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
Roller Coaster of Love
And to me...it's just the matter if it being HOURS that these guys were stranded. I seem to remember that on that ride at Sea World (the one that just slowly goes up that huge pole, while you sit looking out the windows)...it got stuck. And I seem to remember the riders getting some nice gifts for their "trouble".— September 4, 2009 10:10 a.m.
War Pigs Worked
Update: My friend and I were on the phone talking about Street Scene, and he told me that the band Girl Talk (who the Reader featured in the Off Note section before the concert), also did a cover of War Pigs. Why was everyone all over that song????— September 3, 2009 9:31 p.m.
A Rock Cliché in Heels
I'm not positive, but I don't think the photos used in these pieces are from the concerts. And I don't think they say they are. At least the photo of No Doubt, sure looked like a publicity shot and hardly a "concert photo" from when they just came to town. The only part of Dead Weather I saw was near the end, when Jack White had a long guitar solo. It was sweet. Although, I think most will have more fun watching him in the latest movie "It Might Get Loud." What an interesting documentary, that featured more of White than I expected. The Dead Weather CD was disappointing. I'm guessing live they're just slightly more interesting (as live music, especially anything with White involved, gives ya more of a kick in the pants).— September 3, 2009 9:27 p.m.
Roller Coaster of Love
Don't get me wrong, Pete. I'm not saying I'd rush in and sue. But, after being rescued from an incident like that, I'd laugh in their face at the thought of "two free tickets" being offered for my "inconvenience." And, regarding the lawsuit, I would say that being "detained" for a 4 to 5 hour period, in a scary situation, would surely warrant some sort of "pain and suffering". And russl, glad you brought up the McDonald's lady. That's a case everyone uses as an example of frivilous lawsuits, when in fact, all she initially asked McDonald's for was "half" of her $900 medical bill, as the doctor stated no coffee should be hot enough to do what that did to her skin. They balked, and she sued (she didn't have health insurance). On a side note...gotta love that health insurance debate/town hall meeting, or whatever it was, that ended with a guy having his finger bitten off. It would've been more interesting if the guy with the missing digit didn't have health insurance. But he did.— September 3, 2009 9:17 p.m.
Cops in Crosshairs
Oh yeah, and Pete...as much as the bravado online might sound cool, c'mon. You get jumped and robbed by a bunch of guys, and you're laying there in the street beat to a pulp. They just casually walk away, down El Cajon Blvd (no reason why I put you on El Cajon Blvd, it was just for this fake scenario). You can pull out your cell phone and call the cops. They'd clearly be able to get here in time to arrest these losers. But wait! You decide to slip your cell phone back in its leather carrying case...FOR YOU...ARE THE MAN....THAT HANDLES THINGS ON HIS OWN! No need for the police. You stagger up to your feet. Brush off the dirt and pebbles stuck to your jeans and shirt. The taste of blood in your mouth. The guys are walking away, laughing, and ruffling thru your wallet. FOR YOU...ARE THE MAN...THAT HANDLES THINGS ON HIS OWN! You decide to jog over to the unruley group of holligans. They hear you approaching and turn around, a few with sticks and knives in their hands. You say, "Excuse me. Yes, well...sorry to stop and bother you on such a warm and balmy night. I don't appreicate what you did to me back there. I was merely minding my own business, and talking to that lovely lady in the leopard skin jacket and high heels, and...well...you can keep the money in my wallet. But please, give me back the drivers license and the rest of the stuff in it. I mean, it's such a hassle going to the DMV and cancelling credit cards and all that." The holligans: F*** off! Pete: Uh, well...Hmmm. I'd like to call the police. But wait...I AM THE MAN...THAT HANDLES THINGS...MYSELF. (Pete swings wildly. The first right cross takes the biggest guy down. A short guy plunged the knife into Petes side, and he lets out a yell, before kicking the bloody knife out of the guys hand and taking that him down. The three other guys quickly jump on top of him, and beat him worse than a few minutes earlier). Pete now walks home, with his head down (and bloody). He'd love nothing more than to call the police...but...that's just not his thing. For Pete is...THE MAN THAT....HANDLES THINGS....ON HIS OWN!!!! POLICE BE DAMNED!!— September 3, 2009 4:48 p.m.
Cops in Crosshairs
And while I might, too, agree if it were to be a specific "convenient store cashier is more dangerous than cop," even that, is probably less likely to be true, just on this one thing alone. A guy comes in and robs you at 7-11, you hand over the money and chances are, you get out of it alive and well. If a cop goes to a scene, he can't just do what the perp says. He's there to stop it, make an arrest, or chase someone that might want to do ANYTHING to avoid going back to the clink.— September 3, 2009 4:38 p.m.
Flying Solo
Let me preface this post by saying...did someone actually use the phrase "...but it's what we like and for that we make no apologies." ??? Wow. Barb...I really don't know where to start with this one. Josh— September 3, 2009 3:20 p.m.
Cops in Crosshairs
Pete, just listen to how ludicrous that claim is. Do you, honestly think, a florist has more to fear on the job than a cop? Now, think about that. Cops get shot at. They go on high speed chases. They approach houses about loud music or domestic disputes (and crowds sometimes turn on them). I'm not saying cops have it soooooooo rough. I'll even be the first to admit, if I were to do a ride-along with a cop, I'd probably be surprised how much time is spent sitting in the car, doing the report on the last speeding ticket given, or just waiting for the next call. But that hardly means it's some job that's less dangerous than the ones spouted off by surfpup. And, I could even see more injuries/deaths in the construction field...but again, I think that's not taking things into account. Things like the times that THOSE injuries occured because some construction worker wasn't wearing his proper harnass or hard-hat, or was horsing around with someone, etc.— September 3, 2009 3:16 p.m.
Two Idiots Suing -- The Miss California Edition
Did anyone see the clip of...I believe it was a politician...who went thru a red light and plowed right into a cyclist. It was caught on some dashcam of a bus, I believe. Well, they just said on the news, that the guy said he wasn't paying attention because he was looking down at his GPS device. So my question is this. If I can't use my cell phone while I drive, because of others not being able to walk and chew gum at the same time...what do we do about these other devices? Obviously, GPS is so valuable in your car, that no law will be passed. But still...this is why creating new laws for the few bad apples, is always a bad idea (and why, even though I've never had an alcoholic beverage at the beach, I don't think it should be banned).— September 3, 2009 11:21 a.m.
Taking Stock
I'm with ya, cool. I find myself always hitting up Landmark for just those very reasons. The problem is...the indie/foreign films can often be just as disappointing. The movie Julia, with the always amazing Tilda Swinton, started so well, but became a complete mess and was way too long. Same with this picture about a kid from Mexico going to LA to save his sister. So many inaccuracies in how they portrayed the police, it was unwatchable (yet the commercials for it, and the critical praise, got me interested). So, the thing is this. Answer Man is EXACTLY the type of movie, that critics are quick to give good reviews to. The same way Cold Souls got good reviews, and it was crap (except for an amazing scene with Paul Giamatti doing Uncle Venya on stage at various times).— September 3, 2009 11:12 a.m.