There is the curbside view of the Mexican border: severed heads on nightclub floors, migrant corpses in the mountains, fingers lopped off, armies in pursuit of drug lords, fleeing fugitives, gangs of money-washers, set to …
November 18, 2009
Blog Entries
- Naked Thumb Suckers
13 comments
- Dark San Diego Nights
- Concessions Confessions
2 comments
- Sweet Gums and Sycamores
4 comments
- Bisexual Scifi
28 comments
- Some Economics of Life in San Diego
- 300 Times
37 comments
News & Stories
Obama taps Alan Bersin to oversee the border
Of Ball and Bus
The Chargers’ 31-23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles led National City police to close off some streets on Sunday, November 16, at about 5 p.m. Fans cruising the streets had Chargers flags waving and horns …
November 18, 2009
Low-Profile Long Beach
It’s the area in between star-studded Los Angeles and ultra-elite Orange County. This is the city that people just drive past on the 405 freeway, or don’t bother mentioning in conversations covering Southern California. But …
November 18, 2009
221B Baker Street: Mr. Holmes, I Presume?
Like so many bookish boys, I devoured Sherlock Holmes stories. Years later, visiting my girlfriend in London, I discovered that 221B Baker Street, the detective's fabled domicile, was a "real" place. The Sherlock Holmes Museum …
November 18, 2009
Zagarolo, Italy
Zagarolo, Italy, an authentic Italian village nestled in a wine region just above Rome, is yet to be discovered by tourists. Leaving the historic city of Rome was difficult, but once I ventured east by …
O.B. Manifesto
Thirty Years AgoLast Saturday the sun was shining on the 5100 block of Cape May Avenue in Ocean Beach, and Red House at 5113 was in full flower. At the side yard gate, casually dressed …
November 18, 2009
The Days Dwindle Down
Through Independence Day and Godzilla, pre-9/11, and The Day after Tomorrow post-9/11, transplanted German filmmaker Roland Emmerich has inched closer to the edge of the abyss for a view of the apocalypse. In 2012, which …
November 18, 2009
Strip to This
“I’ve got to be the first person ever to play Joy Division in that club,” says DJ Atari, after being hired with Junior the Disco Punk to bring their club DJ sound to Kearny Mesa …
November 18, 2009
Aspirin, Estate Sale, Verbose Women
Howdy, Matt: I’ve always wondered how when I take an aspirin for a headache the aspirin knows to go to my head and not to my foot or my elbow or somewhere else. But if …
November 18, 2009
Halloween Police
Halloween was a complete nightmare for me. I had three parties lined up and the easiest costume in Halloween history. My girlfriend had ordered a Kate Gosselin wig and goofy big sunglasses for herself. I …
Luscious Sound
“Whenever I see pop groups perform,” says John Stubbs, “I wish that I could see that same level of fun at classical music performances.” Stubbs should know — he spends a lot of time around …
November 18, 2009
Black Crowes
Georgia rockers the Black Crowes launched their career on the back of two hit records from their landmark debut album Shake Your Money Maker, which includes songs that are as dissimilar to each other as …
November 18, 2009
$4.50 to get on the 125 South freeway
Conflict has surrounded the South Bay Expressway, the southern extension of State Route 125, since its inception. Prior to groundbreaking in 2003, the privately held four-lane toll road was opposed by community and environmental groups. …
November 18, 2009
Back to Kathmandu
Why would a one-time Nepal trekker ever want to eat Nepalese food again? Is it masochism — or is it just that Nepal casts such a powerful spell? You just know there must be better …
November 18, 2009
Sucker for Pedal Steel
“I play acoustic rock with a twist of country and a dash of the blues,” says Eddie Jason Coven, who arrived in San Diego in 2004 after a two-year stint as a musician-for-hire throughout Northern …
November 18, 2009
San Diego Coalition of Reason
Ah, swine flu. Or, maybe not. Maybe just regular flu. Either way, I’m not going to church today. It’s as good a time as any to spend some time with the Other Side, the crowd …
November 18, 2009
A Plate of Lucha Libre
Huh... A gold, studded “Champion’s Booth,” a corner throne area where, it looks like, champion wrestlers get to chow down. There’s a chandelier above, wild-pink-and-sea-green walls, a gold table cloth, and a red velvet rope …
November 18, 2009
Brothers Back and Forth
Link and younger brother Booth have virtuoso hands. To hear him tell it, Link was “the Stink,” the “be all end all,” best three-card monte hustler in town. He could “throw” the cards — two …
November 18, 2009
Parties and politics
American Medical Response, which has lucrative paramedic and ambulance contracts with the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, and a host of other local government agencies, gave $2000 to the county …
November 18, 2009
Late Night Team Spirit
Continuing with our colleges of San Diego road tour. Moraga, California, is 20 miles, 20 years, and two climatic zones east of San Francisco. Moraga has a population of 16,000 rich white people and is …
November 18, 2009
Trouble in the Wind, Tim and the 23's, AntiQuark
Artist: Trouble in the WindSong: “Mr. Whiskey” (from the CD All My Hopes on a Sailing Boat)Heard by: Elliott, North ParkWhen I thought the song was over, it kept going. I’d probably like this song …
November 18, 2009
No Country
“There aren’t any country music clubs in San Diego that hire bands,” says Sara Petite, “unless you go to Lakeside. And then, it’s all Top 40” or what she calls “radio country.” A singer-songwriter and …
November 18, 2009
Booze and bull
In the category of lobbying standouts, there’s both Sempra Energy’s Heidi DeJong Barsuglia, who purportedly mixed it up with ex–GOP assemblyman Mike Duvall this summer (they both later denied the hanky-panky), and Jim Cassie of …
November 18, 2009
Which One's Pink?
Local progressive rock band ASTRA and musician-producer Rafter Roberts have been included in British music magazine Mojo #193 (on newsstands in the U.S. through December), a special-edition issue celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s …
November 18, 2009
Watching the hound dog
After a delay, San Diego State University, in response to a request under the state’s Public Records Act, has turned over the contract between itself and the nonprofit Watchdog Institute, the experiment in investigative reporting …
November 18, 2009
Junk Removal
“This isn’t a garage,” complained my husband Patrick. “This is a landfill. Let’s get rid of this junk.” Fred Siegel of San Diego Junk Removal and Disposal (aka Fred’s Hauling Service, 619-245-9957, junk80.com) was happy …
November 18, 2009
La Jolla Pharmaceutical can't shut down
After an agonizing wait of more than 40 years, science may come up with a treatment for lupus. But the two companiesworking together on the promising development are not based in San Diego County. At …
November 18, 2009
Ugly Truth
The truth brings with it a great measure of absolution, always. — R.D. Laing After I broke the news to my mother that David and I would be traveling to the East Coast to celebrate …
November 18, 2009