Life Style & Travel

UNITED STATES—Five long years without a vacation. Yeah, there were trips to visit the grandparents—famiy trips—but they didn’t count as a real vacation. In Cahuenga Springs, Ben slept on that concrete-sack futon on the floor like he hadn’t slept in five years. No dreams. The dream started Sunday morning when his friend’s mom, who’d insisted they stay overnight, made coffee...

HOLLYWOOD—Kevin had found the Jesus thing by happy accident. This robe got a rise out of people and he gladly embraced his resemblance to the popular notion of Jesus. The qualities were in him, as his friend and neighbor Brian Hamilton observed, “He put on the robe and somehow grew into it.” It changed him subtly, but changed him...

PALM SPRINGS, CA—It is our distinct privilege to present our sixteenth Native FilmFest organized by the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. The Museum is a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire people to learn about the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other Native cultures. We keep the spirit alive through exhibitions, collections, research, a variety of cultural...

UNITED STATES—Grapevines that were not pruned aggressively enough last winter are tangled messes by now. Many grapevines that were pruned properly are tangled messes as well. That is their nature. Woody vines like grapevines grow rapidly and vigorously. They rely on other plants for support, and do what they must to get to the top. Woody vines are not...

UNITED STATES—Statice, strawflower and globe thistle continue to bloom later than most other summer annuals, and hold their flowers longer. Even after bloom, the flowers are so stiff and 'crispy' that they remain intact and colorful until they succumb to exposure to weather. If cut and brought in from the weather soon enough, they will last as dried flowers...

LOS ANGELES—It used to be that if you didn’t have enough money for a down payment to purchase a home, you were out of luck. Families would have to wait years before they could save enough to make a down payment for a new home. Thankfully, those days are long gone. Today, you don’t need to make a big down...

UNITED STATES—Competing in a high-volume, budget conscious segment has never been an easy proposition for a premium brand. Let’s face it, when you are used to building the finest vehicles money can buy, trivial things like “profit margins” seem to take care of themselves. All you have to do is build the best car, pass the cost on to...

UNITED STATES—We’ve talked about the strawberry, the blueberry and the raspberry.  There is one more relative of the berry family that we have yet to discuss: the blackberry. While berry is apart of its name, the blackberry is not a true member of the berry family. It’s similar to the raspberry only it’s black.  But its shape can prove quite...

UNITED STATES—Simpler is better. I felt this strongly while watching “The Human Experiment,” an expose of the silent army of chemicals that pervades our clothing, cosmetics and even our houses. The motivation for this movie was a startling journalistic discovery that will pretty much blow your mind. Get this: the chemicals used in the manufacture products sold in the...

UNITED STATES—September 22 was the equinox. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, days will get slightly shorter as nights will get slightly longer. The intensity of the sunlight will diminish as the sun moves farther to the south. The weather will of course get cooler. In this particular climate, the rainy season will begin. Deciduous plants, as well as some...