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Stories for January 2015

Saturday, January 31

Chargers stadium task force "packed"

The U-T editorialized today (January 31) that the task force on the Chargers stadium is "packed with the right mix of expertise." Of course it is "packed" — just as all the other task forces …

January 31, 2015
Catch Jen Shyu at The Loft for free!

Monday 2Vocalist Allison Adams Tucker brings her trio with pianist Danny Green and drummer Julien Cantelm into the Lyceum Theatre (79 Broadway Circle) for a free, noontime concert… Multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Jen Shyu with special guest Mark …

January 31, 2015
Stink-182

Pop-punk band Blink-182 scored a smash hit with their 1999 album Enema of the State, which featured porn star Janine Lindemulder on its cover, dressed as sexy nurse. It's been a few years (and a …

Then, wham!

Well there ya go. That's what it took. The Yellowtail were waiting for lighter loads, so they played finicky until anglers became disheartened. Then wham! There they are eating the dropper loop and yoyo iron …

January 31, 2015
Sigh… Remember lowering gas prices?

Uh-oh! Gas prices are on the rise. Late Friday afternoon, January 30, gas prices at three Cardiff by the Sea stations — Valero, Chevron, and USA — shot up six cents a gallon more than …

Nickel Beer makes it a double (dubbel)

Last year, I had the pleasure of collaborating in the brewing of an English-style extra special bitter (ESB) aptly named Bitter Beer Writer. It was the idea of Tom Nickel, the owner and brewmaster at …

January 31, 2015

Friday, January 30

No trolley in my backyard

A group of neighborhood conservationists in University City are hoping to put the brakes on a plan to extend trolley service from downtown San Diego's Santa Fe Depot to a new transit center in University …

January 30, 2015
Yolanda Franklin’s acting bucket list

I’m asking veteran local actors to name five dream roles and say why. The answers not only reveal aspirations, they may put an idea in the minds of artistic directors and producers — even choices …

January 30, 2015
Big money political players rule Chargers task force

Though the fate of the San Diego Chargers and their long quest for a new taxpayer-subsidized stadium hangs in the balance, one thing is certain: the task force set up by mayor Kevin Faulconer to …

January 30, 2015
Gunman gets 100 years in prison — "overly harsh"?

An Escondido man found guilty of shooting to death a young mother in the back of a car was sentenced to 100 years to life in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse on January 28. …

January 30, 2015
First Look: Artisan Bento

My fondness for bento boxes and anything labeled "artisan" have converged in Banker's Hill, with a new dining concept set up by the proprietors of Azuki Sushi. Artisan Bento seeks to elevate the idea of …

Wildcats with weed —thanks, Reader and CityBeat

City attorney Jan Goldsmith's January 27 talk about medical marijuana dispensaries in Grantville began with him referring to long-ago election results. He spoke to a capacity audience at the Allied Gardens-Grantville Community Council town hall. …

Sleater-Kinney's No Cities to Love

The band that kept the heart of the riot-grrrl movement pumping is back, in a wicked way. Sleater-Kinney’s No Cities To Love burns bright and flames out on cue, blazing a trail for other punk …

January 30, 2015
O squeaky clean leader, where art thou?

Members of the San Ysidro teacher’s union held signs, “SYSD Needs Velasquez” at the district offices on Tuesday, January 27. Supporters were there before the San Ysidro Elementary School District board voted 3-2 to hire …

January 30, 2015
SeaWorld gets a shot in the arm

"Our company's bad PR was spreading like some kind of epidemic," says SeaWorld Chief Operating Officer Gerald Quack. "There didn't seem to be anything we could do to stop it. Some people had given us …

Go east, young beer aficionado!

When URBN St. Brewing Company installed its brewpub in the former home of El Cajon Brewing Company, one of partner Alex Carballo’s major goals was to help move the craft beer needle in East County …

January 30, 2015
Thar she blows. And thar and thar and thar.

January 29 dock totals Locally, H&M Landing had one boat out for the 1/2 Day run with 18 Anglers aboard. They fished the edges for 93 Rockfish and 16 Lingcod Point Loma Sportfishing had one …

January 30, 2015

Thursday, January 29

Qualcomm stock plunges 10.28 percent

Stock of San Diego's giant Qualcomm plummeted 10.28 percent today (January 29) on a day when the overall market was strong. The company said that its Snapdragon 810 processor will not be in the upcoming …

January 29, 2015
Aw, baby, you're too skinny

When Jody Westberg opens the Dutch door of a cage made of plastic-coated chain-link fence, the reaction is immediate. Fat, shiny little sea lions rush the half-door barking at her. You have fish, they seem …

January 29, 2015
Taste the East at Lobster West

It was only a handful of months after he’d finished his lobster crawl across the island of Martha’s Vineyard (ingesting 9 lobster rolls in 11 days) that David discovered Lobster West in Encinitas. We were …

Bill and Hillary's California Peacock

As the 2016 race for the presidency nears, a recent move by University of California president Janet Napolitano has the potential to inject high-stakes Clintonian politics into the already controversial university system. At its meeting …

January 29, 2015
When the wires show

For all of his 51 years, Scotty Templeton has been allergic to reality. He can’t take anything seriously. Since he could never become an actual performer (because he’d have to take it seriously), he makes …

January 29, 2015
Don't mess with Texas' labor pool

On January 26, newly elected trustees of the Sweetwater Union High School District played to a packed house and a packed agenda, but the biggest upset did not come until after 10:00 p.m., when interim …

January 29, 2015
Indiana Jones in Coachella Valley

Horses in the desert? What?? The Coachella Valley already offers a ton of activities – from hiking to the infamous Coachella music fest to epic pool parties to camping locales like Joshua Tree. Growing up …

Painkiller overload

Former San Diego Charger Pro Bowl player and current ESPN personality Marcellus Wiley plus a handful of other former NFL players are appealing a federal court judge's decision to toss out their class-action lawsuit claiming …

January 29, 2015
Faulconer's State of the City: "Look at this adorable pug!"

Last week, San Diego Chief Operating Mayor Kevin Faulconer gave his annual State of the City speech before the city's Board of Governors Council, along with its largest shareholder-developers. (In a now-traditional display of corporate …

Swordsman in flames

A Borrego Springs man was hospitalized with severe burns Wednesday night, January 28, following an altercation with a neighbor that ended with the subject setting his mobile home ablaze. According to a report from sergeant …

January 29, 2015
Beer Touring: Legacy Brewing Tap & Kitchen

I wondered how a smaller Oceanside brewery would fare opening up a bar and restaurant in the relatively faraway Miramar community. Whereas larger, better-known North County brewing interests — Stone Brewing Co., Pizza Port, Rip …

Former public utilities president's home searched

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last evening (January 28) that agents of the state attorney general's office on Tuesday seized computers and other items from the Los Angeles County home of former California Public Utilities …

January 29, 2015
Rolling in the deep

January 28 dock totals H&M Landing 26 Anglers, 3 Boats, 2 Spider Crab, 2 California Spiny Lobster, 5 Red Rock Crab, 10 Vermilion Rockfish, 10 Bocaccio, 129 Rockfish, 1 Sculpin, 1 Sheephead, 55 California Spiny …

January 29, 2015

Wednesday, January 28

I saw my disciples as my own people

I practiced austerities for a long time. I cared very little for the body. My longing for the Divine Mother was so great that I would not eat or sleep. I would lie on the …

Video spin

Around 400 local music videos are sprinkled among the 3900-plus band pages in the Reader’s Local Music Database, all playable from our video jukebox. Here’s our spin on the most recent additions. From the Lovebirds …

January 28, 2015
Where the football fanatics live

Where are the wildest, craziest football fans in the United States? If you guessed Green Bay, Wisconsin, you would be correct. But you wouldn't guess the least football-crazed city. It's Las Vegas, Nevada, where the …

January 28, 2015
Trouble ahead? Trouble behind!

Metropolitan Transit System officials say trouble may be behind the controversial railroad line linking Mexico and the U.S. During a transit agency board meeting on January 28, Metropolitan Transit System CEO Paul Jablonski announced that …

January 28, 2015
Heart's work

January got the year off to a good start for a couple of localities in need of quality coffee. Up in Carmel Mountain Ranch, Mostra Coffee (12225 World Trade Drive) began opening the doors of …

January 28, 2015
Chip off the old Block

The second term of recently deposed Democratic San Diego City Council president Todd Gloria is over and done with next year, and at least one hopeful has already materialized to make a bid for the …

January 28, 2015
Imperial Bassics

The Martinez brothers say their cue to start their band was an omen. “We found these two guitars sitting right outside a neighbor’s fence,” says Sam Martinez, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist of the Bassics. “It was …

January 28, 2015
True to Ponty

Chris Vitas was still attending Monte Vista High in 1969 when he started playing electric fiddle in Montezuma’s Revenge. Locals remember them as the wacky (the name referenced diarrhea) country band that packed the Del …

January 28, 2015
A historic route used by Indians, Spaniards, and the Jackass Mail

An oriflamme or “golden flame” appeared on the red battle standard of the King of France during the Middle Ages. It is unlikely that Oriflamme Canyon was named for this, although a red banner could …

A flurry of ski and snowboard rental deals

The school offers a stationary carpeted slope and a revolving carpet to help practice skills off the snow.

January 28, 2015
Coolest. Day. Ever.

Dear Hipster: Is there a National Hipster Day or anything like that? — David My sources say, “no.” Poor-taste Facebook group “National Punch a Hipster Day” latched on to a wee bit of interwebs fame …

January 28, 2015
Kevin Macdonald had a sub, E-I-E-I-Oh what a great genre pic!

In addition to being an ace director and swell interview subject, you’ll soon discover that Black Sea helmsman Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void, The Last King of Scotland, State of Play) is no slouch in …

January 28, 2015
Lindbergh’s big bird ride

There was at least one close call between birds and people over San Diego’s Lindbergh Field last summer, according to an August incident report filed with the government’s flight event database by the unidentified captain …

January 28, 2015
Printers that can make (almost) anything

I have always thought that among humankind’s most lofty inventions is the printer — the machine, not the person.

January 28, 2015
He posted, she posted

Watching someone have a meltdown or witnessing a drama unfold by way of updates or comments is just as popcorn-chomping engaging as watching train-wreck reality television.

January 28, 2015
#ironymatters, bae

Dear Hipster: I just thought you should know, the American Dialect Society voted #blacklivesmatter as its Word of the Year. Sorry to the person who was hoping for “selfie stick.” — Anne Selfiestick couldn’t even …

January 28, 2015
Party like it’s 1982 with a new Motet

For those of you who missed out on acts like the Bar-Kays, the Dazz Band, Cameo, or the whole of the semi-disco dance floor ’80s in general, there’s the Motet. Some of you have not …

January 28, 2015
Ill-timed bite

So, we’re catching some tuna, mostly on the troll and on the slide, when the boat is sliding to a stop on a jig-strike, and it’s gray and lumpy on Tanner Bank (southwest of San …

January 28, 2015
When I Have Fears

When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has glean’d my teeming brain, Before high-piled books, in charactery, Hold like rich garners the full ripen’d grain; When I behold, upon …

January 28, 2015
San Diegan Frederic Luddy learned from John Moores

Frederic Luddy rapidly unloaded shares of company he founded, ServiceNow. So did John Moores. Peregrine Redux?

January 28, 2015
Taking pen to paper

The Right to Mow I just finished reading your January 22 cover story, “One in the Gut. One in the Head.” I have to say that I think Mr. Vilkin was railroaded. He was on …

January 28, 2015
Of meals and politics

Final numbers are in for U-T publisher Douglas Manchester’s California political giving during the 2014 election cycle, and they show that the Republican megamillionaire forked over a total of $452,440 to campaign causes around the …

January 28, 2015
Vegan in the steakhouse

Post Title: Getting Vegan Stuffed at Donovan’s Chop House in La Jolla Post Date: December 4, 2014 Yes, I am going to be posting a lot about vegan dining at steak houses. Of course vegans …

January 28, 2015
Singles seeking ears

The Reader’s Local Music Playlist currently features over 1100 playable MP3s, with the following mini-reviews representing several of the most recently uploaded tracks. The Liquorsmiths, “Let It Come”: This new folk-rock trio (which plays House …

January 28, 2015
A story of two tactics

The San Diego Bay Bass Tourney was a success as usual, though the new limit of 14" made it tough. The organizers reduced the total fish from 5 to 3 to keep it fair, but …

January 28, 2015

Tuesday, January 27

Romney selling La Jolla home

The Boston Globe is reporting today that Mitt Romney is selling his La Jolla home. The story has been picked up by inside-Washington media such as Politico. The home has been controversial, and is not …

January 27, 2015
City council's secret high-rise deal

A lot of San Diego's city business is done at a snail's pace, inching slowly through city hall before reaching a city council committee and then the full council for final consideration before an often-contentious …

January 27, 2015
Weekend scramble

With conductors canceling and the San Diego Symphony doing double duty at Symphony Hall and the Civic Theater, it’s time to shuffle things around this week. I want to talk first about Opera on the …

San Diego Opera happy

The San Diego Opera, which went through death throes last year, then recovered, is starting its 50th season in remarkably good shape. Saturday night’s opening of Puccini’s La Bohème was sold out, and Sunday (Super …

Ever-expanding mania

Kahlil Gibran wrote one of the best-selling books of all time. Translated into over 40 languages, The Prophet (1923) records the poetic observations of the Lebanese mystic Almustafa on self-knowledge, good and evil, death, and …

January 27, 2015
Goldsmith loses to Briggs

Emails from city attorney Jan Goldsmith's personal email address discussing city business are public record, ruled Judge Joel Wohlfeil in a January 23 ruling. In his ruling, judge Wohlfeil sided with Cory Briggs/San Diegans for …

January 27, 2015
Satan's spice scale

“The spice scale is one to ten, but three is medium,” said our server. She looked to be in her early twenties, but she worked the tables in the small, crowded space with the easy, …

Alvis to keep up the jailhouse rockin'

The Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District has decided that Alvis J. Bailey will remain in prison. He petitioned to have his life sentence reconsidered. The trial court would have none of it. …

January 27, 2015
Death by bathroom door?

According to her defense attorney’s closing arguments on January 26, Ghazal Mansury went to open the bathroom door, knocked over her mom, and then asked if she was okay; her mom said, “Yes,” so Ghazal …

January 27, 2015
The sing of the line

The Red Rooster is making its way south past Cedros Island en route to the Hurricane Bank and concentrating on the great wahoo fishing along the way. Yesterday, they boated over 100 of one of …

January 27, 2015

Monday, January 26

Pseudo military, super scared

A San Francisco event planner has filed suit against a client company, saying the group arranged to have him assaulted while he was in San Diego organizing an event for the California chapter of Young …

January 26, 2015
Texas to furnish UCSD's racial affairs chief

After years of controversy and one false start, UCSD has gone to Texas for its new vice chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Becky Petitt, currently associate vice president and chief of staff to Christine …

January 26, 2015
Lucky stroke

Last summer, Stefan Reisch was driving west on the I-8 near Waring Road at 9:30 in the morning when it hit. "I thought, Are you having a stroke? But that couldn't be,” he says. "So …

January 26, 2015
East county rounds up pub grub and craft beer

Since Karl Strauss Brewing opened their brew pub on Columbia Street in 1989, craft beer bars have continued to gain popularity and now flood the city. The trend has been slow to spread to surrounding …

Super Bowl lies

Today's (January 26) New York Times carries a story that should help destroy the lie that hosting a Super Bowl is the road to Golconda. The National Football League has perpetuated this falsehood for years, …

January 26, 2015
Net numbers

January 25 dock totals H&M Landing 100 Anglers, 5 Boats, 36 Bonito, 7 Sculpin, 6 Sheephead, 365 Rockfish, 127 Yellowtail, 11 Lingcod, 1 Red Rock Crab, 5 California Spiny Lobster, 42 White Croaker, 7 Sand …

January 26, 2015
Noir the joint

“The truth you wouldn’t see,” says crusty gumshoe Sam Gallahad, “‘till you finally saw too much.” An attractive woman “had a mouth that would have sent Shakespeare thumbing through a thesaurus.” Hardboiled fiction’s always been …

January 26, 2015
New projects for New English

With the rapid growth of so many San Diego brewing companies, it’s easy to lose sight of those following the less-flashy, slow-and-steady model. One such operation, New English Brewing Company (11545 Sorrento Valley Road, #305, …

Sunday, January 25

Hubby got stabbed for makin' whoopee

On Friday (January 23) the Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District said a vengeful spouse was properly denied a jury trial. On June 7, 2012, Tammie Terrell Aldridge (a.k.a. Tammie Terrell Wicker) learned …

January 25, 2015
Better than Disneyland, man

For the second a day in a row, a little after high noon on January 25, San Diego lifeguards and fire rescue personnel rescued a surfer at Sunset Cliffs. Moderately large surf (over head high) …

Weekly fish report

½ Day - ¾ Day: Locally, the ½ day boats are still getting spots of yellowtail on the dropper loop deep, tempting some boats to spend their time metering in hopes of finding them. It …

January 25, 2015

Saturday, January 24

Rhymes about guns

This is the first weekend that Brandon Duncan has seen his family since June 17, when he was taken from his Lincoln Park home and booked into the George Bailey Detention Center. His grandfather died …

January 24, 2015
Musical genius dies at age 25

There is one piece of esoteric music which I wish, above all others, the San Diego Symphony or La Jolla Symphony would perform. That music is Hans Rott’s First Symphony in E major. Rott wrote …

January 24, 2015
What happens when you bring sand to the beach

A group of Imperial Beach homeowners has filed suit against the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the City of Imperial Beach over a 2012 sand-replenishment project gone wrong. The Imperial Beach Shores Homeowners …

Can pork fried rice be considered healthy?

The sign out front said "healthy Chinese food." We'll see about that, I thought. I marched right in and searched for the least healthy item I could think of: barbecue pork fried rice. If someone …

Marshall Hawkins celebrates Daniel Jackson Week!

Monday 26 Melodic piano group Triosence with Bernhard Schuller on the ivories, Ingo Senst on bass, and Stephan Emig on drums arrive in San Diego to play Dizzy’s (4275 Mission Bay Drive) at 8:00 p.m. …

January 24, 2015
Jockstrap rant

Some jockstrap chat sites are running a rumor that the Chargers and Wall Street's Goldman Sachs will team up to build a stadium in Los Angeles. The site rantsports.com ran a brief item on the …

January 24, 2015
January 23 dock totals

Fisherman's Landing 27 Anglers, 1 Boat, 190 Rockfish, 1 Barracuda, 32 Yellowtail, 37 Lingcod H&M Landing 75 Anglers, 3 Boats, 323 Rockfish, 15 Sand Bass, 70 Yellowtail, 1 Sheephead, 2 Lingcod Point Loma Sportfishing 6 …

January 24, 2015

Friday, January 23

Papa Doug is hiring — in Texas

The meaning of last week's shake-up at Douglas Manchester's U-T San Diego, in which honcho Mike Hodges departed to head an internet design and marketing outfit, leaving editor Jeff Light to become president and chief …

January 23, 2015
Listen, this is a life and death matter

Last week, Cardiff-by-the-Sea resident Bob Bonde showed the Encinitas City Council how the city could save $2.5 million. He’s been telling the same story to the council for years. And the city’s firefighter’s union will …

January 23, 2015
Plunged into gluttony at High Dive

There’s nothing like a go-to neighborhood bar that provides great service, a casual vibe, and satisfying pub food. Add 20 craft beer taps and Ballast Point Fugu Vodka on draft and the experience is just …

How about that raise, Boss?

The San Diego County unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in in December, down from a revised 5.8 percent in November, according to the state Employment Development Department. Non-farm jobs grew by 600 in the …

January 23, 2015
Make a wish with Mariachi El Bronx

One year removed from its month-long 25th birthday party, the Casbah celebrated the big two-six by inviting mariachi-punk band Mariachi El Bronx and a sold-out crowd. But the iconic club wasn’t the only one who’d …

January 23, 2015
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, by Belle & Sebastian

There hasn’t been a new Belle & Sebastian record in five years. The Scottish pop group made good use of that time to develop fresh ideas for Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. Sonically, the …

January 23, 2015
Fear for a good neighbor

National City councilmembers voted Wednesday, January 21, to allow the Grill House at Big Ben Specialty Market to run a live-music venue on its new outdoor patio on weekends. "This is the first place like …

January 23, 2015
Beer to the Rescue: Hildegard IIIPA

Last week, I shared news of Beer to the Rescue, a year-long campaign raising funds for the Lupus Foundation of Southern California (LFSC) via sales of specialty beers from local brewing companies. The first of …

January 22 dock totals

H&M Landing 36 Anglers, 1 Boat, 311 Rockfish, 1 Yellowtail, 1 Sand Bass, 1 Lingcod Seaforth Sportfishing 113 Anglers, 3 Boats, 21 Yellowtail, 35 Rockfish New Seaforth 1/2 Day AM with 45 anglers aboard reported …

January 23, 2015

Thursday, January 22

What's poppin? Not corn

Customers coming into the ACE Hardware store on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas are missing something. Something that was as important as the wide selection of nuts and bolts, and friendly advice. The fresh, free, …

January 22, 2015
No more grouch

We continue with our interview of Malcolm MacKenzie. As it turns out, he isn’t so much an old grouch as a father of two who has figured out a way to balance an opera career …

January 22, 2015
Manny Fernandes’ acting bucket list

I’m asking veteran local actors to name five dream roles and say why. The answers not only reveal aspirations, they may put an idea in the minds of artistic directors and producers – even choices …

January 22, 2015
"Beat down" confused as "frolic"

“The first thing he said was, 'You been talking a lot of shit I heard,' then the second thing he said was, 'Get your arm off my girl,'” a taxi driver said during more than …

January 22, 2015
Sheriff joins race for body cameras

After editorial endorsements of police body cameras by Douglas Manchester's U-T San Diego, San Diego sheriff Bill Gore has joined the bandwagon of those looking to hook up the officer-mounted surveillance devices. ”All patrol officers …

January 22, 2015
FBI sting nabs sports agents plotting to screw clients

A San Diego-based FBI sting operation has nabbed two professional sports agents plotting to fleece their clients in an investment scam. The agents are Joseph Vaccaro of New York City's Dynasty Management and Vincent "Vinnie" …

January 22, 2015
Hot prowl burglaries heat up Obecians

In light of the recent seven hot-prowl burglaries in the Ocean Beach community, over 60 people showed up to voice their concerns and offer solutions at what was billed as a “community discussion.” The organizers …

January 22, 2015
Une delight du Escondido

Grand Avenue, downtown Escondido's de facto Main Street, has been (what I consider) blossoming in recent years, with the opening of a good coffee shop (Kettle Coffee & Tea) and a good brewery and taphouse …

Pits ahoy

A pair of pitbulls were found in an otherwise unoccupied sailboat drifting off the coast of La Jolla by local lifeguards on Wednesday, January 21. The boat had been seen anchored near La Jolla Shores …

January 22, 2015
Dog towns

The Normal Heights Community Association is leading a new effort to bring a bona fide dog park to mid-city. The group is set to launch a public relations campaign in hopes of convincing elected officials …

Backcountry to Baja

Awhile back we traveled to Nicaragua. Much of the country’s road systems are inaccessible by car, and if you wanted to explore the interior you were forced to walk, ride a bike or rent a …

Prisoners of lug

At the edge of Del Mar posh — the narrow lanes above Carmel Valley Road that are lined with multi-story houses built for the size and the views — the Cal Fire–led crew of women …

January 22, 2015
Beer Touring: Wavelength Brewing Company

Most of the time, I try to suppress my enthusiasm over checking out new brewing companies, waiting long enough for them to get on their feet and get some brews under their belts before I …

January 22, 2015
Nonstop wahoo action

The Bluefin are still biting out at the Tanner/Cortes Banks. The Tribute, fishing out there right now, has added two more 1.5-day trips departing on Wednesdays. Otherwise, they will be fishing south to Colonet on …

January 22, 2015

Wednesday, January 21

Soviet immigrant shoots neighbor on Encinitas property

“I have been trained to shoot special way, in Russian military,” Vilkin told the jury.

January 21, 2015
Lantern

In the predawn cold and darkness, it was only a pinch of light, not more than a cup of warmth, as a farmer carried it over the snow to the barn where his dozen cows …

January 21, 2015
Sweet suite

How it all started, the composition of a ballet by a career jazz musician: “I have a daughter,” Charles McPherson tells the Reader by phone from his Talmadge home, “who’s a dancer with the San …

January 21, 2015
Thing fingers

“The methods used to make this video and the crazy effect shots are unique and technical and haven’t been seen much before in music videos,” says Tolan Shaw of his new promo clip for “Eyes.” …

January 21, 2015
Not a punk-rock film

“The first record I ever bought?” deadpans John Reis. “It was the Jackson Five’s ‘ABC’.” Sure enough, there’s a faded purple copy of it on the table next to a child’s plastic phonograph player. “I …

January 21, 2015
A lesson in racism?

Arthur Scott, an African-American police sergeant, filed a harassment and discrimination suit yesterday (January 20) against the City of San Diego. Scott, who has been with the San Diego force since 2004, says that discriminatory …

January 21, 2015
Under the eating tent

It’s dark in the Barrio. Seven o’clock, Sunday night. I’m hoofing it along Logan Avenue. Muttering to myself. “Late again...” Because everything is closed. Carla will have eaten. Gotta have something. I hurry past Cuatro …

Familiar but different

“Don’t ask me to work on your car. I don’t currently have the right tools.”

January 21, 2015
March Fourth! to the Belly Up

Like no other marching band you’ve ever seen: March Fourth! blends elements of the horn-band ’70s with gospel, funk, jazz, rock, and the circus into a marching band that does not actually march. This begs …

January 21, 2015
Extension accord

Two ill-fated UCSD music venues, Ché Café and Porter’s Pub, appear to be back in business. The Ché Café is a 35-year-old nonprofit run by a student collective with support of well-connected student alumni. Since …

January 21, 2015
Starry messenger

In a culture where girls are not allowed out at night to observe the skies, how does a tenacious 16-year-old astronomy student like Sepideh Hooshyar even begin to dream of viewing Earth from space? That’s …

January 21, 2015
Between food and flood

Hike through the colorful past in southern Escondido.

January 21, 2015
Blame the boomers

Dear Hipster: Riddle me this: are Millennials hipsters or are hipsters Millennials? — jo jo Myopic culture pundits love to lump the two groups together, but you know the one about all squares being rectangles, …

January 21, 2015
40 percent of North American birds drop in

In 1970, the San Elijo Alliance was formed to oppose development of the San Elijo Lagoon and to convince county and state government the resource need be protected. By 1983, the lagoon was dedicated to …

January 21, 2015
Druggy redux

Last year’s Sun God Festival at UCSD was a real killer. In the early morning hours of May 17, third-year Revelle College computer science student Ricardo “Ricky” Ambriz died following the chronically drug-and alcohol-poisoning-plagued rock …

January 21, 2015
They wanted to rent this joint for $25,000 a month

Current Owners: Daly Family Trust Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 9 Price: $15,750,000 Prospective buyers of the waterfront mansion on San Diego Bay at 2905 Nichols Street in the La Playa neighborhood of Point Loma are invited …

January 21, 2015
Creeping crud

Why had they come? Why had we not been warned? We’d been sharing dishes, tasting drinks; they were laughing and spitting and double-dipping. What the hell?

January 21, 2015
Sports don’t kill people, sports teams kill people

So, it’s Seattle versus New England in the Big Game. Yes, I’m going to watch it, I’ll be with friends, there’ll be booze, food, laughing, and good fellowship. But, I do not fool myself. I …

January 21, 2015
Jesse will kill herself tonight

No theatrical enterprise is risk-free. But staged readings come close. They’re low-priced, come-as-you-are, one-night-only affairs. And actors can read plays too expensive to mount otherwise. Staged readings also have an added bonus — a “what …

January 21, 2015
Another thing that can't be done

Last week I spent some time talking with John, one of the local surfers who also is a kite-surfer. He was lamenting about the probable outcome of the meeting between surfers and kite-surfers that was …

January 21, 2015
Rocket concert-goers app born at Coachella

In April 2013, Ryan Grainger and Bobby Sullivan found themselves faced with a particular First World problem at Coachella. The then-20- and 19-year-old University of San Diego students could not see all 190 performances. Although …

January 21, 2015
Letters and emails and voicemails

Alkaline and Feelin’ Fine I read Barbarella’s interesting article on Diabetes 1 and 2. I use a cookbook called 60 Seconds to Slim by Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, RNCP, ROHP. She maintains the main problem …

January 21, 2015
Musical board seats

After a lengthy wait, term limits are finally kicking in for members of the county Board of Supervisors, opening up a merry-go-round of possibilities for elected officials being termed out of other jobs. Republican state …

January 21, 2015
Vegan forager on the loose

The world needs this vegan friendliness blog.

January 21, 2015
We are encouraged and enlightened

Membership: 500 Pastor: Jim Henkell Age: 42 Born: Chicago Formation: Concordia University, Irvine; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO Years Ordained: 17 SDR: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Pastor Jim Henkell: We tend …

January 21, 2015
I bet you caught ’em all

Dear Hipster: I was born in 1994, and I keep seeing all this “’90s kids will know” stuff on my Twitter and FB feeds. Unfortunately, not a lot of it really applies to me. I …

January 21, 2015
Lures — and patience — tested

I was wondering how things were going in the area lakes this past weekend, and though I got few reports of catches, I didn't get a complete picture. So I thought I'd venture out and …

January 21, 2015

Tuesday, January 20

U-T says "follow Lucchino." Right on!

The U-T has a story today (January 20) with the headline: "Chargers should follow Lucchino's trail." The gist is that if the Chargers had a hustler like Larry Lucchino, a former Padres president (1995–2001), the …

January 20, 2015
Old fogey or keeping it old school?

It’s almost opera season. I sat down to talk with Malcolm MacKenzie, who will be singing the role of Schaunard “the musician” in San Diego Opera’s new production of La Boheme. I asked him about …

January 20, 2015
Matera: no longer the "shame of Italy"

In what is the instep of Italy’s boot, the first forays into Italy from North Africa came to settle in Matera 10,000 years ago. Living quarters were fashioned in both the limestone caves and built …

Bring in the big cats

Civic San Diego is expected to approve the installation of two guardian lion statues at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum downtown. The statues, about ten feet tall including pedestals, will stand on the sidewalks …

Burger chain gang heads to court

On Friday, January 23, a superior-court judge will decide whether a lawsuit filed by a group of North Park residents over the renovation of a Jack in the Box restaurant should go to trial. Last …

January 20, 2015
Green Flash truckin' along

I remember the day I first met Dave Adams. At the time, he was working to meld the wide-ranging array of beers at Churchill’s Pub & Grille with the venue’s evolving cuisine. Within five minutes …

Civil obedience marks the march

Protesters packed a park in City Heights on Sunday, January 18, to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day — away from the traditional downtown parade. Instead, the protesters, speaking out against police brutality, marched from …

January 20, 2015
Okay…we'll take Steve

After two rough-and-tumble meetings, on January 13 the Chula Vista City Council settled on Steve Miesen to fill the seat vacated by Mary Salas. Salas’s council seat became available when she was elected mayor in …

January 20, 2015
Faulconer guru enmeshed in stadium food fight

Already brimming with backstage intrigue, speculation over the ultimate fate of the San Diego Chargers is being fueled by behind-the-scenes activities of a city hall influence peddler and political consultant with close ties to Republican …

January 20, 2015
That's a spicy meatball… and a couple regular ones

I was doing some work in Carmel Mountain and had a little time after to grab lunch. Consulting my phone, I scrolled through a list of familiar names in the area: Panera Bread, California Pizza …

Imagine Mission Beach underwater

Climate change activists from San Diego 350 gathered in Mission Beach on Monday morning, January 19, to give holiday beachgoers a look at what's in store for the neighborhood if sea levels continue to rise …

January 20, 2015

Monday, January 19

Financial freedom, anyone?

Anthony (Tony) Robbins, who bills himself as a life and success coach and self-help author, is out with his first book in more than twenty years: Money: Master the Game — 7 Simple Steps to …

January 19, 2015
Say "uncle," Goldsmith

Tomorrow, San Diego city councilmembers could put an end to the long and expensive legal fight over emails and text messages that councilmember Todd Gloria sent from the council dais between January 1, 2013, and …

January 19, 2015
City contractor payments out of control, auditor says

Based on early returns, 2015 may be shaping up as San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer's year of discontent. Last week, former Bill Clinton aide/current Chargers lobbyist Mark Fabiani made some uncomfortable remarks about the GOP …

January 19, 2015
Sweet pork and salty plum soda

I can't pretend Vietnamese is my favorite Asian cuisine — the meats tend to skew a little sweet for my palate — but I'm down to keep trying new places in the hopes one will …

No shell game in Tijuana

Last Wednesday, January 14, approximately 150 tijuanenses met early in the morning at the Tijuana Cultural Center to debate the proposed razing of the Puerta Mexico, a peculiar building that serves as a bridge and …

January 19, 2015
AleSmith & Mikkeller’s geeky collab

It’s nice to imagine two guys who are now giants of the craft brewing movement meeting as homebrewers and forming a lifelong friendship. My, my — the conversations, ideas, and techniques Peter Zien and Mikkel …

January 19, 2015
Leviathans in the lagoon

January 18 Dock totals Chubasco 2 Sportfishing 14 Anglers, 1 Boat, 2 California Yellowtail H&M Landing 100 Anglers, 6 Boats, *30 California Spiny Lobster, 125 Yellowtail, 354 Rockfish, 77 Whitefish, 30 Bocaccio, 20 Bonito, 6 …

January 19, 2015

Sunday, January 18

Triumph of the natives

When my husband and I moved into our San Diego home, our landscape was “drought tolerant” and “low maintenance” — with ice plant in the back and concrete in the front. It was terribly sterile, …

Suckling at the pump

On the morning of January 16, the Escondido Vons gas station at 469 W. Felicita Avenue, at the corner of South Centre City Parkway, posted a price of $2.09/gallon for regular — a price far …

January 18, 2015
First look: Good Life Eatery

Still open limited weekend hours after its first week in business, North Park's Good Life Eatery feels like a winner. There's been a lot of coffee-shop-type turnover at this location over the years, so I …

Rock fishin' in the free world

January 17 dock totals Fisherman's Landing 30 Anglers, 1 Boat, 31 Lingcod, 142 Rockfish, 108 Yellowtail H&M Landing 114 Anglers, 5 Boats, 17 Sculpin, 6 Lingcod, 45 Yellowtail, 83 Rockfish, 31 Bonito, 1 Barracuda, 1 …

January 18, 2015

Saturday, January 17

Playboy + Poway + Party + Pot + Police = Perfection

STATEMENT FROM THE 2015 AWARDS JURY: When you think of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, you think of Watergate. You think of the Pentagon Papers. You think of exposés on corporate malfeasance or war crimes or police …

What about that Spanos money?

The City of San Diego has an infrastructure deficit of well over $2 billion, and that doesn't include critical projects tied to the water shortage, climate change, and many other things. You can easily double …

January 17, 2015
Rienzi: failed politician, failed opera

The esoteric pick of the week continues in the German tradition with Wagner’s Rienzi. This was Wagner’s first “successful” opera even though it was the third he wrot,e and it has not entered into the …

January 17, 2015
Veggiejuana: Bowling for 'ritos

Bol Corona Avenida Ocampo between Tercera and Cuarta, Centro, Tijuana San Diegans are often surprised to discover that our beloved, bulky, bountiful burritos are nowhere to be found in Tijuana. In fact, the Northern Mexico …

Less Briggs, more potholes, says Goldsmith

City attorney Jan Goldsmith is on the offensive, publicly calling out attorney Cory Briggs for his opposition to a public financing plan used to pay for infrastructure repairs and public services. On January 15, the …

January 17, 2015
Stars of 2014

The San Diego Performing Arts League announced the volunteers it will honor at the 22nd Star Awards Ceremony, on January 26. Every year, 40 arts organizations select a volunteer for special recognition. SCPAL President D. …

What's new with the ole swimmin hole?

December rain delayed the reopening of the La Mesa municipal pool and spa until February 2. The weather caused a delay in work to replace a portion of the pool deck, according to a January …

January 17, 2015
Wadada Leo Smith: Wednesday at UCSD!

Tuesday 20 Flutist Lori Bell will be appearing with guitarist Ron Satterfield at Croce’s Park West (2760 Fifth Avenue) from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. No cover charge. Wednesday 21 Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith with Anthony …

January 17, 2015
All that…and less

Prior to my Lupus diagnosis, doctors attempted to determine the cause of my symptoms, which included severe stomach pains and other gastrointestinal distress. At one point, they speculated that I might be gluten-intolerant. My heart …

Looking for the elusive yellowtail

January 16 dock totals H&M Landing 32 Anglers, 1 Boat, 11 Whitefish, 139 Rockfish Point Loma Sportfishing 36 Anglers, 2 Boats, 4 Sand Bass, 6 Sculpin, 2 Calico Bass, 15 Bonito, 9 Yellowtail, 2 Lingcod …

January 17, 2015

Friday, January 16

Mark Fabiani's San Diego takedown

Ex–car dealer and real estate magnate Steve Cushman is a powerful member of the local Republican establishment who has left his fingerprints on everything from the Mission Valley master plan to the costly 1996 taxpayer-backed …

January 16, 2015
Down south in Estero La Bocana, Baja Sur

Dolphins play near the shore at sunrise, whiplashing their tails to form a sand circle to entrap their breakfast. The panicked fish jump up directly into the dolphins' mouths – a nature event I'd only …

La Jolla High fights brain pain

On October 22 of last year, a La Jolla High football player - Vision of San Diego calls him "Blaine" - suffered a concussion after an on-field collision. What happened next has been the source …

City's Secret: Happy hour even students can afford

This is where professors come to start affairs with their students. Okay, kidding. But it's easy to imagine. This dive called The Hive sits right across the street from City College. It has a kind …

Condition: bleak

Sweetwater Union High School District’s new trustees are picking their way slowly through real estate land mines bequeathed to them by the previous administration. On January 12, the district held a workshop on several items, …

January 16, 2015
Harp attack!

Never let it be said that San Diego isn’t a blues town. To start the year off with a bang, Big Jon Atkinson brought some of his friends together for a winter blast of blues …

January 16, 2015
Reality, Encinitas style

Encinitas may soon be the star in a new TV show. A pilot for a proposed “reality” series, entitled “Life on the Lot,” follows the lives of Gene and Karen Ventura; owners of EZ Cars …

January 16, 2015
Scholastic Surf Series results

DIVISION 5 HIGH SCHOOL SURFING JANUARY 11, 2015 - LA JOLLA SHORES San Diego High School Division 5 completed their third event of the season in 2 to 3 foot waves. Conditions were dripping wet …

January 16, 2015
Leonard Cohen's Popular Problems

“Slow” opens and sets the tone — not, oddly enough, a tone of “slow” but a statement of intense personal vision, with humor, with openness, but only partial openness. This is how I’m doing things, …

January 16, 2015
San Diego loves a real estate bubble

Despite a soft market statewide, San Diego home values and sales volume continued to creep up as 2014 drew to a close, new numbers released this week indicate. Analysts fear, however, that high prices are …

January 16, 2015
Meet Thr3e Punk Ales

John Marshall, Kevin Lewis, and Steve Garcia have lived and breathed brewing and punk rock for years. They look back to the emergence and rise of numerous local punk acts during the late nineties and …

January 16, 2015
Midweek fishing report

The half day boats went out looking for meter marks and the yellows they found earlier this week and picked a few. Thus, the low counts on rockfish and such. They're around and up and …

January 16, 2015

Thursday, January 15

Oscar® poop

The brilliance of this morning’s roll call of Oscar® nominations began and ended with Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs soon-to-be forever infamous howler of a misspeak. I’m all for retromingency, but Dick Poop instead of …

January 15, 2015
Not just a bump in the road

El Cajon Boulevard is far from being considered a pedestrian-friendly street. The mid-city thoroughfare from Park Boulevard to 33rd Street is busy with popular hotels, bars, and restaurants. But for people who have to rely …

January 15, 2015
Relax, it'll all make sense

La Boheme is the first opera of the still-in-existence San Diego Opera. Boheme is generally considered the world’s favorite opera and there is good reason for that. The story is moving and the music is …

January 15, 2015
Comcast to steal Centerplate’s Qualcomm deal?

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, trying to palatably package a billion-dollar-plus Chargers venue, is set to award a new food-and-beverage contract for Qualcomm Stadium, with some of his major campaign donors are already pitching hard …

January 15, 2015
Public relations — er, utilities commission chief speaks

At a meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today (January 15), the new president, Michael Picker, acknowledged that the agency has had ethical problems and pledged reform. Picker conceded that there "is uncertainty …

January 15, 2015
And the band droned on

A bill introduced this week by Arizona senators John McCain and Jeff Flake seeks to put the brakes on plans to expand the use of surveillance drones along the U.S./Mexico border. Questions have been raised …

January 15, 2015
They haul meat

Since three local scientists studying golden eagles started trying to catch the birds in October — to swab them for DNA and pathogens and release them with a GPS transmitter attached — they've gone through …

Situation abnormal — all fracked up

Environmental activists packed a meeting hall at King-Chavez Community High School downtown on Monday night, January 12, for the first stop of the California Crossroads Tour, meant to raise awareness and pressure state government to …

January 15, 2015
Dana Hooley’s acting bucket list

I’m asking veteran local actors to name five dream roles and say why. The answers not only reveal aspirations, they may put an idea in the minds of artistic directors and producers — even choices …

January 15, 2015
Q is gone, Fresh Air survives

Former rock singer Jian Ghomeshi was fired by Q producer CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) in October when former lady friends claimed he got violent with them during sex. San Diego’s top-rated public radio station initially …

January 15, 2015
Beer to the rescue

The first time I heard about lupus was when a dear friend informed me their nephew had died from it. Needless to say, the term lupus stuck with me after that, but it wasn’t for …

January 15, 2015
Mayor Faulconer's folly

In his state of the city address yesterday evening (January 14), mayor Kevin Faulconer said he wants to repair long-neglected infrastructure, take action on expansion of the convention center, and build a stadium for the …

January 15, 2015

Wednesday, January 14

At 18 months old, he was one of the youngest people with type 1 diabetes in San Diego County

"My son didn't develop this because we gave him Twinkies and Coke."

January 14, 2015
Without freedom the soul dies

Freedom is a need of the soul, and nothing else. It is in striving toward God that the soul strives continually after a condition of freedom. God alone is the inciter and guarantor of freedom. …

Sports under duress

Playing a sport under duress changes the experience. The amount of change depends on the type and intensity of duress. Starting from the low end of the scale: the Duress of Indecision. A friend calls …

January 14, 2015
Common denominator

Halloween 2013 was a good day for Oscar Carrion and Andre Flores. That’s the day the duo, who make up the band Citrus, finally scared up a vocalist after ten years of playing together. “We’ve …

January 14, 2015
But the spirit of 76 lives on

An unsightly, out-of-business 76 gas station on Carlsbad’s Tamarack Drive/I-5 exit was demolished last week. The final demolition, removal of the 40-foot-high sign with the orange 76-ball logo, was taken down on January 11. The …

January 14, 2015
Craigslist-core

The core of post-hardcore screamo/metal band Weight of the Sun was powered and created by Craigslist. The group, formerly known as Chanauk, not only found their lead singer, David Martin, by posting an ad on …

January 14, 2015
Ms. Cole’s defense

A legal-defense fund benefiting Democratic city councilwoman Myrtle Cole was in the hole $42,159 at the end of September, according to a disclosure statement filed by the committee on December 19. The account was set …

January 14, 2015
One for the hate file

Dear Hipster: I think I found a loophole in your hipsters don’t ski hypothesis. I went to Mammoth for a ski trip, and I totally saw a hipster there...snowboarding! Hipsters may not ski, but they …

January 14, 2015
Beanvasion

Order coffee in a San Diego café or restaurant, odds are you will be drinking local coffee. In a survey of 60 local businesses, I found about two-thirds of them buy beans from local roasters, …

January 14, 2015
Kevin Hart and Josh Gad are a pair of ringers

The lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel was packed with press eager and curious to spend 15 minutes in the service of Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and their new R-rated comedy The Wedding Ringer. The …

January 14, 2015
Gold Rush–era gluttony in Little Italy

“This used to be a brothel upstairs and liquor place down here.”

Tower of Power has new music coming

Forty-six years. “Actually, 46 and a half,” Doc Kupka says by phone from New York. He’s the baritone sax player and cofounder of soul band Tower of Power, which started in Oakland, California. I wonder …

January 14, 2015
Soon, frogs will be serenading in Cottonwood Creek

Cottonwood Creek Falls offers a restful setting in a deep East County canyon.

Koudelka was into enormity

An enormous crowd pushes against an advancing tank, as if to deny its force.

January 14, 2015
Resurrection buzz

Could 2015 be the year that Street Scene (or something like it) comes back to life? The resurrection buzz comes with the arrival of the Kaaboo Festival September 18–20 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The …

January 14, 2015
Caught between a hug and a hard place

Some people don’t need a hug.

January 14, 2015
Interview with American Sniper actor (and San Diegan!) Ben Reed

Matthew Lickona: In the film, you play Wayne Kyle, father to the deadliest sniper in American history. Ben Reed: It was a great opportunity for me because it kind of sets the tone for who …

January 14, 2015
Bitch

Now, when he and I meet, after all these years, I say to the bitch inside me, don’t start growling. He isn’t a trespasser anymore, Just an old acquaintance tipping his hat. My voice says, …

January 14, 2015
Don’t let your kid grow up fat

“We made butternut squash mac ’n’ cheese, with squash substituting for cream. The kids were blown away.”

January 14, 2015
Hirshman’s hustle

San Diego State University has lately seen its share of sexual violence on campus, but the school’s ambitious fundraising efforts, closely supervised by president Elliot Hirshman, appear to remain unaffected. Hirshman’s $400,000-plus yearly pay has …

January 14, 2015
Own Halloween (and some Danzig fans)

Dear Hipster: I’m reading a book about a race of robots that live on another planet, and they have technology that can print an impermanent copy of anything that exists. The copies fade away, but …

January 14, 2015
New sewer lines or new stadium fro San Diego? Your choice.

All recognize the infrastructure is ailing. Still, a subsidized stadium for a billionaire family may well prevail.

January 14, 2015
Did he say free beer?

Like cable and cell-phone providers, promoters increasingly turn to “bundling” to attract a wide selection of customers. Events like the Exchange series offer a variety-show format that mixes music, spoken word, comedy, foodie fare, and …

January 14, 2015
From you to us

Letter from the City Attorney’s Office Readers of your December 25 cover story “Taxi Driver” were shortchanged of information about the case, and so may not understand why the City Attorney’s Office decided to dismiss …

January 14, 2015
Whale-watching weekend

Each winter, 20,000 Pacific gray whales pass by the California coast after spending the summer feeding in the food-rich waters of the Arctic. The grays swim south along the coast to the lagoons of Baja …

January 14, 2015
The black woman’s fall from grace

The cornerstone of our humanity is the black woman.

January 14, 2015
Trade squid for seabass

The Premier 1/2 Day AM run with 27 Anglers aboard reported 2 Lingcod, 18 Ocean Whitefish, 60 Sanddab, 1 California Scorpionfish and175 Rockfish 27 Anglers aboard the New Seaforth 1/2 Day AM run caught 31 …

January 14, 2015

Tuesday, January 13

Rake in $1 million a year! Pay no taxes!

Encinitas osteopath Dr. James Francis Murphy today (January 13) was sentenced to four years in prison and his wife, Denine Christine Murphy got a year under house arrest for paying almost no federal income taxes …

January 13, 2015
Spark up the flute

Los Angeles–based jazz-fusion flute player Tim Weisberg may not have ever resided in San Diego, but he credits the city as having had an impact on his career, at the beginning and recently. Appearing at …

January 13, 2015
Classical California gold

Here’s a quick rundown of some upcoming classical music events of note. The San Diego Museum of Art is holding the first a monthly series of concerts on Thursday, January 15 at 7 p.m. The …

Mom killer gets 25 to life

“I think the jury got it wrong, and so we are asking you to sit as the 13th juror,” the defense attorney for Bryan Chenhua Chang said to a judge today, January 13. The attorney …

January 13, 2015
Another shake-up hits U-T San Diego

As Republican mayor Kevin Faulconer gets set to roll out his agenda in this year's state of the city speech — including possible word about a public funding scheme for a new Chargers stadium — …

January 13, 2015
Kids, crayons, and cookies welcome

Forty-one years after the January 9, 1974, opening of the San Carlos branch library, patrons can eat, drink, and talk in the library. Those activities are allowed, and food and beverages are provided, in the …

January 13, 2015
Veggiejuana: innovative urban Baja on wheels

Telefónica Gastro Park Avenida Ocampo between Boulevard Agua Caliente and Calle 11, Tijuana, Baja California. Telefónica Gastro Park, one of the city’s more recent groovy grub hubs, puts innovative urban chow on wheels. The downtown …

New border entry planned east of Otay

San Diego is poised to get the first new Southwest border port of entry in at least 30 years, and it's being built as a toll crossing with the main goal of improving commercial-truck wait …

January 13, 2015
Screwed choo-choo

Ties between Metropolitan Transit System and the operator of the binational railroad continue to come undone. The latest derailment for Pacific Imperial Railroad, the company that leases the 70-mile stretch of track from Campo to …

January 13, 2015
Intermittent pleasure

Earnest intentions, not fully realized. There’s about 35 minutes of solid entertainment and edification in Herbert Siguenza’s 90-plus minute tribute to Abbie Hoffman, activist, co-founder of the Youth International Party (aka. the “Yippies”), and media …

Bluff collapse

A bluff collapse hit below the San Elijo State Campground in Cardiff-by-the Sea on Friday, January 9. No one was injured below. Cheryl, who walks daily along the beach, said she walking down the wooden …

Plugs, bombs, feathers, and bait

January 12 dock totals 31 anglers aboard the Premier 1/2 Day AM run off Point Loma kelp found some croaker, catching *262 Rockfish, 14 White Seabass and 1 Lingcod* The New Seaforth 1/2 Day AM …

January 13, 2015

Monday, January 12

"That was good" — yes, very good

As mentioned, Edo de Waart made his San Diego Symphony debut this past weekend. I attended the Sunday afternoon concert of January 11. The format of the concert was typical: overture, concerto, large symphonic piece. …

Spotlight on Larsen Field

After years of community efforts, eight 90-foot light towers were installed at Larsen Field in San Ysidro, which means neighborhood kids can now play baseball, football, and soccer after dark. San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, …

January 12, 2015
Prison magnate among mayoral heavy-hitters

Before it closed its doors late last week, Kevin Faulconer's 2014 mayoral election committee filled its coffers with a round of post-election fundraising from a host of special interests, a disclosure report filed January 10 …

January 12, 2015
Nice soup, but where're my wontons?

Rainy days are bad enough, but when it's both a cold and rainy evening I respond like any self-respecting Southern Californian: by ordering Thai soup delivery. This time I opted for the Horton Plaza-adjacent Mint …

Please, no Encore

Encore Capital Group, a publicly held San Diego company that buys bad debt cheaply and then pressures debtors to cough up, agreed Friday, January 9, to reform. The company reached agreement with the State of …

January 12, 2015
Wanted: New CPUC president's erased emails

This morning (January 12), Maria Severson of the law firm Aguirre & Severson will call for an immediate forensic investigation of all erased correspondence on the computers of the new California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) …

January 12, 2015
Beer Touring: Rip Current Brewing North Park

To some, it seems like Rip Current Brewing Company’s revamping of the North Park corner spot at 30th Street and Polk Avenue took virtually no time at all. Not so for the people anxiously awaiting …

January 12, 2015
Anglers aboard

January 11 dock totals Chubasco 2 Sportfishing 25 Anglers, 1 Boat, 23 California Scorpionfish, 4 Barred Sand Bass, 2 Kelp Bass, 1 California Spiny Lobster Released H&M Landing 93 Anglers, 4 Boats, 210 Rockfish, 1 …

January 12, 2015

Sunday, January 11

An Amtrak-Airbnb American (and Canadian) adventure

Weary of going through another airport security line? Enchanted by an early morning train whistle hurtling to points unknown? With airline costs continuing to rise, I set out to try a new, more economical cross-country …

Growers wanted

A new progress report on farm-to-school food programs, released December 19, indicates that more than one-third of children in San Diego are overweight or obese. For many children, eating a lot of processed foods means …

January 11, 2015
On the chew

Weekly Fish Report ½ Day - ¾ Day: Only a couple half-day boats a day fishing the local kelp daily and a few three-quarter day boats made it out this week to the Coronado Islands. …

January 11, 2015
Superfoods for a healthier new year

Pretty much every New Year of my adult life, I've resolved to eat better. Of course, each year the idea of what it means to eat better changes, depending which nutritional study has prevalence. The …

Bang a drum with red fish blue fish at Bread & Salt

Monday 12 Get your jazz week started with a free noontime concert by the Rob Thorsen Trio with Kamau Kenyatta on piano and Richard Sellers on drums at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 …

January 11, 2015
Local teen disappointed in Natural History Museum's King Tut exhibit

"Totes lame," says 15-year-old Kris Kendall of Serra Mesa of his experience at The Discovery of King Tut, a touring recreation of King Tut's tomb and treasures that is currently on exhibit at the San …

Saturday, January 10

Mignon isn't just a cut of beef

Esoteric pick of the week: Requiem für Mignon by Robert Schumann. Schumann is not an esoteric composer, but Mignon is definitely a specialized topic of interest. In Europe she is considered the most successful heroine …

January 10, 2015
A desire named StreetCar

Doughnuts seem to be having a bit of a moment, but despite my sweet tooth and love for anything deep fried, I've never been much of a doughnut person. I've never swooned over a flashing …

Horton's at the door

An edgy Chula Vista council meeting on January 8 ended with the council’s failure to appoint anyone to the seat vacated by Mary Casillas Salas when she was elected mayor in November. At the same …

January 10, 2015
Walmart takes on Target Clinics with "Self-Health" Centers

"Frankly, I don't know what the competition was thinking on this one," says Ben Applebaum, Chief Medical Officer at Walmart, Inc. "I mean, it makes sense for Target to offer in-store health-care services to its …

Gas-price bloat

With gas prices falling every day in San Diego, averaging $2.63 a gallon on January 9 (according to gasbuddy.com), motorists may wonder why nine stations in the county seem to be bucking the declining-price trend. …

Sculpin back on the menu

January 9 dock totals Chubasco 2 Sportfishing 28 Anglers, 1 Boat, 48 California Scorpionfish, 10 Barred Sand Bass, 1 Kelp Bass H&M Landing 33 Anglers, 1 Boat, 215 Rockfish, 1 Lingcod, 1 Sculpin, 1 Sheephead, …

January 10, 2015
Oceanside Ale Works’ sour surprise

San Diegans are fortunate to have a wealth of local sour beer options. Though lambics, gueuzes, Flemish reds and browns, and the like are quite en vogue, increased labor, costs, and lengthy maturation cycles make …

Go plant a native

The City of Carlsbad has partnered with the California State Parks to improve the bluffs between Frazee and Tamarack State beaches. Non-native plants have been removed, trash and debris cleared, and a new irrigation system …

January 10, 2015

Friday, January 9

Vaya con Dios, Miguelito

For 16 days, seven-year-old Miguel Beltrán battled for his life from a bed in Tijuana General Hospital, the victim of a crime so horrendous that it shocked even the most battle-hardened residents of this violence-prone …

January 9, 2015
Friday night lights (out!)

San Diego Unified School District is changing their game plan when it comes to renting newly built high-school sports fields out to third-party groups. By doing so, the district hopes to avoid another costly legal …

Unions declare San Diego wage war

San Diego and its national reputation for whale shows, golden sunsets, and big-money insider politics now has another distinction. At least that appears to be the message of labor-union bigwigs who staged what they called …

January 9, 2015
The Koala and Charlie Hebdo

The closest thing San Diego has had to French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo would have to be the Koala, UCSD’s sometimes profane student-run humor paper. Twelve people, including key Charlie Hebdo staffers, were murdered this …

January 9, 2015
Some of that Mexican drug-dealer money

For five years, a San Diego–area confidential informant worked for Don Rodmel, a San Diego–based federal agent conducting money-laundering investigations. As part of the job, Rodmel confiscated hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash that …

January 9, 2015
Shawarma goes fast at Poway's North Park Produce

Anybody who's been to North Park Produce knows it's a reliable source for Mediterranean foods, whether you're jonesing for good baba ghanoush or want to stock up on fresh pitas (usually both, in my case). …

White Labs expanding to Asheville

San Diego is considered the epicenter for American craft beer, so it makes sense the city is also home to the country’s leading yeast production company. White Labs has experienced phenomenal growth in tandem with …

Nocturnal meditations in the key of jazz

San Diego composer Joe Garrison has reemerged into the local jazz scene in the past few years, and his concert at the Loft in La Jolla made waves with the full-house assembled to witness the …

January 9, 2015
"Pull over" interpreted as "speed up"

“I’ve arrested him in past,” Escondido police officer John Grohn said in court on January 8. “As soon as I saw him, I knew who it was.” Officer Grohn testified at a hearing for Juan …

January 9, 2015
New social media app blows up among teens

Authorities investigating the Instagram threat that led to last Monday's lockdown and early dismissal at Carlsbad High School say they are not yet ready to name a suspect. But they do believe they have figured …

You need wheels, right?

A 23-year-old El Cajon woman who managed to fraudulently purchase nearly $200,000 worth of vehicles has been arrested and faces multiple charges related to the spending spree. According to a report from Lt. Frank La …

January 9, 2015

Thursday, January 8

Move along, people...just a retirement party

In the early afternoon on January 8, 25 clean and shiny San Diego police motorcycles parked in formation in front of La Paloma Theatre and the D Street Bar & Grill. Those passing by on …

January 8, 2015
Inconsistent beauty at Rama

I love Thai food almost as much as I love Mexican, but both cuisines suffer from the same problem: It’s really good and (often) really cheap, which makes it hard to justify shelling out more …

Butterfly reborn

My leisure reading of late has been all about Japan. I'm not sure why I've been reading the bestsellers of the past such as Memoirs of a Geisha and Shogun but they have both made …

January 8, 2015
Kennedy assassin to remain in San Diego

One of San Diego's most notorious inmates will remain behind the walls of the state's Donovan Correctional Facility here following a federal judge's ruling that evidence of a possible conspiracy does not absolve Sirhan Bishara …

January 8, 2015
The people must be heard every day

San Diego residents will soon be given an opportunity to speak on non-agenda issues at every city-council hearing, as California's open-meeting law intended. During a January 13 hearing, city councilmembers are expected to approve adding …

January 8, 2015
A most excellent bass

Apparently, there is still a lot of water in the 64-66 degree range up there, the warmest being on the 432 spot due south of Tanner and west of the Mushroom. Predicted light winds and …

January 8, 2015
Happy 100th "beer"thday, Balboa Park

The 100th anniversary of Balboa Park is a pretty cool thing. You know what would make it even cooler? A beer brewed to commemorate that milestone. But not just any beer. How about a San …

January 8, 2015

Wednesday, January 7

Record-release roundup

Marujah’s release party for Gringolandia happens Thursday, January 8, hosted by Tim Pyles at Mary Jane’s, inside the downtown Hard Rock Hotel. “Gringolandia is the story of the musical melting pot and the influence of …

January 7, 2015
Westinghouse aims to cork up the nuke juice

Westinghouse Electric Company, successor to the company that brought the first nuclear reactor online at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in 1968, announced on Monday, January 5, that it will now seek the contract for …

January 7, 2015
The Lord really spoke to us

Membership: 200 Pastor: Carolyn Nichols Age: 81 Born: San Bernardino Formation: University of La Verne, La Verne; Claremont Graduate University, Claremont; the King’s Seminary, Van Nuys Years Ordained: 22 San Diego Reader: What is your …

January 7, 2015
Don’t rule out the Flesh Eaters

It’s far too soon to rule out the Flesh Eaters. By now, the band members are all on the verge of being old, but no matter. What they bring to the stage is about 200 …

January 7, 2015
I am the Delta Lady

“Joe was very private, almost shy. I think the reason why he drank and did the other stuff was to bring himself out.”

January 7, 2015
Yeti again

It’s been eight years since Doña Pancha Fest held their first fringe showcase at a brothel in Tecate, featuring the zebra-costumed Anal Core and Los Nuevos Maevans, whose air-guitar old-school punk jams have become a …

January 7, 2015
Del Martian bust-out

A major battle over the fate of the Del Mar Fairgrounds may be shaping up in Sacramento later this year, judging from a description of work filed by Capitol Strategic Advisors, lobbyists for the 22nd …

January 7, 2015
Ancient rock music

When guitarist Sergio Estrada and the band Relax Max take the House of Blues stage January 9 with fellow rockers the 6ONE9 band and Madman and Arena, he expects to see a lot of his …

January 7, 2015
Blade Runner and more at Landmark’s Ken Cinema

With nothing but Oscar-bait currently damming up local multiplexes, there is no time like the present to take advantage of a week of classic films starting Friday, January 9, at Landmark’s Ken Cinema. My original …

January 7, 2015
Ure legacy

If Midge Ure were a fictional character in a movie about musicians, his real-life career would seem nothing short of impossible. Most performers would give their right arm to have one successful group, but Ure’s …

January 7, 2015
Q is the key

Dear Hipster: My mother-in-law incessantly lords her board-game superiority over me. How do I get better at SCRABBLE? — Brandon I’d like to go on the record that this is a poor use for my …

January 7, 2015
Step back in time at Santa Rosa Plateau

Hike along a boardwalk to a vernal pool.

January 7, 2015
Voilà, instant burger

“This place is old-fashioned, like a Cairo café. We don’t do loud music and DJs.”

Say, what happened with that whole Ray Rice thing?

We are deep into the NFL playoffs and villagers feel the energy. Big like for the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers making it to the second round. Cowboys-Packers should be good, Broncos-Colts, Ravens-Patriots set up nicely, and …

January 7, 2015
Burning cool

Dear Hipster: Why the hell do hipsters feel compelled to gather so much useless knowledge to themselves? What’s the point in memorizing the characters and actors from a questionable 1990s sitcom? — Amy, North Park …

January 7, 2015
First he sold diapers at Kobey's Swap Meet

When Jon Carder became a multimillionaire at the age of 26, his mother thought he was a drug dealer. “For a good four years, she thought for sure I was selling drugs. I bought a …

January 7, 2015
Hype meets reality

Back in November, San Diego mayor and former public relations man Kevin Faulconer heralded the arrival of Maksim Pecherskiy in a glowing news release. “Maksim is a perfect fit for the role of Chief Data …

January 7, 2015
KKK adopts a highway

Post Title: KKK Post Date: January 5, 2014 Driving country roads in the Ozarks, maybe the late ’80s. We took notice of a sign crediting the KKK for maintaining the next two miles in a …

January 7, 2015
Year of the ... selfie stick?

Dear Hipster: I went ice skating a little while ago, and this group of teenagers had a selfie stick that they were using to take pictures of themselves not skating (because they were too busy …

January 7, 2015
Fourteen levels of warmth

If you live anywhere north of Santa Barbara, you always wear a wetsuit. When you get up to Oregon and Washington it does not matter what the season might be — you will be in …

January 7, 2015
“Experience the magic" of five bedrooms and eight baths

Former Owners: Hughes & Sheila Potiker Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 8 Price: $14,500,000 Listing materials touting the oceanfront property at 9046 La Jolla Shores Lane — situated on the northern bluffs of La Jolla within a …

January 7, 2015
Mark Potter, founder of the Center for Disability Access, files suits

Even chair people say frivolous lawsuits don’t help their cause.

January 7, 2015
New year, new letters

The Equation of a Straight Line I didn’t read the story yet, but on the cover of “I’m Judo Math Dude” (January 1) there is a mathematical mistake. Directly below the R in Reader, there …

January 7, 2015
Lights, action, politics

The County of San Diego is getting ready to shoot a series of video extravaganzas extolling the recreational amenities of the south of Interstate 8 supervisorial district represented by Republican Greg Cox. “The San Diego …

January 7, 2015
Where to kayak: San Diego Bay — Chula Vista

Launch: Concrete boat ramp Parking: Large lot adjacent to boat ramp Access: Southern end of San Diego Bay, turtle coves to south, cross to Coronado Cays. Conditions: Easy flat-water conditions in the morning, wind and …

January 7, 2015
To the New Year

With what stillness at last you appear in the valley your first sunlight reaching down to touch the tips of a few high leaves that do not stir as though they had not noticed and …

January 7, 2015
January 6 fishing report

Only a couple boats made it out yesterday to the kelp beds. The New Seaforth 1/2 Day PM run with 15 Anglers aboard reported *3 California Yellowtail, 25 Pacific Mackerel, 2 Pacific Bonito, and 1 …

January 7, 2015

Tuesday, January 6

Developer vs. developer, continued

Nicolas Marsch, onetime La Jolla socialite and wealthy real estate developer, is apparently writing a book about his nemesis, Florida-based big builder Lennar Corp. Up until recently, Marsch had a website touting his purported book, …

Performances of note

I wasn’t able to go to every concert or event in 2014 but of those I did attend, here are some highlights. Since I was in Un ballo in Maschera and Verdi’s Requiem I did …

January 6, 2015
Observatory North Park

The story of the Observatory’s arrival as one of Orange County’s top music venues started when a computer systems installer named Jon Reiser decided he had grown out of the 300-capacity Detroit Bar, a club …

January 6, 2015
Will Walmart hubby take Chargers away?

A lot of hand-wringing is going on over at U-T San Diego, owned by wealthy Republican real estate mogul Doug Manchester, about a Los Angeles–area stadium proposal by Stan Kroenke. "The St. Louis Rams owner …

Sir Neville out, de Waart in

Sir Neville Marriner, known to many as the founder of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, was supposed to be conducting the San Diego Symphony on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of this week. …

San Diego's job market sucks

San Diego is among the five United States cities with the lowest number of job opportunities, according to WalletHub, a statistics-compiling organization that reports on cities and states. San Diego is the best of the …

Desert Line deal derails

The binational Desert Line may soon be deserted by Pacific Imperial Railroad, the company that leases the 70-mile track stretching from the border near Campo to Plaster City. Pacific Imperial, according to a statement from …

January 6, 2015
Hillcrest boba station open on Fifth Ave

Does anyone remember when “bubble tea” was the new hotness? The raging popularity of milk tea loaded with swollen tapioca balls created a niche market overnight, and opened the gate for a bubble bubble, so …

Gargantuan grocery-store shakeup

The merger between Albertsons supermarkets and the parent company of Vons — Safeway — will cause the closing of numerous stores in San Diego County, it was recently announced. To avoid lack-of-competition pressure from the …

January 6, 2015
Big Jon puts his harp where his mouth is

Big Jon Atkinson is putting his blues where his harp is. This Southern boy, a recent San Diego transplant, is getting together with a few of his friends to throw a blues party on Saturday, …

January 6, 2015
Maybe would-be cop-killer unsuccessful

Sheriff's deputies arrested an El Cajon man on Monday, January 5, who reportedly called the station in order to issue death threats, promising to kill any law-enforcement officials who responded to his call. Shortly after …

January 6, 2015

Monday, January 5

San Diego lawyer helps defend Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

San Diego lawyer Judy Clarke has an almost perfect batting average. She represented Ted Kaczynski, called the Unabomber; Jared Lee Loughner, who shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; Zacarias Moussaoui, 9/11 suspect; and Susan Smith, who murdered …

January 5, 2015
Following the devil in Anza-Borrego

Mud walls towered over us as we twisted and turned down the narrow canyon. Smoke trees scraped the truck where they leaned in over the rutted track, and a couple of times there was a …

Baja losing U.S.-born tourists

During 2014, Baja California tourism struggled to recover from multiple setbacks but was buoyed by visitors of Mexican-American descent, according to a year-end report by the state secretary of tourism. During 2014, 52 percent of …

January 5, 2015
Juan Vargas's family funding values

It's time again for safely reelected House member Juan Vargas to be out shaking his big-money trees for the Democrat's annual "Torrey Pines Golf and Family Weekend." With contributions starting at $1500 for "sponsor" and …

January 5, 2015
Can't fix this with a colorful plastic block

The county tax collector is toying with Legoland California, according to a lawsuit filed by the amusement park. Attorneys say the county's tax collector is bilking the park out of over $92,000 in tax penalties …

January 5, 2015
Get in line, Chargers

The Los Angeles Times reported today (January 5) that Stan Kroenke, owner of the St. Louis Rams, plans to build an 80,000-seat NFL stadium in Inglewood. Such a rumor has been rampant for a year, …

January 5, 2015
City's best pizza sauce expands its reach

So many new restaurants have opened in North Park over the past six months that one nearly escaped me. Nearly two months ago, Berkeley Pizza expanded its business to open a small restaurant on 30th, …

Whoop! There it isn't?

San Diego has reported a record number of cases of whooping cough cases this year, and according to the county's public health officer, most of those cases involved people who had, in fact, been immunized …

Casting everything in the box at an indifferent four-pounder

I thought I'd check out Lake Jennings yesterday and warm my bones in the welcome sunshine. Such a pretty little lake sometimes that you can almost imagine you are in the wilderness somewhere, far from …

January 5, 2015
Bagby Beer a bona-fide Mecca

In writing an article expounding the positives at Bagby Beer Company (601 South Coast Highway, Oceanside), I can hear the collective response of my readers: “No duh!” When one of the most famous and award-winning …

January 5, 2015

Sunday, January 4

Peevey in their pocket

Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for a dozen years, who retired at the end of 2014, kept up a steady, cozy email dialogue with officials of Southern California Edison while …

January 4, 2015
The vote swinger

No fewer than five media outlets reported on January 2 that attorney John Moot filed a lawsuit challenging the San Diego Registrar of Voters to count 15 provisional ballots from the November election. In the …

January 4, 2015
Searching for the cure

"I'm sure I had them when I came to work this morning," said Professor X (who declined to be identified). "But now I can't remember where I went after I got my coffee. Oh, man. …

Saturday, January 3

Rat daddies skate their hearts out

Without any announcement or fanfare, the City of Encinitas, on December 31, took down all the security fencing surrounding its new, multiuse, 44-acre park. While under construction for over a year, once the skate park’s …

January 3, 2015
One Paseo pissing match

In the weeks leading up to city council's final vote, Los Angeles–based heavyweight developer Kilroy Realty will continue to lobby hard for their proposed mixed-used development One Paseo. To help push through the 1.5-million-square-foot development …

January 3, 2015
Julian Lage lights up the Loft at UCSD

Monday 5 Get the jazz week rolling with a free noontime concert featuring the Rob Thorsen Trio with Bobby Cressey on piano and Fernando Gomez on drums at the Lyceum Theater Horton Plaza (79 Broadway …

January 3, 2015
“Open sanctuary for criminals” in Encinitas

A woman who was arrested at her Encinitas home 11 days ago made it to court on January 2, but she did not enter a plea to charges of resisting arrest and being under the …

January 3, 2015
Google Ogle

REASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY, SAN DIEGO STATE — Following a fall semester which saw no fewer than seven SDSU students report incidences of sexual assault, the university's administration decided to take decisive action. …

New year's fishing report

January 2 dock totals H&M Landing 49 Anglers, 3 Boats, 4 California Spiny Lobster, 8 Lingcod, 402 Rockfish, 13 Yellowtail, 6 Whitefish, 1 Sheephead, 141 California Spiny Lobster Released Point Loma Sportfishing 36 Anglers, 2 …

January 3, 2015
Car flies off cliff in Ocean Beach

A vehicle sped off a cliff in southern Ocean Beach early Saturday morning, January 3, resulting in the death of the vehicle's male driver and a female passenger being airlifted to a hospital in critical …

January 3, 2015

Friday, January 2

Attorneys on the loose

According to the State Bar of California, David Taylor Kaye of Escondido has been suspended from the practice of law for two years and placed on three years of probation. According to the Bar's review …

January 2, 2015
Red-light flash fright unnecessary

It has been one month since the City of Oceanside turned off their red-light cameras. Yet, the camera units at four Oceanside intersections still flash and take pictures, and the signs are still posted. “The …

January 2, 2015
Preach it!

I remember a phrase from my evangelical youth which went a little something like this: “You need to give until it hurts.” The phrase was talking about money and was framed by the ancient biblical …

January 2, 2015
Top food & drink stories of 2014

All Things BBQ, the final results: San Diego's best barbecue Ian Pike's 20-part series of All Things Barbecue was an extended lecture on one of the richest culinary traditions of the United States, surveying the …

January 2, 2015
Kilroy's still here, promising campaign juice

Whether or not San Diego is sufficiently business friendly has been a debate fostered over the past year by those who derive sizable funding from the city's so-called entrepreneurial and developer classes. “I felt like …

January 2, 2015
San Diego in talks to move to Los Angeles

"Obviously, 2014 was a disappointing year for us," said San Diego General Manager Kevin Faulconer at a press conference on Monday. "Going in, there was a lot of hope and excitement following the ouster of …

Dick Dale surfs into Solana Beach

Dick Dale returned to San Diego for a holiday show at the Belly Up Tavern. The “King of Surf Guitar” seemed fit and healthy, engaging with the audience and showing some camaraderie with the rhythm …

January 2, 2015
Two simple rules

Citing the aftereffects of reveling in appreciation of the fantastic entire 2014’s saltwater fishing, only six boats made it out on the California coast yesterday. Mostly just some rockfish and bottom fare caught, although one …

January 2, 2015
In the Lonely Hour, by Sam Smith

Arguably 2014’s best (and most talked about) new artist, Sam Smith proves on his debut album that the hype is justified. While many first discovered the British singer’s now-trademark falsetto on Disclosure’s house hit “Latch,” …

January 2, 2015
Harbor Breakfast finds its feet

Despite being something of a hot mess in its early days, Harbor Breakfast has gotten its act together. The restaurant gave the appearance of having rushed into opening much later than expected, which barely makes …

Thursday, January 1

Most popular music stories of 2014

1) Mainstream U In the midst of Ché Café’s struggle with UCSD, the university informed Porter’s Pub, which has hosted all-ages concerts since 1993, that its lease will also not be renewed. 2) Anthology to …

January 1, 2015
Bangkok's kitchens

The sounds of a kitchen are like conversations. In the beginning, you hear the fracas of so many people speaking to each other, sometimes over each other. It’s the repartee against the quick pause and …

Burger nation

On December 17, the Oceanside City Council approved a second In-N-Out Burger location for the city. A council well known for their divisive three-two vote splits on most issues, its members voted unanimously for the …

January 1, 2015
More beach, more dog for part two of OB Noodle House

I'm always on the lookout for dog friendly dining spots, but nowhere more than in OB. Its dog beach may be my Wheaten terrier's favorite place on this planet, and whenever a warm enough winter …

Plan for a Grantville population boom

The City of San Diego has taken the first step in opening the population floodgates in Grantville: the community plan update calls for an increase of 8725 dwelling units in coming years. However, before an …

January 1, 2015
Evicted for being pregnant

In a suit filed in San Diego federal court December 30, Rowna Nicolas claims she was evicted from an apartment, in effect, for being pregnant. The defendants are B.C. Dage, Inc., owner of a six-unit …

January 1, 2015
Craig Noel Award Nominees for 2014

San Diego Theatre Critic’s Circle: Craig Noel Award Nominees for 2014: Resident Musical Catch Me If You Can, Moonlight Stage Productions Les Miserables, Lamb’s Players Theatre Mary Poppins, Moonlight Stage Productions Next to Normal, San …

January 1, 2015
Holiday muggings fill TJ emergency room

The number of emergency-room visits by patients who said they had been mugged increased by nearly 400 percent during the Christmas holidays at Tijuana General Hospital, according to a doctor who works there. In an …

January 1, 2015
New Year’s Day

The rain this morning falls on the last of the snow and will wash it away. I can smell the grass again, and the torn leaves being eased down into the mud. The few loves …

January 1, 2015
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