Coachella Valley Weekly - September 17 to September 23, 2020 Vol. 9 No. 27

coachellavalleyweekly.com • September 17 to September 24, 2020 Vol.9 No.27

California Adventures David Rose-Massom CVRep Student Writing Competition Winners Led Zepagain & Steel Rod at Fantasy Springs pg6

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

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Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Head Music Writer Noe Gutierrez Head Feature Writer Crystal Harrell Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Esther Sanchez Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Denise Ortuno Neil, Rob Brezny, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dee Jae Cox, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Iris Hall, Esther Sanchez Videographer Kurt Schawacker Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS Flower Market ................................... 3-5 Travel - CA Adventures......................... 6 Book Review - David Rose-Massom.... 6 Theatre - CVRep 2020 Student Writing Competition Winners ...................... 7 Led Zepagain with Steel Rod at The Rock Yard at Fantasy Springs........ 8-9 Consider This - Grant Lee Phillips ..... 11 Pet Place ........................................ 12-13 Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City New Dining Outlets ....................... 13 The Vino Voice ................................... 14 Brewtality ........................................... 15 Screeners ............................................ 16 Haddon Libby .................................... 17 Dale Gribow ....................................... 17 Swag For The Soul .............................. 18 Free Will Astrology ............................ 18 Safety Tips .......................................... 19

September 17 to September 24, 2020

FLOWER MARKET BLOOMS IN THE DESERT

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onvenience is a blessing in the hectic days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Flower Market makes ordering cannabis online a seamless process. Flower Market has been in the making for five years, starting with cannabis delivery in Los Angeles under the Prop 215 model. The team initially consisted of one person for the first year and a half, and eventually grew to a team of 15.

Once legalization came in 2018, Flower Market voluntarily shut down to remain compliant while pursuing a license in Los Angeles. After a year of pursuit, that license never came to fruition. Even currently, LA is riddled with controversy around their licensing process. Flower Market moved to the Coachella Valley and opened for business in April of 2019, appropriately just before 4/20.

Flower Market is an online cannabis marketplace for consumers to shop the best products available in California, while also learning about the science behind the cannabis plant and the various product

offerings. The menu is highly curated to find the best products for the price while also being conscious of the ingredients and process to make those products.

“Ultimately, cannabis is a plant medicine that should help your body even if you're

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

looking to just have a good time. We like products that are all natural and don't contain any synthetic chemicals or harmful ingredients. We have a wide range of THC products and a solid selection of CBD and wellness products for serious diseases and everyday aches and pains,” explained founder and CEO of Flower Market, Benjamin Brayfield.

For recreational marijuana orders and delivery, a valid state issued ID or driver’s license or passport showing that you are over 21 years of age is needed. If you live in an area that currently only allows medical marijuana sales, a valid ID and a valid California medical marijuana card issued from the county is also required. A working phone number for calls and texts is crucial to receive deliveries from Flower Market, as 90% of communication from drivers to consumers happens via text message.

If you do not have a smartphone or cell phone compatible with SMS, there is a high likelihood that order attempts could result in cancelation. All orders must be paid in cash or with a debit card.

With the emergence of COVID-19, online shopping and delivery is as essential as ever.

Flower Market strives to be the best in class with customer service, customer rewards, loyalty programs, and deals. The menu is always evolving with new product discovery and promises an amazing shopping experience on the website. Brayfield encourages customers to take advantage of the scheduled delivery options so they do not have to distract themselves from their daily activities and responsibilities.

“I love working with an enthusiastic, smart and hard-working team. I relish the moments when customers share with us how our products and service have helped reduce their pain, made life easier, more convenient, discovered something new that they now love, or otherwise positively contributed to their overall happiness and wellbeing in life. We really exist to serve our customers, spread joy, relief, and good vibes among the community,” stated Brayfield. continue to page 5

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

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FLOWER MARKET

September 17 to September 24, 2020

continued from page 3

Flower Market was voted the #1 cannabis delivery company by the Desert Sun newspaper in 2019. They are currently in the top five this year after the preliminary vote and are vying to be #1 again this year.

Staff has seen a demand increase because of COVID-19 and have received a lot of appreciation for staying open during the height of the pandemic. Flower Market staff follows the CDC guidelines to keep their operations clean and safe for workers

and customers.

“We all work hard together as a team under the Flower Market flag to progress and improve. No one individual stands out among the group. We came to the Coachella Valley with the intention to be a part of the community. We live here and work here.

We support other small businesses. We are involved with local politics. We want to help shape the future of the cannabis industry here in the valley to make sure

it's positive and always in the best interest of the consumer. We also bring a level of safety and education to the retail cannabis market that is 100% beneficial to the local consumers here,” said Brayfield.

The staff also wants to highlight the rewards and loyalty programs for customers. The curated menu is constantly changing with the addition of new products.

Customer service is always available via the chat function on the website, text, and on the phone. Flower Market’s goal is to bring convenience, education and safety to the

experience of exploring and purchasing cannabis.

The future aspirations of Flower Market is to become more integrated into the community and act as a resource for trusted, reliable information, and access to the best cannabis products. Interested customers can sign up for an email newsletter and follow Flower Market on Instagram, @ flowermarket_delivery, to be the first one to know when new features are rolled out. You can order at www.flowermarket. delivery.

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

TRAVEL

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t’s hot out. Really hot and you’ve been stuck inside with limited time outside.

Movie theaters are closed. Gyms are closed. Churches, music venues, museums, other places with amazing air conditioning, all closed. A few restaurants with outdoor seating and misters are open but you still want to escape the heat, your house, perhaps your kids and family. You need a break but where can you go in this COVID world? Well, you don’t have to get on a plane to go on this vacation.

With millions of tourists visiting California each year, why not enjoy our home state a little more? Even better, just get in your car, drive over the mountain, enjoy the scenery, and head to Carlsbad, CA, a wonderful seaside village in North San Diego County, just two easy hours away from the insane summer heat.

It felt like a jailbreak at first to grab my dear friend from the jaws of isolation and convince her that we could go on a safe, COVIDcompliant, socially distant, genuine California adventure. Alas, we were packed in the car, snack-ready, and prepared for a vacation, even if it meant a few compromises to normal would need to be negotiated. We headed south to The Cassara Carlsbad, a beautiful Hilton resort property, nestled on a lush 12-acre spread overlooking the majestic blue Pacific Ocean and adjacent to the seasonal (March-May) Carlsbad Flower Fields. Cassara is a clean, spacious, family-friendly property with a separate pool area for kids (if you want to bring them) as well as dogs, but we left the furry creature in capable care. While Legoland and the Sea Life Aquarium are closed, the property is close enough to ride a bike to South Carlsbad State Beach and the seven miles of coast to explore.

Or you can take the free shuttle to the Carlsbad Premium Outlets as shops welcome shoppers.

With an incredible coast to experience and the desire to avoid crowds, one of the best ways to feel like you are on vacation is to climb aboard a 45-foot luxury yacht known as Obsession. Captain Les George, a former

BOOK REVIEW

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avid is a retired photojournalist based on the English south coast with over 20 years of experience, providing words and images to local and international periodicals. He has been a photographer since his early 20s.

Because of a disability with a degenerative spinal condition he had to stop with wildlife and event photography and find another genre. David took to street photography like the proverbial duck to water, he stopped photographing those as well.

On a grey day in front of a church graveyard he met two homeless men, Merlin and Bowler, one a down and out alcoholic, the other a man who decided 40 years ago that living in a house was not for him and he has lived on the streets ever since.

These men inspired David to seek out more stories and more ‘street-people’ to photograph and chat with. Each had a different tale, many were homeless because of mental illness and or addiction, some, such as Bowler choosing

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CALIFORNIA ADVENTURES TO BEAT THE HEAT

firefighter who found solace in sailing the seas, will gladly share his passion for navigating the ocean with his guests. Pacific Coast Sail Charters is located just a few miles up the coast in the Oceanside Harbor and will provide an unforgettable experience. Whether you have a family or a small group or are just a couple wanting to pretend you are sailing away from it all, Captain Les and the breeze upon your face will take you away just like a Christopher Cross yacht rock classic. The beautiful Beneteau 440 Oceanis provides privacy whether you're a family or two couples on an adventure.

There are separate sleeping quarters, an adequate kitchen and bathrooms as well as a gorgeous galley with a dining table and plenty of comfortable space. The teak wood design is classic elegance at its finest.

We packed a full picnic basket of deli sandwiches and snacks for the voyage. Captain Les provided incredible service as he doubled his duties as our personal maître d’ while we relaxed on the deck removed far from the concerns of the shore we left behind. The afternoon waters were calm as the Obsession cruised across the Pacific Ocean. While we didn’t encounter any dolphins on this trip, we were entertained by several sea lions eager to entertain and met a flabbergasted fisherman

who told us his tale of an incredible encounter with an orca (it had a four-foot dorsal fin!) while out on the ocean. The journey was easy, safe and incredibly comfortable. The most difficult part of sailing is returning to the striking contrast of “civilization.” As we pulled into the harbor, kayak and paddleboard enthusiasts dotted the waters. The paddlers beamed with the joy of simple freedom no longer taken for granted. Our elation was as euphoric as a dream and we would forever be changed as we discovered a paradise in the midst of COVID-19.

Reach out to Captain Les through his website and make a plan to experience something beautiful at www.pacificcoastsail.com.

The next day we checked out of the Cassara Carlsbad and drove down the coast in search of a not so crowded beach. This was a bit of a challenge on a sunny Sunday afternoon. One option that would be worthwhile for future planned escapes would be to reserve a spot at the South Carlsbad State Beach. Unfortunately for the spontaneous traveler, they do not allow walk-ups only advanced reservations.

So, onward south down the coast, we would go! Passing through Leucadia, a small surfside village trapped in a time forgotten, conjured up nostalgia for the sleepy beach towns of old.

As we pulled into the surf haven of Encinitas, sidewalk cafes and restaurants were bustling with life. Parking for the beach was difficult

BY RICH HENRICH to find so we trusted the right place would be found if we continued south.

Just at the southern end of Encinitas is The Encinitas Temple, a branch of Self-Realization Fellowship, an international religious organization founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda with a mission to disseminate the universal teachings of Kriya Yoga, a sacred spiritual science originating in India thousands of years ago. The architecture is captivating and the gardens are stunning. The site has served as a destination for pilgrimage for people all over the world to visit the place where a great teacher lived and communed with God. Surfers have known of the spiritual center as “Swami’s” an international surf spot with an incredible right-hand reef that has been known to handle big swells up to triple overhead.

For us, the sun parted the clouds and cast a lone light upon a single parking spot in a small tucked away lot overlooking the ocean. This was indeed the place of destiny, a picturesque coastline with wise palm trees and lush vegetation. A wooden staircase of endless steps led us down to Swami’s Beach, a secluded, semi-tropical retreat from the chaos above. The sunshine, sea salt mist, and freshness of air renewed our spirits once again.

As surfers carried their boards along the beach and trickled out into the waters to catch a sunset set (of waves), we watched the sunset on a shore of sanctity. In the parking lot above a small drum circle formed, musicians gathered and voices sang songs to the setting sun. For a moment, humanity was well and a paradise had been found.

Be safe, be healthy but have the courage to seek out an adventure that will remind you how incredible life can be if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone.

DAVID ROSE-MASSOM PHOTOGRAPHER & AUTHOR in many cases the armed services that they served with.

David lives in Cornwall and now that lockdown is lifted, he will once again be out talking to the homeless and street people and taking portraits of these amazing and troubled folk.

Other Book Titles: FACING SOUTH BUSKERS: WHEN THE STREET IS A STAGE DEATH OF AN UNNAMED GIRL A DELICIOUS WAY TO DIE

his lifestyle.

Over the last four years David has taken portraits and stories and compiled them into PORTRAITS OF THE FORGOTTEN, a collection of 130 monochrome images and commentary with many of these images. Portraits of the Forgotten is so titled because of the way that within moments of walking past these isolated men and women, people forget them, many are forgotten by the system, their families and

ARTICLE BY LYNNE TUCKER For more info visit davidrosemassom.co.uk (currently being rebuilt to highlight his street photography, novels and screenplays).

With being limited what we can do during covid-19, there are no limitations on reading books.

Think Books and Enjoy the Read!

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COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY ANNOUNCES ITS WINNERS FOR THE INAUGURAL STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION SUMMER 2O2O

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oachella Valley Repertory announced its winners of its 2020 Inaugural Student Writing Competition on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 3:30 pm Pacific.

Media, guests, family and friends were invited to join this Zoom event for the announcement.

Middle and High School students competed for cash prizes during the Inaugural Writing Competition.

Participants were tasked with submitting a monologue, short story,

CIDNI HORDISTA

ADDISON JACKSON

CATEGORY 2

KIRA ENTZMINGER

CYNTHIA RUIZ

TILDA RECTOR

CATEGORY 3

KIMBERLY SOLANO VERA

THEATRE

scene or other creative writing piece.

From May 15 until July 30, 2020, entries were accepted. Forty students took part in the competition.

Writing submissions were judged

by Georgeana Mimms, a distinguished member of the CVRep Conservatory faculty, author Hal Gershowitz Remember This Dream, Heirs of Eden), and retired journalist Bruce Fessier (The Desert Sun).

Students in public, a private or home school setting were eligible and were

CATEGORY 1

HOLLY TRUBEE

September 17 to September 24, 2020

AIVY TO

LIZBETH LUEVANO

categorized by their age.

Category 1 – Ages 11 and 12 Category 2 – Ages 13 to 15 Category 3 – Ages 16 to 18 During the virtual Awards Ceremony, plaques and cash prizes will be awarded to three winners in each category as follows: 1st Place: $500 2nd Place: $250 3rd Place: $100 Winning entries and other notable submissions were invited to read or perform their submissions virtually at the Awards Ceremony.

This contest was envisioned and sponsored by Executive Board Member Peggy Jacobs. It was designed to inspire the Valley’s future authors and playwrights to submit their creative best. CVRep sincerely thanks Ms. Jacobs for her generosity of spirit by creating the concept and donating the prize money. Anyone interested in joining the awards ceremony, can register for the Zoom webinar at www.cvrep.org.

And the Winners are: Category 1: 1st - Holly Trubee 2nd - Cidni Hordista 3rd - Addison Jackson Category 2: 1st - Kira Entzminger 2nd - Cynthia Ruiz 3rd - Tilda Rector Category 3: 1st - Kimberly Solano Vera 2nd - Aivy To 3rd - Lizbeth Luevano Coachella Valley Repertory (CVRep) is an equity theater company, designated a Small Professional Theatre under the Actors’ Equity Association. CVRep is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide thought provoking theatre of substance.

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

MUSIC

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ive music fans in the Coachella Valley have been left ‘dazed and confused’ since the pandemic devoured all live entertainment. The Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has had to ‘ramble on’ despite new limitations and although it’s been a difficult road, ‘the song remains the same’. ‘Going back to California’…Indio, California that is, is the world’s premier tribute to Led Zeppelin, LED ZEPAGAIN! It seems like the group has been ‘ten years gone’ but the band that Jimmy Page concedes is “the closest you’ll ever get to the real deal” is back again for their yearly trip to the desert. Swan Montgomery (vocals, harmonica), David Thymiakos (guitar, mandolin), Jim Wooten (bass, keyboards), and Derek Smith (drums, percussion) would like to say, ‘thank you’ with a ‘whole lotta love’ and live ‘rock and roll’ music this Saturday at The Rock Yard at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The show is FREE and guests must be 18 or older to attend. Please be mindful that you are required to wear protective masks and adhere to Fantasy Springs’ social distancing protocols. To make it easier to digest, The Rock Yard invites guests to get creative with their masks launching the MASK-QUERADE CONTEST every Friday and Saturday. Attendees are encouraged to wear their coolest protective mask with the winners receiving dinner for two at The Bistro or POM. Awards will be announced on stage at 9:30 p.m. Los Angeles rockers STEEL ROD get the music started at 7:30 pm.

The group has toured the world including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America performing sold-out shows worldwide in major international venues, concert halls and performing arts centers.

They have been featured on AXS TV’s World Greatest Tribute Bands and have shared the stage with drummer Jason Bonham for a performance of ‘Rock and Roll’.

In January of 2004, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page himself attended a Led Zepagain show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

He was absolutely astonished at the bands’ accuracy asserting to the band, “It’s amazing

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LED ZEPAGAIN WITH STEEL ROD PERFORMING AT THE ROCK YARD SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

how much you sound like us. You must have grown up on this because you were inside the music, and you paid attention to detail in your presentation…I can tell you guys really love our music!” This chance meeting led to the band attending Led Zeppelin's 2007 Reunion Concert at London's O2 Arena at the behest of Mr. Page.

Combining the bona fide Zeppelin sound and look with the classic equipment and costumes, Led Zepagain is looking like the closest thing you’ll ever get to another Led Zeppelin reunion!

Born in Drogheda, Ireland, Swan Montgomery is an Irish entrepreneur, musician, vocalist and producer/engineer.

Led Zepagain was founded in 1988 and Swan is the longest serving member. Swan was also invited to perform on stage with The Who vocalist Roger Daltrey. As a solo artist, Swan released an album of original World Music called ‘Ogham’ in 2019.

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with Montgomery in anticipation of Led Zepagain’s return to The Rock Yard.

CVW: The Rock Yard is a very unique venue. What’s your favorite part of performing there?

Montgomery: “It’s up close and personal which is really cool… fans are right in front of the stage with no barrier and we can see their faces. We get to feel how they all get into what we’re doing. The crew is great and the sound is fantastic. We’ve always had a great experience there. The music speaks for itself.

Paid or unpaid everyone just has a good time and enjoys, us playing Zeppelin music to the older folk bringing back some memories.”

CVW: The pandemic obviously prevented the band from its usual schedule of weekly shows around the world. How have you all held up?

Montgomery: “It’s been about six months since we last performed, as of late, we have done three shows in the last three weeks so it’s nice to be back, but it’s been tough because we were used to a schedule of every week, traveling, flying, on boats, traveling to other countries, it definitely changed our world a bit because we were so used to that pace. When I got back into it I had to work

back to that level, back to working out. You play almost 90 minutes, it’s a lot of energy you put out there and you don’t realize that until you stop. I said, ‘Whoa! We gotta get this back!’ It’s been different but challenging.”

CVW: In addition, the fans have had to weather this storm as well. Is there any newfound attitude or feeling with what you're doing?

Montgomery: “People have been locked down for quite a bit now. To see people’s faces in a different environment, whether social distancing or sitting outside their cars you can see everyone’s face happy and seeing live music and doing something different. It’s good to see that, you can see they’re very happy. It’s a good feeling. As an artist, you still want to give them 100% no matter what, even if we’re still breaking ourselves in, you still go for it. It’s like riding a bike; the band played their first show about three weeks ago and we got back into it, we just looked at each other and said, ‘Oh, OK, this is alright!’, so we still got it going on, we didn’t even rehearse, we didn’t see each other for six months, the next thing you know, we’re on stage starting off for the first time, it just felt really good.”

CVW: What’s been the silver lining for you personally with the pandemic? Have you been able to rededicate yourself to other areas of your life?

Montgomery: “Family; with touring and the time away, I haven’t been able to spend much time with my family as I would like to and now with this I am able. Also, being able to do other projects that I’ve wanted to do because I’m a solo artist as well. I have my hands in a few other things. It’s been great to be able to drop back and face some projects that I was working on.”

CVW: We can download Led Zepagain versions of a lot of the Zeppelin classics on iTunes and Spotify. I listened and they are spectacular renditions.

Montgomery: “Yes, they’re on Spotify and iTunes, it’s a tribute album to Led Zeppelin, there’s five of them actually. We just felt we had to go in and challenge that side of things and it came out quite good. At one time Led Zeppelin was not on iTunes or Spotify and Led Zepagain was the only source you could

BY NOE GUTIERREZ get of Zeppelin music to download. It did quite well and of course Zeppelin decided to put up their music, haha! It didn’t kill it totally because we still do well with downloads. The best thing I’ve seen one time was a listing of downloads on iTunes where Led Zepagain’s version of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was above Led Zeppelin’s! I was like, ‘this is impossible!’ haha.”

CVW: I can imagine there are many little idiosyncrasies of Robert Plant and the rest of Led Zeppelin that you’ve had to study early on to provide the full experience.

Montgomery: “I study Plant a lot, his movements, he’s not as animated today as he was back then. It’s like acting, you go up there and portray an era, we’re portraying all the Zeppelin years. We just naturally get into it. I haven’t had much of a problem.”

CVW: I’ve attempted to sing songs like ‘The Immigrant Song’ and it can be a difficult task. How have you remained performing at a high echelon for all these years?

Montgomery: “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I’ve been doing it for nearly 33 years, so I worked all that out. I’m not the greatest at doing vocal exercises before a show, I do know a lot about it but I mentally prepare and make sure my voice is in top notch condition and that has to do with taking care of it through sleep, the most important thing, and simple things like tea and ginger and not talking too much before a show. I get myself into the role and psyche myself up.

Sometimes out of the gate ‘The Immigrant Song’ is the fourth song so I have to be ready for that. The warm-up is the first four or five songs. We often go with set lists Zeppelin performed, to open it’s either ‘Rock and Roll’ or ‘Immigrant Song.’”

CVW: Getting back up on stage must have felt really good to you and the rest of the band. What did you miss the most?

Montgomery: “I miss the crowd and the vibe that goes along with that. It’s been a blessing too. Sometimes we were in it and we were going like an express train flying down the track and we weren’t thinking about getting off but it’s nice that it stopped for a minute to rejuvenate and do some other things that we’ve wanted to do. Now that things are opening up we’ll get back and we have more energy to be better to do what we want to do.” www.zepagain.com Check out Swan Montgomery’s solo album of World Music, ‘Ogham’ on iTunes Led Zepagain with Jason Bonham on drums performing ‘Rock and Roll’: youtube.com/watch?v=2w6noToYSqQ STEEL ROD Based out of Los Angeles and together for 20 years now, STEEL ROD is Southern California’s premier cover band! They have performed at venues like Staples Center, House of Blues, BB King’s Blues Club, Home

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com Depot Center, Santa Anita Park, Belly Up Tavern and Los Angeles County Fair to name a few. Prior to the pandemic they were performing about 300 shows a year in destinations like Germany, Japan, Iraq, Guam, Canada, Afghanistan, Austria, Puerto Rico, Bosnia, Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, Kosovo and throughout the Caribbean.

The power trio includes three multitalented musicians in Rod Pantoja on guitar, Whit Petrell on bass and Johnny Reyes on drums with each of them providing lead and background vocals. With an inventory of 800+ songs spanning R&B, Pop, Classic Rock, Top 40, Alternative, Country and Metal, the band has made a name for themselves.

CV Weekly spoke with Petrell about the band and their history.

CVW: Steel Rod has been performing at The Rock Yard for quite some time now. You are also well-known throughout Southern California. How far-reaching is Steel Rod? Petrell: “Johnny and Rod both live in Whittier and I live in Huntington Beach. The majority of our shows are based in L.A., but we still go to Las Vegas, and of course Indio and in the past we’ve done USO tours overseas and in the last 4-5 years we’ve been doing cruise lines out of Ft. Lauderdale. It’s been great to connect with so many people in our region and around the country. The cruises have allowed us to know so many people from every walk of life.”

CVW: Being in a successful band doesn’t come easy. What’s the balance between good luck and the grind?

Petrell: “We’ve been fortunate and we’ve also had that go-getter mentality. We’re grateful for all the opportunities placed in front of us and at the same time we’re hard-working guys. We don’t just wait for opportunity to show itself and we do our best to get out there and push our name and try and balance that with having fun and playing good music. Our motto is, ‘let’s just have some fun.’”

CVW: Before the pandemic, the music scene in L.A. could be perceived as cutthroat.

How has Steel Rod navigated the treacherous waters of the Hollywood scene?

Petrell: “It’s kind of competitive. There’s a lot of music there. Hollywood is the hub.

We’re good friends with local bands like Empty Seat, they opened up for us at House of Blues once. There are a lot of venues to play and a lot of different genres, there are popular Punk, Latin and Alternative scenes.

One of the things that separates us from the crowd is we’re a cover band and the three of us come from three different walks of life. At this point, our song list is over 700 songs of all genres of music! When we come into a club, if they need 80’s music and Spanish Rock, we can do that and if they need 80’s Metal and ‘monster ballads’, we can do that too. I think that’s why we’ve become so successful, we can adapt to a lot of different musical environments.”

CVW: Does Steel Rod have any other ‘desert connections’?

Petrell: “Around when we first started, I played at the Village Pub in Palm Springs subbing for Mark Gregg. I think Rod played that show too. Mark’s a great dude. I’ve got nothing but love for him. We filled in for his band and that’s how we got out here.

We ended up doing a residency at Fantasy Springs, we had a live karaoke show that we started in 2002 in The Rock Yard. We did it for four years. Since then we’ve developed great relationships with everyone at Fantasy Springs. A huge thank you to Mandi Witkower and Michael Felci, they’ve been great. We played their employee appreciation party a couple of years in a row too.”

CVW: What more can you share about Steel Rod? Petrell: “Rod, Johnny and myself are the core of the band. We’re a power trio; we all sing. When we’ve played Lit, that calls for more R&B, dance stuff and Top 40. We have other musicians we can add, we’ll bring a

September 17 to September 24, 2020

keyboard player, a horn section, a female vocalist or a percussion section. This last March we celebrated 20 years as a band! The longest relationship I’ve been in is with two guys! They are my brothers.”

CVW: Do the members of Steel Rod have any other passions or “day jobs”?

Petrell: “We do this for a living, this is our full-time job. We were on a cruise line in February for two weeks and we got back on March 15. We literally came home to everything shut down, no shows, no gigs, no career. Musicians are at the bottom of the list. We’ve been relying on Facebook Live.

We had to adapt and pivot as to how we’re going to market ourselves. In working with the cruise line we met so many people from around the world. We’ve opened up to a virtual tip jar. We’re grateful Fantasy Springs has been able to open up a bit. We’re hoping California can start opening up more too.”

CVW: What can you say is your legacy after 20 years of performing live music?

Petrell: “We once performed a livestream show and asked viewers where they were watching from, we had people from Florida, New York, Wisconsin, the UK and Japan!

It gave me goosebumps that my career has taken me to a point where I have the ability to touch people’s lives all around the world and I’m just a little white guy from Huntington Beach, ha ha! I’m not some big rock star guy but the fact that we can make somebody’s life just a little bit better by playing a few songs for them and they’re in a whole other country is amazing! It’s surreal.”

CVW: What can The Rock Yard expect this Saturday?

Petrell: “Every time we’re at The Rock Yard, especially when we’re playing alongside

Led Zepagain, we bring the full arsenal! We’ve known those guys our whole career, we’ve been opening for them for almost twenty years, you can expect a lot of Rock and Roll, a lot of great attitude, just a lot of smiles, a lot of fun and a lot of yelling.” www.steelrodband.com --------------------------------------------------The Rock Yard is always LIVE, always FREE and always OUTDOORS. For more information visit FantasySpringsResort.com 2020 ROCK YARD Line-Up: Fri. 9/18 - FANDANGO (ZZ Top tribute) w/ Classic Rock Revolution Sat. 9/19 - LED ZEPAGAIN (Led Zeppelin Tribute) w/ Steel Rod Fri. 9/25 - PICK YOUR POISON (Poison tribute) w/ Triple 7 Sat. 9/26 - PYROMANIA (Def Leppard tribute) w/ Almost Famous Fri. 10/2 - INXS-IVE (INXS tribute) w/ Anthem Road Sat. 10/3 - ESCAPE (Journey tribute) w/ Know Illusion Fri. 10/9 - LOVE DRIVE (Scorpions Tribute) w/ Crimson Crow Sat. 10/10 - QUEENATION (Queen Tribute) w/ Glorious Bastards Fri. 10/16 - MOVING PICTURES (Rush Tribute) w/ Steel Rod Sat. 10/17 - MOTLEY INC. (Motley Crue Tribute) w/ Steel Rod Fri. 10/23 - AEROMYTH (Aerosmith Tribute) w/ Anthem Road Sat. 10/24 - VIRVANISH (Nirvana Tribute) w/ Thank You Drive Thru Fri. 10/30 - JUST LIKE PRIEST (Judas Priest Tribute) w/ Triple 7 Sat. 10/31 - 1,000 HP (Godsmack Tribute) w/ Revolver

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

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CONSIDER THIS

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ny devotee of “The Gilmore Girls” certainly remembers the Town Troubadour. A recurring character, he could be seen busking, (for free) throughout the small town of Stars Hollow, his songs acting as a bookend for whatever emotions were being played out by Rory and her mom. He was as integral to the erudite series as Miss Patty or Babette Dell. What most people don’t know is he was portrayed

by Grant Lee Phillips, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has made a living as a musician for nearly 30 years.

Grant (born Bryan G. Phillips in 1963) grew up in Stockton, California. Early influences included David Bowie, Alice Cooper and Kiss, but he was equally inspired by Central California stalwarts like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Before adolescence, began writing songs, forming first band, Bloody Holly, in high school.

He moved to Los Angeles in his late teens, working as a roofer by day and attending night school at UCLA in the evenings. Initially, he studied film, but quickly became inspired by the fertile early ‘80s music scene. He was especially enamored by Paisley Underground bands, Dream Syndicate and the Rain Parade.

Not long after meeting future wife Denise Siegel, Grant quit school and formed Shiva Burlesque, cycling through a couple of line-ups before connecting with bassist Paul Kimble and drummer Joey Peters. The trio recorded two psychedelically inclined albums, on two different labels. Their selftitled debut arrived in 1987 and Mercury Blues was released three years later. The three-piece broke up briefly before reforming as Grant Lee Buffalo.

Landing a weekly residence at the venerable Largo club, the band spent time honing their sound and built a substantial following. They created enough of a buzz that major labels came a’ callin’. Signing with the Slash label, their debut, Fuzzy arrived in 1993. Their videos went into heavy rotation on MTV programs like “120 Minutes” and “Alternative Nation.” Soon, they were opening for heavy-hitters like R.E.M., Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins.

They recorded two more critically acclaimed and modestly successful albums, Mighty Joe Moon in 1994 and Copperopolis in 1998. Feeling the trio had run its course, Grant Lee Buffalo quietly disbanded. At the turn of the 21st Century, Grant Lee Phillips embarked on a solo career.

Between 2000 and 2016 he has recorded eight albums, ranging from his stripped-down debut, Ladies Love Oracle, the textured Traditionalism of Mobilize, the literary songcraft of Virginia Creeper and the dreamy Folk Rock of Strangelet. He honored his ‘80s antecedents with Nineteeneighties, a carefully curated collection of covers.

2009 saw the release of Little Moon, a pithy celebration of fatherhood. Three years later, Walking The Green Corn explored his Creek, Blackfoot and Cherokee Heritage, and his 2016 album The Narrows reflected his recent move from L.A. to Nashville. Now, following a brief two year turnaround he is back with his ninth effort, Widdershins.

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

“WIDDERSHINS” ROC RECORDS) GRANT LEE PHILLIPS (YEP

The opening three tracks set the tone for the entire record. “Walk In Circles” rushes headlong, blending urgent acoustic guitars, phased electric riffs and thrumming bass lines Tethered to a galloping gate. Grant’s supple vocals are equal parts honey and wood smoke as he caresses lyrics that resist the herd mentality that grips a large segment of the population; “At the risk of inflaming the religious, most certainly there are the loving kind/But the zealots make the rest of us suspicious, and who wants to walk on eggshells all the time?”

Bottleneck guitar, spatial strings and baroque piano are wed to a kick-drum beat on “Unruly Mobs.” The lyrics offer a trenchant allegory that matches Marie Antoinette’s despotic regime to America’s current Cake-Eater-In-Chief. Scabrous guitars howl and fuzz, as the tea and crumpets hit the fan and peasants swarm nobility; “Unruly mobs, yesterday they loved us so, now they plot away like enemies crawling underneath the garden wall/Little good to trim the hedges someone tell me what are clippers for, Louis won’t you fetch my purse before we go?”

Meanwhile, the warm arrangement on “King Of Catastrophes” wraps around the melody like a frayed jean jacket. Sugar rush acoustic guitars envelope this selfdeprecating tale. Adopting the guise of lone town-crier, he slyly references Cassandra’s fate in Greek mythology. It’s clear that today’s fractious climate mirrors the fall of Troy, and he offers a wry piece of advice; “The secret of survival in a world like this is use your head before your fist, but everyone wants to think the world is his but it’s not.”

On previous albums, Grant has snuck in some sly social commentary, but this album feels wholly influenced by the 2016 election and its staggering consequences.

“Scared Stiff” is a Punky rant powered by hurtling guitars and a whip-crack rhythm.

The staccato wall of guitars echoes the post-apocalyptic crunch of the Clash classic “London Calling,” as urgent lyrics reflect a collective sense of terror not experienced since the Cold War. The breezy tone of “Totally You Gunslinger” belies the deadly serious commentary on gun control. Shang-a-lang guitars and high lonesome pedal steel give the track a Wild West flavor. Rumbling bass lines and a slap-back beat add ballast. The lyrics parody the inefficacy of Conceal And Carry gun laws; “Totally You gunslinger, don’t wear it to the gym/Or fire off in anger, high noon on Lankershim.

“History Has Their Number” attempts to take the long view. Acoustic and electric guitar tangle over a loping, mid-tempo rhythm.

Grant urges disaffected voters to reign in the outrage and vitriol, cosmic retribution will be meted out; “And those who wish to judge you, those who would begrudge you all the freedoms they themselves enjoy/Soon will crumble under, history has their number, it means more to create than to destroy.”

The best tracks here are “Miss Betsy” and “Great Acceleration.” The former is a warm shuffle accented by rambling acoustic riffs,

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

stacked backing vocals and a locomotive beat; a sharp indictment of multi-millionaire and (anti-public education) Secretary Of Education, Betsy DeVos. The narrative features a student edged out by her less inclusive policies. Recognizing school is now a dead end, he opts for child labor; “Miss Betsy, I can work in your factory, stitch the leather shoes you wear/ I don’t have your kind of money, pull your kind of strings, but the cabinet is bare.”

The latter is anthemic and urgent in all the right ways. Ringing power chords ride roughshod over a slippery, syncopated beat.

A measured excoriation of the Oval office autocrat, it correctly asserts the nation has been duped as covert machinations are revealed. As the title promises, the song’s velocity increases, spurred on squally guitars,

as lyrics insist we have the power to make a change.

Other interesting tracks include “The Wilderness. Here, corrosive guitars splinter and stutter atop a triple time tattoo.

“Another, Another, Then Boom” is anchored by a hopscotch rhythm, icy synths and warm piano notes. The action slows on “Something’s Gotta Give” an almost, notquite ballad focused on a Trump supporter experiencing buyer’s remorse.

The record sort of closes with the rebelrebel blast of “Liberation.” But as that song concludes a hidden, untitled, acoustic song pops up offering the droll assertion that the West Wing Oompa-Loompa is in the pocket of Vladimir Putin. A wise-ass finish to a great album.

Grant Lee Phillips played all the guitars and keys here, in addition to handling production chores. Lex Price played Bass and Jerry Roe provided percussion and pounded the drum kit. It was recorded in Oregon and mixed by in-demand producer Tucker Martine.

The word “Widdershins” is a German term meaning turn counter-clockwise, or (ideally), left. Considering the current shitstorm playing out in our nation’s capital, turning left seems like some sage musical advice.

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

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PET PLACE

ogs love to travel! Most dogs get excited when you grab the car keys, hoping to join you. Dogs are natural nomads, traveling in packs in the wild. They are curious creatures who love seeing new places and meeting new friends. Traveling with pets is easier now that more hotels and restaurants with outdoor seating happily accommodate them. Wise planning and safety precautions make the experience more enjoyable. No need to feel isolated at home during the pandemic when Fido stands ready to hit the road.

It is good business sense to cater to pet owners. Some restaurants even have "doggie" menus with special cooked items for canines. An excursion to nearby Upland can include Molly’s Souper, a lovely cottage style restaurant with lots of outdoor seating and a delicious menu for Fido. Well behaved leashed dogs are welcome at many retailers including Home Depot, Lowes, Apple, The Pottery Barn, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Most major hotel chains including Marriott's Residence Inn, Motel 6, La Quinta Hotels, and Best Western allow pets.

Campgrounds are full of family pets who are welcomed on leash. Doggie day care programs abound should you want to visit places where dogs are not permitted during your trip.

You can purchase a Puppuccino for your canine sidekick when you drive through Starbucks. One pet focused resort, Canine Camp Getaway in New York, offers scentdetection workshops for the dogs, decorating home-made dog biscuit classes for the humans, and sharing celebratory beverages at "Yappy Hour". While many dogs swim and know how to get themselves out, other breeds with heavy coats are not able to sustain themselves in pool water. Life preservers for dogs are an extra precaution in pools and lakes.

CAR TRAVEL A host of new products ensure the comfort and safety of your dog during car trips. Cool pads inside his carrier cool down the temperature during hot weather. Socks or little shoes keep his feet from burning on the hot pavement. Tiny sunglasses with UV protection guard against sun damage to the

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FUN TRAVELS WITH FIDO!

eyes and block dust & debris. "Cool down" harnesses and vests containing cooling crystals help on hot days. Car harnesses protect your dog if you have to stop suddenly. A collar with your phone number and a recent photograph of your dog are essential in case he gets lost.

Keep your pet in the back seat, whether he is harnessed or kept in a carrier. They can be injured by front seat airbags. An active pup romping through a moving vehicle can cause dangerous distractions.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG ALONE IN A CAR EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS CRACKED.It is illegal to leave a pet unattended in a vehicle under California Penal Code 597.7. There has been an epidemic of stolen vehicles with pets inside in recent months. It takes less than a minute for someone to break a window and steal your vehicle with your pet inside while you dodge into a mini-mart for a quick cup of coffee. If you are traveling alone and can't find a responsible person to watch your dog, no one will object if you take him into a public restroom. Drive through restaurants, outdoor dining, and picnics can replace indoor restaurant meal stops. Pets can perish quickly in vehicles from heat stroke and hypothermia during excessive hot or cold temperatures.

AIRLINE TRAVEL

BY JANET McAFEE

A health certificate from your veterinarian is required prior to airline travel. Bring copies of shot records including rabies. You must have a reservation for your pet, as there is a set number of dogs permitted on each flight.

Check in advance with your airline as pet requirements can differ. If you have a small dog under your airline's weight limit, it is recommended you take them with you in a carrier in the passenger cabin. Some groups

MEET PEE WEE

MEET KAHLUA

Just a little guy, Pee Wee is 12 lbs of doggie love. A great mix of breeds, this adorable ChiWeenie boy is 5 yrs old. He waits for a home at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, www.psanimalshelter. org. Contact them at (760) 416-5718 for an appointment to meet and adopt Pee Wee, dog IDA45404903.

Precious kitten found abandoned by a good Samaritan and rescued

by Loving All Animals. Now 9 weeks old, this pretty Calico girl is doing well in a loving foster home. Call Jeanette at Loving All Animals in Coachella (760) 834-7000 for an appointment to meet/adopt Kahlua, www.lovingallanimals.org.

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advise against shipping your pet in the cargo area due to instances of loss, injury and even death. If you must ship an animal below cabin, book a direct flight. Your trusted veterinarian can decide if sedation will make the flight easier.

TRAIN TRAVEL Amtrak does not allow pets other than service animals. Smaller regional rail companies are more hospitable, but call first to find out about crating and other restrictions.

Some transit companies don't allow animals during crowded rush hours. Short leashes are recommended.

Seeing the joy your pup experiences on a day or overnight trip makes you appreciate travel even more. Dogs with their friendly optimism help us meet new people and frame the way we look at the wonders of the world around us. A helpful resource, “U.S and Canada Dog Travel Guide,” can be obtained by going online to www.dogfriendly.com. Grab the car keys, hit the road, and double your fun with Fido onboard.

Still looking for a new best “furfriend” and travel buddy? You are sure to find one from the list below.

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com -----------------------Below is a partial list of shelters and rescues in Riverside county and San Bernardino county with animals for adoption. They are currently closed for walk-ins, so call for an appointment.

You can view most of their animals online before calling.

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS – The county shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. You can view the animals at all four Riverside county shelters at www.rcdas.org, and get the ID number of the animal you want to adopt. Email them the animal’s ID number at shelterinfo@rivco.org, or schedule a virtual adoption appointment at www.rcdas.org, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. (Public) PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. They schedule appointments Wed-Mon. View their animals online at www.psanimalsshelter.org, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, (760) 416-5718.

(Public) ANIMAL SAMARITANS – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment

to adopt. View their animals at www. animalsamaritans.org. Email acorrow@ animalsamaritans.org to foster. Located at 72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 6013918. (Private) CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at www. californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 656-8833.

(Private) HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt a dog or cat. View their animals at www.orphanpet. com. Located at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 329-0203. (Private)

KITTYLAND – The shelter is closed so call for an appointment to adopt a cat. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www. kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private) FOREVER MEOW – Foster based rescue for cats located in Rancho Mirage. Contact them at www.ForeverMeow.org, (760) 335-6767.

(Private) PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact them at www.prettygoodcat.com, (760) 660-3414 (Private) LOVING ALL ANIMALS – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 83496 Avenue 51, Coachella, www.lovingallanimals.org, (760) 834-7000.

(Private)

AGUA CALIENTE CASINO CATHEDRAL CITY REVEALS EXCITING NEW DINING OUTLETS AND CONCEPTS

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gua Caliente Casino Cathedral City, opening late 2020, will feature several unique and innovative food and beverage concepts led

by Executive Chef Julián González Cruz and Food and Beverage Director, Ryan Drushel.

The first of which will be 360 Sports Cathedral City, sister property to the stateof-the-art and wildly popular 360 Sports Rancho Mirage located inside Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage. The 360 Sports Cathedral City menu will include unique items such as tempura-fried Oreo cookies, chavela shrimp, Waygu burgers and a healthy variety of gorgeous fresh salads. This immersive and unexpected sports atmosphere will ensure you enjoy some of the best up-scale and elevated food offerings in the Coachella Valley while cheering on your favorite sports teams on giant wrap around screens, with real-time score tickers, and an epic surround-sound system.

Café One Eleven will enchant you with a three-meal dining experience open to all-ages. This dining establishment will offer myriad traditional favorites including classic banana pancakes, cinnamon roll French toast, empanadas de Camaron,

Mexican street corn salad, Korobuto Pork Chop “Al Pastor” Style, and will also offer items made from revolutionary, modern, cooking techniques such as sous vide freerange chicken mole and lobster enchiladas.

This beautiful café will transform from a casual family-friendly restaurant by day to an elegant table cloth experience by night. The open exhibition style kitchen will give guests a glimpse into the behind-thescenes work that goes into preparing every amazingly delectable meal. Earthy organic textures and colors set the tone in this highenergy ambiance.

“These one-of-a-kind dinning outlets will not only show off the immense talents of our Executive Chef, Chef Julián González, but will welcome you in with warm rich colors, sounds, and aromas, that will make your mouth water from the time you come through our friendly doors,” said Ryan Drushel, Food and Beverage Director of Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City.

Agave Caliente Tequila Bar will feature over 50 types of agave-based spirits including tequilas, mezcal, and handcrafted cocktails and margaritas. The robust bar menu will feature such items as seafood trio ceviche and short rib tacos, and will be

September 17 to September 24, 2020 MORONGO BASIN HUMANE SOCIETY – Located at 4646 Sun View Rd, Joshua Tree, www.mbhumanesociety.com, call between 11am-4pm for updates (760) 366-3786 (Private) CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – Shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Hours for adoption 10am – 4pm Tuesday thru Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get the ID number of the animal you want to meet. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 3841304 or (909) 384-7272. (Public) SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AT DEVORE – Shelter closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Call (909) 386-9280 daily. View animals at www. sbcounty.gov/acc and get the ID number of animal you want to meet. Located at 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (Public).

DREAM TEAM ANGELS RESCUE – Foster based rescue located in Grand Terrace/ San Bernardino area. Contact them through website www.DreamTeamangelsrescue.com, (360) 688-8884. (Private)

THEPAMPEREDPALATE

The combined knowledge of Chef González and expert mixologist, Ryan Drushel will take you through a mixology and culinary adventure that includes tequilas flights, premium mezcals, and authentic chiles and seasonings from Latin America.

The versatile, outdoor, 12,000 sq. foot, Aqua Caliente Pavilion, overlooking the mountainous desert landscape, will be host to reoccurring live entertainment and events and can be reserved year-round for private parties, weddings, charitable functions, and much more.

Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City will also be home to the classic coffeehouse, Java Caliente, 24 hours a day, and if you’re just looking for a quick to-go snack, Essentials gift shop will offer a variety of snacks, sundries, and gift items.

Agua Caliente Cathedral City is looking to fill over 500 new positions before opening later this year, and others looking to join the Agua Caliente Cathedral City team can find available positions listed at www. aguacalientecasinos.com.

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

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THE VINO VOICE

decade or two ago, I remember Syrahs were the bomb! The wine shelves at the store were full of Syrahs from the California Central Coast, the South of France, Australia, and the “new” up-and-comer Walla Walla. Everybody seemed to be enjoying the full fruit flavors and interesting complexities found in these wines.

But lately—not so much! Just the other day, I sold one of the last California Syrahs—a Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Syrah, left on our shelf, and, we’re not getting them back, i.e., our Ralphs store has fazed the KJ Syrah out. And we don’t really have any pure Syrah on our shelves at all!

We know how popular Cabernet Sauvignon is; how popular Pinot Noir is becoming; even the much-maligned Merlot is making a come-back. But we’re still not seeing the Syrah saddling-up as of late!

And there is so much good Syrah continually being produced in the world— as I’ll mention below. You have these wines that are lavishly rich in fruit, that can stand up to a lot of barrel aging, that have a very definitive flavor profile that ranges from smoked meats to black pepper, to black fruits like plum, black currant, black raspberry—you would think the Cabernet Sauv drinkers would be all over this wine, especially with the fact that Syrah is half the

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QUÉ SYRAH, SYRAH–WHATEVER WILL BE

BY RICK RIOZZA

price of a comparable Cal Cab! Because of the smoke, spice & meat in the wine, it is one of the best wines to pair with a steak as they absolutely enhance each other. And what Syrah has over Cabernet and Merlot is a little higher natural acidity, which makes for a more balanced wine experience at the table. But no one here is attempting to sway one away from their favorite wine; rather, keep a Syrah in mind for a change of pace red wine dinner.

I notice from some of the newbie wine folk coming in my wine department, that they are a bit skeptical on “Syrah” versus

“Shiraz” name. No problem here, we’re talking about the same grape. Pretty much all the Shiraz grown in Australia was originally brought from the Rhône Valley in France where the famous Syrah is produced.

And we love the way the Aussies say the word “shiraz—that rhymes with “jazz”.

In a most interesting turn of events/ names, vino archaeologists have found remnants of “Syrah” wine in ancient clay vases found in Persia in and around the city of Shiraz. It’s credibly believed that during the times of Alexander the Great, those ancient vines taken from Persian were replanted in—you got it!—the Rhône Valley.

We’ve written before on the classic Syrah vines in the Rhône Valley. Last year, I got to witness first-hand the famous “Hermitage Hill” somewhat off the North Rhône River.

For those of you who know this area, you’re familiar with the world-famous Hermitage.

Limited to just over 300 acres of vines on the renowned Hermitage Hill, Hermitage wine is uber-Syrah—the most valued and expensive in the world. Its scent and flavor are almost overwhelming, it can age forever, and is like a stellar vintage port without the added brandy. Stunning stuff at stunning prices! In its shadow, down from the Hill is the CrozesHermitage that gets you an appreciation of the experience, but much easier on the wallet.

The recent 2016 Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage (one of the more affordable brands at $300.) is textbook: a muscular wine with real dynamism, freshness and balance. Shows shocking aromas and flavors of bacon, blackberries, cherries, chocolate, floral, violets, game, leather, licorice, mint, olives, smoke, tar, tobacco, and spices. Talk about a chewy prime burger wine!

My current wine love affair is Syrah from Walla Walla, Washington. Having tasted the best Syrah/Shiraz from all around— Syrah from Walla Walla is world-class. The area is one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the nation, producing such crops as wheat, asparagus, strawberries and the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions. These days however, it is wine country that Walla Walla is most celebrated, with more than 100 wineries representing a wide range

of varietals. And the stuff that’s especially bowling us over is their red wines: Cabs, Merlots, red blends, and the star of the show: Syrah Their ancient volcanic terroir works as a heavenly garden garrison allowing the Syrah to shine with vibrant and complex flavors which produce a wine of elegance and balance which makes a splendid match for a meal. The classic profile includes aromas of cured meat leading to flavors of dark fruit, blueberry, black pepper, black tea and earthy minerality that are backed by smooth, “approachable” tannins in the lengthy finish.

Cayuse Vineyards puts out some tasty Syrah—but it’s definitely pricey. Look also for Badger Mountain Vineyards and Two Vintners, Some Days are Diamonds, Syrah.

Boom Boom! Syrah (around $15) by Charles Smith, is an entry-priced Syrah from his hometown of Walla Walla. “It begins with an enticing aroma full of blackberries, white pepper, hints of smoked meat and beautiful floral notes. Taking a sip reveals lots of meaty, dark juicy fruit and other flavors familiar to the nose. This is a smooth, really nice example of Syrah that’s actually rather Northern Rhone-ish. Firm tannins and some nice mineral notes lead into the dry finish.”

At only 13.5% alcohol, it’s an ideal red for the hot days and nights. At a meal of saucy charred ribs, the wine showed some lively raspberry and blueberry notes along with its usual pepper and grilled herb flavors.

With so many Millennials getting into the wine game, and, with their love of full flavors, I think Syrah will be back in the high life again. Whether you say it in French, Spanish, or Italian, it’s pronounced the same: “Que/Che Sera Sera”—whatever will be, will be. Cheers!

BREWTALITY

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or thousands of years, the process of basting has been used to enhance flavors during cooking. Basting is a technique that’s used in grilling, baking, roasting, and other methods of cooking where meat is left over heat for extended periods of time. While modern cooking science has proven that improper basting can actually lead to drying out your food instead of moistening it, backyard pitmasters and home-cook chefs aren’t ready to cut the technique out of their repertoire entirely. We may have given up basting our turkeys, but we’ll never give up basting our ribs in barbecue sauce.

Grilling enthusiasts all have their favorite national brands of barbecue sauce, with brands like Sweet Baby Ray’s and KC Masterpiece selling millions of units every year. While some brands are little more than sweet, smoky ketchup, there are some fantastic grocery store sauces to be had. Because they are mass produced, most national barbecue sauces will contain preservatives and stabilizers to ensure a long shelf life, and none of them are going to be made with beer. Well, that’s not entirely true. Breweries like Yuengling, Mendocino Brewing, and Stone have all expanded their portfolios to include BBQ sauces made with IPAs, Imperial Stouts, and Red Ales. If you don’t mind paying $7 for a 14 oz bottle of the stuff, Stone’s Tangerine Express IPA sauce sounds pretty tasty. But

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

THE BEST RED ALE BBQ SAUCE EVER

if you’ve already gone through the trouble to smoke your own racks of ribs, it’d give you even more satisfaction to put together your own sauce using ingredients you might already have in your kitchen.

The malty flavors of beer can add so much savory complexity to a barbecue sauce, and greatly compliment the flavors of whatever meat it ends up coating. While you can use any brew you’d like for this recipe, it’s optimized to compliment the flavors of a red or amber ale.

Some may choose to split hairs over it, but red and amber ales are the same thing.

According to the Beer Judge Certification Program, or BJCP, amber ales are “a modern craft beer style developed as a variation from American pale ales. Known simply as Red Ales in some regions, these beers were popularized in the hop-loving Northern

California and Pacific Northwest areas before spreading nationwide. It’s a hoppy, moderate strength beer with caramel malty flavor; darker, more body, and generally less bitter than American Pale ales.”

Killian’s Irish Red ale is available in most grocery stores as it’s made by MillerCoors and enjoys vast distribution. I recommend a version as it will have a deeper, more intense character than Killian’s has. For this recipe, I chose Absolution Brewing’s “Cardinal Sin”, a 5.7% and 37 IBU red ale that exhibits sweet notes of caramel and toffee; flavors that absolutely compliment the smoky, rich flavors of grilled meat.

Amber lagers will work just as well for this application. In any case, we’re going to reduce it and amplify its flavor, so choose something you enjoy drinking.

I’ve made barbecue sauces from scratch, but this quick and easy “cheat” version is just as tasty as anything I’ve put together.

A touch of cinnamons adds a warm, savory spice and tons of character, while just a bit of cayenne adds just the right amount of heat. This recipe is based on the Kansas City style of barbecue sauce; sweet, brown, tangy and thick.

This is a finishing sauce, used to baste your chicken or ribs after it’s most of the way cooked, and allowed to caramelize and form a sticky glaze over your roasted meat.

It also makes a fantastic dipping sauce for chicken strips or whatever else you want

BY AARON RAMSON coated in the best red ale barbecue sauce ever.

THE BEST RED ALE BARBECUE SAUCE EVER - Makes 2 ½ Cups 2 cups ketchup 1 cup red ale ¼ cup molasses ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon cayenne 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS In a medium sized saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and use immediately or pour into a heat safe container (mason jars work well for this).

RECIPE NOTES This will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and probably even longer.

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

SCREENERS

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UPERGIRL: The Complete Fifth Season Our two adult millennial sons enthusiastically turned me on to this terrific series that reflects elements of our shared real world concerns and issues. It’s not preachy but the action is driven by forces we both fear and desire – though not always to our best interests. I love this great show that dances on the edge of a sometimesunsettling zeitgeist that’s not all that unfamiliar.

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This hugely watchable set contains all 19 exhilarating hour-long episodes from Season Five, plus all new special features!

The Blu-ray set also contains an exclusive limited edition bonus disc with all five episodes of the DC Crossover Event Crisis on Infinite Earths and 6 Crossover Bonus Features.

Adventure awaits as one of TV’s favorite DC Super Heroes flies into homes ready for a satisfactory bingeing experience especially if you’ve been following the series. The disc also contains The Best of DC TV’s Comic-con Panels San Diego 2019, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

In season five, Supergirl faces threats, both ancient and new. National City becomes enthralled with addictive virtual reality technologies created by CatCo’s

BINGE ON THIS charming-but-secretive new owner, Andrea Rojas. As Kara uses the power of the press to try to expose this new danger, she must contend with challenges put up by rival reporter William Dey, renegade Martian Malefic J’onzz, a shadowy organization called Leviathan, and the shocking return of Lex Luthor who, in addition to his plot for world domination, seeks to claim the soul of Supergirl’s best friend (and his sister) Lena. With humanity choosing to lose itself in technology, can Supergirl save the world -- again?

After five strong seasons, Supergirl remains one of the most talked-about shows

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS on the air. The loyal fan base will certainly enjoy the special features, in addition to the 19 exceptionally compelling and weirdly relevant one-hour episodes from the fifth season exploring and experiencing new challenges and new characters Supergirl stars a terrific Melissa Benoist.

See if you can find all prior seasons and episodes (physical discs or VOD), it’s worth the effort. This wonderfully addictive show continues to surprise and satisfy. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

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HADDON LIBBY

BANKRUPTCY TYPES

W

ith massive closures of small businesses in the Coachella Valley and around the United States because of the pandemic, an increase in bankruptcies can be expected from the people and businesses that are overwhelmed by their debts.

There are essentially three types of bankruptcy: Chapter 7, 11 and 13. Chapter 11 is strictly for businesses while Chapter 13 is for individuals.

Under a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the person filing puts forth a plan to pay credits a portion of the amount due in return for relief from the total amount due and/or the repayment schedule. This restructuring of debts remains on your credit report for ten years and can cause challenges in securing new loans from banks.

If your checking account was overdrawn as part of the bankruptcy and was not repaid in full, there is a good chance that you may have challenges in opening new bank accounts in the future. Banks have a central reporting system where they keep track of the people and businesses that have burned them.

If the individual cannot make payments on their debts, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is usually chosen. With this type of bankruptcy, the person owning the money essentially turns over assets secured by the debt to the creditor(s). While lenders can take the person to court for judgements and liens, the Chapter 7 bankruptcy once approved in the courts discharges the borrower from the underlying debts.

Creditors can force a borrower into Chapter 7 bankruptcy for non-payment.

Corporations, partnerships, and limited

September 17 to September 24, 2020

liability companies usually use Chapter 11. In these cases, a debt restructuring is proposed to creditors and presented to the courts for confirmation. Once the plan is presented, approved, and implemented, the bankruptcy is closed.

A Homestead Act declaration in California means that homeowners can keep up to $175,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the home even if the bank forecloses and takes over your property. To be entitled to keep home value, you must have already filed a homestead exemption form with the State of California. Single filers can keep up to $75,000 while couples are exempt up to $100,000.

Those who are over 65 years of age, disabled or over 55 with a low income can keep up to $175,000. For the property to qualify, the homeowner must have lived at the property for the better part of four years. Like most government programs, there are a host of variations and ways to keep more of your equity should you have a second property.

Properties can include burial plots.

Municipalities can use Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy code to reorganize their debts.

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

While a state cannot go bankrupt, other public entities can. Desert Hot Springs used this section of the bankruptcy code in 2001 as the result of a lost lawsuit.

Bankruptcies are often thrown out due to violations of the bankruptcy protection by the filer. Violations can be for a host of reasons. Quite often, the filer will have shown preference toward one creditor causing the bankruptcy protection to be removed by the court. Sometimes a bankruptcy is thrown out because the filer did not complete postbankruptcy credit counseling or failed to pay court fees.

People or companies that hide assets from the bankruptcy process can be charged with fraud. Penalties for fraud include fine, possible jail time and being barred from declaring bankruptcy in the future.

Those who have already experienced a bankruptcy cannot file a second Chapter 13 bankruptcy for two years. A second Chapter 7 typically requires eight years to pass. If a Chapter 7 was declared the first time and a Chapter 13 for the second one, four years must pass. Where a Chapter 13 was declared first and the Chapter 7 second, six years must pass.

As there are several caveats and conditions to all of this, consult with an attorney or other bankruptcy professional for advice. This article is merely meant to be an overview.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com or email Hlibby@WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

CINCO DE MAYO IS NOT MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

Y

es, that's true. Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day...

It is September 16. But it matters not, as the issue is not drinking and driving.

No-one wants to be arrested for a Cinco de Mayo/September 16, DUI and dealing with jail, costs, stress, time wasted in court and classes etc. However to understand a DUI, please understand you do not have to be drunk. One Tequila shot won't do it but several may.

The correct charge is a Driving Under The Influence (DUI). You merely have to be Impaired; Under the Influence; or Buzzed from alcohol and or a drug. Depending on a number of factors, several Tequila's may do it. A DUI is determined by the Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) Breath Test at the scene or the Breath or Blood test at the station.

A DUI has always been called a DEUCE. This is because the Vehicle Code violation has always ended in a 2 and thus Drunk Drivers are referred to as "Deuced". A DUI was initially called a 502 requiring a

.15 reading and next was called a 23102 ...needing a .10 reading.

Some juries returned not guilty verdicts thinking the driver was not DRUNK because they drove without getting into an accident.

Defense lawyers argued to the jury that the driver complied and produced their driver's license and insurance when asked and the driver did not fall down while exiting the car.

Today it's called a 23152 (a & b), allowing the DA to file two counts. One is Driving under the Influence and the second count is Driving with a BA level of .08 or more.

Many juries now split the baby and find the driver innocent of one count and guilty of the other. If there is a guilty verdict of either count, it is a DUI with the same sentence.

In California you are under the influence if your ability to drive is impaired.

Impairment takes place when your blood alcohol reading is .08 or higher with either the Breath or Blood test at the station.

Thus, if you are driving on a California road with .08 or higher the burden of proof

almost reverts back to you, to show that you weren't under the influence and/or your blood alcohol was not .08.

Sooo, if you’re charged with a DUI, you don't need some random 800 number lawyer. You need a hometown attorney; an attorney whose practice focuses on DUI law here in the CV. If you got a DUI, don't take a chance with remote, out-of-town legal representation. Choose Dale Gribow, based right here in Palm Desert for 25 years.

You may incorrectly think that once you blow into the breathalyzer the game's over. But it's not. And with experienced legal defense, you can assert your rights.

So if you're looking at a bad DUI that could haunt you for the rest of your life, don't gamble with some out-of-town 800 number attorney.

I look upon my job as protecting the Constitutional Rights of every American who drinks, drives and gets arrested for a DUI or has an ACCIDENT. I do however "Change Hats" when I SUE Drunk Drivers for damages to my Injured or

Deceased (Wrongful Death) clients.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ARTICLE? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/ dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED "TOP LAWYER" - California's Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 201120 "TOP LAWYER" - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating "PREEMINENT" Rating - Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory BEST Attorneys of America -"Rue" (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys per State) Legal Eagle "Best and Brightest Legal Minds" by Palm Springs Life- June 2016 "DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT... CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER....THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME"

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

SWAG FOR THESOUL

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BY AIMEE MOSCO

EMBODYING THE LIGHT OF 5D

“The term “light” is interchangeable with the term “energy” and it sums up the evolution story of the human spirit. As we ascend and allow more refined light to infiltrate the space we claim, we become “enlightened” beings, literally.” Gratitude + Forgiveness X (Love) = Happiness, by Aimee Mosco and Donald L. Ferguson, page 19. here is so much talk these days of the massive shifts going on in our world marked by the continuous upheaval. People are awakening to the idea that we are closing out on an era, a cosmic cycle, and moving into a new one. This new space is called many different names, such as the Unity Paradigm, the Golden Age of Peace, 5D, and the list goes on.

If you are familiar with the term 5D, you are likely familiar with the term 3D as well. These terms put context to what is happening as we collectively navigate the landscape of our current circumstances.

Humanity is ascending to a new way of being.

We are taking what we learned from our 3D experiences and applying that wisdom to a new way of life.

5D stands for 5th dimension, which is characterized by an atmosphere of higher vibrating frequencies (energy) or “light” than that of 3D. When we ascend to a higher dimension, we effectively move into a space of greater “light”. We must be enlightened ourselves to align with this new energetic space.

These shifts and growth collective humanity is experiencing are also playing out in the cosmos. Mother Earth is ascending to 5D in front of us to prepare the new space in which we will live. Higher vibrating energy is sweeping across the planet and pushing the lower, darker frequencies from every crack and crevice out of the way. The atmosphere is gradually shifting to support enlightened living with exclusivity. There is no turning back for any of us if we are planning to remain on this planet. Anything currently in alignment

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with 3D and lower, darker energies, has no place in the new atmosphere. It will be kicked to the surface for clearing because it simply will not be supported going forward.

It is important to understand that we human beings have been unconsciously preparing for this for a very long time. Our inner Spirits have guided us in procuring the wisdom required to successfully embody the light of 5D. We have worked hard to get here. If we simply commit to letting go of the 3D darkness, the light within us will carry us across the threshold. Now is the time to let go of anything within yourself that does not align with love.

In my pursuit to help human beings transition into enlightened living, I invite you to join Facebook group Evolve through Love hosted by Elizabeth Scarcella, BB Ingle, and me. Go to facebook.com/groups/ evolvethroughlove and share with us your joy.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Spiritual Teacher and Co-Founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s passion for helping others inspired her book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. Find Aimee at www.ihsunity. com.

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In one of your past lives, maybe you were a Neanderthal midwife in what’s now southern France. In another incarnation, you may have been a 17th-century Guarani shaman who shared your knowledge about local plants with an Italian Jesuit missionary in what’s now Uruguay.

All the powers and aptitudes you perfected in those and other previous ages could prove helpful as you cultivate your genius in the coming weeks.

JUST KIDDING! Cancel my previous speculations,.

For you Aries folks, past achievements are often of secondary importance as you create your future. In fact, your mandate is usually to transcend the old days and old ways. It may be better not to imitate or rely on old stories, no matter how dazzling. This will be especially true in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “There are no ordinary feelings,” says poet Dean Young. “Just as there are no ordinary spring days or kicked over cans of paint.” That’s always true, but it will be especially true for you in the coming weeks. I suspect you will be host to a wealth of interesting, unique, and profound feelings. They might be a bit overwhelming at times, but I think they will mostly provide rich opportunities for your soul to grow deeper and stronger and more resilient.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “There should be a science of discontent,” said novelist Frank Herbert.

“People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles.” I partially agree with that observation, but I also think it’s a gratuitous cliché that’s not at all absolute. In fact, our culture is under the spell of a mass delusion that tempts us to believe “no pain, no gain” is the supreme learning principle.

I’d like to see the development of a robust science of contentment: how fascination and freedom and generosity can build psychic muscles. You’ll be a good candidate to study that subject in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian songwriter Mathangi Arulpragasam is better known by her stage name M.I.A. She has accomplished a lot in her 45 years on the planet, having been nominated for three Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.

Esquire magazine named her the 75th most influential person of the 21st century. One key to her success is the fact that she formulated a clear master plan many years ago, and has used it to guide her decisions. In her song “Matangi,” she refers to it: “If you’re gonna be me, you need a manifesto / If you ain’t got one, you better get one presto.” I bring this to your attention, Cancerian, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to formulate (or reformulate) your life manifesto and master plan.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “If you’re not invited to the party, throw your own,” declares singer and actress Diahann Carroll. In the coming weeks, I urge you Leos to use that advice as a metaphor in every way you can imagine. For example, if you’re not getting the love you want from a certain someone, give it to yourself. If no one hands you the opportunity you need, hand it to yourself. If you wish people would tell you what you want to hear, but they’re not saying it, tell yourself what you want to hear.

It’s a time when you need to go beyond mere selfsufficiency. Be self-gratifying, self-rewarding, selfacknowledging.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “At the necessary moment, going naked will be your most convincing disguise,” writes poet Dobby Gibson. As I apply his witty statement to your life, I’ll interpret it metaphorically. My sense is that you could really use the kind of “disguise” he’s talking about. What I mean is that you would benefit by appearing to be different from what people expect of you. You can gain key advantages by shifting the image you present to the world—by expressing a part of your identity that is not usually obvious. And I think the best way to do that is to “go naked”—i.e. be candid and transparent and vulnerable about your core truths.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran playwright Wendy Wasserstein wrote, “Every year I resolve to

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be a little less the me I know and leave a little room for the me I could be. Every year I make a note not to feel left behind by my friends and family who have managed to change far more than I.” I recommend Wasserstein’s practice to you, dear Libra. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to launch this ritual as an annual tradition. For best results, write it out as a vow. I mean take a pen and paper and compose a solemn pledge, then sign it on the bottom to seal your determination.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I may not lead the most dramatic life,” confesses singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, “but in my brain it’s War and Peace every day.” He was referencing Leo Tolstoy’s sprawling, exuberant 1,200-page novel War and Peace, which features stories about five families who lived through Napoléon’s invasion of Russia in the 19th century. I’m guessing that these days your fantasy life may also be filled with epic fairy tales and heroic sagas and tear-jerking myths. Is there a problem with that? Not necessarily. It could be quite entertaining and educational. I do recommend that you keep your actual life a little calmer and saner, however.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I rejoice to live in such a splendidly disturbing time!” said author Helen Keller (1880–1968). She was a smart activist who worked hard in behalf of women’s equality, labor rights, antimilitarism, and socialism. Was she being sarcastic in saying she loved being alive during a time of upheaval? Not at all. She derived excitement and vigor from critiquing injustice. Her lust for life soared as she lent her considerable energy to making life on earth more enjoyable for more people. I invite you to consider adopting her attitude in the coming weeks. It’s a good time to experiment with generating the personal power that becomes available by taking practical action in behalf of your high ideals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You know what perfectionists are: people who obsessively strive to finesse every last detail, polishing and honing so compulsively that they risk sucking all the soul out of the finished product. In contrast to them, I propose that we identify a different class of humans known as imperfectionists. They understand that a ferocious drive for utter purity can make things sterile and ugly. They resolve to cultivate excellence while at the same time they understand that irregularities and eccentricities may infuse their work with beauty.

I hope you’ll act like an imperfectionist in the coming weeks, Capricorn.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Everything good I’ve ever gotten in life, I only got because I gave something else up,” writes author Elizabeth Gilbert.

To that melodramatic declaration, I say, “Really?

Everything? I don’t believe you.” And yet I do think she has a point. On some occasions, the most effective strategy for bringing good new influences into our lives is to sacrifice an influence or habit or pattern we’re attached to. And often the thing that needs to be sacrificed is comfortable or consoling or mildly pleasurable. I suspect that the coming weeks will offer you one of these opportunities, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “I and me are always too deeply in conversation,” confessed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I wonder why he said “too deeply” and not just “deeply.” Did he mean his dialogs with himself distracted him from important matters in the world outside of his imagination?

Was he implying that he got so consumed while conducting his self-interviews that he lost his bearings and forgot what his goals were? With these cautions in mind, Pisces, I invite you to dive into an intense but spacious communion with yourself.

Make this a delightful and illuminating conference, not a raging debate or a debilitating argument.

Homework: What’s your favorite rule to break?

FreeWillAstrology.com ---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

SAFETY TIPS

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

IS THERE A GARBAGE TRUCK IN YOUR HOUSE?

I

wanted to share this great video (see below link) as it is in good timing for us to stop and take a breath before we react unnecessarily.

There is a lot of angry people out there.

Whether at work, home, driving the streets, stores, or malls, it does not take long to find them. These people are like “garbage trucks.”

They run around full of garbage such as frustration, disappointment, and anger.

When their garbage piles up, they are quick to dump it, unfortunately, on you and on others.

One thing that is important when you encounter a garbage truck. You cannot take it personally. The best thing you can do is smile, wave, move on and wish them well.

It can be hard to do, but it’s more important not to take on others garbage. It’s not yours and has nothing to do with you. If you react to them, they will continue to spread their garbage onto others as well as you.

Love those that treat you well and pray for those who do not. “Life is 10% of what you make it and 90% of how you take it.” Do not take it on or take it personal. It is theirs, not yours.

Have you ever been a garbage truck? Are you taking your frustrations, disappointments and anger and dumping your garbage on others? I am sure I have.

It is easy to do, but hard to see when you are doing it.

Here is the video to which this information was written: https://lnkd.in/ gePVM6x If you are going to spread anything, spread this message.

Do not be a garbage truck!

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September 17 to September 24, 2020

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