“In the old days, you had kingmakers who would put in the people they wanted over the objections of those in the community,” says Donna Frye.The former city councilwoman is speaking of the two major …

A former Carlsbad attorney admitted that she took money from two clients’ accounts and used those funds “for personal use,” according to a plea deal read in court by the judge on January 24. Patricia …

South Africa is becoming a destination of choice for good reason. We were happy to arrive in Cape Town, the mother city, after a very long flight: 24 hours across two continents on South African …

Post Title: Arriving in San Miguel Post Date: Saturday, April 16, 2011 So we all made it on the flight to Leon. Small plane, not sure how many hours in the air but not too …

On a mid-December morning in 2007, Deanna Fridley, a 23-year-old housewife, got up and fed her kids, got them dressed, and smoked some meth. “Midmorning sometime, yes. My cousin came over with some. We smoked …

Heavy Hawaii will play a release party for their three-song 7-inch “Superbowl XXIX” (Art Fag Recordings) on Saturday, January 28, at M-Theory Music on Washington Street, beginning at 6 p.m. Tim Flack’s full-length The Bridge …

A haircut changed Rolle Love’s life. At 17, he was a hard-rocking bassist with a crash pad in North Park. “We furnished it with cases of beer, and we drank our furniture.” A major life …

After 22 years, the Soul Persuaders played their final show on January 19 at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge. The band started in 1989, fronted by Steve and Mark Siers, as a side project to their long-running …

"Don’t rush me!” Dion’s voice cuts through the noise. She’s barking at a customer who wants to pay up and go. “Besides, you haven’t drunk enough yet. We have rules!” Dion walks away muttering, under …

“It’s kind of a trip,” says Donald Vercelli, who plays Mike Ness in the Social D tribute band formerly known as Socially Distorted. “Apparently, Mr. Ness doesn’t like other bands spreading his music around.” In …

“I’ve been a Chargers fan since I was a little boy,” says Quino McWhinney of Big Mountain. “The Denver Broncos have always symbolized evil in my world.” But maybe not so much anymore: “Leap of …

“Popular” has been called an accidental alt-rock radio hit by almost every music writer who has tackled the subject of Nada Surf. It was on the radio for what seemed an eternity in 1996, and …

“Roller skating has been around since the 1700s,” Bernice read from her iPhone. “It’s funny to think of the founding fathers on skates. I’ve always associated roller skating with the 1970s.” “Did they have the …

EXT. A TELEPHONE BOOTH. BALTIMORE ALLEY. RAINY. LATE NIGHT. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is drunk, drool and spittle ooze from his mouth, flows down his chin and cheeks, then gathers itself and drips onto …

Hollywood spends too much time and money turning tragedies into buckets of custard. In The Descendants, a coma crisis is sweetened by Hawaiian scenery and George Clooney’s breeze-along charm. In We Bought a Zoo, the …

In a gambling casino, you can lose your shirt — and worse, your health. That’s why several groups are working on California’s Indian casinos to go smoke-free. Many such casinos, particularly in San Diego County, …

A major archaeological site, a treasure trove of fascinating plants and animals, and beautiful scenery ranging from wide-open desert views to narrow winding mountain canyons all await anyone who takes a drive and hike up …

Fujiya & Miyagi’s David Best doesn’t really sing, he hisses in rhythm. In LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy would alternate talking with singing. Even talk-singers such as the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn and Art Brut’s Eddie …

While sampling one of the “immersive environments” in Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface, currently at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, I suffered a mild panic attack, but don’t let that keep you away. …

Ex–Democratic assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, who at one point or another has considered running for the San Diego County board of supervisors and the state Board of Equalization and is now in a tough match for …

KPBS isn’t the only SDSU cause to benefit from Qualcomm-related largesse. According to a June 24, 2011 filing on the website of the university’s Campanile Foundation, Qualcomm vice chairman Steve Altman flew the school’s associate …

"Mostly all lies” is how San Diego State University graduate student and teaching assistant Ashley Wardle characterizes statements two California State University officials made during a joint legislative subcommittee hearing in Sacramento last month. The …

Twenty-eleven was a good fund-raising year for KPBS, the public broadcasting operation owned by San Diego State University, thanks in major part to billionaire Qualcomm founder and civic activist Irwin Jacobs. According to recently released …

Show of hands: who thinks there should be more songs about panda bears? Especially as sung by pixie-cute British girls and — Damn! — their husbands, apparently... Foxes!, from Brighton, England, are the band for …

The opulent, gold-tinged walls of Copley Symphony Hall let each note fight for space with Jeff Tweedy's soothing howl as Wilco played a flawless, riveting two-hour set. Touring in support of The Whole Love, the …

Mug On Trash I’m calling about an interview that Chad Deal did (January 19). You put this guy’s mug on the front of your Reader. I can’t believe that you would write that kind of …

Membership: 110 Affiliation: Southern Baptist Pastor: Jeff Langley Age: 45 Born: San Diego Formation: Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Forth Worth, Texas; Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, San Francisco Years Ordained: 10 San Diego Reader: How …

Dear Uterus, We’ve not been formally introduced. Oh, well. Who wants to meet a lover at a funeral? Old cozy blanket, fuzzy mitten, coffee pot simmering behind my stomach wall, out of sight, like my …