Actor Gary Sinise is more than just a star of film and TV. The CSI: New York star is a real class act. He has answered a call of duty by helping our American heroes involved in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has become an Armed Services advocate beyond parallel, donating time, money and effort to make sure our returning vets are treated with the dignity and respect they so deserve for protecting our freedom.

Like so many music fans around the world, I too was surprised and saddened at the news that Whitney Houston had died. Although her numerous personal struggles were widely reported by the news media, her sudden death still came as a quite a shock. Personally, I felt the loss not only as a music fan, but also as a DJ. Over the years, Whitney Houston’s powerful pop tunes and energetic dance tracks created on my dance floor what can only be described as pure magic.

I sat in the remodeled trailer, appreciating the mid-century modern décor that accented the living space. My glance danced along the bookshelf that showed off Rik Phillips’ robot collection – a blast from the past that showcased beloved robots in pop culture – including the Lost In Space robot that uttered, “Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!” Just last month the voice of robot B9, Dick Tufeld, passed away – funny how his “robot” will remain a hip cultural meme 50 years after the show. I gently wrangled my wandering mind back to the task at hand.

When I saw DJ Scotty K’s name on the list of DJs performing at this year’s White Party, I immediately remembered the time I lunched with Scotty and some other friends at The Abbey in West Hollywood. That was about five years ago and I have not seen Scotty since. Excited that he was coming to Palm Springs, I reached out to him hoping he would give me an interview for my column. It was great catching up with him.