By Lisa Morgan -
This is the love story for those experienced in both the hopefulness of marriage and the deep disappointment of divorce. It is a story for those struggling to be the best single parent they can be, while wondering if they will ever feel that sense of wholeness as an individual or a family again. This is...
By Lisa Morgan -
I love exceptions to the rule. I idealize people who win against the odds. I love this story and idealize the people in it: This is the love story of Lauri Bono and Kal David.
It was 1977 in Woodstock, New York. Music was all the buzz in the artsy little community. Kal David was a rock...
by Lisa Morgan -
This couple knew during the two hour phone call that preceded their “blind date” that theirs was going to be a special relationship. Patti Pivaar, a young singer/actress, captain of the Dean Martin Show’s Golddiggers and very eligible bachelorette, was set up with Dale Gribow, a prominent trial attorney, president of the Beverly Hills Men’s Charities...
By H. Simmons -
On the north side of Interstate 10, the nearly 24 square miles of Desert Hot Springs sits on the valley’s west end. The city’s back is set against the vast Joshua Tree National Park. It has its own water supply, both hot and cold. The city’s hillside views include the sparkling towns and spectacular mountains of...
"Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me." ~ Sandra Bernhardt.
As the title proposes, there’s a trinity of endearment that appears eternal: we love wine, we love food and we love love.
So many of our well known restaurants in town are enjoying that special Valentine’s Day prix fixe romantic dinner such as Pinzimini,...
by Lola Rossi-Meza
Smooth jazz saxophonist, composer and producer Jeanette Harris continues as the second top notch musician featured in the new music concert series JAZZ TASTINGS™ produced by Patte Purcell of Muze Music on Saturday, February 23, from 6 until 9 p.m. at the Emerald Desert RV Resort Ballroom, 76-000 Frank Sinatra Drive in Palm Desert. Her band members...
By Rachel Montoya
The Palm Springs Classic will be held Saturday, February 16, 2013, at the Renaissance Esmeralda, in Indian Wells. This will be a unique, one of a kind event to the desert and one that you will be talking about long after.
This Bodybuilding, Physique, Figure, Bikini, and Fitness, show will not be your typical bodybuilding show! They will...
How many times have you attended a birthday party where a cake is brought out? It is typically decorated with a few candles for a young child to a near inferno for others. People then break into a verse of ‘Happy Birthday to You” or some other celebratory song. At the songs’ end, the celebrant acknowledges the well wishes...
FIVE COOL FLICKS CHALLENGE THE EXPECTED
SIDE EFFECTS
It’s hard to describe fully this twisty flick and not hurt the viewing experience for those who have yet to see it. Suffice it to say the surprises are so sneaky that it suddenly becomes a provocative thriller just when you least expected it. Certainly this is the best Stephen Soderbergh film in...
February is American Heart Month, and unfortunately, most of us know someone who has had heart disease or stroke at one time or another says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke. These conditions are also leading causes of disability...
Glorious black cats and dogs are waiting for you to adopt them! Their shining ebony coats glisten in the winter sun, and their striking amber gold eyes peer at you longingly. Unfortunately, black cats and dogs are shrouded in negative superstitions, and have a harder time getting adopted than their light colored counterparts. Folks who visit a shelter to...
After dining in several restaurants this past week, there is one that stands out, deserving of some attention. I have heard the commercials and the buzz about Escena Lounge & Grill but finally had the chance to experience this place for myself. It is not the easiest place to find for the first time but once you do, you...
By: Bronwyn Ison
Red and pink, boxed chocolates, teddy bears, and ready made flower bouquets are omnipresent. Love is in the air. If you are a hopeless romantic you are likely to love Valentine’s Day. Regardless of attitude, Valentines’ Day symbolizes love. As humans we need love. Sounds dramatic but a true statement. Valentine’s Day is a catalyst to recognize...
By Lisa Morgan
When I first saw R Buckle Road perform at the Palm Canyon Road House, my impression was that of a group of guys having as much fun at their job as I do at mine. They seemed like a fun and easy going bunch armed with an arsenal of original songs that had a surprisingly, immediate likability...
Did you know that Valentine’s Day began as St. Valentine’s Day, a liturgical celebration of the Christian saint, Valentinus. It is said that St. Valentinus or Valentine was jailed and executed by the Romans for performing weddings and ministering Christians.
The day began commemorating romantic love during the Middle Ages (14th century) after the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, thought of...
Welcome back happy people, my next little gem for all of you "Happy Hour" fans is Cuistots. This is an elegant room with a beautiful bar and some incredible food. I first heard about it from a local who recommended it. He raved about the 'bar food' which includes some smaller portions of their incredible French menu. He mentioned...
Week of February 14
© Copyright 2013 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Afrikaner author Laurens van der Post told a story about a conversation between psychologist Carl Jung and Ochwiay Biano, a Pueblo Indian chief. Jung asked Biano to offer his views about white people. "White people must be crazy because they think with their heads," said the chief, "and...
The Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) is currently hosting a pilot program, which integrates technology into the classroom via iPads. I am always excited to see schools and districts advancing the classroom through the use of technology. The new generation of students is so ingrained with technology that many need it to stay interested, that is why I...
“As a child, I had always dreamed of being a DJ. I’ve loved music since my first record player and 45 record collections at the age of 6,” Robb recalls. Growing up on Staten Island in New York, Robb’s love of music was first fed by taking piano lessons as a young child. He would later find his passion...
Part 1:
No, you do not need a lawyer to prepare a will. You can prepare what is called a Holographic Will by writing it out in your own handwriting with nothing else on the paper. You cannot use a letterhead from a business or hotel and you cannot use a stamp for the date let alone typing anything! Any...
Are you yearning to time travel back to the early 80s?
Rather than go to the effort and expense of building your own
plutonium powered De Lorean/time machine all you need to do
is purchase the new Ra Ra Riot album, Beta Love.
The band Ra Ra Riot formed in 2006. Vocalist Wes Miles,
bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, violinist Rebecca Zeller
and drummer...
Book Review by Heidi Simmons
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Back Roads
Tawni O’Dell
A Novel
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There are stories that weave a dramatic narrative with intensity and emotion. Tawni O’Dell’s Back Roads (Viking, 338 pages) captures an authentic voice of suffering and confusion in this coming-of-age story set in the woods of Pennsylvania.
Back Roads is the story of nineteen year-old Harley Altmyer who must take care of his...
By Lisa Morgan -
When the super group comprised of Clem Burke (Blondie/Eurythmics), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols/Rich Kids/Iggy Pop/ The Faces), James Stevenson (Generation X/The Alarm/Gene Loves Jezebel) and Gary Twinn (Supernaut/Twenty Flight Rockers) got together over wine to form a group and a name, their only thought was to change the word “English” to “International” so as not to...
By Lisa Morgan -
Here I sit at my computer pumping out articles as articulately as I can, burning the pages of my thesaurus to paint an inspiring picture of our valley’s ample supply of original musical talent. I had an entire soliloquy written for Pictures of Eden...and then I read their own description on their website, picturesfromeden.com. I was...
By H. Simmons -
As the geographical center of the Coachella Valley, the City of Palm Desert has taken those coordinates to heart and created an axis for education, retail and entertainment enhanced with a sense of art and culture.
The year-round population of 48,500 residents is a community made up of retirees and families. Palm Desert does not elect a...
By Lisa Morgan -
Picture yourself busting your posterior at a corporate job in national retail chains for 25 years, 12 of which you worked without a single pay raise, dealing with spread sheets and numbers and “corporate crap”, basically not having much fun at all. What do you do? Well if you’re Brian Williamson, you open up Rocket Fizz...
By Lisa Morgan -
I have been trying to pin Ming Bob down for an interview since he brought the infamous punk band Guttermouth and Guns and Roses’ Duff McKagan and his band Loaded to the Date Shed, expanding and enhancing my life experience in music forever. I think it was easier getting the interview with Duff than it was...
Casa de Frida, Palm Springs’ newest addition to its diverse culinary scene, will host a festive Valentine’s Day with an affordable menu of tempting selections. Chef Victoriano Rodriguez has drawn from his multi-cultural roots in creating a Valentines menu that spans many cultural and culinary influences.
Casa de Frida’s 4-Course Valentine’s Day Menu -- $36 PP , plus tax and...
When it comes to Valentine's Day Weekend, Spotlight 29 Casino has you covered with delicious dining and the smooth, romantic sounds of R&B singer, Keith Sweat on February 14th, plus the rocking sounds of Loverboy on February 16th!
Begin your evening with a romantic, 4-course Valentine’s Day dinner for two at JEM Steakhouse! For just $125 per couple, you and...
Story by Mike Bennett
Road Trippin
I finally did it! I took a sound bath at the Integratron. Only forty minutes from Palm Springs and well worth the drive, even at these gas prices. This U.F.O. looking dome was built in the early 1950s and is one of the most acoustically sound structures in the world, made of wood using no...
Residents Enjoy Spa, Dining, Aphrodisiac Cooking, Cocktails, and Jazz
The most romantic resort in the desert, Miramonte Resort & Spa is celebrating Valentine’s Day the entire month of February with “28 Days of Love.” Love is not only in the air, but in the restaurant, the spa, the lounge, and throughout the intimate Mediterranean resort.
The first event of the month...
by Tracy Dietlin -
Mix 100.5 is hosting a talent competition every Thursday night with Crater Lake Vodka & Gin providing the 100.00 cash prize each week. Sign ups start at 7pm with the show beginning at 8pm. All types of talent are welcome including singers, musicians, dancers, comedians, etc. This is your chance to show the judges what you’ve...
by Tracy Dietlin -
For my first installment I have to give a shout out to the newest “Hot Spot” in the desert called simply, Bar, in Palm Springs (the old J Dees Landing and Encore). If you didn’t get a chance to check them out on our Cover the week of January 17, you can go to our website...
What Would St. Valentine Drink? Well—that incurable romantic, I’m thinking, would put together some kind of love potion that include the likes of roses, kisses, candy, bubbles, passion, and pop! So, voila!! Sparkling rosé wine!
The scene is set: The glowing copper-pink rosé effervescently graces the height of your crystal flutes glimmering from nearby candlelight, flowers sprawled across the table, and...
by Lola Rossi-Meza
Drummer, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Sal Frisaura along with saxophonist Al Lopez and pianist Gil Quesada, are the band members performing with vocalist and very entertaining front man, Johnny Meza with guest appearance by vocalist Lola Rossi every Wednesday from 6 until 10 p.m. at Wally’s Desert Turtle, 71-775 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. On Wednesday, February...
ShareKitchen is proud to shine the spotlight on our newest client, Melinda Vida. Melinda is authoring this week’s article on introducing her GardenFresh Cooking Club which has its Launch Party on February 16th at 6pm at ShareKitchen. We are at 68-805 E. Palm Canyon Drive in Cathedral City.
My name is Melinda Vida and I am a passionate Health &...
TANTALIZING BIG SCREEN TEASERS
DARK SKIES
Director Scott Stewart delivers a movie about a menacing force that pursues a young suburban family. When Daniel and Lacey Barret (Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton) realize the disturbing events they have experienced are not meaningless coincidences, they take on the unimaginably terrifying deadly force that has targeted them and go to war to...
"If emergency response personnel and emergency rooms are not saturated enough due to the flu, the winter vomiting bug, or called the "norovirus," is making its rounds says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna." The Los Angeles City Fire Dept as well as other fire department/emergency medical services across the country are increasing ambulance service to deal with flu related calls.
The...
The rescue coordinator called to say there was another small dog in jeopardy at the county shelter. I drove up to the shelter and met a small white animal sitting quietly in his kennel. He had two interesting looking protruding teeth that resembled elephant husks. The 2-year-old dog was picked up as a badly matted stray by animal control...
While continuing my mission to revisit some of last season’s favorites, I took a special guest to Backstreet Bistro for dinner. We were surprised to see a completely full restaurant on a Monday and were grateful for having made a reservation. I was excited to see that we would be enjoying live entertainment on a Monday as well. My...
By: Bronwyn Ison
Quieting the mind and resting the body may seem elusive for most of us. Our lives are complex and it is likely we are not adjusting our schedules to make personal time a priority. Does this sound familiar? Welcome to how the general population reflects. Have you considered meditation? Does this practice seem out of the ordinary...
There’s a pleasurable stench coming from the Indio area and it’s not the ‘funk’ you’re thinking of. What The Funk (Hip Funk All Stars) is a band that plays funky feeling music with a wide variety of genres including old school and hip-hop. Gabe Perez or Big Boss, as he is called by his band mates, describes their music...
The face of retail is constantly changing. Remember MCI, Blockbuster, Borders, Circuit City and PanAm? With each, they were dominant in their field yet failed. Looking at the current retailing landscape, there are some companies thriving, others failing and others scaling back.
Amazon is one of the clear winners with their success coming at the expense of many businesses that...
Week of February 7
© Copyright 2013 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible," said poet Theodore Roethke. For the foreseeable future, Aries, you could and should be a person like that. I'm not saying that you will forevermore be a connoisseur of amazements and a massager of miracles and a...
Many parents have recently been asking me about tutoring for their child. The most often asked question is: “Does my child need tutoring?” My answer is always: “Yes!” All students can benefit from tutors, not just those students who are low in their grades. In my opinion, students who excel in scholastics need tutors more than students who do...
Born at Desert Hospital in Palm Springs, DJ Day grew up in the Coachella Valley and feels a special bond to the Desert, “I love this place, it’s changed a lot over the years but there’s a vibe about this place that’s unlike anywhere else,”remarks Day.
When he heard the scratching on “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock as a kid, DJ...
DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE OTHER THAN YOUR LAWYER!
PART 5: ENTERING A PLEA ON A DUI
There’s an old saying in the legal world: “. . .You win your case before the prosecutor, not the judge. . .”
What does this mean to you? The prosecutor in your DUI case must determine whether they feel they have a strong or...
Some musicians spend years in their studios crafting the perfect
albums. Others find their greatest artistic challenges come from live
performances. For most of their careers, Brian Wilson, Arthur Lee &
Love and the Innocence Mission have been creatures of the studio.
While road dogs like Peter Frampton, Phish and the Grateful Dead
all honed their chops through relentless touring. Ani DiFranco is
definitely a...
Book Review
By Heidi Simmons
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Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief
Lawrence Wright
Non-Fiction
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Scientology is one of those subjects that fascinates and mystifies. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief (Alfred A. Knopf, 430 pages) by Lawrence Wright is a detailed investigation of the Church of Scientology. It contains juicy celebrity revelations and in many places reads like...
By H. Simmons
A Truly Chic Boutique
Our desert is a very stylish place and people here take pride in the way they look. Some people may nurture their style more than others, but we all strive to look our very best and communicate something about who we are as we move about in the world. Clothing is one of the...
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