A heartbreaking job among the innocent and challenged.

Aretha Franklin thought there should have been more Motown artists performing at this year's Super Bowl in Detroit, but I think it was fitting that the Rolling Stones played the halftime show -- the band …

"I haven't really come to the point where I'm a wine critic."

'Who is Woody Norris? Quite simply, Woody Norris is a visionary, a futurist." Those are the opening words of the website www.woodynorris.com. It is exaltation and exultation, paean and panegyric -- all for Elwood (Woody) …

“Gangs, knifings, deals, the pier was one tough area.”

'The general rule has been that no one can kill off somebody else's character without their permission. Everything I do is owned by George Lucas, so technically [Lucas Films doesn't] need our permission to do …

He started to notice the problem while driving at night. "Quite rapidly my eyes deteriorated," says Art Seamans, professor emeritus of literature at Point Loma Nazarene University, "and I drove when I shouldn't have. Finally, …

Old moneybags Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the richest San Diego city council aide of all? Based on recently filed financial disclosure statements, that honor goes to Geoffrey W. Lipsey, a "council representative" for …

Spending a Friday night in Tijuana may have once sounded like a good time, but if so, distanced enough in memory to seem now a confabulated desire, a state of mind impossible to reconstruct. Still, …

Twisted live oaks and sycamores and pungent bay laurel trees highlight the brief trek up the L.A. coast's most easily accessible waterfall-bearing canyon. The goal is an 18-foot cascade tucked into an upper branch of …

“I like to keep things intense and heavy.”

Little kids are fascinated by animals as soon as they become aware of the world around them. I was no different, but I did have more to go up against than many kids because my …

"You are our shield and protector, the lifter of our head," prayed Site Pastor Mark Maliepaard, quoting the song that the band -- guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and saxophone -- had just finished. "We thank …

It might be interesting, but not for the reason they think. I'm talking about the World Baseball Classic, an oddball tournament set to begin during MLB's spring training, to the disgust of Major League executives, …

Matt: I was recently looking on-line at the Yahoo Maps map of the intersection of I-5 and Highway 52 and found the single word "Elvira." Then I was on a jog under this very intersection, …

Heymatt: Being right-handed it seems natural that I write from left to right on the page. This way I can see what I've written. And since most people (at least in the Western world) are …

Thirty Years Ago County tax assessors assess boats as personal property, unless they are a taxpayer's principal residence, and then the boat owner can file for a homeowner's exemption. If taxes are unbearable, you can …

Besides its downtown nightclub, House of Blues Concerts owns and operates Coors Amphitheatre. The company books the headliners at SDSU's Cox Arena and Open Air Theatre. Two weeks ago, in an agreement with 4th & …

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Patrick Harmon played the popular Tuesday open-mike night at E Street Café in Encinitas a month ago. Two of his protest songs spoke out against "...religion and control," says Harmon. "Both songs had the …

"Dice are out!" the stickman hollers. "Same lucky shooter, number's eight, point eight, hard or easy." "Two bucks on hard eight," a black transvestite yells and tosses down two blue chips. She makes eye contact …

Frantic Transmissions to and from Los Angeles: An Accidental Memoir by Kate Braverman. Graywolf Press, 2006; 218 pages; $15 FROM THE DUST JACKET: Kate Braverman grew up in Los Angeles in the late 1950s at …

Mark the CD Trader, a shop in an Oceanside strip mall that had been open for over a year, closed last month. Rhino Westwood, in L.A., pulled the plug last month after 30 years. Aron's …

On the way to town last year, Gratitude's van broke down in a Ralphs parking lot about 30 miles from their show at Mira Mesa's Epicentre. "An axle had broken on our trailer, or something …

At the CMJ New Music Festival in New York City last fall, Loud and Clear Records owner Brad Lee got a rude awakening after trying to explain to industry execs why music sales are down. …

OB's Defamation League calls itself "the official band of the Bryan Barton for Congress Campaign." The onetime Arizona Minuteman volunteer hopes to win the seat to represent California's 53rd District. "Barton's opponent is [incumbent Democrat] …

Mick Miller operates a recording studio out of his two-bedroom apartment in North County. The studio consists of a Mac and a PC, a Pro-Tools software program for digital recording, and a collection of microphones. …

Caramel Kid Jacob came home from school and asked me what color he was. Since the day he was born, I knew this day would come. I consider myself to be an honest person, and …

I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction. -- Dalai Lama 'I need your advice," I said. Jennifer and Grace …

Every mom seems to have a marker catastrophe at some point in her mothering career. It's natural that childhood curiosity should seek to explore different mediums and uses for the coloring utensil. "Why draw on …

>Mardi Gras is next Tuesday -- sad to miss the place they used to call "the City That Care Forgot." But if you want to celebrate by eating authentically and well, there's a new destination, …

How old is Cal Worthington? I'm 65, and I remember watching him sell cars on TV ads when I was a kid. As seen on TV lately, he looks pretty good. Or has he been …

Heymatt: Why does Rx mean prescription? -- Wendy, San Diego Rx is shorthand for recipe, the Latin imperative meaning, "Take it!" What passed for doctors in medieval times wrote Recipe at the top of a …

Hi, Matthew: Concerning those heart-wrenching lost dog or cat flyers distraught humans post advertising a reward for the returned pet: do they create a contract? If you were to find and return the beloved pet, …

Contrary to popular belief, there is surf to be had off New York City. Just as one can purchase a bagel (or passable facsimile) in San Diego, one can ride a wave off Queens. It's …

Two weeks before the Super Bowl, the conference championship games were played to determine what teams would make it to the big dance. Paul, a guy I know from my fantasy football league, thought he'd …

If you see some silk-suited slicker snooping around your favorite taco shop, he's probably from Wall Street. The investment community has gone gaga over so-called fast-casual Mexican restaurants, and two San Diego-based public companies, Jack …

In 1997, after six years of planning, the City of San Diego adopted the Multiple Species Conservation Program. The program proposed that 52,012 acres of undeveloped City land be set aside and maintained in perpetuity …

Air war With San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders's privatization and pension-reform measures barreling through the city council, November 2006 is shaping up as one of the busiest ballot seasons in memory. Adding to the lucre …

'I actually broke the story in the state. Pretty nice for your first time out.'

'I read the news. I know our foreign trade deficit and levels of credit card debt are at historic highs. People tend to talk about these things as if they were something new, some sort …

Some weeks back I wrote about yet another one of my many minor complaints. More annoyances than problems really, meaningless grousings about something or other. Like the one about sentence fragments. Only this time, the …

Dotted with weather-beaten pinyon pines, Villager Peak in the southern Santa Rosa Mountains rises nearly a mile above the lowlands of Anza-Borrego Desert. Serious "peak baggers" from around the state are drawn to its summit …

The crucified Christ hung against an intense aquamarine background in the contemporary-primitive painting that adorned the chapel at First Lutheran. His heart was exposed and bleeding. The rough-hewn character of the painting provided dramatic contrast …

Brother Love -- Gary Day's heavy-metal tribute to Neil Diamond -- came about, he says, because of American Idol forerunner Your Big Break. "In 2001 a camera crew from Dick Clark Productions came down to …

Non-drinker: Brianna Sheets, female, 17, Mt. Carmel High School What are your reasons for not drinking? "Honestly, I don't really have time to go out and party. Being involved with school, tennis, and community service, …

I lean into the telephone and say, "I'm curious about this Katharine Armstrong. She called the Corpus Christi paper and told them Cheney shot a hunting companion and that's how the story got out." "That's …

Dear Matt: I'm moving into a new gated community. What I want to know is, how will the fire department get in if there's a fire? Do they have keys to every gated community? To …

Movies reviewed this week: Eight Below, Final Destination 3, Firewall, Freedomland and The Pink Panther

Before Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was named "Record of the Year" at last Thursday's Grammy Awards, it was the only song ever to reach number one on the following Billboard charts: alternative, active …

Thirty Years Ago How do 13 parking controllers cover the entire city? "It isn't easy," said Sammons, sitting in his Traffic Department office near 6th and Market Street. Complaints of underenforcement are regularly received from …

Monday's "Bob Marley Day" show will be the last. San Diego has hosted a multi-band reggae festival every year since 1982 (a year after Marley's death). This year, as posters and flyers were being created …

"Our guitarist, Gretchen, moved to Leucadia about two years ago, and three of us are still in San Francisco, so we don't get to practice that often anymore," says Zepparella drummer Clementine, "but we know …

Jason Sears of Rich Kids on LSD died January 31 in a Tijuana clinic that reportedly specializes in alternative methods of drug detox. The clinic, operated by the U.S.-based Ibogaine Association, occupies a two-story house …

New York City hard rockers the Hold Steady count their October 22, 2005, appearance at the Casbah as one of their best shows ever...probably because their tour bus accommodated 17 people after the show. "The …

When I saw Los Angeles underground rapper Busdriver would make his only San Diego appearance on January 21 at Escondido's Metaphor Café, I decided to go. I'd never heard of the Metaphor Café, and its …

After broadcasting for more than 50 years in English, last week the Rosarito-based 690 AM dropped American music for noticias, chismes, and deportes (news, gossip, and sports). Clear Channel sold the station to Spain's Grupo …

"The following clauses must be agreed to prior to confirmation [of a February 17 House of Blues show] by the Sisters of Mercy. "1. The promoter must NOT USE any of the following terms, or …

Would you believe the Gaslamp has a new steakhouse? Duh! The ever-spreading Palm has taken root here. The chain's 30th location caused a stir when it opened, with celebs and local politicos flocking to the …

Twilight of the Superheroes: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2006; $23; 240 pages. FROM THE DUST JACKET: Deborah Eisenberg is nearly unmatched in her mastery of the short-story form. Now, in her …

"Where the hell were you last night?" Mel's accusatory tone cracks across the space between our cell phones. "You were supposed to watch Project Runway with me." "Mel, now listen, this is important stuff," I …

It's Not You, It's Me I'm not a people person. I try not to be around them too much. I don't like to talk to them, and if I were ever to gain a large …

A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person. -- Dave Barry David sat across from me at one end of the long table. Or, more accurately, …

Yes, I have an Uncle Buck, and yes, he's into "the ham," as he calls it. He's been messing about with amateur radio for about a year now and is forever peppering my husband Patrick …

“We like to eat and talk long, and we don’t eat just to fill up.”

Hey, Matt: Has there ever been any version of a urinal for women? If so, maybe the Spanos family can cut down on the lines at any future Chargers stadium by installing some of these. …

Hey, Matt!! What's up with the Hotel San Diego sign? I saw it today, relatively intact but slowly rusting away, put to pasture on the grass near the corner of Rosecrans and Dewey, inside the …

He couldn't have been more than five feet tall. I guessed him to be around 50, taking into account that Asian men often look much younger than they are. The music began, a flattened sound …

An invitation to a party at a Point Loma apartment instructed me to wear an obnoxious shirt, preferably one that would offend. I put on a T-shirt that had "I see dumb people" printed on …

"We want to try and take this from being a gangster party," says promoter Phil Wasted. He dropped local rap artists Cricket, the BLGZ, and Young Sicc from a rap-meets-porn event to be held at …

"We have been playing original music for a year and a half," says Cemetery Swingers drummer Dylan Wade. "We work our asses off. And write our own music. [At Carlsbad's annual Battle of the Bands] …

A January 24 hip-hop show at 4th & B reportedly ended in a melee after an onstage comment by rapper Tony Yayo (whose debut CD Thoughts of a Predicate Felon was mostly written while he …

As soon as the ink dried on the deed in 2003, Rafter Roberts says realtors and developers made offers to buy the building that housed Singing Serpent Studios. "Each time someone approached us to buy, …

"Kids are starved for a live-music scene in North County," says Chris Austin. He'll book bands to play the Inferno, a two-story, all-age music venue in Escondido that has been known by various names during …

It's not certain yet whether Tim Pacheco will be an official member of P.O.D., but the front man and founder of Psydecar has been working a lot with the band lately. "My other band, Psydecar, …

Aerosmith plays the Sports Arena tomorrow, February 10. From thesmokinggun.com: "Police escorts must be arranged in order to facilitate Artist arrival to and departure from the venue." On load-in, the production manager expects to be …

In his 56 years, James T. Waring has worn many hats: real estate developer, attorney, high-tech investor, environmentalist, and close advisor to a Las Vegas mobster's wealthy daughter. Waring was also involved with the late …

'Frank Gormlie started the [Ocean Beach Grassroots Organization], and his original mission statement was, 'We're eternally democratic, activist oriented, and we are for the protection of the environment, human rights, labor rights, civil rights, diversity, …

The mile-long El Modena Open Space in the city of Orange preserves a steep-sided, miniature mountain range, clothed in a tough mixture of drought-resistant cactus and sage-scrub vegetation. Underfoot, you'll find colorful andesite and pyroclastic …

Tomorrow, Friday the 10th, would be my father's 87th birthday. He was born of poor but honest parents, as he always began any bio material for his job at ad agencies, insurance companies, or for …

"How could they have found out that I put an ice cube in my Cabernet?"

Denomination: Baptist (General Conference) Address: 4747 College Avenue, College Area, 619-582-7222 Founded locally: 1891 Senior pastor: Carlton Harris Congregation size: 1300--1500 Staff: 45 full-time and 30--35 part time Sunday school enrollment: 300 Annual budget: not …

Northstar Session's EP Little Lies was released last October and was recorded and produced by John Beard (who has worked with American Idol's Bo Bice and San Diego's blink-182 and Lucy's Fur Coat). Northstar Session …

Non-drinker: Felicia Cheng, female, 17, Mt. Carmel High School What are your reasons for not drinking? "When I first started high school, I made a conscious decision to refrain from drinking and doing drugs." Do …

Redondo Beach sits on the outer rim of convenient. Drive 121 miles, 100 minutes up the I-5/I-405, turn left at Carson, and carry on to the Pacific Ocean. For the geographically impaired, Redondo Beach is …

Matt: Is there a difference in the chemical composition of sweat produced by nervousness and dread and that of sweat produced by good honest exercise? My friend says he can smell the difference. I think …

Dear Matt: How high up over a country is international air space considered to begin? Sea-bound countries claim a certain distance from their shores as their property. Many countries also consider the air over their …

Matt: I can understand why we have two eyes (judge distance) and two ears (locate sound), but why two nostrils? -- J.R., Cardiff Stereolfaction doesn't make much sense, unless it has something to do with …

Seldom has so small a film created so big a flap. The flap, to be sure, has nothing whatever to do with the film itself, identified on the poster as "another Steven Soderbergh experience," though …

Thirty Years Ago Fragments of the conversation of P. Ferrari, the Last Dairyman.... "I was born in that house right there, went to school with all these people, dairy farmers, truck farmers -- lots of …

The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster. Henry Holt & Co., 2005; $24; 306 pages FROM THE DUST JACKET: Nathan Glass has come to Brooklyn to die. Divorced, estranged from his only daughter, the retired life …

At night the door on my neighbor's apartment clacked open and shut. All night, the spring-loaded screen swung open -- reeeeeek -- and slammed back shut -- clack ! Marco, the landlord who spoke some …

Crime Seen I'm sitting in the food court at the mall, munching on my BLT sub from Subway, and watching the hustle and bustle of the shoppers. I have a book in front of me, …

She's lookin' for a prize, man you killin' me/Actin' like you don't see the dollar signs in her eyes/She wants her nails done, and her hair, too/Plus a diamond necklace, that's all on you. -- …

My love Patrick is receiving a nose hair trimmer for Valentine's Day. Though I know he will appreciate the thought, I figured I better throw a little romance into his gift as well. He's a …

“Who else would be thin, tall, and riding a horse beside a squat fellow on a donkey?”

Duke's donations Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who pled guilty last year to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors, has been using campaign money to pay for the pricey legal talents of the Washington …

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought of Humphrey's By The Bay, a restaurant romantic enough for a special evening. The picture window affords a wonderful view of the bay -- even if you can't …

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult not to stare at ten men dressed in black who brandished submachine guns. Under normal circumstances, ten men dressed in black who brandished submachine guns would be the …

I went to a luau at a home off Murray Ridge. As I was getting ready to go there, I got a call from a guy driving to San Diego from Phoenix. He had a …

Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jew who sings reggae, played the Belly Up Tavern twice last year. Both shows sold out. Buoyed by his big radio hit "King Without a Crown," he returns February 20 for the …

When I heard the Beauty Bar was opening at the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Euclid (the same place my convertible was carjacked at a stoplight), I thought I must have heard wrong. But …

"No one has been able to explain to me how that happened yet," says Vetiver front man Andy Cabic. He doesn't know why the Casbah billed Devendra Banhart as part of the lineup in promotions …

"It's dirty, dingy, rocking metal full of comic-book adventures," says film director Matt Hoyt of Goblin Cock, the latest musical venture from Rob Crow (Pinback, Heavy Vegetable, etc.). "[Crow] wants people to buy into his …

The Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Casbah show sold out an hour after tickets went on sale January 21. The day after, an eBay member in Atlanta, Georgia, under the name "uneedsomethin," was scalping ten …

A City of San Diego employee says that the support of Discover PB and savepb.org is vital for the issuance of a PB Block Party permit. The insider says longtime organizer Kevin Hellman would have …

"We started this one off with a nice 20-second feedback solo," says Crash Carter singer/guitarist Casey Gee of the band's "worst gig ever," at the Hard Rock Café in La Jolla. Drummer John Mears elaborates …

At Victor's, on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa, I saw a few regulars that work for Pepsi, which is around the corner. Howie Ouzts, a 34-year-old driver, shot pool and downed Coors Lights. When he …

'Once you take a cannon off of land and put it on a vessel on the water, it becomes a gun. The Californian has six-pound long guns. We also have a swivel gun. Our enemy …

Little remains of the century-old, redwood-planked flume (aqueduct) that once brought the waters of the Cuyamaca Mountains to Grossmont Summit and farther west. Much of the flume's 36-mile-long grade is hard to identify, since no …

Having discovered such a thing as the Mars Society in San Diego and its Friday night events calendar, my column was clear. In a way. It will certainly sound odd to say that I have …

Denomination: Church of the New Jerusalem Address: 4144 Campus Avenue, University Heights Founded locally: 1883 Senior pastor: Reverend Carla Friedrich Congregation size: 22 active members Staff size: 1 Sunday school enrollment: no school, but an …

'When you get above five barrels, you can't do the small, open-bin fermentation.'

“This is somewhat of a false dichotomy for me.”

This started out as an "Up with Detroit" column meant as counterpoint to last week's "Guttersnipe Columnist Slanders Great American City" work product. The idea was to telephone random Detroit bars and ask patrons, bartenders, …

'Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" From the moment when Jan uttered those words, I was in love with the Bradys, all nine of them (you have to include Alice). I loved nerdy Jan, sweet Cindy, pretty Marsha, …

Where can you get a decent bite to eat after nine or ten p.m. in early-to-bed San Diego? If you're anywhere near the lively neighborhood of University Heights, you'll find several comfortable spots, including a …

Matt: How did swap meets a flea markets get named? I've ever seen any swapping at a swap meet, and I've never seem fleas at a flea market. -- Nola from North Park Well, for …

Your Mattness: Who decides what are continents? Why is Greenland not a continent? It is bigger than the island/continent of Australia and has more people than Antarctica. How can Europe and Asia be one continent? …

Movies reviewed this week: Caché, Imagine Me and You and Mrs. Henderson Presents

Thirty Years Ago In the wake of Grape's demise, Mosley returned to San Diego and worked in high schools as a janitor and later joined the Marines.What made you decide to go into the Marines? …

The Bill from My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper. Simon & Schuster, 2006; 240 pages; $24 FROM THE DUST JACKET: Bernard Cooper's new memoir is searing, soulful, and filled with uncommon psychological nuance and …

"I've heard you can Effect the outcome of sporting events." "You've been misinformed," the man says. "I don't effect the outcome of sporting events any more than you do, or anyone for that matter." His …

Out Of Africa, Into Rhode Island So here I am to introduce myself. How does one do that without sounding boastful or egotistical? What facts do you reveal? Do you lie a little to make …

Identity would seem to be the garment with which one covers the nakedness of the self, in which case, it is best that the garment be loose, a little like the robes of the desert, …

“I love you, babe, but no gull’s gonna have that Alaska cod.”

Heymatt: So, I was digging your column on schizophrenia, but when I read the last paragraph, I heard my own loud voice and it boomed, "Dios mio!" Matt, my buddy, in a town like San …

In the Old West, nimble-fingered gamblers -- often called bunco steerers -- would ride into town and set up rigged games of chance. After fleecing locals, they would vamoose, often pursued by a posse swinging …

Greg Cook, a ham radio enthusiast who runs his own computer networking business, places the police scanner on the table next to my coffee cup. "If I leave it on while we talk," he tells …

Sewer story With San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders talking up the possibility of fee increases to pay for water and sewer projects, engineering and construction firms that stand to gain contracts worth millions and perhaps …

I crave beauty, particularly the floral variety. The garden's been going through a rough patch for the past year -- neglect, thy name is Eve -- and so I've been looking for something more permanent …