It's no surprise to anyone that Austin, Texas, is a hip destination, boasting one of the best live music scenes in the country, some fantastic barbecue, and the University of Texas. I was already aware …
December 20, 2013
North America
Hoppy trails in Austin
Canadian condo king piles up cash for Faulconer
As GOP ex-mayor and San Diego chamber of commerce chief Jerry Sanders sets out to vanquish the city's so-called linkage fee on commercial building to subsidize so-called affordable housing here, a distinctly high-end residential developer …
December 12, 2013
Hillel Silverman – the Kennedy assassination's last insider
According to his rabbi, Jack Ruby was visited in jail after the shooting of Oswald by Joe Campisi, an Italian restaurant owner.
November 20, 2013
Ex-San Diegan Art Laffer goes to Texas, blasts California
Supply-side economist Art Laffer, whose Laffer Associates was based in San Diego until 2007, was part of a California hate-fest yesterday (Nov. 18) in Austin at a meeting of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. …
November 19, 2013
Duty-free border barons fund political interests
A little over a year ago — a week before mayoral election day in San Diego — a cool $10,000 from an outfit called Meuchadim of California, L.P., based in Hollywood, Florida, rolled into an …
November 15, 2013
Braves to leave Turner Field after only 16 years
Wretched excess: Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves announced today (Nov. 11) that they will depart Turner Field in downtown Atlanta and move to a new ballpark in 2017 in suburban Cobb County. Turner Field opened …
November 11, 2013
(The real) Tijuana!
The gringos are back! And in large quantities! …but please stop going to every single tourist trap in downtown Tijuana. The American paranoia seems to be coming to an end. San Diegans are starting to …
November 9, 2013
Dharma Travel: Vedic City, Iowa
"Transcendental meditation (TM) is a simple technique practiced for about 15–20 minutes sitting comfortably in a chair with the eyes closed,” reads the literature. I’m sorry – I’m with Elizabeth Gilbert. Sounds way easier said …
November 2, 2013
Texan sues Jack in the Box for crotch burns
Altaf Abro claims in a court case that he was in line at a Jack in the Box in South Houston, Texas. He says that hot coffee spilled in his groin area, and he had …
October 29, 2013
Lone star big oil rover
In addition to his Pickens connection, mayoral candidate and city councilman Kevin Faulconer has been collecting big cash from others tied to the Lone Star state. City campaign disclosure records show that David M. Grimes …
October 23, 2013
Moonrise among the hoodoos
Many words and photos have been published in honor of the majestic Bryce Canyon, a strong contender in the Grand Circle’s showcase of nature. We wanted to do something different with our time at Bryce …
October 22, 2013
What to do in Barrow, Alaska
"Going all the way to Barrow?" the Alaska Air ticketing agent confirms somewhat incredulously. "Yes." "And just one of you traveling today?" "Yes." "You're fortunate the flight is leaving as scheduled. It's rather cold there …
October 15, 2013
Ohio's best-kept secret: state park lodges
Last summer, I stayed with a close friend of mine for almost three months in a small city called Stowe, Ohio. Not once during my local travels and explorations of the Buckeye State did I …
October 6, 2013
Hiking in Vegas?
I've been coming to Vegas for years: it's a bit like Los Angeles in a desert with a giant adult Disneyland in the middle, the glitter of the lights, the gambling and the shows. This …
Road-tripping across the Midwest
Nothing brings out the best in a family than driving for days on a cross-country road trip. Traveling the Midwest’s highways and by-ways, I was reminded of my mom’s stories of driving back to Mississippi …