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 …
February 9, 2006
News & Stories
San Diego karaoke fanatics
I’m With Beast
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 …
February 9, 2006
The Statement out of Shelltown
"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 …
February 9, 2006
Can't Argue with Jimmy
"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] …
February 9, 2006
Jailhouse Rap
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 …
February 9, 2006
Snake Business
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, …
February 9, 2006
Feed the Children Rock
"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 …
February 9, 2006
Gotham City Gush
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, …
February 9, 2006
Aerosmith Says "No" to Pakistani
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 …
February 9, 2006
Sanders Man Knows Bootleg Money Game
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 …
February 9, 2006
Acting Locally
'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, …
February 9, 2006
Orange County's El Modena Open Space perches like an island above the L. A. Basin sprawl.
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 …
February 9, 2006
The kind of hope I have to offer him is cynical.
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 …
February 9, 2006
Eavesdropping on Wine Giants
"How could they have found out that I put an ice cube in my Cabernet?"
College Avenue Baptist Church, College Area
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 …
February 9, 2006
Little Lies at Whistle Stop
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 …
February 9, 2006
Drinking: Tempted
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 …
February 9, 2006
Tour de California
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 …
February 9, 2006
Sweaty science
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 …
February 9, 2006
How high is up?
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 …
February 9, 2006
Nose holes
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 …
February 9, 2006
Burst
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 …
February 9, 2006
The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel
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 …
February 9, 2006
The Reader's Eye on Television
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 …
February 9, 2006
Morenike Akinlawon, Rhode Island
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, …
February 9, 2006
Gold Diggers
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. -- …
February 9, 2006
Chocolates
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 …
February 9, 2006
Haven on Hot-Water Boulevard
“Who else would be thin, tall, and riding a horse beside a squat fellow on a donkey?”
February 9, 2006
Breaking Stories
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 …
February 9, 2006
Moonlight on the Bay
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 …
February 9, 2006