• Captain Charles Moore, UCSD alum, steps overboard. He disappears into the inky Pacific. It’s 2007, nighttime, 500 miles west of San Diego. He swims, about three, four feet beneath the surface, through the spooky …

In the 1970s, a fellow student used to confide in me about his family problems. His little girl had been diagnosed with autism. While he showed plenty of concern for the child, my friend seemed …

We’ve Been Warned I’m calling about last week’s cover story (“They Think They’re in Love,” September 4). I think as the community speaker, the Reader is handed out freely to everyone, including children. I think …

La Jolla–based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., owned by La Jolla millionaires Linden and Neal Blue, has made millions of dollars on its best-known product, the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, which has seen service over …

When word broke two weeks ago that GOP presidential nominee John McCain had picked Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, among the few San Diegans to have actually met her was a small …

Vains of Jenna is part of the Swedish (yes, Swedish) sleaze-rock revival…sleaze rock being an American phenomenon from the ’80s known for cheap lyrics and fast guitars. Call it glam metal, big-hair rock, whatever. It …

There have been a lot of Nick Caves over the years. He’s been the skinny Australian guy clowning around onstage with the chaotic-sounding Birthday Party; the junkie leader of the Bad Seeds, telling tales of …

Forty-two years ago today — September 11, 1966 — Del Mar was renamed “Clarksville” as part of a promotion for the Monkees’ TV show to debut the following night. The Sunday event marked the first …

“Anybody who is first learning how to ride should get a longboard,” says skateboarder Brad Harvey. “It’s definitely more stable, like a longer snowboard or surfboard would be. Bicyclists think we’re nuts when they realize …

Thirty Years Ago FREDDIE FREAK. Didn’t you believe me when I said I met Eddie at Parkway Plaza? If I didn’t I got the next best thing. Eddie Freak. HECKLE JECKLE: Love to. Meet me …

“I thought only new parents looked like that,” I said to my friend Cherie, worrying over her glazed eyes and exhausted stare. “It’s been like this for months. I’ll wake up after two hours of …

Having covered ‘50s and ‘60s theme parties the past two weeks, it seemed appropriate to jump to a ‘70s bash at the VFW hall in Pacific Beach. Coincidentally, I went to a going-away party at …

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. — Frank A. Clark The only burp so far on our maiden voyage to Montreal had been the poutine. As a …

Herpes simplex A through Q saw fit to land on my face and create a tiny ecosystem of interconnecting blisters and communities. I’m going to give it to John McCain. (I already gave it to …

Diminutive Corral Canyon Park is one of the newer parcels of open space to be added to the archipelago of public lands known as the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. A lazily looping hiking …

My slang word comes from my quest to swear less. I know that it’s kind of an old word, but I say, “snap.” I say it whenever I’m surprised or shocked or exclaiming about something. …

“Do you know we go up to the altar today?” asked the friendly woman seated in front of me. “We go up and receive bread and wine. It’s up to you; we’re not going to …

An erratic NFL Week 1. Tom Brady’s gone. After 111 consecutive starts, the New England quarterback left Sunday’s KC game in the first quarter. Knee injury. The Patriots were an ordinary football team after that, …

Sitting down to write this column, I checked the exact date this would appear and was immediately transported to that morning of 9/11/01. It is such an obvious choice for a topic that I am …

When rock ’n’ roll first hit the scene, hipsters swore that “things’s gonna get REAL GONE for a change.” Although it felt born full grown to those it blew away, rock ’n’ roll didn’t spring …

“Where am I from?” says Dzung. “Hanoi.” Wow. We’re sitting ’round the fire pit, chowing down. He’s eating grilled chicken and fries. I’m into pork tacos with chicken nuggets, a cheese enchilada, and a little …

For months before it opened, Mukashi seemed like a presold hit: Everyone who ate at Avenue 5, just across Nutmeg Street, could see the sign in the window, announcing a new sushi bar with a …

MISS VICTORIA’S IN LOVE On Friday, June 13, 1856, Maurice Franklin invited Victoria Jacobs to join him for a picnic. Even though 17-year-old Victoria suffered a severe toothache, she was thrilled to have “the pleasure …

Below is an interview with Tiltwheel songwriter Davey “Tiltwheel” Quinn, who penned "I Spent My Spring Break in Vancouver and All I Got Was This Dumb Song" — SDReader.com’s most downloaded mp3 during the month …

How bad is the concert-industry slump? “We are off 30 percent compared to last year,” says a local promoter. “I heard Southern California [concert ticket sales are] off 20 percent.” Yet, Slightly Stoopid’s Tailgate 2008 …

“We just had Lol Tolhurst, one of the founding members of the Cure, sit in with us,” says Zippy Twombly of the Cured, a local tribute group. The British drummer joined Twombly’s band onstage for …

Punk rock has arrived at the Fashion Valley mall. A manager at the Boudin bakery says she talked her boss into allowing bands to play one night a week. “We’ve had live music since July,” …

Infant massage educator Suzanne P. Reese is releasing a CD, Talk to Me, with music intended to be sung along while massaging infants. The album is a musical follow-up to her book Baby Massage: Soothing …

When Kid Rock appears at Pala Casino on Wednesday, September 17, his dressing room requires a clothes rack with 12 hangers, a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of hair conditioner, a pack of white crew …

Heymatt: Everybody’s so worried about being bitten by mosquitoes these days. It sort of occurred to me that maybe if you were drunk and had a pretty high blood-alcohol level and were bitten by a …

William H. Carlson in 1893, newly elected as San Diego’s youngest mayor at age 28. He’s credited with luring the Navy to town, raising money for the jetty at the mouth of San Diego Bay, …

Recipe by Ryan Johnston, executive chef, Whisknladle. Basil Pesto Ingredients: Serves 4–6 10 1/2 oz blanched fresh basil2 oz mortared peeled garlic5 oz grated Parmesan cheese3 oz toasted pine nuts20 oz extra virgin olive oilLasagna …

On August 31, the Union-Tribune printed an obituary on the death of Allard Roen, one of the original developers of Carlsbad’s La Costa Resort and Spa. He was living there when he died August 28 …

It’s back! The 301 University project is back — bigger and badder than ever, and the Hillcrest community is reeling. Warnings went out to the community during the September 2 meeting of the Uptown Planners, …

The Del Mar City Council wants to be marketable: more distinguishable from its coastal sister cities. They want a brand name and to have their own catchy slogan. In local government lingo, they want to …