Revenge Again? Liam Neeson Is Wasted in 'Cold Pursuit,' a Completely Pointless, Boring Remake

Feb 14, 2019 10:30  |  Bob Grimm

Cold Pursuit stars Liam Neeson in yet another revenge film, this time set in the snowy Rocky Mountains.

There’s some impressive scenery … and that’s about the best thing I can say about this one.

It’s not good when the best parts of a murder-mystery are shots of a snow plow cutting through large quanti...

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Home Video Review: Despite a Campy Title and the Presence of Sam Elliott, 'The Man Who Killed Hitler' Is a Terrible Mess

Feb 11, 2019 16:30  |  Bob Grimm

The title of The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot implies campy fun, right? The fact that it stars Sam Elliott leads to the impression that tongue-in-cheek, cult-classic adventure may be in the making, perhaps?

Well, no. I’m all for a movie deviating from expectations—bring it on—but this one...

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A Well-Assembled Sequel: 'The Lego Movie 2' Loses Some of the Original's Charm, but Still Offers Lots of Laughs

Feb 07, 2019 09:00  |  Bob Grimm

Oh … Legos. My mom asked me for Legos this past Christmas, and I thought, sure, why not? That’s kind of cute, buying Legos for your mommy on Christmas.

So I grabbed a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Lego set at a well-known department store (OK, since we are already advertising Legos here, I’ll name it: JCP...

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Preparing for Fire Season: The State and Public Utilities Are Working to Lessen the Fire Danger—but Will These Efforts Be Enough?

Feb 14, 2019 15:45  |  Judy Lin, CALmatters

Don’t be fooled by the precipitation, the snowpack and the wildflowers. When winter ends, it’s unlikely that California’s iconic landscape will sustain the moisture to withstand the scorching summer and fall.

California has yet to recover from the 5-year drought that began in 2012. For four years, re...

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The State of the State: Five Ways in Which Gavin Newsom Proved He's Different From Jerry Brown

Feb 13, 2019 17:30  |  Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters

A month after being inaugurated, Gov. Gavin Newsom used his State of the State speech on Tuesday, Feb. 12, to make his strongest showing yet that Jerry Brown is no longer in charge.

He proposed scaling back two of Brown’s legacy projects—a high-speed train and a pair of tunnels to move water from north...

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A Consequence of the 'Nonbinary' Option: Insurance Companies Surprised by a State Regulation Prohibiting Them From Using Gender in Auto-Coverage Ratings

Feb 07, 2019 06:30  |  Dan Morain, CALmatters

In a little-noticed side impact of California’s 2018 law granting drivers the option of listing their gender as nonbinary , California’s Department of Insurance has decreed that auto insurance companies can no longer grant breaks in insurance rates to teen drivers who are female or charge young men mo...

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Community Voices: The Proper Stewardship of Public Lands Is a Vital Part of Managing Climate Change

Feb 14, 2019 15:20  |  Jamie Williams, High Country News

Despite the willful denunciation of proven climate science by the White House and some members of Congress, there is a hopeful awakening in the United States: Young activists are stepping forward to demand a Green New Deal that guarantees climate action, justice and economic security for all.

A Green...

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The Weekly Independent Comics Page for Feb. 14, 2019!

Feb 14, 2019 08:00  |  Staff

On this week's Hallmark-approved, prix-fixe weekly Independent comics page: This Modern World expresses bewilderment at the Sunday morning talk-show formula; Jen Sorensen wishes white people assimilated better; (Th)ink ponders the plight of whacked-out British eels; Red Meat tries to teach goldfish a ...

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Savage Love: I Am a Disabled Man; How Do I Find People Interested in Hooking Up With Me?

Feb 13, 2019 12:00  |  Dan Savage

I am a 56-year-old heterosexual man, and I have lived with ALS for the past six years. I am either in a wheelchair or in a hospital bed, and I have very little motor ability in my limbs. Like most or all male ALS patients, I still have full sensory ability, including a fully functioning penis.

Are th...

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A Master of Language: Desert Ensemble Probes the Meaning of Relationships With Tony Padilla's 'For a Reason'

Feb 11, 2019 10:45  |  Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume

The script is the star.

Desert Ensemble Theatre Company has produced eight plays written by Tony Padilla during its eight seasons. And get this: English is his second language!

There are precious few authors who can achieve this kind of success, let alone in a second language. Joseph Conrad, who wrote Hear...

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A Hoot of a Good Time: Coyote StageWorks Pays Tribute to Country-Western Music With 'Honky Tonk Laundry'

Feb 02, 2019 14:10  |  Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume

Honky Tonk Laundry , presented by Coyote StageWorks, has boot-scooted into the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs.

Are you ready, darlin’? Because the laughter, the music, and the sheer fun of this production will gallop off with you to Nashville.

Yes, it’s a romp.

The Wishy Washy Washateria (!) is owned...

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Western Lit: A Basque Writer Transplanted to the West Takes a Critical Look at America in 'Nevada Days'

Jan 31, 2019 12:30  |  Sierra Standish, High Country News

The Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France is a land of misty coastlines and damp mountains—green and soft. Yet in the 19th and 20th centuries, many Basques immigrated to some of the driest regions of the United States—places like Nevada, eastern Oregon and Idaho.

One Basque shepherd re...

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The Lucky 13: Meagan Van Dyke, Actress, Singer and Member of Trio NV

Feb 14, 2019 15:30  |  Brian Blueskye

Meagan Van Dyke is a multi-talented performer. She’s been in College of the Desert musicals In the Heights and Little Shop of Horrors ; she was an on-air Disney Channel host; and she performs in Trio NV with Nick Sosa and Doug Van Sant of the Flusters. Catch Trio NV every Saturday night at the Miramonte...

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Celtic Cruisers: Flogging Molly Arrives at Morongo Just in Time for St. Patrick's Day

Feb 13, 2019 19:00  |  Brian Blueskye

On Saint Patrick’s Day, you can always expect to hear Celtic music in some form—including, most likely, some music by renowned Celtic punk band Flogging Molly.

Flogging Molly is currently on tour and will be stopping by Morongo Casino Resort on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day—Saturday, March 16.

When for...

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Back to the '70s: Cody White and the Easy Ride Find Musical Inspiration in Politics, Social Justice

Feb 12, 2019 10:00  |  Brian Blueskye

“Everyone talks about rock these days,” Keith Richards once said. “The problem is they forget about the roll.”

Well, local musician Cody White has most certainly not forgotten about the roll.

White and his band, the Easy Ride, are now gigging regularly in the high and low desert, and have started to sta...

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Vine Social: When Bringing Wine to Dinner as a Guest, Put Some Thought Into It

Feb 16, 2019 13:05  |  Katie Finn

My dad is here visiting from Canada, along with 50,000 other people from Canada, and has been enjoying our balmy winter.

I, on the other hand, am freezing to death; constantly bundled up in a parka, scarf, wool socks and boots. There is no question: I should have all my Canadian rights revoked for be...

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The Indy Endorsement: The French Onion Soup at Bongo Johnny's Patio Bar and Grill

Feb 14, 2019 12:00  |  Jimmy Boegle

What: The French onion soup

Where: Bongo Johnny’s Patio Bar and Grill, 301 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 200, Palm Springs

How much: $3.95 for a cup; $6.95 for a bowl

Contact: 760-318-3960; www.bongojohnnys.com

Why: It’s delicious, pure and simple.

Before I begin extolling the deliciousness of the French onion s...

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Caesar Cervisia: Is It Worth Your Time and Effort to Stand in Line for That Rare-Beer Tapping?

Feb 13, 2019 17:00  |  Brett Newton

An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit . —Pliny the Younger (A.D. 61-113), author; imperial magistrate to Roman emperor Trajan; nephew and adopted son of the famed naturalist (among other titles) Pliny the Elder.

Almost two millennia later, a man named Vinnie Cilu...

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