Coachella Valley Weekly - January 9 to January 15, 2014 Vol. 2 No. 42

News

Music

PSIFF

Tribesmen

Movies

Dining

Community Events

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • January 9 to January 15, 2014 Vol. 2 No. 42

pg 4

pg 12

Furst Wurld Theater

pg 13

Mario Pikus

pg 15

Idyllwild

pg 20

January 9 to January 15, 2014

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Mayor’s Race & wellness Festival

28th AnnuAl

Coachella Valley Weekly

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com info@coachellavalleyweekly.com P r e s e n t e d b y t h e I n d Io C h Am b e r o f C o m m e r Ce

January 24, 25, 26, 2014 Featuring over 250 acclaimed artists showing traditional, contemporary and abstract fine works of art — clay, drawing, glass, jewelry, metal works, painting, photography, sculpture and textile. empire Polo Club, 81 800 Avenue 51, Indio, CA • 10 am to 5 pm Tickets $8 • 2-Day Pass $12 • Children 16 and Under Free Tickets sold until 4 pm • Cash/CC accepted at gate For information: www.southwestartsfest.com • 760-347-0676

m e d I A sP o n s o r s

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

Mayor’s Race 2014........................... 3 Palm Springs Film Festival............4 Public Pers.- Angela Romeo..........7 Events - R. W. & B. Festival...........11 Sports Scene..................................8 Sports.............................................9 Empire Polo..................................10 LMS - Young Fly Bilionaires.........11 LMS - Slim Man at VUE.................11 LMS- Tribesmen...........................12 Desert DJs - DJ Zephyr................12 LMS- Furst Wurld Theater............13 Consider This ...............................14 Art - Mario Pikus .........................15 Pet Place.......................................16 The Vino Voice..............................17 Club Crawler Nightlife.................18 Pampered Palate - Idyllwild........20 Screeners......................................22 Pampered Palate Continued ......23 Book Review.................................25 Don’t Be Clueless in the CV ........26 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 Cont...30 Free Will Astrology......................31 Mind, Body, & Spirit.....................31 Life & Career Coach......................32 Beauty..........................................32 Comics - Weiss Cracks..................34

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n the effort to improve community health and well-being, knowledge is the key. The City of Palm Springs is working to help its residents make strides towards a healthier lifestyle with its annual Mayor’s Race, Swim and Wellness Festival taking place January 11, 2013 at Ruth Hardy Park, bringing experts and local resources together to help the community.

“This event brings together the best examples for health, fitness and wellness to help families learn how to be more active, eat better and change the tide in the epidemic of childhood obesity,” says Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet. Everyone is encouraged to participate with a 1K fun run for kids, 5K (starting at 8:30am) and 10Mile (starting at 8:00am) runs for adults and a new swim component taking place in the afternoon with various swimming events.

“We want to show the variety of options that are easily accessible right here in our community,” continues Pougnet.

The morning will include actress, performer, television personality and acclaimed bestselling health and wellness author Suzanne Somers (I’m Too Young For This!) and Tai Chi sensation Scott Cole, along with activities on stage like Bollywoodinspired Doonya, POP-Pilates with Cassie Ho and Tae Bo, presented by its well-known creator Billy Blanks.

The Wellness Festival opens at 7:30am and features over 60 vendors who will offer free health screening, blood sugar tests, wellness information, nutritional samples and free activities such as rock climbing from Rent This Rock, a new addition for 2014.

January 9 to January 15, 2014

By amy blaisdell

Also new this year is the 1pm Swim Challenge at the Palm Springs Swim Center.

The Palm Springs Piranha swim team will host the event. The Piranhas are a 40-yearold organization that offers water polo as well as swim lessons for children and adults.

January 11, 2014 – Schedule of Events Ruth Hardy Park - Mayor’s Race and Wellness Festival 700 Tamarisk Ln, Palm Springs, CA 92262 6:00am – Runner Packet Pick Up and On Site Race Registration Opens 7:30am – Wellness Festival Opens 8:00am – 10-Mile Race Begins 8:30am – 5K Race Begins 9:30am – Kids 1K Fun Run 11:30am – Wellness Festival Closes Palm Springs Swim Center – Swim Clinic and Races 405 S. Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, CA 1pm – Free Swim Clinic 2:30pm – Timed Swim Events Begin The Mayor’s Race, Swim and Wellness Festival is a City of Palm Springs program created to raise awareness on the connection between sustainability and wellness and to reduce childhood obesity, which has become a health crisis pandemic across the United States. Registration for the Mayor’s Race is available now through YourSustainableCity.com or on Active.com.

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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The Palm Springs International Film Festival

All Photos by MKO Photography

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film

January 9 to January 15, 2014

by Robin E. Simmons

10 DIRECTORS TO WATCH

S

unday (January 5) morning, Variety honored Jonah Hill, John Lee Hancock and “10 Directors to Watch” at a brunch presented by MercedesBenz at the Parker Palm Springs during the 2014 Palm Springs International Film Festival Most of the director’s names were new to me as were the movies they made.

Following is a brief look at the honored directors’ films.

BELLE

ILO ILO

Anthny Chen’s debut feature is a Singaporean family film with an international cast. First released at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director’s Fortnight, it earned the Camera d’Or award making it the first Singaporean entry to win an award at Cannes.

The story is set in Singapore the bond between a 10-year-olboy, Jiale, and his caretaker while his parents struggle with their relationship and finances.

Director Amma Asante’s amazing film is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate, mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage automatically affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her upper-class social standing. Bereft of ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic vicar’s son bent on change, who with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England THE SELFISH GIANT

VERY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS Director: Paul Duane Frightening and raw, Paul Duane’s stark documentary about aged rocker Jerry McGill’s life of crime while touring with country music stars and appearing in movies follows the trail of his notorious past. After three jail terms under two aliases, the film tracks the 70 year-old, heavily armed Gill and his fiancé Joyce through four states as he steals at will and talks his way out of bad situations.

is about a manic-depressive father who tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, strong-willed daughters.

BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY

Directors Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly’s unexpected teen drama is set during the fall potato harvest in a small northern Maine town.

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a woman who loses her job, learns her husband has been unfaithful and hits the road with her profane, hard-drinking grandmother. The film stars Falcone’s real life wife Melissa McCarthy.

HEART OF A LION is Dome Karukoski’s story about a Neo-Nazi who falls in love with a woman whose black son finds himself a little “conflicted.” No kidding. Can’t wait for this one to make the rounds.

Maya Forbes’ INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

Based on an Oscar Wilde tale, Clio Barnard’s film tells the story of Arbor and Swifty, two 13-year-old West Yorkshire working-class pals who seek to help their families by gathering scrap and getting involved with a local junk dealer and criminal. The movie is starker than Wilde’s fable and the inevitable outcome equally tragic but less cathartic and satisfying.

I am really looking forward to seeing THE ROAD WITHIN, director Gren Wells movie about a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome who embarks on a road trip with his recently deceased mother’s ashes.

Director Ben Falcone’s TAMMY is about

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE Justin Simien’s satire about being a black face in a very white place follows four black students at an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over a popular ‘African American’ themed party thrown by white students.

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

film

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By Heidi Simmons

Action Filmmaker Dean Devlin Moves “Transit” in Positive Direction : Palm Springs International Film Festival

H

ow does a little story about Filipino immigrants in Israel grab the attention of the man behind the action blockbusters Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla and Patriot?

For writer and producer Dean Devlin it was the beautifully photographed and expertly told Transit by first-time filmmaker Hannah Espia. “The movie floored me,” said Devlin. “I have not talked to a single person who hasn’t been moved by this film.

I can’t say that about any other film I’ve been involved with.”

When Transit first came to Devlin’s attention, he couldn’t imagine that the film from the Philipines could be well-made.

He had no interest in seeing it and only watched Transit as a courtesy. “I have seen the movie seven times now and am still moved to tears,” said Devlin.

Transit tells the story of an extended family of Filipinos working and living in Tel Aviv who struggle to keep their jobs and family together under strict Israeli immigration policy and a new law that deports children back to their parents’ country of origin.

The film unfolds Rashomon style revealing the differing perspective and dilemma of each character: a mother and her teen-aged daughter, a father and his four-year-old son and a young woman seeking work. All have come to adopt Israel as their home.

“Filipinos are all over the world,” said Espia. “I wanted a Filipino story to be told in Hebrew. It makes such an impact for something so familiar to be told in another language. I needed to tell the story because we call them “OFWs” Overseas Filipino Workers. We do this without knowing the battles that they fight. They have become heroes.”

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The narrative of Transit is familiar: Immigrants seeking a better life, move to another country, integrate, get married and have children who grow up in a culture and place different than their parents. Raised and educated in the country, the children assimilate and often become indifferent to the culture of their parents. They know no other home.

“It is a universal story. This could be about immigrants in any country,” said Devlin. “When we talk about immigration in this country, we can get bogged down in the specifics. But when you watch a movie like this, suddenly we can talk about it with a very empathetic point of view. It’s really about what it means to be in another country you love, but not being fully embraced.”

A 2012 film school graduate of the University of the Philippines, writer, director and editor, Espia is only 26 years old. Flying home from Israel, she experienced a scene similar to what is in the movie: A man was flying home with his young son after being deported. She pitched the story to producer Paul Soriano who knew instantly he wanted to make the film.

“A female, first-time director right out of film school, I knew would be a risk,” said Soriano. “There are Filipinos in the movie speaking fluent Hebrew. The idea of shooting in Israel always fascinated me.”

One year after meeting Espia, Transit was shooting in Tel Aviv. “We had the full support of Israel,” said producer Soriano. “They love the movie and have completely embraced it. They see a different perspective of their country.”

A writer director himself, Soriano made Transit for eight million pesos or $180,000.

They shot the film in nine days with a crew of only 12. The cast consisted of eight. Espia used four cameras at a time that included the Canon T100 and a backup Canon 5B. “The crew was so small everyone was doing multiple jobs,” said Espia.

This is Transit’s third Festival. It has won nine awards in other festivals including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and the Audience Award. When Devlin came on board he knew the challenge was to get people to see it. “I’m half Filipino and Jewish. Besides the two aspects of my heritage, this is a film about a moment in time. Everything this film talks about is a microcosm of what’s happening around cities. Even here in Palm Springs,” said Devlin.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Transit for Devlin is the creative talent coming out of the Philippines. While the title works to tell the story about the characters, Devlin believes it is also a perfect description of what is happening in

the Philippines.

“I think the Philippines is in a state of transition and they are communicating now in a way they were never able to before,” said Devlin. “It is a much more sophisticated and international manner.

These filmmakers represent this new wave.

I think we are about to see an explosion from the Filipino art community. It’s in a moment of great transition.”

As a producer of big budget, commercial films, Devlin knows that Hollywood reacts to commerce and in that regard a movie like Transit will have little impact. But Devlin believes where it will have enormous impact is on filmmakers who are producing that commerce. “These are the films that will inspire them, give them new prospective and teach them,” said Devlin.

Films like Transit are what make the PSIFF such a wonderful experience. It gives the viewer a window into a different world while giving us an opportunity to see our selves in other cultures. For Devlin, getting behind Transit all comes down to passion.

He believes when the filmmaker has passion, like Espia and Soriano, that passion

public personalities By judith salkin

Making art more accessible: Using the airwaves to promote beauty to the beholders

“Remember we are all born artists. What we do with that, shapes who we are” --Angela Valente Romeo ever say to Angela Valente Romeo that art – in all its many forms – is not for the masses.

Throughout her entire life art has been in her soul, whether it has been creating her own clothes, jewelry or photos; appreciating the works of other artists; or producing and hosting “Colliding Worlds” for television and now as a weekly radio show that is drawing audiences from around the world as a live ustream, podcast or from her YouTube channel.

“We have listeners from Northern Europe, Asia, Italy and all over the U.S.,” she said earlier this week. “I think that proves just how important art is in all our lives.”

Romeo never envisioned herself as a TV and radio producer/host growing up on the East Coast. But art was a different story.

“Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she says.

But being a good Italian daughter, she took her father’s advice to find a profession that would pay the bills. “Art wasn’t necessarily going to do that,” she recalled.

She went to law school, became an intellectual property lawyer and made a pretty good living. Her chosen field allowed her to travel and see the world and it even brought her to live in Northern California and Sydney, Australia for a couple of years.

And even was instrumental in introducing Romeo to her husband, Mark, when she finally moved to the Bay Area.

Taught from childhood that there is always someone in need that she could help, she spent several years doing pro bono work for political asylum seekers and refugees to keep them from being deported.

“That’s very heavy,” she said of the work.

“You literally have someone’s life in your hands. After 9/11, it became so much harder, and after a while, I had to stop.”

Through it all, there was her art. From her jewelry to photos, Romeo found ways to release the ideas that have flowed from the world around her into her hands and eyes.

That even extended to local artists whose work she admired.

So much so, that for several years she owned a gallery in the Bay Area.

And in a way, that was the start of “Colliding Worlds.”

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becomes infectious and the audience responds. Devlin would like to see that passion in all films.

“This movie insists you look at it through everyone’s point of view. At the end, you see many more colors. You realize life is more complex and interesting than from any one vantage point,” said Devlin.

“When people see this film, they walk away enriched, entertained and moved.”

One piece in which an artist had used multiple images of the Mona Lisa caught her eye several years ago, but in talking to the artist she realized he had no idea of its background. “He told me it was ‘clip art’,” she said. “And it struck me that there was an entire segment of the population that really knew nothing about the great art of the world. Kids are out there plagiarizing other people’s work and have no idea they’re doing it.”

So with the help of a videographer, Romeo began producing “Colliding Worlds,” talking to local artists and gallery owners. Over the past several years, she has produced more than 50 half-hour programs that are watched by serious art collectors and novices and creating a new audience for art. They are all available on her website, collidingworlds. com.

While the show started out airing on a local cable station, it now runs eight times a month on KMIR (Sundays at 5 a.m.) and KPSE (Thursdays at 6:30 a.m.).

“You know who watches at 5 a.m.

Sunday? Serious art collectors,” she says. “On Thursday, our audience is more people who want to learn more about art.”

The show morphed to a live, more immediate radio piece several months ago when MoneyRadio approached local artists Karen and Tony Barone about doing a show on art in the desert. “They said ‘why reinvent the wheel?’ and mentioned the television show,” Romeo said. “Two weeks later, we were on the air.”

The radio version airs live Mondays at 11 a.m. on MoneyRadio 1510 AM and 99.3 FM, it’s not just heard here in the Coachella Valley.

“I have people who listen live every week in Italy,” she says. “That’s 8 p.m. their time!”

“That’s what makes this show so powerful,” she said. “We are a small local show, but we have a very wide global audience. I am just amazed at how much it has grown.”

events

January 9 to January 15, 2014

Rhythm, Wine & Brews Experience

E

mpire Music Ventures is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Rhythm, Wine and Brews Experience on Saturday, March 1st, 2014 at the Empire Polo Club. Live music will set the tone as guests enjoy an extraordinary afternoon of wine and beer tasting at one of the most beautiful venues in Coachella Valley, the Empire Polo Club. Attendees will enjoy wine and beer tasting from 2:00 – 6:00 PM. As the tasting winds down, the music heats up with an evening of rhythm & blues followed by the upbeat sounds of big band swing from 6:00 – 11:30 PM. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will headline the Rhythm, Wine and Brews Experience along with American blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy and R&B singer Aaron Neville.

Other bands that will play during the wine and beer tasting include: Strangers You Know, Caxton, Petty Cash and Penny Unniversity.

This year the Rhythm, Wine and Brews Experience has grown and boasts a longer line-up of bands along with an expanded list of handcrafted beer and wine to taste.

A themed art installation is one of several additions this year that will enhance the unique ambiance associated with this annual event.

The upscale theme of the Rhythm, Wine and Brews Experience will continue to draw in attendees looking for that “unique” experience.

“Our vision and goal is to create an extraordinary experience” said Alex Haagen IV, producer of the event. “From the moment people walk through the main gate we want them to enjoy every detail of their day. From the fine beer and wine being poured alongside mouthwatering cuisine to the colorful art pieces, hip décor and the rhythmic sound of live music, it all comes together to create a complete experience.”

The food will be a much bigger part of the event this year. Participating restaurants will offer a selection of options that will compliment the beer and wine being poured.

From small tastes to full menu selections, customers will enjoy every bite served.

The selection of wines available to taste has been expanded to include a variety of brands from various regions of California.

Samples of handcrafted beer produced by local breweries will be featured in the tasting garden. Attendees will enjoy an impressive variety of tasting options.

Rhythm, Wine & Brews Schedule 1:30 PM Gates Open 2:00-6:00 PM Beer & Wine Tasting 6:00-11:30 PM Headline bands perform For a list of participating wineries and breweries please visit the website at www.

RWBExp.com.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Buddy Guy & Aaron Neville to Headline March 1st, 2014 at Empire Polo Club.

Tickets to the Rhythm, Wine and Brews Experience can be purchased online starting on January 2nd, 2014. The website address where tickets can be purchased is www.

RWBexp.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate the day of the Festival. Children 12 and under are free. Ticket holders must show ID at the Festival and be 21 years of age or older to taste beer and wine.

General Admission $75 ▪ 7 total tastings ▪ General admission access to the Show ▪ Free parking ▪ Souvenir tasting glass VIP Admission $150.00 ▪ Unlimited tastings ▪ Reserved seating rows 11 and back ▪ Complimentary custom logo captains chair to take home ▪ VIP parking ▪ VIP entrance to event ▪ Souvenir tasting glass Ultra VIP Admission $200.00 ▪ Unlimited tastings ▪ Reserved seating rows 1-10 ▪ Complimentary custom logo captains chair to take home ▪ VIP parking ▪ VIP entrance to Event ▪ Souvenir tasting glass VIP includes access to VIP tasting area with specialty wines and beers not available in the general tasting area and complementary food. Access to 2nd VIP lounge with full bar adjacent to main stage.

Additional tasting tickets can be purchased at the event. There will be food and beverage service onsite throughout the event.

A portion of the proceeds from the Rhythm, Wine and Brews Festival will benefit the Casey Lee Ball Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports pediatric kidney research.

Rhythm, Wine & Brews Experience Contact Information Website: www.RWBExp.com Email info@RWBExp.com Empire Polo Club 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio, CA 92201

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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sports scene

by Julie Buehler

sports

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 9 to January 15, 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

Football: The Greatest Entertainment In The History of Mankind

Pay ‘em..

I

T

ake that Hollywood.

Thanks for coming to Palm Springs and bringing your film festival, but it doesn’t matter how bright your stars shine, how brilliant a screenplay is, or how many golden statues are handed out in adulation.

You can’t touch NFL playoffs. Can’t even get within the shortest yard of it.

While some enjoy the American Hustle of what you have to offer, there’s a Titanic difference between some big-screen, greenscreened, special effects loaded, half-true tail and the heart-pounding, knees-weakening, authentic and genuine NFL drama.

It was a true West Side Story as the 2 California-based teams, the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers both advanced to the next round.

And while Some Like It Hot, the weather in Philadelphia, Green Bay and Cincinnati was very cold. It didn’t snow, but in Cincinnati, it did Rain, Man. We had the Rudy of all playoff teams, the Chargers, pull off the upset over the 3rd seeded Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals hadn’t lost a home game all season long. But when Andy Dalton started heaving the ball against a tough Chargers pass rush, the offensive game plan quickly became Risky Business and 4 turnovers later, San Diego snagged the win.

And while the Bengals hopes of a playoff win are Gone With The Wind, for the Chargers, this victory was pure Shawshank Redemption.

See, after 6 years of getting Norved by their head coach, Norv Turner, ownership finally fired The Lord of No Rings, AJ Smith, and Turner and quarterback Philip Rivers could work in an offense that suited him. You know, one with a running game. To say this season has been a Cinderella story is an understatement.

Meanwhile, the Niners, coming off last year’s Super Bowl loss, began their playoff season in 2012 beating the Green Bay Packers at home in sunny California. This year, their hopes to repeat as NFC champs required trekking north of Fargo into the frigid cold of Lambeau field. Dueling out on turf-turnedconcrete, Aaron Rodgers and Colin Kaepernick both made big plays with their arms, but the Big leg of Niners kicker Phil Dawson sealed the 2320 Niners win as time expired.

Oh yeah, got to witness Indianapolis Colts quarterback, Andrew Luck, in his second year in the league, lead his team to the 2nd largest playoff comeback in NFL history. The Hangover the Colts started the game with carried into the 3rd quarter when Luck threw an interception

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and the Chiefs extended their halftime lead to 38-10. Seemed not even William Wallace could rally the troops. Until Luck did. What happened over the next 2 quarters was a Twister of emotion and interceptions, touchdowns, big plays and it all culminated into a 45-44 Colts win.

For every Chiefs fan, it felt like the Skyfall-ing one Luck completion at a time.

But the Colts just Die Hard. Plain and simple. They didn’t panic, they didn’t concern themselves with the Inconvenient Truth of trailing 38-10 to start the 3rd quarter.

While few Colts fans in the stands could believe their team would rally from a 28-point deficit, on-looking Chiefs fans, also witnessing history but on the very wrong end of it, could only hold back their gag reflex, their faces turning 50 Shades of Gray.

Heading north to Philadelphia, the Eagles hosted the Saints who had never logged a road playoff win. But Drew Brees with his Sixth Sense and the Rebel Without A Cause, defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan all had something to prove heading north.

In past playoff games, Brees would carry the team on his shoulders, heaving passes downfield or threading them past defenders.

But this time was different. For their first road playoff win, it was the defense that staved off an Eagles comeback for a 26-24 win off the foot of newly acquired New Orleans kicker, Shayne Graham. Graham was added to the team 2 weeks ago. The whole season came down to his foot and he’d been on the team 2 weeks.

For the Niners, Saints, Chargers and Colts, it was The Good. For the Bengals and Eagles, and Packers it was The Bad and for the Chiefs, well, that was THE UGLY. So even if losing in heart-breaking fashion leaves Chiefs fan looking Les Miserables, NFL playoff football is the greatest source of entertainment known to man.

Ever.

So sit back, pass the popcorn and enjoy the divisional rounds. Because when you’re watching the best do what they do best for the chance to hoist a giant silver statue, well, all I can say is, Its A Wonderful Life.

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.

• • • • • • •

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CALL TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!

Robin Hood Archery

44-901 Golf Center Pkwy Suite 1 Indio, CA 92201

760-347-8828

t wasn’t always my opinion, but, today, in the new world of college athletics, the athletes deserved to be paid.

If you would have asked me a few years ago if college athletes should be paid the answer would have been no, absolutely not.

It didn’t seem ethical. It would be paying amateurs for something they choose to take part in.

Anyways, they already have scholarships.

Their room and board is paid for, books are paid for and they even receive a monthly stipend. If being an athlete is such a burden, why are you doing it? Go be a regular student and join a club. Put more effort into your schooling and become an educator, a doctor, a lawyer, anything. Abide by the rules and you will reap the benefits.

But, I believe, while all those reasons are legitimate, they ignore what college athletics have become.

Today, the entire landscape of college sports is changing right before our eyes.

Conference realignment has become a mad dash for money and profile. While athletes are selling jerseys and receiving cars, agents continue to infiltrate college campuses and off-season workouts (Miami, anyone?). Parents are allegedly selling their kids during recruitment. Money is shaping college athletics today; it is at the root of all NCAA issues.

Players feel they deserve to be paid, so coaches and boosters feel they must meet the player’s demands because of pressure from the athletic departments to succeed.

College athletics today has become an immoral world. One in which it seems almost everyone is cheating.

With the constant criticism of the NCAA and its president Mark Emmert in recent months, paying the players is a topic of discussion again, and it may solve many of the issues.

But how does the NCAA pay the players and regulate who gets paid?

The NCAA signed a contract with CBS/ Turner Television that will pay $10.8 billion (yes, billion) from 2011-2024 to broadcast all of March Madness. Furthermore, ESPN

is paying the BCS $500 million a year to broadcast games. Take a percentage of this money, an amount so large it’s actually hard to comprehend, and use it to pay the athletes. How much a player does receive would be the school’s decision, most likely incentive based.

Without the players, there is no billiondollar television contract. Take, say 20%, of the combined $11.3 billion and the NCAA is left with roughly $2.6 billion to pay the athletes. That is all money generated by the players. Not money the students are paying in their tuition, not a “student” stipend used to pay athletes. It is a simple solution and the NCAA avoids a PR nightmare.

Who to pay is the next step and the answer is easy, the athletes who generate the money: football and basketball. With no disrespect to volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, and other sports, basketball and football simply generate the money.

Everything isn’t always fair in the world of economics. It’s capitalism. It’s America.

Football and basketball players are superstars just like professional athletes. No longer is it 1980. Athletes are all over the country. You think more people throughout the nation know Manti Te’o and Trey Burke, or George Hill and Gerald Wallace, who will make a combined $17.8 million this year. The media has created a world where college athletes receive almost as much of the limelight as professionals. This is the cold-hard truth and it’s time to adapt to the rapid evolution of college sports.

College athletics have become the foundation of some colleges and universities. Alabama is better known for its football team than its law school. People associate Indiana University with basketball, not their business school. Sports have become a reason for the regular student to attend a particular school.

Regardless of what you want to believe, sports have a special place in American society. Sports, and all those involved, are put on a pedestal.

When it’s all said and done the fact remains college athletes are bringing in billions of dollars to the NCAA. In essence, college athletes are employees of their school, but with no compensation.

Does that seem fair? No. Pay the athletes. It’s only ethical.

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

sports

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Polo Anyone?

or many, the only contact with polo is a little logo on a shirt: That famous silhouette of a horse and rider in action, mallet overhead, ready to strike a ball.

The real life version of polo conjures tabloid images of British Royal princes. It appears to be a sport that is only accessible to the “one percent.” However, the truth is, here in the CV, polo is available to everyone thanks to the Empire Polo Club.

Indio’s Empire Polo Grounds may be most famous for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, but since it opened in the 80s, it has been the world’s premiere winter, west coast polo field.

Young and old, male or female, spectator or participant, The Empire Polo Club invites visitors to enjoy the fifty-acre site of manicured lawns, rosebushes and date palms. It is their pleasure to host world-class polo matches and provide polo lessons to the experienced, as well as those who have never been on a horse.

“It helps if you’re athletic, but anyone can do this sport,” said instructor Jessica Bailey. “Golfers make excellent polo players.”

Instructors are able to get a person who has never been on a horse, riding and hitting a ball in a single lesson. Baily has been playing polo for over 20 years.

Instructor Domingo Questel is a 6-goaler

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player. Players are rated between 0 and 10-goals. In theory, if you are a 4-goal player, you are four tenths as good as the best player in the world. A first time player is a minus 1-goaler. At that level, the player is more help to the other team. Prince William is a 3-goaler, Ralph Lauren Polo model and spokesman Nacho Figueras, is a 6-goaler.

The school has 10 horses and offers onehour lessons that include all the equipment.

They have two-for-one and group lesson packages available. “It’s a perfect way to get a taste for the sport without a big investment,” said Bailey. “You don’t have to own a horse to play Polo. It can be very affordable or very expensive.”

The local mountains, open space and clear skies create a serene destination for such an exciting and exuberant sport of man and beast. A team sport played on horseback; it’s no longer just for men. Women are a growing demographic on the field and teams can be mixed.

Instructor Emma Stachowicz has been playing polo for seven years. “I played golf on the junior tour and varsity golf in college. When I had my first polo lesson, I was hooked,” said Stachowicz. “I love the partnership between horse and human.”

Stachowicz says that even a complete klutz can get on a horse and play polo. “Our horses are well seasoned and very safe. They’ll take you right to the ball.”

Off the horse, Stachowicz is cute and petit, but to see her driving a ball downfield on horseback, she looks intimidating. When she connects with the ball, the thwack is as satisfying as the sweet spot on a tennis racket.

Whether you want to play polo or just watch, there is no doubt about the fun of the game. Polo is a blast either way.

The high-energy game is played with four riders on a side who work together using long-handled mallets to drive a ball downfield into the opposing team’s goal.

The field is 160 yards wide by 300 yards long, an equivalent of nine football fields. A match lasts an hour and a half and is divided into periods called “chukkers.” There are six

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by heidi simmons chukkers in a match (European polo is five chukkers). A horse’s top speed is 40 miles an hour. The ball can move at the same rate as a golf ball. And it is a contact sport. To take control of a ball in action, riders must “bump” one another. There are two mounted umpires in the game and a deciding referee is in the stands.

The idea of riders sporting long swinging mallets on half-ton plus beasts racing at highspeeds must be the most exhilarating things about the sport.

The Empire Polo Club began its season last weekend. For the cost of parking, guests are invited to attend world-class matches.

Admission to the Friday Night Polo Under the Lights is free. There are Sunday matches every week through March.

VIP admission is $25 per person and includes parking. They encourage tailgating, allowing a vehicle to pull up to the polo field and watch the game while eating and drinking. There is food and beverage service available as well.

Kevin Ittig is the polo match commentator.

He played polo professionally for 25 years. “It is something I’m just passionate about,” said Ittig. “I just love polo.” Ittig came to Indio when the Empire Polo Grounds first opened in 1987. He was the polo pro. Ittig and his wife were married on the grounds.

Being around for as long as he has, he knows the players and horses well. From experience and his vantage point in the announcer’s booth, Ittig recognizes the riders

Local Music Spotlight EXPLODING ALL OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA… THEY ARE THE YOUNG FLY BILLIONAIRES

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not only by jersey but also by style.

“My father told me I was vaccinated with a phonograph needle. I just love announcing,” said Ittig. “Sometimes we have 2,000 people here for an event. But I don’t get stage fright.

I go down and mingle with the guests before the game -- then I’m just talking with my new friends.”

According to Ittig, polo is no longer just a rich man’s sport. “There are different levels of polo. But it no longer has to be at the level of Prince Harry,” said Ittig. “Today anyone with a modest income can play.” Ittig loves announcing to a big crowd and invites everyone to come out and enjoy the park like setting and an exciting game of polo.

For more information on lessons, directions or a schedule of matches visit www.EmpirePolo.com

Friday Night “Polo Under The Lights” at Empire Polo Club

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.

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 next to the Tack Room Tavern Restaurant.

Friday, February 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 next to the Tack Room Tavern Restaurant.

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 next to the Tack Room Tavern Restaurant.

2014 Season Schedule January 2014 Feb. 16th Sunday Polo Jan. 5th Sunday Polo - Opening Day & Hat Day Feb. 23rd Sunday Polo Jan. 10th Friday Night Polo Under The Lights Jan. 12th Sunday Polo March 2014 Jan. 19th Sunday Polo March 2nd NO POLO on this date Jan. 26th Sunday Polo March 9th Sunday Polo March 14th Friday Night Polo Under The Lights February 2014 March 16th Sunday Polo Feb. 2nd Sunday Polo March 23rd Sunday Polo Feb. 9th Sunday Polo March 30th Sunday Polo/Closing Day Feb. 14th Friday Night Polo Under The Lights

ynamite comes in small packages and that is certainly the case with the Coachella Valley’s Young Fly Billionaires. The Young Fly Billionaires are Young Prince age 10, Lady A age 9, Young Princess age 8 and G-Starr age 7. The most unique aspect of this young group is their family dynamic Young Prince, Lady A, Young Princess, and G-Starr are actual brothers and sisters and the rest of their team is made of up of their mother and Manager Sarahyah Yisrael, and father and Producer Adon Icon.

Producer Adon Icon told Coachella Valley Weekly about the beginning of Young Fly Billionaires, “As I would go through vocal lessons, I would get the children involved, and I would start going through the vocal lessons with the children. They have a real niche for the lessons, they had fun and they enjoyed it.” Then Young Prince chimes in and tells the rest of the story, “We would sing his songs, we memorized all the lyrics and stuff. Then one time we were listening to his song, we were singing it, and he went to go take the trash and he came back in and he said we could make a group. My mom came and she was like what?

We should make the kids a group, he was saying all kinds of names, and he said Young Fly Billionaires, that’s a good name.”

When the Young Fly Billionaires were born, Adon Icon had already been in the entertainment industry for many years performing as an independent artist, singer, songwriter and producer. It would only be natural for Icon to continue to produce beats for his new group. “Because we had been doing vocal lessons I knew they could sing, so I told Lady A, I want you to sing, and rap, Young Prince, I want you to sing, Young Princess is the melody of Young Fly Billionaires, she really blends it all together, G-Starr is a little raspy and so I wanted him to rap, and I put them all together with a choreographer to focus on the dance aspects of their routine. I really enjoy working with these guys, helping develop their talent because they’re really artistic.”

Young Fly Billionaires are currently in

January 9 to January 15, 2014

by brian michaelz BROTHERS AND SISTERS ALL UNDER AGE 10 WITH THE TALENT TO MAKE IT BIG IN POP, R&B and HIP HOP the studio putting the final touches to their first album and are currently working with Choreographer Tasha Bundy to develop their routines for their video projects and their Billionaire Swag Tour. Young Fly Billionaires are looking forward to working with videographer Victor Pancerev whose credits include 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, E 40, and numerous others in the hip hop world. Young Fly Billionaires are expected to hit the charts with their first studio album with a summer 2014 release date on Pop Icon/ Concore/ Universal Records.

“There have been a lot of groups that have been put together, but not since the Jackson 5 has there been a group that has been actual brothers and sisters like Young Fly Billionaires.

There is Destiny’s Child, B2K, Mindless Behavior, but they are not actual brothers and sisters.” Icon stressed the importance of the family bond and the strength of the family unit.

Young Fly Billionaires in association with AZ Arts Academy and Pop Icon Records are currently holding classes and auditions for backup dancers in the Coachella Valley to perform live with the Young Fly Billionaires.

For more information or to book the Young Fly Billionaires visit www.facebook. com/youngflybillionaires, follow YFB on Twitter at www.twitter.com/youngflybillion, or contact Pop Icon Records at 888.363.6874 or 213.787.5365 The bottom line when asked what they loved most about being the Young Fly Billionaires? “We just love to sing and dance.”

They are young, they are fly and they are truly being set up to make it big and who knows, maybe we are truly looking at “Young Fly Billionaires”.

Local Music Spotlight

Slim Man at VUE

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had the great pleasure of being invited to the King of The Springs show at VUE, Indian Wells Golf Resort. Not long after taking my seat and sipping on a glass of red wine did the stars of the evening begin tuning their instruments, filling the room with a mysterious haze of random riffs and beats as they warmed up. Slim Man and his accompanying musicians wowed the audience and this long-time musician, like few others. Their combination of Jazz, R&B, and funk styles were both pleasant and moving.

My first interest was focused on the drummer, Patrick Ready. A drummer myself, I instantly noticed his smooth grooves that flowed and occasionally punchy accents that helped keep the audience moving and grooving. On Sax was Rodney Taylor.

With soaring melodies, Taylor brought life into the ensemble. Tateng Katindig hit the keys with grace. His playing completed the ambiance of the group. The front man, Slim Man, knew how to play to the crowd’s needs. Slim connected with the crowd and lead them through each song with charisma and passion.

As a musician, there is no question about the musicality of this group. Individually, they could solo and hold their own with the

by Curtis Hendricks best. As a group, together, they are tight, and know how to play off of each other. Slim Man has one of the hardest jobs in musical performing, playing the bass guitar and singing lead melodies can be very difficult, but Slim pulls it off with ease.

I had a great time listening to Slim and the band. I danced with my wife and enjoyed delicious food and wine. I highly recommend coming to experience Slim Man at VUE every Saturday night from 9:30pm to 12:30am with great music, dancing, and a late night happy hour.

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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Local Music Spotlight by eric the red

Sounds of the Tribe(smen)

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here is an incredibly eclectic mix of music being made in our valley.

From rockabilly to metal, EDM to indie, the Palm Springs area is a veritable treasure trove of amazing musical talent.

One example of this is Tribesmen, an instrumental rock band out of Coachella, who have already made a name for themselves playing the Tachevah Block Party, opening for Passion Pit. Describing themselves as “instrumental, ambient, and cinematic,” Tribesmen are one of the most original bands in the Coachella valley.

Comprised of Wilber Pacheco and Alec Corral sharing guitar duties, Leslie Orozco handling the low end on bass and Freddy Jimenez on the drums, Tribesmen began playing music in February of 2012. During this short time, the band has already accomplished some pretty amazing things, such as a Bay Area tour and the Tachevah Block Party. As with any accomplishments, there have to be some hardships. When asked what the biggest challenge the band has faced, they stated, “Probably putting up with each other, and having enough patience.” It’s a common misconception that being in a band is easy, but it’s great to see that the members of Tribesmen recognize that they need to work through their differences to keep the band cohesive.

So long as they continue to work together, this band could really go places.

Having played some pretty amazing shows, I wanted to find out what kind of advice these guys could give. When asked what they would suggest to anyone trying to start playing music, the band had this to say, “Well, basically, have fun with it. People, as well as yourself would be looking for certain standards in your art, sometimes we get lost in our frustrations and can’t see past that.

So that’s the main thing.” The mentality of having fun while playing music can also be witnessed in their rehearsals. When asked whether their rehearsals were just fun jamming or serious work, the band replied, “All of the above. The writing process can be frustrating and requires a lot more focus then a rehearsal before a show.”

I also made sure to ask the members of

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Tribesmen a few of my “go-to” questions.

When asked about their thoughts on social media as a promotional tool and if it has brought them the exposure they expected it to, the band said, “Yeah it has and more.

We see that as a sort of life line. Everything we’ve done so far is all because of social media. We’ve played with great bands and have met a lot of great people in our little journey because of it.” That journey has consisted of a number of shows outside our valley as well. When asked what their favorite venue is, they said, “Probably between the Fenix 5/4 in Whittier and Bows and Arrows in Sacramento.”

Be sure to catch Tribesmen on Saturday, Jan 11 at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert.

They will be performing with Parosella and Past Decades. This show is 21+ and doors open at 9:00 pm.

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desert dj’s

By craig michaels

DJ Zephyr a San Diego Transplant Calls the Desert Home

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rowing up in Lemon Grove California, DJ Zephyr Brown is no stranger to the Southern California sunshine. He decided to move here from San Diego County two and a half years ago since his wife was raised in the Coachella valley and they both agreed it might be easier to find work.

As a young boy, Zephyr would listen to his dad’s Jazz music and was intrigued by his huge collection of vinyl. Listening to radio DJs would eventually inspire him to start playing music at home, “I started with a tape deck, turntable and CD player, I was a bedroom DJ for a few years before I played my first school dance at 16,” remembers Zephyr. He would soon graduate from school dances to working for a mobile DJ company in San Diego playing dinner cruises. While pursuing higher education at San Diego State, the fledgling DJ would dabble in radio broadcasting while working at the campus radio station reading the news.

Zephyr’s knowledge and passion for music were evident in his exceptionally eclectic dance sets. From dinner cruises to cruise ships, Zephyr began to travel around the world. He continued to hone his DJ skills aboard cruise ships and playing sunrise parties on a beach in Bermuda among other exotic locations. His versatility in

music programing would range from deep house and down tempo, to soul and punk!

He would separate himself from other DJs by dropping much unexpected tracks every once in a while.

He admits after 19 years of being a DJ, the most challenging part of the job is getting people who never dance, out on the floor.

In order to encourage first time dancers, Zephyr tries to find a song that they connect with to break the ice. Currently he spins mobile gigs, weddings, boxing matches, clubs and fashion shows. His love for music is rivaled only by his thirst for visuals. By adding video and lights to his gigs, he can bring his shows to the next level.

Exploring his talents, Zephyr has recently begun to mix his own music, “I have a track coming out in February on beatport and I am currently working on a documentary soundtrack,” He explains regarding his recording career. His future plans include possibly dipping back into the radio world.

You can join DJ Zephyr every Sunday at the Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs starting in March.

You can check out his web site at www. artofsoundz.com. You can also listen to his mixes on: soundcloud.com/zephyrbrown.

Written by: Craig Michaels Musical Affair Entertainment www.musicalaffair.com

Local Music Spotlight

January 9 to January 15, 2014

by Robin Linn

FURST WURLD THEATER: A STEP BEYOND!

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hat Disneyland was to me as a kid....Furst Wurld is for me now as a music loving adult! And, I use the word (adult) loosely. It’s sort of the last thing you feel like when you are in Furst Wurld. We all know musicians and artists are incurable children anyway.....which is probably why we are all so in love with the environment created by visionary Bobby Furst. Hailing from the hills of Laurel Canyon, artist Bobby Furst has assembled a whole lot more than pieces of art here at his home and studio in Joshua Tree. He has built an entire world! Nestled against the gorgeous rocky wild desert terrain at the foot of the National Park is the private venue known as Furst Wurld Theater, a special place where art, film and live music collide. Consisting of three Quonset huts, the first is a two-story super structure where the magic happens!

The indoor theater features roll up doors, sky lights, a giant film screen, theater style seating, a bar, a stage area for live music, and so much visual art that you really can’t take it all in at once. It is one of the most inspiring places imaginable to experience the arts.

There are thousands of assembled art pieces on site, all part of the creative genius that is Bobby Furst. Artists and musicians from all over the world who visit and perform there all come away feeling inspired. Who wouldn’t want to experience the creative process in this magical setting?

Musicians who perform there are treated to an instant audience ...and they are musically savvy, hip, and ready to rock till the sun comes up! To hang out in the wild of the desert, surrounded by Bobby’s visionary and soulful art, breathing in the clean fresh desert air, amongst a zillion stars is a rock stars dream vacation! Why do we all love it there so much? Because there is nowhere else on the planet to experience original live music quite like Furst Wurld. It’s more than an artists’ retreat, it’s like Disneyland for musicians!

THE GODS ARE PLEASED! When you arrive to an evening event at Bobby Furst’s Wurld, you find yourself beneath a star infested sky. A two-story metal structure is surrounded by artifacts, assembled art pieces, organized piles and sorted out hardware. Lots of metal, glass and old goodies, that keep your eyes and your mind busy forever. One of the structures is like its own personal museum housing artwork ranging from large scale statues made of salvaged metals, to skeletons dressed and ready to party! Iron baby dolls, piles of old eyeglasses in bins next to drawers full of buttons and Barbie dolls....and what could look like a heap of junk becomes organized art that tells the story of times gone by. Items used back when, but no longer, and you might never have seen them again in this lifetime.

Yet here they are, well preserved and encapsulated forever inside this unique and inviting studio. Bobby Furst creates order out of chaos. He makes social and political statements with thought-provoking pieces created from odds and ends, bits and pieces, metal and memorabilia, wooden letters of various sizes. His imagination knows no bounds. A group of air-stream trailers surround the property, each artistically designed to comfortably house guest artists who stay there.

The sound is amazing no matter where you are in the building. You can see the images of the performing artists on the big screen. Or, you might experience an early 1960’s propaganda film about Cuba, shot by a brilliant Russian filmmaker, silently while a band from South Africa performs entrancing, electrifying music. I have seen a screening of an activist “Save Our Bobcat”, a rockumentary, Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains The Same there and each time I visit I leave feeling like I just had the ultimate rock-star experience.

Bobby Furst has paid attention to the desert environment and utilized every bit of

the natural beauty, the exclusivity, the lush desert landscape, while inviting the ultrahip musicians and artists that make up our Joshua Tree and high desert community, to take part in the experience.

The surrounding Hi & Lo desert artist communities that frequent Furst Wurld are all part of what supports Furst Wurld and makes it so special. With all of these people coming together as they do, I think it has the potential of becoming a real artist-in-residency program. Spelman Evans Downer from Copper Mountain College film foundation conducts an advanced video class documenting live music events.

The images he captures create art out of art. Whether it be music, poetry, a fashion show, or a film screening. I think the gods must be pleased with the art being created at Furst Wurld.

In the past several years, I have watched from a distance as Bobby has turned his property into an artistic destination, a national treasure in its own right. When someone creates a space where art and music can expand and happen organically, they are pretty special. What Bobby has made available to fine artists who work hard at their music, films, environmental efforts, and artistic endeavors is nothing short of awesome. I have had to pinch myself while dancing to the likes of the Paul Chesne Band till the wee hours of the morning.

“Save Our Bobcats” was a beautiful and heart wrenching documentary about real life issues that meant a lot to all of us here in the high desert, protecting our wild cats. I have listened to 3rd Ear Experience

which features my favorite South African guitarist, Robbi Robb and wife, Amritakripa, her graceful soft presence, surrounded by the dazzling guitar work of her Robbi Robb. I have seen Bobby Nichols with Inner Planetary Monks, my favorite live show in 2013. I have seen the young Evaros with Chris Unck, Clive Wright, Juke Logan, Victoria Williams. Musicians with gorgeous sonic offerings...the list goes on and on.

And, then there is all I have missed. I love the sparkle in Bobby’s eyes as he recalls an early Gram Rabbit performance that made him realize he had to add more to meet the needs of performing musicians. I wonder what Jesika Von Rabbit thinks of Furst’s place now? He beams as he remembers an earlier event featuring Bambino & his Tuareg band, on an American tour far away from their home in Mali, Africa. . He recalls purple robes, scarves covering their faces, and a giant American flag hanging behind them. If you think of the social implication.....Tuareg musicians in African attire, playing in front of an American flag to Joshua Tree music lovers.......you can’t help but love it! Music, the great equalizer.....it breaks down barriers, crosses borders, and knows no bounds.

Between Furst Wurld, Harrison House, the two annual music festivals, Pappy & Harriet’s, and the internet radio station, Radio Free Joshua Tree, (www.radiofreejt. com), this is an exciting time to be an artist of any kind in the high desert. One thing has become clear, I won’t be running out of things to write about anytime soon.

Robin Linn/Desert Rhythms

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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by Eleni P. Austin

PARQUET COURTS

Consider This

“Light Up Gold” “Tally All The Things You Broke” as PARKAY QUARTS (What’s Your Rupture Records)

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

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

By rebecca pikus

MARIO PIKUS M

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“ didn’t come here to dream, or teach the world things/Define paradigms or curate no livin’ days.” That’s the opening salvo, “Master Of My Craft” on Parquet Courts’ stunning long player, Light Up Gold.

Singer/guitarist Andrew Savage spits out the words over slashing guitars and a frenetic cadence. Letting the listener know, despite the hyperbole, this NYC band hasn’t arrived to save Rock & Roll.

Throughout 2013 several artists were touted as “the next big thing.” Sometimes the hype was overrated, (Haim, Lorde).

Sometimes the prognostication was right on the money, (Bleached, Palma Violets). The praise surrounding Parquet Courts is much deserved.

Parquet Courts was formed in New York City in 2010. Texas transplants, Andrew Savage and Austin Brown (guitar/vocals), hooked up with bassist Sean Yeaton in Brooklyn. Everything came together when they recruited Andrew’s younger brother, Max, to play drums.

The band immediately began woodshedding. By day they all held menial jobs, at night they gigged throughout the five boroughs. By 2011 they put out their debut, American Specialties (a limited cassette release), that only hinted at their greatness.

Light Up Gold originally arrived in early 2013, but it was recently re-released, bundled together with a 5 song EP, Tally All The Things That You Broke.

art

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Light Up… opens with a tight four song suite, “Master My Craft,” “Borrowed Time,” “Donuts Only” and “Yr No Stoner.”

“Master...” shifts seamlessly into “Borrowed Time.” Blending an off-kilter stopstart rhythm, pogo-riffic bass lines and seesaw guitar, the lyrics delve into the frustration of writer’s block….”I was feeling nostalgic for the days when my thoughts dripped onto my head from the ceiling/I remember the feeling of the museless existence, of the drunk, bored and listless endless waiting for something I knew wasn’t coming.”

“Donuts Only” weds a tick tock beat to metronome bass and squally, feedbackdrenched guitar. The lyrics poke gentle fun at the cultural differences between Texas and New York…“Like a red state’s Baptist fervor, like a small town’s unsolved murder/ Some secrets are just best resting in the tombs of buried thought-slums/ As for Texas, donuts only, you cannot find bagels here.”

Finally, “Yr No Stoner” echoes the minimalist pleasures of the Velvet Underground. The melody is wrapped tightly in strummy, intertwined guitars. Savage’s deadpan vocals unconsciously approximate Lou Reed’s laconic tone as he unspools a laundry list insider Brooklyn references.

Parquet Courts display songwriting chops that belie their tender ages. Three songs, “Careers In Combat,” “Light Up Gold II” and “Stoned & Starving,” exemplify their ability to combine cogent lyrics and sharp, economical melodies.

“Careers” is accented by spidery guitar riffs and tumbling drums. The lyrics render trenchant observations on the scarcity of gainful employment…”There are no more summer lifeguard jobs, there are no more art

museums to guard/ The lab is out of white lab coats, cause there are no more slides and microscopes/But there are still careers in combat, my son!”

Throbbing bass fills and thundering percussion buttress “Light Up Gold II” The lyrics offer a mordant meditation on the creative process…”Sifting like a miner through the conscious debris, hunched down gleaning embers from a burning field/ Trying to find something warm and real.”

“Stoned & Starving” is the album’s best track, the melody locks into an hypnotic groove, weaving circuitous guitar chords that spits feedback one minute and workmanlike riffs the next. The narrator sets off on a Homeric odyssey to curb his munchies…”I was debating Swedish fish, roasted peanuts or licorice, I was so, so stoned and starving.”

Every track on Light Up Gold is a winner, but stand- outs include the psychedelic mash-up of “Yonder Is Closer To The Heart” and “North Dakota,” which highlights the desolate charms of the 39th state. “Disney P.T.” is a frenetic treatise on a girlfriend’s strengths and weaknesses…”My girl’s a borealis-lit fjord, my girl’s a summons ignored/A beer that’s freshly poured, a lost tribe’s library stored.”That song flows into “Tears O’ Plenty.

Spiky boomerang riffs collide with a tribal beat. The lyrics offer a withering assessment of a failed relationship.

Light Up Gold closes with “Picture Of Health,”a slightly somber post-mortem on faded love…”My last guilt-themed solicitation, delivered slowly in hesitation/ It could not sooth me, could not seduce me into repairing these strokes so loosely.” It ends the album with a touch of ambivalence.

The Tally Up All The Things That You

Broke EP, released under the Parkay Quarts pseudonym, consists of five songs. Yelped over a maelstrom of feedback, the band makes the case that physical pain is easier than emotional distress, on the opener, “You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now.” “…A toothache’s better than heartache, baby/ Seasick’s better than heartsick, baby!”

“Descend (The Way)” and “Fall On Your Face” are short and sweet rants comprised of downstroke riff-age and pummeling backbeats.

The most amazing track on the EP is “The More It Works.”Jittery chords crash over a hiccup-y rhythm, this song shares musical DNA with Gang Of Four’s seminal “Guns Before Butter.” The lyrics repeat the frenetic mantra “the more you use it, the more it works.” It’s up to the listener’s imagination to determine what “it” is, (genitalia, or a new slide ruler, you decide!)

The EP closes with “He’s Seein’ Paths.” An aural collage that echoes ‘80s pioneers like Devo and Violent Femmes as well as ‘90s stalwarts, Beck and Soul Coughing.

Parquet Courts’ sound conjures up a laundry list of antecedents, the terse expressionism of the Velvet Underground, the skronky feedback of Crazy Horse. Their tensile agility echoes the compact efficiency of British bands like Buzzcocks, Gang Of Four and Wire. Their shaggy dog tales specific to NYC recall Punk Pioneers like The Ramones, Television and the Dead Boys. The brevity of their songs is mindful of the late, great Minutemen.

Yes, their music is primitive, dense and rudimentary. It’s also highly addictive. Once the needle leaves the groove, the listener is left with one subconscious mandate: “again.”

ario Pikus, Painter & Sculptor, won his first art award at 8 years old in his birthplace of Buenos Aires, Argentina. By his teens he was painting commissioned murals. At age 20, Mario traveled to New York to meet one of the only living Paris-of-the-20s artists -Cubist sculptor Jacques Lipchitz. The young Mario knocked unannounced at Lipchitz’s studio in Hastings-on-the-Hudson, built for him by the Museum of Modern Art. Lipchitz told Mario that he had missed meeting Marc Chagall by one day. Lipchitz believed Mario to be an artistic genius, and that Mario was the reincarnation of Chaim Soutine. Lipchitz became Mario’s lifelong mentor.

In the 1970s & 1980s, while living in loft/ studios in Soho and later Tribeca in New York City, Mario became a famous activist in fighting for the legal rights of artists to both live and work in their loft spaces. He was responsible for case law & new legislation signed by Gov. Hugh Carey that protected thousands of artists and their families to remain in their lofts. Mario had numerous exhibitions during these years, including his one man show at Soho’s Cayman Gallery -“Pictures of an Eviction”. During the New York years, Mario became a beloved Hero and a legend to all NYC artists -- while also garnering both national & international collectors.

In 1985, Mario & his family moved to Silverlake, Ca. It was here that Mario branched out from painted wood sculptures into a new art form that he innovated -“Harley-ism”. His unique chrome & metal sculptures are created from discarded motorcycle parts and flat rolls of sheet metal; some are raw chrome, others painted in bright, strong colors. Mario does not weld the pieces -- they are bolted together to create a perfect balance of weight & form.

The final sculptures are abstract versions of horses, musicians, dancers, female nudes & other persona.

In 2002, Mario Pikus moved to Rancho Mirage, Ca, where he continued to paint

large, bold, massively colorful paintings -- as well as even larger sculptures in his sculpture garden. Recently with the donations of not only discarded motorcycle parts but also airplane parts, Mario has created his new “hybrid” sculptures.

In 2009, Mario was awarded “Best of Show” at Palm Springs Art Museum’s ACE for his sculpture “The New Ride”. In Nov. 2009, Mario was chosen for an installation of his Art pieces for the Dennis Lambert Concert at the Agua Caliente Showroom. Mario also showed at Cabot Museum’s Earthday (for his use of found & recycled metals). Mario had a highly successful one-man show at David Blank Gallery in Palm Desert, Ca in 2011 and a recent exhibition of selected drawings & paintings at the Palm Desert Community Gallery.

In Feb. 2012, Mario’s hybrid sculpture “Palm Springs - Color & Form” was awarded Best of Show by the Palm Springs 13th Annual Juried Art Show. Also in 2012, Mario donated a new sculpture “Clouds in the Desert” to

the Agnes Pelton Society’s new Sculpture Garden. In 2013 Mario hosted a Desert Arc Fundraiser with Steve Connelly, “Spirit of the King” as well as “The Wild & Mad Party” tribute to Stanley Kramer in association with the Stanley Kramer Film Festival at his home.

In addition, in 2013 Mario was nominated to receive a Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars for “Humanitarian” in 2014.

Mario’s current projects include a 25ft high Totem Pole sculpture, as well as a donation sculpture to the Palm Springs Air Museum honoring WWI & II pilots. He will also be a featured artist in the 2014 Rancho Mirage Tour of Artists Homes on April 12, 2014 - RM Cultural Week. Mario’s

passions are riding his Harley, hosting huge Fundraising Parties at his home & studio, Music, his Marklin model trains, & his new rescue dogs -- Shadow & Whitecloud.

Mario Pikus’ art has evolved over the years from Classical to Cubism, Surrealism, Representational Expressionism, & Abstract Expressionism. Mario’s selected paintings & sculptures are currently on exhibition at Creare Fine Art Gallery, 73255 El Paseo, Palm Desert, Ca (760) 534-5888.

NOTE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014 6:00PM-9:00PM -- MARIO PIKUS WILL BE THE FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH AT CREARE FINE ART GALLERY, 73255 El Paseo (& Sage), Palm Desert, Ca

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

PET PLACE The Cubicle Cats A

Texas publishing company might not seem like the typical home for a cat. But for Jeffy, a tuxedo male cat rescued from the local public shelter, getting a “home” at Mike Byrnes & Associates Publishing, probably saved his life. He paid his employer back by entertaining their clients and calming frazzled office nerves with his playful antics. Jeffy now has his own business cards with the job title of Stress Manager.

Loving All Animals, a Palm Desert animal welfare organization, has 3 office cats residing at their office. They were rescued from local shelters, and spread the agency’s message by their presence. Although they have their own little room with feeding station and cozy beds, the trio have access to all inside areas and happily greet all visitors.

Having an animal at a local shop or business is nothing new, but now scientific studies prove that a cat in the office results in a less stressed and more productive workforce. Meredith Wells-Lepley, Ph.D, with the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Workplace Innovation, found that pets

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 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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improve both employee and customer moods. One of her studies, “Critters in the Cube Farm” demonstrates that cats foster social interaction and make the work environment appear more friendly. Animals tend to make a setting appear warm and inviting. One third of American works experience some form of workplace stress.

A sweet, purring furball in the office is a calming presence that can reduce a lot of office tension.

The owner of Artworks, a Northern California company, noted that her business actually increased after Goover, a homeless Siamese cat moved in. Theresa Espinola explains, “Our customers think better of us. He (Groover) is obviously well cared for and friendly, so that shows we are kind and friendly.” People subconsciously think that businesses with animals are kinder and therefore will treat them better in their transactions. Another employer reports the benefits, “We deal with lots of deadlines and client demands. I always kid that when employees get stressed, I throw a cat on their lap to calm them down. And clients love that we rescued the cats - - we get extra points for that.”

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Janet McAfee

Companies that house cats need to inform prospective employees that a feline companion may share their office space. If an applicant is allergic, the job is probably not a good fit. The animal needs to be a good match. If a cat is a “door dasher” or skittish around strangers, it would not do well at a bustling office with lots of humans coming and going.

The biggest controversy may be deciding who changes the little box! People enjoy feeding, but keeping the litter box clean is a less pleasant task. Luckily cats are low maintenance animals and fastidious about using their litter boxes. The task may be shared, but usually it falls to the business owner by default. Business owners usually assume the responsibility for paying for food, supplies, and vet care. An “office collection” system may work at larger companies.

More and more companies now allow employees to bring their own pets to work, and in some cases dogs are the beneficiaries of this policy. For stressed, tired workers a tail wag or a lick on the cheek can be comforting and therapeutic. Workplace pet policies usually require that dogs be vaccinated, housetrained, and no aggressive behavior is tolerated.

Some government offices house a happy feline. One U.S. Forest Service office is now

home to Molly who wandered in as a stray.

The staff reports that this amazing feline is very vocal, almost to the point of appearing to converse. If someone comes to the front counter unhappy about something, Molly jumps to attention to “talk” to them, and the mood softens dramatically.

We could reduce the number of homeless cats in animal shelters if more companies would consider adopting one or even two.

Sadly, cats in public shelters, particularly the adults, have a low adoption rate and many are euthanized. What about your workplace?

You might show this article to your boss and propose your company adopt a feline. If you own your own business, why not give it a try?

Where do you go in the Coachella Valley to adopt a cat? Our three public shelters have hundreds to choose from. Contact the Palm Springs shelter for directions and hours at (760) 416-5718. The large Riverside county shelter in Thousand Palms, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, has many fabulous cats, so call them at (760) 343-3644. If you are at the east end of the Valley, contact Animal Care Center of Indio at (760) 391-4135. All the shelters have a special visiting area where you can interact with a cat and see if it is the “purrfect” match for your office.

January 9 to January 15, 2014

by Rick Riozza

Wine Cuddling at Palms Springs Film Fest

W

e are once again enjoying the glam at the 25th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, where the likes of Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, and Meryl Streep as well as a flock of other appearing celebs jump into town. And we’re in the mix too, where we vino literati get to dream out loud with our favorite film and wine pairing schemes that this film fest allows us to imagine.

With more than 400 screenings of over 100 films from over 40 countries, this desert’s successful event is further enhanced when we open up our imagined international theatre wine-bar—which, as you’ll notice, is fully stocked! (Film notes quoted herein are provided by psfilmfest. org.)

More movie houses are attempting to increase their business by transforming their snack bar to an open bar. And we are more than happy to put up with those clear plastic cups as long as they make available— and keep pouring, the good vino. Wine and theatre go back beyond Ancient Greece, and, although wine friendly movie venues are the minority report, that doesn’t stop us from dreaming out loud of a wine we’d like to enjoy for each different film we catch.

The Arts mix well: Art of film, Art of wine—It’s a natural!

As with food & wine pairing, where one teams the different combinations of flavors, densities, touch, and nuance of the meal to the points and counterpoints of a designated wine, movies offer us the same, if not a broader matrix of jumpoff points. Film origins, story lines, titles, geography, and even character names can imaginatively take us to a myriad of wines around the world.

Just a few years ago, this film fest offered movies with titles like, “Cooking History” and “Mediterranean Food” that screamed out for wine and dispensed easy pairings on a silver screen platter. Last year was testy,

this year is leisurely.

Wine selection is always a breeze if we simply pair with movie titles: “The Grand Seduction” is a great warm-up to those new (or skeptical) to wine-movie pairings. Here, you would wish to bring that one wine that seduced you to real wine appreciation: that vino epiphany scenario you still can recall.

Mine was the ’78 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cab. What was yours?

Of course, we can go deeper into the story: “The Grand Seduction is a droll comedy featuring a superb performance from Brendan Gleeson as one of the downon-their-luck Newfoundland villagers determined to trick a big-city doctor (a delightful Taylor Kitsch) into settling in their costal community.” This is a seaside story— so we’re probably talking seafood. Bring that white wine that won over your heart and stomach.

“Love and Lemons” is the culinary comedy of the festival about love, friendship and the courage it takes to follow your dreams. Agnes is a chef and she loves cooking and has nothing left to lose when a friend asks her if she would like to be part owner of a new restaurant . . . pretty much required in a culinary comedy, the food is gorgeously photographed.”

Better bring your wine A-game to this one. Your appetite will be lusting so have a wine that can work with an onslaught sensory shoot. A sturdy red wine always works but an extra-dry Champagne with all those lemony flavors could be the sexy move here with the bubbles getting you through the entire film.

On the serious sides of things, “The death of Nelson Mandela unleashed a torrent of tributes and reminiscences – but not many secrets. In the fascinating documentary “Plot for Peace”, the French businessman Jean-Yves Olivier lets out a doozy. Turns out that this rather nondescript man traveled up-and-down the African continent brokering a peace treaty between warring African factions and Cold War combatants; in so doing, he made way for the end of apartheid in South Africa.”

To get an absolute taste and feel for this film, it’s time to discover the wonderful wines of “the Cape” (South Africa). We Californians can immediately associate with the well-known wine investor Charles Banks—owner of Sandhi, Wind Gap, Qupé and Mayacamas). The widely respected Cape Stellenbosch winery, Mulderbosch, was bought last year by Banks. Keen to take Mulderbosch wines to the next level, Charles began to focus in on some of the old vine material available—especially the $13

Chenin Blanc, known as Steen.

This wine owns a powerful nose of guava, lime zest and ripe pear braced by honeysuckle and orange blossoms. A juicy palate with opulent passion-fruit finishing off with tart grapefruit characteristics. A perfect sensual metaphor for the film.

And while we’re at it, another fantastic Mulderbosch is their $11 Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé . A sexy pink color with lively hues. The nose combines aromas of ripe blood-oranges, cherry-drops and black currant cordial with fragrant sandalwood whiffs and racy acidity. (You can find these wines at Total Wine & More in Palm Desert just before heading out to the movie.)

In the film Enemy, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a bored professor who is shocked and thrilled to find an actor who looks just like him. As he sets out to track down the actor, their lackluster lives become bizarrely intertwined.

Gyllenhaal delivers the (dual) performance of his career.” Movie reviewers deem this as a “cult thriller”.

Now I’m not sure how this immediately gets cult status but I’m very aware of the Napa Valley Cult Cabernets that everyone drools over. You know those great Cabs whose fruit is ethereal and where Martha Stewart cries over them: The Harlans, Grace Family or Colgins etc. Well—even in a dark theatre, I’ll smell those wines out and come by & cuddle with you happy quaffers.

“Have plastic wine cup, will travel.”

See you at the movies! Cheers!

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

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 9 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; 760-992-0002 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 Industry Night 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 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/ Jimi Nelson 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 8-1am (LR) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) MIRAMONTE RESORT; IW; 760-341-7200 “Sassy & Sultry” featuring Gina Carey 5-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am

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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 Bobby Nichols Band 8pm 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; 760-341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Carolyn Martinez & The Trio 6:30pm 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 10 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 The Full House Band ft. Nena Anderson 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

CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 All Night Shoes 9pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-325-2600 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 Dani & The Scarlet Fevers w/ Downtown Train 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 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 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 80z Allstars 9pm (VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 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; 760-3450222 Alyce Bowie 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Palominos 7:30pm 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 Robotic Humans and Raise The Guns 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 8pm, Missy Andersen Sidebar Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Desert DJs Sessions 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 The

Refills 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; 951-755-5391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm (VD) VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30pm 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, John McCormick & The Mac Band w/ DJ Randy Johnson 9:30pm 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 11 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 Mor noon poolside, Stronghold Reggae 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 JVR and War Drum 9pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-775-5566 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; 760-325-2600 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 Tattooed Nanny 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Greasetrap, Liquid, and MS Paint 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 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 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 80z Allstars 9pm (VD) MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 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 T.B.A. 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-3450222 Kal David 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, Von Cotton 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 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 Bo & The Bluesdrivers 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross, Starlite Lounge 5pm, Missy Andersen, Sidebar Lounge 10pm, DJ Shasta, Starlite Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Parosella, Tribesmen, and Past Decades 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; 760-341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 The Mighty Delta-Tones 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted@Night 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 DJ Hektik 10pm (VD) VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30pm

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; 760-5642201 Alex Drizos 7-10pm (LR)(PR) WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Stanley Butler Band 7pm (JZ) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm (VD)

SUN JANUARY 12 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 CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm (LR)

January 9 to January 15, 2014

COME JOIN US FOR THE FUN!!

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

PLAYOFFS I THE PLAC S E TO BE

12105 PALM DRIVE DESERT HOT SPRINGS

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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The Pampered Palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 9 to January 15, 2014

By Raymond Bill

A Perfect Mini-Vacation Right Up the Hill - The Pampered Palate Visits Idyllwild

Gastronome Restaurant

T

he best part about living in the Coachella Valley is our location.

While northern sections of our nation, like Minnesota, are experiencing weather colder than parts of Mars, we are blessed with beautiful sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70’s. Regardless of the season, we are fortunate in that we can escape to some of the most desirable destinations California has to offer, without driving more than a couple hours. From the beaches of San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties to the mountain destinations of Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, and Idyllwild, we have options. For the holidays, I had been searching for a place to take my girlfriend that would be far enough from home without the stress of traveling.

We had the most amazing mini vacation in Idyllwild at a charming bed & breakfast, companied by fine cuisine and shopping in their quaint mountain community.

We arrived in Idyllwild after a short drive up Hwy 74 and although there was no snow on the ground, the crisp, clean mountain

air was refreshing. At an altitude of over 5000 feet, we were surrounded by tall pine trees and cabins that you would expect to find in a Thomas Kinkade painting. We were fortunate to have a reservation at a premier bed & breakfast named Strawberry Creek Inn, which is located walking distance from downtown shops and restaurants.

Built in the 1940’s, this cabin is majestic and features 10 private rooms and one large common area. We were greeted by the most welcoming Innkeepers, Ian and Rodney, who clearly have a passion for hospitality. Our room had to be one of the finest available as it featured a large stone fireplace, private balcony and satellite television with premium channels. This of course is in addition to the standard amenities such as housekeeping, bath and body products, mini refrigerator and coffee maker.

After settling into our room, we were eager to see what the town had to offer.

With many shops to choose from, we happened upon a toy store, of all places.

Not just any toy store, this shop, called, “Idyllwild Soda Pop & Sweet Shop and Remember When Toys,” had all the old favorites from my childhood, including Etch-a Sketch, Slinky and character figurines like Gumby and Mr. Bill (Which I had to purchase, given my last name is, in fact, Bill). After reminiscing and purchasing a Charleston Chew, Necco Wafers and a Jolt Soda, we were on to several boutique shops to finish our tourist activities.

After a short rest from our shopping excursion, we were ready to dine in one of many fine restaurants Idyllwild has to offer. Though busy for the holidays, we were able to reserve a table at the famous Gastrognome Restaurant. Seated by a grand fireplace, decorated with playful gnomes, we were greeted by a pleasant server who shared with us her favorite menu items. We began with a tender Calamari steak. Breaded and fried, this appetizer was sliced and served with a hearty tomato

sauce as well as a savory aioli. No rings or tentacles here, just delicious calamari cut into slices. For entrees, I had a perfectly prepared fillet of Halibut topped with diced tomatoes, green olives, capers, and basil, served with crisp green beans and rice pilaf. My date would share with me her Tournedos of Beef; two medallions of beef tenderloin topped with mushroom caps and finished with a rich cream sauce. Entrees were impeccable and service was stellar.

We finished with a flourless chocolate cake with crème anglaise and crème brulee.

Desserts were phenomenal. What was most impressive was their wine list. Some

“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.

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

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

continue to page 23

3PM TO 6PM

$2 DRAFT BEERS $5 APPETIZERS

Strawberry Creek Inn

La Bella Montagna

2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU:

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

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

WWW.PUEBLOVIEJOGRILL.COM

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

REMEMBERING PETER O’TOOLE

P

n

r t a in me n te t

E

eter Seamus O’Toole was born on August 2, 1932, in Connemara, County Galway, Republic of Ireland.

He passed away at the age of 81 on December 14, 2013, in London. His remains were shipped in a wicker coffin to his place of birth, where he had a lived in the 1970s in a home overlooking the sea.

He had left instructions that his ashes were to be scatted over the sea below his birthplace.

His death was not unexpected. It was the fact that he survived into his 80s that surprised those who knew him. Beside his extraordinary gift for performance, his astonishing singular voice and his enormous personal charisma, he was a hell-raiser and charming eccentric. He lived an unfiltered life without regrets. Some of his personal views and remarkable stories are recounted in his own book “LOITERING WITH INTENT.” Another book, “HELL-RAISERS: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O’Toole, and Oliver Reed” by Robert Sellers is a boozy, jawdropping anecdotal biography of the hijinks of these drinking buddies.

O’Toole’s drinking was curbed in the mid 1970s when a health crisis forced his pickled guts to undergo a surgical overhaul. He said, “Booze is the most outrageous of drugs, which is why I chose it.”

O’Toole was raised in Leeds, England. He said he came from criminals. He attended a Catholic school where the nuns beat him to correct his lefthandedness. His father was a bookie and young Peter planned on being a journalist. He started as a copy boy and actually worked as a reporter.

Almost as a fluke, an accident of fate, he discovered the stage and made his debut at the young age 17. After serving two years in the Royal Navy (as a radioman), he attended, on a whim, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where his classmates included Alan Bates, Richard Harris and Albert Finney. He said, “I hitched to

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London on a lorry, looking for adventure. I was dropped at Euston Station and was trying to find a hostel. I passed the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and walked in just to case the joint.” Later he remarked on how that whimsical, chance encounter changed his life. He auditioned at the RADA and was accepted.

All his life, Peter O’Toole never lost his love for the stage, and although he made nearly 100 films, only a handful of exceptional films followed his feature film debut as the titular lead in David Lean’s 1962 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Actually, O’Toole has one or two smaller film roles before being cast as T.E. Lawrence.

A few years ago when a restored print of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA was screened in Hollywood, there was an audible gasp during the opening credits when “Introducing Peter O’Toole” scrolled across the screen. How was it possible that this 29 year-old unknown newcomer could be so accomplished as the enigmatic Lawrence?

It was the role that catapulted O’Toole to the stratosphere of global movie star.

O’Toole’s great gift allowed him to easily become another person on stage or film and when the work day was over, he could just as easily shed that alternate persona and become a normal person. In a (2011?) interview with TCM’s Robert Osborne, when asked for advice to young actors, O’Toole said the single most important tool an actor has is his or her voice.

He said to master one’s voice above everything else. That it was the most neglected instrument

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LIVING LARGE ON SCREEN AND OFF

of actors today. If you again enjoy his films, listen carefully to the way he uses his voice. It’s almost a supernatural power, yet it’s never out of place or overdone. Once on stage, he once played Macbeth with an intentionally wild, crazed voice (and gestures). The critics hated it, but audiences loved it. I think he rightly saw Macbeth as a flamboyant, effeminate, narcissistic clown ruled by his scheming, overbearing wife. O’Toole had fun acting and audiences felt it whether it was serious drama or comedy.

Nominated eight times for a Best Actor Oscar©, he never won. Early in his career, he said, “I will not be a common man because it is my right to be an uncommon man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony.” And when it came time to retire – he knew he was no longer physically capable of performing or remembering his lines, he said: “It’s time for me to chuck in the sponge. To retire from films and stage. The heart for it has gone out of me. It won’t come back.”

Peter O’Toole claimed he achieved all he set out to do. When asked what he wanted for an epitaph, he told a story about sending a heavily stained buckskin jacket to a local dry cleaner.

He said had the jacket had on it “every drop of tear, blood, sweat and whatever else from his long career.” Time passed and he assumed that was the last he’d see of his beloved jacket. After several years, he received a package with his jacket carefully wrapped in cellophane. Unwrapping it, he found a small hand-written note: “It distresses us to return work which isn’t perfect.” He remarked, “Oh what a perfect epitaph .”

When I had the chance, I regret that I never made an effort to take the time to meet the man I so admired. In the 1970s, I was scurrying, head down, along a sidewalk in Westwood, probably late for a meeting. I literally bumped into Peter O’Toole. I was so surprised when I looked up and recognized him that I – one of the few times in my life -- was speechless. He had a long camel colored coat draped over his shoulders and he was trailing a cream-colored scarf wrapped around his neck and blowing in the breeze. He radiated a powerful charisma -- more than anyone I have met. For me, Peter O’Toole was -- and is -- as good as one can get in the business of pretending for a living.

Thinking back about my favorite Peter O’Toole performances, ones that can be enjoyed again and again -- isn’t that the true test? -- the following films first come to mind.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) Many movie critics consider O’Toole’s performance as T.E. Lawrence the top ranked film performance of all time. It topped the 2006 list in Premiere Magazine’s “100 Greatest Performances of All Time.” Has there been anything since that even comes close? Not that I can think of.

BECKET (1964) O’Toole played Henry II two times. Once in the LION IN WINTER and the other in this magnificent

adaption of Jean Anouilh’s play “Becket or the Honor of God.” Richard Burton has the title role and the joy of this great film is listening to the exquisite words as said by the two true masters of spoken English. There’s nothing like it. O’Toole once said that there’s not a scene in which he and Burton were stone cold sober. Hard to believe, but maybe in some rare cases, alcohol in just the right amounts, is the perfect lubricant for finetuning a perfect performance.

THE RULING CLASS 1972 I love this vicious satire about the madness of class differences and especially the insanity of a certain faction of British society’s inbred powersthat-be. Based on Peter Barnes subversive play and directed by Peter Medak (who wrote the screenplay adaptation), Peter O’Toole is Jack, an institutionalized, full-blown but harmless schizophrenic who thinks -- and pretty much behaves -- as if he is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Naturally, his family seeks a cure for Jack now that he’s inherited the title of Earl from his father -- who has unintentionally killed himself in a misguided attempt at auto-erotic asphyxiation.

Do I need to say more? This irreverent opus features a tour-de-force performance from O’Toole. You will not forget the magnificently unsettling but perfectly logical ending.

ROGUE MALE (1976) This British television production is a political thriller about a planned assassination of Adolf Hitler. O’Toole claimed it was his favorite movie role. The film was adapted from Geoffrey Household’s novel and directed by Clive Donner.

You can find streaming sites for this terrific film.

THE STUNT MAN (1980) Richard Rush directed this sinister tale about a fugitive (Steve Railsback) who is hired as a stunt double by director Eli Cross (O’Toole) who loves to manipulate the increasingly dangerous real life that unfolds in front of his camera lens. Cross is an evil, god like character who will do anything to get what he wants on film. I wondered if O’Toole based his character on a director he knew or had worked with. Privately, I think Eli Cross is William Friedkin.

RATATOUILLE (2007) Without O’Toole’s indelible voice work, the few crucial, climactic words of gaunt food critic Anton Ego would have been far less than effective, in my opinion. It makes this wonderful movie exceptional. I actually got chills when I first heard it and am not ashamed to say I was on the verge of tears. It’s hard to explain exactly why, but O’Toole/Ego’s elegant, eloquent and informed words so sagaciously spoken (“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”) made real the notion that outrageous dreams can be realized -- even if you’re a lowly rat with dreams of becoming a Parisian chef.

In addition, to the films listed, consider MY FAVORITE YEAR (1982), CREATOR (1985) and of course THE LION IN WINTER (1968).

Comments? RobinESimmons@aol.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com continued from page 20

highlights from this impressive list include Opus One (2003), Caymus, Napa (2010), and Chateau St. Jean, Cinq Cepage (1999).

With bellies full, we settled in for the night with a good movie and a warm fire.

There are many benefits to staying at a bed & breakfast but the most notable is that there is breakfast provided. However, unlike your typical hotel or motel, this is no continental breakfast. On our first morning, we joined many other couples and families for breakfast in the common area, not knowing what to expect. We were served a delicious frittata with fresh baked biscuits and fresh squeezed citrus juice. I would do unspeakable things for that biscuit recipe but I’m sure, with a little coaxing, I can make a phone call for their secret recipe.

We mingled with couples from all over Southern California, making our experience unique. With a full stomach, we ventured to downtown Idyllwild.

Our second day in town would also be filled with shopping and sight seeing. We enjoyed lunch at their local pizza restaurant and later shared a bottle of wine from a wine shop named Idle Awhile, which also serves light bites such as flat breads and cheese plates. The owner of this little shop is genuinely humble and happy to be doing

what he is doing. We felt at ease as he shared with us his values and a little insight on the town of Idyllwild. The residents of this community are some of the most welcoming people you could be fortunate enough to meet. They truly made our trip magical.

For dinner, this second night, we craved Italian and did not have to go far to find an amazing eatery called, La Bella Montagna.

This small restaurant does not have much room for seating but it certainly makes up for it in flavor and service! Our server, Tony, was charismatic and eager to please. We took the recommendation of our friends from breakfast at the Inn, and began with a crisp Bruschetta. The flavors were intense, rivaling the best to be found here in the dessert! We shared a salad before moving on to our entrees. I ordered a special entrée that evening of jumbo prawns and tender scallops in a scampi style presentation with pasta aglio e olio (oil and garlic). The shellfish was perfectly cooked and the pasta was al dente. What more could I ask for? My girlfriend ordered ravioli filled with porcini mushrooms and creamy ricotta cheese, sautéed in a brown butter sage sauce. Both were simply amazing! We finished our meal with a traditional tiramisu, accented with crunchy chocolate covered coffee beans.

Talk about a “pick me up!”

The following morning, we were pleased to join our new friends for breakfast.

This time we would enjoy a remarkable French toast topped with sliced peaches and served with maple syrup and chicken sausage. Again fresh squeezed juice and coffee were provided. After we enjoyed our breakfast, we noticed several little books in the common area that were filled with guests’ feedback over the past 10 years.

Every single comment (and there were plenty) was complimentary, validating our own opinions of our stay. Guests noted the many board games and puzzles available as well as the large library of books on hand for reading. Many authors of the available books have also stayed at the Strawberry Creek Inn, including one of my favorites, Anne Rice.

After staying at the Strawberry Creek Inn, I cannot imagine staying anywhere else.

The Innkeepers were as accommodating as a five star hotel and the locals were just as

welcoming. We felt like staying for a full week but we agreed to just revisit at our very next opportunity. I have eaten in the finest restaurants this valley has to offer and surprisingly, Idyllwild has provided some healthy competition with Gastrognome and La Bella Montagna. I would even go so far as to say the service there is better than most I have experienced locally. If you are looking for a quick escape from the heat of summer or the heavy tourism of winter, Idyllwild has it all. Strawberry Creek Inn

January 9 to January 15, 2014

is located at 26370 Hwy 243 and you can reach Ian and Rodney at 951-659-3202.

The Gastrognome offers fresh seafood and great steaks, paired with amazing wine selections. They are located at 54381 Ridgeview Drive and reservations can be made by calling 951-659-5055.

La Bella Montagna provides some of the finest Italian cuisine within 100 miles!

Truly incredible! Located at 26290 Hwy 243 and reservations can be made by calling 951-659-2630.

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22

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23

January 9 to January 15, 2014 continued from page 19 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; 760-3274080 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 5pm, Jackiem Joyner Sidebar Patio 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Acoustic Open Mic hosted by Walt Young SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Smooth Brothers (RR)(LR)

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VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Jazz Time Band 2-5pm, John Stanley King 6pm 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; 760-5642201 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 The Smooth Brothers 6:30pm

MON JANUARY 13 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; 760-325-2794 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; 760-328-5955 Art of Sax 8-11pm

WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Hatley Barney McClure Jazz 8pm

TUE JANUARY 14 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; 760-992-0002 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; 760833-8700 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; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 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; 760-3274080 Eclectic Tuesdays. Singer/songwriter night. All acts welcome. Hosted by JB, Sign up

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7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 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) VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Rodeo Drive’s Happy Hour Cabaret 4pm, Michael Dees & Trio 7pm 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 John Bolivar Jazz 6pm (JZ)

WED JANUARY 15 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; 760-992-0002 Rose Mallet 5-9pm (JZ) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm HAMILTON’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL; LQ; 760698-8303 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8:30-12:30am 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; 760-325-2794 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) VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30pm 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; 760-328-5955 Art of Sax 7-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Brian Nova Trio Jazz 6pm

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Book Review The First Annual Rancho Mirage Writers Festival

T

he Coachella Valley is a place with a myriad of interesting events. When one festival ends, another begins.

The First Annual Rancho Mirage Writers Festival starts Wednesday, January 15, and runs through Saturday the 18th.

For three days (January 16, 17 and 18), the Rancho Mirage library will close its doors to celebrate writers, readers, books and ideas. The Rancho Mirage Writers Festival will bring together a diverse list of authors who will offer talks, conversations, readings and small group discussion. Twenty-one authors will participate in the Festival.

Here is a thumbnail of the participants and their assorted, eclectic books.

David Abrams will debut his novel about the Iraq War, Fobbit, which was named a

New York Times Notable Book of 2012.

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer A. Scott Berg will attend. His new book titled Wilson about the 28th US President was released last September.

Geneticist, biologist and researcher Sean B. Carroll will talk about his book Brave Genius: A Scientist, A Philosopher and Their Daring Adventures from the French Resistance to the Nobel Prize.

Celebrity photographer and artist David Childers will share his work and discuss his book Icons and Legends.

Linda Fairstein latest book is Death Angel. With over 25 years as head of New York City District Attorney’s sex crimes unit, she’ll have plenty to say about her work and the popular “Alex Cooper” mystery series.

Alice Kessler-Harris, a professor of American History at Columbia University will talk about her book A Difficult Woman: The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman.

Pulitzer Prize winner and former publisher of the Wall Street Journal, Karen Elliot House will be present. Her new book, On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past Religion, Fault Lines and Future, should provide for an interesting discourse.

Geoffrey Kabaservice will be a fun part of the discussions. His new book is Rule

January 9 to January 15, 2014

By Heidi Simmons

and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and Destruction of the Republican Party.

Novelist Joseph Kanon will participate in the festivities. His novel Los Alamos won the Edgar Award for best first novel and his book The Good German was made into a film starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett. His latest book is Istanbul Passage.

Essayist and storyteller, Kevin P. Keating will share his first full-length book The Natural Order of Things.

Former senior writer and foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal G. Bruce Knecht will present his new book Grand Ambition: An Extraordinary Yacht, the People Who Built It and the Millionaire Who Can’t Really Afford It. CV favorite and local author Andrew Neiderman will join in the fun.

A screenwriter and novelist, he has published 44 novels and is the author behind the V.C. Andrews franchise. His book, The Devil’s Advocate, was made into a film by Warner Bros.

New York times Bestselling author Chris Pavone brings his book The Expats to the Fest. He’s been published in 15 languages on five continents.

Arthur Phillips has been called “…the best American novelist to have emerged in the present decade.” His latest novel, The Tragedy of Arthur was name one of the Best Books of 2011 by The Wall Street Journal.

Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography by Richard Rodriguez will be on the table. He has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in non-fiction.

Bestselling author Lisa See brings her colorful work to the table. Her historical novel Shanghai Girls and the recent sequel Dreams of Joy are reading favorites.

Award winning journalist and author Maggie Shipstead will talk about her experience and new novel Seating Arrangements.

Kevin Starr will share his amazing

oeuvre. Best known for his multivolume work, America and the California Dream, his latest book is Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America’s Greatest Bridge.

Los Angeles Times book critic and author David Ulin will brings his vast literary knowledge to the Festival. His book, The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time, should make for an interesting discussion. His latest book Labyrinth is a novel.

Bestselling author and CV resident Joseph Wambaugh joins the festivities.

His 21 works of fiction and nonfiction have earned the title “Grand Master” by the Mystery Writers of America. Wambaugh’s The Choirboys and The Onion Field were made into movies. His latest book is Harbor Nocturne.

The beautiful and vivacious author Jackie Collins will conclude the event Saturday night. She has written 29 books and all have made the New York Times Bestseller list. Her latest book is Confessions of a Wild Child.

Festival registration begins Wednesday, January 15 at 9:00 am until 3:00 and events start at 5:00 pm at the Galen – The Annenberg Center for Health Science.

Each day is jam-packed. The 16th through 18th, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, two authors speak every hour. Evening events begin at 5:00 and end at 7:00.

This is an exciting Festival and certain to be loads of fun. The Rancho Mirage Library continues to provide outstanding events and has the best library services (including used bookstore and bakery!) in the valley.

Tickets for the Festival are required. A full pass includes all of the author talks, panel discussions, Q&As, seminars and boxed gourmet lunches. Special event tickets are available to purchase separately.

To check the schedule for your favorite authors and to purchase tickets go to www. rmwritersfest.org. or call the Rancho Mirage Library 760 341-READ

25

January 9 to January 15, 2014

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

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. Desert Rose Playhouse, 69620 Hwy 111, Rancho Mirage, CA. 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.

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.

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 Jan 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.

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

26

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 not-for-profit 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 (VIP Tour ticket 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 La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Rolls Out the Red Lanterns for Chinese New Year Year of the Horse Celebration Includes “Package of Good Fortune,” Parade, Festivities and Fireworks It’s a feast for the senses as La Quinta Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort rolls out the red lanterns for Chinese New Year 4712 – the Year of the Horse. Honoring annual Chinese traditions with a fresh desert spin, the resort announces its first annual Year of the Horse Celebration set for Saturday, February 1, 2014 (public welcome) as well as a new “Package of Good Fortune,” resort food and beverage specials and a value-added retail program.

GIFT A GETAWAY - Set on 45 lush acres rife with colorful gardens, 41 pools and radiant winter sunshine, La Quinta Resort & Club’s new “Package of Good Fortune” includes guestroom accommodations, breakfast for two and a Citrusinspired welcome amenity for revelers set on celebrating the season in style. Keeping with tradition, guests will also receive a crisp red envelope upon check-in stocked with lucky casino dollars.

The Package of Good Fortune also includes a variety of retail perks including a VIP Coupon Book at Desert Hills Premium Outlets – the quintessential desert shopping experience with 130 retail outlets including Gucci, Versace and Jimmy Choo - 18 percent discount at The Bungalow Shop and Spa La Quinta Oasis Shop, bicycle rental specials ($8.00/hr.;$28.00/day) and complimentary shuttle service to nearby Fantasy Springs Casino.* Available January 27 through February 10, 2014, rates start at $308.00/ double occupancy, excluding taxes and resort fee ($27.00), based on availability. To book visit www. laquintaresort.com/resort/special_offers/ or call +1 760 564 4111.

YEAR OF THE HORSE CELEBRATION – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2014 (Public Welcome) Celebrated during the second new moon after the winter solstice, Chinese New Year stems from a long custom of honoring family and reunions, warding off evil spirits and beckoning good luck for the future. Also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, this worldwide event is marked with a traditional lantern festival, dragon dance and fireworks display.

La Quinta Resort & Club will honor the New Year with a “Year of the Horse Celebration” staged at the alfresco Resort Plaza. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the event kicks off with a variety of family games and activities, authentic Chinese-influenced food and beverage specials and an ongoing video presentation. At 7:00 p.m., the festivities heat up with a colorful dragon parade and acrobatic performance and culminate with an elaborate fireworks display over the resort on Saturday, February 1, 2014 from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. *Shuttle service to Fantasy Springs Casino offered Friday through Sunday only, January 30 – February 3, 2014.

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

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

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.

The event is one of the highlights of the Coachella Valley’s social season!

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. continue to page 30

MAKING LEMONADE L

ast month The Milken Institute published a study analyzing the places where jobs are being created and sustained throughout the United States. When I lived in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to work in the Milken Institute think tanks and speak on urban development in blighted areas.

Based in Santa Monica, The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan economic think tank that works toward improving lives around the world by advancing innovative economic and policy solutions that create jobs, increase access to capital and enhance health.

Of the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, of which Riverside County is one, the three best performing places were Austin TX, Provo UT and San Francisco CA. When you look at most of the top ranked places in job creation, they all have either a strong presence in technology or

January 9 to January 15, 2014

Haddon Libby:It’s all local

energy creation. Most importantly, all have strong universities training and educating the workers that these industries need.

Top-ranked Austin benefits from a rapidly growing concentration of technology jobs. The University of TexasAustin is a major research center with more than 50,000 students - two factors that help when recruiting talent. Their Chamber of Commerce had a five year plan to create 72,000 jobs in the area. Instead, they created 192,000 jobs. Factors cited in recruiting businesses to Austin include its hip, urban feel, strong pool of skilled workers and economic incentives.

Provo, Utah currently sports the fastest job growth in the United States. They are quickly becoming a technology hub that is strong in computer systems and microchip production. Brigham Young University helps to provide an educated technology workforce while helping in the commercialization of research as can be proven in that Provo is one of the top patent producing locations in the country. As one of three places in the United States with the fastest fiber-optic service (Google Fiber) as well as the National Security Agency’s new data storage center, Provo is poised to continue its rise as a technology center.

San Francisco ranks as third amongst the best job creating places due to its stronghold in technology and innovation despite California’s rank as one of the least friendly states in the country for business.

Riverside County is posting some of the weakest results in the nation ranking near the bottom at 171 of the 200 locations in sustainable job growth, down 12 notches from last year. While not specified in the study, we know that the Coachella Valley is posting some of the highest unemployment rates in the county and country as well.

Why is the Coachella Valley a laggard to most other areas of the United States in job growth?

We are a destination resort area as well as an important agricultural region. As such, we must understand that the Coachella Valley has a large pool of differently skilled workers.

So what is the answer? We need to start by focusing on what we do best

- being a great resort area. To do this, we need to invest in our hospitality and tourism workforce. These people are our ambassadors for the area and have a great impact on visitor impressions of the Valley.

A better trained workforce will earn more money by providing exceptional customer experiences.

Once we get the money here, we need to keep it here. That means that we need to buy from locally-owned businesses whenever possible as these businesses spend more locally than their national counterparts. This helps grow our local economy faster.

If we do these simple things, we will be on our way toward a more robust local economy with more and better paying jobs.

ShareKitchen Humana Healthy Fun Fair S

hareKitchen will be participating in the Humana Healthy Fun Fair and Well Being Walk this weekend.

The event will be held at the La Quinta Community Park on Saturday, January 11th from 9am-1pm. Participants in the Well Being Walk will start a 5.75 mile course at 7am at the Park and cross the finish line at the Healthy Fun Fair entrance.

The Healthy Fun Fair will feature live music and an assortment of interactive play spaces for children of all ages. The Humana Healthy Fun Fair occurs as part of the Humana Challenge Golf Tournament that runs from January 13th-19th. Humana is a health care company whose mission is to help people achieve life-long wellbeing. The weekend’s festivities and golf tournament are done in collaboration with The Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Initiative.

The Clinton Health Matters Initiative works at improving the health and wellbeing of all people by activating communities in making meaningful contributions to the health of others. The goals of the Clinton Initiative are to reduce preventable health outcomes, close health inequity and reduce health care costs by improving access to key

contributors to health for all people.

At the Fair, ShareKitchen will be sponsoring a Planting Station where fair attendees and children can plant, grow and take home their own food seedlings.

These plantings not only educated people on how to plant and grow food but they also represent the process by which ShareKitchen is helping our community understand “Where Food Come From”.

ShareKitchen was founded on the simple principle of sharing and helping local people turn their recipes and dreams into local products and sustainable foodfocused businesses. Visit our website for more information about our programs and commitment to sustainable communities at www.ShareKitchen.org.

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Dale Gribow On The Law

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

safety tips

by Dale Gribow Attorney at Law

Did you get popped for a DUI over the Holiday Season????

IF you were cited/arrested for a DUI, then these are some of the important Things you need to know

T

he issues presented by a DUI are confusing to the uninitiated and the same questions are asked over and over again even though I write on this topic often and explain these facts to potential and actual clients. Most people do not realize an arrest for a DUI kicks in two separate proceedings. One is the court and the other is DMV. Do not confuse the two. The outcome of one does not affect the other.

If DMV later suspends your license it is for a 4 month period. If you ask for a restricted license the 5 month period kicks in. After 30 days of suspension you can apply for a restricted license. To get that license you must have your insurance person file an SR 22, pay a reissuance fee and show proof of enrollment in a DUI class. In the CV it is normally the Awareness Program.

In order to save your Driver’s License or driving privileges you (or better yet your attorney) must request a DMV hearing within the 10 days of the arrest date. In addition you should request a DMV Identification Card since your physical driver’s license was taken during the STOP And SNATCH when they confiscated your license. At the same

time ask for a DMV printout of your driving record…that will cost you almost nothing. You will need to show this to Riverside County Drinking Driving Program if/when you are ordered to attend a DUI class.

It is well-known by the legal community that DMV is not always as organized as one would expect. Do not rely on a telephone call alone to them requesting the hearing within 10 days. DMV employees will say you will be contacted later but that often does not happen and then it is too late and they claim there is no record of your requesting a hearing. When we request a hearing for you we ask for a STAY which freezes the suspension that takes place 30 days after you receive the citation/arrest. We follow that up with a letter to DMV memorializing our requests. After requesting the stay you will receive a white Temporary License that is good until after the DMV hearing.

You should immediately take down your social media sites until the case is over.

The DA’s do not need to hire investigators anymore. They can go to your Facebook site or Google you and learn everything about you.

Remember the 10 day time limit to request a hearing starts from the date of the issuance of the ticket/arrest that is listed on the Pink Order of Suspension/Temporary Driver’s License Endorsement which is the

it’s your nickel

DHS is still the undiscovered jewel.. Why?

H

omebuilders have returned to Indio, La Quinta, and PS. They avoid places like Desert Hot Springs because of lack of infrastructure and poor city administration now sadly facing a possible bankruptcy. The city has recently disbanded its fire department, and this becomes a liability for builders as one might imagine.

Solar is also making a big impact on the local economy with several firms enjoying growth at a record pace. Many government incentive programs help homeowners and business owners alike turn to this alternative energy source. I recommend looking at this again if the last time you checked was over a year ago. In this area DHS has shown some promise.

Cities that have invested in their community have gotten the lion’s share of these new developments. Most improvements are shared expenses based

28

on increased receipts to local governments, incentives to businesses, and investments made by those same businesses in a profit driven business plan. Public/private programs are exactly what are needed.

The Ritz Carlton is about to be completed in Rancho Mirage. The mall in PS was the result of a tax measure used to build the city up in a public/private partnership, and not a tax measure used to build up public salaries.

The other smart things we see sister cities enjoying are things as simple as medical marijuana and its associated taxes.

DHS residents are driving to PS to spend those dollars to support the PS tax base.

Those shops should be in the city where the residents want to buy. When buyers are forced to leave a city to buy, that’s called dilution.

While DHS’s biggest problem might seem to be avoiding the bankruptcy, the real problem is lack of investment by business owners in their own community as they turn their less desirable properties into cash cows, and the dilution that occurs when the entire city is forced to leave to buy something as simple as a light bulb in the new technology sector. Need a light bulb?

Try Lowes in PS. Need some medicine? Try PS. Need some box store stuff? Leave DHS. As each of those purchases are made

January 9 to January 15, 2014

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

administrative per se form. The DMV hearing is an administrative per se hearing which means in essence you are presumed guilty unless you can prove the contrary. The PINK temporary license is good for 30 days unless you request a stay/freeze.

On most cases the court or DMV will order you into a Drinking Driving Program and you will have to show them your California ID card….so get it NOW! I always preach that People Don’t Plan to Fail, They Fail to Plan. Hopefully this article will allow you to intelligently do so.

If you were arrested or were the victim of a drunk driving accident, please feel free to call me personally for a free consultation over the phone or in person which is offered to my Coachella Valley Weekly readers. Just mention this column.

The bottom line is DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAX…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.

If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow Attorney at Law at his NEW number 760 837 7500 and or his new email: dale@dalegribowlaw.com

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No Flu For You!

he Flu season is here and like a wildfire, it seems to be spreading rapidly says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.” Symptoms may include: A 100oF or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever), a cough and/or sore throat a runny or stuffy nose. Headaches and/or body aches, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea (most common in children).

“The flu and the common cold have similar symptoms says Chief DiGiovanna.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between them.” Your health care provider can give you a test within the first few days of your illness to determine whether or not you have the flu. However, the flu is worse than the common cold. Symptoms such as fever, body aches, tiredness, and cough are more common and intense with the flu.

People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. When should you seek emergency medical attention? Seek medical attention immediately!

What are some ways to protect yourself?

Avoid close contact with sick people.

Stay at home when you are sick. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when

coughing or sneezing. Washing your hands will help protect you from catching germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Drink fluids even when you feel well. Wash surfaces that are shared with others such as keyboards, telephones, exercise equipment, TV remotes. Exercise regularly For additional Flu Facts and Prevention visit: www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/ symptoms.htm or www.cdc.gov/flu/ protect/preventing.htm Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

by john PAUL VALDEZ elsewhere, their tax dollars go elsewhere too. That’s how you close a budget gap.

It’s a long term solution, not a two week solution after overspending for 6 years and the small matter of a still pending 10 million dollar note on the decade old bankruptcy.

One note would have to be made. Two Bunch Palms, purchased by those infamous “outsiders”, is investing millions into a world class resort in DHS that is bucking the trend of other owners to avoid participating on a large scale in the improvement of the city with direct investment, and their efforts are duly noted here.

Driving into the glamour of the Film Festival over this past weekend made it all seem so close and yet so far for a city that

by Jennifer Tan aka mrs. fett

2014: What’s In Store has every reason to succeed with proper long term care. DHS is in the foothills of the mountains and its two largest hotels are run down and hardly the place for any spot light affairs. All that natural spring water is being sold off to the Sentinel fossil fuel burning factory just north of PS, not to tourists in DHS. That has to change if we are to achieve our deserved place in the desert valley.

N

ow that we have established the next gen consoles, and their issues, 2014 leaves a vast playground for breakthrough technology in gaming. After comparing some of the highly anticipated titles for 2014, I broke down the top ten titles worth pre-ordering, playing, and possibly losing sleep over.

Titan Fall. Supersoldiers and giant mechs go head to head in this frenetic shooter, letting players effortlessly jump in and out of mega war machines while blasting away your enemies. Claiming much of the attention at E3, hopefully this title will earn its keep in the Top 10 of 2014.

DESTINY. Bungie delivers us the first post-Halo title, and the anticipation is killing everyone! With teaser videos and advanced multiplayer engines, Destiny will hopefully

provide the multiplayer experience that fully and truly grasps the power of the Xbox One. Infamous: Second Son. Good, bad, either way, you’re a bad-ass with lightening coursing through your body. A new system, a new story, and a new controller interface are sure to make this title a sell out!

Watchdogs. The title was set to release in holidays 2013, since it was pushed back, it’s made the list for 2014. Set in a world controlled by devices and surveillance, players are encouraged to wreak havoc.

Mario Kart 8. Yes, even the Wii-U has

a title worth waiting for. A new character, new maps, and new ways to cause absolute chaos while you kart your way through new ever-changing maps and worlds!

Dark Souls II. Ugh, this game. Its glutton for punishment to those of us dedicated, or stupid enough to go through the stress, and joyful anxiety this game produces. The result? A level of satisfaction never to be achieved in another game.

Metal Gear Solid 5. Part 1 of a 2-part game, this is actually the prolog to the after release, Phantom Pain (Release TBD) The title will serve as a tutorial, on new mechanics, game features, and preparation.

I wouldn’t expect anything less from Hideo Kojima.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This RPG is for the more Mature Character Aficionado. Set

Gaemer Girl

in a world bigger than Skyrim (seriously? someone get me a hot pocket, i’m going to be here a while. Like, forever maybe.) the nonlinear story will take you on the hunt of a life time.

The Order 1886. Let’s see. Knights of the Round Table check. Foggy, creepy, London landscape. Check! Monsters and things that go bump in the night you have to kill. CHECK! What more could you need?

Besides a fully charged controller.

The last title, The Evil Within, has to be one of the longest to wait for, and the best gem hiding in 2014. Shinji Mikami, the father of survival horror, is back to direct The Evil Within, a game that embodies the meaning of pure survival horror. Highlycrafted environments, horrifying anxiety, and an intricate story weave together to create an immersive world that will bring players to the height of tension.

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Don’t Be

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EVENT CALENDAR

continued from page 26

City of La Quinta picks up Humana Challenge: Residents are offered a little help to step up their fitness game for a brighter 2014 You can tell that the City of La Quinta likes a good challenge, that’s why it is hosting healthy community events at locations around the town.

It’s a week for residents to get worked up with walks, exercise classes and lifestyle awareness demonstrations, all presented in conjunction with Humana to change daily routines and encourage everyone to step of their personal game.

The La Quinta Senior Center, at 78450 Avenida La Fonda, hosts the Humana Fit, Fun and Forever Week Monday through Friday, Jan. 6-10.

Registration for the day’s free activities starts at 8 a.m., followed by walks at 9 a.m., fitness demos at 10 a.m. and healthy eating demos at 11 a.m.

On Saturday, Jan. 11, La Quinta Community Park (77865 Avenida Montezuma) is the site of the Humana Well-Being Walk. Registration starts at 8 a.m., with the walk along the Bear Creek Path taking off at 9 a.m. The 5.75-mile walk includes four rest stops with snacks and water. Collect a stamp from each stop and pick up a prize pack at the end of the walk.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Community Park is the site of the Humana Healthy Fun Fair that includes a concert by the New Sensations Party Band; Interactive Kids Fun Zone with carnival games and giant inflatable toys. Local nonprofit and health agencies will be there promoting their programs and services.

And on Sunday, Jan. 12, from 8 a.m. to noon, bring your reusable shopping bags to fill them up with fresh fruits, veggies, breads and flowers at the Humana Day at the Certified Farmers Market at Old Town La Quinta, in the heart of the village at 78100 Main Street. Chef Michael Vaughn of Twenty6 Restaurant at La Quinta Resort will show off his skills by whipping up dishes created with items selected from the Farmers Market.

For more information on the Humana Fit, Fun & Forever Week, contact Tustin Larson at (760) 777-7085 or tlarson@la-quinta.org.

DANCE FOR LIFE PALM SPRINGS LAUNCHES COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM Residency to include workshops, lectures, and more Dance for Life, a showcase of spectacular performances by renowned dance companies in support of AIDS Assistance Program, is partnering with Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) to create an educational outreach component. Nevada Ballet Theatre is a classically based company committed to the highest artistic standards with an eclectic repertory, moving easily from the classics to the high-energy, contemporary ballets.

Nevada Ballet Theatre will arrive early in the week of their DFL performance, and will present educational workshops, lectures, and demonstrations. This program will take place on Monday, January 13th and Tuesday, January 14th, and will provide an opportunity for local schools and dance studios to experience ballet.

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The schedule will include a public rehearsal at a local dance studio, ballet workshops (for a nominal fee) for students interested in dance, grade school and high school lecture demonstrations, and public mini performances.

The schedule is as follows: Dance for Life Palm Springs/Dance Outreach & Workshop Monday, January 13 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm CK Dance 820 East Research Dr #10, Palm Springs, CA (760) 992-5678 Tuesday, January 14 5:30 - 7:30 pm Dance Dimensions 41651 Corporate Way #4, Palm Desert, CA (760) 346-6283 The cost of the workshops is $15, and $5 for spectators. Cash and check will be accepted upon arrival. Space is limited, so reservations are required. For additional information and to reserve your space, email Keith Elliott at dflworkshop@gmail.com.

Designed for the novice and professional dancer alike, this program will allow students to broaden their knowledge and appreciation for the art of ballet, and it will culminate with a group performance “Flash Mob” style at an undisclosed location, explains Keith Elliott, coproducer of Dance for Life Palm Springs. James Canfield, Artistic Director of NBT, is elated to create this project because the mission of NBT is to educate and inspire regional, statewide, and national audiences, and to vitally impact community life through professional company productions, dance training, and education and outreach.

Dance for Life Palm Springs will return to Palm Springs for a highly anticipated encore performance on Friday, January 17, 2014, at 7 pm at the Palm Springs Art Museum at the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs. The evening begins with a champagne reception at the Palm Springs Art Museum at 6 pm, followed by the Dance for Life performance at 7 pm.

Tickets for the event are $95 per person. VIP Seating is also available at $200 per person. This VIP-level ticket also includes entry to a special VIP reception with dancers and sponsors the evening before the performance at the Bouganvillea Room at Spencers Restaurant in Palm Springs.

To purchase tickets, contact AIDS Assistance Program at 760/325-8481 or by visiting www. aidsassistance.org.

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

Week of January 9

purchased by calling 760-322-4422 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.

DANCING WITH OUR STARS CELEBRATES THEIR 13TH SEASON Grab your dance shoes and join us for the original multi-charity dance competition fundraiser, Dancing with Our Stars. Always a popular event, local professional dancers share the dance floor with community members for the charity of their choice. Since 2006 we have raised over $350,000 for 76 charities.

Event tickets for Dancing with Our Stars, Sunday, February 16th at 5 pm at the Agua Caliente Casino are $90 and include one vote for the charity of your choice. Votes are $20 each and can be purchased in advance of the live competition to support your favorite participating charity.

The following charities and dancers providing a magical, inspiring evening of dance are: o CASA – Galiena Jacobs & Dennis Gimenez o Red Hot Ballroom – Genevert Tan Martz & Isa Lapaj; Traci Kaylor & Don Ramos o Safehouse of the Desert – Frank Dimick & Kristin Staszek o Soroptimist House of Hope – Rose Marie Rae & McNeil Atwood Also enjoy the tantalizing non-charity Pro/ Am competition from our dance community featuring Elvia Gomez & Tim Dawson and Lowell Fox dancing with Elizabeth Wood & Nancy Gardea. In the non-charity Amateur competition are Kathy & Mike Rodier and Kathleen Collins & Sonny Routt. A special treat is the competition of three couples from our local schools featuring Red Hot Ballroom’s “Red Hots”.

Celebrate the Valentine’s Day weekend with the special person in your life and enjoy romantic entertainment by our hostess Sharon DiHaworth, dinner, the dance competition and dancing for all the guests several times throughout the evening.

Hosts will be on hand to dance with guests.

For additional information, contact lynne@ acharityaffaire.com, 760-218-1687 or go to www.dancingwithourstars.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You can blame it on the coming full moon. You can blame it on the gorgeous storm or the epic dream or the haunting song or the suffering you’re struggling to vanquish.

All I ask is that you don’t blame it on the alcohol.

OK? If you’re going to do wild and brave and unexpected things, make sure they are rooted in your vigorous response to primal rhythms, not in a drunken surrender to weakness or ignorance. I’m all for you losing your oppressive self-control, but not the healthy kind of self-control.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When is the last time you did an experiment? I’m not talking about scientific tests and trials that take place in a laboratory. I’m referring to real-life experiments, like when you try out an unfamiliar experience to see if it appeals to you . . . or when you instigate a change in your routine to attract unpredictable blessings into your sphere. Now would be an excellent time to expose yourself to a few what-ifs like that. You’re overdue to have your eyes opened, your limits stretched, and your mind blown.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): To help take the edge off the darkness you have been wrestling with, I offer you these lines from a poem by Kay Ryan: “The day misspent, / the love misplaced, / has inside it / the seed of redemption. / Nothing is exempt / from resurrection.” In other words, Gemini, whatever has disappeared from your life will probably return later in a new form. The wrong turns you made may lead you to a fresh possibility.

Is that what you want? Or would you prefer that the lost things stay lost, the dead things stay dead?

Make a decision soon.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Human beings are often unable to receive because we do not know what to ask for,” says the writer Malidoma Somé in his book Water and Spirit. “We are sometimes unable to get what we need because we do not know what we want.” With that in mind, Cancerian, hear my two pleas: first, that in the next six weeks, you will work diligently to identify the goodies you want most; and second, that you will cultivate your capacity to receive the goodies you want most by refining your skill at asking for them.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Julia Morgan (18721957) was the first woman licensed as an architect in California. She designed over 700 buildings in the course of her brilliant career, and thrived both financially and artistically. One key to her success was her humility. “Don’t ever turn down a job because it’s beneath you,” she advised. That’s a helpful message for you to hear, Leo. It applies to the work-related opportunities you may be invited to take on, as well as the tasks that your friends, associates, and loved ones ask you to consider.

You can’t possibly know ahead of time how important it might ultimately be to apply yourself conscientiously to a seemingly small assignment.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): One of Beethoven’s music teachers said, “As a composer, he is hopeless.” When Thomas Edison was a kid, a teacher told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.” Walt Disney worked at a newspaper when he was young, but his editor fired him because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” I’m sure there was a person like that in your past -- someone who disparaged and discouraged you. But I’m happy to report that 2014 will be the best year ever for neutralizing and overcoming that naysayer’s curse. If you have not yet launched your holy crusade, begin now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As a child, French philosopher and writer Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) loved math. But his father, who homeschooled him, forced him to forego math and concentrate on studying the humanities. Blaise rebelled. When he was 12 years old, he locked himself in his room for days and immersed himself in mathematical investigations. When he emerged, he had figured out on his own some of Euclid’s fundamental theorems about geometry. Eventually, he became a noted mathematician. I see the coming weeks as prime time to do something like the young

© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny

Pascal did: Seal yourself away from other people’s opinions about who you’re supposed to be, and explore the themes that will be crucial for the person you are becoming.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1609, Dutch sea explorer Henry Hudson sailed to America and came upon what we now call Coney Island.

Back then it was a barren spit of sand whose main inhabitants were rabbits. But it was eventually turned into a dazzling resort -- an “extravagant playground,” according to the documentary film Coney Island. By the early 20th century, there were three sprawling amusement parks packed into its two square miles of land, plus “a forest of glittering electric towers, historical displays, freak shows, a simulated trip to the moon, the largest herd of elephants in the world, and panoramas showing the Creation, the End of the World, and Hell.” I mention this, Scorpio, because 2014 could feature your very own Henry Hudson moment: a time when you will discover virgin territory that will ultimately become an extravagant playground.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows,” said 19th-century social reformer Henry Ward Beecher. That might be an accurate assessment for most people, but I don’t think it will be true for you Sagittarians in the foreseeable future. Your animal intelligence will be working even better than usual. Your instinctual inclinations are likely to serve as reliable guides to wise action. Trust what your body tells you! You will definitely be clever enough to be a crow.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Can you guess what combination of colors makes the most vivid visual impact? Psychologists say it’s black on yellow. Together they arrest the eye. They command attention. They activate a readiness to respond. According to my reading of the astrological omens, this is the effect you can and should have in the coming weeks. It’s time for you to draw the best kind of attention to yourself. You have a right and a duty to galvanize people with the power of your presence. Whether you actually wear yellow clothes with black highlights is optional as long as you cultivate a similar potency.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m guessing that in a metaphorical sense, you’ve been swallowed by a whale. Now you’re biding your time in the beast’s belly. Here’s my prediction: You will be like the Biblical Jonah, who underwent a more literal version of your experience. The whale eventually expelled him, allowing him to return to his life safe and sound -- and your story will have the same outcome. What should you do in the meantime? Here’s the advice that Dan Albergotti gives in his poem “Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale.” “Count the ribs,” he says. “Look up for blue sky through the spout. Make small fires with the broken hulls of fishing boats. Practice smoke signals. Call old friends. Organize your calendar.

Dream of the beach. Review each of your life’s ten million choices. Find the evidence of those before you. Listen for the sound of your heart. Be thankful that you are here, swallowed with all hope, where you can rest and wait.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): How do you like your tests? Short, intense, and dramatic? Or leisurely, drawn-out, and low-pressure? Here’s another question: Do you prefer to pick out the tests you take, making sure they’re good fits for the precise lessons you want to master? Or do you find it more exciting and adventurous to let fate determine what unpredictable tests get sent your way? Ruminate about these matters, Pisces.

You’re due for a nice big test sometime soon, and it’s in your interest to help shape and define how everything unfolds.

Homework: Imagine that one of your heroes comes to you and says, “Teach me the most important things you know.” What do you say?

FreeWillAstrology.com.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

January 9 to January 15, 2014

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

DISCOVERING YOUR PASSION

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hhh, if I was cognizant of my overriding passion then all the stars would align and my life will be perfect. Have you often wondered if you followed your childhood dream where you might be today? Finding your passion may extend far deeper than just a thought and this will require action. Your passion may be more than a childhood dream. Perhaps you do not know what you are passionate about. Often we are searching for our motivation the wrong way.

How do I discover my passion? Well you could spend an uber alles amount of time thinking about what you are passionate about and not make a connection. One must dig deep and think beyond thought.

Your passion lives in your heart! Feeling your way to the truth will ignite the flame.

Once the fire is lit you can commence to living passionately.

You may love to cook. Becoming a renowned chef may not be the ultimate goal but becoming darn good may be inspiring. You may enjoy cooking to the extent that you start a small business. Who knows, your passion could become the next greatest chocolate chip cookies, EVER! Therefore transforming your passion into a business is completely obtainable.

Here is a little secret. Bring passion to everything you do. No matter what the task, do it with conviction. Bring awareness, energy and enthusiasm to each project you attempt. You will be surprised how your attitude to life can change simply by giving everything your best shot! Being fully present allows you to stay engaged. Let’s face it passion is contagious. When you see co-workers or friends fired up, you can feed off this charge. The pieces of your passion puzzle can connect.

Plus, when you are passionate nothing can impede you. You are confident. You avoid procrastination. Complaining and resistance is kicked to the curb. People will notice what you are doing and seek a little

of that passion juice. Give them something to talk about.

Here are steps to help you discover your passion. Yet, let your heart lead and your mind will follow.

Love Everything You Do. Strengthen your passion muscles by loving all you do.

Stop complaining and be enthusiastic about what you are doing. Successful people do not fall victim to their own circumstances.

You must realize you have the ultimate power in any circumstance to shift in the right direction.

Study What Interests You. Read about the craft you are pursuing. Check in with your body and heart, not your head. How do you feel? Excited, fearful, or apprehensive?

These are natural feelings and all good signs to continue moving forward. Remember your heart and physical body can possess more wisdom than your mind.

What Do You Like? While you may enjoy numerous careers or hobbies finding ONE will be key. You can inject your passion into a current career. Or, discovering your passion may lead you down a new path.

Stop Talking, Start Doing. Embark on your journey of passion by simply doing.

Stay driven and committed.

Allow the fire in your belly to ignite.

Let it shine and be the greatest light you project. Smile, live and laugh! Go for it!

Bronwyn Ison, Owner of Evolve Yoga ~ 50-991 Washington Street, LQ (760) 564-YOGA (9642) www.e-volveyoga.com

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January 9 to January 15, 2014

Life & career Coach

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by Sunny Simon

Renewing Your Business Contracts

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anuary is one of my favorite months. The beginning of a brand new year symbolizes a time to implement change and seize exciting new opportunities. This month take time to analyze and decide which contracts to renew and what requires modification or ultimately cancellation. I’m not exactly talking about your contract with a pest control company. This process involves written and undocumented contracts impacting a successful career.

For example, when I lived in corporate America, each January I decided whether to re-up with my current employer or begin looking for a more exciting opportunity.

I’ve recently discovered a name for this process. Talent management experts are calling it a “stay interview.” Whether you are a manager or a staffer, it is a retention tool worth employing. A stay interview is a one-on-one discussion between a supervisor and employee. It is a dialogue addressing company satisfaction. The goal is to proactively assess weak areas before talented employees decide to walk. By openly communicating what is and isn’t working, managers can adjust their efforts to retain staff.

Conversely employees can initiate a stay interview. If you are currently onthe-fence about your future with an organization, list out your concerns along with suggestions for alternative work processes or improvements. Then call a meeting with your manager and in a positive manner offer up your thoughts.

Perhaps you possess skills and talents that are not being utilized in your job. Discuss the possibility of project assignments that would allow you to add additional value to the organization. In the process, you may be setting yourself up for a promotion or it may be the determining factor to initiate a job search.

The contract renewal or stay interview process is also a helpful tool for

beauty

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by dr maria lombardo

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entrepreneurs. Review your marketing and business plans. Are you getting optimal service from your CPA, website developer or advertising firm? If you are overloaded, it may be time to initiate a contract by hiring an assistant or outsourcing duties crowding your calendar and preventing you from growing your business. What about networking group alliances? Are you positioned with like minded business professionals who respect and recommend your products or services, or are you just showing up, paying your dues and socializing over coffee and bagels?

This month, make it a point to take stock of all your contracts and associations.

Decide when to hold them and when to fold them. Invest your time and energy wisely in 2014 to achieve ultimate career success.

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

Receive The Celebrity Secret Of Permanent Cosmetic Make-Up

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

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

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

Are Fillers the Right Choice for You?

hrough the normal aging process we all lose volume or fullness in our faces. Usually the first noticeable sign is a deepening of the naso-labial folds that start at the corner of the nose and end at the corners of the mouth. Replacing the fullness with a “filler” can soften the look of those lines and restore a more youthful appearance. There are several filler options available. Hyaluronic Acid is one that is very routinely used.

Hyaluronic acid is compatible with the human body because it is a substance that is found in every single organic living thing.

Its main purpose in the human body is to act as a network that transfers essential nutrients from the bloodstream to skin cells. It is most present in the human body in fluids around the eye area and in the joints. In fact, aside from its applications to cosmetic surgery, it is also often injected into joints to relieve rheumatism and other kinds of joint pain. The names of some of the products that are associated with use for cosmetic surgery are Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane. These are the most popular injectibles that are used to fill lines and wrinkles. In its purest essence, HA is a gel like substance that sits between the skin and connective tissues supporting the skin. When injected, it acts like an inflated cushion to support facial structures and

January 9 to January 15, 2014

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tissues that may have lost volume and elasticity due to aging and other causes. It is also hydrates the skin by bringing water to the surface which helps give it a refreshed and more youthful appearance.

A Simple Non-Invasive Procedure The procedure itself is very non invasive and does not require anything but a topical anesthetic administered to the site of injection (to help with any pain caused by the insertion of the needle). The needles used for this procedure are very fine and tiny and depending on how many areas are being treated the treatment takes between fifteen to 30 minutes. It is considered to be an outpatient procedure and many people return to their normal activities the same day. The results usually last between 3-9 months depending on your life style, body chemistry and the rate at which you are naturally aging. It is important to realize that this is a temporary solution and not a permanent cure for facial problems. To maintain their youthful appearance most people have new injections 1-2 times a year.

Call today to make an appointment with Dr. Maria Lombardo (760)610-8990 and discuss if fillers are the right choice for you!

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