A few days ago I heard a report that water was found on the planet Mars.

If true, water would mean there was (or is) possible living creatures on Mars. Top scientists and thinkers believe life needs water. If you find water, the thinking goes, you'll find life.

Today I stumbled across an online article reporting that the Mars Phoenix Lander did indeed find water. Well, ice. But now it's gone.

R.E.M.'s "Sitting Still," from their first LP "Murmur," is an all=time favorite song. This is an early performance of the song.

Some thirty years before, The Byrds performed "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better."

Speaking on the economy, presidental hopeful Barack Obama said: “We did not arrive at the doorstep of our current economic crisis by some accident of history. This was not an inevitable part of the business cycle that was beyond our power to avoid. It was the logical conclusion of a tired and misguided philosophy that has dominated Washington for far too long," seven and a half years (Broder, The New York Times, 2008).

The New York Times has an interesting piece on food at America's Major League ball parks. It's here.

Here at San Diego's Petco Park, the author Brook Barnes suggest the garlic Parmesan or Cajun fries served at Ruby's. The place they suggest not visiting is Friar Frank, a place I visited a couple weeks ago, and they were correct.

Just now sat down for my first Pho Van visit.

I woke on Friday morning to NPR's Story Corps project and heard a very familiar voice. It was the voice of Chunky, a San Diegan who can be spotted on a regular basis at Chiquita's.

On this particular segment of Story Corps, Chunky talks about how his, and other students', name was changed to become more "American sounding"--in his case from Ramon to Raymond.

Names and identity are very important to an individual. Once others define another person's name, the others now own the power.

Listen to Chunky's story here.

The view inside my favorite day time pho restaurant in City Heights, Van Hoa.

The SD Union-Tribune reported the final results of Tuesday's election for San Diego City Council District 3. Here it is:

CITY OF SAN DIEGO COUNCIL - DISTRICT NO. 3
Counted: 86 of 86 precincts – 100.0 percent

TODD GLORIA 7422 40.5%
STEPHEN WHITBURN 5213 28.5%
JOHN HARTLEY 3298 18.0%
PAUL BROADWAY 1124 06.1%
ROBERT E. LEE 669 03.7%
JAMES HARTLINE 595 03.3%

It appears there will be a November run-off since no candidate received over 50% of the vote.

Paul Broadway received 1124 votes, and finished in 4th place. Not bad for a candidate without political connections or financial resources (i.e. Gloria and Whitburn).