Leipzig, in what was East Germany, was one of Europe’s most important music centers. I knew Felix Mendelssohn Barthody and Johann Sebastian Bach lived here. As it turns out, Clara and Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner, …

This past June, the approximately 485 parking meters in downtown La Mesa generated $25,958; parking citations for meter infractions brought in another $6630, according to a report presented at the September 24 La Mesa City …

The final two matches for the English first round are Tippett versus Vaughan Williams and Elgar versus Finizi. Michael Tippett was a contemporary of Benjamin Britten and William Walton. Tippett, as with Britten, was an …

These days, it seems like a new brewery is opening every week. Well, that’s just not true. Case in point—last week, when two new brewing companies entered their soft open stage. For the most part, …

North Park’s big green water tower — officially designated as the University Heights Water Storage and Pumping Station, even though it's located south of El Cajon Boulevard (on Idaho Street, north of Howard Avenue) — …

People walking along the beach near Pier Plaza in the early evening of September 27 were greeted by an uncommon site: three large tan military tents erected close to one of the lifeguard towers, with …

Ocean Beach’s decades-old Fourth of July tradition of a “marshmallow war” following the fireworks display has been taken to excess in recent years. So, this week, on September 26, the O.B. Town Council decided to …

“El Bordo,” the area just above the bend of the Tijuana River, was recently cleared of transients by authorities in preparation for routine maintenance; yet, it appears that the throngs of people, mainly male, have …

At 6 p.m. on September 26, people driving on Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa were slowing down to see a small, cute girl, about ten years old, holding a big yellow sign that declared …

A traffic stop on September 26 at around 4 p.m., in the parking lot between Target and Ross on Sports Arena Boulevard, ended up sending a driver to jail for felony warrants. As I drove …

Citizens from around the nation have so far donated $5000 to repair Temecula’s Ronald Reagan statue, which was discovered charred by flames at the Ronald Reagan Sports Park on September 20. Fire officials and the …

When he was a “little kid, maybe five or six,” Christopher Ashley watched a man on ice skates at Rockefeller Center. As he skated, the man recited a poem and the blades clacked out the …

Mar Vista Middle School, in the South Bay and part of the Sweetwater Union School District, was one of 27 California schools stripped of its scores on the state's Academic Performance Index over claims of …

Even as a devout Christian, there’s something very intriguing about a beer that labels itself as “satanic.” Especially when said devil’s brew is served up in dark, cavernous lair juxtaposed almost ironically by stain glass …

If we want to improve our running gait to be less prone to injury, where do we start? Posture, posture, posture. If we want to improve our posture where do we start? Hips, hips, hips. …

For someone who has made his living for the past two decades playing punk rock in gloomy Washington state, things were going a little too smoothly for MxPx frontman Mike Herrera. The weather for his …

It was suggested that I listen to some newer artists for review, so I downloaded Jake Bugg's self-titled debut, thinking, You can't get much newer then a 19-year-old. Bugg is a British singer/songwriter who's a …

An estimated 10,000 Tijuana homes and more than 1000 businesses are stealing their electricity each month from Baja California's public utility, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Federal Electricity Commission). "Diablitos" — the popular term for …

On September 24, Governor Brown signed bill AB 1371, better known as the “Three Feet for Safety Act,” which will require motorists to give at least three feet of space when passing a bicyclist on …

There is no solid, reality-based reason why billionaire Irwin Jacobs should support Nathan Fletcher's campaign for mayor. But as Sherlock Holmes always said, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be …

El Zephyr, the San Diego-based luchador whose identity is known only to his sponsors at Lucha Libre Taco Shop, came forward today to announce his plan to debut a new wrestling move at next week's …

Citing "personal epiphany," mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher decamps from Democratic Party, joins Qualcomm billionaire Jacobs' nonprofit San Diego Government Initiative. Fletcher: "I'm an SD GI; how could I resist an organization named SDGI? But seriously; …

The Department of Defense seeks apprentices who want to get paid to work and go to school. First, please give me a brief overview of the program. We are a four-year Federal program based upon …

When’s the last time you heard a piece of music by Vincent d’Indy? Never is a perfectly acceptable answer. What if I told you there was a chance to hear this overlooked French composer on …

“I’ll try not to be too verbose,” says Doyle Reno, “but it does take some explaining.” He’s trying to define his sculpture process, by which he completes large-scale works of art that he doesn’t see …

Todd and Lisa Orenstein work long hours at their Jersey Mike’s sub shop in Huntington Beach. But to the young couple, the hard work will pay off after their first year. It’s not just about …

Even locals with the slightest grasp of the craft beer movement can see how widespread it is within San Diego County. Breweries and brewpubs are opening up all over the place, pushing the geographic borders …

We all face obstacles in our jobs and careers. Some of those obstacles can be paralyzing. They lock some of us into a lifetime of frustration, lack of satisfaction, or just plain misery. Think about …

On September 25 at 2:30 p.m., a dog named Chase collapsed at the two-and-a-half-mile mark on the Lake Murray running trail. Luckily, a kind woman was on hand to help the dog and his owner. …

El Jefe says Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant (4050 Adams Avenue, 619-282-4413) has great hamburgers. He says they taste of the plancha, that it gives them that certain je ne sais quoi, like the one at Benny’s. …

Expatriate T.B. Beaudeau, a resident of Tijuana, relays tales of others like him; and the stories of those who met tragic/grim ends south of the border.

What are you reading now? “I’m one of those people who reads seven books at a time. I’ll read things from different genres. I’ll think, I need to feel good. I need a good romance …

Ed visits Tijuana’s La Faraona, grabs cheese, slurps wine, learns about Aunt Lupita, who provides blended wines, homemade cheeses, and bread to her entrepreneurial nieces and nephews.

An 18-year-old Spring Valley resident was arrested on Monday, September 23, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered what they suspected was heroin in the trunk of her car as she entered the United …

Already known for a menu informed by a free association of tastes, Alchemy continues to maintain the element of surprise by offering shrubs. No, not the kind arranged, designed, and sold by Monty Python’s medieval …

See the job, do the job. Shoot a Glock, punch the clock. Based on a true-life, precinct-clearing scandal that rocked the Philippines, On the Job tells the story of high-ranking politicians who employed the services …

"Hey, do you know a guy named Max McEvil? He dropped your name, said he might be doing some work with you.” I raised my brows as I re-read the name, which I didn’t recognize. …

Heartbreak, wishes, and advice from Cathryn Beeks, musician, promoter, and host of ListenLocalsd.com for the past ten years.

Red Not Chili Peppers bassist Jonathan Savage organizes “Rock the Boat,” a paddleboat cruise party on Mission Bay to benefit Marine veterans.

The highlights of this short hike include the transition from grasslands and coastal sage scrub habitats to small shaded oak woodland with majestic coast live oaks and rare Engelmann oaks found along a stream where …

No one among us (with the possible exception of our parents) underrated the place of the Standells’ “Dirty Water” in rock and roll history. Years later, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would include …

OK, now that you’re paying attention, I’ll admit to crafting a title geared to garner a click or two. What I’m actually talking about is beer that is almost gluten-free. Yes, again. Two weeks ago, …

Tijuana’s planning; from North–South or Bottom–Up On June 26, the Hotel Ticuán, located on 8th and Constitución Avenue in downtown Tijuana, was host of the Urban Land Institute San Diego/Tijuana presentation of the “Downtown Tijuana, …

Eva Knott’s findings from the court files of 21-year-old Wyatt Taylor Johnson, who burglarized a handful of his grandmother’s neighbors and pawned their stolen possessions. He admitted to four counts of first-degree felony burglary and expects to get four years prison when he is sentenced on November 18.

Drummer Nathan Hubbard to play the role of Keith Moon in Moonlight Amphitheatre’s production of The Who’s Tommy.

On Thursday, September 26, at Tin Can Ale House, singer Joanie Mendenhall will launch Vanishing Point, featuring five new songs and two reconstituted cuts, recorded live in the studio with her longtime drummer Tyler Ward, …

What the Job Is Worth This is in response to Leo Lion Lady’s letter to the editor. Where does the businessperson’s extra income appear from to pay the minimum wage increases? Do more people rush …

Ray Brandes tells a story about Beat Farmer Dan McLain (aka Country Dick) when he was still a Penetrator.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and …

None can ever be the cause of fortunate or misfortunate of another. The karman which we have ourselves accumulated in the past, that alone is the cause of fortune and misfortune….It is therefore in vain …

A 20-year-old woman caught in a crossfire of bullets from three San Diego Police officers after a brief car chase in Encanto, has taken the lawsuit she filed against the officers and City to Federal …

Sweetwater Union High School District superintendent Ed Brand’s request for funds to employ a private investigation agency, to be used at his discretion, was withdrawn by staff at the September 24 board meeting. Brand argued …

Close your eyes. Now imagine a long stretch of dazzling white sand and the sun setting over the Andaman Sea. That's where I'm writing from. It's an island called Langkawi in northwest Malaysia. Currently flying …

Motorists in the South Carlsbad area, driving along the coast highway (Carlsbad Blvd.), may have wondered what’s up with the new 12-foot rotating blade at the south end of the South Carlsbad State Beach campground. …

A 56-year-old Tijuana man has been jailed on murder charges after allegedly beating his neighbor to death with a bat in a dispute over barking dogs. According to press accounts in El Sol de Tijuana …

A preview of coming attractions at the La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls Festival (October 3-6). You could almost say the festival stages plays anywhere but in a theater. The plays are one-acts. Most run less …

I was working in Mira Mesa as an “internet specialist” at the time, calling over 200 real estate agents a day, trying to sell them advertising. I didn't have a lot of money one day, …

The highly contested plan to build a casino in the rural East County community of Jamul has hit a new roadblock, as a local citizens’ group and area church have filed a lawsuit challenging the …

It’s too bad they don’t give a Craig Noel Award for Audience of the Year. I sat in a sure nominee recently at OnStage. High school students packed the house. They hung on every word …

“I am the very model of modern major-general, I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral...” Who hasn’t heard this before? The text is from the Major General’s patter song in Gilbert and Sullivan’s *The Pirates of …

Earlier this month, I dished details about Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits’ upcoming combo research and development brewery, taproom, eatery, and beer garden in Little Italy. Today, I’m dishing on the dishes that the restaurant …

The Southwestern College Foundation held its annual gala on September 21. The cost for a seat ran from $200 to $15,000. The keynote speaker for the event was Nathan Fletcher, candidate for mayor of San …

I've been coming to Vegas for years: it's a bit like Los Angeles in a desert with a giant adult Disneyland in the middle, the glitter of the lights, the gambling and the shows. This …

Nothing brings out the best in a family than driving for days on a cross-country road trip. Traveling the Midwest’s highways and by-ways, I was reminded of my mom’s stories of driving back to Mississippi …

Judge rules in favor of Plaintiffs, finding San Diego Unified sidestepped CEQA requirements in putting lights up at Hoover High School and using Prop S funds to do so.

Wanting to be the first to have Apple’s new IPhone 5s, over 200 people stood in line during the pre-dawn hours of September 20. The Apple Store in Carlsbad’s Forum shopping Center, on El Camino …

North Park's Blockbuster Video, at 2011 El Cajon Boulevard, is closing down forever. Signs at the North Park store indicate the entire inventory is being liquidated. Parent company Blockbuster LLC was acquired by Dish Network …

Being Caitlin Rother sometimes means getting into some dark places. The San Diego author, a former investigative journalist for the U-T and other papers, writes narrative non-fiction about true crimes. Writing about the most heinous …

Who is going to prevail between Arnold Bax and Henry Purcell? While Purcell isn’t a household name, there isn’t a mezzo-soprano alive who’s escaped her undergraduate studies without singing When I Am Laid in Earth. …

They tell writers never talk about an idea or what you’re working on. The superstition, a favorite of Hemingway’s: some writing only happens once. And not even at a computer or in a notebook. Voice …

Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, has let us into his fantasy world. Paracosm, Greene’s second full-length, opens with sounds of a fairytale forest morning where you don’t know whether the day will be great or …

While a new brewery comes across as little more than the ping of a pin dropping in a brewery saturated neighborhood, the arrival of a brewhouse to communities without a homegrown source of fresh beer …

Heart started off lackluster, as the set’s early songs sounded like 45s being played at 33. Opener “Barracuda” dragged. As they worked their way through “Heartless,” “What About Love,” and “Magic Man,” things didn’t get …

The border flea market, barely 100 feet south of the border fence on Martínez (“D Street”) in Tijuana, has expanded to nearly 22 city blocks. Held every Saturday and Sunday, the market’s exact location moves …

Borrego ranch killings by drunken scion two decades ago marked wealthy San Diego bankers and landholders as star-crossed.

Ocean Beach resident Michelle had her third bike stolen on September 9. Three days later, her boyfriend Jay found it. But he had to fight to get it back. At about 8:30 a.m. on September …

"We realized that we had one of the world's greatest predators on our hands, and we weren't playing to its strengths. We also were ignoring the bloodlust that is near to the heart of every American. No more."

College students are poor but that doesn’t mean their closets have to suffer. I ran into three San Diego City College students who rely on thrift stores and retail discounters to keep their wardrobes stocked. …

Earlier this year, I shared the local brewing projects I was most highly anticipating. Most of them (Pizza Port Bressi Ranch, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, Benchmark Brewing Company, Hess Brewing …

I’ve always been wary of theatrical biographies of famous people. Too often they assume you already know, say, James Joyce or Ludwig Van B., Ty Cobb or Rosa Parks. So the bios skip past the …

When U.S. secretary of education Arne Duncan came to Chula Vista on September 13, the fanfare at Castle Park Middle School was spectacular. Oversized pictures of Duncan’s face were waved on sticks while students wearing …

The Marche region of Italy is rarely included among travel itineraries to Italy. It’s also scarcely mentioned in most guidebooks – yet this may simply enhance its appeal among travelers who yearn to forge a …

Monied super PAC donors weigh in for San Diego Democratic city councilman; GOP givers pick ex-Republican Fletcher as major cash race for mayor intensifies.

An account of the chronology and controversial communications between Sunroad corporation’s Tom Story and city officials about granting construction easements in exchange for donations to a couple of former mayor Bob Filner’s pet projects.

The majority of Navajo Community Planners, Inc., on September 16 voted to oppose a City of San Diego proposal to put 19 parking spaces on Navajo Road, a street where the speed limit is 50 …

Trader Joe, the organic newcomer to the corn-chip party goes head-to-head with Mr. Frito.

While the primary driving force of The Wire is Baltimore’s drug trade and the subsequent epidemic of violence, viewers are challenged to consider the larger circumstances at play in this portrait of a city. Some …

One of the most visible symptoms of the cultural shift that has been taking place in Tijuana over the past several years is the reclamation of former tourist dumps by businesses that now highlight Baja’s …

Before Elisha Babcock built the Hotel del Coronado, he reputedly had his carpenters construct a many-sided boathouse as a training exercise. The building survived and recently became another new restaurant — 1887 on the Bay.

Forty years in, you start to feel it. Unless you’re a certain sort of hardy soul — I’m looking at you, Ed Bedford — the thought of finding a new place to eat is no …

By the time the Naked and Famous play here, their new CD, In Rolling Waves, will have been released. I got to preview a track from the forthcoming disc earlier. “A Stillness” is no doubt …

Boogie Nights is a classic from director Paul Thomas Anderson. The commentaries alone are worth the purchase. This is a must have for fans of P.T. Anderson and aspiring filmmakers. Great picture quality and bonus …

I don’t like to be separated from my money unless I get something great in return. Even if I were rich beyond measure, you’d never see me wrapped in sable pulling up to the Marine …

Reddish egrets and yellow-headed night herons are sometimes seen in this section of the Pacific Flyway.

Neil Diamond impersonator David J. Sherry recently did a European tour that included a scary plane landing and Amsterdam — “What happens in Amsterdam, stays in Amsterdam,” he says.

Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years 1953–1956, on view at the de Young Museum until September 29, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco. 415-750-3600; deyoung.famsf.org Beyond Belief: 100 years of the Spiritual in Modern Art, …

An overabundance of contributions to our September 5 Feast issue allowed us to offer these leftovers. Find Chad Deal's Baja leftovers below. Not in the mood for Mexi? Try Eve Kelly's Cheapskate's Corner or munch …

“We’re covering a lot of North America on a two-month tour. I really love traveling, which is a good thing, considering how much of it I’ve been doing lately,” says multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally, adding, “when …

You can’t choose your family,” goes the old saying. You Will Be My Son tells the story of what may happen when you try. It’s not a surprising story, but it is a satisfying one. …

“We have a new tune about Vietnam that sounds like a pissed-off Hall & Oates,” Brian Holwerda tells the Reader. “It was inspired by a crazy PBS documentary, but it could definitely be interpreted and …

Conor McPherson’s The Shining City takes some amazing theatrical risks. No, wait, make that anti-theatrical. Imagine the exact opposite of a blockbuster movie: frantic cuts, pulse-drubbing pace, blaring sounds that belt you daffy. Shining City …

Mission Beach house on the market for 1411 days.

In July, I shared the news that a brewer working on an upcoming interest I’d been keeping an eye on for some time, Devil’s Forge Brewing Company, had merged with another operation. As it turns …

The Moscow Black Storm has offered Tim Tebow $1 million to play in two games.

Back in the old days, about 1975 or so, San Diegans who liked historical houses and commercial buildings were widely referred to by real estate agents and developers as “hysterical preservationists.” How times have changed. …

California state legislators have a lot of ways to raise and spend special-interest cash for their own relaxation and enjoyment. Take the example of Republican state senator Mark Wyland and his 2010 “officeholders account.” It’s …

Arrest warrant issued (quietly) for Michael Robertson, the former boss/lover of Kristin Rossum, the former San Diego toxicologist convicted of poisoning her husband in 2000.

As pastor Duane Smets of the Resolved Church in Morena is working on his Sunday sermon, he thinks of it as a date as he gets to know it.

Liberal Democrat Bob Filner has been ousted as mayor, and the September 5 meeting of the Mexican American Business and Professional Association appeared to reflect the city’s new order, featuring two of the city’s insiders. …

Author Schooled Ms. Braun says it is okay to attend a public high school (“We Like the Idea of Public High School...,” September 12 cover story). Sometimes invincible ignorance is amusing. In Ms. Braun’s case, …

Historical account of Manual Scan bopping like popcorn at Clairemont High School, c.1982.

I’m Not There: I really like movies that are less woven together and more tied in knots. This isn’t the story of Bob Dylan but rather a nonlinear exploration of his essence, identity, and how …

A scuffle ensued when police officers in La Mesa responded to a call about a fight outside an apartment on the 5600 block of Jackson Drive over the weekend, leaving both the suspect and an …

Dick and Anna, the owners of Mariposa Ice Cream in Normal Heights, were worried. Chargers wide receiver Malcolm Floyd had just caught a pass and had his neck rammed back into his shoulders by a …

Ma Eugenia would hear the cry every year. It was the cry of Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo-Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor. Okay, Father Hidalgo to you and me. He gave that famous cry …

According to tour guide Lettice Douffet, Fustian House is inaptly named. “Fustian” means “turgid,” “bombastic,” and “pretentious” speech or writing. Lettice says it’s the blandest, gloomiest, 16th century building in Britain. So she decides to …

Paintings from Hill Young’s new series depict animal skulls surrounded by organic life. Flowers and vines spring from the wood of the panel, enclosing the bleached bones in a web of living matter. As a …

Another move is planned for Meatball, the black bear named for his fondness for Costco meatballs. Also known as the Glendale Bear, he was transported from La Cañada Flintridge by the California Department of Fish …

A chill ran down my spine as we passed a burnt-out fuselage that sat rusting in the front yard of a home near the exit gate of the Bocas del Toro airport (left). It made …

This fall, punk is back with a vengeance. During New York Fashion Week, designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, and Diesel Black Gold took a Vivienne Westwood inspired detour. They bypassed prim and proper, opting …

Tijuana’s downtown prostitutes are straying outside the area in which they are allowed to offer their services legally, prompting city officials to promise a crackdown on the wayward streetwalkers. According to accounts in both El …

On Friday, September 13, veterans from the 1st Marine Division and Republic of Korea Marines, gathered at Camp Pendleton to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Inchon landing in Korea. The military operation involved 75,000 …

When the sole remaining founder of the Tokyo String Quartet, Kazuhide Isomura, announced his intention to retire along with second violinist, Kikuei Ikeda, the two remaining players began to accept auditions to fill those spots. …

Six years ago, after taking off from Palomar Airport, a private plane crashed into the ocean northwest of Ponto Beach at the South Carlsbad State Beach. The crash killed an Arizona volleyball coach, Alex Meekcoms, …

You know you’re way into beer when you’re seated in a brewery, enjoying course after course of thoughtful food paired with fine craft beer, and instead of keeping your head down and focusing on consumption, …

Wearing a Padres luchador mask on the evening of Saturday, September 14, a man on a southbound Blue Line trolley began a rant almost immediately after boarding: “All of these fucking people on the trolley,” …

The Canadian Rockies have everything nature lovers could ever ask for: soaring mountain vistas, gorgeous alpine lakes, majestic glaciers and one of the best wildlife-spotting areas on the North American continent. And for those of …

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Katherine Ragazzino's injuries in Iraq threw her into a nightmarish journey of denied benefits, homelessness and having to beg for help — including the now notorious visit with former mayor Bob …

I took another swig of crisp, clean German lager as I spied the nascent Oktoberfest fairgrounds across the street. Only the steel frames and brewery names were up – the stark beginnings of the world’s …

One of the most frustrating parts of my job is watching a top notch cast, backed by a polished trio of musicians, performing on an inventive set – and the material doesn’t come near their …

“My nephew and I used to hang out and draw monsters,” says Sam Lopez, curator of the upcoming I EAT PEOPLE: Children's Monster Art exposition. “He was probably 5 years old. He is a great …

Literature, comics, Bubbles the chimp—expect all of this when entering the new tasting room at Modern Times Beer. With walls papered with pages ripped from old books and owner Jacob McKean’s personal comic collection, plus …

It was a warm seaside evening as thousands crowded the Del Mar racetrack’s concert stage awaiting L.A. alt-rockers Weezer. It was difficult to distinguish the rumble of the passing Amtrak from the roar of the …

Tift Merritt’s sounding more like Patty Griffin than ever, and the choice of a Griffin tune to this singular mind-meld of classical piano (Simone Dinnerstein) and whatever it is Merritt does, seems to wink conspiratorially. …

Madra Dog wore red, white, and blue for the September 11 Patriot Day observance. Two weeks earlier, the 30-inch tall, 300-pound statue of a rottweiler wore a birthday hat topped by a balloon. The decorated …

Arriving parents and the students they were dropping off in front of the San Dieguito High School Academy may have been concerned on the morning of September 11. From out in front of the campus …

Here we go, I’m about to cure plantar fasciitis. Well, at least help prevent it. There is no agreement as to what causes plantar fasciitis but the only way to fix it is rest. If …

Teatro Mascara Magica’s Detained in the Desert runs through this weekend. The compelling play is about undocumented immigrants, a subject so vital they say the only way to see it fully is to be there. …

Starting today, September 12, the sediment piled up in Goat Canyon's enormous basins will be removed, thanks to a $1 million state-budget award in June for Border Field State Park. The three-year project calls for …

For the final in a six-part series, Kate Kerr (nee Hanley) reviews the five main practices necessary to ensuring success with your job search or accelerating your career path. Let’s review. We’ve talked separately about …

If you’d have told me you could squeeze two dozen people into the wooden box at the end of the Shelter Island pier, I’d have called you a liar. I’m still not sure it’s advised, …

For the last eight months, Jan Browning, 54 of San Diego, searched the Internet, networked diligently, and used all the social networking tools available to find a job. After 347 applications and 45 interviews she …

For more than a decade, I was a player/manager of a men’s baseball team, a collection of former minor leaguers, college players and a few former high school benchwarmers. It was a pretty serious endeavor …

The Ocean Beach Woman’s Club is celebrating its 89th birthday this year. But it's uncertain whether or not the club will be around next year. The organization began serving the community in 1924, helping to …

Thousands of applicants, a little over 100 seats to fill at High Tech International school.

On this auspicious day, September 11, on the corner of Third and F Street in Chula Vista, six protesters chanted “No justice, no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!” and “Money for jobs and …

Fig-tree groves along North Twin Oaks Road in San Marcos are being invaded by thousands of crows. According to Jerry Burke, who has a small grove on Solar Lane, just off Twin Oaks Road, it’s …

My desktop screensaver is of an anonymous woman sitting poolside, back to the camera, showing an inscription tattooed onto her right shoulder: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” That’s solid advice. And I’m guessing …

Ed raves about the offerings at Asia Wok (and the low prices!). Then he goes ahead and dispels the legend of Mongolian barbecue — another dirty lie revealed, kids!

One of the guys in Mudgrass says Facebook is “a massive waste of time.” Another guy says he rode a bicycle in Manhattan for almost ten years. Geniuses all!

South Bay drummer Victor Penalosa scores full-time gig with San Francisco’s Flamin’ Groovies.

My friend and creative cohort Terri likes to joke about how manipulative she thinks I am. “I’m not manipulating you,” I’ll say, to which Terri will respond, “How do I know that your saying that …

If there was any doubt that bartending and cocktail culture is becoming a community effort in San Diego, Chaplos bartender Bek Allen’s new namesake drinks she mixes behind her bar will put them to rest …

Destin Cretton’s award-winning Sundance short film, Short Term 12, gets a feature-length expansion.

Plantar fasciitis. The mere whisper of these words will make a runner tremble. Maybe you think runners are too delicate and fragile. How about Eli Manning? He’s a tough football player. Yes, but he’s a …

Early morning or late afternoons are the best times for birding on this section of the Pacific Flyway.

MxPx front man Mike Herrera and Sonic Youth front woman Kim Gordon, rock-star headliners of this weekend’s San Diego Music Thing.

Painters blend and layer pigments to make their art. Musicians layer sound. Zane Zillner, working in his fantastic-smelling little office at Hapenstans Salon, layers smells. While he earns his living as a massage therapist, it’s …

On June 23, 1947, pilot Richard Rankin saw a fleet of ten aircraft that became known as the first “flying saucers.”

A bit more light has been shed on funding for that dark money group calling itself “No Labels,” and backed by Democratic ex-president Bill Clinton. Despite Clinton’s endorsement, the non-profit says it is “a growing …

It’s hard to sum up exactly how it feels when a brewer uncaps a bottle of their beer and tells you the first time they tried it, it tasted like armpit. It’s a real anticipation …

Formerly of Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs, drummer/singer Chris Giorgio talks about his piggish past and new Farm Jazz EP. Oink!

It’s second call for San Diego Democrats and their annual convention at the Pala Casino next month. The sign-up deadline was extended to September 12 to drum up business. “We’ve just confirmed California Assembly Speaker …

Watergate wasn't a sex scandal, but it ignited decades of them as media learned where the money was.

Some big news over at Southwest Strategies, the lobbying boutique founded by ex-Tribune city hall reporter Al Ziegaus. The firm, which represents a colorful array of clients, from the MedBox marijuana vending machine company to …

Remember when Elvis came to town in 1955? Remember the 12 girls running nude through the halls of the El Cortez Hotel, looking for Elvis? This blogger does.

Stop Blaming Men Is Maggie Young (“Peter Pan in San Diego”) vying for the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind reward of the post-sexual revolution when she passes herself off as an eternal virgin yet …

We walked the city after dark, talking about the things that mattered to us then: the most vivid ways to live, how to keep the fire ablaze inside; the girls we’d loved, the women we’d …

Some months back, after I left Freeway Insurance, my brother got me a job as a pedicab driver downtown. I didn't want to take it, but it was a job and I needed to make …

Let’s get on with England. Ethel Smyth versus Holst doesn't appear to be much of a contest except for the fact that Ethel Smyth is one of only two women who will be competing in …

Despite the fact that Lofty gets all the credit for fancy North County java, Café Ipé (970 North Coast Highway, 760-436-2233, rhymes with eBay) is equally serious about coffee production. The coffee shop has partnered …

An appeal before the California Coastal Commission meeting on September 11 in Eureka against the planned larger home by Mitt and Ann Romney has been postponed. Architect and longtime La Jolla resident Anthony A. Ciani …

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, real or fictional, Georgia was the home of some of our most memorable, iconic characters. Seeing their birthplaces is not merely about roaming from town to town. Rather, it’s learning …

Turbans are making the rounds out and about in San Diego. The fashionable headpieces aren’t only for bad hair days. Fashionistas in SD are taking their cues from the likes of Joan Crawford and Carrie …

This World Cup of Composers is a much larger undertaking than I first imagined. With that in mind I think it is wise to review where we are in the process. This is a single …

A composer hands a chorus line dancer a box full of musical scores – most of them rejects – and says, “do what you can.” The songs have something to do with love: longing for, …

For the better part of its existence, Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits epitomized slow craft brewing company growth. Owner Jack White and long-time head brewer Yuseff Cherney seemed content to let Karl Strauss and Stone …

People brought their memories and respect for Micaela Saucedo to Friendship Park on Sunday, September 8, for a small, sweet remembrance of the woman who worked to help the deported, displaced, endangered, and lost along …

Just how poor of condition are San Diego's parks in? Poor enough for the City of San Diego to be named in two unrelated lawsuits in the span of one month, both over improper maintenance …

Clark Silva’s acrylic-on-panel Rock Icons attract people’s attention with their simple color palettes and minimal designs. Each portrait captures an important figure in rock history, especially Silva’s favorite genre: heavy metal. The artist laughs knowingly …

Beruf = Duty, Calling, Profession Himmler stood by a mass grave,got splattered with brains as his menshot into the bodies below, piling upin layer after layer, blood flowingfreely as water. Was there evena moment’s remorse? …

Baja’s business sector is looking up, according to recent reports in the financial pages of Frontera, which reported earlier in the week that Baja’s business dealings with the U.S. and Baja tallied to $33 billion …

Sweetwater Union High School District has withdrawn its application with National City for Alliant International University to be housed on the Adult Education Center campus. Martin Reeder, principal planner for National City, confirmed in a …

The Grantville Stakeholders Committee, a group that last met in July 2011, voted on September 5 to recommend that an environmental impact report should analyze the “Alternative D” land-use plan that extends Mission Gorge Place …

Greater Nairobi, home to more than six million people, has a reputation for mayhem. Its international airport just burned; the Kenyan capital’s nickname is Nairobbery. But visitors can still find some extraordinary pleasures. Ranking high …

It doesn't take traveling to remote or exotic places to escape the distractions of the outside world, I've found. In California, regardless of denomination, dharma travel is big business. Whether 50-room or single-room hermitages, expansive …

San Diego police arrested a man with no arms on Wednesday, September 4, at the Santa Fe Depot on Kettner Boulevard after he allegedly began threatening passengers and then became violent with a female employee …

“Healing, like fire from a gun/ Kneeling, my God in the sun,” wails Josh Homme on “My God Is the Sun,” the first single from Queens of the Stone Age’s new album. The song sounds …

Rocket From The Crypt played a small, secretive show at Bar Pink earlier this year, but their concert at the Del Mar track was the first RFTC reunion show in San Diego truly open to …

The Tijuana River Valley rancher sits in his truck, off a side road to a backroad north of Monument Road, a mile from the border and a mile from the ocean. He's been here 24 …

Escondido first hosted the finish of the Amgen Tour of California in 2009. The world’s best cyclists competed over local terrain, finishing with a sharp left turn from Escondido Boulevard onto Grand Avenue and ending …

It’s hard to remember back to the earliest days of my craft beer journey with as much clarity as I’d like (must be all the beer), but if memory serves, my first draft hefeweizen and …

The former Coco's Bakery Restaurant location at 2644 El Cajon Boulevard will become a 7-Eleven store. According to Margaret Chabris, director of corporate communications with 7-Eleven, Inc., in Dallas, they will construct a new 3010-square-foot …

I went back to S10 Fitness but this time I took my kids. My daughter Emma is nine years-old and when she runs her feet kind of swing out to the sides. We could say …

A lot of artists might balk at the suggestion that their paintings were “very internet,” but not Linda Halsey. The artist, who lives in Imperial Beach, readily admits that the imagery of popular internet culture …

One of the hottest shows of the recent San Diego Fringe Festival will have an all-too brief return run this weekend. The two-character story, by Charlene Baldridge, and the staging by Circle Circle dot dot’s …

Despite humid temperatures in the 90s, on August 30, hundreds of skateboarders and their families showed up for the opening of a new million-dollar skate park in Oceanside. The Alex Road Skate Park, located on …

I always forget how hot San Diego Septembers are. When I am looking forward to the fall and pulling my boots and tights out of storage, I find it nearly impossible not to get cranky …

A Sunday morning pancake breakfast. Happy people milling around a parking lot, chatting with friends new and old. No, it wasn’t some church function, unless you’re a devotee of the religion that is San Diego …

Sheriff’s deputies say that the bust of a large-scale marijuana farming operation in the rural North County community of Rainbow on Tuesday afternoon (September 3) could have netted up to $7 million worth of cannabis. …

Reader foodies set the table for you with this year's delectably eclectic restaurant guide. Dig in!

I wrote about the evolution or deterioration of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon from a marathon event to a half marathon event with a marathon option. RunBlogRun broke the news on the continued popularization of …

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is paying Sweetwater Union High School District a visit. Duncan is on a Southwest bus tour and will be at Castle Park Middle School September 13. Why Castle Park Middle? …

Ed gets the "dough" part, but what about the "nut"? And why the hole? Our frugal fork finds the answers and a couple of guys who are redesigning the donut.

Who cares who put the chocolate in the peanut butter, who does it best?

At Mission Bay High, Sloat Dixon sported a mohawk and played in punk bands such as Common Ground and Black Republic. Now he plays drums for Yuma-based cow-punk band the Tramplers. Thanks to a random …

Matthew Lickona: How did you pitch this film? Jill Soloway: A mom rescues a stripper and realizes that she’s the one who needs rescuing. ML: So Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) is the mom in that sentence, …

Should footballers trust the NFL brain trust with their brains?

Black Market III's Black Roses hooks up blues roots and "the stories of today."

Enjoy great views of San Diego all the way up to the top of Viejas Mountain, which is green again after the Cedar Fire in 2003.

The one question I’m asked most frequently is “What’s the best restaurant in San Diego?” Impossible! How can I compare this deliciously fresh, perfectly seasoned, crisply battered fish taco with that subtly nuanced, silky smooth, …

I have more restaurants in my repertoire than a jukebox has records, and I love to go on new foodie adventures. But despite the myriad options at my disposal with the extensive selection of restaurants …

Do San Diego men suffer from Peter Pan Syndrome? The San Diego women who have to date them sure do!

I’m usually at a loss when asked what the “best restaurant neighborhood” in San Diego is. The truth is, we log in some miles going to our favorite places. South to Chula Vista for Mariscos …

Boy, so many good places to choose from, from O’side to the Other Side of the line. The major discovery for me has been the incredible bargains you can get in the exploding world of …

Current Owner: Terravista Partners, Ltd. Listing Price: $9,875,000 to $12,900,000 Beds: 6 Baths: 8 House Size: 10,000 square feet “La Fenice,” named after a famed 18th-century Italian theater, is one of the oldest and most …

Ramping up for what’s expected to be an all-out company effort to get former GOP assemblyman Nathan Fletcher elected mayor of San Diego, cell phone giant Qualcomm still had plenty of cash for federal candidates, …

An uncertain economy, in tandem with the rise of gastropubs, upscale comfort food joints, and other trends driven to tiresome status by their ubiquity, have rendered fine-dining establishments to endangered-species status in San Diego County. …

Local songsmith Nathan Fox explores cabaret bop on this year's I'm All Done EP.

San Diego Indie Fest takes a hit this year, but producer Alicia Champion is undeterred.

Tijuana and nearby cities to the south have become famous in the past few years for their locally sourced Baja Med cuisine. The fusion fare of traditional Mexican dishes with Asian and Mediterranean influences highlights …

It’s always a relief when license plates with Saguaro cacti exodus east this time of year. Our roads thin out, like arteries purged of cholesterol. But Teatro Mascara Magica’s staging a play all Zonies should …

With rumblings of revolution and war in the Middle East, maybe summer 2013 wasn’t exactly the best time to take off for a free deluxe tour of Israel, but freshman Democratic congressman Juan Vargas, accompanied …

Funk mined from the best days of funk, meaning the music that was made during the ’80s R&B revival days by the likes of alto saxist Maceo Parker and bigger horn-band acts like Cameo. Jelly …

Baja's social network has boots on the ground and up-to-the-minute news to tweet — #dontcrosstheborderwithoutit.

For this list, I have decided to use not great restaurants but great dishes. It gets a handle on ten local restaurants by looking at some of the best individual dishes I’ve eaten in the …

Double Trouble You have Holler in the August 29 Reader. The one from Clairemont was already printed a few issues ago in the same column. I know that, because the guy called it “Square-mont.” I’m …

Telecommunications giant AT&T apparently felt generous back on June 13, anteing up a pair of free tickets to Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena concert of Pitbull for Crystal Quezada, legislative director for first term San Diego …

OB One Church finds the lost and lights them up like a rocket.

Birthday girl Sarah divulges the secret to picking winners at the track — check out their butts.

Do you know me? I am the blonde in the white convertible. Have you seen me cruising up the coast on a mango day? Top down, honeydew bandana holding back my hair, juicy fruit lips …

I had been here before. A deep breath of ocean air, a taste of mist, and I was in some beautiful place from my dreams – on the edge of water so still, I forbade …

I continue to be surprised at the number of runners who haven't heard of Chi Running and of those who have, how few of them do it. Chi Running is a system of running developed …

San Diego’s Stone Brewery has issued a Götterdämmerung IPA. Those dudes must have stones if they’re going to name an India Pale Ale after a German opera which depicts the end of the world. I …

Some people just aren’t cut out for retirement. Such is the case with Steve Munson, a long-time homebrewer who, rather than ride off into the twilight of life, has decided to follow his passion for …

Shortly after 9:00 pm on Saturday, August 31, KGB radio (101.5 FM) hosted its 38th annual Sky Show at Qualcomm Stadium following the SDSU Aztecs season opener vs. Eastern Illinois. I did not have a …

Baja California police have captured a U.S. citizen on the lam from the FBI for allegedly threatening to decapitate a congresswoman from Hawaii. Agents of the fugitive unit of the Policia Estatal Preventiva (State Preventive …

Harbor Island landmark Tom Ham’s Lighthouse recently underwent a $3.5 million renovation by late architect Graham Downes, who reimagined the interior design and bayfront bar. Boasting views of the San Diego Bay, the downtown skyline, …

Pimp Daddy Delius aka Mr. White Folks is making his debut here in the World Cup of Composers. Maybe pimp daddy is the wrong moniker. Since this is classical music I will say that Delius …

Field Notes: Fifty, 100, even 200 years after a historical event, you can get the feel of a place just by being there. Stand at the ruins on Presidio Hill, for example. Erase all the …