December 13 to December 19, 2012 Vol. 1 No. 38

News

Music

Movies

Dining

Community Events

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • December 13 to December 19, 2012 Vol. 1 No. 38

Darcy Daniels

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Pinzimini

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Birba

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December 13 to December 19, 2012

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Coachella Valley Weekly

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Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Oscar F Arbulu Sales Manager: Raymond Bill Sales Team Craig Michaels, Alberto Ruiz, Phyllis Gerstein Public Relations and Promotions Manager Lisa Morgan Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Philip Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Diane Marlin-Dirkx, Lola Rossi-Meza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Mike Livingston, Cara Pellegrino, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Janet McAfee, Heidi Simmons, Dale Gribow, Kylie Knight, Raymond Bill, Jack St. Clair, Rob Brezny, Amanda Dorta, Eleni P. Austin, Phyllis Gerstein, Michael Brewer Distribution Jim Fox Distribution/ William Westley, Ivan Urias

Contents The Hellions.................................3 The Building of Bridges...............5 SoCal Coyotes Victory.................6 Holiday Season at Hyatt..............8 Nesteggg Donation.....................8 ShareKitchen................................8 21 Exits.........................................8 Haddon Libby: It’s All Local.........9 Desert DJs....................................9 Consider This..............................10 Valley Rhythms..........................11 Pet Place.....................................12 The Vino Voice............................13 Club Crawler Nightlife...............14 Pampered Palate.......................16 Screeners....................................18 Book Review...............................19 Restaurant Guide.......................20 Education...................................21 Safety Tips..................................21 Sport Scene................................22 Golf Column...............................22 Dale Gribow on the Law............23 Free Will Astrology....................24 Classifieds..................................24 Mind, Body & Spirit...................25

December 13 to December 19, 2012

Lurid Tales of Debauchery with The Hellions

By Jack St. Clair Cover photo

by Rick Kosick

T

his is a case of which story to tell you? Or which story you would believe? Hanging out with The Hellions for a night should be everything their namesake and music encompass, right? Sex. Drugs. Rock & Roll. Booze.

Broads. Bars. Strip Clubs. Partying into the early morning hours. An epic night of myth and legend. Or maybe it was just a few guys, drinking a few brews, playing some music and discussing those myths and legends?

You decide.

Every tale starts somewhere. The Hellions really began as The Inquisition.

Vocalist Christian Reyes, who at the time played bass, and Bob Llamas, who is the band’s drummer, but at the time played guitar, were jamming with local drummer Jeff Howe (now of Red Sanz) in 1998 when they met singer/guitarist Angel Lua, in a Sociology class at College of the Desert.

“No you can’t say that!” says guitarist Jamie Hargate, trying to perpetuate the myth.

“They met at Showgirls!” “Yeah. We used to go to Showgirls so much they knew us,” Llamas laughs. “Every time we left they would hand us a stack of passes to come back.”

Having rechristened themselves The Hellions, the group would jam at Angel’s place in Coachella until Howe left for college and Reyes moved away. “At one point it was just Angel and me,” says Llamas. He switched from guitar to drums when good friend Travis Rockwell picked up the bass. Hargate, who prior had played with Christian, Angel and Bob in a band called Ritalin, joined them after seeing their first real show (up to that point they had only played house parties) at the long since closed Frankie J’s. “I just told them ‘I’ve got to be in your band and you need a rhythm guitar player anyway.’” The band instantly welcomed him in. And though he briefly took time out to be in the band Vega, Hargate has been with them ever since. Eventually Reyes returned to the desert and became the band’s second vocalist. And thus The Hellions have been. But if you’d like to believe they all met at Showgirls one night, go ahead. They probably want you to believe it too.

The Hellions are Dirty Rock & Roll. The music is Ramone-ish punk rock at its core.

“We almost got pigeon holed into the whole ‘Rockabilly’ thing,” says Hargate, referring to the bands perceived image. “But we’ve moved away from that.” Lua adds that “We’ll still go to play a show and people will ask ‘So does your bass player play an upright

bass?’ And it’s like, ‘We’re not rockabilly.’”

Rockwell speaks from experience: “I don’t know how many shows we’ve played where I’m the only one playing a regular bass guitar.”

Their lyrics spin tales of wild nights, crazy shenanigans and horny devils. Songs like “Cheap Lay”, “Horny Devil” and “Cruisin’” are evidence of how the band embraces its namesake. Llamas reveals that “All the devil and sex shit is just us getting hammered, laughing and making up shit.” “No. Those are all true stories of things that happened to me,” Lua chimes in with a grin. It is this tongue and cheek nature that defines this band. They are not out to offend, but just want to have fun with it. If you don’t get it, then you need to lighten up a bit.

Known as one of the valley’s most consistent draws, The Hellions excel in the live environment. For a band that has yet to release an official record (though they do have two Do It Yourself EP’s they occasionally burn and hand out at shows), it is impressive to see an entire crowd singing along with them to the likes of “Dirty Girl” and “Big City”. “That’s the perks of playing the same set for all these years,” jokes Hargate. But it really speaks of the fun they bring to every performance. “I think everyone in the audience can see that,” says Lua. And over the past few years this has led to the “Hellions Choir” - an endless group of friends and fans that take the stage to provide impromptu backing vocals. The band welcomes the support. “We love it. We don’t care if people are off key or whatever,”

Lua says. “We just want everyone to have a good time.” “We really don’t look at them as shows,” says Llama. “More like parties with our friends.”

Their next “party with friends” will be Tuesday night, December 18th at The Hood as they open up for Supersuckers. They have been fortunate enough to play with several well-known bands including Throw Rag, Unsound, Los Infernos and The Dwarves.

Playing with Supersuckers is another highlight for them. “I grew up with these guys,” says Hargate. “I saw them opening up for Social Distortion.”

The band is clearly stoked for the show.

That it will be Lua’s birthday only adds to the occasion. He’s not the only Hellion with an upcoming birthday. Reyes will be celebrating his on December 21st and the band is hoping to play for that as well, but as of yet has not finalized any plans.

If the world survives beyond December 21st the band is looking to complete a full length album in early 2013 that will contain some of their signature material and hopefully new tunes as well. “We have at least 5 songs that are just about ready to go,” says Rockwell. The other members start thinking out loud and before long, the number reaches 15. “But we’re lazy,” Reyes laughs. Or maybe it’s that they don’t drink enough hard liquor as often, or as much, as they used to. They admit that some of the most creative times have been when they have consumed their fair share of Jameson continue to page 4

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December 13 to December 19, 2012

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The Building of Bridges

continue from page 3

or Crown. “Yeah. We’re going to have to bring that back,” says Lua. The band laughs at the thought. But Hargate adds that there really is more to it, “My opinion is we don’t stop playing live long enough to really get in here and work on them.” In the coming months the band hopes to put more space between shows so they can finish up some new material and get them on the record.

With all the myths, legends and preconceived notions that comes with being in a band called The Hellions, it would be easy to overlook that they are five very good friends who simply enjoy hanging out and playing music together - be that at a show with a crowd singing along or just practicing by themselves in the back of a warehouse.

“Ten years from now we’ll be doing the same thing,” says Rockwell.

“Probably in the same place. And probably giving the same interview,” adds Reyes.

Well here is hoping the same writer gets to be there too. I would like to hear how the myths and legends have grown.

After the interview, Jamie Hargate wanted to make sure that several people were acknowledged as being part of their dream, success, longevity and all round

having a good time. “We so appreciate places like The Hood, The Red Barn & Date Shed for giving us cool venues to play at and to CV Weekly for all of their support.

We also want to give a shout out to bands we love to play with like Blasting Echo, Unsound, Throw Rag, Mondo Generator, Supersuckers, Whiskey & Knives and so many more. It has been amazing growing up in the Coachella Valley and being part of the music scene and we thank all of those who paved the road before us.”

So check these guys out at: The Hood – Tuesday, December 18th @ 9:00 pm with Supersuckers & Gun ‘em Down Check them out on Facebook at The Hellions.

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t takes an incredible feat of human energy, ingenuity and engineering to build a bridge. Besides those who must deal with the mind-boggling math and science, and the logistical quandary to actualize the blue prints, there are those who have been working diligently for years to get these invaluable, necessary structures in place.

Interstate 10 is the main artery through the Coachella Valley and now the west end corridor has four new bridges: Bob Hope Drive, Gene Autry/Palm Drive, Indian Avenue and Date Palm (still under construction). The projects are designed to alleviate congestion, stimulate the economy, and improve air quality. All of these overpasses are critical thoroughfares for valley residents.

For many commuters, these bridges impact their lives every single day.

“Having these improved overpasses has not only reduced the travel time by at least 30 minutes for most drivers, but also the stress level endured waiting to cross the freeway,” said Desert Hot Springs Mayor Yvonne Parks. “I am so happy we could complete these long-awaited projects for our residents.”

Less than a year ago, Indian Avenue and Gene Autry/Palm Drive bridges had only one north and one southbound lane -- a single-file drive in each direction with multiple stop signs. During high winds, cars sat backed-up on the valley floor in a slow moving line helplessly getting sandblasted.

Emergency vehicles could not easily pass and there were narrow sidewalks with low safety guards.

Today these bridges are six lanes wide with cloverleaf ramp designs minimizing signals and significantly increasing traffic flow. In addition, there are bike lanes, wide sidewalks and colorful fenced guardrails.

“Improving connections to and over the freeway makes it easier for our residents to move between our cities and easier for visitors to access our

c o m m u n i t i e s ,” said Tom Kirk, Executive Director of The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG). “The projects will save countless hours of frustration for residents trying to get to work, school or even to essential services like area hospitals.”

There were many challenges and obstacles to building the bridges. It took decades in the planning. For years there were negotiations that required the cooperation between cities, local

government agencies, environmental groups, state and federal organization to make the overpasses a reality. And then, there was the money.

Kirk said, “Projects of this size take far too long to get approved and for all the funding to be in place to pay for construction. However, the good news is we built these projects at precisely the best time for our economy, employing many in our hardest hit sector of the recession: Additionally, the bids for these projects came in over 40% less than the engineers estimate, allowing us to stretch every dollar we had.”

Gene A u t r y / Palm Drive overpass was paid for by funds from Riverside County and the surrounding cities of Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and Palm Springs. Money came from: Measure A dollars -- a retail tax for public improvement, the American Recovery and Investment Act 2009, Federal Highway Administration Funds and Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee. Bob Hope, Date Palm and Indian had a similar combination of funding.

According to Mike Shoberg, CVAG Transportation Manager, the construction cost for Gene Autry/Palm Drive was $13 million; Indian Avenue $16.5 million; Date Palm $14.8 million; and Bob Hope $22 million. Schoberg said, “The work came in on time and on budget.”

As you cross the bridge, it may also cross

by H. Simmons your mind about what might happen in an earthquake. Being that the I-10 crosses several valley fault lines and it’s proximity to the mighty San Andres fault. These bridges are our link to the ones we love and the places we call home. No one can really predict when and what the “big one” may unleash, but understanding seismic activity is a priority for Caltrans.

According to Dennis Green, Construction Coordinator for the Riverside County Department of Transportation, “Caltrans doesn’t design around magnitude, rather, each bridge is designed for its location, taking into account earth and soil movement, distance to fault and other geologic parameters. California has a performance standard of ‘no collapse’ during a ‘maximum credible event.’ Simply put, each bridge has been specifically engineered for maximum seismic consideration.”

After all the time, effort and money, the bridges are now in place and the west valley I-10 corridor project is nearly complete. It is a remarkable achievement.

Here are some interesting facts to think about as you smoothly zoom over any one of the new wide, clean bridges: At any given time there may have been 65 people working during construction; 20,000 hours of labor per project; 4,250 cubic yards of structural concrete; 279 tons of steel. The bridges are 5’4” inches thick and are built to last 75 years.

“While these bridges may be CVAG projects, they are really the product of the work and dedication of many,” said Kirk.

The new overpasses have greatly improved the quality of life for thousands of desert residents. All those who worked so hard to get these bridges constructed have something that we can all be proud of.

To view live project cameras and more information about I-10 corridor improvement projects go to www. i10cvcprojects.com

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COYOTES ROCK AVALON WITH 56-8 BLOWOUT VICTORY IN CATALINA ISLAND KICKOFF CLASSIC

T

he biggest ‘surprise’ of the weekend didn’t come from Arizona. Rather, it was the Pacific West Football League’s decision to replace the Surprise (Arizona) Flying Dutchmen with the SoCal Elite, less than 24 hours prior to kickoff.

But once the first annual Catalina Kickoff Classic was underway here on the historic, legendary island -- 26 miles off the shores of Los Angeles -- who the opponent was didn’t matter to the reigning league-champion SoCal Coyotes or their familiar All-American stars.

It was merely another day at the office.

Against a 27-man Elite roster made up largely of Division I talent, the Coyotes systematically dismantled them and wasted little time in proving why they are the pride of Southern California, the league, and their fans around the world.

With dew falling along with 48-degree temperatures, quarterback Nate Lewis -AAA football’s National Player of the Year -went to work in the Coyotes famed Run ‘n’ Shoot offense, dissecting the Elite defense with pinpoint passes, while S-back David “The Diesel” Cathcart softened them with punishing runs underneath.

In the first half alone, Lewis completed 17 of 21 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns, while Cathcart had 21 touches for 134 yards, including pounding long runs of 16, 22 and 35 yards and catches on screens and swing routes totaling 39.

His backup, “Big Game” James Allison, was equally impressive in limited playing time.

“It wasn’t just Nate’s sheer numbers alone that impressed me,” said Coyote head coach J. David Miller. “It was how he managed the offense, called the game plan, and executed the first half as a whole body of work that was mind-blowing.”

Lewis found receiver and fan-favorite Rashad ‘Mr. Mayor’ Roberts six times in the first half, for completions of 12, 16, 13, and 19. But it was his two long touchdowns that electrified the crowd and the Coyote sidelines.

Against the Elite’s base Cover Two defense, Lewis checked down to the X Go, and Roberts, well, went. The quarterback and receiver synced perfectly on a tight spiral that traveled 55 yards in the air, and Roberts outraced the Elite defense the rest of the way for a 67-yard score.

Near the end of the first half, Lewis -masterfully calling the offense from the shotgun at the line -- called the 55 hook/

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by Rachel Montoya

corner out of a two-by-two set, and Roberts curled up at 18 yards, made the catch, wove through five defensemen and sprinted 53 yards to pay dirt.

Slotback Josh “The Flying Hawaiian” Asuncion caught five balls for 88 yards in the first half, including a spectacular 90 Switch, over-the-shoulder touchdown that Lewis spun from 46 yards away, dropping the ball perfectly just feet from a diving, outstretched defender.

“The triplets -- Nate, Diesel and Shad -are pretty tough to defense once they get untracked,” Miller said. “But that catch Josh made was nothing short of brilliant. Perfect throw, perfect catch. That was indefensible, no matter who you are.”

Speed-burner Mondo Delgado, the newest Coyote slotback and former Colorado All-Star, thrilled fans with a 15yard arrow route where he blazed and spun through diving tacklers before laying out horizontal to the pylon for Lewis’s fourth touchdown of the night.

Lewis scattered four more completions for 56 yards among three other different receivers before the first half mercifully ended with the Coyotes leading, 38-0.

“You have your foot on their throats,” said assistant coach Wayne Anderson Jr. at the half. “Don’t let them up. Don’t let them breathe. Don’t let them back in this game.”

Led by defensive end Mike Erwin and linebacker Reggie Hines, the Coyote Chaos defense played magnificent, punishing Elite runners and harassing their quarterback with sacks and pressures. Four times the Elite were stopped for losses or no gain, and twice they turned the ball over, with Erwin also recovering one of those fumbles.

“Mike played a complete game,” said Anderson.

When the second half resumed, surprisingly, Miller did something he’s not prone to do: Take his foot off the gas, lifting most of his starters in favor of waves of new, rookie Coyotes, including backup quarterback Travis Russell in relief of Lewis.

“I’ve always been taught by my mentors -- Mouse Davis, June Jones, Jerry Glanville -- that it’s the other team’s job to stop you, not your job,” Miller said. “If I was losing a game 150-0, I’d never threaten to take my team off the field. We’d play and fight to the last whistle, with our last breath, and with every drop of blood. But we have so many new players who need game experience, and the score was so lopsided, that it seemed like the right thing to do,” he

Photo by Michael Mauch

added. Miller’s decision gave many young players the opportunity to shine, as the Coyotes emptied their bench down to thirdstring players.

Backup running back Bryan “The Pitstop” Garcia slashed in for his first Coyote touchdown on a 32 Dallas call from four yards out. Wide receiver Layton “Dynamite” Matthews made significant strides. SLotbacks Will Fisher and Cyle Tisdale played well.

On defense, linemen Jordan Cornell and Cedric Cox were suffocating, while defensive backs Bo Bovain, Alfredo Melendez and Rob Smith smothered Elite receivers. Linebacker Devion Brown showed superior leadership, particularly in calling the defensive fronts, stunts and blitzes. A host of other young linebackers -- especially Richard Ortiz Jr., Alex Mendoza -- showed great promise.

On special teams, kicker Mark Morocco hit from 37 and 35 yards out, and made all of his extra points. But hulking offensive lineman Jonathon Zazueta stole the show when he raced down on a kickoff and recovered an Elite fumble in the end zone for another Coyote touchdown.

“I think coach should move me to a skill position,” smiled Zazueta, after his first career touchdown. “I like it in the end zone.

Let’s do that again.”

The Coyotes converted three two-point

conversions. Russell scored on a keeper for one, but the best was another from the magical Mondo Delgado, who also holds on field goals and extra points. Plucking a bad snap off the ground, Delgado leaped to his feet, pirouetted two tacklers, then danced untouched into the end zone.

The Coyotes improved to 1-0 on the season, and are now 11-2 in 2012. The two losses were by a total of four points.

Lewis’s assault on the record books is impressive: Counting the National AllStar game in November, where he earned Player of the Game honors, the quarterback has now thrown for 682 yards and seven touchdowns in his last six quarters of work.

“We don’t care who we play,” he said. “It doesn’t mean anything to us if they’ve been together a week or 10 years. In this offense, we are playing against space, and ourselves.

If we execute like we did tonight, we can’t be stopped.”

The City of Avalon and Catalina Island rolled out the red carpet for the Coyotes, who were the ‘home’ team in the first pro football game of any kind in the history of the island. The team enjoyed it’s first ‘Coyote Walk’ prior to kickoff, walking in uniform through downtown before being transported to Joe Michado Stadium.

Several restaurants -- Coyote Joe’s and the Lobster Trap -- treated the team to special pre- and post-game Coyote menus, and twice the Coyotes were featured stories in the local press over a three-day period. Avalon High School Head Coach Earl Schrader and city official Jennifer Lavelle played key roles in making the game an overwhelming success for both the Coyotes and Catalina.

“I am so proud of our young men,” said Miller. “Winning on the road, against tremendous adversity, is a huge sign of maturity in an organization. We played well, we played deep, we played without incident. We performed with class and the players were tremendous ambassadors of our program and the entire Coachella Valley.”

Evidence of that is the City of Avalon has already invited the Coyotes back for 2013.

For fans of the Coyotes, that comes as no surprise.

For more information on the SoCal Coyotes, email socalcoyotes@gmail.com, or call 727.348.6060.

December 13 to December 19, 2012

Eat, Drink and Be Merry this Holiday Season at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa Indulge in a Holiday Breakfast Package, festive culinary dining, “Spa’liday” specials, and give back this holiday season at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells

H

yatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa invites locals and visitors to immerse themselves in this years’ holiday merriment with an array of holiday dining experiences and inspired spa treatments. The Holiday Breakfast Package, festive buffets and libations, charitable donations, and “

Holiday Breakfast Package

Enjoy a romantic holiday escape for two and start the day off right with Hyatt Regency Indian Wells’ Holiday Breakfast Package. Starting at $169 per night, the package is available from Nov.30, 2012 – Jan 6, 2013 and includes: • Overnight accommodations • Daily breakfast for two at Lantana restaurant • Holiday-themed amenity

Daily Delights

Hyatt Regency Indian Wells is spreading holiday cheer with special daily specials.

Throughout the month of December, enjoy special food and beverage offerings and discounts on spa treatments. A sampling of daily delights includes: • Monday – Discounted Holiday Rocks 30-minute Express Manicure at Agua Serena Spa, priced at $40 • Tuesday – Complimentary seasonal dessert at Lantana, with purchase of an entrée • Wednesday – Half priced bottles of wine at Lantana, with purchase of an entrée • Thursday – Seasonal cocktail flight at Agave Sunset, priced at $7 for four minicocktails • Friday – Dine at Lantana and receive $25 off next visit when you spend a

minimum of $75 • Saturday – $15 Day Use Pass for Agua Serena Spa • Sunday – Discounted Cranberry Facial at Agua Serena Spa, priced at $99

Holiday Food Donation at Agua Serena Spa

This holiday season, Hyatt Regency Indian Wells has partnered with local nonprofit, FIND Food Bank to host a canned food donation drop-off at Agua Serena Spa from Nov. 21 – Dec. 21. Find Food Bank provides food to nearly 80,000 individuals per month in the Coachella Valley and is a proud partner of the nationally known organization “Feeding America.” As a thank you for the generous donations to FIND Food Bank, Hyatt Regency Indian Wells will be providing a special gift to those who donate to the drive.

Holiday Dining

Hyatt Regency Indian Wells welcomes guests to enjoy traditional holiday buffets with a California twist at Lantana, Indian Wells’ contemporary dining destination.

Guests will enjoy panoramic views of our award-winning golf course and festive décor, while dining on seasonal culinary creations by the talented culinary team. Christmas and New Year’s Eve dining experiences include:

Christmas Dining – Dec. 25

From 5-9 p.m., guests will enjoy a special Christmas buffet, featuring culinary creations including: Roasted prime rib, romesco, chimicurri cream and horseradish cream; Sautéed sea bass with mushrooms, tomatoes, thyme and sweet butter; and an

elaborate display of traditional pies, petit pastries and truffles. Price per person is $39 for adults, $18.50 for children 6-12, and complimentary for children 5 years and younger, not including tax and gratuity.

New Year’s Eve – Dec. 31

Ring in the New Year at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells’ contemporary bar and lounge, Agave Sunset. Festivities include live entertainment by John Stanley King from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., party favors and the ball drop with a complimentary champagne toast.

Price per person is $20 and complimentary to hotel guests and locals dining at Lantana.

Additionally, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., children can “glow” into the New Year with Camp Hyatt. Children can participate in a “glow” scavenger hunt, make “glow” lemonade and play games. Price per child is $80; a 24-hour reservation is required.

For holiday dining reservations at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, please call 760.674.4165.

“Spa’liday” at Agua Serena

The award-winning Agua Serena Spa at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells will be offering spa specials starting Dec. 1 through Jan. 31, 2013. “Spa’liday” offerings include: • Sugar and Spice Mani/Pedi –Includes a 30-minute manicure and 50-minute pedicure, priced at $120 • Holiday-Do-Dazzle –Includes shampoo and blow dry service and Prive hair product priced at $50 and up • Sweet Sensations – Includes 60-minute Lavender Vanilla Swedish Massage and 60-minute Antioxidant Cranberry Cleansing Facial, priced at $220 (value of $265)

• Agua Serena Giving Tree – Each guest with a scheduled spa service can pick a gift hanging from the “Giving Tree” for a surprise discount on a service, product, sweet treat or spa treatment discount to apply to the next visit • The Holiday Gift of Relaxation – Guests can purchase an Agua Serena Spa Gift Certificate before Dec. 25 and receive a delicious gift of locally handmade Brandini Toffee For more information about Agua Serena Spa’s “Spa’liday” offerings, please call Agua Serena Spa at 760.674.4100.

For more information regarding holiday happenings at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, please contact the resort by phone at 760.341.1000 or visit the resort website at: www.hyattregecnyindianwells. com.

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Haddon Libby: It’s all local

NestEggg donation to The Center T

he NestEggg Group, LLC, a Palm Springs-based firm providing a variety of accounting & bookkeeping, financial and insurance services, has pledged $100,000 to The LGBT Community Center of the Desert (The Center). This four-year investment will help provide partial funding for the NestEggg Food Bank at The Center, which operates out of a satellite location at 610 S. Belardo Road in Palm Springs.

These strategic and much needed funds will support day-to-day operating expenses to help offset the cost of food, staff, and overhead. This year, more than 12,000 clients have received a week’s supply of groceries through the Center’s “Sustenance for Seniors Program,” and this gift will ensure that the neediest members will continue to have access to at least one bag of food per week to keep them healthy.

The newly named “ NestEggg Food

n December 7th, ShareKitchen partnered with the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center (CVWBC) for a festive holiday mixer at ShareKitchen in Cathedral City.

A full house networked with one another while sampling hors d’oeuvres made by ShareKitchen clients and sipping wines selected by our In-House Sommelier.

This elegant evening’s menu began with a Seared Mahi Mahi on Crostini featuring a salsa of Roasted Tomato with Fresh Herbs in a Chipotle Pepper Adobo debuted by Nancy Booth, The Queen of Salsa, and her new line of Salsatyzers. Organic slow roasted breast of kosher turkey on seeded squaw bread with California double cream brie also featured Nancy Booth’s Spiced Cranberry with Chinese Ginger Sauce.

Big Dan’s BBQ Sauce, of Big Mama’s Soul Food, was the highlight of Pulled FreeRange Chicken Sammies on Jalapeno Cheddar Country Rolls with Fennel-Chive Slaw in Tangerine Shallot Vinaigrette.

Additional appetizers included High Fiber Three Cheese Mini Mac Bites with Smoked Paprika and a selection of imported and domestic cheeses, Agave Mint Lime

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Drizzle, seasonal fruit and stone ground crackers. For dessert, James Rosen of Biscotti da Giacomo shared his traditional biscotti bites, Sassolini & Bombolotti, with a selection of dessert wines while Laurence Grenet of LO’s debuted her protein-rich, fat-free and sugar-free Apple Saigon Cinnamon and Mandarin Orange Bread Pudding Tortes. Lisa ProvenzaBebar of The Cookie Boutique baked beautifully presented Artisan Lemon Shortbreads and displayed her one-of-akind designer cookies. After networking, guests were treated to Speaker Suzan Chin of Creative Raven and her informative talk on affordable marketing tools for small businesses.

Special thanks to everyone who attended this spectacular evening with a special ‘Thank You’ to Chad Gardner of Dash and a Handful Catering for his assistance in the kitchen.

Find more information about ShareKitchen’s Clients and their Products at http://www.sharekitchen.org. Looking to develop and market your special culinary creation? Contact Angela at Angela@ ShareKitchen.org or 760.459.4259.

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stablished on the presumption that there are 21 Exits that lead to the Coachella Valley from Interstate 10, 21 Exits is a weekly podcast that features Coachella Valley musicians and those who directly influence the musical landscape within the region. Hosted by Noe Gutierrez and produced by Sarah Jimenez, the weekly podcast features musicians based in the desert and discusses pertinent issues surrounding the desert music scene. After further investigation, it was determined that there may be more or less exits than previously thought. They decided to stick with 21 Exits because the audience is perceptive enough to grasp the concept that all exits may lead to great music and ultimately… it sounded cool!

So far, 21 Exits has interviewed eclectic rockers Blasting Echo and Desert Rock pioneers Unida. With many different solo musicians and bands lined up, 21 Exits has a smorgasbord of original artists to sort through. To our

The Best, the Worst and the Trustworthy

ear-end is a time of lists and awards where we look back over the past year and give special recognition to the best and worst at any number of things.

In that spirit, let’s take a look at the best and worst businesses to work for as well as the jobs where we most trust and distrust those serving us.

A good gauge as to the best places to work is to look at where students graduating from university want to work. According to a comprehensive review of numerous studies by 24/7wallst.com, Google headed this list for its laid back corporate environment, innovated spirit and pay that outpaced competitors. Second was the accounting firm KPMG followed by Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft and Deloitte. The common thread to all of these companies was that pay was above average while innovation and hard work were rewarded with career opportunities.

Sixth and seventh were Ernst & Young and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, two more of the Big Four accounting firm. Rounding out

Bank at the Center” has been providing groceries, baked goods, meat, and fresh produce to low-income Riverside County residents 55 years of age or older, and individuals who receive disability benefits, regardless of their age, since 2008. Proof of residency in Riverside County is required, and all are welcome if they meet these basic requirements. The Program is limited to serving 275 people a week, and is currently at capacity. No hot meals, prepared foods, or vouchers are currently distributed through the program.

ShareKitchen 21 EXITS O

December 13 to December 19, 2012

the top ten were JPMorganChase, Coca-Cola and Goldman Sachs.

On the other side of things, some companies were viewed as being the Ebeneezer Scrooge’s of the corporate world.

These are companies with more than 100 employees where two-thirds are paid less than $10/hour. As many of these workers qualify for federal assistance programs such as food stamps, you and I are essentially subsidizing the profits of these Scroogelike companies. Besides paying low wages, many of these employers prevented access to full-time work, provided limited benefits and maintained unsafe or unpleasant work environments. Many also used the Great Recession as a justification for maintaining low wages and a poor work environment.

The winner of this dubious distinction with the largest percentage of its workers designated as low wage workers had a workforce of 1.4 million Americans. This company has been in trouble for years for depriving workers for time worked. As an example, in 2008 this company paid $640

Desert DJ’s

knowledge, this type of podcast has never been attempted before, a podcast about the desert music scene for the desert music scene that can be listened to anywhere in the world!

The brainchild of Sarah Jimenez, 21 Exits uses the podcast format to showcase local bands and solo artists.

Each episode features 3-4 original songs from each artist along with an interview.

If you’ve never listened to a podcast, this is a great way to introduce yourself to this free and unique media. Not to mention keeping up with all the great musicians that permeate the Coachella Valley.

Anyone who has a question or is interested in presenting a band or solo artist can contact 21 Exits below.

Facebook: facebook.com/21Exits Twitter: twitter.com/21exits Email: 21exits@gmail.com Blog: 21xpodcast.blogspot.com You can subscribe and listen to 21 Exits via iTunes.

million to settle lawsuits for the practice of violating wage and overtime laws and just recently had additional charges brought against them for this practice yet in 2011, their net profits were $15.7 billion. The name of this company? Wal-Mart.

Second on the list was Yum! Brands, the owner of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. With 880,000 workers, this company has lobbied in recent years for a change in paid sick leave legislation to the detriment of their workers.

Their profits last year were $1.3 billion while their CEO was paid $44 million.

Rounding out the top five were McDonald’s, Target and Sears, the owner of K-Mart. Only Sears in the top five struggled financially.

Burger King which vocally opposed to the

Affordable Care Act came in sixth. Starbuck’s, once known as one of the best places to work, now facing workers consternation due to stagnated salaries and a reduction of benefits ranked seventh. DineEquity, owner of Applebee’s and IHOP, Macy’s and Wendy’s completed the top ten of these Scrooge-like companies.

Looking at the ethics and trustworthiness of various professions, more than 70% of Americans felt that nurses, pharmacists, doctors and engineers demonstrated these characteristics. Dentists, policemen, teachers and the clergy were the only other professions to garner than 50% support.

Those felt to have poor ethics and trustworthiness were car salesmen at 7%, Congress at 10%, advertising salesmen and stockbrokers at 11% each. Others under 25% included HMO Managers, Senators, Insurance salesmen, lawyers, governors, business executives and journalists. The common thread among most of the non-political professions was that those professionals typically worked on a commission basis.

with Craig Michaels

The Bigster is blowing up!

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orn and raised in the Coachella Valley, DJ Bigster, whose real name is Mario Nuno, was really into cars like many boys going to Cathedral City high school. Bigster loved everything about cars from working on them to doing custom body work. All that changed once he graduated from high school and moved to Las Vegas to hang out with his good friend, DJ Supa James. It was there the Bigster fell in love with the DJ world.

Like many DJs starting out, Bigster took on a few private parties here and there with an occasional wedding to get his feet wet. After getting comfortable with mobile gigs, Bigster worked his way into night clubs once he turned 21. He began to feel more comfortable behind the turn tables and learned how to work the crowd with his song selections, “at first I would always black out and rush down a list of songs, now I do it so much that I can go off the top of my head no problem,” Bigster

says with confidence. While he had learned to master mixing and selecting songs to keep a dance floor packed, Bister confessed on his off time he is a metal head listening to a little Slipknot and Metallica.

His friend, DJ Supa James, who was working on air at NOW 104.3 in Las Vegas (which is also heard in Palm Springs on Hot Hits 97.7 and in San Francisco on 92.7 KREV) got Bigster a job mixing on his radio show(he was also the one responsible for giving Bigster his DJ name). Four years after moving to Sin City, Bigster was offered a job working at Zelda’s night club in Palm Springs and mixing on-air at U- 92.7, which is a part of the Desert Radio Group, also in Palm Springs. It was no surprise His long-time friend DJ Supa James, would eventually joined him on the mix show at U-92.7 since the two were inseparable.

His funny, clown like attitude and

larger than life personality is what began to set Bigster apart from other Djs in this market. Word got out of his re-mixing skills which soon began catching the ear of local promoters like BB Ingle, who has tapped into Bisgters skills for some of his recent events. Three years after returning to the Coachella Valley the Bigster was offered a job by his previous employer, Royce International. You can now hear Bigster on the Five O’clock mix show airing in Las Vegas on 104.3, Palm Springs on 97.7 and San Francisco on 92.7.

Bigster’s mixing career is blowing up as he enjoys traveling between Palm Springs and Las Vegas playing in clubs, doing private events for celebrities and working for three radio stations. If you would like to contact Bigster you can e-mail him at: bigster88@me.com.

Written by: Craig Michaels Musical Affair Entertainment (760) 619-3276

9

December 13 to December 19, 2012

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Eleni P. Austin

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Consider This

by Lola Rossi-Meza

RYAN BINGHAM “Tomorrowland” “

I don’t need no rhinestone suit, someone else can hang it on the wall/I don’t need the marquee sign, I don’t need my name in lights.”

That’s Ryan Bingham rejecting the trappings of Nashville stardom and opting to follow the Outlaw trail blazed by forefathers like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Townes Van Zandt.

At the age of 31, Ryan Bingham has already weathered a lot. Throughout his childhood he endured a nomadic existence, moving from one Texas town to the next.

By his teens, Bingham was bull-riding on the rodeo circuit. But music was always a passion. By 2007, and at 26, Bingham released his debut, Mescalito on the Lost Highway label. (Home to iconoclasts like Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett and Shelby Lynne).

Both his debut and his excellent sophomore effort, Roadhouse Sun were produced by Black Crowes’ guitarist Marc Ford. Between his whiskey-soaked vocals and rough-hewn songs, Bingham displayed a hard earned wisdom that belied his years.

His real brush with notoriety came when producer T-Bone Burnett asked Bingham to provide music for the Jeff Bridges film, “Crazy Heart.” Bingham contributed the achingly tough and tender tune, “The Weary Kind.” Not only did Bridges win an Academy award for Best Actor, but Bingham won Best Song.

Bingham and Burnett racked up enough studio time to release his third and most successful record to date, Junky Star.

Now Ryan Bingham is back with his new album, Tomorrowland. Not only has he produced this effort himself, but it’s also self-released through his Axster Bingham record label.

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The album kicks off with the bristling “Beg For Broken Legs.” A biting indictment of the record industry, the track blends cascading acoustic riffs with prickly electric fills. Locking into a cyclonic groove, the song crescendos with a dramatic “Kashmir” style string section.

Bingham has always been an introspective writer, but a few songs on Tomorrowland examine real life worries and question authority.

“Flower Bomb” is a tone poem camouflaged as working-man blues. A loping rhythm and strumming acoustic guitar accent the forlorn lyrics…”How in the world can we progress, if we’re out of work and hooked on pills for stress?”

Anchored by a relax-fit Tom Tom beat, “Rising Of The Ghetto” builds slowly with fluttery but powerful guitar notes that recall Richie Haven’s “Freedom.” The lyrics are caustic but resigned…”Watching the home team kill our American dream/and keep us at arm’s reach in case there’s a war to feed.”

Finally, Bingham lays his cards on the table with “No Help From God.” Over a shuffling rhythm and high-lonesome guitar he insists that faith in a higher power is a fool’s game: “Sometimes the truth is scared of the dark.” Ultimately love provides the real salvation.

The best songs on Tomorrowland are playful one minute and plaintivel the next.

“Guess Who” swaggers and struts, matching

jagged power chords and a bludgeoning back beat.

On “Never Far Behind” Bingham worries that the sins of the father will be revisited on the son…”How many times can I try and forget (forgive) you, but you always on my mind/I’ve tried so far to out run you, but you are never far behind.” A spiraling guitar solo builds to a soaring crescendo that mirrors Bingham’s crisis of conscience.

Cocooned in a galloping beat and sweetly zig-zagging guitar riffs, “Neverending Show” puts Nashville on notice. Bingham scorns the rhinestone, glitter and trophies. Instead he embraces the Roadhouses and Dive bars that have become his home(s) away from home.

Other highlights of Tomorrowland include that wide open spaces of “Keep It Together,” the jangly “Western Shore” which rails against “Twisted hypocrites.”

Both “Heart Of Rhythm” and “The Road I’m On” serve as kinetic, frenetic and rollicking

paeans to a life making music on the road.

The album closes with “Too Deep To Fill,” a Woody Guthrie-esque ramble that reworks the old adage (also evoked by the R & B girl group, En Vogue), “Free your mind and the rest will follow! Tomorrowland is Bingham’s most assured effort to date. He shares this triumph with his crack backing band, Matt Sherrod on drums and Shawn Davis on Bass. Contributing to the rich sound here is Keith Ciancia on Keys, Justin Stanley on Drums, Guitar, Piano, Mellotron, and Bass, Richard Bowden on Fiddle and studio MVP Greg Leisz on Guitar and Mandolin.

Much like Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle, to Ryan Bingham the political is personal. But like Willie and Waylon, Bingham never proselytizes to make his point. Luckily these dueling musical philosophies coalesce, and the result is both infectious and inspiring.

December 13 to December 19, 2012

Valley Rhythms

Vocalist Darci Daniels performs at Three Sixty North in Palm Springs

ocalist, actress and composer Darci Daniels, performs with pianist Dave Ring, saxophonist Reggie Vision Alexander and drummer Jay Lewis every Saturday from 7:30 until 11:30 p.m. in the Lounge at Three Sixty North Lounge and Restaurant, 360 North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. (760) 327-1773.

Daniels along with Jerome Elliott, Francesca Amari, Charles Herrera, Jeff Stewart, Vicki Knight, Pat McCann, Ryan Dominguez, Ben Reece and Keisha D are part of a series of free holiday concerts, “PS It’s Christmas” being held at the Forever Marilyn sculpture at the corner of Tahquitz and Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs on Saturday, December 15 and December 22, from 6 until 7 p.m. Accompanied by pianist and Music Director Steven Smith and drummer Jay Lewis, the performance will feature both contemporary and traditional holiday favorites and debut several new Christmas Songs that are featured on the the Carol Channing - Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts’ new holiday CD “A Very Broadway Christmas” followed by 30 minutes of “snowfall” over the Forever Marilyn Park.

Born in San Bernardino, California, Darci Daniels, was raised with four brothers and one sister. Her Father was in the Air Force so they moved several times. “My Maternal Grandparents lived in Palm Springs and we would visit them for periods of time during the summer when I was ten,” said Daniels. “I have always loved it here in the Desert.” She remembers the family always had a piano in the home, and started “playing around” on the piano when she was five years old.

“I can still remember performing in my very first show as a Bumble Bee. I sang ‘The Busy Bee‘ and I still sing that song to my grand children.”

As a child, “My Mother had a beautiful voice and would wake up the family with a song she would ‘make up’ every morning.”

Her mother never sang professionally, however her Aunt Marge Seghieri was a singer and had her own radio show in San Francisco, broadcasting live from a studio, when radio was the entertainment in the home, not the TV. Her Uncle, Buddy Seghieri was a Big Band Conductor and played for Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, to name a few, and wrote some of their charts. “I have been blessed with some of the charts he wrote for the orchestra.”

Growing up, her brothers always had a band and her Mother would allow them to rehearse in the living room. “Here I was at

a young age singing songs like ‘Run Away’, ‘Gloria’ and ‘Louie, Louie‘ it was fun listening to all that music. My Mother was the one who introduced me to singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson. My Mother would put James Brown on and dance around the house. She loved Elvis and The Beatles, my Mother was a very musical person, but again, never sang professionally.”

Daniels started learning to play the guitar when she was twelve and acted in various theatre groups wherever she lived at the time. The entire family moved to Palm Springs when she was sixteen and she graduated from Palm Springs High School.

“My Father had already retired from the Military when we moved here. He was the Postmaster for Palm Desert, Indio and Coachella.” She attended COD - College of the Desert and later she attended classes at UCR - University of California Riverside.

She started working in her first band when she was nineteen called “The Generation Gap” and then joined a touring band called “The Capital Dinner Players” where they performed “Dinner Theatre” in various venues along the West Coast. Acting has always been part of her life ever since she was a child. “My Father would bring home a play book and I would choose my character and read the part and he would read all the other parts. I am very close to my Dad.” Daniels married when she was twentyfive and lived in San Diego where she raised her two daughters. She now has four grand-daughters. Her parents eventually purchased her grand-parents home in Palm Springs. After losing her mother and best friend over seven years ago and then losing her home in the wild fires in San Diego over

four years ago, she decided to move back to Palm Springs to care for her Father. “I feel like my life has come full circle. I find myself

thinking of my Mother when I walk around the neighborhood.”

Over the years Daniels has garnered many awards and accolades; most recently a Desert Theatre League Award for Best Actress in a Staged Reading for her portrayal as aviator Jacqueline Cochran, who the airport in Thermal was named after; Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport. She just finished filming a movie “If-Then Scenario” for Script To Stage To Screen Productions. She had the lead female role in this movie currently in the post-production process and set for release next year.

“Music gives children a creative outlet and this is one of the reasons why I am happy to perform for the Carol Channing - Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts. We must keep the music playing or the entire world will miss out on a lot.”

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December 13 to December 19, 2012

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PET PLACE

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Staci & Taxi: Beating the Odds

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his is the story of a amazing small dog with special needs. It is also the story of a special Coachella Valley animal rescuer who saved her. Stacey Lawler is the kennel manager at Save A Pet, a private no-kill shelter in Desert Hot Springs.

Stacey has a special affinity to work with all kinds of dogs, but her heart is with those who need the most help. Part of her job is selecting dogs to pull from public shelters where they may be euthanized. At Save A Pet they get a second chance to find a home.

Stacey spotted a tiny Chihuahua with two deformed hind legs in the back quarantine area of the county shelter, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus. The shelter labeled the 10-month-old animal “unadoptable” and she was scheduled to be euthanized the next day. Sadly, most potential adopters

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would not consider selecting a dog like Taxi.

Stacey adopted the dog as her own pet.

Stacey Lawler is experienced with special needs dogs. Maggie Mae, the first of Stacey’s wheelchair dogs, provided love and comfort when Stacey went through a tough time in her life. Stacey explains, “Maggie never left my side. I feel she saved me in a sense. People don’t realize these disabled dogs are as loving as other dogs if not more so.” These dogs show us through their joy and resilience that we humans can overcome our obstacles as well.

Taxi became a favorite Facebook story as hundreds of folks followed her search for the proper wheelchair. New technology has developed a variety of wheelchairs to fit each dog’s unique needs. The dog is strapped in with a nylon harness attached to a light framework with wheels. Taxi accompanied Stacey to work almost every day, becoming a fixture at Save A Pet and enjoying celebrity status and new mobility.

Imagine being able to run for the first time!

The 6 pound animal became a pampered, happy and playful pet.

All was well in Taxi’s world until October 6 when tragedy struck. Stacey decided to leave her dogs, including Taxi, at home that day. She has a large fenced in yard and a doggie door that allows the pets to go in and out. She returned home after work to find that someone had maliciously opened her gates and let the dogs out. Her other dogs were waiting at the front door. However, Taxi was missing!!

Stacey was heartsick. The Joshua Tree/ Morongo Valley desert is a dangerous

Meet Brewster I will do almost anything to get adopted by a loving family, including dressing up in these rabbit ears! As an older gentleman of 12 years, I qualify as a “special needs” dog, and the shelter will provide my arthritis medication for life. I am a handsome 80 pound registered American Pit Bull Terrier. I am a sweet loyal companion, & get along with other canines.

Love people, including the little ones! My hobbies are cooling off in the pool and getting belly rubs. I am in a foster home arranged by the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. Call (760) 333-4200.

by Rick Riozza

by Janet McAfee

region, full of coyotes, packs of wild dogs and rattlesnakes. The neighbors’ homes are some distance away. Stacey went out looking, combing every nick and cranny in desperation. The possibilities were ominous, including one that she had been abducted.

There was no sign of Taxi.

Photos went out on Facebook and flyers were posted in the community. Stacey notified the local newspaper and radio station. Friends arrived to help search.

Stacey barely slept for days, continuing to search the desert landscape on foot as hope dwindled with each passing day. Some phone calls came in, but they were from

people chiding Lawler for having dogs in an unlocked back yard. Without food and water it was unlikely Taxi could survive much longer. The desert days were still warm, though thankfully the summer heat had passed. Maybe a good Samaritan had taken Taxi into her home. Stacey wondered if she would be left without ever knowing Taxi’s fate.

Taxi did not have her wheelchair attached.

Dogs can only use their wheelchairs when people are present because if it tips over they cannot get up. Taxi was able to move using her front legs, but with limited mobility it was hard to fathom she could travel far.

On October 13, a call came into a local radio station. A woman who lived three quarters of a mile away from Stacey opened her front fenced gate to drive into her garage. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something pink flash by. She went over to investigate and found a small dog drinking water out of the pool. It was Taxi, still wearing the pink bandana Stacey put on the night before she went missing! Taxi beat the odds a second time, and her survival is a miracle considering the length of time she roamed the desert.

Lawler recalls, “She had obviously been in the desert for that entire time because she was extremely emaciated and dehydrated.

When that woman started describing Taxi and the bandanna on her neck, I started crying because I knew it wasn’t one of those other calls. I was just elated.” Special needs animals have a will to live beyond what we might imagine.

Special needs dogs can be terrific animals.

Some may need a little extra TLC, some may need medication, and others like Taxi can benefit from assistive technology. But they all touch your heart with their optimism and enthusiasm to live life every day, focusing on the good things and bestowing love on their owners.

You can see more of Taxi on her Facebook page, TAXI’S TRAVELS. These days, Taxi is happiest staying put and taking care of the new brood of tiny foster puppies at Lawler’s house. To adopt a rescue cat or dog, visit Save A Pet in Desert Hot Springs during their adoption hours, 12:00 noon until 4:00 pm daily, www.saveapetonline.org, (760) 329-8510. You can meet Stacey and Taxi in person at the shelter, although Taxi is not available for adoption! jmcafee7@verizon.net

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December 13 to December 19, 2012

THE VINO VOICE

Pinzimini: True Italian Dining

s with the Christmas Star, there is a new jewel shinning wonderfully bright and it’s got Italian cuisine written all over it! Pinzimini: it’s the new buzz word spoken for fine Italian dining.

I’m especially excited: For the last three years or so, whenever I come across a fine Italian restaurant, a glowing Italo-gastropub, or those tasty mom & pop or holein-the-wall Italian/Sicilian eateries, I write and categorize my column under the subtitle “Bit of Italy in the Desert” as there is a great Italian-American restaurant heritage in our valley. Benvenuto! Pinzimini [peenzuh-Mee-nee] at The Westin’s Mission Hills Resort & Spa is welcomed in & added to the ranks.

Unfortunately the economy has kept a lot of us from the usual Italian pilgrimage.

The good news is that we can at least enjoy the dining here and imagine ourselves in Florence with all the sights & sounds, smells & tastes, feel and—have I mentioned the vino! I assure you: this will be your season’s holiday restaurant treat, and, your reason to get out and dine more often during the rest of the year.

Pinzimini provides an encounter of dining in a modern, energetic atmosphere while enjoying a menu featuring a variety of top quality grilled meats, exceptional salads, simple pastas and traditional dishes for a comprehensive Tuscan-style dining experience.

The last time we visited, my son, Paolo— the foodie blogger, and I reviewed Mission Hill’s Fireside Lounge, and met with the Resort’s spirited Marketing Director, Denise Harnett. This time, to our delight, she joined us for the night’s Italian abbondanza.

And we were all in accord to immediately enjoy the Zardetto Private Cuvée Prosecco.

The chilled bottle displayed a sleek & sexy label and brought a quick Milano-chic look to our table top. Plus, I would call this a sexy sparkler. Its bouquet flaunted cherryalmond scents while still playing coy with a fresh and delicate flowery backdrop.

Zardetto’s palate is dry, tantalizing and fruity—easy to drink, with good acidity.

It was crying out for the Chef’s Antipasti Tasting Platter: Here we enjoyed Polpo— grilled octopus; Polpette—veal & beef meatball; Datteri Locali, made with Rogue River blue cheese, handcrafted pancetta, and dates; Olive Misti, Carciofi Arrosti— which are brick oven roasted artichokes with

olive oil, lemon and parmigiano cheese; Fiori di Zucchini Fritti—crispy zucchini blossoms, ricotta, mozzarella in arrabita sauce; and, the famous Creminelli Artisan Salumi plate consisting of Sopressata, Mortadella, Prosciutto, and other deliciously cured meats.

For the record: Just last week, I ordered the fried zucchini blossoms at a trendy Pizzeria that opened up down the road.

They were sorry to report the blossoms were out of season. Hmmm—that’s funny, the Fiori here at Pinzimini were real, fresh, and delicious! So who you gonna call!

And speaking of blossoms, the next wine on our table supplied wonderful aromas of citrus blossoms and green apples. Michele Chiarlo’s Gavi, made from the Cortese grape, is fruit-driven with crisp acidity.

Therefore the culinary match was fish, and, the focus would be the citrus. Both the Branzino Agrodulce—whole roasted sea bass with roasted fennel, crispy sage, citrus and a sweet & sour sauce, and, the Salmone alla Griglia—grilled salmon with salsa verde & grilled lemon were desirous of the light clean flavors of the Gavi.

The whole roasted sea bass was presented as though it just came up from the romantic sea coast of Bogheri. Easily a scrumptious meal for two. And do keep the Gavi chilled: it’ll continue to cleanse the palate no matter what you’re having.

And since everyone thinks about pizza once a day, of course we couldn’t pass up trying one. Hand-tossed and made from dopple zero Italian wheat flour with fresh made mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, spicy Italian sausage, olives, Serrano chile, and spicy oil—well, it’s the Pizza Vulcano that came fulminating out of the high-heat wood burning oven. This Napolitano-style thin crust pizza is as good as it gets in the valley.

Both the Prosecco and the Gavi work well with pizza, but it was time to bring out the red Italian. Actually—as soon as you are seated, I recommend ordering your Italian red wine and having it uncorked and decanted, or, simply have your server provide a large pour into the wine glass where it can aerate—as will the remaining wine in the bottle at the same pace as well.

Whether you’re focusing on soups, pastas, pizza, meats, or all of them as we did, Italian red wine with its complex fruit & earth and vibrant acidity is always and

classically food friendly wine. One cannot miss with Pizimini’s elegant and streamlined wine list. Any of the various 12 Italian reds listed will be a fine choice: Barbera and Chianti are lighter bodied wines with cleansing acidity; the Corta Giada (MerlotCorvina) and the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre will be more lush.

We decided on the Masi Campoflorin and the Frescobaldi Tenuto Castiglione because we were all feeling very Italian and these producers are historically as Italian as they come! The bouquet of the Masi hit us like a Roman candle: Red fruit jam, candied black cherry, spicy notes of cloves, licorice, and balsamic syrup.

However, when tasting, it was tight! It was a wine so full of potential and ready to burst—but holding back. This is why decanting Italian wines are so important. Yes—the wine did come around, smooth with deep cherry fruit, a little raisin—a little cocoa, a very tasty medium-bodied wine.

The Frescobaldi is what they call a “Super Tuscan” where the Italian Sangiovese grape meets up with old-vine French grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is a world class wine, a great value, and a great opportunity to enjoy it—difficult to find at any local wineshop.

To match with these wonderful wines, we were not shy to order the Minestrone di Pesto—a comfort soup just like mama use to prepare on cold nights; the Bistecca alla Griglia, an aged rib eye with Barolo mushroom sauce and grilled lemon; Braciola di Maiale—a bone-in pork chop alongside lemon gremolata & mostarda; Pappardelle all Bolognese—handmade pappardelle pasta with butcher shop Bolognese of beef and pork.

The rib eye and the pork chop—both tender, juicy and flavorful, were exquisitely prepared with their respective sauces. The

meat brought out the latent mushroom & forest notes in both wines. The grilled char on both meats simply added to the complexities of the plates. I can see myself enjoying the chop every time I come in.

And for good measure, the Risotto del Giorno prepared with herbs, Pinot Grigio, and Grana Padano cheese and the Polenta Fritte which is a crispy polenta.

Perhaps the crowning dish on the menu is the Bistecca alla Fiorentina. For two persons, it’s a Tuscan-style olive oil marinated 38oz Porterhouse steak roasted with sage, rosemary in brown butter with Pizimini’s own Barolo mushroom sauce.

This dish was a knock-out at their Grand Opening a month ago. Paolo commented that it compared to the Bistecca he had in Venice. Rare to medium rare, carved and emersed in the pomegranate red wine mushroom sauce, the plate is fabulous—è semplicemente favoloso!

Our meal was wonderfully enhanced when the James Beard Honored Executive Chef Joel Delmond sat with us and discussed his menu and take on life. Quite an interesting and accomplished man. We missed Restaurant Chef Shawn Aoki that evening, but his creative culinary flair was present in the meal.

The restaurant is newly renovated featuring outside dining and an interactive display kitchen. As you can see by the photo the place is both elegant & and beautifully designed—with great atmosphere. The Service staff was very attentive and very gracious.

If good food brings people together, then a great Italian meal must bring out the Italian in all of us as we shout out “Momma Mia!” or the new buzzword: “Pinzimini!” while dinning at this first class restaurant.

71333 Dinah Shore Drive · Rancho Mirage · Ca. 760.770.2150

13

December 13 to December 19, 2012

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Experience It, Taste It, Live It!

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)

Restaurant & Lounge Presents

Michael D’ Angelo SONGS OF AN ERA Fri. & Sat. 7-10pm

Steaks • Chops • Seafood SUMMERS HOURS

Tues. - Sat. Lunch 11 am - 2:30pm Dinner 5 - 8:30pm Happy Hour 11am - 6pm

760.345.6503

www.caseyspd.com 42544 Washington St, Palm Desert, CA 92211

14

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Monday: 4.99 Meatloaf dinner Tuesday: Taco Tues $1.00 Taco’s Wednesday: Two for 1 Rib Thursday: Pulled Pork Sandwich For 4.99 Friday: Live Dinner Music from 5:30-9 Prime Rib Saturday: Live Dinner Music from 5:30-9 Prime Rib Sunday: Line Dancing with Tina 5:30-9

50048 29 Palms Highway Morongo Valley, CA

760-363-3343

THU DECEMBER 13 29 PALMS INN; 29 PALMS ; 760-3673505 Bev and Bill 6pm (JZ) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day in the Amigo Room 10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Rudy de la Mor 7pm (PB) BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 DJ Party 6:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King Band 6pm CAFÉ PALETTE; PS; 760-322-9264 Jersey Shore & Friends 7pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 6pm (PB) CHARLI MARRONE’S; IND; 760-6251500 Karaoke CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Johnny Morris 6pm (PB) DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Nancy Franklin 8pm DESERT SAGE; LQ; 760-564-8744 Danny Sands 5-9pm Johnny Meza 10pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760325-2600 Bingo DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-2511991 Karaoke ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760992-0002 Lola Rossi-Meza & Johnny Meza 5-9pm (JZ) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6-10pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-5645353 Mark Gregg 5:30pm LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Dennis Michaels 6pm (PB) LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Country Night w/ Gold Rush Country 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 8-1am (LR) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Eddie Gee 6-10pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 Karaoke 9pm THE OUTPOST TAVERN; C.C.; 760328-9004 Karaoke w/ DJ Stuart 8pm OVER THE TOP; PS; 760-325-5100

Karaoke PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 From Po’Girl:Awna Teixeira & Rabbit & Rutherford 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Jam Session w/ Terry Williams 6:30-9:30pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161 Monte Oliver 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760327-8311 Rebecca Connelly, Sidebar 6:30-10pm ROC’S FIREHOUSE; PD; 760-340-3222 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Karaoke 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 The Smooth Brothers (BL) (RG) TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am THREESIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Mike Costley 7:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Carolyn Martinez & The Trio 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Nite Fixx 9pm DJ upstairs 9:30pm WALLY’S DESERT TURTLE; RM; 760568-9321 Bob Yetter 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Bill Saitta Jazz 7-11pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Nuts and Bolts Match Party 9pm

FRI DECEMBER 14 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 Friends of the Smell presents: Sister Mantos & Spaceships 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Karaoke w/ AJ The KJ 8-12am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Sassy Shore Show 8pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 DJ Party 6:30pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760775-5566 DJ PWee 8pm (VD) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6pm CAFÉ PALETTE; PS; 760-322-9264 John Gallagher 7pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Dynamic Daze 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 6pm (PB) CHARLI MARRONE’S; IND; 760-6251500 Club Night w/ DJ 9pm 18+ CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Paul Patterson 6pm (PB) DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699

DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Cool Grooves w/ Timber Woolfe DESERT SAGE; LQ; 760-564-8744 Danny Sands 5-9pm Johnny Meza 10pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-325-2600 Lassie Jo’s Best Damn Karaoke 7pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-2511991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6-10pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-7777773 Alternating groups 8-11pm (RR) HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 Over the Wall 8-11pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Blasting Echo w/ Jaimie Palumba 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live DJ 8:30pm (VD) LA BRASSERIE BISTRO; LQ; 760-7714400 Doug MacDonald 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-5645353 Johnny Meza 6pm LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Dennis Michaels 6pm (PB) LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 New Breed 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Mischief 9pm (VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Mark Guerrero & Dennis Alvarez 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 Dali’s Llama w/ Hot Beat Pussy Fiend 9pm THE OUTPOST TAVERN; C.C.; 760328-9004 Karaoke w/ DJ Stuart 8pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-345-0222 Reaction 6-10pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Juli Crockett & The Evangenitals 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Karaoke w/ Amber Stream 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161 The Gand Band 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Hot Beat Pussy Fiend 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Rebecca Connelly Sidebar 6:3010pm, Will Champlin Sidebar 10pm-cl ROCK GARDEN BAR & EATERY; PS;

Smash Fridays 10pm ROC’S FIREHOUSE; PD; 760-340-3222 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 DJ Music 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 The P.S. Blues w/ Gil Hansen and Tony Dean 8pm (BL) SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. (JZ)(RR) TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 T.B.A. 9pm THREESIXTY NOR­­TH; PS; 760-3271773 John McCormick 8pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951755-5391 Funky Fridays 10pm (VD) VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Nite Fixx 9pm DJ upstairs 9:30pm WALLY’S DESERT TURTLE; RM; 760568-9321 Bob Yetter 6-10pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760328-5955 Michael Keeth 7pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Live entertainment 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760-564-2201 JB Burrell 7-10pm (CR) WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 T.B.A. 7-11pm (CR) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ Bigster 9pm

SAT DECEMBER 15 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 The Caddies 10pm 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Beverly & Bill 6-9pm (JZ) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Linda Gerard:Fabulous Selections:Record Release Party 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Karaokie Jo 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Secretly Square:Guilty Pleasure Songs featuring Francesca Amari 7:30pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760775-5566 DJ PWee (VD) BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madeo 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Dynamic Daze 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 6pm (PB) CHARLI MARRONE’S; IND; 760-6251500 Live Bands 8pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6:30-9:30pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-

3660 Paul Patterson 6pm (PB) DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 Dani & The Scarlet Fevers, Giselle Woo & The Night Owls, and Sailors of Neptune 8pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Lisa Coleman 8pm DESERT SAGE; LQ; 760-564-8744 Danny Sands 5-9pm Johnny Meza 10pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760325-2600 Karaoke Madness 8pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-2511991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6-10pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-7777773 Rob Martinez and JB 8-11pm (LR) THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 7pm HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 Gulian’s Lunch Box 8-11pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Pictures From Eden 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank Di Salvo 6-9:30pm LA BRASSERIE BISTRO; LQ; 760-7714400 Todd Ashley 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-5645353 Johnny Meza 6pm LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Dennis Michaels 6pm (PB) LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 New Breed 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Mischief 9pm (VD) MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm (PB)(VD) MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Mark Guerrero & Dennis Alvarez 6:30pm MYSTIQUE LOUNGE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 888-MORONGO; Bobby & Unruley Cooley 9pm (VD) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm (PB) NYPD; PS; 760-778-6973 Live DJ O’LEARY’S; PS; 760-325-4913 Karaoke PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Live Entertainment 9pm (RR) PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-345-0222 Walt Young & The Muddy Sparks Band 6-10pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 I See Hawks in L.A. 8pm

PEABODY’S; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Naughty or Nice Christmas Party w/ Zee Gudda & DJ Rich 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161 The Gand Band 8pm RENAISSANCE PALM; PS; 760-3226100 Art of Sax featuring Sax Man Will Donato & Eddie Reddick 7-10pm (JZ) RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Natural Heights 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760327-8311 Will Champlin, Sidebar 6:30-10pm, The Clueless Remix Starlite Lounge 10-cl ROC’S FIREHOUSE; PD; 760-340-3222 Alyce Bowie 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 6-10pm (RR) SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 The P.S. Blues w/ Gil Hansen and Tony Dean 8pm (BL) SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Smooth Brothers (BL)(RG) TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 T.B.A. 9pm THREESIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Darci Daniels 7:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951755-5391 DJ Hektik 10pm (VD) VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Nite Fixx 9pm DJ upstairs 9:30pm WALLY’S DESERT TURTLE; RM; 760568-9321 Bob Yetter 6-10pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760328-5955 Michael Keeth 7pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke Show 9-2am THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760-564-2201 Mark Linford 7-10pm (AC) WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Damon Von Baun Jazz 7-11pm (JZ) ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ PJ& DJ Bigster (VD)

SUN DECEMBER 16 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

continue to page 20

December 13 to December 19, 2012

Come Experience Dive Bar History Serving the Desert Since 1968 Entertainment Nightly

Live M Thurs usic , Fr & Sat i

POOL TABLE • JUKEBOX • SHUFFLEBOARD

Happy Hour 8 to noon everyday $3 Well Drinks $3 Imports $2 Domestic $5 Pint Size Bloody Marys

73290 HWY 111 Palm Desert, CA 92260 • (760) 346-0191 Friday 8pm eam ber Str Karaoke w/ Am Saturday 9pm e Naughty or Nic y Christmas Part

www.myplanBbar.com 32025 MONTEREY, THOUSAND PALMS

Corner of Monterey & Ramon

760.343.2115

KARAOKE 8 PM EVERY NIGHT

DESERT’S LONGEST HAPPY HOUR 10AM - 8PM EVERYDAY

Western Grill

Breakfast Served Every Day from 10am to Noon Wednesday Steak Night $18.50 Porterhouse $17.50 Ribeye & New York $13.75 Ribeye with Trimmings

$5 menu open to close (all day) Hours 10 - 2 am Everyday

80956 Hwy 111, Indio

(760) 347-1522 15

December 13 to December 19, 2012

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

the Pampered palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Raymond Bill

Chapelli’s

Birba Restaurant

A

s I continue to seek out the best restaurants in Palm Springs, I realize how many choices in which we have to dine. With so many new restaurants opening and the busy season upon us, there is much competition for a great dining experience. With the success of Cheeky’s and Jiao, a new restaurant is open at the North end of Palm Canyon. Birba is a small eatery that boasts great pizzas and cocktails while offering many other gourmet treats in a modern yet welcoming outdoor environment.

Perfect for a date night, we could see the glow of the lights in the patio trees as we walked toward the restaurant. Whether they are just for the holiday or year round, these lights set the ambiance and make the most of their space as there is no indoor seating. While there is a covered bar that displays many spirits and liqueurs and offering the full menu, tables are available on the large patio for dining. We were seated at a table of our choice, one of just a few available. We were immediately offered a beverage and the service was consistent. After a cocktail and some light conversation, we began with a starter salad.

The Tricolore Chopped Salad was light yet intense with flavor. A medley of arugula,

radicchio and endive lettuces, this appetizer is topped with shaved parmesan and fried garlic slivers that give a savory kick that lingers on your taste buds.

I had heard how wonderful their pizzas are and I will definitely return to try them, but I decided to order the Salmon en Papillote: Wild Salmon wrapped in parchment paper and filled with orzo pasta. The fish was fresh and perfectly prepared. Placed in front of me on a small wooden board, I was left to unwrap my meal as if it were a holiday present. It would have been a nice touch had the server offered to do this as it can be a little messy, but it was not a difficult task.

My date was halfway through the Eggplant Bolognese when I was offered a bite. It was delicious! Not too tender and mushy nor too firm, this dish was reminiscent of the Eggplant Parmesan offered in a local fine dining Italian restaurant, only meatier.

Entrée portions are light compared to some restaurants but were perfect for my taste. It allowed us to have just enough room to share the Olive Oil Cake with an Orange Crème Fraiche. The cake was moist and the topping was rich and tangy. The food is an incredible value and portioned well. Overall, I would say this restaurant

contributed to a wonderful night out on the town! Birba is closed Monday and Tuesday, serving dinner from 5pm Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner service is extended to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and

lunch is offered weekends from 11am to 5pm. Birba is located at 622 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs and you can see more of their menu at www.birbaps.com or call at 760-327-5678.

Stop by and pick up a Chapelli’s Gift Card for the Holidays, and receive an additional 15% added to your purchase price!

• New and exciting contemporary cuisine • Exceptional ingredients including the best available local and organic products • Not just dinner, it is an experience

It’s a great deal for the Holidays and makes a great gift!

Chapelli’s

GIFT CARD

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Happy Holidays Folks!

Open for dinner Tues.-Sat. 5:00 - 9:30 pm

68525 Ramon Ed., Ste. A-101 Cathedral City, CA 92234 Reservation are strongly suggested

Chapellisrestaurant.com

760.832.6526 www.dishcreativecuisine.com

760-564-9835

TO SATUR

DAY

$3a.d99 ONMeLnY tion this

Fresh Fish, Soups & Pasta Daily Happy Hour • Martini Bar • Superb Wine Jazz Night Tuesday 7:30-10pm Saturday Jazz on The Patio with Linda Peterson 12:30 - 3:30pm

GREAT NIGHTLY SPECIALS

ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY NIGHT AJ the KJ 8-12 SATURDAY NIGHT Karaokie Jo 7-11pm “Classic Country Club Fair with a SPLASH! of fun” Outdoor Fireside Dinning

Cathedral City’s “Hottest New Spot” Date Palm Country Club 36-200 Date Palm Drive Cathedral City, 92234

• Award Winning Pizza Voted “Best of the Valley” Two Years Straight • Over 100 Menus Items Ranging From Prime Steak to Fresh Seafood • Full Bar and 40 Wines by the Glass • Two Large Patios to Enjoy Views of the Santa Rosa Mountains • All Day Take Out and Catering Available

Mexican Cuisine

www.guillermosrestaurante.com • 72-850 El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA

DAILY HAPPY HOUR 3-6PM

760.777.9989

Located in Old Town La Quinta

Thank you to our wonderful customers who voted for BEST OF T us as the HE B FRENCH EST RESTAURA NT

For Reservation

760-771-4400

www.labrasserielaquinta.com 78-477 Highway 111, La Quinta, CA 92253

ajsonthegreen@gmail.com

760-202-1111

A Family Owned Restaurant & Bar

Ask Us About O New Get ur Fit Menu

73-820 El Paseo, Palm Desert • 760.346.6393

Golf Course & Restaurant Open to Public

Kitchen open until 9pm Monday - Saturday • Sunday until 2pm 5$ appetizers throughout the lounge

BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER

• Seafood & Steaks • Private Room • Fresh Made Margaritas • Cocktails • Happy Hour

16

MONDAY

Where Friends Meet Friends

with more than 300 tequilas!!

760.341.0980

Two Egg Special t s a f k a e r B

BackStreet Bistro

TEQUILA BAR

Lunch: Monday - Saturday 11:30-2:30 Dinner: Monday to Sunday 4:30 - 9:30

December 13 to December 19, 2012

Lunch: 11am to 4pm Happy Hour: 2pm to 5pm Dinner: 4pm to 9pm

MENTION THIS AD & RECEIVE

20% OFF Excluding Alcohol. Not valid with any other offer. Offer Expires 12/31/12

44-100 Jefferson St, Suite E#502, Indio

760-200-8787

17

December 13 to December 19, 2012

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Screeners No. 38

by Heidi Simmons

T

BEN-HUR -- BEST BLU-RAY OF 2012?

THE HOBBIT OVERWHELMS IN 5 VERSIONS

First of all, the movie has been meticulously restored in picture and sound.

It is a ravishing sight to behold this still thrilling, old-school movie melodrama. No question about that. And the fabled chariot race that unfolds in real time is, in my opinion, the best sustained action sequence of all time. The entire race from set-up to crowned winner is about 45 minutes and took over three months to shoot. According to one of the movie’s sound editors I spoke with, he used 50 different analog audio tracks to get that sustained thundering of horses’ hooves, chariot crashes, whips snapping and crowds cheering. It’s a visceral rush you can feel on your skin that is even more intense on the clarified and enhanced Blu-ray disc played on a great audio system.

That kind of handcrafted sonic attention is not done today since movie sound is often synthetically created and/or digitally designed. The rich color in every frame has been saturated back to its original level and all the negative flaws, fades and scratches have been individually and precisely removed. The resulting image dazzles. I think, and this is subjective, that BEN-HUR looks a little better than the new release of David Lean’s stunning Blu-ray LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Both films are worthy of any digital home library.

Shortly after its release for home video, I had the pleasure of watching BEN-HUR with the late production artist Robert Ayres

18

(1913-2012) who designed the look of the chariots as well as the beautiful opening nativity sequence that includes not only the birth of the Christ child in a cavern-like manger but also the visit and look of the wise men. Their costumes and physicality leave no doubt as to their regal and wise origins.

The whole intro is a living Christmas card!

Such an iconic and familiar event is given both reverence and grit in unexpected ways that set the tone of the entire film. It was fun hearing Ayres’ memories as he watched this film for the first time in 50 years. Then something struck me about BEN-HUR. Now I know why I think it’s the best Blu-ray of 2012: It is supremely relevant.

In a world that struggles with the heavy burden of a warring humanity under the guise of religion, here’s a movie that speaks directly to the hottest flash point in our world. Before he started production, director William Wyler said he wanted to out-do Cecil B. DeMille in creating the ultimate Biblical epic “and who better than a Jew to make a movie about Jesus Christ”?

The movie (there was a spectacular silent version Wyler also worked on) is based on Civil War General Lew Wallace’s nearly unreadable novel that itself began as a bet on a train. Wallace is said to have made the claim that he could write a story that would destroy the alleged divinity of Jesus and His message of Love. Or so the story goes. But of course, the novel did just the opposite.

At the heart of Wyler’s movie, the plot centers on a justifiably angry Jew on the

represented an element of himself. He has been criticized for his gun advocacy and his wooden acting, but it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the iconic role of Judah BenHur. And he did win a Best Actor Oscar©.

In a world tense with issues of Jewish, Muslim and Christian conflicts at their most basic levels, BEN-HUR offers much more than a melodramatic come-to-Jesus solution. In fact, it’s not really “A Tale of the Christ” as much as it is a tale about humanity. Here’s a movie that dares to suggest we are all one family and that it is in our shared best interest to find common ground in an increasingly small world. After all, the notion of “Love your neighbor, do good to those that hate you” may be the one thing that has not yet been tried in the world. So it’s not about embracing a religion, and certainly not about converting Jews to Christianity. Remember, Judah BenHur is not a convert, but he is a changed man: his hate has vanished. And what better message for this season that brings celebrations of hope and peace and love to a world in turmoil and pain? It’s an idea embedded in all the great religions as well as ethical non-religious advocates. We are one family, and that is the message of BENHUR. As Hugh Griffith’s Sheik Ilderim says, “It’s good for my people and yours.” BENHUR is not just the best-looking Blu-ray of 2012, but also the most dangerous.

ON THE BIG SCREEN:

THE HOBBIT, AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

road to revenge who crosses paths with the Man of Peace. It’s a pretty radical theme that probably would not be green-lighted today.

I met Charlton Heston several times socially. I liked him. His best roles

Big, beautiful, funny, scary and looooong.

And this is only one-third (!) of Tolkien’s 1937 children’s book that’s set 60 years before the events of the sprawling RINGS trilogy. For me, the big thing that stands out about Peter Jackson’s guaranteed global hit is the astonishing Hobbit world resurrected in even more detail and splendor than before, if that’s possible! Ian McKellan’s Gandalf the Grey, slightly younger, is more congenial here, even as he warns Martin

Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins he may not return from the adventure on which the wizard is sending him.

I liked the Goblin King and the jovial, bearded, bulbous-nosed Dwarves who are determined to recapture their land from Smaug the dragon. In this prequel, Sauron is called the Necromancer since his evil reign is yet to come. I liked the giant spiders and the muddle-headed old wizard Radagast the Brown that no one takes seriously (mistake?). But it’s Andy Serkis and his incredible performance as the pathetic but frightening, conflicted, schizoid creature that lingers longest in my mind. Sirkis, utilizing the remarkable motion capture upgrades, makes Gollum a more flesh and blood creature than in the previous films.

And that is something indeed.

It’s hard to believe that film technology and the special effects, digital and otherwise, that envelope the audience in an alternate and utterly believable world can get any better. For the discerning fan, this first installment in a contrived trilogy (where one film would be more than sufficient) can be seen in five different versions. You’ve got your 2D and 3D as well as the Imax iteration. And then there’s the much discussed and debated 48 frame rate (also in 3D). Normal movie frame rate is 24 frames per second so the faster film speed enhances the clarity to a surreal level that is at first a little unsettling. Tolkien’s stories are so well known that I will not discuss the plot other than to say the movie abruptly ends just when it really gets going. Jackson’s a genius and clearly a true Tolkien fan, but there’s a sour taste in the enterprise in that a seemingly greed-driven decision has been made to squeeze as much money from audiences as possible by stretching out the slender, single volume children’s tale to three massive films.

Comments? RobinESimmons@aol.com

Book Review

This Years Favorites Make Perfect Gifts

HOLIDAY FARE LOOMS LARGE his week a reader asked, What’s the best Blu-ray release of the year? The question caught me off-guard. Best looking? Best movie? After some thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best and best looking hi-def release of 2012 for home video is BEN-HUR, William Wyler’s 1959 epic of revenge and redemption.

December 13 to December 19, 2012

A List of Authors, Their Books And Those Who Will Love Them

I

love the look and feel of a bound book. The smell of the paper, the cover art and the excitement of getting involved in a compelling narrative is one of life’s great pleasures. I like having books around. Some are very good friends and I always appreciate their company.

If you have a gift list you need to fill, please consider books. It’s the present that can be opened over and over and still thrill, surprise and entertain. I’m all for electronic books.

They are private and easy to carry, but an e-book file can’t be wrapped. If the books you seek are not on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, no worries, they can be found somewhere on-line and mailed directly to your home or that of the lucky recipient.

Here are some of the favorites I reviewed since the CVW began. The authors can be trusted, your gift will be appreciated and your giving will be a success. Something for everybody. Check the authors and books below: Non-Fiction: Candice Millard. History is never boring with Millard. In fact it is quite the opposite -- it is thrilling. They are hard to put down. She writes with such depth and detail you’d think she was there as it happened. She weaves such an exciting tale about known historic figures it will give you a new perspective on the characters and the events that shaped our country.

Books by Millard: Destiny Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President and The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (both Anchor Books) make a perfect gift for anyone who loves American history, adventure, politics.

Fiction: Rob Roberge. I’m fond of flawed, marginalized and borderline characters. I find those who live on the fringe and struggle to maintain a life in the world of responsible “normal” people, fascinating. Local author Roberge has a way of pulling the reader into the lives and heads of these “types” where we recognize how close we are to resembling them. And how easy it is to get sucked into

something shady or dangerous and out of control.

Books by Roberge: Working Backwards From The Worst Moment of My Life (Red Hen Press); Drive (Hollyridge Press); More Than They Could Chew (Perennial Dark Alley) make perfect gifts for anyone who loves short stories, is hip, has an appreciation for the grittier side of life and doesn’t mind spending time on the wrong side of the tracks dodging on-rushing trains.

Biography: Walter Isaacson. Getting an inside look at someone’s life is universal pleasure -- especially if that someone is a public figure. Understanding a person, famous or infamous, why they are the way they are (or were) and what forces or eventws shaped them is hugely entertaining.

Isaacson understands how even small events become part of the big picture that makeup a life. He skillfully creates a compelling narrative that conjures a living and breathing person Books by Isaacson: Steve Jobs: A Biography; Einstein; Ben Franklin (all Simon & Schuster) make a perfect gift for those who love history, business, psychology and invention.

Memoir: Jill Bolte Taylor. An honest and humble telling of personal tragedy and triumph is riveting as she articulate’s her own terrifying experience with a brain aneurism and resulting coma. Bolte Taylor’s expertise as a doctor of neuro-anatomy allows her to recount her awakening and recovery from the inside out. She gives the reader a look at how complex and resilient our brain and body can be.

Book by Bolte Taylor: My Stroke Of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey.

(Plume) makes a perfect gift for those who love science, personal triumph, know a stroke victim, who seek to understand the mystery of the mind, have an appreciation for living in the present.

Self-help: LD Thompson. There are many great mysteries in this world and the

challenge of living everyday is complicated.

Having tools that help manage the joy and the chaos can only be a good thing. Thompson has a very gentle nature and the wisdom he “channels” is sincere and comforting.

Book by Thompson: The Message: A Guide To Being Human (Divine Arts) makes the perfect gift for those who are open-

• • • • • • •

minded, seek a centered existence, enjoy meditation and desire to be a better person while roaming the planet.

All of the above are satisfying reads.

Those you think are hard to buy for may not be so difficult when you consider there is a book for everyone. Happy holidays and make time to enjoy a book.

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

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19

December 13 to December 19, 2012 continue from page 15

Show 7:30pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 DJ Party 6:30pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm (LR) CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Paul Patterson 6pm (PB) DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke 9pm DILLON ROADHOUSE; DHS; 760-2511991 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6-10pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Michael Keeth INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 The Ted Herman 18 Pc. Big Band 6-8pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Robin Miller 6pm (PB) THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Karaoke Joe 7pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm (PB) PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Longest Running Jam Session in the valley. Hosted by JB, Sign up 6pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-

Farmer Boys 81951 California 111 Indio, CA 92201

5956 The Sunday Band 7pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161 Kal David 7-11pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 8311 Art of Sax Trio 5-9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Smooth Brothers (RR)(LR) THREESIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Reggie Vision 6:30pm TWIN PALMS BISTRO; PS; 760-3220700 Jazz Sundays w/ Tibor Lesko & Friends 11-2pm and 5-7pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Linda Peterson 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Sunday Skool 9pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Line Dancing w/ Tina 5:30-9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Barry Baughn Blues Band 7-11pm

MON DECEMBER 17 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bonnie Scott 6pm (AC) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Sissy Bingo w/ Linda Gerard 7-9pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 DJ Party 6:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Music Mondays 9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6-10pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Dennis Michaels 6pm (PB) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm (PB) NYPD; PS; 760-778-6973 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Night 7pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS;

American

(760) 863-5050 www.farmerboys.com

Wine Bar

78015 Main Street #109 La Quinta, CA

Roc’s Firehouse 36891 Cook St # 10 Palm Desert, CA 92211

American

American

(760) 340-3222 www.rocsfirehouse.com

Tack Room 81800 Avenue 51 Indio, CA 92201

Casey’s

42455 Washington Street Palm Desert, CA 92211

(760) 345-6503

www.caseysrestaurant.com

20

73505 El Paseo Palm Desert, CA

TUE DECEMBER 18 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Rojer & Bobby 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm (CB) BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 DJ Party 6:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Johnny Morris 6pm (PB) DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Andrew, Matt & Mike 8:30pm DESERT SAGE; LQ; 760-564-8744 Steve Denny 5-9pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760992-0002 John Stanley King 5-9pm (JZ)(BL) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6-10pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Supersuckers w/ The Hellions and Gun Em Down 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm (VD) LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Dennis Michaels 6pm (PB) NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522

American

American

American

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45 (PB) PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Eclectic Tuesdays.

Singer/songwriter night. All acts welcome. Hosted by JB, Sign up 7pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161 Monte Oliver 7pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Open Mic 8pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Dr. Paul 6pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. (RR)(JZ) TAQUERIA GUERRERO’S; TP; 760343-5971 DJ Keith 9pm THREESIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Reggie Vision 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 The King’s Town Trio 9pm WALLY’S DESERT TURTLE; RM; 760568-9321 Bob Yetter 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Michael Boliver 6:30-9pm

WED DECEMBER 19 29 PALMS INN; 29P; 760-367-3505 Bobby And Randy (BL) ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Howie Pyro 10pm (VD) AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Rudy de la Mor 7pm (PB) BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 DJ Party 6:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 6pm (PB) CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Johnny Morris 6pm (PB) DESERT SAGE; LQ; 760-564-8744 Steve Denny 5-9pm Industry Night w/ DJ Johnnie 10pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760992-0002 Rose Mallet 5-9pm (JZ)(BL) FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6-10pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-

Babes Bar-B-Que American & Brewhouse

Charli Marrones

(760) 346-8738

(760) 625-1500

71800 Hwy 111, Rancho Mirage

42250 Jackson Street #101 Indio, CA

www.babesbbque.com

www.charlimarrones.com

AJ’s on the Green American 36-200 Date Palm Dr Cathedral City

ajsonthegreen@gmail.com

Western Grill

Lavender Bistro Continental 78073 Calle Barcelona La Quinta, CA 92253

(760) 564-5353 www.lavenderbistro.com

2155 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262

El Mexicali II 43-430 Monroe St. Indio, CA

Irish

78772 California 111 La Quinta, CA 92253 www.lamppostpizza.com

Crab Pot

70030 California 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

Seafood

(760) 321-7635

www.crabpotranchomirage.com

Mexican

(760) 342-2333

Pacifica

73505 El Paseo # 2500 Palm Desert

Seafood

(760) 674-8666

www.elmexicalicafe2.com

San Miguel

Pizza

Lamppost

(760) 564-4568

www.dickieoneal.com

Western (760) 347-1522 Grill Restaurant & Lounge 80956 Hwy 111 Indio, CA 92201

Dickie O’Neals

Italian

(760) 325-2600 American

7773 Demetrius Houser 7-10pm HAMILTON’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL; LQ; 760-698-8303 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8:30-12:30am JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live Music (RR) LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-5645353 Mark Gregg 5:30pm LE PAON; PD; 760-610-5320 Dennis Michaels 6pm (PB) MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Michael Healy 8pm 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) PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Walking Papers featuring Duff McKagan 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161 Karaokie Jo 7pm ROC’S FIREHOUSE; PD; 760-340-3222 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Dr. Paul 6pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Straight Ahead Jazz (JZ) THREESIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Shaken Not Stirred 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Nite Sixx 9pm WALLY’S DESERT TURTLE; RM; 760568-9321 Johnny Meza & Company 6-10pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760328-5955 Art of Sax 7-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Mara Getz Jazz 6-10pm

www.pacificaseafoodrestaurant.com

Mexican

35 320 Date Palm Dr, Cathedral City (760) 328-9402 TAQUERIA SAN MIGUEL 72 450 Ramon Rd Mexican Restaurant Mariscos & Cantina 1000 Palms (760) 343-7340

35 320 Date Palm Dr, Cathedral City

(760) 328-9402

72 450 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms

(760) 343-7340

List your Restaurant AD here. Call Philip at 760-501-6228 For Details.

December 13 to December 19, 2012

Education

by Curtis Hendricks

Get in the Spirit with Local School Winter Performances

T

he next coming weeks will prove to be entertaining, and give us a true sense of the winter spirit.

Local schools across the valley are diligently practicing and fine tuning their winter program performances for your enjoyment.

High schools, middle schools, even some elementary schools are working hard to bring that special moment to their parents, classmates, school staff, and the community.

I remember my own experiences being a part of the school band, jazz band, and choir. We would practice daily as the winter shows approached. I would consistently catch myself humming Christmas music during my regular classes, and I would never let my mother listen to Christmas music while I was around because I had enough during school. Regardless of my build up distain for Christmas music, I was always excited and proud to perform for anyone

who would come to see the show.

Everyone should take the chance and see a winter performance at a local school.

These students work so hard. Some schools do charge to see the winter performances, but the fee is worth it to support the program. You can find performances all over the valley’s many local schools. If you like to see the young ones dressed in their winter best, I suggest middle schools. Many middle schools have a music program, such as Indio Middle, Thomas Jefferson, Colonel Mitchell Page, Bobby Duke, and Raymond Cree just to name a few. If you want to see a larger band with seasoned musicians, I suggest you take in a good high school performance. Every regular high school in the valley is having a winter performance.

High school performances can be some of the best performances in town. Most of these young musicians have been playing

since middle school, and can hold their own with most adult professional musicians. All of the show will take place during the week of the 17th. You can find the show dates and times on the schools’ websites. Some of the shows will conflict so choose carefully if attending more than one show.

If you are a religious person, I highly suggest you attend one of the Christmas performances at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Indio, or Sacred Heart School in Palm Desert. Both schools will put on a wonderful show telling the biblical journey of the birth of Christ and Christmas. The kids perform and sing as the biblical story comes alive.

The Coachella Valley has something for everyone during this holiday season.

College of the Desert (COD) is also having a winter event. On campus, in the Pollock Theater, many performances will take place from 12/11 through 12/17.

N

From jazz, to symphony, to vocal recitals, COD is pulling out all the stops this season. For further information on these performances, you can call (760) 773-2565, or visit collageofthedesert.edu. These performances will be highly professional, and provide a great night out at the theater.

I urge you all as a community to go out and support your local school during these winter shows. You do not need to have a child attending the school. These performances are meant to showcase what the music or performing arts departments are accomplishing. Also, the children will love to see a full house. I know what it is like to look out into the audience and see all the seats filled. At that moment, I knew all the hard work was worth it. Lest give these students the same feeling while taking in a bit of the holiday spirit.

Safety Tips

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Restaurant guide

sullivanssteakhouse.com

(760) 202-1111

(760) 347-9985

www.tackroomtavern.com

Sullivan’s

760-327-1161 Monte Oliver 7pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Randy Seymon 6pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 3sum 9pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760328-5955 Art of Sax 8-11pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Karaokie Jo 6-10pm

(760) 341-3560

(760) 564-2201

www.thewinebaratoldtown.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Indoor Holiday Safety Tips

ow that your outdoor decorations are placed, it’s time to focus on some indoor holiday safety tips. Thousands of accidents and fires can be prevented each year if you take the time to practice safety measures says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

Trees & Decorations

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.”

Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.

• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

• When setting up a tree at home, place

it away from fireplaces and heat sources.

Heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water.

• Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

• When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly.

Lights

• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.

• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.

• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

Make sure the extension cord is rated for

the intended use.

• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

• Winds: Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage.

• Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

Decorations

• Use only non-combustible or flameresistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.

• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens.

• Candles: Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp, weighted, or breakable decorations. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

Fireplaces

• Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

• Make sure trees and combustibles are kept away from the fireplace.

• Make sure you have a screen or glass to prevent embers from escaping.

• Ensure your fireplace is clean from the buildup of soot and debris.

If you have any questions about holiday safety, contact your local fire department.

Be safe and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

21

December 13 to December 19, 2012

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

SPORTS SCENE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Dale Gribow On The Law

December 13 to December 19, 2012

by Dale Gribow Attorney at Law

These are the Best of Time FRESHMAN BREAKS HEISMAN BARRIER and these are the Worst of Times.

J

ohnny Football may be one of the best nicknames to come along in sometime… Can you remember a better one? It’s fitting. It pretty much sums up exactly what you’re going to get from the Texas A & M Quarterback and last Saturday night in New York, Johnny Manziel made history as the first freshman ever to win college football’s most prestigious award….. and he deserved it.

Some might say that the award should never go to a freshman as they have three more years to win the award but I disagree.

I found 2012 refreshing in that I believe the award was meant for the best “Player in College Football” as is advertised. If that is the case, why is this the first time in almost fifteen years where a defensive player was named again as a finalist? Seeing these

younger players being allowed to play and start at any earlier age allows them to perform at a higher level, earlier. Cause and effect and we’re seeing it all over.

There are seemingly more and more high school quarterbacks these days starting as underclassman.

Seeing the Heisman ceremony and watching the reaction of Manziel’s parents, particularly his Father made an impact on me as well. I can only imagine the pride he felt although I think we all could imagine as we saw it overwhelming him, even as his nineteen year old son calmly took the mike and navigated through a speech as calmly as he had through the previouslybelieved Alabama defense, with timing and precision, showing composure and thanking everyone. I wonder what it will be like 7-10

Golf Column

A

years from now for my friend Scott when his son Carter is being handed one of these awards and Coach Rick and I are sitting in

the audience trying to keep our composure?

Oh well, we have a few years to practice….

To catch-up on everything in the world of college and pro football you need, the big news in local sports talk radio continues to be “The Clubhouse with Mike Livingston” radio show on KNEWS 94.3 FM, Saturdays mornings from 6 – 8 a.m. Tune in and get your fix each week! Join me as we talk sports here in the valley and across the globe! The Clubhouse, Saturday mornings from on KNEWS 94.3 FM……

Mike Livingston is the Host of The Clubhouse Radio Show on KNEWS 94.3 FM on Saturday Mornings from 6:00-8:00 a.m.; Additionally, Mike is the Director of Management for Personalized Property Management Company, in Cathedral City.

by Mike Livingston

GOLF NEVER SLEEPS

lthough the 2012 PGA Tour schedule has ended there are still always things going on in the world of golf. Rory McIlroy continues to dominate the news…..picking-up awards weekly, it seems. This week it was the Golf Writer’s Trophy which comes from the English press as the European PGA Tour player of the year, essentially. Also, Rory began spending some of that cash Nike this week when he purchased a $10.9M mansion in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It has a putting green as you’d expect for the 23-year old world’s #1 but does one really need nine bathrooms?

Although we heard whispers and then more than whispers of this possibility throughout the season, reports have been confirmed this week that for the first time since 1972, Disney will no longer be a stop on the PGA Tour. Long a favorite of the players but in recent years relegated to a late season event with a far less star-studded field which has been detrimental to both the event and

22

by Mike Livingston

the Tour. So ends another era………

In other news, although it may be the off-season “officially”, the big names know where to go get together to play for the big

cash….in this case it was Thailand and the Thailand Golf Championship at Chon Buri.

Many of the biggest names were in the house: Masters champ Bubba Watson, Lee

Westwood and Sergio Garcia who were all in the hunt but not for long as former green jacket winner Charl Schwartzel dominated his way to an 11-shot win to take home the handsome winner’s check of just under $1M…..nice Christmas spending money, if you can get it!

Locally, the big news in local sports talk radio is “The Clubhouse with Mike Livingston” radio show on KNEWS 94.3 FM, Saturdays mornings from 6 – 8 a.m. Guests o‘ plenty with lots of big surprises ahead so join me as we talk sports here in the valley and across the globe! We’ll be looking for you in The Clubhouse on Saturday mornings from 6-8 a.m. on KNEWS 94.3 FM……Heads Up! Mike Livingston is the Host of The Clubhouse Radio Show on KNEWS 94.3 FM on Saturday Mornings from 6:00-8:00 a.m.; Additionally, Mike is the Director of Management for Personalized Property Management Company, in Cathedral City.

W

e often read about the generous things some people do for complete strangers during the Christmas Season. But the opposite is also true. This is the time of the year when crooks come out of the woodwork. With the “down economy” many people are hurting and committing crimes they might not have performed if they had a job. Merchants are the most at risk as the stores are crowded and it is easier for crooks to “do their thing” and not be noticed.

One of the most effective tricks is the Booster Box/Bag of which few of you have heard. This is a large box or bag with a false bottom that is often spring loaded. To use it the crook sets it down over a slightly smaller shopping bag, purse or product.

The Booster Box/Bag is hollow and when it is placed over another item, the spring loaded bottom secures the item about to be stolen. The thief then walks away without anyone seeing what happened. Common sense suggests it is easier to steal when the stores are very crowded and people are bumping into one another.

It is during this holiday season that you see more customers placing their purse or other purchases on the ground while they are shopping and looking at something on the counter. In addition to placing the booster box over the item on the ground, it can also be used by placing it over an item like Gucci purse on sales table. Like David Copperfield, all of a sudden ….poof…..the purse disappears. This is the same principle of distraction that magicians use for some of their tricks.

Now that you know there is such a device hopefully you will think twice about where you set your purse or bag down in an airport, hotel, coffee shop, department store or anywhere else a thief might be lurking.

Some thieves don’t need any equipment to steal. For instance a car can be stolen without obtaining the owner’s keys or hotwiring the car. The thief looks on the left front windshield for the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) number. They write the VIN number down and then go to the car dealership’s parts department and explain they own the car with that VIN number and they lost their keys. A new device to open the car will be provided to the thief… and then the rest is history.

Cell Phones are another popular target for thieves because they have private emails,

bank account records, personal codes and passwords. Obtaining these items makes it easy to steal your money or ID. Often there are two crooks that work together with one bumping and distracting you and the other “picking your pocket.”

Your credit card information can also be stolen without taking the physical credit card. These sophisticated thieves have a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) which is half the size of a laptop. When they walk by you in a restaurant, airport or department store the card reading device, which costs less than $100, automatically steals your personal info off your credit card.

The Radio Frequency Identification is a tiny chip in our credit and debit cards. If your card has the symbol of 4 waves )))) or says Pay Pass, Pay Wave or Blink it has RFID. The bad guys can instantaneously transfer your personal information from the RFID onto a hotel credit card sized room key. That room key is now a “credit card” which can be used to swipe and charge things against your card account. To avoid this you can put your credit cards into a protective sleeve that has an aluminum lining. This type of theft can occur with your passport at an airport so you should buy protective sleeves for both.

With respect to credit cards when you receive them in the mail write “ASK FOR PHOTO ID” on the back, instead of signing your name. That gives you one more level of insulation against the bad guys.

Thieves are also known to wait in the parking lot at movie theatres and when you leave your car they break in and steal your registration and get the address of your home. They can then burglarize your home while you are watching the movie.

A car loaded with wrapped gifts is very tempting to someone down on their luck or just plain crooked. Never keep your purchases in plain sight. Always use your trunk.

Another scam used by crooks is to steal Library cards and check out and charge DVD’s from the Library onto your card and then sell them on the internet. If that happens you must contact the library to put a “hold” on your card.

You should report lost or stolen checks asap so the bank can block payment on them. You should also notify your banker of suspicious phones inquiries such as asking for account information to verify a statement or award a prize.

We all know that it is important to closely guard our ATM PIN and ATM receipts. You should shred any financial solicitations for credit cards as well as bank statements before disposing of them.

Remember to put outgoing mail into a secure, official postal service collection box. If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why. Credit reporting agencies must stop reporting alleged fraudulent account information when a consumer establishes that he or she has been the victim of an ID theft.

Creditors or businesses must provide copies of business records or fraudulent accounts or transactions related to them.

This information can assist the victim in proving that they are in fact victims.

However the first thing to do when you think you have been a victim is to contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department so you have a report to provide to insurance companies or credit agencies.

Consumers will be allowed to report accounts affected by ID theft directly to creditors in addition to credit reporting agencies to prevent the spread of erroneous

information. To obtain a free credit report you can go to www.annualcreditreport.com or 877 322 8228.

IF your credit card is stolen report the theft to the major reporting agencies below.

Here is some helpful information to assist you in doing so: Equifax 1-800 525 6285: to place a fraud alert 888 766 0008. To order a credit report call 800 685 1111 Experian (formerly TRW 1-888 397 3742 to place fraud alert. To order a credit report call 888 397 3742 Trans Union 1-800 680 7289 to place a Fraud alert. To order a credit report call 800 888 4213 Social Security Administration (fraud line) 1-800 269 0271 As they say “Forewarned is forearmed!!!!” and “People Don’t Plan to Fail, They Fail to Plan”. So now that you have learned these lessons Plan Ahead and be aware of your surroundings.

Law Office of Dale S. Gribow, P.C. “A full Service Firm” dale@gribowlaw.com 760-341-4411

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December 13 to December 19, 2012

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of December 13

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Can you manage to be both highly alert and deeply relaxed? Could you be wildly curious and yet also serenely reflective?

Can you imagine yourself being extra hungry to crack life’s secrets but also at peace with your destiny exactly the way it is? If you can honestly answer yes to those questions, you’ll get a lot of help in the coming week. The universe may even seem to be conspiring to educate you and heal you.

You will receive a steady flow of clues about how to get closer to living your dreams.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the coming week, you would be wise to deal with your vulnerability, your fallibility, and your own personal share of the world’s darkness. If you refuse to do that, either out of laziness or fear, I’m worried that you will reinforce a status quo that needs to be overthrown.

You may end up rationalizing your mistakes, clinging to false pride, and running away from challenges that could make you smarter and stronger. Don’t do that, Taurus! Be brave. Be willing to see what’s difficult to see. There will be big rewards if you choose to explore the weaker and less mature parts of your personality.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the 1968 Olympics, Bob Beamon broke the world record for the long jump. His leap was so far beyond the previous mark that the optical device designed to calculate it didn’t work. Officials had to resort to an old-fashioned measuring tape. After that, the word “Beamonesque” came to signify a feat that vastly outstripped all previous efforts. According to my analysis, you Geminis will have an excellent chance to be Beamonesque in 2013. I expect that you will at least surpass your own peak levels of accomplishment. If you have not yet launched your ascent, get started now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The fire ants that invaded the southern U.S. back in the 1930s are an annoyance. They swarm and bite and sting.

The venom they inject makes their victims feel like they’ve been burned. Two communities have decided to make the best of the situation. Auburn, Georgia and Marshall, Texas both stage annual Fire Ant Festivals, with events like the Fire Ant Call, the Fire Ant Round-Up, and the Fire Ant Chili Cook-Off. (To win the latter, your dish must contain at least one fire ant.) Maybe their example could inspire you, Cancerian. Is there any pest you could develop a more playful and festive relationship with? Could you possibly turn into the equivalent of a Fire Ant Whisperer?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): While reading William Kittredge’s book The Nature of Generosity, I learned about the oldest known sentence written in ancient Greek. It was inscribed on a wine jug that dates back to 740 B.C. Translated into English, it says, “Who now of all dancers sports most playfully?” Another possible translation is “Which of these dancers plays most delicately?” I’d love to make something like that be your mantra in the coming week, Leo. The time is right for you to do more dancing and playing and sporting than usual -- and to seek out companions who’d like to help you achieve recordbreaking levels of those recreational activities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a man who gets trapped in a timeloop. Over and over again, he experiences the same 24 hours. When he wakes up each morning, it’s still February 2. At first it drives him crazy, pushing him to the verge of suicide.

But eventually he decides to use his time wisely.

He becomes a skilled pianist and a fluent Frenchspeaker. He does good deeds and saves people’s lives. He even learns what he needs to do to win the heart of the woman he desires. This transformation turns out to be the key to gaining his freedom.

Near the end of the film, he escapes to February 3. A comparable opportunity is looming for you, Virgo. You have a chance to break a spell you’ve been under or slip away from a rut you’ve been in.

Generosity may play a major role.

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© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Events in the immediate future may have resemblances to reading a boring book that’s packed with highly useful information.

You might feel that there’s a disjunction between the critical clues you need to gather and the ho-hum style in which they are offered. It’s OK to be a bit disgruntled by this problem as long as you promise to remain alert for the partially disguised goodies.

Don’t fall asleep in the middle of the unspectacular lesson.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Instinct tells us that sharks are more deadly than delicious fatty foods,” writes Jason Daley in Discover magazine. But “instinct is wrong,” he adds. In fact, eating food that tastes good but is actually bad for us is a far greater threat than shark bites. That’s just one example of how our uneducated urges can sometimes lead us astray. I invite you to keep this possibility in mind during the coming week, Scorpio. It’s by no means certain that you will be misled by your natural inclinations, but it is crucial that you monitor them with acute discernment.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): For the last six decades of his life, Pablo Picasso created art that was adventurous and experimental. He didn’t invent abstract painting, but he was instrumental in popularizing it. And yet in his early years he was a master of realism, and had an impressive ability to capture the nuances of human anatomy.

Commenting on Picasso’s evolution, travel writer Rick Steves says that when he was young, “he learned the rules he would later so skillfully break.” I suspect you’re in a phase of your own development when you could profit from doing the same thing.

So I ask you, Sagittarius: What are the rules that are so ripe for you to bend and twist as you graduate to a more mature level of self-expression?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Through some cosmic intervention, a sad or bad or mad story will get tweaked prior to the final turn of the plot.

Just as you’re getting ready to nurse your regrets, an X-factor or wild card will appear, transforming the meaning of a series of puzzling events. This may not generate a perfectly happy ending, but it will at least result in an interesting and redemptive climax. What is the precise nature of that X-factor or wild card? Perhaps a big secret will be revealed or some missing evidence will arrive or a mental block will crumble. And it’s likely that you will have an epiphany abut how valuable your problem has actually been.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be honest. Have you had any of the following symptoms? 1. Lack of interest in trivial matters and a yearning for big, holy mysteries. 2. Unfamiliar but interesting impulses rising up in you and demanding consideration. 3.

Fresh insights into people and situations you’ve known a long time. 4. An altered sense of the flow of time. 5. Out-of-the-blue recall of long-forgotten memories. If you haven’t experienced any of the above, Aquarius, I must be totally off in my analysis and this horoscope isn’t for you. But if you’ve had even two of these symptoms, you are on schedule to get what those of us in the consciousness industry call a “religious experience.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You just might be able to teach a statue to talk this week -- or at least coax a useful message out of a stone-like person.

You could also probably extract a delicious clue from out of the darkness or wrangle a tricky blessing from an adversary or find a small treasure hidden in a big mess. In short, Pisces, you now have a knack for accessing beauty and truth in unexpected sources. You can see what everyone else is blind to and love what everyone else has given up on. You’re practically a superhero. Use your powers wisely, my friend. Be benevolently unpredictable.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

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Where your mind meets your mat

elicious edibles inundate us at this time of the year and the temptation is fierce. Each little treat you indulge yourself in can overwhelm you. With three weeks left in 2012 you may consider scaling down on what you are eating. A little here a little there may be insurmountable to burn off in 2013.

Eating healthy and being consciousness about how we fuel our bodies is a choice.

Whatever we eat and drink is a true reflection of who we are and how we envision our bodies. As mentioned in previous articles, I enjoy a treat every so often. However, balance and awareness of what you are eating and how much is important. Being cognizant of what we digest serves a greater purpose. The purpose draws awareness to how we feel and function in our daily lives when we eat properly. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein provide energy in people. Food that is highly processed, high in sugar, high in carbohydrates often depletes one’s energy level.

You may notice with all the holiday cheer you are not eating as well as you usually do. This is normal for this time of year due to the multitude of engagements you are attending. Take control these last few weeks of the year. Forgo extra chips and desserts.

Mitigate temptation.

Enjoy the following appetizing and satisfying dishes. Your palate will be placated. Plus, the recipes lend a festive ambience.

Red and White Salad ~ 8 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each. Active Time: 25 min.

Total Time: 25 min. This recipe calls for Champagne Vinaigrette.

Ingredients • 4 cups thinly sliced hearts of romaine • 2 heads Belgian endive, cored and thinly sliced • 1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, quartered and thinly sliced • 1 15-ounce can hearts of palm, drained, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced • 1/2 head radicchio, cored, quartered and thinly sliced • 1 red apple, cored and cut into matchsticks • 1 cup thinly sliced radishes • Champagne Vinaigrette, (recipe follows) • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

by Bronwyn Ison Preparation

Toss romaine, endive, fennel, hearts of palm, radicchio, apple and radishes together in a large salad bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with pepper.

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare salad without dressing, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Toss with vinaigrette just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 111 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 424 mg sodium; 324 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1 Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

Ingredients

Broiled Mango ~ 2 servings. Active Time: 10 minutes. Total Time: 20 minutes Preparation 1. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil.

2. Arrange mango slices in a single layer in the prepared pan. Broil until browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze lime wedges over the broiled mango and serve.

Tips & Notes • Tip: Cutting a Mango: • 1. Slice both ends off the mango, revealing the long, slender seed inside.

Set the fruit upright on a work surface and remove the skin with a sharp knife.

• 2. With the seed perpendicular to you, slice the fruit from both sides of the seed, yielding two large pieces.

• 3. Turn the seed parallel to you and slice the two smaller pieces of fruit from each side.

• 4. Cut the fruit into the desired shape.

Nutrition

Per serving: 69 calories; 0 g fat ( 0 g sat , 0 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 167 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1 Exchanges: 1 fruit Enjoy and remember you can indulge is special treats that are healthy. Cheers!

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December 13 to December 19, 2012

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