09/25/06

Anousheh / Daisuke

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Anousheh Ansari, the world's first female space tourist, trained as the backup for Japanese millionaire Daisuke Enomoto, who failed a medical exam last month. Here's (1) part of a November 4, 2005 news story about Daisuke, and (2) a September 14, 2006 blog entry posted by Anousheh. Since wealthy tourists will be going into space anyway, I think the Russians were very wise to choose someone like Anousheh. With her charitable work (Make-a-Wish Foundation, Children's Advocacy...

09/22/06

Jewish Year 5767 begins

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Rosh Hashanah, commonly known as the Jewish New Year, starts at sunset tonight and continues until nightfall on Sunday.

Popular observances during this holiday include: (1) eating apples dipped in honey, to symbolize the wish for a sweet new year; and (2) walking to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and emptying one's pockets into the river - a ritual "casting off" of sins.

L'shanah tovah.

Posted at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/22/06

Atlantis from Orbit

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Blogged under Writing By Anousheh:

"L.A. just called me to watch the shuttle Atlantis land... What a sight... This trip is just getting better and better. It was beautiful. First just a flashing dot of orange color light then a steady point of light... and toward the final stages it just looked like a beautiful comet in slow motion. A shining orange point with a streak of white tail behind it...."

Posted at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/22/06

Autumnal Equinox

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The autumnal equinox, which occurs tonight at precisely 9:03pm PDT, is defined as the point at which the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator from north to south.

The word equinox means "equal night"; day and night are the same length of time.

Hm. Maybe that standing-a-raw-egg-on-end trick will work better during *this* equinox ;-)

Posted at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/22/06

Trek from PS to... leaping tall buildings

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The US Bank Tower in Los Angeles is the 25th tallest building in the world, at 1,018 feet. It's the tallest building in California, the tallest building with a helipad on the roof, and is designed to resist an 8.3 earthquake.

The Empire State Building (1,250 feet) was the planet's tallest building from 1931 to 1972. Even in this skyscraper-du-jour era, it's still ranked #9 in the world. The distinctive Art Deco spire was originally designed to be a mooring mast and depot for zeppelins.

#5: Shanghai's

Posted at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/21/06

First blog posting from space

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Cool! Anousheh Ansari just started blogging from space:

[...] L.A. took his glove off and it started floating in the cabin. I could not stop giggling the whole time... I was finally able to take a look outside and saw the Earth for the first time... Tears started rolling down my face. I could not catch my breath... Even thinking about it now...

09/21/06

Asia comes to North America

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...specifically, to the McCallum Theatre, on Sunday night at 7pm. John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe formed one of the most successful supergroups of all time, and they're reuniting for a 25th-anniversary tour.

I suspect Pink Floyd might have called this Riding the Gravy Train, but I don't want to be too hard on the lads. Their album covers (created largely by Roger Dean) were prized among certain circles as great pieces of eye candy. The one for Arena (below) was done by Rodney Matthews - you can see the full...

Posted at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/21/06

Stripper to author

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At 3pm on Saturday, Ducky DooLittle will sign and discuss "Sex With The Lights On: 200 Illuminating Sex Questions Answered" at Peppertree Bookstore.

"Few sex educators are as well-matched to the task of dispensing safe, honest, affirming sex advice as Ducky Doolittle, a former Times Square stripper, who emerged from behind the peepshow glass to climb to the top...

09/21/06

Trek from PS to... power spots

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Stonehenge is a place of pilgrimage for neo-druids and those following pagan or neo-pagan beliefs. The midsummer sunrise began attracting modern visitors in 1870s, with the first record of recreated Druidic practices dating to 1905 when the Ancient Order of Druids enacted a ceremony.

The Potala Palace in Lhasa was the chief residence of Tibet's Dalai Lama until the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was forced to flee to Dharamsala, India in 1959.

Posted at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/20/06

''I've got monkeys in my pants''

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...is perhaps one of the best customs declarations of all time. Robert Cusack uttered this classic line in 2002, when asked by U.S. Customs officials at LAX if he had anything else to declare. After confessing, Cusack was sentenced to 57 days in jail for smuggling.

Cusack's traveling buddy, Chris Edward Mulloy, sailed past the same 2002 checkpoint with 2 newborn Asian leopards in his backpack.

But the long arm of the law waits for no man. Or something like that.

This past Monday, four years after the...

Posted at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/20/06

Trek from PS to... classic architecture

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When work began on the Parthenon in 447 BC, the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. Do you remember "Doric," "Ionic" and "Corinthian"?!

During the days of the Roman Empire, the Coliseum of Rome was called the Flavian Amphitheatre (after the emperor dynasty that built it, starting in 72 AD). Eventually, people simply nicknamed it the Coliseum, which derives from a Roman word meaning "gigantic."

Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the

Posted at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/19/06

Trek from PS to... natural highs

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California's Mt. Whitney has been measured at 14,497 feet above mean sea level (AMSL), the highest point in the continental U.S. - and only 88 miles from the lowest point, Badwater!

Here's another local favorite: the Mt. San Jacinto station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. At 8,516 feet AMSL, it's a perfect jumping-off point for some great mountain hiking.

Posted at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/19/06

Death and Taxes: 2007

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The poster below (normally available at www.TheBudgetGraph.com) is a visual representation of how the US government spends our income taxes. Not only does it show the amount spent on each item, but it also reveals the percentage change from last year, so you can spot trends. In order to get the full impact, it's critical to view the entire 2Mb file (click the small image after you arrive). Notes: [1] read the center circle first; [2] military funding is on the left side, with non-military funding on the right side, unless otherwise noted; [3] don't forget the national debt - the circle that's so big, it has to peek out from behind the top and bottom of...

Posted at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/18/06

Trek from PS to... a bit off the beaten path

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All this week, we'll be using a powerful interactive roadmap/satellite photo interface (click the links below for details) to take virtual trips into places like:

Badwater, Death Valley (at 282 feet below sea level, this is the lowest point in North America);

Meteor Crater, Arizona (550 feet deep, "The Best-Preserved Meteorite Crater On Earth");

Area 51, Groom Lake airfield (but we...

Posted at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/18/06

Blogging from space

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According to AFP: The world's first female space tourist has launched her multi-million dollar adventure, blasting off with two professional astronauts from the Baikonur cosmodrome bound for the International Space Station (ISS).

Anousheh Ansari, 40, an Iranian-born US citizen, plunked down the estimated $25 million for her ISS ticket after making a fortune in the telecoms market. Her family has encouraged great leaps in spaceflight...

Posted at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/18/06

7 Deadly Zins

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Wine Night rolls around again tonight, at Vino 100 in Cathedral City, 5:30pm-8.

The tasting is free.

Representatives of the Michael~David Winery (makers of the "wildly popular" 7 Deadly Zins) will be there for the event, along with cheese from the Mad French Lady.

I just can't help wondering how the 7 Deadly Zins match up...

09/15/06

Senior Softball World Series

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North American Senior Circuit Softball is bringing the Senior Softball World Series right here to Palm Springs, from tomorrow to September 24th.

Competitions will take place in these categories: Women's 50+, 55+, 60+ and Men's 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+.

80+?! One can't help but wonder how long it'll take before we hear: "Slide, you bum, slide! Drop that goshdarn walker and slide!"


Yes,

Posted at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/15/06

Signs of Life: Seniors Crosswalk

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Is it my imagination, or are those date trees leaning just a tad? FYI, don't expect to get past this crosswalk as quickly as you drove through Ped Xing:


[more signs]

Posted at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/15/06

Senior Juke

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John "Juke" Logan's official 60th birthday party gig kicks off tomorrow night at 7pm Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown!

Juke will appear along with the Truth Will Rock You All-Stars (Rick Holmstrom, Jeff Turmes, Mike "Bonedaddy" Tempo and Don Heffington), plus more special musical guests.

John Farrell Logan got his nickname by playing...

Posted at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/14/06

Mes de la Herencia Hispana

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Hispanic Heritage Month begins tomorrow, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. According to the Census Bureau, more than 42 million people in the US are of Hispanic origin. That's about 14 percent of us!

In case you didn't know: piñatas, found at many Mexican celebrations (fiestas), were traditionally in the shape of a six-pointed...

Posted at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/14/06

Whatchawannadothisweekend? (14Sep06)

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Tonight: Since 'Retha just cancelled her concert, don't forget the free PS Art Museum admission from 4pm-8, to celebrate Villagefest, which runs from 6pm-10! Party hearty...

Friday: Maria Teresa Valenzuela is a traditional healer who sits on the Indigenous Board of Elders in the Sierra Madre of Chihuahua, Mexico. At 7pm, she will present a talk entitled

Posted at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/14/06

Burnout!!

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I'm so psyched - can't hardly wait for tonight's Route 66 Rendezvous in Berdoo:

"Spectators at the Rendezvous can enjoy not only the beautiful vehicles but activities such as: Neon Light Cruise & Contest, the Firestone Burnout & Flame Throwing Contest, Open Header Cruise & Contest, the San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino Poker Run Contest, Free Live Entertainment, Firefighter Competition, IEHP Rad Rider...

09/13/06

Your tattoo = .0478% of a story

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Shelley Jackson's Skin project ("A Mortal Work of Art"), first announced in 2003, was subsequently covered by the NY Times, Newsweek, USA Today, The London Observer, CNN, NPR, the BBC, etc.

It is (or will be) a 2095-word story published exclusively in tattoos, one word at a time, on the epidermides of volunteers.

According to Shelley's "Ineradicable Stain" website, the project seems to be nearing completion:

Number of participants...

09/13/06

There's a monument in your backyard...

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Bonnie Adkins, National Monument Ranger for the BLM, presents "There's a National Monument in Your Backyard," starting at 10am tomorrow in the Highway 74 Visitor Center.

Take a photographic journey of the magnificent landscape, plants, animals, and places to visit in the

Posted at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/13/06

OTLQ 9/13

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Old Town La Quinta's Free Concert Series continues tonight on Main Street, when the group "Sedona" brings a "refreshing bend of smooth jazz with a taste of Southwest flare."

Is that like a skirt flare? Or a road safety flare? Or a solar flare? ;-)

Posted at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/12/06

Who's Zoomin' Who?

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At 8pm on Thursday night, Aretha Franklin will perform at the McCallum. So cruise on over to the Freeway of Love, and catch Sister Re!

In 1987, Aretha became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1999, she was awarded The National Medal of Arts by...

Posted at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/12/06

Wikipedia defies China's censors

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[from The Observer] The founder of Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia written by its users, has defied the Chinese government by refusing to bow to censorship of politically sensitive entries.

Jimmy Wales, one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine, challenged other internet companies,...

09/12/06

Temecula Film & Music Fest

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This year's Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival begins tomorrow night, with a screening of Terri Farley's film, Beautiful Dreamer, about a pilot (Colin Egglesfield) who is left with amnesia and is later found in a small town by his grief-stricken wife (Brooke Langton). The film co-stars Barry Corbin, James Denton, Tom Everett and Susan Barnes.

Also on the opening night program is a short entitled West Bank Story, a musical comedy about an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian girl, torn between their love and their families' dueling falafel...

Posted at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/11/06

Emmy redux

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During the recent Emmy ceremony, one of my favorite films, "The Girl In The Café," took home three awards: Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Richard Curtis) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Kelly Macdonald). Why did this little-seen TV movie impress voters in these major categories? I...

Posted at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/11/06

Happy belated statehood day!

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We're 156 years old! Or we were, on Saturday. Funny, I don't feel a day over 155...

The Mexican War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (February 2, 1848), in which Mexico ceded 525,000 square miles to the US government. This land was further subdivided to become California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.

The US Congress approved California statehood as part of a compromise...

Posted at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/11/06

Free Concert Series

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The Palm Springs Fall Concert Series kicks off tomorrow night at 7:30pm with the classic crooners MOM Band and vocalist Barry Minnifield at Sunrise Park.

Bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets and blankets.

Or else. ;-)

Posted at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/08/06

The Day The Planes Stopped Flying

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"Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood..."
--Billy Joel, "New York State Of Mind"

===============================

Surely you remember that crazy Frenchman. What was his name? Phillipe something? He started bringing up his equipment a couple of days beforehand, slipping everything past the Twin Tower guards in a rucksack. By the eve of his big performance, he'd stashed a sizable pile under the open-air tourist platform. He hid there until after everyone had gone home that night; then his crossbow...

Posted at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/08/06

Conned

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Sasha Abramsky has been researching the rise of mass incarceration in America, and how it's disenfranchising millions of citizens due to the continued existence of 19th-century laws which place strict limits on the voting rights of people convicted of felony crimes.

Sasha is coming to Peppertree Bookstore on Saturday at 3pm.

He'll be discussing his new book,

Posted at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/08/06

Campout

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Tonight at 6:45pm, catch the opening chords of this year's Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven Campout in Pioneertown, continuing through Saturday night:

[...] fans of all brands of independent rock will congregate in the spaghetti-western setting of Pioneertown, California, for a music and camping festival sponsored by the headlining bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven.
[...] The festival, now in its second year, is put on jointly by the two bands, Los Angeles radio station KCRW, singer David Lowery's own label Pitch-a-Tent, and the proprietors of...

09/07/06

Whatchawannadothisweekend? (7Sep06)

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Tonight: From 7pm-9, you can take an Intuition 101A course at the Healing Arts Center in Palm Desert. Learn meditation techniques to open up your abilities: clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, remote viewing and psychometry. Ah, at last: a "third eye opening class" has come to our desert oasis...

[Also tonight: Don't forget

Posted at 09:26 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/07/06

Healing Field

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A Healing Field event will be held on the corner adjacent to Big League Dreams in Cathedral City, starting tomorrow at 9am.

The Healing Field will be a memorial to honor every soldier, sailor, airman or marine lost in conflicts in Iraq & Afghanistan.

3,000 US flags, as well as the flags of the coalition countries, will be on display for the weekend event.

At 7pm on Monday, September 11, the city will hold a...

Posted at 07:10 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/06/06

Corn Moon

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Tomorrow's full moon (at 11:42am here in Palm Springs) is called the Full Corn Moon.

Corn, an Indian staple, is now ready for gathering.

The moon will also make its closest approach to Earth later (8pm perigee), at a distance of 221,938 miles. As a result, this will be the biggest and brightest full moon of 2006.

Very high tides can be expected from the coincidence of perigee with full moon.

In addition, a rather small (19%) partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Africa, Asia, Australia, and Eastern Europe....

Posted at 02:08 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/06/06

Mad Dog in town...

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Joe Cocker performs at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 8pm tonight.

Do you remember that wonderful Cocker impression performed by John Belushi on Saturday Night Live?

This website contains some of Joe's thoughts on (1) Belushi's performance, and (2) the unique Cocker singing style:

Posted at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/06/06

OTLQ

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Old Town La Quinta's Free Concert Series continues tonight on Main Street - the "Shaken not Stirred" variety trio performs everything from Jimmy Buffett and Neal Diamond to Bob Marley and the music of today.

Hm. What *is* the music of today? Guess I'll have to go and find out...

Posted at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/05/06

Bibendum

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...a/k/a "The Michelin Man." For the past several months, I've been plagued by delayed pressure urticaria, a form of hives. At first, it was just a minor nuisance, a few skin bumps which appeared at night, and disappeared by morning. The dermatologist gave me a series of anti-histamines, but nothing worked, and now the bumps have bumps... and I look a bit like Bibendum. The bad news is that my eyes are swollen nearly shut, so I have to see an allergist, hopefully sometime today. Blog postings may be somewhat spotty during the next few days, so please bear with me.

Posted at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/05/06

First Wednesday Art Walk

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Q: Is the Backstreet Art District really the "coolest, hippest art district in the desert"?

A: We'll find out tomorrow evening from 6pm-9pm, during the First Wednesday Art Walk - when this burgeoning art community will show new and exciting original contemporary and modern art in several independent artist studios and galleries.

[This is the kickoff event in a series of monthly art openings.]

Most venues will be serving refreshments and snacks.

Participants include: Art, Backstreet Art Studios,

Posted at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/01/06

Candidate Roth

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David Roth, Democratic candidate for Congress in California's 45th, recently invited me to visit his home. The whole family joined in our discussion, including his wife Anita ("We take time off from the campaign only when we're sleeping!") and his fifteen-month-old daughter (

Posted at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/01/06

Signs of Life: Talk

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Yes, our valley is sometimes called "God's Waiting Room," but I think I've passed one sign a few too many times, during my morning commute. Yesterday, I tried to imagine the dialogue (bottom) that might be prompted by this billboard:


Wife: Let's talk about that mortuary.
Hubby: No.
Wife: Why can't we at least TALK about it?
Hubby: Because you and I see things differently.
Wife: What do you mean?
Hubby: I plan to live forever.

[Click thumbnail photo for a larger...

Posted at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

09/01/06

Labor Day

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Our country has set aside this coming Monday as Labor Day. The U.S. Department of Labor claims the holiday is: "...a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

PBS says America's Labor Day is "...an attempt to appease the nation's workers..."

Most countries in Europe observe Labor Day on May 1, to commemorate the

Posted at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0