Desert Hot Springs, CA.:  When Joseph W. Myer embarked on the writing of his new novel DANGEROUS JOURNEY, (published by iUniverse), he had no intention of writing fiction. “The original inspiration for this book was my personal journey of the spirit,” remembers Myer.  “I started writing the book about five years ago.”

In those years, Myers’ protagonist, “J.R.” began to tell, not only Myer’s story, but his own.

DANGEROUS JOURNEY in summary…  After years of self-destructive behavior and hard luck, former publicist James  Russell “J.R.” Cronyn finds love with the talented and lovely Kate Winfield. Her support and his new-found faith in God give him the strength to reunite with his estranged daughter, Elizabeth, and his son, Bobby, the owner and CEO of a successful computer company.

When Bobby tells J.R. that God has asked him to give a percentage of his money away, J.R. convinces him to buy large quantities of a particular drug that cures women and babies who are stricken with the HIV/AIDS virus. Bobby consents and agrees to join his father, and sister, on a humanitarian mission to South Africa.

On his journey, J.R. meets Natasha, a beautiful and talented orphan, whom he wants to adopt.  But they all face great danger when she is kidnapped and held ransom for $1 million US dollars.

DANGEROUS JOURNEY is an adventurous odyssey that is uniquely positioned to appeal to a wide range of readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Joseph W. Myer, now retired from his job at the DHS Boys & Girls Club, was once an actor in New York where he tread the boards in his one-man show based on the life and times of Walt Whitman.  When he first came to the Coachella Valley, he wrote for the Desert Sun and then became the editor for the Palm Springs’ magazine, Entertainment. Myer lives in D.H.S. and is currently writing a screenplay.

 Available at Amazon; just click this link!

Director/Playwright Josh Lazar, a resident of Twentynine Palms, has assembled a striking and experienced troupe of performers for the United States Debut of his critically acclaimed drama “Actress” at Theatre 29. The play, the second in the Theatre 29 2012 season “Original Play” series, opens August 3rd for a limited two-weekend run.

“Actress” is being offered in addition to the regular 6-show production season, and will run on two consecutive weekends August 3-12 with Friday and Saturday evening performances at 7:00 pm on August 3-4, 10-11 and two Sunday matinees at 2:30 PM on August 5th and 12th.

Lazar, who splits his time between homes in Twentynine Palms and Los Angeles, held auditions in Los Angeles and has assembled a well-rounded array of five talented performers to bring his work to life. They are;

Mark Colbenson (Gene):  A native Minnesotan, Mark has spent 40 years acting and directing. Favorite roles include Joe Keller in “All My Sons”, Megs in ‘Strange Snow”, and title roles in the one-man shows “Einstein, A Stage Portrait” and “Clarence Darrow”.

Claire Burgi (Regina) made her professional debut at age ten at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura California in the west coast premiere of Defying Gravity.  Claire has performed in numerous productions in Los Angeles and Ventura County, including Penny in Hairspray, Maisie in The Boyfriend, Terry in Babes in Arms, Ursula in Bye Bye Birdie and Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Anthony Specchio (Jim) grew up in northern Nevada and moved to Los Angeles to study acting. Favorite roles to date include Paul in Barefoot in the Park, Polo in Hatful of Rain, and Valere in Tartuffe. Anthony also has extensive experience in improvisation work and has intensively studied the Meisner technique at the Baron Brown studio.

Veronica Kelly (Bell) is a native to California by way of Montana. She has been in over 50 plays. She had a blast playing Georgie in “Spiked Heels” at KD Studio in Dallas and channeled her inner Marilyn Monroe while playing Cherie in “Bus Stop”. The show closest to her heart is  “I Usually Don’t Do This” which she co-wrote and co-starred and was presented at Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood.  .

Jennie Floyd (HEDDA) makes her debut with ACTRESS. A retired management consultant, Jennie has been acting since 2001 in film & TV as well as on stage. She is a member of the acclaimed SkyPilot Theatre Company, based in North Hollywood, and played leads in their original plays.

“Actress” takes place in a week in May in Cleary Minnesota. Judge Gene and Hedda Morgan are waiting for their younger daughter, Regina, to arrive back home for the first time after she ran away 10 years ago to become an actress. Now a big success with a movie coming out, Regina is coming back with her touring company to put on a play at the town’s small theatre- the same play Regina’s older sister, Bell, starred in at high school. Bell gave up acting after high school to marry

a local farmer Jim, and has not acted since. Bitter about giving up acting, she tells Jim she won’t go to the play’s opening the next night. Bell and Regina have the long simmering battle and Bell says she is still a better actress then Regina. When Regina “calls her bluff” by calling the theatre to tell them Bell will go on in her place, Bell breaks down and explains she gave up acting because she was afraid to go through what Regina has gone through.

The only former production of the powerful original drama “Actress” was at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010. Previously, “Actress” won the Connecticut Playwrights Festival award after being developed at The Ensemble Community Theater in New York.

Tickets for “Actress” are available online at www.theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 box office at 760-361-4151.  Ticket prices are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and military; and $8 for students.

Theatre 29, a 501 ( 3 ) non-profit all-volunteer Community Theatre, is located at 73637 Sullivan Road, (right around the corner from Barr Lumber) in the City of Twentynine Palms.

US wars of “invasion, aggression and occupation” are no longer sustainable economically and socially, veteran war critic and US scholar Professor Bill Ayers told RT. He adds that if NATO, the US or Israel attack Iran, it would lead to a catastrophe.

The activist says America has an old colonial mentality and grotesque double standards. Washington is frantic about the possibility that Iran might have a nuclear warhead someday – but not frantic about the fact that Israel, as Ayers says, is the third-largest nuclear power in the world. And it is not part of nuclear non-proliferation treaty, or even admits to having the weapons.

Ayers is part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which he says has a growing “anti-war energy.”

July 25, 2012 – The Desert Hot Springs Police Department is pleased announce the addition of three new Police Sergeants to their ranks. Jose Guerrero served in the United States Marine Corps. and has over 15 years law enforcement experience. Jose has worked with the Calexico and EI Centro Police Departments and joins DHSPD after 4 years as a Special Agent Supervisor with the California Department of Justice. Guerrero has a BS from the University of Phoenix and is currently working on a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Phillip Han has more than 22 years law enforcement experience including service with the US Department of Justice, the Escondido Police Department, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Sergeant Han has spent the last four years with the Indio Police Department. Han has a MS in Emergency Services Management from Long Beach State University. Sergeant Bradley Ramos brings almost thirty years of police experience to DHSPD including service with the Brea Police Department, Calexico Police Department, and the Indio Police Department. Ramos has a BA from the Union Institute and University. All three sergeants are currently in training and will be sworn in at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 4th at the Carl May Center.

Based on the promotion of Chief-Designate Kate Singer, Sergeant Kenneth Peary will serve as the Interim Support Services Commander pending the appointment of a permanent Commander in the next 6 months. Peary has been with the Desert Hot Springs Police Department over three years, coming to DHSPD after 17 years of service with the San Bernardino Police Department. Sergeant Peary’s most current assignment has been as the Detective Sergeant. Interim Commander Peary will continue to oversee the Investigations Division, Code Enforcement, and Personnel and Training. We congratulate and welcome all of these highly qualified police veterans.

It’s back to court for biotech giants Monsanto. This time America’s largest agriculture corporation is being sued by a group of farmers who say they were promised free housing but instead were charged thousands and poisoned by pesticides.

Seven migrant workers from the state of Texas are suing Monsanto after they say the massive biotech corporation failed to keep their promise. The plaintiffs argue that they were promised free housing and kitchen access for their families in exchange for working on a hybrid corn seed project in the state of Indiana, but instead were milked out of their money and exposed to dangerous chemicals.

Jose Cardenas, the lead plaintiff in the case, is going after Monsanto and its recruiter, Milo Inc., as well as that company’s president. Cardenas insists that Milo Inc. promised the plaintiffs $80 for each acre the farmers detasseled and would be additionally compensated with housing arrangements. According to his complaint, however, the pay that was signed over was less than minimum wage when divided among the crew members.

Courthouse News Service reports that money problems weren’t all the farmers were poised with.

“The motel housing did not comply with substantive federal and state safety and health standards applicable to agricultural labor housing,” the complaint reads.Additionally, instead of complimentary accommodations they were forced to spend $300 per room while on the job.

And the kitchen? “[T]he kitchen facility provided by the defendants – a school bus in which about three to four stoves and two refrigerators had been installed – was substandard.”

“Two or more of the working plaintiffs suffered illness or injuries from suspected pesticide exposure while working for defendants,” the farmers add.

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US major banks such as JP Morgan Chase, Citibank Group and Bank of America spawned more than 10,000 subsidiaries in the past 22 years, using legal structures to reduce taxes and avoid tighter regulation, a Federal Reserve study revealed.

JP Morgan Chase, the largest US lender, has 3,391, as it extended, followed by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Corp. with more than 2,000 each, according to the study.

The assets of the largest lenders have since tripled to $15 trillion since 1999, when the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act separating investment and commercial banking was abolished. As banks got bigger, their structure become more complicated making it difficult to mange and control, the report concluded.

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