Coachella Valley Weekly - November 28 to December 4, 2013 Vol. 2 No. 36

News

Music

Movies

Dining

Community Events

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • November 28 to December 4, 2013 Vol. 2 No. 36

SHOP LOCAL ON

BLACK FRIDAY & SHOP SMALL SATURDAY

Heather James

pg 3

Mariah Hanson

pg 7

Y2BD

pg 13

Bob Odenkirk

pg 25

November 28 to December 4, 2013

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Heather James Art Opening 2013

November 28 to December 4, 2013

Article & photos By Scott pam

Coachella Valley Weekly

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com info@coachellavalleyweekly.com

760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Brian Michaelz, Woody Reppert Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Philip Lacombe Features Writer Marissa Willman, Judith Sulkin, Denise Ortuno Neil, Heidi Simmons Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Lola Rossi-Meza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Janet McAfee, Heidi Simmons, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Jack St. Clair, Rob Brezny, Amanda Dorta, Eleni P. Austin, Curtis Hendricks, Noe Gutierrez, Jill Coleman, Jennifer Tan, Sunny Simon, Richard Weiss, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dr. Maria Lombardo, Bruce Cathcart, Patte Purcell, Julie Buehler, Flint Wheeler, John Paul Valdez, Laura Hunt Little, Eric Robertson, Scott Pam, Brian Michaelz Photographers Laura Hunt Little, Lani Garfield, Chris Miller/ Imagine Imagery Distribution Jim Fox Distribution/ William Westley, Rudy Mendez

Contents

Heather James Art Opening........... 3 Black Friday....................................5 ShareKitchen - Shop Local............5 Don’t Be Clueless In The CV ..........6 Theatre / Community....................7 Sports Scene..................................8 Sports.............................................9 Woman’s Issue Follow up............10 Tat Talk - Tony Francios................11 Record Store Day.........................12 LMS- Anonymous Vox.................13 LMS- Yet 2 Be Determined..........13 Consider This - Rank & File..........14 Pet Place.......................................16 The Vino Voice..............................17 Club Crawler Nightlife.................18 Pampered Palate ........................... 20 Screeners......................................22 Book Review.................................23 Film - Bob Odenkirk Q&A.............25 Art ................................................26 Community - Vue.........................26 Haddon Libby: It’s All Local.........27 JPV: It’s Your Nickel......................27 Dale Gribow.................................28 Real Estate....................................28 Safety Tips....................................29 Gamer Girl - PS4 Review..............29 Community / Events....................30 Free Will Astrology......................31 Mind, Body, & Spirit.....................31 Life & Career Coach......................32 Beauty..........................................32 Comics - Weiss Cracks..................34

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T

he Heather James Fine Art – Palm Desert gallery will have their 2013/2014 season’s opening on Saturday, November 30, from 6:00-8:00 P.M., with a special exhibition of original paintings and prints from Andy Warhol, original drawings and unique prints from Salvador Dali, as well as other artists.

Greeting visitors at the main entrance is the famous Dali sculpture “Dance of Time III”.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987), whose painting of a Campbell’s Tomato Soup is now estimated in value at just over nine million or more dollars, made paintings of famous American products and celebrities. One of Warhol’s pieces on display incorporates the cover of a newspaper that announced the assassination of Kennedy, which happened just over 50 years ago during November. “Cover of Flash, 22 November 1963” conveys the emotion of the period in Warhol’s very unique style.

Kaoru Mansour and Luc Bernard, whose work will be on display at the gallery as part of the season’s opening, will also be at the opening to talk about their work and meet gallery guests.

The Gallery’s goal is to bring museum quality work to the desert, a goal that has been achieved through private collectors, the artists themselves, and partnering with other galleries. During the tour of the gallery, large crates that ship the artwork around the world were scattered through main exhibition area as the staff prepped the walls for the upcoming opening.

Kaoru Mansour, born in Japan in 1956

and currently based in Los Angeles, formally trained at Otis Parsons Art Institute and developed her own techniques for creating her unique style of painting. Incorporating paint, resin and her elements from her physical surroundings, her paintings are an homage in duality to her native Japan and her life in the US. Her work is collected in her own section on the second floor.

Kaoru uses a technique for her base layer that gives it a rich buttery, crackled and antique feel on her paintings. Using leaves from her surroundings, Kaoru scans them and then adds them with other materials into the collage painting in different layers, alternating paint and resin.

In the Abstract Expressionism gallery, works from Luc Bernard, one of the youngest artists represented in the gallery, will be on display. Luc’s paintings explore the abstract realm with color and texture in oil and sumi ink. Other artists in the Abstraction gallery include Berry Gold, David Hare, Arne Hiersoux and Norman Zammitt.

Norman Zammitt (1931-2007) painted bands of color in subtle gradations with shading onto various sized canvases and has a number of pieces on display. Some of the smaller works are studies that he eventually made into much larger canvases. His work has also been in collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

They have also procured works from David Mach, a celebrated sculptor from Scotland. David uses found objects including wire coat hangers to create the two large scale sculptures of a man and a woman on display. His other works include painting and arranging matchsticks to create small

sculptures of human and animal faces.

In the same gallery as the sculptures from Mach, are works from Alexander Calder, the inventor of the “mobile”. Calder’s work was influenced by Mondrian and Miro and is both whimsical and colorful.

On the other side of the gallery space housing Mach and Calder and divided by a movable wall, sits a piece from Robert Rauschenberg called “Tree of Life Prune (Kabal American Zephyr)” a combination of a painting and a sculpture.

While artwork is always interpreted from an individual’s perspective, the gallery displays works of the highest caliber and art lovers can find anything from Abstract Expressionism to classical paintings by artists such as N.C. Wyeth and his son Andrew Wyeth, the first visual artist to appear on the cover of Time, in the Classical Room. Sharing the Classical room are works from Albert Bierstadt, and Frederick Carl Frieseke as well as a sculpture of Matisse’s wife and Picasso.

The name of the gallery is from the first names of Heather Sacre and James Carona, who are married and started collecting antiquities in a shop on El Paseo in the mid- 1990s. The transition into collecting fine art happened when one of their best clients wanted to start collecting impressionist paintings leading them to an “Aha!” moment. James studied Art History at Harvard and together with Heather’s interest in art lead them to open up in their current space in the fall of 2009.

Heather James – Fine Art 45188 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260 • Ph. (760) 346-8926

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

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Is “Black Friday” the Best Day to Shop?

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uring the five days of over indulgence a/k/a the Super Bowl of Shopping a/k/a Thanksgiving weekend, which day are you most likely to get the best deal when shopping? Is it Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Shop Local Saturday, The yet-tobe-named Sunday or Cyber Monday?

If you said Thanksgiving Thursday, you were correct. The next best days in order are the yet-to-be-named Sunday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the Friday after Black Friday and then Shop Local Saturday. If you are looking for the worst day to get a good deal,

go shopping on December 14th. If you are a retailer, the best day to make a sale is the yetto-be-named Sunday.

A study by Accenture pointed out how approximately 40% of consumers will brave the crowds during the Black Friday weekend.

This is down from 52% in 2009. Consumer Reports believes that the number of shoppers is even lower than this.

Consumers are shopping and spending less on Black Friday as many of the best deals come on these other days. Spending on Black Friday in 2012 dropped 1.8% to $11.2 billion vs. 2011 while Thanksgiving through Monday sales were up 12.5% to $59 billion.

This means that Black Friday represented less than 20% of the spending over those days.

As I’m sure that you’ve noticed, retailers are releasing Black Friday deals earlier and earlier.

Some of the first holiday deals showed up in

September this year. This longer sales cycle deemphasizes the importance of the more notable day for shopping.

The origin of the term Black Friday for the day after Thanksgiving dates back to 1961 in Philadelphia. While the two days after Thanksgiving considered two of the best days for sales throughout the year, the Police Department had less than fond thoughts of those days. Given the massive traffic jams and overcrowded sidewalks caused by shoppers as well as the annual ArmyNavy football game, the police began calling those days Black Friday and Black Saturday.

Given the negative connotations that ‘Black Friday’ suggested, local retailers discussed the derogatory reference with the city after which they tried to rename those days as Big Friday and Big Saturday with no success.

By the 1980s, an alternative meaning to Black Friday began to emerge based on an accounting term. Once upon a time, accountants used to keep financial losses in the financial ledger in red and profits in black.

For many retailers, the day after Thanksgiving represents a turn of their financial fortunes into the black. The first published example of this reference was in the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1981.

Cyber Monday is a term created by Shop. org, an arm of the National Retail Federation in 2005. The term marked a then emerging trend where shoppers who were too busy

November 28 to December 4, 2013

By haddon libby over the holidays to hunt for deals, began looking online on that day. In many cases, the searches occurred from work computer. The peak moment for shopping online on Cyber Monday is 11:25am EST. Lastly, we should not forget Shop Local Saturday. This day is meant to be a day where shoppers frequent local small businesses.

The day finds its roots in a blog posting by former small business owner Cinda Baker in 2009. Within a year, American Express was promoting the day in national ads. The day is an emerging trend where those interested in supporting local businesses specifically seek out those businesses to show their support for businesses that are vital to the economic health and vitality of their communities.

As for the yet-to-be named Sunday, how about Money Sunday?

ShareKitchen

SHOP LOCAL! ith a post on Cinda Baxter’s

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blog AlwaysUpward.com four years ago, a pro-local business movement was born. Within a week of its launch, her site had 7,600 unique visitors.

Within a year, American Express was using her thoughts and ideas to start its ‘Shop Local‘ Small Business Saturday project on the Saturday after Black Friday. Baxter started this pro-local movement as her friends who owned businesses did not see much in sales from Black Friday as shoppers frequented the larger, national stores almost exclusively.

Baxter’s simple blog posting spread like a wildfire and led to the launch of The 3/50 Project. The project asks a simple question, ‘what three independently owned businesses would you miss most if they went out of business?’ Once you have defined these businesses, Baxter suggests that you commit to spending $50 at each of no less than three locally owned and operated businesses each month. If half of all Americans did this, $43 billion a year in sales would go to local businesses.

It is critically important to our community to shop local as these businesses spend

their monies locally as well. For every $1 spent at a local business, those businesses spend $0.68 locally. In comparison, national chains spend 40-75% less than their local counterparts in our community.

It is critical to the vibrancy of the community to support local businesses as they create more and better local jobs.

Money exported outside the community by shopping at national businesses drains resources from your community. This is even worse with some retailers where a majority of their products come from China. This means that your purchases at those types of retailers weaken the local and national economies.

In honor of these entrepreneurs during National Entrepreneurship Month, shop locally.

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

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Don’t Be

CLUELESS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY EVENT CALENDAR

WILDLIGHTS CELEBRATES 21st SEASON AT THE LIVING DESERT Almost a Million Twinkling Lights Illuminate the Park with Holiday Joy WildLights Kicks-Off Friday, November 29th at 5:30 p.m.

WildLights at The Living Desert, one of the Coachella Valley’s most adored and sparkling holiday traditions, returns this holiday season on Friday, November 29th with opening night lighting festivities beginning at 5:30 p.m.

WildLights at The Living Desert is open from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the following dates: November 29 - 30 December 6, 7, 13, 14, 19-23, 26-31 “We are excited to announce the Tunnel of Lights is back by popular demand!” says Stacey Johnson, CEO & President of The Living Desert.

“WildLights is one of our favorite events of the year, and this year’s display is going to be the biggest and best yet, with more twinkling lights and exciting holiday fun for the whole family.”

Underwritten by the H.N. & Frances C. Berger Foundation and sponsored by the City of Indian Wells, WildLights transforms the zoo into an amazing winter wonderland with almost a million colorful, twinkling holiday lights. This year’s event will feature new light displays, visits with Santa Claus, Wildlife Wonders shows, camel and carousel rides, and food and beverage stations.

Adult tickets are $10; Members, Children, Military (with ID) are $8; and children under 2 are free. For more information, visit www.

LivingDesert.org or contact 760-346-5694.

2013 PALM SPRINGS OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT AIDS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 20th Annual Event is Free to Public and Features Some of World’s Top LGBT Tennis Players AIDS Assistance Program (AAP) has been selected by the Desert Tennis Association as the benefitting charity for the 2013 Palm Springs Open Tennis Tournament. The 20th annual tournament takes place from Friday to Sunday, November 29 –through Sunday, December 1, 2013 at the following host sites: Mission Hills Country Club, Monterey Country Club, Rancho Las Palmas Country Club, and Plaza Racquet Club. The event is free to the public and a portion of the proceeds from the silent auction and dinner will benefit AAP. “AAP has an excellent track record in providing critical services to those living with AIDS here in our desert community,” says Tournament Director Nabil Najjar. “We strongly believe in this organization as a trusted and cost-efficient provider of critical services, supported by a group of dedicated volunteers, which make it a great match for our organization.”

Mission Hills Country Club will host a banquet at 7:00 pm on Saturday, November 30. Tickets for the banquet are $40 per person and include a no-host cocktail reception,

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dinner and entertainment. Those who donate to the tournament on behalf of AAP, via a gift certificate, raffle item, or silent auction item, will be recognized publicly at the event and in an advertisement featured in the tournament player book.

Since its founding in 1991, AIDS Assistance Program of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing nutritional support to improve the quality of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. Initiated by a small group of concerned citizens led by the late Gloria Greene and Jeannette Rockefeller, AAP provides food to members of the community with low incomes. For more information, please call 760/325-8481 or visit aidsassistance.org.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT DRIVE TO BENEFIT CLIENTS OF AAP Trio Restaurant in Palm Springs will play host to AIDS Assistance Program’s annual holiday gift drive on Sunday, December 1, 2013 from 12-3 pm. Trio is located at 707 North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. Guests are asked to bring a new, unwrapped gift.

“We’ve surveyed our clients, and they’ve told us that they need basic household items such as pillows, sheet sets, blankets, etc.,” says AAP CEO Mark Anton. “Unwrapped toys for our clients’ children are also needed and appreciated.”

A minimum gift value (or donation) of $15 is suggested. Beer, wine, and holiday treats will be provided.

Since its founding in 1991, AIDS Assistance Program of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing nutritional support to improve the quality of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. Initiated by a small group of concerned citizens led by the late Gloria Greene and Jeannette Rockefeller, AAP provides food to members of the community with low incomes.

For more information, please call 760/3258481 or visit aidsassistance.org.

“The Threat of Bioterrorism” presented by the World Affairs Council of the Desert From Anthrax to viral hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola, deadly biologic agents in small, concealed amounts unleashed by determined terrorists would have catastrophic results. Not only would these cause massive loss of life in dense urban areas, but also in neighboring communities as the affected and infected flee to safety.

On Sunday, December 15, the World Affairs Council of the Desert will present Dr. Maria Salvato, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine who is also at the U.S. Institute of Medicine (Smallpox Panel); and the Global Virus Network, as their guest speaker.

She will speak on making ourselves safe from any biothreat--whether a pandemic brought by nature or terrorists--security measures currently in place, the efforts to make vaccines against current threats, as well as her views of the weaknesses in the system.

The event will take place at the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells, beginning with a reception at 5 p.m. Dinner begins at 6 p.m., with the presentation after dinner followed by questions and answers. The program includes a three-course meal, wine with dinner, tax and gratuity, as well as valet parking for $65-$80 per person.

For more information: worldaffairsdesert. org; (760) 322-7711.

28th Annual 2014 Southwest Arts Festival® Poster Unveiling and Press Conference Kick Off Event Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at the Indio Chamber of Commerce at 10:30. Public is Invited to Attend.

The 4-star accredited Indio Chamber of Commerce will host the 28th Annual 2013 Southwest Arts Festival Poster unveiling at the Chamber offices on December 3rd at 10:30.

The Public is invited to attend. Local community leaders and business owners will be there. The Indio Chamber is located at 82-921 Indio Blvd.

This is an exciting event for fans of the Southwest Arts Festival who have collected the posters for years. Every year, when a new poster is unveiled, they add it to their collection.

The 2014 Southwest Arts Festival is being held January 24, 25, 26, 2014. Celebrating its 28th Anniversary, the Festival will once again be at the beautiful Empire Polo Club in Indio.

This coming year, over 250 acclaimed artists will show traditional, contemporary and abstract fine works of art. The Festival is a major internationally recognized cultural event. The Festival’s reputation for first-class quality and professional integrity make it one of the finest throughout the country. As the Indio Chamber’s largest annual fundraiser, the chamber is exceptionally fortunate to have over 150 community leaders and volunteers contributing numerous hours to make certain that the Festival is successful.

For information visit: www.southwestartsfest.com Phone: 760-347-0676 Follow the Festival on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthwestArtsFestival RIVERSIDE COUNTY CLASSIC CAR SHOW OPEN TO ALL CLASSIC CARS AND SPECIAL INTEREST CARS Sat, December 7TH, 9AM until 3PM. Car Check-In is from 7AM until 9AM RIVERSIDE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN INDIO on HWY 111 AT ARABIA STREET THIS WONDERFUL FAMILY EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ADMISSION GATE- AT THE MAIN ENTERANCE TO THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS AND THROUGH THE PARKING ENTERANCE GATE ON ARABIA LIVE ENTERTAINMENT- ”NIGHT LIFE” PERFORMING THE GREAT HITS OF THE 50’S, 60’S AND 70’s ON THE MAIN STAGE FROM 11 AM THROUGH 3 PM ADMISSION- JUST FIVE DOLLARS...ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL ADMITED FREE BY PRESENTING THEIR MILITARY ID CREDENTIALS BENEFACTORS- ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND THE PEGASUS THEREPUTIC RIDING ACADEMY OTHER ATTRACTIONS- EXHIBITORS AND VENDOR DISPLAYS / FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE MILITARY TRIBUTE- IN HONORING THE

REMEMBERANCE OF PEARL HARBOR DAY THERE WILL BE A MILITARY TRIBUTE DURING THE EVENT COME JOIN US TO VIEW SOME OF FINEST CLASSIC CARS AROUND, A TIME FOR GREAT FAMILY FUN AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME TO SOME OF AMERICA’S HAPPIEST DAYS INDIAN WELLS ARTIST GESSO COCTEAU FEATURED IN GROUP SHOW “FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING”AT UCR PALM DESERT The Public is Invited to an Opening Reception on Wednesday, December 11th Indian Wells Artist Gesso Cocteau, creator of the tallest standing cast bronze sculpture in the United States, will be one of the featured artists in an exciting exhibit, titled “Figuratively Speaking,” at the University of California Riverside in Palm Desert.

Cocteau and other artists featured in the exhibit will be present at an opening reception on Wednesday, December 11th, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Gesso Cocteau has been showing in galleries since the late seventies, with her work evolving from drawings in pen and ink, to painting to fabricated steel sculptures. In 1990 she began focusing on casting in bronze, evolving toward a celebration of the human form. One of her monumental works is a 51-ft. cast bronze, Endless Celebration, the tallest standing cast bronze sculpture in the America, installed in Bellevue, Washington. Some of her many commissions include sculptures for Eisenhower Medical Center, The Greg and Stacy Renker Pavillion, and Hard Rock Cafes in Rome, Berlin, Niagara Falls, Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando.

The human form, Cocteau’s concentrated focus, is the subject of the UCR Palm Desert exhibit “Figuratively Speaking,” which will examine “the story of each artist in drawing, painting and sculpture.” The show will feature primarily Coachella Valley artists. In addition to Cocteau, other artists in the exhibit include Ryan Motel Campbell, Ming C. Lowe, Luiz Castro, Meridy Volz, Robert Yancy, Adam Rodriguez, Andres Orlowski, Temo Aldrete, Gary Patterson, and Laurel Goddard.

The opening reception is an exciting opportunity to meet and mingle with Cocteau and the other artists. It is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP at www.palmdesert.ucr.edu. The University of California Riverside Palm Desert campus is located at 75080 Frank Sinatra, Palm Desert.

COMEDY NIGHT AT AZUL STARRING LA’S HOTTEST COMICS DECEMBER 14, 2013 Comedy Night at Azul Starring LA’s Hottest Comics announces its Saturday, December 14, show featuring comic stars CARLEASE BURKE of Showtime’s Shameless, ABC Family’s Switched at Birth and Fox’s The Mindy Project, CINDY BURNS, recently selected by Joan Rivers as the “Next Breakout Star”, and of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Oprah Winfrey Show and MATT MARR of the Hollywood Improv, The World Famous Comedy Store and Laugh Factory.

The pre-show starts at 6:30PM and the show begins at 7:30PM. With 44 sold-out monthly shows in a row, reservations are highly encouraged. Please call 760.325.5533. Cover, with advance reservations, for this great show is only $15 and $20 at the door. Azul is located at 369 N. Palm Canyon Drive in vibrant Downtown Palm Springs.

theatre

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THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

GREEN ROOM THEATRE ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SEASON AND PRODUCES THE HOLIDAY CLASSIC, THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, WITH AN AFRICAN AMERICAN CAST

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reen Room Theatre (a new division of Palm Desert Theatre Academy) is showing out in their inaugural season, with a heart-warming production of O’Henry’s classic holiday story, The Gift of the Magi. The all new Green Room Theatre seeks to bring more diversity to the Coachella Valley theatre arts scene, and Artistic Director, David Catanzarite, had the vision to lead his premiere production with an African American cast. Not only that, the new conservatory has partnered with local African American churches to bring the show live and direct to eager urban audiences. Producer Shauna Jones says, “Aside from one local black owned theatre company, it is rare for a theatre director in the Desert to not only highlight African American actors in a production, but to market to their community as well.”

Performances will run for three weekends at various venues, including five African American churches, beginning December 6, 2013 at Indio Mt. Zion Church in Indio, and

close out at Palm Desert Library, December 21, 2013.

In this warm-hearted romantic comedy, Della and Jim eagerly await their first Christmas together as a married couple.

But times are hard, and both Della and Jim find themselves lacking the money to buy each other a proper Christmas gift. In a strange twist of fate, the two end up finding the perfect gifts for one another—but at an unexpected cost. Though they may not have the perfect Christmas, the couple learns about the importance of the gift of love. Featuring African American actors, Green Room Theatre’s production of, The Gift of the Magi, presents outstanding lead actors Key’toya Burrell as the play’s heroine, “Della” (Eve Ensler’s Vagina MonologuesCollege of the Desert Performing Arts), and Jeffery Strange as “Jim” (At Risk- College of the Desert).

Green Room Theatre is a non-profit theatre conservatory designed and led by theatre expert David Catanzarite. The conservatory is dedicated to diversity and allowing all people to have access to quality theatre training, no matter a person’s economic or cultural background. According to managing director, Karen T. Lin, “As a conservatory we are committed to fostering a new generation of talented actors.”

The Gift of the Magi, offers a unique experience for the cast as it takes center stage at five churches across the Desert.

“Touring within African American churches is allowing us to come together in fellowship through theatre,” says cast member Emerald Williams. The public is encouraged to check out multiple performances on the tour, for each show is guaranteed to offer new energy and intriguing landscapes, as the actors and set adjust to the unique characteristics of each venue.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: · Friday, December 6- 7PM Indio Mt. Zion Church, 45130 Smurr St., Suite 1, Indio · Saturday, December 7- 7PM Second Missionary Baptist Church, 43640 Burr St. Indio · Friday, December 13- 7PM First AME Church, 43601 Saguaro St., Indio, 92201 · Saturday, December 14-7PM Grace Apostolic Church, 61595 West Garnet Ave. Palm Springs · Sunday, December 15- 6PM Kyriakos Christian Center, 82230 John Nobles Ave., Indio · Saturday, December 21- 2PM Palm Desert Library-Community Room, 73300 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for Seniors (55 and older), and $6 for children under the age of 12. Tickets are available online for advance purchase at www.

PalmDesertTheatreAcademy.com.

For ticket and event information, please contact Shauna Jones, at 909-547-5572, or azipremier@yahoo.com.

Community

November 28 to December 4, 2013

By Denise Ortuno Neil

The 27th Annual Palm Springs Athena Awards to Honor Mariah Hanson

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t is one thing to be the life of the party, but quite another to bring life to the party.

And that is exactly what the longtime event specialist Mariah Hanson is being honored for by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Athena Awards 2013.

Mariah Hanson has always loved a good party, and knows how to put them together.

Originally from Northern California, Hanson has been in the nightlife and event business for decades. It started back in college when the then student decided to throw a party, and despite the dismay of college administration, the party was a success and got the wheels turning for Hanson.

Hanson started Club Skirts in 1988, which produces the world renowned event The Dinah, the original Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs. The event is revered as the largest lesbian event in the world, raising the popularity of The Dinah Shore Weekend to extreme levels. The event is a full weekend of parties, involving outstanding entertainment and so much more. It is held at the same time as the Kraft Nabisco Golf Tournament. Hanson first got involved with the event in 1991 and produced her first Dinah Shore Weekend. She incorporated the Palm Springs Museum in her event and loaded up nearby hotels with party goers for a stand out weekend of fun.

The event set The Dinah Shore Weekend up for absolute success and Hanson has been propelling it higher and higher for 24 years.

In 1996 Hanson brought her Dinah Shore Weekend concept up the coast and produced The Monterey Women’s Festival. The event was an annual success, and held strong for many years. She later opened her nightclub, The Cherry Bar, the lesbian night spot provided nightclub partying every night of the week. Deciding to focus completely on her extraordinary event The Dinah, she sold the club in 2006.

Hanson is being honored at the 27th Annual Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Athena Awards Luncheon on Thursday, December 5th 2013 at the Renaissance Hotel in Palm Springs.

The Athena Awards is an award ceremony put on by chamber of commerce’s throughout the country to honor women who have made outstanding strides in their business and/or community.

Hanson will be given the Athena Leadership Award. She is highly regarded for creating her amazing signature event, The Dinah, and for what is has contributed to the city of Palm Springs tourism. “I am beyond honored,” said Hanson. She states that she is impressed with the city of Palm Springs for their progressive nature and it speaks volumes of how diverse the city is. She is overwhelmed at the way that the city of Palm Springs has embraced her LGBT event. “You don’t see this in most cities, that’s why I would never produce my event anywhere else,” said Hanson. The Dinah is only presented in Palm Springs.

Other award recipients for this year’s Athena Awards are entertainer extraordinaire Carol Channing, who will be given the Jackie Lee Houston Angel Award and philanthropist Helene Galen who will receive the Community Icon Award. Hanson shares that she is amazed and impressed by the company that she is keeping with the Athena Awards, “It’s humbling,” she said.

And impressive company it is for not only this year’s awards, but for past Athena Awards as well. Former recipients include, Gloria Greer, Barbara Sinatra, Jackie Lee Houston and Annette Bloch just to scratch the surface.

Hanson is gearing up for The Dinah 2014 which promises to be better than ever. The event will have her famous off the hook pool parties, as well as a Comedy Night, Dinah Film Fest and Celebrity Poker Night, plus a whole lot more. Palm Springs hotels offered up for the event include the Saquaro, the Hilton, Hyatt and Courtyard Marriott.

The Coachella Valley is filled with amazing women who have made remarkable contributions to our community. They have invested their talent, time and vision in making the desert the world famous place that it is. Mariah Hanson will be honored as one of those women at this year’s Palm Springs Athena Awards, highlighting her spring event The Dinah, and bringing herself well deserved recognition as a trail blazing visionary.v For more information about The Dinah visit www.thedinah.com

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

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sports scene

by Julie Buehler

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by Flint Wheeler

Pacquiao’s punch isn’t what it used to be..

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defendant would be quick to answer. Stuff like, “Did you do anything wrong? Did you do what they said you did? Did you use performance enhancing drugs?” and A-Rod, as any moderately prepared defendant would, answered a short “No” to the peppering.

Francesa claimed he did his journalistic duty by asking the “tough questions” but he jumped in the mud with A-Rod. Because he failed to ask the one question that no one has asked and that A-Rod has never had to answer: “Why YOU Alex? Why are YOU the ONLY guy Selig is trying to destroy? Why are YOU the ONLY player to get 211 games?”

Francesa failed to clean the matter up by pouring out some common sense and rather, just let A-Rod sully the conversation more.

IF what A-Rod is alleging is true, there must be a motive behind Selig’s campaign. What could that possibly be? Why on earth would ARod be the target of MLB? He was openly supported by his team. Hal Steinbrenner was still stroking him paychecks.

My one question to A-Rod: “Exactly WHY do you think Selig, the man from Milwaukee, wants to end your career?” Is it personal? Did you not send a Christmas card last year and Selig was offended? Did you end up taking the last beer from the fridge and Selig lost it?

Did you leave the toilet seat up one too many times?

None of this makes sense.

I am absolutely SURE that MLB botched this investigation. Bosch is a liar and I guarantee he lied to MLB. But I am also SURE that A-Rod is a liar and shouldn’t play another day of professional baseball in America.

I do know he wasn’t the only guy punished in the Biogenesis scandal, just the most severely because apparently he obstructed the investigation into the lies a liar told other liars to lie about to make money.

So once these two sides stop flopping in all their self-induced filth, it will be safer for the public to watch. Until then, just enjoy “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 pt on www.Team1010.com.

Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010. com or watch the show on Ustream.

November 28 to December 4, 2013

www.FlintWheeler.com Financial Advisor representing New York Life. Owner - Indian Wells Insurance & Wealth Management. Host of Tilted Sports Radio on Team 1010, KXPS. Former PGA Class A Professional. U.S.P.T.A. Tennis Professional. Titleist Performance Institute Certified Fitness Trainer

The ONE Question That Hasn’t Been Asked Is The Key To Unlocking Baseball’s Future -Rod is an A-hole. This much I know.

Bud Selig is a spineless commissioner who’s greatest work is Oscar-worthy acting as he ignored the rampant steroid abuse in the sport. Got that one fully comprehended.

I understand that A-Rod was given a stiff 211 game suspension for his interaction with a South Florida-based Biogenesis clinic run by a guy named Tony Bosch.

I know these basic highlights (lowlights for baseball fans) from the past year’s worth of investigations, panderings and posturings, between baseball, A-Rod and Bosch.

Bosch claimed to be a doctor, but he lied. In fact, he is currently under criminal investigation by the Attorney General in Florida. He could be facing a lot more than 211 days behind bars.

A-Rod was not the only big-time athlete found in connection with Biogenesis and Bosch.

Not even close. He was just one of many highprofile clients.

A-Rod was not the only big-time athlete that was slapped with a suspension based on the evidence collected through Bosch and Biogenesis. He was just one of many baseball players that faced consequences.

A-Rod has lied before about his usage of performing enhancing drugs.

The majority of baseball’s evidence supporting these suspensions was provided by Bosch and his crew. Which could be problematic, see Point 1 about Bosch’s credibility.

So when A-Rod vowed to sue baseball if they moved forward with the suspension, it was obvious the pendulum of justice could swing wildly depending on which liar, Bosch or A-Rod, provided sufficient evidence to support their lies. And with that notion, it became clear that this would be ugly… like watching 2 fat ladies mud wrestle. No one wins.

And like two fat ladies sloshing in the mud, it was only a matter of time before spectators got splattered.

That happened on November 21st as A-Rod “lost his mind” when an appointed arbitrator ruled against his motion. He kicked a briefcase, slammed his fist on the table and cursed out the room during an appeal hearing in front of the guy MLB and the players’ union agreed upon to decide his suspension appeal.

He didn’t stop there though. No, he jumped from one pigsty to another in the form of WFAN’s Mike Francesa’s steaming pile of sports talk.

A-Rod, finding his soft, albeit questionable, landing proceeded to deny all allegations, declared the process to be fraudulent, and Bud Selig the villain for suspending him.

“What we saw today, it was disgusting,” Rodriguez said. “And the fact that the man from Milwaukee (Selig) that put this suspension on me with not one bit of evidence. Something that I didn’t do. He doesn’t have the courage to come look me in the eye and tell me this is why I did 211? I shouldn’t serve one inning …”

Francesa, asked A-Rod a few pointed questions that any moderately prepared

sports

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760-347-8828

M

anny Pacquiao worked over Brandon Rios for 12 rounds this past Saturday in what was a predictable outcome to an over-hyped fight. This one sided matchup was telling in that again it exposed that boxing has fallen from the glory days 1970’s through the 1990’s. Back in the ring for the first time in almost a year, Pacquiao wore Rios down with his trademark combinations and quickness and won 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 on the scorecards at The Venetian casino in Macau to grab the WBO international welterweight title.

Whether or not that’s enough to launch Pacquiao back into the realm of “men who might actually be able to knock Floyd the hell out” remains to be seen.

As lopsided fights go, this one wasn’t halfbad. Pacquiao led end to end—you’d have to try very hard to give even two rounds to Rios—controlling the fight and moving around the ring generally unthreatening, which was expected, if not quite certain.

Rios, whose aggressive, stalking style was put into hibernation by Manny’s own offense and speed. Rios never really threatened to make this much of a fight. But obviously, the intricacies of the fight itself don’t matter as much as the look into the state of Manny Pacquiao, championship-caliber fighter. And Pacquiao looked good, clearly the more polished boxer and I was left thinking that he belongs in a fight with someone much more talented than Rios.

Rios didn’t look like he belonged for much of the night. Even early in the fight, before Pacquiao’s body work made the hand speed difference even more lopsided, he ate a straight left counter to the face while trying to throw a jab, just completely befuddled

by Pacquiao’s setup and speed. It’s almost comical on the slow motion replay.

By the fifth, the mismatch was obvious.

In the first minute, Manny feinted a jab, Rios tried to throw one of his own, and Pacquiao slipped in and tagged him with a massive straight left to the face. Rios recovered—he didn’t look good, but he took a few shots in this fight that would have at least staggered

most fighters—and lumbered forward with a few looping swings, but Manny had already danced away. Pacquiao looped around to his right (he was getting outside of Rios at will for most of the fight), and started in again, punching through Rios’s defense, moving him backwards, wearing him down.

The rest of the fight looked more or less like that, with the exception of Manny sort of taking the 8th off. This wasn’t the menacing, bloodthirsty Pacquiao from last December, who was stalking Marquez, looking for a knockout before walking into that cement mixer right hand. He was cagey, keeping Rios’s left hook under control, and throwing combinations more or less when he wanted.

Rios kept coming forward, but it was mostly empty aggression, often moving with no intention of throwing; no real danger, but never completely safe either. And as in control as Pacquiao was for the night, you never really shook off the ‘I hope Manny doesn’t literally die in this fight’ state of mind until the final bell.

Still, it’s hard to watch Pacquiao fight, and fight well—strong, fast, dangerous—without admitting that the old power didn’t flash like it used to. Even throwing out the Hatton bloodbath, when you’d see the old Manny wear a guy down like he did Rios this morning, he simply could not finish him off—and you know he wanted this KO badly enough to be hunting for it. Some of that is Rios being an old school tough guy and walking through big shots, but in the 9th and 10th, Manny was punching through and around Rios’s defense with shots that, at one time, probably would have put him down.

Maybe Manny will get back to that form in another fight or two. Although at this stage of his career, I don’t think he really cares. In this Pay-Per-View world, the right amount of marketing and just enough hype, guarantees these headline fighters a monster pay day, win or lose. Pacquiao’s best days are behind him. Sure he’ll fight a couple more times, for this reason or that, but like boxing, it’ll just be about the money. This makes me love the UFC even more.

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Another Word on “The Women’s Issue”

T

he CVW “Women’s Issue” was a lot of work and a beautiful success.

However, there are two important corrections to note and an omission to include.

In attorney Valerie Powers Smith piece, I said she practiced Family Law. Powers in fact practices Estate and Trust Planning and Administration specializing in special needs, same-sex, and complex planning; as well as, guardianships and conservatorships; and healthcare insurance and Medicaid. And Stephanie Greene’s mentor Toni Alexander is alive! It was Alexander’s husband’s funeral Greene attended not her mentor’s.

Due to the need for space, Tracy Dietlin was omitted. It is time readers know a little something about the woman behind this publication.

Tracy Dietlin: CV Weekly Publisher by Heidi Simmons The right to free speech and a free press is arguably the strongest American attribute. It is what makes this country great. Tracy Dietlin is publisher of the Coachella Valley Weekly or CV Weekly. She has given the valley and high desert a new and colorful voice.

In a world that continues to move toward digital communication, Dietlin bravely took on the free, over-sized tabloid niche. Only 20 months new, Dietlin continues to build her publication both in print and online.

“I wanted something that would celebrate the valley and all the great things that happen here,” said Dietlin. Her goal: To be the only weekly paper that you want or need for music, movies, live theatre, dining, casinos, business, fashion, sports, mind, body, spirit, health, fitness, beauty, books, pets, politics and culture.

“I don’t want my paper to have a demographic,” said Dietlin.

“It’s for everyone. It literally has something for everybody.” CV circulation is now 30,000 and is at 700 locations throughout the valley and high desert. Its online presence continues to grow with more and more readers outside the valley.

Dietlin has been an entrepreneur her whole life. A visionary, she has a

gift of seeing a need and filling it. At 20 years old, Dietlin recognized the need for construction site cleanup and shortly had eight employees. In the first year, her business grossed over $100.000.

During the 1980’s she also owned, produced and directed beauty pageants and talent competitions. Her daughter, Michelle Brewer, now 29, did acting for a couple of years in Hollywood.

Dietlin moved to the CV in 1991 after becoming a massage therapist. A serious shoulder injury pushed her into sales. She worked for several print publications in the valley as both a writer and account executive, as well as producing, directing and selling ads for a local TV show.

In the early 2000’s her love of music took her in the direction of managing several bands along with being a booking agent, publicist and producing Battle of the Bands and other events.

Thinking ahead, Dietlin officially registered the CV Weekly name in 2007, hoping some day she would have the opportunity to actually publish her own paper.

“I’ve had many careers,” said Dietlin.

“But I always wanted to be a writer.”

Dietlin has published song lyrics and a book of poetry. For Dietlin, the irony is that now that she has a paper, she rarely has time to write. Dietlin is the sole owner and publisher. She is editor, sales manager and bookkeeper. Dietlin has eight employees and a writing staff of 30. She puts in a huge amount of time every day, seven days a week, to ensure a quality product.

“Most of my writers have been with me since the beginning,” said Dietlin.

“Robert Chance (CVW graphic designer) is absolutely amazing and has a great temperament. I’m so fortunate to have such good people.”

Then there’s Philip Lacombe, Dietlin’s husband. “He’s my right hand. He does so much, he’s wonderful,” said Dietlin.

Lacombe may be the valley’s most cheerful and friendliest person. They have been together for eight years. They run the CVW business from home.

Besides building a paper, they have made a family together. Dietlin and Lacombe have full custody of his boys ages 12 and 15. They have two cats that are also like their children.

Besides being a shrewd businessperson, Dietlin is tenacious and sensitive, insightful and bright, intuitive and generous. “If I won a lot of money I would set up charities for the homeless, for the care of animals and to help women who have lost everything get back on their feet.”

She loves music, she’s a competitive trivia buff and she loves Sons of Anarchy.

But most of all she loves to laugh! In fact, she always wanted to do stand-up comedy.

Dietlin had a dream. She wanted to win an Academy Award© for best writing, best producer, best director and best film. In many ways, she has succeeded. Dietlin is a great writer, produces a popular publication, directs a complicated cast of characters and delivers the best paper in the Coachella Valley. She deserves an Oscar©!

Disclaimer from the Publisher! Only because Heidi Simmons threatened to never write for me again if I didn’t include this, am I allowing the above article to be printed. The Women’s Issue was not about me but about all the amazing women in this valley.

by Heidi Simmons Thank you Heidi, for making me sound so credible and for your support.

Last week’s issue was a huge undertaking but well worth it to let our readers know a little more about these extraordinary women. There are so many more I wanted to include (next time).

I would like to thank the IW Club for allowing us to photograph all the women on the stairs of their club.

I would like to again thank Chris Miller for taking the cover photo but we accidentally left out a few other photo credits so I would like to thank Scott Pam for taking the photo of Carrie Wilson, Gregg Felsen for the photo of Mindy Reed, Laura Hunt Little for the photo of Laramie Eve, and Robert Jonathan {RJ} Taylor from zencommedia.com for all the photos he took on page 33 of the Stanley Kramer Film Festival, which CV Weekly sponsored.

I would also like to thank all of my writers who wrote the ladies profiles; Heidi Simmons, Denise Ortuno Neil, Haddon Libby, Judith Salkin, Bronwyn Ison, Janet McAfee, Laura Hunt Little, Lola Rossi, Ray Bill, Scott Pam, Eric Robertson, Noe Gutierrez, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Patte Purcell and Philip Lacombe.

Stay tuned for the Men’s Issue coming soon!

tat talk

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by phil lacombe

Tony Francois from TG Tat As an avid tattoo enthusiast I felt it was time to shed some light on some local talent.

Name: Tony Francois

November 28 to December 4, 2013

Where you tat: The Tattoo Gallery (TG Tattoo) 68186 Ramon Rd Cathedral City, CA 92234 Why you started tattooing: I started tattooing 10 years ago when I lost my job. It was something that I always had wanted to try, and thought that was the perfect time to do it.

What style of tattooing do you enjoy the most: My favorite styles of tattooing are exaggerated realism or a cartoonie new school. I prefer to do color tattoos but still enjoy doing black and grey.

Who inspires you to tattoo: Nowadays there are so many amazing tattoo artist out there compared to when I first started.

Before I even started tattooing, when I was still living in Chicago I would from time to time see work by Cleen Rock One and was amazed by his color work. I always liked Aaron Bell’s work mainly because when I first started apprenticing his flash was the coolest and brightest stuff we had in the shop.

If you could tattoo anywhere in the world where would you go: Mexico City Tell me your favorite tattoo story about one of your clients: A couple months ago 6 ladies came in to all get the same tattoo, an infinity sign with the number 19 in it. As I was tattooing on one of them I overheard the others talking about doing repairs on their houses and wondering why their husbands weren’t doing it. It came to my attention that these 6 ladies were the widows of 6 of the 19 firemen that died in Arizona. I felt honored that they came in here and had me do their tattoo.

Tg Tat 760-324-9tat www.tgtattoo.com

California Woman 411 with your host Dee Jae Cox

‘Talking to women who lead and inspire’ Saturday’s from 10 – 11 a.m.

KPTR 1450 AM Palm Springs, CA California

CA-WMN-411 www.CaliforniaWoman411.com

Produced by The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Project:

www.lawtp.org www.californiawoman411.com

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

music

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by mario lalli

Record Store Day, The Record Alley & The 9 Lives of the Vinyl Record

O

n November 29th, “Black Friday” as it is known in the retail industry, Big box stores will be offering “crazy” discounts with people camping outside on the side walk to get the steal on the deal. TV’s, video games, computers, cell phones, ipads, if we consume it, Black Friday is apparently the day to buy it. Department stores will be left in shambles from frenzied consumers digging for the deal that will stretch their holiday dollar.

This Black Friday is special though, because every independent record store is celebrating Record Store Day. For better or worse, it’s the busiest shopping day of the year, and once again Record Store Day will be helping indie record stores be part of it—with special exclusive releases from some of the most popular artists in almost every genre.

The resurgence and survival of the vinyl record as a sustainable, tangible format for music lovers to fetish, collect and enjoy for generations, is a beautiful thing in this ever growing digitized, down loadable culture.

Music, movies and products suggested by algorithms generated by our searches and purchases via the web is a reality we all live in and I’m not saying that YouTube hasn’t turned me on to some really great music & visual art that I would have never discovered otherwise. However, there is something about the longevity of the vinyl record that gives me hope that we (the hopeless music fanatic at least) will always protect it and support it.

Reinventing the wheel and popular format trends: 1877 gave way to the “Phonograph Cylinder”. Then the Gramophone (closest ancestor to the modern turntable) was introduced in 1895. The 1930’s gave us “reel to reel magnetic tape”....from here to 1948 when the”vinyl record” hit the scene there were several new methods of recording and playing back sound invented, but the vinyl record opened the doors to the mass consumer and the phonograph industry responded with affordable easy to use record players. From large furniture cabinet like component systems to small portable suitcase sized units...the world of recorded

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music was ours to explore. The Edison, Victor (and, later, Columbia) companies defined and dominated the production and early distribution of recorded music. This formative time of establishing nationwide networks of vendors and retail outlets--our nation’s earliest “record stores”--was one of rapid growth for the music industry. But this was to change with technology and cultural shifts in entertainment mediums. With television being the biggest culprit, we all know what influence that had and still has to this day, how many hours of our attention it consumes. It tells us how to dress, who to vote for, what to eat and drink, what to drive and occasionally, actually entertains or even educates us.

In 1906 there were 25,000 record dealers, a total that would be cut to 7,500 fifty years later, and to below 3,000 a half century later.(Vinyl History.com)The implementation of music charts were dedicated solely to vinyl, and an increased output of films (largely independent), and television or radio programs were also dedicated to the vinyl record and culture.

The revival has sometimes been considered a part of the greater revival of retro style. However, many sales in vinyl are of modern artists with modern styles or genres of music. Furthermore, many vinyl buyers are significantly too young to remember vinyl being a main music format, being in their teens, 20s, or 30s.

I remember very well the local record store and the magic there within. In Palm Springs there were two that changed my life. The RECORD ALLEY, which opened its doors in 1978, was where I bought my first

KISS record, Aerosmith, Mountain, Black Sabbath, The Seeds, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, then in the early 80’s all the punk treasures that we would discover, Ramones, DEVO, imports like the Damned, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Crass, Bauhaus… L.A., San Francisco and O.C. bands like X, Black Flag, Adolescents, the Minute Men, the Dead Kennedy’s ....we couldn’t wait to hit the bins...scoring the Who, Pink Floyd, Ram Jam, The Plasmatics, Iggy Pop, Frank Zappa, Motorhead....it goes on and on ....records still on my shelf to pull down, play and gaze upon the awesome art work and read the liner notes like they were written just for me. Try to download that! The good news is most records newly released or reissued come with a “download code” or even a

CD version packaged right in the record jacket. So you can listen on your ipods, phones, computers etc., but on the shelf is that collectible, tangible record... a piece of history.

Hats off to Jim & Shelly Stephens for keeping the music coming since 1978.... through records, 8 tracks, cassettes, CD’s and back again....congrats man for hangin’ in!!!

Come down and celebrate Record Store Day starting on Black Friday 72840 Hwy 111 #171, Palm Desert, CA 92260 in the Westfield Shopping Mall SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH 10:00AM - 6:00PM The RECORD ALLEY has special live performances planned all day and specials on all the cool stuff they offer. Check out the line-up of local perfromers: Mikey Reyes (Soul Opus/ Mikey Reyes Acoustic Movement), Gene Evaro Jr. (Evaro), Shavaughn Evaro (Evaro), Josh Heinz (Blasting Echo), Johnny Elsewhere, David Macias (Machin’), Michael Keeth & Martin Barrera, Joe Dillon & Scott Brooks (Hot Beat Pussy Fiend), Giorg Tierez & Frank Michel (Burning Bettie), Rob Lawrence (Sol Jah Rock).

F.O.T.B HAS RETURNED

(760)346-3682 73-614 HWY 111 PALM DESERT CA

November 28 to December 4, 2013

Local Music Spotlight

Local Music Spotlight

Anonymous Vox

yet 2 be determined (y2bd)

by Eric the red (eric robertson)

T

his week, I’m taking a step away from my usual metal and rock mentality, and moving into a territory most people wouldn’t expect.

Looking through upcoming events on Facebook, I stumbled upon a true gem. Just starting out in his music career, Anonymous Vox (or A.Vox for short) is preparing for his first live show as a rapper. With moving, heartfelt lyrical content and rhythms that make it difficult to sit still, Anonymous Vox is ready to blast his way into your minds.

Utilizing beats and tunes reminiscent of dubstep music, and layering his amazing vocal flow on top, the music A.Vox is producing is absolutely astounding. More along the lines of spoken word poetry than the majority of hip-hop and rap today, his words are awe inspiring. When asked where he draw’s inspiration for his lyrics, he stated, “From experiences I encounter in life. My thoughts in general, I suppose.

I think if you’re honest, music, like all true art, is a reflection of self. No matter what I’m talking about, it’s a reflection of my thoughts and feelings about an issue. I write about life experiences. [My song] ‘When the Drop Hits,’ which I started writing while I was in the crowd at my first music festival at 3am rockin out to Bassnectar or Free Nation which was me venting my frustrations about the blatant hypocrisy of government and peoples seeming indifference towards it.”

Having lyrics also touching on perseverance and following one’s dreams, A.Vox is out to change the standard in the rap genre.

Not only are A.Vox’s lyrics threaded with meaning, his stage name holds a statement as well. Originally starting out as just “Anonymous,” he created the moniker for his appearance on a friend’s mixtape.

“It was originally an acronym that stood for ‘Another No One Nobody but Yahweh Might Otherwise UnderStand.’ I kind of had a double meaning, because I didn’t want to be identified directly and I also thought that it was better that people focus on the merit of the words, than who was saying them (something that, unfortunately, so many

by selma grows

S

people apparently lack the ability to do).

There was also the stated meaning which, was basically saying that I was just another nobody, like everyone, that nobody but God himself would understand if it weren’t for the words I spoke as an artist. The Vox is something I picked recently because I’ve always been kind of uncomfortable with the name Anonymous because it’s so commonly used in so many contexts and that doesn’t exactly make for good marketing. Vox being the Latin word for voice, it kind of just made sense in context of the original meaning of the name, and I think it just sounds cool. So the name is now Anonymous Vox or as a some of my friends and fans call me, Avox.”

Even though he’s just starting in his musical endeavors, A.Vox has still faced some pretty daunting obstacles. On the subject of the biggest challenge he’s faced, he said, “As a musician, my biggest challenge is overcoming my own insecurities as an artist and trying to avoid the pitfall of following someone else’s character. Success in music is so often measured by fame and exposure, so it’s difficult to not try to pander to people by emulating what’s popular. Staying genuine and just having faith in yourself and your message, so that you can honestly connect with people who will relate to your music and be REAL fans.”

With a positive message and a career that is just blossoming, A.Vox is ready to inspire and motivate the minds of our valley. Be sure to check him out on Facebook at facebook.com/AnonymousVox, and see his first live performance this Saturday, 11/30, at the Hood Bar and Pizza with the return of Boycott Radio and What the Funk.

upport and Education for Local Music and Arts presents the headlining band at the February 7, 2014 event hosted by The Palm Desert Learning Tree Center. It’s a pleasure to present the band and their families. We all know that it takes effort from numerous dedicated sources to create success.

The Y2BD, Yet to Be Determined, history actually begins many years ago when drummer Nicolas Willman, 11, and his cousin, guitarist Noah Arujo,10, started learning their respective instruments.

Coming from a musical family, the boys were heavily influenced by hard rock acts such as KISS, AC/DC, Van Halen, and Motley Crue.

At family parties the boys began playing songs from these artists and quickly raised eyebrows. And now bass and vocals are respectively handled by Andy Anderson11 and Markus Ortega 9.

Earlier this year, Y2BD began rehearsing with a bass player and a singer, both found from family friends. In March they played their first gig opening up for local band Wyte Gye at Tack Room Tavern in Indio. Their three-song set was well received and the boys were elated to be performing in public.

Y2BD has since played several more gigs and continue to learn new songs. They work very hard at rehearsal, which is held two nights a week. Currently they are rehearsing for their next gig at Indio’s Tamale Festival on December 7 2013. The boys play at 12:30 p.m. on the Sunset Stage.

The Y2BD parents are equally committed to their success and encourage them to expand their musical knowledge. Noah and Andy continue to take guitar and bass lessons. Nicolas’s guitarist father provides a permanent jamming partner for him.

Markus’ mother ensures he arrives at rehearsal with lyrics memorized. The bandmates are obviously grateful for all the support they receive.

The boys know the importance of playing their instruments well and learning new songs. Their ultimate goal is to begin writing and recording their own music. For now they are having fun honing their skills on the songs people recognize. Although they do not realize, their performances have had a huge impact on the kids watching them.

Y2BD’s parents’ have heard multiple times that other children now “want to do that, too.”

Support and Education for Local Music and Arts is honored to highlight this band.

As the seasons change new talent arises and the hope to expand the opportunities in our community. SELMA. Y2BD. Happy Holidays Coachella Valley!

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Eleni P. Austin

RANK AND FILE

“The Slash Years” (Wounded Bird Records)

Consider This

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

November 28 to December 4, 2013

B

ack in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Punk music was experiencing growing pains.

The genre had splintered into disparate sub-genres. New Wave, No Wave, Post Punk, Industrial, New Romantic and Goth were just a few styles permeating the scene. Perhaps the most incongruous mutation was Cow-Punk.

On paper, the idea of blending the “aw shucks” sincerity of Country with the snarling nihilism of Punk, seemed like a combustible combination. But in reality, it was a pretty astute alliance. In their own ways, Hank Williams, Sr. and Johnny Cash were as Punk Rock as Sid Vicious and Dee Dee Ramone.

Most Cow-Punk bands, Beat Farmers, Tex And The Horseheads, Blood On The Saddle and the Long Ryders, were California-bred. Jason & The Scorchers (Illinois/Tennesee) and the Rave-Ups (Pennsylvania) were the out-of-state exceptions.

Rank And File were ahead of the pack. The band rose from the ashes of Chip and Tony Kinman’s seminal Punk band, the Dils. The Kinman’s grew up in Carlsbad, but by 1977 they had relocated; first to the thriving Punk scene in San Francisco, and then to the West Coast mecca for Punk music, Los Angeles.

They released a handful of essential singles, including “I Hate The Rich” and “Class War.” ( The Punk band on stage at the Roxy, during a pivotal scene in Cheech & Chong’s GanjaCinema classic, “Up In Smoke,” that would be the Dils).

After the dissolution of the Dils, the Kinman’s hooked up with drummer, Slim Evans and Alejandro Escovedo. Alejandro had made his Punk Rock bones as a guitarist for the Nuns. (He is also part of the musical Escovedo clan, which includes brothers Pete and Coke of Santana and Pete’s daughter Sheila E.) Rank And File spent considerable time woodshedding in L.A. and Texas, honing their chops in tiny juke joints and Honky Tonks.

They signed with L.A.’s premiere Punk label, Slash. (Home to the Germs, X, the Blasters, Fear and the Gun Club). David Kahane handled

WESTFIELD MALL 72840 Hwy 111 #171 Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-341-2017 www.recordalley.com

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production chores and their debut, Sundown was released in 1982 to rave reviews.

Unfortunately, success was short-lived for Rank And File. By the time they were ready to record their second album, Long Gone Dead, Alejandro Escovedo and Slim Evans split the band. The Kinman’s were joined by Jeff Ross on guitar, Richard Greene on fiddle, multiinstrumentalist Peter Grant on pedal steel, slide guitar, auto-harp and banjo. Tom Petty drummer Stan Lynch filled in on drums. It was a great album, but it missed the spark of their debut.

After a disastrous self-titled third album, Rank And File called it quits. The Kinman’s went on to front two other bands, Blackbyrd and Cowboy Nation. Alejandro Escovedo, along with his brother Javier, formed the True Believers.

When that band imploded, he embarked on a rich and rewarding solo career.

Although Rank And File’s first two albums have been long out of print, the reissue label, Wounded Bird has recently released them together as The Slash Years.

More than 30 years has elapsed since Sundown was released, but the album crackles with timeless energy. The album kicks off with the one-two punch of “Amanda Ruth” and “(Glad) I’m Not In Love.” Both tracks mine the giddy emotions of young love. “Amanda Ruth” matches a martial cadence to rickety guitar riffs.

Tony’s gruff baritone takes the lead, as Alejandro plucks a skittery guitar solo.

Chip’s reedy tenor is front and center on “(Glad) I’m Not In Love.” A jingle-jangle

hoedown that bemoans a relationship gone bad…”Conversation’s useless I don’t even want to try to talk about it would make you cry/ Everything has changed we don’t see eye to eye, the door is swinging both ways-to stay, I’d sooner die.” Slim Evans keeps a steady beat as Escovedo executes a rippling solo.

Three songs, “The Conductor Wore Black,” “I Went Walking” and the title cut each borrow liberally from the Johnny Cash playbook, blending a galloping rhythm and rollicking riffs that run roughshod over a taut melody, “The Conductor…” spins a yarn of baddass Old West train travel. “This train carries liars this train carries cheats, this train carries black guards from all walks of life that you’d ever, never want to meet.”

The melody of “I Went Walking” draws parallels to “I Walk The Line.” Rubbery bass lines and chicken-scratch guitar chords cushion lyrics that take the piss out of Punk Rock rituals. (Even social outcasts and iconoclasts adopt uniforms).

“Did you ever see a sheep in a pork pie hat? Ever seen a lemming dressed all in black?/ The fellow told me I was a square, I didn’t wear buttons and spike my hair.” It’s ironic that these same signifiers are still around in the 21st century.

The band doesn’t just borrow Johnny Cash’s patented “boom-chicka-boom” beat for Sundown, the lyrics also pay homage to the man in black and the Tennessee Two… “It was a band from Tennessee fronted by a man in black singing songs of trains and rivers/’bout the takers and the givers and a wreck on the tracks.”

Despite their tender ages, the Kinman’s were sharp lyricists. Two tracks, “Rank And File” and “Coyote” tackle topics that resonate today. On

the former, the melody is anchored by southern fried “Dixie” riffs and a tribal beat that suggests the “Theme From Peter Gunn.” The lyrics paint the plight of the working man, and it’s politics as usual… “They preach the truth and they don’t know what it means/ From left to right-oh it makes me want to scream.

The latter is powered by a staccato rhythm, lonesome harmonica fills and a guitar break that recalls the theme from “Bonanza.” The lyrics limn the tragedies that befall illegal immigrants as they attempt to cross the border.

Only two years had elapsed between Sundown and the band’s sophomore release, Long Gone Dead, but it almost sounds like a different band. The twang was still there, but the Punk sensibility was absent.

There are still highlights to be found here.

The title track mixes shimmery acoustic guitar and crystalline autoharp runs. Weather is the theme explored on “Sound Of The Rain” and “Hot Wind” On the former, soaring harmonica fills and jingle jangle guitar give the track a Neil Young-Meets-The-Monkees feel. (That’s a good thing).

On the latter, a dusty clip-clop rhythm collides with plangent guitar chords and syncopated banjo runs. The lyrics conjure up an Old West mythos that echoes the writings of Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour.

There are a couple of glaring mis-steps here.

If the Jackson 5 or the Sylvers ever attempted country music, it might sound like “Saddest Girl.”

Meanwhile, on “Timeless Love” tight harmonies form an odd alliance with a stutter-step beat, fiddle and pedal steel underpinnings. It’s kind of a country cousin to Smokey Robinson’s grind-y slow dance, “Oooh Baby Baby.”

But the band redeems their selves with the Louvin Brothers-esque fever dream of “Last Night I Dreamed.” The album closes with “It Doesn’t Matter.” A classic country weeper, the track perfectly intertwines pedal steel and fiddle.

Rank And File paved the way for the alt. country and No Depression movements. Bands like Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown (which begat Wilco and Ryan Adams) might not have existed if the Kinman brothers never dipped their Punk Rock peanut butter into Country Western chocolate. The Slash Years keeps their legacy alive.

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Janet McAfee

TWO CATS ARE BETTER THAN ONE! HOW TO PROPERLY INTRODUCE A NEW CAT

J

enny Smith was thinking about getting a second cat to join her household. However, she was not so sure her 5-year-old cat Sweetie, pampered little queen of the household, would be pleased about a newcomer arriving. Jenny rescued Sweetie as a tiny kitten, and Sweetie had no experience interacting or playing with another feline. Could Sweetie learn to share all the attention with a stranger after all these years?

Jenny contacted Loving All Animals about getting a rescue cat. It was agreed that it could be a disastrous pet introduction if the adoption meeting was not handled properly. This is even more likely with a cat like Sweetie who was never socialized with other cats. A meeting was scheduled when Jenny had several hours to try a “new cat introduction” method which explained in great detail in the book, The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier. The basic steps for introducing a new cat are listed below.

An adoption counselor brought the newcomer, a kitten later named Iris, in a carrying case to Jenny Smith’s home. Jenny was instructed to ignore Iris. Sweetie was present in the living room, but she purposefully pretended not to know Iris had arrived. Several steps involved moving the animals closer, and requiring the humans to ignore the newcomer until their older cat accepted the new one. Success here meant there was no “cat fighting” and no hissing. The drama unfolded as Sweetie appeared more curious than threatened

by Iris. Jenny was amazed that there was no hissing or fighting between the two. A couple weeks later, Jenny reported the two cats were bonding and she caught Sweetie

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licking Iris a couple times. For the first time Sweetie is learning the joy of playing with a member of her own species. Jenny reports, “It took about a month for them to become best buddies, but now they go everywhere together. Sweetie is very protective if anything happens with Iris.

They especially love playing together in paper grocery bags.” Little tabby Iris loves to play with Sweetie on their shared cat tree, pictured here with Jenny.

Careful planning avoids the horrible hissing and fighting that occurs when some cats meet for the first time. This great introduction method allows folks to adopt a second cat without worry. What could be more fun than 2 cats engaged in joyful play, happily pouncing and chasing, twirling like circus acrobats? If she could talk, Sweetie would agree that two cats are better than one!

INTRODUCING A NEW CAT TO THE HOUSEHOLD Many owners think their “Fluffy” would be jealous or miserable if they adopted another cat. To the contrary, cats that live with a cat friend live longer, healthier and happier lives. Selecting one that compliments your cat’s personality is always a good idea. If you have an elderly

cat, a mature and calm companion works better than an active kitten. If you have an energetic cat, one that is equally playful or a kitten would be a good match. The steps below may take several hours to complete, but are well worth the investment when they spare you days of hissing and “cat fighting”. These steps will prove helpful if you decide to adopt a second or third cat. This is also good information if you are blending “cat families” with a new roommate or spouse.

1. Have someone outside the household, preferably a stranger, arrive with the newcomer cat in a carrying case with plenty of air holes. Have torn strips of newspaper in the bottom of the case for later use.

2. All family members must act completely oblivious to the new cat. The visitor sits in the living room with the cat inside the carrying case on his lap for about 20 minutes.

3. After 20 minutes, the visitor moves the carrying case containing the new cat to the floor next to his feet. If your cat comes over and sniffs the case and walks away, ignore him, continue chatting and proceed to step 5. If your cat stays away from the case, include step 4.

4. The visitor takes a few of the newspaper strips from the carrier, makes a trip to another room dropping a trail of the strips behind them. This gives your cat a chance to become familiar with the new cat’s scent from a safe distance.

5. Have the visitor continue to sit and talk a while longer. When your cat sits calmly in the room without staring continually at the carrying case, you may proceed to the next step.

6. Have all family members take your cat into the kitchen for a snack, closing the door behind. The visitor in the living room now opens the carrying case and lets the new cat out. Your cat won’t feel like its family put the newcomer in its territory, and this gives the new one some time to explore the new home without being quite so tense.

7. When your cat finishes his snack and decides to return to the living room, the family stays behind in the kitchen.

8. When the cat returns to the living room, the visitor joins the family in the kitchen. Everyone acts oblivious to the cats who are now roaming free in the home.

9. At no time should anyone offer expression of encouragement or interest in the cats. If you must check on things in the living room, have one person enter but without paying obvious attention to the cats. At this stage, hissing is perfectly normal; disgruntled muttering is less desirable but still to be ignored. However, if loud growling and screaming occur, you may need to separate them, and this may mean one of the earlier steps was not carried out properly.

10. When the cats reach the stage where they are not pacing around, but sitting in the same room together, the humans leave the house for about a 30 minute walk.

11. When you return home, greet your own cat while continuing to ignore the newcomer. If there is nothing worse than hissing going on, the visitor can leave at any time.

12. The final stage of the introduction occurs at the cats’ own pace over the next few days or weeks. Hard as it might be, you and your family must continue to ignore the new cat, not touching or talking to him, until your first cat has accepted him into the household. Chasing can be a good sign, especially if they reverse roles.

Another sign of progress occurs when the cats sit in the same room without staring continuously at each other. Encourage activities for the 2 cats to do together, such as putting a couple of cardboard boxes together in a room for them to play on.

The reward for all this work comes from the strong bond of communication and affection that develops between the two cats. Eventually that bond extends to their human companions. Watch the drama unfold, be proud of your success, and enjoy having two little furballs greet you when you arrive home! Your cat will never be lonely now when you’re away from home.

Looking for second or third cat to complete your household? The Riverside County Shelter, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, is a great place to find a new feline companion.

You can view their adoptable animals on their website at www.rcdas.org . This website includes the pets available at both Thousand Palms and City of Riverside shelter locations.

With the proper introduction, one of these wonderful cats or kittens can become a joyful addition to your household.

November 28 to December 4, 2013

by Rick Riozza

Easy as 1-2-3 at The Viceroy

T

he Viceroy Palm Springs is ideally located right in the center of all downtown Palm Springs’ attractions.

It’s one of those retro-chic hotels that when entering the lobby, you’re whisked back to the Hollywood glamour days with those Deco-style mirrors and chandelier sconces about and the sounds of the cocktail shaker from the hotel’s bar where mixologist John Saindon is chilling up a very dry Martini.

The sexy cinematic stroll continues as you pass through the stylish Citron Restaurant Lounge and out to the courtyard where a hip pool panorama awaits. Whether you’re in Palm Springs casual or dressed to the hilt in vintage garb to accompany the scenery—“Excuse me, may I have your autograph…aren’t you someone famous?” The place is fun, enjoyable and a real treat.

We came upon this place recently to enjoy a fantastic Tequila dinner-pairing featuring the delicious spirit brew of Señor David Ravandi, the bon-vivant founder of 123 Organic Tequila (uno, dos, tres). Artisanal and handcrafted with USDA and EU Certified Organic Blue Agave— consummate quality never tasted so good!

Speaking humbly during the dinner course breaks, it’s clear that he crafts his Tequila with the wine drinker in mind. “As with grapes, where wines produced on valley floors differ with those sourced from mountain sides, there are differences as well with Tequilas grown in varying altitudes. The higher up the mountain you go, the sweeter and more floral notes are produced by the blue agave.”

Enter Viceroy’s Executive Chef Warren Cordoba. One could say he does Latin-American cuisine with a modern continental accent. With Ravendi’s uno-Blanco, dos-Reposado & tresAñejo, Chef Warren played artist in the kitchen and paired five courses to match the three

Tequilas.

For example, the pan-fried citrus marinated Day Boat Scallops served with escabeche vegetables was combined with the floral, black pepper, and mineral flavors of the un-aged Blanco. The Pacific Lobster with grilled Nopales and Tomatillo Beurre Blanc was teamed with the fresh oak, sultry salty caramel and toffee notes of the Reposado. And Chef’s inventive take on Carne Asada with Confit Yukon Gold potatoes, grilled Cippolini onions and Chipotle Béarnaise was paired with the 18 month aged rich and silky Añejo.

The Añejo continued with the Spiced Chocolate Pot de Crème and cinnamon Churros.

Muy Rico!! While these dishes are served occasionally as specials at Citron, many of the restaurant’s regular menu items may be paired with the versatile 123 Organic Tequilas.

The event was part of the hotel’s “So Very Palm Springs” dinner series that presents spirits and fine dining. The next and final dinner in the series will showcase, on December 5th, the famed Beluga Noble Russian Vodka for a caviar tasting and four-course dinner. I can’t imagine any foodie & vodka drinker missing this event. Call for reservations soon! (760) 3204117.

And if you’re an early reader of this issue, you, family and friends still have time to enjoy the warm ambiance of Citron for Thanksgiving.

It’s one of the best prices in town for a plated, four-course dinner: $38 adults; $19 kids under age 9.

The meal sounds scrumptious with courses that include fresh Wild Mustard Green salads with Jicama and Oranges, Butternut Squash Soup, choices of Apple-Brined Roast Turkey with traditional stuffing, Chutney Cranberry, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Sage Giblet Gravy, or, Pacific Sole, Haricot Verts with Truffle Leek Gratin and Beurre Blanc. Dessert is a choice of Cranberry Tart with Tahitian Vanilla Cream or, Classic Warm Ginger Bread. Go on-

line for more menu details.

This place is a real happening for the holidays, and, the Viceroy invites you to celebrate 2014 two ways: in lavish glamour with a masquerade ball beneath the stars, or at the modish poolside lounge. Offering two very unique experiences, guests are invited to plan for a night of intrigue, with the Venetian Bacchanal, or, a chic poolside scene at Citron’s poolside New Year’s Eve reception.

Viceroy Venetian Bacchanal - $360 per person A black and white masquerade ball that’s both sensory and elegant with Venetian actors to entertain, an opulent hors d’oeuvres reception, a sumptuous six-course feast, and one of my favorite aspects: free flowing Veuve Clicquot Champagne all night long! KCRW’s DJ Valida will be spinning under the stars and look for a 2,014-balloon drop on the dance floor at midnight. Come to be seen or not to be seen.

This one-of-a-kind and only-in-Palm Springs luxurious overnight experience features: Cocktails begin at 8PM, dinner served promptly at 9:30PM. Event ends at 2 am. Limit to 100 New Year’s revelers. Details and menu for this event are found on their website: www. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/en/palmsprings/ dining_and_nightlife.

Black Tie Optional. Admission good for Viceroy Venetian Bacchanal and Citron Poolside Reception.

Citron Poolside Reception - $75 per person 9PM – 2AM For a little less mystery, celebrate 2014 at Citron’s poolside reception. Inviting guests to party beneath the stars with heavy hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment and dueling DJs, the party will include: Roaming bites Live entertainment Cash bar VIP Lounge and bottle service reservations DJs Lady Sinclair and Aubrey Hansen For overnight accommodations or New Year’s Eve exclusives or for cabana reservations or questions, simpy call (760) 318 3016.

The Viceroy Hotel, 415 S. Belardo Rd. Palm Springs Ca. 92262 (760) 320-4117

17

November 28 to December 4, 2013

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

COME JOIN US FOR THE FUN!!

• 14 flat screen televisions • NTN Trivia and poker with QB1

While you are here you can try one of our ten tap beer selections from a frosty cold glass or choose one of our 30 tequilas or vodkas to make your favorite cocktail.

PLAYOFFS I THE PLAC S E TO BE

12105 PALM DRIVE DESERT HOT SPRINGS

(760) 251-2644

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

November 28 to December 4, 2013

Club Clu luubb Crawler CCr Craw raaw wle wl w ler Nightlife Nig NNi iigggh ght httltlilliiifffee ht COUNTRY WESTERN(CW) VARIETY / DANCE(VD) ROCK N ROLL(RR) PIANO BAR(PB) JAZZ(JZ) POP ROCK(PR) BLUES(BL) CLASSIC ROCK(CR) CABARET(CB) LATIN ROCK(LR) REGGAE(RG) ACOUSTIC (AC) METAL(M)

THUR NOVEMBER 28

29 PALMS INN; 29 PALMS; 760-367-3505 Bev and Bill 6pm (JZ) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day in the Amigo Room 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Lilli Rose 7-10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Paula Prince 7pm (PB) BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 Open Mic 8pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Thirsty Thursdays 8pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 Karaoke ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Lola Rossi, Rob Carter and Denise Motto 5-9pm (JZ) EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 The Hive Minds 8pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen in the lounge and Tom on the patio 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Gold Rush Country 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 8-1am (LR) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD)

MIRAMONTE RESORT; IW; 760-341-7200 “Sassy & Sultry” featuring Gina Carey 5-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 Karaoke 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Machin’ 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross 6pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Spaghetti Western Night 5pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Bill Saitta Jazz 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Singles Night 9pm

FRI NOVEMBER 29

19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Dana Larson 6pm (AC) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 RT N’ The 44’s w/ DJ Mitra and Joe Fletcher 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Karaoke w/ AJ The KJ 8-12am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 T.B.A. 8pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 DJ 10pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-7755566 DJ PWee 8pm (VD) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael

Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-3252600 Lassie Jo’s Best Damn Karaoke 7pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 Dude Jones 9pm HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 T.B.A. 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 War Drum 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live DJ 8:30pm (VD) KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 T.B.A. 7:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 San Fernando 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Hot Pocket Band 9pm (VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 T.B.A. 9pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 T.B.A. PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Alyce Bowie 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Sara Petite 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 T.B.A. 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 8pm, Whitney Shay Sidebar Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Acoustic Sessions w/ Rob Lawrence, Lonnie Castro, Josh Heinz, Caxton, and Buz Blvd 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Country Night w/ Walt Young 5:30pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm

SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. (JZ)(RR) TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Delgado Blues Band 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted @ Night 10pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm (VD) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Scott Carter 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 T.B.A. 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760564-2201 Rob & jb 7-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallet 6:30pm (JZ) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Girl’s Night out w/ The Men on the Hollywood Strip 9pm

SAT NOVEMBER 30

19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Beverly & Bill 6-9pm (JZ) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Stronghold Reggae presents Reggae Sol poolside noon, High Life w/ DJ Day 10pm amigo room AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green w/ Les Michaels & Joel Baker 7-10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 T.B.A. 8pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 DJ Aaron C 10pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-7755566 DJ PWee (VD) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madeo 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 All Night Shoes 9pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6:30-9:30pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-3252600 Long Duk Dong 8pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 The Vibe 3-7pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 T.B.A. 9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 T.B.A. 8-11pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29;

INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 Tattooed Nanny 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Solid Gold Saturday w/ What the Funk, Boycott Radio, A.Vox, Tessaphobia, J Sizzle, and Guy Worden 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 T.B.A. 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 T.B.A. 6pm, Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 San Fernando 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Hot Pocket Band 9pm (VD) MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am Oktoberfest all day THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) NYPD; PS; 760-778-6973 Live DJ 9pm O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 T.B.A. 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 The Hive Minds 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Steve DiTullio 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, 5th & Birmingham 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 “H.B.U.” Hip Hop Concert 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band 9pm RENAISSANCE PALM; PS; 760-322-6100 Art of Sax featuring Sax Man Will Donato & Eddie Reddick 7-10pm (JZ) RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 T.B.A. 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross, Starlite Lounge 8pm, Whitney Shay, Sidebar Lounge 10pm, DJ Shasta, Starlite Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 R Buckle Road 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 The Mighty Delta-Tones 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted@ Night 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-

328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 DJ Hektik 10pm (VD) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JB 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760564-2201 David Olivia: An American Duo 7-10pm (LR)(PR) WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Stanley Butler 6:30pm (JZ) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm (VD)

SUN DECEMBER 1

29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bob & Allison Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Intoxica Radio Live w/ Howie Pyro 10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madeo 6-10pm

continue to page 22

19

November 28 to December 4, 2013

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The Pampered Palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

November 28 to December 4, 2013

By Raymond Bill

brunch at Le vallauris

F

inally! It’s my favorite time of year!

The weather is perfect and all of our seasonal restaurants have reopened.

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the beginning of the season than a Sunday Brunch. While some prefer a buffet style meal, I prefer a coursed meal with plenty of refreshing champagne. There are many venues for such an occasion but recently, I heard that Le Vallauris in Palm Springs is celebrating their 40th season. Although I have never been before, I had heard from many that I would not be disappointed.

Located at the west end of Tahquitz Canyon, Le Vallauris is tucked away, sheltered by lush, well-maintained trees.

My date and I were seated outside in the fresh open air with plenty of shade from the surrounding trees. The maître d’ was welcoming and professional in attire and demeanor. Our server was genuine and engaging. It is the kind of atmosphere that puts a smile on your face. We were greeted with fresh baked bread and butter and almost immediately, we were offered champagne. The menu was presented on a sandwich board, placed near us for viewing.

I wondered if the food would surpass the exquisite ambiance.

The brunch menu is a three course meal,

including dessert. I was impressed with the variety in selections and decided to order something outside the box. I began with a wild boar pate with pistachio, served with crisp endives and pickled vegetables. The flavors all came together intensely. It was not only incredibly delicious, but presented artistically. My date would begin with a beet and apple salad. The beets were fresh, diced and prepared in a cylindrical manner on the plate. It was both delicious and visually appealing.

For my main course, fresh Halibut with a nicoise salsa including diced olives and capers, accompanied by roasted eggplant.

It was truly impressive. The fish was flaky and light, pairing well with the savory topping. Across from me, my date was raving about her more traditional brunch

selection, eggs benedict with thinly sliced prosciutto and asparagus. I could not resist her offer to taste her dish. While happy with my selection, I will need to return for the eggs benedict! Simply amazing. The champagne continued to flow and our day felt like a vacation from home.

When desserts arrived, I was convinced there was some serious culinary talent in the kitchen and was honored when I had the opportunity to meet the chef and thank him personally. We enjoyed a duo of chocolate mousse as well as their “Floating Island,” a light cloud of meringue atop delicious crème anglaise with fresh strawberries. It was the perfect end to an amazing meal and experience. I left wondering how I had missed this amazing gem that has been successful for 40 years!

Le Vallauris is open nightly and lunch will now be available so be sure to visit them soon. I’m sure reservations are a must, as this will likely be a full restaurant through season! I look forward to many more visits as this could quite easily become my new favorite! View sample menus at www. levallauris.com or call 760-325-5059

“THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD THE WEST HAS TO OFFER!”

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20

Our wonderful staff is committed to giving you the best dining experience. We have a nicely stocked bar and great desserts as well. Our authentic mexican food main courses are truly mouth watering.

We have an award winning sweet corn tamale that you just have to try for yourself.

Once you dine at Pueblo Viejo Grill, you'll be back for more soon!

2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU:

36901 COOK ST. STE.#3 PALM DESERT, CA 92211 (760)836-1133

81931 HIGHWAY 111 INDIO, CA 92201 (760)342-5900

WWW.PUEBLOVIEJOGRILL.COM

21

November 28 to December 4, 2013

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

ON FIRE – AND NOT THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

Screeners No. 88

PAIN & GAIN - COLLECTOR’S EDITION

performances and focused direction make this a treat for the legions of fans that will find satisfaction -- and renewed anticipation for the next chapter. Now playing.

Book Review

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22

By Heidi Simmons

Fields of plenty By ld thompson

Fine performances by the leads do not make this otherwise vapid film meaningful, engaging or even especially diverting. Mostly good reviews were no doubt heavily influenced by the late James Gandolfini’s final performance as a hugely sympathetic divorced man bad-mouthed by his ex (Catherine Keener) to her easily influenced masseuse (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) who is dating Gandolfini. If this contrivance sounds funny, it’s not. Gandolfini will be long remembered. This movie will not.

Now playing.

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: ADORE I don’t think I’ve ever really used the word icky, but I can’t think of any other word that better fits this preposterous film that’s set in an Australian beach town of lush widescreen loveliness. Naomi Watts and Robin Wright are two moms who vacation with their sons (Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville) who each get involved with the other’s mom. Besides the “intoxicating sensuality,” as one reviewer put it, the movie raises -- and superficially examines -- a lot of other notions. It tries to be about morality, the nature of family and the meaning of love, but finally, it’s all pretty preposterous and yes, icky when transferred

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

A Life of Plenty

ENOUGH SAID

I didn’t read the books, didn’t like the first movie and the sequel is a tad long at 146 minutes. However, this latest movie adaptation in the “Hunger Games” trilogy burns up the screen and it’s solely due to Jennifer Lawrence’s powerful screen presence as Katniss Everdeen. Not free as promised, Katniss is now a prisoner of a fake narrative that endorses and supports the Capitol! For me, what works the strongest in the film is how the elite are morally indifferent to the needs of the lowest social strata. It’s a very relatable contemporary issue, no? The ramped look, feel and visceral energy of this follow-up to the 2012 hit of Suzanne Collins’ novel is welcome and compelling -- and will no doubt encourage a slew of YA stories to make the jump to the big screen. If you are not familiar with the story so far, this movie will leave you in the dark since it continues the adventure of the first film. Suffice it to say, rebel Katniss will not be intimidated by her President nor the unpredictable behavior of her fellow fighters in the deadly games. I loved the addition of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the mysterious Game Master. Great supporting

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44850 San Pablo, Palm Desert

from Doris Lessing’s elegant prose to literal images. I think the alternate home video title “Perfect Mothers” does better justice to the provocative tone of this film. Still, it makes me wonder – are some books better left on the page? Paramount. Blu-ray.

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

A brutal and nearly unbelievable true crime drama gets a darkly comic spin under Michael Bay’s surreal, kinetic, neonbright direction. Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie play a group of misguided, deluded and likely steroid addled personal trainers in 1990’s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong when they kidnap the resilient Victor Kershaw (a terrific Tony Shaloub). The new Special Collector’s edition includes an hour’s worth of extras that explore Bay’s unique “vision” for this character-driven story, the histories of reallife Daniel Lugo, Paul Doyle, Adrian Doorbal and Victor Kershaw and their sensational descent into the nightmarish web of a horrifically bizarre crime. Paramount. Bluray ALWAYS FAITHFUL

Adapted from the worldwide bestseller

by Cassandra Clare, this romantic, otherworldly action adventure didn’t really catch fire (pun intended) for the intended and much-desired film franchise. The story is about a seemingly ordinary teenager who discovers she is the descendant of a line of “Shadowhunters,” also known as halfangel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. Harald Zwart directs. For the hardcore niche fans of the book, the film will satisfy. For others, not so much. Blu-ray combo pack includes deleted scenes, an interactive lineage tracker that allows fans to delve deeper into the characters. There’s an “Almost is Never Enough” Music Video by Ariana Grande featuring Nathan Sykes, and five behind-the-scenes featurettes that explore the journey of bringing this book to life on screen. Sony. Blu-ray.

I was choked up a few times while watching Harris Done’s fine, straightforward film about the dogs and trainers in the military’s K9 program. Sad that dogs are engaged in warfare, but the bravery and loyalty and skills they possess are extraordinary as is the bond that develops between human and animal. The stakes are unthinkable and there’s no room for error as these war dogs are responsible for countless fellow soldiers. The movie follows five young Marines from training to deployment. If you’re a dog lover, you will appreciate this remarkable film. iTunes and VOD. Comments? RobinESimmons@aol.com

I

Spirituality

s it possible to have it all -- love, wealth, and happiness along with peace, harmony and purpose? In LD Thompson’s, Fields of Plenty: A Guide to Your Inner Wisdom (Divine Arts, 190 pages), it absolutely is – but it may not be what you think.

Human beings are complicated. For most, we are in a constant state of desire and it is a challenge to live in the present and be fully actualized in the moment. In this day and age, it seems almost impossible to achieve a state of bliss. Thompson’s book gives the reader a practical understanding of our complex self and a guide to becoming conscious of what we manifest in our daily lives in order to find a place of peace -- a place where life is “plentiful.”

This is Thompson’s second book. His first, The Message: A Guide to Being Human introduced the reader to Thompson’s voice, or spirit guide, Solano. It is Solano who shares knowledge about who we are and the boundless potential we have as humans to make a difference not only in our own life, but also in the lives of others. Through

Thompson, Solano appears thoughtful and loving.

If it bothers you that Thompson “channels” Solano, that’s understandable.

Perhaps it is natural to be skeptical when the information is coming from someone beyond our realm. Maybe it is outside your comfort zone to consider the material as authentic or meaningful when it is disseminated by an unknown entity. Or maybe you simply think Thompson is Solano. These are all legitimate concerns, but what both books offer is another way to look at and understand one’s self and one’s place in the universe. Sometimes that takes an outsider.

There is a vocabulary Solano uses that differs from modern psychology. It takes getting use to, but becomes less confusing as you read through. For instance, there is the “Altered Ego,” which protects and

teaches us. It can get in our way of being one with our “Soul,” or it can work in tandem with the “Soul” to bring inspiration.

According to Solano, the Soul is wise and has a design for our life. The Soul is One with all things. It is eternal and “all it knows is plenty.” Solano uses the term “Infinite Intelligence” to express the “Divine.” Through Thompson, it is Solano’s purpose to identify the Soul’s perspective so that one may “radiate the Divine and live abundantly.”

The book is nicely organized and formatted. There is a lot of white space and it’s inviting to read. Each section starts with a Solano quote that leads into the chapter. Thompson’s words are in italics, while Solano’s words are in plain text – the majority of the book is by Solano.

Thompson adds his own experiences as illustrations. His contribution makes the information friendly, tangible and more comprehensible. He also gives exercises to help attain Solano’s suggestions.

There is a lot of information in this book that includes electromagnetic fields, brain chemistry and the change of DNA through meditation -- some very fascinating ideas.

I appreciate the science and I believe the human mind/body is amazing and still quite mysterious. I recognize that there is far more going on than we yet fully comprehend.

But I didn’t think all the scientific data wasn’t necessary to make the metaphysical point. I also felt I missed something between the first book, The Message and Fields of Plenty. It’s as if Thompson/Solano’s ideas went from a 101 class to a graduate seminar. Solano’s terminology and jargon can be cumbersome and obfuscating. I needed Thompson to intervene and give me some common ways to think about Solano’s specialized language.

Some passages I had to read over and over before I could fully absorb the meaning. I wanted a better understanding of Solano’s vernacular. For me, it’s difficult to incorporate the wisdom of Solano into daily practice when his lingo is so unnatural.

Solano is gracious as he recognizes our amazing human qualities and potential.

Thompson shares the wisdom of Solano as a “gift.” The book is well meaning and does deliver a message of hope and encouragement. Ultimately, it is about living life fully and abundantly. Solano wasn’t the first to point this out, but it is always nice to be reminded.

23

November 28 to December 4, 2013 continued from page 17 CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm (LR) CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke 9pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-2511991 Sunday Jam 4-8pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 The John McCormick Band 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Longest Running Jam Session in the valley. Hosted by JB, Sign up 6pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Sunday Band 7pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Sharon McNightTwisted Xmas 6pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 3pm, Darryl Williams Sidebar Patio 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm

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SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Acoustic Open Mic hosted by Walt Young SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Smooth Brothers (RR)(LR) TWIN PALMS BISTRO; PS; 760-322-0700 Jazz Sundays w/ Tibor Lesko & Friends 112pm and 5-7pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Scott Carter 1:30-4:30pm, Rob & JB 4:30-9pm, DJ Idol Eyez 9-2am WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Line Dancing w/ Tina 5:30-9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760564-2201 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Theo Coakley 6:30pm

MON DECEMBER 2 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bonnie Scott 6pm (AC) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Sissy Bingo w/ Linda Gerard 7-9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, lounge, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm (PB) SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 T.B.A. 6pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am

WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Art of Sax 8-11pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Urban Soul Project Band 8pm

TUE DECEMBER 3

29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 T.B.A. 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm (CB) BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Forbidden Lounge 8pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 John Stanley King 5-9pm (JZ)(BL) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760-833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6-9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm (VD) KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Dana Larson 6:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45 (PB) PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS;

760-327-4080 Eclectic Tuesdays. Singer/ songwriter night. All acts welcome. Hosted

by JB, Sign up 7pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Open Mic 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Open Mic Night 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. (RR)(JZ) TAQUERIA GUERRERO’S; TP; 760-3435971 DJ Keith 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Scott Carter & The New Breed 9-2am WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Hatley Jazz 6pm (JZ)

WED NOVEMBER 27 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bobby And Randy (BL) AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Mikole Carr AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Paula Prince 7pm (PB) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-8644119 Derek Jordan Gregg and Sean Poe 9pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Rose Mallet 5-9pm (JZ) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm HAMILTON’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL; LQ; 760-698-8303 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8:3012:30am

THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic 8pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live Music (RR) KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen in the lounge and Tom on the patio 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Michael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm1:15am Singles Night !!!

THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) NYPD; PS; 760-778-6973 Live DJ 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Michael Holmes Trio 6:30pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 D Phillips Band 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Straight Ahead Jazz (JZ) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Art of Sax 7-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Stan Watson Trio 6pm

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BOB ODENKIRK Q&A

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Bob Odenkirk, the second of seven kids, has been acting, writing, directing and producing for the last 30 years. His lengthy credits include doing a ventriloquist act for his family when he was nine, working as DJ at WIDB, Southern Illinois Carbondale’s radio station, writing for “Saturday Night Live,” “The Ben Stiller Show” (among many others) to the unapologetically shyster attorney Saul Goodman in the just ended, hugely poplar, ground-breaking series “Breaking Bad.” His current big screen appearance is as a local TV newsman and bitter son of Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) in Alexander Payne’s already acclaimed “Nebraska.” He spoke by phone from Calgary, Alberta, where he’s shooting a new TV series. Below is an excerpt of our conversation.

BOB ODENKIRK: Hey Robin. Let me apologize for the music in the background but I’m in Calgary and it’s very, very cold out so I’m going to step inside..

ROBIN SIMMONS: What are you working on?

BOB: Remember the movie “Fargo”, the Coen brothers’ film? It’s not the same characters but the same dark, comic tone. It’s a series for FX. The Coen’s have their name on it so I think it will be good.

ROBIN: Sounds promising. Do you remember the first laugh you ever got?

BOB: Hmmm… I did a ventriloquist act for my family. I got a dummy when I was about nine and did this little act. I guess I might’ve gotten a few laughs. But when I really started, I was in school and did these short sketches.

They had humor in them and were mostly serious with had points to be made but I still got some big laughs. I was in the 7th and 8th grade. They were funny and informative and I got great appreciation from the teachers and the students. In fact, the teachers asked me to go around to other classes and do my sketches.

ROBIN: Was it a life-changing thing to realize people were laughing at your material?

BOB: Yeah. It was the first time that

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

by Robin E. Simmons happened. This was in Naperville, Illinois, where I grew up.

ROBIN: When did you come to LA? BVOB: Well, I wrote for Saturday Night Live from 1987 to 1991. And I wrote for a TV show called “Get A Life” and I knew I wanted to perform. I enjoyed it so much. But as a writer for SNL I did not have that opportunity. So I knew I had to go to LA or Chicago to get better at performance.

ROBIN: Was it always comedy?

BOB: Yeah. But even then I thought I’d make a decent character actor. And as I got older, I realized I could make a profession of it. I’m glad that pother people saw the same thing.

ROBIN: You’ve got the knack, no question about that. If you weren’t acting, what would you be doing?

BOB: My gosh. Well, it’s all I’ve done for a living. Maybe I’d be a teacher. I also think being a fireman is pretty cool. I know, it sounds childish, but one of the things I like about showbiz is how different every day is. I think firemen have the same situation. They get to problem solve. Plus, they get to be heroes.

ROBIN: How did you get the part of “Saul Goodman”?

BOB: Well, that’s a good question my friend. You’d have to ask Vince Gilligan that because I did not audition for it. I did not read for it. It was given to me and I asked him, “What in my past makes you think I can do this?” And Vince said, “Mr. Show.” That was a comedy show I did on HBO with David Cross.

I thought he’d say “Larry Sanders,” because on that show I played Sanders’ agent Stevie Grant, a somewhat similar character to Saul Goodman.

ROBIN: I loved that show.

BOB: Cool man. Then you can see why I thought that was the reason I got this.

ROBIN: Did you know producer Vince Gilligan personally before you got the part of Goodman?

BOB: Nope, never met him.

ROBIN: How has “Breaking Bad” changed your life?

BOB: Well, I’ve pretty much worked solid since I was 25, but I never had that kind of sizeable popular success. There’s kind of a qualitative difference in the opportunities personally and professionally. It’s a business and they want to make money. A show like “Breaking Bad” and performing in that and doing well makes them think that you can be part of a project on a larger scale. And I’d never done that before. And now I have the opportunity to do things like “Nebraska” where a bigger studio is financing it and they want to work with people somewhat “preapproved.”

ROBIN: Did “Breaking Bad” bring you a flood of parts and a huge amount of personal attention?

BOB: It got me a huge amount of personal attention. I got some nice parts, but not unlike what I was offered before -- or at least offered to read for. I read for two Alexander Payne movies before this -- “Sideways” and “About Schmidt.” I think the success of “Breaking

Bad” can help you be given the job. But, oddly enough, Alexander Payne had never even seen “Breaking Bad.” ROBIN: The one guy in America…

BOB: Ha! Popular success does change your personal life a bit. I think it depends on how much you want to let it. I am recognized many places I go. Sometimes it seems like everywhere. But I try to limit the impact of that.

ROBIN: Fame itself is a bizarre and nebulous thing.

BOB: Yes it is. I’ve had so many friends get famous around me like Chris Farley, Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler. These were people I knew before they were famous and I watched them cope with it. I didn’t really envy them.

But there are sides of it that are lots of fun.

More than I thought it would be. But you have to modulate it. If you lose the ability to be a person... If you need that social approval and energy all the time, well, that’s why some celebrities have entourages. It’s nice to go to parties and have people around you that are happy and up, but it’s also nice to be able to walk around alone. Just be yourself and be a person.

ROBIN: Is there a future for Saul Goodman?

BOB: Yes, definitely. “Better Call Saul.” Not sure exactly what it’s going to be yet.

ROBIN: Would you define “Nebraska” more as comedy than drama?

BOB: Equal parts comedy and drama.

Right down the middle. Of course, part of it depends on what you come in with. Where your head’s at. “Breaking Bad” was similar.

Sometimes it was desperate and other times it was hilarious.

ROBIN: Tell me about Ross Grant, the character you play in “Nebraska.”

BOB: Bruce Dern plays my dad Woody Grant. He’s been an alcoholic and a difficult father. And I play one of his son’s, Ross, a local TV news anchor who is described in the movie -- somewhat derisively -- as a “go-getter.” But honestly, my character is still trying to put his life together and make something out of it.

And he’s resentful of his father and angry at his failure of being a parent.

ROBIN: While shooting the movie, was there room for improvisation or was it wordfor-word?

BOB: Not a bit of improv! I’ve done a lot of improve and in comedy sometimes it helps you find more humor in the scene. But this was a job strictly as an actor and I found it a rewarding challenge.

ROBIN: What was it like working for Alexander Payne? Did he give a lot of direction?

BOB: No, but that’s because he cast the movie very carefully. They brought the right tone and vibe and he let them work. It’s a very controlled operation. Payne is an incredible artist at the top of his form. I’ve never worked with someone as confident and sure of himself and calm and focused. He’d do three or four takes and you’re done. And he doesn’t shoot from multiple angles and he doesn’t shoot coverage [additional material for editing

options]. He has as certain an awareness of what he wants and where he wants to go as anyone I’ve ever seen.

ROBIN: Payne is from Nebraska, isn’t he?

BOB: He’s not only from Nebraska, he still lives in Nebraska. He has a home outside of Omaha and he also has a home in LA. But I think he lives a good part of the year in Nebraska.

ROBIN: So he has affection for Nebraska rather than a need to mock it?

BOB: He loves it. The people and the place. Yes, there are funny characters and people behaving stupidly -- but probably less so than in LA. ROBIN: I spent time in Nebraska. There were times when I found it weirdly desolate and quite strange.

BOB: Well, in the movie you’re going to feel that vibe. I think for Alexander Payne the quietness and desolation are physical representations of the people and that’s significant in their lives. But it’s a beautiful film and it’s coming from someone who genuinely loves the people and places of Nebraska.

ROBIN: Did you notice a difference shooting in black and white as opposed to color?

BOB: There were subtle differences. You’d have to ask Payne’s cinematographer Phedon Papamichael. The finished film has a look that’s very reminiscent of Walker Evans or Ansel Adams. I do know they made specific choices in wardrobe that enhanced the black and white, but I’m not sure what they were.

Wardrobe was a big consideration.

ROBIN: I love black and white. It’s classic and timeless.

BOB: It’s shot in Cinemascope©, by the way. That’s a beautiful widescreen format, like many old school westerns. I’m moved and thankful I could be a part of this truly artful project.

“Nebraska” opens at Cinemas Palme d’Or November 27.

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

Art

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Haddon Libby:It’s all local

Cabot’s features Audrey Moe

What a City Bankruptcy Means

Author/Artist Audrey Moe is set to sign copies of her book, Celebrities in Hiding at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

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n Sunday, Dec. 8, at 1 p.m., Cabot’s Pueblo Museum will welcome Coachella Valley water-colorist and author, Audrey Schumacher Moe, for an afternoon of tales about famous visitors to the desert.

As an author Moe is known for her books, “Beachwalk” and “Desertwalk,” that look at the cross-pollination and interdependence between place and animals (including humans) and plant life that live in the region.

Her most recent work, “Celebrities in Hiding” captures the stories of famous and sometimes infamous, visitors to Desert Hot Springs. Many of whom we would never suspect of preferring the quietude of Desert Hot Springs over the glamour of Palm Springs its more celebrated neighbor that lies south of Interstate 10.

“Celebrities in Hiding” was inspired, Moe has said, when she was dining at Two Bunch Palms Spa and Resort and spotted Barbra Streisand at a nearby table. “Where else,” she wrote, “could Streisand have had dinner

out and remain totally undisturbed?”

After Moe spied Martha Stewart at another DHS restaurant some time later she realized these celebrity stories would be lost if not gathered and written down.

As she began interviewing longtime local residents about their interactions with the stars, she says, “Stories about movie stars and famous people exploded like popcorn in a microwave.”

“Celebrities in Hiding” preserves the firsthand accounts of interactions with people such as Marilyn Monroe, Gene Autry, Frank Sinatra, Peter Lorre, John Travolta, Jennifer Jones, Cary Grant, Mamie Eisenhower and Al Capone. “They came to the area,” Moe said, “to hide out, help out, and hang out.”

Moe holds a B.A in English and history from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and a B.S in art and design from Woodbury University in Los Angeles. Before she turned to writing, she worked as a teacher, librarian, and interior designer. She is a resident of Desert Hot Springs, where she lives with her

Community

Vue at indian wells golf resort

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ake in the New VUE at the Indian Wells Golf Resort Opening on December 6 You’ve never seen a VUE like this in the desert!

The Indian Wells Golf Resort is launching a new restaurant at this incredible property already known for its panoramic views and exquisite setting.

VUE Grille and Bar was created with a new vibe, from the trendy but luxurious interior, which gives a nod to the colors and feel of the surrounding desert; a new seasonal, farm-totable fresh menu, craft cocktails, beers and a new sushi bar.

Vue Grille & Bar will quickly become a popular destination for the desert community for a relaxing over lunch or dinner built around the bounty available from local farms and nearby ranches, and innovatively designed by award-winning Executive Chef Cale Falk.

Just weeks away from unveiling of Vue, IW Golf Resort Director of Marketing and Sales said, “We’ve made changes that will take it up a notch to give our guests the most amazing destination dining experience they have ever had in the desert.”

The restaurant and bar (which is in the space previously occupied by the IW Club)

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offers a new concept on everything from Executive Chef Cale Falk’s fresh and seasonal, farm-to-table inspired menu and the craft cocktails that give guests a new way to drink in the desert.

In addition to the beautifully comfortable re-designed interior, the Indian Wells Golf Resort will unveil the Pavilion, the new 5,700 square foot event space, that offers an unequalled view of the luxurious grounds and the comfort of a temperature controlled room in the open air, making it the perfect spot for large parties - such as a sunset or mid-afternoon wedding - and other events with views of the surrounding mountains and desert.

“There is a huge diversity of fresh products available in the Coachella Valley that I cannot wait to incorporate into the menus here at Vue Grille & Bar,” Falk said of the seasonal fare that will be presented to all diners.

“At the moment, there isn’t another structure like this one in the desert,” Tebbetts said. “But I’m betting that you’ll see them popping all over the place in a couple of years.”

For more information on Vue Grille and Bar, contact Michelle McLaughlin at FG Creative, Inc. at (760) 773-1770 or michelle@ fgcreative.com.

husband, one indoor cat and a 100-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback dog.

Like the celebs that came to relax and revive themselves, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum builder, Cabot Yerxa, came to the desert to reinvent himself. He began building his unique home in the early 1940s and continued working on it, using mostly recycled materials, until his death in 1965.

Built in the Pueblo Revival style, it is a Hopi-style pueblo that contains artworks, Native American and Eskimo cultural artifacts and memorabilia of early desert homesteaders. It is called Cabot’s Old Indian Pueblo Museum on its National Historic Places application and is also known as “Yerxa’s Discovery” by the California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation.

The museum is located at 67-616 East Desert View Ave. in Desert Hot Springs.

Hours from October 1 through May 31 are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and closed Mondays. Guided tours are available at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. June 1 through September 30,

November 28 to December 4, 2013

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ith the City of Desert Hot Springs declaring a financial emergency and raising the possibility of a bankruptcy, it’s second in twelve years, let’s take a look at what it means when a city declares bankruptcy.

The reason for bankruptcies is simply because the municipality does not have enough cash to meet its obligations. As it relates to Desert Hot Springs, this would be due to a mix of lower property values and high unemployment as both reduced tax revenues, the loss of redevelopment funds from the state, employment contracts that pay more than the city can afford, an extended period where expenses exceeded revenues and divided leadership unable to

coalesce around a sustainable budgetary plan. With city revenues of approximately $14 million and expenses of over $20 million, the city spent their cash reserves causing the current fiscal emergency.

The tricky part in understanding how so many cities such as Desert Hot Springs are in fiscal trouble relates to redevelopment funds.

Redevelopment funds were monies from the state meant to increase tax revenues by taking blighted areas and redeveloping them so as to improve tax revenues. Desert Hot Springs like most cities in the state used some of these funds to cover the salaries of city workers.

When the state eliminated redevelopment agencies, this generally accepted accounting approach went away and cities had to fund salaries from tax revenues. As many cities did not have other sources of revenue to cover

hours of operations are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with tours at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Tours are limited to a 12 guests at a time and are on a first come, first serve basis. Arrival at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour is recommended.

Admission $11 for adults, $9 for seniors 65 and older, active military and children, 6-12 years.

these salaries, they drastically cut employees while instituting new taxes while trying to negotiate through the new world order of city finances.

City bankruptcies, termed Chapter 9 bankruptcies, do not extinguish debts. What Chapter 9 bankruptcies do is force the city, its employment unions and debt holders to come to the negotiating table and put together a balanced budget plan. Chapter 9 allows a city to break and renegotiate unsustainable employment contracts and unfunded obligations such as pension benefits. This is particularly important in Desert Hot Springs where the majority of the city’s employees earn pay and benefits that exceed $150,000 with a police department that pays more than one dozen positions over $200,000 a year in salary and benefits.

What a bankruptcy would do is force the city to reduce the employment levels while reducing its payroll that currently equates to approximately 75% of the city’s tax revenues.

Before a bankruptcy can be declared, a city must take actions to resolve their financial problems. This can take the form of higher sales taxes, parcel taxes and other revenue creation activities. A city also needs to reduce salaries and employment levels.

Assuming a city still goes bankrupt, city residents can expect to see a reduction in services. Potholes may go unfilled, response times from emergency services may erode

while garbage collection and other basic services slow.

Phil Batchelor, the interim city manager of Vallejo who helped resolve that city’s bankruptcy states that the stigma of a bankruptcy makes it more difficult to attract capital investment and new businesses to the community. One of the reasons for this, he says, is that a Chapter 9 is typically the result of “dysfunction” within the city’s management and leadership. “It makes it very difficult for people to get serious about relocating to your jurisdiction,” says Batchelor.

As for bondholders, Moody’s Investor Services states the average bondholder receives 62% of their investment. General obligation (GO) bonds and asset backed securities typically receive the highest payback rates while unsecured creditors get the lowest.

While a bankruptcy does not change the day-to-day life of most residents, it does make an economic recovery in that city more difficult - particularly if governing city leadership remains divided and in conflict.

john paul valdez:it’s your nickel

where will you spend on your holiday shopping weekend?

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lack Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving when people rush the stores in search of bargain deals on Xmas gifts. It’s the first big shopping day, and it frequently puts people at the big box stores looking for TV’s and mattresses and so on. Shop Small Saturday is the following day. This is the shopping part of the weekend that holds up your local economy. Buying at big box stores takes that money out of the local economy with the exception of the generally low wages paid to workers there because the inventory and distribution system are all from out of town, out of state, and out of the country in most cases.

When you shop from smaller boutiques, you help keep that money in the local economy in a number of ways. Last year it is estimated that 5.5 billion was spent keeping America as American as apple pie on that day. Buying from your local merchant helps keep the local economy vibrant because that money goes right back into our local goods and services. Those shop owners pay for their leases, and their mortgages, and the clients have a chance to buy things they wouldn’t find in a typical big box store.

With that in mind, I am going to mention a few off the beaten path shops that are here in the desert that make unique gifts.

Persons under 50 are picking up on the latest re-birth of one of man’s oldest cultural references: tattoos and piercings. Parents should help their families pick from among the best places for this where competent professional work is done without fear.

These industries have come a long way from the way it is depicted on TV. Palm Springs Piercing on Arenas is probably the best known piercing shop on the west coast, and they have 30 year veteran master piercers.

They literally wrote the book on piercing that established this as an art and science simultaneously. Jay’E Jones at Strata Tattoo Lab in Yucca Valley is gaining recognition

rapidly as the high desert has become the artist colony of the desert valley.

The best quiche in this part of California is at L’Atelier Deli at La Plaza in PS, and the best burger at Matchbox upstairs above the Sonny Bono statute and fountain.

The whole of North Palm Springs has undergone a renovation and revitalization that has several unique shops. Michael Weems has fine art in ceramic, metal, and other mixed media is still within reach. The same is true of Gary Dorothy, the renowned photographer whose gallery is on Indian Ave at La Plaza.

I try to save at least one gift or one purchase for that particular day, restricting it to any of my favorite local boutiques. So

many people purchase online these days, or rush the big box stores, and that is fine. Just remember we live in a series of small cities here in the Coachella Valley, and keeping the boutique feel of them is essential to our atmosphere as a relaxed tourism town.

This Saturday, think local, buy local and be a little part of our own recovery economically. Please mention CV Weekly if you visit these places in particular for special consideration. It’s your nickel.

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

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Dale Gribow On The Law

I WAS ARRESTED FOR A DUI.. NOW WHAT?

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ith the holiday season upon us and Super Bowl Sunday around the corner, a lot of people will party and not use good judgment. They will drink too much and many will get stopped by the police checkpoints in the Coachella Valley. The most common question I get from a DUI caller is what is going to happen after they have been arrested?

A driver charged with Drunk Driving must understand that a DUI is a criminal offense that kicks into play 2 separate legal proceedings. The first is the Court proceeding requiring the driver and or his/her attorney to go to court and enter a plea of not guilty. The second is the DMV hearing.

The court is looking to throw you in jail and the DMV is wants to take away your driver’s license.

Because this area of law is new to almost all callers (and many attorneys) it is important they understand the many different parts of the two proceedings.

The following is a 10 step synopsis of a DUI STOP/ARREST: Arrest, Booking and Custody: After your arrest the officer will take your license under the “Stop and Snatch” law and take you to jail where you will remain for 4-6 hours in a holding tank…normally.

You will be fingerprinted and your picture will be taken for booking. The officer will give you a pink piece of paper in exchange for your CDL. This is your temporary license for 30 days. You are normally released on your own promise to return called an OR release though sometimes bail will be

set on a more serious DUI. Field Sobriety Tests and Chemical Tests: You will be asked to submit to a Field Sobriety Test at the scene as well as a breath test. The (FST) Field Sobriety Test requires you to walk the line; having the officer look at your eyes for a jerking motion; a finger to nose test; saying the alphabet and balancing on one foot. Both the FST and Breath Test at the scene are OPTIONAL and you can courteously opt not to take them. You would then consent to a Blood Test at the station or hospital.

DMV Hearing Request: The DMV hearing must be requested within 10 days of your arrest or you will lose the right to do so. This is set forth on the pink Temporary License you received when they snatched your driver’s license. Though you can do this yourself you are better off having your lawyer request the DMV date.

Retain a Local Attorney: For DUI’s in the greater Palm Springs area you should retain a LOCAL DUI attorney and not one from LA, OC or SD. They will not know the local DA’s and Judges and how to work the local system. Your local lawyer will review the police report to look for a way to get their foot in the door to keep it from closing on the driver and thus having DMV suspend the driver’s driving privileges. We recently had a case where the officer testified at the DMV hearing, which was recorded, and again at a Motion to Suppress Evidence in the courtroom. We had the court reporter transcribe what was said in the courtroom for us as well as ordering a copy of the DMV transcript. Both

testimonies were totally different. Whenever we have a case with this officer we have a distinct advantage and the DA knows it. Of course we have not shared the name with other local attorneys.

DUI’s can be complex and you need someone to review all the paperwork with a fine tooth comb.

DMV Hearing, Telephonic vs In Person: The hearing can be “in person” or “telephonic”. When your attorney requests the hearing he/she will ask for a STAY. Thus your temporary license which would have expired 30 days after the arrest will be valid until the results of the DMV hearing which will be about 45-60 days later. At the hearing your attorney will present your case and subpoena witnesses if necessary, including the arresting officer. However today you often have to pay a fee to get the officer to attend the hearing. Your attorney can argue for your license and driving privileges and DMV will then rule on whether or not the arresting officer had enough of a reason to stop you and take your license. Unfortunately the hearing officer is both the prosecutor and judge.

They will not rule at the hearing but will instead send you a notice through the mail.

1st Court Appearance: It is called an Arraignment and you either plead guilty or NOT guilty. We always plead not guilty and get copies of the DA’s Discovery. This includes the police report, maintenance records of the breath machine and copies of the video mounted in the patrol car to see if it shows how well you were walking and performing the tests. After the arraignment the judge gives us another date called a Pre Trial.

The arraignment stage is where you are formally charged with a DUI and a Driving with a .08 or

Getting All of Your Rental Security Deposit Back

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oving generally sucks and the last thing you need at this time is the additional hassle of dealing with an uncooperative landlord or property manager when it comes to getting your security deposit back. This article will conclude my series on renting and will provide renters with my best advice on how to get all (or as much as possible) of their security deposit back.

The best way to insure that you will get your security deposit back is not to rent from landlords or property managers that have a bad reputation for bogus charges and bilking tenants out of their security deposits.

Before renting any property run the property manager’s or landlord’s name online through any search engine, yelp.com, apartmentratings. com, or check them out through the Better Business Bureau or local real estate sites to see if there are any complaints against them. Once you determine that you are not renting from Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe you can move forward with your rental agreement or lease.

Know your rights! In California there are no non-refundable deposits. Any reference to non-refundable deposits in the rental agreement are unenforceable. The maximum amount of security deposit a landlord can request is an amount equal to two month’s rent

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safety tips

by Dale Gribow Attorney at Law

By Bruce cathcart

for unfurnished dwellings or an amount equal to three month’s rent for furnished dwellings.

Deductions from your security deposit can only be made for damages to the premises beyond “normal wear and tear”, excessive filth, or unpaid rent. Two common examples of normal wear and tear vs. damage would be moderate dirt and carpet spots vs. tears, stains (oil, pet, Kool-Aid, etc.) and excessive filth or odors; or minor marks and nicks in the walls vs. large marks or holes and/or lots of picture holes that require patching and painting.

Landlords or their property managers must return tenant’s security deposit, less any deductions in an itemized statement, within 21 days after possession of the property is surrendered (when the property has been vacated and the keys have been delivered to the Landlord or property manager).

Upon move in it is very important that you complete a move-in/move-out agreement.

This form will allow you to document the condition of the property. If one is not provided take it upon yourself to make your own or find one online. Document every defect with both photos and specific, descriptive observations.

For example rather than writing, “damage to carpet” you should write, “cigarette burns, hole, and frayed edges in hallway carpet”. Do this for every room and check all appliances, fixtures, electrical and mechanical systems. If possible do a walk-through with your landlord

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or property manager to verify the items on your list and have everyone sign the form. If this is not possible send a copy of your list and photos via certified mail to your landlord or property manager and keep a copy for your records. Try to determine the age of certain items (like the carpet, the paint, etc.) at this time and include it on the form.

While you are in your home you must maintain it! Keep it clean and make sure you notify your landlord/property manager immediately for necessary repairs not caused by your own negligence. Obviously if you break it, you fix it (like windows, sprinkler heads, window blinds, just to name a few common items that tenants accidentally break).

Before you move out make sure you give the landlord/property manager the proper notice (usually 30 days, but check your rental agreement). You will be charged for any days less than the minimum or any extra days you

higher Blood Alcohol level. Both charges are filed on all DUI’s. Note that in the Indio Court the DA will file .07’s even though the law is that driving with a .08 or great is the charge.

Pre Trial: This is the stage where some DA’s will offer a plea bargain. However the DA’s in Indio have marching orders to not reduce any charge and to request a maximum jail sentence.

This is also the time when your lawyer can make a Motion to Suppress Evidence under Penal Code section 1538.5. At the Suppression Hearing your attorney can fight to have certain parts or all of the DA’s evidence thrown out… if your rights were violated.

Trial: Your case can be tried by a Judge or a Jury. Either way your lawyer can present evidence that will aid your argument and cross examine the prosecution’s witnesses to poke holes in their case.

Sentencing: The jury will decide if you are guilty and the Judge will impose a sentence if you are found guilty. In the Indio Court the sentencing demanded by the DA for a plea is a jail sentence starting with 10 days in jail and going up for each .1 on your reading over .10. Thus a .12 is 12 days and a .18 is 18 days in custody.

10. Jail vs Home Arrest: We would then work to trade the jail time imposed for home arrest with an ankle bracelet. You would be allowed to go to work for 8-12 hours a day and be home the balance of the time. The ankle bracelet can be obtained from the Riverside Sheriff’s Department by calling to reserve a date to pick up the ankle bracelet. You can also contact a private company called Leaders in Community Alternatives which as you can imagine is less aggravation.

Real estate

remain in possession beyond your notice.

Make sure you include a forwarding address with your notice for your refunded deposit to be sent!

Upon move out make sure there is no damage to the property, the home is clean, and there is no trash or debris left on the premises.

Repeat the documentation process on your move-out form by verifying the condition of the home and taking photos of the property.

Once again, if possible, do a walk through with the landlord or property manager to verify the condition of the property. Make sure you leave the property in the same or better condition than when you moved in (with only some normal wear and tear) and you should be entitled to a full refund of your deposit.

Real Estate Tip of the week: Buy a home and never deal with security deposits again!

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

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lack Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when holiday gift buying begins. Sales offering big discounts lure customers in to stores, often beginning in the early hours of the morning. “Unfortunately, Black Friday (and most major shopping days) is a day when shoppers may become the victim of crimes and injuries says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.”

People should be alert and aware of people and surroundings around them, and their vehicles. Park in a location that is closest to the store or mall if shopping when it is dark out. Be careful of other motorist as they may be distracted. Park near where

Babette Come meet this striking 2-yr-old beauty at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs. Babette has the cutest little mustache! Call (760) 416-5719.

there is lighting. Purses should be worn in a way that it is close to the body and difficult to snatch. If carrying a wallet, it should be kept in the front pocket or the inside pocket of a coat or jacket. Carrying too many bags may also prove dangerous in many ways.

If possible, leave children at home during Black Friday. The crowds of people can easily overwhelm a child who may be hurt or become lost. If you must bring a child, it is important to hold onto small children to avoid separation. Know where fire/ emergency exits are in stores and malls.

If you’re sick, do us “all” a favor and stay home! Bring hand sanitizers to help combat germs. Put away the cell phone and be cognizant and courteous of others. “Most importantly, be patient reminds Chief DiGiovanna…”

Now that’s a Bargain!

For additional Black Friday Safety Tips Visit: http://www.ncpc.org/about/news/ you-need-a-personal-safety-plan-forblack-friday Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Gamer Girl

by Jennifer Tan aka mrs. fett

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

“I’ve Got a Deal for You.. Black Friday Safety and Survival!”

November 28 to December 4, 2013

I

The PS4 Review

t has been over 72 hours, since my Sony PS4 has been unboxed and placed in its new GAEMS Vanguard home. I was able to experience everything the new console had to offer.

After turning on the PS4, and signing into PSN, I was expecting some type of tutorial, or at least some nifty little pop ups, explaining new features, icons, etc. But there wasn’t!

It was almost as if Sony said “Look, this is our fourth console, if you don’t know what you are doing by now, you shouldn’t own one...” Arrogant, and without merit.

If you are sharing your system with someone else, you are in for a treat. Sony has kept the individual preferences of each profile, and instead of making you a “guest” on someone else’s profile, you still have full control of your own.

The actual feel of the controller is a great improvement. Losing the slight angle of the handles, gives a much desired feel and grip than its earlier models. With your hands now straight, less strain was placed on my thumbs as it reached for both the D-pad, and active buttons. The slightly more defined arch of the

triggers also helped «nest» my index fingers, allowing me to rest them there, without the fear of losing grip, or reaction time.

Livestream much? GREAT! Sony has won my heart with their new live streaming interface. On the right, you see your camera (if you connect one) how many people are viewing you, and how many texts are in your chat dialog. On the bottom, the most recent two lines of your chat session, easily viewable while playing your game. Your mic also works with the PS4 controller, so I never had to lift a finger to engage with my viewers, as they watched me rage while playing Knack! The delay was only about 1/4 of a sec, picture quality was flawless, and there was no lag, or falling in and out of the twitch side.

I would not say that this has been an unsuccessful launch for PS4, but it has definitely not been successful.

There were no demo units allocated to a majority of retailers before its launch date, no festivities planned, just... lines. Get your number, have your receipt ready, and get out.

This I fear, created more irritation and impatience, than excitement and anticipation. The PS4 is a great console, and offers new and exciting experiences for veteran and beginner gamers alike.

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

Community

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Coachella Valley High Tech Community Holds Successful Second Desert Tech Meet Up With Over 70 Attendees

he beginnings of a vibrant high technology community in the Coachella Valley was once again evident at the second Desert Tech Meet Up, held at the Jackalope Ranch in Indio, California. More than 70 people attended this event, sponsored by Silicon Springs Ventures, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) and Graphtek Interactive.

The Desert Tech Meet Up drew a diverse group of “techies”, entrepreneurs and community and business leaders. These Meet Ups, part of an ongoing series, proved the need for a platform and venue to exchange ideas about the bright future of high technology in the Coachella Valley. «For our second event, we were thrilled to have such a diverse group of experienced tech veterans, there to connect, network and create opportunities to collaborate with one another,» says Joel Fashingbauer, President and COO of Silicon Springs Ventures.

The evening’s focus: Silicon Springs - The Movement: Looking Under the Hood. In a brief, informal discussion, leaders from Silicon Springs Ventures and Graphtek Interactive shared their thoughts and experiences about launching this regional economic development initiative with ambitious goals to develop a high technology sector in the California desert region. Informal discussions were followed by an open question and answer session.

Topics Discussed included: What’s the Silicon Springs idea all about? What has been done so far?

What’s the plan going forward? How can the desert tech community help?

Desert Tech Meet Up is the brainchild of the founders of Silicon Springs Ventures, Inc. (SSV) and Graphtek Interactive LLC (Graphtek). Its goal is to network individuals with technical backgrounds who exhibit interest in getting to know one another and, if possible, to collaborate on programs or projects that build the high technology economy in our region. “The ‘buzz’ among attendees was palpable and extremely positive. There was a sense from many folks we talked to that the potential for a tech sector in the valley was not only real but that it could easily result in new jobs, wealth creation and economic stability for the region,” notes Kate Spates, President of Graphtek.

SSV, CVEP and Graphtek plan on organizing additional Desert Tech Meet Ups in 2014, since growing attendance shows these events are solid networking and learning experiences for all attendees. The next date and location will be announced shortly. “CVEP is pleased to be a sponsor of the Desert Tech Meet Up program in 2014 and partnering with Silicon Springs Ventures to build technology-based companies and provide 21st century job opportunities in the Valley,” says Thomas Flavin, President/CEO of CVEP. For more information on the Desert Tech Meet Up, contact www.siliconsprings.com/events.

SSV’s mission is to bring the entrepreneurial creativity, ideas and momentum of Silicon Valley and other high tech hubs to the greater Palm Springs area. Graphtek is a full-service digital marketing agency that provides web services and online marketing to Coachella Valley communities.

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Events

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By brian michaelz

CUT-A-THON TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION DOS SALON 3880 EL PASEO, SUITE 1 IN PALM DESERT, SUNDAY DEC 1, 10AM-5PM, $20.00 HAIRCUT

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ringing awareness ta painful topic is not an easy task but one local Coachella Valley businessman is doing just that.

Dennis Ogas, owner of Dos Salon is tackling the subject of suicide and suicide prevention.

Mr. Ogas is joining forces with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for their Third Cut-A-Thon this Sunday, December 1 from 10:00 am to 5:00pm.

“Cuts are $20.00, it is a basic cut with no styling with hairdressers from Dos Salon, and other hairdressers from the valley that are participating and donating their time. 100% of the proceeds of the cut-a-thon will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, every penny will be sent to them,” said Ogas.

Awareness is the key, and bringing about awareness is very important to Dennis Ogas after suicide hit especially close to home.

“I’m actually a survivor, my wife attempted suicide just recently and she survived. My heart is in it because I think there is a lot of mystique about it and a lot of people don’t understand what suicide is and it can be prevented, if they know what to look for.”

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention data reports 38,364 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. Every year someone in the country dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes.

“Every time I mention suicide everybody knows someone, either friend or family member, that’s been affected by it, and it’s so final. A lot of times because they don’t understand, why would someone take their life.

It causes a lot of pain, everybody suffers from it, after it happens.”

“In my wife’s case she was overmedicate.

She was taking prescription medication and as a result she attempted to take her life, and didn’t even realize it when she was doing it. Most of these medications, suicide is a side effect. If you notice most of the warnings, they say may cause death, may cause thoughts of suicide. It is a fine line and it is all about awareness,” Ogas shared.

Through getting involved and staying involved Dennis Ogas has certainly managed to bring about more awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. Through joint efforts with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention he has changed what might seem as a negative topic into a more positive light.

“I understand because of my own personal experience what it’s like to go through a situation where someone has attempted to take their life. It’s affected my children, but it has actually brought my family closer together in a positive way.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is doing its part throughout the Coachella Valley to raise awareness, according to local chapter Secretary Brenda Kahng.

“What we do is we educate people about mental illness. Not only do we educate them but we also raise awareness about breaking the stigma about mental illness and suicide.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is also a very special organization to Ms. Kahng.

“This foundation is really dear to me because I am a survivor of suicide myself. I had several attempts and also dealt with mental illness in the past. At that time I was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and my moods were very extreme I would be up for days and then sleep for days and would become very suicidal. With the help of medication, and a therapist that got my brain chemistry in line, I am doing great right now.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has a local Coachella Valley Chapter, which meets in Palm Desert at the Portola Community Center on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

The local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is also planning its annual Walk-A-Thon scheduled for March 15th, 2014 at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park.

For those interested in helping raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention join Dennis Ogas, Brenda Kahng and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention this Sunday, December 1st at Dos Salon 73880 El Paseo, Suite 1 in Palm Desert.

For more information on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention visit www. afsp.org Suicide is not a negative topic, it is a public health issue, know the risks, know the signs.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of November 28

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Thinking inside the box will be a crime against your nature in the coming weeks. The last place you want to be is in a pigeonhole. I advise you to stay far away from tight squeezes, claustrophobic “sanctuaries,” and “convenient” confinements. If you’re in a one-sizefits-all situation, you simply won’t be able to access your highest intelligence. So then where should you be? I am rooting for you to wander into the wild frontiers where unsanctioned wonders and marvels await you. I’d love for you to find virgin terrain and uncharted territories where the boring old rules don’t apply.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Mike Finnigan is a veteran keyboardist and blues vocalist who has toured with more than 20 major acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Leonard Cohen, and Los Lonely Boys. There’s a primal quality to his singing.

It’s gritty and fluid and tempestuous, almost feral at times. I understand perfectly why Bonnie Raitt has called him a “tall drink of bacon.” The sound he makes with his voice is that lush and tasty.

Can you guess his astrological sign? It’s Taurus, of course. I’m naming him your patron saint this week because you yourself are as close as you have ever come to being a tall drink of bacon.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): French painter Henri Matisse thought highly of his own work. He tended to ignore critics because he didn’t think they understood his art well enough to produce intelligent critiques. There was one person whose opinion he was willing to heed, though; a single colleague who he said had earned to right to evaluate and assess his art: Pablo Picasso. I encourage you, Gemini, to come up with your own short list of people whose judgment you totally trust and respect. It’s a good time to seek out their feedback on how you’re doing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): How is it possible that you have come so far and worked so diligently only to be resigned now to hanging out in limbo, waiting around for the lucky break that may or may not ever arrive? I’m here today to escort you out of this infernal place. If you resist, my assignment is to drag you out. Why am I so adamant? Because I am sure it’s a mistake for you to be passive and hope for the best. You need to resume working diligently, focused for now on what’s right in front of you without worrying too much about the big picture. In my opinion, that approach will lead you to unforeseen help -- and a clarification of the big picture.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your levels of personal magic are high. The radiance beaming out of your eyes is extra sparkly. There’s an artistry to the way you are expressing yourself. Without even trying, you’re exuding natural charisma and animal magnetism. In light of all these advantages, I suspect you will have an elevated capacity for both giving and receiving pleasure. In fact, I predict that your ability to feel really good and make other people feel really good will be at a peak. I hereby designate this the Week of Supreme Bliss.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The BBC reported on an expert who combs Switzerland’s Risoud Forest to find the spruce trees whose wood can be made into the highest quality violins. After years of experience, Lorenzo Pellegrini knows which few trees will produce instruments with the most resonant tones. They grow slowly and have few knots. They need to have had enough water to grow strong, but not so much water that they’re mushy. Your task in the coming weeks, Virgo, has a certain resemblance to the master tree-picker’s work. It’s time for you to start selecting and gathering the raw materials you will use to craft your own lyrical story in 2014.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here’s the bad news: For all of us, including you, there is a gap between our intentions and our actual effects. Here’s the good news: Now is your special time to narrow that gap. More bad news: All of us, you included, are periodically guilty of sending out mixed messages.

We confuse people with our ambivalence; what we

© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny

say is sometimes different from what we feel. More good news: Now is your special time to reduce your mixed messages to as close to zero as possible. One more taste of bad news: Like all of us, you are a bit hypocritical. You engage in behavior that you criticize in others. You don’t practice what you preach. One last piece of good news: Now is your special time to work on being forthright, genuine, and consistent.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I am very fond of strawberries and cream,” said author Dale Carnegie, “but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish.” That’s a good teaching story for you, Scorpio. In order to get your desires fulfilled by the people who have the power to do that, you should give them what they actually long for -- not what you long for, nor what you wish they would long for. This is always true, of course, but it’s especially applicable to what’s going on in your life right now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Touted as a prime source of “kick-@ss spirituality,” author Danielle LaPorte has advice that’s good for you to hear. “You will always be too much of something for someone,” she says, “too big, too loud, too soft, too edgy.” But that’s exactly as it should be, she adds.

It would be a mistake to “round out your edges,” because then you would “lose your edge.” And I’m here to tell you that you need all of your edge right now, Sagittarius. It’s time to ignore people’s mediocre expectations and push past their limits.

To be true to yourself, you will probably have to be too much of something for several someones.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Going into my spiritual mentoring session with the priestess, I had the intention of discovering truths about myself I didn’t know before. That meant stirring up revelations about my ignorance as well as my potentials. I wanted assistance in facing my flaws as well as in tapping into my dormant powers. It worked. Her guidance was a potent catalyst. I was able to shed the debilitating nonsense stories I’d been telling myself about who I am. I awakened strengths that had been asleep. What I wish for you, Capricorn -- indeed, what I predict for you -is a comparable experience. To expedite matters, go out in search of a person, adventure, or breakthrough that can help provide you with the kind of prod I received.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I bet people will be gossiping about you more than usual. Is there anything you can do to ensure that it’s mostly benevolent gossip? Yes, there is. First, make sure that when you gossip about others, you are unfailingly positive in your comments. If you don’t have anything good to say about someone, don’t say it. Second, be on your best behavior.

Communicate clearly and don’t even think about taking unethical shortcuts. Finally, contribute more inspirational energy than usual to every group you’re part of. Be an effervescent team player.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Maybe your ego isn’t big enough. I’m serious. Is it possible that you could benefit from being more proud of yourself?

Would it be healthy for you to give yourself more credit for the struggles you have weathered and the skills you have mastered and the beauty you have managed to forge out of the chaotic raw materials that life has given you? I’ve got a good feeling about this, Pisces. I can imagine you summoning the playful courage you will need to express more confidence. I can even picture you beginning to fantasize about embarking on certain stirring adventures you’ve never believed you were strong enough to try before now.

Homework: What part of you is too tame?

How can you inspire it to seek wilder ways of knowing? Write Freewillastrology.com.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

November 28 to December 4, 2013

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

Giving Thanks

M

illions of people will gather together to share laughter, reminisce, and make new memories all in celebration of Thanksgiving Day. The famous Macy’s Day parade will broadcast in the early hours followed by football games. Naturally, we must not forgo pleasing our palates. Tantalizing treats and the aroma of Turkey roasting all morning is what so many of us wait for. Yet we should not forget, it is a day to reflect on what we are thankful for and why we give thanks.

In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

Commonly referred to as the “First Thanksgiving,” was celebrated by the Pilgrims after the first harvest in the New World in 1621. The feast lasted three days. Pilgrims and Indians gathered to celebrate and thank God. Their prayers were for such things as a military victory and the end of the drought.

Thanksgiving brings families together and it is a time of celebration. What might you and your family discuss over the holidays?

Possibly you would like to converse about what you are thankful for and why. It can be an amusing yet gratifying way to keep the family engaged as well as render the holiday

light and fun. Adopt a few of these ideas and make more memories with your friends and family.

What time of the year are you most thankful for… Summer, Spring, Fall or Winter?

Which challenging life experience are you thankful for and why?

What book are you thankful for?

What style of music do you appreciate?

Who besides your family has made an impact on your life? A teacher, a friend, etc.

What brings you joy each day that you are thankful for?

What can you not imagine living without?

What form of art do you appreciate?

Which foods do you enjoy?

What from the past year are you most thankful for?

What in your entire life are you thankful for?

Consider other questions and how they may pertain to your family. Get the children involved and ask them questions. It can be a fun game. Plus, their responses will create laughter and lasting memories.

We reflect on thankfulness at this time of year. Truly we should remember to be thankful every day of the year. Count our blessings and realize each day is a gift.

Bronwyn Ison, Owner of Evolve Yoga www.e-volveyoga.com (760) 564YOGA(9642)

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

Life & career Coach

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Sunny Simon

Developing Resiliency

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by dr maria lombardo

E

immediate; she was given 90-days advanced notice. The most beneficial thing Susan can do is recognize the termination had nothing to do with her performance. She needs to develop a plan to move on. What is crucial at this juncture is to remain calm. Giving in to panic mode only creates doubt, fear and more stress. Embracing the fact that she is a talented individual possessing employable skills will help Susan adapt and eventually thrive. It is very possible her next job may evolve into a step up the corporate ladder.

Next on the road to breaking through adversity is to create a plan. Susan needs to polish her resume, begin networking and launch her job search. As she puts her energy into creating her future she will be invited to interviews and land a new job.

The next time you face a challenging situation, remember the words of Professor Pausch. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we played the hand.”

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

PSYCHIC READER

Receive The Celebrity Secret Of Permanent Cosmetic Make-Up

Dr. Maria Lombardo, Lombardo Cosmetic Surgery is located in Rancho Mirage.

She specializes in both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures including (but not limited to) facial, body and breast surgery, Botox, Latisse, and hCG diet program.

For a consultation or more information, visit www.lombardocosmeticsurgery.com or call 760-610-8990. Dr. Lombardo will be writing a bi-weekly column for CV Weekly.

Chemical Peels

veryone should be doing a few basics to take care of their skin (and men, this means you too!): AM: wash, moisturize using a lotion with SPF for sun protection PM: wash, mechanically exfoliate and moisturize with a richer/heavier lotion.

AND… every 6 months to a year…. Get a chemical peel! (some people more frequently) A TCA (trichloracetic acid) Chemical Peel is a powerful and effective tool for resurfacing your damaged skin to yield the skin you are looking for and deserve. This medium depth peel will improve many of the skin conditions that we all see (and wish we didn’t!) when we look in the mirror. After peeling, your skin will be softer, smoother, with improved texture and tone and greatly reduced hyper-pigmentation (sun damage).

Those are the differences on the surface of your skin. But the real magic is going on under your skin where collagen is being stimulated. This is what plumps up the lines and scars, yielding a smoother, more refined and beautiful complexion. This light to medium peel helps with the following skin conditions: IMPROVES: Fine Lines, Acne, Sun damage, Blackheads, Improves skin Tone, Improves skin Texture, Rosacea, Milia, Age Spots, Shallow Acne Scaring, Enhanced penetration of topical skin care products (moisturizers, serums etc.)

How it works: Chemical peels are versatile tools that are used to resurface the upper layers of your skin by loosening the bonds between the dead skin cells that dull your skin, while stimulating the collagen beneath the skin to form and align, which in turn plumps up the fine lines and scars from below the surface. They have been around since Cleopatra bathed in sour milk

Skin care for EVERYONE! (even Cleopatra knew about it) (containing lactic acid!) to make her skin smooth. Fortunately, science has made a lot of progress since then and the chemical peels available now are sophisticated and effective. Peels vary in strength and provide different benefits. Light peels (15% TCA) provide substantial results by removing sun damage and over time will help smooth very superficial lines. These peels have light peeling and flaking, not usually enough to avoid social situations. Medium peels (TCA 20% - 30%) are where the results really start to show. These peels can have heavy peeling, crusting and take 7–10 days to completely finish the peeling process. These are our most popular peels because they make the most difference, helping to smooth lines, plump up skin, strip off sun damage and reveal smooth, even skin. Skin must be taken care of very gently and carefully, but these peels are fantastic for damaged skin. This is one of the most commonly performed chemical peel in medical offices because it is one of the most effective and has the most impressive results.

November 28 to December 4, 2013

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ecently, I spoke to Susan, a client of mine who is going through a rough patch. Her father’s declining health has caused significant stress.

Adding to an already overweight worry load, she was informed due to a corporate restructuring her job has been eliminated.

It sometimes happens just when we think we cannot cope with another issue, a great big fat problem plops itself smack dab in the middle of our other burdens.

In life, change is evident and any type of change can elevate our stress triggers.

When life throws us a major curve ball, it takes a good deal of positive self-talk to stay the course. Surviving periods when it feels like we’ve been shoved to the bottom of an inky dark pit requires a large dose of resilience. Although it may seem counterintuitive, rather than fight against adversity the key to survival is leaning in and accepting the challenge.

How do we proceed with acceptance?

Begin by acknowledging the reality of the situation. Spend time analyzing the dilemma to find something positive. Randy Pausch, the author of “The Last Lecture,” who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given mere months to live viewed his remaining days as a gift. He used that time to create a manual filled with life lessons for his three young children and his students at Carnegie Mellon.

Admittedly, there is no action Susan can take to change her fate, however as she analyzed her situation she observed some good news. Her dismissal was not

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

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November 28 to December 4, 2013

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Shelly Dubose-Stephens & Jim Stephens

Photo By Chris Miller/Imagine Imagery

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