July I Blue July, bright July, Month of storms and gorgeous blue; Violet lightnings o’er thy sky, Heavy falls of drenching dew; Summer crown! o’er glen and glade Shrinking hyacinths in their shade; I welcome …

The Cloak & Petal’s bar manager Faisal Asseri explains that the name for Little Italy’s Japanese-inspired restaurant blends opposites to form a new whole. “Cloak” communicates mystery and intrigue, and “Petal” is a rough English …

Foundations of Praise Contact: P.O. Box 2518, Escondido, CA 92033 760-741-2755 www.foundationofpraise.org Mailing List Members: 30,000 Founder: Merlin Carothers (1924-2013) Born: Coal Country in Pennsylvania Formation: Marion College, Marion, IN; Asbury Seminary, Wilmore, KY Years …

Fleas of Horton P. When The plaza was completed (“The Fall of Horton Plaza,” Cover Stories, June 27), I went through it and judged it to be an insult to San Diego, in that it …

The west-facing exterior wall of the Alibi bar on University Avenue in Hillcrest asks people to consider their eventual and certain death, and to share their desires for the interim. The bartender says they are …

The Adams Avenue Bookstore in Normal Heights is closing after 53 years of operation. I stopped in at the Store Closing sale, and overheard one fellow tell another that he had 16,000 books in his …

Drink a few pints in a Dublin pub, and there’s a better than even chance you’ll be asked to sing. Drink a fourth and you’ll probably comply. As if there weren’t enough of a musical …

Prospero has every reason to be furious. When he was Duke of Milan, he was a passive ruler, one who would much rather study “white magic” than enact an edict. Then, twelve years before Shakespeare’s …

For those looking for stair stepping exercise in San Diego County, there are actually several options for a cardio workout: The San Diego Convention Center has about 100 steps; the “Catwalks” of Rolando Village are …

Dear Hipster: What kind of music is best for working out? — La Jolla Spin Class Junkie I wouldn’t know. We hipsters prefer to remain thin by smoking cigarettes and eating kale. Dear Hipster: I …

County’s nepotism An investigation by San Diego County’s Chief of Audits Juan Perez has found that certain unnamed key employees have failed to disclose their financial holdings, as required by state conflict of interest law. …

San Diego vocalist Rebecca Jade has been performing internationally as a member of “smooth-jazz” saxophonist Dave Koz’s Cruise. That’s where she met pop icon Sheila E. who approached her about filling in for one of …

Heavy metal hasn’t been this much fun since Van Halen made it music that a person could sing along to. In general, the genre takes itself far too seriously. Metal music comes couched in grand …

The Ramones and Talking Heads drew him into radio. Rush Limbaugh and Carl DeMaio pushed him out. Billy Bones worked continuously in San Diego radio for 37 years until he quit Friday, June 29. He …

The Donkeys will play a two-night record release party at the Casbah on July 6 and 7 for their album Sun Damaged Youth, produced by Jason Quever, who worked on their debut full-length and covered …

For the record, I’m not a nudist. I feel too fat, am too vain; and in my mind, way too hairy. Besides, like most Americans, I’ve got a secret puritan lurking deep inside my liberal …

In the summer of 1987, San Diego Gas & Electric sent its employees a document declaring that its board “has an obligation and responsibility to serve the best interests of its shareholders while maintaining reliability …

Name: Kris Manske Age: 43 Location: Ocean Beach Kris Manske was pulling a potato chip wrapper out of her wetsuit pocket right by the large lifeguard tower. “I found that out in the ocean”. Manske’s …

Are we too hung up on spicy? On hot habanero burns to make our eating life sexy? The question came up the day Colombia beat — no, thrashed — Poland in the World Cup, 3 …