Coachella Valley Weekly - January 12 to January 18, 2023 Vol. 11 No. 44

Frankie “The Future” Kazarian

Dave Alvin

Maryann Ridini Spencer pg13

Aimee Mosco, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman, Ed Heethuis, Daniel Paris, Michelle Borthwick, Nadia Popova, Dennis Shelly

Photographers

Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez Videographer

For well over a decade, Plan B has been a neighborhood bar that always has something going on. Whether it’s live bands or acoustic acts on Thursdays, pool tournaments, excellent happy hour specials or the diversity of the patrons from all walks of life, Plan B truly is that little bar on the corner where it seems as though everyone knows your name. All that said, anyone who has ever attended Red’s Rockstar Karaoke at Plan B knows that it’s definitely the biggest draw the venue has to offer and continues to become more and more popular with each passing season.

Jeanette Kriebel (Owner and proprietor of Plan B): “I have owned the business for eleven years this past Sept. I have always had it in the back of my head that I wanted to own a bar. Finally, the timing was right and an opportunity came up. It’s actually not very hard to get into the business. The hardest part is finding great, trustworthy employees and I have been very lucky in that category. My initial vision was to have a bar that kind of ran in four shifts; the early crowd, the afternoon to early evening crowd, the happy hour crowd and the late night crowd. I also wanted to do at least 3 or 4 nights of live music with both local bands and bands from out of town. That proved much harder than expected! We do however, still book bands and acoustic shows on Thursday nights, but over time it really has shifted more towards the Karaoke crowd. Karaoke is a huge deal at Plan B or, ‘The B’ as many of our regulars call it.”

As someone who frequents Plan B myself, I can attest to the comradery between Kriebel, her staff and the “regulars” who, as previously mentioned, come from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

Kriebel: “Our customers are not just customers to us. The majority are regulars who have become like family. When someone doesn’t show up for a bit, we are calling and checking on them. We do fundraisers for those in need, we really feel close. The support between staff and those that enter our doors is truly genuine.”

Karaoke being a big part of the heart and soul of Plan B is no doubt attributed to the best KJs I have ever known. Red Ness and his fantastic wife and partner in business and in life, Shastin Ness have, over the years built up a loyal following of folks who love to sing along with all the best equipment that makes them sound as amazing as possible. They have fostered a friendly and supportive environment where everyone who puts themselves out there is able to feel confident and have a killer time. I asked Red how he got into becoming a KJ in the first place.

Red: “I was actually born in Galveston but raised in Dallas and at one point I ended up between bartending gigs and felt like I wanted a change. I had an opportunity to come out here to the Coachella Valley in 98

BY ESTHER SANCHEZ

with a friend and was going to vacation for a bit but got back into bartending and working at The Village Pub and it was a blast. That’s where I started meeting people from every part of the valley.

Red continues: “I used to sing in bands and write songs when I was younger and have always enjoyed writing songs and jamming with friends. I haven’t been in a band in a while but still love singing, writing songs and fiddling with the guitar, drums and piano. I’m a master of none, by the way. The transition just kinda fell into place. I was bartending back in 07 at a place in Palm Springs called Shakerz and Warren McGervey, AKA The Spin Doctor, was the KJ there. He is awesome and taught me just about everything I know about Karaoke so I love that man. They wanted to add an extra night but he was at another spot. He also knew that I already knew everyone there, loved to sing and knew how to work a board so he asked and I said ‘let’s boogie!”’

Red continues: “Eventually, I ended up acquiring my own equipment in 2010 and started Red’s Rockstar Karaoke. I guess I never really thought about how long I would be doing this but time does fly when you’re having fun because I’m still having a blast and get to hang out with so many awesome people and meet so many new ones all the time after all these years, no two nights are the same.”

Plan B Entertainment and Cocktails is open 7 days per week. Red’s Rockstar Karaoke is on Weds, Fri and Saturday nights starting at 9:00 PM with a possibility of extending to Sunday nights in the near future, Red and Shastin also host and Fireside Lounge at 9:00 on Tuesdays and at the VFW in Desert Hot Springs on the first and third Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM.

Like and Follow Plan B at facebook.com/ PlanB.LiveEntertainmentandCocktails facebook.com/redsrockstar

Kurt Schawacker Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

This year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival features Corsage (2022), directed by Marie Kruetzer. The charismatic Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) offers a boldly mischievous performance as the middleaged “Sissi” in this fiery, revisionist history of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, a woman once idolized for her beauty and renowned for inspiring fashion and exercise trends.

With the title of the film actually being the untranslated French and German word meaning “corset”—the focus on that dreaded piece of outdated, restrictive clothing alone gives an indication of the film’s take on the stuffiness of 19th century bourgeoisie. Corsage is a skewed biopic of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria during the late 1800s. The film is the latest in a growing lineage of period dramas focused on the ornamentation of aristocracy and the uneasy, bored psychology lurking beneath it. This is a period film that takes a modern approach towards its protagonist’s defiance, liberation & deterioration by replacing etiquette with attitude.

The film is an experiment of aesthetic and character that, like Spencer and The Favourite, is more about the role itself, and the emotional and social strain of occupying, maintaining, and adhering to it. Krieps’ embodiment is punky and rebellious, but her resistance only makes the piece feel more doomed, and between those two truths is where the film delivers

its most substantive ideas. You can ride free and hard, but only as far as the trail takes you, you’re only as wild as stables allow you to be. You may have the position, but that doesn’t mean you have the power.

Kreutzer opts towards a more muted approach to her subject’s life, painting the messy portrait of from her interactions with those in her immediate vicinity. The major moments in this character’s life that Kreutzer refrains from showing would actually serve as a solid basis for a standardized tragedy, so the director’s decision to veer from convention and show Elisabeth’s person on a more intimate scale is a commendable challenge.

Corsage is part biopic, but the biography is rough around the edges and cannot possibly be completely true. So, it can be interpreted that this is Marie Kreutzer’s screenplay on the fantasy of how she perceived Elizabeth of Austria’s life. It is polished visually and in broad scope. The costumes, on location sites, cinema within cinema (with scenes focuses on the first film cameras and footage), Krieps’ acting, and the score by Camille gel into a fine visual piece that is easy on the eyes and ears.

Vicky Krieps is a highly talented actress that is underrated, but has showcased her talents in films like Anonymous, Bergman Island, Old, The Chambermaid Lynn, The Young Karl Marx, The Last Vermeer, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, and Hanna. She can express a great deal with subtle body movements. Her eyes speak volumes, and the aloof distain and forlornness she brings to the screen is potent with realism.

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

Corsage succeeds due to Vicky Krieps portrayal of Elizabeth of Austria and Kreutzer’s screenplay, and it is highly recommended due to the visual feast of feminine rebellion in a macho world. I was previously unaware that there is a great deal of film content regarding Sissi, but this is an empowering surreal take on her life. The feature stands as a director manifesting their dreams from a screenplay about an archetypal Empress who, in reality, died from assassination wounds. However, this film only covers one year (1877 to 1878) in Sissi’s life.

As a Golf Professional for 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work with golfers of all ages. I started teaching golf fitness when I noticed simply directing students to swing a certain way was not always effective. I began to study the biomechanics of the golf swing and the necessary moves a golfer needs to make for a less resistant and injury free swing. To be a more consistent and injury resistant golfer, you must first understand the connection between the golf swing and one’s physical limitations. There are an unlimited number of ways to swing. The key is to find what a golfer can and can’t physically do.

A golfer’s resources are 2nd to none. If a golfer wanted to improves his or her game, that golfer would have the opportunity to search Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, the Golf Channel, the driving range, launch monitors, video, local pros, club fitters, and/or personal trainers. I think perhaps, the Golf industry and community may have over saturated the market for such resources. I believe that we need to spend our time looking more closely at the raw material. The question should be, What CAN you do? And not what do you want to do? If there is an unlimited way to swing the club, then there must be an unlimited way to shoot lower scores. If this is the case, all we need to do is find what you CAN Do without pain or compensation, and this is how we can become a more consistent Golfer.

Golf requires many movement patterns that the human body isn’t necessary

designed to do. I believe that this is where the mental side of the game becomes so overwhelming. Let’s use a simple task like walking as an example, walking is a very thoughtless and natural activity for most. Now, try to walk without letting your right toe and your left heal touch the ground. Attempting to change something simple like walking requires a lot of mental focus. Now, imagine making significant changes in your Golf Swing and the mental focus that it requires. Extended practice on the driving range may only be giving us more thoughts and frustration. The Golf Swing requires complex movement patterns, balance demands, and mobility demands. After diagnosing personal movement patterns, balance, and flexibility, you will find out

that your swing is completely dictated by your bodies’ make up. If you see someone you know walking from a long distance,

BY COACH NADIA POPOVA

you could probably point out exactly who that individual is based on their movement/ walking pattern. In many cases, the same is true for one’s Golf Swing.

The only way to really change a walking pattern or a Golf Swing is through a foundational and fundamental standpoint.

Kick out all of those unnecessary swing thoughts and just change the way your body moves with a little bit of exercise. Your body, mind, and golf game will thank you.

If you would like to get your Golf evaluation please contact us at (760)880-9904 or visit our website www.cvsendmeatrainer.com.

We offer variety of Golf Lessons that can kick off your Golf swing to the next level!

DAVE ALVIN

For Dave Alvin, music has been a lifelong passion, and luckily for him (and the rest of the world) he has made his living making music since the late ‘70s.

Born in 1955, Dave, along with his older brother, Phil, grew up in Downey, a suburb in Los Angeles County best known for giving the world The Carpenters. Thanks to the influence of an older cousin, the brothers were raised on the Blues. They also soaked up the sounds of Folk, R&B and Rockabilly, all before puberty hit.

Throughout their teens they made musical pilgrimages to L.A., searching out obscure Blues records and attending shows at venerable clubs like The Ash Grove. It was there they met heroes like Muddy Waters and Big Joe Turner and watched legends like Reverend Gary Davis and Lightnin’ Hopkins perform.

Although both brothers attended college, and Phil even began teaching mathematics, their dual obsessions with music only intensified. In 1979, they enlisted bassist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman and The Blasters were born. The four-piece pioneered a Roots Rock sound that incorporated all their seminal influences. They quickly made a name for themselves gigging throughout L.A., sharing stages with like-minded acts like X and Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs. Phil was a natural lead singer, very much the “voice” of the band, but Dave emerged as a protean songwriter and badass guitarslinger, essentially becoming the heart and soul of the band. By 1980, they’d released their debut, American Music, via the Rollin’ Rock label.

A year later, they secured a record deal with the up and coming indie Punk label, Slash. All told, The Blasters wound up recording three more excellent studio albums and a live EP before calling it quits in 1985. After participating with members of X in a Country-Folk side-project, The Knitters, Dave stepped in when X guitarist, Billy Zoom quit the band. He wound up adding his voice, guitar work and songwriting acumen to their sixth long-player, See How We Are.”

In 1987. he embarked on a solo career. In the last 35 years, he has released 13 solo albums, occasionally reconvened The Blasters and collaborated with Phil on a couple of records that featured versions of their favorite classic Blues songs. Most recently, he made a record with Texas legend, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, From Downey To Lubbock, In 2018.

Back in 2011, Dave released his 11th solo effort, pithily entitled Eleven Eleven (which is also his birthdate). 11 years later, the time seemed right to reissue the album with three bonus tracks.

The record roars to life with “Harlan County Line.” Spitfire slide guitar riffs collide with menacing bass lines, brawny rhythm guitar, atop a Bluesy, shuffle rhythm. Lyrics paint a vivid, somewhat autobiographical portrait of a nomadic musician; “Another morning, another motel bed, another city waiting up ahead, light another menthol

to clear my mind/Of those memories I pretend to forget, ‘cause I always want to live without regrets, but yeah, I still think of her from time to time, and is she still living across the Harlan County line.” Even as he pines for what might have been, the muscular arrangement keeps him from truly (to quote Mr. Mojo-Risin), wallowing in the mire. Rattlesnake riffs uncoil on the break, striking and retreating, before slithering through the mix with reptilian stealth. Rumination gives way to reality; “The years disappear out on the highway, and I lost her number somewhere along the way, but I’ll say a little prayer that she’s doing fine, another morning, another motel bed, another city waiting up ahead, and another small memory to leave behind, somewhere cross the Harlan County line.”

As much as Dave Alvin is an accomplished musician and songsmith, he is first and foremost, a gifted storyteller. That is the truism that threads through this watershed record. Take “Murrietta’s Head,” bramblethick guitars, searing bass lines, a propulsive timbale kick and keening lap steel are tethered to a galloping backbeat. Cogent lyrics quietly unspool a richly detailed yarn narrated by a cash-strapped rancher who aims to claim the bounty for an outlaw on the run; “I hear Joaquin Murrietta steals horses and gold, killed a sheriff in Mariposa, or so I’m told, he’s the Devil’s bloody bastard, wicked and no good, but all the Mexicans swear that he’s Robin Hood/Well, with my wife and my sons, I work as hard as I can, on thirteen acres of California land, but the rains never came, and I’ve got debts I can’t pay, now the bank’s gonna steal my farm away.” Sinewy guitars scratch and snarl, riding roughshod on the break. As the posse moves in, the ethical rancher makes an uneasy peace with his conscience; “Now the Bible says, you reap what you sew, that may be right, but I don’t really know, well, if it is, Murrietta will be damned to Hell, and when I kill him, I’ll be damned as well.”

Initially, “Gary, Indiana 1959” is powered by spiky, Boogie-Woogie piano (courtesy former Blaster and forever friend, Gene Taylor) and a clickity-clack beat. As the arrangement gathers speed, shanga-lang guitars, walking bass lines and a walloping big beat lock into an irresistible West Coast Swing groove. The saga of a dying, industrial town is told through the eyes of a former steel worker; “I’m old and weak and gray, and I’m runnin’ out of time, yeah, but you should have seen me, brother, when I was young and in my prime…I was a steel working man with two kids and a loving wife, and the Union was strong, with smokestacks burning day and night, back in Gary, Indiana 1959.”

“Johnny Ace Is Dead” offers so much more than a rote recitation of the facts surrounding his death. The trail-blazing Memphis musician, died in 1954, from an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Dave’s coruscated lead guitar blazes atop chugging bass and a locomotive rhythm. The melody shares some DNA with Chuck Berry’s epochal 1955 hit, “You Can’t Catch Me.” The lyrics paint a vivid tableau

“ELEVEN ELEVEN” (YEP ROC RECORDS)

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

accordion notes edge the melody’s margins, tinged with longing and apprehension.

of that shocking event; “Down in Houston, Texas on a Christmas night, with a gun in his hand and his name up in lights, he was young and handsome, the Prince of the Blues, in a sharkskin suit and alligator shoes/He was flirting with some women who had come backstage, he said ‘Ladies, want to see me play a wild game?’ but Big Mama Thorton said ‘Go sing your song and put that damn thing down before something goes wrong.’ Big Mama cried ‘Dear Lord,’ Big Mama said, he put a .22 pistol right up to his head, then he smiled at the ladies, now Johnny Ace is dead.” Scorching, cross-cut guitars ignite on the break as the final verse offers a chilling denouement; “When Johnny came home to Memphis, Tennessee, everyone on Beale Street came out to see, there were pimps and gamblers, husbands and wives, women old and you came to say goodbye/And as the choirs sang and the preachers prayed, five thousand mourners marched him to his grave, well there may be a Heaven and there may be a Hell, no one knows for sure but Johnny Ace knows damn well.”

While most of this record offers a rollicking good time, the action slows for three numbers. “Manzanita,” is a duet with singer-songwriter Christy McWilson. Cascading acoustic arpeggios are matched by thready bass lines, sylvan electric guitar, weepy pedal steel and a loping beat. Trading verses, they offer their own perspectives a teenage romance that couldn’t be sustained. But by the chorus, her feathery vocals wrap around his gruff baritone, as they each yearn for a lost and forsaken love. Dave has the final word; “They built houses and highways near the hillsides, and I married and divorced twice since then, but there’s still manzanita in the canyons, where I pray someday, I’ll walk with her again.”

Co-written by his pal, Chris Gaffney, “No Worries Mija” is a courtly, South Of The Border charmer that echoes both Bruce Springsteen’s “Meeting Across The River” and Los Lobos’ “Just A Matter Of Time.” Braided acoustic guitars wash over upright bass, plaintive piano and Conjunto-flavored accordion. Lyrics meant to reassure, tell the story of a family man caught between a rock and a hard place; “No worries Mija, everything will be fine, I’m gonna make us some money doing a drive cross the borderline, it’s a favor for a friend, and it shouldn’t take much time, so no worries, Mija, everything will be fine.” Shivery

Flinty slide guitar and pensive acoustic notes, chunky electric riffs, barely-there bass and rumbling drums power “Black Rose Of Texas.” A tender elegy to former love, lyrics that recall better days are suffused in heartache; “In The Honky Tonks and Punk Rock bars, sometimes it felt so good to be alive, doing the two-step across the hardwood floor, while telling some wild boys some white lies/But the music always had to stop, and you had to face the world on your own, Black Rose of Texas, I hope you found your way home.” A meandering slide solo mirrors the sorrow and regret.

The track-list on this reissue is slightly reconfigured from the original 2011 release, and includes three bonus tracks, beginning with “Beautiful City ‘Cross The River.” Originally written for the TV series, Justified, it opens with some ethereal harmonies from Christy McWilson, that are quickly supplanted by slashing electric guitars, bee-stung slide guitar, growly bass lines, lilting accordion and a piledriving beat. Panoramic lyrics shape-shift from outlaw saga to redemption song, to romantic lament. Dave rips an incendiary solo that simply crackles with authority, followed by fluid accordion notes and prickly slide guitar. The song’s final verse is wildly cinematic; “I didn’t hurt no one, I didn’t fire a gun, just stole what I could and then I began to run, drove three long days straight to El Paso, with a bag full of cash and visions of Mexico, now all I’m asking is that you will deliver me over the borderline to that Beautiful City Across The River.”

“Never Trust A Woman” is a boisterous duet with brash Blues singer Candye Kane. The stop-start melody is anchored by an oscillating stripper-beat, gritty guitars and throbbing bass lines. Lyrics offer a salty backand-forth between warring spouses; “Well, the mailman has been here three times and we still ain’t got no mail, and the sheriff keeps coming over, but nobody’s going to jail/I found all those magazines that you keep trying to keep hid, and you keep calling the babysitter, when you know we got no kids.” Raucous, raunchy and slightly ribald, their repartee is momentarily sidelined as sweat-soaked electric riffs coalesce with some blistering slide runs on the break. This one is a down n’ dirty delight.

Meanwhile, there’s the metallic slink of “Signal Hill.” Knotty guitars sidle up to loose-limbed bass and a rattle-trap beat. Dave’s efficient, yet expressive lyrics echo venerated L.A. antecedents like Nathaneal West, John Fante and James M. Cain, as he chronicles a wanton assignation with a sympathetic older woman. He deftly delivers this warm but wary epilogue; “After she passed out, I just stared down at the city lights, and thought of all the dreams and the broken hearts in the night, then I listened to her breathe, soft and sweet like

Thursday, January 12

Awe Bar – The Iceman Special w/ Giselle Woo and the Night Owls – 7pm

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar

– 3:30-6:30pm, Tim Burleson – 7pm

Casuelas Café – Avenida – 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Marc Antonelli – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewery – Open Mic – 6pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Christine Love – 6pm

Jazzville @ Agua Caliente – Irving Flores Latin Band – 7pm

Jolene’s – Desert Crows – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Mark Guerrero, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Craic Haus – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails

– Daytime Moon – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – Latina Night w/ DJ LF – 9pm

Purple Room – Sharon Sills – 6:30pm

Runway – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King Trio – 6pm

The Village – DJ Cranberry – 9pm

Friday, January 13

Awe Bar – Tristan Lake Leabu w/ Angie and the Deserters – 7pm

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Tony Grandberry – 7pm

Bart Lounge – “Light vs. Dark” w/ DJs Sugarfree, Bassmoves, Lizz Castles and Starcat – 8pm

Casuelas Café – The Myx – 6:45pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Patrice Morris – 7pm

Larkspur Grill – TBA – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Jeff Bonds, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Beats and Drums – 9pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Quel Bordel – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Tommy Castro and the Painkillers – 8:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails – Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – The Seven/Six

Presents: DJs Boogs and Sebass – 9pm

Purple Room – Donna McKechnie – 6pm

Sullivan’s – Hotwyre – 5:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 5pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King – 7:30pm

The Village – Rob & JB – 5:30pm, DJ Gio

the Ace – 9pm, DJ Cranberry – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Saturday, January 14

Awe Bar – Gethen Jenkins w/ Eric Roebuck – 7pm

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Off Da Cuff – 7pm

Bart Lounge – Luna Negra Goth Night w/ Dancing Strangers and Resident DJs – 8pm

a child until the sun rose cold and lonely on the top of Signal Hill.

Dave pays tribute to his older brother Phil on one cut, and his brother-in-arms, Chris Gaffney on a couple more. “What’s Up With Your Brother” is a sly and sardonic fraternal duet that pays homage to sibling rivalries and the ties that bind. Shuddery harmonica butts up against fuzz-crusted guitars, greazy bass, Honky-Tonk piano, spiraling organ and a clankin’ beat. They take turns good-naturedly griping that despite their (separate) myriad accomplishments all anyone ever asks is “what’s up with your brother?” They scrap and tussle, talk a little shit, and by the finish, Dave attempts to dismiss his bro with a curt “See you later, Phil.” But Phil gets the last word, retorting, “See you at Thanksgiving!” Fractious, rambunctious and irresistible.

“Run Conejo Run” delivers a pocket history of Chris Gaffney’s peripatetic journey from Golden Gloves boxing champ, to world-class musician, and pays fealty to symbiotic friendship they shared. Semaphore bass lines and a brawny Bo Diddley beat hold down the bottom as strafing electric guitars thrust and parry with fiery slide runs. Dave’s dexterous prose touches on the verisimilitude of a life well lived; “He told me his life story, his joys and his regrets, from the hot streets in Tucson, to the cold prison in Quebec/From his ex-wives and old lovers and the promises they believed, to the daughter in Louisiana,

Casuelas Café – Daveed Macias – noon, Flashback Boyz – 6:30pm

Chef George’s – TBA – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – CV Comedy Show w/ Josh Edelman, Austen Silver and Locals Elijah James and Quartez Wynn – 8pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Fun with Dick and Jane – 7pm Lavender Bistro – Jeff Bonds, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Beats and Drums – 9pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm O’Caine’s – California Celts – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Gilby Clarke and the Keef Richards w/ Frankie and the Studs – 8pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails – Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – DJ Cielohigh and Friends – 9pm

Purple Room – Donna McKechnie – 6pm

Sullivan’s – Paul Villalobos – 5:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 5pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Rose Mallett –5-7pm, John Stanley King – 7:30pm

The Village – Rob & JB – 1pm, Dio DJ the Ace – 9pm, DJ Cranberry – 9pm, DJ Erika Starr – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Sunday, January 15

Awe Bar – Awe Bar Bazaar – 12pm

that he never wanted to leave.”

The record closes with “Two Lucky Bums,” a hoary, slightly hokey duet between Dave and Chris. Plangent, strummy guitar connects with angular bass and brushed percussion. These brothers in arms acknowledge that they’ll never be millionaires, but they’ve had a good run; “Been chasing the same old dreams down a road that never ends, and given the chance old friend, I know we’d do it again/We’ve got some blues, we’ve got some regrets, made some mistakes but nonetheless, I know we’d do it again.” Blithe accordion notes adds a breezy, easy feeling, landing somewhere between Gypsy Jazz and cheerful, Depression era numbers like Irving Berlin’s “Let’s Have Another Cup Of Coffee.” It’s a sweet and sentimental end to a brilliant effort.

Much of this record was inspired by the loss of his compadre Chris, to liver cancer in 2008. In the ensuing years both Dave and Phil have battled health issues and musicians like drummer Don Heffington (Lone Justice, a million other things) Gene Taylor (Blasters, Canned Heat, Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Candye Kane have passed on, rendering it all the more bittersweet.

For nearly four and a half decades, Dave has created a musical mosaic that has forged new paths even as it honors his earliest influences. Eleven Eleven is a benchmark album, ripe for rediscovery.

Babaloo Lounge – Tristen/Flamingo

Guitar – 1pm, Bob Corwin Piano Bar –3:30pm, Tim Burleson – 6pm

Bart Lounge – Latina Night w/ DJ LF –8pm

Blu Ember – Gina Sedman – 5pm

Casuelas Café – El Mariachi Coachella –1pm, Voices Carrie – 5:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Acoustic Afternoon w/ Zander Rodriguez and Co. – 3:30pm

Fisherman’s Market, PS – Live Music –6pm

Jolene’s – Fun with Dick and Jane – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 3:30-7:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 12pm

The Village – Gio the Ace - 9pm

Monday, January 16

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30, Tim Burleson – 6pm

Casuelas Café – Live Music – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Larry Copeleto – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Abbie Perkins, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Richard “88 Fingers” Turner – 6pm

The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Tuesday, January 17

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, The Carmens – 6:30pm

Casuelas Café – The Desert Suite Band – 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Patrice Morris and the Women of Soul – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Abbie Perkins, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Purple Room – Rose Mallett – 6:30pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Slim Man Band –6pm

The Village – DJ Erika Starr – 9pm

Wednesday, January 18

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm

Casuelas Café – Lisa Lynn and the Broken Hallelujahs – 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Tim Burleson – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Trivia Night – 7pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

The Fix – Alex Santana – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Rebecca Clark – 6pm

Jolene’s – Open Mic – 6:30pm

Lavender Bistro – Mark Guerrero, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Country Nation – 7pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails

– Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Purple Room – Charles Herrera, Darci Daniels and Michael Holmes – 6:30pm

Tack Room Tavern – T-Bone Karaoke –7pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King – 6pm

The Village – DJ Cranberry – 9pm, Banda Revolucion – 10pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

SAFETYTIPS

JANUARY IS CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

and other ways of quitting.

2. Eat a healthy diet - Although eating healthy foods can’t ensure cancer prevention, it might reduce the risk. Consider the following:

· Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables, and other foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer highcalorie foods. Limit refined sugars and fat from animal sources.

or 75 minutes a week of hard aerobic activity.

You can combine moderate and hard activity. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. More is better.

4. Protect yourself from the sun - Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer and one of the most preventable. Try these tips:

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

As firefighters we’re really good at taking command and controlling fires and incidents of all types. In the past 20 years, from 2001 to 2020, cancer death rates went down 27%. We still have a lot of work to do!

Take charge with these Mayo Clinic tips such as eating a healthy diet and getting regular screenings.

Cancer prevention information continues to develop. However, it’s well accepted that lifestyle choices affect the chances of getting cancer.

Consider these lifestyle tips to help prevent cancer.

1. Don’t use tobacco - Smoking has been linked to many types of cancer, including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, voice box, pancreas, bladder, cervix, and kidney. Even being around secondhand smoke might increase the risk of lung cancer.

But it’s not only smoking that’s harmful. Chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, and pancreas.

Staying away from tobacco — or deciding to stop using it — is an important way to help prevent cancer. For help quitting tobacco, ask a health care provider about stop-smoking products

· Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all. Alcohol increases the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney, and liver. Drinking more increases, the risk.

· Limit processed meats. Eating processed meat often can slightly increase the risk of certain types of cancer. This news comes from a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization.

People who eat a Mediterranean diet that includes extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts might have a reduced risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses mostly on plantbased foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, such as olive oil, over butter. They eat fish instead of red meat.

3. Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active - Being at a healthy weight might lower the risk of some types of cancer. These include cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon, and kidney.

Physical activity counts too. Besides helping control weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.

Doing any amount of physical activity benefits health. But for the most benefit, strive for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity

· Avoid midday sun. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are strongest.

· Stay in the shade. When outdoors, stay in the shade as much as possible. Sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat help too.

· Cover your skin. Wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Wear a head cover and sunglasses. Wear bright or dark colors. They reflect more of the sun’s harmful rays than do pastels or bleached cotton.

· Don’t skimp on sunscreen. Use a broadspectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Apply a lot of sunscreen. Apply again every two hours, or more often after swimming or sweating.

· Don’t use tanning beds or sunlamps. These can do as much harm as sunlight.

5. Get vaccinated - Protecting against certain viral infections can help protect against cancer. Talk to a health care provider about getting vaccinated against:

· Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. Adults at high risk of getting hepatitis B are people who have sex with more than one partner, people who have one sexual partner who has sex with others, and people with sexually transmitted infections.

Others at high risk are people who inject illegal drugs, men who have sex with men, and health care or public safety workers who might have contact with infected blood or body fluids.

· Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical cancer and other genital cancers as well as squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys ages 11 and 12. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of the vaccine Gardasil 9 for males and females ages 9 to 45.

6. Avoid risky behaviors - Another effective cancer prevention tactic is to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to infections that, in turn, might increase the risk of cancer. For example:

· Practice safe sex. Limit the number of sexual partners and use a condom. The greater the number of sexual partners in a lifetime, the greater the chances of getting a sexually transmitted infection, such as HIV or HPV.

People who have HIV or AIDS have a higher risk of cancer of the anus, liver, and lung. HPV is most often associated with cervical cancer, but it might also increase the risk of cancer of the anus, penis, throat, vulva, and vagina.

· Don’t share needles. Injecting drugs with shared needles can lead to HIV, as well as hepatitis B and hepatitis C — which can increase the risk of liver cancer. If you’re concerned about drug misuse or addiction, seek professional help.

7. Get regular medical care - Doing regular self-exams and having screenings for cancers — such as cancer of the skin, colon, cervix, and breast — can raise the chances of finding cancer early. That’s when treatment is most likely to succeed. Ask a health care provider about the best cancer screening schedule for you.

WINE PIX FOR PALM SPRINGS’ FLIX THE VINO VOICE

BY RICK RIOZZA

Having just read through last week’s CV Weekly, I was delighted to see its coverage of the 2023 Palm Springs International Film Festival which is on-going from January 5th to the 16th. This season, over 130 films from over 60 countries will be screening in venues across Palm Springs and Cathedral City. www.psfilmfest.org

Of course I was reminded of the fact that this Vino Voice column was one of the first Southern California wine columns to do movie & wine pairing articles. From 2013 to 2016, with titles such as “Wine Cuddling at the Movies, “Last Picture Show Wine Pairing” & “Sipping on a ‘Reel’ Wine”, we played the imaginary scenario of recommending world class wines to sit and sip on while catching some of the films being showcased at the PS Film Fest.

And back then, we really got into it: “As we like to say, the Arts mix well: the art of film, the art of wine—it’s a natural. And you readers already know, as with food & wine pairings where one teams the different combinations of flavors, densities, touch, and nuance of the meal to the flavor points and counterpoints of a designated wine, movies offer us the same if not a broader matrix of jump-off points: Film origins, story lines, titles, geography and even character names can imaginatively take us to a myriad of wines around the world.”

Indeed, back in 2016 we finally wrote, “Many of you long-time CV Weekly readers, will remember that this column has joined in the fanfare itself by presenting some hopefully interesting wine & movie pairings, where we’ve—well, matched some festival films to particular wines because of some serious or crazed connection to one another. And we’ve had our fun—perhaps at your expense; fortunately, last year I pretty much promised to put any more ideas to a restful sleep.”

Well—it looks like our seven-year slumber will unfortunately be interrupted as we’re once again prompted to weigh in on some— perhaps wacky—movie and wine pairings. (By the way, those past recommendations lead many of our local movie houses to currently offer premium wines & spirits for their audience—cheers to that!)

First, we can start off easy by pairing a wine simply to the movie title: Argentina 1985, Argentina’s Oscar submission, “ a gripping legal drama offers a front row seat on the challenge to prosecute the de facto dictatorship government.” No big surprise here, as we go for the country’s leading varietal and export, Malbec. Originally from the southwest of France and the Bordeaux region, this grape has taken off to the fabulous heights of the Andes Mountains, just like

Cabernet Sauvignon took hold in California’s Napa Valley.

Zuccardi, José Zuccardi Malbec, Uco Valley, Paraje Altamira ($42) This wine well connects to the movie, as this is “a serious Malbec, built for the long haul. Intense, harmonious black fruit aromatics; hints of spice, savouriness and a whisper of florality, opening up with time in the glass to include notes of richer black cherry and mulberries. Aging in concrete and old oak foudres. Incredible depth of spicy cassis fruit, with a base note of dry earthiness and ground black spices. Poised, with a long, lingering finish.

Next: 80 for Brady “Inspired by a true story, four best friends live life to the fullest when they take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play. Starring Academy Award® nominee Lily Tomlin, Academy Award® winner Jane Fonda, Academy Award® winner Rita Moreno and Academy Award® winner Sally Field, with seven-time Super Bowl Champion and producer Tom Brady.

The talk for the past year or so, is that quarterback Tom Brady is the GOAT—Greatest Of All Time. That idea gets us to thinking, what is the greatest wine of all time? The purists out there would offer the 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cab Sauv; others will claim the 1947 Cheval Blanc or the 1961 Chateau La Tour.

But let’s go to the movie itself where we find four women of a certain age on a particular agenda. And the particular wine they seem to be cuddling with is a rosé champagne. Now the first ever rose champagne to be produced and sold in the market, Ruinart Rosé, launched their greatest perfection in the year of 1764.

“Coming with peach colours, the Ruinart Rose still maintains its glorious history and taste.” A crisp and lightly tannic flavour. There is even a subtle warm spice to it on the finish.” However, it costs approximately $2,012— affordable, no doubt, to pro quarterbacks and Hollywood actresses.

Revoir Paris “...an emotional detective story about how we find our way back to each other.” “Revoir” can mean “meet again”. So meeting again in Paris can probably take us to a sidewalk cafe or bistro where we can always get our share of bistro wine: Beaujolais. The good news is that the recent vintage of Beaujolais to be released, the 2022, is considered to be one of the best in decades; the bad news is that the horrendous windstorm in a week took out most of the crop. Thus, there ain’t much of it around. So if you can find it or a Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau—grab it!

Fortunately for you readers, we’re now running low on column space. So Don’t Worry Darling, “… the desert landscape, palm studded streets and mid-century modern architecture of Palm Springs fuels a thrilling and enigmatic mystery of a pictureperfect community.” Well—as your friendly neighborhood wine steward over at the Palm Springs Ralphs Market, don’t worry on a particular wine choice, I’ll be giving you some great advice on a nice wine to pick up for the flick. See you at the movies!—cheers!

BY DEANN LUBELL

There is a whole lot of love, respect, kindness, compassion and understanding in the incredible writings of Maryann Ridini Spencer. Spencer, a local writer, screenwriter, producer, and television host, from the Coachella Valley, has made a name for herself with her popular spiritual and best-selling novels such as Lady in the Window, The Paradise Table, Secrets of Grace Manor, and Under the Tropical Skies.

Maryann Ridini Spencer writes themes of Aloha, penning award-winning novels and writing and producing critically acclaimed projects for film and television. She began her career as a producer/writer for Cable News Network. Later, she was appointed director of publicity for Miss Universe, Inc. She also served as senior vice president of Stephen J. Cannell Productions/The Cannell Studios before founding Ridini Entertainment Corporation. As company president of the award-winning PR, marketing, multimediacontent-creation, and TV-and-filmproduction company, she is committed to creating, writing, producing, and promoting content that entertains, inspires, educates, and uplifts.

My recently featured writer in Desert Art Scene, Kathy Strong, award-winning travel author of Secret Southern California, columnist for USA Today/Gannett Newspaper, had this to say about Maryann. “The Paradise Table is another plumerialaced ‘Kate Grace’ mystery from talented writer Maryann Ridini Spencer. In this book that follows best-selling Lady in the Window, Spencer again magically weaves together the breathtaking beauty and spirituality of Kauai, miracles, and the power of faith and love into an intriguing quest for the truth.

When violent dreams become reality in this peaceful island paradise, newlywed Kate unearths disturbing secrets that will change everyone’s lives, causing her to embark on a sometimes heartbreaking and shocking path. The Paradise Table is not just another mystery—it is a heartwarming validation of self-trust, friendship, love, and healing.”

Spencer will have a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Palm Desert on Saturday, January 18, 2023 from 1-4.

For more information on Maryann please go to MaryannRidiniSpencer.com

(Photo of Maryann by Marie GregorioOviedo)

SIDE BAR:

Attention book fans! Get up close and personal with fifty of your favorite Coachella Valley authors at the Palm Springs Writer’s Guild Book Expo on Saturday, January 14 from 1-4 pm at the Mizell Center at 489 S. Sunrise Way, in Palm Springs. This event, like so many others, was put on hold during the pandemic and is back with a force. It is FREE to the public! Among the local writers, including yours truly with my award-winning historical novel called The Last Moon, is renown mystery thriller author Andrew Kaplan, whose Homeland book series was

the foundation for the hit Tv series. For more information, please contact Kristina Hoffman, Director of Member Engagement, Palm Springs Writers Guild at 415-309-2260. Hope to see everyone there!!!

PET PL ACE A MIRACLE TRANSFORMATION FOR CLYDE

him, retreating anxiously even when offered treats. He was no candidate when potential adopters visited, though he happily greeted Lisa when she visited him at the shelter.

Sometimes someone shows up in your life and everything changes. Todd Brune came to the shelter one day and then returned to make a commitment on his second visit. This happy adoption photo shows Todd actually holding the dog he now calls Ryder. It seemed like a happy ending for both, as Todd missed his pup who recently passed away. However, it took awhile for the happy ending to unfold.

Unfortunately, a large Cicada bug flew out of a back yard tree in Ryder’s new home shortly after his arrival hitting him in the head. The incident triggered something. The pup retreated underneath an end table in the living room refusing to come out, even to relieve himself. The dog was silent and still. Todd brought him meals which the fearful fellow would not eat until Todd left the room.

Trainer Jim Turcott consulted with Todd by telephone with training strategies. Jim advised Todd it could take up to 4 weeks for Ryder to recover, but Jim was optimistic, and Todd was ready for the challenge. He advised Todd to pick up Ryder and carry him through the home. Wrapped carefully in a towel Ryder was quiet and passive as he surveyed the rooms. He improved to the point where he would lay on the bed and watch television with Todd. He moved closer to Todd, and eventually cuddled. With skill, love, and patience the process took 3 weeks. Todd describes it, “He changed, it was like a light switch turning on.”

BY JANET McAFEE

Some adopters would have retuned Ryder to Loving All Animals, relieved to be rid of the “nuisance”. The traumatized animal would have regressed further back at the shelter. Love and perseverance won out over fear. Todd was patient, and working from home made it easier to handle the situation. Todd says, “If Ryder hears something he doesn’t like such as a loud boom, I tell him ‘it’s ok buddy’ and he is fine. I finally heard him bark one day when a friend came over.”

Todd happily updates us, “It is so rewarding when a frightened dog goes from being frozen in fear to open up and bond with you. Now when I’m working, my loyal dog lays under the desk and he follows me everywhere around the house. Ryder is my best buddy!”

We will never know Ryder’s history. Thank you to the team who gave him a bright future…..Kirk Geiger, Lisa Fein Blodgett, Jim Turcott, Todd Brune, and the staff & volunteers at Loving All Animals.

Contact Loving All Animals at 760-8347000 about adopting or fostering a rescue dog or cat. Most of the animals there will greet you with a kiss. Check out their website www.lovingallanimals.org for more resources, available animals, events, and donation information. There is nothing like the heart of a rescue dog to bring cheer during the holidays!

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

This is a story about a miracle second chance, a story of redemption, a story about love and patience. Like humans, dogs who have been traumatized can heal over time, but for one small rescue dog it was a longer journey to overcome the past.

Kirk Geiger with Animal Rescue Center of California received information about a large number of dogs living in squalid conditions outside an Indio home. Some of them, including a group of young puppies, stayed underneath the home seeking shade from the scorching desert sun. Kirk’s team

MEET

LAYLA

I’m a staff favorite, but now I am urgent because I’ve been at the CV Animal Campus since October! I’m a lovely Shepherd mix girl, 1-yrold and 39 lbs of doggie love. My hobby is playing with the pups in the playgroup. Meet me at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, 10am-4pm Mon thru Sat, ask to meet me in a private visiting room.

Dog ID#A1703085. 951-358-7387, www.rcdas.org

Loving All Animals was contacted by Geiger to take a pair of Terrier/Chihuahuas. Bonnie and Clyde were transferred to LAA’s small dog shelter in Coachella where they occupied the same yard and kennel space overnight. Bonnie was shy but approachable. Clyde assumed a guarding posture and barked furiously at people who approached

MEET HILARY

I’m a happy, healthy girl, but I’m now URGENT at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter. I’m 28 lbs of puppy love, 8-moold, Shepherd mix girl. I’m a long-term resident since Nov. 3. Meet me at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, 10am4pm Mon thru Sat, ask to meet me in a private visiting room, dog ID#A1704601. (951) 3587387, www.rcdas.org

included Lisa Fein Blodgett, local animal advocate, who agreed to foster the puppies and the several small adult pups. It was no surprise the dogs had received no prior veterinary care and were kept like trash in the messy yard.

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS –Open 10:00-4:00 Monday through Saturday. View animals online at all 4 county shelters www.rcdas.org, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. (Public)

PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – Open to the public, closed Tuesday. View animals online at psanimalsshelter.org and complete application for the one you want to meet, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, Call (760) 416-5718. (Public)

DESERT HOT SPRINGS ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL – Open daily 9:30-4:30. www. cityofdhs.org/animal-care-control.com, View animals at www.petango.com/dhsacc. 65810 Hacienda Ave, Desert Hot Springs, Call for appointment (760) 329-6411 ext. 450.

ANIMAL SAMARITANS – Open to the public. View their animals at www. animalsamaritans.org. Email volunteer@ animalsamaritans.org to foster or volunteer. Located at 72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 601-3918. (Private)

CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - Call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 6563833. (Private)

HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – Fill out an application online www. orphanpet.com and call for an appointment. This shelter has dogs of all sizes and cats, Located at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 329-0203. (Private)

KITTYLAND – Open to the public to adopt cats and kittens. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www. kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private)

PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact them at prettygoodcat.com, (760) 660-3414 (Private)

LOVING ALL ANIMALS – Call for appointment to adopt dogs. Located at 83496 Avenue 51, Coachella, lovingallanimals.org, (760) 834-7000. (Private)

ANIMAL RESCUE CENTER OF CALIFORNIA

– Foster based rescue for dogs and cats in Indio. thearc-ca.org, (760) 877-7077 (Private)

FLUFFS & SCRUFFS – Foster based rescue for small dogs in Cathedral City. FLUFFSANDSCRUFFS@AOL.COM, (310) 9803383 (Private)

SOCIETY’S OUTKAST ANIMAL RESCUE

– Foster based rescue for dogs in Rancho Mirage, www.societysoutkasts.com, (760) 832-0617. (Private)

LIVING FREE ANIMAL SANCTUARY –Large outdoor shelter for dogs and cats up Hwy 74, Mountain Center, living-free.org, (951) 659-4687. (Private)

CITY OF BANNING ANIMAL SHELTER –Open daily 10am-6pm. Located at 2050 E. Charles St, Banning. Many beautiful animals of all sizes. View animals at arerescue.org/ banning. (951) 708-1280 Short staffed so don’t always answer phones. (Public)

CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – Open 12:00 – 3pm Tues through Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get ID number of the animal you want. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 384-1304 or (909) 384-7272. (Public)

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AT DEVORE – Open 7 days a week. Call (909) 386-9280, www.sbcounty.gov/acc and get the ID number of animal you are interested in adopting, 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (Public).

Here are some places where you can adopt a wonderful rescue dog or cat!

HADDON LIBBY

While it is impossible to know what 2023 has in store for you or me, we can make some reasonable estimates on economic conditions for the year. Armed with this knowledge, you can be better prepared for what is in store.

By aggressively increasing interest rates, the Federal Reserve is indirectly slowing the economy. The Fed is dampening demand in order to improve supply. By increasing supply, prices fall and the beast known as inflation is slayed.

As most of us experience every time that we go to the store, inflation erodes the buying power of a dollar. When you add in high energy costs, you can see why many folks are having to cut back.

With most of the interest rate hikes behind us, a look at the economic landscape tells us that businesses are beginning to feel the pain like most consumers. To date the highest profile layoffs have been in the highly paid technology sector.

At year-end, people who work or want a job was 62.3% of all adults. This means that 159 million of 165 million who wanted a job had a job. We still have another 100 million adults not ‘looking’ for a job. Looking is defined as being out of work less than six months by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If we look back one year, we have 3.5 million more people in a labor pool that has grown by 3.3 million people from a country that is growing its working age population at a 2.7 million rate annually.

What these numbers tell us is that the labor pool is tighter today than it was a year

SLAYING THE INFLATION BEAST

ago when we started to see sharp increases in worker pay. 10% of those who were not interested in working are now working. My guess is that higher inflation and a declining stock market have caused more people to work again.

In the United States, 46.6 million of its 333 million identify as Hispanic. This ethnic group participates in the workforce at a rate that is 4% higher than the national average. The unemployment rate amongst Hispanics is 4.1% which is 0.6% more than the national average.

At the end of November, there were 10.5 million job openings in the United States of which 1 million was in government. Job openings are 500,000 lower than one year ago. 40% of job openings are in Southern

states with 25% here in the West.

Is it any surprise that healthcare has the most job openings at 2.1 million? Professionals/business are second with 2 million openings followed by Hotels/Food (1.5 million), government (1 million) and retail (900,000). As of the end of November, we had not yet seen many job cuts. With an increase in layoff notices coming with the New Year, expect changes to these numbers in upcoming months.

What can we take from all of this?

The Fed is hell bent on slowing demand and breaking inflation.

If you are looking for a job, it should be easier to find a job now than it will be in one year. The exception to this is in healthcare where worker shortages mean that jobs are

BY HADDON LIBBY

plentiful so long as you are willing to move.

Where real estate saw great times when interest rates were near historic lows, things are vastly different today. Real estate sales have slowed markedly while home refinancings have all but gone away. The glut of commercial and office space can be expected to get worse as struggling retailers fail. This all suggests that real estate prices should be lower in one year than today.

As a seasonal economy, most in the desert experience a slowdown every year. As you go into this year’s slowdown, be prepared for a weaker market next season. If we get lucky and things remain robust, be thankful as many parts of the United States, world and our local economy are already in a recession.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information on our services, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.

Who do you love more than your dog? Probably your immediate family, and that’s it. Who else shows they’re happy when they see you, or waits at the front door for you to get home? Unlike a spouse, you only have 12 to 15 years of this love and devotion.

If left alone, your dog will not have food or water and possibly be chained up. Your dog needs you!...so DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET IN AN ACCIDENT!

CALL A TAXI OR UBER………they are A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME.

Today’s column is about being arrested for a DUI, or being a victim in an Auto Accident and taken to the hospital or jail. Both will cause you money and heartache…….not to mention embarrassment. You want the lights following you home to be street lights and not Red and Blue flashing lights.

If you are a regular reader of my weekly legal columns for the last 10 years, you know that my office focuses on representing clients for Accidents, DUI’s and suing Drunk Driving Drivers who injure our clients. We protect consumer rights! We deliver results, not false promises…and get top dollar on our accident cases. When the case is successfully concluded, our clients tell us we

were courteous, professional and caring and that we “DID TURN WRONGS INTO RIGHTS”.

If this happens to you, REMEMBER SILENCE IS GOLDEN, so keep your mouth shut! Remember the 3 S’s……SILENCE, SILENCE, SILENCE. DO NOT TALK, SIGN, SETTLE OR DEAL with ANYONE FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YOUR LAWYER.

EXPLAIN YOU WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK TO THEM. However, YOUR LAWYER ASKED YOU TO NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING WITH ANYONE, WITHOUT YOUR LAWYER’S PERMISSION. Get their name and number and then call me and I will call to explain it is not the policy of our office to allow a client to talk. Thus, you remain the good guy and the lawyer is the bad guy.

Many lawyers do not understand that it is not just what you say, but rather what the adjuster, investigator, officer THOUGHT they heard you say. If I tell them something and I am wrong, I can say I must have misunderstood my client and I will check and get back to you. If you say the same thing, you are locked into that testimony.

Only retain a lawyer who has also been in an accident. That lawyer understands: your

not being able to lift/bend; trouble sleeping; fear of driving; temperamental; confused; what to do first; how to find a doctor and then which doctor. After all, you want a doctor who is competent in providing medical care. An important component is having a doc who knows How To Write A Med/Legal Report. For a decade I lectured to the International College of Surgeons on this subject.

The insurance company is motivated by “Perception of Risk”. Thus you would prefer a doc saying there is a 50% chance you will not recover, rather than there is a 50% you will recover. Keep them scared of your hitting it “big”.

If you are like me, you may have had trouble sleeping and reliving the accident.

After the accident, whenever I drove, I would constantly look in the rear and side view mirror to be sure the cars behind me were stopping. When I heard brakes screeching I would tighten my neck and shoulder muscles, preparing to be hit.

For more detailed information, please check prior columns on what to do when you are a victim of an auto accident or arrested for a DUI. When choosing an attorney, you have to decide…Do you want your lawyer to be good, fast or cheap? Pick 2!

DALE GRIBOW - Representing the Injured and Criminally accused

“TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 201123

“TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine

PERFECT 10.0 AVVO 5 STAR Peer Rating

“Preeminent” Rating - Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory

Client Appreciation Award/ Martindale Hubbell Client Distinction Award

Only Attorney Selected to CVAG Public Safety and CLINTON Foundation committees

Hosted weekly legal Talk Show and Legal Column “ACCIDENTALLY YOURS”

For questions or suggestions for future columns contact dale@dalegribowlaw.com or 760 837 7500.

By the time we entered the late nineteen-nineties, the world of professional wrestling was unequivocally not the powerhouse of entertainment it once was. There are those, and I am certain many, who will argue the contrary. However, there is no denying the fact that plush dolls, action figures, t-shirts, magazines, posters, video games, and other professional wrestling memorabilia were emphatically not flying off store shelves as they had during the beginning of the decade.

Professional wrestling pillar stones such as: Hulk Hogan, “The Macho Man” Randy Savage, Mr. Perfect, The Ultimate Warrior, The Big Boss Man, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and so many others had experienced so much negative press – and directly from their former employer, wrestling’s true snake-in-the-grass, former WWE chairman, Vince McMahon. Whenever fans viewed their weekly antics in Vince’s rival organization, Ted Turner’s WCW (World Championship Wrestling) they were considered relics, or “has-been’s”. Coincidentally, the wrestlers I mentioned were all in the late-thirties to mid-forties at the time. Most professional wrestler’s today sit comfortably within that age bracketmany higher. Current AEW wrestler Sting is now in his sixties.

The world of professional wrestling has experienced nose-dives in a multitude of arenas, loss of talent, lack of compelling storylines, smut storylines, lackluster presentation, FBI investigations for steroid use, and non-PG television programming.

It is remarkable that the 1998 Frankie Kazarian, who had been so inspired by the impeccable presentation of the 1980’searly 1990’s professional wrestling product, was able to remove his thoughts from the boggy pit that had become professional

wrestling. He kept his focus and hopes on a “future” professional wrestling industry that might in some way capture elements of the past while blending wisdom of his present to create something extraordinary for the future.

While Frankie and I continued to enjoy the brisk Coachella Valley pre-Christmas weather on my back patio, our conversation walked through the curtain - so to say, of Frankie’s formative training to become a professional wrestler. To recap, in 1998, Frankie traveled to Malden, Massachusetts where he was trained by professional wrestling legend, “Killer” Walter Kawolski.

“The guys in that class were big and it seemed like they didn’t want me there. But I climbed into the ring anyway. My thinking, I’m here now. This is what I’ve been dreaming about. I’m going to give it my best shot”.

Fortunately for the young Frankie, his trainer, “Killer” Kawolski saw something in his protégé.

“After that first class, Kawolski pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey - you’ve got something kid’. I know it sounds cliché, and I thought I was literally living in a Rocky movie, but that’s exactly what happened”. Frankie goes on to say that Killer’s words were all it took. All it took to wash away the tears of Frankie’s homesickness, and any doubts he had made the wrong decision to peruse his dream.

Frankie is a self-professed “home body”, which I feel is an extremely compelling revelation since professional wrestling is a highly extroverted field. If you don’t talk - and if you don’t talk loudly - and in a commanding manner, “brother” your character will undoubtedly be moved to the back of the pack, and then to the outside of the arena - permanently.

“It was a blessing. There I am homesick, the smallest guy in class… I don’t know anyone in Massachusetts, and this professional wrestling legend takes me in”.

Frankie would go on to let me know that over the course of the year he was living in Lynnfield, just outside of Malden, Massachusetts (1998-1999), Killer Kawolski and he developed a tremendous father/son bond. Killer had already entered his “golden years” - as they say, and so within little time of Frankie beginning training at his school, Killer stopped physically training students. “Instead, Killer had some of the guys who had been in training longer instruct class while he dictated from the sidelines”.

Killer didn’t particularly like to drive and so Frankie became his “driver” from timeto-time, which meant the youngster in

training got to spend more time sapping up knowledge from his elder mentor. The two would eat lunch, go the gym, even attend church together.

Frankie learned the ropes of wrestling with relative ease, which naturally led me to pose this question, “How do you deal with all the pain?”

For those who aren’t aware, or who have never set foot inside a professional wrestling ring, know this; that mat, those ropes, and those turnbuckles hurt. I bounced a few ropes, leapt from a few turnbuckles, and went over a few ropes in my time. They really hurt. Frankie’s response to dealing with the pain produced by professional wrestling was: “You’ve just got to be able to absorb and take a lot of pain”. When Frankie said this, I pondered his response in greater detail.

Frankie, like myself, grew up viewing professional wrestlers throughout the eighties and early nineteen-nineties. Many of our former role models undeniably took the beating that professional wrestling dishes out – and it shows. Hulk Hogan has undergone numerous back and hip surgeries. Before his death at age 61, Rowdy Roddy Piper had had a hip replacement, and as professed by his family in a recent A&E documentary, lived in constant anguish from body pain.

Conversing with Frankie regularly has allowed me to garner the knowledge that the active career of a professional wrestler, in terms of travel schedules and actual in-ring time has over the last twenty years changed significantly. For example, professional wrestlers of the era of Hulk Hogan and Rowdy Roddy Piper, traveled approximately 300 days per year. These larger-than-life childhood heroes were virtually absent from their families and children yearround. If they were home, sadly (in some cases), they’d have the urge to want to get back on the road. Perhaps, perpetuated by getting used to the constant beat of travel [all they knew], mentally interrupted what should have been time-spent, relaxing, and enjoying the family. Thus, many of those families were obliterated as a result. Today those same men who are still living and who gave of their time and bodies no longer have the physical or mental enjoyment of life they were perhaps hoping for when their careers began.

BY TIAR’A LITERARY & ILLUSTRATION

As for Frankie, he has truly been blessed. Blessed by the ability to distinguish that his family - wife, and son, are the most endearing and of greatest importance in his life. Blessed by the fact that his current wrestling schedule for AEW (All Elite Wrestling) and Impact Wrestling - although frequent, are yet light enough that travel does not interfere with his family nor, become his addiction.

“Honestly, I feel great! As I sit here across from you at 45, my body feels good. If I can still feel this way in ten years, I’ll still be wrestling. Guys like Chris Jericho are still doing it. One of my closest friends in pro wrestling, Billy Gunn. He’s almost sixty, and he’s still doing it”.

It appears that greater care is being taken with professional wrestlers today as opposed to thirty years ago. Promoters/bookers back then were only interested in making money off the wrestler’s performances. Today with the advent of the internet and social media, greater knowledge about health and wellness, and new labor laws, even promoters/bookers are keener to prolong the lifespan of their performers, rather than using them up and tossing them out at the end of their cycles.

Back to 1999… Frankie is trained and ready to get out there and start making his mark in professional wrestling. He travels back to Southern California from Massachusetts, and back to Yucca Valley [albeit with a lot less savings], but considerably wiser, stronger, and ready to wrestle.

“WWE weren’t interested in hiring smaller guys at the time. WCW was on its way out, but I got some independent bookings”, Frankie tells me concerning his 1999-2000 timeframe.

“How much did you earn per match on the independent wrestling circuit?”, I ask.

“$75 per match on the East Coast. $20 per match on the West Coast”.

More next month…

Tiar’a Literary & Illustration is a privately owned Coachella Valley content creation and marketing company that produces engaging and informative content for individuals and business in the form of promotion, marketing, books, advertorials, blogs, articles, product description, publicity, and media commercials. Email us your business inquiry today at: tiarapublications@gmail. com

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FOOD MIRRORS OUR LIFE

We all have our own unique personal relationship with food.

The taste, smell, and texture of food can elicit strong images not just of eating food but also of who we were with and of the place and setting. Food is a trigger of deeper memories of powerful feelings and emotions. We develop belief systems around food that often doesn’t serve us well especially when we try to make “healthier” changes to our diet.

When we feel we have control we tend to be happy. However, what happens when you try to diet and think you “fail?”. Usually we become very self-critical and say things to ourself like, “I should be eating this way instead”, or “I shouldn’t have eaten this” or “I’m such a failure that I can’t stick with this” or usually we say “what’s wrong with me”. Then we judge ourselves harshly and beat ourselves up all over our food choices! This ongoing sense of “failing” and “self-criticism” is significant and why many people experience a yo-yo diet and why it is so challenging to maintain a weight loss program.

Food Can Represent Healing & Happiness

Your relationship to food is a wonderful opportunity to heal and change your negative mindset. Start out by being kind to yourself regardless of your “performance” with your diet. We can only do the best we can with what we have and with the level of stress in our life. If you feel like you “failed” to meet your standards of eating, always give yourself a break. ALWAYS! Then the key to healing is awareness. We can’t heal that which we don’t understand. Awareness allows you to create some distance between you and your initial reaction. Begin to forgive yourself, give yourself GRACE and move on. Eventually your negative reaction to food will be less and less and you will make different food choices. There will be times you make ones you don’t like but you will become accepting of your choices.

As you watch your relationship to food, you learn to be more of an observer and you “choose” foods rather than feeling like I “have to eat this” or “I can’t eat that”. As you train your brain and your perception around food you will start being happier, reinforce positive choices, be more proactive and actually make healthier choices.

Let Go. Enjoy Food. Enjoy Your Life. Rigidity around food is a powerful metaphor for fixed behavior in other aspects of your life. Food is an opportunity to learn ways to let go and not need so much control. Watch what

BY MICHELLE BORTHWICK

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

WEEK OF JANUARY 12

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nigerian author Wole Soyinka reworked the ancient Greek play, The Bacchae. In one passage, the god Dionysus criticizes King Pentheus, who is supposedly allpowerful. “You are a man of chains,” Dionysus tells him. “You love chains. You breathe chains, talk chains, eat chains, dream chains, think chains. Your world is bound in manacles.” The bad news, Aries, is that many of us have some resemblances to Pentheus. The good news is that the coming months will be a favorable time to shed at least some of your chains. Have fun liberating yourself! Try to help a few others wriggle free from their chains, too. Doing so will aid your own emancipation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Every animal knows far more than you do,” declares a proverb of the Nimíipuu people, also known as the Nez Perce. Author Russell Banks provides further testimony to convince us we should be humble about our powers of awareness. “There is a wonderful intelligence to the unconscious,” he says. “It’s always smarter than we are.” These are good pointers for you to heed in the coming weeks, Libra. You will have a special power to enhance your understanding of the world by calling on the savvy of animals and your unconscious mind. They will be especially rich sources of wisdom. Seek out their educational input!

happens in your life when you practice this simple principle.

When you work on loving yourself first, regardless of your behaviors, you’ll automatically do the best you can and focus on not beating yourself up. If you eat the cake, don’t shower yourself with guilt about how you failed. Accept it, give yourself GRACE and start over.

Choosing to enjoy the experience of eating creates an energy that carries into other areas of your life. You get to practice this daily (since we get to eat daily). When you sit down to a meal be relaxed and enjoy every delicious bite. Stay focused on food as a CHOICE, not a have to, and you’ll react less, think more clearly, and have a higher chance of sticking to the diet you choose.

If low carb, keto or paleo ways of eating interest you for getting healthy and/or weight loss set up a free 30 minute coaching call with me. We’ll look at various food options, mindset, and complete customization so the food plan is designed to work for you.

About Michelle Keto:

Michelle Borthwick, known more widely as Michelle Keto, is the foremost expert in living the Keto lifestyle and the go-to coach for Keto women. She loves the CA lifestyle and spends time between San Diego and Palm Springs, CA. Her 1:1 coaching, and group programs have helped hundreds of women from 25 states and 4 countries lose over 7,500 pounds while eating foods they love. This foodie’s motto, and business name, is “Keto is Easy” and she’s one of the only Keto leaders who promotes full customization for long term success. For a complimentary 30-minute coaching call please schedule at: ketoiseasycoach.com

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming weeks will be a great time to fill your journal with more intense ruminations than you have for many moons. If you don’t have a journal, think about starting one. Reveal yourself to yourself, Taurus! Make conscious that which has been vague, unnamed, or hiding. Here are assignments to help launch your flood of intimate self-talk. 1. Write passionately about an experience you’ve always wanted to try but have never done. 2. Conduct imaginary interviews with people who rouse strong feelings in you. 3. Describe what deity, superhero, or animal you are and how your special intelligence works. 4. Visualize a dream in which you appear as a bolder, more confident version of yourself. 5. Talk about a time you felt rousingly alive and how you plan to feel that way again.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A stranger approached me at Wild Birds Unlimited, a store that sells bird food and accessories. “You write the horoscopes, right?” she asked. “I’m a Gemini, and I want to thank you for helping me tone down my relentless fidgeting. You made me realize I have been secretly proud of tapping my fingers on the table while talking with people, and constantly darting my eyes around the room to check out the ever-changing views. I’d unconsciously believed that stuff was a sign of my incredible vitality. But you’ve been a steadying influence. You’ve shown me ways to settle down and focus my energy better. I can see how restlessness sometimes saps my energy.” I told the woman, “You’re welcome!” and let her know that 2023 will be a favorable time to do much more of this good work. Homework: Meditate on channeling your incredible vitality into being grounded and centered.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to Cancerian author Ronald Sukenick, the writer’s work is “to destroy restrictive viewpoints, notice the unnoticed, speak the unspeakable, shake stale habits, ward off evil, give vent to sorrow, pulverize doctrine, attack and uphold tradition as needed, and make life worth living.” I believe 2023 will be an excellent time for you to carry out those actions, even if you’re not a writer. You will have abundant power to bless and heal through creative rebellion and disruption. You will thrive as you seek out interesting novelty.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Psychotherapist Ryan Howes has wisdom you’ll benefit from heeding in the coming weeks. “We need to accept our age,” he writes. “We need to accept illnesses and addictions. We need to accept the past. We need to accept others as they are.” He goes on to say that this doesn’t mean we must like all these situations. And we can certainly try to make the best of them. But when we don’t struggle in vain to change what’s beyond our control to change, we have more energy for things that we can actually affect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here’s testimony from musician Pharrell Williams: “If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.’” Yes! This is an apt message for you, Virgo. The best way for you to generate motivation and excitement in the coming weeks will be to explore what is lacking, what is invisible, what’s lost or incomplete. Check in with your deep intuition right now. Do you feel a stirring in your gut? It may tell you where to find important and intriguing things that are missing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Psychologist Carl Jung said that the whole point of Jesus Christ’s story was not that we should become exactly like him. Rather, we should aspire to be our best and highest selves in the same way that he fulfilled his unique mission. So Jesus was not the great exception, but rather the great example. I bring these meditations to your attention, Scorpio, because I believe life in 2023 will conspire to make you, more than ever before, the hero of your own destiny. You will be inspired to honor only your own standards of success and reject all others’. You will clearly see that you are progressing at your own natural and righteous pace, which is why it makes no sense to compare your evolution to anyone else’s.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A reader named Mary Roseberry describes her experience of being a Sagittarius: “I hate to be bored. I hate imperfections. I hate to wait. I hate sadness. I hate conflict. I hate to be wrong. I hate tension.” Wow! I admire Mary’s succinct understanding of who she doesn’t want to be and what she doesn’t like to do. I invite you to compose a similar testimony. You would benefit from getting clear about the experiences you intend to avoid in 2023. Once you have done that, write a list of the interesting feelings and situations you will seek out with intense devotion during the coming months.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When he was 74 years old, Capricorn author Norman Maclean published his first novel, A River Runs Through It. It became a best-seller. Capricorn film director Takeshi Kitano directed his first film at age 42. Now 75, he has since won many awards for his work in his native Japan. Capricorn activist Melchora Aquino, who was a leader in the Philippines’ fight for independence from Spain, launched her career as a revolutionary when she was in her eighties. She’s known as the “Mother of the Revolution.” I hope these heroes inspire you, dear Capricorn. I believe that 2023 is the year you will get an upgrade in any area of your life where you have seemed to be a late bloomer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will soon be called upon to summon grace under pressure; to express magnanimity while being challenged; to prove that your devotion to your high standards is more important than the transitory agendas of your ego. The good news is that you are primed and ready to succeed at these exact assignments. I have confidence in your power to activate the necessary courage and integrity with maximum poise and composure.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “By dying daily, I have come to be,” wrote poet Theodore Roethke. He didn’t mean he suffered literal deaths. He was referring to the discipline of letting go of the past; shedding worn-out habits; leaving behind theories and attitudes that once served him well but no longer did; killing off parts of himself that were interfering with the arrival of the fresh future. I recommend his strategy to you, Pisces. To the degree that you agree to die daily, you will earn the right to be reborn big-time in a few weeks.

Homework: What power will you possess in nine months that you do not yet have? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

© Copyright 2022-23 Rob Brezsny

Rob

THE DARK SIDE OF SLEEPING PILLS

Recent studies indicate that hypnotics (a sleep-inducing drug) might take as much as five years from the life span of the average hypnotic drug taker. Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., a Senate Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD, “maintains by endorsing addicting hypnotics, the FDA bumps off old folks and reduces the population. In reducing the U.S. population, hypnotics would reduce those human-made pollutants that cause global warming.”

Controlled clinical trials proved that hypnotics doubled occurrences of depressed moods and added about 44% to new infections. Hypnotic hangover causes average patients more sleepiness the next day. Pharmaceutical sleep aids are associated with increased lung and esophageal cancer, perhaps multiplying those risks several times.

Kripke’s eBooks are on the web for free: Happiness needs Bright Light and The Dark Side of Sleeping Pills Kripke demonstrates statistically significant cancer risks specifically for zolpidem and temazepam. For patients prescribed over 2-3 sleeping pills per week, there was a 35% increased risk of developing cancer within an average of 2.5 years.

A new study from Taiwan studied zolpidem, which is the most popular hypnotic in Taiwan and the United States. With over eight years of follow-up, the Taiwan authors found a considerably larger cancer hazard associated with zolpidem than the Kripke study found with shorter follow-up. There have been additional studies with similar results.

Sleeping Pills Associated with Significant Mortality Risk: Zolpidem, Temazepam, Eszopiclone, Zaleplon, Triazolam, Flurazepam, Estazolam, Quazepam, Barbiturates (esp. phenobarbital), Antihistamines, mainly diphenhydramine are all linked to mortality risk.

All approved sleeping pills can cause “hangover,” that is, they not only reduce the action potentials of our brain cells during sleep, but they can also reduce brain cell activity during the day. This can make a user sleepy, less alert, confused, and weak. Falls are much more common among elderly people who are taking hypnotics. Of patients given Lunesta, 10% had accidents as compared to 6% given a placebo.

Why is Insomnia so Hard to Treat? Sleep disorders are a symptom of many chronic diseases. There are over 80 million sleep disorders in six categories, and 18,000+ studies in Pub.Med.gov

Insomnia – when one cannot fall asleep

or stay asleep.

Sleep apnea – which involves impaired breathing while sleeping.

Restless leg syndrome – characterized by tingling, discomfort and even pain in the legs that increases at night and is relieved by movement.

Circadian rhythm disorders – when one’s internal clock is off and one’s sleep patterns are disturbed.

Parasomnias – which entails abnormal movements and activities while sleeping, including sleep-walking and nightmares.

Excessive daytime sleepiness – when an individual experiences persistent drowsiness during daylight hours from narcolepsy or another medical condition.

Given the problems with conventional sleep medications, medical scientists are exploring other ways to improve sleep by targeting the endocannabinoid system (ECS). As the primary homeostatic regulator of human physiology, the ECS plays a major role

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

in the sleep-wake cycle and other circadian processes.

Cannabis has been used for centuries. A German researcher Bernard Fronmueller observed in 1860, of all anesthetics ever proposed, Indian hemp is the one that produces a narcotism most closely resembling natural sleep without causing any extraordinary side effects and does not kill. People with mood disorders who use cannabis have the highest rates of sleep benefits at 93%. (Babson & Bonn-Miller, 2014).

There is conflicting research on cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD). CBD has a biphasic dose response. A low dose increases wakefulness and calm. However, a high dose of CBD will act as a sleep aid. A high dose can be up to 160 mg. Cannabinol (CBN) can potentiate sleepiness when combined with THC or CBD. Melinda Misuraca gives a recipe in projectcbd.org for a one-to-one of THC and CBD that is very effective. Her recipe is rich with ginger, passion flower, chamomile, valerian, dried hops, CA poppy, and lemon balm.

For more information on Marijuana Without the High contact me at the Vault Dispensary Lounge Call 760-866-9660 or send comments to cannaangel16@gmail. com