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Stories for March 2010

Wednesday, March 31

Phony Phone User

On March 26, an elderly woman living on Brockton Street in El Cajon allowed a stranger into her home and became the victim of a robbery. According to a Neighborhood Watch block captain, the perpetrator …

March 31, 2010
Thanks, Obama

The old Hotel San Diego was demolished four years ago to make room for a new federal court building, an annex to the existing federal court building across the street on Broadway. Construction of the …

Into the Path

An accident involving two cars occurred at the intersection of San Vicente Road and Arena Drive on March 30. According to several witnesses, Barbara Bremer, 80, drove her Pontiac Grand Am into the intersection and …

March 31, 2010
Harvey

When we first moved in next-door to Harvey, I thought he was a busybody. Upon unpacking our moving truck, he came over immediately. I felt like he was scoping us out, sizing us up to …

March 31, 2010
My Friday Night Adventure in La Mesa

My neighbor is a sex offender. I stumbled across this information Thursday evening. I have not been the same since. When I search my mind for the number of men like him, who have hurt …

The French Riviera: Nice, Èze and Monte-Carlo

Discover for yourself the many faces of Monte-Carlo and the surrounding French Riviera. On the way to break the bank in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, lovers of modern art will want to spend time in nearby Nice …

Now You Know: D/Wolves

“Look at that guido in the parking lot,” says Patrick Scafidi, bassist of D/Wolves. His brother Brian (drums) and bandmates laugh with him, exuding a relaxed, adolescent vibe as they sip coffee outside a shop …

March 31, 2010
Da Bears Remodel da Den

One year after Da Bears lost four of its six members, what they refer to as a “total band transformation,” the San Diego surf-pop act says their metamorphosis is nearly complete. During the past year, …

March 31, 2010
Who Is Matthew Alice, Gringo?

Heymatt: We all know the story of how many Lassies there were covering the collie’s illustrious career in show biz. How many Matthew Alices have there been? I have noticed a dramatic change in the …

March 31, 2010
Star Search

Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science. — Edwin Powell Hubble I picked up a chunk of “astronaut ice cream” with my fingers and popped it …

March 31, 2010
Money where the mouths are

San Diego County Taxpayers Association president Lani Lutar, a big advocate of outsourcing City services, has given $99 to the reelection bid of city councilman Kevin Faulconer. Other Faulconer money includes $300 from Marco Li …

March 31, 2010
Illegal beagle

Local political consultant Larry Remer, who back in May 2006 pled guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of violating campaign-spending laws after a federal jury deadlocked 10–2 for conviction on a raft of more serious …

March 31, 2010
Insured dough

As the June primary approaches, special-interest bucks are rolling into California legislative races. At the top of the corporate money heap here is ex–Democratic assemblyman Juan Vargas, running for a seat in the state senate …

March 31, 2010
I Messed With Texas

South by Southwest is a ten-day arts/music conference and festival started in 1987. The music festival hosts upwards of 1400 bands over four days. The official slogan dubs Austin “the Live Music Capitol of the …

March 31, 2010
San Diego Texas, April

What’s Going on Here? Accusations of election improprieties abound after recent elections in Jim Wells County. San Diego residents Tracy Lopez and her husband, Mark Anthony Lopez, accuse Mark’s stepmother, Cindy Lopez, of forging a …

March 31, 2010
After the Music Died

No Art Left BehindDespite a maddening mix of fact and fiction about music and our children’s interest in it, local music education is thrumming along. In the past six years, San Diego Unified School District …

March 31, 2010
Letters

Return To Sender Re “Big Brother will be watching” (“Under the Radar,” March 18). I am sending you two pages from Ben Hueso’s campaign disclosure report, filed with the secretary of state and San Diego …

March 31, 2010
Early Report: High Dive

The menu calls Quality Social “a bar with food.” It’d be more accurate to say “a serious casual eating place with a bar.” You could call the menu “pub grub,” but that’d be like calling …

Seagull Management

I feel this warmth in the palm of my hand. Oh, great. It-Bit “Washtub” Boots McGee has just peed into my hand. He’s a couple of months old, max. Golden Lab pup. Looks like a …

March 31, 2010
But I Am No One

How do you prove you aren’t an “interesting human being”? Since he broke up with his girlfriend, Khaled’s lived in a dinky, book-clogged studio where he starts but can’t finish short stories. He’s got writer’s …

March 31, 2010
Is Chris Peters Happy?

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has been called the most successful women’s professional sports organization in the world. Founded in 1950, it’s one of the oldest. On Sunday, the LPGA finished its first 2010 …

March 31, 2010
Village Community Presbyterian

It was perhaps odd to see people dressed in their Sunday finery sitting on folding chairs in the pale gray utilitarian confines of a fellowship hall. But I learned quickly that the oddness would not …

Where to find an Easter Sunrise in San Diego County

You trudge ever upward with steady footfalls, steering clear of barely seen rocks and roots. Night vision rules, monochromatic and flat, supplied by the light from a three-quarter, waning moon sinking in the west. As …

March 31, 2010
Four Poems by Joseph Stroud

Homage to Rolf Jacobsen The yellow jacket keeps crashing against the pane trying to get out. All along it’s only a matter of opening the window, finding the words, and you’re out there — in …

March 31, 2010
Apes Break Out

The Apes of Wrath just returned from South by Southwest, calling the four-day music festival in Austin, Texas, “overwhelming, daunting, and extremely exciting all at the same time. Watching so many sets of music paired …

March 31, 2010
Mike and Mike's Music Site

Frogger Dogger is the name of a new music blog, and from the outset, one gets the sense that its content providers, three ex–music writers from the Union-Tribune, are on something of a crusade. “Where …

March 31, 2010
Who Is Betty Wilson?

Thirty-Five Years AgoThe taxpayers of San Diego pay mayor Pete Wilson the middlin’ wage of $20,000 a year. Some say we get a lot for our money. Everybody would agree on one bargain, though: we …

March 31, 2010
Ray, Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth, Patch Adams

David PatroneCrooner,davidpatrone.com I first saw The Blues Brothers when I was in my early teens and was amazed by the juxtaposition of musician, crusader, and criminal married to an incredible soundtrack and eclectic, relevant cameos …

March 31, 2010
Saffron Thai restaurants hit by internet scammers

Late last October, a man claiming to represent a deaf woman began calling the Saffron Thai restaurants on India Street near Washington. The lady wanted large amounts of food for her upcoming wedding. But Saffron …

March 31, 2010
Low-Water Landscapes

Watering is not a Kelly-family strong point. Hundreds of dollars have withered away in the form of neglected plants. The colorful perennials of my East Coast childhood do not flourish in our desert climate. So, …

March 31, 2010
Wedding Present

There was a time in the ’80s when British indie bands had a predictable pattern: First become press darlings in the U.K., slowly conquer the hearts of suburban American teenagers, and then hit the big …

March 31, 2010
RJD2

Ramble John Krohn, also known as RJD2, listens to so many new albums in a week that he uses Post-it notes to keep track of what is useable. Krohn, a former club DJ, is now …

March 31, 2010
Boundless

“My music has no boundaries,” says multi-instrumentalist Brian Ellis, whose two solo albums cover all the musical bases, from free jazz to psychedelic, world, and experimental electronic music. “I use computer programming and multitrack recording …

March 31, 2010
Arranged marriage among San Diegans from India

Afra Khan, a grad student who recently emigrated from Hyderabad, India, wears jeans and a long-sleeved gray T-shirt that says SDSU across the front. Before I spend an afternoon with her in a tiny two-bedroom …

March 31, 2010

Tuesday, March 30

Waiting in the Wings

The lights were dim and the stage was set. Fifty El Cajon residents sat inside council chambers waiting to address councilmembers and comment on what the city should do with the El Cajon Performing Arts …

March 30, 2010
Tapped Out

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department arrested three people in Encinitas, Del Mar, and Solana Beach for furnishing alcohol to persons under the age of 21 on March 26, according to the state department of …

Boardwalk Taxi Driver

In the early morning hours following a Saturday night in Mission Beach, pedestrians were startled by the presence of a vehicle rapidly approaching behind them on the boardwalk. At 2:24 a.m. on March 28, Yellow …

Posts Most Contentious

A tan, middle-aged man in board shorts dug a sizable hole in the sand on Mission Beach (just north of Toulon Court) on the afternoon of March 28. A tall, wooden 4"X4" post lay in …

The Leak on Water Hill Road

Since February 13 there has been a continuous flow of water coming down Water Hill Road and onto Marilla Drive in Lakeside. The source of the leak is a valve beneath a six-inch-in-diameter manhole-type cover …

March 30, 2010
Wolf down that pie in Julian

If you think the only way to see a wolf is to watch Dances with Wolves, think again. Two top-tier North American predators, the Alaskan and Mexican wolves, have dens at the California Wolf Center. …

Monday, March 29

Ever So Clever

Everybody was nodding their heads to the bounce and gazing at the ridiculously boyish bassist who could be a Cowsills grand-kid and the keyboardist/maraca-shaker who could impersonate Weird Al Yankovic -- the band's certainly visually …

March 29, 2010

Sunday, March 28

Polar Bear Plunge, Pittsburgh

When Bill invited me to jump in the Monongahela River, it was New Year's Eve, and I had knocked back half a bottle of champagne. "It's tomorrow morning," Bill said. "Just bring a swimsuit and …

Introducing

In case you're confused (I was too), this album is called Introducing and then the band is called Brilliant Colors. I hope that clears everything up. They look a little out-of-focus on the cover. They …

March 28, 2010
Bin Booty

Portland's nice nice opened up the Casbah with polyrhythmic percussion over loops, noise effects, and synth. A samba troupe wanders into a Neu! concert covering a Glenn Branca piece. More sound than music, the dancey …

March 28, 2010
Rhapsody at Copley

The last weekend in March offered a Symphony Exposed concert of Gershwin's "An American in Paris." The educational concert program featured maestro Nuvi Mehta -- the official voice of the San Diego Symphony and its …

Snakes for the Divine

High on Fire's fifth studio album is a satisfying platter of high intensity, low frequency rumblings from one of metal’s most honest, hard-working, and ferocious bands. Producer Greg Fidelman (Metallica, Slayer) ensures the trio's roar …

March 28, 2010

Saturday, March 27

Dragon's Drool

On the evening of March 24, a group of 30 people enjoyed the antics of two flame-juggling acrobats on the sand adjacent to the Pacific Beach boardwalk. The flame-throwers, John and Anton, met eight months …

It Was a Cloudy, Rainy Day...

Ann Mendez, an elderly Point Loma woman, has been on a tiresome crusade, appealing a parking citation for failing to curb her wheels. According to Mendez, she parked on Voltaire Street near Chatsworth Boulevard on …

March 27, 2010

Thursday, March 25

Street Relief, Residential Grief

Thirty residents of North Park sat in foldout chairs on the hardwood basketball court inside North Park's recreation center on March 24 to hear the details of the University Avenue Mobility Plan. Jeff Szymanski from …

March 25, 2010
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

I rolled into Santa Teresa early in the afternoon. The sun beamed down its scathing agenda, burning my tender gringo flesh. Cars and motorbikes threw a lingering cloud of dust from the bumpy dirt road …

Bicyclists’ Demise

Kearny Villa Road between Ruffin Road to the south and Miramar Road to the north is the only north-south route for bicyclists along the I-15 corridor. It is a decommissioned freeway with a 65 mph …

March 25, 2010
When Thieves Attack

San Diego police are investigating three burglaries that occurred on March 22 in North County communities. The break-ins appear to be related, according to an SDPD news release. A Rancho Bernardo resident confronted a burglar …

Even More Homeless Now

The homeless encampment at the I-5 underpass at B Street has been cleared out. For months (perhaps even for years), many of the city's homeless took advantage of the rain-free environment; rows of cardboard mats, …

Who’s Minding the Store?

An El Cajon supermarket is irritating its customer base by allegedly scheduling staff below an acceptable standard. On March 20, shortly before 8 p.m., approximately 30 customers were lined up at the two checkstands open …

March 25, 2010
Walkability's Price

A controversial streetscape project for Chula Vista’s downtown will come before the city council April 13. The project involves narrowing a portion of Third Avenue to a single lane and removing trees in cement planters. …

Wednesday, March 24

Green Tape

San Diego's Land Use and Housing Committee met on March 24 in the city council committee room on the 12th floor of the administration building to deliberate regulating medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. On …

March 24, 2010
Romney's Road

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who currently serves as the chairman of the Free and Strong America PAC, spent two hours on March 22 autographing copies of his book No Apology: The Case for American …

March 24, 2010
San Diego’s best-known short seller, Barry Minkow

Short sellers are getting short shrift at a time they should be getting tall praise. They borrow a stock, sell it, and hope to replace the borrowed shares later at a lower price. They make …

March 24, 2010
Vigilante Minutemen patrol border near Campo

Brandon Stockwell, a film student at SDSU, climbs to the top of the border fence south of Campo and examines the rolling desert ridges of rural Mexico. The day is bright, the winter air clean …

March 24, 2010
Here's the Deal: Ruby Room

Formerly the San Diego Sports Bar, Ruby Room is tucked off of the clubby Hillcrest strip behind the newish Ruby Kitchen. Weekend parking can be difficult. “When we bought the place about a year and …

March 24, 2010
For One Week Only

Thirty Years AgoI worked at a liquor store. We always had drifters and drunks that would hang out there. Well, I got to know one drunk named George. I dialed the pay phone when George …

March 24, 2010
See For Yourself

Tough times, tightened belts, tighter budgets — from households and big industry to small businesses and major museums. No surprise that in a time of unstable markets, museums everywhere — threatened by leaner endowments, stiffer …

March 24, 2010
Cut Your Hair

“Frank Sinatra gave me my first singing job, Bob Dylan encouraged me to pursue a recording career, and Buck Owens told me, ‘Cut your damn hair,’ ” says Temecula’s Michael Chain, whose turn at ’60s …

March 24, 2010
Pop Property

Local quartet Hotel St. George hit a home run when they entered a song into a Spin/EA Sports contest. The winner of the contest would have their song used in the baseball video game MLB …

March 24, 2010
Howard Stern of San Diego

“Today we’re launching San Diego Online Radio,” says Dale Seibert, who describes himself as its main guy — owner, producer, program director, and head of marketing. “It’s the new voice of San Diego,” he says. …

March 24, 2010
Record Release Roundup

Beatleholic Dave Humphries debuts his fifth album, Hocus Pocus on Joker Lane, at Humphrey’s Backstage on April 10. “The title came to me after my wife met this interesting guy while in her art studio …

March 24, 2010
Welcome to Camp Kill Yourself

Thursday 25His freak-folkness Devendra Banhart and backing band of minstrels the Grogs stumble into Belly Up behind the bearded one’s ‘09 offering What We Will Be, a critic’s pick that inspired the New York Times …

March 24, 2010
The Death of Santa Claus

He’s had chest pains for weeks, but doctors don’t make house calls to the North Pole, he’s let his Blue Cross lapse, blood tests make him faint, hospital gowns always flap open, waiting rooms upset …

March 24, 2010
Caliente Wilderness

North of Warner Springs, a several-miles-long segment of the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) traverses Cleveland National Forest land that may one day be designated the “Caliente Wilderness Area.” Certainly the area is remote enough …

March 24, 2010
Mercy Community Church

Brightly colored banners touting secular virtues hang on the walls of the pale green elementary-school auditorium that serves as a worship space for Mercy Community Church. It’s a fine old list: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, …

Boing Boing Clunk

Boeing-Boeing at the Old Globe: the title sounds like someone bouncing on a trampoline, which actually describes the French farce, if the bouncers are Boeing jets taking off and landing at Orly Airport and deplaning …

March 24, 2010
Goodbye, Trailer of Joy

Here’s one for the military. Looks like IB’s loss could be North Island’s gain. My favorite BBQ trailer is heading thataway, for Navy eyes only. And that’s one giant pity for the rest of mankind. …

March 24, 2010
Your Neighborhood of Azerbaijan

Cafe 2121 began as a quiet little breakfast/lunch place a few blocks west of Cafe 21 at 2121 Adams. The neighborhood adopted it warmly, so owners Leyla and Alex Javado moved to a more copasetic, …

Letters

Yellow Fellow Nobody is that yellow. I liked the article on City Heights (“Changes in City Heights,” March 18), but the yellow tone to the Asian section of the portrait on the front sucks. Come …

March 24, 2010
Common Ground

My mom and dad raised me conventionally. We would spend our summers skinny-dipping in the Yuba River and the winters huddled around the warm fireplace, singing protest songs of the ’60s. Accompanied by guitars and …

March 24, 2010
No Let-Up

Just to keep pace with the fast-breaking developments, a quick timeout from basketball: Chloe. A renaming and reworking by Atom Egoyan of the French film Nathalie by Anne Fontaine. Despite the pedigree (Egoyan, if you …

March 24, 2010
Tuned, You and Me

“Music tunes people,” says singer Sabira Woolley. “If my music appeals to you, then my tuning is attuned with yours. I write songs that come from my truth, with the intention of bringing listeners into …

March 24, 2010
Sons of Champlin

What some have called a huge loss for the rock band Chicago is a big gain for fans of an off-and-on-again soul band with its roots in the psychedelic ’60s called the Sons of Champlin. …

March 24, 2010
Surfer Blood

If you’ve read anything about Florida’s Surfer Blood — and in its short life so far, the band has amassed a lot of press — you’ve read that they sound a little like indie-rock giants …

March 24, 2010
Establishing a Bank, License Plate Symbols

Matt: I’ve been laid off from two jobs, and I’m pretty tired of it all. Since I have so much time on my hands, I was sitting around thinking about where I could work that …

March 24, 2010
Ahi Poke

Recipe by Tim Johnson, executive chef, Zenbu Sushi Bar and Restaurant A lot of chefs don’t cook at home, but the nights I am home, I do actually like to cook. I have a wife …

March 24, 2010
Blends Up There, Down Here

This story starts around 20 years ago, when Peter Van Alyea fell in love with the Sonoma Valley. And, he notes, “If you want to move to that valley and buy property, then you better …

March 24, 2010
Egg-Laying Chicks

Spring is here, and my own little chicks have been peeping at me for some real chicken-type chicks come Easter. And you know what? I could use the eggs. Jennifer at Country Feed Store in …

March 24, 2010
Revenge of the Tiki gods

Three county tax liens have been lodged against Katherine Stuart, wife of GOP San Diego city councilman Kevin Faulconer, who is currently running for reelection and said to be eager to succeed Mayor Jerry Sanders …

Naming rights, anyone?

Big cutbacks in state funding have left UCSD students fuming and campus administrators slashing staff, but the same financial constraints apparently don’t apply to the university’s medical center. Approval of a planned “East Campus bed …

What’s Up with the Big Cortez Hole?

For the past six years, a huge construction hole in the lower Cortez neighborhood has remained a collection of rusty rebar, weeds and dirt, and wooden shoring. Located midblock between Ash and Beech, the L-shaped …

Rome (in a Day)

“I love it here but after a while we get a little tired of seeing all these naked statues,” a Midwest couple confided to me about their first trip to Rome. I had already decided …

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Taking a much-needed break from my grandfather's funeral, I drove to Hilton Head for some sightseeing. I didn't know much about the island – only its reputation for golf courses and wealthy tourists. When I …

Tuesday, March 23

Diga Diga Do

When John Reynolds plays his bright resonator guitar and sings "Dinah" with the Rhythm Club Allstars, all dressed in vintage suits, it's feels...authentic. The venue doesn't matter -- listeners are instantly zapped to a 1925 …

March 23, 2010

Monday, March 22

Wild Seven

"Marshall Middle School envisions a welcoming environment that promotes meaningful collaboration between parents, teachers, and other community members," reads the "About Us" section on the Scripps Ranch middle school’s website. But according to a March …

Sunday, March 21

Real Plugger

On March 19 at about 6 p.m., an auto-theft suspect led Escondido police officers on a chase in which gunfire struck four police cars and the car of a passerby. According to a press release, …

March 21, 2010
Work

The Shout Out Louds hail from Stockholm, Sweden, where, I would guess, it’s often dark and cold. Consequently, this album has a melancholy charm to it. Opening track “1999” is a hopeful anthem sporting a …

March 21, 2010
Devil Makes Three

"Take this pill now, put it on your tongue, keep you actin' just like everyone." The audience cheerfully sang along with caustic lyrics tucked into bouncy folk-roots rhythms by the Devil Makes Three. "It's drinkin'-and-singin'-in-a-rocking-chair-on-the-front-porch …

March 21, 2010
In Memoriam

The San Diego Master Chorale along with St. Paul's Cathedral Chorus, St. Cecilia Choir, and the Cathedral Choristers gave a concert of sacred choral music to a capacity audience at St. Paul's Cathedral. The concert …

The Superions

I've been listening to boring, pretentious claptrap and exhaustively intense rock all afternoon on about three hours' sleep (don't ask). Buried near the bottom of my review pile is this EP. I've spaced that it's …

March 21, 2010
Wigged Out

Fallbrook sheriff's deputies have reason to believe they interrupted a robbery attempt on the morning of March 19. They responded to a radio call of a suspicious white female wearing a wig near the Fallbrook …

March 21, 2010
We All Fight the Wall

U.S./Mexico border problems and their effect on the Tijuana Estuary was the focus of the March 19 Sierra Club’s meeting in Hillcrest. According to a Sierra Club press release, laws protecting the environment, archaeological sites, …

March 21, 2010
Lean Times

“Far-fetched” was the word used by one local to describe the four-minute and ten-minute workouts that were offered by Club Motivate, a fitness center in the East Village. At the beginning of March, the gym …

Saturday, March 20

Broken Bells

Certain things just don't mix: oil and water, laxatives and sleeping pills, indie rock and electronica. The latter is apparent on the debut album from Broken Bells, which features James Mercer, front man for indie …

March 20, 2010
Musico ambulante

Through indifference or ignorance, Santiago has been busking at the southern end of the North Park Farmer's Market (Queen Bee's usually claims the north side). Santiago needs money and players for a new conjunto; there's …

March 20, 2010
Super Recruiters

San Diego Unified School District's quest to find what will be their fifth superintendent in five years pressed on at the second meeting of the Superintendent Search Advisory Committee on March 18. Of the 15 …

March 20, 2010

Thursday, March 18

Hunted

"Somebody please call 911!" Those were the words shouted by a middle-aged woman with blood running down her face as she burst into the Starbucks at 511 F Street on March 15 at 8:10 a.m. …

Applause and Concern

If you were in North Park in 2002, you might have gone to the University Avenue Mobility Plan meeting to find out how the city planners, their consultants, and some community members thought University Avenue …

March 18, 2010
Cutting Teeth

It's St. Patrick's Day, a few dozen people crowd Whistle Stop's bar trying to find a pint on the other side of the rainbow. While they clamor, 30 others surround San Diego mellowcore band Little …

March 18, 2010
Suspects Street-Cornered

A Fallbrook sheriff's deputy who encountered two people on a street corner discovered stolen items and burglary tools on March 16. Deputy Andrew Brumfield stopped to question Vanessa Paredez, 27, as she stood outside of …

March 18, 2010
Key Evidence

At approximately 1:40 a.m. on March 13, La Mesa police responded to an audible alarm at an Enterprise Car Rental on the 8400 block of Center Street. Police arrived at the scene to discover that …

March 18, 2010

Wednesday, March 17

Clear as Mud

The Balboa Park Task Force met March 15 in the Santa Fe Room of the Balboa Park Club to discuss the future of Balboa Park with regards to fundraising management and governance. All 17 volunteer …

Southern Exposure

At around 2:00 p.m. on March 14, a man in a hospital gown was stopped by sheriff‘s deputies at the corner of Santa Fe Drive and San Elijo Avenue. Two deputies talked with the man …

March 17, 2010
Shakin' All Over

While No Bunny's Tower Bar stop pulled some bodies from opener and second act Bare Wires and So Cow, once the Baths hit the stage it was getting crowded. For Thee Oh Sees about 40 …

March 17, 2010
No Megaphones in Rome

Boyscout opened with two drummers, two guitars. Informed by San Diego's unique brand of hardcore and guitarist Lain Weck's roots (Marasol, Fever Sleeves) in odd-time noodling, the set was an energetic experiment in dueling strings …

March 17, 2010
New Direction for Old Town

National City residents crammed into council chambers on Tuesday, March 16, for a meeting of the city council. An additional 40 residents sat in a lobby to watch the meeting on a large flat-screen TV. …

Scott Kessler works with FBI investigating Marco Li Mandri

On or about October 17, 2008, Police Chief William Lansdowne was summoned to the office of an irate Mayor Jerry Sanders. The mayor wanted to know how a criminal investigative report coauthored by one of …

March 17, 2010
San Diego Unified charges all kinds of illegal fees

On January 11, 43 students, parents, and school staff gathered inside the media center at Junipero Serra High School in Tierrasanta for the monthly meeting of the School Site Council. The council sat in the …

March 17, 2010
Brown money

Some powerful San Diego law firms lined up last week to contribute to Democratic state attorney general Jerry Brown’s bid for governor. Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek, one of the city’s best-connected legal and lobbying outfits, …

March 17, 2010
Ticket to Tel Aviv

Democratic congressman Bob Filner spent a week in Israel last month courtesy of a tax-exempt group run by J Street, an advocacy organization that casts itself as a liberal alternative to the American Israel Public …

March 17, 2010
Big Brother will be watching

The City of San Diego has cooked up a plan to build an elaborate video spying operation around Mission Bay and Ocean Beach. According to a request for proposal issued March 5, the City wants …

Snack Time

I read the NCAA is thinking about changing its postseason basketball tournament to a 96-team format and mutter to self, “The Rapacious Evil that is the NCAA.” Said Rapacious Evil has a working monopoly on …

March 17, 2010
Calvary Lutheran Church

A child’s magic-marker drawing of the Prodigal Son graced the bulletin cover for Sunday’s service at Calvary Lutheran: a hungry man sitting in a muddy pigsty. “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with …

March 17, 2010
Upper Hot Spring Canyon

Silent, except for the gentle gurgle of water over stone, upper Hot Spring Canyon is an easy-to-reach hideaway in the Santa Ana Mountains, not very far from a pair of Cleveland National Forest campgrounds. Those …

March 17, 2010
My Life in France

What are you reading? “I just finished My Life in France, by Julia Child and her great nephew Alex Prud’homme. She told him all her stories, and he put it together.” What did you like …

March 17, 2010
Two poems by Ginger Andrews

O That Summer my sister and I both wound up back in Coos Bay, basket cases, lonely as hell. She was recovering from drugs and alcohol, I was newly divorced, a Sunday School teacher with …

March 17, 2010
Sonic Colonic

Thursday 18Miami’s mad-rappin’ Clarence Reid, aka Blowfly, rolls up on Radio Room. The 64-year-old is the self-described original nasty rapper and claims to have written and recorded the first rap song ever, “Rapp Dirty”: “This …

March 17, 2010
3again

“3against1 split in 2008, after playing for seven years,” says guitarist Arnaud Lemaire. “Each member was personally evolving, whether it was a need to make some money, planning for marriage, or bringing a child into …

March 17, 2010
Pink Army Invasion

On March 15, one day after receiving Child Actor Recognition Awards at Universal Studios, San Diego electro-pop “tweenie” boppers Pink Army marched into Sonikwire Studios in Irvine to record what will be the first track …

March 17, 2010
Back in the Day

“The band started in 1980, but I didn’t join until February 1981,” says Social Spit singer Cliff Cunningham. “The singer just couldn’t remember the lyrics, so I got in. My first show was at the …

March 17, 2010
Hip-Hop Hard Time

“Young Mass is booked at the City of Las Vegas Detention Center for a domestic issue and for giving false info to the police,” says 40oz Chris at Massterpiece Entertainment. The local hip-hop artist — …

March 17, 2010
Roosevelt, Noise Gate, and Scatter Brain and Acid Atheist

Artist: RooseveltSong: “Miracles and City Lights” (from sdreader.com/mp3)Heard by: Matt Silengo, North ParkI thought it had a really good sound to it. I couldn’t really make out the lyrics to know exactly what was being …

March 17, 2010
Miracle on 32nd Street

Thirty-Five Years AgoI saw the Miracle today, the one, that is, at the Israelite Church of God in Christ on 32nd and L Street. I’m not usually one for miracles...the usual stuff like bleeding statues …

March 17, 2010
The Last DJ

Gary Beck has a certain way about him. He is the midday disc jockey at KSDS, the City College radio station otherwise known as Jazz 88.3, and his demeanor takes me back to 1971 to …

March 17, 2010
Stephen Stills

It’s a safe bet to assume that nobody plays air guitar to old Stephen Stills records. Better known to the masses as one of the voices of Crosby, Stills & Nash, it might come as …

March 17, 2010
Pierced Arrows

Whatever happened to the musicians in all those obscure ’60s garage rock bands documented on Nuggets? Some of them went on to bigger and better bands, but most didn’t. Some of them got drafted and …

March 17, 2010
The Bodhran

My mother hails from Ireland, and my paternal great-grandparents are also from the old sod. I like to flaunt my pure bloodlines at my hubby, who has a beautiful mix of ancestry: a little Irish …

March 17, 2010
Africans, Asians, Hispanics...and Hipsters: Changes in City Heights

From the Killing Fields to the Noodle House When Mark Lau was ten years old, he couldn’t add one plus one. On the day he began the fourth grade at Adams Elementary School in City …

March 17, 2010
Around and About

In between films at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, I can spare but passing glances at the world outside. And with the NCAA basketball tournament added this Thursday to the ongoing festival, we can’t …

March 17, 2010
Yonder Lies It

Looking for Herb Every Christmas Eve, my family gets together at my mother’s house in a Tijuana middle-class suburb near the old Caliente Racetrack to have tamales, turkey, and liters of calientitos (Mexican Christmas punch). …

March 17, 2010
40-Year-Old Version

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. — Mark Twain I positioned the necklace on the table — novelty beads flaunting the number “40” with a glittery …

March 17, 2010
I Venture Out Alone

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and Jack I have become — or Jill, as it were. So I do what any sane, self-preserving person would do. I bolt. Yes, in …

March 17, 2010
Letters

The Black Man Is Black In response to Moss Gropen’s piece on the recent racial uproar at UCSD (“Media Hawk,” March 11), I would like to make a quick correction. Ironically, in a paragraph where …

March 17, 2010
Tapas on Tokyo Time

An izakaya is the Japanese equivalent of a tapas bar or gastropub — a place where salarymen flock after work to snack on a variety of small dishes (or some big comforting ones) for a …

March 17, 2010
Spam Wins

“This is what, again?” asks Carla. Her fingers rustle suspiciously through the pile of fried smelt sitting stiff, gold, and cold next to the crispy, deep-fried chicken skins and the pot of vinegar. “These,” I …

March 17, 2010
Heaven on Earth: Gimmelwald, Switzerland

After traveling around Europe for three months, the one place I keep telling myself I need to return to is Gimmelwald, Switzerland. Located high in the Swiss Alps, this town of approximately 130 residents is …

Tuesday, March 16

Parkland Visions

In a complicated land deal, the financially strapped City of Chula Vista borrowed from Peter to pay Paul. The Chula Vista City Council voted on March 2 to purchase 14.4 acres of redevelopment land in …

Runaway Toyota?

On March 14 at around 3 p.m., a Toyota Avalon hit a fire hydrant in the parking lot of the Albertsons grocery store at the intersection of Marron Road and Cannon. The fire hydrant was …

March 16, 2010
Pup Love

A sea lion lay in apparent agony on the sand in Mission Beach near Ormond Court on March 13. At least nine individuals circled the pup. Some snapped photos while others placed calls to the …

Hip Palm Springs, CA

In a corner of the vast Southern California desert, nestled against scraggly snow-topped peaks with sagebrush trailing in every direction, sits the idyllic enclave of Palm Springs. Nice for Sunday brunch with Grandma, sure, but …

Pura Vida in Palmar Norte, Costa Rica

I found a cheap room in Palmar Norte and shambled into a soda (cheap Costa Rican eatery) across the street. I had just bicycled about forty miles and could have salted three pounds of pork …

Monday, March 15

Sisterworld

So the new Liars album sounds exactly right whilst reading about a 12-year-old Indiana girl tortured and killed by an impromptu gang of female teens. But that's not the surprising part. No, the surprising part …

March 15, 2010
Pray for Parking

Driving through North Park near the intersection of 32nd Street and Redwood, a neighborhood resident slows his sedan down. "This is where the parking problems start. This is all parking for St. Augustine High School," …

March 15, 2010

Sunday, March 14

Faith of Our Fathers

"PhD-holding members of Glimr make new record in a particle accelerator; drink bourbon from Ankle the Mimic's prosthetic leg" slightly paraphrases the hype with which this blazed into view. While I might not have known …

March 14, 2010
Romeo et Juliette

March is a fatally romantic month at the San Diego Opera, which kicked off its first performance of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette since 1998. Using the beautiful traditional set and costumes from Utah Opera, Cynthia …

Folk This

The Cave Singers’ Derek Fudesco grabbed his sunburst Gibson hollow-body and took a seat on a stool. Singer Pete Quirk stood at the mic and peered out from under a trucker hat, his face shrouded …

March 14, 2010
Ding! Ding!

It's a lively night at the Ruby Room. Post-apocalyptic quasi-porn plays on flat screens. Resident artist Alex draws caricatures of unwitting patrons. Vinyl Film plays a generic Get-Up-Kids-grow-a-pair pop punk set. "Yes, I'm wearing a …

March 14, 2010

Saturday, March 13

Riddle Me This

Though the March 11 Point Loma Community Park and Recreation Council meeting was scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m., it began at 5:30 p.m. The first item on the agenda turned out to not be …

March 13, 2010
Can't Drink Gas

During a public hearing on March 9, the Vista City Council reviewed an appeal of the planning commission’s approval for a proposed ARCO AM/PM at the North Santa Fe Village shopping center located on the …

March 13, 2010
Bell on Bruch

Friday's concert at Copley Hall offered music by Dvorak, Bruch, and Tchaikovsky. If many in the audiences weren't familiar with Bruch before, they left the show humming his tunes rather than those of the two …

Soft Pipes, Play On

This album is just one more reason why I'm convinced San Diego is some sort of afterlife. I mean, if it were up to me to choose the post-life house band, it would go something …

March 13, 2010
Know Thy Neighbor

The Chula Vista Police Department hosted a March 13 meeting at Hilltop Middle School. They presented crime information about the city to approximately 200 community members, including parents, teenagers, and young children. Police chief David …

Ain't No Grave

Posthumous release American VI: Ain't No Grave is the last of the albums Johnny Cash created with Rick Rubin. Producer Rubin collected songs from various writers, eras, and genres; stripped the arrangements, ditching drums and …

March 13, 2010

Thursday, March 11

Primed for Disaster

After a closure and retrofitting that lasted over a year, La Mesa’s Fire Station 13 will once again be fully operational; the station reopened on March 8, according to a press release. Built in the …

March 11, 2010
Cops Greenlight Innertubapalooza

Spring break is approaching, and the impending “Innertubapalooza” was the highlight of the March 10 Mission Beach Town Council meeting held in the community room at Belmont Park. In 2009, locals coined the title “Innertubapalooza” …

Pay Cuts and Pink Slips

Pay cuts and pink slips were the hot topic at the Chula Vista Elementary School District board meeting on March 9. Teachers, parents, and students waved signs with slogans such as “Cuts Hurt Kids” in …

Moth Captured

The California Department of Food and Agriculture says the first “light brown apple moth” (Epiphyas postvittana) to appear in San Diego has been trapped in a Bonsall lemon grove. According to a press release, residents …

March 11, 2010
Crime and Crime Again

An area of Solana Beach is experiencing a mini crime wave, prompting the sheriff’s department to go door-to-door, post flyers, and ask residents to be on the lookout for car burglars. From February 1 to …

We Don’t Want to Modernize

The Hillcrest Town Council held a meeting on March 9 at the Joyce Beers Community Center, with 45 community members in attendance. Councilmember Roy Dahl outlined the council’s Development Committee’s design principles as they pertain …

March 11, 2010
Too Intense

On the evening of March 8, a fire broke out in an older home in the 1000 block of Regal Road, behind the Carl’s Jr. off of I-5 at Santa Fe Drive. It quickly became …

March 11, 2010
Dark Sand Duo

The duo of Sergio Salvatore (piano) and Christo Rafalides (vibes) began with the title cut from their recent release Dark Sand and continued with a funky off-kilter version of Charles Mingus's "Nostalgia in Times Square." …

March 11, 2010
The Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles

Having lived in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots of 1992, I’ve always viewed the Museum of Tolerance as a beacon of hope. Located at the corner of Pico and Roxbury Drive in West …

They Walked the Line

People drove away from DMV offices statewide after waiting in line for several hours on March 8. A computer-system malfunction was blamed for the longer-than-usual lines. The DMV at 30 N. Glover Avenue in Chula …

Dude, GPS My Car

The Boy Scouts of America has created a variation of the traditional Pinewood Derby through the use of “geocaching,” in which “Travel Bug” cars are hidden and then found by scouts using GPS devices. Once …

Pinniped Predicament

The issue of seals at La Jolla Children's Pool resurfaced in a March 17 agenda item on the Natural Resources and Culture Committee docket. At the committee meeting, San Diego councilmembers Donna Frye, Carl DeMaio, …

March 11, 2010
Live from Bellingham

It's just before ten at the Radio Room and Fkenal’s ending their set. A dude with long hair bums me a Top rolled cigarette. His name is Andy and his band Sugar Sugar Sugar is …

March 11, 2010

Wednesday, March 10

Fairy Tale, with Knives

If you get the chance, do see Moonlight Stage Productions’ wonderful Ring Round the Moon. It’s got a terrific cast, a handsome look, humor, brainteasers, and panache — and closes March 21. Asked what he …

March 10, 2010
Vitamin B Shots

“Drop your drawers, Patrick,” I called to my husband as I arrived home from grocery shopping. “It says here on this flyer that Dr. Kelly Austin is offering vitamin B12 shots at the La Mesa …

March 10, 2010
Union-Tribune sold cheap to Platinum Equity

Copley Press sold the Union-Tribune cheap but for good reasons: it was doing even worse than other ailing metro newspapers. Now the company, the last remnant of the old newspaper empire, is selling the rest …

March 10, 2010
Society for Creative Anachronism doesn't give up

November 21, 2009 — A gold-rimmed sea serpent undulates around a trident along the end of the narrow blue flag as it ripples in the morning breeze that blows across the gopher-pocked green of Lakeside’s …

March 10, 2010
Linda Poniktera sues to allow picture-taking at polls

American elections lore over the last 50 years is rife with tales of funny business, from charges of a Chicago graveyard vote in 1960 to the hanging chads count in 2000. But such anomalies in …

March 10, 2010
Letters

Podder’s Pride Ms. Rejas’s (“Filipino Rules,” Cover Story, March 4) “podder” must be gloating with bragging rights for having a daughter who single-handedly made fun of her family, her upbringing, and her culture in one …

March 10, 2010
From Disneyland to Ducasse

As my posse and I settled down and looked at the latest menu at Blanca, I sang out happily, “Thank God, it’s not the same old food again!” There’s a new gunfighter in town; he’s …

Off the Street

I was shocked — shocked, as Claude Rains said to Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca — to see Funky Garcia’s sign being put up above the Sun Cafe’s a few months back. Actually, I did go …

March 10, 2010
Hot Off the Griddle

Let’s see if I can reconstruct the fantasy I was operating under. It starts with a friend of mine, Philip Burns (landscape architect, retired Cal professor, Harvard Ph.D.), and a book he praised, Up and …

March 10, 2010
Maranatha Chapel

Maranatha Chapel is a big church. The kind with a proper campus. The kind with a lot going on outside the Sunday service, including weekday small-group discussion of the previous Sunday’s sermon. (Sunday’s sermon notes …

For I Will Consider My Cat Jeoffry

For first he looks upon his fore-paws to see if they are clean. For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there. For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the fore paws extended. …

March 10, 2010
Happy Pi Day!

Thursday 11Bar Pink books a doozie of a double-bill tonight and one of this week’s many sets-to-see, so let’s hop to: U.K. quartet Lovvers will woo you with the blown tones off their art-punk debut …

March 10, 2010
Anti Citizens' "Effortlessly"

Anti Citizens are Mr. Ridley (rhymes and beats), Bazerkowitz (rhymes), and DJ Artistry (turntablism). Their song “Effortlessly” (featuring Ras Kass and Apathy) was the most-downloaded local MP3 from SDReader.com during February. Ridley provided some background. …

March 10, 2010
Music Zirconia

“Many of our tribute acts look like the original artists in their hungry glory years,” says Brent Meyer, co-owner of Music Zirconia, “not the tired, uninspired versions that might have last toured, if the original …

March 10, 2010
Burning of Bridges

Burning of Rome gave a surprise show at U-31 on Friday, February 26, for former bandmate Tracy Morris. The band’s energetic stage presence, however, was allegedly met by hostility from club security. “They went all …

March 10, 2010
Recession-Proof Rock

“The strippers were breaking it down next door and kept us all very entertained when the band wasn’t onstage,” says Caustic Felon guitarist Matt Arbaugh of playing the VIP room of the Pure Platinum strip …

March 10, 2010
Sailing in San Diego

Thirty-Five Years AgoThere are other, larger reasons for the existence of sailing clubs, of course. For one thing, they provide a social refuge for old families steadily assaulted by Southern California’s percolating nouveau riche. If …

March 10, 2010
Bersin’s bash

Three ex-U.S. Customs chiefs are getting antsy about the long delay in confirming onetime San Diego city schools chief Alan Bersin as the nation’s next commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. “It is hard to …

March 10, 2010
Peace’s pieces

Who is putting up the money for the latest volley of direct mail from ex-Democratic state senator Steve Peace’s California Independent Voter Project? Because the group is a nonprofit 501(c)4 corporation, it doesn’t have to …

March 10, 2010
Little Wonder

Well, you wouldn’t expect Tim Burton to do a remake of Pollyanna, would you? Or Little Women or Anne of Green Gables or anything that might push back against the enveloping voguish “darkness,” anything that …

March 10, 2010
Media Hawk, March

Given the amount of ink — virtual and otherwise — flying around San Diego media-land these days, one might think that World War III had broken out at UCSD. The online NBC San Diego headline …

March 10, 2010
Faucet-Pee Correlation, Ducks in a Row

Hey, Matt: When I turn on the faucet, the rush of water makes me have a painful urge to urinate, and I mean physically. It feels as if I’m going to wet my pants if …

March 10, 2010
Morbid Curiosity

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. — Dorothy Parker ‘Huh. I never thought about it like that.” The others paused in a conversation they were having about cocktails and …

March 10, 2010
Here's the Deal: Tower Bar

Tower Bar’s namesake tower in City Heights is visible from blocks away, jutting skyward between Vietnamese Laundromats and Ethiopian restaurants like a cartoon monument to a forgotten Aztec deity. The place is almost at maximum …

March 10, 2010
Screen-Glow Soundscapes

“I went rock climbing this morning,” says Daniel Shapira of the Bitwise Operators, a “laptop ensemble” from the University of California San Diego. “I went skiing last weekend,” says Cooper Baker, another member. Here’s the …

March 10, 2010
Mexican Institute of Sound

The Mexican Institute of Sound is not an institute, nor is it much of a band. Rather, it is the side project of one man, a Mexico City–based record company executive named Camilo Lara, whom …

March 10, 2010
So Cow

Brian Kelly is an Irishman who was living in South Korea when he decided to put together a musical project inspired by the scrappy-sounding likes of the Lucksmiths from Australia, the Clean from New Zealand, …

March 10, 2010
Rock n' Proverbs

Hard-rocking, Christian, and proud, Thieves & Liars pulled no punches on their debut, When Dreams Become Reality, a concept album based on the Old Testament story of Joseph. Now they’re back with a more straightforward …

March 10, 2010
Citizens Sour on Lemon Grove?

Dozens of Lemon Grove residents assembled inside the city's community center for Lemon Grove City Council's March 9 meeting. On the docket for the night was the City's $987,000 budget shortfall and whether the council …

Indulge in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

The Nice-Cote d’Azur International Airport is a half-hour drive from one of the most unique places on the planet. A district of the Principality of Monaco, Monte-Carlo is located in the French Riviera on the …

March 10, 2010
Median Income

On March 7, two panhandlers were stationed at the intersection of Mira Mesa Boulevard and Westview Parkway. One of the two men stood on the center divider of Westview Parkway while another stood on the …

March 10, 2010
Emergency Overkill?

At approximately 1:15 p.m. on March 7, two cars were involved in a head-on collision near Ramona. An unidentified 19-year-old female lost control of her vehicle and veered into the opposing lane. The driver and …

March 10, 2010

Tuesday, March 9

All Cops on Deck

A multi-agency DUI and driver's-license checkpoint conducted during the late hours of March 5 and 6 in National City was a success, according to a Chula Vista Police Department news release. Law enforcement from San …

Toxic Waste Is History

The deadline looms for aviation and architectural buffs to claim a piece of San Diego history. Chandeliers, floors, decals, and aviation emblems are among the items offered to museums, archives, non-profit groups, and the public …

RATT Roundup

As a result of “Operation Hotel California,” a six-month-long investigation, the San Diego County Grand Jury has indicted 51 defendants on charges of auto theft, selling stolen vehicles, sale of controlled substances, carjacking, residential burglary, …

Carnaval Is Not Over in Montevideo, Uruguay

So we’ve heard about some famous worldly Carnavals, and we all know Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But how about Uruguay’s festivities? Would you guess that they showcase the longest Carnaval in the world? While …

Monday, March 8

A Schuur Thing

"That one came all the way from the big toe!" Diane Schuur exclaimed after belting her way through the standard "Makin' Whoopee." From her seat at the front of the stage and from her piano, …

March 8, 2010
Big Echo

Big Echo is the sound of a career synthesizing into a kaleidoscope of sound and imagery. The Morning Benders have delivered on their potential. After a needle drop and a rumbling "2...3...4...," we're launched into …

March 8, 2010

Sunday, March 7

They Got Rhythm

Marvin Hamlisch and pianist Kevin Cole were in town to jazz up the symphony season with two evening performances of Gershwin tunes. Aside from the listed numbers, Saturday night audiences were treated to many musical …

Dread Crew of Oddwood

The Dread Crew of Oddwood played rowdy, ribald tunes to a small but enthusiastic audience. The appeal of their acoustic pirate-metal informed by traditional Celtic music seems to be on the rise: in the crowd …

March 7, 2010

Saturday, March 6

We All Got Out of the Army

For his tenth release since Guided by Voices disbanded, singer-songwriter Robert Pollard stays with the formula that made him an indie icon, penning obtuse, albeit infectious lyrics to British invasion-influenced melodies in stripped-down, simple guitar …

March 6, 2010
On Repeat in Heaven

I stood listening to openers Wooden Birds, trying to identify exactly what they reminded me of. Tight playing, country-tinged songs with pleasing boy-girl harmonies -- wait -- Fleetwood Mac! While I would have preferred Vetiver, …

March 6, 2010
The Brand, the Future

“Mira Mesa Welcomes You” banners hanging on light posts around the community may soon be replaced with a new logo and slogan. Instead of welcoming visitors and residents to the suburban neighborhood with a generic …

Bad Run

A female jogger was attacked during an evening run in McCandliss Park on March 3. Chula Vista police were called just before 8 p.m. to investigate the incident in which the victim was struck in …

Nightmare Over?

When Craig Johnson moved to Valley Center in 1978, he could see only seven lights from the ridge on Chaparral Terrace. "Now there are hundreds," he said. On March 5, he and about 100 other …

Don’t Mess with Karate Guys

Four municipal cops have been arrested for robbing the president of an international Tae Kwon Do organization who was in town to preside over a championship contest. The event brought hundreds of practitioners of the …

March 6, 2010
Bitter Grounds

"I have found case law that establishes Caltrans liable for the contamination," writes Salvatore D'Anna in an email. D'Anna believes the discovery will put the brakes on Lemon Grove's plans to realign Lemon Grove Avenue …

Not as Pink Floyd Says

On Thursday afternoon, March 4, members of the Oceanside Teachers Association joined a statewide protest over school funding cuts. The over 400 protesters gathered in front of the Oceanside City Hall on Coast Highway. Most …

Friday, March 5

I Am Not a Thrift-Store Junkie

It was entirely Sue’s fault. It started 15 years ago when I lived in Florida and used to come to San Diego to visit my sister. She said, “Hey, let’s go to a couple of …

March 5, 2010

Thursday, March 4

For Blood and Wine

I've thrown at least half a dozen verbal tomatoes at the trend of young girls screeching their lyrics -- unless it's through the mouthpiece of Joplinesque talent, I want to run for cover. Finally, there's …

March 4, 2010
The Life of the World to Come

Yes, the new Mountain Goats revolves around Bible verses, and no, you don't need to run away. The Mountain Goats remain the Mountain Goats. Main mountaineer John Darnielle apparently bought an Amy Grant box set, …

March 4, 2010
North Park Residents Mind Their BIZ

"We're not baking cookies, and we're not brewing coffee here, either, we're reaching out and we're mobilizing," says North Park resident Don Leichtling as he sits inside the living room of his lavender Craftsman house …

Everyone Likes a Money Machine

A South Bay ATM was targeted by thieves on March 4. Workers arrived at 5:24 a.m. at La Bella's Pizza Garden (located at 373 Third Avenue in downtown Chula Vista) and found that the restaurant …

Seal Pup in the Sand

A baby seal was born at the La Jolla Cove on Tuesday, March 2. Unfortunately, many birds kept swarming the mother and her pup to try to get the placenta that had yet to come …

March 4, 2010
UCSD and TB Now

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency is working with UCSD to provide tuberculosis testing to students and faculty who may have been exposed to a student who has been diagnosed with the …

March 4, 2010
Found a Peanut

I love walking the path in Ocean Beach that runs from the end of the stairway on Orchard Street to the pier. This particular path is a microcosm of Ocean Beach life at its finest. …

Good News, Good Grub

Roughly 450 stockholders filled the tiered Irwin M. Jacobs Hall at 5775 Morehouse Drive on Tuesday, March 2, for Qualcomm’s annual stockholders’ meeting. Chairman/CEO Paul Jacobs presented statistics pertaining to Qualcomm’s fiscal 2009 performance, the …

Rapist(s) on the Rampage?

Two reports of rape have the community surrounding the SDSU campus a little on edge. On Sunday at approximately 1:00 a.m., a female reported to police that she had been able to evade an attempted …

March 4, 2010
Winter Was the Worst

University Avenue's last unpaved alley recently joined the 21st Century. For more than 80 years, two sections of an alley in the 3900 block between 33rd and Wabash Streets remained unimproved and unpaved until late …

Wednesday, March 3

Sea Rage

The closing of the Ocean Beach Pier was announced at the March 1 Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council meeting. “We lost a good 200 yards of railing on the south side [of the pier],” said …

Panama City, Panama

Panama City was exactly as I’d pictured it – all white, dense, oozing history. I took it as a good omen, like forgotten faces from a dream, as we wandered the crumbling edifices of Casco …

Bad News Rising

At a March 3 meeting, representatives from the city's Financial Management Department presented the fiscal year 2010 Mid-Year Budget Monitoring Report to four members of San Diego's Budget Committee. "General fund projections are currently projected …

March 3, 2010
Hsi Lai Temple, Hacienda Heights, California

Visiting the Hsi Lai Temple, nestled in the hills of Hacienda Heights, I felt as though I was transported back in time and to another world. Spread out over 15 acres, the temple grounds are …

Now You Know: Paper Forest

“I’m kinda a quiet guy, but it was really coming out of me the other night,” says Paper Forest bassist Trevor Mast (Joy) about a recent show at Tin Can Ale House. The evening saw …

March 3, 2010
Mayor Sanders joins Marco LiMandri against conflict charges

On April 23, 2007, two San Diego investigators, Gerald Cook of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Dan Vile of the San Diego Police Department, turned in a criminal investigation of wrongdoing in a local …

Bottles up

Chargers lobbyist Mark Fabiani, still trying to get a public subsidy out of San Diego taxpayers for the football team, has found enough extra time to write a few campaign checks. He gave $700 on …

March 3, 2010
Big boss bucks

Contributions to the coming campaign to make San Diego’s so-called strong mayor form of government permanent have been streaming in from big business. Foes of the measure, now set for the June ballot, raised nothing …

March 3, 2010
Tweet this

Twitter has taken the local political world by storm, even San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, who has been tweeting about topics important to him such as the city’s “high number of unwanted kittens” and remembering …

March 3, 2010
1994

i was leaving my fifty-eighth year when a thumb of ice stamped itself hard near my heart you have your own story you know about the fears the tears the scar of disbelief you know …

March 3, 2010
Crisco Disco

Thursday 4Breathy British band the Clientele is touring the world behind late-last-year’s crit hit Bonfire on the Heath, their most pop-defined collection yet. Bonfire steps out of the fuzz, into cleaner, chiming tones. Though front …

March 3, 2010
We Filipinos eat with our hands, drive crazy on the road, point with our lips

I look at my boyfriend with such anger, but I feel a little sympathy too, as I notice a part of his chin dripping with blood. Tears stream down my face. I am scared out …

March 3, 2010
Passing Strange

The short and stocky black performer perked up in conversation at a Brooklyn bar last month. “San Diego? Heidi and I were just talking about San Diego the other day, remembering how important it was …

March 3, 2010
Strike a Good Pose

“The bass player and I hooked up on Facebook, and I made a joking comment about how I guess we’ll be getting back together,” says singer Mark Copeland of the long-defunct band Sanctuary. “Well, long …

March 3, 2010
I Just Like to Party, Man

The just-released Bullet is the first new CD for the Screamin YeeHaws in four years. It was recorded at Doubletime and mixed by Jeff Forrest (blink-182, Cattle Decapitation, Deadbolt). The Southern-fried punk band hooked up …

March 3, 2010
Lead Burns Red, Pedalay the Boss, and Jackpot Junkies

Artist: Lead Burns RedSong: “Nomad” (from sandiegoreader.com/mp3)Heard by: Julian Yanez, Ocean BeachIt starts off strong, starts out hard. I liked the intensity. It kind of slows down with the breakdown, but overall, it’s a good …

March 3, 2010
Grave Sins

Thirty-Five Years AgoThere seems to be an increasing popularity of Renaissance-type music in this area. [I]s what I’ve been hearing historically authentic or just another quaint Southern California put-on? Unfortunately, the general public has gained …

March 3, 2010
Pre-gaming

Friday, February 26, 8:45 p.m. A University Heights house at Georgia and El Cajon is illuminated by the retro neon “Boulevard” sign, lending the epithet “The Big Pink.” The theme is “Walmart Rollback.” Leif opens …

March 3, 2010
Out of Poway

“Last year we were just four childhood friends, reuniting in our home town of Poway for a jam session,” says Johnny Airplane, singer-guitarist for Monkeys in Space. “We realized we’re all still young — in …

March 3, 2010
New Mastersounds

The best funk band working today is not from the U.S., where funk was invented, but from Leeds, England, where funk and soul have been undergoing a revival for some time. On the soul/R&B side, …

March 3, 2010
Clientele

In a way, it’s hard to imagine a more English band than the Clientele. Maybe that’s because singer-guitarist Alasdair MacLean sings in a hushed, breathy voice that sounds as if he’s trying to win the …

March 3, 2010
Port Tasting

Patrick has ceased sipping port after dinner. Times are tight. So wifey is on a mission to find some tasty bottles that can be purchased for around a Hamilton. Last week, Pat sat down with …

March 3, 2010
The Warriors, El Crimen del Padre Amaro, El Callejón de Los Milagros

Lisa FranekProgram Associate, Media Arts Center San Diego Since we’re showing Carlos Saura’s latest film Io, Don Giovanni, at the SDLFF, I was inspired to revisit one of his earlier films, Goya in Bordeaux. With …

March 3, 2010
Crime Time

In contention for the foreign-film Oscar, in contention to be exact for two more days after its debut on Friday at the Landmark Hillcrest, A Prophet is a sort of Prisoner’s Progress, a brutal and …

March 3, 2010
Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

Recipe by Jim Phillips, executive chef, Barona Casino I never went to culinary school, which is ironic because I run one now. At Barona’s Culinary Institute, we have a three-million-dollar demonstration kitchen with theater seating …

March 3, 2010
Unclaimed cattle in San Diego, Texas

Unclaimed Cattle. The Duval County sheriff’s office received a complaint from a rancher about cattle tearing up his fields. Deputies located the five cows on Duval County Road 104 (approximately five miles north of San …

March 3, 2010
HDTV, Whitemail, Ice Production

Hey, Matt: I’m disappointed in current HDTV and 4:3-aspect television. I cannot see any difference between the old and the new, quality wise, except people now appear even fatter. Can I blame AT&T U-Verse, or …

March 3, 2010
Fairy Gothmother

The world does not always understand that those within a subculture are merely people, and that when people are targeted for being different, humanity suffers a loss of itself. — Gothic Volunteer Alliance In nightclubs …

March 3, 2010
Restoring Muriel

When Grace McGuire started taking flying lessons at 16, she had never heard of Amelia Earhart. So instructors teased the girl, especially because they thought she looked like Earhart. That was in the late 1960s, …

March 3, 2010
Letters

Fake Facts I am writing regarding the February 25 story published in “S.D. on the Q.T.” titled “Policeman Poet Vows to Kick Some Ass.” As the chief of the Coronado Police Department, I am disappointed …

March 3, 2010
Neighborhood Mom

When chef Amiko Gubbins left her pioneering eclectic-fusion restaurant Parallel 33 to go cook for a rock star, local foodies gasped. She finally shut Parallel 33 down permanently after taking a gig with Specialty Produce …

Pork-Neck Soup

You never know what you’re eating. Not really. That’s my thought as I dunk my congee/cruller/dja kwai/you tiao/Chinese fried breadstick into my Cambodian/ French coffee (the kind with sweetened condensed milk at the bottom). The …

March 3, 2010
Step 1. Maybe. Part 2.

Continuing with Tiger Woods, sex therapy, and David Peters, a marriage and family therapist working out of Mission Valley. Peters was born in Peoria, Illinois, raised in California. His dad worked in broadcasting, mom was …

March 3, 2010
Tubb Canyon

Big Spring, tucked in a tributary of Tubb Canyon on the west side of Borrego Valley, is one of the more reliable water producers in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. As such, it’s an important …

He's So Hot

German-American violinist David Garrett developed his talent from the age of four. Now 28 and a Julliard graduate, Garrett's repertoire spans Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." Garrett combines classical music with modern genres to …

March 3, 2010
Diehards

Sunday night I saw the latest incarnation of ’80s rock icons W.A.S.P. Lead singer and sole original member Blackie Lawless has led W.A.S.P. through three decades of touring and several lineup changes but has held …

March 3, 2010

Tuesday, March 2

The Hippies Win One

On Friday, February 19, a San Diego County superior court judge dismissed a defamation of character lawsuit against the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce. The chamber’s former CEO, Gary Tucker (also the former owner of the …

March 2, 2010
Mission Completed

Traveling on the back of last years double disc Communion, psyched out Swedes Soundtrack of Our Lives set up church at a packed Casbah. Singer Ebbot Lundberg was greeted like a new messiah. With his …

March 2, 2010
You Know, the Richter of Awesomeness

In a time of earthshaking and quaking, EOTO (End of Time Observatory) created an earthquake of sound in Ocean Beach Saturday night. The powerful bass resounding from the speakers shook Winston's foundations; its magnitude has …

March 2, 2010
Scratched and Jailed

Sheriff's deputies arrested a Spring Valley rape suspect on February 27 in the 500 block of Palomar Street in Chula Vista. According to a press release issued by detective Pete Carrillo, the sheriff's station in …

Tsunami Watch 2010

After watching the news of the February 27 earthquake in Chile and the tsunami that was expected to hit Hawaii and the West Coast, I joined “Tsunami Watch 2010.” According to the National Oceanic and …

Bicyclists Be Damned

On Sunday, February 28, at approximately 11:45 a.m., a bicyclist was hit by a car on La Jolla Boulevard. An ambulance arrived on the scene, followed by two police vehicles. Officers stated the incident was …

The Beverly Hillbullies?

The union representing some of the covered employees at the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper filed an unfair-labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., on February 24. The grievance, filed by …

She's a Lady

On Saturday and Sunday, February 27 and 28, up in the skies of East County, residents could see a WWII-era B-17 bomber soaring overhead. The nonprofit Liberty Foundation out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, brought its Liberty …

March 2, 2010
World Painted Blood

With World Painted Blood, Cali thrash-metal band Slayer continues to push buttons. However, they don't push the musical envelope. Here, the quartet has plagiarized their own work, but they were wise enough to choose their …

March 2, 2010
Killer Whale Watch

Following last week's death of a trainer by a killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando, I followed the news to see how SeaWorld San Diego would be impacted. (As the parent of a Shamu-obsessed toddler and …

Monday, March 1

River Hiking in Dominica

One by one, our group of eight slipped into the cool rushing water of Dominica’s Dublanc River. Cool and invigorating, the water rushed by us like soft jets from a Jacuzzi. After a 45-minute trek …

March 1, 2010
A Visit to Macedonia

Macedonia, a small southeastern European country of roughly two million inhabitants and formerly part of Yugoslavia, is a fairly exotic destination sure to impress art, nature and history lovers. Located on the beautiful Sar Mountain …

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