Hippie Hill Is a Haven

March 1, 2007 by

Buying drugs is a chore, a proverbial thorn in one's backside.
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Hitchhiking Dreams Live on in NorCal

February 23, 2007 by

It's 7 a.m. I'm maneuvering along Route 199 and there's not a soul on the road. The nearest town is 40 miles away in Oregon.
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S.F. Mayor Scandal Is Exaggerated

February 15, 2007 by

When I ask people about their most vivid memories of 1998, they usually tell me about junior high-school dances, Furby, Leonardo DiCaprio or the Backstreet Boys. That's funny.
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Are You Sure We’re Not in Aspen?

February 8, 2007 by

Deep in the heart of the Eastern Sierras lies the city of Mammoth Lakes: population 7,093, elevation 7,800 feet; 300 miles from either Los Angeles or San Francisco.
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Now Playing: Gentrification in CA

February 1, 2007 by

The fallout from the Cedarwood Apartments' transformation into the deluxe Coronado complex sure has been something, hasn't it? And not just that it sparked this Nexus/A.S. feud, but because it brings ...
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West L.A. Is the Place to Head for Hawtness

January 25, 2007 by

What do you do when a friend shows off a haircut that cost $300? I nearly fainted. Three hundred dollars for a haircut? Yeah, it's a fantastic haircut, but who on Earth gets away with charging that m...
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California State Blues: Codescopes Attack Once Again!

January 11, 2007 by

Ah yes, the beginning of a new year and a new quarter. A chance for everybody to start anew with a clean slate - but not for me. Come January, I ask myself, "What better time to settle unfinished busi...
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California State Blues

November 30, 2006 by

With Thanksgiving break behind us and Winter Break only a couple of weeks away, the thoughts of many Gauchos turn toward the long voyage home. Some of you will be flying, but those of greater testicul...
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Travel to Lavish Irvine, See Its Majestic Bubble

November 17, 2006 by

Irvine and neighboring Newport Beach remind me of what Santa Barbara would be like in a Republican parallel universe. We're not so different from the 949, after all. We're both beautiful beach locatio...
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California State Blues: RPG Mania Creates Various Questions

November 9, 2006 by

OK, I know I normally devote this space to exploring various parts of California, but there are far more important and pressing matters to discuss this week. I'm talking about a revolution within our ...
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Golden State Blues: Explore California’s Northern Cities

November 2, 2006 by

Eureka and Crescent City belong in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, respectively, the northernmost two coastal counties in California. I used to look at them on the road atlas during family vacations ...
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Golden State Blues: City Gimmicks Become All the Rage in California

October 26, 2006 by

Pismo Beach is living a lie. Did you see those commercials on late-night TV last Friday about their 60th annual Clam Festival? The one with a chowder taste-off? A parade celebrating the clam? A walkin...
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Golden State Blues: Codeoscope Continues Going Up North

October 19, 2006 by

Last week, I introduced the plastic sunshine palace of Southern California to my Codeoscope, but I heard voices in the distance. They cried, "Where is NorCal? Where is CenCal?" No worries, voices, bec...
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Golden State Blues: Codeoscope Reveals Your Own Area Code Personality

October 12, 2006 by

I'm obsessed with area codes. I can't help it. It's my belief that your area code can tell you a lot about what kind of person you really are.
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Santa Barbara Rots in the Sun

September 29, 2006 by

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, the population of Santa Maria now surpasses that of Santa Barbara for the first time, well, ever. I thought to myself, "What? Santa Maria? The land of ...
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