January 2011

Word Association - The Second District

Jerry Banks, a retired trial lawyer living in Rancho Mirage, has a new book out in his Barry O’Shea legal mystery series. The Second District

Intelligencer - "Modern Family" Lament

On the hit sitcom Modern Family, Nathan Lane expressed his anguish when no one accepted an invitation to one of his brunches: “You’re going to die alone in a quaint Spanish revival outside of Palm Springs.

PSST! - Filmmakers to Converge on Sunnylands

By Janice Kleinschmidt

For its 22nd annual run (Jan. 6-17), PSIFF invited about 40 filmmakers from around the world to a pre-fest retreat.

PSST! - What’s in a Game, David Hill?

By Kathy Strong

When football fans gather to watch Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 6), David Hill, a part-time Palm Desert resident, will have a different vantage point. As chairman and CEO of Fox Sports Media Group and president of Fox Sports Networks Inc.

Culinary Wanderlust

Desert residents have been venturing throughout the world in groups from the comfort of their homes. In Indio, about 16 women took a “Tour of Italy” at the end of August.

PSST! - Going Up?

By Kathy Strong

When David and Vickie McFarland set out to remodel their Bighorn Golf Club house nearly two years ago, they discovered an awkward upstairs and downstairs closet that was originally intended as an elevator shaft.

Horoscope - January 2011

BY SHERRYL NOVA

Jupiter and Uranus square off with Pluto (the “nonplanet”) this year. A time of upheavals can be good fortune for those who seek a better way.

One Wild Ride

BY ELLEN PARIS

Do investment strategies that came into play when the bubble burst two years ago and “the new normal” of Wall Street emerged still work?

The Finest Vintage

BY JAN SILVER MAGUIRE

Its location is breathtaking, its timeless elegance the envy of the world’s leading resorts. But the heart and soul of this exclusive community lie in the members who call it home.

The Most Brutal Hike

BY ANN JAPENGA

Brewster and monument volunteer Keith Bartleson set off full of optimism. It was a glorious, still morning in this primal desert wilderness so hidden and yet close to major highways.

Wheels - A Modern Classic

BY PAT DEVEREUX

Nothing was wrong with the outgoing Jaguar XJ, other than the fact that no one could tell when you had bought a new one. Enter the 2011 XJ, and all that changes.

Editor's Letter January 2011

BY STEVEN BILLER

If you’re seeing stars, don’t rub your eyes. The Palm Springs International Film Festival launches the new year with a red carpet that draws celebrities and media from around the world.

Before the Hope

BY JUDD SPICER

In the 1950s, celebrities and pro golfers served up the razzle-dazzle at the Thunderbird Invitational, which grew into today’s five-course ‘Classic’

An Honest Man

Javier Bardem turns in a compelling performance in ‘Biutiful’ and accompanies the film to the Palm Springs International Film Festival

As Time Goes By

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

5 a.m. DeSantis, executive show producer for the Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala, sits in front of his computer, reading e-mails from Hollywood studio reps.

Surveying the Masters

BY CAROL CHEH

At Heather James Fine Art in Palm Desert, the exhibition Masters of Modernism and Impressionism surveys many of the movements that made the avant-garde so exciting.

Tipping the Scale

BY ADAM ZACK

Wine makes a great meal better. Just ask any oenophile/foodie. The pressing question is, “What will ruin a meal more: bad food or bad wine?”