Pekingese dogs or "Pekes" are commonly referred to as "lion dogs" due to their resemblance to Chinese guardian lions. They originated in China thousands of years ago, and were favored by the Chinese Imperial Court. They are one of the most exotic and distinctive of the toy breeds. The tiniest Pekes were once called "sleeve dogs" because they were...
It’s nice to get dressed up and have a multi-course meal served to me by a vest and tie, but sometimes I want to roll up my sleeves and dig into some great food where the staff is encouraged to have fun and show some personality. In effort to ensure variety, not only for...
Do you find it near impossible to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables? If you’re like most Americans your being pulled and tugged in so many directions you barely find time to eat. Consider juicing your fruits and veggies and taking them on the go. You may recognize the name Jack LaLanne. He was often called the...
Whatever happened to Jekkel? Ten years ago pop-punk rockers Jekkel were one the desert’s most accomplished young bands. Having been together since they were barely teenagers in middle school, Jim Cathcart (vocals and guitar), sister Katie Cathcart (drums and vocals) and their best friend Laramie Eve (bass) had become highly acclaimed, widely respected and very well known. Their success...
What is Botox? Men and women, young and old are getting injected with this anti-wrinkle miracle drug. But, what exactly is Botox Aesthetic and is it right for you? There are pros and cons to the treatment, so let's get the basics of Botox down before you decide for it or against it.
Botox is basically a brand name for...
Week of April 26
© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "True life is lived when tiny changes occur," said Leo Tolstoy. I agree. It's rare for us to undergo rapid, dramatic transformations in short periods of time. That's why it's delusional to be forever pining for some big magic intervention that will fix everything. The best way to...
A few weeks ago, President Obama signed into law the Jumpstart Our Businesses Act aka JOBS Act. The legislation makes it the easiest that it has been in decades to raise capital. The JOBS Act is actually a collection of Acts:
The Capital Expansion Act allows banks to avoid registering with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) until they have...
DJ Luis and his wife Rose, (AKA DJ Thorn) are two of the most down-to-earth DJs you have ever met! They are very passionate about life, music, entertainment and each other. The husband and wife team own an entertainment company called Primetime Productions.
The musical match made a connection back in high school in 1988. After graduation, the tone of...
BYLINE: DIANE MARLIN-DIRKX
Hey, it’s only April! That’s not you waving with abandon, hair streaming in the wind and burning rubber at warp speed as you head out of town on the I-10? Yes, you’ve broken a sweat---or a “glow” for the genteel—in the triple-digit heat we’ve suffered this week, but we’ll let you know when the Coachella Valley desert...
THU APRIL 26
19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 8pm
29 PALMS INN; 29 PALMS ; 760-367-3505 Bill & Beverly 6pm (JZ)
ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day w/ J Boogie 10pm
ARNOLD PALMER’S;LQ;760-771-4653 Johnny Meza 6:30-10:30pm (JZ)
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;...
Book Review by Heidi Simmons
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
When was the last time you thought about your brain?
We look into the mirror every day; comb our hair, wash our face and brush our teeth, never really considering what is happening within that amazing image reflected in the mirror. Ironically, we...
by Kylie Knight
The wind howls through the hills of Indio and Cristopher Cichocki walks with a long stride, his sure steps aimed towards exploration. As a multi-media contemporary artist he seems to have found a balance living here in the Coachella Valley, never stagnant, Cichocki moves from one project to the next, he talks with ease and speaks graciously,...
By Marissa Willman
As cities and organizations across the state scramble to pick up the pieces of the recently shattered redevelopment agencies, Habitat for Humanity of the Coachella Valley Director Jeff Moritz is trying to redefine the way his organization operates to keep providing homes despite the significant loss of funding.
“We’re in a state of flux,” Moritz said, “like all...
By Marissa Willman
The city of La Quinta will be celebrating its 30th birthday this weekend at its annual community picnic at the Fritz Burns Park. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 60 local businesses and non-profits will set up booths at the park, where raffles, games and giveaways will set the tone for the celebration. The free picnic will...
By Marissa Willman
An eclectic mix of a mandolin, a banjo and a homemade gas-tank bass, the guys of Split Lip Rayfield are ready to bring their seamless harmonies and manic bluegrass to the Stagecoach Festival this weekend.
Originally hailing from Kansas, the band has 120 years of musical experience among their members. Split Lip Rayfield draws on country and metal...
By Marissa Willman
Armed with their spaghetti western outfits and western-inspired songs, The Unforgiven is returning to its Inland Empire roots for a special reunion performance at the Stagecoach Festival this weekend.
The country rock band formed in the Inland Empire in the 1980s. Lead singer Steve Jones and guitarist Jay Lansford of the punk rock band The Stepmothers came up...
Steve Martin—yes, THAT Steve Martin—and the Steep Canyon Rangers head for Stagecoach
By Stephen Seigel
If any modern artist in the pop-culture pantheon deserves to be bestowed with the title “Renaissance Man,” it is Steve Martin.
Not only is he an author of novels and novellas, screenplays and short humor pieces; he is also a playwright, an actor, a magician, an art...
By Marissa Willman
When editor Tracy Dietlan asked me to recommend a good restaurant for this week’s column, I hesitated to share what has been my best-kept sushi secret for months. But for the sake of the greater good, I’m going to introduce you to Sawa Sushi.
When it comes to sushi bars, I have one all-important rule of thumb for...
Wine vs. The Desert Heat
The fun story of how Madeira wine came to be is when the Portuguese sailors, a few hundred years ago, filled the wooden casks of wine from the Madeira Islands and shipped them to ports in India and China. The only route to take was to go south around the African continent and up through...
Valley Rhythms by Lola Rossi-Meza
Nicole Hannan-Jodoin re-creates her role as Lola from Cavalleria Rusticana
The International Opera Institute presents “Scenes From The World’s Four Greatest Operas - Carmen, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Cavalleria Rusticana” featuring Nicole Hannan-Jodoin, Carrie Landsgaard, Colette Gardner, Angeline Petronijevic, Cynthia Leigh, Fabrizio Doria, Mariana Oknysky, Lauren Magnum, Mario Rehas, Josephine Romo and Mathew Edwardsen under the...
We’ve all heard the staggering statistic that 90% of restaurants fail in their first year. Fortunately for aspiring culinary entrepreneurs, this is just a nasty rumor. The reality of the situation, as determined by smart people who conduct legitimate studies complete with qualitative and quantitative data, is that just 29.6% of restaurants go under in that same period. Under...
Rescue dogs are the best dogs, loving, grateful, and wise having triumphed over adversity. There is also magic to some of their rescue stories, a strange sequence of events and timing that makes one think divine guidance is behind them. It was July 2, 2010, a Friday evening around 4:00 pm when Pat Bonham called me. I was an independent rescuer at that time. Pat, a...
Week of April 19
© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You had to take the test before you got a chance to study more than a couple of the lessons. Does that seem fair? Hell, no. That's the bad news. The good news is that this test was merely a rehearsal for a more important and inclusive exam,...
Not Just Another Sunday
The final day of Coachella’s first weekend wowed this first-time attendee
BYLINE
At this point, it is well-known that the resurrection of Tupac Shakur via hologram was the highlight of the closing night of the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2012.
Even though he died in 1996, Shakur’s life-like image joined Snoop Dogg onstage...
TWO NEW FILMS FULFILL THEIR POSTER PROMISE
By Robin E. Simmons
Don’t you hate it when the promise of the poster is not delivered in the theater? And what about a hot trailer that has scenes not in the movie? But sometimes we’re lucky and the poster exactly delivers the essence of the film and in fact the movie takes us...
Some of my best memories have been wine tasting with friends and family. Whether we drive to Temecula or venture further to Santa Barbara, we are certain to have a great time. We cannot, however, get away as often as we would like. Just three miles south of Highway 111, The Wine Bar is nestled in the heart of...
Purple, blue and red are all beautiful colors, but no so pretty when they appear in the form of spider veins or varicose veins. These unsightly veins generally appear on the legs, face and even hands. Once they appear they won't go away without treatment and if left untreated have a tendency to get progressively worse. This week we'll...
by Mike Livingston; Co-Host, The CaddyShack Radio Show
Following one of golf’s holiest weeks can often trigger a lull in both viewership or the strength of field and a normal event might be faced with more trepidation when played immediately after one of golf’s Majors. That was not the case this past weekend as PGA Tour stopped at one of...
Week of April 19
© Copyright 2012 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You had to take the test before you got a chance to study more than a couple of the lessons. Does that seem fair? Hell, no. That's the bad news. The good news is that this test was merely a rehearsal for a more important and inclusive exam,...
The STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act) was passed into law last month, a full six years after first being introduced to Congress by Representatives Louise Slaughter of New York and Tim Walz of Minnesota. The act is fairly simple - elected officials and their staffs cannot use insider information procured in the normal course of their...
Today’s greatest DJs are more than just headphones and turntables, they are superstars. DJs spend their time collaborating with artists, touring the hottest clubs in the world, working on soundtracks, experimenting with new sounds, merchandising, releasing compilations, and more. Their shows keep tens of thousands on their feet with a mixture of music, lighting, and special effects. As such,...
By Marissa Willman
With a flurry of local and state legal battles set to decide whether medical marijuana collectives can legally operate storefronts in the valley and the state, local collectives and medical marijuana activists are concerned that patients who rely on collectives will be unable to access medicine they rely on for issues including insomnia, cancer and kidney disease.
Recently,...
BYLINE: DIANE MARLIN-DIRKX
In all the frenzied circus of the calendar we’ve forgotten to speak to a very important subject. Like, let’s talk Dress Code. Especially as the triple-digit temps are moving our way, quiet as a stealth drone. At last weekend’s Chill-chella fest, 95,000 patrons of the musical pop-pourri with bellies and abs tight as tambourines, enough tattoos to...
THU APRIL 19
19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 8pm
29 PALMS INN; 29 PALMS ; 760-367-3505 Bill & Beverly 6pm (JZ)
ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day 10pm
ARNOLD PALMER’S;LQ;760-771-4653 Johnny Meza 6:30-10:30pm (JZ)
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...
By Marissa Willman
As one of four co-owners of SIR Equipment Rentals’ Palm Desert branch, Randy Hewitson spends many nights setting up audio and lighting equipment at star-studded private parties and sold-out concerts in the valley.
While many would say it’s a dream gig, Hewitson insists it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.
“There’s a lot of stress involved...
Book Review by Heidi Simmons
A Tale of Two Lives: The Susan LeFevre Fugitive Story by Marie S. Walsh aka Susan LeFevre (Orange Peel Press)
American teens in the 1970s can tell you about the drug culture of that time. Whether they participated socially or used heavily, access to elicit substances was just a heartbeat away. They may not have inhaled...
By Marissa Willman
Maybe you’ve seen him at his tattoo shop in Palm Desert. Maybe you’ve seen him teaching spin classes at Gold’s Gym. Or maybe you saw him spitting cow hearts into a bucket from a tank of cow blood on national television last year.
Wherever you’ve seen him, one thing’s for sure: Ron Sharp knows how to be seen.
“I’m...
The Lumpy’s Scramble for Autism raises funds for families in need
By D. Arment
April is Autism Awareness month, and among the walks for autism and other fundraisers in the valley is one of the most anticipated and successful events of the year: The Lumpy’s Scramble for Autism, presented by Jensen Wealth Advisors and hosted by TaylorMade and Adidas Golf.
The...
By Nate Jackson
Legendary post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In is reuniting to perform at Coachella this year. But the group -- whose members Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala eventually splintered to join Mars Volta -- didn't know what expect when, in November, they switched on their amps to play together for the first time in 11 years.
But together with Jim...
Off the Grid – Business Profile
By: Marissa Willman
April 8, 2012
Word Count: 499
Surrounded by aisles stocked with food rations, boxes of ammunition and weapons ranging from hatchets to crossbows, it’s easy to see the team at Off the Grid Survival Store won’t be taking any chances in an emergency situation.
“We don’t play games,” Off the Grid co-owner Darin Damme said.
The...
Those Festive Wine Tasting Parties by Rick Riozza
Wine is the most festive drink ever known to man. Even if the only wine in the world was simply a Champagne, it would still get top honors far and away from anything else. Anyway—there’s really no need to get into a heated argument about it; a great lemonade is wonderful—but, how...
Linford and Villegas “wow” the guests a The Wine Bar in “Dueling Guitars II”
If you want to see something very unique, stop by The Wine Bar, 78-015 Main Street in La Quinta on Saturday, April 21 at 7 p.m. for “Dueling Guitars II” featuring two very accomplished musicians, Mark Linford and Sergio Villegas.
Manager Mike Stith said, “We had them...
The Small Claims court is a very special court where you can not have a lawyer with you and disputes are resolved quickly. With a regular court action it would take you YEARS to get to court and the filing fee and service would be about $500. Small Claims will cost less than $100 and your case will come...
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Biodegrade and Compost”. While this extended version of the phrase isn’t as catchy, it is a better way to look at things. To help you understand the difference, let’s look at the Styrofoam clamshell style containers and cups you typically get when ordering take-out food.
Styrofoam clamshells and cups, made of toxic petroleum based chemicals, are seldom...
ANIMAL LOVE
STEPPING OUTSIDE OUR SPECIES
By Robin E. Simmons
Savoring the rich and varied life on our awesome planet never gets old. Movies that delve into the natural world seem almost supernatural at times. Here are some recent titles for the home theater that nurture the notion that the bond between humans and our fellow creatures can be healing on...
TWO CATS ARE BETTER THAN ONE! HOW TO PROPERLY INTRODUCE A NEW CAT
Jenny Smith was thinking about getting a second cat to join her household. However, she was not so sure her 5-year-old cat Sweetie, pampered little queen of the household, would be pleased about a newcomer arriving. Jenny rescued Sweetie as a tiny kitten, and Sweetie had no experience interacting or playing with another feline. Could...
Many people have asked me, “What is your favorite place to eat in the valley?” and while I cannot choose a favorite out of the dozens that I have frequented, there is one that is rapidly climbing to the top of my list. Backstreet Bistro is a place I could eat at seven days a week! Serving breakfast lunch,...
The one thing that we know is constant is change. Sometimes we crave change and other times we dread it. One thing for sure is change is going to happen whether we like it or not. Change can be exciting but also frightening. Just when everything appears perfect in our lives is when change occurs. But, change is growth...
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