In an e-mail sent yesterday to customers who'd subscribed through their website www.blindlady.blogspot.com, the Blind Lady says:
"...we are a half-a-block away from arguably the best pint of Guinness in all of San Diego (that would be at the Ould Sod)..."
I like that. It's cool marketing. It reminds me of the movie Miracle on 34th Street: when Macy's doesn't have a product that a customer wants, they steer them to a rival store.
A pub crawl from the Ould Sod to the Blind Lady (or vice versa) is in order! — March 11, 2009 4:30 p.m.
Cosmic Joke
Incredibly cool and original video!!!— July 23, 2009 5:17 p.m.
They Crawl Among Us
In the story I make an assertion regarding the proper pronunciation of Cowles Mountain, but fail to back it up. When I first came to San Diego in 1990, just like every other newcomer, I said it as if rhyming with "towels" because that's how it looked when I saw "Cowles" on the map. Then during a nature hike in the same year a park ranger explained the proper pronunciation. Today, you can find proof of the proper pronunciation by visiting the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretive Center. www.sandiegoreader.com/places/mission-trails-regi… Several audio-visual presentations use the correct pronunciation, and at least one acknowledges the common mispronunciation. Online evidence: www.mtrp.org/history.asp?idno=27— July 18, 2009 5:35 p.m.
Mega Romantic
Several people drove down from Los Angeles to take part.— July 18, 2009 4:14 p.m.
Shopping List of Classics, Film Noir, and Westerns
Duncan, Hey, I didn't know you were married. Not sure why I thought you were single. Maybe because I've seen you at a couple of movie screenings and you were alone. Of course, why would you take your wife to work with you? Anyway, that's cool. If the marriage is recent, congratulations! If it's not so recent, hey, congratulations as well! --Steve— April 17, 2009 4:12 p.m.
Foot Baths, M.A.'s Career, Foot the Bill
To "Me, Here": Excellent question! I've wondered about Matthew Alice for years. He always cleverly and humorously dodges the question. My latest theory: perhap Matthew Alice is just a pseudonym. Maybe it's someone else...? Well, I mentioned that theory to Duncan Shepherd one time when I had the good fortune to meet him at a movie preview. He was respectfully tight-lipped, but he did give me one clue: "It's not Jim Holman, editor of the Reader". (That's because I vocalized to him that I thought it might be Jim Holman himself who is really "Matthew Alice"). In reality I guess I don't want to know. Because then the mysterious cloak enshrouding our beloved Matthew Alice would be ripped away. And he would be less mysterious.— April 1, 2009 6:49 p.m.
Blind Lady Ale House
In an e-mail sent yesterday to customers who'd subscribed through their website www.blindlady.blogspot.com, the Blind Lady says: "...we are a half-a-block away from arguably the best pint of Guinness in all of San Diego (that would be at the Ould Sod)..." I like that. It's cool marketing. It reminds me of the movie Miracle on 34th Street: when Macy's doesn't have a product that a customer wants, they steer them to a rival store. A pub crawl from the Ould Sod to the Blind Lady (or vice versa) is in order!— March 11, 2009 4:30 p.m.
Water Bees, Toes
NW of Escondido, thanks for asking that question about bees. I've had similar experiences when swimming in a pool out here in El Cajon. Matthew, I like your suggestion to put a tiny dish of water by the rescued bee. Very compassionate! I'll try that next time.— March 11, 2009 2:35 p.m.
Exxon on Top of It
Tikicult, thanks for your comment :) --Steve— March 1, 2009 10:52 a.m.
Exxon on Top of It
to eds: you are right, your comment was way more interesting than my story, I have to give you that!— March 1, 2009 10:51 a.m.
Blind Lady Ale House
BLIND LADY ALE HOUSE (Part 2) Master Brewer Lee Chase holds a degree from UC Davis in Malting and Brewing Science. Formerly with Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, he has worked the past several years as a consultant to various local brewers. He can tell immediately if a beer is "off", and due to Lee's reputation, no questions are asked on those rare occasions that a keg must be returned. The two beers we enjoyed this day were definitely "on". I enjoyed a Lost Abbey Serpent Stout (Imperial). The sweet joy of this opaque black beer was very meaningful for me, someone whose favorite beer in the world is Theakston's Old Peculiar (a dark ale from York, England), enjoys Murphy's Irish Stout, and who believes that those who see good taste or any real pleasure in Guinness Stout would also see "the Emporer's new clothes." My companion had a Green Flash Super-Hoppey Pale Ale, which she said despite its truly being "super hoppy" she would without hesitation order again. The simple and authentic Margherita pizza we had was very fresh and tasty, a perfect compliment. One nice feature of the house is to be found at the very west end of the bar: a self-serve drinking water station with a stack of glass tumblers and a convenient bar tap. How was the name Blind Lady Alehouse decided upon? In looking at the history of the Wilkins Block building, the owners discovered that for 35 years The Automatic Venetian Blind Lady was a tenant. What's with the guy on the bike in the logo? Well, when visiting the Ale House, it's much easier to find a place to park on Adams Avenue if you've chosen to travel by two wheels instead of four. What about the cool-looking bicycles parked outside the front door? Just decoration to hook passersby into entering? Well, that may have happened in my case, but, no, those actually belong to Lee and Jennifer, who use them to commute from their home just several blocks away. More information about the other owners, Jeff and Clea, may be found at www.blindlady.blogspot.com. Video footage from our visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQvGEbSRXz8— February 20, 2009 11:58 a.m.