There is no more vile, despicable thing in nature than the man who runs from his demons. — Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad Some people wear everything on their sleeves, they’d run naked through a …
August 31, 1995
Thursday, August 31
From San Diego to Vietnam the second time
Bury My Olla in Anza-Borrego
I explain about Frank Salazar and his position in the office up the hill. I say he gave me permission, but she says, “He can’t tell you that. You have to go through the whole tribal members.”
August 31, 1995
Thursday, August 24
The straight-talkin', hard-playin' tennis great Pancho Segura
Wander into the hills of Carlsbad between 5:30 and 6:35 a.m. and you might encounter a legendary man walking through the streets. He's pigeon-toed, so he'll appear to be walking sideways, but his gait will …
August 24, 1995
Electronically charged plasma — what it is
Hey, Matt: What exactly is plasma? I don't mean the stuff that comes from our bodies, but the fourth state of matter. Cosmic stuff. The stuff that ex-X-man Havock shot out of his chest and …
August 24, 1995
Why they paint tree trunks white
Dear Matthew Alice: Why are the bases of some trees (mostly palm trees) painted white? — Michelle S., Chula Vista This mysterious arboreal graffiti actually has a practical purpose. In hot climates, white latex exterior …
August 24, 1995
Mexicali is now the Seattle of Mexico
Mexicali has changed a lot in recent years. No longer sleepy, it now has clubs, bars, and restaurants that feature live music with sophisticated lighting systems, wide-screen TVs, and satellite dishes. The last official census …
August 24, 1995
The indestructability of cats' whiskers
If you clip a cat's whiskers, will this cause a permanent loss, or will the stubs grow out again to their proper length? Or will each stub fall out and a new bristle grow in …
August 24, 1995
Thursday, August 17
Pat Welsh, the Julia Child of Gardening
At lunch she is joined by her husband, Louis Welsh, whose parents, Frances and John Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright), both now deceased, lived next door. Pat and Lou eat in the garden if it’s sunny.
August 17, 1995
How infants sweat
Matthew Alice: As the mother of young children, I’ve always wondered, why do small children and infants sweat only on their scalps? — Sherry Valencia, San Diego Um, didja peek into the Dr. Dentons and …
August 17, 1995
Itching in an embarrassing spot
Dear Matthew Alice: My friends and I have discovered we all have something in common: frequent anal itching. My roommate explained to me this was caused by bugs that could be seen if a piece …
August 17, 1995
The secret life of San Diego's alleys
Today in Mission Hills’ neighborhoods a few blocks north and south of Fort Stockton Drive, Sunset Boulevard, and Juan Street, alleys have a different feeling than straight alleys in Pacific Beach.
August 17, 1995
Special buttonholes for your pencils
Dear Matthew Alice: I have a shirt that has a pocket on the left upper front that has a buttonhole and stitches down one side (top to bottom) about the width of a pencil. I’ve …
August 17, 1995
Adventures in he-man cuisine
Pulling out a chair for Peggy, I notice there is a rank smell, and it’s coming from the kitchen. “I’ll be right back,” I mumble and roll over to the doorway. THERE’S A GREASE FIRE!
August 17, 1995
What’s Ben and Jerry’s newest flavor?
I’d heard the news by 9:00 a.m. Jerry Garcia had been found dead of natural causes at a rehab center in Marin. A former roommate who currently lives in L.A. had called me to gloat …
August 17, 1995
Thursday, August 10
Coronado ripped apart by 1966 school board fight
“The rich school district gets the best teachers. That has not changed. Except here on Coronado we had a rich district with a poor tax base and citizens too mean to raise them."
August 10, 1995
The Fed chase after fresh cash is not Ponzi scheme
Dear Matthew Alice: A few years ago, some of our socially prominent La Jolla citizens were sent to the slammer for running a Ponzi scheme, which pays off early investors with money from new investors. …
August 10, 1995
Surfing might join ballroom dancing as an Olympic sport
Matt: Has surfing ever been or will it be an Olympic sport? — [email protected] Funny you should ask, mhfractal. Just this past April the International Olympic Committee gave provisional recognition to a spate of sports, …
August 10, 1995
At least 50,000 Americans will have electrotherapy next year
Dear Matt: Exactly what is shock therapy, and does it work? If so, how? What is it supposed to fix? — Bill Hunt, [email protected] Shock therapy? Well, just last week we took Ma Alice to …
August 10, 1995
San Diego landscape: brutal eucalyptus and ridiculous palms
Walter Anderson, Jr., who runs the landmark Anderson Nursery on Pacific Coast Highway, said he remembers a photograph in the San Diego Union, circa 1970, of Teresa standing on Harbor Drive between a bulldozer and a palm.
August 10, 1995
Thursday, August 3
Golden Hill gangs, winter in Korean War, concentration camp to Del Cerro
SOME HORRORS CANNOT BE IMAGINED, and when told, barely comprehended. Only those who have lived with murders of the flesh and spirit or faced absolute evil can know the terror. Three San Diegans have such …
August 3, 1995
The hair of the dog and hangovers
Dear Matt: Why does “the hair of the dog” theory work for hangovers, and where did the expression come from? — Dog-bit Don, El Paso, TX Howdy, stranger. Take that homespun theory to its logical …
August 3, 1995
How people used to tell time
Matthew Alice: When did we start using time zones, and before time had a phone number, how did we know what time it was? — Jamie, El Cajon Since 1883 the world has had 24 …
August 3, 1995
No Cal-OSHA rules on black light
Dear Matthew Alice: Last weekend I went with my significant other to one of those night entertainment spots where they have quite a few of those "black,lights,” the ones that give off a purplish glow …
August 3, 1995
Pre-med student killed outside Bayou, Virginia Beach dance club
On the last night of her life, Jennifer Lea Evans didn’t want to leave the party. She was drawn to the good-looking Navy SEAL. So she told her girlfriends to go on while she stayed …
August 3, 1995
Pearl Jam's self-inflicted hassles from trying to tour without Ticketmaster
This is not precisely about music. Rather, it’s about a strange swamp our love of music seems to drag us into, the sticky question of our relationship with the rock star. “I wanna die wasted, …
August 3, 1995