I’ve been looking all day for a nice little YouTube Halloween treat for you loyal readers, and I think I finally found one in the Tiny Strings archives that is worthy of your seven minutes.

This is an early 90s clip of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers covering the Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction.” While the song isn’t really spooky, the video starts with Petty being visited by the Psychedelic Dragon — what a bring down, man. The dragon drops off the vaunted Psychedelic Harmonica, leading to the song. Cheesy, yes, but it’s also pretty Halloweeney, I suppose.

Drummer Stan Lynch (no longer a Heartbreaker, which is … wait for it … heartbreaking) does a respectable job taking over lead vocals, and Mike Campbell (you remember him from my honorable mention list of my favorite guitarists) rips a pretty killer solo near the end of the song. Oh, and Petty is no slouch on that harmonica, either.

 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Psychotic Reaction

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Happy Halloween!

So, last night I finally got around to carving a jack-o-lantern. I used leftover pepper parts from last night’s (and today’s) pepper pickling project and used my melon-baller to carve out eyes, ears and a mouth. The little tool worked better than anything I’ve tried to carve pumpkins with. Plus, I think it made my little guy look kind of cute.

Usually, I save the pumpkin seeds and roast them, but only add salt, if anything. I’ve heard of spicing them or honey roasting them, but I’ve never really done that.

I like pumpkin seeds plain. Plus, if you keep them plain, they can be used to make killer pipian, mole poblano or Yucatecan papadzules. I’ll let you know later what I do with mine. I’m leaning toward the papadzules route.

Today’s questions:

What do you do with pumpkin seeds?

What’s your favorite Halloween candy?

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One of the great things about big-city life is the abundance of street musicians. But being that I grew up in a small, nondescript NCW town, I never had much chance to see real-life buskers in person.

So I was very pleased when I was watching an episode of Letterman a few years back when his musical guest was Baby Gramps. Looking like a lost member of ZZ Top that had spent a lifetime at sea, Baby Gramps came onto the broadcast twirling his rusty National Resonator like it was a cane. But then he started playing. It was the most interesting thing, this worn-down old man singing a sea shanty, playing this beat-up guitar and, at times, impersonating a didgeridoo.

I told my dad about Baby Gramps the next day, and to my surprise, he knew exactly who I was talking about. It turns out Pops had actually seen Baby Gramps on the street in Seattle in the late 70s, and apparently it was one of those experiences he’ll never forget.

Though he didn’t really show it in his performance on Letterman, Gramps is an amazing guitar player — so much so that he leaves lasting impressions with the people who see him live. Since Baby Gramps is a street musician, there’s not much to know about him, but frankly it’s just nice to know that there are great and original musicians like him inhabiting the streets of Anytown, U.S.A.

Baby Gramps live at O.U.R. Fest

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Last year I discovered something that, to use the words of our Web editor, Brianne Pruitt, “blows my mind.” Are you ready?

Maple bars aren’t known in many areas of the country. In fact, as far as I can tell, maple bars are really only found on the West Coast. The good news is that, as ubiquitous as they are here, I doubt they could be classified as an endangered doughnut species. Heck, they take up almost half of the Wenatchee Safeway doughnut case.

I made the horrifying discovery about maple bar ignorance last summer as I made an offhand remark to Brian — remember, he’s from New Jersey — about needing to buy a maple bar at the Cle Elum Bakery for my sister the next time I head to Seattle. He didn’t know what I was talking about. I couldn’t understand it. I kept saying, “You know, a maple bar,” trying my best to enunciate clearly. I resorted to describing a rectangular raised doughnut with maple icing on top. He still didn’t know what I meant. I was flabbergasted.

I figured his ignorance of maple bars was a personal issue, not a regional one until I was relating the story to an old family friend. Jeanelle told me that her husband, originally from Texas, didn’t know what a maple bar was until he made his way to the Northwest. She’s told me that the maple bar phenomenon is exclusive to the Northwest. Today, after a little informal polling here at the office, and some Googling, I think it’s safe to say that she’s pretty much right. Although people from California, Arizona and parts of Texas know them, too.

How about you? Are you familiar with maple bars? Do you call them something else where you’re from?

Want more doughnut fun? Check out this video post with Alton Brown on seriouseats.com.

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“4:13 Dream”
The Cure, $13.98

Well, it’s official. I’m madly in love — with the Cure.

It’s rather apt that the band is named such. The Cure’s music never fails to make me feel good. I just slap on “The Lovecats” and all my cares disappear. It magically cures all that ails me. The Cure is magical, I’m certain. Whenever I listen to their music, I feel cloaked in magic. I feel impervious. I feel happy all over. They may be the “godfathers of goth” but I just can’t bring myself to stick them into the goth-rock genre. The Cure transcends genre, with jazzy riffs, infectious drum palpitations, funky bass and Robert Smith’s ever-present whine.

When I bought my iPod back in ’05, it happened to be during one of my severe Cure benders. I was obsessed. In the first month of owning the little device, I clocked in 68 plays of “Just Like Heaven.” I remember one particular day, I just had the song on repeat and listened to it 14 times in a row before moving on. And even then, I pined for it.

“Underneath the Stars,” the opening track on “4:13 Dream,” sounds more like an album closer than an opener. Besides being the record’s longest track, it’s also the most mellow, and it’s fitting to end an album the same way you’d end the day: on a sleepy, satisfying note. That said, it’s one of my favorite songs on the CD. The instrumentation — glittery chimes notwithstanding — reminds me of Jawbreaker, one of my favorite garage rock bands from back in the day. The crunchy guitar chording and the tumbling drumbeats are Quaaludes for the ears. And it’s exactly what I’d want to listen to while stargazing.

But enough about that beautiful thing; getting onto what the Cure actually does best, “The Only One” appears second on the track list. When I first heard this song, I had no idea it was new. It’s classic Cure, like “Just Like Heaven” all over again. My poor little iPod is in for it now. It doesn’t help that “Freakshow” feeds me an insatiable urge to dance. For as dark and dreary as Robert Smith seems, he’s never been shy about showing his colorful side. He’s a Tim Burton film personified.

The real treasure in “4:13 Dream,” though, is “The Scream.” Slow, hypnotic tones build up into a heavy wail and Jason Cooper having a heyday on the drums.

For every type of Cure fan, there’s a song on this album for you. They still haven’t lost a step. They’re still my favorite cure for the blues. I haven’t stopped smiling since I bought it.

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Doing a story for the weekend on the slowdown in house building – specifically on developments whose growth has crawled all the way to a standstill. My focus is on the Ashwood Estates subdivision in East Wenatchee off of 35th Street N.W.. There are two residents living among vacant lots and unfinished spec homes.

The problem photographically is that it is a pretty flat piece of property and trying to show it all is nearly impossible (at least for me). So my focus is on the unfinished houses and the brush growing around them.

At first I didn’t like the fact that there are no people in the photographs but thinking more about it, you get the feeling of desolation better without people.

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Last night I came across what very well be my next guitar-related purchase. Last night I came across the Epiphone Limited Edition Riviera Custom P93.

As a guitar player, I’m not so much drawn to features as I am to looks (What can I say? I’m a man). This one caught me because I’m always a sucker for anything with a classy red finish (examples A, B, and C), and the gold hardware is a really nice touch. But while the Riviera 93 certainly is a looker, it’s also got the guts to back it up.

I’m very intrigued by the three P90 pickups, which are better for mid-range sounds than thinner single coils and beefier humbuckers. The fact that it’s a hollowbody also draws my interest, as they seem to provide more bark than a solid body guitar. And most rockingly, it’s got a super-cool Bigsby Tremelo, meaning I could totally get my Neil Young on with that thing.

The pricetag isn’t too shabby, either. While $500 sounds like a lot in the current economy (well, probably because it is), it’s not bad for a quality guitar. I mean, I could definitely get one of these bad boys by simply selling just one kidney.

Before I make any drastic decisions, I’m going to wait it out and see if I come across a Riviera P93 in a local shop, or at the very least see a video of someone trying out its features. But until then, I can still dream.

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No. 2

Saturday, March 8, 2008

There are some teams that just have a magic bubble around them. George Mason comes to mind, so do the 2004 Boston Red Sox. All the bounces go their way, all the calls go their way, and there’s no stopping them.

The 2007-08 Ephrata boys’ basketball team was one of those teams.

Culminating with a 58-56 win over Burlington-Edison, the Tigers completed a magical run to a Class 2A state championship, winning five games in five days. The last two, over Mark Morris in the semis and B-E in the finals, were two of the best high school basketball games I’ve ever seen, and the Tigers hung on for dear life for both wins.

But they won. The brothers Simon (Daniel and Patrick), hit big shot after big shot, and the Tigers repeatedly defied logic by beating teams that were bigger, deeper and more talented.

The state championship was made even more special in light of the team’s mission, to honor legendary Ephrata coach Marty O’Brien, who led the Tigers to their last title in 1993.

O’Brien died unexpectedly last summer.

I still say the game where Ephrata beat Mark Morris in OT was the better game, but the final was no slouch.

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I wish I had another newspaper page to fill with voices. The students at Wenatchee High School and WVC students had some interesting things to say about this election.  Some were funny. Some scary. Some brilliant.

I resent that I lose those individuals in statistics, but there’s only so much room in our print edition. Online, I have all ink you’d ever want to read.

I have their full  names and ages, but I’ve decided not to post them. I don’t know if I can trust some of the World’s online commenters not to make mincemeat out of these kids. Maybe I’m being overly protective, I’m sure all you “none none” and “anonymous anonymous” folks out there will understand.

How they’re voting:

Several students said they didn’t know enough about the governor’s race to explain how they feel about it, but several said they were leaning Rossi.

T-shirt: “McCain’t Touch This!”

Obama/Biden: Obama appeals to young voters by keying in on tuition issues. He wants to put more people on Medicaid, even if it means more taxes. (The boy adamently said he was not for socialized medicine, but supported Obama’s plan.) Expanded health insurance appeals to many young adults stuck in entry level jobs or studies without health insurance. McCain is a military leader who wants to reinforce nucular arms for our protection. Cesar, WHS.

The Democrats seem to be going after younger voters, Julie, WHS. About why young voters like Obama, “He’s not exactly young, but he stands for change.”

McCain/ Palin: “McCain looks like he knows what he’s doing.” Obama wants too much in taxes. McCain is a good president for now, while we’re in war. Gaspar, WHS. His cousin returned from Iraq two weeks ago.

McCain/Palin: “McCain, because he appeals to me more.” Neil, WHS. He hesitated to talk about any further than he has “different reasons,” including the fact that McCain is a vet and he has more experience.

Undecided: “I plan on voting but I haven’t gotten around to it. I’m mostly for Obama but I understand both sides. I’m undecided.” Tanya, WHS.

Obama/Biden: “In the past we’ve seen how Republicans ran the states. in the last 8 years, there’s been no progress with the military or the economy. It’s time for a change.” Jerry, WVC.

Obama/Biden: “I’m leaning more toward Obama, but I heard some things that make me not want to vote.” Lorenzo, WVC. He couldn’t remember specifically what he heard.

Obama/Biden: “He’s the face of change. He’ll be the first Black president and that’s great to see. McCain is too old, and his choice of Palin was horrible.” Cesar, WVC. He also said he’d vote for Gregoire, in part because Biden endorsed her during his visit to Tacoma.

McCain/Palin: “He understands how people want things.” Michela, WVC. Her cousin is going for his second tour in Iraq. Her fiance’s cousin is also headed to the Middle East.

McCain/Palin: “McCain has served in the military, and he has two sons in Iraq. Even if it sucks that we’re losing so many people over there, if they all came home — we’ve made so many people mad — we would be attacked 10 times worse than 9/11. If they come home, we’ll be a big target.” Alicia, WVC.

McCain/Palin: “I don’t care for either. The only reason I’m voting McCain is because I like Palin.” Ryan, WVC. He said he gets the feeling Obama has a secret agenda and doesn’t trust the fact that his middle name is Hussein. Kenyans celebrated when Obama was nominated by the Democrats, which is suspicious. He said global warming is a hoax that may lead to a global government/new world order. He also said McCain is too liberal. The fact that he’s a POW is getting repetitive.

McCain/Palin: “If I vote McCain then I’m racist. If I don’t vote for Palin, I’m sexist. I can’ win.” She later said, “McCain isn’t as conservative as I’d like, but he’s better than Obama. Obama is too liberal, he’s a socialist. He wants more taxes, big government and he’d legalize partial birth abortion.” Jacque, WVC.

Why young voters have the worst voter turnout:

“The majority who care aren’t old enough to vote,” Tyler, WHS.

“I’m too busy, I almost forgot to register to vote,” Julio, WHS. He says he has too much homework.

“Some kids are lazy,” several students.

“They don’t feel like they can make a difference. They’re just one person with one vote. Obama’s going to make a difference so I think this election more young people are going to vote,” Ivan, WHS.

“They don’t pay taxes. They’re less involved with society in general. Most go to college. They don’t have a family, they don’t have much that’s directly affecting them that they have to worry about,” Cesar, WHS.

“I think a lot of kids underage don’t know how they’re going to vote so they vote with their friends. But since I watched the debate, I know what they (the candidates) stand for and I know who I’m going to vote for.” Gaspar, WHS.

“Because most people don’t care and adults understand politics better. They can tell who is lying on TV.” Molly, WHS.

“I don’t agree. I can tell who is lying, at least some of the time.” Another girl who over heard, WHS.

“Maybe it’s just part of the process.” Younger voters haven’t had as much time to get registered as older voters. James, WHS.

“Maybe they don’t want to put the time into going through and reading what each candidate stands for.” Tanya, WHS.

“In my opinion, the campaigns aren’t appealing to us, they’re not relating things toward us.” Michela, WVC. The biggest relevant issue she heard was how the economy might affect student loans.

“They don’t understand the economics of the world yet. They don’t remember when it was only $5 to fill a tank. They’re going with the celebrities.” Alicia, WVC.

“It’s how society is now, the MTV and VH1 generation. They want to go out to clubs, most people don’t care.” Ryan, WVC.

Democrats and Republicans  have been on the WVC campus several times to register voters online.

“I try to look it up (candidates and issues) when I have time, but honestly, if she hadn’t come up to me, I don’t think I would have had time to register. I wouldn’t know where to go.” Jerry, WVC.

“I don’t know enough about the candidates to make the right choice. I  might as well leave it up to people who know more about it.” Lorenzo, WVC. He’s registered, thanks to the on-campus drives, but he said he needs to research before he votes.

“I think it’s important to vote because you can choose who you want to make this country better. I registered when I was 18.” Cesar, WVC.

Past WHS Mock Election results:

1988: Bush, 57 percent. Dukakis, 41 percent.

1992: Clinton, 32 percent. Bush 31 percent. Perot, 31 percent.

1996: Dole, 38 percent. Clinton, 33 percent. Perot, 15 percent. Nader, 2 percent.

2000: Bush 64 percent. Gore, 25 percent. Nader, 5 percent.

2004: Bush, 59 percent. Kerry, 34 percent. Rossi, 62 percent. Gregoire, 27 percent.

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There’s something about practicing yoga on Tuesdays that makes me want healthy food. It’s not a bad thing, but it seems like all I can think about while going through the stretchy moves is food. Some of my most relaxing yoga sessions have included imagining chiffonading basil and chopping scallions. For some reason, my imagination goes wild with food thoughts.

It was only a few minutes into class yesterday when I decided to make a modified tabbouleh instead of my previous plan: grilled cheese sandwiches with green tomatoes. As I mentally went through the contents of my fridge and pantry I was thrilled to realized I had every ingredient necessary, plus feta cheese. The ingredients started piling up, and soon I was imagining chopping parsley really finely. I think it might be a rhythm thing.

Once home, I started soaking my bulgur. After an hour, my salad was ready to be constructed. I was hungry enough at that point, that I didn’t care too much if it was any good. However, it was very good. The small amount of feta, not quite enough for a chunk in every bite, gave it a yummy tang. Overall it was garlicky, but fresh and wholesome-tasting, perfect for a light, post-yoga dinner.

Recipe

Tabbouleh With Feta

1 cup bulgur

1 cup warm water

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

2 sprigs scallions, chopped

1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

Soak bulgur in warm water for about 1 hour and soak up remaining liquid. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, cumin, coriander and salt. Toss remaining ingredients with bulgur and fold in olive oil dressing.

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish.

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