Golden Dreams
“This is truly tragic,” said Danielle R. Pena of San Diego’s Morris Law Firm. She was talking about the case of Joseph “Joey” Earl Morton, a 33-year-old former auto dealership employee who died by suicide …
I’ve always been a tad cynical about anything cute. Think portraits of children with giant Disney eyes. But I do have chinks in my armor. Here’s one: ambling down C street in Coronado t’other day, …
It’s one of those evenings. I’m in The Studio in Hillcrest with my friend Eric. He’s introducing me to his friend, the artist Elisabeth Sullivan. And straightaway, I’m mesmerized by this painting of hers. It’s …
On the morning of November 6, a foghorn could be heard blasting a sound of oceanic proportions across the General Dynamics/National Steel and Shipbuilding Company’s San Diego dry docks. Seconds earlier, the foghorn’s bellow had …
“They’re pouring!” says my friend Kim. We all stand up — some to get out of the splash zone, some to see just how people have been doing this for hundreds of years. We’re in …
“I don’t know how he does it,” says my friend Gene. “He just seems to have the Midas touch.” He’s talking about his son Marc Miller. On October 28th, Marc’s San Diego surfboard company, Isle …
“Stop the Tyranny!” “Unvaxxed doesn’t mean infected!” I’m surrounded here. “Here” is the late October City Hall demo against vaccination mandates for city employees. Cops and firefighters, mainly. The city has told them December 1st …
Briar boss The dwindling remnants of San Diego’s coastal glow are fading into a mild Autumn dusk as I arrive for my meeting with master pipemaker Jeff Gracik. I find him in the spot where …
All my nephew William wants to do is go home. He can’t. He is my namesake and my nephew. The kid can cook. He’s from New Zealand, but spends half of each year working as …
“Look! Look at this! Crumbling! And they’ve even taken the historical marker plaque off the wall.” This is my brother-in-law Fred, back in town, visiting the old family home. His family were Bandinis; their pride, …
What do rich people hoard? I tear over at 8am to find out. This is when the Baby Del estate sale begins. Baby Del’s owner, Susan H (she doesn’t want to give her last name), …
“I was sexually abused as a child,” says Benie Kouyate. By making that simple statement, she has broken a thousand taboos. If publicly admitting such abuse is difficult here, it is impossible in Africa, she …
The situation of so many structures in Southern California feels haphazard: buildings plunked down here or there by whim or whimsy. But the Integratron really belongs in its place: an auspicious spot in the Mojave …
I’ve wanted to interview local health practitioner Ryan Smith (www.santesmith.com) ever since an observer at one of his presentations told me, with admiration rather than scorn, “He is like a mad scientist.” Smith himself has …
“I realized I was a comedian when I was 10 years old,” says Abel Silvas. “My dad wanted me to continue the tradition of our Mission Indians, and become a violinist. So he brought me …
You know from the way the parking ladies are dressed that this is going to be a classy event. We’ve gravel-crunched from Diana’s car to Del Mar’s polo paddocks. Our ticket says “Table #8.” Heavens …