Coachella Valley Weekly - August 13 to August 19, 2015 Vol. 4 No. 21

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coachellavalleyweekly.com • August 13 to August 19, 2015 Vol. 4 No. 21

Rich “Da’ Coach” Gilgallon

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Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real

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Hans Zermuehlen

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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Coachella Valley Weekly

Johnette Napolitano Q&A With a So-Cal Icon

by Esther Sanchez cover photo by veronica

coachellavalleyweekly.com publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly

760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Deborah Evans Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan, Judith Salkin, Denise Ortuno Neil, Heidi Simmons, Kira Golden, Rich Henrich Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Janet McAfee, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Jack St. Clair, Rob Brezny, Eleni P. Austin, Noe Gutierrez, Sunny Simon, Karen Creasy, Richard Weiss, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dr. Maria Lombardo, Bruce Cathcart, Julie Buehler, Flint Wheeler, Laura Hunt Little, Rebecca Pikus, Monica Morones, Lola Rossi, Dee Jae Cox, Patte Purcell, Esther Sanchez, Janet Newcomb, Angela Valente Romeo, Alex Updike Photographers Laura Hunt Little, Scott Pam, Lani Garfield, Chris Miller, La Maniaca, Esther Sanchez Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

Save the Date

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Contents Johnette Napolitano.......................... 3 Rich Da’ Coach Gilgallon.................... 4 LMS - Lukas Nelson............................. 5 Open Mic Competition ....................... 6 Backstage Jazz - Hans Zermuehlen... 7 Frank Sinatra’s BDay at Riviera.......... 7 Consider This - James Taylor.............. 8 Art - Hans Biwi Lechner...................... 9 Pet Place............................................10 The Vino Voice ..................................11

PRESENTED BY

PALM SPRINGS

RESTAURANT

Club Crawler Nightlife......................12

Benefiting Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs Palm Springs Hospitality Association Palm Springs Restaurant Association

ASSOCIATION

8 a.m. Shotgun Scramble Format

For sponsorship and golf tournament information visit palmspringshospitality.org/golf.htm

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ohnette Napolitano has had an impressive music career that has spanned decades. To the excitement of local music geeks such as myself, she will be performing her newest material at two, intimate acoustic shows at BART lounge in Cathedral City on August 21st and 22nd. The Joshua Tree resident and Hollywood native is best known for her work as lead singer and bassist in the ‘80s/-’90s alternative rock trio, Concrete Blonde. She is also a poet, social activist, sculptor and composer with a respectable menu of credits that is too long to list. Needless to say, I was rather stoked to have the opportunity to pick her brain.

Sanchez: “Do you believe that your family and upbringing molded the decisions that lead to you becoming a music performer?”

Napalitano: “Most definitely. I wrote my first song when I was 12 years old. Early on my parents recognized I had some sort of talent. I think it was when the ‘Wizard of Oz’ showed on TV the first time. After we watched it, I walked over to an upright piano someone had given my father because they’d owed him money, and played ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ note for note. I’ll let you do that math, but I’ll never forget the way my parents looked at each other. My Dad bought me a guitar not long after, and I think of him every show I play.”

Sanchez: “What type of music did you hear in your home growing up and how did it influence you?”

Book Review .....................................15 Screeners ..........................................16 Haddon Libby...................................18 Dale Gribow......................................18 Safety Tips ........................................19 Sports Scene.....................................19 Free Will Astrology...........................20

Contributions received after September 9th may not receive the full benefits due to e.g. production deadlines. A not-for-profit organization under IRS code 501(c)(3). Tax ID: 95-1957907

Life & Career Coach...........................20 Mind, Body & Spirit ..........................21

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photo by barfly

August 13 to August 19, 2015

photo by Amber Rogers

Napalitano: “My mother loved show tunes: I used to lay under the Hi-Fi and I choreographed an entire dance to Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue.’ We listened to Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and of course the Rat Pack...Sinatra, Dean Martin, the whole Italian American thing. My father knew Mario Lanza, and was devastated when he died. He used to bring home carrots out of Mario’s garden. My mother loved country, as her people were from Texas.”

Sanchez: “What has been the most defining or memorable moment of your career to date?”

Napalitano: “My band, Concrete Blonde, played China a few years ago. That was without a doubt my proudest moment, because I don’t know of a lot of bands who have done that. It was amazing, the people were beautiful, and thousands of Chinese knew every song. We were treated like royalty and I hope to go back. We always wanted to go where most American bands were afraid to…...depending on the currency, era, etc. most managers couldn’t deal with foreign touring. But, if we artists don’t reach out with our art, then we risk becoming slaves to politicians who rarely bother to speak more than one language, yet want us to hear their message.”

Sanchez: “How does this new project differ from your previous albums?”

Napalitano: “Well, it’s the first ‘album’ I’ve made after more than a year of touring solo with a guitar and it returns me to a place where I started from. My longtime friend Brian Mansell (Leon Russell Band) brought out the Mobile Media Lab to my place here in J-Tree. I am comfortable here and had been playing some of these new ones live for about a year and felt ready. We killed it, I was so excited. And I was home, which is where I like to be. I designed and rehabbed my cabin with brick floors and I have wood shutters and I know, having worked all my life in the greatest recording studios in the world, how sound works, and my place is set up for recording. I was very happy to record at home. I have before, but Brian had his state-of-the-art MediaLab trailer out here and ran lines in and just killed it.”

Sanchez: “How long have you been a desert resident and what brought you out here?”

Napalitano: “I’m a native Californian.

Hollywood traffic started getting to me.

I’d bought a beautiful little piece of land in Topanga Canyon and was planning to build an eco-house. I had 2 meetings with the architect and since my Dad knew construction, I knew I’d need to sell my house and live somewhere with my 3 dogs for at least 6 months. I didn’t expect to rely on anyone in Hollywood and I couldn’t find a place to rent with the dogs that wouldn’t break my bank. I kept coming out farther and farther to look, and by the time I got all the way out to the desert I thought, ‘Screw it, I love it out here, I’m just going to stay.’ I think that was 13 years ago? Maybe longer.

I don’t like to think about it because that makes my oldest dog old, and I don’t like to think about that.”

Sanchez: “The music industry has changed drastically over the span of your career. Social media allows for selfpromotion and computer programs such as ‘garage-band’ allow almost anyone to mix/ record, and YouTube has turned obscure artists into super-stars. That being said, I would love to hear your thoughts and reflections on these changes.”

Napalitano: “I love it. I’ve been able to continue working as a musician because of it. I’m originally a studio geek, so when my peers were freaking out at Pro Tools, etc., back in the early 90’s, I was all about it because I knew damn well I would not be able to have a meeting when I was 40 with a bunch of executives asking them to open up a checkbook to finance my career.

As a woman in particular, I knew damn well I wouldn’t be able to rely on anyone or anything to maintain my career past the age of 40, but I damn well intended to….I love that young people are doing amazing stuff on their laptops and IPHONES. I think my former labelmate Michael Stipe said something decades ago about arming people with cameras. Art is everywhere. It’s a great time, creatively.

photo by Amber Rogers

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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Rich “Da’ Coach” Gilgallon and the Road Less Traveled

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here are few voices, in radio or otherwise, as iconic or energetic as Rich Gilgallon’s. Dubbed “Da’ Coach” by his first station manager in 1987, Gilgallon has tickled desert ears and hearts with his sports and political musings, along with his ecstatic love for music for the better part of the last 17 years.

This Friday, August 14th, Da’ Coach will walk into the studio of KPSI 920 AM, and like all weekday mornings prior, dawn his trusty headphones, start up the desert’s local political engines at 9 AM sharp, and with hand over heart, begin his daily broadcast with a riveting version of our Nation’s Anthem. The next few hours will be filled with passionate, political commentary, spawned from a deep love for his country, with musical interludes thrown in at the breaks, as the big voiced radio veteran sings right along with them.

Sponsors will get the Gilgallon plug, a priceless thing in this market as no one can do it better.

Then, as he has done for almost 2 decades, he will sign off at high noon, and turn the airwaves over to the national news service. This Friday, however, as he pushes himself away from the board, he will take off his headphones and set them down for the very last time at KPSI AM. Changes at the radio group’s programing have all their local AM radio hosts saying goodbye. But don’t you cry for Coach. This Scranton, PA born piece of work is more than just a huge, familiar voice here in the desert; he also happens to have one of the biggest, most tenacious hearts.

Gilgallon knows how to take his knocks and still find a way to come up grinning.

How it all started: “I was hired from behind the bar,” Coach laughs. “I was bartending and had only been sober for one year. Before sobriety, well – that’s a whole other story. Frank Burn, the general manager of the local country station was at my bar there in DC. Jeff Bostic, his sportscaster, was moving, and Burn needed a replacement.

I leaned over the bar and said, ‘I can do that job.’ ‘This is not Scranton,’ he says to me. ‘This is Washington!’ I knew he was looking for another former Redskins player for the job, so I told him, ‘Everybody in this town has a former Redskin doing their sports. Why not be the first station to bring it from a fans perspective?’ Frank Burn called me a couple days later. ‘I haven’t slept in two nights since we talked,’ he says. ‘Why don’t you make a tape, and we’ll see what you got.’ As it turns out, they liked the tape, but Frank still had to sell it to the Viacom brass. So he asked me again, ‘If I gave you this job, are you SURE you could do it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I can do it.’ Days later, he calls me from New York, ‘Are you SURE you can do this job?’ I said, ‘YES! I can do this job!’

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This time, Frank says, ‘Good, ‘cause you got the job.’ First thing I thought to myself was, ‘What did I just get myself into? I can’t do this job!’ Funny thing though - to NO FAULT OF MY OWN, Frank burn was fired days after I signed the contract. I have not seen or heard from him since. He was the one that named me ‘Da’ Coach’! For several years, I would close the bar in the wee hours of the morning, nap in the studio, wake up and get on the radio, get some sleep, pull my shift at the bar, and repeat.”

“In ’92, I got a call from a guy named Scott Meyer. He said, ‘I heard you on the air this morning. Can you come to my hotel?’ I spoke to him for about 40 minutes. He was set to be the new station manager at the first ever, all sports radio station in DC, and was putting his staff together. He wanted me for the afternoon drive and it was going to add a couple of extra zeros to my paycheck. Funny thing though, TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN, Meyer had a falling out with the station manager just after I signed the contract, and I have not seen or heard from him since. It’s funny how those two guys, Frank and Scott, with whom I spoke to for maybe a total of 80 minutes, changed the course of my life forever.”

“In ‘97, I was shoveling snow in 10 below zero weather, when a call came in from one of the radio stations (KXPS) that ran my syndicated show, asking me if I wanted to come out here to the desert. I was on a plane December 26th, and ultimately made my home at RR Broadcasting’s 920 AM. I did sports for years adding my own personal flavor...you know, throwing in a few political spins on things, but during the presidential campaign, I was no longer content to talk about batting averages – not when I felt our country was sliding down the drain.” Somehow over the years, Coach has managed to maintain love and respect in our community, even across political lines, and his presence on KPSI 920 AM will be deeply missed by many.

How Coach Almost Lost Heart, Literally: “I was on the 16th tee at PGA West. It was pouring down rain, and I started feeling pain in my chest, but played through it. As it turns out, I birdied on 17 and made par on 18, apparently, in the middle of thrombosis. I had never experienced anything like it; I figured I was coming down with a chest cold. I drove myself home, and was sitting on my bed when out of nowhere, I heard a voice say, ‘If you want to die, roll over.’ The light bulb went off! I tried to dial 911, and of course my phone wouldn’t work.

So I got in my car, and I drove to Eisenhower in torrential rain, going about 12 miles an hour. A guy behind me was laying on his horn trying to get around me. I remember sitting there holding my chest thinking, ‘If I have to get out of this car in the middle of a heart attack to kick your ass, I’m just the guy who will do it!’ It was right then that I realized that the one thing that stands between

By lisa Morgan

us and eternity is a wall of pain. When you hit that wall, you KNOW it’s not a chest cold. It was a kind of pain like no other, and I truly thought that John L. Sinn Road was the last street sign I was ever gonna see. I was in intense pain waiting for help in the lobby, when a little 5 year old girl with a Raggedy Anne doll came over to me and asked, ‘Are you alright mister?’ I said, ‘Yes, honey. I’m alright. Thanks for asking.’ That little interaction got me to calm down. I was never more grateful for my relationship with Jesus Christ than I was right then. I felt an amazing sense of peace, realizing that if the ceiling I was looking at was the last thing I saw, then I would simply be absent from the body, but present with the Lord.”

“Two heart attacks and 8 stints later, I’m still here, so don’t think for a minute I’m out for the count now.”

What’s Next for Coach Gilgallon?

“I don’t know what the future holds,” says Coach, “but I know Who holds my future.” As for those who know and love Coach, a tribute concert is being held for him at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert this Sunday. Many of the artists whom he has supported by plugging their shows or by putting them and their music on air, will be playing for him this Sunday out of gratitude. The show will run from 4pm to 9pm at a “We Love Da’Coach” event at Schmidy’s Tavern. The list of guest performers includes the world renowned British rocker, Terry Reid, who toured with the Rolling Stones during the “British Invasion” and continues to etch his indelible mark in rock and roll. The “Pied Piper of Piano”, Andy Cahan, who has collaborated with The Turtles, Jimi Hendrix,

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Gram Parsons, Little Richard and Harry Nilsson (to name a few) will be performing, as well as the multi-award winning John Stanley King.

Other performers include Coach favorites from the Doug Phillips Band, R Buckle Road and The Brosquitos. The Coach himself may even get up there and sing along. He has also hinted that he will be making a very important announcement regarding his future plans at the event as well.

One thing is for sure, the Coach is not going down any time soon. When he does, rest assured he’ll be going down singin’, swingin’ and smilin’.

For more on Rich Gilgallon’s story, go to his YouTube link, Rich Gilgallon Choose Life.

For more information on the event go to schmidystavern.com/entertainment, or search for the event “WE LOVE DA’ COACH NIGHT” on Facebook, created by Diva Left Vegas Productions or call (760) 837-3800.

Local Music Spotlight

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

by Lisa Morgan

Cowboy, Hippy, Surf Rock Comes to Pappy & Harriet’s and SELLS OUT! Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real @ Pappy & Harriet’s Thursday, August 13th, Doors Open 7pm

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hat’s about the only “selling out” you will ever find Lukas Nelson and his tribe of otherworldly Apollonian band mates doing. They named the band the Promise of the Real for their commitment to authenticity in their music. Sure they may have opened for Lukas’ dad, Willie, in the beginning, but they sold their first EP, live tracks recorded off the soundboard at the world famous “Belly Up” in Solana Beach, California, in order to support their touring costs. And I don’t care whose son you are, BB King doesn’t tour with slouches. Having followed Nelson and his band brothers since their beginning, it has become quite clear that the only birthright claimed by this son of true music legend was the opportunity to learn from some of the best and apply his intense work ethic to it.

Having toured with Neil Young over the past several months, the lessons on every level have been incredible, and the gracious troubadour took time to talk to me about it as he and his bus sat on the top of a mountain in Colorado, broke down.

CVW: I have to ask you, how is it touring with Neil Young or “Uncle Neil” as you call him?

Nelson: “It’s just amazing. Neil’s a magical guy; he’s like a wizard. He’s very conscientious as well, and we all have that in common. It’s made me even more humble to life. I mean, holy shit, why me? There are so many great musicians out there. I got to know Neil kind of through dad. I mean, I met him every year at Farm Aid, but then he kind of took notice of the band. He came up to me actually one year, and said, ‘Hey you guys are really good!’ I said, ‘Thanks.’

Eventually he asked us to play with him.”

“I’ve been given so many opportunities, being the son of dad. I just feel incredibly blessed and lucky to not only be loving music, but to be able to learn from these incredible masters of the art. I was born lucky I guess, but I work really hard. I practice every day. I think people finally took notice mostly because we just worked so hard. We’ve been a band for a long time, we’ve stuck it out together, we’ve stuck to

what we believe in, and we’re not afraid to say what we feel and stand up for what we agree on.”

CVW: You are obviously a successful vocalist and songwriter, but your guitar chops are incredible. How did you and your guitar playing evolve?

Nelson: “My dad never nagged me to play. He never pushed me to do anything musically. He always left instruments around the house, but he never pushed. One day I picked up a guitar and I was playing with it when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He said he wanted me to learn to play guitar. So as a birthday present for him, I learned to play a few chords. I don’t remember what exactly... I think it was something simple like “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

“Everybody helped school me - my dad, everyone I listened to and watched, and the people I grew up around in Hawaii like Tom Conway and Donnie Smith. I learned how to be in a band from my dad’s harmonica player. I learned from everybody.”

CVW: Your dad has a signature guitar, do you?

Nelson: “I have got three main guitars.

Two are Fender Strats. I have an American Fat Strat named Bonnie, a red Strat named Christina, and a 1956 Les Paul Junior named Georgia.

CVW: The last album you played and sang on is Neil Young’s, The Monsanto Years. Will there be a new album from POTR soon in spite of your intense touring schedule?

Nelson: “Touring is just a way of life.

Even when I’m not working, I’m working thinking, you know. I’m never hurting for

songs. I always have material. The new album will be released this year. We’re getting together in the next couple of weeks to come up with a plan out to get it out there.”

Opening for POTR will be Micah Nelson’s band, Insects & Robots. His big brother is heavy on the accolades when he talks about how talented his little brother and band are.

Although the show this week at Pappy & Harriet’s is sold out, facilities will be set up and a bartender will be on duty in the beer garden outside for all the people coming up that can’t buy a ticket. In the meantime, follow Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real on social media (specifically Facebook) and you will be treated to some songs Lukas generously puts out there. And next time, get your tickets early for any show at Pappy’s, but especially for this phenomenal band whose world wide popularity is growing rapidly. promiseofthereal.com pappyandharriets.com

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

Local Music Spotlight

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backstage jazz

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By patte purcell

HANS ZERMUEHLEN

August 13 to August 19, 2015

Riviera Palm Springs Celebrates events Frank Sinatra’s 100th Birthday

Fall Sinatra Series Programming and Tribute Weekend Pay Homage to Famed Rat Pack Member

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open mic competition

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emi Finals night #2 at the CV Open Mic Competition Summer edition 2015 brought on excitement! The talent was fierce! Fans cheered on their favorite finalists as they competed for their spot in the Grand Finals 8/11/2015. DJ Alex Updike kept everyone bobbing their heads and grooving along in between performances.

Our semi finalists performed 2 songs each for our celebrity judges- Miri Hunter of Hunter & The Wicked, Brett McLaughlin & Christina Reyes of Caxton, Jesse Tostado from P.Lab Productions, plus vocalist and musician Giorg Tierez. As the votes were tallied and almost too close to call, anticipation grew as the judges debated on the tough decision during deliberation. Huge nod to ALL of our Semi Finalists who gave fantastic performances: Ariss Durazo, The Classy Mother Fu?ckers, Lance Riebsomer, Bear Fight, and Claire Davidson.

The top 3 turned into a top 4 in a surprise result! Those moving on to the Grand Finals are: Claire Davidson, Lance Riebsomer, The Classy Mother Fu?kers, an Bear Fight.

Congratulations to you all! Come out and see these talented performers at the Grand Finals Tuesday 8/11/2015 at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert. The show begins at 8pm and our Grand Finalists will be competing for

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a $500 trip to Las Vegas from Crater Lake Spirits, an Artist Development Workshop from Producer Ronnie King, and 8 hours of studio time plus a mix and master from JEM Productions. I hope to see you all next Tuesday for this special event. Don’t miss the excitement! Look for coverage of this week’s event and the announcement of winners in the next issue of Coachella Valley Weekly!

SPECIAL THANKS to all of our amazing sponsors: JEM Productions, Ronnie King Music, Crater Lake Spirits, KAM Studios, CV Weekly, Canyon Copy & Print, DJ Alex Updike, and the Mary Pickford Theatre.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Our next session will begin Tuesday 8/18/2015 and will be open to ALL AGES and YOU may compete EVERY week! PLUS Schmidy’s has a HOUSE DRUM SET you can use! PLEASE NOTE: Due to our overwhelming number of interested performers, sign in starts at 7pm and will be closed at 7:45pm. BRING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY and FANS and note that the competition usually ends by 10:30pm so be sure your friends and family know to stay until the end to voice their vote!!! For questions or information about sign-up, please visit and “LIKE” Facebook.com/CVOpenMicCompetition or contact creator and host, Morgan James at MorganAliseJames@Gmail.com or text/call (714) 651-1911

t’s always a thrill to see a musician that takes music to a new level. Hans Zermuehlen is one of these artists. This impressive 6 ft. 4 German keys player really rocks the house with his mastery and he never ceases to amaze me.

I started his interview by asking him how he became a musician. He explained that as a child his great grandmother had a piano.

It was purchased for her by her daughter, Hans’ grandmother, a maid who lived in Chicago and saved all of her money, $419.00 to be exact to buy an upright piano for her mother. This is where the story begins.

The piano became the entertainment center for the family. He and his brother were ‘forced into’ piano lessons at the age of 8. He quit after 1 year. He ended up making a career of it. His brother had a record player and band equipment in the basement where they learned to play everything from the Beatles to Jimmy Hendrix by ear.

His father, a librarian, bought a gift for each of their children; Hans chose a Hammond MS chopped but ended up trading it for a Fender Rhodes Synthesizer.

He got his first call from a musician’s service for a tour in Canada and so off he went. Bill Bridges the band leader picked him up and they rehearsed in his basement for 3 weeks before hitting the road.

He spent the next 3 weeks in Canada, the year was 1979.

Hans was chosen to tour with Air Supply from 1993 to 1995. He traveled all over the world with them from South America to Asia.

He got a career change with Frank Gamble of Chickorea (Return to Forever) and that’s when he moved to the smooth jazz genre.

Hans quipped that ‘he never thought he’d move to LA and work there but dreams come true’ and so they did.

Hans has played with everyone in the smooth jazz industry: Rick Braun, Jeff Lorber, Steve Oliver, Kirk Whalum, Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, Brian Simpson, Blake Aaron, Slim Man, Michael Lington, just pick a name, he’s probably played with them.

His very favorite smooth jazz artist is Will Donato and he’s played with Will more than any other artist. He effused that Will is the nicest human being on the planet. I certainly have to agree with him on that one.

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I asked him what his goals are. He said he doesn’t have a lot of time to do much of anything other than play, he’s an in demand artist. He opined that what used to take a month to learn and rehearse is now done in a week.

I can certainly vouch for that. He played with Slim Man last year and came in, sat down and nailed it without so much as a rehearsal. I must admit, I’m impressed.

He’s written a lot of songs but hasn’t gotten to record them because he’s just too busy.

Hans will be appearing at Smooth Jazzfest at the Riviera on Oct. 5 with Joe Baldino and his 11 piece band on the main stage and then at the VIP After party. Headliners are Greg Adams and East Bay Soul with the complete 10 piece band, and Slim Man and band. For tickets to the event call Patte Purcell at 702-219-6777 or visit purplepass. com and search Smooth Jazzfest. To contact Hans visit him on Facebook. pattepurcell@yahoo.com

iviera Palm Springs, touted “Palm Springs’ largest and most famous resort” in the 1960s today announces their fall Sinatra Event Series along with the birthday extravaganza weekend on December 11-13, organized

by Weekend At Sinatra’s, commemorating Sinatra’s 100th birthday . In celebration of the property’s most famous Rat Pack frequent visitor – Frank Sinatra – Riviera Palm Springs will be offering travelers and locals alike special screenings, events, parties and custom food & beverage menus.

Never forgetting the aesthetic and vibe of Old Hollywood, the 398-room Riviera Palm Springs blends modern contemporary design with touches of retro chic inspired furnishings and decor.

“Even though it has been decades since Frank Sinatra’s last visit to the Riviera Palm Springs, his presence, charisma and charm is still very much felt at the property,” said General Manager Marco Perry. “We are honored to have had him as a guest all those years ago and continue to value his loyalty with celebrations such as the Sinatra Series culminating with the full weekend of events in December for his 100th birthday.”

Sinatra Series: Saturday, September 26th – “Ocean’s Eleven Then & Now Double Feature” * Guests will screen both the original “Ocean’s Eleven” featuring Ol’ Blue Eyes, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. and the new 2001 version with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. While viewing, guests will enjoy retro cocktails and snacks with a special musical entertainment at intermission. * Location: Chiki Pool at 6:00pm * Cost: Complimentary Saturday, October 31st – “Rat Pack Halloween Party” * Party goers are encouraged to come as their favorite 60s era icon, hipster or mobster. Hear stories and music from the era, surprise guests, costume contest and entertainment all night long. * Location: Starlite Lounge; 8:00pm12:00am * Cost: Complimentary Week of November 15th – Circa 59 Special Sinatra Throwback Menu * Riviera Palm Springs’ signature

restaurant Circa 59 will be featuring a Prix Fixe menu based on the Sinatra Family Cookbook. * Location: Circa 59; 5:30pm nightly for dinner Weekend at Sinatra’s - DEC 11 - 13 Friday, December 11 * 12:00 p.m. – kick off at Chiki Pool, with DJ and live music, food and cocktails * 7:00 p.m. – Riviera ballroom event with appetizers, champagne, wine and the best tunes of Sinatra and Martin * Special entertainment from Vaughn Suponatime and Russ Loniello Saturday, December 12 (Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday) * 10:00 a.m. – Pool is open (and heated) * 12:00 p.m. – BBQ poolside at Chiki Pool * 1:00 p.m. – Fashion Show at Chiki Pool * 2:00 p.m. – Special vintage slideshow of Palm Springs * 4:00 p.m. – Sinatra Jack Daniels bar crawl at some of Palm Springs’ best bars and restaurants. The bar crawl will include a contest for the “best drink” among the bartenders. * 7:00 p.m. – Cocktail party and dinner in Grand Ballroom with a special 8:00 p.m. toast to Frank. Entertainment by James Darren aka Moondoggie Sunday, December 13 * Leisurely wakeup and breakfast * Pool festivities until 2pm Hotel pricing for the weekend begins at $109 per person/night. Please call (760) 327-8311 or visit www.psriviera.com to book a room.

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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by Eleni P. Austin

This World” (Concord Records) JAMES TAYLOR “Before

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he Bitch Goddess who writes this column rarely addresses anything from a first person perspective. Her argument is you know she wrote it, therefore it’s probably her opinion you are reading. To paraphrase George Harrison, too much “I, Me, Mine-ing.”

But this time, it can’t be helped, so she begs your indulgence.

I got my first grown-up record when I was seven years old. Until then, I subsisted on a diet of my mother’s records, (Greek music and Jazz) along with Disney and Hanna-Barbera story records and my beloved Chipmunks Sing The Beatles album.

But my cousin Sheila consistently played a cassette in her car that she knew I loved, so she bought me James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James LP for Christmas.

I wore that record out. I studied the cover, slightly crushing on JT and coveting his simple blue work shirt. I read the liner notes, learning the names of musicians who would become companions throughout my childhood as they popped up on subsequent albums.

My jams turned out to be deep cuts like “Blossom” and “Suite For 20 G.” After a while I needed to attach a penny to the stylus of my Kenner Close n’ Play, otherwise Sweet Baby James would skip.

Thus began a life-long love of James Taylor; even when my Osmonds obsession briefly eclipsed it; even as I discovered Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell and ultimately Punk Rock and even when he started going bald. His songs are like musical comfort food.

Obviously I am not alone. James Taylor has had this same effect on millions of women, and a few men. He kind of invented the sensitive Singer-Songwriter genre. Pretty good gig for a guy who checked himself into a mental institute as a teenager, and then struggled with assorted addictions until the early ‘80s.

James Taylor was born in Massachusetts in 1948 to Isaac, a physician, and Gertrude, a singer with operatic aspirations. The second eldest of five children, James showed an early affinity for music learning cello and then piano and guitar.

The family relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina when James was three. Along with his sister Kate, and brothers Alex and Livingston, he enjoyed an idyllic childhood in a tranquil, rural setting. The Taylors summered at Martha’s Vineyard. It was there he met budding guitarist Danny Kortchmar. Over successive summers the

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duo worked up an act, James began writing songs and they would perform as James & Kootch.

By high school, James was attending Milton Academy, a prep school in Massachusetts. By his junior year he was experiencing serious depression, so he spent his final year of high school back in Chapel Hill. He recorded some music with his brother, Alex but his despondence deepened. Finally he checked himself into the McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. In later years he considered his nine months there as a “pardon or reprieve.” It certainly kept him from serving in Vietnam.

After McLean, James moved to New York City intent on a career in music. Reconnecting with Danny Kortchmar, they recruited drummer, Joel O’Brien and bassist Zachary Wiesner and formed Flying Machine. Gigging around Greenwich Village they were making a name for themselves with performing James’ original songs. Unfortunately, James developed a debilitating heroin addiction.

Ultimately, he reached out to his father, who got him into a treatment program.

After receiving a small family inheritance, James relocated to London, England. Danny Kortchmar put him in touch with Peter (as in Peter & Gordon) Asher, who was working as an A&R scout for the Beatles’ Apple Records. He was signed, as the first non-British musician signed to the label.

He began recording at Abbey Road while the Beatles were making the White Album.

Paul McCartney and George Harrison played on “Carolina On My Mind,” and George co-opted James’ title “Something In The Way She Moves” as the opening line for his song “Something.”

His self-titled debut was released in late ’68 in the U.K. and early ’69 in the U.S. It received positive reviews, but James wasn’t able to promote the album. While he was in London he started using heroin again. He returned to the U.S. and checked himself into a treatment center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

By the Summer of 1969, James Taylor was headlining a six-night stand at the Troubadour.

He signed with Warner Brothers Records and was writing what would become Sweet Baby James.

That album arrived in 1970 and shot to the top of the charts. The first single, “Fire And Rain,” a song detailing the suicide of a friend, perfectly matched the Country’s post-‘60s malaise.

Consider This

For better or worse, James Taylor became the face of the sensitive singer-songwriter movement.

Cat Stevens, Jackson Browne and others carried the torch, but James owned that appellation throughout the ‘70s. His 1971 follow-up, Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon was also a critical and commercial smash, buoyed by his version of Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend.” By the end of the year he had married singer-songwriter, Carly Simon and everything seemed perfect.

Musically, everything James Taylor touched turned to gold during the “Me Decade” Even when albums like One Man Dog and Walking Man, didn’t rocket up the charts, they still performed respectably.

In between guesting on Carly Simon’s records, (they’re version of “Mockingbird” on her Hotcakes album, shot to #1), He released three critical and commercial juggernauts, 1975’s Gorilla, 1976’s In The Pocket and 1977’s J.T. He closed out the decade with the uneven Flag record.

Despite all the success and the picture-perfect family, (James and Carly had two children, Sally and Ben), he couldn’t out run his demons. James quietly continued to battle substance issues through the early ‘80s. After the release of his 1981 album, Dad Loves His Work, he began to speak publically about his struggle. He and Carly separated and divorced by 1985, the same year he released the tepid That’s Why I’m Here.

Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, James Taylor burnished his legacy by touring each summer.

Baby Boomers who grew up with him began introducing his music to their kids, creating a continuum of new fans. He sporadically released albums, Never Die Young, New Moon Shine and Hour Glass arrived in 1988, 1991 and 1997. Each was pleasant, but not essential.

After dating for six years, he married Caroline Smedvig in 2001. The couple welcomed twins, Rufus and Henry, later that year. His October Road record came out in 2002. He has spent the ensuing years guesting on other people’s albums, and touring. He recorded the obligatory Christmas album and released two albums of cover songs unambiguously titled Covers and Other Covers.

Now James Taylor is back with Before This World, his first album of original music in 13 years. It opens with the bucolic “Today Today Today.” Powered by fiddle, harmonica and some gritty guitar, the song serves as an intro to the record. The rhyming couplets that indicate he’s getting his shit together are surprisingly jejune; “The bird is on the wing, the bell is about to ring, the big girl she’s about to sing.” Ugh. But, he also delicately alludes to the hardships he has endured. “Somehow I haven’t died, and I feel the same inside as when I caught this ride.”

Both “Stretch Of The Highway” and “Montana” celebrate the yin yang of life on the road. The former a rollicking soul jam anchored by a punchy horn section. James extols the life of a traveling musician, “And my favorite thing is to miss my home, when I’m gone, soon as I’m gone.”

His mien is salacious and playful, as he notes “Chicago’s got the finest high-test, first-class poontang anywhere.” Okay, um, duly noted.

The latter is a loping waltz wherein this weary road warrior is longing for the comforts of home.

A slow-down in Montana is a wistful dream; “Who can imagine the scale of the forces that pushed this old mountain range up in the sky/ Tectonic creation, erosion, mutation, something to pleasure God’s eye.”

Two songs offer a window into the very private world of James Taylor. “You And I Again”

art Scene

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

by Angela Valente Romeo

Hans Biwi Lechner

Uniting Through The Common Denominator

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is a heartfelt love song to his wife. Yo-Yo Ma’s adds tremulous cello colors to this graceful piano ballad, as James notes “surely we have it all.”

“Angels Of Fenway” is a fun-loving ode to his beloved and beleaguered Boston Red Sox. His devotion began as a child with a grandmother who was born in 1918 when the Sox won the World Series, and she was still cognizant for their 2004 triumph. Unfortunately the song gets slightly sappy with the addition of chorale-style backing vocals.

James really steps in the shit with “Snowtime.”

The melody is a blatant rip-off of his ‘80s hit, “Only A Dream In Rio,” and it’s the whitest whiteboy samba ever. It’s an attempt to be laid back, Latin and lilting, but the rhymes are dodgy, and there’s weird immigration sub-plot that is introduced and abandoned. Out of nowhere, a Parisian accordion and timbales are thrust in the mix. It’s a bad case of musical schizophrenia.

The best song on here is pointedly political.

Although James Taylor has always championed liberal causes, he rarely voices those beliefs in his music “Far Afghanistan,” Offers a sharp character study of a young soldier from Indiana, preparing to enter a perpetual war zone. The melody’s foundation is built on a martial cadence and the modal, Middle Eastern verisimilitude is accomplished by threading a shehnai, (an oboe native to India), through the mix The lyrics offer a wry reminder that America has been occupying Afghanistan almost 15 years, but the country has been war- torn for generations. “They fought against the Russians, they fought against the Brits, they fought old Alexander, talking ‘bout him ever since/And after 9-11 here comes your Uncle Sam, another painful lesson in the far Afghanistan.”

Other sort-of interesting tracks include the rippling, back porch ramble of “Watchin’ Over Me” and the title track. “Before This World/Jolly Springtime” features the dulcet backing vocals of Sting and the cello charms of Yo-Yo, the first part of the song is a quiet benediction, but the second half is a Ye Olde English-y Elizabethan roundelay that wouldn’t seem out of place in “Spam-A-Lot.” The album closes with a sweetly faithful reading of the old Folk favorite, “Wild Mountain Time.”

I wanted to love, love, love this record. But honestly, it’s kind of dullsville. Sometimes great art is fueled by great pain, clearly that was the case with Sweet Baby James.

It’s wonderful that James Taylor has moved past the crippling emotional agony that characterized his youth. He no longer needs to medicate the pain away. He seems pretty happy.

This album is a massive success, debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts. Before This World isn’t unpleasant. But it isn’t essential. However, you do get to hear James Taylor say “poontang.”

ore than one Austrian has spoken “I’ll be back”. And every August this Austrian returns to the Coachella Valley. Hans Biwi Lechner is an artist with a mission.

In 1986 Hans embarked on an ambitious global art project, The Common Denominator. The project has linked over 10,000 people through stones. “I found a thirty pound stone at the banks of the Danube River in Austria. I took it home and painted it with a symbol I created of a genderless human figure looking up to a triangle. To me this symbol represents the question we all ask, ‘What is the meaning of life.’ I have travelled the world, like Sisyphus who was sentenced by the Greek Gods to roll a stone against a steep hill. The stone always rolled back leaving Sisyphus to start the journey again. To me the stone is universal and we are all climbing a hill in a quest for answers. I am like Sisyphus. I am constantly rolling the stone around the world. It unites us. It makes us realize that we are more alike than we are different. The simple stone is more than an art project. It is never ending work that will for all eternity connect and unite people, beyond religion, color, money or nationality. We are all united in a common search for the meaning of life and we are all connected in this quest. Like the stone, it is always there, always will be and will always be a common denominator for all people.”

Hans seems intent on making us all think and question. I am a fan of the 1960’s cult show The Prisoner. His Blue Suitcase project is another bold conceptual artwork. In the tradition of the Dada Movement, Hans’ Blue Suitcase can be heaven or earth and can carry all one needs to journey through life. “This work is dedicated to the artists of the Beat Generation but I also looked to The Prisoner. That show asked more questions than it gave answers. The hero

always pushed against the establishment for the sake of individuality. His fate was tied to the individual versus the collective establishment. That one’s life can be contained in a suitcase is as poignant. ” Hans is always looking for answers and challenging us to join him. “I grew up in the shadow of World War II and the ugliness that is an inherent part of that era.

I understand that power and submission is the loss of identity. I want to be a part of the generation that celebrates the individual and the common denominator, things that bring us together.”

August may bring the dog days of summer but it also brings Hans. His work continues the defiance of the Beats with the wanderlust of Gauguin and the truth that we are more alike than we are different.

To learn more about these art projects visit Han’s website getstoned.cc or facebook. com/hans.b.lechner.

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

PET PLACE

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by Janet McAfee

Clear the Shelters - Saturday, August 15

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ur two Coachella Valley public shelters are participating in the “Clear the Shelters” event, an adoption promotion sponsored by NBC4 Southern California and Telemundo 52.

On Saturday, August 15, The Palm Springs Animal Shelter and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus join 50 other animal shelters throughout Southern California on a national day of action to empty their kennels and place their animals in loving homes.

On Saturday, August 15, these shelters offer dramatically reduced adoption rates of $20 for cats and dogs. Local sponsor VCA Animal Hospitals will have their healthcare teams on site, and adopted animals will receive a limited health exam and a gift bag filled with pet essentials. Television anchors and reporters will visit select shelters to celebrate adoptions with photo opportunities and a live stream at www.

NBCLA.com.

The Palm Springs shelter and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus (Riverside county shelter) are the only two openadmission public shelters in our Valley.

They MUST take in all stray animals, owner relinquished pets, and all abandoned cats and dogs. The hot summer months create a crisis for our shelter animals because there are fewer adopters in town. The Palm Springs Animal Shelter, which operates under a no-kill philosophy, “is at a critical limit,” according to Shelter Director Dr. Shayda Ahkami, “Both of our local shelters are full, and need all the help we can to get these pets into homes.”

Riverside County Animal Services Director Robert Miller reports, “This is a great event that we’re very proud to be a part of, and we can’t wait to see more of our animals find their way into loving families.”

You can post photos of your newly adopted pet on social media using the hashtag #CleartheShelters. Happy adoption photos will post on photo galleries at www.

NBCLA.com and www.Telemundo52.com.

For additional information go to www. cleartheshelters.com.

Rescue animals give so much back so much to us humans. These joyful, grateful creatures shower us with unconditional love. They have the wisdom that comes from

Reduced adoption fees and extensive media coverage will give thousands of homeless animals a second chance for a new life on ‘Clear the Shelters’ day.

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

overcoming a rough start, and live happily in the moment when given that second chance. Don’t be “dogless in the desert” any longer. A cat might be the “purrfect” companion for a busy lifestyle.

The Palm Springs Animal Shelter is located at 4575 E. Mesquite, Palm Springs.

You can contact them at (760) 416-5718. The Coachella Valley Animal Campus is located at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

Their phone number is (760) 343-3644.

CVAC’s adoption fee will be lowered to $6 in a nod to the NBC affiliate station in Palm Desert, KMIR News Channel 6. Both these shelters have attractive, modern buildings, and their helpful employees can assist you select a new best friend.

Meet Squire Lovely Brindle coated Squire could be your “Lady of the Manor”. This 4-yr-old friendly feline promises to entertain you. Weekend adoption fee only $9 includes spay & vaccines. Palm Springs Animal Shelter, 4575 E. Mesquite, (760) 416-5718. psanimalshelter.org

meet daisy This lovely, elegant little Chihuahua girl is just a pup at 6-months old.

Meet her at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms. She is dog ID#A1215887.

(760) 343-3644.

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

by Rick Riozza

Tinto’s ostTapas still a Splash! of our valley’s foodie

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community by now has heard of, if not indeed enjoyed the fabulous wine & tapas cuisine of Tinto at the fashionable Saguaro Hotel (which recently hosted Splash House) on East Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. A couple of years ago, I went absolutely ga-ga over the night’s culinary dining experience so extraordinary, that I felt compelled to tell everyone in person, in print and on the web about this stylish but casual venue.

Under the direction of local executive chef Robert Sevaly, Tinto and its sister restaurant El Jefe, in Saguaro, are the only Coachella Valley restaurants created by the James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef, Jose Garces.

Some things have changed since the restaurant opened over three years ago: it is even more focused on the Spanish-Basque “tapas/pinxtos” experience, where a variety of lovely lusty bites keep the energy going and the conversation buzzing while tasting and quaffing the next sexy wine from Spain.

Impressive and terrific plates alongside cool fun?—the locals get it; whilst visitors and tourists immerse themselves totally with the international flair of Palm Springs.

Either ordering wines from the glass or by the bottle, the wine savvy staff is friendly and go out of their way to describe fantastic old and new world wine selections to match, pair and wash down elaborate and inventive affairs featuring dishes from the Basque country’s bounty of fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, seafood and pork.

I recommend for starters, the Marinated Mixed Olives and the Smoked Marcona Almonds in olive oil and sea salt, to accompany the entire meal. These will pair wonderfully with your other tapas and with the array of wine—plus I couldn’t keep my bread out of the marinade.

Besides the olives and almonds—there is the classic Spanish plate of Jamón Ibérico— cured acorn fed Spanish Ham, most flavorful & thinly sliced that melts in your mouth. Also check out the tasty cheeses: Mahon—cow’s milk from Minorca, Idiazábal —sheep’s milk from Navarre, and Manchego—sheep’s milk from La Mancha. (I had fun playing the man from La Mancha and eating all the cheese I could!).

For a light-bodied and low alcohol tasty white wine, go ahead and ask for a Txakolina, comfortably pronounced “CHOC-oh-leenah”.

Easy enough to say and enjoy all night long with flavors of green apples, citrus, flowers, lemon-lime, minerals and sea breeze. Love is in the air, nibbles everywhere: join the conversation where food and wine come alive!

For instance, how much do we love pairing sous chef Brendan King’s Chorizo A La Planxa—a garlic & paprika sausage, $9, with

a glass of Spanish red Graciano, Rio Madre, Rioja, $10? Probably the same as matching the Dátiles—Coachella Valley dates stuffed with almonds, bacon and La Perla cheese, $9, at the table with a bottle of Cava Rosa Reserva, Llopart, 2012, a delicious rosé sparkler that is dry and pleasantly crisp with vibrant notes of fresh strawberry and cherry—with a minerally finish to complement the Spanish Octopus or Sautéed Shrimp we may also be ordering!

And wait a minute—what about chef’s perfectly prepared Berenjenas—roasted eggplant, raisin Escabeche, and goat cheese, coupling along with a bottle of Tempranillo Reserva Bodegas Ramirez, Rioja, 2008 A fabulous seven year old Rioja that is still deep ruby red with notes of black cherry, licorice, spices, orange peel with red fruit emerging in the finish. Delish!

As is evident, I sampled a lot of cheese & tapas, and quaffed along with Jussi Roy,

general manager of Tinto. He was enthusiastic to thank all his patrons for their loyalty. “We’re pleased to offer our new and returning guests a special value during the summer months.

Our selection of wines is one of the most unique in the Coachella Valley and they are the perfect complement to tapas at Tinto on a warm summer evening.

“On Thursday and Sunday nights through the end of summer, Tinto will offer a 50% savings on all bottles of wine priced under $100 from the extensive collection of Spanish and New World varietals in our cellar.

Additionally, parties who order four tapas will receive a fifth tapas complimentary and can select from either the aforementioned Dátiles or Pulpo a la Gallega—Spanish octopus.

In addition to the a la carte menu, Iron Chef Garces has created a culinary voyage

exclusive to Tinto Palm Springs. The exciting new tasting menu is a combination of favorites with seasonal specials from locallysourced and -farmed products. Priced from $35 (vegetarian), with $45, and $65 options available. Wine pairings may also be added for $30 or $45.

Tinto is located at 1800 East Palm Canyon Dr in Palm Springs and is open for dinner Thursday-Sunday from 6PM - 9PM. Reservations can be made through Open Table (www.opentable.com) or by phone at 760-322-1900.

Buen Provecho & Salud!

Rick is the wine steward at Haggen Market in Rancho Mirage and wittily titles himself the “somm-about-town”. A freelance writer and contributor to Tasting Panel Magazine and a wine reviewer for palmspringslife.com, he is also the Brand Ambassador for the historic Galleano Winery. Rick entertains and conducts locally at wine tastings, food & wine events, and fun wine seminars. Contact winespectrum@aol.com.

11

August 13 to August 19, 2015

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­­THUR AUGUST 13

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29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bobby Furgo & Company 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Paul Elia 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Hip Hop 4pm-2am BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Live Entertainment 6-10pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Thirsty Thursdays 7pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 7pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-7777773 T.B.A. 7:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Punk Rock Night 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Country Night w/ Rob Staley 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Kal David 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Lukas Nelson and Promises of the Real 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Intimate Acoustics w/ Morgan James 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 The Taste Brothers 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Open

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Mic Hosted by Josh Heinz 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 The Smooth Brothers 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Tony DiGerlando 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 TBA 8pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Laurie Morvan Band 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Locals Night 9pm

FRI AUGUST 14 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Dana Larson 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Summer School w/ Jacuzzi Boys, Phantoms and DJ Sets by Chris Douridas, Kodak to Graph and more AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 TBA 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Fleet Easton 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing and Beer Pong 4pm-2am BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-5010620 The Carmens 6pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760775-5566 DJ PWee 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CLEMETINE; PD; 760-834-8814 Gina Carey 6pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-7777773 House Band 8:45pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Jump Off” DJ 9pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 J Patron Album Release Party w/ Thr3 Strykes and more 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm

INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live DJ 8:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Spankshaft, Cakes and Brains, Daytime Moon and Sun Baked 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company in the afternoon, Hot Rox in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Circle of Fifths 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 DJ 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Mark Gregg & The Horde 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Three Chord Justice 8pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 T.B.A. 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 VooDoo Hustlers 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 7pm, Hot Wyre Sidebar Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 The Epoch Momentous Presents: The Vendetta Showcase w/ Alchemy, Moribund, The Book of Abel and more 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 The Carmens 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 TBA 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Pat Rizzo 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm

VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951755-5391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 T.B.A. 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 TBA 5:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 TBA 9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Girl’s Night Out w/ The Men on the Hollywood Strip 9pm

SAT AUGUST 15 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Beverly Derby 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Summer School w/ Jacuzzi Boys, Phantoms and DJ Sets by Chris Douridas, Kodak to Graph and more AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic w/ Les Michaels and Wayne Abravanel 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 TBA 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Going Nowhere w/ 5 DJ Sets 9pm open 6pm-2am BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-5010620 The Carmens 6pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760775-5566 DJ PWee BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 T.B.A. 9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-7777773 T.B.A. 8:30pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Solid” Guest DJs, 11am poolside, 9pm Lobby

THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Cloud District, Hungry Hearts, Carved Like Kings and Kill the Radio 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 T.B.A. 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Circle of Fifths 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Shaken Not Stirred 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 JB & The Charm School Band 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, Jam in the Van Presents: Ivory Deville, Valley Queen and Love and the Zealous 8pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 TBA 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Pocket Yellow and Nuclear Cowboys 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 DJ Deep Ones 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 7pm, Sidebar Patio 7pm, Hot Wyre Sidebar Lounge 10pm ROCKYARD @ FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; Steel Imagination and Iron Maidens (Iron Maiden Tribute) 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 The Anthology Festival w/ The Sweat Act, Robotic Humans, The Book of Abel and more 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 The Carmens 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm

August 13 to August 19, 2015

SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-3297929 Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 TBA 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Darci Daniels 6:30pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 T.B.A. 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951755-5391 DJ Hektik 10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JB 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Chris Lomeli 8pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Courtney Chambers 6pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 8pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm

SUN AUGUST 16 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Summer School w/ Jacuzzi Boys, Phantoms and DJ Sets by Chris Douridas, Kodak to Graph and more, Slacker Sundays w/ Matt Harris 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Jazz Brunch 11:30am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Motown, R&B and Funk 6pm-2am BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madaio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Fusion” Pool Party 11am poolside THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 2nd Annual Summer Showdown Battle of the Bands 6pm continue to page 17

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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Book Review

By Heidi Simmons

Sequel or Prequel: Watchman Works

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or many young readers, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is their first foray into the magic of literature. It’s a tale that casts a spell and takes you away to another time and place.

“Mockingbird” was first published in July 1960. It’s the first-person story of Scout, a little girl, who tries to understand events in her Southern hometown. Events that uncover the evils of racism and reveal a hero -- her father, Atticus -- who is the voice of justice, decency and compassion, not only for Scout and her community, but also to millions of readers.

Whether prequel or sequel, Lee’s Go Set A Watchman (Harper, 288 pages) revisits Scout’s small town, her father and the issues of racism once again.

This time, told by an omniscient voice, Scout returns to Maycomb, Alabama, to visit Atticus who is now 72 and crippled with arthritis. Scout has lived in New York since finishing her liberal arts education and is 26. The time is the cusp of the civil rights movement.

However, things in Maycomb have not changed much and Scout reminisces about the folks and community. Atticus has built a new home; her childhood house was sold. Her Aunt Alexandra lives with Atticus. She is a proper Southern woman who constantly derides Scout for not complying with Southern etiquette.

Scout also reconnects with her first love

Go Set a Watchmen By harper lee Fiction

Henry “Hank” Clinton, who is a lawyer and has been mentored by Atticus. Scout and Hank have an innocent, but romantic fling that scandalizes the town. Hank wants to marry Scout and she seriously considers his offer. Her Aunt does not approve.

Very soon, Scout begins to see the Southern lifestyle as unappealing and insipid. Southern ways no longer interest her. She scoffs at her former friends and classmates as they put their own lives aside for that of their husbands’.

When Scout discovers a pamphlet called “The Black Plague,” she is outraged that her father would read such trash. Not only is he reading the material, Atticus is a member of the “Maycomb County Citizens’ Council,” which spews hate, fear and segregation. Her boyfriend Hank is also a member.

Observing the Citizens’ meeting, Scout gets sick, and no longer wants anything to do with her hometown, Atticus or Hank. How could this

Real Estate Home Security and Peace of Mind

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y wife and I just went through the process of updating our home security system and I was amazed at the new technology and how relatively inexpensive and easy it was to get a “basic” new system installed. I selfishly recommend that everyone who can afford the monthly maintenance on a new system do this as statistics show that neighborhoods with a higher number of security systems have a lower number of break-ins. As I went through this process the most interesting thing I learned was what was most important for me to try and protect. Of course none of the security companies I interviewed even asked me this question; they just knew that their systems would provide the best available means to protect EVERYTHING including my health and safety, my home and all the stuff in it. But let’s be honest here, a basic system is going to get you that 15% to 20% discount on your homeowner’s insurance and deter some burglars while minimizing your loss from those it does not deter. It has been proven that “smash and grab thieves” spend much less time in a home where the security alarm has been triggered and the sirens have gone off. The same is true of intruders who break into your home with the intent of doing you and your family bodily harm. So to further “minimize” your losses you will still need to take some extra measures to protect yourself and your family from intruders as well as the “stuff” that is most important to you that could

August 13 to August 19, 2015

have value to burglars.

Before I share some more thoughts on those extra measures, let’s take a quick look at the real estate sales activity for the Coachella Valley for the month of July. At the end of June we were just starting to catch up with last year’s sales volume and had higher pendings than the year before. Would a much improved July finally catch our numbers up to last year’s figures? Here’s what happened.

According to the Desert Area MLS (as of 08/01/15) there were 718 pendings of residential properties here in the Coachella Valley in July. There were 841 pendings in the previous month (June) which means sales activity is slowing down following our normal seasonal sales pattern, but again, not as drastically as last year. Looking at the pendings from July of last year (2014) there were only 667 pendings. So this is another year over year increase in pendings activity for 2015 and continued improvement in sales activity over last year. In June there were 809 solds and in July we had only 689 solds. Compared to last year in July, we sold 748 homes. This number is extremely disappointing as it once again puts us significantly behind last year’s numbers for total sales volume. This may only be temporary because in June we had 841 pendings (openings) and only 689 solds (closings) in July so we may still see higher closings in August to make up the difference. I certainly hope so as we were just catching up to last year’s number of solds before this disappointing sale data

be her home? Her people?

Scout confronts Atticus and the two argue. She calls him Hitler. Atticus is indeed a “segregationist!” He does not believe the black population should or is able to integrate into society. He defends Negros in court only so the NAACP won’t come into town to create a bigger problem.

In Scout’s eyes, Atticus is dethroned. Scout no longer considers her father a hero or “a god” and sees him only as an old, feeble, misguided man. Scout’s uncle, Dr. Finch, literally knocks sense into her and says her father only wants her to be her own person and that without the differences in thinking she would never be free from her upbringing. Broken and bleeding, Scout accepts her father for who he really is.

Wow! Atticus is not the man readers believed he was in “Mockingbird.” He is not strong or noble, nor is he wise and open-minded. In fact, he is a flat-out racist! The reasons he gives Scout are ugly and ignorant rationales. Uncle Finch’s defense for Atticus’s motives is nothing but excuses and manipulation. It’s shocking.

The publisher has said that “Watchman” is the manuscript author Lee first turned in to her editor who suggested she go back and rework the character and voice of Scout.

For me, I do not see the beginnings of “Mockingbird,” rather I see it as a sequel to the beloved story. It is as if Lee wanted to set the record straight about the community where she was raised and the truth about her “perfect”

father. That under the façade of Southern etiquette and dignity there was misguided arrogance and false righteousness. And even Atticus got it wrong.

Will “Watchman” change how readers think about To Kill a Mockingbird? Perhaps.

This book is not likely to be on reading lists like “Mockingbird,” but certainly scholars will study and analyze the text for years to come.

Sequel or prequel, Go Set The Watchman is a fascinating exposé of how Scout came to understand the people and community she called home.

In church, Scout listens as the pastor reads from the twenty-first chapter of Isaiah, verse six: “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.”

By Bruce cathcart indicated that our downward trend in sales volume is continuing through most of 2015.

Our inventory of homes for sale dropped significantly AGAIN this month with 4,030 homes available as of July 1, 2015 compared to only 3,657 as of August 1, 2015. That’s another huge drop in inventory in just one month and that has narrowed the gap to only 297 MORE homes on the market today when compared to the same time last year. One way or another, this means properties are coming off the market and new listings are not coming on the market to replace them. This could lead to higher prices if the demand for homes remains constant, but so far we are not seeing that in the market place. We will continue to watch this closely over the next few months.

So what are some additional layers of security that you can add to protect your life, home and property from intruders? Starting from the outside and working in I suggest you post security signs and decals in obvious places.

Of course I recommend having a basic security system in place to back those stickers up! I also recommend security cameras that have become super cheap and can record events and can be remote viewed via your phone or computing device. Security gates and doors plus additional door security hardware, quality knobs and deadbolts come next. One or two hairy, four legged critters, preferably dogs that at least bark at strangers and strange noises are extremely good for early warnings. A lock on your bedroom door can provide a “safer” room and buy you a little more time if you are home when an incident occurs; and finally, a

well-hidden (undetectable) safe (floor or wall) for your most precious valuables. Hopefully this article will inspire you to consider getting some bids for a new home security system and get you thinking about how you can add some different layers of security to protect yourself, your home and your valuables. In the end what I learned was that doing what was necessary for my own peace of mind was really the most important thing to me when considering home security measures.

Join me each month this year as we keep a close eye on our Coachella Valley real estate market. If you have a real estate question or concerns please email me at the address below.

Bruce Cathcart is the Broker/Co-Owner of La Quinta Palms Realty, “Your Friendly Professionals” and can be reached by email at laquintapalms@dc.rr.com or visit his website at www.laquintapalmsrealty.com.

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

SURRENDER? SAY “UNCLE” THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

Hard to believe the original NBC series aired 50 years ago! With Guy Ritchie at the helm, the much-anticipated reboot is in good hands. You can be forgiven if at first the movie reminds of the latest MISSION

IMPOSSIBLE; i.e., a secret organization must be stopped if the world is to be saved.

However, the movie soon takes its own tack.

I must confess I had a brief thought when our two heroes first get together: Superman (Henry Cavill) and the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) on a mission! But I soon let go of that amusing (to me) notion and settled into the lively, stylish comedy adventure.

I really liked the 60’s vibe of cold-war intrigue. The main story has CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Cavill) and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Hammer) putting aside long simmering differences to join forces to bring down a mysterious criminal organization who is so far successfully destabilizing the global balance of power with nuclear threats and new technology. The two former antagonists track a missing German scientist’s stunningly beautiful daughter who is the key to infiltrating the organization.

In a terrific race against time, (what else?), the duo must find the German scientist who alone can stop a global catastrophe.

It’s nice to see EX MACHINA’s beautiful Alicia Vikander who co-stars with the equally stunning Elizabeth Debicki along with Jared Harris and Hugh Grant.

As said, although there’s a superficial similarity to Tom Cruise’s latest M:I, Richie’s film quickly shifts to a much more clever and sophisticated entertainment. Guy Ritchie’s direction here is not unlike the energetic patina he gave to SHERLOCK HOLMES. As the poster claims, “Saving the world never goes out of style.” And be assured, this satisfying movie has style to spare. Now showing.

PICK OF THE WEEK: SHAUN THE SHEEP

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This sly stop-motion animated comedy is not just the best-reviewed animated film, but among the best reviewed of all films so far this year!

Written, directed and brilliantly animated

by Mark Burton and Richard “Golly” Starzak (born Goleszowski). These two are veterans of the famed Aardman Animations, which gave birth to beloved Wallace and Gromit.

Shaun first appeared on the screen in 1995’s short film A CLOSE SHAVE. Since then, he’s gone on to star in his own TV series (140 episodes so far).

Screeners No.177

In his latest outing, Shaun is the big star and the movie hangs on his wooly shoulders. He and his crew take the day off to have some fun, but get more than they bargained for when a mix-up with the Farmer, a caravan (house trailer), and a very steep hill lead them to the Big City. Now Shaun has to get everyone safely home. The simple premise is loaded with subtle -- and not so subtle -- verbal and visual gags that make this one movie you wish would go on a bit longer – even though it’s a pretty standard length at 85 minutes. How utterly rare for a movie to actually work for all ages.

This wonderfully entertaining movie is the gold standard of family films. Now showing.

DRAGON BALL Z: RESURRECTION F

This global phenomenon has already surpassed Hayao Miyazaki’s THE WIND RISES and HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE. In fact, as of this writing, it’s the 9th highest-grossing anime release in the U.S. This action filled movie is sure to please fans of the franchise – but others may need to catch up on the series.

This latest edition of the DBZ series jumps ahead to about three years after DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF THE GODS. Now one of super villain Frieza’s soldiers is collecting Earth’s dragon balls and using them to resurrect the intergalactic warlord.

Uh-oh! As he is recovering in space, Frieza trains and restores his vast and deadly army for an attack on Earth, hoping to kill Trunks and Goku -- the two responsible for his apparent defeat. Now showing in select theaters.

FANTASTIC FOUR I take no pleasure in further beating up this film that has already been ravaged by F4 fans and critics alike. But it’s not all bad news. I well remember the great comic strip drawn by amazingly gifted artist Jack Kirby in the 60s, so I felt more than a twinge of sadness while watching the latest, strangely misguided big screen effort. There’s still massive potential in these characters and there’s still an opportunity to forge a fresh origin story. As I understand it, Fox owns

the rights to F4, and if they want to retain those valuable rights, they must continue producing or the rights return to Disney/ Marvel – and Fox does not want that to happen. Not yet. The same holds true for the X MEN franchise. So my guess is that there will be a reboot and it will be done right. Also, I’m hoping that co-writer and director Josh Trank’s cut of the film – which the studio took away and severely – ineptly -- tinkered with, will be available on the DVD/Blu-ray. The studio’s got nothing to lose at this point by including Trank’s full cut with commentary as a bonus. This franchise is not dead. Now showing.

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 12

INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Ted Herman’s Big Band 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in the afternoon, Hot Rox, in the night MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7:30pm THE NEW YORK COMPANY RESTAURANT; PS; 760-778-7789 Lili Rose 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Longest Running Jam Session in the valley. Hosted by JB, Sign up 6pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 The Hot Fudge Sunday Band 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 Art of Sax Sidebar Patio 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 We Love the Coach Night 4pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 The Myx 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 TBA 4pm

VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-8343800 The Toast & Jam Band 6pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Line Dancing w/ Tina 5:30-9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-2300188 The Smooth Brothers 5:30pm

MON AUGUST 17 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bob Ballard 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Mood Deep House Lounge 6pm-2am INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Ron Kalina’s Jazz 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Singer Song Writer Open Mic hosted by Robert Poole 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 T.B.A. 6pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-8343800 Tony Grandberry 6:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-2300188 Barney McClure 6pm

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TUE AUGUST 18 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 The Luminators 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Rock & Roll 6pm-2am BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760-833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Michael D’Angelo 6:15pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Open Mic Jam w/ Jimi Heil 7pm

August 13 to August 19, 2015 RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760327-4080 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Douglas McDonald 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Live entertainment VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-8343800 Chris Lomeli 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-2300188 John Bolivar 6pm

WED AUGUST 19 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Eli Wulfmeier 7pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Jazz Jam 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Beer Pong Contest 6pm-2am HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Open Mic w/ Rich Bono & Poupee Boccaccio 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live Music KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic hosted by Amy Angel 6:30pm

LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Billy Erickson & Matt Barnes Show 6:30pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2881199 Karaoke w/ KJ Ginger 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke Talent Quest 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Live Music 9pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 T-Bone Karaoke 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Straight Ahead Jazz 6pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760327-1773 Open Mic w/ Les Michaels 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke 9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-2300188 Chuck Alvarez 6:30pm TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED IN THE CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE, EMAIL PHILIP@COACHELLAVALLEYWEEKLY.COM

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT

This favorite comic drama about two Manhattan schoolgirls (Tippi Walker and Merrie Spaeth) who have a mad crush on the pompous, ridiculously bad pianist Henry Orient (played by the magnificently droll Peter Sellers) is on Blu-ray for the first time. The girls, both from broken homes, tail Orient and create havoc in his life (and theirs) as he pursues his romantic and not-so-secret assignations. Along the way the girls manage a sometimes painful but meaningful coming of age. George Roy Hill directs with a light touch. The fine co-stars are Angela Lansbury, Paula Prentiss, Tom Bosley, Phyllis Thaxter and Bibi Osterwald.

Twilight Time Movies. Limited Edition Bluray (only 3,000 units will be pressed).

Comments? robinesimmons

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

Haddon Libby Puerto Rican Debt and Return-free Risk

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he Coachella Valley has a large population of retirees and nonprofits who rely on interest from fixed income investments for their sustenance. With interest rates being at or near historic lows over the last few years, many have stretched for higher yields by buying investments that they might not have chosen otherwise.

As interest rates start moving higher, many fixed income investments possess the very real risk of a decline in the value over the next few years - something referred to as return-free risk. Return-free risk means that an investor has little to no chance of making money on an investment that they own.

This week I want to help you in understanding a risk that you or someone you care about holds in their investment portfolio. To help you understand my credentials, I have advised bank CEOs and CFOs on how to manage their investment portfolios and currently manage an investment advisory practice that helps individuals and businesses with their investments.

Let’s start simple. Do you know what can happen to the return on a 10 year Treasury bond (currently yielding 2.2%) when rates move up just 0.2% or one-fifth of 1%? The value of that bond goes down by an amount

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that nearly equals the return of that bond.

This means that someone owning this bond earns an effective yield of zero.

As interest rates go up, the interest earned on an intermediate or long-dated bond can be expected to be less than the decline in principal value. Those holding fixed income mutual funds can expect to lose value.

If you hold high yield debt or bonds, this same thing can occur and may be worse.

The reason things might be worse is because investors feel less of a need to reach for yield by buying the riskier asset that you are holding. This forces the rate on your investment to go up by even more causing you to lose more in principal value.

This month’s bond default by Puerto Rico is a great illustration as to how many were taking too much risk. Puerto Rico owes $72 billion, has a 45% poverty rate and does not possess the means to repay its debts.

Professional money managers knew this default was coming many years ago yet one in five bond mutual funds held Puerto Rican debt at the time of its default. If you have a fixed income bond fund, there is a reasonable chance that you are at risk. If you hold a Puerto Rican bond outright, you might want to ask your investment advisor why as the crisis in Puerto Rico was not a surprise to anyone.

safety tips

Another area with potentially more risk than return is International/Emerging Markets debt. Between the fall in oil prices, economic problems in China and a general economic malaise gripping much of the world right now, emerging market debt has more risk than return for the typical investor.

As a general rule of thumb: never invest in something that you do not understand.

If an investment advisor gives you verbal assurances on the way an investment is

supposed to work, make them back up their words with something in writing that you understand.

If the advisor cannot put their claims and assurances in writing, you should be suspect about their claims as well as the intentions of that advisor. Whether you trust that person or not, always verify all verbal claims. If you don’t know someone who you can truly trust, contact me and I will do a review for you with no expectation of anything in return of any kind.

Haddon Libby is Managing Partner of Winslow Drake, an investment management and advisory firm, and can be reached at hlibby@winslowdrake.com.

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where the backup information for the current return is located.

6. KNOW the source of your income, whether it be retirement plan, 401(k) plans, Social Security, rental income, notes receivable, interest, dividends, annuities or other business income and know how to identify it.

7. KNOW where bank accounts are located and who the signatories are.

8. KNOW where the stockbrokerage accounts are as well as who your broker 9. KNOW where beneficiary designations for retirement accounts and insurance policies are located.

7 ALTERNATIVES TO PROBATE You should know about: 1. The Joint Tenancy Process: By holding various assets in joint tenancy, with right of survivorship, the asset will pass to the survivor upon the death of either, rather than by the Laws of Intestacy or the provisions of a Will.

This is a good idea in some cases and not such a good idea in others.

2. Insurance: An insurance policy, naming the spouse as a beneficiary of the policy, will cause the proceeds to be paid to such spouse under the insurance contract without reference to a Will.

3. Retirement Funds: When you name a Beneficiary of your IRA, Keough or other retirement fund, it will cause the proceeds to be transferred to your named Beneficiary without the necessity of a Probate.

If you could Immune yourself from ‘one’ thing - what would it be?

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raffic? Rude or obnoxious people?

Crime? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could vaccinate specific things or people from our lives. Unfortunately, those toxic people and situations are the association dues we must pay for being alive.

However, viruses and bacteria that cause illness and death still exist and can be passed on to those who are not properly vaccinated, reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. The Center for Disease Control recognizes August as National Immunization month.

It’s important to remember that infants and the elderly are at greater risk for serious infections and complications, but vaccinepreventable diseases can strike anyone.

Approximately 50,000 adults die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases in the

United States.

Make sure your children are up-todate on vaccines before sending them back to school. School-age children, from preschoolers to college students, need vaccines. Shots may hurt a little, but the diseases they can prevent are a lot worse says Chief DiGiovanna.

It’s important to remember handwashing is like a “do-it-yourself” vaccine – it involves five simple and effective steps (think Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) so you can stay healthy. Regular hand-washing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.

For additional information visit: www. cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam.html Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

sports Scene Goodell vs. Brady - ‘Much Ado About Nothin’..

ATTORNEY REVEALS SECRETS OF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE DYING if the car was sold before you passed away, then the son that was to get the car would get nothing. This is because it was a Specific Bequest of the car not money.

8 KEY THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR DOCUMENTS: 1. KNOW where your testamentary documents are located: Where are the Wills, Trusts, Insurance Policies, Health Care Directives and Power of Attorney forms located? Know how to access them. If they are in a safe deposit box, do you know where it is located? Do you have access? Do you know where the key is located?

2. KNOW your professionals: Who are the attorneys who created these documents? Who are your accountants? Know how to access them so that you can seek their advice. Make a list with the name, address, phone number and email of your Lawyer, CPA, Stockbroker and Financial Advisor for starts.

3. KNOW where the documents concerning your properties are located: Know where the deeds to your properties are located, as well as the location of the purchase documents, escrow documents, loan and refinance documents. Your tax basis for these properties is an important piece of information and that can only be determined from these documents.

4. KNOW where your ownership certificates are, as well as other documents of acquisition and title, to personal property.

5. KNOW where your tax returns are and

August 13 to August 19, 2015

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Dale Gribow On The Law

ast week we learned about Wills and that with a Holographic will you can write the Will in your own handwriting on a plain piece of paper....and it is legal.

However it is probably not the best advice.

I also shared last week that my favorite saying was People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan! This goes for everything from a Will and a Health Care Directive to having the phone number of a plumber, electrician, doctor and attorney by your phone so that when you need to get help you do not have to look while you are panicked.

I am often asked: Do I Need Estate Planning?

You do!

Age, gender, marriage or domestic partner/ divorced; straight or gay we all want to take care of our loved ones at our death. However you must also take care to ensure your wellbeing throughout your life, in sickness and in health.

Do you have an Estate Plan? UNLESS YOU TAKE THE TIME now to prepare an estate plan then at your DEATH, what you have may not go to the people to whom you want it to go.

Your estate could wind up in such a mess that neither you, during your life, nor your loved ones after your death, will be adequately taken care of. Without a will/trust the money will pass on by the Intestate laws of the State of California. I explained last week: If you had a classic car worth $1,000,000 and left it to son A and a million in cash and left it to son B and

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4. Community Property: Upon the death of a married person, all of the decedent’s community property may pass to the surviving spouse without full probate 5. Summary Proceeding: There are also means of setting aside Small Estates.

6. Pay on Death Accounts: Also, there are a number of types of bank accounts, such as “A POD account” (sometimes called a Trustee Account or a Totten Trust), which allows you to avoid the problems of both Probate and coownership.

7. The Living Trust: And, of course, the other way to avoid a Probate is by the use of a LIVING TRUST. I suggest all our Coachella Valley Weekly readers contact their attorney to look into this for your family. If you do not have one please call me at 760 341 4411.

Remember unless you want your estate plan to kick on right away. When you drink don’t get behind the wheel and be involved in an auto accident (whether it is your fault or not) or get arrested for a DUI…I don’t need the extra business....and you do not want your estate planning to take affect NOW. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI OR UBER…IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow at 760 837-7500 or dale@ dalegribowlaw.com

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om Brady is said to be seeking total exoneration, and it appears he’s entitled to it. The idea that Brady and the New England Patriots intentionally deflated footballs for a competitive advantage has been discredited by everyone from sidewalk chemists to Web physicists oh and someone named ‘Bellicheck’.

The NFL paid millions for a fundamentally flawed report by lawyer Ted Wells that made Brady and the Patriots out to be slam-dunk guilty, based on more than 100 pages of mathematical analysis of ball pressurization that turns out to be erroneous. The report totally rejects the finding that the footballs used by the Patriots in the AFC championship game had a significant drop in air pressure compared with those used by the Colts. But the truly damning sentence is this one, buried in its legal jargon: “The Wells report’s statistical analysis cannot be replicated by performing the analysis as described in the report.” Wait…What?

Translated into normal English: The math didn’t add up. It’s a standard principle in science: If you can’t replicate a set of results, then there is a problem with them.

A flaw or a fraud is at work. Either you made a mistake, or you made it up.

When scientists looked more closely at how such a mistake could have been made,

what they found was astonishing. The Wells report “relies on an unorthodox statistical procedure at odds with the methodology the report describes.” Translation: The Wells report said it would use one equation but then used a different (and weird) equation to arrive at its numbers.

Another plain English phrase possibly applies to all of this: Falsifying results.

Normally, these “special counsel” reports are airtight documents. The report

by Major League Baseball on Pete Rose’s gambling was an unassailable document of 215 pages that included 313 witnesses and seven volumes of exhibits, including bank and phone records, and transcripts of interviews, that made it impossible for Rose to fight his banishment.

But lately the NFL has begun turning these special counsel investigations into manipulated campaigns calculated to

by Flint Wheeler enhance the commissioner’s profile and powers. And they seem to be written to fit predetermined conclusions.

Twice now, Roger Goodell has ponied up false scandals that seriously and unfairly targeted individual players, and damaged franchises, on what turned out to be bogus or flawed evidence. Forget his bungled handling of Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice – at least those guys actually did something wrong. In the De-flategate and Bountygate affairs, Goodell hammered people who appear to have done nothing.

In Bountygate – Goodell went all hanging judge on the New Orleans Saints, suspending several officials and players for a supposed bonuses system to injure opponents between 2009 and 2011.

But then ‘they’ began to actually analyze the data and, what do you know, found that the Saints injured fewer opposing players than all but two teams in 2009 and all but one from 2009 to 2011. After this data report was presented at an NFL hearing, the suspensions were vacated.

Goodell is now in a truly interesting and awkward position. In one week he will hear Brady’s appeal. He has said, “I very much look forward to hearing from Mr. Brady and to considering any new information he may bring to my attention.”

Well, here is a boatload of very inconvenient new information.

Does Goodell stand by the conclusions of the Wells report, dig in and refuse to budge – thus establishing that he’s incapable of fairly considering evidence and is a serial abuser of his powers?

Does he try to parse and sidestep the analysis, by claiming that the scientific evidence is just a small part of the case against Brady? Trouble with that is, more than half of the Wells report’s 243 pages is taken up by pressure gauges and poundsper-square-inch analysis – all of which must be thrown out according to “science”. If the balls weren’t deflated, then what’s left?

Or does Goodell do the right thing and rescind Brady’s suspension on the basis of the new info in the info and data (it’s cold in Foxboro and that can have an effect an air pressure, duh)– thus admitting that the league spent millions on a railroading farce? There is trouble for Goodell in this option too, because it suggests that the league office under Goodell’s leadership is either incapable of executing a proper investigation, or unwilling to.

Brady may or may not win his appeal.

But there is one sure loser here, trapped in a box of his own making: the commissioner.

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of August 13

ARIES (March 21-April 19): To ensure the full accuracy of this horoscope, I have been compelled to resurrect an old-fashioned English word that isn’t used much any more: “gambol.” It means to cavort and frolic in a playful manner, or to romp and skip around with mad glee, as if you are unable to stop yourself from dancing. The astrological omens seem unambiguous in their message: In order to cultivate the state of mind that will enable you to meet all your dates with destiny in the coming weeks, you need to gambol at least once every day.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do you remember your first kiss? How about the first time you had sex? Although those events may not have been perfectly smooth and graceful, they were radical breakthroughs that changed your life and altered your consciousness. Since then, there may have been a few other intimate rites of passage that have impacted you with similar intensity. No doubt you will experience others in the future. In fact, I suspect that the next installments are due to arrive in the coming months. Get ready for further initiations in these mysteries.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Two-thirds of us don’t know what our strengths and talents are. That’s the conclusion of a study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology. One reason for the problem is what the report’s co-author Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener calls “strengths blindness,” in which we neglect our real powers because we regard them as ordinary or take them for granted. Here’s the good news, Gemini: If you suffer from even a partial ignorance about the nature of your potentials, the coming months will be a favorable time to remedy that glitch. Life will conspire to help you see the truth. (Read more: bit. ly/truestrengths.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 1504, Michelangelo finished his sculpture of the Biblical hero David. But he hadn’t been the first person to toil on the 17-foothigh block of marble. Forty years earlier, the artist Agostino di Duccio was commissioned to carve David out of the stone. His work was minimal, however. He did little more than create the rough shape of the legs and torso. In 1476, Antonio Rossellino resumed where Agostino had stopped, but he didn’t last long, either. By the time Michelangelo launched his effort, the massive slab had languished for 25 years.

I see parallels between this story and your own, Cancerian. I suspect that you will be invited to take on a project that has been on hold or gotten delayed.

This may require you to complete labors that were begun by others -- or maybe instigated by you when you were in a very different frame of mind.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Many people harbor the unconscious bias that beauty resides primarily in things that are polished, sleek, and perfect.

Celebrities work hard and spend a lot of money to cultivate their immaculate attractiveness, and are often treated as if they have the most pleasing appearance that human beings can have. Art that is displayed in museums has equally flawless packaging.

But the current astrological omens suggest that it’s important for you to appreciate a different kind of beauty: the crooked, wobbly, eccentric stuff. For the foreseeable future, that’s where you’ll find the most inspiration.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “No tree can grow to Heaven unless its roots reach down to Hell,” wrote psychologist Carl Jung in his book Aion. My interpretation: We earn the right to experience profound love and brilliant light by becoming familiar with shadows and suffering. Indeed, it may not be possible to ripen into our most radiant beauty without having tangled with life’s ugliness. According to my understanding of your long-term cycle, Virgo, you have dutifully completed an extended phase of downward growth. In the next extended phase, however, upward growth will predominate. You did reasonably well on the hellish stuff; now comes the more heavenly rewards.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Great Balancing Act of 2015 doesn’t demand that you be a wishy-washy, eager-to-please, self-canceling harmony whore.

Purge such possibilities from your mind. What the

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© Copyright 2015 Rob Brezsny

Great Balancing Act asks of you is to express what you stand for with great clarity. It invites you to free yourself, as much as you can, from worrying about what people think of you. It encourages you to be shaped less by the expectations of others and more by what you really want. Do you know what you really want, Libra? Find out! P.S.: Your task is not to work on the surface level, trying to manipulate the appearance of things. Focus your efforts in the depths of yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Muslims, Jews, and Christians are collaborating to erect a joint house of worship in Berlin. The building, scheduled to be finished by 2018, will have separate areas for each religion as well as a common space for members of all three to gather. Even if you don’t belong to any faith, you may be inspired by this pioneering effort to foster mutual tolerance. I offer it up to you as a vivid symbol of unity. May it help inspire you to take full advantage of your current opportunities to heal schisms, build consensus, and cultivate harmony.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In some phases of your life, you have been a wanderer. You’ve had a fuzzy sense of where you belong. It has been a challenge to know which target you should aim your arrows at. During those times, you may have been forceful but not as productive as you’d like to be; you may have been energetic but a bit too inefficient to accomplish wonders and marvels. From what I can tell, one of those wandering seasons is now coming to a close. In the months ahead, you will have a growing clarity about where your future power spot is located -- and may even find the elusive sanctuary called “home.” Here’s a good way to prepare for this transition: Spend a few hours telling yourself the story of your origins. Remember all the major events of your life as if you were watching a movie.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You have been slowing to a crawl as you approach an exciting transition. But I’m here to advise you to resume normal speed. There’s no need for excessive caution.

You have paid your dues; you have made your meticulous arrangements; you have performed your quiet heroisms. Now it’s time to relax into the rewards you have earned. Lighten your mood, Capricorn. Welcome the onrushing peace and start planning how you will capitalize on your new freedom.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Most people reach the top of the ladder of success only to find it’s leaning against the wrong wall.” Aquarian actor Paul Sorensen said that. It’s no coincidence that I’m bringing this theory to your attention right now. The coming months will be a good time to determine whether the ladder you have been climbing is leaning against the right wall or wrong wall. My advice is to question yourself at length. Be as objective as possible. Swear to tell yourself the whole truth. If, after your investigations, you decide it is indeed the wrong wall, climb down from the ladder and haul it over to the right wall. And if you’re satisfied that you are where you should be, celebrate!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When he served as Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi denigrated the cuisine of Finland. “Finns don’t even know what prosciutto is,” he sneered. At best, he said, their food is to be “endured.” He mocked the “marinated reindeer” they eat. But Finland fought back against the insults. In an international pizza contest held in New York, their chefs won first Prize for their “Pizza Berlusconi,” a specialty pizza that featured marinated reindeer. The Italian entry finished second. I foresee you enjoying a comparable reversal in the coming months, Pisces. And it all begins now.

Homework: What’s the best thing you could give right now to the person you care for the most?

Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

Life & career Coach

by Sunny Simon

Walk Off a Winner

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y husband and I share a passion for baseball. Recently we attended an afternoon game in Anaheim to cheer on the Angels. Due to the blazing hot sun, we relinquished our seats near the field in the fourth inning and went off in search of shade.

This worked well to improve our body temps, but did little to boost our morale as our Angels were scoreless.

Reflecting on my dismal outlook, I decided there was only one thing under my control: my thought process. Teams come from behind all the time and I knew a win was possible. As the bottom of the ninth inning commenced, I shot my husband an “oh ye of little faith look,” then doubled down and reminded him there is no crying in baseball. I coached him into some positive thinking and set my sights on a walkoff win.

Closing my eyes I visualized a victory achieved by the trailing Angels resulting in a game over, end of story. Excitement mounted as the team started to rally. What happened next was rather unusual. We accomplished the win and scored at the plate due to a wild pitch.

Yes, I know my positive thinking did not cause the pitcher to fire in a wild one, but it did improve my outlook and made the game more enjoyable. Baseball, like life, is sometimes

error laden. At times you’re batting 1,000 and covering all the bases. Then dark clouds appear, someone throws out a curve ball and we succumb to striking out.

Scoring a walk-off win brings with it, not only glory, but an important life lesson. Games either on the field, or on life’s arena, are never won by giving up too soon. Going the distance takes fortitude, perseverance and the guts to play it out to the last pitch. As so aptly put by Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

At some point, most of us are guilty of giving up on something too soon. Often this is caused by a lack of focus or diminished self-confidence brought on by, you guessed it: negative thinking.

Bombarded by those inner gremlins chattering away in our heads proclaiming it’s too hard, we buy into the premise that it’s never going to happen. Before long we’ve mentally checked out before the final inning.

This week remind yourself that giving up too soon is for losers. Recommit to your most important goal and chase away those nagging negative thoughts. Winners have staying power and sometimes even get a lucky break like an unexpected windfall, or a wild pitch.

Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

BE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOU

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s we near summers end, there may be a few loose ends you need to resolve. Children go back to school and many of us have returned from our vacations. Only four months remain in 2015, which may have you asking yourself a few questions. Did you fulfill your resolutions? Have you resolved and addressed certain issues or problems in your life? It could be you lost focus or passion. If you are struggling ask yourself the following questions.

Are you immersed in a funk? Are you experiencing a lack of motivation? Do you possess a lack of motivation? Hence, what are you going to do about getting back into the groove? Time is passing and we continue to do nothing about addressing our problems. Time to investigate the issue and commence solving the problem(s).

May I challenge you to hit the rewind button on your life and revert to your childhood? You had dreams and you were filled with passion about what the future may hold. Do you feel the same today? It is likely we do not hold the same dreams and certainly not the exact passion. As a child you may recall being asked, what do you want to be when you grow up? You may have had bountiful dreams, goals, and aspirations. What happened to those dreams? Life happened along the way. As we grew into adulthood we experienced or witnessed dreams not fulfilled and possibly crushed. Who says you cannot live out your

dreams now? We hold the key. It is our prerogative and responsibility to act or not.

You may have dreams and be excited in a childlike way. As humans we dare to dream. If dreaming is all you need to do to be fulfilled then this tactic works for you.

Yet, if you want to act out your dreams, go for it! You are the only person who says you can’t. Erase the words. “I can’t.”

Replace them with, “I can or I will try.” At this juncture in our lives it is about attitude.

Each of us has had something preclude us from pursuing something beautiful. I also understand timing can be everything. Take the tragedies, hiccups, and distractions and utilize these experiences positively.

Lose the frame of mind of self-pity. You will gain confidence once you get up and dust yourself off.

How do I ignite my personal flame?

Identify what you want, need, and desire.

Be realistic (you can never dream to big) and be patient. Be realistic about time frames.

Nothing spectacular and outrageous is going to happen instantaneously. Expect to work.

The work is part of the journey and should be looked at positively. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow personally.

Each of us has the power to dream and live out our passions. Be prepared, be diligent, stay focused and surround yourself with people who love and support you.

Finding your inner child is not hard because you truly have never lost the little boy or girl in you.

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

A Marlo Productions Event

November 12-15, 2015 Palm Springs, CA

ave Sdate!

THE

Kick-Off on Thursday evening followed by three days of experiential activities including indoor rock climbing, yoga, Desert CrossFit obstacle course, TESLA test drives, Palm Springs Police cycle agility course, NFL autograph signing, Tasting Adventures, over 60 health & wellness vendors and so Register online for your complimentary much more! festival ticket courtesy of Desert Regional Medical Center. Free tickets are limited first come first serve! Check out the schedule of events and be sure to sign up for your favorite activity from rock climbing to mindful meditation.

Sponsored by:

Visit pshealthfest.com to learn more!

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August 13 to August 19, 2015

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