2024

From San Marcos ‘Dressing’ to Thanksgiving

(Editor’s Note: This was the state of the holiday just one year pre-COVID, for those with nostalgia for the way ot was before social distancing and over 770,000 Americans lost their lives…) California supplies the nation’s Thanksgiving tables California ranked #8 in turkey production in the United States (2016), and supplied most of the western states from our poultry farms located in several areas in the state….


If Dostoevsky wrote city of San Marcos civic briefs

Ah, San Marcos—where the drudgery of civic life is dressed in tinsel and pretense, as if the weight of bureaucracy could be concealed beneath the lure of food trucks and twinkling lights. Yes, the city will host a so-called “gourmet” food truck festival alongside Santa’s Magical Village, an event ostensibly designed to distract us from the existential void. From 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday,…


Prospects of a second American Civil War

The prospect of a second American Civil War has been a topic of concern among political analysts and citizens alike, particularly in the context of former President Donald Trump’s actions and rhetoric. While the likelihood of an actual civil war remains low, several factors associated with Trump’s behavior have raised alarms about potential civil unrest. Polarizing Rhetoric and Misinformation Trump’s tenure was marked by divisive…


Going Postal: Dat A. Nguyen named new postmaster

Dat A. Nguyen will be installed this week as the new Postmaster of the Escondido Post Office.  In that position, Nguyen manages 175 employees and oversees retail services at the Escondido Post Officeand the daily distribution of mail to more than 5,700 PO Boxes and on 90 delivery routes in Escondido and Orange Glen. He replaces former Escondido Postmaster Todd McArthur, who moved on to…


Trump and his supporters: A reckoning for democracy

As America continues to grapple with the legacy of Donald Trump, it has become increasingly clear that the former president and his loyal base are not merely disruptive forces in politics—they represent a deep and troubling erosion of the values that define democratic societies. From spreading baseless conspiracy theories to emboldening hatred, Trump’s rhetoric and actions have left an indelible mark on the American political…


27 years ago, Heaven’s Gate couldn’t wait

Dateline Rancho Santa Fe. March 26, 1997. A 911 call came into the San Diego Sheriff’s Communications Center. It was treated as a prank call at first. From what turned out to be a nearby payphone, the caller said something so preposterous that dispatchers took their time in relaying the information to central command. “This is regarding a mass suicide. I can give you the address,” the…


Three Dot Lounge gets jiggy with paella, then over to the local pizza and martini joint, the new Inn at RSF and …

Yes friends, Three Dot Lounge is breaking the publisher’s no posts until somebody actually supports this site rule to bring some important, and much needed, takes on the idiosyncratic, yet very f(l)avorable, local to The Grapevine culinary scene. BTW, if you support The Grapevine by donating throughPayPal: We exist to carry your voice. We do that for the good of the community. We are a…



This Veteran’s Day unremembered: American Expeditionary Force Siberia

Parades rolled through many American cities on Veterans Day, Nov. 11 honoring the anniversary of the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, what once was known as Armistice Day. None of those parades, however, featured tributes or remembrance of one of the war’s oddities made all the more poignant by today’s tensions…


Trumponomics for those believing a faux businessman

Trump and his administration claimed credit for much of the economic success during his presidency, including the booming economy ahead of the pandemic-induced shutdowns and recession. However, critics have pointed out that much of the economic progress he points to was inherited from former president Barack Obama’sadministration. Trump ran a campaign centered on the promise to Make America Great Again (MAGA).Trump’s tariffs are expected to…