The comet was due to strike Earth within 24 hours, and no one knew where. It made little difference: the phrase from the emergency broadcast kept resounding in my ears as I rummaged through the …
December 29, 2005
News & Stories
Omega Comet E.T.A. in hours – what will you take with you?
Truckin’
She's proved herself enough. It's not like she's looked at as a female on track. She's just another driver and a very good one at that. -- Dan Wheldon I reluctantly shed the warm comforter …
December 29, 2005
Insomniac Minstrel
'The problem with music is musicians" is Aaron Bowen's motto on his page at myspace.com. He took up the violin in the first grade, but the guitar became his instrument of choice. Aaron suffered a …
December 29, 2005
Four Seasons Revealed
'I had new knees and my wife got new hips. One of the things that is really bad about the recuperative process is that we couldn't really handle a hike," says volunteer trail guide Henry …
December 29, 2005
Discover the "The Sinks," a rare exposition of verticality amid the rolling hills of interior Orange County.
Orange County's 50,000-acre Irvine Ranch Land Reserve -- essentially a big olive branch extended to the County of Orange by the Irvine Company in exchange for development rights in that county's remaining open spaces -- …
December 29, 2005
Best Bites of 2005
Another year, another hundred-plus restaurant meals under my belt -- some great, some mediocre, and some so unspeakable they couldn't be reviewed while the libel laws stand.This year I tackled a bunch of well-reputed "Gold …
December 29, 2005
Tales from the Trenches
Bill, a musician, says he didn't take part in a December 3 "battle of the bands" at Mira Mesa's all-ages Epicentre. He's been down that road, though. "If you were standing in line for a …
December 29, 2005
Bipartisan Block Party Poopers
"[District 2 city council candidates] Kevin Faulconer and Lorena Gonzalez say they are supporting [an end to the Pacific Beach Block Party], and I don't see them rallying around Kevin [Hellman]," says Benjamin Nicholls, executive …
December 29, 2005
I'm Just the Old Guy
"I'm just the old guy with a beard sitting at the bar until I get up to play," says singer/songwriter/guitarist/harp player Hugh Gaskin, 56. "After my set, people buy me all these drinks.... But it …
December 29, 2005
Joker Holds Court in Studio
Two weeks ago, Rookie Card's Adam Gimbel sent out a mass e-mail to friends and acquaintances. He asked them to meet the band at Earthling Studios in El Cajon to sing, clap, and/or say something …
December 29, 2005
Neither Silent nor Violent
After six years together, Morricone Youth, a NYC sextet of ex--San Diegans, has released its first CD. Silenzio Violento is full of sounds that recall noir thrillers, monster movies, and spaghetti westerns. Though reminiscent of …
December 29, 2005
Fan Power
"I started off with no idea of what's involved in putting on a concert," says Debbie Siegelman, "but [Dougie Maclean] hasn't been in San Diego since a 1998 show at the La Paloma Theatre, and …
December 29, 2005
No Break for Hip-Hop
An incident at a recent holiday program in Chula Vista has resulted in a lawsuit against the city. On December 3, recreation department supervisor John Gates allegedly prevented a Christian hip-hop dance group from performing. …
December 29, 2005
When Cobain Roamed the Earth
Twelve years ago today (12/29/93), Nirvana played the Sports Arena. The band's 24-song set was the source of two widely circulated bootleg albums: Smells Like TJ captures all 100 minutes onto a Hi8 master, while …
December 29, 2005
Bio of Convicted Lobbyist in Stripper Scandal
Bio of Convicted Lobbyist in Stripper Scandal By Matt Potter On November 10, Lance Malone was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for his role in the Cheetahs influence-peddling scandal. A lobbyist for high-flying …
December 29, 2005
Indian Claims Block Cedar Fire Redevelopment
With the passing of two years since the Cedar fire, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park has healed, and 98 percent of the park's trails have been reopened. Among the areas not reopened is Los Caballos equestrian …
December 29, 2005
Breaking Stories
Polyheme update In an attempt to prevent further publication of information about the testing of its controversial blood substitute Polyheme in San Diego, Chicago's Northfield Pharmaceuticals has filed suit against the Reader and its publisher, …
December 29, 2005
2005 Year-End Quiz
I think Christmas is over at the Alice house. We're never sure until the tree comes down and we shake all the deadbeat relatives out of the branches. But the gauge shows empty on the …
December 29, 2005
Snowbound, Part One of Two
What I don't like about where I live is that snow never falls. I saw a glass ball that has a snowman in it. You shake the globe and "snow" falls. I bought it. I …
December 29, 2005
The Reader's Eye on Television
"All right, everyone quiet down. Let's pick a movie. How do I do that?" "You have to go to the On Demand screen, then..." "Where the hell is that?" "It's back two things. You have …
December 29, 2005
Fogueira Kwan Zheng Dao in Texas
It's the hellidays. I can tell because the globally warmed weather went from 85 to 34 yesterday and revved the locals to cut in front of each other on the freeway at breakneck speeds. Shopping …
December 29, 2005
Holiday Hookah
I got a call from Susie in P.B. who was turning 28 and planning a holiday party. She requested toys be brought for the Toys for Tots program. I went out and bought a toy …
December 29, 2005
Flower Bulbs
The kids' grandma's birthday is in January, and I'm thinking bulbs for a gift. She's getting a little achy for digging in the garden. "The knees don't bend the way they used to," she says. …