The Standard Magazine

DECEMBER, 2014 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 12 theStandardps.com

CONTENTS VOLUME 2, ISSUE 12

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twitter.com/theStandardPS 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW DESIGN BY MAYA KALABIC

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Volume 2 Issue 12 COVER 2014: THE YEAR OF EQUALITY COVER YEAR IN REVIEW BOOK REVIEW MALE SEX WORK & SOCIETY Q&A BELO CIPRIANI BLIND AMBITION TRAVEL NEW YORK CITY RING IN THE NEW YEAR IN STYLE HAPPENINGS WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEW YEAR’S EVE? DECEMBER, 2014 3

COMMENTARY

The Standard Magazine 1111 Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs CA 92262 760-831-4869 Nino Eilets Publisher Luciano McNulty Editor Maya Kalabic Art Director Photographer David A. Lee Contributors Chris Astrala, Jeff Dorta, Shane Gallagher, Jared Greene, Chris Heritage, Scott Kearnan, Jimmie Newsum, Dennis Mason, Steve Roth, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Martha Tang & Ken Toth www.thestandardps.com Editorial Credits : BrandPoint, Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation & Project Publicity The Standard Magazine is published monthly. Opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of the Standard or its staff, advertisers or readers with exception of editorials.

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COVER|2014

2014 A YEAR FOR EQUALITY

BY GEORGE ZANDER

Actually a review of 2014 cannot really be written without some nods to 2012 and 2013. Taking a pre-election risk, which turned out to be a winning move, President Obama endorsed Marriage Equality on May 9, 2012. He made that bold decision knowing that his blue states would be with him and the red ones would be against him. The Purple ones were the tricky ones, but the election showed that he made the correct calculations.

It was also the first run for now Congressman Ruiz. He strongly supported the President, and his opponent for reason never clear, was against us. She lost and has disappeared from public life.

The President’s inaugural address in January, 2013, contains the following words which made everyone in the room burst into tears of joy when he boldly said, ”We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths- that all of us are created equal- is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forbearers through Seneca Falls, and Selma and Stonewall, just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on earth.”

As we head into the New Year, it is time to reflect on 2014 and chat about what 2015 will bring the LGBT community. After four states Washington, Minnesota, Maine and Maryland approved marriage in 2012, 2013 definitely began the year of marriage

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equality for our community. With the U.S. Supreme Court killing California’s Proposition 8 and declaring a key section of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. The state-bystate marriage equality strategy is working faster than we thought and continues to move quickly.

Moving through 2014, much has been accomplished. In 37 states - AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, ID, IA, IL, IN, KS, ME, MD, MA, MN, MS,MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC (Took Effect 11/20), UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI, and WY, plus Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Missouri - same-sex couples have the freedom to marry.

In an additional 7 states, judges have issued rulings in favor of the freedom to marry, with many of these rulings now stayed as they proceed to appellate courts: In FL, KY, MO, MI, and TX, judges have struck down marriage bans, and in LA, OH and TN, judges have issued more limited pro-marriage rulings.

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed pro-marriage rulings in KY, MI, OH and TN, and legal teams in each state have vowed to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could pave the way for a national ruling.

In MO, the marriages of same-sex couples legally performed in other states are respected.

2014|COVER

LAVERNE COX, ACTRESS, PRODUCER AND LGBT ADVOCATE

With these advances, a record number of Americans live in states that recognize relationships between same-sex couples: Over 65% of the U.S. population lives in a state currently issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples state-wide. This is clearly a war that the social conservatives have lost. We look forward to marriage equality being decided in 2015.

In California, with the huge work and results from Equality California and other organizations, Californians have made great strides. In Sacramento, where we can pass pro- LGBT bills. We have passed so many bills, over 100 in 15 years, it is a national starting point for more legislation is more states. We are a model.

BUT WAIT, there is still a huge challenge in 2015 and beyond. It is the implementation of many bills. Even “non-controversial bills such as Harvey Milk Day are not universally celebrated in every school district as the law states.

AB 1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act, is still being implemented in school districts around the state including our Desert.

This law requires school districts to allow access to all programs and facilities based on the gender that the student identifies with.” The law creates a safe learning environment for all school students.

2014 exploded into the year of the transgender. Popular culture grasped onto folks like Laverne Cox and other models, actors, and political leaders. 2015 will follow and show all of us we really need to work and be more cognizant of transgender issues, be they immigration issues, imprisonment issues, or health care issues.

In President Obama’s last two years, we can really push agencies to make changes, do executive orders to say that when a transgender person is put in jail, if it’s a woman, you don’t put that her into jail with men. That’s just a recipe for rape. I think that there are a lot of agencies throughout the government that are

CONGRESSMAN RAUL RUIZ

ready to have some really simple ideas that President Obama, through executive order. His beautiful Presidential Letter recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance will start things rolling. Laws like AB 1266 being implemented in School Districts around the state are a huge beginning.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Palm Springs, Indio and Desert Hot Springs Police Departments creating Transgender Interaction Policies are more huge signs of great recognition.

Organizations such as Equality California, the Human Rights Campaign, Transgender Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, PFlag and many other established groups are jumping on board. These agencies and others will make a huge difference in people’s lives. It must happen, just as with lesbian and gays, working hard with agencies throughout the government and outside of government will make that kind of change.

As we move forward on LGBT equality in America, countries like Russia, Uganda, India and even Australia have implemented anti-gay laws. Many countries in the world have acted and spoken out against these laws, but with the help of conservative churches worldwide, and conservative anti-gay groups from our nation helping create anti-LGBT rhetoric for other nations, we won’t clear this mess up for years. As America passes laws to protect us, more and more of our anti LGBT will work overseas.

The bright side is that in America organizations such as NOM, Focus on the Family, and other far right organization are losing their strength and unable to raise large sums of money. By the time we begin 2016, more and more will move to our side through marriage and other important laws. Maybe even- gasp…ENDA! Happy New Year!!

DECEMBER, 2014 7

COVER|2014

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014 was quite an memorable year. We’ve compiled a list of a highlights (and lowlights) of past year.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGES BLOCKED IN UTAH JANUARY The United States Supreme Court blocks any further samesex marriages while Utah officials appeal the decision made by Judge Shelby in December 2013. The block creates legal limbo for the 1,300 same-sex couples that have received marriage licenses since Judge Shelby’s ruling. Later that month, the Obama administration announces that the federal government will recognize the marriages of the 1,300 same-sex couples in Utah even though the state government has currently decided not to do so.

THE 2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS BEGIN / FEBRUARY Despite threats of terrorist attacks, complaints about poor preparations and the international condemnation over their anti-gay law, Russia kicks off the costliest Olympic Games in history with an opening ceremony filled with music, floats and a light show using the most advanced technology available. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends and officially announces the start of the games during the ceremony.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT DISAPPEARS MARCH Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, loses contact en route to Beijing, China. The plane disappears between Malaysia and Vietnam. While rescue crews continue to search for the missing plane, officials report that two passengers on board MH370 had used stolen passports and booked their tickets at the same time. All causes for what happened to the jetliner were investigated, including hijacking. After days of searching, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak announces that

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satellite data confirms that the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean a remote location far off course.

IRAQ SHUTS DOWN ABU GHRAIB PRISON APRIL Iraq announces the “complete closure” of Abu Ghraib, the infamous prison in which members of the U.S. military physically and sexually abused Iraqi prisoners. The Iraqi government cites security concerns as the reason for the closure due to the Sunni insurgency over the last year.

TWO MORE STATES LEGALIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE / MAY Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Oregon when a U.S. federal district judge rules that the state’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage violates the Equal Protection clause in the U.S. Constitution. A judge strikes down the same-sex marriage ban in Pennsylvania, making the state the 18th to legalize gay marriage. The judge rules that Pennsylvania’s 1996 ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

KING JUAN CARLOS ABDICATES JUNE In Spain King Juan Carlos announces that he will abdicate after 39 years at the throne. His son, Felipe, 46, will succeed him. Carlos has been praised for guiding Spain during its transition from dictatorship to democracy and for thwarting a military coup in 1981. Recently, however, he has lost the confidence of Spaniards who consider him out of touch because he and his family have lived lavishly, particularly during the recession of 2012, and have been prone to scandal.

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COVER|2014 EBOLA OUTBREAK HITS WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES JULY According to the World Health Organization, the death toll from the Ebola virus in West Africa is 672, with the total number of confirmed, infected patients at 1,323, making this outbreak the worst since the virus was first identified almost forty years ago.

U.S. health officials have issued an advisory for Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia because of the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 3 warning, its most urgent travel notice.

VIRGIN GALACTIC SPACESHIP TWO CRASHES /OCTOBER A Virgin Galactic space plane, known as Spaceship Two, breaks apart over the Mojave Desert soon after takeoff.

Co-pilot Michael Alsbury is killed. Pilot Peter Siebold parachutes out of the plane and survives. Later, during a news conference, investigators explain that the crash happened because the plane shifted too quickly into a mode designed to slow it down.

ISIS MEMBERS KILL AMERICAN JOURNALIST AUGUST Members of ISIS behead American journalist James Foley, 40, in apparent retaliation for U.S. airstrikes against the group. Foley, who worked for GlobalPost, went missing in Syria in November 2012. ISIS releases a graphic video of his killing. President Obama refers to ISIS as a “cancer.” “The United States of America will continue to do what we must do to protect our people,” he says. “We will be vigilant, and we will be relentless.” The U.S. steps up its airstrikes against the militants following Foley’s murder.

SPACECRAFT LANDS ON COMET AND MAKES HISTORY / NOVEMBER For the first time ever, a spacecraft lands on a comet.

After leaving the mother ship Rosetta, a probe named Philae lands on Comet 67P, located 310 million miles from Earth. Later, scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) report that Philae isn’t secure because the probe’s anchoring harpoons failed to launch and hook into the comet’s surface. Still ESA celebrates the milestone. “Our ambitious Rosetta mission has secured a place in the history books”, JeanJacques Dordain, ESA’s director general, says in a post on the agency’s website.

SCOTLAND VOTES TO REMAIN WITH UK SEPTEMBER In an independence referendum, Scottish voters opt, 55% to 45%, to remain part of the United Kingdom.

More than 4.2 million voters (86% turnout) take to the polls in record numbers to vote on the referendum question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” When the votes are tallied, it is 2,001,926 (55.3%) for No to 1,617,989 (44.7%) for Yes. Moving forward, the Westminster powers that be will have to take a hard look at the very structure of the United Kingdom. A margin of victory of 10% is decisive; however, British leaders have promised to listen to the 1.6 million who voted for independence.

HOLDER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO ADDRESS RACIAL PROFILING / DECEMBER U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announces a Justice Department plan to end racial profiling. Holder makes the announcement while speaking in Atlanta at the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Holder has been asked to set up the meetings by President Barak Obama in light of the tense situation in Ferguson Missouri after the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown. Meanwhile, Obama asks Congress for a $263 million spending package to improve police and community relations. Included in the package are cameras for police to wear in order to capture their interactions with civilians. Also, demonstrations continue with protests in more than 30 cities, organized mostly by students through social media.

2014|COVER TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGHS We are always looking for ways to improve and make our lives easier. Here are 5 Technology Breakthroughs that occurred in 2014 that will hopefully help do just that.

SMART WIND AND SOLAR POWER Big data and artificial intelligence are producing ultra accurate forecasts that will make it feasible to integrate much more renewable energy into the grid.

MICROSCALE 3-D PRINTING With inks made from different types of materials and precisely applied, 3-D printing can create objects such as biological tissue with blood vessels.

BRAIN MAPPING A new map, a decade in the making, shows structures of the brain in far greater detail than ever before, providing neuroscientists with a guide to its immense complexity.

ULTRA-PRIVATE SMARTPHONES As concerns over personal privacy grows, a Maryland-based company seeks to provide an alternative. Silent Circle, encrypts clients’ voice calls, text messages, and file attachments. Encryption prevents potential eavesdroppers from listening in on phone calls and protects metadata.

AGILE ROBOTS Computer scientists have created machines that have the balance and agility to walk and run across rough and uneven terrain, making them far more useful in navigating human environments.

WHO’S OUT? Deciding to come out is a major step for many. The more LGBT celebrities that come out the more visibility we will have. Their coming out will give hope and courage to those who live in fear and

the confines of the closet. We applaud those who took the proverbial leap out of the closet in 2014.

MICHAEL SAM FOOTBALL PLAYER, BILLY GILMAN COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER, KRISTIAN NAIRN ACTOR, SAM SMITH SINGER

DECEMBER, 2014 11

COVER|2014

IAN THORPE OLYMPIC SWIMMER, ELLEN PAGE ACTRESS, DERRICK GORDON COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER, IAN MATOS CHAMPION BRAZILIAN DIVER, TY HERNDON COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER

DJUAN TRENT FORMER MISS KENTUCKY, TIM COOK CEO APPLE INC., PAT PATTERSON FORMER WWE CHAMPION, DANIEL FRANZESE ACTOR, THOMAS HITZLSPERGER PRO SOCCER PLAYER, RAVEN-SYMONE ACTRESS

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BOOK REVIEW

ALWAYS OVERBOOKED…

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Money does strange things to a fellow.

It can lead to greed, dishonesty, and mistrust, even murder. It changes friendships and families. Money puts people on a shelf and it puts food in a man’s stomach, which is what you needed back when you did what you did.

You’re not proud of it – or maybe you are since, according to the authors of “Male Sex Work and Society,” edited by Victor Minichiello and John Scott, sex for money has gained social acceptance.

When most people think of sex workers, female prostitutes come to mind. There is evidence, however, that The World’s Oldest Profession may have had practitioners of both sexes all along.

It’s a widely accepted fact that ancient Greek and Roman men took younger males as lovers, and acted somewhat as mentors. That was appropriate behavior – encouraged, even – as long as the older man didn’t “exploit” his younger friend. Slaves and former slaves, however, were a different matter: they “were forced to engage in survival sex,” usually for an insultingly low price.

That was the case in 1607 when the Jamestown colonists tried to tough out their first winter: documents exist that mention exchanging certain favors for stolen biscuits. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, British male sex workers enjoyed tolerance – as long as they represented themselves as their true biological gender. Transgender people were arrested for cross-dressing.

By the late 1800s, those attitudes changed, too. Both Europe and the United States saw a great number of biological males who dressed and worked as female prostitutes. Many worked in all-male brothels; some specialized in women as clients and others worked the streets.

It’s believed that the preponderance of male sex workers by the 1960s were gay, although gay writers in those Stonewall years sometimes made issue of the sexual identification of clientele. Were customers of gay sex workers straight or gay themselves?

The answer today, according to male escorts, is that a “significant percentage” of male customers are straight and “many” are married. Furthermore, modern male sex workers utilize paid advertising, which makes it easy for clients to consciously choose partners based on specific preferences. And now, as it was centuries ago, male sex workers most commonly said in a survey that they choose to sell sex for economic reasons.

By its very nature, pleasure reading should be a pleasure. Alas, “Male Sex Work and Society” is not.

But let me define that further: this is not a bad book – it’s just way more academic than I expected, more than a curl-up-by-thefireplace read should be. The essays here feel like college theses or doctoral dissertations; indeed, in their acknowledgments, Victor Minichiello and John Scott say how much they enjoyed working with contributing scholars. There’s a definite place for such erudite work, but it’s probably not by the easy chair.

Overall, again, this isn’t a bad book. It’s good, but I think academes and social workers will get much more from it. For casual readers, “Male Sex Work and Society” is probably not worth the money.

“Male Sex Work and Society,” edited by Victor Minichiello and John Scott c.2014, Harrington Park Press $50.00 paperback / $120.00 hardcover, higher in Canada

512 pages

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Thank You!

This year’s successful Pride celebration is directly connected to each member of our community that has supported us and enabled us to produce this year’s events. P lease take a moment to thank those who support us. You, along with our sponsors, partners and donors make this event possible.

Q&A

BLIND AMBITION

BY SHANE GALLAGHER

In the spring of 2007, a young gay man living in San Francisco, was beaten and robbed of his sight at the hands of his gay friends.

At the age of twenty-six, Belo Cipriani, was forced to relearn how to walk, cook, and date - in the dark.

In his first book, Blind: A Memoir, he chronicles the two years immediately following his assault. He narrates the recondite world of the blind, where microwaves, watches, and computers talk, and guide dogs guard as well as lead.

WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO TELL YOUR STORY? When I became blind, I realized that everything I knew about blindness was inaccurate. Many of my erroneous assumptions about blindness had been created by Hollywood and novels and I wanted to put something out that properly portrayed what it’s like to lose your sight in the 21st century.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL LEARN FROM READING THE BOOK? I hope people learn that disability doesn’t mean the end of someone’s life. Most importantly, I hope readers become more open to befriending a person with a disability.

HOW DO YOUR DISABILITIES IMPACT YOUR LIFE AS A GAY MAN? Blindness makes it tough to flirt with guys in public. It also takes me a bit longer to warm up to a crowd of guys in a bar.

AND THERE’S NO APP FOR THAT? Although there are apps that can describe colors, decode money, and allow me to text a message, there are no apps that make dating easier.

DOES OSLO (BELO’S SERVICE DOG) EVER GUIDE YOU TO MR. RIGHT? Absolutely, Oslo has brought some great guys into my life! Whether he sat me next to them on the bus or in a bar, he seems to know my type.

Oslo is very important to me and I only date guys who like dogs.

CAN YOU GO ANYWHERE WITH OSLO? International travel is very challenging as some countries still do not permit me to enter with Oslo. Once, in New York City, I had a cab driver refuse to allow me in the car with him. I have also been denied service at restaurants and coffee shops.

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IS THAT YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? It’s one of them. Another one is I think people with disabilities are often de-eroticized and romanticized. We are often seen as saints, inspirational figures, and not as regular people. We are never portrayed as beautiful, sexy, or funny. Disabled people, first and foremost, are people. We crave the same things everyone else does no matter how we get around.

BEING GAY AND DISABLED, DO YOU FIND YOURSELF FIGHTING TWO FRONTS – THE GAY AGENDA AND THE DISABILITIES AGENDA? As a Hispanic, I actually find myself fighting three fronts! I was

BELO CIPRIANI, PHOTO BY TODD PICKERING, GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND

the keynote speaker at University of San Francisco for National Disability Awareness Month. I spoke to students about the dos and don’ts of speaking to a person with a disability. At Yale, I was the keynote speaker for Hispanic Heritage Month. I talked to students about my journey of becoming a writer and how my Latino culture helped that happen.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A SPOKESPERSON FOR GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND? The organization asked me if they could feature my story in their documentary. I have since spoken at many of their fundraising events and represented the organization on TV, radio, and print media in both English and Spanish.

YOU’RE ALSO FEATURED ON THE COVER OF THEIR 2015 CALENDAR! (Laughing) Isn’t that remarkable? Its also proof there is a sliver ling to everything! I would never have been the cover of a calendar had I not lost my sight!

HILARIOUS! BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, IF YOU COULD REGAIN YOUR SIGHT, WOULD YOU? I meet a lot of people, at signings and on the street, who tell me that they are praying I get my vision back. I always tell them to pray for my health instead. Sometimes people wish or pray that the disabled would become able bodied again. Yet, this is often not possible. Currently, there are no medical procedures that would help me regain my sight and that’s ok. I am happy with who I am.

Belo Cipriani’s BLIND is available at all major booksellers. For more information on Belo Cipriani, visit http://belocipriani.com.

DECEMBER, 2014 17

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NOW HEAR THIS

DAVID GUETTA

REDEFINING DANCE MUSIC

BY MARTHA TANG

David Guetta has played a pivotal role in turning dance music into the chart-topping juggernaut it is today. His impact has been impossible to ignore, or to underestimate. He is considered among the elite group of super-producers whose sound is synonymous with an era- such as Trevor Horn, Rick Rubin or Dr. Dre. With his landmark new album, Listen, Guetta is announcing the end of that era and signposting the way to the next. The electronic dance music (EDM) sound he pioneered rules the world. A surging, smiley fun-gasm that rose the same time as the world economy crashed, EDM gave pop culture a huge shot of optimism and escapism. Nevertheless, even the tastemaker, Guetta is ahead of the curve. “I needed to create a new sound,” he says. “Music is all about cycles, about action and reaction, and there has been a reaction to EDM becoming the new pop. Listen is completely different to anything I’ve done before.”

Listen has been three years in the making – in the studio in London, LA and Ibiza, where Guetta lives; as well as out on the road. Composing on the hoof has become stock-in-trade for superstar DJ producers, writing beats on their laptops jetting between exotic locations and Guetta has been no exception (he has residencies at XS and Encore in Las Vegas, Ushuaia and Pacha in Ibiza and DJ’S to millions around the world each year). Now he is doing things differently: “I used to always make beats first, and then write the songs. This time I spent much more time in the studio, and started with the piano, or guitar and the voice.

I started from the song – not the beat.

Listen is a sophisticated, varied and emotional collection of classical songs. It’s not all peaks and pool parties- there are moments of uncertainty and introspection – though, this being a Guetta album, it sounds like a good time. The fat and funky opener, Dangerous, featuring the previously unknown Sam Martin, sets the bar in terms of quality – a slow tempo disco groover, propelled by warm analogue bass, Eighties synths, Chic-style guitar and orchestral string arrangements. (It is the current single; Jonas Akerlund has directed the video) “Of course it’s amazing to work with famous people,” says Guetta, whose long list of collaborators includes Rihanna, Madonna, Usher and Snoop Dogg. “But the reason behind their fame is their talent. So if I find talented people like Sam who are not yet famous, it’s equally amazing to put the spotlight on them. It’s like being a DJ, which is about pleasing people but also about making them discover new sounds”

On what he learnt from making the album Guetta says, “I spent way, way more time on songwriting. It’s probably my most personal album. Until today I was doing many songs about happiness and love and sexiness and just having a party – it was my life you know?

And lately, my personal life has been a little more difficult, so it reflects also on the album, on things that we are talking about, on type of chords. I’ve never done this, because even for me it was all about making the people dance” So how does Guetta sum up his new direction? “I’ve had to be honest with myself. Did I want to make another record about “It’s Saturday night – let’s forget everything, spend some money and have a good time’? I’ve done that. Now I just want to make music that comes from my heart and soul – I don’t want to write songs like that if it’s not how I feel” Find out more on David Guetta www.davidguetta.com

DECEMBER, 2014 19

NEWS FDA PANEL TO WEIGH ENDING LIFETIME BLOOD DONOR BAN ON GAY, BISEXUAL MEN NATIONAL

Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will meet this week to consider a recommendation that it end its lifetime ban on blood donations from men who have had sex with men.

An FDA panel will begin a two-day meeting on the issue Tuesday, amid growing calls from medical groups, gay rights activists and lawmakers to ditch the 31-year-old ban.

The U.S. Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety Availability (ACBTSA) on Nov. 13 voted 16-2 to recommend amending the policy from the current lifetime ban to one that allows men who have had sex with men to donate blood after being abstinent for one year.

Under the current FDA policy, “men who have had sex with other men (MSM), at any time since 1977 (the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States) are currently deferred as blood donors.” “This is because MSM are, as a group, at increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and certain other infections that can be transmitted by transfusion,” according to the policy, first enacted in 1983 at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Long-time critics of the ban, including some members of Congress, say the Dec. 2 meeting is a step in the right direction.

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“We’ve got the ball rolling. I feel like this is a tide-turning vote,” Ryan James Yessak, an LGBT activist who founded the National Gay Blood Drive and will speak at before the Blood Products Advisory Committee, Told The Hill. “There’s been a lot of feet dragging and I think they’re realizing it now.” The American Red Cross and the American Association of Blood Banks have characterized the blood ban as medically and scientifically unwarranted.

The American Medical Association, the largest association of physicians in the U.S., voted last year to oppose the decades long ban noting that HIV and AIDS testing has become standard practice in blood donations to minimize risk to recipients.

The push for changing the policy also gained momentum in 2006, when the Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks, and America’s Blood Centers called the ban “medically and scientifically unwarranted.” Patient groups that rely on a safe blood supply, including the National Hemophilia Foundation, have also voiced their support for dropping the ban.

If the FDA accepts the recommendation from its advisory board, it would roll back a policy that has faced mounting criticism from LGBT advocates and some members of Congress for more than four years.

NEWS POLAND ELECTS COUNTRY’S FIRST NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL

OPENLY GAY MAYOR

Robert Biedron already made history once in Poland by becoming the first openly gay lawmaker in parliament in 2011. On December 1, he became the country’s first openly gay mayor. The 38-year-old’s political successes are a marker of how quickly this deeply conservative and Catholic country has changed in the decade since it joined the European Union. Back then, in 2004, gay rights marches were still being banned and homosexuality was treated as a huge taboo. Since then a growing acceptance of gays and lesbians has arrived hand-in-hand with a flourishing economy.

“I see how fast Polish society has learned its lesson of tolerance,” Biedron said two days before he was elected to be mayor of Slupsk, a city near the Baltic Sea in northern Poland. “So I am very optimistic and happy with Polish society – and proud.” But it’s not just him. In what the Polish media are calling “the Biedron effect,” a record number of candidates also came out publicly before the local elections, which took place in two rounds over the last two weeks.

None of the others won seats, but gay rights activists are still hugely encouraged by the change. Their poor showing can be attributed largely to the fact that they were mostly young first-time candidates with left wing parties, which saw little support.

“These people have enormous courage, in my opinion,” said Mariusz Kurc, editor of a Polish gay advocacy magazine, Replika, who believes that the vast majority of political candidates in Poland still hide their identity. He tells a story that shows the speed of the change.

Before 2011 elections, he used his magazine’s Facebook page to call on gay candidates still in the closet to come out. None did. But this time around, people started writing in to say they would be happy to be publicly identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Nearly 20 had come out by election day. “This was record breaking,” Kurc said.

Kurc’s group included Joanna Erbel, a Warsaw mayoral candidate who spoke out about being bisexual four days before the first round of voting on Nov. 16. Representing the small Green party, she won less than 3 percent of the vote and was eliminated from a runoff, but she doesn’t believe that being bisexual was a factor either way.

Biedron, an independent who was named one of the country’s best lawmakers this year by the weekly magazine Polityka, represents a cultural shift in other ways too.

He inherits a city that is one of the most indebted in Poland and has pledged to transform it by cleaning up city hall and reviving the moribund economy with investments in green energy. He is vowing to live modestly, saying he will forego the traditional perk of a luxury car and chauffer in favor of public transportation and bicycle.

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PSP FOCUS

IDENTITY, FANTASY AND PORTRAITURE

Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert, The Galen and the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden will host the exhibition Personalities: Fantasy and Identity in Photography and New Media starting January 17 through May 3, 2015. Using the diverse aesthetic traditions of portraiture as points of departure, this exhibition explores the representational power of photography from its origins in the 19th century to its digital forms in the present.

The featured artworks are from the museum’s permanent collection as well as on loan from artists and private collectors.

Even in its earliest examples, photography was a potent tool that could alter the identity of a sitter, giving the subject status, beauty, fame, or the appearance of power. This exhibition begins with strong modern portraits by August Sander and Edward Steichen, and considers Hollywood glamour photography which transformed average women and men into starlets and beacons of masculinity, as stunningly illustrated by George Hurrell.

Image-makers such as Richard Avedon, Weegee and Michael Childers soon upended midcentury notions of celebrity portraiture,

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and from the 1960s on, Diane Arbus, Lewis Morley and Arthur Tress brought a raw vision to documentary photographs that existed between fantasy and reality. By the end of the 20th century, conceptual photographic approaches showcased the medium’s ability to make fiction look like truth.

Contemporary artists draw from these aesthetic histories, sometimes using digital formats. Work by Marina Abramovic, Zoe Crosher, Jen Davis and Tomoko Sawada reveal identities to be unstable and rooted as much in history and social expectations as in personal self-imagining. Other artists who compose this diverse photographic history include Brian Bress, Keith Carter, Jona Frank, Katy Grannan, Pirkle Jones, Milton Rogovin, Jono Rotman, Wang Qingsong and Pat York, among others.

This exhibition is organized by Palm Springs Art Museum and funded in part by the museum’s Contemporary Art Council, LEF Foundation, Helene V. Galen and CAC’s Silver Sponsor Pamela Smallwood. Exhibition season sponsors are Dorothy and Harold J. Meyerman and Arlene Schnitzer. For more info visit www.psmuseum.org

PSP FOCUS IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HIV… THE 2015 STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS Experience a tender music-and-dance interpretation of a couple facing life with HIV together – In the video promoting D.A.P.’s signature fundraising gala, the 21st Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on Saturday, February 7, guests are invited to Imagine …a world without HIV. an AIDS-free generation. helping to create it.

Gala sponsor Time-Warner will run the video 500 times in the Coachella market between December 22 and the evening of the gala. “We’re so grateful for this significant push in helping promote our gala, which we hope will even exceed last year’s more than $1.4 million in revenue raised for client services at Desert AIDS Project,” said D.A.P. board chair Barbara Keller, who is serving as gala co-chair for a seventh consecutive year. In her additional role as a community champion for Get Tested Coachella Valley, she continued, “We are so committed to helping bring about an AIDS-free generation that we’ve

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DECEMBER, 2014 23

L RA U S UG R I E A E IN S

PSP FOCUS

THE ART OF CONVERSATION 2015 SPEAKERS SERIES PRESENTING SPONSOR

Albert Berger Monday, January 12, 4-7 p.m.

Annenberg Theater RSVP by January 5 Prolific film producer of Academy Award Nominated film Nebraska, Albert Berger will screen one of his favorite films Election (1999). The evening event includes an intimate interview by Teri Schwartz, Dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, and concludes with a reception. Albert has produced over 20 films including Election, Cold Mountain, Little Children, and Little Miss Sunshine.

Michael Childers Sunday, January 25, 3-5:30 p.m.

Annenberg Theater RSVP by January 16 Renowned photographer, producer, and art collector will screen his new documentary short film about his life and work, Hollywood in the Desert Sky. Written and directed by Mary Silverman, editor of Desert Magazine, Silverman will interview Michael after the screening, with a cocktail reception to follow. Michael has been a renowned and highly respected film, dance, and theater photographer for forty years, and studied with Robert Heinenken and Edward Teske.

David Zippel

SO

Tuesday, February 10, 4-6:30 p.m.

RSVP by February 3

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OU

This sold out evening will include an interview led by Don Martin with David Zippel, the Tony® award-winning lyricist of City of Angels, at the private residence in BIGHORN of Diane and Hal Gershowtiz.

David’s appearance will highlight many of his musical accomplishments and feature a wonderful vocalist and pianist for an unforgettable presentation, with a reception following.

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$75 per person RSVP to 760-322- 4816 This series will fill quickly so reserve now!

101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs CA 92262

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psmuseum.org

been out, all over the community, with our #imagineNoAIDS message on Twitter and elsewhere on social media, like the “digital wall” we’ve created for posting messages, photos, and videos about what that world without AIDS might look like.”

Mrs. Keller’s gala co-chair for seven years has been Jim Casey, president and CEO of Integrated Wealth Management, which has been Presenting Sponsor of “the Steve Chase” for just as many years.

“It’s an exciting challenge to come up with a new show each year, that resonates with the audience and engages their attention in a really meaningful way that connects them to D.A.P.’s very important mission of care and prevention, working toward a world without HIV,” said Casey. “This year, we are so excited to have the incredible, combined talents of Scott Allen, whose songs have been sung by the elite of Broadway, who will be working with “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographer Ray Leeper They will be under the creative direction of Live It Up Productions president Trini Garza and his co-creative director Brandon Alameda who have teamed up to write a very touching story that will weave through the evening of the gala, using song and dance to interpret one couple’s story of what it means to live with HIV.” See the promo here http://youtu.be/CKxEZCRGF1M For more info please visit www.desertaidsproject.org

LEGALLY SPEAKING WHEN LIFE THROWS YOU QUESTIONS, YOU NEED ANSWERS

BY CHRISTOPHER HERITAGE A new year is ahead of us, and some of these real-life questions and answers may help you make and keep resolutions that will pay off in the future: Question: Joanne and Marie are planning to marry in January. They know they need a marriage license from the county clerk.

Is any other paperwork required before they can have their wedding ceremony?

Answer: No other paperwork is required by the state or county, but there are several important issues that should be reviewed by the couple before they marry. When their status changes from single to married, many of their rights and responsibilities will change, too. Ownership of assets like a home, bank and investment accounts, and beneficiaries of retirement funds, insurance policies and annuities may need to change. There may be tax advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered. It is wise to sign a premarital agreement that spells out who owns what. This new chapter in their lives needs a rock-solid legal and financial footing. The marriage license is just a piece of paper – the icing on the cake.

Question: U.S. citizens Sammy and Dejohn were live-in partners for 2 years, and decided to jump on the marriage bandwagon in Palm Springs last year. Everyone was doing it. Now, things are falling apart, and they are going their separate ways. Dejohn is moving back to his family’s original home in Jamaica, to settle down there near his relatives.

Since Jamaica doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage, is Sammy still married, in case he wants to marry someone else in the future?

Answer: The two guys are still married under U.S. laws and those of many other countries. They should file for a dissolution and move on. Bigamy is never a good idea.

Question: Calvin and Greg are in their 60’s and have lived together for 24 years. Recently, Greg had a stroke, is developing some memory problems, and is not fully able to care for himself. Calvin is taking physical care of him, but Greg’s sister is handling his medical bills and personal paperwork. Recently, she brought over some papers, which she persuaded him to sign. Then she told Calvin that Greg had given her authority over all his finances, and she is going to make some major changes in his bank and investment accounts. Calvin is really concerned, because he and Greg have several joint accounts and own the house together. What should Calvin do?

Answer: If this couple ever registered as domestic partners, or married each other, it is likely that Greg can’t give away spousal rights just by signing a paper. Also, Greg can’t sign over the joint ownership of the home and bank accounts. However, in joint accounts, either

DECEMBER, 2014 25

LEGALLY SPEAKING owner is entitled to use of the whole account. Technically, if the sister is now Greg’s legal agent, she could take all the funds out of the bank accounts, leaving Calvin with nothing. Calvin should consult an attorney immediately, to find out what he can do to protect his share of the assets.

And definitely contact the local elder abuse authorities – it is possible the sister used undue influence to obtain control of Greg’s finances.

Question: Wally and Susan’s mother was a smart lady, and she created a simple Will for herself on her computer. As assets, she listed her house and personal property, including 2 antique cars, some valuable art pieces and jewelry. Wally, Susan, nephew Randy, and 3 friends were listed as beneficiaries, with the items each would receive.

She signed the Will, had it notarized, and put it away in her safe deposit box, where it was found when she passed on 12 years later.

Mother named Randy as executor in the Will, and as required, he petitioned the probate court to give him authority to manage her estate and distribute all her property. Everyone was shocked to learn that the Will wasn’t valid. California Wills require at least two disinterested witnesses, not a notarization. Aside from that, the list of assets was sorely out of date – in need of money, mother had disposed of many of the items over the years, including most of the personal property promised to her beneficiaries. And 2 of the 3 friends had

passed away. The Will said nothing about what would happen to their bequests if they departed. And mother’s house now had a reverse mortgage, and no equity left in it at all. What more could go wrong?

Answer: Wills must meet very specific requirements to be valid in California. In spite of her intelligence, mother made several critical mistakes: the most obvious were not knowing the legal requirements for a valid Will; not providing for what would happen if named beneficiaries passed away before she did; and not updating her Will regularly to keep the list of assets and property current. Now, Randy must ask the court to probate an “intestate” (without a Will) estate, and appoint him administrator to pay off debts and distribute any remaining assets to the statutory heirs, who, under California rules, are normally the next of kin. Wally and Susan are mother’s closest relatives. Randy is farther removed, so he and the remaining friend have no right to inherit anything.

This article is part of an ongoing series of articles pertaining to legal issues relevant to the LGBT community, and is intended for general information purposes only – not legal advice. Christopher Heritage is an attorney in Palm Springs and San Diego, who focuses on LGBT estate planning, domestic partnerships, same-sex marriage, probate, trust administration, and bankruptcy. He welcomes questions and comments and can be contacted at 760-325-2020 or at chris@heritagelegal.com

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FITNESS WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THIS YEAR?

BY DENNIS MASON, BFA, CPT As this year nears its close, another cycle in our journey through life will come to pass. It has been another power packed year from any angle you view. Now, the question is; what lessons have we learned from this year’s experiences that will be beneficial to us in the future? The variety of answers to that question can be as varied as the number of people in the world you ask.

Do you remember those promises you made with yourself earlier this year concerning your own health, fitness and physique in particular? Did you accomplish what you set out to do? If you did, congratulations and Well-Done. If not, don’t despair. It’s all part of the learning experience as we all move along the timeline, and is a good time to reflect, recognize and release all those events in our lives that have come and gone during the year.

The ‘past’ is now behind us. It does not exist anymore. Hopefully, most of the events we experienced were pleasant ones, such as the accomplishments we achieved, the satisfaction we derived from those accomplishments and the happiness they brought us. Less gratifying events can be useful to us as well. They can show us what didn’t work, and/or what needed more effort to achieve and maintain.

The important thing to remember is that the ‘future is not yet written’. So, what we do today, will ultimately determine what happens in the future. It’s just like doing what we did yesterday had an impact on us today. We all have free will. Therefore, it is important that we must make our choices, wisely. Here is where “Right Thinking” comes into play. Our decisions must come from within and must feel “right” for each of us. We all have the ability to

sense what’s right or wrong, and good or evil. Also, when we look at the year ahead, we must release the attachments we have to those past events and focus on our new goals, using all the knowledge and wisdom we have gained along the way.

Achieving and maintaining good health and fitness is a goal that I believe should be number one on everyone’s list of things to do on this journey; no matter what your age or background. It is the single most important job in your life; for without your good health, nothing else really matters.

Practicing self-wellness and fitness is an ART. As such it does require the desire, diligence and dedication for success; and in the long run, well worth the time and effort spent. Think of it as the BEST investment you can ever make in your life.

All best wishes for a safe and joyous holiday season.

Dennis is a certified Fitness Coach and Trainer with over 40 years’ experience, an NPC bodybuilding competitor, charity cyclist, health and fitness motivational speaker and author. He trains exclusively at World Gym Palm Springs. Body Sculpting - Nutritional Guidance - Aquatic Conditioning “Fitness is more than just a workout.” It’s a LIFESTYLE committed to staying active; eating healthy; reducing stress and having fun. Join Dennis on demand on his internet radio program, FITNESS & MORE and be taken on a journey to explore new ideas and separate myth from fact. www.BlogTalkRadio.com/FitnessAndMore .For more information regarding his services please visit: DennisMasonFitness.com or FitnessAndMoreRadio.com. Also on Facebook and Twitter as fitnessradio.

DECEMBER, 2014 27

Volunteering has given me 6,000 hours of smiles.

Joel, D.A.P. client

D.A.P. treats and supports the whole person Medical issues and depression pretty much kept me homebound—until I decided to give back a little bit of what I’ve received. Since Revivals has been supporting the mission of D.A.P. by providing a big part of its revenue, I knew it would be a great way for me to get back into the swing of things, while doing something really worthwhile. Now, I’ve logged 6,000 hours as a volunteer at the Palm Springs Revivals store. And every smile I get from our customers tells me I’m helping to make a difference!

This and more...all under one roof

Thanks to your generous support, Desert AIDS Project has been saving lives for more than 30 years.

Please continue to help by donating at desertAIDSproject.org, joining one of our annual giving programs, or by saving the date for one of our upcoming fundraising events.

Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala | February 7, 2015

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760.323.2118

desertAIDSproject.org

WELLNESS

TRUTH, AUTHENTICITY, TRANSPARENCY

BY DR. KENNETH TOTH, BA, MAT, DC, RN, CPT

I have a somewhat difficult time thinking about reviewing the past year because so much has happened so fast. On top of that, we have to deal with our having been conditioned into a less than fifteenminute attention span! Let’s see…. Our perceptions of the world are becoming increasingly morphed into a “holideck” (remember Star Trek?) experience by hyper-marketers and snake oil salesmen. Old definitions of many things are becoming increasingly redefined so that what we think is is really not at all. Let’s take the definition of “organic”! In the United States, so-called organic products need only have at least 95% organically produced ingredients. On face value, that might seem to be perfectly reasonable, except for that extra 5% that could be any number and kinds of byproducts as well as other contaminates such as mercury or arsenic. We now need to see the words “100% organic” in order to know that we are truly getting what we believe we are getting.

That 5% of who-knows-what might just be a brew of nastiness that would make our heads spin if we were to know what it really is!

The grocery associations and food “regulators” seem to always be busily at work eroding old established meanings or definitions into something entirely different without any fanfare in the news announcing the new disadvantageous changes in regulations. Whenever the socalled regulators change definitions, they often eventually become something entirely different over time. The trail of quiet and subtle changes in regulations, one on top of the other over time, can leave you with a totally false perception of what the present reality really is. The definition first becomes cloudy and then murky, whereby it might become very difficult to ascertain what they are even saying.

And how about examining the words “regulation” and “regulator”.

I think it could be said that the common perception of “regulations” is that they tighten up the rules or standards to render some thing or some process even better or more improved and even safer. A food regulator is assumed to be someone who is constantly trying to make food or food products more pure and/or safe for public consumption. Sadly, it seems that such an assumption is unfortunately yesterday’s thinking. We now must consider the tremendous power and influence exerted by the deep pockets of lobbyists and associations who often work at the behest of, and are financed by, those who may not seem to have the public’s best interests or health in mind. Instead, it is often about down regulating or even gutting previous regulations to increase some entity’s bottom line.

Modernism in Palm Springs is something to be respected and admired because it deals with authenticity. The lines are clean and fit

nicely into the environment. There is transparency. What you see is what you get. But, very often, so-called “modernization” of any established food regulation is usually a step backward for the consumer if you research deep enough. Product authenticity is usually degraded. There is often less interfacing with a balanced ecological environment. Lastly, there is much less transparency because of more confusing double-speak skillfully injected into the definition to make it difficult for the consumer to connect the dots of truth or consequences. Your body, your health, your environment, your food are all inseparable. They’re all interconnected and support one another from bottom up. When it comes to your health, it is truly truth or consequences. Demand truth, authenticity, and transparency, or there will be biological consequences.

Dr. Kenneth Toth, BA, MAT, DC, RN, holds multiple degrees and credentials as a Science Educator, Chiropractor, Registered Nurse, and Personal Trainer. He is currently limiting his professional activities to Personal Training / Nutritional Coaching, and is accepting new clients exclusively at World Gym Palm Springs. You may contact Dr. Ken at 949-235-9408 or ken@kentothfitness.com. For more information on Dr. Ken’s resultsproducing approach to personal training, please visit his website at KenTothFitness.com.

DECEMBER, 2014 29

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EPICUREAN START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT The new year is a great time to start fresh.

Many people commit to exercise more, stress less or make healthier food choices. Incorporating small, sustainable changes, versus dramatic, large-scale lifestyle shifts, can make it much easier to stick to your resolutions. This year, instead of overhauling your entire diet, resolve to improve your health with simple tweaks to your everyday meal and snacking routine.

EAT THE RAINBOW Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet is an effortless way to boost your intake of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Try to eat one produce item from each color in the rainbow every day. For example, have blueberries in your breakfast oatmeal, a red apple for a snack, a spinach and radicchio salad with yellow peppers for lunch and sweet potatoes as part of dinner. You could also pack red bell peppers and carrots with creamy garlic hummus or a banana for a convenient pick-me-up between meals.

ADOPT A SMOOTHIE REGIMEN Another easy way to consume more fruits and vegetables - as well as other healthy ingredients like nut and soy milk, yogurt, chia or flax seeds - is to start your day with a nutrient-packed smoothie.

Smoothies can be a convenient, on-the-go, energy-boosting breakfast.

If you have a sweet tooth, try a red cherry smoothie, bursting with the flavors of cherry, strawberry and grapes. Or, blend in antioxidant-rich kale or other dark leafy greens for an extra serving of vegetables.

CHOOSE HEALTHY FATS The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting most of the fat in your diet from unsaturated fats, which can be found in foods such as fish, nuts, seeds and certain types of oils.

Monounsaturated fats, from sunflower oil, canola oil and avocado, and polyunsaturated fats, like soybean oil, walnuts and flax seed, are sometimes called “good fats” because they are heart-healthy and can help lower cholesterol. Add these healthy fats into your meals: use avocado to cool spicy entrees; top salads with walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds for an extra crunch; and cook with canola or olive oil. Fats are essential for your body to function properly, so choose ones that taste great and provide energy and nutrients.

MAKE SMART SUBSTITUTIONS Another simple way to change your diet is to sub in healthier

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options. There are many ways to adapt recipes that will increase their nutritional content without sacrificing taste. Replace the typical carbohydrates with vegetables: try crispy, baked zucchini sticks in place of french fries or spaghetti squash instead of traditional pasta.

Secretly swap ingredients for more wholesome alternatives in your favorite recipes: substitute Greek yogurt in place of full-fat sour cream in dips and sauces or make a cauliflower-based pizza crust, instead of a flour one, for a more nutritious version of a favorite comfort food. With the right preparation and seasonings, you will never notice the difference.

When it comes to incorporating changes into your lifestyle, it’s important to start slowly and make realistic choices. Don’t be discouraged if you have minor setbacks. With just a few modifications to your daily meals, you can achieve better health in the new year.

RED CHERRY SMOOTHIE Ingredients: 1/2 cup (60 g) low-fat cherry yogurt 1 cup (76 g) fresh strawberries, quartered 2/3 cup (50 g) red grapes 1 cup (70 g) fresh cherries, pitted 1/2 cup (60 ml) cherry juice

DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed and secure lid. Blend for 35 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.

FIND THE PERFECT WINE BASED ON PERSONALITY When it comes to wine, each variety has subtle hints of flavors and aromas that characterize the wineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality. Not surprisingly, these personality traits can be reflected in the preferred tastes of individuals when it comes to choosing a wine.

This info-graphic provides a fun, unscientific look at the different personalities for many wine varieties, so you can pick the right choice when presenting a gift for a host or hostess this holiday season.

WINE PAIRING & SUGGESTIONS Food and wine are naturally complementary.

One general guideline is to pair lighter foods with lighter wines and heartier foods with bolder wines, but there are no rules.

Enjoy our recipes with any type of wine you like! For food & wine recipes, as well as wine pairing and suggestions please got to www.mirassou.com

DECEMBER, 2014 33

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DECEMBER, 2014 35

TRAVEL

RING IN THE NEW YEAR BIG APPLE STYLE

A legendary Forties Nightclub will be brought back to decadent life this New Year’s Eve. Ring in 2015 at the Diamond Horseshoe, the decadent and glamorous 1940s nightclub beneath New York’s Paramount Hotel. New York City’s celebrated event planners Brandon Voss and Patrick Duffy are presenting an immersive experience that will blend nightlife with theater at the famed venue. Guests will begin the evening in the opulent Paramount Hotel with an optional four-course prix fixe dinner. After dinner, they descend to the Diamond Horseshoe for a black-tie masquerade ball featuring a five-piece band, international DJs, performances and lavish theatrics throughout the evening. The Diamond Horseshoe was the shining gem of the New York scene in the 1940s.

“Me and My Shadow” songwriter and producer (and one-time husband of Fanny Brice) Billy Rose introduced the gilded performance venue on Christmas, in 1938, as a Gay Nineties-themed saloon. The walls of the main room were painted deep red and white with period fixtures, while the staircase was plastered with posters of bygone vaudeville stars.

It was an instant phenomenon. Performances featured burlesque acts like the Tiny Rosebuds (diminutive ballerinas with waistbandsized garters) and later, Roses’ legendary Long-Stemmed Roses (chorus girls who had to be taller than six foot two). In 1945, Betty Grable captured the club’s fame in the movie musical Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe.

However, by the fifties, tastes had shifted toward more intimate cabarets and supper clubs. The Diamond Horseshoe played its last act in 1951.

64 years later, the historic venue has been resurrected beneath

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the luxurious Paramount hotel to house Queen of the Night, a contemporary revue based on Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The show includes magicians, dancers, actors, butlers, and circus artists performing on every side, leading people from their tables into secret corners and submerging them in the opera’s journey. The premise may be Mozart, but the presentation is pure Billy Rose.

Brandon Voss’ New Years extravaganza will also follow the spirit of Rose. It will be a feast of sight and sound featuring all-night theatrical performances by the cast of Queen of the Night and early evening music by Inyang Bassey & her live band. Inyang is the lead singer of the Heathens at Sleep No More.

The later evening will feature a performance by Nomi Ruiz (Jessica 6 and Hercules and Love Affair), followed by a late night dance party with DJ Spun, whose “All Night Rong Party” has developed a worldwide cult following and is one of NYC’s most anticipated events. He was recently the curator and organizer of MoMA/P.S.1’s prestigious Warm Up Music Series.

“The idea is to take revelers on a sensory journey,” says Voss.

“They can eat and drink at their tables or go exploring and partake in the immersive performances.

“Billy Rose presented a heightened world of what life could be,” he continues. “ It was accentuated with grand style. Isn’t that how we all want to start the New Year? We’re launching to the moon this New Years. And we ain’t coming down. “Attire for the evening is black tie masquerade.

For more information and tickets, visit VossEvents.com.

NEW YEAR|CELEBRATIONS NEW YEAR’S EVE IN PALM SPRINGS Here are a few picks for New Year revelers.

TRIO New Year’s Eve Three Dinner seating choices; 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 plus Bar Party. Midnight balloon drop and party favors.

Starting at 10pm party at the bar with unlimited champagne & wine. Reserve early www.triopalmsprings.com THE ACE HOTEL PS PRESENTS Spaceland and Moon Block Party present New Years Eve 2015 in The Commune on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 Ring in the new year with Fool’s Gold, Deap Vally, and Crystal Skulls with Moon BLock Party DJs. Doors open at 8PM with music starting at 9PM. Event is 21+. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased HERE starting Tuesday, December 2nd! Tickets include entrance to the party and a champagne toast at midnight. There will be food and drinks for purchase as well. If any tickets remain, they will be sold at the door for $30 a pop. www.acehotel.com THE HARD ROCK HOTEL Just two months after his epic Halloween Bash attracted more than 3,000 people to Hard Rock in October, BB is ready to do it all over again for New Year’s Eve! It’s BB’s annual New Year’s Eve bash and it’s going to be hot! Come celebrate with three floors of music and dancing! Don’t miss the party that everyone will be talking about. For tickets and more information visit www.PartyWithBB.com WANG’S IN THE DESERT Wang’s in the Desert is ringing in the New Year with regular menu all night, last seating 10pm Happy Hour 3-7pm.DJ spins starting at 9pm into the New Year.

Balloon drop and Complementary Toast at midnight on the Zen Patio. www.wangsinthedesert.com HUNTERS PALM SPRINGS The best dance club in the desert is throwing a spectacular New Year’s Eve bash, no cover, Champagne bottle specials, free champagne toast and of course a balloon drop at midnight.www. huntersnightclubs.com

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PURPLE ROOM SUPPER CLUB Rings in the New Year with Michael Holmes Trio & The Gand Band. Three dinner seating choices; 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 with midnight balloon drop and unlimited champagne & wine to ring in the New Year. www.purpleroompalmsprings.com TOUCAN’S TIKI LOUNGE Bring in the New Year with a tropical flare. The newly renovated Toucan’s is the place to be Reserve your spot now! Champagne toast at midnight. 9:00pm Get your tickets at www.toucanstikilounge.com/upcoming COPA It’s party time at Copa! Welcome 2015 in Classic Palm Springs style. Music, balloons, party favors and champagne toast at midnight. Dance to the sounds of DJ Inya and San Francisco’s DJ 6PAC. Doors open at 8pm. Tickets $30 advance. Purchase tickets www.copapalmsprings.com RIVIERA Ring in the New Year with Frank Sinatra Jr. and his spectacular 8 piece orchestra. This magical evening will be filled with entertainment,

dancing and culinary delights, including a four course dinner prepared

by Executive Chef John Roberts and New Year’s party favors and a Champagne Toast at midnight, for up to 650 guests.

Doors will open at 7:30pm and prior to Frank Sinatra Jr.’s performance at 10:45pm, which will continue through midnight, the hotel will amuse guests with the Riviera Palm Spring’s pianist Martin Ross. New Year’s Eve Package: One night accommodations, Two tickets to the Frank Sinatra Jr. Dinner Show, 25% off spa treatments, $50 daily resort credit. The cost of the package is $1,100. For more information, and tickets, please call 760.778.6617 or www.psriviera.com STUDIO ONE 11 Music host Lenny Lab spinning 70’s & 80’s Disco. Champagne Toast at Midnight. Party starts at 8PM. www.studio-one11.com AGUA CALIENTE CASINO HindSite will be performing at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage on New Year’s Eve at “The Show”, HindSite is the best choice for live R&B, Hip-Hop and Top-40. We play the best dance hits from today, 00’s, 90’s, 80’s, 70’s and beyond. This is going to be a really fun night, so don’t miss out. Agua Caliente is already sold out of hotel rooms, but there are still many hotels near by. www.hotwatercasino.com

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EVENTS CALENDAR of Shock Headed Peter...Scrooge in Rouge adds up to being a physical comedy of triple proportions! For info and tickets visit www.desertroseplayhouse.org

NOW THRU DEC 18 THURSDAY NIGHT COMEDY WITH SHANN Comedy every Thursday in November and December at Oscars starting with Shann’s very own solo comedy show on Thursday November 6th at 7pm. The following Thursday Nov. 13th features Dueling Drag Divas Celebrity Smack-down at 7. Nov 20th catch the 4th episode of the successful and very funny Mis-Match Game featuring 6 of the hottest bartenders from the hottest watering spots in town!

Discount tickets for all three shows in advance at www.shanncarr.com (No shows on Christmas)

NOW THRU DEC 21 SCROOGE IN ROUGE. DESERT ROSE PLAYHOUSE When all but three actors out of a cast of twenty are stricken with food poisoning, the remaining trio decides the show must go on even if that means they must play all 23 characters in their turn-of-the-century Music Hall version of A Christmas Carol. Part British panto, party Victorian peep show with a heap of The 39 Steps, and a dash

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NOW THRU DEC 27 LIGHT: AN AVANT-GARDE DINING EXPERIENCE This secret underground dining event is the talk of the town. It is a one of a kind experience that can’t really be put into words. It is part high-end dinner party, part performance art, and part culinary theatre. You must just let down your inhibitions, take a leap of faith and experience what has been appropriately called “A Culinary Rave for Adults” For complete details visit www.lightps.net DEC 13 - 14 DESERT ART FESTIVAL. FRANCES STEVENS PARK PALM SPRINGS The Desert Arts Festival will feature 100 artists presenting their original work in all [Desert Arts Festival image] mediums of two and three dimensional fine art, including paintings in acrylic, oils and watercolors, photography, etchings, sculpture in clay, glass, metal, stone and wood. Artists will be present to meet with the public and discuss their work. All work is available for purchase. In addition to fine art, fine crafts will also be presented. Festival attendees will find blown glass, turned wood, semiprecious jewelry, pottery, stained glass, and an array of high-quality crafts. www.westcoastartists.com

THRU DEC 31 WILD LIGHTS. THE LIVING DESERT, PALM DESERT Feel the magic of the holiday season as WildLights returns to The Living Desert, December 4-6, 11-13 and 18-31

(Closed Christmas Day), from 6 to 9 p.m.

Celebrating its 22nd season, WildLights is one of the most cherished holiday traditions in the Coachella Valley. Nearly a million twinkling lights transform acres of the zoo into a festive winter wonderland. For info visit www.livingdesert.org JAN 9 NIGHT FEVER A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEE GEES. MCCALLUM THEATRE The rich heritage of the tamale, consistent community support and hard working tamale makers, have created the festival’s tremendous success. Recently, the Food Network-TV ranked the Indio International Tamale Festival in the top 10 “All-American Food Festivals” in the nation! Free to the public, the festival takes place in Old town Indio from 10am-6pm both Sat & Sun. For more info www.tamalefestival.net DBA DECEMBER EVENTS Dec 15 DBA Holiday Party 6:00 – 9:00 pm Pirch / 71905 Hwy 111 Rancho Mirage Jan 12 Mixer 6:00 – 8:00 pm Hosted by Cabot’s Pueblo Museum 67616 E. Desert View Ave. Desert Hot Springs www.desertbusinessassociation.org ONGOING >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

COPA In a throwback to old Palm Springs’ nightclubs, the Copa is fashioned around an elevated performing stage and a stunning u-shaped bar lined with leather barstools, upholstered booths, and gilded cocktail tables. Sink into the sexy lounge, sip a

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EVENTS CALENDAR DJ in the sound booth. Every Sunday Complete list of events www.toucanstikilounge.com

cocktail, and enjoy the lineup of local and guest entertainers. For weekly schedule visit www.coparoomps.com

THE PURPLE ROOM Supper club, drinks and live music. It’s where Palm Springs plays. Great entertainment nightly and dinner specials. You never know whom you might see at The Purple Room.

For monthly schedule and info visit http://purpleroompalmsprings.com

OSCAR’S CAFÉ & BAR Located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs on the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Indian Canyon, Oscar’s has a huge outdoor patio with lots of umbrellas for shade and misters to keep you cool, too.

You can beat the heat any time of year and enjoy the views of Palm Springs. And our patio is dog friendly for your leashed four-legged family members! On Saturday and Sunday from 8am – 2pm, enjoy a $9 Bottomless Mimosas (juice included), a single $2 mimosa or a $5 Bloody Mary with brunch, during which both our full breakfast and lunch menus are available. Also join us for Sunday Funday Weekly Tea Dance 4pm-Close! www.oscarspalmsprings.com

FLIRT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL Thursday nights in downtown Palm Springs got a little hotter and a little more exciting with a new show/new dance party/ new venue/new room/new night/new international brand…Flirt at Hard Rock Hotel. Doors open each Thursday at 7:00 p.m. to the new Flirt Showroom, located inside the Hard Rock Hotel, Indian Canyon and Arenas. Two shows each Thursday, 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. No cover charge.

21+. Entrance is immediately off the Porte Cochere. Two item minimum (food and/or drink per person per show). Check out Hard Rock Hotel and Bella da Ball on Facebook. www.HRHPALMSPRINGS.COM

HUNTERS NIGHTCLUBS® Palm Springs, Palm Springs’ go-to gay bar and dance club, has been leading the way in full-out fun for 13 lucky years now! We enjoy having the desert’s most sought-after and friendly DJs, full-on themed events, and a staff that has it all without the attitude. And of course, we are proud to hold the longest happy hour in the entire Valley. Remember: Size Matters. Come by for our happy hour from 10am – 7pm. Yes, that’s right: 9 hours long! For a list of all events and specials visit www.huntersnightclubs.com

SUNDAYS “The Playgirls” at Toucans Tiki Lounge featuring Tommi Rose. Performances 8, 10pm.

These darling Divas of drag really deliver with their very own brand of entertainment to packed houses. Special guests appear weekly.

Wang’s in the Desert. The weekly Wang’s Live Entertainment series features the best in local and regional musical talents.

Guests can relax from cabaret and Broadway show performances to upbeat, jazzy showcases on the Zen Patio, with its beautiful stone outdoor fireplace, giant red Buddha statue and lush tropical surroundings. The Sunday series is becoming the new performance showcase for weekends and holidays in downtown Palm Springs. It’s the perfect, casual venue for great music, cool cocktails and of course, a fantastic crowd.

For more information about Wang’s in the Desert, visit www.wangsinthedesert.com TUESDAYS Bella da Ball Cabaret Variety Dinner Revue at Azul features a different show each week with a cast of male and female vocalists and drag personalities. The highly popular show is hosted and produced by Palm Springs’ area social ambassador, Bella da Ball, and features music-comedysong-dance-costuming-headdresses-photo ops-door prizes-audience participation and more. The 95+ minute production features musical numbers ranging from show tunes to country to pop and everything in between.

Don’t miss the fun every Tuesday at 7:30pm! No cover.

FOR A COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS VISIT OUR MEDIA PARTNER, GAY DESERT GUIDE. CLICK ON LOGO

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EVENTS CALENDAR DEC 5 - 7

HOLLY FOLLY 2014 PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS Three days of holiday revelry in Provincetown, from traditional carols around the piano to the not so traditional Speedo run down Commercial Street. Although it’s not what Currier and Ives had in mind, Holly Folly is a fun kick-start to the Holiday season with a line-up of events including the Gay Men’s Chorus, dancing, and the popular ‘Shop Hop,’ where you vie for great prizes while taking advantage of major sales happening in Provincetown’s shops and galleries. www.ptown.org

JAN 2 - 12

Lesbian Art presents “Boys of El Barrio: The Original Latino Fan Club” by X-Rated Underground Film Maker and designer Dana Bryan. Bryan is a master of the lost art of creating the gritty, 1980’s underground XXX gay porn traditionally associated with life on the streets in and around Times Square. www.kymara.com

DEC 25 - JAN 1 DEC 11 - 27

HOMO FOR THE HOLIDAYS SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Homo For The Holidays is a seasonal spectacle guaranteed to make even the most stubborn yuletides gay! An unforgettable allstar cast of burlesque, cabaret, dance, drag, and musical local luminaries come together in a display of glittering grandeur. www.strangertickets.com

DEC 12 - 14

BOYS OF EL BARRIO: THE ORIGINAL LATINO FAN CLUB ART SHOW NEW YORK, NEW YORK The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and

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HER HEALING HOLIDAY A GODDESS RETREAT KAPOHO, HAWAII Come to beautiful Kapoho Hawaii to experience a delightful soul awakening guided by Rev. Keala Vai Noel. Located at the very most eastern tip of all of Hawaii documented as the cleanest air in the world.

Breathe in the enchantment of the crystal tide pools that you can swim with turtles or snorkel in view the tropical fish in the marine sanctuary. Hike to the top of Green Lake Crater and bask in thermally heated warm ponds. Packed with wonderful healing therapies and educational workshops that will give you tools to take wherever you go beyond our shores. www.alohahealingwomen.com

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PALM SPRINGS, CA Now entering its 26th year, the Palm Springs International Film Festival has a wellestablished reputation as one of the most prestigious and well-attended film festivals in the country. The Festival has long secured its place on the world stage as the portal for the very best in world cinema, welcoming more than 136,000 enthusiastic filmgoers to Palm Springs every year. www.psfilmfest.org

JAN 11 - 18

GAY AND LESBIAN SKI WEEK ASPEN, COLORADO Aspen Gay Ski Week is the premier gay & lesbian winter travel vacation event in Colorado. Not only is it a great vacation destination but also it is a fundraising event for local and national LGBTQ organizations. Aspen Gay Ski Week has gained the reputation of hosting the most exclusive and explosive winter entertainment. World-renowned DJ’s, indoor & outdoor pool parties, debauchery that will take you into the morning hours just in time to hit the slopes. www.gayskiweek.com

If you have an event you want to promote please email us at info@thestandardps.com

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EVENTS CALENDAR Navy theme, Ian has selected The Cape Town City Hall and Grand Parade. For more info visit www.mcqp.co.za

DEC 9 - 16

MERLINKA QUEER FILM FESTIVAL BELGRADE, SERBIA The Festival aims at presenting films dealing with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, intersexual and queer issues. The official program will highlight short, documentary and feature films from all over the world. www.merlinka.com

DEC 24 - JAN 7

TEL AVIV GAY FESTIVAL 2014 TEL AVIV, ISRAEL The festival will be a dynamic mix of street parties, events, fun in the sun on Tel Aviv’s famous Gay Beaches and opportunities to make new friends and have a good time.

Not to mention the attractions that the country offers, when you’re not busy partying! The festival is based at the Tel Aviv Gay Center.

For more info visit www.visit-tel-aviv.com

mountain hut, a classical piano concert, the pool party, our cabaret-night or the dragqueen ski race? So what are you waiting for? www.arosa-gayskiweek.com

JAN 17 - 18

GAY STAR TRAVEL EXPO 2015 LONDON, ENGLAND Showcasing the hottest destinations for gay travel in 2015, the expo will host tourist boards and top travel brands ready to help you plan the best year of your life in travel.

Once you’ve discovered your trip(s) of a lifetime, stick around as the daytime expo transforms into a holiday-themed club night with competitions, giveaways and more – you could even win a mystery getaway! For tickets visit www.eventbrite.co.uk

DEC 20

THE MCQP EVENT CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA MCQP, which started in 1994 as a highlight on the Cape Town gay calendar, has grown into South Africa’s biggest dress-to-theme parties attended by guests from all over the world. Each year, event director Ian McMahon and his team devise a spectacular theme for the annual event. This year’s theme: The Royal Navy. The aim is simple; to provide a basis for partygoers to unleash their creativity! As with anything it’s all about location, location, location! And there’s no better setting than Cape Town for this freespirited event. To change the scenery, the MCQP has rocked several iconic venues in and around the Mother City. For this year festivities, to accommodate its regal Royal

JAN 11 - 18

AROSA SKI WEEK AROSA SWITZERLAND The annual Gay Ski Week in Arosa, one of Switzerland’s most enchanting winter resorts, is in its 9th year and constantly growing with people participating from all over the world. Come experience Swiss hospitality, the charm of a true mountain resort and glamorous parties while you’re enjoying yourself with various activities throughout the week. There is a wide range of accommodations. Don’t forget to order your event pass for the week, or do you want to miss the foam party, a fondue night at the

JAN 18 - FEB 8

MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Midsumma has been Melbourne’s annual Queer Celebration since 1988 - with a smorgasbord of queer arts and cultural events spread over more than 85 different venues throughout Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Midsumma Festival brings a diverse mix of artists and performers together under a single umbrella for an impassioned celebration and innovative presentation of queer arts and culture. The festival program is made up of a wide range of events and activities including visual art, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, live music, parties, sport, social events and public forums. www.midsumma.org.au

DECEMBER, 2014 43

the3D’s RESTAURANTS

DINE | DRINK | DANCE { Coachella Valley }

BARS AND NIGHT CLUBS

WANG’S IN THE DESERT 424 S Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: (760) 325-WANG (9264) www.wangsinthedesert.com

LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA 222 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 325-2794 www.lascasuelas.com

ZIN AMERICAN BISTRO 198 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 322-6300 www.pszin.com

HUNTERS NIGHTCLUB 302 East Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-323-0700 www.huntersnightclubs.com

NATURE’S HEALTH FOOD & CAFE 555 S Sunrise Way Suite 301 Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 323-9487 www.natureshealthfoodcafe.com

LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO 200 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

BIRBA 622 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-5678 www.birbaps.com

TOUCAN’S TIKI LOUNGE 2100 North Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-416-7584 www.toucanstikilounge.com

POMME FRITE 256 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 778-3727 www.pomme-frite.com

CHEEKYS 622 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-7595 www.cheekysps.com

RAINBOW BAR AND GRILL 216 South Indian Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-325-3989 www.rainbowbarngrill.com

RIO AZUL MEXICAN BAR AND GRILL 350 S Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 992-5641 www.rioazulpalmsprings.com

EL MIRASOL 140 E Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 323-0721 www.elmirasolrestaurants.com

TRIO RESTAURANT 707 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: (760) 864-8746 www.triopalmsprings.com

RICK’S RESTAURANT 1973 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 416-0090 www.ricksrestaurant.biz

STUDIO ONE 11 COCKTAIL LOUNGE 67-555 East Palm Canyon Drive, Suite A103, Cat. City CA 92264 760.328.2900 www.Studio-One-11.com

SHERMAN’S DELI & BAKERY 401 E Tahquitz Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 325-1199 www.shermansdeli.com ACQUA PAZZA / THE RIVER at Rancho Mirage 71800 Highway 111 Suite A167 Rancho Mirage, CA Phone: (760) 862-9800 www.acquapazzabistro.com AZUL RESTAURANT 369 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 325-5533 www.azultapaslounge.com CASA DE FRIDA 450 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 459-1681 www.casadefrida.com COPLEY’S ON PALM CANYON 621 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-9555 www.copleyspalmsprings.com

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THAI SMILE PALM SPRINGS 100 South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: (760) 320-5503 www.thaismilepalmsprings.com TRIO RESTAURANT 707 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 864-8746 www.triopalmsprings.com THE TROPICALE 330 E Amado Road Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 866-1952 www.thetropicale.com

PINOCCHIO IN THE DESERT 134 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-322-3776 www.pinocchiops.com

THE TOOL SHED 600 E. Sunny Dunes Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.3299 www.toolshed-ps.com SPURLINE VIDEO LOUNGE 200 Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs CA 92262 760-778-4326 www.spurline.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

ART + DESIGN mayakalabic.com

www.TrioPalmSprings.com

GET HIM ON THE LINE Try For Free

800-960-6843

Ahora en Espa単ol /18+

YOUR AD HERE theStandardps.com

YOUR AD HERE theStandardps.com

COMING UP NEXT MONTH THE STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS PS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

DECEMBER, 2014 45

PHOTO REWIND PALM SPRINGS PRIDE PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE & THE STANDARD STAFF

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PHOTO REWIND HRC GARDEN PARTY PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE & THE STANDARD STAFF

PHOTO REWIND DAP PARTNERS FOR LIFE/100 WOMEN + CENTER STAGE PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE & THE STANDARD STAFF

Purchase Your Tickets Now at

psgmc.com

Saturday, December 13 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m.

Artistic Director:

Douglas C. Wilson

Accompanist:

Joel Baker

Honoring

Greg Louganis When I Rise was created to recognize an individual or individuals who have overcome unfair obstacles in life and have risen against those odds to become an outstanding human being. We find such individuals in the arts, the sports world and in so many other walks of life. This person is someone who has exemplified and embodied the true human spirit and has forged a path that others recognize as a noble endeavor.

Sunday, February 15, 2015, 6:00-9:00pm Palm Springs Hard Rock Hotel

Our honoree will be diver Greg Louganis, Gold medal Olympics diver in 1984 & 1988. OperaArts will recognize Greg, who rose against all odds to become the most decorated Olympian medalist diver of our lifetime. Reception and sit down dinner followed by a music program with Haqumai Sharpe, tenor, Zachary Gordin, baritone, accompanied by Victoria Kirsch, OperaArts Music Director.

Individual tickets are $125.00, tables of ten $1250.00.

Haqumai Sharpe, tenor

Zachary Gordin, baritone

Victoria Kirsch, Music Director

Call (760) 323-8353 for reservations or more information, or order online. www.operaartspalmsprings.org Sponsored by David Hood & George Sellers • Leo & Sarah Milmet • John & Carley Pinkney Joe Giarrusso & Charlie Paglia • Andy Linsky

I found a home and a family here.

Teri, D.A.P. client

D.A.P. treats and supports the whole person I was so sick when I came to D.A.P. the first time that my case manager called an ambulance and sent me to the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and then visited me there to finish my intake, so I could get the services I needed so much! When I was released, I was homeless...but my case manager set me up with an apartment and made sure I was back on the right track to good health. Although Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had other case managers since that first visit, D.A.P. has always been there, helping me every step of the way.

This and more...all under one roof

Thanks to your generous support, Desert AIDS Project has been saving lives for more than 30 years.

Please continue to help by donating at desertAIDSproject.org, joining one of our annual giving programs, or by saving the date for one of our upcoming fundraising events.

Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala | February 7, 2015

760.323.2118

desertAIDSproject.org

DECEMBER, 2014 51

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