First off, I need to point out that the logo to the right is from Larry Himmel's old variety show on KFMB TV-8 here in town. Show's been off the air for about 10, 11 years, but it was a classic in its time. Five nightly episodes of locally produced humor and human interest with a talented as all hell but absolutely goofy cast reminiscent of the old Carol Burnett Show.

Himmel pulled it off for a couple years, too, before they cancelled it. And it was none other than Rick "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire" Rockwell who portrayed Biff Speedo's inept sidekick, Skippy on "San Diego at Large". Didn't seem right, somehow, seeing Rockwell on TV without zinc oxide smeared all over his nose.

I still miss Himmel's "Cooking with the Pope" skits. Must be a bottle of Pope's Own salad dressing around here somewhere ...

Now, for my beginner's links to San Diego: Two of the best places to start browsing in San Diego are the local outfits that have graciously provided me a living:  the North County Times and ComputorEdge Magazine.

The Reader is San Diego's original "alternative" publication. It does do a good job of exposing the inner workings of the Union-Tribune, although it seems less on top of the local music scene the past few years.

San Diego CityBEAT is a weekly alternative publication covering all the arts in town – music, theater, museums, clubbing. It is the descendant of SLAMM, and beat off a feisty challenge a few years back from Fahrenheit magazine.

Co-founded by former San Diego Evening Tribune editor Neil Morgan, a lot of people had great hopes for Voice of San Diego, a Web-only news site. I don't know how many of those folks would say those hopes have been validated, however. Voice of San Diego has become just another left-leaning "alternative" news source that spends more time kvetching about the supposed bias of the mainstream press than doing the sort of reporting that builds real readership.

If you've never been to the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park, you've cheated yourself. Both are treasures, and you can easily spend a whole day at either. Their Web site is a good place to start visiting.

San Diego is a great sports town. For schedules and news, visit:

• San Diego Padres
• San Diego Chargers
• SDSU Aztecs
• USD Toreros

For info on San Diego's dozens of golf courses (more per square mile than any other place on Earth outside Arizona), visit San Diego Golf Pages.

Local Wally's San Diego Tourist Guide is equal parts wackiness and fun. Local Wally calls 'em like he sees 'em — and if the Tijuana Visitors Bureau don't like it, too bad.

Finally, if your browser has a news reader, check out the San Diego-based sdnet. It's part of the Usenet, and there are all kinds of conversations going on. Best place to start is with sdnet.general. Also check out my column on sdnet.