Coachella Valley Weekly - November 24 to November 30, 2022 Vol. 11 No. 37

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Rob Brezny, Denise Ortuno Neil, Dee Jae Cox, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman, Ed Heethuis, Daniel Paris, Michelle Borthwick, Nadia Popova, Dennis Shelly Photographers

Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez Videographer Kurt Schawacker Website

If you’re looking for the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit, the illuminating spectacle of WildLights is returning for its 30th season at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Whether you are a frequent visitor during the Christmas season or are new to the seasoned spectacle, this immersive winter wonderland is a must-see for the whole family.

The 2022 dates for the WildLights event are November 23, 25-26 and December 2-3, 9-10, 16-24, and 26-30—running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. WildLights will be closed on December 25.

Visit WildLights for an illuminated journey around the Living Desert Zoo, complete with twinkling lights, dazzling displays, and holiday fun. Throughout the night, visitors find endless awe-inspiring sights and festive photo opportunities. They will also be able to go for a spin on the carousel, enjoy themed treats, take a free souvenir photo with Santa, and much more.

Exploring the Zoo’s lighted pathways and light displays, including the Tunnel of Lights and Synchronized Light Zones, is a dazzling

highlight of the event. Festive fare will also be available for purchase, including hot chocolate and s’mores stations, beer, wine, and sprits, and snacks.

In true WildLights tradition and a Living Desert hallmark, the G-scale model trains will be decked out for the holidays with more than 3,300 feet of track. Due to popularity, advanced reservations are required and there is limited capacity each night.

Each guest’s timed WildLights ticket indicates the earliest time they can enter the Living Desert Zoo. All daytime visitors, including members and guests with WildLights tickets, must completely exit the Zoo by 5 p.m. Beginning at 6 p.m., WildLights guests will be allowed to enter at the time designated on their ticket.

General Admission for this event is priced at 16 dollars while Members get in for 14 dollars.

Children ages 3 to 12 are priced at 12 dollars and children under 3 get in for free. Guests of all ages will be able to pose with Santa for photos through December 24th. Santa will then depart for the North Pole on

Christmas Day and will not be at WildLights on December 26th through the 30th.

Parking is free in the Living Desert Zoo’s main parking lot, but spaces can fill up quickly. Please plan to carpool or use a rideshare service to save time. Overflow parking is located on Portola Avenue, Haystack Avenue, and Buckboard Avenue. If guests are purchasing Member Tickets, be sure to bring a valid photo ID matching the name on the membership when arriving at the event.

The Living Desert is also excited to share that, once again, WildLights has been nominated for USA TODAY’s 10Best Reader’s Choice “Best Zoo Lights” Award. For the past three years, WildLights has been voted as one of the Top Ten Zoo Lights and the Zoo is glowing with gratitude for the continued support of the community. Visitors are encouraged to vote for The Living Desert daily until the contest closes on Monday, December 5th, at 8:59 am on the 10best. com website.

“I always enjoy visiting the Living Desert around the holidays because the WildLights are really an impressive sight to see with the family and the perfect way to ring in the Christmas season,” shared Palm Desert resident Colby Wade.

Advanced reservations are required for both members and guests. It is recommended to purchase tickets as far in advance as possible, as the Living Desert Zoo anticipates this event selling out. Tickets may be purchased at the Living Desert website, www.livingdesert.org, or by calling (760) 346-5694.

Editor

Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

The Christmas film, with one of our local residents Brian Hoff as both a Producer and in the role of a doctor at the Children’s Hospital is going to be showing at the Cathedral City Mary Pickford theater 12/10, 12/12, one on the 14th in the morning for the senior day crowd. Actual screenings time will announced by the theater on their website.

Brian also wrote and sang the Christmas song “Angels on a Christmas Tree” , which is also featured in the film.

In addition Prince Fleet (Prince of Palms Springs) has a cameo as well as a song in the movie.

The film was written by former Hemet resident Dalea Faulkner and produced by her and her mom Martina Webster. It is the story of a young woman dealing with the pressures of life but of course the magic of Christmas and Santa will save the day!

Synopsis:

It’s Christmastime and Jessi is all but excited. She finds herself with comparisonitis in the world of social media. Other women her age just seem to “have it all”, including that engagement ring. Jessi

finds herself frustrated over her job at the local movie theater, still struggling with the loss of her parents, and drowning in student loan debt. Her Grandma and friends seem to be concerned for her health and wellbeing, and only want Jessi to be happy.

Will Jessi ever see the love that is right in front of her? Will she continue down her dark path of negativity and struggle, or will the magic of Christmas shine light on her future?

The film is the beginning of the “Amberlight Valley Series”, that follows the books by Dalea Faulkner. The Indie film has caused a lot of attention at film festivals and has won numerous awards. It has been picked up by several channels to be released this December and is already available on DVD on hashtagblessedthemovie.com website as well as on Amazon.

“Making an independent film is scary” says Martina Webster,” From raising the funds to getting it seen. We have had so much help from family, friends and strangers that just loved the idea of the movie and its meaning. Dalea and I will forever be grateful.”

Isabella Blake-Thomas stars as Jessi. Isabella can be seen on Disney in Second Born Royals, as well as Once Upon a time and many others.

Grandma Maribel played by Char Leonard is a delightful mix of quirky and insightful. This is Char’s very first film role.

Santa is played by Joel Christopher Payne, a Lake Elsinore resident and Disney Artist.

For channels, more screenings and links to tickets please go to hashtagblessedthemovie.com/screenings

HashtagBlessedTheMovie.com www.daleafaulkner.com

@hashtagblessedthemovie on facebook

@hashtagblessedthemovie on Instagram Martina WebsterHashtag Blessed The Movie LLC www.imdb.me/martinawebster

BY MICHELLE BORTHWICK

continuing this process for the past 27 years here in California! There efforts began with farm labor worker’s children to public policy along the southwest border and coastal environments. Their training program and honorariums include hundreds of “angels on earth.

JUNIOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM:

Angel Light Academy’s (ALA) Leadership Training Institute (a 50l (c) (3) non-profit) presented their Annual Gratitude luncheon on Saturday, November 19. This festive holiday event themed “In Giving We Receive” highlighted community service projects of the ALA junior leaders and was inspirational to everyone in attendance to give back to the desert community in service and support our youth. The event was held at the Indian Wells Golf Resort with a reception and luncheon and benefitted the organization’s annual Junior Leadership Training Conference which will be held in March 2023 where approximately 200 youth attend the two-day event.

ALA PROGRAM CORE BELIEF: ALA believes that if youth learn to solve problems and apply leadership skills, they become more self-confident and improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy and will change their lives forever. Angel Light Academy strives to establish a new paradigm for leadership that is based on service to others and instills this in all youth participants.

ALA teaches leadership, team building,

problem solving, conflict resolution, and communication skills to youth.

ALA provides opportunities for youth ages 5-18 to learn new skills that improve confidence and allow them to be the best they can be. Through training, mentoring, and nurturing, ALA creates inspiring leaders who provide exceptional service to others and their communities. The reputation and success of this training organization has resulted in trusted relationships with teachers, school districts and community professionals leading to increased requests for programming.

FOUNDERS: Julia Wilmot was selected statewide in 2003 by Governor Janet Napolitano as Arizona’s Woman of the Year for years of outstanding leadership and commitment to the improvement in the areas of health care, education, human development, and community relationships! She developed protective rights for children’s issues along with existing agencies! Her creative problem solving assisted various business and financial organizations thus solving historical noncooperation among all

nationalities, included all Native American and ethnic communities! In the justice system, she developed quality programs to guarantee lowered recidivism rates at all levels. Her commitment to quality control and teaching leadership skills to youth, adults and elderly has created a shared environment of striving for hope for the future! She and her husband Richard Wilmot Retired General are

ALA’s Junior Leadership Training Program meets every month. The Junior Leadership Training Program provides ongoing, in-depth leadership training and empowers youth to become examples of leadership, give in service, and make positive changes in their lives. They develop sound problem solving skills for key areas in their life, health, money, relationships, and school. Visit the website www.angelightacademy. org or for more information about youth training programs or how you can support the non-profit contact Erika Baily at 888-3117388.

MUSIC

Celtic Woman, an all-female Irish musical ensemble, brings their A Christmas Symphony tour to the United States from December 2 through December 22, kicking it off at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio. We had a chance to chat with Muirgen O’Mahony, one of the four members, ahead of their show here in the Coachella Valley.

For as long as she can remember, Muirgen has known she wanted to be a singer. She loved singing and performing, but never imagined she would end up doing it for a living. A big turning point for her was when she took the plunge and moved to London to train at the Royal Academy of Music. At only 22, that was a big move for her and gave her the sense of determination she needed to follow her dream.

Muirgen vividly remembers her first live performance singing in public for the first time at a school mass. “Gosh, I must have been 8 years old. It’s quite funny to look back on now - I used to think the altar was my stage! While I was definitely terrified when I started to sing, I just remember it feeling like the most natural thing in the world. I loved it,” she recalls.

Since joining Celtic Woman in 2021, Muirgen explains that the experience has

KEGWHISPERER

been the most incredible journey so far, especially since she first saw them perform when she was a teenager. “I feel so blessed to be a part of this group. First and foremost, the girls I get to perform alongside are some of my best friends. They are the best people and so talented. There aren’t many people who get to tour the world and perform with their friends, I’m so lucky!” She’s particularly happy about finally getting to tour and perform with the group and her favorite part – meeting the incredible fans. She says,

“They are so dedicated and have welcomed me with open arms, I’m so grateful. I can’t believe I’m part of that iconic group I first saw on TV with their PBS special nearly 20 years ago now!”

Muirgen loves playing with an orchestra and describes it as “one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had in my life. The energy you feel both as a performer and as an audience member from this amazing body of sound is just electric. I think it’s made all the more special when you get to perform

BY TRISHA WITKOWER

special arrangements of Christmas songs like the ones we have in the show. It’s magical!” She explains that the show is a perfect amalgamation of classical and traditional elements, mirroring the exact music you might hear through the streets of Ireland at Christmas time. Each of the pieces of music has an Irish flair, often with the addition of the brilliant bag pipes or Irish whistle, and acts as a window into the Irish festivities. The beautiful, sparkly arrangements are very reminiscent of the twinkly lights you might spot along Patrick’s Street (the main street) in Cork.

When fans come to Fantasy Springs, they can expect their hearts to be lifted by the beautiful lineup of classic Christmas songs with an Irish twist, along with some traditional Irish songs, (some never before performed by Celtic Woman). The singers hope to transport fans to Ireland during those two hours and show them what Christmas is like on the Emerald Isle. For more info and to purchase tickets, go to fantasyspringsresort. com/entertainment

Autumn is in full force and the thermometer has gone from 100 to 70 as if it just spotted the CHP along the freeway. Such weather brings forth a myriad of seasonal beers for our tasty pleasure and 2022 is no exception. While all the cool kids are playing with milkshake stouts and lactose-infused everything, I’m going old school by highlighting two of my favorites.

To me, the holiday season invokes memories of years gone by and if there is anything I like to cling to during the last two months of the year, it’s a brewer’s holiday ritual. Tradition is continuously cultivated and passed from generation to generation, and the brewhouses of the world have been making special beers for the Holidays longer than they’ve been using hops.

Back in 1975, Anchor Brewing brewed what they called the first holiday beer released in America following Prohibition. They named this not-so-subtly spiced beer Our Special Ale as a holiday gift to their loyal followers. Typically released in mid-November, this Wassail-style of brewing leans heavily on fall spices such as Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Allspice, and (sometimes) a hint of ginger. Established in San Francisco in 1896, Anchor holds the

distinction of America’s oldest craft brewery and is currently celebrating their 125th anniversary.

Last year Anchor rebranded their entire lineup, changing from their traditional old art labels of the past to labels which they deemed, “Cleaner and easier to read”. Although the name has been changed to Anchor Christmas Ale, the iconic label art remains the same. Each year features a festive red and green hand-drawn label with a different Christmas tree and year 48 is finally upon us.

This year, Brewmaster Tom Riley has created a real gem with notes of orange, honeysuckle, toasted malts and eucalyptus. With the addition of nicely structured botanicals and more than a pinch of rye you have a recipe worthy of the Anchor name and tradition. This year’s version clocks in with a moderate 7.2% alcohol by volume which should allow for it to develop in the bottle for several years to come.

The beer is available in six-pack bottles and 50.7-ounce Magnum bottles from midNovember thru January.

While not quite as old as the Anchor holiday offering, Sierra Nevada Brewing has been producing its own holiday IPA since 1981 and its always nice to see their

Celebration IPA hit the shelves in early November. This absolute seasonal classic is welcomed by beer aficionados all over the country as is evidenced by the thousands of pictures which clog my newsfeed and social media this time of year.

Re-branding is the buzzword in beer and Celebration IPA (its new name) replaces the Celebration Ale moniker after 40 years. This year, Sierra Nevada has treated us not only to the new name, but officially bills this version as a fresh hop IPA. Each year, the brewery visits the Pacific Northwest to hand-select the best Cascade and Centennial hops at harvest time…and then the clock is ticking. The newly picked hops are raced back to the Mother Ship in Chico to make Celebration IPA. Speed is of the essence and the brew is readied as the hops arrive in an effort to capture their citrus, floral, and pine notes at their absolute peak of flavor and freshness.

Brewing with fresh hops is a luxury afforded to brewers once a year and Sierra Nevada certainly takes full advantage of the limited opportunity. This beer starts off with a beautiful, reddish body capped with a collar of light tan foam. Clarity is spectacular and the nose hints of sweet floral pine with a grapefruit background.

BY BREWMASTER ED HEETHUIS

Entry is charged with spritzy carbonation and an upfront sweetness that is both agreeable and pleasurable. As the beer moves across the palate, the body is full but not thick and brings notes of toffee and caramel; much like any great holiday dessert might. But the finish stands out as the star of the show. Cascade hops flood my mind with memories of walking through a pine forest just after a fall rainstorm. This is quickly followed by the Centennial’s which bring a balanced flavor of raw grapefruit eaten within a floral shop. This year’s version arrives at 6.8% alcohol and drinks like its much, much lower.

Sierra Nevada Celebration is available in six and 12-pack bottles and on draft. The brewer also surprised us this year by offering six-packs of 12-ounce cans as well and these are my personal favorite! The beer is already on store shelves and should be around through the Christmas holiday.

Both Celebration IPA and Anchor Christmas Ale should be available at fine craft beer retailers such as Total Wine & More, BevMo, and Gelson’s well into December, but don’t hesitate as they will both be gobbled up by those who know that these beers are just what the holiday tradition is all about.

When Ed Heethuis isn’t brewing at Spotlight 29 Casino for 29 Brews, you will find the Certified Cicerone / Brewmaster out on his road bike, planning his Black Friday shopping plans, or talking beer with the patrons at Taproom 29. He may be reached at: heethuis. ed@gmail.com or wherever beer may be found in the wild.

There is a lot of fodder out there, along with confusing and conflicting information about Keto on “Google Coach. It’s frustrating! You’ve heard so many success stories about Keto. You know people who have had success. You may have tried it and felt it didn’t work for you. Or, you are doing research to see if it’s a fit. Or, you may be seriously thinking about starting the diet but not sure when or how. This is a great time of year to give Keto a serious look whether you want to start now so you don’t gain during the “Eating Season” of the holidays or you are planning ahead for the first of January.

Compelling Reasons to Give Keto a Serious Look.

Set aside what you’ve seen online and read this article which is based on research, training and over 4 years as a respected Keto Coach and someone who has lived the lifestyle. First and foremost, the Keto diet is well-respected in so many areas of health/medicine and is finally losing its “fad diet” status. If you are considering the Keto diet here’s a primer on the top health benefits of the diet. It’s vast – with benefits from weight loss to reduced appetite to reduced inflammation to improved heart and brain health to lower glucose, the keto diet is far more than a lose-weight-quick diet. In fact, it’s more of a lifestyle change.

You can leverage the keto lifestyle and it

doesn’t have to be difficult. Look what Keto could have in store for you to get beyond “feeling stuck and “frustrated”. You can reach your goals for health and well-being and don’t have to settle.

1. Fast Weight Loss in a Healthy Way - Keto and weight loss have become synonymous. They go together like hand in glove. With keto, weight loss is real and effective for one simple reason: it helps people convert from a carb-burning diet to a fat-burning diet. When you eat a diet high in carbs expect bloating, weight gain, and poor health. On the other hand, a high-fat, moderate-protein, and very low carb diet takes away your hunger, allows you to eat until you’re comfortably full and here’s the best part “it burns fat from your body” along with the foods you eat for fuel. Yes, you read that right. It burns your body fat, and you lose inches not just weight! The best part? You don’t have to starve yourself to get there, and you eat your fill of delicious and satisfying foods.

2. Reduced Appetite - Imagine not feeling those food crashes and carb cravings. That’s the keto life. You eat, then you’re satisfied…for a long time! Once your body has settled into the diet, it works more efficiently, burning the fats in your food and your body and you avoid the wild ride that is the highs and lows of a carb/sugar diet. Without the sugar peaks and crashes, cravings disappear, and you feel satisfied and energized.

3. Inflammation - Inflammation is the body’s natural immune response to help heal and fight infection. But too much inflammation causes pain, joint stiffness, swelling, fatigue, bloating, headaches and more. When you’re on a keto diet, and regularly in a state of ketosis, your body uses the ketones as a strong anti-inflammatory chemical. You’ll start feeling the difference with 5-7 days. It will seem like a miracle, but I’ve seen it hundreds of times! This is worth giving the diet a try and you’ll discover how much better you can feel…and lose weight!

In addition to ketones, the keto diet promotes

the consumption of anti-inflammatory foods, such as eggs, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and other foods high in omega-3s, etc.

4. Diabetes & Blood Sugar Control - Since you eliminate sugar and most carbohydrates on a keto diet, it’s not hard to understand why it’s great for blood-sugar control. The less sugar and carbs you eat, the less sugar in your bloodstream. Therefore, after starting a keto diet, most people will notice a decrease in their blood sugar almost immediately. In fact, the effects are so immediate, it’s recommended that diabetics work with their doctor so they can adjust their medication as needed.

5. Heart Health - The term “heart health” conjures images of little heart icon that appears on whole grains and cereals and promotes carbs/lowfat foods. But, in fact, a diet low in carbohydrates and higher in fats has been shown to drastically improve the biomarkers associated with heart disease.

BY MICHELLE BORTHWICK

health to heart and brain health, and more. As studies continue and more is understood about the body’s reaction to the ketogenic diet and how it can be leveraged for a variety of wellness initiatives, there will surely be more discoveries of the benefits of the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb ketogenic lifestyle. It changed my life dramatically. I was pre-diabetic, 40 pounds overweight and had no energy along with daily headaches, migraines, Gerd, plantar fasciitis etc. Keto put me on a path to finding a healthy version of myself again that I didn’t think was possible. It saved my life!

. Brain Health - The brain loves keto just as much as the heart. The Keto diet has begun to be studied as complementary intervention for various neurological disorders. And while many scientists within the neurological field state that the brain prefers glucose over ketones, the brain does over time (with age) lose its ability to efficiently fuel itself with glucose alone. This is where ketones come into play.

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Ketones have been shown to increase mitochondrial efficiency and production, which helps to protect brain cells from strokes and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s which is now being called Type 3 Diabetes based on new research.

7. Migraines - Give Keto a try for migraines. Many migraine sufferers on the keto diet have reported a significant decrease in migraines, including, in some cases, becoming migraine free!

Bottom line: the ketogenic diet has significant health benefits in a variety of areas, from metabolic

Seriously Considering Keto? You’re Invited to Sign up for my 14 day “Get Back into Your Jeans” Challenge that starts the 2nd week of January. You’ll have my support, a powerful group of ladies, QuickStart basics, food lists, an initial private consultation with me and everything you need to jumpstart your Keto to reach your goals. There will be prizes and incentives along the way. Limited to 30 women. Email me at ketoiseasy@gmail.com if you’re interested or have more questions. Even better set up a free 30-minute consult with me here: ketoiseasycoach.com/book-a-free-consult About Michelle Borthwick: Michelle Borthwick, known more widely as Michelle Keto, is the foremost expert in living the Keto lifestyle and the go-to coach for Keto women. Her 1:1 coaching, and small group coaching programs have helped hundreds of women from 27 states and 5 countries lose over 7,500 pounds while eating foods they love. This foodie’s motto, and business name, is “Keto is Easy” and she’s one of the only Keto leaders who promotes full customization for long term success. Ketoiseasycoach.com

ROBYN HITCHCOCK “SHUFFLEMANIA” (TINY GHOST RECORDS)

If you read this column regularly, maybe you remember me mentioning my friend Phil Liebert. We met when he was working at The Record Alley (the original Palm Springs location). I was in my late teens and had been obsessed with music since I was about four years old I thought I was the shit. And then Phil blew my mind. It’s no exaggeration to say he was a musical encyclopedia, his knowledge wildly exceeded my own, which was saying a lot. By my early 20s, I began a 19-year tenure at Wherehouse Music. One of the first things I did was recruit Phil to work there. That’s when our acquaintanceship became a friendship.

Every Desert musician or music aficionado has a Phil story. Musicians like Zach and Erica Huskey, Mario Lalli, Herb Lineau, Mike Moracha, Sean Wheeler, Rick Shelley, James Danielson and Jerrod Elliot or Mike Keane, Mark Landau, Jon Schroeder and Steve Sumrall can wax rhapsodic about Phil’s eccentricities and mannerisms. But his enthusiasm for music was infectious, and completely undercut those quirks.

Phil wasn’t one of those Baby Boomer fuckwits that remained mired in the ‘60s and ‘70s. His exuberance extended to newer artists like Rosanne Cash, The Mekons and A Tribe Called Quest. Phil could effortlessly connect the dots between James Brown or Quincy Jones to Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim and Dr. Dre. Many of us were recipients of Phil’s mix tapes. Even though I have no way to play them, I still have compilations he made of Big Star, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, The Nazz and Zakary Thax. Two I particularly treasure is a Psychedelic comp he whimsically entitled Acid Rain From Paisley Skies, and Robyn Hitchcock mix. So, it feels wholly apropos that on the week that marks six years since Phil exited stage left in 2016, I am writing about the beguiling new Robyn Hitchcock album, Shufflemania. Robyn Hitchcock was born in Paddington, London in 1953. He is the son of novelist Raymond Hitchcock (whose best-known work is Percy, about a man who becomes the world’s first penis transplant). He came of age in the swinging ‘60s. Attending boarding school during his teens, he immersed himself in the strange Psychedelic sounds of The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Captain Beefheart and The Velvet Underground. But the artists that completely blew his mind were Bob Dylan, John Lennon and original Pink Floyd visionary, Syd Barrett. By the time he’d completed his higher education at Winchester College, he knew that music would be his career path.

He began by busking in the streets of Cambridge and playing in cover bands. Although he’d written his first song at 16, he really didn’t come into his own as a songwriter until he was 23. At that point, he formed his first band, The Soft Boys, which went on to include Andy Metcalfe, Morris Windsor, Alan Davies,

Kimberley Rew and Matthew Seligman.

Their sound was a sharp synthesis of Psychedelia and jangly Folk-Pop, equal parts idiosyncratic and accessible. Much like the Memphis Power Pop band Big Star, The Soft Boys never broke through commercially, but their influence was felt by several up-and-coming American acts like R.E.M., The Replacements and most of L.A.’s Paisley Underground scene. They recorded two seminal records, Underwater Moonlight and A Can Of Bees, before calling it quits in 1980.

A year later, Robyn jump-started his solo career with the release of Black Snake Diamond Role. He remained prolific throughout the ‘80s, releasing albums like Groovy Decay, I Often Dream Of Trains. Fegmania!, Element Of Light, Globe Of Frogs, Queen Elvis and Eye at a furious clip. Several of the albums featured his backing band, The Egyptians (which included ex-Soft Boys Morris Windsor and Andy Metcalfe). Songs like “Uncorrected Personality Traits,” “My Wife And My Dead Wife” and “Egyptian Cream” served as pithy introductions to his surreal worldview. His passionate fanbase increased with each new record, critics and the cognoscenti caught on as well. In 1988, he even had a genuine hit single, “Balloon Man.” It never achieved Top 40 status, but it found a niche on MTV’s weekly alternative music program, 120 Minutes.

The ‘90s were a restless decade for Robyn. He continued making solo records, when The Egyptians disbanded then he briefly reunited with The Soft Boys and went on to record a clutch of well-received albums like Moss Elixir, Jewels For Sophia and a live effort, Storefront Hitchcock.

Since the dawn of the 21st century, His output has remained prodigious. 2004 saw the release of Spooked an album he made with respected Americana stalwarts (and longtime admirers), Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Under the moniker The Venus 3, he made several records with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey from The Young Fresh Fellows and Ministry’s Bill Rieflinof. During this era, a plethora of live records, outtakes albums, compilations and a comprehensive box-set began popping up, along with a career-defining documentary, Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death… and Insects. Between 2011 and 2014, more solo albums appeared, including Tromso Kaptein (which was recorded in Norway), Love From London and The Man Upstairs. After he relocated to Nashville with his partner, Emma Swift and their cats, he became acquainted with Brendan Benson. The Michigan native made his bones as an acclaimed singer-songwriter, but is probably best known as part of Jack White’s Proto-Pop/Punk combo, The Raconteurs. He wound up producing Robyn’s self-titled effort, which was released in 2017. Now he has

returned with his 22nd long-player, Shufflemania.

The opening cut, “The Shuffle Man” is a proper basher, hurtling out of the speakers at a high velocity. Sticky acoustic riffs collide with rumbling upright bass, whooshing keys, slashing power chords and a pummeling backbeat. The arrangement shapeshifts from British Invasion to Skiffle to Rockabilly to Punk at full-throttle. The song’s titular character exudes a Cat In The Hat joie de vivre, that starts out seductive; “Shuffle Man is ritzy, Shuffle Man is rad, I want to have what the Shuffle Man has, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah.” But ends up championing greed and avarice; “Money is the answer to the question you pose, I need to know what the shuffle man knows…”

Robyn has always populated his songs with offbeat and unusual characters like “Insect Mother,” “Madonna Of The Wasps,” “Sickie Boy,” and “Detective Mindhorn.” That tradition continues on a couple of tracks, “The Feathery Serpent God” and “Socrates In Thin Air.” On the former, shivery acoustic notes, fat tremolo riffs partner with piquant sitar, drone-y shruti, modal keys and a percolating rhythm. The arrangement is not so much Spaghetti Western, as a Tandoori Western. Cryptic lyrics allude to an odd encounter with Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec deity; “Here in the palace of the feathery serpent god, I feel alright, here in the palace of the feathery serpent god, the night’s alight.”

The latter was inspired when Robyn spied a bearded, elderly gent sipping red wine on an airplane flight and conflated him with Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher who was sentenced to death in 339 BC. Spidery acoustic notes dovetail with sinewy baritone guitar, mercurial keys, roiling bass lines and a knockabout beat. The lyrical conceit transports him to the 21st century; “Socrates went to the future, he left them all behind, yeah, Socrates, he didn’t need those mediocre minds.” Keys swirl and guitars ripple on the break adding a patina of polychromatic Psychedelia to the arrangement.

The best songs here spotlight Robyn’s ability to leapfrog effortlessly from one sonic soundscape to the next. Take “The Sir Tommy Shovel” which is awash in spiky guitars, throbbing bass, stabbing keys and a clattering beat. Yearning for a traditional English watering hole in Nashville, vivid lyrics set the scene for the perfect Anglophilic drinking public house; “I wish there was a pub called ‘The Sir Tommy Shovel,’ and I would drink responsibly and hold you like the angel in the dark abandoned silo of my soul.” As skittery guitars twitch and snarl, he spits out the final verse, taking aim at a not-so ancient history; “I not be drinking in the ‘Racist Loser,’ it’s not my kind of boozer.”

Then there’s the slinky Sophisto-Pop of “Noirer Than Noir.” Tinkly percussion, lithe marimba, bloopy keys and jangly keys shadow Robyn’s whispery croon as he cautions; “You’ve

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

got to be fleet on your feet, you’ve got to be discreet.” Further, he insists we embrace the darkness before it envelopes us; “You’ve got to be noirer than noir, voila! You never could say au revoir, comme ca’”

Meanwhile, “The Raging Muse” is powered by dissonant piano chords (echoing Mike Garson’s staccato style as David Bowie’s longtime keys player), jaggy guitars, angular bass and an akimbo rhythm. Hallucinogenic lyrics revolve around a recurring dream involving fish in the grass. Churlish guitars attract and repel on the break, before the entire fractious contraption stops on a dime.

The action slows for a couple of tracks, “The Inner Life Of Scorpio” is anchored by shanga-lang electric riffs, burnished acoustic notes, phased keys, tensile bass and a ramshackle beat. Watching a TV detective show featuring an inscrutable actor, prompts Robyn to enigmatically intone, “It’s hard to read an actor, they’re a book that’s quick to close, but nobody’s escaping, nobody’s escaping the inner life of a Scorpio, the inner life of a Scorpio.” Courtly Spanish guitar shimmers on the break, before the song ambles to a close.

Although his sublimely surreal and sardonic lyrics have always been front and center, every once and awhile, (“Queen Elvis,” “Airscape,” and “Linctus House” come to mind), he conjures an ethereal melody out of thin air. “The Man Who Loves The Rain” falls under that category. Finger-picked acoustic guitar, feathery keys, dulcet bass and drowsy percussion wrap around a gossamer melody. Naturally, his whispery croon cocoons the usual jabberwocky; “Life is eternal, life is so brief and life is so sweet, sweeter than even a fox in a hole or a thought in a brain/He wrote I am the weather vane, swaying with every feeling that hits me again and again, I’m the man who loves the rain.” Downcast piano notes hollow out the moodily elegant break, as the song see-saws between melancholia and joy.

The record closes with the surprisingly bittersweet and Beatlesque “One Day (It’s Being Scheduled).” Tentative piano notes and Robyn’s winsome falsetto share some musical DNA with “Instant Karma” and “Hey Jude.” Wheezy keys seem to unintentionally echo “Strawberry Fields Forever,” just as ringing guitars chime around a clickity-clack beat. Lyrics offer up some inspiration and optimism, Hitchcock-style; “One day the sky will turn into the sea, one day, the ugly truth will be made over to beauty, and one day your enlightenment will blossom from your pores…one day the human race will not be run by bullies, one the color of your skin won’t be the great divide, one day, you’ll care how other people feel inside, one day, one day one day.” Happily, racial tolerance and fish living in Macadamia trees are just, to quote the Stones, a shout away.

Like any other album created in these Covid times, Robyn recorded his parts and collaborators like Johnny Marr, Pat Sansone, Davey Lane, Brendan Benson, Kimberley Rew and Sean Ono Lennon added their contributions from home studios all around the world. Robyn characterizes it as “a party record, with a few solemn moments, as parties are won’t to supply.” Shufflemania is another unorthodox masterpiece. I just wish Phil was here to hear it. Of course, he may have already checked it out from his astral plane. He was always a few steps ahead of me.

Friday, November 25

Ace Hotel – Stronghold Reggae –9pm

Babaloo Lounge – Off Da Cuff – 7pm

Bart Lounge – Leftovers w/ DJs Axel

Alatriste, Geenu, J Patron, Jan Paul and Sebass – 8pm

Casuelas Café – The Myx – 7pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner –6:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Patrice Morris – 7pm

Larkspur Grill @ Hotel Paseo – Doug and Meg Music – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter –6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – The Reel Band – 9pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Ken O’Malley – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music –7-10pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Bill Callahan – 8pm

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

Pretty Faces Nightclub – DJs Dxsko and Hymn – 9pm

Purple Room – Scot Bruce – 6pm

Rockyard @ Fantasy Springs –Hollywood U2 (U2 Tribute) and Crimson Crow – 7pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana –5pm

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

The Village – Rob & JB – 5:30pm, DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm, Rapmarz – 9pm, DJ LF – 10pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Saturday, November 26

Ace Hotel – DJs Codiss and Ces –9pm

Babaloo Lounge – Frank DiSalvo –7pm

Bart Lounge – Picopalooza w/ DJ pico and Friends – 8pm

Casuelas Café – Michael Keeth –noon, Avenida – 6:30pm

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

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – CVB

Anniversary Party w/ Adam Gainey, Switcharoo, Rick Shelley, Yoves, Christine and the Lost Keys and more – 2pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

The Hood – Fatso Jetson, The Hellions, Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends – 7pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Fun with Dick and Jane Band – 7pm

Larkspur Grill – Eevaan Tre ant the Show – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – The Reel Band – 9pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Whiskey Sunday – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music –7-10pm

Oscar’s – Oscar’s Caberet – 6pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Jade Jackson – 8:30pm

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

Pretty Faces Nightclub – DJs Cielohigh and LF – 9pm

Purple Room – Jonathan Karrant –6pm

Rockyard @ Fantasy Springs – Bruno and the Hooligans (Bruno Mars Tribute) and Brobots – 7pm

Sullivan’s – The Myx – 5:30pm Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana –5pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Rose Mallett –5pm, John Stanley King – 7:30pm The Village – Rob & JB – 1pm, Rapmarz – 9pm, DJ LF – 10pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg –6-9pm

Sunday, November 27

Babaloo Lounge – Tristen/Flamingo Guitar – 1pm, Tim Burleson – 6pm

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

Blu Ember – Gina Sedman – 5pm

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

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. –Acoustic Afternoon w/ The Sieve and the Saddle and Wes Gainey – 3:30pm

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

Jolene’s – Leanna and Miguel – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter – 6pm

Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – 7pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana –12pm

The Village – Gio the Ace - 9pm

Monday, November 28

Babaloo Lounge – Tim Burleson – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Larry Copeleto – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm

Tuesday, November 29

Babaloo Lounge – The Carmens –6:30pm

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

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner –6:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Patrice Morris – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

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

The Village – Karaoke – 9pm

Wednesday, November 30

Babaloo Lounge – DJ – 7pm

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

Chef George’s – Tim Burleson –6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Trivia Night – 7pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

The Fix – Alex Santana – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Johnny Meza – 6pm, Rebecca Clark – 6:30pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Hollywood Hillbillies – 7pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

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

Tack Room Tavern – T-Bone Karaoke – 7pm

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

The Village – Rapmarz – 9pm, Banda Revolucion – 10pm

SCREENERS No. 555

FOREVER MARLYN

Anew comprehensive 3-disc (DVD) collector’s set (Film Chest Media) takes an in-depth look at the iconic actress and helps answer some of the many questions that continue to linger around the extraordinary life of one of the world’s most famed sex symbols, depicting various aspects of her complicated personal life and singular career during a life tragically cut short.

BLONDE The Marilyn Stories Compilation

According to some biographers and local legend, Marilyn Monroe was “discovered” poolside at Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club in

1949 by William Morris agent Johnny Hyde when she was 22. Whatever the truth, her connection to Palm Springs is legendary and at this point in time indelible.

Included are two docudrama films featuring excellent portrayals of Marilyn, Blonde (2001) a two part fictionalized biopic, and Marilyn and Me (1991) , a dramatic feature; and Goodbye Norma Jean (1976), the first-ever exploitive biopic, originally deemed a questionable release due to it’s overtly salacious bent. The set includes appearances by Marilyn Monroe, Mike Wallace, Susan Griffiths, Poppy Montgomery and Misty Rowe.

Born Norma Jean Mortenson on June 1, 1976, she lived a brief but memorable life of only 36 years and eventually became world famous under her stage name. She fought hard for the fame, respect and recognition she felt she deserved and then, when success was finally achieved, she was crushed beneath the weight of it all.

Marilyn was a true artist, but her onscreen but her on-screen appearances are in stark contrast to her love issues, exploitation, abuse of power and drug addiction she faced in her private life. Following 30 movies, three marriages, a first-edition Playboy cover shot and singing “Happy Birthday” to an American president, she is unfortunately remembered for her iconic images and controversial relationships than for her extraordinary acting and singing talents.

Included in the 113 minutes of bonus features are two documentaries, Marilyn (1986), a documentary short with Mike Wallace and The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (1967), narrated by John Huston and featuring Lauren Bacall, footage of Marilyn’s first television appearance, a photo gallery and more.

Note: The Blonde in this collection is not to be confused with the eponymous boldly reimagined 2022 Netflix streamer based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

If you are a Marilyn fan or know one –who isn’t? -- this revealing look at her place in American pop culture is a perfect stocking stuffer. (Approx: 474 minutes, color & B&W) Film Chest. DVD.

What is the last movie you saw in a theater? I want to hear from you.

robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

Oates, Blonde boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe.

THE NEATO BURRITO WINE PAIRING THE VINO VOICE

Neato Burrito was really a character; he was a good friend of mine. I couldn’t understand a single word he said but I helped him drink his wine; and he always had some mighty fine wine. And they say literary license is a terrible thing to waste.

Well Joy to the World!—the holiday season is upon us, and in these Coachella parts, that means the Indio International Tamale Festival is coming up! Celebrating the 30th year of the festival, it will be held at the Miles Avenue Park in the city of Indio from December 1st to the 4th. The event is free to attend and open to everyone! Indiotamalefestival.com.

Now probably thirty years ago, the tamales served may well have been only pork, beef, chicken and cheese, and maybe a dessert tamale made with raisins or pineapple. These days, of course, the cielo is the limit, with tamales made from everything to from escargot to Tasmanian Devil. Last year Texas Monthly wrote that there were 350 varieties of tamales. Well come on! There may be that many in the big Lone Star State, but we’re sure there’s a lot more here just in Southern California—bring it on!

Back in the 70s & 80s in Los Angeles, nearby the state and federal courthouses off Main St., there was an old looking burrito stand selling breakfast and lunch burritos to many a judge and lawyer rushing in and out to work. And one could see the simple Neato Burrito signage from anywhere in the surrounding buildings. Their burrito was pretty hefty, and, you’d have to be careful—immediate consequences notwithstanding.

Anyway … be it burritos, tacos, or tamales, it always seems to be on the mind of us wine enthusiasts on what’s the best wine to pair with this traditional Mexican fare. And of course the easy answer is: the wine you enjoy already whilst feeding on the spicy side of life.

So many of us baby-boomers grew up thinking, with Mexican food, we had to drink icecold Mexican beer along with a shot or two of Tequila. And actually—I could still live with that! But this is a wine column, and indeed, we’ve previously written on tamale wine pairings: Cold Duck Today—Hot Tamale! where we had fun suggesting Andre’s Cold Duck chilled-up for that spicy tamale registering over one-thousand Scolville units!

At a minimum, I guess there are some A, B, Cs to Mexican food wine pairing:

a) When it comes to spice, the spicier the food, the colder and sweeter the wine can be. Also, lower alcohol wines and moderate tannins can dissolve the heat of the capsaicin.

b) When in doubt on red or white, most of the time you can match the color of the wine with the color of the meat. Red meat? Red wine. White meat? White wine.

c) As with Italian fare—go with the sauce: red with red wine, green or white with white wine.

BY RICK RIOZZA

Foods with a lot of green herbs tend to beg for wines with higher acidity and more herbaceous flavors—Sauvignon Blanc being a great example. Because of the spice in most Mexican dishes, we know we can always make a mad dash to the market, and grab a really chilled bottle of Brut Champagne or a decent dry sparkling wine Cold, cleansing, bubbly, and satisfying, it’s the go-to drink for the holidays and for hot tamales.

When it comes to the neato burrito, all of those considerations above will work. Particularly though, when it comes to a beef or pork stuffed burrito, we really like the Spanish Tempranillo Rioja red, with its plum, boysenberry, and black cherry notes and black pepper & earth; the Italian Sangiovese with its fresh earth, herbs and iron notes, and the Italian Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with its juicy blackfruits and cherries; and the Chilean Carmenère, a firm red with cherry, raspberry, plum, spicy black pepper and green herb.

Suggestions for the following traditional tamales are:

Cheese and Jalapeno Tamales: Rioja Crianza—it’s the youngest of the aged Riojas, inexpensive but with tasty fruit that matches perfectly with soft cheeses and has its own green note to match the pepper.

Beef Tamale with Red Sauce: California Central Coast Pinot Noir/young light Merlot, or, go the other way with a chilled-up Fino Sherry The Pinot and Merlot fit like a soft shoe with this tamale. The dry fino Sherry is the sexy choice and puts you at the head of the class.

Pork Salsa Verde Tamale: A Mâcon-Villages or red Malbec. The MaconV is a Chardonnay from Burgundy. The famed Pouilly-Fuissé is very good one with the tamale-salsa combo and you can have fun at the table by mispronouncing the name. Malbec always goes with leaner-type meats and is a good red wine surprise with pork tamales.

Sweet Tamales: A sweet Oloroso Sherry. This sweet Sherry adds rich flavors of caramel and cocoa and a holiday nutty note to the dish.

For real wine snobs, party kids and every interested vino lover around, perhaps the quintessential wine to go with the “real hot tamale” is the German Riesling, which include the Kabinett—this can be dry or off dry and goes with everything! Spatlese for the spicy tamale; and, Auslese for extremely spicy.

German Riesling is amazing with spicy foods because the sugar in the wine helps to counteract the spice. The wine’s fruit flavors are set off by the corn and meat filling of the tamale. The pairing is a beautiful contrast between savory/ spicy and sweet. The wine also has incredible acidity that helps to wash the food off your tongue and refresh the palate. Buen Provecho!! Salud!

ARTSCENE

BY DEANN LUBELL

Alexis Hunter is a successful artist, writer and jewelry designer specializing in one-of-a-kind statement necklaces. Celebrities such as Liv Tyler, Steven Tyler, Gail O’Grady, Ruta Lee, Shari Belafonte, Kaye Ballard, Joanna Cassidy and Jonelle Allen own her designs.

I gave Alexis’s custom jewelry to friends and family during the holiday season last year and were a home run hit with all of them. I have purchased many pieces for myself. Her unusual bracelets and necklaces are unique, stylish, and fun. The quality for the price is a very attractive addition.

Alexis has written a memoir about her relationship with 60s blonde bombshell sex symbol Joi Lansing called A Body to Die for: A Love Story.

This is a must-read book for romantics. It chronicles the brief four-year union of Joi Lansing and Alexis Hunter. It brilliantly relays their tender love story that unfortunately ended in tragedy. Lansing died of breast cancer at the young age of 43. This book also serves as a warning about the dangers of silicone injections. Most importantly, the reader is immersed in the journey of how these two met as friends and evolved as lovers. It delves into their Hollywood life. Lansing had been in the entertainment industry since the age of fourteen and as an adult, she was featured as a blond bombshell – a siren on the screen and on stage in Las Vegas. Four years before

her death, Lansing meets 21-year-old Alexis Hunter, a wide-eyed want-to-be actress. It was quite a remarkable tale of innocent and compassionate love for the two of them. The black and white photos included in the book are stunning of both Lansing and Hunter. I highly recommend this “hard to put down” read that will soon be a limited series on one of the major streaming services. You can purchase the book on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel. Hunter lives in Palm Springs with her Shih Tzu Sam and Chihuahua Fifi. www.Alexhunterpalmsprings.com

DeAnn Lubell is a publicist, writer, novelist, photographer, artist, and event planner. Lubell has written for several publications including The Desert Sun, The Palm Springs Life Magazine, and others. Her published works include a novelette Nightmare Island; educational books for Little Folk Visuals; historical novel The Last Moon has won five national awards and three international awards including a gold medal first place for historical fiction from Reader’s Favorites and the first-place winner in the category of history at the 2016 Amsterdam Book Festival. Her landscape photography and art images can be viewed and purchased on fineartamerica.com. She is a publicist for nonprofits, including her own, Amy’s Purpose at www.amyspurpose. net

PET PL ACE CALLING ALL CAT LOVERS TO KITTYLAND

Kittyland is the only private shelter and sanctuary exclusively for homeless cats and kittens in the Coachella Valley. Located on 2.5 acres in Desert Hot Springs, this volunteer based non-profit organization rescues, socializes, and provides medical care for homeless cats, lovingly preparing them for adoptive homes. Adoption hours are 10am to 12:00 noon Monday through Saturday, (760) 251-2700, must call for appointment appointments. Come by and meet the “cool cats” at Kittyland, located at 67-600 18th Avenue in Desert Hot Springs.

Upon arrival at Kittyland, every cat is given appropriate medical treatment. Each is spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. Mother cats with underage kittens are placed in foster homes where they receive extra care. Kittyland also helps senior and disabled cats, some of whom are available for adoption, while others live their lives out receiving loving care at the sanctuary.

How do cats in need find their way to Kittyland? Some are found roaming the desert, a dangerous place for felines. Some become homeless when their owners die or enter assisted living centers. Sometimes people move to a property where the landlord does not allow pets. Tragically, some animals are tossed out of cars or thrown in dumpsters. Kittyland also rescues cats and kittens from our overcrowded Riverside County shelter in Thousand Palms.

Founder and President Ann Woods

arrived in the United States from her native England in 1989 with two cats in tow. Ann states, “These magical, independent creatures have always been close to my heart. We want Kittyland to become a haven of comfort and joy for Coachella Valley cats that are abandoned and/or injured.” Private no-kill rescue groups like Kittyland offer a lifesaving alternative as cats coming into open admission crowded public shelters are often in danger.

Winston Churchill famously advised his countrymen to “CARRY ON” during World War II. It seems like we are at war again with the current cat overpopulation crisis. Calls pour into Kittyland about stray litters of cats on residents’ properties. Sadly, the lack of spay & neuter services during the pandemic meant that more animals were born at a time when there are not enough homes. More volunteers are needed to join the army of rescuers at Kittyland to help this wonderful facility meet today’s challenges.

Your reward comes when you hold a sweet fur ball kitten or when a grateful senior purrs as it brushes across you ankle. Taking a crated cat to a veterinary appointment to help restore its health is another great experience. Cleaning kennels, changing litter boxes, and mopping floors might not be as much fun as socializing the cats, but it is essential to keep everything sanitary and the animals healthy.

In addition to shifts at the DHS shelter, volunteers are needed to help at PetSmart in Palm Springs where Kittyland’s adoptable

felines are showcased. An adoption counselor staffs the site from 11:am until 4:00pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. “Kitty helpers” are also needed for various 2-hour shifts that includes changing litter boxes and getting the cats out for fun and socialization.

Contact Gail Reed Kibe, Assistant Volunteer Coordinator, by text at (760) 219-5528 for more information about volunteering. You can include this volunteer experience on your employment resume, yet another benefit! Call today to become part of this winning team.

Gail is a major player in Coachella Valley

BY JANET McAFEE

animal welfare. She tells us, “For me, it’s all about the wonderful cats! I love all of God’s creatures and have volunteered my entire adult life to help animals. Volunteering at Kittyland with these cats is one of the best experiences.” Contact Gail and become part of winning team.

If you can’t volunteer on site, consider fostering kittens. If you have no time to help, donate to this worthy organization. The organization needs funds to replace the old infirmary building with a new modern structure to help rescue and house additional animals. You can make a tax-deductible donation online at www.kittylandrescue. org. The adoptable cats are also featured on the website. LIKE Kittyland on Facebook and share their cats. You can send a check or package of needed supplies to:

Mailing Address: Kittyland Rescue, 1717 E. Vista Chino, Suite A-7, P.O. Box 499, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

I’ve visiting Kittyland many times and am always impressed with their program. Large rooms with cat trees allow the cats to exercise and enjoy each other’s company. The cats give this lovely place a 5-star meow! Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

MEET

JACK MEET NELSON

JACK IS NOW IN DANGER DUE TO OVERCROWDING. This handsome Husky boy is a dog playgroup Rockstar! Jack is an 9-mo-old lovebug, great with humans and other dogs, at the county Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, 10am4pm Mon thru Sat. Ask to meet Jack in a private visiting room to see how great he is! Dog ID#1685692. Email me for free training assistance if needed janetmcafee8@gmail.com

This precious 4-mo-old kitten is a bit shy but would love to go to a home with another friendly cat. Kittyland rescued Nelson during a Trap/Neuter/ Return of stray cats. Their vet decided he needed an injured eye removed. Call 760-2512700 for an appointment to meet and adopt Nelson.

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

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

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

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

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

CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - Call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at www.californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 656-3833. (Private)

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

KITTYLAND – Open to the public to adopt cats and kittens. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www.

kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private)

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

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

ANIMAL RESCUE CENTER OF CALIFORNIA (ARC), Foster based rescue for dogs and cats in Indio. www.thearc-ca.org, (760) 877-7077 (Private)

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

SOCIETY’S OUTKAST ANIMAL RESCUE – Foster based rescue for dogs in Rancho Mirage, www.societysoutkasts.com, (760) 832-0617. (Private)

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

CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – Open 12:00 – 3pm Tues through Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get the ID number of the animal you want. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 384-1304 or (909) 3847272. (Public)

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

BY DANIEL PARIS

When I hear a restaurant has Cuban food on the menu, I know there is only one choice for me, the Cubano Sandwich. Layered with roasted pork, thin-sliced dill pickle, Swiss cheese, and sliced ham on a Cuban bread baguette slathered with mustard and pressed in a hot iron grill. This dish determines the authentic versus the poser Cuban restaurants. I am glad to say this sandwich was better than any I had in Miami’s Little Havana district. Succulent roasted pork shoulder flavored with garlic, oregano, cumin, and citrus juice, thin slices of smoked ham, melted Swiss pickles, and mustard in a perfectly delivered package.

Gustavo Ungo’s (aka The Mad Cuban) roots are in Havana and his wife’s are in Peru. Both of these countries have cuisines that have been heavily influenced by immigrants. Cuban cuisine has the Caribbean, African, Garifuna, and Spanish. Peru is influenced by the Incas, Chinese, East Indian, and Japanese. Both countries

me some insight on the history of Babaloo. The Palm Desert restaurant is the second venue opened by Gustavo and his Cordon Bleu trained Chef Richard. The grand opening was planned for 2020 just as COVED shut down every restaurant. But their vision and passion overshadowed adversity.

The restaurant is one of the largest venues in the Coachella Valley and is decorated in a Cuban theme with large

leaf shaped fans and conga drums. There is live music most days with a bandstand and dance floor as well. There is a wellstocked bar and all-day happy hour. Prices are reasonable with to-go boxes inevitable given the size of portions served.

73833 CA - 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260

Monday – Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm Sunday 9:00 am – 10:00 pm (760) 895-4186

FAILING RETAILERS HADDON

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when people gorge on shopping. It is estimated that nearly half of all Americans will buy something because of Black Friday sales.

This shopping season will take on additional importance to many retailers as they cope with higher operating costs, increased interest rates and a slowing economy. A bad holiday shopping season may prove to be the demise of many businesses.

One of the ways to tell how badly a company is doing is by looking at the price that its debt is trading at in the bond markets.

Bed Bath & Beyond debt that matures in August 2024 pays an interest rate of 3.75%. At present, that debt is discounted such that you would only get 35 cents on every dollar invested if you sold it today. That results in an interest rate to the buyer of 80%. This indicates that BBBY is at a very high risk of bankruptcy prior to repayment.

BBBY’s financial woes started a few years ago when a new CEO spent millions on store refreshes along with a shift to its own brands. This drained company coffers of cash while driving sales lower. After the CEOs dismissal, it came out that the CFO ‘may have’ engaged in stock price manipulation. In response to this, the CFO jumped to his death and committed suicide.

During the most recent quarter, the company lost $366 million on $1.4 billion in sales. With only $135 million of cash on hand

at the end of September, the company has shifted back to national brands as it struggles to stock shelves for the holidays. The question now is whether the company will get enough unique merchandise from the national brands to pull shoppers from Amazon, Target or Walmart. Bond prices suggest that the company will be unsuccessful. BBBY stock is currently trading at $3/share for a market capitalization of $274 million.

Carvana debt is also priced at distressed levels. With used car prices falling, it seems that Carvana cannot make a large enough profit on each car sold to cover the cost of operations and interest payments on debt.

Interest expenses are twice the amount of cash on hand while operating costs are twice as much as the money made on each car sold. While Carvana can also make money

on car loans, its pricing is not competitive with banks. If those problems were not enough to challenge the company’s future, the company is facing numerous lawsuits due to its problems at getting car titles and registrations to buyers. CVNA stock is currently at $7/share for a market valuation of $745 million.

Meme stock darling AMC Theatres debt that matures in June 2025 currently trades at 25-30 cents on the dollar. With over $5 billion in debt, $4 billion in lease obligations, $685 million in cash and over $800 million in losses in 2022 alone, AMC is a financial house of cards. With a stock price of $7.25/share, the company still gets a strong valuation at $3.7 billion due to its legions of meme investors.

With the end of the pandemic, sales of Peloton exercise equipment is way down.

BY HADDON LIBBY

Revenues from existing users are not enough to cover operating costs. Revenues of $3.4 billion cost Peloton $2.7 billion to produce. This leaves the company with a gross profit of $652 million to cover $2.1 billion in operating expenses. During the last quarter alone (that’s 12 weeks), the company lost more than $400 million! While $900 million in cash would last a while for many companies, this equates to a six to nine months for Peloton. With a stock price just under $10/share, the company is valued at $3.3 billion.

Other retailers struggling mightily include Rite-Aid, GameStop, PartyCity, Express, Tuesday Morning and Wayfair.

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

Last week I explained that an accident case is made up of Liability and Damages. First you have to show that someone else was at fault and that the treatment received was reasonable and necessary. If you are not taken by ambulance or go to the hospital or ER within 24 hours, many of my contemporaries will not accept the case. But who wants to go to a hospital or ER where there are so many sick people… who may have Covid?

I reject a Palm Desert Accident, if you have talked to the insurance adjuster. It is not just what you said, but what the ADJUSTER THOUGHT THEY HEARD YOU SAY. Your lawyer will never know if you said something that could sink your case at trial, and the insurance adjuster will not share this information before trial. S/he will sandbag you, and the defense adjuster or lawyer.

S/he will wait until trial to present the evidence that could potentially blow your case out of the water. In other words, Mr. Victim, On June 23, 2021 didn’t we speak and you advised me you may not have been paying attention to the road? Or did you not say you were not hurt and the pain you were experiencing was from a slip and fall in the shower a week earlier or from a sports injury?

I explain to potential clients that things have changed dramatically in recent years.. and more so with Covid 19. Today, insurance companies do not want to settle any soft tissue case where nothing is broken. Also,

jury verdicts are lower today because the public has been brainwashed into thinking that a soft tissue injury will heal without treatment or that the plaintiff was milking the insurance company.

In addition, insurance companies carefully examine the medicals. They look to see if the treatment you received was clearly from this accident and not pre-existing. If you had a prior auto accident or slip and fall in the shower, or around the pool, 10 years ago, they will argue your treatment is from a preexisting condition and not accident related. Thus they refuse to pay…or they may just make a LOW BALL offer.

There is a big difference between $9,000 of medicals comprised of a $7,500 medical bill from Eisenhower for a few hours of diagnostic. This might be followed by a few doctors’ appointments and no physical therapy. Compare that with a bill of the same amount that is mostly Physical Therapy. A bill of $7,500 for 40 PT visits and $1,500 of diagnostic and exams would be worth a lot more.

In 2021 the cost of litigation will be a major concern for an accident lawyer. If the insurance company forces you into litigation by offering $6,000 on your bill of $9,000, your lawyer has to invest his/her money into your case. That just happened to me in the last few months. Unfortunately, these cases could cost a fortune as with Covid it could easily take 5 years of litigation before you get to trial. Now, with Covid, all cases are

being continued for long periods of time. No cases are going out to trial. This plays into the hands of the insurance company. Why would they want to settle if they can do so with 2026 dollars and not 2021?

There are also costly depositions to be ordered. If the judge rules incorrectly on an issue the lawyer sometimes must hire an appellate attorney to make things right. Because the plaintiff has the burden of proof, when you get to trial your attorney has to pay YOUR DOCTORS to come to court to testify.

Unfortunately this process is not a science. Because a case is set for trial on January 15, 2021 does not mean it will go out on that date. With Covid, I can assure you it will be continued for over a year.

Meanwhile the doctor demands $5,000 to $15,000 per day, up front, to testify. The lawyer pays this when the doctor reserves that date and does not schedule patients. When the date is changed or the testimony of a witness runs over, the doctor will ask for the same amount for the second day.

We recently had a doctor who moved to NY to join the faculty at NYU but had treated my client locally. He demanded we fly him back first class and pay him $7,500 a day for travel and his testimony, in addition to paying for his hotel room at a 4-5 star hotel …plus all his expenses. Absent a large case, a lawyer cannot afford to lay out this amount of money. It is not fair to a client who would wind up with nothing after the legal fees and costs are deducted from the settlement.

As a matter of fact, all the money could conceivably go to costs, and not legal fees or money to the client.

As a Palm Spring Accident Lawyer, I have been representing plaintiffs injured by drunk drivers, as well as, representing those charged with driving under the influence for over 30 years, and there has never been a more challenging time to handle a Greater Palm Springs accident case. This includes Coachella Valley auto accidents, slip and falls and dog bites. The insurance companies recognize that lawyers in 2021 cannot afford to fund these cases and thus low ball an offer or make no offer. This was true before Covid and doubly true now.

If you have any questions or suggestions for future columns contact Dale Gribow 760837-7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI OR UBER……… IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HAVING AN ARREST OR ACCIDENT AND CALLING ME……… SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER DALE GRIBOW

Legal Representation Of The Injured and Criminally Accused

“TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-22

“TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016-19

PERFECT 10.0 AVVO 5 STARPeer Rating

REAL ESTATE PARADISE

Real Estate has been a topic of hot conjecture around the globe recently. With the advent of interest rate hikes, potential home buyers’ desire to purchase homes has declined significantly since 2020. This was, and sadly, an inevitability with the inception of our “good ‘ol buddy” -inflation. But despite the skyrocketing surge in interest rates, our Coachella Valley’s real estate market appears to be remaining quite healthy. The mysterious, and unasked questions remain: Why - and how?

Perhaps our valley’s unparalleled, and seemingly “recession proof” real estate market is due to stellar performances by some of our valley’s most revered real estate agents. That – or, it could be due to our magnificent landscapes, that the late Bob Ross - even employing his greatest efforts could not capture on canvas.

As valley folk, we are also privy to enjoy a slower pace of life compared to traffic-jampacked neighboring cities such as Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and of course, the city of smoke and mirrors - the bustling metropolis of the west - Los Angeles. It is safe to state in addition that our valley streets are exceptionally clean, even in the less-than-desirable locales of town, and that our valley receives approximately the same ratio of construction upgrades per year to a yearly United States employment-vacation schedule: “50-2” (50 weeks/work, 2 weeks/ vacation).

The reality is that our Coachella Valley is a proverbial paradise perfectly nestled above the waistline (equator) of our glorious God’s planet earth. Everyone (who’s anyone), and who has ever wanted to (or has become anyone) – by the world’s media standards, wants to live here despite scathing summer temperatures. Let’s face facts, it started way back when, during the days of Frank Sinatra when his gang collectively embarked upon

SAFETYTIPS

BY TIAR’A LITERARY & ILLUSTRATION

a desert dream to set up their own summer sweat haunts in Palm Springs. But it doesn’t end there. Sir Richard Branson, the creator of Microsoft, Bill Gates, even one of the most revolutionary former United States President’s, Barack Hussein Obama dwell within our humble yet proud communities.

The Coachella Valley is a haven perfectly cradled amidst a three-hundred and sixtydegree orb of scenery consisting of billiondollar mountains, sunset, sunrise, and full moon views year-round. During winter months, citizens able to see, be captivated and inspired by snow-capped mountains visible from wherever they may stand? Be it in a back yard, on a walk about the neighborhood, or simply exiting a vehicle and walking into one of our local, Trader Joe’s grocery markets. And how about our skies? Pollution and smog – these elements are an extreme rarity that hardly, if ever,

find their way into our habitat, much like those picturesque clouds that often never make it past the vastness of our epic Palm Springs Mountain. Speaking of which, that Palm Springs Mountain leads up into the clouds, and to another stunning community - Idyllwild. Yes, we Coachella Valley-ians even have a mountain escape and less than an hour’s drive away.

No matter who you are, or how you attempt to dissect our unique, sprawling and thriving desert basin, we in the Coachella Valley find ourselves blessed, and those living in surrounding areas are now, more than ever, fully aware of it. That is why our residential housing market, although having been somewhat decreased due to hiked interest rates, is still flourishing. More and more, individuals and families are opting to ditch the “big city” life in place of the “refresh” that exists within our humble, yet

magnificent abode. Perhaps another selling point [every pun-intended] that one needs to be aware of, is that our home prices, although in the midst of inflation, are considerably more affordable and luxurious than in places such as Los Angeles and its nearby valley. It’s not a criticism, it’s just plain fact.

Our commercial and business trade is likewise the fortunate recipient of a tremendous influx of opportunity – and coincidentally since the tragedy of the global pandemic of 2020. Businesses are moving in and building multiple new locations to service said businesses – enticing greater prospects for job opportunities, and higher rates of employment, unlike, and again - sadly, other parts of the country - and world. While, and regrettably, other states and countries businesses are shuttering in place business owners are making bids and pleading with our Coachella Valley city council’s planning departments to be part of our still attainable oasis dream.

Perhaps, it does have to do with Coachella Valley realtors keeping our market alive. If that is the case, then we probably should be thanking one of them. With close to twenty years of experience, Mr. Michael Valerio of HomeSmart Professionals, averages 75 home sales in the Coachella Valley per year. Mr. Valerio’s passion is real estate, as is evident with his accolades, and staggering number of sales. Michael is ranked #7 in his company across the entire United States and is voted by Palm Springs Life Magazine “Top Realtor” three years in a row: 2020, 2021 and 2022. If you’re in the market of buying or selling residential real estate and want to be treated like royalty, call Mike today at: (760) 7125948.

Tiar’a Literary & Illustration

“Creating content for individuals and businesses worldwide”

tiarapublications@gmail.com

THE ONLY ONES WHO WANT A WARM DRY HOME…

Acold and windy weather system is passing through and people aren’t the only ones who value a dry, cozy home in cold weather. Rodents do, too. As it gets colder, everything that was out tends to want to find some sort of harbor inside. They scurry in our walls and above our heads during the night, they raid our food and ruin it with their feces, and they reproduce wildly, creating more and more inhabitants for us to worry about.

Ask anyone in California and most will tell you “The rat population is on the rise,” according to Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Rats, mice, and squirrels also do a lot of damage to your home’s structure, insulation, pipes and even electrical wiring. While you can repair obvious damage, it’s all too easy to miss a gnawed piece of wire when confronted with larger scale issues like insulation used as nesting, excrement contaminated floorboards and gnawed on support beams.

Rodents’ teeth are constantly growing, which forces them to have to gnaw on anything they can get their paws on to file their teeth down. Plastic insulation surrounding electrical wiring exists because electricity is quite hot when it goes through wires. The insulation protects nearby objects from getting overheated. However, when a rat or other rodent has been going after your wires, they leave nothing left but the hot, exposed metal. It’s only a matter of time before the wire either short circuits, causing a spark, or heats up and causes something nearby to ignite.

Because mice can enter holes of even 1/4 inch, you need to seal any exposed openings to ensure that rodents cannot enter your home.

Your home should be free of exposed elements where rodents can gain entry.

Avoid storing firewood, supplies, equipment, etc. next to your house.

Rodents find refuge in these first and then can move into the home.

Keep tree branches away from rooflines as Norway roof rats can gain access through these and heavy vegetation next to the home.

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

If you already have rodents, you should call a professional pest control expert immediately. Payne Pest Management is who I recommend. They can be reached at 858-294-0064 located at 43460 Ridge Park Drive, ste. 250, Temecula, CA 92590.

https://lnkd.in/gW7QcpG9

Ask your Payne Pest Management expert about ways to check for and repair rodent-created damages.

If possible, park your car in the garage. Cars make nice homes for rats and mice and can chew through your cars electrical and fuel systems causing damage.

As always, install and frequently test a smoke detector in your house whether you have rodents or not. If a fire does occur, a smoke detector can save your life and the lives of your family.

BY AIMEE MOSCO

COMMUNICATIONS BEYOND WORDS

You have probably heard the term “vibes”, and maybe you even use it yourself to describe whether a person’s energy feels good or not. It is a word that is accepted in mainstream exchanges these days, but what does it really mean?

Vibe is short for vibration and in the spiritual sense, it refers to the energetic emanations pulsing from any living being. Vibrations travel through the delicate pathways of the energy field and deliver communications from one part of the field to another. They also travel from the energy field and emanate outward to communicate with the energy fields of other living beings.

All of us are wired to send and receive energetic communications, or vibrations, to and from any other living being. You do not need to have developed a particular skill set to send and receive these communications, you do it naturally without even thinking about it. When you are thinking about it, you have all the power in the world to manage what you send and receive.

You are probably well aware that your words have an energetic charge to them. When you speak to others, your words and even your tone of voice often evokes a reaction from the person to which you direct your verbal communications. Well, your thoughts also carry a charge that influences the vibrations emanating from your energy field.

Even if you are silently hurling insults with your thoughts at someone with whom you are communicating, your emanations are received unless the other person has intentionally taken action to block your vibes. If they happen to be sensitive to energy, they will likely feel the impact of your vibrations. The same holds true if you are mindfully generating thoughts of gratitude and love. When you produce thoughts born of love, those are the energetic emanations the other person is receiving from you. Whether you realize it or not, every exchange you have with another living being is a co-creative endeavor. Both or all beings involved in the exchange are contributing to the new outcomes.

If we intend to cross the threshold of a new paradigm as a collective and raise our vibrations to live in harmony with one another, we each must take action to manage the vibes we emanate. It takes no more effort to produce a kind and compassionate thought than it does to generate an unfavorable one. When you exercise awareness and express conscious intent with respect to the vibrations you are emanating in your co-creative exchanges, you are fully in charge of your energetic emissions. Imagine how quickly we become aligned with the principles of unity when we all commit ourselves to doing this.

In my pursuit to help you emanate your highest vibes, I invite you to join my Facebook group SACRED Light Code Keys. Go to facebook.com/groups/621727488898099 and bring your light to this supportive community.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Spiritual Teacher and Co-Founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s desire to help others inspired her first book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. Aimee serves as Vice Chair to the World Game Changers Board of Directors, a charitable CIC based in the UK. Find Aimee at www.ihsunity.com

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 24

ARIES (March 21-April 19): One of your callings as an Aries is to take risks. You’re inclined to take more leaps of faith than other people, and you’re also more likely to navigate them to your advantage—or at least not get burned. A key reason for your success is your keen intuition about which gambles are relatively smart and which are ill-advised. But even when your chancy ventures bring you exciting new experiences, they may still run you afoul of conventional wisdom, peer pressure, and the way things have always been done. Everything I have described here will be in maximum play for you in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your keynote comes from teacher Caroline Myss. She writes, “Becoming adept at the process of self-inquiry and symbolic insight is a vital spiritual task that leads to the growth of faith in oneself.” Encouraging you to grow your faith in yourself will be one of my prime intentions in the next 12 months. Let’s get started! How can you become more adept at self-inquiry and symbolic insight? One idea is to ask yourself a probing new question every Sunday morning, like “What teachings and healings do I most want to attract into my life during the next seven days?” Spend the subsequent week gathering experiences and revelations that will address that query. Another idea is to remember and study your dreams, since doing so is the number one way to develop symbolic insight. For help, I recommend the work of Gayle Delaney: tinyurl.com/InterviewYourDreams

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The TV science fiction show Legends of Tomorrow features a ragtag team of imperfect but effective superheroes. They travel through time trying to fix aberrations in the timelines caused by various villains. As they experiment and improvise, sometimes resorting to wildly daring gambits, their successes outnumber their stumbles and bumbles. And on occasion, even their apparent mistakes lead to good fortune that unfolds in unexpected ways. One member of the team, Nate, observes, “Sometimes we screw up—for the better.” I foresee you Geminis as having a similar modus operandi in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I like how Cancerian poet Stephen Dunn begins his poem, “Before We Leave.” He writes, “Just so it’s clear—no whining on the journey.” I am offering this greeting to you and me, my fellow Cancerians, as we launch the next chapter of our story. In the early stages, our efforts may feel like drudgery, and our progress could seem slow. But as long as we don’t complain excessively and don’t blame others for our own limitations, our labors will become easier and quite productive.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Kim Addonizio writes a lot about love and sex. In her book Wild Nights, she says, “I’m thinking of dating trees next. We could just stand around all night together. I’d murmur, they’d rustle, the wind would, like, do its wind thing.” Now might be a favorable time for you, too, to experiment with evergreen romance and arborsexuality and trysts with your favorite plants. When was the last time you hugged an oak or kissed an elm? JUST KIDDING! The coming weeks will indeed be an excellent time to try creative innovations in your approach to intimacy and adoration. But I’d rather see your experiments in togetherness unfold with humans.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In her book Daughters of the Stone, Virgo novelist Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa tells the tale of five generations of Afro-Cuban women, her ancestors. “These are the stories of a time lost to flesh and bone,” she writes, “a time that lives only in dreams and memories. Like a primeval wave, these stories have carried me, and deposited me on the morning of today. They are the stories of how I came to be who I am, where I am.” I’d love to see you explore your own history with as much passion and focus, Virgo. In my astrological opinion, it’s a favorable time for you to commune with the influences that have made you who you are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In accordance with astrological omens, here’s my advice for you in the coming weeks: 1. Know what it takes to please everyone, even if you don’t always choose to please everyone. 2. Know how to be what everyone wants you to be and when they need you to be it, even if you only fulfill that wish when it has selfish value for you. 3. DO NOT give others all you have and thereby neglect to keep enough to give yourself. 4. When others are being closedminded, help them develop more expansive finesse by sharing your own reasonable views. 5. Start thinking about how, in 2023, you will grow your roots as big and strong as your branches.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Even if some people are nervous or intimidated around you, they may be drawn to you nonetheless. When that happens, you probably enjoy the power you feel. But I wonder what would happen if you made a conscious effort to cut back just a bit on the daunting vibes you emanate. I’m not saying they’re bad. I understand they serve as a protective measure, and I appreciate the fact that they may help you get the cooperation you want. As an experiment, though, I invite you to be more reassuring and welcoming to those who might be inclined to fear you. See if it alters their behavior in ways you enjoy and benefit from.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has stellar advice for his fellow Sagittarians to contemplate regularly: “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with the aim; just gotta change the target.” In offering Jay-Z’s advice, I don’t mean to suggest that you always need to change the target you’re aiming at. On many occasions, it’s exactly right. But the act of checking in to evaluate whether it is or isn’t the right target will usually be valuable. And on occasion, you may realize that you should indeed aim at a different target.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You now have extra power to exorcise ghosts and demons that are still lingering from the old days and old ways. You are able to transform the way your history affects you. You have a sixth sense about how to graduate from lessons you have been studying for a long time. In honor of this joyfully tumultuous opportunity, draw inspiration from poet Charles Wright: “Knot by knot I untie myself from the past / And let it rise away from me like a balloon. / What a small thing it becomes. / What a bright tweak at the vanishing point, blue on blue.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In accordance with current astrological rhythms, I am handing over your horoscope to essayist Anne Fadiman. She writes, “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things, but where edges meet. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Over the course of my life, I have been fortunate to work with 13 psychotherapists. They have helped keep my mental health flourishing. One of them regularly reminded me that if I hoped to get what I wanted, I had to know precisely what I wanted. Once a year, she would give me a giant piece of thick paper and felt-tip markers. “Draw your personal vision of paradise,” she instructed me. “Outline the contours of the welcoming paradise that would make your life eminently delightful and worthwhile.” She would also ask me to finish the sentence that begins with these words: “I am mobilizing all the energy and ingenuity and connections I have at my disposal so as to accomplish the following goal.” In my astrological opinion, Pisces, now is a perfect time to do these two exercises yourself.

Homework: In what process have you gone halfway, and you really should go all the way? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

© Copyright 2022 Rob Brezsny

Rob

SENDMEATRAINER

The fundamentals of Golf Fitness come down to understanding what the Golf Fitness Program is all about and what the benefits are.

In the nutshell Golf Fitness is a Program that is designed to improve movement patterns of certain areas of the body that are utilized in the golf swing. The typical Golf Fitness Program assists golfers in their understanding of the importance of fitness as a part of their overall golf game.

Golf Fitness is about being fit to play the game of golf at an individual’s highest level. Your own highest level! It is about playing as many rounds of golf as you desire, without acquiring an injury. It is about identifying any strength deficits or mobility limitations that may slow down your performance and understanding how your physical limitations impact your golf swing. And, more importantly, how to address those limitations through strength and conditioning..

Strength training, cardio, flexibility work, and of course, the all-important recovery all play a role in a golfer’s fitness. Here are the most important golf fitness components you need to know for players to get the most out of their training and improve their game on the course!

Core Work

A strong core is essential for a strong swing. No strong Core equals Poor Golf Swing. Core work is often neglected during regular strength training programs, but dedicating time to it each week can significantly improve a golfer’s game. Are you currently training your core? Are you working all the muscles in your core?

GOLF FITNESS EXPLAINED

Remember it’s not only a 6 pack! It’s Front, Side and Back muscles that need to be trained to get maximum results.

Cardio

Despite the ease of zooming around the course on a golf cart, golfers need a decent cardiovascular fitness level. This isn’t just to walk the course, which is a big part of playing the game, but also for stamina as they move through each round.

Incorporating cardio into a gym routine is essential. Three to four times a week is optimal, depending on the time available Mobility & Flexibility

Golfers are prone to overuse type injuries –especially in the shoulders, elbows, wrists and lower back. A suitable program of resistance exercises that helps to balance the body and

CANNABISCORNER

CBD has a powerful aspect in the medicine world, officially known as cannabidiol, and making its healing mark for people and our furry family members throughout the world’s history. The cannabidiol is one of a hundred compounds known as cannabinoids found in the oils of cannabis plants.

The medicine plant has an endocrine system that exudes oils known as terpenes, which gives cannabis a distinct scent. Doctors and Scientist are discovering and documenting all the specific cannabinoids in how they affect humans and animals.

Types of CBD and THC:

CBGA- Cannabigerolic acid

CBDA- Cannabidiolic acid

CBCA- Cannabichromenic acid

CBGVA- Cannabigerovarinic acid

THCVA Cannabigerovarinic acid

CBDVA- Cannabidivarinic acid

CBCVA- Cannabichromevarinic acid

Wow! What a scientific mouthful, yet the complexity of this plant is what I am trying to describe here has many types of medicinal powers! Yet, CBD is a calm stream compared to THCs ability to get you high. Again, the power of this medicine break through is that its reported healing powers. This medicine plant is what people throughout time have been using for themselves and their pets due to its extraordinary anti-inflammatory benefits and low side effects, especially pure CBD has little to none in damaging side effects.

Not only is CBD an anti-inflammatory medicine, yet its antibacterial tinctures are great when you have had any dental work, (Used in Persia and China for tooth pain 5000BC) its anti-anxiety can help calm your pets when you need to leave them alone while you go to work, and it’s been discovered that CBD in its purest form aids the immune system.

improve posture, is one of the best ways to prevent these injuries.

Recovery

As with any type of training, recovery is an essential component. But it’s often neglected and seen as wasted time. The truth is, the quality of recovery can have a huge impact on one’s physical health and fitness when they’re on the course.

Getting stronger will not only get you better at golf, you will probably play more because of it. In one of our previous articles we explained what The Functional Training was and what the benefits were.

With a functional body comes a more efficient golf swing which yields more consistency, better scores and many more years playing better golf. Your Functional Training

The healing power of cannabis dates back thousands of years. Let’s take a quick look at some historical facts.

Cannabis History:

6000 BC: Cannabis seeds are consumed in China.

4000 BC: Cloth and textiles are created with hemp in China.

Circa 2700 BC: Chinese pharmacopeia records its first cannabis prescriptions.

1500 BC: Cannabis farmed in China for fiber.

1500 BC: Scythians were (Persian Equestrians that settled in modern day Russia) cultivate cannabis and create weaved goods.

1200-800 BC: Cannabis is documented in the Hindu sacred text as “sacred grass”.

700-600 BC: The Zoroastrians, the first monotheistic religion in Persia; refers to bhang or cannabis and hemp as Zoroaster’s good medicine.

700-300 BC: Scythian tribes associate the cannabis plant with the dead and leave cannabis seeds on their departed loved one’s tombs.

500 BC: Scythian tomb is discovered with a couple buried in a woven tent decorated with cannabis seeds.

500 BC: Hemp is introduced into Northern Europe by the Scythians.

430 BC: Herodotus reports on both ritual and recreation use of cannabis by the Scythians.

100 BC-0: The psychotropic attributes of cannabis are documented the Herbal Pen (Chinese Pharmacy Book) Tao Dynasty.

Scythians Leaving its Cannabis Mark in Eastern Europe:

In the fifth and sixth centuries, Russian and Polish farmers consumed hemp for health benefits. They created herbal teas and used the seeds in their breads. In the Middle Ages

BY COACH NADIA POPOVA

should be your first step in your Golf Fitness Training. Once functionality is restored then you can address balance, power and strength.

Golf Fitness is a key component to playing well on the golf course regardless of whether you are competing in your Club Championship, your Weekly Game or just against Old Man Par. Your level of Physical and Mental Conditioning can be the leading factor in the degree of success you achieve.

Golf was previously seen as a sport that did not require top physical shape to excel. Having a perfectly fit body is not required to play golf. However, the dominance of Tiger Woods back in the day shocked his peers as he was seen working hard on vital muscles needed to excel at golf which ultimately gave him an advantage. Tiger has set the bar high since then and professional tour golfers now focus on their fitness just as much as their golf game. They noticed the importance of fitness to enhance their golf performance.

Strengthening your body is crucial for your game as well as your longevity. Do not neglect exercise as it will also help you prevent injuries. Let’s all improve our golf game together! If you would like to schedule your Free Assessment or Hire one of our Golf Pro please call or text to (760)880-9904 or visit our website at www. sendmeatrainer.com/palmsprings

BY M. WHEELZOT, M.A.S.

the Russian word for hemp was penka and was commonly brewed as a tea. During the Czar Empire in the 15th century- hemp and cannabis were used in Christmas soups, cakes, and stews believing; like A Christmas Carol; that the medicine plant opened a spiritual veil allowing them to see their departed loved ones.

Hemps seeds and hemp oils were a staple in the lower and upper classes in Russia and Poland. Until the 20th century hemp was an important export for Russia, and the United States, however in the 1930’s demand for the crop stopped as American Prohibitionists pressured the world to stop the consumption of cannabis and other medicine plants. However, today the medicine has come back from the veil of our historical connection and in full circle to bring back its healing properties to those that resonate with its benefits. Cannabis, CBD, Hemp- historically and scientifically is cultivating its healing properties back to the world.

Remember when using any cannabis medicine please consult with your health care provider.

Note: Awareness and Mindfulness is key to many of the body’s needs. All my articles are based on patient reports, and company representatives: WHO.

Use cannabis medicine for chronic ailments.

Sponsor sick patients with pure CBD with and without THC- (humans and animals) .

Sponsor Doctors & Families who prefer the plant medicine.

Celebrate Winterfest!

Locals and visitors are invited to come to experience a new holiday tradition, Indian Wells Winterfest from November 18, 2022, through January 1, 2023.

Featured Event: Ice Rink at Indian Wells Winterfest. Nov 18, 2022 – Jan 1, 2023

Lace up your skates and reserve a time to spin around this ice rink under blue skies. Each ice-skating session is 45 minutes long and all individuals under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Price: $20 for adults, $15 for kids, $10 per skate rental.

Advanced registration is required. Think Ice Skating in the Desert and come out and show us your Triple Axel Jump!

INDIAN WELLS WINTERFEST

INDIAN WELLS GOLF RESORT  INDIAN WELLS, CA

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER