One of the issues orchestras is facing is brass and wind instruments. Brass instruments have “water keys” to drain the accumulated moisture from the instrument. Another, and more accurate, term for water key is “spit …

“Can you come today?” It’s my friend Kim on the phone. “They’re red, they’re ready. They’re free wine!” He’s talking about his vast vineyard. Okay, it just covers the fencing around the deck he built …

John Moores’ hidden hand How much would a brand-new Midway sports arena cost San Diego taxpayers? The answer hasn’t yet been made public, but leaks and news releases emerging from city hall indicate a closed-door …

I grew up in the United States with a German-American father and a Mexican-American mother. Her name, Lupe, was a common feature of racial jokes at the time, but I could camouflage my Hispanic roots …

Very poor taste There was an article written by Mike Madriaga (“Bouce and Twerk,” August 6) that I and many other people have found to be very problematic. He wrote an article about a dance …

Have we been fighting wildfires the wrong way? Because there’s a new idea spreading like, well, wildfire: that California’s native Americans had it right, and the rest of us have had it wrong. For the …

Dear Hipster: What are some non-hipster things that are secretly (or not so secretly, considering you will publish this for all the world to read) revered and enjoyed by even the snootiest hipsters? — B. …