Coachella Valley Weekly - May 11 to May 17, 2023 Vol. 12 No. 9

Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmions

Gutierrez, Tricia Witkower, Marissa Willman

Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Janet McAfee, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Rob Brezsny, Craig Michaels, Dee Jae Cox, Denise Ortuno Neil, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Ed Heethuis, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman, Daniel Paris, Michelle Borthwick, Nadia Popova, Dennis Shelly, DeAnn Lubell

Photographers

Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez

Videographer

Kurt Schawacker

Website Editor

Bobby Taffolla

Distribution

Phil Lacombe, William Westley

Let the Joshua Tree Music Festival countdown begin, the festival kicks off next Thursday! This will be Joshua Tree Music Festivals 21st annual spring event, taking place May 18th to May 21st at the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground in Joshua Tree, CA.

This May’s lineup features over 30 incredible artists with genres described

as New Orleans funk, lush live-electronic fusion, hypnotic psychedelic blues rock, high energy French reggae, electro tribe, loop-based funk hip-hop, the list could go on. Joshua Tree Music Festival lineups are keenly crafted curations spanning diverse musical styles. They feature artists on-therise alongside esteemed global acts, local

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JTMF SPRING 2023 continuedfrompage3

and international musicians, a few surprises and a whole lot of talent.

More than just music, Joshua Tree Music Festival also features immersive workshops, yoga & movement to complement dance floor sweat sessions, a nurturing supportive community of music lovers, and a bustling Kidsville to entertain and delight the youngest attendees.

Headlining this May are New Orleans funk legends, Galactic. Galactic draw on 25 years together, 10 albums and over 2000 shows, they’ll be accompanied by vocal powerhouse Angelika “Jelly” Joseph. Balkan Bump brings high energy global electro-brass and lush live production to the mix. Revolutionary rock n’ rollers The Last Internationale add a touch of grit. And Thievery Corporation founding member Rob Garza is set to play a sizzling late night DJ set fusing dub, trip hop, reggae, and bossa nova. To get a feel for the music vibe and soak up the full spectrum of styles, listen up to the official May 2023 Spotify playlist.

This May, Joshua Tree Music Festival introduces some exciting new offerings:The Queer Salon is a safe space for our QTBIPOCC and LGBTQIAA+ community to gather, co-create, and celebrate queer and trans joy. Stacked with three days of fabulous programming. Astro Mojo Dojo is intended as a safe and sober space, a

quiet and welcoming place for reflection, connection, and of course, tea! Stop in for galactic tea ceremonies with our incredible hosts. The Late Night Headphone House is JTMF’s take on silent disco. Late night Friday and Saturday (and into the early morning) bumping house DJ sets will invite attendees to dance as long as their feet allow.

The festival kicks off at 5pm on Thursday evening, the perfect warm-up to an actionpacked weekend on the dancefloor with music rotating from early until late between four stages.

Just a stone’s throw from the otherworldly Joshua Tree National Park, Joshua Tree Music Festival has been drawing music lovers to the mystical Mojave Desert since 2003. The four-day festivals are immersive, communitycentric, family friendly, conscientiously inclusive experiences. Attendees are seasoned festival goers and first-timers alike, a passionate community coming together with a mission to experience social interaction on a deeper level, and foster positive, life-changing moments. Joshua Tree Music Festival happens each May and October. For more information go to www. joshuatreemusicfestival.com.

Tickets for the festival, taking place May 18-21, 2023, in Joshua Tree, CA, are available via the Joshua Tree Music Festival website - be sure to grab yours soon, there’s only

a few left at the current price tier. 4-day tickets are $295 plus fees, vehicle passes, early entry add-ons and parking passes can be purchased separately.

JoshuaTreeMusicFestival.com

Full Lineup: Galactic feat. Anjelika ‘Jelly’ Joseph, Balkan Bump, The Last Internationale, My Baby, Tamikrest, Garza, Dub Inc, Adam Freeland, Leyla McCalla, Q.Varo, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Frazey Ford, Father Taj, Rainbow Girls, Trouble In The Streets,

Mikey Reyes & The Feeling, Sgt Splendor, Corinne West, Whiskerman, DJ Mai Girl, Giselle Woo & The Night Owls, Sass N Harmony, Boostive, Stephen Lewis’ Big Fun Duo, Megan Slankard & The Wreckage, Psycodelics, MTN GRL, Lisa Sanders & Brown Sugar, Nigel Roman, Amanda Davis, Kate McCabe, Haute Mess, Ding Dong, LMcG, DJ Rai Girl, Alandrome, Late Night Headphone House (late night silent disco sets), Cactus Wine Experience, Songwriter Sessions.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSHUA TREE MUSIC FSTIVAL

On May 31, at the Mary Pickford is D’Place, a special screening will take place for the horror thriller film “Half Sisters,” followed with a Q&A from the director and filmmaker, Devin Tau.

The film centers on two half-sisters (played by Kristy Dawn Dinsmore and Sydney Winbush) who bitterly hate each other become trapped in a cabin during a storm, as a couple of murderous intruders terrorize them from outside as they look for their one million dollar inheritance check.

This character-driven, sophisticated thriller combines audience-pleasing elements of the gore genre with dramatic sequences of connection and emotional intensity. “Half Sisters” is the story of how superficial contrasts mask hidden connections, challenging preconceived notions about race, family, and belonging. By framing the conversation on social justice through an intergenerational and interpersonal lens within a single family, the film exposes the unquestioned racism of our culture at large.

David Tau is a gay, Asian-American filmmaker whose storytelling reflects his reaction to nearly four decades of cultural silence imposed on him by both his native and adopted cultures from his earliest years as an immigrant to the United States. This is Devin’s third feature film and first narrative — having released the documentary “Who’s on Top?” (2021) narrated by George Takei, which is now available worldwide and the feature documentary, “The Road Home” (2022).

“I grew up in LA while my family worked at a video store, so I got a love for film at an early age. One of my film director influences

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

is Christopher Nolan, as he really as an eye for grand cinema. I went to college for film and eventually started making my own movies. I was involved in the Cinema Diverse film program, which is dedicated to advancing diversity with a film festival promoting equality,” said Tau.

The Mary Pickford is a Movie Theater featuring D-Box motion chairs, luxury recliners, reserved seating, and a cinema cafe serving beer & wine. The D’Wards Card Reward Program is available for the best possible deals, and customers can also buy tickets online and save more. Early bird pricing is also available as Tightwad Tuesday Discount Pricing.

“As we progress toward a “post-racial” society, “Half Sisters” will serve as a conversation starter to engage audiences worldwide. Neither ignorance nor age can serve an excuse for prejudice and inhumane behavior. In addition, exposing the hypocrisy of performative ally-ship is also an important theme in the film. “Half Sisters” forces people and organizations with a seemingly supportive public face come to grips with their own internal embrace of a toxic topdown culture. A key goal of the film is to call out the need for radical self-examination, which extends to families, governments and across all social economic strata,” stated Tau.

Phishing attacks continue to play a significant role in the cyber security landscape. Verizon Enterprise, in its 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), discovered that phishing was one of the most common types of data breach activities. Phishing was found in more than a third (36%) of the breaches. This is an increase from 22% a year ago. For the coming years, cybercriminals show no indications of slowing down their phishing attacks. As phishing attacks are on the rise, they pose a serious threat to businesses all around the world. If businesses are to secure their corporate information, they must be able to recognize some of the most typical phishing frauds. It’s also critical that they understand some of the most prevalent techniques used by criminals to perpetrate these scams. In this article, we will learn; What is a Phishing Attack, How does it Work, How To Recognize Phishing, How To Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks, and What To Do if You Suspect a Phishing Attack.

What is a Phishing Attack?

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that is commonly used to obtain sensitive information from users, such as login passwords and credit card details. It happens when a hacker poses as a trusted entity and convinces a victim to open an email or a message. The receiver is subsequently tricked into clicking a malicious link, which can result in malware installation, system freeze as part of a ransomware attack, or the disclosure of sensitive information. An

attack has the potential to be devastating. Unauthorized purchases, money theft, and identity theft are examples of this for individuals. Furthermore, phishing is frequently used as part of a larger attack, such as an advanced persistent threat (APT) event, to build a foothold in business or governmental networks. Employees are compromised in this scenario in order to circumvent security perimeters, disseminate malware inside a closed environment, or get privileged access to protected data. A business that falls victim to such an attack usually suffers significant financial losses as well as a loss of market share, reputation, and consumer confidence.

How Phishing Works?

Phishing attackers can target anyone who uses the internet or phones. Phishing attacks often attempt to infect your device with malware, malware infects your device, steals your secret credentials to steal your money or identity, takes control of your social accounts, and persuades you to send money or valuables voluntarily. These threats don’t always target only you. If a hacker gains access to your email, contact list, or social media accounts, they can send phishing messages to people you know, posing as you. Phishing is deceptive and dangerous because it relies on trust and urgency. You’re an easy target if the criminal can persuade you to trust them and act without thinking.

How To Recognize Phishing?

Scammers keep on updating their techniques all the time, but several warnings or indications might help you to spot a phishing email or text message. Phishing emails and messages may appear to be from a company you’re familiar with or trust. They may appear to be from a bank, credit card company, social networking site, online payment website or app, or online store. In order to deceive you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment, phishing emails and messages often tell a story. They might say there’s an issue with your account or payment information, or you need to confirm some personal information, or they might include a fake invoice, or want you to click on a link to make a payment or tell you that you’re eligible to register for a government refund or provide a voucher for a free purchase. People who provide scammers with their personal information may face serious consequences as a result of their responses to phishing emails. They can also damage the reputations of the companies they’re spoofing.

How to Protect Yourself Against Phishing Attempts?

Many phishing emails may be blocked by your email spam filters. Scammers are constantly attempting to beat spam filters, so adding extra levels of security is a good idea. Here are four things you can do right now to safeguard yourself from phishing scams.

1. Use security software to protect your PC. Set the software to automatically update so that it can handle any new security risks.

2. Set your phone’s software to update automatically to keep it safe. These upgrades may provide you with critical security protection.

BY DENNIS SHELLY

3. Use multi-factor authentication to secure your accounts. Some accounts provide additional protection by requesting two or more credentials to log in. Multi-factor authentication is the term for this. There are two types of extra credentials you’ll need to log in to your account:

• Something you have, such as a password or a security key obtained through authentication software.

• Something you are, such as a scan of your fingerprint, retina, or face. If scammers do gain your login and password, multi-factor authentication makes it more difficult for them to enter into your accounts.

4. Back up your data to keep it safe. Make a backup of your data and make sure it isn’t connected to your home network. Your PC data can be copied to an external hard drive or cloud storage. Back up your phone’s data as well.

What To Do if You Suspect a Phishing Attack?

If You suspect a phishing attack, here’s what you should do. Answer this question if you receive an email or text message asking you to click on a link or open an attachment: Do I have an account with the company or know the person who contacted me? It might be a phishing hoax if the answer is “No.” Revisit the guidelines to spot phishing and check for symptoms of a phishing scam. If you see them, report the message and then delete the message. If the answer is “Yes,” contact the firm using a phone number or website that you know is legitimate. Not using the information or contact details contained in the email. As malicious software can be installed via attachments and URLs contained in the email or message.

Phishing schemes have become more diverse and complex in recent years, and they have possibly become more harmful than previously. With the integration of social media and log-in mechanisms, an attacker may possibly execute several data breaches on a single individual using a single phished password, leaving them exposed to ransomware attacks. Individuals and businesses may detect some of the most frequent forms of phishing attempts by staying watchful. However, this does not guarantee that they will be able to detect every phish. Phishing is always changing and adopting new forms and strategies. While phishing can be a challenging subject to tackle at times, you can considerably reduce your chance of falling victim to digital scammers by following the basic tips and advice mentioned in this article and using proper phishing prevention tools.

Our Cyber Security Eggsperts are here and available to help and for advice. Get started by calling (760) 205-0105 or emailing us at tech@eggheadit.com with your questions, service requests, or technology upgrade advice.

IT | Networks | Security | Phones | A/V | Integration

RICKIE LEE JONES “PIECES OF TREASURE” (BMG/MODERN RECORDINGS)

Rickie Lee Jones once noted “I lived volumes before I was famous” She was only 24 when she burst on the music scene in the Spring of 1979 with her hooky hit single, “Chuck E.’s In Love.” She was born in Chicago in 1954 to Richard and Bettye Jones. Her paternal grandparents had been vaudevillians and passed their talent down to their son. Richard nursed musical ambitions, but worked odd jobs to support his family, which included a son, Daniel, and two other daughters, Janet Adele and Pamela Jo. She endured a peripatetic childhood, moving from Chicago to Arizona and Washington. No matter where she was, music was her constant companion. her dad began teaching her songs as a toddler, starting with “Bye Bye Blackbird.” By her early teens, Richard had abandoned his family. Stung by his desertion, Rickie Lee quit the school and hit the road, hitchhiking across the country. Following a series of adventures, that ranged from good, too bad, to terrifying, she landed in Venice Beach, determined to have a career in music,

As a child, Rickie Lee was obsessed with the West Side Story, later inspiration included The Beats, The Beatles, show tunes as well as Jazz and Pop standards. Laura Nyro and Van Morrison were also early touchstones. All these influences coalesced, and she began writing her own songs. In L.A. she waited tables to make ends meet and began haunting Open Mic nights, coffee houses and the legendary Hoot Night at the Troubadour on the Sunset Strip. Her running buddies included musicians Chuck E. Weiss and her then-boyfriend, Tom Waits. The trio felt like a late ‘70s incarnation of Neal Cassady, Carolyn Cassady and Jack Kerouac.

After a pal sang a ragged version of Rickie Lee’s song, “Easy Money” over the phone to Little Feat frontman, Lowell George, he recorded it on his solo debut, I’ll Eat It Here. Not long after, she was signed to his label, the artist-friendly Warner Brothers Records. Produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman, her self-titled debut arrived in early 1979. It sounded like nothing that came before and felt like a revelation. The finger-poppin’ cool of the first single, “Chuck E.’s In Love,” and catchy tracks like “Danny’s All-Star Joint” and “Youngblood” coexisted alongside contemplative and confessional songs like “Last Chance Texaco,” “Coolsville” and “Company.” The cognoscenti caught on quickly, showering the album with rave reviews. It also shot up the Billboard charts, peaking at #3. Ultimately, it was nominated for four Grammys, winning the Best New Artist category.

Rickie Lee’s newfound fame was a doubleedged sword. The first casualty of her success was her relationship with Tom Waits. When her fame eclipsed his, he broke up with her. Heartbroken, she relocated to New York City. It was there she wrote and recorded her second album and developed a heroin addiction.

Released in late 1981, Pirates was a heady mix of cinematic melodies and gimlet-eyed tableaus featuring streetwise strivers like Louie, Eddie and Zero. Once again, critical acclaim was unanimous. Constant touring made it almost impossible to write and record a third long-player, as a stop-gap measure she issued Girl At Her Volcano, a 10” EP that featured one original song a couple of Jazz standards and gorgeous renditions of The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee” and The Drifters’ “Under The Boardwalk.” Her third full-length record, The Magazine, arrived in late 1984. An ambitious song-cycle, it found Rickie Lee newly sober, living in France, married to musician Pascal Nabet-Meyer A few years later, the couple welcomed a daughter, Charlotte Rose. For a time, she concentrated on married life and motherhood.

In 1989, she returned guns blazing, with the release of her fourth album, Flying Cowboys. Produced by Steely Dan’s Walter Becker, the record was a triumph. A potent mix of her streetwise swagger and the new-found joy of motherhood. Critics and fans alike took notice, the record climbed the charts, entering the Top 40. Suddenly, she was feted on MTV, VH1, and was making appearances on Saturday Night Live and The Arsenio Hall Show.

Between 1991 and 2019 Rickie Lee released 10 more studio albums. Because she has never been a wildly prolific songwriter, four of those records, Pop Pop (1991), It’s Like This (2000), The Devil You Know (2012) and Kicks (2019), found her offering her sui generis twist to old favorites from The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Lerner & Lowe, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, Hoagy Carmichael, The Rolling Stones, Tim Hardin, Donovan, Neil Young, Bad Company, Johnny Ray, Dean Martin and Skeeter Davis.

Her six albums of original material included the hushed Traffic In Paradise (1993), the experimental Trip-Hop of Ghostyhead (1997), and the surprisingly pointed and political Evening Of My Best Day (2003). The Sermon Of Exposition Boulevard (2007) was a songcycle inspired by Jesus’ own words. Balm In Gilead (2009) included a wistful version of her dad’s composition, “The Moon Is Made Of Gold,” as well a loving tribute to her 21 year old daughter, Charlotte Rose entitled “Wild Girl.” Following her move to New Orleans in 2013, she wrote and recorded her magnificent opus The Other Side Of Desire,” which arrived in 2016. There have also been a couple of live sets, Naked Songs: Live And Acoustic (1995) and Live At Red Rocks (2001), as well as a career-spanning box set, Duchess Of Coolsville: An Anthology. In 2021, she finished her much-anticipated memoir, Last Chance Texaco. It was everything her fans could have asked for, candid, funny, heartbreaking, dazzling, terrifying and adventurous. All in her own singular voice. The success of the book raised her profile exponentially, winning new admirers and reconnecting her with old friends. That included Russ Titelman, one of the producers responsible for her first two records. A musician first, he made his bones as the rhythm guitarist for house band the television series Shindig! She asked him to produce her next record and he suggested that Rickie Lee record her first Jazz album. The result is her 15th long-player, Pieces Of Treasure.

The record kicks into gear with a lush rendition of “Just In Time.” Breezy vibraphone runs and brushed percussion are juxtaposed by Rickie Lee’s throaty moan, as she eases into the song. Her mien is flirty and sanguine, employing her trademark slurred drawl, as she eases into the Jule Styne, Comden and Green classic. When she sings “No more doubt or fears, I’ve found my way, for love came just in time, you found me just in time, and changed my lonely life that day,” she could be referring to her relationship to music or Russ, as easily as a newfound romance.

When they were choosing the songs for this album, Rickie Lee and Russ had a couple of hard and fast rules. She had to be pretty familiar with the material, and the lyrics had to speak to her. Starting with hundreds of tunes, they winnowed the selection down to 10 essential tracks. At least three numbers are completely reconfigured and “Rickie Lee’d,” she confidently takes ownership of songs that previously belonged to Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.

First up is “Nature Boy.” written by protoflower child, eden ahbez, and inspired by William Pester, the so-called “hermit of Palm Springs.” Surprisingly, the song springs to life with an extended Oud solo that unfurls like an improvised taqsim, atop rattlesnake-shake

percussion. Rickie Lee’s wordless vocalese owes more to legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum than Ella Fitzgerald. Sundappled electric guitar and burnished piano is folded into the mix as she begins to tease out the familiar opening verse; “There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy, they say he wandered very far, very far over land and sea.” At once enigmatic and empathetic, she delivers the final verse; “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return” with hypnotic grace.

Effervescent electric guitar riffs succeed in stripping away the Teutonic gloom of Kurt Weill’s “September Song.” Of course, this mordant meditation on growing old probably resonates with an artist approaching her seventh decade. Taking a cue from Ol’ Blue Eyes, she includes two original verses; “When you meet with the young girls boys early early in the Spring, you court them with song and rhyme, they answer with words and a clover ring, but if you could examine the goods they bring, they have little to offer but the songs they sing, and a plentiful waste of time of day, a plentiful waste of time,” that are typically excised. But each one whimsically underlines the arrogance of youth. Brushed percussion, forthright upright bass, twinkling piano and shivery strings cocoon Rickie Lee as makes her final, melancholy point; “Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few, September, November, and these few precious days, I’ll spend with you, these precious days, I’ll spend with you.” Rickie Lee always zags when you expect her to zig, so it feels wholly apropos that she takes Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields’ Depression era toe-tapper, “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” and transforms it into a lachrymose torch song. The instrumentation and arrangement are austere, anchored only by courtly Spanish guitar. Still, her optimism shines through, her voice tender and almost vulnerable as she confides “I used to walk in the shade, with those blues on parade, but I’m not afraid, this rover’s crossed over, and if I never had a cent, I’d be as rich as Rockefeller, with gold dust at my feet, on the sunny side of the street.”

This record is pure pleasure, front to back. From the inventive arrangements and quirky instrumentation, she proves her Jazz bona fides again and again. Both “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and “One For My Baby” are kissin’ cousins to early Rickie Lee compositions like “Weasel And The White Boys Cool” and “Woody And Dutch On The Slow Train To Peking.” The former is powered by warm piano notes, see-sawing guitar riffs, thumping upright bass strategically structured finger-snaps and a natty hi-hat kick. Originally written by George and Ira Gershwin for the Fred and Ginger RKO musical, Shall We Dance, the lyrics are an erudite encomium to an allencompassing infatuation; “The way you hold your knife, the way we danced till three, the way you changed my life, no, no, they can’t take that away from me.” Her vocals mirror the melody’s terpsichorean lilt, tripping the light fantastic with a bit of swagger and sangfroid.

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

The in-the-pocket groove is further elevated by a laid-back sax solo on the break, before she comes back swinging. It’s all too thrilling. The latter, a quintessential saloon song that Frank Sinatra first took ownership of back in 1947, was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Downcast piano notes meander, anchored by spidery upright bass and a ticktock beat. Rickie Lee’s delivery verges on justthe-facts-ma’am reportage. By the second verse; “I got the routine, put another nickel in the machine, feelin’ so bad, wish you’d make the music so easy and sad, I could tell you a lot, but you’ve got to be true to your code...” she’s leaning into the heartache. Pensive piano chords dart through the mix across an akimbo rhythm. Wily vocalese mimics a trumpet solo as Rickie Lee closes out the song with a wry chuckle and an off-hand nod to a celebrated Film Noir actress/director; “don’t worry about it, I’ll get home on my own, me and Ida Lupino.”

Meanwhile, the great Jimmy Van Heusen/ Johnny Burke song, “Here’s That Rainy Day” is equal parts sumptuous and languid. Shivery strings lattice velvet-y piano, feathery guitar and prickly bass. Rickie Lee’s nonpareil phrasing is slightly behind the beat with each neatly turned phrase; “Where is that worn out wish that I threw aside, after it brought my love so near, funny how love becomes a cold rainy day, funny that rainy day is here,” the heartbreak feels palpable

Other interesting tracks include the gossamer grace of “There Will Never Be Another You” and the plaintive torch tradition of “All The Way.” The record closes with “It’s All In The Game,” best known as a jaunty, DooWop number that became a #1 hit for Tommy Edwards in 1958. Russ and Rickie Lee recast it as a tender piano ballad. Lonesome lyrics chart the vagaries of love; “You have words with him, and your future’s looking dim, but these things your heart can rise above.” Caressing every verse, each word is suffused with worldweary regret, honoring a bargain she made long ago. It’s a plaintive and poignant end to a great record.

For this record, Russ packed the bench with an all-star team. They include guitarists Russell Malone and Jon Harrington, bassist David Wong, pianist Rob Mounsey and drummer Mark McLean. Legend Mike Mainieri and longtime Rickie Lee compadre Mike Dillon split vibes duties. Scott Robinson was a oneman horn section, playing trumpet, alto and baritone sax. Ryan Roberts played oboe and Ara Dinkjian added some distinctive oud colors. Aside from arranging vocals and strings, Rickie Lee enjoyed the luxury of just showing up to sing. Recorded in two studios in Manhattan and Queens it was completed in just five days (Rickie Lee quipped “we beat God!”).

In a recent interview Rickie Lee discussed the power of music and articulately defined her role; “What we’re talking from and to, are each other’s hearts and souls. Whenever you hear music that moves you. You are relieved of pain for a little while. So, that job never ends, that thing never goes away… my work, as I understand it, is that I touch people’s hearts in inexplicable ways. I can sing about an ugly man or I can sing about a beautiful bird. The thing that’s really going on is what’s in our souls. That’s why I’m singing.” Pieces Of Treasure is a labor of love. Playful, exuberant, shot-through with longing and a homesick kind of ache. She pulls you in and holds you close. When it plays through, you think “again please…lift me up and break my heart some more.”

Thursday, May 11

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano

Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Paul Douglas Wergley – 7pm

Casuelas Café – Avenida – 5:30pm

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

Coachella Valley Brewery – Open Mic – 6pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Christine

Love – 6pm

Jazzville @ Agua Caliente – Aubrey

Logan Quartet – 7pm

Jolene’s – Tim Burleson – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Mark Guerrero, Scott

Carter on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Kilty as Charged – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 5-8pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Violent Femmes – 6pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails

– Daytime Moon – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – Latina Night

w/ DJ LF – 9pm

Purple Room – Sharon Sills – 6:30pm

Runway – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Shanghai Red’s (PS) – Lisa Lynn and the Broken Hallelujahs – 6pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King

Trio – 6pm

The Village – DJ Cranberry – 9pm

Friday, May 12

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano

Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Tony Grandberry –

7pm

Bart Lounge – Noa James – 8pm

Casuelas Café – The Myx – 7pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc

Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Patrice Morris – 7pm

Larkspur Grill – Live Music – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Jeff Bonds, Scott

Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Scott Carter

Band – 9pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Quel Bordel – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the

Plaza – 6-9pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Violent Femmes –

6pm, Tennessee Jet – 9:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails

– Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – DJs Dxsko and I Am Fambam – 9pm

Purple Room – John Lloyd Young – 6pm

Rock Yard @ Fantasy Springs – Genesis

Family Album (Genesis Tribute) and 212

Band – 7pm

Sullivan’s – Hotwyre – 5:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 5pm

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

The Village – Rob & JB – 5:30pm, DJ Gio

the Ace – 9pm, DJ Cranberry – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Saturday, May 13

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano

Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Off Da Cuff – 7pm

Bart Lounge – DJ Pico – 8pm

Big Rock Pub – Funkd Martini – 8pm

Casuelas Café – Michael Keeth – noon, West Coast Flyers – 7pm

Chef George’s – TBA – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewery – All Jokes

Aside w/ Molly Wally – 8pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc

Antonelli – 6pm

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

Larkspur Grill – Live Music – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Jeff Bonds, Scott

Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Scott Carter

Band – 9pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 12-

2:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – California Celts – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Shannon and the Clams and Babe Rainbow – 3pm, Frankie and the Witch Fingers – 9pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails

– Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – DJ LF – 9pm

Purple Room – John Lloyd Young – 6pm

Rock Yard @ Fantasy Springs – Led Zeppagain (Led Zeppelin Tribute) and Electric Ash – 7pm

Sullivan’s – Paul Villalobos – 5:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 5pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Rose Mallett –

5-7pm, John Stanley King – 7:30pm

The Village – Rob & JB – 1pm, Dio DJ the Ace – 9pm, DJ Cranberry – 9pm, DJ Erika

Starr – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Sunday, May 14

Babaloo Lounge – Tristen/Flamingo

Guitar – 1pm, Bob Corwin Piano Bar –3:30pm, Tim Burleson – 6pm

Bart Lounge – Latina Night w/ DJ LF –

8pm

Big Rock Pub – Derek Jordan Gregg –

11:30am

Casuelas Café – El Mariachi Coachella –

1pm, Voices Carrie – 5:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewery – “Here’s to Mom” Fundraiser for Shelter from the Storm w/ Courtney Chambers, Nick and Esther, Karla Anderson, Yoves and more

– 2-7pm

Fisherman’s Market, PS – Live Music

– 6pm

Jolene’s – Desert Crows – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter, Mark

Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 3:30-7:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails

– Inakaraoke Karaoke – 7pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 12pm

The Village – Gio the Ace - 9pm

Monday, May 15

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano

Bar – 3:30, Tim Burleson – 6pm

Casuelas Café – Live Music – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Larry

Copeleto – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Abbie Perkins, Mark

Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Mighty Poplar

– 8pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Richard “88

Fingers” Turner – 6pm

The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Tuesday, May 16

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano

Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Roxanne Avaro –

6:30pm

Casuelas Café – The Desert Suite Band

– 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Patrice

Morris, Marc Antonelli and Christine

Love – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Abbie Perkins, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Purple Room – Rose Mallett – 6:30pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Slim Man Band –

6pm

The Village – DJ Erika Starr – 9pm

Wednesday, May 17

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano

Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, The Myx – 7pm

Bart Lounge – Karaoke – 8pm

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

Chef George’s – Tim Burleson – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Trivia Night – 7pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

The Fix – Alex Santana – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Rebecca

Clark – 6pm

Jolene’s – Open Mic – 6:30pm

Lavender Bistro – Mark Guerrero, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @Fantasy Springs – Rye Brothers –

7pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

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

Purple Room – Charles Herrera, Darci

Daniels and Michael Holmes – 6:30pm

Tack Room Tavern – T-Bone Karaoke – 7pm

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

The Village – DJ Cranberry – 9pm, Banda Revolucion – 10pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Tucked into a strip mall along Hwy. 111, Oceans restaurant has been featuring fresh seafood on their menu since 1995. This was my second visit. Replete with crisp linens on each table and a large aquarium for your entertainment, the atmosphere is casually elegant. The menu showcases fresh seafood prepared in several styles with a focus on Mediterranean flavors. Permanent menu offerings include raw oysters, calamari, escargot, bouillabaisse, blackened catfish and barramundi, sand dabs piccata, seafood pastas, salmon, shrimp, and scallops. All entrees are served with grilled seasonal vegetables and a choice of pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

My first visit was for lunch, and I ordered the blackened catfish with a side salad. The catfish was perfectly cooked, and the seasoning created a crispy burst of flavor.

A portable whiteboard offers a variety of specials. That day it included grilled octopus, Chilean seabass, surf & turf, veal scallopini, Caribbean lobster tail and paella. Vegetarians and carnivores have a variety of entrees to choose from.

Entrée prices are reasonable given the freshness and high quality of the ingredients. A good selection of wines, beer, and cocktails are available. There is ample seating indoors and out. Servers are experienced and informative. Reservations are recommended as Oceans is very popular. oceanspalmsprings.com

67555 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite C101 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 324-1554

Lunch: Mon – Fri 11:30 am to 2:00 pm

Dinner: Mon – Sat 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm

BY DANIEL PARIS

THE CHEF EXPERIENCE AT AGUA CALIENTE CASINO CATHEDRAL CITY OFFERS AN UNFORGETTABLE DINING EXPERIENCE

BY MARISSA WILLMAN

foodies. Having worked in kitchens across the country, Chef Jonathan brings a well of experience, technique and flavors (as well as all the entertaining stories that go with them) to Café One Eleven.

The Chef’s Table experience at Café One Eleven is offered once a month, with a new menu and wine pairing selection for each event. The series kicked off in March and will run through May.

The most exciting and dynamic new chef’s dinner series is going on now at Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City. This Spring, Executive Chef Jonathan Wiener has launched a new interactive, prix fixe dinner called The Chef’s Experience. This four-course dinner is enjoyed at the bar at Café One Eleven, led by Chef Jonathan himself as he walks you through the stories, ingredients and techniques behind each dish.

The Chef Experience includes a fourcourse meal created by Chef Jonathan, with wine pairings selected to complement each dish. During the meal, Chef Jonathan guides the experience as he shares entertaining anecdotes and stories behind the dishes as guests enjoy.

The next Chef Experience will be held on May 31, when guests can look forward to an exquisite four-course meal paired with Justin wines. The evening begins with a savory corn

agnolotti dish featuring sweet corn, Meyer lemon, Dungeness crab, essence of truffle, and chives. Two entree courses offer guests both pan-roasted Sonoma duck with baby turnips, nectarines, braised lentils, and port reduction and a roasted beef tenderloin served with potato gratin, grilled broccolini,

and roasted bone marrow. The meal concludes with a decadent lemon vanilla cheesecake paired with Justin Sauvignon Blanc. This culinary experience is not to be missed for food and wine enthusiasts alike. Not only is the menu top-notch, but an evening with Chef Jonathan is sure to delight

For those looking to indulge in a gourmet dining experience, The Chef Experience at Café One Eleven is not to be missed. Be sure to reserve your spot early, as seating is limited for this one-of-a-kind event. Visit aguacalientecasinos.com/agua-special/thechef-experience to reserve your seatl

FOLLOW THE BUBBLES... THE VINO VOICE

For the past twelve years or so that we’ve been doing this Vino Voice column, we attempt to interest not only the general wine enthusiast, but hopefully the entire wine game crowd; and that includes the connoisseur, the newbie, the nerd, the snob, and those who do not think themselves as enthusiasts, but enjoy a nice bottle of wine every so often.

And in these past dozen years, we seem to be covering more and more sparkling wines as the years have progressed. The reason being—bubbly has made it on the dinner table any day of the week. Although it remains quite celebratory—in the best way, folks are also enjoying sparklers as an everyday wine.

Put the two above paragraphs together and you’ll probably get an article that goes to explain—or better, simplify to most wine drinkers, how the heck do they get all those bubbles into that bottle anyway? Most wine folks can kinda explain things—but it can get a little murky and you’ll probably lose your listening audience, unless you’re pouring some great French Champagne, in which case, it doesn’t matter what you say.

So we’ll keep it simple and hopefully interesting for our wide and expansive readership:

Okay—the two basic ways bubbles appear in our sparkling wine is through the méthode champenoise—which is created through chemistry & physics within the bottle, and the Charmat method—which is created outside of the bottle by pure physical force!

Méthode champenoise is also known as the traditional process or method that began in Europe way back when. Most folks have heard something of the story that friar Dom Perignon accidently came upon the process and came up with—wait for it: great Champagne. Human experience knows better—but again, if you’re enjoying a great French Champagne, you don’t care if the story’s true or not!

(And not to bog down our simplified explanation—but, The European Union has restricted the use of the term méthode champenoise, which solely refers to wine made in the Champagne region of France using the technique. Wines made outside of the Champagne region using méthode champenoise must instead use the terms méthode classique, méthode traditionnelle, or its local equivalent. In the production of Spanish cava and Portuguese espumante, it’s referred to as método tradicional; in Italy, metodo classico; in Germany, klassische Flaschengärung—I told you we do write for the nerds as well, whaddya gonna do?)

The “traditional method” or the “methode Champenoise”:This style is used in Champagne, Cremants from elsewhere in France, Franciacorta (sparkling wine from Lombardy, Italy), and Cavas from Spain.

Start with a still, dry base wine (usually in stainless steel tanks). If you were making regular non-sparkling wine—well, you’ve already finished.

That wine is then bottled with additional sugar and yeast (i.e. the liqueur de tirage) so a second fermentation can take place in the bottle. A closure tops the bottle (usually a crown cap). The second fermentation creates carbon dioxide (CO2) inside the bottle as the yeast is eating the sugar and then “farting” the CO2 gas out! This CO2 has nowhere to go and essentially carbonates the wine and creates bubbles!

The Charmat Method is also known as the Bulk Method or Tank Method, and those

BY RICK RIOZZA

words alone go to explain what goes on here: The wine is put into a stainless steel pressure tank to undergo the secondary fermentation and pummel the liquid with CO2 gas. Pretty much most Prosecco and many California sparklers are produced in this manner.

With the Charmat practice, the process typically takes one to six weeks, a much shorter time than the Traditional Method where the bottles are aged from 9 months to over 5 years. As one can tell, the cost differential can be staggering; great Champagne prices are up there—and great Rosé Champagne, which takes even longer to produce, are really skyhigh!

Taste, Aroma, and Bubbles: Traditional Method – Because the wines have more contact with the lees, traditional method bubbly typically has aromas and flavors such as toastiness, nuttiness, caramel, and yeastiness. The texture seems smoother and creamier. The bubbles are tinier, and usually feel less aggressive in your mouth than the bubbles of charmat wines.

Charmat Method – These sparklers tend to be fruitier than traditional-method sparkling wines, especially those wines that are fermented for a shorter time period. The bubbles are typically larger and coarser than the bubbles in traditional method wines.

And now: Our bubbly wine pick of the week: J Vineyards N.V. Brut Rosé. A couple of weeks ago we recommended the J Vineyards Brut sparkling wine, which was a hit across the board. Now let’s keep the party going with the wine’s sparkling rosé sibling.

The winemaker’s notes state: “J Brut Rosé sparkles with a luminous cool pink hue and exudes delicate aromas of strawberry, nectarine, and juicy red apples. On the palate, the wine opens with flavors of cherry, blood orange, citrus peel and the tropical star fruit that are underlined by a bright acidity that keeps the overall impression delightfully fresh with a lively, lingering finish. The wine engages the entire palate with balance wrapped in a refined body of elegance and effervescence.

Blend: 61% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 4% Pinot Meunier.

Tasting Panel Magazine wrote: “Pardon the metaphor, but we pictured a slot machine when tasting this shell-pink blend of 57% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay, and 6% Pinot Meunier, which spends an average of 30 months en tirage, with a panoply of fruits popping up one after another in addition to toasty baguette: strawberry, peach, and cantaloupe to start, followed by yellow cherry and blood orange on the sun kissed palate.”

We heartily agree: this Rosé is the bomb for both Mother’s Day and every day! Cheers!

BY DEANN LUBELL

Idiscovered singer, songwriter, and recording engineer Pat Kearns at the Roost in Yucca Valley when I went there for dinner a few weeks ago. He was performing with his stylish wife, Susan, a local artist, and hairdresser, who accompanies him playing an upright electric bass while he sings and plays the guitar. The words and music of most of the songs they performed that night were Pat’s originals. I enjoyed listening to the couple’s melodic acoustic sounds and Pat’s soulful back country melodies.

Pat and Susan live in Landers in a Goat Mountain homestead cabin. Adjacent to the cabin, they built an off-grid solar powered workspace where Pat has a recording studio and Susan styles hair and creates works of art. I will spotlight Susan in a future column, but for now, the focus is on Pat.

Originally from Portland, Oregon and formerly the leader of the power pop ensemble Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Pat refocused on “roots” music with his move to the desert. His three solo albums reflect this shift with more spartan arrangements, mostly acoustic instruments and a hint of

country twang beginning with his goodbye to Portland entitled “So Long City.” Pat’s second album “Down in the Wash” was recorded in his high-desert homestead cabin. His latest album “Getting Lost” was the first album to be recorded in his newly built private recording studio.

I was honored to be the first person to receive a signed copy of his latest album. It opens with a cover of Pat singing Gene Autry’s “Riding Down the Canyon.” He then takes us on a musical journey through selfdestruction with his original words and music called “If Living Don’t Kill Us.” Another Kearns original allows the listener to experience the joys of radio music with his song “Music on the Radio.” Then we go on a melodic ride to the fringes of civilization with his “Way Out on the Edge of Town.”

“The quiet and solitude of my home in Landers is very inspiring,” said Pat. “I find it to be a little easier to hear and write down the songs inside my head without the distraction of all the noise in a city.”

When he is not performing or in the recording studio, Pat can be heard hosting the Z107.7 Local Music Showcase which broadcasts from Joshua Tree, California, also available as a podcast. Since opening in November of 2020, Goat Mountain studios has hosted recording sessions with Jimbo Mathus, Roly Salley, This Lonesome Paradise, Terry Six, Jack Van Cleaf, the late Leslie Jordan, and many others. The remastering of the 2003 power pop classic “Guitar Romantic” by the Exploding Hearts was performed by Pat at Goat Mountain and will be released by Third Man Records this month.

To contact Pat Kearns please write to him at goastmountainrecording@gmail.com.

(PHOTO CREDITS: Joshua James Huff

ART COVERS: Susan Kearns)

PET PL ACE CELEBRATING ZOOMER’S ADOPTION

history that was emailed. He diagnosed her with a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the skin and has other complications. Dr. Conner developed a revised treatment plan with her local ADC veterinarian Dr. Frasier.

Many of you generously donated for Zoomer’s medical treatment when the LAA 2021 holiday card featured her sweet face and story. Her symptoms have vastly improved although Zoomer will likely need lifelong veterinary care. Who would step forward to adopt her knowing pet ownership includes this financial responsibility for medical care? Travis and Diane had chosen to stay “dogless” due to travel plans and their desire to continue fostering. But they fell in love with the incredible dog who loved them back more than they could express in words.

Now named Ziggy Stardust Medley, she marches proudly on walks through the neighborhood enjoying meeting other pups and people. Diane reports, “Ziggy is the sweetest angel! Her tail always wags 90 miles an hour. She loves to play chase with

BY JANET McAFEE

her best buddy our cat Abigail.” Travis tells us, “Ziggy is a ‘people magnet’ when we take her to Lowes or Home Depot. People want to know about her. She patiently lays every night for teeth brushing and meds without ever complaining. She is the sweetest happiest girl!”

Diane and Travis are prepared to do whatever necessary to keep Ziggy healthy and happy. Her fighting spirit is an inspiration. Ziggy taught us about the complexities and wonders of modern veterinary services. Ziggy taught us how a dog’s optimism can overcome incredible odds when surrounded by excellent care and lots of love.

Contact Loving All Animals at www. lovingallanimals.org and (760) 834-7000. Like them on Facebook and Instagram to learn how you can be part of such happy endings.

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

In February, a party at Loving All Animals’ shelter celebrated the joyful adoption of a small Papillon mix dog named Zoomer. The lucky adopters were her foster parents Diane and Travis Medley. The office was cheerfully decorated in balloons and a hand painted adoption sign. There were gifts for Zoomer and a special doggie cake. The humans enjoyed their cake while telling Zoomer stories. It was a long journey home for a special once homeless pup.

Zoomer arrived at the Loving All Animals Coachella shelter in 2021, an abandoned stray with infected eyes, a mass under her neck and unusual striations on her face. In quarantine, the volunteers comforted her, but she yearned to be with the other pups. She thrived with human companionship. She jumped for joy when experienced dog foster parents Diane and Travis took her into their loving home. Diane kept a careful calendar with Zoomer’s complex and often revised medications. The couple transported her to local veterinary appointments trying to find a “cure” or at least some relief for their foster pup. Zoomer loved the couple’s

MEET WHISKEY

I’m an active boy full of fun so they named me Whiskey!

I’m a 60-lb Siberian Husky mix and getting stressed in a shelter kennel. Meet me at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, 10am-4pm Monday through Saturday. Dog ID#A1728398. www.rcdas.org.

cats. When kitty Abigail tried to swat at her she hopped around the cat in a playful dance. Proving her intelligence, Zoomer responded well to Travis’ training. She quickly learned to sit, shake, roll over, and even speak. When Diane was sick for a few days, she sat on her lap and stayed by her side for comfort.

Diane describes those early fostering months, “Zoomer struggled with a horrible skin condition that causes serious hair loss resulting in scabbing mostly around her muzzle. A side effect of the medication for this is her compromised immune system that causes Demodex. In turn Demodex causes ear infections.” Everyone learned veterinary medicine is an art not a science. Loving All Animals and the foster parents were determined to help Zoomer get better. Her long journey of medical treatments took a turn for the better after a trip to the Animal Dermatology Clinic’s founder at their Las Vegas site. ADC’s founder, Dr. Conner, spent over an hour carefully examining Zoomer and did another biopsy. He previously read her extensive medical

MEET PETUNIA

I’m waiting for a home at Loving All Animals in Coachella after they rescued me from the county shelter.

I’m a stunning English Bulldog girl, 30 lbs. and 2-yrsold. I love to hang out with humans but need to be the only dog. Call 760-834-7000 for a time to meet me.

------------------------------------------------

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS –

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

PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER –

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

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

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

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

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

KITTYLAND – Open to the public to adopt cats and kittens. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www. kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private)

PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact

them at www.prettygoodcat.com, (760) 660-3414 (Private)

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

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

FLUFFS & SCRUFFS – Foster based rescue for small dogs in Cathedral City. FLUFFSANDSCRUFFS@AOL.COM, (310) 980-3383. (Private)

SOCIETY’S OUTKAST ANIMAL RESCUE

– Foster based rescue for dogs in Rancho Mirage, www.societysoutkasts.com, (760) 832-0617. (Private)

LIVING FREE ANIMAL SANCTUARY –

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

CITY OF BANNING ANIMAL SHELTER –

Open daily 10am-6pm. Located at 2050 E. Charles Street, Banning. Many beautiful animals of all sizes. View animals at www. arerecue.org/banning (951) 708-1280 Short staffed so don’t always answer phones. (Public)

CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL

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

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL

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

Members of The Springs Woman, a support group of The Springs Country Club in Rancho Mirage, gathered recently for their final luncheon of the season, raising much-needed funds for Volunteers In Medicine. The Springs Woman is very proud of the fact that it has been the single largest outside fundraising group for Coachella Valley Volunteers In Medicine, which now has two clinics in Indio and Palm Springs. Since 2014, The Springs Woman has raised in excess of $150,000 to support this nonprofit in our community.

The elegantly-attired women, as well as, a handful of handsome gents in attendance listened intently as Adam Karsten, CV Repertory’s Executive Artistic Director, talked about his love of theatre, his career path to the Coachella Valley, some of the exciting productions to come, and the recent launch of CV Rep’s 2023 Summer Cabaret Series. CV Rep is an educational, dramatic, and musical theatre organization, whose vision is to be one of America’s premier regional Actor’s Equity playhouses, providing leadership in arts presentations and making an essential contribution to the cultural vitality of the Coachella Valley communities it serves. CV Rep is the only theatre within the Coachella Valley that has Small Professional Theatre (SPT) status with Actor’s Equity.

Adam Karsten was appointed Executive Artistic Director of CV Rep, following the

retirement of Ron Celona, CV Rep’s Founding Artistic Director who created Coachella Valley Repertory over 14 years ago. Karsten joined the company after many years of producing and directing with the Emmy Award winning performing arts series, Live From Lincoln Center, and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), as well as, having served as Managing Artistic Director for Weathervane Playhouse in Columbus, Ohio. Over the last 20 years, Karsten has also directed theatrical works Off-Broadway, regionally, with national touring productions and Broadway Workshop productions.

“I have always dreamed of being in a room with so many lovely ladies like this,” said Karsten. “I wake up with gratitude that I am in a place where I am feeling extremely grateful. I would like to share with you today why I came to the Coachella Valley, and what I hope to accomplish here. I quickly realized there were several things about CV Rep that had enormous potential. It is an intimate, professional, and extremely well-equipped theatre, and it exists with a savvy audience of theatre goers. I believe the Arts are so essential to all of us.”

Starting on May 4th and running through August 24, 2023, the Summer Cabaret Series, presented in CV Rep’s casual, intimate setting, takes place on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. The series opens with Melissa Errico on May 4, followed by Alan H. Green on

May 11, Steve Ross on May 18, Teri Ralston and Alix Korey on June 8, two evenings with Glenn Rosenblum and Guest Artists on June 15 and August 3, Christiane Noll on June 22, Flamenco Company Miguel Bernal on July 13, Maximo Marcuso on July 20, Christia Mantzke on July 27, Lisa Vroman on August 10, Mark Evans on August 17, and Artists from CV Rep’s acclaimed production of ONCE: Molly Coyne, Trevor Lindley Craft and Eileen Doan on August 24. Each one of these performers is a captivating storyteller, using music, personal experiences, and passions to take audiences on memorable journeys.

During the luncheon, Judie Johnson, Founder of The Springs Woman, stepped to the podium to acknowledge outgoing President Mary Hockin, for her many accomplishments as President of The Springs Woman over the past 4 years. Johnson then announced Joan Lynch is the incoming President of The Springs Woman.

“it is hard to believe that The Springs Woman 2022/2023 luncheons are over for the season,” said Joan Lynch, incoming President of The Springs Woman. “We closed our season with a delightful and informative presentation by Adam Karsten of CV Rep. It is exciting to realize that many of our members are already avid supporters of CV Rep and I’m sure that our other members and guests want to add CV Rep’s upcoming productions to their list of “not to miss” events. The Springs

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY MADELINE ZUCKERMAN

Woman has more than doubled over the past several years. Membership and participation are open to all individuals, and we welcome and encourage gentleman to join us! We are already focused on planning the 2023/2024 season which will begin in November.”

The Springs Country Club

The Springs Country Club is considered the Premier Golf Community within the Coachella Valley. With its stunning views and impeccable condition, The Springs’ 18hole Desmond Muirhead Signature Course is often described as the best kept secret in the Valley. But it’s only one part of the complete golf experience at The Springs. Members enjoy at 30-tee driving range, short game area, putting green, a spectacular new clubhouse and much more. When Desmond Muirhead designed this masterpiece at The Springs, the goal was to challenge and reward players of all levels. The results? Every round offers something different and something memorable for scratch golfers and novices alike.

For more information please contact 760324-8292 or visit www.thespringsrm.com

(left to right) Sharon Heiser and Barbara Garakian.

(left to right) Jean Viereck and Adam Karsten, Executive Artistic Director of CV Rep.

(left to right) Barbara Monachino, Mary Ann Xavier, and Mary Hockin.

(left to right) Christine Rogerson, Fran Muir, Jean Viereck, and Nancy Cunningham.

(left to right) Karen Sieber, wife of Adam Karsten, Adam Karsten, Executive Artistic Director of CV Rep, and Margaret Viland.

TERMINAL RATE & CHATGPT

The Federal Reserve appears to have hit its terminal rate for Fed Funds at 5.25%. The ominously sounding ‘terminal rate’ term means that the Fed has achieved what it expects to be the highest interest rate for this economic cycle. Many commercial real estate borrowers are expected to struggle as lower-rate loans mature and are replaced with higher-rate loans. At the start of May, the Prime Rate was 8.0%, up 4.5% from last year. The Prime Rate is the rate that banks charge their best clients. Some loans are based on LIBOR aka the London Interbank Offering Rate. Threemonth LIBOR was 5.3% to start May.

A look at the 10-year Treasury bond rate tells us that market participants do not believe that rates will remain at current levels high for very long. Where the 10-year Treasury hit a peak rate of 4.06% at the end of February, it stood at 3.5% at the start of May despite continued Fed Funds rate hikes. Compared with this time last year, the 10year is only 0.5% higher. In contrast, the 3-month Treasury bill at 5.2% is more than 4.25% higher than this time last year.

A 30-year fixed rate mortgage hovers around 7% while a 5/1 ARM is 5.75%.

Rate increases by the Fed seem to be having their intended consequences on inflation. In June of last year, inflation was 9.1%. As of the end of March, inflation was down to 5.0%. Expectations are that additional declines in inflation will be more difficult to achieve due to higher labor costs. As such, the Fed may have to amend

its objective of a 2% inflation rate to a more reasonable 3-4% level.

A look at the M2 money supply (money in the bank accounts and mattresses of people, not government or business), shows that it peaked at $21.7 trillion in March of last year. At the end of March 2023, M2 was $20.8 trillion, down $500 billion in one quarter marking one of the steepest declines in decades. This is not a surprise as the government pumped historic amounts of money into the economy during and after the pandemic. In February 2020, M2 was $15.4 trillion. M2 grew by $5.2 trillion during the two years of the pandemic and another $2 trillion over the next year.

The large money supply is likely to lead to a period of stagflation. Stagflation is normally a mix of high unemployment and stagnant demand. This time we are likely to see a

variation where wages grow at a slower rate than inflation where the economy stagnates. With an unemployment rate of less than 3.5%, the impact of stagflation will be muted by better employment levels than would typically be the case.

While this sounds dire, the downturn is not expected to last for very long. While that sounds good to the employed, those looking for work will hardly find solace in this muted optimism.

Optimism is due to the stronger financial health of many individuals and businesses as we enter the long-anticipated economic slowdown. Additionally, the debut of ChatGPT may usher in a period of increased output like the debut of the iPhone 16 years ago. Over time, its impact may be similar to the early computers.

ChatGPT (Generative Pre-Trained

BY HADDON LIBBY

Transformer) was developed by the company OpenAI in November of last year. OpenAI was founded by Elon Musk, Ilya Sutskever, Amazon Web Services, Peter Thiel and a few others in 2015. Google has its own version named Bard while Facebook aka Meta has LLaMa. Each of these services offer the ability of a chatbot to do many of the tasks that a person would do. It can have human-like conversations while learning from the data fed into it.

While near-term concerns are for a weakening economy, every day we get closer to the next big thing that can power the economy to higher levels as other technological developments have done.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information on this Registered Investment Advisory firm, please visit www. WinslowDrake.com

Was the Force With You on May 4, 2023, on the annual Star Wars Day? The punning slogan “May the Force be with you” acquired legitimacy, when the British Conservative Party used it upon Margaret Thatcher’s ascending to the post of prime minister of the United Kingdom. On May 4, 1979 they posted “May the Fourth Be with you, Maggie… Congratulations.” When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 they adopted the Star Wars holiday, which began with the Star Wars episode IV, birthed in 1974.

Like the Jedi struggling to restore freedom for the galaxy, I try to balance the legal scale in my clients favor, when they are arrested after Coachella or Stagecoach …or have been in an accident while departing the concerts. However, finding the right lawyer can be a daunting a search and requires as much diligence as Darth Vader’s quest for the Rebel Alliance base.

Upon departing our two major concerts, Coachella and Stagecoach, and you got arrested, or were in an accident, the force clearly was not with you. Many locals and visitors, keep an eye out for what they may think of as Indio’s Stormtroopers…ie police, who do a wonderful job of protecting us.

Finding the location of the Indio Police, after the concert, when they have been hiding in order to “be with you”, is as difficult as the Republic trying to find the Galactic Empire…in a Galaxy long long ago. Though Darth Vader may not have found the Rebels in the Galaxy, I assure you Indio Stormtrooper’s

probably visited you upon departure. If you had been drinking, you did not want the visit, and the resulting arrest, for Driving Under the Influence or Possession of Drugs.

If you were the victim of a non fault traffic accident, they were a welcome friend. It is challenging to find law enforcement these days, to make a report after an accident, let along to contact the hospital and ambulance. Remember, if you leave and get a few miles away, that each city has their own Legion of Stormtroopers with Black and Whites, that can outrun you. Of course, we should not forget the CHP who will be lurking on the freeways.

Good eventually triumphs! Indio’s finest will assist you in finding the Indio Jail and Larson Justice Center after Darth Vader’s

henchman turn your matter over to the DA’s for “processing” on your DUI….or sorting out the value of your traffic accident’s value.

If you were “held up at Stagecoach” you were TEMPORARILY DETAINED and had a pleasant conversation with the men and women in a Black and White, who may have invited you to return to the CV for a less pleasant visit to the Indio Court …to “discuss” your DUI arrest or accident.

Be mindful, as I have explained in previous columns, that a DUI arrest kicks in two separate proceedings…the Court and a DMV Suspension Hearing. Both are looking to punish you. DMV looks to suspend your license, while the court focuses on jail. The outcome of one proceeding does not necessarily affect the other.

If DMV suspends your license, it is for a four month period. If you ask for a restricted license, the suspension is for 5 months. Sometimes, we have clients who enter a plea in Court, to something BEFORE the DMV hearing. Even though the court does not suspend your license, as part of the plea, the court will notify the DMV in Sacramento that the driver pled to a DUI or reckless driving etc., and that the driver was sentenced to attend a drinking driving program. That notification will trigger a letter to the arrested driver, from Sacramento’s DMV, called an Order of Suspension (for 6 months)

A DMV Administrative Per Se (APS) hearing, presumes a driver is per se GUILTY or Under the Influence, when the DUI CHEMICAL RESULTS (PAS aka Preliminary Alcohol Screening Breath Test or The Blood Test), shows the driver to be .08 or higher. With a DUI, in order to save your California Driver’s License or driving privileges, your attorney must request a DMV hearing within TEN (10) DAYS. A few weeks later, the driver should go to DMV, pay $6 to get a copy of their DMV record and REQUEST A DMV IDENTIFICATION CARD, that looks like a CDL. You will probably need some form of ID with a picture during this DUI process and for travel etc!

MAY 4TH WAS STAR WARS DAY: WAS “THE FOURTH WITH YOU” AFTER STAGECOACH?

EXPOSING THE INTEGERAL PART OF BUSINESS

Integrity is a word familiar to most, yet nowadays is hardly if ever implemented. It’s definition: “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”.

We live in a world that is now driven by speed and is presently hitting full-throttle spinning us all way out of control.

It’s clear to at least the God fearing, and wise that speed is not always a good thing. In emergency, yes, but when initiating speed at times when it is unnecessary, byproducts such as error, lack of quality, and lack of integrity follow. That is why the term, “quality not quantity” came into being.

If at any time in business anyone ever tells you, “We get the job done fast”, move on to the next business. It’s apparent that this business opts for speed, which result in shoddy and sloppy work, instead of professional and well-manicured works of art. The same can be said about the individual or business that offer rockbottom prices for goods and services - “You get what you pay for”.

If a business combines both of these less-than-desirable attributes, rest assured that their “integrity” will likewise fall short of anything resembling glory. This may mean that requests for fixing issues go unanswered, refunds are ignored, and pay for those working for said companies will at times be “lost in the mail”, or delivered late without apology - if they get paid at all.

To discover why society and certain business principals have fallen so far from grace, we look to the past, which will perhaps give us greater insight to the present.

More recently, we spent some time analyzing “why” the decade of the 1980’s

was so popular, so productive, so innovative, and so generally positive.

Many of our readers may remember the decade of music with hit after hit, moviehit after hit, and a slew of other pop culture gems like video games, toys, fashions, and pro wrestling that were created. Was it that we somehow entered a hidden dimension where humans perfectly understood the formula for creating success over and over? Did we then slip out of that dimension during the 1990’s, and have we since been cascading through a vacuum of laziness and depravity? Or, was the 1980’s success due to the fact that we were less distracted by the internet and social media?

Stripping back the overabundance of face paint and hairspray, the decade that was more revolutionary than any of the past five has revealed the reason why.

“Competition breeds character”. You may have heard the expression. Thirty, forty,

fifty years ago, it was a motto children and teenagers were told over and over, as well as, “Take your time and do it right”. Today, children, teens, even adults (at places of work) are not taught that competition breeds character. They’re not even taught about character, morals or common decency. Instead, they are taught to “be nice, be kind, and hurry up!” Of course, there is nothing wrong with being nice and kind, those are great qualities, but to not be taught character, and to hurry up when it is not a necessity is a crime against human productivity.

So, where does this new way of thinking place the morally decent, the innovators, the leaders, and business persons of today and tomorrow … on the scrapheap? We certainly hope not.

The reason the 1980’s was such a successful decade of creation was due to the fact individuals and businesses had integrity

FEELING OVER PRESSURE?

MAY IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AWARENESS MONTH!

Let’s see if you can “get it under pressure” with this https://lnkd.in/ g8vrE-kJ

Heart disease is no stranger to firefighters. It ranks right at the top of our number one killer. So what is the first thing you should know about blood pressure?

Know your numbers. High blood pressure affects one in three Americans — and it’s the third leading cause of death in the U.S. This May, celebrate National Blood Pressure Month by raising your awareness with the power of information. Then, use that knowledge to fight unseen, potential risks.

Due to a tendency to show either minor, or even no symptoms at all, high blood pressure has earned the nickname “the silent killer.” Knowledge of one’s high blood pressure — and then taking action — greatly reduces the possible risks of related health problems.

Check your blood pressure - Around 120 over 80 is considered the range for normal blood pressure. Any higher that that means you should try to lower it through some simple lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

Get moving - One of the best ways to maintain healthy blood pressure is through exercise. A walk, bike ride, swim, jog, or any other aerobic activity will help keep your blood pressure low, and your body healthy.

Adjust your diet - Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-

fat dairy products — while avoiding sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure significantly. National Blood Pressure Month is a good time to practice.

More salt might actually help you - We all know that too much salt can elevate your blood pressure, but did you know too little salt can be equally problematic? It›s true — if you have congestive heart failure. For those patients, restricting salt to less than 1.8 grams a day can cause blood pressure to soar even higher.

Your blood pressure can vary by armBlood pressure readings can vary from one arm to the other. Today, physicians are advised to take blood pressure in both arms.

Lifting weights is bad for you - While exercises to lower blood pressure are an important part of heart health, the type of exercise you do is also a factor. The most common cause of high blood pressure with exercise is isometric activity. Straining or excessive weights will cause blood pressure to rise.

Low blood pressure isn’t a problem unless you have symptoms - Many people have blood pressure readings lower than the normal 120 over 80. The only time a low blood pressure reading is a concern is if you’re symptomatic, and experience lightheadedness, dizziness, and fatigue. If this is the case, consult your doctor about necessary lifestyle adjustments.

This mineral is critical for healthy blood pressure - If your blood pressure is high, it’s important to diet appropriately. One especially helpful mineral is potassium — which helps to relax the arterial walls and keep blood pressure in the healthy range.

Why National Blood Pressure Month Is Important:

It encourages shedding a few pounds - Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes you can make to control high blood pressure. Losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce your numbers significantly.

It promotes activity - Regular physical activity and exercise can greatly lower your

and that they competed with themselves and others. They took their time and placed quality over quantity. That is why there is so much memorabilia, and so many great memories that are still talked and reminisced about nearly forty years later. Every product and every business hit all the right keys on the piano creating a masterpiece that even Mozart would not be able to compete. Perhaps at times during the 1980’s, competition did get a little out of hand. Yet, it seemed to push the one who was losing the competition to greater and greater heights, and vice versa. This is what led to the creation of one of the most diversly creative decades in modern history.

Will we ever be that creative again?

Considering our current trajectory, it is highly unlikely that another decade will ever feature such ingenuity and attention to detail. If we do not ditch quantity for quality, speed for time, and being nice in place of true integrity, we will sadly remain as stagnant as a boggy marsh of water trapped in a space where fresh air and movement will never find it. The 2000’s, 10’s - and above will sadly sink into that boggy marsh and be as remembered as the slime blanketing its putrid surface.

TIAR’A LITERARY & ILLUSTRATION –“Integrally Proficient, Creatively Manicured”

TIAR’A LITERARY & ILLUSTRATION is a premier content creation, marketing, and public relations company producing material for individuals and businesses worldwide.

Email: tiarapublications@gmail.com

SAFETYTIPS

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

blood pressure. Simply walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing for only 30 minutes most days of the week can help keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

It advocates moderation - Alcohol can greatly affect your blood pressure, and drinking in moderation is important. Generally, that means one drink a day for women, and two a day for men. Keep this mind during National Blood Pressure Month.

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

THE POWER IN FORGIVING YOURSELF

“Forgiveness clears the pathways that prohibit the passage of love.” SACRED System Manual, Exercise 32, by Aimee Mosco and Don Ferguson

You are often responsible for revoking the divine power bestowed upon you as your birthright. If you are like most other humans, you are likely your own worst critic. The judgments you have about yourself are far more harsh than unfavorable opinions that come from others. If you are not policing yourself, self-judgments cycle through your subconscious with repetition and eventually become your standard for how you view yourself.

Self-deprecating thoughts and feelings are damaging on many levels. Apart from the obvious, they close down connectivity with your inner spirit. When that connection is inhibited, so is the distribution of your inner light. This inner light is your most profound power source.

The divine light that flows through you is generated and cast from the energy of pure love. When you invite love into your field, your light emanates strongly and freely. These emanations are what power the subtle layers of your energy field, convey silent communications to the other souls with whom you interact, and keep you centered in your highest expression of divine power.

It can be tricky to elevate thoughts and feelings you have about yourself to a place that aligns with love, particularly when your perceived mistakes are plentiful. It takes heightened awareness and a solid practice to shift out of that old mindset. If you tend to be hard on yourself, like most other humans, it may be helpful to consider this: your soul has incarnated to have experiences which create growth opportunities. Mistakes are part of the process, and often times allow for the integration of higher wisdom.

If you make a conscious and honest assessment of your perceived mistakes and you are able to identify those mistakes as having contributed to personal growth of any magnitude, it may be more appropriate to be grateful for the growth than to lament the mistake. The interesting thing about

BY AIMEE MOSCO

gratitude is that because it is rooted in love, when you embrace it, your grip on judgment loosens.

Enter forgiveness. When self-judgments dissipate, and love-based energies are present, forgiveness feels natural and authentic rather than forced. Forgiving yourself then opens energy pathways that were shut down and blocked to the circulation of inner light. These open pathways summon divine light, which cascades through your energy field, heart, and mind. When divine light floods your energy field in this way, you have reconnected with your highest, most true, and unstoppable source of power.

In my pursuit to help you connect with the highest expression of divine light, I invite you to join my Telegram group DIVINE PURPOSE Discussions. Go to https://t. me/+8XQ9bgCiF0A2YzIx and enjoy the light of this supportive community.

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19): All of us are always telling ourselves stories—in essence, making movies in our minds. We are the producer, the director, the special effects team, the voice-over narrator, and all the actors in these inner dramas. Are their themes repetitious and negative or creative and life-affirming? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to work on emphasizing the latter. If the tales unfolding in your imagination are veering off in a direction that provokes anxiety, reassert your directorial authority. Firmly and playfully reroute them so they uplift and enchant you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A famous football coach once said his main method was to manipulate, coax, and even bully his players into doing things they didn’t like to do. Why? So they could build their toughness and willpower, making it more likely they would accomplish formidable feats. While this may be an approach that works for some tasks, it’s not right for many others. Here’s a further nuance: The grind-it-out-doingunpleasant-things may be apt for certain phases of a journey to success, but not for other phases. Here’s the good news, Taurus: For now, you have mostly completed doing what you don’t love to do. In the coming weeks, your freedom to focus on doing fun things will expand dramatically.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Most of us have an area of our lives where futility is a primary emotion. This may be a once-exciting dream that never got much traction. It could be a skill we possess that we’ve never found a satisfying way to express. The epicenter of our futility could be a relationship that has never lived up to its promise or a potential we haven’t been able to ripen. Wherever this sense of fruitlessness resides in your own life, Gemini, I have an interesting prediction: During the next 12 months, you will either finally garner some meaningful fulfillment through it or else find a way to outgrow it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Many of us Cancerians have high levels of perseverance. Our resoluteness and doggedness may be uncanny. But we often practice these subtle superpowers with such sensitive grace that they’re virtually invisible to casual observers. We appear modest and gentle, not fierce and driven. For instance, this is the first time I have bragged about the fact that I have composed over 2,000 consecutive horoscope columns without ever missing a deadline. Anyway, my fellow Crabs, I have a really good feeling about how much grit and determination you will be able to marshal in the coming months. You may break your own personal records for tenacity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Why do migrating geese fly in a V formation? For one thing, it conserves their energy. Every bird except the leader enjoys a reduction in wind resistance. As the flight progresses, the geese take turns being the guide in front. Soaring along in this shape also seems to aid the birds’ communication and coordination. I suggest you consider making this scenario your inspiration, dear Leo. You are entering a phase when synergetic cooperation with others is even more important than usual. If you feel called to lead, be ready and willing to exert yourself—and be open to letting your associates serve as leaders. For extra credit: Do a web search for an image of migrating geese and keep it in a prominent place for the next four weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I boldly predict that you will soon locate a missing magic key. Hooray! It hasn’t been easy. There has been luck involved, but your Virgo-style diligence and ingenuity has been crucial. I also predict that you will locate the door that the magic key will unlock. Now here’s my challenge: Please fulfill my two predictions no later than the solstice. To aid your search, meditate on this question: “What is the most important breakthrough for me to accomplish in the next six weeks?”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Losing something we value may make us sad. It can cause us to doubt ourselves and wonder if we have fallen out of favor with the Fates or are somehow being punished by God. I’ve experienced deflations and

© Copyright 2023 Rob

Brezsny

demoralizations like that on far more occasions than I want to remember. And yet, I have noticed that when these apparent misfortunes have happened, they have often opened up space for new possibilities that would not otherwise have come my way. They have emptied out a corner of my imagination that becomes receptive to a fresh dispensation. I predict such a development for you, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Kissing is always a worthy way to spend your leisure time, but I foresee an even finer opportunity in the coming weeks: magnificent kissing sprees that spur you to explore previously unplumbed depths of wild tenderness. On a related theme, it’s always a wise self-blessing to experiment with rich new shades and tones of intimacy. But you are now eligible for an unusually profound excursion into these mysteries. Are you bold and free enough to glide further into the frontiers of fascinating togetherness?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) worked at a variety of jobs. He sold cloth. He was a land surveyor and bookkeeper. He managed the household affairs of his city’s sheriffs, and he supervised the city’s wine imports and taxation. Oh, by the way, he also had a hobby on the side: lensmaking. This ultimately led to a spectacular outcome. Leeuwenhoek created the world’s first highpowered microscope and was instrumental in transforming microbiology into a scientific discipline. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming months, Sagittarius. What hobby or pastime or amusement could you turn into a central passion?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I wonder if you weren’t listened to attentively when you were a kid. And is it possible you weren’t hugged enough or consistently treated with the tender kindness you deserved and needed? I’m worried there weren’t enough adults who recognized your potential strengths and helped nurture them. But if you did indeed endure any of this mistreatment, dear Capricorn, I have good news. During the next 12 months, you will have unprecedented opportunities to overcome at least some of the neglect you experienced while young. Here’s the motto you can aspire to: “It’s never too late to have a fruitful childhood and creative adolescence.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I’ve explored the mysteries of healing my traumas and disturbances over the past 20 years, I’ve concluded that the single most effective healer I can work with is my own body. Expert health practitioners are crucial, too, but their work requires my body’s full, purposeful, collaborative engagement. The soft warm animal home I inhabit has great wisdom about what it needs and how to get what it needs and how to work with the help it receives from other healers. The key is to refine the art of listening to its counsel. It has taken me a while to learn its language, but I’m making good progress. Dear Aquarius, in the coming weeks, you can make great strides in developing such a robust relationship with your body.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Can we surmise what your life might be like as the expansive planet Jupiter rumbles through your astrological House of Connections and Communications during the coming months? I expect you will be even more articulate and persuasive than usual. Your ability to create new alliances and nurture old ones will be at a peak. By the way, the House of Communications and Connections is also the House of Education and Acumen. So I suspect you will learn a LOT during this time. It’s likely you will be brainier and more perceptive than ever before. Important advice: Call on your waxing intelligence to make you wiser as well as smarter.

Homework: What’s the most fun experiment you could try right now? Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com

Rob Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

WHY DOES YOUR LOWER BACK HURT?

Your lower back provides support and stability to your body when you’re in an upright position. Each vertebra is separated by a jelly-filled disc that serves as a cushion. These discs can become inflamed when standing for long periods of time. They can also experience wear and tear with age. Standing or walking for extended periods of time may aggravate this inflammation, resulting in pain

Possible Causes of lower back pain

Stress. Standing or walking for long periods of time places stress on your lower back. In addition to the actual pressure on lumbar vertebrae, if you’re standing at a high-demand job, your back muscles may tense as well, increasing the pain.

Being overweight. Every pound of excess weight places an additional four pounds of stress on your joints. This includes what’s called the facet joints, which are located between vertebrae. These are the joints that allow your back to be flexible when you have to bend down or twist around.

Poor posture. Having poor posture for a day or two won’t really cause damage to your back. But do it over the span of several years, and it will affect the anatomy of your spine: Discs, joints, muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves on your back will all experience additional stress.

Sedentary lifestyle. Inactivity leads to what’s called sedentary lifestyle. If you are used to having a sedentary lifestyle, you could inadvertently be causing the deterioration of your musculoskeletal system. As a result, you’ll experience a long list of health

ailments, including chronic lower back pain.

You need to replace your mattress. Not all mattresses are created equal. If you bought yours because it was on sale on Memorial Day, without regard for what your body actually needs, or if you purchased it over ten years ago, it may be time to revisit that decision and look for one that takes into account your body type, weight, preferred sleeping position, or any back condition that may require additional spinal support.

Keeping your back healthy at every age

It’s crucial to move your body and strengthen back and abdominal muscles to help keep discomfort at bay. Regular exercise not only reduces your risk of age-related back pain, but it can also prevent additional deterioration if damage already exists.

In addition to engaging in regular exercise and strength training, you can also keep your spine healthy by:

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Consuming a nutritious diet

• Quitting smoking

• Avoiding activities that can cause back strain or injury

• Practicing good posture, body mechanics, and ergonomics

• Following good sleeping habits

• Learning to manage stress

3 exercises to help with pain

1. Supine Bridge - Lie on your back with your arms on the floor at your sides, your legs bent at the knees and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdomen and glutes and slowly lift your hips off the floor, while keeping your back straight. Then, slowly

lower your butt and hips back down to the floor. Do 10 repetitions.

2. Bird Dog - Get down on all fours, with your hands on the floor directly under both shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Keep your head in line with your spine and lift your right arm forward and your left leg straight behind you until they are both parallel to the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position. Repeat with the left arm and the right leg. Be sure to keep your abdominal muscles tight, your back flat and your hips level throughout the exercise. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

3. Child’s Pose - While you’re still on your hands and knees, push your butt back onto your heels, with your knees apart. Lower your upper body between your knees, stretch your arms along the floor above your head and place your forehead on or near the floor. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.

BY COACH NADIA POPOVA

Preventing Back Pain

Some types of reoccurring back pain can be prevented. Here are 8 ways to help keep your back healthy:

• Exercise regularly to keep muscles strong and flexible.

• Maintain a healthy weight.

• Eat a healthy diet and make sure you get enough calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D.

• Use ergonomically designed furniture and equipment at home and at work.

If you sit a lot at work, switch sitting positions often. Also, get up every now and then and walk around the office or stretch to relieve muscle tension.

• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.

• Sleep on a firm surface. Sleeping on your side in a fetal position can help relieve pressure on the spine.

• Don’t try to lift objects that are too heavy

If you need help with the regular exercises that will help strengthen your abdominal muscles to prevent and reduce lower back pain our Team of Qualified Personal Trainers can help. Also we have a Stretching Therapist who can help significantly reduce existing lower back pain.

Please reach out to us (760)880-9904 or visit cvsendmeatrainer.com

In cannabinoid science, recently published studies have shown the sophisticated side of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our sister animals. The ECS is present throughout the animal kingdom, the only exceptions being Protozoa (single-celled organisms) and insects. Some animals, like the zebrafish, lobsters, tobacco hornworm, and caterpillars lack CB1and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. Studies show there are four other key receptors that endocannabinoids bind to

TRPV1, TRPA1A, TRPA1B, and GPR55.

The zebrafish, a freshwater minnow native to Southeast Asia with narrow black and white stripes running the length of its body has served as an important tool in human health research since the 1980s for the screening of novel drugs and environmental pollutants. Because it develops rapidly, reproduces abundantly, and is hardy and easy to care for, it shares important organs, tissues, and genetics with humans. Zebrafish serve as a non-mammalian animal model in toxicology,

pharmacology, and behavioral neuroscience research.

Most animal research into ECS function involves mice, scientists have also studied cannabinoids and their receptors in cats, dogs, and in less obvious species like sea urchins, sea squirts, zebrafish, and zebra finches.

Bees use sap with antibiotic properties that kill fungus and other microbes. They mix their own secreted oils from plants to make a substance called Propolis. A study found that bees bring in 45% more Propolis when the hive is infected with a dangerous fungus. Somehow, they are able to prioritize the importance of bringing in more Propolis. In addition, bees kill larvae who have been infected by fungal spores which also takes considerable time and energy. When harmless spores were placed in the hive, the bees removed the spores but did not spread Propolis.

One well known study involved a chimpanzee who become ill. She left her infant with a friend and built a special nest in

a tree. She broke branches off a plant called Vernonia amygdalina which is found to have many medicinal chemicals against parasites. She sucked juice from the tips of a plant that could be poisonous in a higher dose. The plant is strong medicine for stomach problems and parasites that takes 24 hours to work. The chimp was sick and weak for a day resting in the isolated nest she had built for the occasion and then felt better and caught up to the troop and her child. It helped with the most dangerous parasite they faced, Oesophagostonum stephanostonum. They demonstrated skill in using the right amount that was almost dangerous but killed the parasites. They also used this plant as a prevention during seasons with the most parasites.

Recent research shows many other animals and insects self-medicate:

Caterpillars eat particular plants that are toxic to kill parasitic flies.

Ants use special sap from spruce trees to ward off particular microbes—these include the antimicrobial terpenes.

Parrots eat clay when their stomach is upset.

Monkeys have special repellants for insects including citrus juices, and a poisonous insect.

A sick porcupine ate a toxic plant, and this

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

was observed by a local healer who learned about the medical properties. His tribe then began to use the herb for stomach ailments.

Early hominids showed knowledge of particular medicinal plants that would repel dangerous insects.

House sparrows and finches fight mites by taking cigarette butts into their nest.

Monarch butterflies infected with parasites protect their children by putting eggs on milkweed that kills parasites.

It is hard to believe that non-mammal animals have the level of cognition to learn from the environment and pass it on to their offspring or is this information hardwired in the brain structures. Perhaps, individual bee intelligence is most surprising, with the ability to have symbolic language, abstract symbols, use the most efficient pathways to many flowers, kaleidoscopic memory of five miles of plants, and the ability to tell others about the exact locations from the five miles of travel. It raises the question as to whether farms should plant medicinal plants to avoid using so many antibiotics. How bees know that Propolis is a fungal antibiotic and how to differentiate between dangerous and harmless fungus is a mystery. Unfortunately, now bees have more difficulty finding the trees that they need for their medicine.

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