Richard Elliott first caught my ear during the mid-’80s as a member of one of the West Coast’s hottest funk/jazz bands, Tower of Power. Later, he put out a solo album called Trolltown that featured …
February 13, 2008
Blog Entries
- Tattoo Rock & A Pile Of Shat
- Murder in a Fairmont Alley
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- Danger in a Shopping Mall Parking Structure
- Chuck Norris and the Lottery
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News & Stories
Richard Elliott
Down beat
It’s no secret that San Diego State’s KPBS public broadcasting department has been cutting back on producers and local coverage, the most prominent examples being the controversial cancellation of its Full Focus TV talk show …
February 13, 2008
Cart-Away Concrete
My husband Patrick comes down with the home-improvement bug a few times a year. And he’s had it bad lately. He’s tired of the tiny bits of gravel being tracked into the house from the …
February 13, 2008
Matters of the Heart
When I look at my hands and in my heart, I see stress as Lady Macbeth saw blood. — Berri Clove I was going to tell him after we’d ordered our entrées, but I had …
February 13, 2008
Nicholas Flat
Nicholas Flat harbors a small oasis of live oaks and an old cattle pond backed by picturesque sandstone outcrops. During the winter and late spring, the grassy meadows above the pond may host an eye-popping …
February 13, 2008
Thin Skinned
By now, most people with even a passing interest in wine have heard of the Sideways effect: a movie takes Pinot Noir as a central metaphor for its thin-skinned and temperamental protagonist, and hey presto, …
Writing Ottonius
What are you writing? “I’m writing a fantasy/horror/conspiracy novel that takes place during the Fourth and Fifth Crusades: Ottonius, which is a very, very old German name. It’s the name of a semi-immortal being who …
February 13, 2008
Eaten Up Pretty Good
Name: Dakota Lives: Ocean Beach Surfing: Dog Beach Despite the ripping winds and freezing water, 30-year-old Dakota is out at Dog Beach looking for surf. The cold isn’t new to him; he recently moved back …
February 13, 2008
Motor Sports
NASCAR revs up on Sunday ($89 for a DirecTV season sub) with their biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. And you know what that means… Surf’s up! At least, according to surfline.com. Here …
February 13, 2008
Tell Me about the Cheese Sauce
History in Chula Vista? You betcha. Like, the other day I came across a couple of geezers outside an eatery, yakkin’ away like there was no tomorrow. Seems they’d just met up again after half …
February 13, 2008
Improv Comedy Night
I am looking forward, many weeks down the road, to getting out on a Friday in this town, a payday for me like millions — maybe billions — of other people in the world, and …
February 13, 2008
Open Letter
Album: The Neighbors Are Listening (2007) Artist: Alex Esther Label: self-released Where available/price: iTunes for $9.99 and CDBaby for $10. Songs: 1) Grey 2) State I’m In 3) Love Me Like You Do 4) Far …
February 13, 2008
Noise Police
“Carlsbad’s gotten ugly,” says a musician who supports himself by playing music in Carlsbad clubs. Following noise complaints by nearby residents, the City of Carlsbad is enforcing a new entertainment ordinance that went into effect …
February 13, 2008
Ass Antlers and Tanorexic
I just recently heard “ass antlers” and I think it’s wonderful. It refers to tattoos on the lower back, sometimes also called a “tramp stamp.” They are usually tribal tattoos in a v-shape and sit …
February 13, 2008
Fun with Friends
Artist: StolenSong: “Pills from God” (from the CD Drop that Apple)Heard By: Danny M., UTC It was good. To me, it sounded very dated; it sounded like San Diego ’90s rock. I don’t know if …
February 13, 2008
Brian's singsong
Now that Super Tuesday is out of the way, the real business of politics can begin. On February 20, GOP congressman Brian Bilbray, who replaced the ill-fated Randy “Duke” Cunningham, is set to stage a …
February 13, 2008
Heart Smart
Heymatt: Why is the human heart considered the center of love and affection? Who decided that? And where did the valentine heart come from? Is it supposed to be a version of the human heart? …
February 13, 2008
Mother of Mogadishu
Now that it’s been announced that Padres owner John Moores is splitting up with wife Becky and she is presumed to be in line under California law for half her husband’s substantial net worth, a …
February 13, 2008
Arnold Understands
“The reason it’s a bloodier sport than boxing is that you’re allowed to use elbows and knees,” says Eric Del Fierro, chief operating officer for Total Combat Entertainment, a San Diego–based mixed martial arts event-production …
February 13, 2008
Elizabeth, Amadeus, the Office
Edoardo MuellerPrincipal guest conductor, San Diego Opera, sdopera.org Renata Tebaldi: Profonda ed infinita is a collection of the best videos Renata did in her life — her interviews and performances, and footage of all her …
February 13, 2008
Pre-Bummer Haight-Ashbury
“Ultimately, this music is our attempt to add a tile or two to the fluid mosaic that is California and its mythology,” says Eric Nielsen, one half of experimental space-rock duo High Mountain Tempel. “It’s …
February 13, 2008
Brothel Bash
I got a call about a party in Stockton but thought it was too far to drive. I was tempted, however, when I heard the warehouse was going to be decorated as a brothel. Ken …
February 13, 2008
Back When Audrey Hepburn Came to Town
Thirty Years AgoDear Matthew Alice:How did the word “pot” come to stand for marijuana? Does it have anything to do with the old joke about people “going to pot”?Julie Simms, North Park No. “Pot” is …
February 13, 2008
Armchair Obstetrician
I am not a “people person.” Much as I would like to say that getting pregnant with Violet has morphed me into a kinder, gentler version of myself, it hasn’t. I can’t stand hypocrisy, platitudes, …
February 13, 2008
How We've Started to Suck
In Esztergom, Hungary, I saw for the first time in my life a dioramic representation of how human beings have managed to overthrow nature and evolution and how we’ve started to suck. Inside Esztergom Castle …
February 13, 2008
Better Than Nothing by Jessica Mac
I met Paul online, and it wasn’t long before we were talking on the phone, engaging in the most introspective, enlightening, and enjoyable conversations I’ve ever had, replete with deep discussions about the world, about …
February 13, 2008
Freeze for Fame
The year was 1983, and as always on a Saturday morning, my best friend and I get into my mom’s van and head downtown to the local roller-skating rink. I couldn’t tell you the exact …
February 13, 2008
Name This Place
Clue: Stamped out, thank goodness. Describe this location, name the nearest cross-streets, and win a Reader T-shirt. Click here to e-mail us your answer — include your name and address. (Deadline, Tuesday, February 19, 2008, …
February 13, 2008
Log-Roller, 1963
Jay Curia and his surfboard trailer, 1963. A 1963 editorial in our local daily stated, “Our tired shanks are a little too flabby to allow us the privilege of taking up surfing.... Now is the …
February 13, 2008
Stan Ridgway
“We were not really part of that whole MTV, new wavey thing,” says Stan Ridgway, speaking about his old band, Wall of Voodoo. This comment may come as a surprise to the many poor souls …
February 13, 2008
Wingwomen make it easy for San Diego shy guys
There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the man sitting across from me. I had yet to detect a single flaw in his appearance, speech, or demeanor. His hair was black and wavy, his …
February 13, 2008
Newcomer’s reaction to the gentle riot
A pedestal stood in the vestibule of the Wyle Chapel at Torrey Pines Christian Church, its sandy surface studded with candles. Another pedestal stood at the entrance to the church proper, this one bearing two …
February 13, 2008
North County train construction causing dirty water runoff
In August 2003, the North County Transit District, preparing to build a train line linking Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido, applied to state authorities for a storm water discharge permit. The train, called the …
February 13, 2008
San Diego future without water
“The wet 20th century, the wettest of the past millennium, the century when Americans built an incredible civilization in the desert, is over,” says a superb article in February’s National Geographic. The piece, entitled “Drying …
February 13, 2008