“I’ve always been hard-headed,” confesses Lucas Taylor, “and I have lots of trouble listening to other people’s views. I like math, though. There’s always one right answer.” The first semester has ended, and Taylor and …
August 26, 2015
News & Stories
Professional criminal re-starts life at San Diego community college
God, why has thou forsaken me?
Think, O my soul, who it is that cryeth my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? He to whom the eternal father said, this is my well beloved son in whom I am …
August 26, 2015
Damned North Park
“I know what the weather’s like back home. My wife keeps bloody complaining about it.” This, followed by a case of the giggles. It’s Pinch, the Damned’s drummer of the past 16 years, on the …
August 26, 2015
A mournful National Dog Day in Ocean Beach
Regina Lovato liked to take her Maltipoo (Maltese-poodle mix), Aria, and her blue pit bull, Yates, to Ocean Beach’s Dog Beach nearly every afternoon. Since Aria was attacked and killed by a black Labrador-retriever mix …
August 26, 2015
Spy set for streaming
My first pick is The Thing, by John Carpenter (USA, 1982, Universal). I love the horror and suspense that permeates this movie. It generates the feeling of paranoia and a Lovecraftian feeling of hopelessness. The …
August 26, 2015
Puppy supply line threatened
Even though pet-store operator David Salinas's legal bills are mounting, cities are outlawing his puppy-supply pipeline, and animal-welfare activists continue to bite into him, he plans to continue selling puppies. "If you run a small …
August 26, 2015
Foreign exchange with Quel Bordel
Follows is some “how to” advice from San Diego band Quel Bordel. How to get a tour in the south of France and come home with money: Quel Bordel singer/guitarist Jakovich Skolnick met the band …
August 26, 2015
Weak at the knees — That's What Cheese Said!
Fact is, I’m in a bit of a hurry. Bus to catch in 20 minutes. Just time to down a couple of those $2 quickie beer tasters they have here at Mission Brewery on 13th. …
August 26, 2015
Caribbean drink, Hawaiian twist
Over at the Lazy Dog, it’s “Hasta la vista!” to the lime and “Aloha” to the pineapple, now that accidents of circumstance have brought two popular spheres of influence – the lime and the pineapple …
August 26, 2015
Drummer comes to town and gets Slightly Stoopid
Reggae-rockers Slightly Stoopid had already been around a few years before hiring drummer Ryan Moran, aka RyMo, who moved to town from Northern California in 1994. “I came to San Diego to study music at …
August 26, 2015
Perfect movie, perfect soundtrack
I have two go-to movies. First, there’s Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (USA/England, 1982, Warner Brothers), the director’s cut version, which removes the voice-over narration by Harrison Ford. Blade Runner’s dark, brooding style is like moving …
August 26, 2015
The Aristocrats — hippies on jazz
Stranger than fiction by a country mile: the Kentucky meat shower, as reported by the New York Times in March of 1876 was a filthy (and thankfully short-lived) rain of little pieces of raw meat …
August 26, 2015
Best to wake up early for this La Jolla Cove walk
Stroll along one of the most picturesque parts of the San Diego coastline.
August 26, 2015
Gaga for Gerwig
Greta Gerwig is the winning costar (with Lola Kirke) and cowriter (with director Noah Baumbach) of Mistress America, the story of two women at opposite ends of the NYC gauntlet. Young Tracy (Kirke) has just …
August 26, 2015
From couch potato to Potato Chip Rock
Julian Duval is about to rock my world. The 68-year-old president of the San Diego Botanic Garden drives me around the garden in a golf cart talking my ear off and making me laugh with …
August 26, 2015
Better Buzz mini empire expands their off-center third-wave style
The Coast Highway in Encinitas is home to another coffee shop. Vista-based roaster Better Buzz opened a 1900-square-foot storefront on August 8. It’s the sixth shop for the retail chain, which also has locations in …
The state of the U-T and Tribune Publishing
Taking a cue from the late New York mayor Ed Koch, a loyal newspaper reader might ask, “How is the San Diego Union-Tribune doing?” More to the point, how is the financial condition of the …
August 26, 2015
Record-release roundup
Authentic Sellout, fronted by Iacon Sound Studios honcho Sulo King, will play a record-release party at the Casbah on Friday, August 28, for a bill headlined by Sprung Monkey and supported by Processor. Chickenbone Slim’s …
August 26, 2015
In love with the child-free life
Even the receptionist at work, who was probably around 40 at the time, took to singing at me each time I passed her desk, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.”
August 26, 2015
Yesterday's dock totals
The fishing has been wide open for the boats out of San Diego Landings this past week with many anglers getting limits of yellowfin tuna and dorado. 1/2 day boats are mostly fishing the kelp …
August 26, 2015
Hipsters don't like hipsters
Dear Hipster: Are there any movies about hipsters? Google comes up with a list of movies hipsters watch, or hipster characters, but I envision a pretty cool, funny movie about hipsters and hipster culture — …
August 26, 2015
Surfboard fishing in Pacific Beach
The off-limits fishing area in P.B. isn’t as big as it seems.
August 26, 2015
Recommended by Netflix
Netflix recommended Blue Ruin by Jeremy Saulnier to me (USA/France, 2013, Radius). I’d been on a roll of finding gems in the Net-flix catalog and decided to approach this viewing by avoiding any reviews, summaries, …
August 26, 2015
The woman singing in the kitchen
“[Anza] is a tiny town at the top of the mountain in between Temecula and Palm Springs,” says Christy Barrett. “There’s a Dairy Queen when you pass through, there’s a Mobil, there’s a Circle K, …
August 26, 2015
How will Qualcomm layoffs affect SD area?
The head-chopping at Qualcomm may not be a total disaster.
August 26, 2015
Chargers stadium “satisfaction survey” will cost taxpayers
There have been a few changes in San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan to run a public opinion survey before his proposed January vote on a new Chargers stadium in Mission Valley. A revised request …
August 26, 2015
Tomato wars: Indigo Rose takes on the heirloom
Post Title: Veggie Highlight: Indigo Rose Tomato Post Date: June 12, 2015 Heirloom tomatoes often steal the show in summer gardens, but every now and then a newer variety comes out that we just have …
August 26, 2015
Three Poems by John Dryden
Happy the Man Happy the man, and happy he alone, He who can call today his own: He who, secure within, can say, Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today. Be fair or …
August 26, 2015