Putting the Pieces Together: 'Puzzle' Is a Surprising Delight

Aug 16, 2018 11:00  |  Bob Grimm

Kelly Macdonald is terrific in Puzzle as Agnes, a mother of two and wife to Louie (an also-excellent David Denman). Agnes is loved by her family, but they tend to not pay attention to her at times—and she’s beginning to lose interest in their mundane routines.

She finds solace in jigsaw puzzles, and re...

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Shark Snark: 'The Meg' Is Doomed by Messy CGI, a Boring Story and a Complete Lack of Blood

Aug 16, 2018 09:30  |  Bob Grimm

It’s been more than two decades since author Steve Alten released his big shark story Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror , the first of many Meg books. From the moment the book hit stands, producers have been attempting to make a movie out of it.

Many directors have flirted with the movie, including Jan de Bo...

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Spike Lee Is Back: 'BlacKkKlansmen,' Based on a True Story, Is a Compelling Wakeup Call

Aug 15, 2018 14:00  |  Bob Grimm

The great Spike Lee has returned with BlacKkKlansmen , his best film since Malcolm X came out 26 years ago.

Based on a true story—with some significant tweaking—it centers on Ron Stallworth (John David Washington, son of Denzel), a black police officer in Colorado who, on a whim, decided to infiltrate th...

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Analyzing the Prop 6 Arguments: Is the Republican Story About Repealing the Gas-Tax Hike Too Good to Be True?

Aug 16, 2018 11:00  |  Ben Christopher, CALmatters

California Republicans say that drivers can have smoother roads, more reliable public transit—and lower taxes.

In November, voters will get the chance to repeal a recent increase in the state gas tax and assorted vehicle fees. That tax hike—an extra 12 cents per gallon of gasoline, 20 cents per gallo...

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Cannabis in the CV: Seventeen Cannabis-Related Bills Have a Chance of Becoming Law This Year; Here's a Primer

Aug 14, 2018 12:30  |  Charles Drabkin

The final few weeks of this year’s session of the California State Legislature are here—and the fates of some important cannabis-related bills hang in the balance.

There are 17 cannabis-related bills, in fact, which must be decided on by the Aug. 31 adjournment, covering everything from after-school ...

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Following the Fire: Utilities and Insurance Companies Spend Big Bucks on Lobbying, Campaigns as the State Ponders Liability Laws

Aug 13, 2018 13:00  |  Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters

Between last year’s deadly wildfires and this summer’s fatal blazes, utilities and insurers with a huge stake in fires’ aftermath have poured more than $3.2 million into California campaign donations, and another $5.2 million into lobbying at the state Capitol—a big spike.

Also fiercely lobbying on w...

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Community Voices: It's Time for Mountain Bikes to Be Allowed in Federal Wilderness Areas

Aug 16, 2018 15:15  |  Daniel Greenstadt, Writers on the Range

First came the bare human foot, somewhere in Africa. Then, in no particular order, came the moccasin, the shoe, the horse and saddle, boat and oar, the ski, the snowshoe—and so much more.

All of these came to the backcountry and helped to enrich our travels there. Sure, there’s been some grumbling ab...

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The Weekly Independent Comics Page for Aug. 16, 2018!

Aug 16, 2018 07:00  |  Staff

On this week's extra-wacky weekly Independent comics page: Apoca Clips watches as Li'l Trumpy meets the new Hawaiian island; Red Meat tells a camping story; Jen Sorenson examines summer-refreshment gentrification; The K Chronicles ponders two states' voting laws; and This Modern World ponders a key Tr...

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A Note From the Editor: Anger and Divisiveness Are the Enemy—Not the Free Press

Aug 15, 2018 20:15  |  Jimmy Boegle

A couple of weeks ago, my husband, Garrett, decided to get more active on Facebook. One of his motivations was a realization that our friends are, for the most part, like-minded—Democrats, fairly liberal, etc.

He decided to send friend requests to anyone with 50 or more mutual friends—people with who...

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PSAM at 80: The Palm Springs Art Museum Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary With an Exhibit of New Acquisitions

Aug 16, 2018 15:30  |  Stephen Berger

The Palm Springs Art Museum is celebrating its 80th anniversary with an exhibition of 80 works of art recently added to its permanent collection. The exhibit showcases the wide-ranging collections the museum has acquired over the years since its founding as the one-room Palm Springs Desert Museum in...

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Western Lit: A Fantastic New Memoir Reflects on an Isolated Upbringing in a Survivalist Mormon Family

Aug 07, 2018 16:40  |  By Jenny Shank, High Country News

Tara Westover’s astonishing debut memoir, Educated , chronicles how she grew up on a southern Idaho mountain in a survivalist Mormon family, never setting foot in school—but eventually earned her doctorate in history from the University of Cambridge.

“There’s a sense of sovereignty that comes from life...

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Desert as Muse: The Hi-Desert Cultural Center Brings More 'Desert Stories,' and New Exhibits at a Brand-New Visual-Arts Space

Jul 23, 2018 16:00  |  Dwight Hendricks

The Hi-Desert Cultural Center is a mere 35 miles from downtown Palm Springs. It’s a place where artists from around the world have come to express themselves while being surrounded by nature.

The center hosts a theater and a philharmonic. It’s been around since 1964. Red Skelton even performed there—...

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Live With Photos: Splash House, Aug. 10-12

Aug 17, 2018 09:40  |  Guillermo Prieto

The second of this summer’s two Splash House parties landed Aug. 10 at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

By now, Splash House is running like a fine vintage watch: Shuttles running from the three main pool-party venues—the Renaissance, the Riviera and the Saguaro—delivered Splashers to the pre-party at th...

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Musicians Mixed Up: Drummer Jeff Bowman Takes Local Performers Out of Their Comfort Zones to Benefit the Desert Cancer Foundation

Aug 15, 2018 16:35  |  Brian Blueskye

Jeff Bowman has largely been a quiet guy in the background, kicking ass on the drums in the local music scene for the better part of three decades.

But he recently had a fantastic idea that brought him into the spotlight: He’s bringing a variety of local musicians to The Hood Bar and Pizza on Saturda...

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Metal With Meaning: A Near-Death Health Crisis Helps Mike Scheidt Create Yob's New Album

Aug 08, 2018 18:00  |  Brian Blueskye

In 2017, Yob frontman Mike Scheidt almost died from diverticulitis and a staph infection . However, the extreme trauma led to something good: While confined to his hospital bed, he penned most of the music on the metal group’s new album, Our Raw Heart .

Scheidt has recovered—Yob will be stopping by Pappy...

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On Cocktails: Our Intrepid Imbiber Counts the Daiquiri as One of His Favorite Drinks—and Perhaps You Should, Too

Aug 17, 2018 11:45  |  Kevin Carlow

One of the most common questions I get behind the bar—after, “What’s your favorite thing to make?” (answer: money, duh)—is, ‘What is your favorite cocktail?” This seems like an innocuous-enough question, but to answer it honestly and frankly is difficult.

What defines someone’s favorite cocktail? Is ...

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Vine Social: Is Aging Wines Becoming a Thing of the Past? The Answer: Well, Sort Of ...

Aug 15, 2018 12:00  |  Katie Finn

Dear Katie:

I just found a bottle of 2004 Fetzer chardonnay in my hall closet. It was on the floor hidden under a down comforter. Is it still good?

Sincerely,

Thirsty in La Quinta

Dear Thirsty:

No.

Sincerely,

Katie

This answer might seem obvious to a lot of people—obvious because the idea is that chardonna...

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The Indy Endorsement: The Three-Scoop Bowl at Haus of Poké

Aug 09, 2018 13:55  |  Jimmy Boegle

What: The three-scoop bowl

Where: Haus of Poké, 111 N. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 160, Palm Springs; also at 42500 Bob Hope Drive, No. 3, Rancho Mirage

How much: $11.49

Contact: 760-537-1173 (Palm Springs); 760-636-1892 (Rancho Mirage); www.hausofpoke.com

Why: It’s make-your-own bliss—if you do so carefully.

Somet...

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