell you the exact …

Album: The Neighbors Are Listening (2007) Artist: Alex Esther Label: self-released Where available/price: iTunes for $9.99 and CDBaby for $10. Songs: 1) Grey 2) State I’m In 3) Love Me Like You Do 4) Far …

NASCAR revs up on Sunday ($89 for a DirecTV season sub) with their biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. And you know what that means… Surf’s up! At least, according to surfline.com. Here …

I am looking forward, many weeks down the road, to getting out on a Friday in this town, a payday for me like millions — maybe billions — of other people in the world, and …

History in Chula Vista? You betcha. Like, the other day I came across a couple of geezers outside an eatery, yakkin’ away like there was no tomorrow. Seems they’d just met up again after half …

“Carlsbad’s gotten ugly,” says a musician who supports himself by playing music in Carlsbad clubs. Following noise complaints by nearby residents, the City of Carlsbad is enforcing a new entertainment ordinance that went into effect …