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The Cats Meow
Mmmmm...peanut butter. What is a "mustelid"? And, the parties brings up a good point regarding neighbors. If you have a neighbor that has only two or three parties a year, you are insane to get upset over the noise. It's not like they're doing it each weekend, so chill out. It's also bizarre that people that get mad about some things, don't seem to mind when other things THEY do, bother others. They'll be mad at a party keeping them awake. Yet, they'll mow their yard at 8 a.m. and think nothing of it.— December 5, 2008 9:55 a.m.
The Cats Meow
Okay, we seem to be going down this allergy path. So, let me tell you a story (about a man named Jed)...no, John. My stepdad. He loves birds. Specifically, humming birds. He had feeders all up everywhere on our back patio growing up. And a huge bird bath. Well, we'd sometimes see cats chewing up birds they caught. My stepdad hated this. Although, he never talked to the neighbors, I feel it was his right to ask them to keep their cats off his yard. But, more important, I DO NOT THINK there even has to be a reason as big as allergies, or bird watchers not wanting cats scaring away some ruby throated hummingbird they want to enjoy from their kitchen window. You shouldn't have to give a cat owner a reason not to have their cat in your yard. The fact that it's your yard, is enough. But, I will say this. You should always be polite when discussing something with a neighbor. Always. No need to start yelling and screaming about their barking dog, or cat in your yard. Just ask them nicely. And, if they respond in a mean tone, then you can take it there. But start by being polite. And the request SHOULD be honored. Barking dogs seem to be something that never can be solved. So, I'd buy a leaf blower, and get it going at 3 a.m. (if talking nicely with the neighbor didn't work) And maybe they'd get the point, who knows. Maybe I wouldn't do that...I'd have to see...— December 5, 2008 12:57 a.m.
The Cats Meow
I had a friend who was 6'11". Played some pro basketball in Germany. He was so allergic to peanuts, that just people nearby on an airplane eating them, made his throat start to swell shut. He was stoked when planes stopped serving them. And, as much as I love peanuts...and as much as I love eating them when I travel...I have no problem giving them up. Because as Andy J. told me "it's just the dust from them, that flares up my allergies." I tried to bring 25 balloons to my friends kid in the hospital. They damn near tackled me, to say "you can't bring milare (sp?) in here! Too many people are allergic to those and latex balloons." But again, it's NOT the allergies. It's the fact that when you own a home, I think it gives you the right to say "I don't want a cat on it." Now, to me, what's weirder is this. We had a guy that lived directly behind us in Mira Mesa. He had so much trash on his front yard. An old couch, car parts, etc. Neighbors called to complain, and he had to clean it up. It just got messy again a few months later. I think a neighbor should be allowed to do what they want to their yard. If that means park 3 broken down cars, so be it. Sure, it makes the neighborhood look like crap. But if you aren't breaking "zoning" laws, or whatever, they should be allowed. It's the same way I argue (still, to this day), with my friends that are glad the booze ban passed. You don't vote on laws based on what you prefer. Because, my pref. is to not have drunken losers on the beach bothering me, my family, or my friends. But I felt it was more important to not take other peoples rights away. And I don't drink on the beach!— December 4, 2008 4:42 p.m.
Struggle and Strife
well rich...when you wrote "fruition" I thought...you don't have fruition without a "fruit". i'm not gay (but I play one on TV), and I loved the film. you are right, great archival footage of San Fran, which added a nice touch. The hippie version of Penn, reminded me so much of George Carlin in his hippie days. A few things. Since Milk was so into the pie in the face thing, and I heard that Anita Bryant took a few in the kisser from gay activists (and she also went bankrupt), is that how it started? the pie in the face of politicians? Duncan, in his review, mentions there being no Twinkies. And yeah, that would've been cheesy to show that. But, it does make me think how horrible the shooting scene was done. Having Milk look out and see the opera, and the long pause, before he's shot at close range. I think that scene should've been done different. It was way too Hollywood, in what was an amazing bio-pic.— December 4, 2008 4:28 p.m.
Insane Musicians and Idiotic Fans
Oh, come on anti. It's not like I did a Will Ferrell in Step Brothers, and sat behind the drums smashing them up (or what he did later in the scene...you must rent it for that alone). And, it's not like the Blurt we ran a month ago, about a story we ran years ago, about the band Rookie Card plugging into a guitar on the Hard Rock Cafe wall and playing it. A guitar that is worth lots and lots of money, because it belonged to someone famous.— December 4, 2008 4:23 p.m.
The Cats Meow
Well, when I said "cat people," I didn't mean some 65 year old lady with nothing better to do than sit in a rocking chair knitting, and petting one of her 15 cats. I just meant ANYONE that likes cats. My point is this. That's GREAT that you tolerate barking dogs. I sure wouldn't. And in the past, I haven't. But, cats aren't really noisy. So a "cat person" or "cat lover" or merely a "cat owner" whichever you prefer, seems so perplexed as to why you wouldn't want them on your yard. And again, I'm not even saying I would care if I saw a cat on my yard. I have, and it's no biggie. MY POINT, is merely, a homeowner has a right to say who and what is on his yard/property. If they hate cats, for whatever reason, cat owners have to then keep their animal off his/her property. It's as simple as that. It's kind of like the screaming kids in movie theatres. You agree with me on that. But why? Those parents can say "Well, we can't control our kids." Just as cat owners say they can't control cats, they go where they want, including the neighbor that DOES NOT want them. Well, I would say, don't own a cat. If you are unable to keep it indoors, or if a neighbor complains.— December 4, 2008 4:22 p.m.
The Cats Meow
No, no, no. Don't get me wrong. The guy shooting the cat is pyscho. But my question to you cat people is this. What, just what if, your neighborhood loved your cat, but one neighbor didn't. And they requested you keep your cat indoors. Or, at the very least, they requested you keep your cat OFF THEIR PROPERTY. To me, that is a request that should be honored. I mean, if you had a big front yard, and neighborhood kids wanted to play football on your lawn, they wouldn't be allowed. If you had a dog, animal control would come scoop little Fluffy up if he was wandering the streets. Why not cats following those same rules? Or cat owners at least understanding, that not everyone wants to deal with those animals. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do I think it's right to shoot someones animal in your yard. Someone at the party told me you can legally capture it, and turn it over to animal control.— December 4, 2008 8:46 a.m.
Drunken Limbo
Very good points, Quicksilver. My girlfriend says she'd prefer to not even be mentioned. But when I'm writing the story, and we're discussing something like a guy trying to light his cigarette in the fire pit and almost falling in because he's drunk...I don't know how to word that. Or, if she says something witty, I don't want to take credit for it as an observation by me. She's joked with me, though, that I write about her as my "girlfriend" yet when we're at a party and an attractive woman comes up to talk to me, and she's somewhere else at the party, it never seems to "come up" that she's my girlfriend. Oh well.— December 3, 2008 3:15 p.m.
Letters
Hey Metal Man, first, thanks for your kind words regarding my music reviews/write ups in the past. Although you are completely wrong on Pyschotic Waltz. My boss asked me to write the piece, and if memory serves, one member didn't want to talk to me, and said it was because he had some falling out with another band member. Nothing else in that story was negative. I was simply putting the comments in from the band, as to what they were doing "now". I know one dude was mad about the story (I think it was the cat that owned Blue Meanie Records), but I'm not even sure why. If you could print, or tell me, what was negative about the story, I'd love to hear it. I didn't do one bit of editorializing on it (ie "this heavy metal band has music that sucks...it's like Spinal Tap without the humor). It was simply a "where are they now?" piece, since the band appeared on the cover of the Reader 25 years ago, or some such thing. Regarding my Crasher column, sorry you aren't fond of it. I've seen in the past, you've written many letters to the editor. Sometimes you're on point, other times you sound like an idiotic know-it-all that gets facts wrong. Maybe it's you, that wishes you were a writer, and someone "important" instead of someone that merely comments on what others write. Your letters are always welcome. From what I remember in some, you do have a knowledge of music. And, in regards to my "quest to find a party worth writing about." I've never said, or even implied, that's the case. I once heard from people that had a company beach party in O'side. They said, "Wow, you made our party sound fun and exciting." The party was in fact, a bit on the slow side. Nobody really had a lot to say, not many activities going, just some BBQ. But the few events that did occur (tug of war, frisbee), I wrote about, and tried my best to make it funny. But just for you, I'll try to be a little less mundane in my writing style. (by the way, if Metal isn't your real last name...it was a goofy nom de plume)— December 3, 2008 3:12 p.m.
What's the best/worst pickup line you've heard?
Didn't realize this would get so many responses. Regarding the "playing backup for Led Zep" I would say the women get what they deserve in that instance. In this day and age, you can Google people. There was a guy in Encinitas (I wrote about this in the Reader), who told people he played in the Doobie Brothers. You couldn't find his name on any albums though. I eventually asked Doobie Michael McDonald if he ever was. He said no. I joked at a Robert Plant concert, when my hair was long and curly like Plants (lucky I have a better mug than that dude, although he has the pipes, the fame, the fortune)...I said to my friend if any woman asks my name, it's "Josh Plant." They'll then say, "Are you related to Robert?" I'd say sheepishly, "Yeah, he's my cousin. But I hate saying that, because than I don't know if a woman is really into me, or just trying to get to Robert." They would've totally bought it, since I wasn't selling it. It was THEM asking the questions of me. There was also a Kramer impersonator...a lawyer living in Solana Beach. He told me of women occasionally being into him, because they think he's Michael Richards (well, maybe not as much now).— December 3, 2008 2:57 p.m.