A 43-year-old Fallbrook man was brought before a judge on November 30 and charged with strangling to death his ex-girlfriend on the eve of her birthday, November 23. Michael David Robles pleaded not guilty and …
November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 30
Alleged Killer Michael David Robles Arraigned
From Life in Ohio to Life on Ohio
A women goes over 2,000 miles west and ends up in the same place, how is this possible? I didn’t pull that question out of the MindTrap deck (note cultural reference that makes me feel …
November 30, 2011
Belly-Fillers at Landini's
My buddy John turned me on to Landini’s. He works at Caffe Italia, farther down India Street, here in Little Italy. It was a couple of months back. Friday evening. Spotted John and his buddy …
November 30, 2011
Tale of Two Fishes
It’s been ten years since I last ate at Top of the Market. Back then, the menu was similar to the downstairs Fish Market (plus a few luxury bites), with higher prices for identical upstairs-downstairs …
November 30, 2011
A Brave New World of Liberated Tourists
An afternoon of neon lights and ’80s pop, washed down with a pitcher of draft beer at the roller rink...a night of charalitos con chile, flying chairs, fake blood, and a screaming crowd that competes …
November 30, 2011
Pet Burial, Goldfish to Horse
Aunt Azelda’s tiny mutt Taffy has died. I’m on duty for the burial arrangements. “We have taken care of pets ranging from goldfish to horses,” says Mick Palermo of San Diego Pet Memorial Park in …
November 30, 2011
Movie Review: Hugo, Le Havre, The Women on the 6th Floor, Young Goethe in Love
As the year starts to fade, we find time for some three-star entertainments: Martin Scorsese, our national auteur and No. 1 movie fan, converts his status into both commercial and emotional terms with Hugo. Without …
November 30, 2011
David Patrone Tips His Hat Toward Sinatra
“I never really knew much about Frank Sinatra as a kid,” says crooner David Patrone, whose decade in the United States Marine Corps was spent as a fan of classical and blues music. That is, …
November 30, 2011
San Diego's Dreams for Change lets you sleep in your car
“I’ve never been homeless before.” At least Osiris Murillo still has her car — where she and her three-year-old daughter will sleep tonight, behind the gates of a designated “safe lot” in an unsafe neighborhood. …
November 30, 2011
Wrestling Angels
When a close friend died from AIDS, Tony Kushner dreamed about an angel “crashing through someone’s bedroom ceiling.” It wasn’t an archangel — a Gabriel or a Michael — or a chubby Disney cherub plucking …
November 30, 2011
Exploring San Diego Bay
Fifty years after Columbus first set sail, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovered “a sheltered port and a very good one” on the California coast. Guarded by a steep promontory, dark green with vegetation, a channel doglegged …
November 30, 2011
Whisky in a Barrel
On December 7, Queen Divas of the Universe hosts a CD-release show at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge, for their debut album All Wrapped Up in Christmas. The band consists of three music vets: bassist Shaaron Hancock-Schuemaker …
November 30, 2011
From Future Bass to Dubstep to Glitch-Hop to Wobble
In a city partial to its indie rock, Jamie Minotti is striving for balance. “A year ago, there was no way [Toronto-based progressive/electro/house DJ] Deadmau5 would be in local alt weeklies,” Minotti says. “It would …
November 30, 2011
I call spare change “spange”
I am constantly revising my own rules regarding panhandlers. I can’t seem to stick to one policy with any consistency. For a time, my rule was to give some money — never a great amount …
November 30, 2011
World Cup Fever
We have a sporting pause before the NFL playoffs and college conference football tournaments begin, before NCAA basketball is cranked up to speed, and well before the NBA resumes its struggle to make you give …
November 30, 2011
Chelsea Wolfe and the Apokalypsis
This year’s International Tournament of Witchy Women in Rock is entering its final phase, and the brackets are quickly narrowing. Florence Welch, of Florence & the Machine, has easily established herself as The New Stevie …
November 30, 2011
Memoirs of a Revolutionary
Title: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Address: sdoccupymemoirs.tumblr.com Author: Anonymous Blogging since: October 2011 Excerpts from the four-entry diary of an Anonymous volunteer at Occupy San Diego. First, euphoria tempered with concern for the future: Post …
November 30, 2011
You pee. Then you pee and pee and pee and pee
Matthew: I’ve noticed that when I drink, after a while I have to pee. And maybe I’m imagining this. After a real short time, I have to pee again. That goes on all night. A …
November 30, 2011
Record-Release Roundup
Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels will preview the Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk (recorded locally at Lost Ark Studio) on December 2 at the Soda Bar. The full-length, designed to resemble an old dime novel …
November 30, 2011
Nick Waterhouse @ Soda
In due time, all things pop music eventually get recycled. Punk, girl bands, new wave, rockabilly, jam bands, metal, fusion, funk — you name it. Granted, some artists merely repurpose rather than recycle. Moby’s first …
November 30, 2011
Joe Bauguess stepped into surfboard shaper Bob Simmons' shoes
In the 1940s and early 1950s, when other surfboard shapers worked intuitively, legendary surfer Bob Simmons was applying mathematics and boat-building and aircraft technology to board designs. In 1954, he died in a surfing accident …
November 30, 2011
Escondido's dubious plan to build a $50 million ballpark
Early next year, the California Supreme Court will decide whether the state can abolish or weaken redevelopment agencies. If the City of Escondido is lucky, the high court’s decision will thwart the City’s dubious plan …
November 30, 2011
Bonita Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Membership: 90 Pastor: Stephen Parker Age: 63 Born: Buffalo, NY Formation: Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass.; U.S. Navy chaplain (1986–2004). Years Ordained: 33 San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which …
November 30, 2011
Mr. Flood’s Party
Old Eben Flood, climbing alone one night Over the hill between the town below And the forsaken upland hermitage That held as much as he should ever know On earth again of home, paused warily. …
November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29
The Pope of Mope Visits Escondido
Long live the legacy of the crooner from Manchester, England. May his presence instill in you a feeling of natural...moodiness? Random as it is, the “pope of mope” played a sold out show in the …
November 29, 2011
The Great Escape Artist, by Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction walked away from music at the top of their game. In the late '80s and early '90s, they brought art back to rock 'n' roll with two studio albums that had the poetry …
November 29, 2011
Hillel of San Diego Still Battles for a New UCSD Facility
After Hillel of San Diego purchased a parcel for a UCSD facility, the La Jolla Shores Association and a group of La Jolla residents sued the City of San Diego in June 2006. The San …
November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28
Do's and Don'ts in Bangkok
Bangkok is the introductory city to Asia for many Americans, and the hectic pace and traffic may remind New Yorkers and Angelenos of home. A city of eleven million, Bangkok can be a slow crawl …
Doggy Doo On a Village Woods Balcony
Well, the kooky neighbors are at it again at Village Woods. The upstairs neighbor finally rented her apartment to, wait for it, a weirdo. But before I go on and on about the new weirdo …
November 28, 2011
Broncos QB Tim Tebow Spotted at Church Before Game
Before the Denver Broncos played the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 27, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow made the Sunday-morning service at the Rock Church in Point Loma. Called "the Chosen One" by …
November 28, 2011
Friday, November 25
Gramado, Brazil: A South American Anomaly
Below the heat and subtropical savannas that spread out across millions of acres of the sub-Amazonian Brazilian interior is the Serra Gaúcha. "Serra" is a Latin American subtropical forest. The Gaúcho is the Latin American …
Oklahoma City: Who Knew?
The last time I'd been in Oklahoma City was as a 6 year-old child. My family was passing through on our annual road trip from California to Indiana to visit aging relatives. What I remember …
November 25, 2011
Looking for Bears in Juneau, Alaska
It had been a long, rainy week aboard our Celebrity cruise ship when we pulled into the port of Juneau on the morning of September 24, 2011. The weather was a brisk 48 degrees and …
Rats! at the Old Town Transit Center
It may not be a scene out of Willard or an ordinary day at India’s Karni Mata Temple, but the rats are bold and plentiful at the Old Town Transit Center. Built in the early …
November 25, 2011
Wednesday, November 23
Eighteen
“Eighteen. That’s a big one,” I said. “We should get her lottery tickets.” “I don’t know what your thing is with lottery tickets, that’s the third time you’ve mentioned them,” David said. “Dana suggested something …
November 23, 2011
Shortcuts - Jan Shefler
Car: 2006 Ford Fusion Previous Cars: 1994 Cadillac El Dorado, 1988 Peugeot 505 Turbo Wagon, and a 1985 Chevrolet K5 Blazer How’s your commute? Not bad...Grossmont College area to Miramar Road. Cheapest Gas? Arco typically …
November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22
Lighting Up Mt. Hope
Volunteers from San Diego non-profit Rebuilding Together will be knocking on doors in the Mt. Hope neighborhood today asking residents if they would like to have solar panel lights installed on their property free of …
November 22, 2011
Surf Trip to Jalama Beach, CA
We left at 12:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 25, 2011, en route to Jalama Beach County Park from San Diego for a surf trip. Research told us that campers have to arrive at the park's flag …
November 22, 2011
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A Study in Contrasts
Kuala Lumpur is, above all, a city of contrasts. The capital of Malaysia is an interesting mix of the historic, traditional Asia and the modern, hip Asia. Its ethnically diverse population of Malays, Chinese and …
November 22, 2011
Shot in Tijuana: Edificio Mexico 1945
Scaffold-leaping laborers chisel off paint from a building façade labeled, in bas relief letters, “Edificio Mexico 1945." They’re preparing to slather the building with cement for the new tenant. The building, located by the grand …
November 22, 2011
When in El Salvador...
It was a dark and rainstormy night. Marvel as our hero tramps undaunted through the dripping streets of Grant Hill. Crosses 26th, 27th, 28th, ever searching for his Shangri-La. Aha! Suddenly, lights! Camera! ¡Acción! A …
November 22, 2011
Missoula, Montana
“Hey! It’s a red light!” I screamed as Sarah drove into the intersection. “Sorry, I really can’t drive and talk at the same time,” she said, “I’m on antidepressants.” At the next light I gestured …
November 22, 2011
333 Pacific’s Pier View Cocktail
One of the newest items on 333 Pacific’s drink menu is bar manager Kevin Kitchen’s Pier View cocktail. Named in honor of the third-of-a-mile-long Oceanside Pier that serves as the restaurant’s nighttime vista, Kitchen’s concoction …
November 22, 2011
Tots on the Side at Tobey's 19th Hole
The sun glinted off oak trees. Golf carts waddled down the fairway. A dry, light breeze signaled an impending Santa Ana. I gazed upon this glorious scene, sipping Stella Artois, happy to be alive and …
November 22, 2011
Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini
What are you reading? “Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. This is the last book in his Eragon series, and it just came out today. I started reading the series because my brother read the first one, …
November 22, 2011
Work 10 Weeks, Take 10 Months Off, Part 3
I’m at table with Ms. Abby in the tea room of the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. My current girlfriend has dressed me with care (Harris Tweed sports coat, matching slacks, shoes, and tie), …
November 22, 2011
Pumpkin Pies: A Ten-Pie Test
“You’ll have to do without the bourbon-cherry-apple pie,” I told Patrick. “This year, I’m bringing a ready-made pumpkin pie.” A few days later, after making the store rounds, Patrick and I sat down with friend …
November 22, 2011
Tried getting up at 3 a.m., tried the children's bicycle, finally a SENTRI pass
It is with some reluctance that I write about my recent acquisition of the SENTRI border-crossing card because, well, I got a good thing going. After years of standing for hours in that long, sinuous …
November 22, 2011
The Kelsea Little Story, starring Zooey Deschanel
“My music sounds like Joanna Newsom meets Wilco meets Gershwin meets Rilo Kiley,” says Kelsea Little, who first earned widespread attention in 2006 with local teen-trio the Wrong Trousers. Their acoustic performance of the Buggles’ …
November 22, 2011
Gross-Out Contest
So, Thanksgiving. I’m guessing I’ll have my son bunking here, and I don’t know how to roast a turkey. Going out to dinner sounds like unnecessary stress. I’ll see if he will go for a …
November 22, 2011
Reelin’ in the Years' Profit of the Heart
Music and DVD sales continue their downward spiral, but San Diego–based video archive company Reelin’ in the Years has had a banner 2011. Over the past two months, RITY has released nine DVDs, including titles …
November 22, 2011
Super Rare, Super Weird Vinyl
“I was asked to be in a documentary film about Misfits record collecting called ’77–’83,” says Justin Pearson from Europe, where he’s touring with his San Diego/L.A. hardcore band ReTox. “They want to interview me …
November 22, 2011
Who Is Chris Isaak?
Who is Chris Isaak? The crooner of heartbreak ballads, a fashion icon, a comic television host, or all of the above? He’s always been a hard target; I’ve never known how to assimilate his act. …
November 22, 2011
Owl and Bear
Title: Owl and Bear: A San Diego Music Blog Address: owlandbear.com Author: Chris Maroulakos | From: University Heights | Blogging since: October 2007 Post Title: Album Review: Lou Reed & Metallica — Lulu Post Date: …
November 22, 2011
Penn State Is a Plantation, and JoePa Was the Owner
There is a continental stench coming out of Penn State. Step back, consider yourself a neutral observer with no stake in the scandal. Let’s say you knew there was an eyewitness to the (alleged) rape …
November 22, 2011
Melt-Banana, with a Spice of Punk
Melt-Banana often sounds like an early ’80s hardcore 45 played at 78 rpm. At other times they sound like a hyperactive five-year-old playing a video game while a badger attacks a drum kit and an …
November 22, 2011
Milk Like Sugar at the La Jolla Playhouse: right play, wrong theater
Playwright Kirsten Greenidge does not use the restroom during intermission when her plays are performed. “I get so wary about what I’m going to overhear,” she admits. “You have no voice in that situation. You …
November 22, 2011
Contentious Corner
Ali Nilforshan says he will be taking back 4th&B, the downtown venue he owned from 2003 to 2009. The current owners, Vince and Judy Puma, say that is not going happen. Nilforshan says he sold …
November 22, 2011
Steve Peace Rakes in $160,000 From Prison Guards
An El Cajon firm headed by former Democratic state senator Steve Peace has been raking in big bucks from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. According to state campaign finance disclosure records, J.S. Peace & …
November 22, 2011
Democrats Ante Up $27,000 to Park and Rec
Rancho Santa Fe–based political fund-raiser Karolyn Dorsee spent the first half of this year collecting cash for the GOP’s New Majority California PAC, which is out to “broaden the appeal of the Republican Party.” Dorsee …
November 22, 2011
Andrew Jackson Jihad's Knife Man
While peddling fare such as the burdens of loneliness and self-loathing, Andrew Jackson Jihad also explores the plight of the homeless en route to one of this year's most human releases. Through 16 folk-punk constructions, …
November 22, 2011
Pink Martini — Larger than Life
Pink Martini took the stage just after 8 p.m. "Amado Mio" revealed Storm Large, the Martinis interim lead vocalist. She looked as she sounded, tall, blonde, and ready to entice. (The usual singer, China Forbes, …
November 22, 2011
"One Day I Wrote Her Name," by Edmund Spenser
One day I wrote her name upon the strand, But came the waves and washed it away: Again I wrote it with a second hand, But came the tide, and made my pains his prey. …
November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21
Ocean Beach Woman Seeks to Reclaim Child From CPS
Larissa Danielli, the Ocean Beach woman who was arrested after a fire broke out in her apartment complex in early November, has had to start a "Save Silas" donation page to raise funds to reclaim …
November 21, 2011
Reviews of My Week with Marilyn, The Descendants, Into the Abyss, Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
Marilyn Monroe in England, Werner Herzog in Texas, George Clooney in Hawaii, Serge Gainsbourg in Paris (and next week, Scorsese’s Hugo in Paris). Off we go: Hardly anyone recalls that Marilyn Monroe won major French …
November 21, 2011
Meeting Minutes of Mayoral Forum in Bankers Hill
For the first time, all four mayoral candidates were set to address business leaders at a breakfast held at Cucina Urbana on the morning of November 18. Nathan Fletcher, however, canceled at the last minute …
November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 17
After 80 Years, San Diego’s Greyhound Terminal Moves
The Greyhound bus terminal — at 120 W. Broadway for the past 80 years — moved to 1313 National Avenue on November 14. Greyhound’s lease expired on October 1, so the company has leased a …
November 17, 2011
Sweetwater Union High School Board Prompted for Report on Scott Alevy's Work
For months, community activists have asked the Sweetwater Union High School board, “Where is the Vega report?” In May, board president John McCann called for attorney Greg Vega to conduct an independent review of controversial …
November 17, 2011
New York City, 4 a.m. – 7 a.m.
I left Boston at midnight, bound for Pittsburgh, and I knew I'd face a layover. When I ordered my Megabus tickets, I knew the first leg would only last four hours. I knew I'd have …
November 17, 2011
Little Rock: The New Indie Music Mecca
Little Rock, Arkansas, has quietly become an indie music lover’s paradise. People who ponder going to SxSW, but worry about the expense, the hassle and its growing commercialism are discovering Arkansas’ indie musician– and audience-friendly …
November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16
Xunantunich Ruins, Belize
Over the river and through the trees lie the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. First unearthed in British Honduras at the turn of the last century, this ancient archeological site is one of the finest in …
November 16, 2011
Die, Ralph, Die
Kevin looked more confused than surprised when he found me on his doorstep. “Are you C.C.’s chauffer?” He gestured at my father, who was standing behind me. Though I had indeed done the driving, it …
November 16, 2011
Wang's North Park Restaurant Plans “Soft” Opening
While a little behind the planned opening date (but said to be right on budget), Wang's North Park restaurant will have a “soft opening” on November 21, said co-owner and operator Joel Herzer in a …
November 16, 2011
Mellow Out in Topanga, California
When you’re staring at a deer beneath a grove of oak trees, it might be difficult to realize that you’re within the city limits of Los Angeles. Topanga is a hilly, wooded oasis located within …
November 16, 2011
Harvest Fests at Your Ease
It’s no longer difficult to find a restaurant serving Thanksgiving dinner, in part because, in these hard times, it’s a good opportunity (like Valentine’s Day) for a restaurant to reap a little profit and possibly …
November 16, 2011
Downtown Johnny Brown’s
“We were the first bar to have Arrogant Bastard,” says Downtown Johnny Brown’s owner Todd Alexander. “Stone had their release party here. John Brown really embraced the local beer movement. When I bought the bar …
November 16, 2011
Beautiful Mess of Cheesesteak
If I were more of a man, I’d actually do this. I’m looking at a sign on an artist’s easel: “McGonagle’s Cheesesteak Challenge: Eat 3 and Win $50!...Three double-meat cheesesteaks in 30 minutes.” Hmm…double-meat. Meaning …
November 16, 2011
The Best Apple Cider
The days are still warm, but the nights are getting cold enough for cider. Patrick and I hail from the Northeast, and this time of year starts us hankering. I didn’t make it up to …
November 16, 2011
Abstract Swing
As Declan Halloran sees it, the all-age local band scene is easy to sum up. “The bands that play at Soma are either pop-punk, cookie monster [sreamo], or ska. They pretty much come in one …
November 16, 2011
X-Ray Eyes
During OnStage Playhouse’s intermissions, the houselights come up, but the actors remain in character onstage. As audience members talk among themselves or scan text messages, the characters play cards and do small tasks in whispers. …
November 16, 2011
After Ocean Beach, Santee, our bid was accepted in La Mesa
For my birthday, my husband bought me a house. I like to mention this nonchalantly to strangers because I think it makes us sound like the type of people who might own a yacht or …
November 16, 2011
Work Ten Weeks, Take Ten Months Off, Part Two
And what in the fuck is it with me that I can’t roll a straight joint? Todd snorts. “The one from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. The one that’s gonna hire 20,000 people. The one that’s …
November 16, 2011
Was Penn State a party to pedophilia?
Remembering that even this bastard is presumed innocent, it’s a quick transformation between a breaking news story and a corporate media storyline about said breaking news story. This is how torture becomes enhanced interrogation. You …
November 16, 2011
Chinese Beetles
“We just returned from our 15th trip to China,” says Scott Stephens of Liquid Blue, the first San Diego band to sign with a Chinese record label (Shanghai Audio and Video). “Some of us are …
November 16, 2011
It Was Supposed to Be a Suicide
This is a true story. This was told to me by a man I’ll call Tom Fuller. The story came to me outside of a meeting hall where an anonymous group meeting had been held. …
November 16, 2011
The Farmers Plow Ahead
The hellbillies formerly known as the Beat Farmers are no strangers to lineup changes. Their longtime pedigree assures that some folks will find fault with any version of the band, including the omission of those …
November 16, 2011
I Gotta Use Words When I Talk to You
Born in 1960, the African-American artist Glenn Ligon grew up in housing projects in the Bronx but attended the privileged, mostly white Walden School in Manhattan, a one-hour commute each way. Later, after majoring in …
November 16, 2011
To Market, To Market with San Diego Foodstuff
Tuesday, November 8, 2011: Finding Your “Inner Chef” at Hipcooks I’m a cooking class slut. Okay, that’s pretty dramatic. But, I just love them. You just never know what great little tip you’ll walk out …
November 16, 2011
Raccoon Newsie Zombie
because Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year, especially when it falls on a Monday and, therefore, begins the previous Thursday, your humble crasher went to about 39 celebrations this All Hallows’ Eve megaweekend. …
November 16, 2011
The Largest Hole in Earth
Heymatt: As usual, while contemplating my navel I came up with another Matthew Alice question. How big is the biggest hole ever dug in the earth? And please tell us some ridiculous facts about it, …
November 16, 2011
Petroleum pigs underreporting pipeline decay
Greg Palast is a corporate fraud investigator turned investigative journalist. In his new book, Vultures’ Picnic: In Pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates, and High-Finance Carnivores, he and his team crisscross the globe in a …
November 16, 2011
Sharon Jones + the Dap-Kings
The past couple of years have seen a wealth of good records from Raphael Saadiq, Fitz & the Tantrums, Mayer Hawthorne, and others working in the style of ’60s and ’70s soul and funk. But …
November 16, 2011
How Sempra used cash-balance plans
Forget Occupy Wall Street. Forget Occupy Oakland and Occupy San Diego. The next protest movement should be OccupyTowers Watson. Or Occupy Mercer. Or Occupy International Business Machines or San Diego’s Sempra Energy. Towers Watson and …
November 16, 2011
All the Influence Money Can Buy
Former city development director Marcela Escobar-Eck, let go along with colleague and land-use chief Jim Waring during 2007’s Sunroad Montgomery Field building fiasco, is now plying the lobbying trade. Her October 19 filing as principal …
November 16, 2011
Cops Reach the Video Age
Beset by sex scandals, a bad audit, budget cuts, and city hall demonstrators, some good news for the San Diego Police Department seemed last week to have finally arrived in the form of its latest …
November 16, 2011
Sniffing Out New Marijuana Lobbyists
There’s a new hired gun in town, and it’s smoking. Sacramento lobbying shop California Capitol Solutions has registered to cast its spell on San Diego city hall on behalf of five medical pot shops, including …
November 16, 2011
The Sounds. Not Blondie.
Comparisons to Blondie, says Jesper Anderberg, are to be forgiven. “I think there’s a slight similarity between us.” Anderberg plays keyboards and guitar in a Swedish indie-rock band called the Sounds. “I mean, we have …
November 16, 2011
Annual Report (for Doug Lang)
I hate this entire year, the way it stops and starts, dries you out, soaks you, lulls you to sleep, then wakes you up in a cold sweat. Not to mention the pills that are …
November 16, 2011
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
“I had my moment as a rock star,” says Larry Groupe. “I now equate being on tour with the directions on a bottle of shampoo: lather, rinse, repeat.” When Groupe, a San Diego–based composer/keyboardist chanced …
November 16, 2011
Not Open-Mouth
Happy Ron Hill’s 1500th performance happens at Lestat’s on Wednesday, November 23. It’ll also be the native San Diegan’s first full show with his “smooth jazz combo,” the Smoothies. “I’ve been saying for years that …
November 16, 2011
International Christian Center
Membership: 250 Pastor: David Montajes Age: 55 Born: Manila, Philippines Formation: Bethel Bible College, Venezuela City, Philippines Years Ordained: 13 San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which to preach? Pastor David Montajes: …
November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15
New Submarine Border Fence Construction in Imperial Beach
The Imperial Beach border fence of rusted metal posts has been torn down, and construction of a taller, sturdier structure began in October. People, birds, and dogs have celebrated the chance to stand on the …
November 15, 2011
San Diego City Council Considers Regulations for Home Farming
During a two-week review and comment period that began on November 4 and ends November 18, the San Diego City Council will consider new urban-agriculture amendments to allow more access to home-grown foods. The council …
November 15, 2011
Sunday, November 13
Culinary Discovery in Terme di Castrocaro, Italy
When in France, my husband and I decided to squander beaucoup d' euros on a Michelin one-star restaurant. The experience was so satisfactory that, on a subsequent trip to Italy, we decided to make a …
November 13, 2011
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Ex-Oasis guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher returns shooting from the lip with his solo debut. Already a U.K. number one and outselling Liam's Beady Eye by two to one, the elder brother appears to be on top …
November 13, 2011
Hotpants and Tequila! Rubblebucket at Soda Bar
Brooklyn-based dance band Rubblebucket hit the Soda Bar stage with "Worker" from their album Omega La La. The band's bad-ass brass front line punched horn blasts over a dreamy and funky rhythm section. On "Breatherz …
November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 12
Shot in Tijuana: Zona Norte On-Ramp
A recent view of the construction of an on-ramp to Carretera Federal 1D (or the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road) in Tijuana’s Zona Norte area. At nearly this point, the highway veers south toward the Playas area …
November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11
500,000 Holiday Jobs
Are there better times ahead for jobseekers? Well, as much as Americans would like to think that jobs will magically appear as the economy gains steam, it simply isn’t that easy anymore. But, it also …
November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10
Al-Ash’ari
Question: Is God free to inflict pain on infants in the next life? Answer: God is free to do that, and in doing it He would be just. Likewise, whenever He inflicts an infinite punishment …
November 10, 2011
Official Proclamation of the First Thanksgiving
To all ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, squashes, and garden vegetable, and has made the forest to abound with game …
November 10, 2011
Whitefish, Montana
The train screeched and jerked to a stop. I awoke in an unknown yard in pitch darkness. I hopped on this train back in Everett, Washington, where the day before I was napping in a …
November 10, 2011
Manatees in Blue Spring State Park, Florida
Blue Spring State Park is located in Orange City, Florida – a one-hour drive from Orlando, so it's a perfect place to spend the day and get away from the theme parks. This is one …
November 10, 2011
Go Green, Make Green
Green is the new black. Green is cool, it’s fashionable, and it’s profitable. For those who don’t believe in global warming, that’s fine. But, hopefully if you’re out of work you will at least consider …
November 10, 2011
What Kind of Leader Are You?
Thrust into a leadership position? Need to make important decisions quickly? Are others looking to you for inspiration, focus, motivation, mentoring, coaching, guidance? You make decisions, and others follow? Are you a leader? A group …
November 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 9
Shot in Tijuana: Border Crossers After the Rains
TJ bridge crossers on the old pedestrian bridge hugged the rails as last weekend’s rain puddles threatened to soak their shoes. (Click photo below to enlarge)
November 9, 2011
South Bay Power Plant Demo Stalled Due to Bankruptcy?
The ink had just dried on Dynegy’s South Bay LLC’s contract with the Port of San Diego to demolish Chula Vista’s defunct power plant when Dynegy Holdings filed for bankruptcy. Dynegy’s website says of the …
November 9, 2011
South Park Abbey’s Cause-Mo
The newest item on South Park Abbey’s menu, the Cause-Mo, is part of the Abbey’s effort to establish a cocktail presence at an establishment better known for its bonanza of Belgian potables. Since unveiling it …
November 9, 2011
The Bun Bo Hue Dossier
Nothing gets my Vietnamese friends’ blood boiling more than when some foodie calls bun bo hue “spicy pho.” They tell me, “Bun bo is about as close to pho as chicken noodle soup is to …
November 9, 2011
Taking Back 4th&B
The former owner of 4th&B, the 1500-capacity downtown concert venue, says he is in the process of taking the club back from its current owner and that he is suing Live Nation, the concert promoter …
November 9, 2011
Vokabulary
Vokab Kompany’s collaborative song “Burn It Down” (with Crush Effect, a local DJ/beat production trio) is serving as the soundtrack to a national TV commercial for Southern Comfort’s new Fiery Pepper liquor. However, Vokab’s official …
November 9, 2011
Working the Alaska pipeline and Prudhoe Bay
Chapter 1 I found my first year-round job at the age of 45. Birthday boy was broke, living in a downtown Oakland, California, apartment, and 23 days from eviction. Normally, this would not be a …
November 9, 2011
The Adventures of SailorDad
Title: The Adventures of SailorDad Address: sailordad.com Author: Thomas Permuy From: El Cajon Blogging since: September 2011 September 27, 2011: The Longest Week We’re all just going through the motions, trying to pass the time …
November 9, 2011
Is there really such a thing as luck?
Matthew Alice: Is there really such a thing as luck? My neighbor seems to keep winning money on scratch-offs all the time and I’ve only won ten dollars every once in a while. I can’t …
November 9, 2011
Birria in the Barrio
Call it the next best thing to Mexico. I’m in Barrio Logan, walking down Beardsley, past the Logan Heights Family Health Center Clinic. What I like — apart from the clinic and the half-dozen apartment …
November 9, 2011
Movie Review: J. Edgar, Melancholia
Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar needs a livelier title. May I suggest Anal-Retention Serenade? In this movie, a young American discovers his anti-Red obsession by finding Bolshevik propaganda flyers on the street and is soon proudly …
November 9, 2011
Lestat’s Can Have Chris Carpenter's Piano
“I write my songs with piano,” says Chris Carpenter, “so you’re going to hear a melodic singer/songwriter if you take an ear of me. I love the wide range of song possibilities on the piano. …
November 9, 2011
Is SWRV the MTV of Old?
In October, Music Choice announced the launch of SWRV (“swerve”) TV with Cox Communications in San Diego. Promoted as the first 24/7 interactive music video network, SWRV is available on Cox cable channel 900 as …
November 9, 2011
Los Cabos gun battle breaks out
As gun battles go in Mexico, it was nothing special. At 11:00 p.m., Friday, October 28, Mexican military authorities and the local municipal police cornered a group of sicarios, or gunmen, in a house located …
November 9, 2011
Sempra Lights Up the Pols
Sempra Energy also handed out some pre-Halloween treats to state politicians and utility regulators, including refreshments at San Diego’s Kensington Grill worth $29.79 on August 8 to Elaine Jennings, director for planning, preparedness, and emergency …
November 9, 2011
Big Four accounting firms do dirty work
The bank’s loans to Smith associates vastly exceeded bank regulators’ limits on insider transactions. The United States Comptroller of the Currency said the bank’s muddle of Smith-related transactions was “self-dealing run riot.”
November 9, 2011
This Cash Is for Martin Garrick, Joel Anderson
Solana Beach’s GOP assemblyman Martin Garrick, arrested in his state car for drunk driving in June, later pled no contest to driving with a blood-alcohol content nearly twice the legal limit. He was sentenced to …
November 9, 2011
Political Gifts of Green
Sempra Energy has been spreading around its campaign cash to a variety of local special interest groups, according to its recently filed state disclosure, including, on September 15, the county’s Democratic Party ($3000) and the …
November 9, 2011
Real Estate Is Warm and Cozy
New Jersey band Real Estate plays mid-tempo songs with three or four chords strummed on an electric guitar with a vocalist who’s so laid back it might take you awhile to notice when the band …
November 9, 2011
Dang, It's O’Brother
O’Brother, a five-piece from Atlanta, has three guitarists and a huge sound. I ask Johnny Dang how O’Brother manages to sound like a big stack of amps crammed into a small bag. “We don’t try …
November 9, 2011
A Sonnet by Edna St. Vincent Millay
What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh …
November 9, 2011
Tuesday, November 8
Ocean Beach Apartment Fire Victim Speaks Out on Arrest
Last week, the OB Rag reported that Larissa Danielli, an Ocean Beach woman, returned to her apartment building on November 3 in the aftermath of a fire that had begun in the unit above hers. …
November 8, 2011
The Accident: Part 2
I’d been traveling for 20 hours: from Shinjuku to Narita, Narita to San Francisco, San Francisco to San Diego, and finally, the short cab ride home. Once I’d dropped my suitcase in my bedroom, I …
November 8, 2011
Labor of Love: Life of a Doula
Sarah Burns, a 24-year-old doula, explains what it takes to get started, and stay in business, as a doula. First, please define “doula” for me. What does a doula do? A birth doula provides emotional …
November 8, 2011
Escondido’s Sidewalk Sign Policy Under Review
Business owner Bill Durney appeared before the Escondido City Council on November 2 and asked the city to consider adding a future agenda item regarding easing restrictions and regulations for sidewalk signs used by businesses. …
November 8, 2011
Monday, November 7
Das Racist, Too Funny, Too Short
The anthemic "Rainbow in the Dark" and irony-laden "Michael Jackson" kept heads bobbing to the stoner Zen of Das Racist, Brooklyn's funniest export. Lines like "Urban Dictionary is for demons with college degrees" struck the …
November 7, 2011
Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom
As I've mentioned elsewhere, this music produced a profound spiritual experience wherein I, a proud atheist, felt an overwhelming connection to the One, something beyond space and time, in a perpetual state of being and …
November 7, 2011
Sunday, November 6
The Japatul Fire Station: For Jerry Schad
The thing that keeps hikers going is an insatiable desire to see what is beyond the crest of the next hill. Even late in the afternoon, when we know that we really should be getting …
November 6, 2011
Saturday, November 5
St. Paul's Cathedral Project to Move Forward in Bankers Hill
In a November 4 interview, the Very Reverend Scott Richardson, dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, said it appears their project to renovate the cathedral and construct two high-rise, mixed-use condominium towers is a done deal. …
November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4
Bangkok is Drowning
About four months ago, in the hot, laboring days of summer, I decided I needed something to work for – something to get me through the weeks. A trip. I set my sights on Southeast …
November 4, 2011
Thursday, November 3
Shot in Tijuana: Las Pulgas’ New Neighbor
A new edificio (building) is going up next door to Las Pulgas, the famed Tijuana nightclub (named after “fleas”) on Avenida Revolución. Being built over the former Las Pulgas parking lot, the building so far …
November 3, 2011
Sweetwater Union HS District Supe Ed Brand Addresses Problems with U-T Coverage
On October 29, Sweetwater Union High School District superintendent Ed Brand dressed down the Union-Tribune. The district’s website tells it this way: “In an ongoing effort to bring balanced media coverage, [Brand] met with San …
November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2
Drug-Sniffing Dogs to Routinely Visit Clairemont High School
Clairemont High School's Arrow newspaper recently reported that drug-sniffing dogs are coming to school. "Last year [the high school] received a grant from the [parent-teacher-student association] to pay for a drug dog inspection program. The …
November 2, 2011
Reverse Explorers
‘"She gives me everything…and tenderly…” Her voice rings out loud, clear, and beautiful. She’s singing along with the Beatles tune on the sound system, “And I Love Her,” looking at the tiny baby in her …
November 2, 2011
Secret Love
“Once, I had a secret love/ That lived within the heart of me./ All too soon, my secret love/ Became impatient to be free.” So sang Doris Day in the Eisenhower-era film Calamity Jane. My …
November 2, 2011
Vizcaíno Meets Storms, Natives, and, Finally, San Diego
Lost and Found Onboard the flagship San Diego, Sebastían Vizcaíno hadn’t seen the Santo Tomás in 41 days. Before his expedition left Acapulco to chart the California coast in 1602, the old Santo Tomás had …
November 2, 2011
He cleans up on foreclosures from Oceanside to the border
From Yahoo News, December 2010: A suit was filed in March by Pennsylvania homeowner Angela Lannelli. She was up to date on her payments when, she says, she arrived home in October 2009 to find …
November 2, 2011
San Diego Mobile Oil Change
“‘Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future,” I serenaded hubby Patrick with the Steve Miller song as I hustled through chores last Saturday. “Oil keeps on burnin’, burnin’, burnin’, out of my Chevy,” …
November 2, 2011
Last Call
Boasting a weekend happy hour from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Last Call’s slogan entreats you to “Go ugly early.” And while easily dismissed as another sketchy El Cajon Boulevard hole, Last Call proves to be …
November 2, 2011
Senior Moments
Back in the ’60s, Robert Anderson wrote a one-act called I’m Herbert. Depending on how old you are, it could be a comedy or a tragedy. In the play, a man and a woman, senior …
November 2, 2011
Rubik and Lights
“We think that we make pop songs, but definitely with a certain kind of twist.” It’s Artturi Taira on the phone from Madrid, talking about his band Rubik. “You might wanna call it art rock …
November 2, 2011
Imitation Diamond
When Diamond Is Forever! hits the AVO Playhouse stage in Vista on Saturday, November 5, two fans in the audience will have traversed over 5800 miles to catch the local Neil Diamond tribute act. “Jutta …
November 2, 2011
To Tank Or Not To Tank
On the phone with a friend I’ll call Henry Hill. He’s a family man, casino consultant, degenerate gambler, and believer in conspiracy theories. Henry thinks the Indianapolis Colts are tanking the season. Conspiracy theories are …
November 2, 2011
Brief Peace for Chet Cannon
“At this point, we’ve done so many of them, I really couldn’t pinpoint it,” Chet Cannon says in response to a question about when, exactly, he began putting on benefit concerts. Cannon, 59, a harpist …
November 2, 2011
Romeri's Got the Beats
“I’ve always been seeking out exploratory music,” says Santino (or Sonny, like in The Godfather) Romeri, a Golden Hill–via–Chula Vista experimental beat musician (Illuminauts), promoter, and overseer of boutique vinyl and cassette label Kill Quanti. …
November 2, 2011
A Happy Chorus of Small Voices
“I was walking through the park/ goosing statues in the dark/ If Sherman’s horse can take it so can you.”
November 2, 2011
Movie Review: The Rum Diary, Hell and Back Again, Habana Eva
Photographed in a dry, dingy beige, the film looks like it were being viewed through a discarded snakeskin. This is not altogether a fault; the anemic film stock suits the sultry drip of setting and …
November 2, 2011
Please upgrade tenants in City Heights
On a hot Friday evening in late August, Jennifer Bernal and Jamila DeCarli sit at the kitchen table in their 998-square-foot home on the rim of Fox Canyon in City Heights. Their two small dogs …
November 2, 2011
Seen on DVD: Almost Famous, Inland Empire, Love and Death
Rebecca Hicks Writer and illustrator, little-vampires.com Traditional romantic comedies have never been a reflection of my relationship reality, which is why I’m grateful for 1991’s Addams Family. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston have a joyous …
November 2, 2011
Carmen Caserta ♥s Tori Amos
North Park singer/songwriter Carmen Caserta was 19 when she dragged her piano from L.A. to San Diego, originally to attend college. “I got my undergraduate degree in psychology and then started law school in 2008,” …
November 2, 2011
You Can Take Susan Davis to Libya
The violent death of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi has evoked varying recollections of his decades-long absolute rule. Back in March 2004, congressional Democrat Susan Davis traveled to Libya. According to a gift report filed by …
November 2, 2011
Cash Without Cause
Robert Nascenzi, the computer executive who dropped out of the 52nd District primary in the race to take on GOP congressman Brian Bilbray next year, managed to collect a healthy $77,654 in contributions through September …
November 2, 2011
Ffunny Ffriends Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s music sounds as if it’s off an old cassette tape that sat warping in the sun on a dashboard before falling into a puddle. And it gets weirder the closer you listen …
November 2, 2011
Presidential Bets in Rancho Santa Fe
Early results are in from horsey Rancho Santa Fe regarding the presidential fund-raising derby, and so far the winner is Mitt Romney, with $112,000 from the beginning of the year through September 30. According to …
November 2, 2011
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
Membership: 400 Pastor: David Weber Age: 56 Born: Hampton, Iowa Formation: University of Laverne, Laverne; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Years Ordained: 9 years San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which to preach? …
November 2, 2011
Imperial Beach, Our Coastal Orphan
Thirty-Five Years Ago [A] local symbol has almost gone up in flames. The hut at the base of Bonair and Neptune Place was damaged in a fire last week. Refurbished with new palm fronds each …
November 2, 2011
Wigs Galore
Wigs are in style. There’s a store in every town. There’s a kiosk in every mall. Golden blond, near crimson, silky black, cascading brown. They glamorize, maximize, voluminize and dramatize. Human hair or synthetic? Not …
November 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 1
Two Weeks in the Cook Islands
Those travelers looking for an authentic South Pacific experience without the exorbitant price tag should look no further than the Cook Islands. A nine-hour flight from LAX (one weekly nonstop) made the main island of …
November 1, 2011
The Accident: Part 1
“How’s he doing, everything okay?” It was an empty question -- I was sure of the answer. There was no room in my mind to consider any alternative to fine. Dad had still been in …
November 1, 2011
Senior Students Paint Parking Spaces at Patrick Henry High
Throughout San Diego, a coveted perk for high school seniors is the right to claim their own parking spot in the seniors-only section of their school's parking lot. But many schools have added a twist …
November 1, 2011
Unconquerable Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma
The Chickasaw Nation, an active tribe now in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, was once known as the “Spartans of the Lower Mississippi Valley” and the “Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw.” The Chickasaw's original homeland was …
November 1, 2011
Caltrans Deems Georgia Street Bridge Deficient
The San Diego City Council on November 1 approved an amended agreement with Simon Wong Engineering for services on the Georgia Street Bridge renovation. This will add an additional payment of $493,000, boosting the firm's …
November 1, 2011
Living Local in Paris
My husband, six-year-old and I spent a month in Paris. The best part was learning to live what the French call a "quotidien" life (just the day-to-day goodies) in the City of Lights. Since there …
Lou Reed and Metallica's Lulu Is a Lulu
Lou Reed and Metallica's collaboration is a head on collision between two trains and the casualties are the ears of the listeners. The first words uttered on Lulu ("I would cut my legs and tits …
November 1, 2011
Grouplove on the "Boos Cruise"
The expansive indie rock of Grouplove spilled over the brightly lit San Diego Bay as the audience aboard the Hornblower kicked Halloween weekend into high gear. The band, which was formed during an artists' residency …
November 1, 2011
Mount St. Helens, Washington: An American Volcano
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located near Washington State's southern border – 96 miles south of Seattle and 50 miles northeast of Portland. On May 18, 1980, the eruption changed more than 200 …
November 1, 2011