Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Beckett No, Hendrix Yes
Magic...I don't mind when people ask if I was "joshin'". It's a word that isn't used much any more, so I always welcome it. I don't care for people saying "Hey Josh, are you 'bored'?" Because, my last name is spelled "Board" not "bored". So the joke doesn't work. I also hated when someone that insisted you say their entire full name (Jonathan can't be "Jon", they insist on "Jonathan"). So you respect this, and you say "Hey Jonathan," and they say "What-athan?" Have you ever heard an idiot do that? I think I picked the wrong name to use as an example of that.— August 3, 2009 12:47 a.m.
Octomom Nadya Suleman Stopped
Well, I can understand why Jon and Kate drew those high ratings when the tabloid stuff hit. Most people didn't even know the show before that, so they were interested for a few reasons. rickeysays...driving to Vegas, I saw a Bekins 18-wheeler on fire. A cop was sitting nearby it. No fire engine in site. And, of course, traffic on the other side of the I-15 was just driving 5 mph. And I thought about the car accident, and how everyone always looks. And I realized that when there is a car accident, or cop giving someone a ticket on the side of the road, I do not intend to slow down and look. In fact, I've driven by at 70, and merely glance over. Usually that cop cliche is true: "nothing to see here!" But, here's what happens. The first few people slow down to look. And, this means the cars behind them are going slow. And, since they are still going slow when they approach, they glance over and look at the accident as well. Maybe it makes them feel better, seeing an expensive Lexus all in pieces, or a Camry shaped like an accordian. But...they can still be TRYING to get back up to freeway speeds, but since they are coming from a slow speed, it still gives them a chance to look.— August 2, 2009 9:34 p.m.
Another John Bobbitt?
Uh, no rickey. None at all (you do the math, er...physics). Hey sfmc...ever see the movie "Mad Dog and Glory"? Great comedy with Robert DeNiro and Bill Murray (as a mobster that wants to be a stand-up comedian). DeNiro writes a joke for him that goes like this: My wife...she's not the best wife. Cook-ing..... ............. F-ck-ing..... ............. She thinks those are cities in China!— August 2, 2009 9:30 p.m.
Facebook Requests and Answering Machine Messages
Well, two songs pop into my mind. Obviously, the Stones. But remember, Tone Loc in 1986 (or so), sang in Wild Thing about "getting no satisfaction" also. Oh wait...and I believe Justine Bateman of Family Ties, did a cover of the Stones song as well. It might go down as one of the worst covers ever. But I digress. The problem with filling a voicemail with noise, is once they hear it, they can immediately delete it. Why not go in there with a screw driver, and pry one of the machines open until quarters come pouring out of there like a slot machine paying off? Obviously, you could get into trouble for vandalism for that...maybe call the police first (NOT 911, of course), and ask them the best course of action. And, there's always small claims court. You don't just sue for $5. You sue for the court fees. You sue for the time you wasted calling (you say you spend a few different days, etc). You don't make the mistake of asking for $4,000, because then the judge thinks YOU'RE the insane one. But, you ask for $200, on top of the $5. And the judge sides with you. It's a lot of work, for a small amount of money. But it sounds like you put in some work, and didn't get any money back on the deal.— August 2, 2009 9:26 p.m.
911 -- What's Your Emergency?
Russ...one of the few times I didn't stop in Baker. Not sure what town it was, though. Rickeysays...I didn't realize that about the 911 call. But that explains something. On the sports show I was listening to, they kept talking about what cop would tell a person to call 911 for such a silly reason. And, don't get me wrong. I think the parazzi should be charged with these "stalking" type of things, or some law should be passed. But until they are....they're allowed to wait in their car. I seriously doubt they were looking in her window. It sounds like one of those things you say to make it sound more important to the person on the phone. Otherwise, you call in a panic and say "Someone is looking in my window, I think it's a burglar casing the place!!!!" The clip of the call I did hear, she sounded so calm (I also loved her line about "I'm no Britney f---ing Spears!") sfmc...I'm not saying she should be taken to jail for calling 911. But at least give her some kind of ticket. Let's get the word out that 911 is for emergencies. And, giving people tickets, will get that word out. Even if the ticket is just for $100 fine, that would work.— August 2, 2009 9:21 p.m.
One Badfinger Standing
You know the two examples I always use, Gardenparty? Well, with The Doors, the problem was that John Densmore is alive, and he DOES NOT want to be a part of the band. So Ray and Robby wanting to use the name, shouldn't work. Whereas Queen has two members, with a dead singer also...but the one member that is not in the band gave his blessing. But to me, that doesn't mean Queen should use that name. Especially with Paul Rodgers singing (Bad Company, Free, The Firm, are his bands, NOT Queen). And I also use this example. The Who (who really, should be called "The Two"), aren't as bad, even with only two original members, they never really stopped. It's weirder to have a band like the Doors, with Jim dying in 1971, and they released a few albums afterwards as The Doors. Those tanked, and they stopped using the name. To come back later and use it, is just odd. If Keith Moon died in 1980, and The Who disbanded...and then got back together now, with no John Entwhistle, I guarantee Who fans would be livid. They wouldn't like the name being used, even with the two frontmen still being part of the band. Going back to Steppenwolf...the weirdest was them touring without lead singer/songwriter John Kay. They settled in court. They could tour with the name, but they get NO ROYALTIES for any future uses of the songs. Well, CDs came along, making John Kay a very rich man. So did movies, that all seemed to think that Magic Carpet Ride and Born to Be Wild should be used for motorcycle scenes. Again, more millions for Mr. Kay. And, he was able to tour as "John Kay of Steppenwolf" and draw more fans. But the thing that blows me away is...at all these shows, you run into so many fans that just know a few of the hits, and they just ASSume that the band is mostly all original members. They might not even know the story of the Yardbirds becoming Led Zeppelin, and the singer dying. They just know they have a hit called "For Your Love" that they hear on K-Earth 101, so they're at the show. And this is why the Indian casinos can draw so well for these types of shows.— August 2, 2009 9:16 p.m.
Driving Drunk Is Not Easy
Since these debates, rickey, always seem to delve into racial things with liberal people...I like to use examples that involve the same race. Justice Clarence Thomas. An African-American man. Born into such poor surroundings, and look what he became? And, take the son of African-American football coach Tony Dungy. Born into a wealthy family. And he killed himself at age 18. And, it's the same reason that statistics about adopted children, and how they don't do as well in school...even though they are in better households. It's because they are getting the biology passed on to them from parents that gave them up. Yes, there are always exceptions. But when you are dealing with a majority in these things, it's funny that liberals and everyone else, keeps trying to make the same arguments that have been made for decades and decades.— August 2, 2009 9:08 p.m.
Another John Bobbitt?
refried, glad to hear your genitalia is still in fine working order. Like tiki, I gave mine a hug tonight. And a kiss. Sorry to switch subjects, but I think June Cleaver would've been the perfect wife. She cooked. She was beautiful (am I right, fellas?) And best of all....she could speak jive. (I refrained from a Beaver joke. It was too obvious)— August 1, 2009 5:45 p.m.
Facebook Requests and Answering Machine Messages
Well storyteller, that seems like a lot of work. But hey, if it worked for you, good job. My stepdad made the mistake of giving some Indian group money. Who knows for what. He's a hardcore liberal, and will give any liberal group money, even though he hardly has any money. Now they call every day. Seriously. Every day. My mom keeps telling them not to call, and they won't stop. I told her to tell them they just inherited $10,000 and want to donate $2,000. But they need a number they can call back (as their number doesn't show up on the caller ID). Once they get it, we're going to employ the storyteller technique, or at least call them back EVERY TIME they call my parents. Regarding the texting, towelhead...I never text or answer texts. I type 120 words a minute. But that doesn't mean I want to add MORE TYPING to my day, but doing it on a cell phone!!! I mean, it's a friggin telephone! Imagine if you can go back 50 years, and show people how you have a telephone with you everywhere you go. They'd love that, right? Well, imagine then how insane they'd think people were for not just calling the person they want to talk to (when it doesn't cost anything) but instead type a little message like "See you at Stingaree tonight at 8. ; - )— August 1, 2009 5:38 p.m.
A Static Charge
Well...you know what's crazy about all this? (and please, don't anyone think I'm jumping to Pete's side, I'm just trying to make a point here) If Pete says a woman should be buried in the desert for keying a car, everyone thinks that's such an extreme statement. Yet, nobody seems to think it's extreme that a scorned woman keys a car to get even. I think there was even a #1 hit on the charts a few years back (maybe a country song, I can't remember), about a woman that catches her man cheating, and so she thrashes his car. And everyone thinks this song is just so cute. Why? When that American kid was arrested in Singapore, for vandalizing cars...he was going to get 25 lashes. And Bill Clinton tried to say this was cruel and unusual punishment, and it became this big story. Why? I think this is perfect punishment. Not if the kid was 10-years-old, but at his age (I believe he was 18 or 19), he should've known better. And, I guarantee a whipping like that, he'll know next time (at least in Singapore).— August 1, 2009 5:27 p.m.