San Diego Bureau of Cultural Tourism reports record influx of Irish for St. Patrick's Day
Visitors: "Being Irish in America is so much more fun than being Irish in Ireland."
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/18/42084/ "Back home," said Dublin resident Miles O'Staggerin as he paused between beers at The Field bar in The Gaslamp Quarter last night, "drinking is a desperate and willfully destructive practice - a mad pursuit of numbed oblivion brought on …
Scammers target owners of Mexican timeshares
California DRE says perpetrators have hijacked the names of stateside licensees
In case selling a timeshare itself isn’t a hazardous enough proposition, the California Department of Real Estate has reported that a new scam is emerging surrounding popular resort properties in Baja California and elsewhere in Mexico, according to a recent …
Critics ask: is Manchester's U-T just a prop for Holman's Reader?
Connection between papers suggested in wake of weekly's move and sale of its Little Italy headquarters
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/18/42082/ "I first got the notion when I was reading the U-T piece on the Reader's decision to sell its little piece of Little Italy and move to Golden Hill," explains former CityBeat rumor-monger Scuttle Butt, who now consults with …
Manchester releases statement on plan to repurpose U-T's Mission Valley headquarters
"Our headquarters is in cyberspace, man!"
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/18/42080/ TAKING THE WORLD IN A LOVE EMBRACE, MISSION VALLEY - "Here's the main thing," says Papa Doug Manchester, real-estate developer and owner of the U-T San Diego newspaper, as he opens a discussion of his proposal to turn the …
PGR: Drug related crimes plummeting in Baja California
Official report states lower drug crime in state and nation for start of year
The Attorney General’s Office of Mexico (Procuraduría General de la República or PGR) released positive statistics on drug related crime in the state of Baja California on Monday, March 18th. The report states that 141 crimes related to drug trafficking …
City to spend $7 million to shore up two sewage pump stations that failed during September 2011 blackout
City to install seven backup generators at the two pump stations that sent 3.4 million gallons of sewage during massive outage
On March 4 San Diego city councilmembers agreed to pay a $600,000 fine for a massive sewage dump from two pump stations during the September 2011 blackout. Now, the City is shelling out an additional $6,795,534; this time to install …
Lobbyist White makes hay simultaneously handling city of Malibu and U2's the Edge
Potential conflict of interest involving Pete Wilson’s ex-top political guru and high flying lobbying business detailed in L.A. Times
Today's Los Angeles Times is it out with a report on the rapidly growing amount of cash the state's cities and counties are spending on Sacramento lobbyists. According to the Times, lobbyist spending by local government topped $96 million during …
Tartine and the two coffee cakes
Remembering the weirdest fight over food I've ever had at a most precious Coronado cafe.
My roommate and I once got into an epic fight over coffee cake. I am not kidding. His mom sent him a box of baked goods for Christmas, including what he claimed was “coffee cake” and I insisted — with …
Opfrey and Spielbug whomp 'Scorcese' on Forbes list of 2013's 'most influential' celebs
According to Forbes Magazine, the two most influential celebrities of 2013 are Ope and the dope, with Marty running a distant third. Orpah and Stevie more influential than the man who added the fountain pen tracheotomy and Johnny Roastbeef to …
St. Patrick's weekend DUI checkpoints net two drunk drivers
4,383 cars stopped, 47 non-DUI cites, 23 cars impounded
Area law enforcement coordinated another DUI crackdown over the weekend, posting “DUI/driver license checkpoints” throughout San Diego County in Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove and Poway, with additional Sheriff’s deputies patrolling Encinitas enforcing a zero tolerance policy on public intoxication. …
Coronado: Red corned beef, green beer
Crazy St. Paddy's day at McP's, but the Irish food's still good, and it's always on the menu
Had to stop at McP’s Irish Pub (1107 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-435-5280), just to check out the party going on, see about some Irish eats. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/18/42059/ McP's is one of Carla’s favorites. Says she just likes to ogle the hot …
Padres lose a pair as the squad spilts and fails to rally on either front
The San Diego Padres lost to the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe and simultaneously dropped a decision to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson to even their overall record in Cactus League play
The good news for the San Diego Padres is that they are probably outperforming their spring training expectation, but the bad news is that they are probably not as deep in pitching as they would like to see in late …
re: Trio live at the New Dizzy's
This was the final gig this week for Ben Schachter's East Coast group, visiting from NYC and Philadelphia.
Tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter has been in San Diego for less than a year, if I'm not mistaken, but the former Philadelphian is definitely making waves in the local jazz scene. Key to his success is an uncommon versatility. Schachter …
Luck of the Island at McP’s
St. Paddy’s Day brings out the green in everyone, and revives all those Irish rellies
“Hundred percent,” says John. “Fifty percent,” says Bud. “Me too,” says Keith. We're talking Irish ancestry. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/17/42048/ Here, today, everybody can find someone in da family who’s from the Ould Sod. But even if it’s half baloney and they’ve all …
Will Chargers leave for LA? Which newspaper d'ya read?
LA Times, U-T, Denver Post have different views on what Anschutz doing
Denver multi-billionaire Philip Anschutz on Thursday decided not to sell his Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). The bids were too low. Anschutz also fired AEG chief executive Tim Leiweke, who has been dealing with the National Football League, LA politicians, state …
Mayor Bob Filner releases more details on draft medical marijuana ordinance
Ordinance would enact a two-percent tax on all purchases while easing zoning restrictions for dispensary operators.
Mayor Bob Filner's goal to improve access for patients in need of "compassionate use of medical marijuana throughout San Diego" just may be achieved if city councilmembers agree to adopt the Mayor's draft medical marijuana ordinance at a council hearing …
Carl Stone live in the East Village
Electronic music pioneer blended a myriad of sounds for a journey into places unknown.
Electronic music composer Carl Stone was the featured performer at Bonnie Wright's March 14 installment of her Fresh Sound @ Space 4 Art series. A pivotal moment in Stone's musical history came about in his student days at Cal Arts, …
What do you get when you cross Megadeth with the San Diego Symphony?
I don't know either, but we'll find out on April 12, 2014, at downtown's Copley Symphony Hall
Symphony Interrupted at Copley Symphony Hall will feature San Marcos-based Megadeth guitarist Dave Mustaine doing an as-yet-unspecified collaboration with the San Diego Symphony on April 12, 2014, in a program set to include Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” Vivaldi’s “Winter,” …
Padres gaining in Cactus League
The San Diego Padres had a good week in spring training Cactus League play and their fifth starting pitcher spot appears to be between only a couple of candidates now
Culminating with a victory on Saturday over the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 10-4, the Padres appear to be on track to having a set five-man rotation sooner rather than later, thanks to a couple of great outings by …