Sex Drive I was having another long, disjointed night, which is normal when you drive a yellow cab in New York City. But this night in particular it seemed like everyone had sex on the …
June 19, 2007
United States
Melissa Plaut in New York City
Claire Litton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Art makes me uncomfortable So, a guy -- let's call him Mr. Teacher -- at the school where I often pose nude for figure-drawing classes asked if I would be willing to work with him …
June 14, 2007
Claire Litton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania There's a rumor circulating among my friends that you can't be popular in the belly-dance scene unless you "party." Not like the Nevada brothel Moonlight Bunnyranch's iteration of the word. I mean the …
June 7, 2007
Why San Diego's wi-fi system lags behind Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle
Anybody who's tried to sign on to municipal Wi-Fi in San Diego knows there isn't any. While other big cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle forge ahead with ambitious plans to provide residents and …
June 6, 2007
News You Can Use
'I want to know about their hats." "Well, yeah," the male voice trails off, rolls down the hill and slides into a dark, smelly bog. Silence. Now comes a wheezing-out breath, followed by, "There are …
May 10, 2007
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson must sharpen Peregrine alibis
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson -- sometimes called "Dollar Bill" Richardson -- is running for president. It's not an ideal time. Richardson was on the board of San Diego's Peregrine Systems from February 2001 to …
March 22, 2007
Discover Riverside County's Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve at its springtime best.
The Los Santos-Trans Preserve loop hike on the Santa Rosa Plateau near Temecula traverses open meadows, grassy hillsides, and shady glens presided over by oversized specimens of Engelmann oaks. You'll enjoy superb views throughout, plus …
March 15, 2007
The IHOP Papers
The IHOP Papers by Ali Liebegott. Carroll & Graf, 2007, 256 pages, $14.95. ABOUT THE BOOK: Francesca, a disgruntled 19-year-old lesbian, tries desperately to pull together the pieces of her scattered life. This novel opens …
March 1, 2007
Flesh and Bone -- A Body Farm Novel
Flesh and Bone: A Body Farm Novel by Jefferson Bass. William Morrow, 2007, 368 pages, $24.95 ABOUT THE BOOK: Flesh and Bone is a roller-coaster ride into the world of forensic anthropology, its twists and …
Discover an easy-to-reach waterfall just outside the L.A. foothill community of Sierra Madre.
The rustic city of Sierra Madre, just east of Pasadena, has long been a departure point for hikers seeking exercise and solitude in the adjacent San Gabriel Mountains. That part of the mountain range, known …
February 8, 2007
It's a Drummer's World
Raised in greater Detroit, Evan Demko left the University of Michigan with a degree in industrial engineering at a bad time. "Factories were moving out, and plants were closing down [in 2005]. All that's left …
February 8, 2007
Ollie: a Navy enlistment gone wrong
I wasn't always in trouble or on drugs when I was in the Navy. But I did report to the boat with two black eyes, a busted lip, and mangled nose. My new chief took …
January 18, 2007
Six Feet of Dirt
The North Atlantic, an explosive math-rock trio from Michigan that formed at Kalamazoo College in 1999 (and migrated to SD within a year), offered this Gerald R. Ford obit on their MySpace bulletin: "...Ford is …
January 11, 2007
Hardcore Holiday
"We played a small show on a cold, snowy winter evening in Flint, Michigan," writes Brian Sheerin, vocalist for Mower, a San Diego hardcore band that's now on tour. "It was at a really cool …
January 4, 2007
Travel over viewful ridges and down a verdant canyon in Orange County's Crystal Cove State Park.
The Deer Canyon loop route in Crystal Cove State Park explores the higher ridges and valleys of Orange County's coastal mountain range -- the San Joaquin Hills. Hikers should budget about four hours for the …
December 7, 2006