January 2010

The Canadian Connection

BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD

But the lure of the desert region is powerful for many Canadians, who have traveled here for nearly as long as American movie stars, artists, naturalists, and wayfaring entrepreneurs. Always representing a significant portion of the Palm Springs “snowbird” or seasonal population, our northern neighbors have shown heightened interest in the area during recent years.

Ducati: The Lifestyle

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

Motorcycles line the curb outside Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on El Paseo in Palm Desert. A la Sgt. Esterhaus, Kevin Gettmann instructs the riders to be safe out there. But these are not cops, and their motorcycles are far from standard issue. They’re mostly red — Ducati red, to be exact.

Editor's Letter - January 2010

By Steven Biller

The Coachella Valley’s premier red-carpet event, widely considered the official start of “season,” will be a powerful affair this month. Transcending the star-studded Palm Springs International Film Festival programming are the storylines that lifted at least two of its honorees to high acclaim.

Then & Now

BY STEVEN BILLER

Art for all tastes (and price points) prevails this month, as galleries from Palm Springs to Indian Wells open exhibitions featuring paintings, sculptures, limited-edition lithographs and screenprints, and works that blur the lines of these media.

Horoscope - January 2010

BY SHERRYL NOVA

2010 ushers in the rare and serious Saturn Pluto square, a couple of Saturn Uranus squares, and eventually Uranus and Pluto will square off. This series of alignments is unprecedented. For most of us, this will mean adjusting to radical changes caused by forces larger than ourselves.

Bob Mackie - A Talent for Theater

Bob Mackie staged a few triumphant New York Fashion Week shows, bowing out with a razzle-dazzle fall/winter catwalk salute to Broadway in 2002. It was an ebullient show after a long decade of pared-down minimalism and dainty romantic chic...

Bob Mackie: An Original

ROD STAFFORD HAGWOOD

Bob Mackie, who will receive a Steve Chase Humanitarian Award during the Feb. 27 event benefiting Desert AIDS Project, has added sheen and shine to all the stars of every generation for the last five decades, crossing right into today’s downloadable divas.

PSST - Word Association January 2010

Janice Kleinschmidt, deputy editor of Palm Springs Life, has — under the pen name Jan St. Louis — written a romantic comedy science fiction reality-questioning adventure musical in 37 acts.

PSST - A Man of Stature

Art looks out across the Sandpiper condominium grounds in Palm Desert. At 9 feet tall, with bug eyes, mismatched feet, and a hole in the middle of his tattooed chest, he cuts an imposing figure.

Intelligencer - January 2010

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert in Rancho Mirage was among the first four Good to Grow! Museums by the Association of Children’s Museums. The Rancho Mirage museum, as well as museums in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Bryan, Texas; and Rockford, Ill., completed a four-month review and were judged on their health-related practices.

In the Heat of the Night

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

Like the shoemaker’s elves, bakers at Panera Bread work while you sleep. So even if you walk into the café and store when the doors first open each day, you’ll find an array of fresh breads, muffins, bagels, pastries, and cookies.

Designs on Saturday Mornings

While motorcycles zipped down Palm Canyon Drive for bike weekend in October, about 20 people gathered in the courtyard of The Corridor with serenity in mind. They wanted advice on how to create a pleasing environment outdoors.

Avatar’s Local Angle

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

After being hired as head animal trainer for James Cameron’s Avatar, Kele Younger ended up with a role in the new 3-D movie that has been widely touted as groundbreaking in the film industry.

The New Financial Literacy

BY ELLEN PARIS

As an investor, you must speak the language CNBC pundits spout hourly. More importantly is to understand what your wealth advisers and financial planners are saying.

Pairing Ports

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

Each Port house has a distinct style as to the level of sweetness, fruit, and acidity in its wines. However, in general terms, Paul Mugnier of Premium Port Wines in San Francisco says reserve-level Ports go well with a rich devil’s food cake, while a 20-year tawny pairs best with a black forest cake.

Demystifying Port

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

Port — wine fortified with brandy — typically conjures up an image of a debonair Alastair Cooke wearing a smoking jacket and holding a pipe while introducing Masterpiece Theatre from the seat of a wing chair. It conveys an air of sophistication — and a bit of mystery.