Coachella Valley Weekly - January 2 to January 8, 2014 Vol. 2 No. 41

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • January 2 to January 8, 2014 Vol. 2 No. 41

TO RECEIVE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE AWARD

Kathleen Madigan

pg 7

Ellie Tourje

pg 12

Jesika Von Rabbit

pg 13

Bucatini Trattoria

pg 20

January 2 to January 8, 2014

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Coachella Valley Weekly

Palm Springs International Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years of World Cinema

January 2 to January 8, 2014

By Heidi Simmons

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com info@coachellavalleyweekly.com

760.501.6228

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

Contents

25th Palm Springs Film Festival..... 3 In Depth Look at PSIFF..................4 Film - Modern Masters at PSIFF....6 Comedy - Kathleen Madigan........7 Sports Scene..................................8 Sports.............................................9 Empire Polo..................................10 Tat Talk - Chris Reyes...................11 Community- Rosie’s Kids.............11 Public Pers.- Ellie Tourje..............12 Valley Rhythms- Randyn Seymon ..12 LMS- Jesika Von Rabbit...............13 LMS- Bobby Nichols.....................13 Consider This ...............................14 Pet Place.......................................16 The Vino Voice..............................17 Club Crawler Nightlife.................18 Pampered Palate .........................20 Screeners......................................22 Book Review.................................25 Haddon Libby: It’s All Local.........27 ShareKitchen................................27 Dale Gribow.................................28 It’s Your Nickel..............................28 Safety Tips....................................29 Gaemer Girl..................................29 Don’t Be Clueless in the CV ........30 Free Will Astrology......................31 Mind, Body, & Spirit.....................31 Life & Career Coach......................32 Ask The Doctor.............................32 Comics - Weiss Cracks..................34

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t’s that time of year where nearly one hundred and fifty thousand film buffs descend on Palm Springs to stand in the sun and sit in the dark. For a quarter of a century, The Palm Springs International Film Festival has brought the best of world cinema to the Coachella Valley.

“The Festival has come to be known as the pre-eminent launch pad for foreign language films and filmmakers in the US,” said Darryl Macdonald Festival Director. “It’s become a major harbinger of the award season’s frontrunners on the road to the Oscars®.”

Beginning January 3 and continuing through the 13th, there will be 475 showings of 187 films from 60 countries. The PSIFF is one of the largest film festivals in North America and will highlight 45 of the 76 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Festival offers an opportunity to see an amazing array of movies that may never be seen in this country again. The PSIFF utilizes nine theaters in Palm Springs with a total of 15 screens: the Regal Cinemas, Camelot Theater, Palm Springs High School Auditorium, the Annenberg Theater and the Palm Canyon Theater.

Besides foreign films, the Festival features American independent films.

English speaking films are plentiful if the challenge of subtitles puts you off. There is something for everybody: Family, fantasy, Gay and Lesbian, senior citizens, biopics, sci-fi, sports, war, music and dance, religion, experimental plus all the standards like drama, action adventure, romance, animation and comedy. One of the more fun things about the festival is to discover talented first time filmmakers.

While the PSIFF searches the world for new talent, it also celebrates the best and brightest in the industry. The PSIFF Awards Gala has the honor of beginning the first program in the 2014 award season.

As always, there is a fantastic line-up of talent. Meryl Streep will receive the Icon Award; Tom Hanks, the Chairman’s Award; Bruce Dern, the Career Achievement Award; Steve McQueen, the Director of the Year

Award; Sandra Bullock, the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award; Matthew McConaughey, the Desert Palm Achievement Actor Award; Julia Roberts, the Spotlight Award and American Hustle receives the Ensemble Performance Award.

Lupita Nyong’o receives the Breakthrough Performance Award for her role in 12 Years a Slave and the Frederick Loewe Music Award goes to Thomas Newman for his outstanding film work as a composer. The star studded Awards Gala is Saturday night, January 4, at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Part of the great fun of the Festival, are the Galas happening all around Palm Springs’ hot spots. There is a Canadian Gala at Lulu’s, a French Gala at the Purple Room, A Chinese Gala at Wang’s, a Swiss Gala at Trio, a gay Gay!LA at Toucan’s, an Italian Gala at the Viceroy and the Cine Latino Gala at the Ace Hotel. With opening and closing galas, special screening galas and parties, there is something exciting going on every night during the Festival.

Festival programs and events are abundant. The Talking Pictures where actors, writers, directors and producers hold a question and answer after the film with the audience. Q & A’s are a wonderful way to explore the creative process and to learn more about filmmaking. Past visitors have included Javier Bardem, George Clooney, Naomi Watts and Michael Douglas to name a few.

There is a Secret Screening that can be so secret you miss it. The only way to find out about the movie is to attend. This is a favorite Festival event and you must have a ticket in advance. Even Pass holders must pick-up a ticket at the box office.

Perhaps the most important event of the PSIFF is the Student Screening Day. On the last day of the Festival, January 13, over one thousand high school students from around the Coachella Valley will be treated to two films that include a question and answer session with the filmmakers. Students are treated to a free lunch catered by Chipotle.

The films for the Student Screening are Wadjda from Saudi Arabia and Germany, and The Crash Reel from the USA. Both films feature kids in a challenging situation they must overcome. Both are being considered for Oscar® nominations. This event has been held for the last six years at the Palm Springs High School auditorium and the kids always appreciate the high quality of the films.

As part of this landmark celebration, the festival will hold a 25th Anniversary Showcase featuring 10 outstanding films from the first 24 years. Each film either won the PSIFF Audience Award for Most Popular Film or went on to win an Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film.

Also included in the Anniversary lineup are now-celebrated films and directors whose careers were assisted by showcasing their early work at the Festival. These movies today still hold a place in film history and remain favorites: Cinema Paradiso, Delicatessen, Life is Beautiful, The Sea Inside, Sofie, Strictly Ballroom, Love in the Time of Hysteria, Departures, No Man’s Land and The Lives of Others. This is a terrific opportunity to revisit these films on the big screen.

On the final Saturday night of the Festival, January 11, a free showing of Cinema Paradiso will be presented at the Forever Marilyn Park at the corner of Tahquitz Canyon and Palm Canyon. It is a perfect opportunity to join the community of movie lovers in an outdoor setting. Participants are invited to sit on a blanket and enjoy a picnic dinner under the stars and the gaze of the giant Marilyn Monroe.

Seventy percent of those who attend the Festival are from out-of-state. There are 800 volunteers and over 120 employees who make the experience interesting, enticing and fresh. Many who attend the Fest are more than mere film buffs. They love travel, embrace diversity and are curious to experience something new. Part of the joy is meeting interesting and colorful people and sharing favorite movie moments.

“The Festival has more than justified Sonny Bono’s faith in the possibility of launching such an event here in Palm Springs back in the late 1980s,” said Macdonald. “It provides a priceless opportunity to enjoy a unique cultural vacation.”

For 25 years, The Palm Springs International Film Festival has created an environment that celebrates movies. It successfully promotes and nurtures filmmakers, honors world cinema and the great art of film itself.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

film

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by Robin E. Simmons

“MODERN MASTERS” AT PSIFF

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his great series features ten films selected from international directors who have set the standards for current cinema. The “Modern Masters” section features films from directors Vinko Bresan, François Dupeyron, Agnieszka Holland, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Claude Lanzmann, Hayao Miyazaki, Errol Morris, Avi Nesher, and François Ozon. The films include:

One of a Kind (France) - This memorable, soul-stirring tale about a depressed middleaged man who hesitatingly embraces his gift for healing features an absolutely riveting performance from Grégory Gadebois in the lead. This deeply inspiring and satisfying chronicle of personal redemption is timeless and transcendent.

Director: François Dupeyron. Cast: Grégory Gadebois, Céline Sallette, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Marie Payen, and Philippe Rebbot.

The Last of the Unjust (France) Claude Lanzmann returns to one of the interview subjects from his epic, landmark SHOAH to unravel the tale of the “model” concentration camp, Theresienstadt, and the ambiguous leader of its Jewish Council, Benjamin Murmelstein -- a former rabbi who spent the war years negotiating on a day-to-day basis with Adolf Eichmann.

Director: Claude Lanzmann. Cast: Benjamin Murmelstein and Claude Lanzmann.

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The Unknown Known (USA) – Acclaimed documentarian Errol Morris takes on the enigma that is Donald Rumsfeld. Or is it Rumsfeld taking on the enigma that is Errol Morris? Either way, it is a fascinating pas de deux that’s a must see if you care at all about the mind of the men who make the big decisions for the rest of us – and in our name. Director: Errol Morris. Cast: Donald Rumfeld and Errol Morris.

The Wind Rises (Japan) Anime sensei Hayao Miyazaki has always been fascinated by flight. In what he says will be his swansong, he has conjured an extraordinarily lyrical biopic of sorts, inspired by the experiences of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed the famous Japanese Zero fighter plane.

The beauty of this sublimely disquieting adult film that raises more questions than it answers transported me to a place of dreams. Director: Hayao Miyazaki. Cast: Hideaki Anno, Miori Takimoto, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masahiko Nishimura, Jun Kunimura, Mirai Shida.

The Wonders (Israel) – In this sly and unexpected comedy/drama, a laid back slacker, a private investigator and a femme fatale join forces to rescue a kidnapped holy man. Director: Avi Nesher. Cast: Ori Hizkiah, Efrat Gosh, Adir Miller, Yehuda Levi, Yuval Scharf.

Young & Beautiful (France) –Modelturned-actor Marine Vacth is uncanny and confident as a well-bred 17-yearold Parisienne who chooses to work as an expensive call girl. This controversial provocation from Ozon has a rich visual finesse and a nonjudgmental tone that makes it unsettling and more than a little disturbing. Director: François Ozon. Cast: Martine Vacth, Géraldine Pailhas, Frédéric Pierrot, Johan Leysen and Charlotte Rampling.

For more information, call 760-322-2930 or 800-898-7256 or visit www.psfilmfest.org.

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hat’s so amazing about comedienne Kathleen Madigan is she’s a natural.

She is intuitive, observant and incredibly funny! Yet Madigan does not consider herself a “funny” person. But at the same time, she does not separate who she is from her work as a stand-up comic.

For the last 25 years, Madigan has been doing what she loves. “What I can give to the audience is a mental vacation,” said Madigan.

“Comedy can transport you. People need to take a break. They get to check out. It’s a healthy escape.”

Madigan does an hour and twenty-minute routine without a gap or even a pause.

Relaxed and comfortable on stage, she is a hilarious monologist. At times, Madigan chuckles and giggles amused by the stories she shares with the audience. It’s as if she is hearing the material for the first time.

She describes her comedy as cynical, but silly. “There is always cynicism, but it’s also hopeful,” said Madigan. “It’s Irish cynicism.”

Perhaps her gift is a genetic thing. She is the middle child between four bothers and two sisters in an Irish-Catholic family.

“Everybody is funny in my family. You had to be,” said Madigan. “It was every man for

January 2 to January 8, 2014

By Heidi Simmons

Kathleen Madigan Again

The Priest’s Children (Croatia) - In this acerbic satire, a naïve Catholic clergyman tries to boost the birth rate among his Dalmatian island flock, but his plan sparks a host of unintended consequences – to put it mildly. Don’t miss this comedy from Croatia. It’s a rare treat indeed. Director: Vinko Bresan. Cast: Kresimir Mikic, Niksa Butijer, Marija Skaricic, Drazen Kuhn, Jadranka Dokic, Lazar Ristovski.

Like Father, Like Son (Japan) - Two couples are devastated to learn that their children were swapped at birth six years ago. This precisely crafted drama won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda. Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yoko Maki, Lily Franky, Keita Ninomiya, Hwang Sho-gen.

Burning Bush (Czech Republic) – An emotional and epic docudrama that examines the political and societal fallout from Czech student Jan Palach’s 1969 selfimmolation. Director: Agnieszka Holland.

Cast: Tatiana Pauhofovå, Jaroslava Pokomå, Petr Stach, Jan Budar, Martin Huba, and Ivan Trojan.

comedy

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himself. Nobody in my family thinks I’m more talented than any one of them. I’m just the only one who went to open mic night.”

Born and raised in Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, Madigan began her stand-up career when she was 23. Through high school and college, Madigan worked in restaurants and bars, where she further developed her sense of humor. “You become funny or you end up quitting,” said Madigan. “The food service industry is a horrible way to earn a living, so you have to turn the work into fun. So I worked with a lot of funny people.”

After college, Madigan briefly worked as a journalist for an in-house publication writing humorless profiles about the activities of the rich. At night she did open mic and tended bar. “I realized I could make enough money tending bar and traveling around doing comedy,” said Madigan. “It wasn’t that big of a risk at 23 to quit my day job. I figured if it didn’t work, I could regroup.” Today, Madiagn can’t even imagine what she might be doing other than stand-up.

Year after year, Madigan tours the country doing four or more shows a week.

She usually takes the summer off. At least once a month, Madigan makes a television appearance. She is a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Besides the late night talk shows, her daytime appearances range from the The View to ESPN2. She has CDs, DVDs and recently made an HBO special.

Madigan has performed stand-up in English speaking countries around the globe and has performed for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

When she finishes one tour, she starts another. “I really have to be on stage a lot to generate new material,” said Madigan.

“It’s all in my head. Most of it is just about being on stage and doing it. You have to be in front of an audience. For me to get stuff done, I have to be doing it in front of people.”

Madigan’s material comes from going about her life and just living. Between gigs, from show to show, being with family or reading a paper, she simply observes the world and takes note.

“It’s worked out so far,” said Madigan.

“I’ve been very lucky. I still haven’t had to get a job.” She has been her own boss since her start. She is incorporated and President of her own company. Although Madigan admits she is a little concerned about a country that allows just anyone to walk around saying they are CEO for the relative small expense of incorporation. “I don’t know what it entails, or what the details are, but it’s legitimate.”

What makes Madigan laugh are the stupid things on YouTube and Fred Willard.

“I watched a dog attacking a hundred water bottles ten times,” said Madigan. “I watch dumb cat videos with my nieces. Maybe I’m really a five year old.” Her favorite movies are Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show.

When Madigan has free time, she likes to watch the History Channel. “When I’m off, I’m not going for funny. I tend to watch more drama,” said Madigan. “I’m around funny all the time. So when I’m not working, I go dark.

There is a lot of World War II.” While working at the St. Louis Funny Bone, Madigan admired Ron White, Lewis Black, Gary Shandling and Brett Butler. They served as mentors. “They weren’t famous then, they were just the people working at the club,” said Madigan. “When I started, they were the ones I saw. And they are still my friends.”

Madigan will be performing at the Spotlight 29, Saturday, January 11. Her tour

consists of old, new and favorite material. She can make stuff up in the moment and there is nothing she’d rather be doing. This coming summer, Madigan will take work just for the fun of it. She will do the Cat Laughs festival in Kilkenny, Ireland and the Cottage Festival in Canada. “It’s not about the money,” said Madigan. “It’s just really, really fun.”

Fun and funny are just a part of who Madigan is. It seems the only difference between Madigan the person and Madigan the stand-up comedienne is the volume of laughter.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

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sports scene

by Julie Buehler

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entertainment, so much so that on the morning of Week 17 of the NFL season, with 12 games with playoff implications, UFC 168 was STILL trending worldwide on Twitter.

Silva breaking his leg demonstrated the stark reality of the brutal sport, but it also created more theater around newcomer and still undefeated champion Weidman. And unlike baseball’s slow percolating season or football’s chess match of mammoth men, MMA is a sport in which much of the drama and intrigue happens outside the ring.

Coming into 168, Weidman was the first and only man to have beaten Silva, EVER, and while that generally comes with fanfare, for Weidman it came with questions and critics.

They doubted he legitimately beat Silva, they concluded Weidman just got lucky. The rematch would lay to rest all those doubts and critics. Or so we thought. But as the UFC always does, it reaches the peak of Everest and kept climbing.

It’s heartbreaking in a very real way to see an athlete lose because his body fails him, but in an industry that thrives on breaking people, Silva’s ankle is all part of the narrative that will add to the drama surrounding Weidman’s next bout.

Rousey openly spoke about creating drama around women’s MMA to get people to pay attention. She said in pre-fight press conferences, “A spectacle had to be created at first,” when asked about her rivalry with Miesha Tate. But make no mistake, the rivalry is only outside the cage. Rousey is building a case to become one of the most dominant female athletes of this generation.

She’s undefeated. Has won every fight by submission and Tate was the first opponent to challenge her beyond the first round.

And she’s right about creating a “spectacle at first,” now that she is on the map, the flood of women and girls that will take up MMA will be incredible to watch and as someone who has a great deal of respect for the sport (although I do enjoy my nose where it is) I think that will have a great impact on women in general.

So back in the 90’s when it was Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie leading the way and UFC was a niche sport, because its always looking for the newest moon to land on and the tallest peak to climb, it will continue to amaze and entertain.

Here’s to a speedy recovery for Silva, another badass gal to challenge Rousey and Weidman to continue to shock the industry.

Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station.

She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners.

Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010.com or watch the show on Ustream.

January 2 to January 8, 2014

by Flint Wheeler

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

Titleist Performance Institute Certified Fitness Trainer

This Ain’t Your Daddy’s UFC… It’s Better Than Ever

magine getting to the top of Mt. Everest and seeing another peak.

Imagine walking on the moon, only to see another on the distant horizon.

Ronda Rousey quoted George St. Pierre when she said, “There’s simplicity in the struggle and complexity in success,” and MMA fighters know all too well the rigorous struggle to not only climb the mountains in front of them, but to do so with fists flying in their faces.

For Rousey, she admittedly added to her struggles by filming movies while training for her UFC 168 co-main event fight against Miesha Tate “I wanted to put people in a position to doubt me.” She said in her pre-fight press conference when asked why she timed her parlay into Hollywood the same time she should have been preparing to defend her bantamweight title.

So what if you scaled Everest in order to find that other mountain, and what if you only walked on the moon to prepare yourself for the next?

It’s a mindset that few individuals ever attain and it’s the reason the current MMA scene, and specifically UFC, is thriving on an international level like never before.

Because no matter how big a fight is, no matter how unbeatable a fighter, there’s always a bigger fight, a more formidable challenge and always a struggle to be found.

And even though UFC 168 showcased a co-main event made up of fights we’d already seen, it will go down as perhaps one of the most talked-about fights of all time.

And mainly because of the fight we didn’t see finished.

No one wants to watch a legend fall to the frailty of the human body. But when Anderson Silva, one of the greatest MMA fighters to step in the cage, snapped his ankle on the inside of middleweight champion, Chris Weidman’s leg, the MMA world not only recoiled in pain for Silva, but also the realization that a great athlete may have unwillingly reached his career’s finish line.

But this isn’t a column about Silva’s greatness, that would take a novel, this is about recognizing how UFC has changed from a fighter’s sport to mainstream

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BCS BS..

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ere is BCS executive director Bill Hancock after the final standings were released, officially pairing Florida State and Auburn in the last BCSapproved national championship before the four-team playoff debuts next season: “We’ve gotten the matchup everybody wants to see. We felt we’d get the two best teams, and we did.”

I know some fans in Columbus who might disagree with that first statement.

And as far as the “two best teams,” how could the BCS, which pairs Nos. 1 and 2, not get that right?

I’ll see Hancock’s ridiculous statement and raise him one: The BCS wasn’t that bad. And nobody cares who plays for the national championship.

Twice since the BCS’ inception in 1998 has an undefeated team from a power conference been left out of the national championship: Auburn in 2004 and Cincinnati in 2009. Both would have benefitted from a playoff. And all those great Boise State teams? They would have needed a 10-team field in three of their four undefeated regular seasons.* *Using the final pre-bowl AP Poll as a guide and considering every undefeated team heading into the bowls, it’s fair to say that only Auburn (No. 3 in 2004’s final prebowl AP Poll), Cincinnati (No. 4 in 2009), and TCU (No. 3 in both 2009 and 2010) would have been included in a four-team playoff and had the chance to play their way to a title. Boise (undefeated in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2009) would have been out of luck, as would the 2004 and 2008 undefeated Utah teams.

Year after year, many sportswriters hint at BCS doomsday scenarios where several teams run the table. In actuality, it’s very rare.

And that leads us to a deeper issue: What’s the purpose of the national championship and is it what drives the sport? While a playoff doesn’t necessarily prove which team is best, college football

is currently the only major American sport that doesn’t use a playoff to determine its champion. While it may not be the best method, we can all agree it’s fair and better than voting for the top team.

No one can argue that the NCAA March Madness tournament is without a doubt the fairest field of competition in which a true champion arises. Look at how many “Cinderella” stories that come from college basketball during this event. America was built and thrives on the David vs. Goliath story. And we love to root for David!

The current BCS system puts Goliath vs Goliathfor the title. With no chance of anyone else crashing the party, oh and by the way, they vote who the Goliaths are!

How fun is that?

And that’s why the college football playoff, even with only four teams, is better than the BCS. But let’s also acknowledge the downside of a playoff: the devaluing of the regular season. Brian Kelly took a lot of heat for saying the Notre Dame-Michigan game was simply a “regional rivalry,” but I don’t see how that was an insult. Regional rivalries are what make college football.

Michigan fans want to beat Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan State. Oregon’s fans want to beat Oregon State. Oklahoma fans want to beat Texas and Oklahoma State. Bowl results are forgotten by spring practice. Wins over rivals last a lifetime.

Sure, if your team makes the national championship, you care. However lately, unless you’re an Alabama fan, that’s rare.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

sports

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Empire Polo Club Announces Opening Day of the 2014 Polo Season

Sunday Polo Every Sunday From January 5th – March 30th, 2014

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mpire Polo Club is pleased to announce the dates of the winter 2014 Polo Season. Opening Day & Hat Day at Empire Polo Club is scheduled for Sunday, January 5th. Opening Day will feature two competitive polo games at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. Sunday Polo games are scheduled every Sunday from Jan. 5th through March 30th, 2014. The polo club will be closed on Sunday, March 2nd, 2014.

General Admission is FREE with a $10 parking fee for all Sunday afternoon polo games. Tailgaters are welcome and space along the sidelines is available on a first come, first served basis. Bleacher seating is also available in the General Admission area.

VIP Admission is $25 per person and includes parking, VIP seating and a complimentary VIP Champagne Divot Stomp sponsored by Chandon. VIP seating is only available during Sunday Polo. The VIP seating area is located in front of the Olympic-peaked tents on the west side of the main polo field and offers spectators a seat at a table or on one of the couches along the sidelines.

Reservations for VIP seating are highly recommended. Food and beverage service is available on site during the Sunday matches. No outside food or beverages are allowed into the VIP area on the west side of the field. For VIP reservations or group rates call 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@ empirepolo.com. For Sunday games the entrance is on Ave. 50 between Monroe St. & Madison St. Friday Night Polo This season Empire Polo Club is offering Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” on the second Friday of each month. These dates include: Jan. 10th, Feb. 14th and March 14th.

Each date will feature the USA competing in a one-day exhibition match against teams from other countries including Canada, Mexico and Argentina.(See schedule below.)

The Friday “Polo Under the Lights” game time is 5:30 PM. Arrive early to get a good spot to tailgate. Bleacher seating is also available. Beverage service is available on site during the Friday night games. The game lasts approximately one hour. Admission, tailgating and parking are free for Friday night games. The entrance for Friday night games is on Monroe St. at Ave. 51.

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tat talk

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

by phil lacombe

Chris Reyes from Bloodline

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2014 Season Highlights Sunday, January 5th Opening Day & Hat Day: Opening Day of the 2014 polo season at Empire Polo Club is scheduled for Sunday, January 5th.. Sunday Polo features two polo games, at 12 and 2 PM. A complimentary VIP champagne divot stomp presented by Chandon will be held at halftime during the 2 PM game. Opening Day is also Hat Day! Help us celebrate this annual tradition by wearing your favorite chapeau.

Friday, January 10th at 5:30 PM: USA vs. Canada. Our first Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” event will feature a one day challenge match between USA and Canada. Admission is free. Tailgaters are welcome and bleacher seating is available for spectators. The USA vs. Canada game will be held on the Rose Garden Field #3.

Friday, Feb. 14th at 5:30 PM: USA vs.

Mexico. Our second Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” event will feature a one day challenge match between USA and Mexico. Admission is free. Tailgaters are welcome and bleacher seating is available for spectators. The USA vs. Mexico game will be held on the Rose Garden Field #3.

Friday, March 14th at 5:30 PM: USA vs.

Argentina. Our third and final Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” event will feature a one day challenge match between USA and Argentina. Admission is free. Tailgaters are welcome and bleacher seating is available for spectators. The USA vs. Argentina game will be held on the Rose Garden Field #3.

Sunday, March 30th, Champions’ Cup Finals and Closing Day Join us for the grand finale tournament & closing day of the polo season. There will be more than $70,000 in cash & prizes awarded to the teams who are in the final round of the Champions’ 6-8 Goals Finals and the Lions’ Cup 4-Goal Finals.

2014 Season Schedule January 2014 Jan. 5th Sunday Polo - Opening Day & Hat Day Jan. 10th Friday Night Polo Under The Lights Jan. 12th Sunday Polo Jan. 19th Sunday Polo Jan. 26th Sunday Polo February 2014 Feb. 2nd Sunday Polo Feb. 9th Sunday Polo Feb. 14th Friday Night Polo Under The Lights Feb. 16th Sunday Polo Feb. 23rd Sunday Polo March 2014 March 2nd NO POLO on this date March 9th Sunday Polo March 14th Friday Night Polo Under The Lights March 16th Sunday Polo March 23rd Sunday Polo March 30th Sunday Polo/Closing Day Directions to Empire Polo Club Sunday Polo Field. From I-10 take the Monroe St. exit and head south on Monroe St. Turn right on Avenue 50. The entrance for Sunday Polo games will be the Empire Polo Club middle gate on Avenue 50. Follow the parking signs.

Friday Night Polo. From I-10 take the Monroe St. exit and head south on Monroe St. Turn right at Ave. 51 located at the entrance to the Tack Room Tavern Restaurant parking lot. “Polo Under The Lights” on Friday nights will be held on our Rose Garden Field #3 located next to the Tack Room Tavern Restaurant on Monroe St. at Ave. 51.

Empire Polo Club 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio, CA 92201 www.EmpirePolo.com www.Facebook.com/EmpirePolo General Info. Line - 760-342-8777 VIP & Group Reservations - 760-393-7298

What to Wear?

This is the one of the most frequently asked questions by spectators. We suggest “hats and flats”, as heels sink in the grass and the sun is always shining here in the desert. Polo is a casual affair at Empire Polo Club, so please wear whatever you feel comfortable in. You will see spectators wearing everything from shorts, jeans and flip-flops to sundresses, khakis and button down shirts.

Why Watch Polo?

It’s a great way to spend your Sunday afternoon.

Imagine sitting field-side, overlooking a series of immaculate polo fields surrounded by majestic mountains in the distance, while watching one of the fastest team sports on earth. You can take a date, your spouse, your family or a group of friends and enjoy a day outdoors while watching the polo ponies thunder across the field.

Polo is never boring. Eight players travel at speeds up to 30 miles per hour while riding-off other players, hooking their opponent’s mallets and hitting the ball at full speed. It’s a great spectator sport and general admission is FREE. You can’t beat that! There is a $10 parking fee for Sunday polo games.

About Empire Polo Club Established in 1987, Empire Polo Club is one of the largest polo clubs on the West Coast with 12 polo fields, stabling for more than 500 horses and an indoor arena and polo school.

About the Polo Players Empire Polo Club is a world-class, international polo club. Players from Canada, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, England and other countries flock to the desert to play polo at Empire Polo Club.

Player’s ages range from the young up-andcomers, who are in their early teens, to seniors in their 60s.

ame: Chris Reyes Where you tat: Bloodline Tattoo Why you started tattooing: I was 15 years old and hanging out with the wrong crowd, mostly gang members and addicts.

As part of the culture we would tattoo each other with homemade tattoo guns. I never had any training or an apprenticeship I was just self-taught.

What style of tattooing do you enjoy the most: I enjoy tattooing 3D and photo realistic in color and black & gray and also Chicano style tattoos.

Who inspires you to tattoo: I would have to say my kids inspire me most. We all do this for the love of the art, but at the end of the day it’s a business and it’s what keeps food on the table, in my case the last 13 years.

If you could tattoo anywhere in the world where would you go: This one is easy, since I don’t fly anymore, anywhere my car will take me.

Bloodline Tattoo & Body Piercing 42005 Cook St. # 101 Palm Desert, CA 92260 (760) 776-7997 BloodlineTattoo24@gmail.com facebook.com/chris.bloodlinekennels

Tell me your favorite tattoo story about one of your clients: In my 13 years of being in business I would have to say the moment I remember most is when our shop was invited to work on a bunch of war veterans at the Veterans of Foreign War Event. These guys knew how to party and told stories you wouldn’t believe.

Community

By Denise Ortuno Neil

W

Rosie’s Kids Gives Youths a Sporting Chance

ith the demands of school and the inventible challenges of growing up, kids need an outlet that inspires them to succeed. These outlets sometimes come in the form of sports and other after school activities which cannot always be afforded by them. But with the help of Rosie’s Kids, these kids now have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities and grow in a multitude of ways.

Rosie Welmas, founder of Rosie’s Kids came to the Coachella Valley from Northern California when she was a teen. Her parents worked as agricultural workers and traveled often, finally settling in the desert. As a child, Welmas participated in sports as a way to escape boredom as her parents were not usually home. She kept herself busy, strong and motivated by playing a variety of sports as well as getting involved in theatre programs.

Despite her eagerness to excel, Welmas found herself in troubled times in her youth while living in an Indio project, often running away from home. Her past has not only

inspired her to help kids, but is the reason her organization is so successful and popular with valley youth, “A lot of these kids relate to me, and look up to me which inspires them to continue to reach their goals and dreams,” said Welmas.

She started her non-profit organization Rosie’s Kids in 2010, and helps to raise funds for kids up to age 18 who have difficulty in affording the essentials that come along with after school sports (gear, uniforms etc.), but also assists in other activities such as art, music and dance working with valley district schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as other charities. Welmas has been involved in youth sports for 18 years, mostly while she assisted as a coach while her own kids played sports, and then it evolved from there. Rosie’s Kids receives funds from private donations and through her fundraising efforts, and has never benefitted from state grants. All kids (parents or guardians) have to do is go online to the Rosie’s Kids website and request assistance.

They will be contacted and assistance will be

put into place.

Along with Rosie’s Kids, Welmas started her own semi-pro football team, the Desert Chiefs in June 2013. The team has adult players from age 19 and up, and is a way to give the players a second chance to be recruited by the NFL, “That’s what makes it special, they still have a chance to move forward,” said Welmas. The team plays games throughout Southern California and has had a successful season winning the Pacific Coast Conference Championship this past November.

Her football team serves as a fundraising source to assist Rosie’s Kids, as the profits from the games go directly to them. To continue her charitable work, Welmas has recently launched DC Promotions in Indio which provides screen-printing and embroidery, offering uniforms, hats and other goods, specializing in fundraising t-shirts for non-profits, or any group that wants to raise money.

The Desert Chiefs will be having their Red Carpet Awards Gala on January 18th, 2014 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino where they will debut their works from DC Promotions with a fashion show to help promote their new shop.

Tickets are $50 per person and the public is encouraged to attend, as all proceeds benefit Rosie’s Kids.

Welmas will also be having her annual fundraising Golf Tournament for Rosie’s Kids

at Eagle Falls Golf Course in Indio on January 31st, 2014. The event is $75 per person and includes a luncheon, auction and raffle.

In addition, Welmas will soon be breaking ground on Rosie’s Kids Park. The park will be located off Golf Center Parkway on land generously donated by the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. The park will include 4 football fields, 2 basketball courts and 2 baseball fields. The park will give kids the space and opportunity to play and enjoy their favorite sports without restriction of space or limited venues.

Welmas is always hard at work with her organizations, doing all the marketing and promotions herself, “It’s a lot of work, but it is what I love to do,” she said.

Welmas is humble admitting that she never imagined herself being the founder of a progressive organization such as Rosie’s Kids, “Sports basically saved me,” said Welmas. And now she is returning the favor helping kids see their full potential.

For more information on Rosie’s Kids visit www.rosieskids.com For more information on Desert Chiefs visit www.desertchiefs.com

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

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by Eleni P. Austin

LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE

Consider This

“There’s A Last Time For Everything”

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

DRIVEWAY say about You?

L

ucy Wainwright Roche has a pretty impressive pedigree.

She would probably prefer you don’t dwell on it. But it’s so dynastic, it bears a brief discussion.

Lucy comes from Folk-Rock royalty. Her dad, Loudon Wainwright III, began his career in the late ‘60s, one of a crop of singersongwriters christened the “new Dylan.”

Dry and laconic, Loudon was responsible for droll classics like “Dead Skunk (In The Middle Of The Road)” and “Rufus Is A Tit Man.” Lucy’s half-siblings are Rufus and Martha Wainwright, also successful singersongwriters. (Their mother was the late great Kate McGarrigle, part of Canadian folk duo, the McGarrigle Sisters) Lucy’s mother, Suzzy (rhymes with fuzzy) Roche is the youngest sister in the folk trio the Roches. The Roches burst on the Greenwich Village scene in the late 70s. On songs like “We” and “The Death Of Suzzy Roche” the blend was achingly pure sororal harmonies with lyrics that were both meta and mordant, feminist and funny. In 1979, their self-titled debut was named Album Of The Year by the New York Times.

Lucy grew up in recording studios, backstage and on tour. Initially, she shied away from the family business, attending

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

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college and grad school. She spent a couple of years as an elementary school teacher in New York.

In 2005 she spent some time on tour with her brother, Rufus. Something clicked and she began writing her own songs. She recorded a couple of EPs, 8 Songs (2007) and 8 More (2008). Her first full-length, Lucy arrived in 2010.

Instead of going the conventional route, recording new material and “shopping” it to labels, Lucy decided to finance her new effort herself. A lot of artists raise funds through Kickstarter, but Lucy appealed directly to her fans by offering up unreleased songs for download and playing house concerts in private homes. The result is her sophomore album, There’s A Last Time For Everything.

Opening with a sustained piano note and woozy violin, “The Year Will End Again” feels hushed and tentative. The instrumentation builds slowly, the lyrics gently remind us if we esitate, we are lost.

Four tracks, “Seek And Hide,” “Last Time,” “Look Busy”and “The Same” explore the myriad complications of love. “Seek And Hide” is wry and rambling. Anchored tumbling drums and shimmering 12-string guitar, the arrangement is fortified by whistle, hammered dulcimer, vibraphone, bells, piano and organ.

Decemberists front man, Colin Meloy adds sympathetic vocals as Lucy sketches out a lonely scenario… “I fell in love last

year, it’s not a thing I do a lot/ Pack up all my lonely habits, give it all I got/ And when the winter came, I thought I would be different but I’m not/ I’m just the same old sorry kettle-calling blackest pot.”

The rickety rhythm on the sing-songy “Last Time” is provided by percussion zippers.

The lyrics examine how relationships change over time… “So now an ancient era ends, a few moments for us to spend/ You’re just not quite still mine outright and we will never be here again.”

“Look Busy” is a piano driven ballad that limns the ache of heartbreak. Lucy offers sage advice on how to navigate the post break-up misery… “One day without notice you will see the light of day, this I can nearly guarantee/Forgetting to remember that she’s even gone away. In the meantime, look busy.”

Couched is a lush melody, “The Same” is wistful and clear-eyed. A trenchant assessment of a relationship that worked… until it didn’t.

Both “Canterbury Song” and “Seven Sundays” evoke the quiet pleasures of childhood. The former is propelled by a martial cadence and swooping-seagull guitar riffs. The narrator seems ready for a very specific adventure…”In my pocket I will carry all the true things, the leaves and marbles, paper plans and subway fare/ With our keys strung round our necks, on dusty shoe soles we’ll be there.”

More mischievous activities are recounted on the latter… “Me and you crept on for hours, back behind the big blue house/Pulled the roots up all her flowers, so to feed all our creatures mouths.” Here the delicate melody is tethered by plucked banjo notes, graceful trumpet fills and feathery French horn runs.

Other interesting tracks include the loping “Monte Rosa Range” and the incandescent waltz, “Quiet Time.” “Call Your Girlfriend,” was originally a frenetic set of instructions set to music, written and recorded by Swedish dance Diva, Robyn.

Lucy’s version is stripped bare, a stark

Is available in our showroom 75135 Sheryl Ln. Suite A Palm Desert, CA. 92211

760.773.3960

acoustic ballad that feels more empathetic.

The album closes with “Under The Gun,” a poignant and philosophical break up song, highlighted by Lucy’s angelic vocals.

There’s A Last Time For Everything was co-produced by Lucy and multiinstrumentalist, Jordan Brooke Hamlin.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Colin Meloy and Robby Hecht provide additional vocals, and Allison Miller (formerly with Ani Difranco) played drums.

For Lucy Wainwright Roche, music seems encoded in her DNA. Thankfully for us she has embraced her destiny, continuing a rich family legacy.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

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PET PLACE

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by Janet McAfee

DOGS DETECTING CANCER

Y

ou are probably already familiar with the incredible ability of dogs to detect odors way beyond our human capability. Dogs are used to detect drugs and explosives in airports, they help our military in combat detect land mines, and they valiantly work in search and recovery efforts to find missing people.

Service dogs can give epilepsy sufferers advance notice to prepare for a seizure.

Now new research shows they can play a significant role in sniffing out one of the most insidious human diseases – cancer.

Anecdotes abound of animals that sense when their owner has a serious illness.

Before the medical professionals diagnosed my sister-in-law with breast cancer, their family dog Danny, suddenly began lying close by her side, a shift in behavior that was noted but not understood at the time.

During Deana’s long illness, this sweet Spaniel mix, became a constant comfort, carefully arching his body around her as she lay in her hospital bed.

bombay kitten Fabulous black Bombay kitten, only 5 months old, would love to join your family for 2014!

Come meet this precious fellow, cat ID#1068091, at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

Call (760) 343-3644 for shelter hours.

lovely lynx

Dogs may not be the only creature with this ability. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary just reported on a fluffy white cat named Leo who literally saved the life of his newly adopted owner, Barbara Bowman. The new pet loved to sit on her lap, but he began to gravitate and paw at the same area on one of her breasts. This odd behavior prompted her to schedule a mammogram

which confirmed she had stage three breast cancer. Barbara believes Leo saved her life and gratefully explains, “I never would have noticed the lump if it weren’t for Leo!” Many of these stories have a certain similarity in that the pet became acutely interested in a certain targeted area of their human’s body. Dina Zaphiris, a Los Angeles dog trainer and medical scent detection expert, has actually trained dogs to smell cancer. She explains their unique connection to helping people, “Dogs and humans co-evolved, very few species have done that, and our survival depended on each other.” Dogs can smell things in parts per trillion, for example they can smell one

drop of blood diluted in 20 Olympic size swimming pools.

Current research is underway at the University of Pennsylvania: School of Veterinary Medicine that may lead to a breakthrough using dogs as detectors of ovarian cancer. This cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer related deaths in women, and currently no effective screening strategy exists for its detection. The dogs are exposed to tissue and blood samples taken from healthy individuals and those with ovarian cancer. The dogs receive a reward when they alert on the cancer sample.

One of the participating dogs, a Labrador, detected the ovarian cancer sample 100 percent of the time.

In another study, dogs were able to detect with 99 percent accuracy whether a breath sample came from a patient with lung or breast cancer. The day is coming when dogs’ scent abilities are an accepted cancer screening method. Imagine that soon doctors will be able to take breath samples during routine physical exams and send them to a lab for testing by dogs to screen for cancer.

Having a wonderful cat or dog in your home will keep you happier and healthier.

Now we are learning of yet another way these marvelous creatures can save lives with their instinct, intelligence, and sensory abilities.

January 2 to January 8, 2014

by Rick Riozza

e-Wine Thoughts to your Heart

I

love receiving email from you CV Weekly readers who respond to this Vino Voice column. I thought it would be enjoyable to print some samples of your emails and my responses over this past year.

Dear Rick: I know you think you’re cool because you can write a little in French & Italian and constantly pepper your articles with that stuff; but, I’m PortugueseGerman and those countries have very good wines—why not write about that?

(JJ, Thermal) Hey JJ. You are so correct in stating Portugal and Germany produce great wines.

One of my favorite white is the German Riesling Kabinett—especially from the Rheingau—that carry scents of fresh green apples, lively rose petals, and have great acidity to keep the sweet notes checked. If someone put a gun to my head continuously and said I could only drink ONE type of white wine forever—well brother, that wine would be the Kabinett!

And of course Vintage Port is fantastic.

About 25 years ago I was fortunate to buy a case of 1963 Vintage Port at an auction for a hundred bucks. No one wanted it because it was the little known Quarles Harris brand (great name—by the way, with a great looking funky label.) Now you know that year was super-stellar and all the famous name brands sold very high. I made out! I tried the 100 pointer $300 bottle of ‘63 Taylor-Fladgate—and yes! It was stupendous! It had aged violet perfume and dark chocolate and dark fruit—powerful and intense! The Quarles Harris although not as powerful was absolutely as delicious.

Now I would be more than happy to write in Portuguese but they have a bunch of pronunciation marks and that great nasal sound that is difficult for me to find and replicate on my keyboard.

As far as German goes—have you seen how they spell those words? I’d run out of column space just discussing one and a

half wines. Lebensabschnittgefährter is a relatively short word meaning “partner” or “lover” with a transient twist—as with the idea “the one I’m with presently”.

“Independence declarations” translates to Unabhaengigkeitserklaerungen, and Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften means “insurance companies providing legal protection” Now I may never use these words, but wine is a very broad subject— you never know.

Dear Rick: I am an accountant and my wife and I went to a wine dinner event you wrote about and you said you’d be there.

We had a great time and enjoyed the food and wine you recommended. Granted many people were there, but we didn’t recognize you anywhere. Are you much older than your photo shows? I think a great idea to help your brand is to throw a wine party with all of those great wines you talk about. Believe me it’s worth it, and, you can deduct all of the cost of your wine on your taxes. (Mr. T, Palm Desert) Dear Mr. T: Thanks for looking out—both for me at the dinner and tax-wise. Of course I was there—if there is anything I hate, it’s allowing any food to go to waste. In fact on my card it says “Have fork & spoon, Will travel”. I’m sorry to have missed you and the Mrs., but if you think back, I was the one who kept talking with my mouth full. Next time I promise to carry on a little louder and act even more stuck-up.

I really don’t want to sound like a partypooper, but lately I’m enjoying going over to friends’ houses and trying out the wines they wish to impress me with. It gives them great joy to see me smile after gulping down their stuff and I’ll often stick around until they offer me a bottle to take home. I really wish I had more time on hand to share with you readers. Why not friend me on Facebook and I can come over and see how well you’re doing with your wine collection.

Dear Rick: Sometime ago, you wrote an article on wine tasting parties and in one part you even suggested to put out an array of those cheap wines for a “blind low-end” wine tasting party to determine the “worst”. We think that sounds fun and it wouldn’t cost that much. Were you serious (it’s hard to tell sometimes) or do you think we’d offend our guests?

(Skechy, Palm Springs) Dear Skechy: I think challenging TwoBuck Chuck to Oak Leaf and comparing Babygate Chardonnay to Arbor Mist Muscat is a cruel joke. Even if your friends and guests know beforehand that they will be getting a little sick after the wine tasting and still wish to participate, it goes to show what kind of people you’re hanging out with.

Having those wines around are dangerous.

Just this last Thanksgiving, a family cooked with some of the wines you’re thinking of showcasing and it ruined the entire meal.

They had to throw everything out. Do the right thing and buy a couple of good bottles for the evening and don’t be thinking of wine tasting parties again.

Rick Riozza hosts and conducts at wine events and tastings about town. Contact winespectrum@aol.com and look for your emails reported soon.

I’m Lynx, a young female terrier mix, hoping to be your best “fur” friend in 2014!

Come meet me at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter at 4575 E. Mesquite, Palm Springs.

Call (760) 416-5719.

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17

January 2 to January 8, 2014

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

THUR JANUARY 2

29 PALMS INN; 29 PALMS; 760-367-3505 Bev and Bill 6pm (JZ) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day in the Amigo Room 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Paul Elia 7-10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Paula Prince 7pm (PB) BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 Open Mic 8pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Thirsty Thursdays 8pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 Karaoke ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Lola Rossi, Rob Carter and Denise Motto 5-9pm (JZ) EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 The Hive Minds 8pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 John Marek 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen in the lounge and Tom on the patio 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Country Night w/ River Road 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 8-1am (LR) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) MIRAMONTE RESORT; IW; 760-341-7200 “Sassy & Sultry” featuring Gina Carey 5-8pm

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NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 Karaoke 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Rojer Arnold Band 7:30pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 Machin’ 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross 6pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Spaghetti Western Night 5pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Casey 5:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Bill Saitta Jazz 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Singles Night 9pm

FRI JANUARY 3 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Dana Larson 6pm (AC) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Leopold and His Fiction and DJ D.Lee 10pm Amigo Room AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Karaoke w/ AJ The KJ 8-12am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Boys Club 8pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-7755566 DJ PWee 8pm (VD) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am

CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 Merry Metal Xmas w/ Remnants of Man, Sangre and Drop the World 8pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-3252600 Lassie Jo’s Best Damn Karaoke 7pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 Dude Jones 9pm HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 T.B.A. 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Fever Dog, What the Funk and special guest 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live DJ 8:30pm (VD) KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 T.B.A. 7:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Soto 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Machin’ 9pm (VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 T.B.A. 9pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 The Hive Minds 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Elvis Party w/ Steve DiTullio 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Western Jazz w/ Cow Bop 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 T.B.A. 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 8pm, Arnie Vilches & Friends Sidebar Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 T.B.A. 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Country Night w/ Walt Young 5:30pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-

3560 Demetrious and Co. (JZ)(RR) TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 T.B.A. 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted @ Night 10pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm (VD) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Scott Carter 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Inca Kings 5:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Live Entertainment 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760-5642201 Rob & jb 7-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallet 6:30pm (JZ) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Girl’s Night out w/ The Men on the Hollywood Strip 9pm

SAT JANUARY 4 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Beverly & Bill 6-9pm (JZ) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Aubrey Henderson noon poolside, New Year’s Eve Part 2 10pm amigo room AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green w/ Les Michaels & Joel Baker 7-10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 T.B.A. 8pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Guest DJ 10pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-7755566 DJ PWee (VD) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madeo 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 All Night Shoes 9pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6:30-9:30pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-3252600 T.B.A. 8pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 The Vibe 3-7pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 T.B.A. 9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 The Refills 8-11pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm

HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Rockabilly Night w/ The Deadbeat Daddies and Hobo Jazz 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 T.B.A. 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 T.B.A. 6pm, Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Soto 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Nash w/ Quinto Meguante 9pm (VD) MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 T.B.A. 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 The Hive Minds 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 L.A. Desert Blues 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, Patrolled by Radar and Simon Petty 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 212 Band 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band 9pm RENAISSANCE PALM; PS; 760-322-6100 Art of Sax featuring Sax Man Will Donato & Eddie Reddick 7-10pm (JZ) RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 T.B.A. 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross, Starlite Lounge 5pm, Arnie Vilches & friends, Sidebar Lounge 10pm, DJ Shasta, Starlite Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 T.B.A. 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 T.B.A. 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted@ Night 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 DJ Hektik 10pm (VD)

VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JB 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Jeff 5:30pm, Slim Man 9:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760564-2201 David & Olivia: An American Duo 7-10pm (LR)(PR) WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Brian Nova’s Xmas show 7pm (JZ) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm (VD)

January 2 to January 8, 2014

COME JOIN US FOR THE FUN!!

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

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PLAYOFFS I THE PLAC S E TO BE

SUN JANUARY 5 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bob & Allison Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Intoxica Radio Live w/ Howie Pyro 10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madeo 6-10pm

12105 PALM DRIVE DESERT HOT SPRINGS

(760) 251-2644

continue to page 22

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

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The Pampered Palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 2 to January 8, 2014

By Raymond Bill

Bucatini Trattoria

M

ost restaurants featured in this column are places that I have reviewed after one visit. To be fair, it would be best to visit a restaurant more than once to get an accurate depiction of what they are about. Because any restaurant can have an off night (a steak gets overcooked, a server spills a beverage, etc), I make an effort to highlight the very best that each restaurant has to offer, forgiving minor imperfections and focusing on the whole experience. It is part of being a “good guest,” but that is a subject for another article. Bucatini Trattoria is a restaurant that I have frequented many times for both lunch and dinner and it has been consistently delicious!

Recently, my girlfriend and I took her parents to dinner to celebrate their anniversary. We dined on their heated patio for the first time and I have to say that each

experience is better than the previous. The menu features classic Italian favorites from lasagna and spaghetti while showcasing house specialties with tender veal and fresh seafood. Salads and appetizers are generous in portion and pastas are always a perfect al dente! On this visit we would share their Mele Salad of fresh arugula with apples and crisp pancetta, crunchy walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. Certainly a modern approach, this salad is well presented and large enough to share. Other favorites of mine include the Italiana and Panzanella salads.

We had all agreed that we would be fulfilling our pasta cravings and we were sure to order a variety. As a seafood lover, I ordered the Tagliarini Crostacei, a large serving of linguini pasta and shellfish to include lobster meat and lobster tails, snow crab claws, and scallops in a spicy white wine

sauce with cherry tomatoes. This was a huge portion for less than $20. My girlfriend would share with me her Taglietelle Verdi Tartufati; a long flat spinach pasta, similar to fettucine, with wild mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and onions in a white wine cream sauce with truffle oil. Both were rich in flavor and beautifully plated. Our guests would rave about their pastas as well, the Bucatini Broccoli and a classic Bolognese prepared with Bucatini pasta in place of the recommended papardelle. Fortunately the chef is humble enough to make minor changes like this. In many restaurants, the chef will refuse to make any modifications, regardless of how minor they may be, as their egos are grossly inflated.

Desserts are presented on a tray to include all the traditional selections. I have yet to have enough room for dessert, though I have promised that my next visit will begin with dessert!

Bucatini is my favorite lunch venue, offering incredible Paninis, and pizzas from their wood burning oven. Our favorite Panini is their Triolese with Thin sliced Speck, melted Brie and Swiss, and radicchio.

These Italian sandwiches are served with fries or a salad for $10 - $13. I cannot tell you which pizza is my favorite but it is either the Salsiccia (Italian sausage, mushrooms, roasted peppers and gorgonzola) or the Quattro Gusti (Parmacotto ham, artichokes, mushrooms and mozzarella). Pizzas ($10 - $13) are individually portioned but I can never finish one.

Whether you are looking for a great place for lunch or dinner, Bucatini Trattoria is casual and a great value! Located at 46-660 Washington Street in La Quinta, Bucatini is just south of Hwy 111. Visit them at www. bucatini.biz or call for more information 760-777-9007

“THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD THE WEST HAS TO OFFER!” Our wonderful staff is committed to giving you the best dining experience. We have a nicely stocked bar and great desserts as well. Our authentic mexican food main courses are truly mouth watering.

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Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

2013’S BEST/WORST

WOLF OF WALL STREET

FIRST, THE WORST… It’s been quite a year for movies. Some very hi-profile, tent-pole, over-hyped studio efforts not only tanked at the box office but disappointed legions of ever-hopeful film lovers. Here, with my comments -- and in no special order -- are some mainstream titles that left me baffled or disappointed.

LONE RANGER

n

r t a in me n te t

E

Frankly, with all the hype for the cinematic rebirth of the vintage, masked, gun toting, dressed in white American pop-culture hero and his ethnic, English-challenged sidekick, I was expecting a reboot along the lines of the darker, grittier BATMAN series from Christopher Nolan. But nooooo. Director Gore Verbinsky chose to mimic the first “Pirates” template (which he directed) and instead we get a hybrid “Pirates of the Purple Sage” -- but with two clownish characters who are unfamiliar to the much sought after movie-going demographic. Early on, there were rumors that team Disney was going back to the alleged inspiration for the original radio drama.

It seems there was this charismatic Black outlaw named Bass Reeves who was going to be revived as Bad Ass Bass Reeves. Reeves, after escaping an attempted lynching, dons a mask and connects with a drunken Native American shaman and recruits him on a mission of revenge.

Bass succeeds. But wracked with guilt, he redeems himself with brave acts of selfless heroics for the downtrodden!

I still want to see THAT movie.

Oh well.

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22

battle at the finish. Not a lot of goodwill remains for any subsequent film in the franchise. So what’s the deal with BATMAN VS SUPERMAN?

Cool trailers and TV spots suggested an intense satire: an over-the-top, intelligent adult comedy from Martin Scorsese about a cynical, greedy, drug-addled criminal. What we get is a talky, boring, three-hour wallow with a bottom feeder. There was one really funny scene about the delayed effects of aged ‘ludes and newcomer Margot Robbie looks great naked, but it’s not nearly enough to save the movie. The 80’s scam story is obvious and tired. We already hate these real life guys from the plethora of news stories. Scorsese is fascinated by these low lifes. There’s a lot of how the scam was pulled off, but zero insight into any of the cartoonish cardboard characters. And most importantly, there’s no “why” into the soul of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). He’s just a psychopath. And that’s too bad. The movie will probably be a hit, but it’s a retread of the criminality Scorsese has already put on the screen. But worst of all, there’s no one to root for or even care about.

MAN OF STEEL

The trailers for this hugely anticipated movie hinted at a far different story than what eventually digitally unspooled on the big screen. Perfect casting for the lead made it even more painful to sit through since the movie was mired in a padded, sci-fi backstory and a laughable, chaotic, endless

Can director M. Knight Shyamalan’s street cred get any worse? With this dismal outing, M’s only a hired hack to helm Will Smith’s vapid vanity production intended to make son Jaden a star. And, as many others have questioned, is this big budget fiasco merely thinly disguised Scientology propaganda?

ADORE

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

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On a vacation at an exotic ocean paradise, Naomi Watts and Robin Wright each have affairs with the other’s son. I was creeped out. The audience stayed away in droves.

Enough said.

THE CANYONS

DIE HARD 5

The opening scenes in this fifth installment were great, but they were over all too quickly and then the audience was hijacked by what seemed to be another film.

And it was a terrible one. Poor on-screen Bruce Willis looked as bored as those staring back at the screen. If he could, I wonder what Willis would say to all the good people who paid their hard -earned money to be entertained. The humor was non-existent, the snappy dialogue was absent and the effects looked cheap and hastily stitched together. Movie audiences hate being exploited and having their expectations dashed when it becomes obvious that the premise of the poster is a lie.

First of all, and early on, director writer JJ Abrams lied that Benedict Cumberbatch had been cast as Captain Kirk’s arch-nemesis Khan. And then, Abrams by the numbers take on this latest iteration of the TV show was a jumble of dumb, incomprehensible space action. At least the lens flares were kept to a minimum. Hard core fans felt betrayed. Even so, this Trek outing is better than the Marvel movies that look like they

ALL IS LOST

were costumed in Target’s Halloween clearance isle. Is Abrams still attached to the new STAR WARS? Hope not.

AFTER EARTH

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Patched together and confusing, featuring self-absorbed, shallow, onedimensional (I’m being generous) characters speaking hideously laughable dialogue, Paul Schrader’s low budget foray into So Cal’s fringe world at the crossroads of valley porn and Hollywood dreams failed big time.

But I still have hopes that the scorned but talented Lindsay Lohan will redeem herself.

It’s not over yet.

If you think about it, the 2013 movie year was top-loaded with stories about lone individuals surviving extreme circumstances.

I never felt one second of authenticity in Redford’s portrayal of an old man at sea.

It all looked fake to me. Watching the movie, my mind wandered: were some of the ocean scenes filmed in a Beverly Hills’ swimming pool? Has Redford had ever actually been sailing? There’s not much of a story here and we know nearly nothing of Redford’s character. Did he even have a name? Throughout the movie, I kept hoping that Redford would cross watery paths with Hanks’ kidnapped Captain Phillips.

Sadly, bad movies proliferated in 2013.

Space does not allow for a full indictment of all the titles that deserve to be shamed.

AND NOW, THE BEST… Last year was full of excellent films in all genres. I was especially fond of the low budget indie flicks that struck a nerve as well as the rare, big, popular global hits. Here in no particular order are ten of my best movie picks (there were many others).

20 FEET FROM STARDOM

12 YEARS A SLAVE

I was not impressed with how writerdirector Steve McQueen portrayed Solomon Northrup’s tragic real life on screen. (Northrup was a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the mid-1800s.) The movie struck me as heavy-handed and preachy. I learned nothing new and when Chiwetel Ejiofor stared at the camera -- I guess that means he’s looking at “us” as if we too are guilty of the horrible abuse he has just endured -- it took me out of the movie. Quentin Tarantino’s over-the-top DJANGO was better at depicting the horrors of slavery and the blatant racism of the era. And FRUITVALE STATION was superior to either in creating an authentic-looking slice of life that said it all. Many critics and moviegoers are afraid to be critical of 12YAS because of the subject matter. Truth is, a serious subject rendered as bad art deserves criticism. It’s like noting the difference between a Kinkaid painting and a Rembrandt.

Tom and Huck, but close enough to evoke a timeless rural life just off the edge of the grid we all share. Matthew McConaughey steps away from his tired rom-com prettyboy act to play a determined, gun-toting fugitive befriended by young Neckbone and Ellis. Writer-director Jeff Nichols gives us a compelling and tense adventure that explores love and revenge in a setting that makes it fresh, relevant and real.

This is a good year for McConaughey. He is a wonder in the terrific DALLAS BUYERS CLUB as an emaciated AIDS activist seeking to distribute unsanctioned meds to fellow victims of the disease. He will likely up for a Best Actor nomination. But his co-star Jared Leto is a sure thing in a supporting role award.

performance is among the best of the year.

Check out the diner scene where he meets his grown daughter (Sam Buchanan) after the long absence in her life. I loved this little gem of a film because it focuses on a moment where lives can be redeemed or lost. New beginnings can be anywhere and anytime if we choose to make it so. I like that sublime theme and the exquisite craftsmanship of this little-known film.

PRINCE AVALANCHE

SHORT TERM 12

Brie Larson is terrific as Grace, a damaged helper in a foster care facility for at-risk-teens.

The often visceral interactions of the staff and residents of the home are at the heart of this drama that is raw, honest and inspiring. And marvel of marvels, it never resorts to clichés.

But it is Brie’s Grace you will long remember as she struggles to finds solutions to her own issues. And you will longer remember Brie the actor: she shines in every frame she’s in with an authenticity and naturalness that is nothing less than astonishing.

January 2 to January 8, 2014

from the time he gets up on December 31, 2008 with new resolve to change his life for the better to his death in the early hours of January 1 in the Fruitvale subway station where BART officers shoot him in cold blood.

Brilliantly directed, photographed and acted, this film is as much a celebration of a short life as it is an indictment of the people, forces and mind-set that triggered for his unnecessary death.

GRAVITY

Based on EITHER WAY, an Icelandic short film, David Gordon Green’s PRINCE AVALANCHE made me think of Thomas Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” That may not sound like praise, but it is. Shot in two weeks for about $50 grand, the simple, funny, Zenlike story is about two guys (Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch) who don’t know each other hired to paint a broken yellow stripe down the middle of a little used country road that runs through the striking landscape of a burnt out area. It’s a perfect setting and circumstance for random conversations, interactions and observations as an unlikely friendship takes form during which the odd couple learn about each other, their limitations and themselves.

HER

This huge global hit is, for me, a deeply spiritual film that’s disguised as an action thriller. I think this cross-cultural breakout film taps into a universal feeling that’s really about our lonely, terrifying and finally transcendent journey across the cosmos toward our true home. Life affirming and exhilarating, it works best on a gigantic screen and in 3D. Sandra Bullock will be nominated for Best Actor. And the movie is likely to win as well.

LONE SURVIVOR

THIS IS MARTIN BONNER Now on DVD and Blu-ray, this joyous, poignant and overdue celebration of great background singers, who are little known by the general public, is not to be missed.

I’ve seen it multiple times with different audiences and the result at final fade out is always the same: tears and big smiles. A wonderfully rich soundtrack and terrific new interviews with background singers and some of the biggest stars in the music industry make this an experience that reminds of the healing power of not just song, but the human voice.

MUD

It’s as if a contemporized Mark Twain wrote afresh of life along the banks of the Mississippi as experienced through the eyes of two early teen boys. They are not quite

Chad Hartigan’s ultra low-budget and low-key film is a revelation of what can be done when everyone is working at the top of their game and sharing the same vision. This simple slice-of-life story is about two men who cross paths at a moment of change in each of their lives. Martin (Paul Eenhoorn), newly transplanted from “back East,” has just started a job as an outreach counselor at a Reno, Nevada, penitentiary after suffering a crisis of belief. Richmond Arquette is Travis, newly sprung after more than a decade in prison. The two men form a connection that is almost a friendship. Eenhoorn’s understated performance is just about perfect, but it is Arquette who makes this micro-budgeted indie film exceptional. His face and hesitant manner ring true as he faces re-entry into the real, bewildering world. His

Set in the near future, Spike Jonz sci-fi comedy/drama plays with the notion of a future generation smart phone app that has true “consciousness” -- and a more than disturbing self-awareness. So much so that its owner Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) falls deeply in love with the evocative voice of the disembodied Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Unsettling and unexpected complications arise in Twombly’s real world.

And even more surprising, with Samantha’s virtual world. But is this really a love story?

No. For me, it is a frightening and cautionary tale about how our incredible, fast-changing technology disconnects us from what we most desire.

FRUITVALE STATION Ryan Coogler’s first film is a powerhouse of emotion. This tragic true story is about Oscar Grant’s (Michael B. Jordan) last day on earth.

It follows the 22 year-old Bay Area resident

Maybe the best film of the year, this impeccably crafted, visceral movie takes a close-up look at one tragic incident in the longest war in US history. A war that still continues in Afghanistan. Sandwiched between two unlikely acts of mercy, this morally ambiguous true story forces the viewer to empathize with desperate and unimaginably brutal heroics while also asking in every frame: Is it worth it? It’s a great film, an important one that deserves the widest attention.

I also loved NEBRASKA, a wonderful dramatic comedy of stark rural bleakness. I liked MITTY, a movie that lightly riffs on James Thurber’s 1939 two page short story and I was entertained by SAVING MR. BANKS, blatant but poignant Disney propaganda. The epic 3D HOBBIT: DESOLATION OF SMAUG was far more engaging and action-filled than its predecessor.

Comments? RobinESimmons@aol.com

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January 2 to January 8, 2014 continued from page 17 CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm (LR) CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke 9pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-251-1991 Sunday Jam 4-8pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 The John McCormick Band 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Longest Running Jam Session in the valley. Hosted by JB, Sign up 6pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Sunday Band 7pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 Sharon McNight-Twisted Xmas 6pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-4080 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 3pm, Will Donato’s Art of Sax Sidebar Patio 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929

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Acoustic Open Mic hosted by Walt Young SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Smooth Brothers (RR)(LR) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Scott Carter 1:30-4:30pm, Rob & JB 4:30-9pm, DJ Idol Eyez 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Ben 11am, The Carmens 6:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Line Dancing w/ Tina 5:30-9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760564-2201 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Theo Coakley 6:30pm

MON JANUARY 6 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bonnie Scott 6pm (AC) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Sissy Bingo w/ Linda Gerard 7-9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, lounge, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm (PB) RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Pictures From Eden w/ Acoustic Guest Rob Lawrence SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 T.B.A. 6pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am

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

TUE JANUARY 7 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 T.B.A. 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Mikole Karr’s Jazz Quartet 6pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm (CB) CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 John Stanley King 5-9pm (JZ)(BL) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760-833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6-9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm (VD) KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Dana Larson 6:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Purple Reign and The Mothership Connection 9pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson

7:45 (PB) PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Eclectic Tuesdays. Singer/ songwriter night. All acts welcome. Hosted by JB, Sign up 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Michael Keeth Sidebar Patio 5:30pm, Mercedes Moore 8pm, Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 8pm, DJ Shasta Starlite Lounge 10pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Open Mic 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. (RR)(JZ) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Live entertainment VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Einstein 5:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Hatley Jazz 6pm (JZ)

WED JANUARY 8 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bobby And Randy (BL) AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Mikole Carr AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Paula Prince 7pm (PB) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 Derek Jordan Gregg and Sean Poe 9pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Rose Mallet 5-9pm (JZ) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm HAMILTON’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL; LQ;

760-698-8303 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8:3012:30am THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic 8pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live Music (RR) KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen in the lounge and Tom on the patio 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Michael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am Singles Night !!!

THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) NYPD; PS; 760-778-6973 Live DJ 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Michael Holmes Trio 6:30pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 D Phillips Band 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Straight Ahead Jazz (JZ) VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Ben 5:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Art of Sax 7-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 6pm

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Book Review

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

By Heidi Simmons

When Books Become Movies

O

ver the last several years, books have become more fully actualized on screen than in the past. Today, filmmaking techniques and technology are so sophisticated they can render anything imagined on the big screen.

Where once only the pages in a book could take you to another world, now the wizards of cinema can bring it to a fully rendered, three-dimensional life form.

Over the last few years, there have been a myriad of high-profile books made into movies. The Great Gatsby, The Hunger Games, The Hobbit and Life of Pi are but a few that quickly come to mind. It seems most book adaptations are highly anticipated, but often disappointing.

We love books because it is a personal and intimate experience. It is an engaging, one-to-one relationship that speaks directly to the reader. It is the opposite with film.

Movies are a shared, collective experience that can speak to a large audience. Yet both can move us in ways we didn’t anticipate.

One medium is not better than the other, they are simply different venues.

It is certainly a challenge to translate the narrative of a beloved book into the visual language of film. We pray that the filmmaker understands the nature of the

material and gets it right. If you love books and movies, there is nothing more exciting than when these two worlds come together and satisfy our high expectations.

Here are a few popular books that are set for adaptation and production this year: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is the story of a couple that move back to the husband’s hometown to make a new start after losing work in New York. On their wedding anniversary, the wife disappears and the investigation points to the husband as the primary suspect.

The challenge of this best seller is that the narrative is constructed through journal

entries. Like all good suspense stories, things are not what they seem and the complications are delicious. The most fascinating element in the novel is the portrayal of the hungry media mob that shapes consensus, making the husband a monster. The beauty of the story is that he’s not the monster -- she is.

Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James was not a great read or an original story idea. But the popularity of the trilogy will forever be an example of how fan fiction, mommy porn and e-readers collided into phenomenal sales.

In the story, a young, awkward and beautiful college graduate, Anastasia, gets caught-up in a relationship with a sadomasochist billionaire, Grey, who grooms her to be his pet. This story should not be a difficult transition to the big screen. The only problem is making the movie serious enough to overlook the vulgar use of wealth, the abusive sex and the demoralization of women. Maybe that can work for the movie version. The real question is, can Anastasia be respected and can Grey be empathetic?

The story of the biblical Noah will be released this year. It could be very exciting.

Certainly the movie effects should make the experience visceral. It is a story the entire world is familiar with – a man and his family must save the world from a cataclysm taking

every living thing that will come along with them on a boat.

As long as the movie captures the doom, danger and the dilemma -- and doesn’t preach a message -- it should be thrilling.

After all, it’s not so much a story about religion, but rather survival, loss and a new beginning.

Graphic Novels are a blast to read, and are practically already movies. Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is a noir tale with a fantastic femme fatal who uses sex to get what she wants and the sad sack, sympathetic man who succumbs to her scheme.

This should translate nicely to film as long as the actors deliver performances that make us squirm and cringe.

The Giver by Lois Lowry may finally make it to the screen this year. Published in 1993, this young adult favorite is about a “utopian” society that controls the population’s knowledge and memories. As the society seeks “sameness,” Jonas, the young protagonist, must decide if he should reveal the dark truth.

There are many great themes in this book. It has ideas, wisdom and maturity that rival other great works of literature like 1984, Brave New World and Animal Farm. This book will make a provocative and intense movie as long as the character of Jonas is fully actualized and his challenge clearly defined. What the book lacks in action, it makes up for in intelligence.

The beautiful thing about books is that no matter how it’s interpreted or translated to film, the book does not change; it will always remain intact. History has shown us that books can be reinterpreted again and again. One of the most beautiful things about good stories is the best ones can be told and retold.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

Haddon Libby:It’s all local

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Lights, Camera…

ith the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in town from January 3rd through the 13th, we have a unique chance to see films and meet their filmmakers from around the world. Our festival ranks amongst the best attended and most relevant in the United States.

In addition to the cultural diversity that we can all experience, our international festival creates tens of millions in economic activity for the Coachella Valley along with substantial marketing value for the whole region that is hard to fully quantify.

While all of this is very important to the Coachella Valley, the festival itself is a key player in helping to set the early buzz for Awards Season in Hollywood.

Gala awardees in the running for Oscars this year include Matthew McConaughey who is considered a front runner for his work in the Dallas Buyers Club, Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Julia Roberts for August: Osage County and Steve McQueen for his directorial work on 12 Years a Slave. The cast of American Hustle is being honored for its ensemble effort on a film that is considered by many

as a front runner for Best Picture. Each of these awardees along with a slate of important films and filmmakers from around the world will make this year’s festival one to remember.

For all of the great films that will be honored and/or screened here in the desert over the next two weeks, Iet’s take a quick look at a few of the films that have no chance of winning an award in excellence this year.

The honor for worst film of 2013 will be competitive although my bet is that it will go to Movie 43, a film that Richard Roeper called “the Citizen Kane” of awful. Peter Howell of the Toronto Star felt this film’s prints “should be used as landfill” while Lou Lumernick of The New York Post said,

“If you mashed-up the worst parts of the infamous Howard the Duck, Gigli, Ishtar and every other awful movie I’ve seen since I started reviewing professionally in 1981, it wouldn’t begin to approach the sheer soul-sucking badness of the cringe-inducing Movie 43.”

Despite Richard Roeper’s disdain for Movie 43, he feels that White House Down is worse as this film does not realize that it is bad. Other notably bad films include The Lone Ranger where Johnny Depp is considered to have given the worst performance of his career, A Good Day to Die Hard aka Die Hard 23 (or whatever number this series is up to), Grown Ups 2, Smurfs 2 and Hangover 3.

While the Palm Springs Film Festival will honor American Hustle with its ensemble award, the send-up award group, the Razzies, have a full and competitive field this year in this award category with the casts of Grudge Match, Machete Kills, Grown Ups

2, Hangover 3 and Escape Plan currently leading the pack of truly forgettable films.

Worst actor nods will have some big names this year and should include Johnny Depp for The Lone Ranger, Sly Stallone for Grudge Match and Escape Plan, Ryan Reynolds for the D.O.A. and forgettable R.I.P.D, Robert DeNiro for The Big Wedding and Grudge Match and and Bruce Willis for his body of work in 2013.

Worst actress will likely go to either, Kate Winslet, Elizabeth Banks or Halle Berry for Movie 43.

While many of us miss the Palm Springs International Film Festival due to work and family obligations, I cannot encourage you enough to make the time to be part of this fun and important event to the Coachella Valley.

ShareKitchen

SCORE’s 50th Anniversary Breakfast and Expo

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o you have a small business interested in greater sales and profits?

Is your New Year’s Resolution to start a business? They are many resources here in the Coachella Valley that want to help you.

To meet with all of us under one roof, come to SCORE’s 50th Anniversary Breakfast and Expo on Thursday, January 23rd. The event runs from 7am to 11:30am and is being held at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort. Cost of breakfast and attendance is only $10.00 or $20.00 at the door.

The keynote speaker for the EXPO is Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz of the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the event, you will have a chance to meet with the finest organizations that can help you and your business. The hosting organization for the EXPO, SCORE, has a team of forty volunteers who assist in the mentoring of local businesses.

If you visit the ShareKitchen booth, you can find out how we can help you in starting or improving your food business via our team of industry professionals.

Additionally, we have loans for up to $5,000 to help you with your business.

Others in attendance include Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center (they are

not just for women). CVWBC helps all businesses existing or proposed in building business plans and the knowledge bases necessary to achieve success.

Coachella Valley Economic Partnership will be there as well. While CVEPs focus is on green businesses such as solar or renewable energies and large employment opportunities, CVEP collaborates with schools and groups like CVWBC, ShareKitchen and SCORE in achieving their mission of more jobs and a more highly trained worker base in the Valley.

We hope to see you on January 23rd.

Go to ScoreBreakfast.com for more information and to buy your ticket.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Dale Gribow On The Law

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

safety tips

by Dale Gribow Attorney at Law

Did you Drink and Drive on New Year’s or Were you the Victim of a Drunk Driver?

M

any of our Coachella Valley Weekly readers will have partied too hard on New Year’s Eve and been stopped for a possible Drunk Driving…. were you? On the other hand were you the victim of a Drunk Driver who rear ended your car causing you and your passenger’s injuries?

I have sued Drunk Drivers for over 30 years for the injuries they caused to my clients.

Often these accidents result in a fatality leading to a filing of Murder 2 or Felony Manslaughter. Such an incident happened to my client Celena Nava who was fatally injured by a drunk driver a few weeks ago while jogging. Prison is the logical answer for that arrest and you do not want to go there as it involves PRISON…..not jail.

On the other hand I have defended those charged with Driving Under the Influence for over 30 years. Thus I am familiar with both sides of the arguments presented by a plaintiff who is injured and a defendant who is charged with a DUI. The injured plaintiff should immediately seek medical attention by going to the ER or an Urgent Care Center. As a rule of thumb you do not want to see a doctor you have seen before. This is because most doctors do not know how to write medical legal reports.

I have lectured to the International College of Surgeon at their yearly seminar on this issue for several years.

There is a big difference between the doctor writing in his medical report “I have seen Mr. Jones and in my opinion there is a 50% chance he will make a full recovery or there is a 50% chance he will NOT make a full recovery”. Which sounds worse?

In addition your family doctor has a list of all your complaints for years and some of those complaints you do not want made public. I have had clients who had preexisting pains from falling in the shower; had an abortion; contracted a venereal disease; asked the doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist or admitted to an alcohol or drug problem etc. You do not want to make it easy for the insurance company to find this information and thus lower their offer to you because in their eyes you will become a less attractive plaintiff to the jury.

Insurance companies will try to find any way to pay you the least amount of money possible. They will use whatever they can find against you including the info above or the information on your social media showing you playing a sport after you have advised the doctor you are hurt and cannot do anything.

it’s your nickel

On the other hand the driver charged with a Drunk Driving needs to consult with an attorney familiar with this area of law ASAP. The driver has 10 Days from the day of the arrest to request a DMV hearing or the opportunity to have the hearing is gone.

A DUI arrest creates two separate proceedings against the driver. One is DMV that looks to take your license and the other is the court system that looks to put the DUI driver in JAIL. Both of these proceedings need to be addressed right away by your attorney.

When there is an accident the injured victim’s lawyer may want to have the car examined by an expert; take pictures of the damage or the lawyer may want the client to save the bloody clothes he/she was wearing for a possible court proceeding.

If you were arrested or were the victim of a drunk driving accident, please feel free

to call for a free consultation offered to my Coachella Valley Weekly readers. Just mention this column.

The bottom line is DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI……IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HIRING ME! Dale Gribow has been “Rated” TOP LAWYER by Palm Springs Life Magazine from 2011-2014 and has a Superb AVVO Legal Rating by his fellow attorneys. Dale Gribow has been Man of the Year 7 times including the City of Palm Desert and the City of Hope and Dale Gribow Day has been declared 4 times. He is the only attorney appointed in December 2013 to the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s Public Safety Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Committee addressing Drunk Driving. This group consists of the police chiefs from every city and the mayor of each city as well as the Sheriff of Riverside County and the head of the CHP and Border Patrol.

In addition Gribow is the only attorney asked to be part of the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Health Matters Committee addressing Drunk Driving. Gribow is also one of the founders of Shutdown Drunk Driving formed upon the death of his client who was killed by a drunk driver while jogging recently.

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

N

I

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on the auction block that don’t represent any part of the normal market for a typical purchase, hence the “median” is a good number to look at.

We can also look at prices per sq foot.

A home costs somewhere between 100 and 150 dollars per square foot to build. Homes in PS are approaching 150 per square foot or better, and homes in Desert Hot Springs are approaching 100 per square foot.

Certain local markets can support 300 dollars a sq ft sales prices if the finishes are spectacular or we are talking about

New Years Eve Safety!

ew Years Eve is a special evening, however it’s no special pass to over-do it! “These Safe and responsible tips should be practiced year round says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.”

Designate a Driver! If you are going to be driving New Years Eve, don’t drink and drive.

If you have a friend who does not prefer to drink, make sure they take the wheel. You might even be on the water this New Years Eve. The person in charge of navigating the boat needs to be cautious, as this still applies as well - so drink sensibly! Be aware of your surroundings and how others are acting. Stay away from those who are out of control and might cause harm. If someone is really intoxicated, prevent them from trying to drive or leaving with someone they do not know. It’s important to keep an eye out for each other. If you don’t have to go behind the wheel, avoid it. More people will be driving under the influence on this particular night, so avoid a potentially dangerous accident by staying off the road.

Otherwise, be alert and drive defensively.

Most importantly, wear your seatbelt! Also, using public transportation is a wise option.

If taking a cab is too expensive, crashing

by john PAUL VALDEZ

at a friend’s place nearby is a convenient solution. Be a team and look out for our friends and family. Going out to parties and nightclubs means a fast-paced, crazy night; so be sure to travel in groups. Having a safety net around you in this environment is imperative. Don’t forget about your pets!

Anything with loud noises will scare pets and children. No Fireworks!

Happy New Year!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

by Jennifer Tan aka mrs. fett

Diablo III (Goodbye Social Life)

Coachella Valley Housing “Bubble” n 2014, we have only gained back about 70 percent of those all-time high 2008-9 values, which were likely overvalued. That’s a dangerous game when the American Dream is home ownership.

When they say that the “median” price of a home in Palm Springs right now is 240K they simply mean that the number has an equal number of homes selling above and below that median number. It is NOT an average price paid. If we stated an average, we’d probably be including some 12 million dollar estates and some 30K houses sold

custom homes. These are neither typical nor average.

At these numbers, there is not a great incentive for builders to come in and create growth in our cities because they need to make a profit. If they spend 100-150 per sq ft to build they need to sell for more than that. They can no longer count on selling for 300 dollars per sq foot so easily.

A rather large community is promised in La Quinta that could bring in 2000 new homes, and it will take years to bring into existence, but they will surely plan on selling at numbers above 150 dollars per sq ft.

Interest rates also affect building. Current rates are near historical lows, but even rates as high as 5% can be motivational for families and builders alike as resulting payments on a 30 year mortgage are reasonable.

There are two issues that are stopping faster growth in home ownership from happening more easily. One is lower wages,

and the other is stricter lending practices.

We don’t want banks to loan with a signature only, but when a single and only residence is contemplated, making that loan near impossible to get doesn’t help builders build nor buyers buy. Redevelopment funds from the government are gone too.

Home ownership has fallen from 69 percent of the population to 65 percent in these past few years. For every percent drop, that’s a million new homes that don’t get built across the nation.

Our entire economy is built on the concept of home ownership, landownership, or ownership of corporations through stock. In America, only owners have any chance of growth financially in the long term. Our middle class is shrinking in recognizable numbers, and that is a sad indictment of how we have handled a “recovery” that is still too slow to catch us up to where we were.

The banks were made whole, but not the homeowners. Thank goodness we have a 10 dollar minimum wage going into effect over these next two years. Cheers to 2014!

Things will be better.

January 2 to January 8, 2014

W

hen Blizzard announced they were making Diablo III, I literally screamed with excitement in the middle of a GameStop.

Why? A few reasons. Diablo was the first RPG that I had ever played, along with my first PC title. I was addicted, and young enough that I thought the piles of bones that jingled when you checked them for loot was the scariest gaming task ever!

Now that I had the holidays to jump into Diablo III on Ps3, I am pretty much never going back to Call Of Duty again. The vicious cycle of killing demons, and looting the awesome treasure left behind...and then killing more demons, is hard to break!

The 17 year franchise did stick with their roots in 90% of the way the game was developed and executed. Some battles can get crazy, and somewhat difficult to navigate with just a 60FPS graphic rate, but Blizzard pulled it off for the most part.

Environments are rich and detailed, though during battle I noticed some spots becoming grainy. The cinematics between the battle of Heaven and Hell, are compelling and intense, although for veteran demon hunters, not necessary. We know what we are here to do, now cut the scene and watch me annihilate everything.

The navigation screens got a new look to welcome them into the console world.

Using a dial-type interface, using the analog stick to navigate your armor, loot, spells, and quests is effortless. It’s as if Diablo was meant for consoles all along…(insert troll

Gaemer Girl

grin here) Now, if you are next gen stacked like myself, you probably realized most of your favorite titles will not work for the Ps4.

That’s ok! Early 2014, marks the release of Diablo III, Ultimate Evil Edition! Which as of right now, is a Ps4 exclusive. You can transfer your Wizard, Demon Hunter and Barbarian from your Ps3 to your Ps4, ONCE. Meaning, once it’s off your Ps3, its gone! So make the commitment. It looks to be worth it though.

PlayStation 4 players can experience the full adventure of Blizzard’s epic action RPG, Diablo III, as the Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition includes the expansion pack Reaper of Souls! Bringing the world of Diablo back to PlayStation gamers, this edition of Diablo III features special four-player coop features. With the DualShock 4 wireless controller and a custom-designed console interface, players will be outfitted with touchpad functionality and new social features as they engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of monsters and acquire items of incredible power.

I scored Diablo III for Ps3 at an 8.5 overall, only losing a few points in dialog, grainy texturing, and instability with aiming. The game is only $40 at Best Buy and GameStop, but will not be releasing on the XboxOne. The Ultimate Evil Edition for Ps4 is set for early 2014.

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

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Don’t Be

CLUELESS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY

EVENT CALENDAR THE DESERT ROSE PLAYHOUSE TO PRESENT “NITE CLUB CONFIDENTIAL” The Desert Rose Playhouse, the Valley’s live stage company serving the LGBT community, will present Miss Joey English in Dennis Deal’s “mid-century modern” jazz musical Nite Club Confidential. The production will open January 10, 2014 for a six-week run closing on February 16, 2014.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. With an impressive background performing in nightclubs, theatres, and on television around the world, Miss Joey English stars as 1950’s nightclub chanteuse “Kay Goodman”, a woman who all through the Eisenhower administration, never once saw daylight. Miss English is joined by award-winning singer/actor/dancer John Ferrare as singer/agent/club owner “Buck Holden” and fresh young talent Katie Pavao as up-and-coming nightclub star “Dorothy Flynn”. Also appearing are Ryan Dominguez and Jeremy Johnson as “Mitch” and “Sal”, versatile and personable members of the vocal group, The High Hopes.

These five characters, accompanied by an onstage 3-piece combo, take audiences on a giddy and sophisticated global adventure from New York to Hollywood and Paris with a smart mix of Vocal Standards like “That Old Black Magic”, “Goody Goody”, and “Something’s Gotta Give” as well as terrific new Jazz tunes. The production is directed by DRP Artistic Director Jim Strait.

Broadway and Hollywood veteran Steven Smith is Musical Director/Conductor and choreography is

by Mark Demry.

The Desert Rose Playhouse is a project of Desert Rose Productions, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation.

Nite Club Confidential continues Desert Rose Productions’ mission to produce and present literate, relevant and entertaining plays and musicals to LGBT and Gay-Friendly theatregoers in the Coachella Valley.

Tickets are $30 for Friday and Saturday evening performances; $28 for Sunday matinees and go on sale December 15, 2013. To order go online at www.desertroseplayhouse.org or call 760-202-3000. The Desert Rose Playhouse, 69620 Hwy111, Rancho Mirage, CA IT’S BACK! FANTASY SPRINGS’ IMPROV COMEDY SERIES MAKES A COMICAL RETURN FOR THE 7th SEASON You’ll be laughing all the way to the slots in the coming months. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino’s Improv Comedy series opens for a 7th season on January 10th with some of the biggest names in comedy.

Top-name comedians such as Fritz Coleman, Dat Phan, Rondell Sheridan, Jack Gallagher, Bob Zany and many more, will hit the stage and make audiences roar with laughter. You’ll see wellknown acts, as well as get introduced to some rising stars in the industry.

The Improv series runs every Friday and Saturday night through April 12th. Three comedians perform at every show, which take place each Friday at 9pm and Saturday at 8pm & 10pm. Tickets are $20 per show and are available by calling 800.827.2946 or online at www.

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FantasySpringsResort.com. Guests must be 21 or older to attend Improv performances.

CELEBRITIES ANNOUNCED FOR COYOTE STAGEWORKS BENEFIT Star-Studded Cast to Perform “The Man Who Came to Dinner” Coyote StageWorks is pleased to announce a roster of celebrities scheduled to appear in “The Man Who Came to Dinner” at 6:00 pm on Sunday, January 19, 2014 at the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs. The one-night-only performance will benefit Coyote StageWorks, a nonprofit company dedicated to advancing theatre as a vital art form in the desert communities of the Coachella Valley.

Veteran stage, television and film actor G. W. Bailey has been cast as the famously outlandish radio wit Sheridan Whiteside, the role played by Nathan Lane in the show’s Broadway revival in 2000. Bailey (Captain Harris of “Police Academy”) is joined by funnyman Fred Willard (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” Waiting for Guffman,” “A Mighty Wind”), and his “Major Crimes” and “The Closer” co-star Phillip P. Keene. Additional celebrities named to the growing cast list are Joyce Bulifant (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Airplane!”), Jim J. Bullock (“Too Close for Comfort,” “Hollywood Squares,” Broadway’s “Hairspray”) and Mo Gaffney (“Absolutely Fabulous,” “That 70’s Show,” “Kathy and Mo: Parallel Lives”).

Local celebrities also slated to appear in the performance include Valley philanthropists Annette Bloch, Barbara and Jerry Keller (Acqua Pazza, Lulu), and Terri Ketover. Wells Fargo financial professional Gary Hall will play a role, as will popular radio host Bill “Bulldog” Feingold, CBS Local 2 meteorologist Patrick Evans, and restaurateur Tony Marchese (Trio, Purple Room).

Tickets are $75 and $125 per person for the performance only; $250 and $500 tickets include a VIP cast reception following the performance.

Artists are subject to change without notice.

For more information about Coyote StageWorks and its 2014 season, please visit coyotestageworks.org. Group sales: 760318-0024. To purchase individual tickets or subscriptions call 760-325-4490 or visit annenbergtheater.org.

Tickets Available Now for the 5th Annual Spa Tour!

Celebrating the beautiful healing hideaways of California’s Spa City, the Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce along with the Hoteliers Association of Desert Hot Springs will host the 5th Annual Spa Tour on Thursday, January 30, 2014 from 5pm to 8:30pm.

Overlooking the Palm Springs area, Desert Hot Springs is home to dozens of boutique resorts known world-wide for their natural, healing, hot mineral waters and represent various styles to include Mid-century Modern, Moroccan, casual, classic and clothing optional. Spa Tour is an amazing opportunity to see several of these properties in one evening, and the beauty that rests within.

Tickets are available for the 5th Annual Spa Tour and can be purchased Monday-Friday from

9am to 4pm by calling the Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce at 760-329-6403 or in person at 11-999 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs.

Available ticket levels and prices are as follows: VIP Tour: $125 if purchased by January 10th, $150 from January 11th (includes: Welcome Reception at the new Essense restaurant located in Two Bunch Palms Resort, swag bag, spa robe, guided coach tour, one additional drawing entry and an After-Tour Party at Miracle Springs Resort) Guided Coach Tour: $40 if purchased by January 10th, $50 from January 11th Self - Guided Tour: $20 if purchased by January 10th, $30 from January 11th. *All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable 2014 Spa Tour Participating Properties AQUA SOLEIL HOTEL & MINERAL WATER SPA ANAHATA SPRINGS SPA & RETREAT DESERT HOT SPRINGS SPA HOTEL EL MOROCCO INN & SPA HACIENDA HOT SPRINGS INN & SPA LIVING WATERS SPA MIRACLE MANOR RETREAT MIRACLE SPRINGS RESORT & SPA THE SPRING RESORT & SPA TWO BUNCH PALMS RESORT & SPA CABOT’S PUEBLO MUSEUM Pete Carlson’s Golf & Tennis Hosts 10th Annual Golf Expo at College of the Desert’s College Golf Center February 7 and 8 , With the Latest Golf Equipment, Instructional Clinics, Food, Entertainment and PGA Pros in Attendance The Public Is Invited to Attend This Free Event Pete Carlson’s Golf and Tennis hosts its 10th Annual Golf Expo at College of the Desert’s College Golf Center in Palm Desert on Friday and Saturday, February 7th & 8th. Hours are from 9am to 4pm. The event is free to the Public and always well-attended. College of the Desert Golf Center is located at 73-450 Fred Waring Drive.

Contact Pete Carlson’s Golf & Tennis for additional information at 760-568-3263.

DAME EDNA IMPERSONATOR TO APPEAR AT THE PURPLE ROOM Michael L. Walters Performs His Rendition of Famed Character. Renowned actor, vocalist, and female impersonator Michael L. Walters will take the Purple Room stage by storm in “A Royal Audience with Michael L. Walters as Dame Edna,” on Sunday, February 9 and Monday, February 10, 2014. Dinner begins at 5:30 pm with the performance at 7 pm and reservations are recommended. Tickets for the dinner show are $40 per person and may be purchased by calling 760322-4422 or by visiting purpleroompalmsprings. com. Walters will also make a special late night appearance at 9 pm on Sunday for $20 per person (cocktail and food menus available).

A fun-filled evening of glamour and sidesplitting laughter featuring glittering gowns, outrageous comedy, and original musical numbers, the show is a full-scale homage to the fabulous Dame Edna. Michael Walters, who first donned the wisteria coif and rhinestone glasses in 2001, never dreamed he would still be performing the character today. His impersonation has received the blessing of Dame Edna’s original creator, Barry Humphries, who Walters had the honor of appearing with in 2010.

The legendary Purple Room is open for dinner from 3 pm to midnight Tuesday through Sunday, with a late night menu served from 11 pm until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and top quality entertainment six nights a week (closed Mondays). For reservations and more information about upcoming performances and shows, call 760-322-4422 or visit purpleroompalmsprings. com.

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TRIO RESTAURANT’S 5TH ANNUAL “HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NIGHT” TO BENEFIT AIDS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM In celebration of the 86th Annual Academy Awards, Trio Restaurant in Palm Springs will once again host “Hollywood’s Biggest Night” beginning at 4:30 pm, on Sunday, March 2, 2014. The glittering evening will include the now signature ‘orange’ carpet arrivals, and a special greeting from dynamo hostess and local celebrity, Bella da Ball. Proceeds from this event will benefit AIDS Assistance Program. Those in attendance will view the Oscars® pre-show and awards presentation on special screens.

“Traditionally, this has truly been a magical evening of dining, drinks, and the greatest awards show on earth,” says Tony Marchese, co-owner of Trio. “You immediately feel the energy and the excitement as our guests wait with anticipation for the winners, and everyone in attendance has such a wonderful time. It’s hard to believe this is our fifth year hosting this event, and each one seems to be more magnificent than the last.”

Tickets for Hollywood’s Biggest Night start at $125 per person for bar seating, $150 for general seating, or $175 for VIP/premium seating, which includes a prix-fixe dinner, well drinks, wine, and champagne. Tickets should be purchased in advance by visiting www.aidsassistance.org or by calling AAP at 760/325-8481.

“You don’t have to be an A-list celebrity to experience the magic and excitement of Oscar night, and Trio is the best place in the Valley to view one of the most entertaining and highly anticipated awards shows in the world,” says Mark Anton, CEO/Executive Director of AIDS Assistance Program.

PSWIFT to honor women who have smashed through the glass ceiling The film and television industry was founded by a small group of visionary men, but over the past 100 years it has been women such as Mary Pickford, Ida Lupino and Sherry Lansing who have proved it isn’t simply a man’s world.

To honor the pioneering women of the industry and those working today as actors, directors, producers and writers, the Palm Springs chapter of Women in Film and Television (PSWIFT) will present the 6th Annual Broken Glass Awards on March 8 at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.

It includes red carpet arrivals that attract media from all over Southern California, dinner and a show featuring the honorees, presenters and Coachella Valley performers that are all open to the public to purchase tickets.

The 2014 slate of honorees and presenters are set to be announced in January, and as they have in past years, will to honor the women who have dedicated their lives and talents to making the film industry a better place for all women to work.

As they have since the 2008 creation of the Broken Glass Awards, PSWIFT slate of honorees will include Broken Glass Awards who live and work in the Coachella Valley, as well as Los Angeles-based industry leaders.

Broken Glass Awards are given to women who have distinguished themselves as successful pioneers in the arts and philanthropy. Past BGA honorees include Jacqueline Bissett, Della Reese, Suzanne de Passe, Gale Ann Hurd, the Team Todd sisters, Kim Waltrip, Gloria Greer, Donna Mills, Raquel Welch, Shirley Jones, Alfre Woodard, Ruta Lee, Mary Hart and philanthropists Jackie Lee Houston, Helene Galen, Barbara Keller, Lisa Houston.

For more information on the 2014 Broken Glass Awards, contact Judith Salkin at FG Creative at (760) 773-1707 or judi@fgcreative.com.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of January 2

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Deep bronzes and smoky cinnamons and dark chocolates will be your lucky colors in 2014. Mellow mahoganies and resonant russets will work well for you, too. They will all be part of life’s conspiracy to get you to slow down, deepen your perspective, and slip into the sweetest groove ever. In this spirit, I urge you to nestle and cuddle and caress more than usual in the coming months. If you aren’t totally clear on where home is, either in the external world or inside your heart, devote yourself to finding it.

Hone your emotional intelligence. Explore your roots. On a regular basis, remember your reasons for loving life. Stay in close touch with the sources that feed your wild soul.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For years, French painter Édouard Manet and French poet Stéphane Mallarmé hung out with each other every day.

Mallarmé referred to their relationship as “the most complete friendship.” They influenced each other to become better artists and human beings. I’m guessing that in the coming months, Taurus, you’ll thrive on that kind of stimulating companionship. Having such regular contact with a like-minded ally might even be an important factor in ripening your intelligence. At the very least, I predict that soulful friendship will be a crucial theme in 2014. You will attract blessings and generate luck for yourself by deepening your ability to cultivate synergistic bonds.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): St. Peter’s Basilica is a very old church in Vatican City. It contains a life-size bronze statue of St. Peter that is at least 700 years old. Over the centuries, countless visitors have paid their respects by kissing and touching the feet of the idol. The metal composing the right foot has been so thoroughly worn down by these gestures that the individual toes have disappeared, leaving a smooth surface. You will have a similar kind of power in 2014, Gemini. Little by little, with your steady affection and relentless devotion, you can transform what’s rigid and hard.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Big rivers don’t travel in straight lines. Their paths are curvy and complicated, with periodic turns and bends. In some places they flow faster and in others they’re slower. Their depth and width may vary along the way, too. Your own destiny is like one of those big rivers, Cancerian. In some years, it meanders for long stretches, slowing down as it wanders along a crooked course. It may even get shallower and narrower for a while. But I expect that in 2014, you will be moving more rapidly than usual. You will be traveling a more direct route, and you will be both wide and deep.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “In games there are rules,” writes science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, “but in life the rules keep changing.”

This is always true, of course, but I think it will be an especially poignant truth for you between now and your next birthday. During the coming months, you may sometimes feel as if every last law and formula and corollary is mutating. In some cases, the new rules coming into play will be so different from the old rules you’ve been used to, they may at first be hard to figure out. But now here’s the happy ending: It may take a while, but you will eventually see that these new rules have an unexpected logic and beauty that will serve your future well.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I predict that you will commit no major acts of self-sabotage in 2014. Congrats! I also foresee that you will be exceptionally careful not to hurt or damage yourself. Hooray! More good news: You won’t be as critical of yourself as you have sometimes been in the past. The judgmental little voice in the back of your head won’t be nearly as active. Yay! Even your negative emotions will diminish in frequency and intensity. Hallelujah! Whoopee! Abracadabra!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The citizens of Iceland love literature, but many are not content to simply read. One out of every ten Icelanders writes and publishes a book at sometime in his

© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny

or her life. I know it’s unrealistic, but I would love to see at least one in ten of all my Libra readers do the same in 2014. I think you’re ready to make a big statement -- to express yourself in a more complete and dramatic way than ever before. If you’re not ready to write a book, I hope you will attempt an equivalent accomplishment.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’m hoping you will find a new teacher or two in 2014, maybe even a mentor. Not a guru who tells you what to do.

Not an exploitative “expert” who claims to know what’s right for you or a charismatic narcissist who collects adoration. What I wish for you, Scorpio, is that you will connect with wise and humble sources of inspiration . . . with life-long learners who listen well and stimulate you to ask good questions . . . with curious guides who open your eyes to resources you don’t realize you need. In the coming months, you are primed to launch a quest that will keep you busy and excited for years; I’d love to see you get excellent help in framing that quest.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 2014, it’s possible you will be given a cabbage farm or a petting zoo or some bequest that’s not exactly in close alignment with your life’s purpose. But it’s more likely that the legacies and dispensations you receive will be quite useful. The general trend is that allies will make available to you a steady flow of useful things. Your ability to attract what you need will be high. In the coming months, I may even have good reason to name you an honorary Scorpio. You might match those Great Manipulators’ proficiency at extracting the essence of what you want from every situation.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Would you be interested in a motto that will help set the tone for you in 2014? I’ve got a suggestion that’s in alignment with the astrological omens. It’s from a poem by Margaret Atwood. Try saying this and see if it works for you: “Last year I abstained / this year I devour / without guilt / which is also an art.” If you choose to make this affirmation your own, be sure you don’t forget about the fact that devouring without guilt is an art -- a skill that requires craft and sensitivity. You can’t afford to get blindly instinctual and greedy in 2014; you shouldn’t compulsively overcompensate for 2013’s deprivations. Be cagey and discerning as you satisfy your voracious hunger.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The coming months will be a good time to meditate on the concepts of happy accidents and benevolent trouble. Go ahead and throw constructive mischief into the mix, too, and maybe even a dose of graceful chaos. Are you game for playing around with so much paradox? Are you willing to entertain the possibility that fate has generous plans for you that are too unexpected to anticipate? There’s only one requirement that you have to meet in order to receive your odd gifts in the spirit in which they’ll be offered: You’ve got to be open-minded, eager to learn, and flexible.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I think we humans need some new emotions. It’s true that old standards like sadness, anger, jealousy, and fear are as popular as ever. But I would personally love to be able to choose from a greater variety, especially if at least 51 percent of the new crop of emotions were positive or inspiring. Now it so happens that in 2014 you Pisceans will be primed to be pioneers. Your emotional intelligence should be operating at peak levels. Your imagination will be even more fertile than usual. So how about it? Are you ready to generate revolutionary innovations in the art of feeling unique and interesting feelings? To get started, consider these: 1. amused reverence; 2. poignant excitement; 3. tricky sincerity; 4. boisterous empathy.

Homework: To hear Part One of my three-part audio forecasts about your destiny in 2014, go to http://bit.ly/BigPicture2014.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

January 2 to January 8, 2014

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

Make It Happen In 2014!

E

xercise is at the pinnacle of New Year’s resolutions. Is obtaining an exercise routine in 2014 a goal you have set for yourself? Statistics show gym memberships soar commencing each New Year. Yet, as the year passes only 60% of those memberships are acted upon. Generally gyms offer incentives to entice the highly motivated future client. Will you stay true to your resolution? Are you being realistic about your goals? What is your track record in sustaining your past resolutions?

Along with exercise you may have other important goals you want to attain. Categorizing and simplifying will make all the difference in your successes. Refrain from setting unrealistic goals for yourself. This will only result in frustration and poor follow through. Keeping a journal may be helpful. You can reflect upon your notes and this will keep you on track.

While researching, the 2014 resolutions are not less resolute from what the goals were in 2013. This raises an eyebrow with me. What happened last year that many of the same resolutions are still on the list? Does this mean there was poor, to little, or no follow through at all? Quite possible.

Resolutions generated in 2013 might have read. ~ Spend more time with family. Get FIT! Control your eating habits. Quit smoking. Enjoy life more! Quit drinking. Get out of debt. Learn something new. Help others.

These are excellent resolutions and possibly some great ideas for 2014. Here are the top 10 resolutions for 2014. Not far off from 2013.

1. Enact a fitness regimen. Exercising is a way of life for many. Why not you? Getting in shape is vital to your overall health. You could add years to your life by exercising regularly.

Add a workout routine to your life. Plus, it

relieves stress.

2. Spend time with family and friends.

Spending time with your loved ones is important for lasting relationships, building trust and camaraderie and making memories.

Take in a movie with a friend or meet with your mother coffee.

3. Moderate your alcohol. Possibly you are trying to quit? This may be a goal too.

4. Stop smoking. Stomp out the habit.

Realize your considering quitting because you are cognizant it is an unhealthy lifestyle.

Many over the counter nicotine replacement therapies are available.

5. Eat healthy! Make wiser choices in your eating habits. Make time for a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t forget to snack.

6. Stop the junk food! Place snacks in your car or your desk drawer at work. It is just a simple to grab an apple or a handful of almonds.

7. Manage your debt. There are millions of Americans who are stressed by their finances.

Make a plan to get out of debt. Meet with a financial consultant or ask a savvy friend to help you devise a plan.

8. Take up a hobby. Do that certain something you have always wanted. It can be a great outlet for you. Break the monotony and go for it!

9. Help others.

Reach out in your community. There are hundreds of charities in the Coachella Valley. Select a charity that resonates with your heart and you will be much more satisfied.

10. Get organized. Fortunately this can be a reasonable goal. Whether it is your home, your office, closet, or garage. Set time aside. If it takes all morning, all day, weeks or months, develop a plan of attack. You will feel less stressed by clearing the clutter.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

May your 2014 be courageous, filled with excitement and wildly successful! Never give up. You can do it!

Bronwyn Ison, Owner of Evolve Yoga ~ for more information: www.e-volveyoga.com 50-991 Washington Street , La Quinta (760) 564-YOGA (9642)

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January 2 to January 8, 2014

Life & career Coach

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Sunny Simon

Rewind and Review

P

lanning for the New Year is energizing. It always reminds me of what my engineering friends call “clean sheet design.” My process is similar.

Based on my personal requirements for success, I open a new word document and develop my goals for the coming year.

There is one important thing I do prior to gearing up for a brand new calendar year.

My practice is to mentally walk through the past 12 months. Pausing to rewind and reflect helps me identify what I am grateful for, what I learned, where I dropped the ball and how I can improve.

Admittedly I was always confused by the lyrics in the Robert Burn’s poem “Auld Lang Syne.” One day I realized “should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind,” was an invitation to remember friendships. I kick off my year end review by focusing on all the incredible people who passed through my life.

Next I check in on my personal development. Did I do the right things to stretch and grow? What did I learn? What new skills did I master? How did I work at being a better coach, a better person?

Then knowing how I tend to get distracted, I assess which items were left untouched or incomplete noting what course corrections are required to get to the goal line.

During my annual review, I whisper a silent prayer for my mentors. Then I acknowledge my clients, a group of courageous individuals who succeeded in raising the bar high and making positive changes in their lives. Oh yes, the teacher always learns from the students. When I contemplate the many blessings bestowed upon me over the past year, I stop to give heartfelt thanks.

Reflecting on my blessings leads me to question my actions. Did I give back enough? Was I a cheerful giver? Did I offer friendship to strangers? Did I spend sufficient time helping those in need?

So, my friends, as you take the last strand of tinsel off the tree and finish up the remains of the Santa Claus cookies, stop for a moment and make that trip down memory lane. Spend some time in quiet reflection as you rewind and review the 12 months of 2013. Begin and end with gratitude. Congratulate yourself on your achievements and take to heart the lessons learned. Then turn the page and make 2014 your best year yet!

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

Ask The Doctor

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by dr peter kadile

Dr. Peter M. Kadile is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He has an integrative, osteopathic medical practice and is also known as the local, house call doctor; Desert House Call Physician. He is on staff at Eisenhower Medical Center and medical director for Serenity Hospice. His office is located in beautiful Old Town La Quinta, 78-100 Main Street, Suite 207, La Quinta, CA 92253. (760) 777-7439.

DesertHouseCalls@aol.com. www.deserthousecalldoc.com.

Dr. Kadile will be writing a regular column for CV Weekly. Please send any medical questions you have to editor@coachellavalleyweekly.com for him to answer.

Dear Dr. Kadile, my right foot will occasionally go numb when I am sitting in the car or watching television. I think I’m just pinching a nerve because it goes away, but my uncle says I should be checked out for diabetes. Why? -Andrew, Ranch Mirage

Andrew, if diabetes is not under control it may cause numbness or tingling in your hands, fingers, feet and/or toes. The elevated blood sugar in diabetes can cause damage to the nerve endings thus causing a “peripheral neuropathy”. Usually these symptoms will develop over time and are associated with other symptoms of diabetes such as increased thirst, increased hunger and increased and frequent urination. If you are overweight, have a diet high in carbohydrates (sweets, pasta, rice, soft drinks), don’t exercise and have a family history of diabetes, then you are at risk for developing diabetes mellitus type 2.

Your symptoms sound like the numbness may be “positional”, meaning your sitting position is likely causing you to “pinch” a nerve causing the numbness, but you should go to your physician if it becomes more frequent or worsens. It may be a sign of lower back disc problems, possibly diabetes or even vitamin B12 deficiency.

Dear Dr. Kadile, my doctor recently diagnosed me with sinusitis and prescribed antibiotics. I have family coming to visit for the holidays, am I contagious?

-Jack, Palm Desert

Jack, sinusitis will generally start out as a cold or upper respiratory infection caused by a virus. The infection may cause obstruction in the sinuses causing headaches, sinus pressure and congestion, post nasal drip

and ear pressure. If it is a cold, generally the symptoms will resolve in 1-2 weeks, but if the sinus obstruction persists, it may allow the development of a bacterial infection in addition to the viral infection. Since your doctor prescribed antibiotics, he believes you have a bacterial sinusitis. The bacteria involved are usually commonly found in the nose and are not considered highly contagious. A cold or viral upper respiratory infection is considered contagious. As I’ve said before, the best prevention from getting ill is regular hand washing.

January 2 to January 8, 2014

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Dr. Kadile, my husband had a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer and was told everything looked okay except for diverticulosis. Should I be worried about his diet since he eats a lot of nuts?

-Betty, Sun City

Diverticulosis is when you have small pouches in the lining of your large intestines.

It is a common condition and most people don’t have any symptoms. If the pouches become inflamed or infected, it can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fevers, constipation, diarrhea or blood in the stool. This infection is called diverticulitis and requires antibiotic treatment. The development of diverticulitis may be caused by poor diet, especially a diet low in fiber. A diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and adequate fluid intake can help prevent diverticulitis.

Betty, it was recommended in the past that people with diverticulosis avoid nuts, corn, popcorn and seeds because these foods might get stuck in the small pouches within the large intestine and lead to inflammation. However, recent research has revealed that there is no connection.

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