The Life

June 2006

06/30/06 Cone of Concussion The ten minutes before showtime were surreal: seven of us stood between the double line of mortar tubes, lost in our own thoughts, trying not to stare at each other. Everyone was decked out in safety goggles, blast helmets and flame-retardant Nomex. After sweating all day in the hot sun, we had finally erected a fearsome arsenal of rack-mounted guns, designed to hurl fireworks shells hundreds of feet into the sky. Our audience members were safely ensconced two football fields away, sitting more-or-less comfortably in wooden bleachers and listening to a group of Beach Boys imitators. But we were locked inside a no-man's-land behind two separate sets of chain-link fence, patrolled by a squad of police and firefighters. For me, this was a dream come true. I was finally getting a chance to... Posted at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/30/06 Le Tour de France, July 1-23 Everybody wants the maillot jaune (yellow jersey).Color codes:Yellow = overall time leaderGreen = leader in sprint pointsWhite with red dots = leader in mountain-climb pointsWhite = overall time leader under the age of 25You could visit the Lance Armstrong Foundation.Or maybe the official Tour de France site.You might even watch TV coverage of La Grande Boucle ("the Big Loop") on OLN, starting with a preview tonight at 7pm. It's pelotons o' fun! Posted at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/30/06 July temp spike Since it's the last day of June, we might want to look at July's daily average high temperatures in Palm Springs (courtesy of Weather Underground). Celsius readings have been included for the foreign tourists, who seem to enjoy planning their PS vacations in or near the heat peak:July 1 through 3: 107°F or 41.67°CJuly 4 through 18: 108°F or 42.22°CJuly 19 through 27: 109°F or 42.77°CJuly 28 through 31: 108°F or 42.22°CThe record high temperature hit 123°F or 50°C on four separate days: July 10, 1979; July 28 and 29, 1995; and August 1, 1993. Posted at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/29/06 Wikipedia - Palm Springs Wikipedia started in January of 2001, and it's now one of the most-used reference sites on the Internet, with editions in over 200 languages.Wikipedia is a website that allows visitors to edit article content, so it is written collaboratively by volunteers. Since the project is open to a large contributor base, it's sometimes susceptible to vandalism or unchecked information which might later need removal.However, it is also quite responsive to new inputs, especially information not widely known in the West. It's highly unlikely to retain any bias and is very hard for any group to censor.Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales is the founder and president of the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit corporation that operates Wikipedia. Last month, Jimbo was named to the Time 100, a list of... Posted at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/29/06 Whatchawannadothisweekend? (29Jun06) Tonight: At 7:30pm, Palm Desert's Civic Center Park Amphitheater at 73510 Fred Waring will host the Rockit Scientists, playing rock 'n roll music from the Fifties and Sixties. According to their website: The Rockit Scientists start on time, dress appropriately, perform a proven selection of music, entertain the audience, use responsible volume, are polite and courteous to guests, do not carry any bad habits and support the event coordinator... Aren't all rock bands like that?Friday: "The Sound of Music" opens at the Palm Canyon Theatre, 8pm. "Doe, a deer, a female deer..."Saturday morning: The CoD Street Fair runs from 7am-noon in Palm Desert. Get there before I snap up all the good stuff...Saturday afternoon: From noon to 5pm, the Community Blood Bank will be... Posted at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/29/06 Signs of Life: Safe & Sane The website of our Fire Department contains that poster »»But keep reading, for the fine print:"The only cities in the county that allow State Fire Marshal Safe and Sane fireworks are Cathedral City, Indio, Blythe and Coachella."I might just have to mosey on back into Indio this weekend, to stock up on a little Safety and Sanity...[more signs] Posted at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/28/06 Voices of the Monument on KCET This Saturday at 9pm, the new KCET Desert Cities (launched earlier this month on cable channel 218) will present the locally-produced four-time Emmy® Award-winning documentary Voices of the Monument.This is the first time the film (about The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument) will be broadcast in its full-length version.After the premiere on Saturday night, it will repeat six times during the next week (8pm on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday; 7pm on Tuesday & Thursday).Lushly photographed in high definition, the film takes the viewer on a fascinating journey of one of North America's most unique and diverse mountain ranges. Featuring magnificent aerial footage, the documentary showcases the diverse beauty of the monument including the geological ranges,... Posted at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/28/06 Google too busy for the search biz? Yesterday, I wanted some collated search analysis on several subjects of interest to The Desert Quidnunc's readers, so after comparing Google's Zeitgeist (updated June 19: WAY out of date) to Ask's Top Searches (updated June 23: also out of date) to MetaSpy (updated instantly, but no real trend analysis), to the Yahoo Buzz (updated every morning: bingo), I wrote to Google: "FYI, it looks like Yahoo is providing more search info than Google. Do you update [Zeitgeist] more than every 8 or 9 days?" Karen Wickre, their Senior Editor of Corporate Communications replied, in part: "We too admire what Yahoo's done with the Buzz Index. It's possible that Yahoo has more resources than we do for this particular task, in which case I congratulate them." Hm. It looks like... Posted at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/28/06 Signs of Life: Ka-boom! Spotted in Indio last night: it looks like some dangerous fun is headed our way...[Click thumbnail photo for larger view.][more signs] Posted at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/27/06 Rest in peace, Aaron Spelling It's really strange to think that he's gone. Aaron was responsible for an enormous number of TV series, including Charmed, 7th Heaven, Summerland, Charlie's Angels, Melrose Place, The Love Boat, Dynasty, Fantasy Island, Starsky and Hutch, The Mod Squad, Hart to Hart, T.J. Hooker and many, many others.One of my favorite episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 (another Spelling series) aired during the first season - "A Fling in Palm Springs":David (Brian Austin Green) invites Steve (Ian Ziering), Kelly (Jennie Garth) and Donna (Tori Spelling) to his grandparents' luxurious Palm Springs home for President's Day weekend. He is embarrassed to find that his grandparents, who he believed were on a cruise, are actually at home.[more] Posted at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/27/06 World's 2nd richest man gives to richest Philanthropy is a big preoccupation in the Coachella Valley, so it might be useful to examine some of Warren Buffett's comments, when he announced that most of his fortune would end up with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:What can be more logical, in whatever you want done, than finding someone better equipped than you are to do it? Who wouldn't select Tiger Woods to take his place in a high-stakes golf game? That's how I feel about this decision about my money. [...]And frankly, I have some small hopes that what I'm doing might encourage other very rich people thinking about philanthropy to decide they didn't necessarily have to set up their own foundations but could look around for the best of those that were up and running and available to handle their money.[more] Posted at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/27/06 Signs of Life: Bikes rule! ...at Kickstand Grill & Bar (click thumbnail photos to enlarge).I don't want a pickleJust want to ride on my motorsickleAnd I don't want a tickle'Cause I'd rather ride on my motorsickleAnd I don't want to dieJust want to ride on my motorcy... cle—Arlo Guthrie[more signs] Posted at 08:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/26/06 Palm Springs Weekend (1963) ...with Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Stefanie Powers, Andrew Duggan, Ty Hardin, Robert Conrad, Jack Weston, Jerry Van Dyke, Bill Mumy, Linda Gray, Dawn Wells, etc."Set in Palm Springs during a long, fun-filled weekend where several Los Angeles college students flock to spring break, centering on Jim [Troy Donahue] who finds romance with Bunny [Stefanie Powers], the daughter of Palm Springs' harried, stressed-out police chief." [Read a Palm Springs Life article about the film.]I wish they'd hurry up and release this movie on DVD. My VHS copy is nearly worn out. Posted at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/26/06 BookCrossing Do you love books enough to release them into the wild, to be found by others? BookCrossing.com says the process is a "fascinating exercise in fate, karma, or whatever you want to call the chain of events that can occur between two or more lives and one piece of literature." They claim to be the World's Biggest Book Club, and their stated goal is to "make the whole world a library."All I know is that "paying it forward" makes you feel good. I released a few books last summer (in Rancho Mirage and Andreas Canyon, among other places), and it's nice to know that several readers are getting some use out of them. Posted at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/26/06 Signs of Life: Resortport I kind of like the new light-pole banners they've been putting up at the airport.What do you think?[Click thumbnail photo for larger image.][more signs] Posted at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1

06/23/06 Batman & Catwoman in town Caped Crusader Adam West and Catwoman Julie Newmar will be at:m modern gallery(new location)on Saturday night to celebrate:· the 40th anniversary of the classic TV series, and· "Beyond Batman," a solo exhibition of Adam's artworks.The reception (7-10pm) is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be served.***Holy paintbrush, Batman! Posted at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/23/06 Ringo Starr The name "Ringo Starr" on its own sings volumes.But Ringo Starr's Ninth All-Starr Summer Tour Concert explodes in a concert of talent that, along with the world's favorite drummer, features blast-from-the-past hits performed by an All-Starr lineup.Richard Marx, Billy Squire, and Sheila E are joined by Edgar Winter, the Zombies' Ron Argent, and Average White Band's Hamish Stuart.On the set list: Free Ride, Yellow Submarine, and With a Little Help From My Friends, among other sing-along classics—Beatles and otherwise.The tour, just over a month long, rocks the house from Toronto and New York to Vegas and San Diego.Catch it at 6pm Sunday in the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. Posted at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/23/06 GCW2AT: Geocaching ...(according to Wikipedia) is... an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which participants (called "geocachers") use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world.A typical cache (pronounced exactly like "cash") is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure" (usually toys or trinkets of little monetary value).Here's a link to the Greater Palm Springs Cachers. From what I gather, there will be a "Meet, Greet and Eat" from 4-6pm this Sunday at the Burger Time restaurant, 78-365 Varner Road in Palm Desert.Related: High Desert Geocachers and Southern California Geocachers. Posted at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/23/06 Overheard: on a park bench ...outside the Mizell Senior Center:BENCHSITTER A: I finally got a hearing aid last week.BENCHSITTER B: What?BENCHSITTER A: The battery is supposed to last nearly a month.BENCHSITTER B: What?BENCHSITTER A: I don't know what I did without it.BENCHSITTER B: What?BENCHSITTER A (pops out the hearing aid to admire it): Amazing gadget.BENCHSITTER B (grabs the device and puts it in his ear): Thanks!BENCHSITTER A: Hey, give that back to me!BENCHSITTER B: What?[more vicariousness] Posted at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/22/06 Signs of Life: Firecrackers verboten This warning just appeared out at the edge of town.Ten fingers, ten toes.[Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more signs] Posted at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/22/06 Whatchawannadothisweekend? (22Jun06) Tonight: At 7pm, Palm Desert's Civic Center Park Amphitheater at 73510 Fred Waring will host a screening of the film "Shark Tale." Free movies are almost as good as free food.Friday: Listen to some country rock played by Matchless (formerly Greyside) at Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown, 7pm. And remember to wear your sh__kicking boots!Saturday morning: The CoD Street Fair runs from 7am-noon in Palm Desert. "C'mon in, buy something you don't even need!" —Tijuana street vendor, hawking his waresSaturday afternoon: From 9am-5pm, it's the 10th Annual International Gourd Art Festival in Fallbrook, featuring over 55 gourd art exhibitors, hands-on gourd crafting arena, nationwide gourd art competition, wine and microbrews in the wine garden, art demonstrations, food... Posted at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/22/06 Overheard: on the mini-golf course ...at Boomers, third tee:TEEN A: No way.TEEN B: Way.TEEN A: You're serious?TEEN B: As cancer.TEEN A: She didn't...?TEEN B: As if.TEEN A: But he couldn't...TEEN B: Yuh-huh.TEEN A: That's so *cold*!TEEN B: Tall and frosty.[more vicariousness] Posted at 08:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/21/06 Hidden Palms pilot clip backstory The new CW TV network—a merger of UPN and the WB—will launch this fall. The CW has bought (as a midseason replacement) 8 episodes of a new TV show which recently hired me as an extra, and YouTube has a clip from the pilot. The clip's first scene is set poolside; you can view my phonecam pic of the film crew shooting this scene (look for "Just a slow day at the pool"). Unfortunately, my brief deck-chair snoozefest ended up on the cutting room floor. :-( However, the second scene in the YouTube clip (starting at 1:15) shows a conversation between 3 women, and you can actually see the back of my head several times. Heh. I'm a star now. No autographs, please. :-) [More clips] [All UKWP coverage] Posted at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/21/06 Tropic of Taurus It's the first day of summer here in America... an event observed on May 1 in Ireland.Useless facts:The June solstice occurs when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer @ 23°27'N (near Mazatlan, Mexico; Havana, Cuba; Calcutta, India; Hong Kong, China; and Jia-Yi County, Taiwan--which is having some trouble keeping up with the migrating "Line of Return"). This tropic line was named after the constellation (Cancer) corresponding to this position in the sky when the constellations were named, nearly 2,000 years ago. However, precession (the 25,700-year wobble in the Earth's rotation) has resulted in a shift of the position of the Sun so that it's now in the constellation Taurus on the solstice.Okay, my head is starting to hurt. Time to wrap it up:Today is also the... Posted at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/21/06 Overheard: on the treadmill ...at World Gym on Sunrise & Vista Chino:GYM RAT 1: I just made partner.GYM RAT 2: Hey, congrats!GYM RAT 1 (takes a swig of water): Well, I'm not sure the news is all good.GYM RAT 2: Why not?GYM RAT 1: Because now we need to buy a showplace home for "entertaining."GYM RAT 2 (wipes forehead with towel): Pooooooor baby.GYM RAT 1 (laughs): I hate house-hunting. My wife wants a place in Palm Canyon Mesa.GYM RAT 2: That's a nice neighborhood.GYM RAT 1: But I prefer Little Tuscany.(GYM RATS 3, 4 & 5 nearly knock each other down, rushing over to #1's treadmill... where they all hand him their real-estate-agent business cards.)[more vicariousness] Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/20/06 Solstice The days are as long as they'll ever get. For this year, anyway.The exact time of the solstice (5:26am PDT tomorrow, according to the US Naval Observatory) depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs every year between June 20 and 22, and signals the beginning of summer.The word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium (sol=sun and stitium=to stop), which refers to the stopping of the Sun's northward trek in the sky.Or southward, in winter.You can see the full path of its journey in this analemma photograph. Posted at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/20/06 Overheard: in Mercado Plaza ...near the sculpture of Sonny Bono:TOURIST A: That's Cary Grant, isn't it?TOURIST B: Are you sure?TOURIST A: Looks like Cary Grant.TOURIST B: I can't tell.TOURIST A: It's got to be Cary Grant.TOURIST B: Maybe they'll know, inside the restaurant.TOURIST A: No, I'm pretty sure it's Cary Grant.TOURIST B: Whatever you say, dear.TOURIST A: Do you remember that movie where he crawled up inside the president's nose on Mount Rushmore?TOURIST B: Eww.[more vicariousness] Posted at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/20/06 Signs of Life: Eat, drink, be Mary ...at Hamburger Mary's.An "open-air bar and grille for open minded people."The winking sculpture on the sidewalk out front says it all.[Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more signs] Posted at 08:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/19/06 Overheard: in the wine aisle ...at Jensen's on Sunrise Way: SHOPPER A: Did you hear about Girlfriend's latest nose job? SHOPPER B: She's had *another* one?! SHOPPER A: Yup. But her schnozz still looks like that Picasso nose eyeglass thingie we saw on eBay. SHOPPER B: Same colors? SHOPPER A: Almost. SHOPPER B: She's way too obsessed. SHOPPER A: Thank you. And with a rear end as wide as Montana, nobody's paying attention to her face. SHOPPER B: Speaking of which, does my butt look too big in these jeans? SHOPPER A: Um, maybe you should consider a nose job. SHOPPER B: B_tch. [more vicariousness] Posted at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/19/06 Mega musings La Quinta Liquor & Deli, which claims to have the "coldest beer in the desert," sold the winning ticket in last Friday's Mega Millions Lottery.The winner will receive approximately 45% to 55% of the $34,000,000 prize, if s/he elects to take it in a lump sum, rather than 26 annual payments. Federal tax is then withheld, at a rate of 25%. So s/he might go home with as little as $11.5 mill. Hardly worth the trouble of buying a wheelbarrow.The store owner will receive 0.5% of the prize, approximately $170,000. I guess it beats a sharp stick in the eye.You can receive the Winners' Handbook (2.3Mb PDF download). Don't spend it all in one place. Posted at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/19/06 Signs of Life: Cure4Cole.com A couple of weeks ago, I saw this billboard near the northwest corner of Crossley and Mesquite. My first impression was: "Poor kid. He looks a bit old for diapers. Wonder if his condition requires them?" [Click thumbnail image for larger photo.] Then I visited Cure4Cole.com: Cole Hein has an undiagnosed illness. The Videos section was gut-wrenching, but there was very little News, and I couldn't find out if the family had actually taken him to any doctors. Here's a quote from another part of the site: Please feel free to write Cole some happy mail and let him know you were by his website. Please DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY! We are hoping to break the world's record for cards recieved [...] Hm. That sounded a little strange. Finally, I found an interview with the mother, in a... Posted at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/16/06 Bunker Hill Day Bunker Hill Day is tomorrow, June 17. It's a legal holiday in Boston and the surrounding Suffolk County. I wonder if they'll take Monday off, to compensate? Anyway, the attack on Bunker Hill (and the burning of Charlestown) took place on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston. It is widely considered to be the bloodiest battle of the American Revolution. Most of the fighting took place not on Bunker Hill, but on nearby Breed's Hill. The battle was a Pyrrhic victory for the British, who suffered 1,054 casualties, most of them officers. This type of engagement clearly demonstrates the will of an occupied citizenry to resist foreign domination. [Click image, courtesy of the National Archives, for a larger version.] Posted at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/16/06 More d*mn desert I invited my parents to visit the Coachella Valley a dozen or so years ago, when they were searching for a place to retire. I thought it would be great to have them living so close, but my father was somewhat less than entranced by the landscape, and every time we rounded a corner, Chet kept repeating, "More d*mn desert." We all laughed, and I quickly realized that he could never be convinced to relocate here.He and my mom later picked out a retirement home in Florida, but before they got a chance to live in it, his heart gave out.I'll always remember his throwaway line, and my wife and I still repeat it ironically to each other, as we look out over the area we have come to love so much: "More d*mn desert." Posted at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/16/06 Father's Day ... is this Sunday, the 18th.The driving force behind Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, inspired by Anna Jarvis' 1908 efforts to establish Mother's Day. Sonora's father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, raised his family as a single parent after his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Although Sonora initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide organizers with enough time to make arrangements and the celebration was delayed two weeks. So the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington.Unofficial support was immediate and widespread. In fact, Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924, but the all-male Congress felt that passing a measure so favorable to their gender... Posted at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/16/06 Dances With Chimps, Scene 5 LT. JOHN DUMBELL: Who's that tiny gardener?CHEETOE THE TALKING CHIMP: You mean the 6-inch-tall guy with a red shirt and blue pants? That's Señor Bill. Try to step on him. (Stomps in the general direction of Señor Bill.)SEÑOR BILL: Ohh nooo!!!DUMBELL: Cheetoe, what the heck are you doing?!CHEETOE: It's okay. He's just a foreigner. (When Cheetoe stomps again, his foot lands much closer.)SEÑOR BILL (bloodcurdling): Ohhhhhh noooooooooo!!!DUMBELL: Why would you try to step on a poor little guy who's working so hard out in the blazing sun?!CHEETOE: Just taking advantage of my higher position in the cosmic pecking order. (He stomps one last time, and Señor Bill goes splat.)+++[View the caveat lector under Scene 1 or search for all scenes or send us feedback.] Posted at 08:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/15/06 PS is *not* sweaty According to Procter & Gamble, Palm Springs did not rank among the 100 sweatiest American cities: "Phoenix retained its spot as the nation’s No. 1 perspiration producer (it was No. 1 in 2005 and 2003), with the average resident losing 26 ounces per hour during a typical summer day. In less than three hours, the residents of Phoenix collectively produce enough sweat to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool." Among California cities, Fresno was #25, Sacramento was #69, L.A. was #92, San Diego was #94, and San Francisco was #100. Sweatiest Cities list 1. Phoenix, AZ 2. Las Vegas, NV 3. Tucson, AZ 4. Dallas, TX 5. Corpus Cristi, TX 6. San Antonio, TX 7. Austin, TX 8. Shreveport, LA 9. Houston, TX 10. Waco, TX 11. Miami, FL 12. New Orleans, LA 13. Orlando, FL 14. Tampa, FL... Posted at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/15/06 Inbox: Don't Spy On Me Celia from Palm Desert writes:"After seeing that Gadsden Flag you posted yesterday, I was reminded of Sen. Feingold and his Don't Spy On Me initiative. FYI: the ACLU has organized a similar campaign (posters, flag)."[More feedback?] Posted at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/15/06 Whatchawannadothisweekend? (15Jun06) Tonight: The Jumpin' Joz Band performs tonight at 7:30pm, with a pre-show at 7, in Palm Desert's Civic Center Park Amphitheater at 73510 Fred Waring. Hm. Learn something new every day: I was not aware that joz *could* jump... Friday: At 7pm, the PS Pavilion Theatre presents Sally Struthers in Always...Patsy Cline. I wonder if Meathead will be there? Saturday morning: Cruise on up to the Classic Car Show at Barstow's Route 66 Museum from 9am-2pm. "The low rider is a little higher..." —War Saturday afternoon: Dezart Studio holds an open forum poetry reading from 5-7pm. "A poem is never finished, only abandoned." —Paul Valery Saturday evening: At 7pm, Bonne Musique Zydeco kicks off the Summer Music Festival at Yucca Valley's Community Center Ballfield. Laissez... Posted at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/15/06 Dances With Chimps, Scene 4 LT. JOHN DUMBELL: Fore! (He hooks a golf ball into the nearest sand trap.)CHEETOE THE TALKING CHIMP (tees up, seething under his breath): So, how are things going with that... girl?DUMBELL: We seem to be reasonably compatible. (Cheetoe's drive slices right off the fairway.) In fact, she might turn out to be wife material. (Cheetoe throws a club at Dumbell, and starts chasing him.) Hey!FLIPPING BIRD (subtitled, after Dumbell and Cheetoe are out of earshot): Keep on with the white man talk, if it pleases you. (His shot lands very close to the green.)STANDS WITH A FART (also subtitled): I like to make the talk. (Her drive is spectacular, just inches from the hole.) It's helpful in generating new business connections out here on the links, too.FLIPPING BIRD (still subtitled): You can say... Posted at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/14/06 Inbox: Dances With Chimps "This is offensive on soooo many levels. Nice job!" —David in Sky Valley"I was blown away by the dialogue." —Britney in N. Palm Springs"The least you could do is make Cheetoe the top banana." —J. Fred Muggs in Cathedral City+++[You, too, can send us feedback on Dances With Chimps, or any other subject your little heart desires.] Posted at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/14/06 Betsy Ross: did she or didn't she? Today is Flag Day: we celebrate the birthday of the Stars and Stripes, which came into being on June 14, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress authorized a new flag. But nobody knows for sure whether Betsy Ross made our first official flag, not even the U.S. State Department.Trivia: (1) one early American banner was that yellow Gadsden Flag over there; (2) the Smithsonian has the flag that inspired our national anthem; (3) the U.S. Navy lists Star-Spangled Manners; (4) the study of flags is called vexillology; and finally (5) here's a postmodern reinterpretation of Old Glory. Posted at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/14/06 Dances With Chimps, Scene 3 LT. JOHN DUMBELL: So what do your people call me?STANDS WITH A FART: Roughly translated, Dances With Chimps.CHEETOE THE TALKING CHIMP: Hey! Is that a slam?!STANDS: No, not at all - we saw you two doing the Lambada at that hot new Sweaty Palms disco, and we assumed you were a couple.DUMBELL/CHEETOE (simultaneously): Uh-uh, no way, we're not gay!DUMBELL: We're just a coupla lonely cowpokes who stayed on the mountain and gazed at the sheep a bit too long.STANDS (snuggling in close to Dumbell): Does that mean you like to dance with girls, too?DUMBELL: Hummena-hummena-hummena...CHEETOE: It's okay, Dumbell. Do what you have to do. I'll just go hang around the monkey bars.+++[View the caveat lector under Scene 1 or search for all scenes or send us feedback.] Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/13/06 Anne Rice de-fanged in Rancho Mirage Into the light (Press-Enterprise):Intense sun shimmers outside the window of best-selling novelist Anne Rice's house in a gated Rancho Mirage community. [...] The famous creator of the vampire Lestat has shifted from characters who drink blood to one who gave it. After returning to the religion of her childhood, Roman Catholicism, Rice has begun writing a series of novels about the life of Jesus Christ. [...] "The weather brought me here. I didn't like the chill in La Jolla," she said one recent afternoon in the 8,000-square-foot desert house where she now lives, along with two personal assistants in a guesthouse.Tom Cruise would be so proud... Posted at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/13/06 New Mexico spaceport nears first launch If this early estimate holds true, the New Mexico spaceport (road map, satellite, directions) should be ready to shoot a rocket into the wild blue yonder next month:[...] key elements to support the launch of the UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL suborbital rocket are now in place. A launch pad and rail, a custom-built rolling rocket enclosure, storage facilities, launch control center and payload processing center are on site.GLNM Posted at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/13/06 Dances With Chimps, Scene 2 LT. JOHN DUMBELL: Whaddaya say we erect some tall buildings in downtown Sweaty Palms, just to rile up the locals? CHEETOE THE TALKING CHIMP: You're a kamikaze, Dumbell. Or maybe vice versa. FLIPPING BIRD (subtitled): You need a girlfriend, Lieutenant. Keep you out of trouble. DUMBELL: Sounds good to me. Any candidates? (Flipping Bird signals to a nearby woman, who stands up, emitting a noise like a loud foghorn.) CHEETOE: Wow. Impressive sound effects. DUMBELL: Pretty gal, too. What's her name? FLIPPING BIRD (subtitled): Stands With A Fart. DUMBELL (passing some gas himself): I think I'm in love. +++ [View the caveat lector under Scene 1 or search for all scenes or send us feedback!] Posted at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/12/06 Blue 'bird of happiness Hey, I just read a nifty story about some guy and his cool set o' wheels: It's been fun, fun, fun for Milt Jones. And nobody's going to take his T-Bird away. For nearly 50 years, the magazine mogul has tooled around town in his '57 Thunderbird. [more] Posted at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/12/06 Signs of Life: Cutting edge "No one dared disturb the sound of silence."Or the sound of this Palm Canyon biz...[more signs] Posted at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/12/06 World cup fever hits PS? We can only hope the vaccine arrives before it's too late. Posted at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/12/06 Dances With Chimps, Scene 1 LT. JOHN DUMBELL (sitting in the sparse shade of an ocotillo): Cheetoe, we've journeyed long and hard to reach this godforsaken desert.CHEETOE THE TALKING CHIMP (lounging under a nearby palm tree): Bwana, it's only a hundred miles east of LA. But... whatever.FLIPPING BIRD (subtitled, lounging next to Cheetoe): Why doesn't he come in out of the sun?CHEETOE: These crazy palefaces are heavily into S&M. Mostly M.DUMBELL: Geez, it's hot. I'm gonna call this place Sweaty Palms.FLIPPING BIRD (subtitled again): Did it ever occur to you that we might already *have* a name for our oasis?DUMBELL: Doesn't matter. Here's a bunch of cash. I'm buying half this valley from your tribe, in a checkerboard pattern. It'll make swell golf courses. Let's drink some firewater, to seal the deal.FLIPPING... Posted at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/09/06 My favoritest courtyard in the whole wide world At Starbucks, I usually order a Coffee Frappucino.But at koffi, I'm a Latté Freeze kind o' guy.If you enter via the front door, you'll think it's a regular coffee shop. But after exiting through the rear, you will discover it's also a gateway into a magical courtyard in which all worries, cares and petty workplace annoyances simply float away. The flowers, the trees, the artwork and the rustic outdoor furniture provide scrumptious eye candy, and the mountains in the background don't hurt, either.[Wallpaperworthy images: A, B, C, D, E] Posted at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/09/06 Lavender Fest The Lavender Festival (offering aromatherapy lectures, distillation demonstrations, lavender cooking, children's activities and an organic marketplace) will take place from 10am-5pm during the next two weekends at the Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley.Aromatherapists claim that lavender relieves stress, anxiety and insomnia.It smells pretty darn good, too. Posted at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/09/06 Tom Schnabel on Café LA Tom Schnabel is an eclectic son-of-a-gun. He also has the best taste in music of any human being in the galaxy.Schnabel hosts KCRW's Café LA, available in our area at 89.3 on the FM radio dial (KCRI), every Sunday from noon to 2pm. He grew up in Southern California, surfed and worked summers as a lifeguard at Dockweiler Beach.From 1979-90, he served as Music Director at KCRW, getting the reputation as a fringe-music aficionado with a notorious penchant for debuting obscure world-music artists. At the same time, he moonlighted as a lifeguard. Then he took an executive position at A&M Records, where he had his own label.He attended USC, The Sorbonne, and UCLA (where he earned an MA in Comparative Literature). Currently, he's the program director of world music for the Hollywood Bowl,... Posted at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/09/06 Signs of Life: Calming Other places have traffic that's getting insane.But our traffic is calming.Don't believe me?It's right there in black and yellow, on West Ramon.[more signs] Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/08/06 Deserts of the world: Antarctic The Antarctic Desert (Earth's other polar desert) covers Antarctica, the fifth largest of the seven continents.The total surface area is about 5.5 million square miles in summer, approximately twice the size of Australia. In the winter, Antarctica doubles in size, due to sea ice that forms around the coasts.[Click thumbnail photo of the King Penguin to enlarge.][more deserts] Posted at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/08/06 Signs of Life: Who doesn't love... ...a good homophonic pun?Especially in this rag-trade shop sign on Palm Canyon:Weird ol' George Clinton might respond: "Free Your Mind And Your A__ Will Follow."[more signs] Posted at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/08/06 Move over, Palm Springs ...make way for Diet Coke springs (aided by many, many Mentos), as filmed in Buckfield, Maine.My home state.They've gotten crazier since I left... Posted at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/08/06 Whatchawannadothisweekend? (8Jun06) Tonight: It's the ever-popular Villagefest, 6-10pm... while the Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission from 4-8pm. I really dig free stuff...Friday: At 7pm, the Old Schoolhouse Lecture Series presents "Mining History & Geology of Joshua Tree National Park" with geologist Margaret R. Eggers. I have a friend who enjoyed blowing things up in high school. I think this is the main reason he's now a world-famous mining engineer.Saturday morning: Palm Springs Women in Film & Television hosts a networking brunch with George Englund at 9:45am. Great odds: lotsa women, one guy.Saturday afternoon (actually, all day long): It's the Hemet-Ryan Airshow up in Hemet. What could be finer? Skydivers, flybys, wing walking and a pancake breakfast.Saturday evening: Shelly Kramer and... Posted at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/08/06 Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, cover girl ...on this week's Paris Match.They gave her the whole cover.That's pretty unusual for them, as you can see.To refresh your memory (not that it needs refreshing - you seem quite lucid to me):Jazmin is the Palm Desert resident recently acknowledged as the daughter of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Posted at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/08/06 Thunderheads over PS Late yesterday afternoon.It's been somewhat humid in recent days, and cloud development usually comes to a climax just after 5pm.[Click image to enlarge.] Posted at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/07/06 Deserts of the world: Arctic The Arctic is a desert because it gets very little rain or snow. In the winter, it's so cold that the little snow that does fall doesn't melt - so deep snow covers the land and the ice. It's one of our planet's two polar deserts, covering 5.4 million square miles of the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Its surface is characterized by snow, glaciers and tundra. The land is relatively barren, with little or no vegetation.[Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] Posted at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/07/06 Bush kamikaze missions on the rise This past weekend, President Bush said: "Today, I want to explain why I support the Marriage Protection Amendment, and why I'm urging Congress to pass it and send it to the states for ratification."He thoughtfully provided this Spanish translation, too.The Senate quickly replied: uh-uh, no way Hor-hay.Today, Bush announced that new arrivals to this country must adopt American values and learn English.During the same trip, he also revealed to Hispanic citizenship students the identity of the only other father-son duo to serve as president: "Juan Adams y su hijo Juan Q."[Image courtesy of the Propaganda Remix Project at the Ministry of Homeland Security.] Posted at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/07/06 Signs of Life: Need direction? I was recently cruising down a dark desert highway, lost as usual, when a billboard loomed out of the night. I think it featured a yellow fake-warning traffic sign that looked something like this, but the darkness was palpable, my disregard for the speed limit was reckless, and I'm working from (admittedly faulty) memory here. As the billboard flashed by, it seemed to be promoting a quasi-religious, we'll-help-you-if-you-sign-over-the-deed-to-your-house type of organization. I thought nothing more of it, until one of our gentle readers eMailed the URL of a website which offered to fix me up with a Life Coach: "Are you stuck in a life rut? Are you neglecting yourself, your family, your work? Are you feeling the stress of too many conflicting forces?" Of course I am. Who... Posted at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/07/06 PS Virtual Film Office ...owns the PSFilmOffice.com domain (run by Women in Film PS), but not PSFilmOffice.org, which is operated as a forwarding URL by the Inland Empire Film Commission.A quick WHOIS search just revealed that PSFilmOffice.net is still unregistered. I can't wait to see what happens when a third party snaps it up...***Related: can anyone still remember the difference between WhiteHouse.gov (Dubya), WhiteHouse.org (parody), WhiteHouse.net (lame parody) and WhiteHouse.com (news, formerly porn)? Posted at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/06/06 Deserts of the world: Simpson + Sturt The Simpson Desert (completely encompassing the Sturt stony desert) covers nearly 56,000 square miles of central Australia. Its red dune fields and sand plains are covered with sparse shrubs and hardy clumps of grass. The spectacular Big Red is a sand dune of immense proportions, over 40 yards high.The vast Lake Eyre collects all the runoff from surrounding areas because of its depth - 52 feet below sea level. The lake bed has filled several times during the past century, when rains were sufficient. When empty, it forms a large, glaring-white salt pan.[Image from Colson's 1936 expedition - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] Posted at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/06/06 Signs of Life: Historic Route 99 Route 99 was one of the original US highways commissioned in 1926, stretching from the Mexican border north to Canada. It was the main artery along the West Coast for nearly forty years. 99 was bypassed gradually during the 1950s and '60s, as sections of high-speed freeway were opened next to it. By the end of the '70s, its entire length had been decommissioned. At Ramon Road, the original path of 99 (along Varner Road) splits to the north of Interstate 10. This section was replaced by an expressway around 1952. Just north of Gene Autry Trail, the old route of 99 rejoins the freeway. This stretch of the I-10 was built from 1962-67, although some parts were constructed by simply widening the 1952 expressway. West of the Route 111 interchange and south of the Verbenia Avenue exit,... Posted at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/06/06 Butch and Sundance ride again Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gets a DVD re-release today.Commentaries. Featurette. Documentaries. Interviews. Deleted scenes.I'm salivating already.BUTCH: --I'll jump first--SUNDANCE: --no--BUTCH: --okay, you jump first--SUNDANCE: --no, I said--BUTCH: What'sa matter with you?SUNDANCE: I can't swim!BUTCH (roaring with laughter): You stupid fool, the fall'll probably kill you. Posted at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/06/06 WTF? Road rage is a medical condition?! The Associated Press reports that approximately 16 million Americans suffer from what the Archives of General Psychiatry is calling "intermittent explosive disorder."The average number of lifetime attacks per person is 43, resulting in a total of $1,359 in property damage per person.So the next time some idiot runs you off the road, he'll simply claim he's got a medical excuse.I suspect the shrinks will soon announce that "self-control" is a psychiatric disorder... Posted at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/06/06 Vote! Today is California's Consolidated Primary Election - so get out and cast your ballot! If you live in Riverside County, find your polling place here. Polls close at 8pm. Posted at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/06/06 666: Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, anyone? [reference] On June 6, 2000, I married the sweetest girl in the world, at Zane Grey's Pueblo on Catalina Island. So today, 06/06/06, is our 6th wedding anniversary.Which means, I guess, that we're at sixes and sevens... but mostly sixes. Posted at 06:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/05/06 Deserts of the world: Great Victoria The Great Victoria Desert is a vast expanse of sand hills, gravel and grass in western Australia, between the Gibson Desert on the north and Nullarbor Plain on the south. In 1875, explorer Ernest Giles crossed the desert and named it after his queen. [Click thumbnail photo to see a larger version in Giles' book, "Australia Twice Traversed."] A large part of the eastern end contains aboriginal reserves. The area is also tracked for the recovery of missiles whose trajectories are guided from the weapons-testing range in Woomera. Watch your head. Part of this desert is in the "Unnamed Biosphere Reserve." I sh... kid you not. But it gets better: according to UNESCO, "Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to... Posted at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/05/06 The Manilow/sheep connection According to The Daily Telegraph, one of Sydney, Australia's suburbs will pipe the hits of Barry Manilow through loudspeakers in an attempt to rid the streets of noisy automobile enthusiasts who annoy residents and drive customers away from local businesses. Rockdale Councillor Bill Saravinovski said: "[...] daggy music is one way to make the hoons leave an area because they can't stand the music."[Click those last two links for translations.] Posted at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/05/06 Michael Douglas' pimped-out golf cart could be yours! This eBay auction starts today, and benefits the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Some of the cart's features:A KVH satellite receiver brings DirecTV onto a 7" flip-down screen in the cart. Also installed in the cart are MTX speakers, a DVD player, Tom Tom GPS, a Star Gate mobile tablet PC in the steering wheel, a "blinged" golf ball washer, cigar humidor, electric beer cooling tube and a shoe polisher.A set of Cleveland Clubs and bag are included.Bidding starts at $1,000.[video] Posted at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/05/06 Signs of Life: Mid-Valley Parkway The Mid-Valley Parkway ("MVP" - click road sign for larger view) was initially proposed to ease the traffic on Highway 111 and was envisioned as a limited access, high speed six-lane expressway slicing across the Valley. But it was an expensive project, and nobody wanted another I-10, so the cities involved simply designated a few surface streets as the MVP. The route begins on Ramon Road, west of Gene Autry Trail, and turns south on Autry to Mesquite Avenue, thence easterly on Mesquite, which becomes Dinah Shore Drive. Finally, it goes south on Bob Hope Drive and east on Gerald Ford Drive, ending at Monterey Avenue: [more signs] Posted at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/02/06 Deserts of the world: Gibson The Gibson Desert is a largely unspoiled portion of western Australia, bounded on the north by the Great Sandy Desert and on the south by the Great Victoria Desert.Made up largely of sandhills and dry grass, it was named for Alfred Gibson, who died while attempting to cross it during an expedition with explorer Ernest Giles in 1874. Most of the inhabitants are Indigenous Australians. Wildlife includes the red kangaroo and the emu.[Image courtesy of Gregory and Stuart Clarke - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] Posted at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/02/06 To Jazmin Grace Grimaldi: a belated thanks According to TDQ's server logs, your mom's Summer Of '91 Hijinks have sent thousands of extra web surfers to us, from Canada, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Zambia, Singapore, India, the UK, the Philippines and the Seychelles! Posted at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/02/06 World's first (and last?) waterproof magazine I wonder if my boss is trying to tell me something - he just forwarded this item from the palm springs craigslist:The First Luxury Hotel, Waterproof Poolside Magazine in the world is looking for the right candidates to join their team [...][website] Or maybe this is part of a viral advertising campaign for an 11th-anniversary, Special Edition release of Waterworld? ;-) Posted at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/02/06 Signs of Life: Fire diamond When venturing into a Palm Springs industrial area (or any such neighborhood in most American cities), you'll notice white/blue/red/yellow "square-on-point" signs affixed to some buildings. The numbers on these signs identify the severity of health, flammability and instability hazards, ranging from 0 (minimal) to 4 (severe).Letters on the bottom white diamond indicate special hazards, either W (unusual reactivity with water) or OX (oxidizer materials).The left-side blue diamond indicates the degree of health hazard: 0 is minimal, 1 may lead to slight irritation, 2 could cause temporary incapacitation, 3 might result in serious residual injury, and 4 could kill ya.The top red diamond rates flammability: 0 does not exhibit a flash point (the lowest temperature at which vapors... Posted at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/01/06 Deserts of the world: Great Sandy Covering approximately 150,000 square miles, the Great Sandy Desert of western Australia is an uninhabited wilderness of scrub and rock. But it contains high red sand dunes that extend in miles of parallel rows, too.This is also the name of an arid region in southern Oregon.[Image courtesy of the USGS EROS Data Center - click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] Posted at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/01/06 Signs of Life: Enigmatic numbers I'm way too curious about stuff; I admit it. But the number signs atop local traffic signal poles have really been bugging me. [Click photo to enlarge.] So I finally contacted the CVAG, and asked 'em: "What in tarnation do those numbers signify?" They replied: "The signs were placed at the behest of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority, ostensibly as a reference source to help direct out of town visitors. However, due to the recent turmoil at the CVA, there has been little in the way of advertising to take advantage of this project." [more signs] Posted at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/01/06 Upcoming free entertainment Palm Desert's Summer of Fun Concert and Family Film Series will run every Thursday evening through August in the Civic Center Park Amphitheater at 73510 Fred Waring. The Navy Band Southwest performs tonight at 7:30pm, with a pre-show at 7.The River Amphitheater's summer music series runs every Friday and Saturday through August, at 71800 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. Michael Anthony Perna will perform tomorrow and Saturday, from 6-9pm.And Yucca Valley's Annual Summer Music Festival will run every Saturday from June 17 through August 19 at the Community Center Ballfield. The first performance, in two weeks, features Bonne Musique Zydeco at 7pm. Posted at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

06/01/06 Whatchawannadothisweekend? (1Jun06) Tonight: At 7:30pm, the 6th Annual Palm Springs Film Noir Festival kicks off at the Camelot Theatres. It'll hit you like the "hot kiss at the end of a wet fist." —Firesign Theatre.Friday: 7:05pm: "Beisbol been berry, berry good to me." —Chico Esquela (Garrett Morris, Saturday Night Live) Can we promote this opening game any harder?!Saturday morning: At 10am, the PS Art Museum opens two new exhibitions: A Point of Convergence and Breaking Out! "You've got to bumble forward into the unknown." —Frank GehrySaturday afternoon: It's All About the Animals runs from 11am-3pm up near Idyllwild. "If we could talk to the animals, learn all their languages, I could take an animal degree..." —Leslie BricusseSaturday evening: At 6pm, Annual Fish Fry,... Posted at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

06/01/06 Baseball season opens in PS Palm Springs Power hosts the Tijuana Stars at the Palm Springs Stadium, tomorrow night, 7:05pm. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.]Take me out to the ball game,Take me out with the crowd.Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,I don't care if I never get back,Let me root, root, root for the home team,If they don't win, it's a shame.For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,At the old ball game.—Words: Jack Norworth, Music: Albert Von Tilzer[Jack Norworth was a successful vaudeville entertainer/songwriter who spent fifteen minutes writing this classic song during a 1908 train ride into Manhattan.] Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments