I’m of the opinion that “B movie” stopped having much useful meaning some time ago, certainly by the time the Transformers series became the box-office juggernaut that it is today — or was, until its …

On June 30, San Diego Superior Court judge Ronald Styn temporarily struck down San Diego's mini-dorm ordinance in San Diego's College Area. A group called College Area Students, Tenants, and Landlords Association filed the lawsuit …

The movement to promote independent beer got another boost this week as the Brewers Association national craft-beer trade group unveiled its plan to distribute a "certified independent craft" logo to breweries not owned by multinational …

If you’re feeling charitable: Loves and Hours opens with a May-December marriage. If you’re feeling more cynical: rich, egotistical old man, Harold (Paul Maley) gets himself a smokin’ hot gold digger of a trophy wife, …

Fresh from her controversial appointment by the board of supervisors, San Diego's soon-to-be District Attorney Summer Stephans took to the New York Times this month in the midst of a victory round politically orchestrated to …

A committee formed to explore redevelopment options at De Anza Cove in the northeast corner of Mission Bay met for the sixth and final time on Thursday evening (June 29), adopting a tentative plan that …

The San Diego Humane Society is poised to become top dog for animal services in San Diego County, as the county begins to negotiate service contract with the nonprofit. With a target date of June …

Carlos Contreras stands at the edge of a roadway that looks like a combination of sinkholes and earthquake damage. He points up the short, narrow street to a nice looking, well-kept house with a For …

If there’s one thing in this ever-changing world I can rely on, it’s the menu at Parkhouse Eatery. The place that was serving up avocado toast long before it was a thing is also home …

The San Diego Symphony’s Bayside Summer Nights has its Fourth of July weekend coming up on June 30, July 1, and 2. However, on The Fourth of July the symphony welcomes country star Wynonna Judd. …

The sun was shining, the climate genial, and a Terence Davies picture that deserved a fate better than a single-screen living room playing at the Digital Gym. Time to go to the movies. Talk about …

CVS Pharmacy, which already has stores in Hillcrest, North Park, and downtown (Fifth Avenue and C Street) will remodel an empty building at 1850 Fifth Avenue in Bankers Hill. It then expects to open sometime …

Civic San Diego's attempt to generate revenue by becoming a fiscal agent for those companies and organizations looking to make charitable donations is, according to Civic San Diego's asset and contract manager John Anderson, "ripe …

June 24 — HP investigated a vessel collision that occurred when an operator was attempting to pull out of his slip in a Harbor Island marina. The operator lost control of his boat in the …

A fingerprint on a broken piece of glass near a damaged beer fridge led investigators to a three-strikes criminal, according to testimony in court on June 26. Workers at Johnny Manana’s restaurant near the beach …

As summer begins and springtime fades, the gray whales have completed their trip from the seas off Alaska to the lagoons of Baja Sur and back. But for those seeking whales to watch, this is …

Fast-ish food is so hot right now. Five years ago, a girl had to drive all the way up to Convoy for a decent bowl of ramen, but now you can’t drive a mile through …

It’s decision day in the city-council chambers, Two Broke Girls vs. Billions. Call it a classic smackdown between local architectural preservationists who want to save any Spanish Colonial Revival building (and think someone should pay) …

And his phallus was stretched out in eagerness for the act of a man, the manly one pulled back. He drew back again from the maiden, his daughter, that tireless phallus which had been thrust …

Every now and again it is important to eat some crow and I had an appetite for it after the Mainly Mozart concert on Thursday, June 22. Previously I had said I could go the …

Multicultural dub-rockers Marujah will play their new full-length on June 30 at Del Oro Mine Company. “The title Marujah Rising came to me when I realized I was going to make an album with one …

"Messy Hair, Don’t Care.” That’s what the back of this girl’s T-shirt reads. I can just see her and her boyfriend through the leaves of the grape bower. They’re chowing, chatting, cooing, billing. But actually …

Those scary noises heard around the University of California San Diego last week were just the first shots in another advance of the surveillance state, according to a June 15 memo meant to reassure campus …

Los Angeles used to be the center of the music industry, back when there was one. Now, that distinction in the post-digital era belongs to three towns: Austin, Nashville, and Brooklyn. And you’ve got to …

As most bartenders will say, when it comes to mixing drinks, not everything is black and white. But restaurant manager of Paradise Point’s Tidal Restaurant, Mike Perez says at least one cocktail on Tidal’s menu …

“I’ve always had the idea to start my own school,” says trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, who recently resigned as the artistic director of the International Academy of Jazz in order to establish the Young Lions Jazz …

Kernel When I discovered people eat apricot kernels, use them in amaretto and biscotti and apricot jam, part of me was glad to learn the world is more edible than I had known, but another …

The professional and personal collaboration that is Wrensilva audio began at a Supersuckers show at the Casbah. Debra Salyer didn’t know the band, and found herself stranded in a mosh pit during a cover of …

The first concert at Bird Park was held in 2002. The Tami Thomas Big Band performed. At the time, Bird Park Summer Concerts founder Nellie Harris Ritter asked Jay Turner (head of North Park Main …

Big Spring is one of the dependable watering holes for desert bighorn sheep. It is found in a tributary of upper Tubb Canyon and is easily accessible. The trail within the spring area is jungle-like …

Today, in its long sliver of a factory facing a North Park alley, Wrensilva audio produces, in the words of co-founder Scott Salyer, “the best console ever built” for playing music. “Nobody’s ever done anything …

"Not all the water in the rough rude sea/ Can wash the balm from an anointed king./ The breath of worldly men cannot depose/ The deputy elected by the Lord.” Richard of Bordeaux became King …

Dear Hipster: How might one compare a San Diego hipster to a European hipster? — Janelle As depicted in my new favorite stock photo, “Young Hipster Best Friends Taking a Selfie in Urban City Context …

Singer/songwriter Justin Watson, known to most local rappers as producer Jay Wat, says the fact he didn’t grow up around San Diego was a good thing. “I’m from Detroit, so I have a neutral presence,” …

Fifty years ago, shopping malls were the local gathering places. Days and nights, they were jam-packed with people of all demographic groups. But by 2014, almost 20 percent of American malls were considered in trouble …

The Point Loma bay-front mansion where Stephen Puetz was married in August 2015, thanks to the largesse of owner Morgan Dene Oliver, has just been sold, according to an announcement by brokers Brett Dickinson and …

Brainscratcher You have something screwed up in your Brainstorms puzzle for June 22. You give the answers for the puzzle for previous week, June 15, and one of the book’s titles is Via col Vento. …

A different sort of craft-beverage company has landed in Hillcrest, just in time for the summer heat. Fruitcraft Fermentery and Distillery grand-opened the sweltering last weekend of June, serving alcoholic drinks produced not from grain, …

On Monday, June 26th owner Lucila De Alejandro announced that Suzie’s Farm will close. Having started in 2009 with a mere three acres, the farm offered a CSA (community supported agriculture program) and sold produce …

“Christine said, ‘I’m going to stab your pretty little face,’” according to a deputy who testified in San Diego Superior Court yesterday, June 26. Sheriff’s deputy Adrian Moses arrived at a home in the 1600 …

From 2001 to 2010, according to a city commissioned traffic study, eight pedestrians were struck by vehicles while crossing El Cajon Boulevard at Kansas Street in North Park. In 2012 the intersection was named the …

Douglas Manchester is prepared to surrender day-to-day control of his real estate and investment empire if ultimately confirmed by the senate as Donald Trump's ambassador to the Bahamas, according to State Department disclosure records posted …

I love an early happy hour, or as Leroy’s Kitchen and Lounge refers to their late afternoon-but-not-quite-early-evening discount time, “Social Hour.” Leroy’s starts at 3:00 p.m., allowing three whole hours for discounted drinks and half-off …

Name: Andrew Meaux Age: 18 From: East County Location: Pacific Beach Andrew Meaux makes the commute two to three times every week. Meaux had finished surfing near Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach when I caught …

In the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Johnny Depp plays a dangerous and dashing CIA agent with a penchant for puerco pibil. “It is a slow-roasted pork,” Depp’s character explains as he takes …

Biodynamic beans Barrio Logan’s Café Virtuoso has sourced only organic coffee from its inception. This year it’s gone a step further: sourcing certified biodynamic beans. According to Virtuoso general manager Greg Luli, “The easiest way …

Local televangelist Morris Cerullo has asked that everyone "fervently pray" for the city's favor in support of his "end-time project." Cerullo's Legacy International Center project got off to a rocky start, but appears to have …

“An Oakland-based artist was commissioned to create a massive piece for the San Diego International Airport,” Joshua Alcala said, “shouldn’t you give it to San Diego artists?” On June 16 and 17, The Aja Project …

People who live around the UCSD campus — both in University City and in La Jolla — say the coming addition of more than 5,500 dorm beds came as an unpleasant surprise. "They tell you …

One of Ocean Beach's prime pier-view locations has a new summer restaurant destination. Open since earlier this year, OB Surf Lodge reads as a stylish update to the breezy charm of Shades Oceanfront Bistro, which …

Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were best friends — and both were active in San Diego Junior Theatre, and had had sex with Eric von Metzke, a junior theatre teacher, when they were …

The San Diego International Beer Competition announced its 2017 medal results back in April, but it kept one major award under wraps until its Del Mar beer festival the weekend of June 17th. This year's …

Maybe the hot, hot weather and/or the big tide swing put a damper on the tuna fishing for the second week in a row. Yes, the yellowfin and bluefin are around, as is their cousin …

I drive past it often — whenever I take the Washington Street exit from I-5 north to go to Mission Hills. But Il Centro Pizza e Birra always goes by in a blur. Problem is, …

Just prior to the advent of the pro surfing tour in the mid 1970s there was a group of San Diego-based surfers who set the pace for the sport. They helped dictate everything from how …

A Quiet Place South of Here The sea urchin is a major object of the villager’s sea harvesting. The wind and sea are calm enough for harvesting sea urchins fewer than half the days of …

La Mesa’s downtown strip has been raising eyebrows as an aspiring food and drink district lately. The fast-casual BLVD Noodles is among the more recent arrivals, touting a menu of pan-Asian appetizers, ramen (the first …

The procession started slowly Tuesday night as people walked a block along the fence on School Street that defines the John Adams Elementary School park boundaries — we didn't pay heed at first, thinking it …

On Jun. 19, the National City Council voted unanimously to adopt a Compassionate City resolution in support of its immigrants. While no one opposed the designation, the special meeting was a re-hearing on the issue …

The last time San Diegans saw Christopher Plummer perform was as fictional Nazi hunter Zev Guttman in Atom Egoyan's Remember. This time around he plays an exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II in The Exception which opens …

San Diego’s AM 600 KOGO’s radio talk show host, Carl DeMaio, appears to have Governor Brown and the Democratic-controlled state legislature nervous. DeMaio’s Reform California campaign, and his attempt to recall State Senator Josh Newman …

“If they don’t check in, they might have to go back in [jail],” Nick said. On June 15, while walking his dog Bentley, Nick saw a couple of guys panicking in front of the San …

Members of San Diego's Citizens Review Board on Police Practices, an oversight board on law enforcement, will have to be satisfied with the occasional free meal, validated parking at city hall, and unrestricted attendance to …

Awaiting Senate confirmation as the nation's next ambassador to the Bahamas, known for its tax-sheltering proclivities, Doug Manchester, ex-publisher of the Union-Tribune and million-dollar donor to president Donald Trump's January inaugural festivities, can boast a …

“It was a lot of traffic [and] I got stuck [for] like two hours there,” said Luis A. Corona, a 24-year-old college student from Ensenada. He was referring to the traffic that stopped on the …

"Wow, all that hard work for nothing," said San Diego artist Brian Hebets when he heard that his prominent public mural in Imperial Beach had been painted over into a blank wall. "I heard it …

San Diego is the home of the world’s largest live bait sportfishing fleet. Beginning in the 1930s, vessels have been fitted to take anglers out for deep sea fishing; tournament fishing grew in the post …

Onetime presidential contender Rick Perry, who famously called for the elimination of the federal Department of Energy before being tapped to lead it, warned on Tuesday (June 20) that conditions at the shuttered San Onofre …

Eric von Metzke, a long-time teacher at the San Diego Junior Theatre, was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison. On May 12, he pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a …

Climb the California Tower in Balboa Park Balboa Park’s California Tower at the San Diego Museum of Man was closed to the public in 1935, but after extensive construction and safety renovations it reopened for …

The clues are splattered over the documents for the meeting Wednesday night: IB's city council is positioning itself to sue over sewage. The Wednesday meeting agenda shows that, on June 7, in a part of …

“Let’s get a house/ you and me/ and your 12 cats,” sings Ron Gallo. “You’ll gird my mattress with nails/ one for/ every time something psycho came out of your mouth.” Remember Neil Young and …

Oh, man. Two steps forward, one step back. People have had their hopes raised a lot for this end of East Village. First, Quartyard opened, was a raging success, then it closed. Then that sidewalk …

According to Adam Gnade’s latest album, Life Is the Meatgrinder That Sucks in All Things, recent American history is split into two distinct parts: before and after September 11, 2001. The spoken narrative serves as …

Employees of the San Diego Unified School District have been improperly dipping into student funds for personal food money, says a June 1 report to superintendent Cindy Marten from Gamy Rayburn, the district’s interim chief …

"We got any locals here?” one of the Widows asks to scattered whoops of recognition. “Thank you for coming out from under your rock.” Two hits on a snare drum and a brass crash. The …

When XETV Channel 6 went off the air last month, guitarist Raul Gonzales was one of some 60 employees who lost their jobs; he was a programming engineer in the station’s master control studio in …

God bless, John Adams. You can thank him for all the firework displays around the Fourth of July. In Philadelphia, July 4, 1777, 13 fireworks were set off to commemorate the 13 colonies. The colors …

Hornblende Canyon twists and turns as it climbs the shoulder of Granite Mountain. It has a great variety of plants, some dry waterfalls, old mines, plus Native American sites with morteros. As part of the …

Thoughts at the End of Empire It’s possible future generations will destroy our art, literature, music, film, and corporations, in bitterness for allowing ecosystem collapse, and mistrust for how many leaders were distracted, apathetic, selfish, …

“I aim on creating a series of compilations based on San Diego music from the ’50s into the ’70s,” says Action Andy & the Hi-Tones frontman Andy Rasmussen. “This first volume will focus on rock …

Dear Hipster: About 18 months ago, work brought me down to San Diego from San Francisco. I’m living in Scripps Ranch now, but I rented a little house in South Park when I first moved …

Listing materials for the blufftop La Jolla estate at 1585 Coast Walk promise to deliver “without a doubt, one of the best waterfront homes in La Jolla.” Built in 1986 and designed by celebrated local …

Membership: 700 Pastor: Eric Clarke Age: 58 Born: Long Beach Formation: Eastern Oregon State College, Portland, OR; Western Seminary, Portland, OR; Masters International University of Divinity, Evansville, IN Years Ordained: 10 San Diego Reader: What …

Gordon Kovtun is not a “sissy.” And, he is not a “bottom boy.” Despite what it says on the Wordpress.com profile with his name on it, “gay porn” is not his sole interest. Also, those …

Shortly after regaining consciousness after he was blindsided onstage at the Observatory on June 7, XXXTentacion went on Instagram Live. He seemed to claim that the venue’s security team played a part by hiding the …

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, whose hopes for statewide office took a big hit from this month’s city-council rejection of his plan for a hurry-up $5 million November special election on SoccerCity and a hotel …

You Cannot Do It This Year Hello, there! I just finished reading your article, “Trail Angels” (June 15 cover story_ on the PCT. By the end of March this year, I started thru-hiking the PCT …

Just as the San Diego city council was disposing of the controversial SoccerCity development in Mission Valley on Monday, June 20, the California State University system, proprietor of San Diego State, issued a call for …

Rappers beefing in real life may be good for lyrics but it can cost you gigs. Consider local rapper Rob Stone, best known for his breakout 2015 hit “Chill Bill.” He tells how Florida rapper …

We now have a peak experience to add to the list for Mainly Mozart, but it came from Prokofiev and Beethoven. The Mainly Mozart Festival is taking a chronological journey through Mozart’s life over the …

Anna Sessom Baker, daughter of former Lemon Grove mayor and council member Mary Sessom, is in jail today. Yesterday (June 20),she, along with Jonathan Ibarra and Hector Fernando Garcia, were arraigned and charged with possession …

The update of the Clairemont community plan is in full swing. How this plan shapes up will determine the future of Clairemont and Bay Park until at least 2040. Senior city planner Marlon Pangilinan gave …

“[Ensenada] has potential to be well known on a global level, but it’s not easily accessed,” said Roberto De La Peña, “the airport would attract more people and put Ensenada on the map.” On June …

Early on in O.B. Playhouse’s production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Tara Sampson, playing one of many, interchangeable female characters in this musical revue of love and dating, leans heavy on the …

Today, June 20 San Diego city councilmembers are expected to approve a settlement to a woman sexually assaulted by former San Diego police officer Christopher Hays. Terms of the tentative settlement are not yet public, …

Two local tax preparers and the recruiter who brought them victims were sentenced to 30 months in prison yesterday (June 19). Rahim Ali Cummings and Rashad Abdul-Rahim were sentenced for conspiring to commit mail fraud, …

Several San Diego breweries added to their awards caches at the state fair over the weekend. Local homebrewers also made their prowess known, both on state and national levels. San Diego beer companies claimed 25 …

June 15 — HP investigated a burglary that occurred on a commercial fishing vessel in north SD Bay where unknown subjects broke into the vessel, damaging it and taking a few items. HP is still …

Catching thieves who steal and distribute movies using BitTorrent software is a difficult business. San Diego County attorney James Davis last year sued John and Jane Does that had stolen a movie called Cell. Early …

Two concerts into the Mainly Mozart Festival and all is well. The second concert on Thursday, June 15, was a mixed bag for moi. This was the third time I’ve been to a Mainly Mozart …

You have a choice of about 30 eateries at Liberty Public Market, but if you’re taking a quick workday lunch break you’d do well to check out neighboring Officine Buona Forchetta, a recent expansion of …

On May 25, the Air Pollution Control District hearing board ordered the city to return on July 27 with a diagnosis and a concrete plan to deal with the smells that are vexing residents downwind …

"European people on bikes" going door-to-door have raised concerns among locals in Chula Vista. "Anyone have two European people on bikes come to their house?" said Kim Castle-Silva this week on social media about the …

Lots of long boat rides with little results for those boats hunting tuna in local waters out to 40 miles or so. A few biters were coaxed out of the metered and sighted schools along …

For a brief time this summer, one of San Diego beer's most recognized brands will be selling brew in a 40-ounce bottle. AleSmith Brewing has teamed up with Long Beach reggae-punk band Sublime to release …

It’s not what you expect to find next door to Father Joe’s, but right on the corner of 14th and Imperial you can now join the craze for indoor skydiving and then nosh on a …

I Have Purchased a Grey Cardigan Sweater My wife and I fell in love over wine, bourbon, and cognac. We attended a college with a dry campus, and many evenings were spent sitting in my …

So I’ve Heard When I was having my appendix taken out a few years ago, the anesthesiologist put the mask over my face, asked me to count backwards from a hundred, and then, assuming I …

One-time La Jolla socialites Dianne York-Goldman and Dr. Mitchel Goldman were divorced in 2009, but the dissonant music lingers on. In October of 2008, Pennsylvania-based Avidas Pharmaceuticals announced a new anti-aging product, Vitaphenol Complex. It …

The Sustainable Energy Advisory Board is discussing community choice aggregation today. It’s a hot topic revolving around greenhouse gas emissions and whether to stay with SDG&E or create a new local government agency tasked with …

What is an intermezzo? There are several famous musical intermezzi such as those found in Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci but there is also an entire opera entitled Intermezzo by Richard Strauss. What gives? In the …

47 Meters Down has girls and sharks, All Eyez on Me has rappers and racist cops, Beatriz at Dinner has a high-tension, high-end dinner party, The Book of Henry has boys and brutality and bullets, …

University City residents continue to express their concerns for the safety of residents at the west end of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station runways, saying that the flight webtracker they used to identify aircraft they …

As San Diego County works its way toward adopting a budget for the next fiscal year, county supervisors are getting an earful from community activists and their own employees on where funds need to be …

Taoism, with its principles of effortless action, naturalness, humility, simplicity, spontaneity, compassion, and frugality, was a perfect fit for the evening. Which evening? The opening evening of The 2017 Mainly Mozart Festival on Saturday, June …

Tajima’s new Adams Avenue locale, discreetly lodged between a French bistro and a coffee house, was thoroughly covered by Reader writer Patrick Henderson shortly after it opened. New since his visit, however, is a flash-in-the-pan …

Angry citizens showed their resistance to the city's plan to house misdemeanor drug offenders in the old Super 8 Motel on Palm Avenue in Nestor. "We're the dumping ground. We have the prisons and the …

I’m not alone in my observation that Beatriz at Dinner will make the history books as the first narrative feature released since Trump took office that takes direct aim at the billionaire-game-show-host-turned-POTUS. It also has …

Confirming word first reported here May 30, Stephen Puetz, controversial chief of staff to San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, is departing his job at city hall for a gig with Missouri-based political consultant Axiom Strategies. …

Sometimes the first impression of an artist whose work one will later grow fond of drops anchor in the unlikeliest of places. Such was the case of Miguel Arteta, whose latest, Beatriz at Dinner, opens …

On June 13 city councilmembers were asked to approve a six-figure settlement in a lawsuit filed by Fredrick Lee Washington who spent two weeks in jail in 2015 on two felony counts that he had …

The schoolchildren of more affluent parents not only do the best on standardized academic tests, they also do better on measures of physical fitness, a recent report on obese children in San Diego County suggests. …

On Saturday, Carl was setting up to enjoy a bonfire with several friends on Fiesta Island when he noticed a roofing company from the Midway Drive area unloading “their scraps” next to his wood pile …

Former chief financial officer for Civic San Diego, Robert Avery, says he was wrongly terminated after raising concerns with questionable expenditures at the city-owned non-profit. Civic San Diego is a city-owned nonprofit which oversees the …

“Each day on the trail was the only possible preparation for the one that followed.” — Cheryl Strayed, from her introduction to Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

One morning, as I was sitting by the fire, a great cloud came over me, and a temptation beset me; and I sat still. It was said, “All things come by nature”; and the elements …

La Jolla’s Craig Venter, the genomic giant who gets regular positive write-ups in his hometown Union-Tribune, was spared mention in the paper when it was announced two weeks ago that his Human Longevity, Inc. was …

Farmer’s Table bar manager Preston Cobb says the establishment’s Blackberry basil lemonade, served up in a Mason jar, fits in at the organic eatery as well as stanchions in a milking parlor or feed troughs …

Southwestern College professor Jeff Nevin has been teaching Mariachi music for 20 years. Proceeds from concerts he organizes fund $20,000 in annual scholarships for music students. His teaching clinics help keep Mariachi alive. But Nevin …

"Hey, want buy this Bluetooth headset?” Guy’s talking to me. I’ve just come down to sit in the bus stop. “Cost me $90. I’ll give it to you for $30.” We’re at the #2 bus …

The Guinness Book of World Records achievement for “Most Concerts in 24 Hours” (65 gigs set in Norway, 2012) is safe for now. Local vocalist Leonard Patton and his group with pianist Ed Kornhauser, bassist …

Merigan Fire Road was the main road for a ranch owned by Dr. Haig Merigan, a pharmacist and dentist. His family lived and rode horses in La Mesa until it became difficult to ride due …

Disappearing ink on thermal vanishing paper and a clueless janitor have been blamed for missing records at the San Diego Unified School District that a recent audit says could represent only the tip of a …

How these things sometimes get started: in the case of the Black Lips, from Dunwoody, Georgia, the lo-fi garage-rock band may have never come to exist if two of the founding members had not been …

On the Balcony of The Signature “I like her; I could watch her the rest of my life.” — Philip K. Dick As my best man handed me a bubbly drink we toasted clinking clear …

“I work eight hours a week for a yoga studio, but the rest of my money is currently made playing music on the streets, in venues, and selling my first book,” says Martin Stamper, aka …

Dear DJ: You write of the east. I am from the east, born in 1957. My parents and their friends were beatniks. As an avid hipster watcher I enjoy reading your recent field guide series. …

Name: Korey Pohen Age: 30 From: New York Surfing today: Ocean Beach For Korey Pohen it was easy to surf after years of skateboarding. “I think board sports just come natural to some people.” One …

A terrorist attack that could endanger 8.5 million people. Who cares? A tsunami or earthquake that could spread even wider damage. Yawn. A potentially disastrous meltdown. Fuhgeddaboudit. A utility stock that zooms upward, paying fat …

“The Kirtan scene [in San Diego] is pretty small,” says Tom Warner, bassist in Pilgrimage of the Heart Kirtan Band, which has performed on over 400 occasions throughout Southern California. “Most people practicing yoga don’t …

California’s taxpayer-funded $3 billion stem cell research program, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is spending money at the rate of $22,000 an hour, and expected to run out of cash in …

Lack of Interest? Really? I enjoyed the well-researched article “Bonkers for Bonobos” in the June 8 issue. The author provided a great deal of valuable information (and history) about these affectionate and intelligent great apes. …

East Village gastropub Neighborhood turns ten this week. As the first business opened by the partnership now called Consortium Holdings, it laid the foundation that has become one of San Diego's most recognized hospitality groups, …

I was cruising through Encinitas, and the words “organic café” caught my eye. I pulled over and parked, and before long I was noshing on a grilled chicken pesto sandwich on a casual patio, trading …

Over the winter, the city of Del Mar widened and repaved its northern boundary, the busy Via de La Valle, between Coast Highway and Jimmy Durante Boulevard. They also added a bike lane and a …

The Idealization of Jessica Trump She paused for a moment. I could hear her thinking, and then she said, “My spring break is next week, and I haven’t made any plans. I could catch a …

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” So spoke William Butler Yeats. I’m going to repurpose this poem to discuss PigPen Theatre …

It’s the time of year when kids are graduating, and some of the lucky ones get to travel abroad on their own. The first time I traveled in Europe — with an oversized backpack and …

"Yesterday, a woman parked her white Prius right there [in front of my house],” said Steve from University Heights, “then started to cut my succulents (with a pruner), and left. That’s stealing!” Steve, 67, is …

A Saturday forum on environmental justice became another platform for Imperial Beach anger over the prolonged, extraordinary sewage dumps into the Tijuana River. By the end of the forum, state water quality officials had committed …

Buying a home in California coastal metropolitan areas takes twice the percentage of median income as in the United States overall, according to a new study by Zillow, the real estate statistical compiler. In the …

Kevin Faulconer has ripped the cover of gentility from the obscure practice of tax-fueled mayoral favor-giving in exchange for city council votes, employed over the years to boost the political careers of council members, including …

Silver Screens: A Short History of San Diego Cinemas The years preceding America’s entry into World War II introduced more neighborhood theaters like the Roxy (1939) in Pacific Beach, the Strand in Ocean Beach, and …

The word is that the shortfin corvina and halibut are on the chew in the bays. San Diego Bay and Mission Bay can be excellent fisheries for spotted bay bass and sand bass through the …

I’m ambivalent about table-service Mexican restaurants. In a city where great-tasting Mexican food often comes out of taco stand or off the back of a truck, it’s when I sit down and order food off …

On Friday, June 9, another possibly controversial lawsuit landed in the lap of federal Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, who made headlines for his handling of the Trump University case, which ended with President Trump agreeing …

Everything is special in the coastal zone: surf, views, and land-use rules. Among the rules are ones that protect everyone's access to the beach. Those rules are being violated by the city of Del Mar's …

San Diego's independent beer wars started in earnest Memorial Day weekend, as local breweries and their supporters lit up social media and literally took to the skies to voice displeasure about the opening of a …

A new survey suggests there's strong support among San Diegans for an as-yet hypothetical measure to address the city's homelessness issue by increasing hotel taxes. The study, conducted between May 31 and June 4 by …

A Catholic priest was reported to be in stable condition at a Tijuana hospital on Friday, June 9, following surgery after he was stabbed with a screwdriver by a thief trying to rob his church. …

San Diego County's Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board has found that the actions taken by 11 sheriff's deputies, which resulted in the death of 32-year-old Lucky Phounsey, were justified. According to a newly posted agenda, …

Perhaps I’m overstating my case but I feel as though the recent success of the Wonder Woman movie has been prophesied here in this humble column. For not a few years I’ve been adding my …

As intrigue grows at San Diego city hall regarding backdoor wheeling and dealing of Republican mayor Kevin Faulconer and members of the San Diego city council over the timing of the so-called SoccerCity ballot measure …

Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan all get turns in the cinematic spotlight this week in a monster movie, the story of a dog and his girl, an expat drama, and a war doc, respectively. Some …

The La Mesa Planning Commission on June 7 was scheduled to consider approving a special permit for Silvergate Development’s conversion of Little Flower Haven, a Catholic retirement home that closed in 2015, into a 130-unit …

The boom in downtown apartment construction continues at a furious pace. Two more projects recently submitted their applications to Civic San Diego for the extensive approval process. One new project will be just east of …

In the wake of a local middle school accidentally publishing a racial slur on the cover of its 2017 yearbook, civil rights leaders are looking to treat the mistake as a teachable moment. The yearbooks …

Yesterday (June 8), Jose Camargo-Alejo, who also goes by the name Jessica, an undocumented Mexican, was convicted of assaulting a United States patrol agent. It happened on or about November 30. She was detained at …

In the last day (June 6), Mike G. has seen a desk and three mattresses dumped in plain sight around his Normal Heights’ streets. “….and all sorts of cabinets, bookcases, etc. will appear on the …

Scatology is currently a most distasteful subject but that was not always the case. There are examples of scatalogical humor dating back to Aristophanes’s The Birds in the ancient Greek theatre. This type of humor …

The grand opening for Oceanside's newest brewery is slated for Saturday, June 10, but it has already sold out its first batch of beer, thanks to racking up 122 different bar and restaurant accounts. That's …

“I always thought that it would be a wonderful road to race on,” said Richard Bailey from Washington, “I mean [look at] the backdrop right now — we are sitting on the highways at [Bahia] …

Former United States Navy Commander David Kapaun pleaded guilty in Hawaii yesterday (June 6) to lying about his relationship with Leonard G. Francis, the Singapore-based defense contractor at the center of a long-running bribery and …

BMH Italian wasn’t open yet, but I could smell the bread baking, so I parked it on a bench outside and waited. 10:30 a.m. may have been a little on the early side for lunch, …

Yesterday, June 7, three individuals — two of them pretending to be Homeland Security officials — were arrested for falsely promising to provide immigration status to individuals. The three allegedly fleeced $6 million from at …

The developer whose proposed project at 7th and Robinson was rejected by Uptown planners and Hillcrest residents in April won the group's support Tuesday night by returning with compromises. "We heard you," said Jim Ivory …

In late April of 1960, the San Diego Zoo’s curator of mammals, George Pournelle, traveled to one of the most inaccessible parts of the African rainforest on a collecting expedition. His goal was to acquire …

So-called e-cigarettes have been increasingly making their way into San Diego from foreign ports, according to a May 24 audit by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, raising possible dangers for unwary users. “E-cigarette liquid — …

He may not be a native, but Gary Wilson — singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, collector of alien sunglasses, secret-agent lounge musician fetishist of flour and paint — must rank at the top of San Diego music …

"No-o! Not Quartyard! Say it’s not so-o!” The guy with the wailing voice was, uh, me. This was last week. I was staring down the line of lights of the bar near the doggy park …

Cousins Chad Cline and Jason “Rocky” Nichols come from a long lineage of dives. Their great-grandfather purchased the Waterfront Bar (whose liquor license dates back to the end of Prohibition) around the late ‘60s. While …

Read the review and enjoy a few words about Megan Leavey (and Blackfish) from director Gabriela Cowperthwaite and producer Pete Shilaimon. Scott Marks: You got a lot of nerve, sister, showing your face in this …

Dear Hipster: I just started a new internship downtown, and I ride the bus every day to get there. It’s actually a pretty good deal at $2.25 each way. I can’t help but notice that …

As a retiree, San Diego State University’s former vice president of business and financial affairs Sally Roush has done well by the taxpayer-funded state university system. After stepping down from her $301,957 a year position …

As major record labels decline in relevance, getting well-connected managers and agents on your side has become more important for so-called “baby bands” that are struggling to get a national foothold. Consider the plight of …

In 1996, when Luther and Cody Dickinson started the North Mississippi Allstars, blues-festival promoters and record-label hacks alike saw the band as the potential salvation of a very stale blues scene (i.e., better ticket and …

New Life Presbyterian Church of La Mesa Membership: 437 Pastor: Brian Tallman Age: 39 Born: San Diego Formation: Southern California Bible College, El Cajon; the Masters Seminary, Sun Valley; Bethel Seminary, San Diego Years Ordained: …

According to the TV spot, Elle and People magazines are going slug-nutty over Megan Leavey, proclaiming the fact-based girl-and-her-dog war drama both “inspiring” and “heartfelt.” Do I heed the advice of these venerated strongholds of …

Built on a 70-year old sand-and-gravel quarry, Civita Park is a work-in-progress that will total 14.3 park acres centrally located in a 230-acre residential development. The top and bottom sections opened during Arbor Day weekend …

Times change. When Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” came out in 1977, the singer couldn’t find his salt shaker for said beverage. One might have thought, Poor dude, it won’t be the same. Today, the health-conscious would …

“We’ve been a band since the early ’90s and are probably up on the list as one of the longest running San Diego bands,” says drummer Chad Farran of Superunloader. “We started playing shows as …

Name: Taylor Whitworth Age: 25 Occupation: Entrepreneur Neighborhood: Mission Valley Interviewed at: Barnes & Noble, Hazard Center What are you reading? “Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest In, That the Poor and …

Dear Hipster: I have two questions for you. They may or may not be questions that only a hipster could answer, but I figured your guess would be as good as mine. First, why do …

When Your Head Went Through the Windshield It Reminded Me That Grief Sounds Like Whip-Poor-Wills We bury you a little more each Tuesday. The sky today is carnival-glass. The way the wind blows. Your destruction …

Twenty-five-year-old Maurice DJ Ayodam is wearing a white tank top, a midnight-blue velour Adidas track suit, and a custom Breitling watch — custom because he took it to a jeweler and had the face ringed …

About seven years ago, Jamie Minotti of the Madero Group management outfit teamed up with several promoters throughout town to produce the Ocean Beats series, a forum for electronic bass music that had hitherto been …

The Del Mar beach house at 2606 Ocean Front promises “one of the most unique homes on the market” that “just finished a complete rebuild using the finest materials.” According to the listing, there are …

Hyun Jeong Choi’s glass marijuana pipe rested inside the center console of her 2015 gray Toyota Corolla. The pipe was still hot to the touch on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016, when traffic accident investigator …

The jury is still out on the ultimate fate of La Jolla hedge-fund maven Mike Stone’s attempt to wrest Qualcomm Stadium and its acreage away from public ownership, but the stock price of another of …

Murder Is Not a Joke Our friend was tragically murdered. Do you think this is funny to us? A joke? Do you think that Jess Robles or his friends and family find your “Who Plays …

In 2014, the San Luis Rey Downs golf resort in Bonsall closed. Some 118 acres was purchased by the County to augment a public riverpark, and another 71 acres is in the process of being …

This year’s Revolt Summer Surf Series kicks off Saturday, June 17 at Ocean Beach Pier with the tag #NoSharksinOB for a reason: great white sharks have been spotted along the Southern California coast this spring, …

“Just an FYI … there was a homeless camp in the drainage ditch (by the bridge) at Shadow Hill Park, they were evicted about a week ago,” posted a Santee resident on the Nextdoor app …

“I didn’t miss church [because] I’m the choir director – so it’s essential that I get there,” said Nina Gilbert. Gilbert was one of the prepared ones for the detours and roadblocks brought about by …

Last fall along Baja California’s Pacific coast, several San Diego-based sportfishing vessels were aggressively confronted by local pangeros. The problem is, for the pangeros, the high spots that hold the endemic rockfish and draw the …

Late afternoon in Havana: Local schoolboys are playing soccer in the central square of the recently renovated Plaza Vieja. Colorful, historic buildings ring the plaza. A warm tropical breeze wafts through the air and the …

6/2 HP issued two citations to boaters that were illegally moored at the HPD Guest slips. 6/1 HP contacted a subject on the HPD guest slips and subject was subsequently arrested for an outstanding warrant. …

When newly assigned U.S. Border Patrol agents arrive at the Imperial Beach Station, one of the first things they are told: Don’t go in the Tijuana River. You don’t have to ever enter the water …

When blankets are inscribed with messages and flung over bridges in Tijuana, they usually boast a narco-warning directed at rival cartels or authorities. Such narcomantas, as they’re called in spanish, are appearing increasingly throughout Tijuana. …

Retired firefighter Rick Minnick has been riding and hiking the trails in the open space near Carlsbad’s Lake Calavera for about 25 years now. In the early days, Minnick and his buddies were able to …

The $2,000 oversized check Zhala Tawfiq received upon being crowned Miss Middle East was not a real check. The accompanying cosmetic procedures, sponsorships, wardrobe, and television auditions, that accompanied the check, were just as fake, …

Like other cities, Escondido is planning for the mass deployment of fifth generation technology. As both officials and carriers see it, it's time to make the permit process for the "small cells" that can accommodate …

The iconic bronze statue of Don Diego, dressed up in cowboy garb, overlooked the main gate of the San Diego County Fair, as hundreds lined up for opening night on June 2. And like the …

New San Diego beer company Circle 9 Brewing has yet to open. However, it has already served its first beer — in Japan. Cofounders Darren Baker and Andrew Campbell took a Circle 9 beer to …

A lot of boats went out and worked hard for the tuna with mixed results from a long boat ride for nada to maybe a fish per rod on the best runs. It doesn’t seem …

“Something for everyone!” says the website for Craft & Sea, the North Park restaurant now occupying the space that was — as far back as I can remember — Zensei Sushi. I find it interesting …

Some parents of children in Point Loma's Dana Middle School were alarmed this week when strangers handing out Bibles approached their children as they were leaving the school. "This was quite disruptive at the school--the …

“June Gloom,” the cool and intermittently overcast conditions likely to dominate the beach and coastal areas through the remainder of this month, mocks the already sizzling temperatures inland. If it weren’t for the ocean’s enormous …

May 27 — HP responded to South Bay for a Jet Ski collision. It was found that the operator of the Jetski was unfamiliar with the area and struck a shoal / sand bar which …

William M. Malloy III, who says his fortune goes back to the early 1800s, has been sued in federal court for his alleged role in a Ponzi scheme that is rocking the state of Oregon. …

On May 12 in bankruptcy court, Eric David Zapf, husband of second district city councilwoman Lorie Zapf, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, or liquidation. Lorie Zapf was named as a codebtor. They live at 4622 …

It’s not that Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves, not entirely, anyway. (That would be, like, crazy. The kind of Brave New World you’d see laid out in a blistering manifesto.) Dudes still have a …

As a city council vote draws nigh for getting taxpayers to fund a $5 million special November election sought by the city's hotel moguls and backers of SoccerCity — a plan to privatize a big …

A May 31 lawsuit filed on behalf of the County Office of Education and the county's school districts, accuse San Diego County and its auditor of taking property tax revenues that should have gone to …

Although the food scenes of Little Italy, North Park, and Convoy get more attention, Ocean Beach has also been experiencing a bit of a restaurant renaissance in recent years. A lot of decent eateries have …

A German music project known for its quirky politically-themed concerts wanted to hold a free Tear Down This Wall performance simultaneously on both sides of the border fence between Imperial Beach and Tijuana this Saturday, …

Why was there no review of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie in this week’s print edition? Studio’s orders. Admittance to last week’s screening hinged on one minor condition. According to the email: “The global …

Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina and Councilman Mark West are out to change how the federal government deals with sewage that comes into the the city from Mexico. They’ve gained an unexpected partner: the union …

“The only rule of the [food] swap is that there is no exchange of money,” said Marianne West. On Saturday (May 27), she met with about forty other San Diegans at the Spring Valley East …

The Otay Water District, which provides water, sewage, and recycled water to communities in southeastern San Diego County including portions of Chula Vista, Spring Valley, Otay Mesa, Jamul, and others, is suing the city of …

Laurie Anne Victoria, the late Conrad Prebys's long-time second-in-command and chief financial officer who is now chief executive of the firm that made him a billionaire, has hired two top Los Angeles attorneys to battle …

A crowd of about 100 gathered in an auditorium adjacent to the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park on Tuesday evening (May 30) to discuss the state of the park's improvements and discuss …