Making Skiing Plans for Nigel

Not only do I have a weakness for telling rock stars' stories, I also love kids. Who doesn't? Especially kids who kick cancer's ass. This is my little buddy Nigel, who I wrote a story about this week. He is back to skiing after two years of cancer treatments—before he can even walk again unassisted.

Cancer survivor goes skiing

Nigel hits the slopes. (Photo courtesy of Tim Holland)

Nigel Holland beats the odds

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Big Bear Grizzly

Published: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 7:47 AM PST

Nigel Holland set a goal for himself: to ski again before he could walk. Nigel recently met that goal, just a little more than two years after he was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

The 9-year-old Big Bear Valley resident was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a solid cancerous tumor in the cerebellum of the brain. It metastasized to his spine. His illness galvanized the community, resulting in Team Nigel. The group helped organize fundraisers to raise money for the family’s medical bills related to Nigel’s condition.

But the biggest hurdles were left for Nigel. After surgery to remove the tumor, Nigel developed a neurological disorder that caused him to lose his ability to speak due to cerebella mutism. Nigel has nerve damage in his left eye and uses a rolling chair that he pushes with his legs to get around. He is starting to take steps unassisted.

Within four months, with the help of hearing aids and therapy, he was able to speak again. Nigel is no longer undergoing chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

“The doctors said Nigel’s latest MRI was stable and shows no new signs of cancer,” says Tim Holland, Nigel’s father. “Nigel has improved in everything—speech, writing, getting around. He has more questions than I have answers. He is amazing.”

Nigel’s physical therapist helped him hit another milestone recently by working with Nigel on his balance and muscle memory, Tim says. After setting a goal to ski again before he conquered walking, Nigel accomplished just that. Before his diagnosis, Nigel was an avid skier on the Snow Summit Race Team’s development team.

Nigel, skiing in Mammoth, pre-diagnosis

Muscle memory is key to Nigel’s ski success. Just like riding a bike, muscle memory consolidates a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a body movement is repeated many times, like skiing, a long-term muscle memory is created, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. The muscles remembered.

Nigel says he is feeling stronger. “It’s fun,” he says about getting back to the ski resort. He looks forward to the day when he can rejoin his friends on the hill from the ski team, he says.

“His next goal is to walk,” Tim says. “His vision is definitely improving and his last hearing test they said it was stable.” Aside from hitting the slopes, his biggest accomplishment this year was returning to school, Tim says.

Nigel is a third-grader at Baldwin Lane Elementary School. “He is able to be there for seven hours,” Tim says. “That would have been impossible a year ago. Nigel never complains that he can’t walk or he has trouble doing things. He is one amazing little boy.”

To read the original story in the Grizzly, click below:

http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/12/17/news/doc4d082b09c2dd0128216760.txt 

David kicks Goliath's BofA Ass

Big Bear homeowner sues Bank of America, wins

Dave Graham sued Bank of America and won in small claims court. The bank admitted to committing fraud in small claims court. (ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER/Big Bear Grizzly)

Mortgage lender admits fraud

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Big Bear Grizzly

Published: Friday, December 17, 2010 11:26 AM PST

DEC. 17, 11:15 a.m.: David Graham just slayed Goliath in small claims court. The Big Bear City resident, with the help of Alan Sims of the Center for Litigation and Consumer Real Estate Education, took Graham's mortgage lender, Bank of America's BAC Home Loans Servicing LP, to court and won Friday, Dec. 17.

Graham sued the mega bank for fraud because he was put into a loan modification program by Bank of America when the bank knew from the start he did not qualify. Judge John Pacheco ruled that Bank of America is in violation of Californa Civil Code 1565-1590, particularly 1572, suppression of facts and 1575, undue influence.

The judge awarded Graham $7,595. This is the first known case where Bank of America has been found guilty by reason of fraud.

Sims acted as a professional witness in the case. He says Bank of America committed fraud because there is a simple calculation from the start that determines whether someone is qualified for a loan modication. The lender has 90 days to tell the client whether the loan modification is approved.

Bank of America's representative, mortgage service specialist Anthony Lopez, admitted in court that the lender continued to accept modified payments for six months after the bank determined Graham was not approved for the modification. Sims says that the representative said on record that the bank staff is not trained well enough to facilitate the loan modification rejection within six months. Audio recordings of the testimony should be available by Dec. 20, Sims says.

"They had prior knowledge," Sims told The Grizzly. "That is the key to proving fraud and getting a conviction." Bank of America is expected to appeal.

For a previous story about Dave Graham's suit against Bank of America, click here:

bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/11/24/news/doc4cec7c3d0c89b793199927.txt

For more information about the Center for Litigation and Consumer Real Estate visit www.clcree.org/, e-mail info@clcree.org or call 909-584-8820.

Desert Queens

Bring the Reign

Thu, Dec 2, 2010

Culture Magazine

The desert dudes from Queens of the Stone Age unleash an oldie and a goodie

By Arrissia Owen Turner

Now that Queens of the Stone Age is more than a decade old and has surpassed the fame of date shakes, it’s time for Josh Homme and the rest of the band to look back at a deed well done.

Come January, Homme’s label Rekords Rekords will reissue the band’s self-titled 1998 debut, which has been out of print for many years. The CD stormed out of the sand, whipping critics into shape and lending a feminine machismo to the rock scene of the day.

While a new QOTSA release would be even more sought after—the last was the 2009 full-length Era Vulgaris—the band has spent the last few years working on side projects. For now, the re-release offers three new songs from the band’s formative years.

Bassist Michael Shuman’s side project Mini Mansion’s new album (also being released in January by Rekords Rekords) is decidedly downtempo with Shuman switching to drums for a change. He started the band in January 2009 with Zach Dawes (vocals/bass) and Tyler Parkford (guitar/keys). CULTURE talked with Shuman about musical multi-tasking and what puts the “desert” in desert metal.

Who is the driving force behind Mini Mansions?

We started it together. Zach is the middle man between me and Tyler. I’ve been friends with Zach since we were kids. He went to school with Tyler. He introduced us. Zach and I are both songwriters in our own right. I didn’t start a band and recruit two guys. It was definitely formed together. But I drive it now that it’s functional.

Do you share songwriting duties within the band?

It’s pretty split. But a lot of the ideas from our first EP and our first record are songs that Tyler’s had for a long time. A lot of people misconstrue it as me writing it all, doing everything. There are two voices you hear on the record. The main voice you hear is Tyler’s.

This is a very quiet album. Not what I expected from a member of QOTSA.

When we started, it was even quieter. There were no drums. It was supposed to be a mellow project. It’s gotten progressively louder and the live shows are heavier. People think coming from a band like QOTSA that we only listen to heavy music, but for the most part, even the guys in Queens, we don’t listen to just heavy music. Because I am in a rock band, I like to listen to mellower music when I’m not playing it. I don’t need to be bombarded by heavy music all the time.

For the full story, click below:

http://freeculturemag.com/2010/12/reviews/queens-of-the-stone-ag/ 

The Barstow Boyz are Back in Town

Barstow Boyz Perform Friday at La Cave, Don't Cover Al Stewart

OC Weekly 

By Arrissia Owen Turner, Thu., Nov. 18 2010 @ 8:23AM

Keith May/OC Weekly
Barstow Boyz at the Blue Beet in April 2009

 
The Barstow Boyz bring back Sunset sexy like Timberlake in a Nightrain tornado of sleaze. After brief run-ins with the Mexican federales, Danny Bonaduce and flag-lovin' fuddy duddies, the Costa Mesa contingent of unrelenting arena-rock-lovin' badasses is ready to take the stage and serve up the sizzle. We checked in with Barstow Boyz (who may or may not consist of members from your favorite local bands) frontman Rim Morrison for a long overdue chat.

Keith May/OC Weekly

OC Weekly: Hey. What's up Rim Morrison?

Rim Morrison: Not much.

What were you doing when I called? What does rocker Rim Morrison do on a Tuesday night?

He sings "Tuesday Afternoon." [A very crappy Moody Blues song.] And he has to make important decisions, stuff that most guys have to deal with--like, sausage or meatballs? Pretty much anything can happen on a Tuesday night--except when we're in Palmdale, trying to figure out how we're going to play at the Youth Center and have an NA meeting at the same time.

Rough. So what is the working relationship like within the band?

We don't work much so there's not really that much of a relationship. This is our first show in a year.

Why a year?

It's hard to explain. Have you ever seen Excalibur? Well it has nothing to do with that. But the magician Merlin did his magic so King Arthur could be conceived and go out for him to raise hell. It's nothing really like that other than that after we do a show we have to rest for a long time. We've been going on like this for about 6 or 7 years.

There were also some other unexpected things. Niles had a child and got arrested trying to join one of the Mexican drug cartels. It was one of those trying-to-show-brotherhood things. They would only let him go if he gave up some information, and then they started looking into how much a healthy mulleted white baby would go for on the black market. So that's pretty much what we're all about: spell casting and selling babies.

Favorite Barstow Boyz show performed ever?

There's a few. There was the time we were on stage at 7 in the morning with Danny Bonaduce in front of thousands of people, guzzling a gallon-size bottle of Jack Daniels and having Bonaduce giving me the evil eye while I'm singing the national anthem, looking at me like he was saying: 'You are a disgrace.' And I'm just thinking, 'You've seen far worse than this just looking in the mirror, buddy.'

But you know, ruining the "Star Spangled Banner"--let me tell you, you have not done anything until you've ruined "Star Spangled Banner" in front of a shitload of people. You don't know how that songs affects people until you fuck it up. You would think more people would have a sense of humor, like maybe guys who wear short shorts would understand. But they don't. They're pissed.

And then there was this time that our Roadie Spider traded his jean shorts for some girl's expensive designer jeans right on stage. She kept his shit and he kept her expensive, designer jeans. Then she came by the next day and Spider had already sold them on Craig's List. He made more off that then we got paid that night.

Wow. That's something to aspire to.

Yeah. That's thinking on your feet.

Keith May/OC Weekly

How is your Orange County audience different than the rest?

Orange County audiences are different than audiences in L.A. because people in Orange County actually like music. So, yeah, that is kind of different. But audiences are all pretty much the same. A lot of people like to think that their audience is smart, that they catch on to things. But I like to think our audience is pretty stupid. I know that my intellect has not progressed past age 12. We've toned down the hardcore pornography though. People got too confused.

One of my favorite things about a Barstow Boyz show is how great everyone looks, the amazing sense of style throughout the room and on stage. Who is your style icon?

The Maytag repairman. I like to think of myself as a cross between him and Archie Bunker. I mean, I am thinking that in my mind anyway. I don't know if that is what it's actually like for other people looking at me. But I'm all like--I'm bored, I have nothing to do and my son-in-law is a meathead. And I don't even have a son-in-law.

What is the most underrated band from the late '70s, early '80s that the Barstow Boyz covers?

People don't appreciate Al Stewart. But we don't cover Al Stewart.

Keith May/OC Weekly

Why don't you cover Al Stewart?

Because people don't appreciate him. We don't want to piss people off. There's already enough stuff making people angry. We were talking about this the other night. If one of us mentions a band, we're like, 'Oh yeah, do you remember that song,?' 'Oh yeah, I hate that song.' 'Oh we definitely have to do that song.'

In the past we've done some stuff by Aerosmith, Jethro Tull. maybe some Who-- stuff that people genuinely like. But it's the stuff that we might say, 'I really like it but for all the wrong reasons' that we like to throw in.

It's that same feeling you get knowing that even though you are vegetarian you can get away with eating the French fries at McDonalds that are fried in beef fat. It's kind of naughty, but you're not betraying your true core.

It's like you just looked into my soul.

Jim Ladd has that effect on me, too. The DJ on KLOS--'Lord have mercy.' He has that sort of fire in the belly effect because I feel like I did something wrong by turning the dial to him. Like when he goes off on his pseudo Ray Manzarek shtick.

The origin of the Barstow Boyz--no one really knows this but we were going to be--this still may happen--a homoerotic cover band of the Doors, called the Back Doors. Hence the name: Rim Morrison. It could still happen though. Keep your fingers and others things crossed.

Keith May/OC Weekly

Check the impressive man cleavage on Rim.

So what's the future hold for the Barstow Boyz?

Hopefully we won't have to sleep nine days after this performance, and hopefully we can get back up and do it again before the holidays are over. As long as we can continue to find spandex to fit us, and people will still come by the stage and dance on it and help us test its capacity, we'll keep rocking.

The Barstow Boyz tear it up at La Cave, 1695 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa, (949) 646-7944. Fri., Nov. 19, 9 p.m. 21+.

To view the story online, click here:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2010/11/barstow_boyz.php

Beauty is Skin Deep, Uncomfortably Deep

Feel pretty, oh so pretty

Big Bear Grizzly

The Mother Load

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Published: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 7:32 AM PST

Chloe loves being a girl, and she absolutely adores herself. My 8-year-old daughter has no qualms about telling anyone just that.

When Chloe took her school pictures this year, there was much discussion—hair, outfit, which smile, what pose. I was sure any moment we were going to head off to a modeling shoot on the French Riviera.

After the curls were in place, Chloe gave out a big sigh, tilted her head to the right, blew her mirror image a kiss and said: “I’m beautiful.” She is gorgeous, inside and out.

I cannot remember the last time I heard a grown woman say such a thing with so much abandon. Something happens to us from childhood to adulthood that we start to look in the mirror in horror—spotting every imperfection, every flaw on our skin, every hair out of place, every crook in our noses, every dimple in our thighs.

In high school, I was told over and over by friends that before they knew me they thought I was stuck up. I was not conceited—far from it. I thought I was ugly. I could barely look people in the eyes because I was so shy and awkward.

There were days I would lie in my mother’s bed crying because I thought I was too appalling to leave the house. I look back at pictures and can see that there was no reason.

At 38, I still struggle with accepting the beauty cards I was dealt. Yet I am able to look at other women and only see the positive in them and appreciate all the unique aspects of their genetic make up that make them who they are. Chloe is able to look in the mirror and see nothing but gorgeous.

The first time I saw the Dove commercial with women of every size and shape, color and creed, standing in their skivvies saying they were beautiful, I instantly felt tears well up. Those women loved their bodies and felt beautiful. I wanted in.

Most females’ self-esteem is chipped away at, little by little, so much so that by the time we are adults there is nearly nothing left. If there are women readers who have no idea what I am going on about, I envy you.

The assault on self starts early for most of us.

According to the Dove Self-Esteem Fund’s “Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem,” seven in 10 girls believe they are not good enough when it comes to their appearance, academics and relationships.

The results are based on nearly 5,000 girls between ages 8 and 17. Of the 70 percent who struggle with low self-esteem, 75 percent have reported engaging in self-destructive behavior such as eating disorders, cutting, bullying, smoking and drinking.

The report says 57 percent of girls have mothers who criticize their own looks. One of my biggest achievements as a mother is that I stopped saying negative things about myself once Chloe was born. She was part of me, and that changed the way I viewed myself. She taught me to love myself. But I still struggle.

There are many lessons I can learn from my daughter’s confidence, and Dove is taking charge to help moms like me stop the cycle. The skin and body product company offers a self-esteem toolkit online with everything from advice on how to start discussions with girls about how they perceive themselves to activities like inspiration boards and the beautiful book club.

Most of us can look back at old photos of ourselves, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, maybe more, and marvel at how great we looked back then. And then the next thought is usually, ‘But I thought I was fat and ugly.’ We always wish we could grab that younger self in the picture and shake some sense into her.

But guess what? Here’s your chance. Look in the mirror now and listen. Don’t wait to appreciate your unique features and attributes. Love yourself right now.

For more information about the Dove Self-Esteem Project, visit www.dovemovement.com.

To read the story online, click here:
http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/11/12/community/doc4cda031241749293303037.txt

It Got Chilly in the Desert

Pioneertown Days

Last Saturday I headed to Pappy & Harriett's in Yucca Valley, the Pioneertown side of things, to see Cold War Kids. 

So basically, I saw Cold War Kids in a small cowboy bar that has huge barbecue pits and picnic tables outside and a little cowboy village that doubles as a hotel. When we were checking in at the door, two men rode up and asked where the horse parking was. One was trailed by a mule.

I have always been intrigued by the place. Having maintained calendar listings for OC Weekly, IE Weekly and LA City Beat, I know a lot about who has played where during the last 12 years. 

Pappy & Harriett's is awesome. I was standing smack on the other side of lead singer Nathan Willett's keyboards. The set list was two inches from my belt buckle. There couldn't have been more than a couple hundred people crammed into the entire place.

Of course I took that set list the moment the show was over. Snag. 

I cannot say enough good things about Pappy & Harriett's. I have already said my piece about Cold War Kids. They were amazing, as always. But this is really about the digs. Next show I got to—and I have a few interesting ones to choose from—I am having dinner too. They serve drinks in mason jars, so I am sure they have portions bigger than a hubcap. 

Upcoming shows include Dick Dale, I See Hawks in L.A., The Country (with members of Gram Rabbit), Masters of Reality, Merle Jagger and, most interestingly, The Evangenitals—a punk rock, hillbilly love-in "of the freak-folk variety." I'm in. Plenty of greats have passed through Pappy & Harriett's in previous years, most recently Robert Plant, Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, The Donnas, Peaches, Billy Corgan, Lucinda Williams and plenty more.

The hotel looks like a good time, interesting if nothing else. Pack your corsets and spurs. But instead we camped in Joshua Tree for the night, which is better than getting a room at the Standard in LA after a show anytime. And there is a cool hippy/hiking store not far from the campground—next to the Home of the Dome where signs hang that say witty things like "Dome Sweet Dome." 

I scored a Mega Ball, an ice cream maker in a ball that is perfect for shaking up around the campfire, incense and a tic-tac-toe game made out of sustainable, environmental-friendly materials. And we never hit traffic once. 

Robert Plant with the house band at Pappy & Harriett's

Check them out:

http://www.pappyandharriets.com/index2.html

More Oakenfold ...

Save the Last Trance

Thu, Nov 4, 2010

 






Superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold puts his beats and his legendary remix talents through another spin cycle

By Arrissia Owen Turner

In 1987, Paul Oakenfold’s life changed after a weeklong party on the Mediterranean island Ibiza, named for Bes, the god of music and dance that was worshipped around 650 B.C. These days, the island attracts many disciples, turning it into a big party island run on electronic music and sheer ecstasy.

Oakenfold returned home a changed man intent on replicating the sound back in London. He started DJing locally and his reputation led to producer credits for Manchester bands like Happy Mondays and Stone Roses. Then in ’93, Bono rang. Oakenfold’s remix of U2’s “Even Better than the Real Thing” hit higher on the charts than the original, cementing him as a bona fide star.

In 1995, he became the first DJ to perform on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival, in front of about 90,000 people. By 1998 and ’99, the celebrity DJ kept growing in household name status from his residency at Cream in Liverpool.

These days Oakenfold’s widely considered an elder statesman of electronic music, lending his talents to remixes of Mark Ronson, Radiohead and more. He currently holds down a weekly residency at the Palms Hotel at Rain Nightclub in Las Vegas. His highly anticipated Pop Killer release is expected to hit dance floors in early 2011.  

CULTURE recently had a chance to chat with Oakenfold a few days prior to his scheduled DJ set at Cypress Hill’s SmokeOut festival in San Bernardino. The globally renowned DJ talked about his rise to fame, pretending to be a journalist to get into New York clubs and why England and Europe have really got a handle on smoking marijuana legally.

For the Q&A click here:

http://freeculturemag.com/2010/11/featuredstories/paul-oakenfold/