The Alchemist Weekly by The Alchemist Weekly

NOMINATE FOR THIS YEAR'S ALCHY AWARDS! Just do it.

in s e iv r h t e r u lt u c g in m a G the Valley p. 10

by Cindy Dauer

p. 6 r a d n le a c s t n e v e p m Bu

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 151:20• NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

voice

SYMPOSIUM symposium

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 151:20, NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010 Editorial

VOIC E

Editors Courtney Clenney, Stanley Tollett Staff Writers Courtney Clenney, Noah Stroup, Stanley Tollett Bump Editor Courtney Clenney Contributors Robin Canfield, Ella Marie Canus, Cindy Dauer, Dirtstir, Michael Thomas

Opi n i on s a n d Editor ia ls , b e t h e y ours or yours , t h i s i s wh e re th e y be.

Dirtstir

Art

V ERDIC T

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Art Director Freddy Ruiz Layout Editor Courtney Clenney

We ’ l l b e t h e judge. You be th e jur y...you tr us t us r ig h t?

Advertising

Account Executive Noah Stroup

Cee Lo

Business

Publisher Noah Stroup The Alchemist Weekly is published by: CorvAlcheMedia LLC PO Box 1591 Corvallis, OR 97339

B U MP

I t ’s t h e c alendar of al l t h i n g s A l b a ny, Cor v a l lis , L e b a n on , a nd P h ilom a th .

Crossword

Alchemist Mission

As a publication, our goal is to facilitate greater understanding and appreciation for the diverse social and cultural groups found in the area. In doing so, we hope to create a greater sense of community between Oregon State University and Corvallis, between Albany and Corvallis, and between Philomath, Lebanon and Corvallis-Albany. The Alchemist recognizes the various interests of these groups and is dedicated to being as fluid as the community it serves.

W ORD

J o u r n a l i st s c a l l th e m f e a tu re s; we say it ’s th e word.

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Gaming thrives Al-Jebal

LITERATI

The Alchemist is available to you for free. Please limit

Am a t e u r p ro se, poetr y and fi c t i on st i l l h a s a h om e.

yourself to one copy. If your picture is in it, you are welcome to take enough copies for your family.

14 A pasture at midday

Subject to availability, back issues can be purchased by mail for $5. Send your request with specific issue date to PO Box 1591, Corvallis, OR 97339 and include a check or money

In case you haven’t heard, The Beatles have finally invaded iTunes. For years there has been conflict between the remaining members of the fab four and Apple over The Beatles/iTunes interface. In the past, I remember being flabbergasted that I couldn’t get Beatles music from iTunes. I would wonder aloud to anyone who would listen why some of the greatest music ever recorded wasn’t available to the white earbud set. But if any band could pass on such an obviously lucrative deal, it was The Beatles. Because, of course, they were the greatest band to ever exist, and were above any trend or funny internet computer downloading thing. Now that it finally has come to pass, however, I find myself a little sad and a little scared. I’m a bit unsure of what to make of this final vestige of musical history entering into the iTunes universe. (Technically AC/DC, Kid Rock, Def Leppard and a few others have held out on iTunes, but who cares...were talking The Beatles here.) So what does it mean? What does this signal for the future of music and humanity? In conversations with record shop gurus and general music lovers, the general sentiment is that it is just the next logical step in the progression towards total internet dependence. The lack of tactile connection to music. And, the downfall and sanitizing of our once vibrant society. Why leave your home and touch public things like door handles and records and CDs, when you could experience the world and its fruits from the comfort and cleanliness of your cell...I mean home. God forbid you have a conversation with a stranger. But I digress. The real issue here is the digitization of human life. Turning everything from your life savings: your credit scores, your personal history, your deep personal thoughts, if you are ignorant enough to write them on the inter-

net, all the way down to you and your wife or girlfriend’s “special song” in 1’s and 0’s, binary. Little bits of data. Does that sound nice? It makes me wanna gag. But ,I do like the convenience. One of the questions I keep asking is “what if a huge virus hits? And twenty, or thirty years from now all the vinyl and CDs have been recycled or something.... then songs like “Hey Jude” and “Hold Your Hand” would be lost forever!!! My God! John and Paul would probably laugh at my paranoia. Or maybe not. Does there come a time when those with large and popular voices stand up against the tide of society, which I think we can all agree is prone to well, MASSIVE SCREW UPS, and say...ya know, ‘we don’t agree with these things, we’ve got the clout to stop it, so....sorry luv, but we’ve stopped selling things years ago.’ Now we just buy. The Beatles changed music history forever. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that they changed history itself. Their story, the timing of their rise to fame and worldwide stardom, was so unique because the changes that took place within the group seemed to mirror those of the changes that were taking place in society. They challenged us. They entertained us. We’ve all got a favorite album, song, member, or maybe we just can’t choose. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? I’m sure there are arguments on either side of the issue. But, more importantly, I think it is an indicator of where the future is headed, to a culture which prizes convenience over almost all other considerations. Am I becoming an old fogie for even worry about this? I remember being younger and thinking that every new thing that came along was the coolest, thinking nothing of the broader cultural considerations. But now I’m smarter and wiser and a little anxious, but perhaps I should listen up and just...”Let it Be.” -Stanley Tollett think@thealchemistweekly.com

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NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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Last week's puzzle solutions

order payable to The Alchemist.

THE ALCHEMIST

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voice

D I Rstir T

Downward Mobility

Hey now, wasn't that "cash for clunkers" program a flash in the pan? There are numerous online sites espousing the positive and negative impacts of the Car Allowance Rebate System. Although the program has sunset, one can still navigate the site at cars.gov. Just being at the site feels dead, anticipating the langolier. Like being the last person leaving the concert venue, house lights up and the place trashed. Someone had a good time, but it probably isn’t the folks who get to sweep up the next morning. Critics identified the federal administration's intent to spur people into buying something that would be purchased in the not too distant future anyway. Other data shows that contrary to critics' concerns that it would cause a later sales slump, sales were about half-a-million automobiles above Edmunds.com's concerned prediction for the final quarter of 2009. This sales trend continued at an annual average rate of 10.5 million vehicles as of April 5, 2010 (whitehouse.gov). Since then...AW CRAP! Go online yourself, look for the information and make YOUR interpretation of the data! To me, it looks like a wash, with no overall gain or loss of sales. Problem is, the government gave away nearly $3billion in the process, sent tons of steel to China, and made it more difficult for lower income families to afford an automobile. How so? It was lower value automobiles—the ones lower income persons can afford—that were scrapped. What part of this program is "sustainable"?

Tolerance? We Don't Need No Stinking Tolerance

So eleven years ago, a Portland police officer created a memorial in a Portland park. Over a period of two years, five plaques were nailed to a tree to honor five World War Two German soldiers. Media tells us he took them down a couple years later at which time he was being investigated for excessive force, giving the materials to Portland's Attorney General's office. This officer has since become a police captain, and Tuesday was suspended without pay for two weeks after an internal affairs investigation of the issue determined he violated professional conduct standards (oregonlive.com).

The Alchemist Weekly welcomes freelance submissions. Send material to submissions@thealchemistweekly.com or snail mail to PO Box 1591, Corvallis, OR 97339. Manuscripts will be returned if you include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope.

I agree. It's not OK for anyone to erect a memorial on public land. Besides that, the officer had a serious brain blockage ignoring the fact that some ignoramus wouldn't appreciate the memorial for what it was, and have some kind of "WW2 German = Nazi Jew Killer" freak out. I mean, tastefully display the stuff at home, but don't create a shrine. Your friends will let you know if you get kooky, others will simply avoid you. Me? I want to see the plaques (any "SS", any swastika?). I want to know why he gave the plaques to the attorney general's office (dumb ass, unless they knew of them and requested said plaques). Finally, how and why were the plaques recently unearthed, and what were the grounds for the investigation? I'm not being insensitive to those who may have been offended, I'm just wondering why it took ten years to get around to it. Is someone trying to embarrass him, or feeling challenged, insulted or threatened? Imagine a world in which you could be persecuted for anything you may have done in your past at any time in the present or future. Oh, besides the two week suspension, the officer will attend "Tools for Tolerance" training at the Simon Weisenthal Center of Beverly Hills. Ironically, the bosses demonstrate an intolerance of a perceived intolerance demonstrated by memorializing another nation's soldiers.

C O RVAvanities LLIS

Dude, Where's My Country?

A Klein Collins High School student was suspended May 6. The student took down a Mexican flag prominently displayed in the school. Five boys at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California were suspended for wearing shirts or bandanas with American flag motifs on Cinco de Mayo. November 12, a 13 year-old at Denair Middle School in Denair, California was threatened with suspension if he did not remove an American flag he had been flying on the back of his bike for several weeks. Please, folks, what the hell is going on? Can I fly a Confederate battle flag, a Confederate States national flag (which is different from the battle flag), or any other nation's flag, contemporary or historical? Can I get in trouble for my Hulk Hogan shrine? -Cjt dirtstirreply@gmail.com

YOUR VOICE: letters@thealchemistweekly.com YOUR SCOOPS: news@thealchemistweekly.com YOUR WORDS: submissions@thealchemistweekly.com CONTACT US: 541.224.6873 editor@thealchemistweekly.com calendar@thealchemistweekly.com ads@thealchemistweekly.com

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THE ALCHEMIST

The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed in Voice are of their authors and do not necessarily represent the thoughts, views or opinions of CorvAlcheMedia, LLC.

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NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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voice

verdict

Letters toeditor the

Letter to the Editor:

After reading Steven S. Hunter's recent music review on Brian Smith, I was confused, then annoyed, and finally, I just felt heavy-hearted. It reminded me not only of an inexperienced writer, but it left me thinking about the recent wave of bullying that has created such a negative impact on our society. First, I don't claim to be a good writer, but, I do know how to read and process information. Besides making no sense in his judgements, Hunter's intent to be clever only made the review worse. The article made too many assumptions and misleading statements. As the reader, I am unsure if maybe he was just a previous lover, if there was some skewed revenge, or if he just had cruel intentions. Either way, his article was written in such a strange, elusive way. Second, this is Corvallis. Not New York. Not L.A. Not even Portland. We are in Corvallis and he is writing for our only reliable independent weekly. We should be supporting local artists, especially young artists. Please, write a review with constructive criticism rather than one that judges the personal character of someone Hunter may not even know. Writing a review like that is something you do for musicians that have a following a band that already has broken the industry barrier. Not a local, small town kid, SELF PRODUCING his very own CD, with his own money, in his spare time -- all vocals, all instruments; everything. I just ask that Hunter climb down off of his horse, respect the local scene that we are trying to build, support our artists, and provide a constructive form of entertainment. When he goes to Sasquatch Music Festival or Austin City Limits, he can write as many bad reviews as he like. After reading the article, I literally fell into the CD. It was being handed out at a local coffee shop. And you know what? It was a new sound. Hints of a new sound and of the old sound and even a hint of the old westerns filtered out. This is a young man, still growing, learning, and experiencing,

To the Editor of The Alchemist Weekly, I just finished reading the “Strip Clubs: the unofficial taboo of Corvallis” by Steve Hudson, this was very well written article and very interesting. I can tell you some stories that have been told to me about what went on in the local area when Camp Adair was up running strong. There were ladies around called “Ladies of the Nite” that offered their service for a small charge. Not many years ago the Tavern at Cottonwoods (now closed and gone) was for sale. A man wanted to buy the Tavern if he could start a strip club - the Linn County said “No Way”. Did you know Astoria has a club - Annie’s Dancers? I agree 100% it would good for the economy, it would create a lot of jobs - Right on. Plus it would be good for the whole area. I want you to know I read your paper every week, keep up the good work!! This area needs this. Thank you for your time for looking at this!! Al Severson

Letters to the Editor may be edited for grammar or clarity.

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The Lady Killer by Robin Canfield

emanating potential and talent. He needs your support, my support, and the community's support. When the day comes that he hits it big and moves away to become famous, take the time to sit down, review his album and, whether negative or positive, write a well-written, reputable review. And I will leave you with your own words: "As a publication, our goal is to facilitate greater understanding and appreciation for the diverse social and cultural groups found in the area. " -Thank you for your time, Jessica Brothers

Get noticed, and advertise your business.

Re-introducing Cee Lo,

NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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Most musicians think it is best to go with just one genre on an album. In consequence, many people think they need to go to a music festival to hear a range of music in one go. On The Lady Killer, Cee Lo is not an artist so constrained. Luckily for listeners, i.e. soon-to-be fans, he is a man of exceptional talent and he applies that talent in many forms. Perhaps you are asking yourself, ‘Cee Lo, who is Cee Lo?’ Without question, you have heard of, or from, this man before. Starting with The Goodie Mob perhaps, or his several appearances on The Lyrics Born Variety Show. Cee Lo Green The Soul Machine, or And His Perfect Imperfections, has put out solo efforts before, as well. If those don’t strike your memory, Gnarls Barkley certainly will— Cee Lo sang over the beats laid down by Danger Mouse. Cee Lo pops up in lots of places; he even voiced Rollo T. Goodlove, formerly of Parliament—a character on the Adult Swim animated series The Boondocks. If you have passed any time on the Internet in the past two months, be it Facebook or YouTube, then you are probably already familiar with the first big hit off The Lady Killer, ¨F*** You.¨ A hip-hop song about love and spite, it contains some of the most catchy beats to be released in years. The beats and playful lyrics will stick in your head for hours, not to mention the laughs in the playful video, as well. ¨Georgia,¨ is another song that Cee Lo leaked much earlier this year. It showcases his abilities to take it slow, to croon, and, as many artists do—to pay homage—in this case to Georgia, his home. All this within another fantastic catchy tune. ¨Georgia,¨ however, did not make the final cut of the album and will perhaps remain an individually downloadable song, if not bundled as an extra with The Lady Killer downloads. Luckily, ¨Georgia¨ isn’t the only song Cee Lo croons on. ¨Old Fashioned¨ is another slow, serious, lilting song where Cee Lo waxes lovely about his fancies to a tune that The Platters would envy.

THE ALCHEMIST

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In keeping with his playful new lady killer persona for this album, Cee Lo recorded ¨Love Gun.¨ Featuring vocals by Lauren Bennett of the Paradiso Girls, this song swings with guitar riffs and rhythms that sound as if they were lifted straight from the opening credits of a James Bond film. Both ¨Wildflower¨ and Ït’s OK,¨ are more reminiscent of Gnarls Barkley songs with their rock-based beats and less blunt, less hip-hop oriented vocals. ¨Wildflower¨ is a song, true to its title, about the unfolding of a wildflower—possibly floral, possibly female. Hand-claps, finger-snaps and a saxophone are thrown into the mix for a classy tune that is much more radio-friendly than ¨F*** You.¨ Ït’s OK¨ brings back the finger-snaps, and keeps to the more playful side, both musically lyrically. This is somewhat of a surprise as it is a song of love and loss, of finding his love in the arms of another in fact, but if Cee Lo can make ¨F*** You¨ come off as more of a fun, jocularly self-reflecting song, then there should be no reason Ït’s OK¨ could follow in the same vein. If such songs verge on the edge of toopainful, the listener can always fall back on songs like ¨Fool For You,¨ which sounds like a mix of rhythms from Cee Lo’s own roots and 80’s Motown. The Lady Killer really has a taste of everything. If Motown isn’t the 80’s style you are looking for, try ¨Bright Lights Bigger City¨ the first song on the album itself. Somewhere between rock and hip-hop, this song opens with a classic 80’s keyboard intro, quickly followed by a heavy R&B rhythm, with a beat that is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s ¨Billie Jean.¨ Loud and strong, there is no rapping in the song, just Cee Lo at his singing and nearly-spoken word best. ¨Bright Lights Bigger City¨ is a fantastic prelude of the things to come. Afterwards the album jumps around from style to style, always linked by inventive rhythms, catchy beats and Cee Lo’s signature vocals. The Lady Killer is an album sure to please.

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

verdict

Duty calls out to history buffs Call of Duty: Black Ops by Stanley Tollett

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the video gaming world and the Call of Duty first-person shooter series, it’s kind of a big deal. There has been a version of the smash hit released every year since I became enthralled in a baptism of fire with the blockbuster release of Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare in late 2007. Since then, whether through peer pressure or just the need to see what the game engineers will come up with next, I have purchased every new installment in the series with gusto. Last year I went to Wal-Mart at 11:45 to get Modern Warfare 2 with all the rest of the “fanatics” so we could get our copy at exactly midnight. It was an event. There were already people in line when I made my way to the electronics section and they were handing out free energy drinks and posters to keep us up all night “ranking up”, meaning unlocking more guns and attachments, which is definitely one of the more compelling reasons to spend hours on end playing the game. This latest edition, Call of Duty : Black Ops, takes on a historical fiction aspect in

it’s single player story line as well as the multi player maps. But, it is really the multi player gaming, where you can compete with players from all over the world, that make the Call of Duty games so much fun. You can talk smack, you can talk gibberish. You can make friends and enemies and then throw computer generated napalm on them. For me, it’s all about the Xbox Live experience. Home of the newb, home of getting pwnd. A man’s skill level at Call of Duty online is tantamount to perhaps his jousting abilities in years gone by; it is a somewhat less gentlemanly, but all the same. It is bragged about, and for good reason. Sometimes you just feel like launching an RPG at that annoying British guy that keeps making fun of the “colonials”. But it’s all in good fun. Although, I have heard some people literally lose their shit when things don’t go their way. Throughout the years I have cultivated a set of friends from all over the country that I play Xbox Live games with on a weekly basis. Most are better than I, and they are not shy about letting me know. In fact, these gamers are so fond of the multi player experience that they eschew the single player mode entirely, achieving ridiculously high levels at breakneck speed. I usually get around to playing the single player game just to justify the $60 cost of the game. And, there are some definitely cool parts in this one. History buffs will enjoy the Cold War theme to the game as well as the conspiracy and “black ops” that play into actual real life historical situations like the Bay of Pigs. One of the cooler things about the new Call of Duty installment is the inventive ways of well...”neutralizing” your enemies. There are little RC cars that have bombs strapped to the them that you can drive up to enemies and detonate. There are flamethrowers, shotguns, machine guns, assault rifles and surprisingly effective pistols. This is one thing that I noticed immediately about the game play of this new COD. You can totally blast someone with a pistol just as effectively as with any other weapon. It’s all about proximity and speed. In other words, its all in the wrist. So if you’ve had a long day entering data down at the bean counting factory and feel like strapping on a mini-gun and mowing down online opponents to their screaming frustration before dinner. You will not be disappointed by this game. Oh, and remember to keep your eyes peeled and when you see that enemy soldier, dive to prone and start throwing lead!

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

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THE ALCHEMIST

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NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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bump

wednesday

tuesday

live music

Corvallis

Oddfellows Hall 223 SW 2nd St. Feed Your Head, Feed the Community Loaded for Bear, Sunnyside, Swamp Creature, & Nat Lefkoff [BENEFIT] 7 pm $3 or 2 cans of food; proceeds benefit Philomath Food Bank Sunnyside Up Café 116 NW 3rd St. Celtic Jam [CELTIC] 7:00 pm, FREE

Corvallis

stage

Corvallis

sing

Peacock Bar & Grill Karaoke, 9:00 pm, FREE On the Top: DJ Big Cheese, 9:00 pm FREE Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis 2945 NW Circle Blvd. Corvallis Community Choir rehearsals 7-9 pm, $50

Lebanon

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Nightly

Majestic Theater Auditions for "Del Sorid" 6 pm

dance

live music

eclectic

Albany

Riley’s Billiards Bar and Grill Pure Country Night - Country Dancing with DJ 9:00pm

Corvallis

Enoteca Wine Bar Girls night out! Knit night [CRAFT] 7:00 pm

Sunnyside Up Café 116 NW 3rd St. Bluegrass Jam [BLUEGRASS] 7:00 pm, FREE

OSU Women’s Building Room 112 Salsa Dancing 8:00 pm

WineStyles 2333 NW Kings Blvd Tuesday Trivia League [THINK] 6:00 pm; $10 per team

Tangent

Corvallis Elks Lodge 1400 NW 9th St. Beginner Line Dance 7:00 pm

Lebanon

Dixie Creek Saloon Battle of the Bands 7 pm

eat/drink

Philomath

Cascade Performing Arts Center 800 Harrison St. Beginner Adult Ballet Classes 7:30-8:30 pm, $5

Synergea Chiropractic 111 N 20th St. Wellness Workshop: Reducing Stress [LEARN] 6:30 pm

Corvallis

Cloud 9 126 SW 1st St. Beer & Blog 5 pm Enoteca Wine Bar Wine Tasting 7 pm, $10

Corvallis

CRO S SWORD

dance

Corvallis

shop

Corvallis Farmers’ Market 2nd & B Street 3-6 pm

Albany Eagles Lodge 127 Broadalbin St Albany Senior Dance 1:30-3:30 pm, $3

Corvallis

Old World Deli 341 SW Second St. Belly Dance 8 pm Peter Gysegem’s Studio Argentine Tango Classes 7:15 pm, $5 peter@gysegem.com

Lebanon

sing

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Nightly

Inkwell Crosswords by Ben Tausig

In Other Words

Across 1. Beating device 6. Earn 11. One up from med. 14. Fancy French mayo 15. Friend, in Florence 16. Hotmail alternative 17. Book club selection or, with a comma in between, “new” 19. Yamaha vehicle, for shor 20. Mescaline source 21. City of 13 million that is NOT the largest in its own country 23. TV schedule section 26. Like a reasonable deal or, with a comma, “comely” 28. Sullen 30. Benito Ju·rez’s state 31. Genre with time travel 32. Similar 35. Basketball violation or, with a comma, “repulsive” 41. Con’s handles 42. Source of the sample in Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” 44. Hebrew bible bigwig 49. Wiped out 50. Thing bestowed by a constitution or, with a comma, “OK” 54. Terrible spots for a date? 55. Programming language named after playwright Capek 56. Atmosphere that may smell salty 58. Word after pale or ginger 59. Worst team’s privilege in next year’s draft or, with a comma, “premium” 64. “___ Mis” (theatrical staple, for short) 65. Too big, in a way 66. More mellow, perhaps 67. Spring collection agcy. 68. Playground game stalemate resolutions 69. Filipino’s pocketful

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Down 1. “The Hurt Locker” subject 2. Get going 3. Gp. that accepted Michael Phelps’s apology for smoking weed in 2009 4. Dealt with, as a hangover 5. Strong, as bud 6. Lord’s house 7. Be histrionic 8. Grip, in a theater 9. Winter walking peril 10. “See?” 11. Yellow Teletubby 12. Like 13-Down’s look 13. The “Mistress of the Dark” 18. Compose, in a way 22. Hip-hop’s Das ___ 23. Text option 24. Spanish nuts? 25. Brigitte Bardot’s “Don Juan (___ Don Juan Were a Woman)” 27. Pitch 29. “Sprechen ___ Deutsch?” 32. Charge 33. Sportage maker 34. Hosp. drips 36. Hair removal brand 37. American overseer: Abbr. 38. Fresh out of the can, say? 39. Like cracker and Kraut, e.g. 40. Repo man’s document 43. Dutch crossword puzzle city 44. Acid neutralizer 45. Connection for a dime? 46. Grendel’s mother, e.g. 47. Burnsian negative 48. Totally in support of 49. Opposite of legato: Abbr. 51. “My Name ___” (1998 Orhan Pamuk best-seller) 52. Painting primer 53. Is unduly critical, in slang 57. Chain with waffles 60. “What should ___ doing?” (volunteer’s question) 61. Licenses, e.g. 62. Golden parachute holder, perhaps 63. Orator’s stumbles

It's an everyday thing Albany

Downtown Albany Historic Albany Victorian Christmas [HOLIDAY] Through November 24

SUDOKU

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Difficulty: Medium

1 2

NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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THE ALCHEMIST

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Heritage Mall Santa [HOLIDAY] 7 am-10 pm Friday through December 24

Corvallis

The Arts Center 700 SW Madison Where Birds Dream [AUCTION] 12-5 pm Tuesday-Saturday First Congregational Church 4515 SW West Hills Rd. Gifts for a Better World [BUY] 10 am-6 pm through November 28

OSU LaSells Stewart Center Giustina Gallery 875 SW 26th St Call & Response: The Conversation Continues Exhibit [SEE] through November 30 See’s Candies holiday gift center 113 SW 3rd St. Ste. A [BUY] 9 am-7 pm through December 26 TEAL Artist Cooperative 120 SW Fourth St. Local Art Display [BUY] 10-6 pm, through December 28

Lebanon

Linn County Arts Guild 680 Main St. Handcrafted in Linn County gift store [BUY] 11 am-6 pm through December 23

WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

honeylet's go out

bump

thursday

live music

Corvallis

FireWorks Michael Mandrell [FINGERSTYLE GUITAR] 2 pm

Lebanon

sing

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Nightly

dance

Albany

Riley’s Billiards Bar and Grill Ladies Night with DJ Unofficial 9 pm

FireWorks An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving with live music 2-8 pm, $35 reservations required

Corvallis

Peacock Bar & Grill Karaoke, 9:00 pm On the top DJ Mike, 9:00 pm, $2

Albany

eat/drink

Sybaris 442 1st Ave. SW Sybaris Thanksgiving ABC House Benefit Dinner 1:30-2:30 pm, $15-$40

Albany

Corvallis

Albany

eclectic

North Albany Plaza North Albany Rd. Oregon Mid-Valley Road Race [RUN] 7:30 am

Corvallis

Osborn Aquatic Center 1940 NW Highland Dr. Turkey Trot 5K & Little Gobblers 1K [RUN] 8 am, prices vary

Albany Civic Theater

111 First Ave. SW 541.928.4603

Alleyoop Lounge

Squirrel’s

Block 15

Sunnyside Up Café

101 NW Jackson Ave. 541.757.0694

901 Pacific Blvd 541.941.0977

300 SW Jefferson Ave. 541.758.2077

Bogey’s Bar & Grill

Bombs Away Café

129 W 1st Ave. 541.929.8900

100 SW 2nd St. 541.753.8057 116 NW 3rd St 541.758.3353

Suds & Suds

1045 NW Kings Blvd. 541.758.5200

Calapooia Brewing

2527 NW Monroe Ave. 541.757.7221

Cappie’s Brewhouse

325 NW 2nd St. 541.753.3753

Cascade Grill

1501 NW Monroe Ave. 541.758.4452

Chasers Bar & Grill

Cloud 9

Dixie Creek Saloon

Crowbar

214 SW 2nd St. 541.753.7373

2333 N.W. Kings Blvd. 541.738.9463

Favorite Mistake Sports Bar

Darrell’s Restaurant & Lounge

Artisian’s Well Lounge

Front Street Bar

Downward Dog

2250 South Main Rd. 541.451.3900

Enoteca Wine Bar

180 S 5th St. 541.847.6262

140 Hill St. NE 541.928.1931 211 1st Ave W 541.926.1710 110 Opal St. NW 541.926.3388 435 SE 2nd Ave 541928.9634 32994 Hwy 99E, Tangent, OR 541.926.2767

Contributed Photo

Big River Restaurant & Bar

5420 Pacific Blvd. 541.903.0034

China Delight Restaurant Clodfelter’s

126 SW 1st St. 541.753.9900

2200 NW 9th St. 541.752.6364

Troubadour

521 SW 2nd St. 541.752.7720

Tyee Wine Cellars 26335 Greenberry Rd. 541.753.8754

Wanted Saloon 140 NW 3rd St.

WineStyles

Lebanon

2300 Northeast Front Ave. 541.926.2739

130 SW 1st St. 541.753.9900

GameTime Sports Bar & Grill

136 SW Washington Ave. 541.758.9095

Duffy’s Irish Pub

Fireworks Restaurant & Bar

Humpty’s Dump Bar & Grill

1115 SE 3rd 541.754.6958

Fire Pit Lounge

JP’s Restaurant & Lounge

Greenberry Store & Tavern

Lariat Lounge

Harrison Bar & Grill

2211 Waverly Dr. SE 541.981.2376

916 Old Salem Rd NE 541.926.3111 220 2nd Ave. 541.926.5546

901 Pacific Blvd SE 541.928.2606

Linger Longer Tavern

145 SW Main St. 541.926.2174

Lucky Larrys Lounge 1296 S Commercial Way SE 541.928.3654

Flat Tail Pub

202 SW 1st St. 541.758.2219 29974 HWY 99W 541.752.3796

1520 Pacific Blvd SE 541.926.7001

Corvallis

Aqua Seafood Restaurant & Bar

The Beanery on 2nd

500 SW 2nd St 541.753.7442

3130 South Santiam Hwy 541.570.1537

Peacock Bar & Grill East

541.258.6205

1425 NW Monroe Ave. 541.230.1114

76 E. Sherman St. 541.451.2027

La Bamba Mix Night Club

1250 Grant St. 541.259.0800

Sports Shack & Deli

Philomath

High 5 Sports Bar & Grill 1644 Main St.-541.929.7529

Luc

Meet’n Place Tavern

Murphy’s Tavern

Wine Vault

Papa’s Pizza

Wing Sing Restaurant & Lounge

134 SW 4th St. 541.753.4171 2740 SW 3rd St. 541.738. 7600

151 NW Monroe Ave. 541.752.0262

GameTime Sports Bar & Grill

Impulse

136 SW Washington Ave, Ste. 102 541.753.2222

Wilhelm’s Spirits & Eatery

2230 South Santiam Hwy 541.451.2010

Merlin’s Bar & Grill

Loca Luna

124 Broadalbin St SW 541.926.2838

679 South Main St. 541.259.2906

550 NW Harrison Blvd. 541.754.1017

126 SW 4th St. 541.207.3593

Riley’s Billiards Bar & Grill

Cornerstone Café & Pub

1030 S.W. Third St. 541.757.2727

Peacock Bar & Grill

1150 Mian St. 541.929.3130 1301 Main St. 541.929.8496

658 Main St. 541.929.6255

125 SW 2nd St. 541.754.8522

FEED YOUR HEAD, FEED THE COMMUNITY Oddfellows Hall (223 SW 2nd St. Corvallis, OR)

Tuesday, November 23rd ALL AGES, 7:00 pm

FireWorks

$3 or two cans of food for the Philomath Food Bank

Michael Mandrell [FINGERSTYLE GUITAR] 2 pm Thursday

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Music by: Loaded For Bear, Sunnyside, Swamp Creature, and Nat Lefkoff

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friday

Photo by Lucas Spiegel

Albany

eat/drink

Spring Hill Cellars 2920 NW Scenic Dr. Annual Federweisser Festival 12-5 pm

Corvallis

Belle Vallee Cellars 151 NW Monroe Ave. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11 am-5 pm

FireWorks

Jesse Meade [ACCOUSTIC] 8 pm Friday

live music

Corvallis

Albany

Cloud 9 Hemingway & Parish Gap [ROCK] 8:30 pm

Albany

The Beanery on Second St. Moebius K [FOLK ROCK] 8 pm

FireWorks Jesse Meade [ACOUSTIC] 8 pm Memorial Union Lounge, OSU Campus Music a la Carte [CLASSICAL] 12 pm

Lebanon

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Down Side Up [ROCK] 9 pm

Corvallis

sing

Peacock Bar and Grill Karaoke, 9 pm On the Top: DJ Alex, 9 pm

Lebanon

Dixie Creek Saloon Karaoke 9 pm

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NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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stage

Albany Civic Theater 111 First Ave. SW Meet Me in St. Louis 8 pm $10-$13

Corvallis

OSU Theatre, Withycombe Main Stage The Coming of the Rain 7:30 pm, $5-$12

Albany

shop

Vintage Roost 935 NW Scenic Dr. Christmas in the Roost with local crafters 10 am-5 pm

eclectic

Christmas Parade Fourth & Washington to Fourth & Jackson [HOLIDAY] 7 pm

Tangent

Riley’s Billiards Bar and Grill Ladies Night with DJ Unofficial 9 pm

Corvallis

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Nightly

dance

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First Alternative Co-Op South 1007 S.E. 3rd St. Wine Tasting 5-7 pm Tyee Wine Cellars 226335 Greenberry Rd. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11 am-5 pm WineStyles 2333 NW Kings Blvd. Friday Night Flights 5-8 pm

Philomath

Cardwell Hill Cellers 24241 Cardwell Hill Dr. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11:30 am-5 pm Harris Bridge Vineyard 22937 Harris Rd. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-5 pm Lumos Wine Company 24000 Cardwell Hill Dr. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-5 pm Pheasant Court Winery/The Wine Vault 1301 Main St. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-6 pm Spindrift Cellars 810 Applegate St. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-5 pm

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live music

Calapooia Brewing Andrew Norsworthy [INDIE FOLK ROCK] 8 pm

Corvallis

FireWorks Jim Page [FOLK] 8 pm Novak’s Hungarian Restaurant 2306 Heritage Way SE Strings of Time [MELODIC JAZZ] 6:00 pm, FREE Troubadour Music Center Eric Hill & T.B.A. [META-INDIE] 8 pm, $10

Lebanon

Lebanon Coffeehouse & Eatery 661 Main Street Live Music 6:30pm Merlin’s Bar & Grill Down Side Up [ROCK] 9 pm

Lebanon

sing

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Nightly

dance

Albany

Riley’s Billiards Bar and Grill Ladies Night with DJ Unofficial 9 pm

Corvallis

Corvallis Dance Center 1935 NW Circle Blvd. Dance Lab with Sabeya Creating Choreographies 11 am-1 pm, $35 Bollywood/Belly Dance Fusion 2-4 pm, $35

eclectic

Corvallis

Benton County Fairgrounds 110 SW 53rd St. Thanksgiving Thunder Rough Stock Rodeo [RODEO] 7 pm

Lebanon

Lebanon Coffeehouse & Eatery 661 Main Street Saturday Afternoon Free Movie [SEE] 2pm – 4pm

saturday

Albany

Calapooia Brewing

Andrew Norsworthy [INDIE FOLK ROCK] 8 pm Saturday

eat/drink

Spring Hill Cellars 2920 NW Scenic Dr. Annual Federweisser Festival 12-5 pm

Corvallis

Belle Vallee Cellars 151 NW Monroe Ave. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11 am-5 pm Tyee Wine Cellars 226335 Greenberry Rd. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11 am-5 pm

Lebanon

Lebanon Coffeehouse & Eatery 661 Main Street Saturday Breakfast & Brunch (Mimosa's) 9 am – 2 pm

Philomath

Contributed Photos

Cloud Nine

Parish Gap & Hemingway [ROCK] 8:30 pm Friday

live music

Albany

Calapooia Brewing Blues Jam 4:00 pm

To be considered for a calendar listings, notice of events must be received in writing by noon on Tuesday, two weeks before publication. Send listings to editor@thealchemistweekly. com. If you want photo consideration please include a photo with correct attribution.

monday

sunday

Corvallis

FireWorks Karl Smiley [AMERICANA BLUES] 8 pm

Corvallis

Belle Vallee Cellars 151 NW Monroe Ave. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11 am-5 pm Tyee Wine Cellars 226335 Greenberry Rd. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11 am-5 pm

Philomath

Lebanon

Merlin’s Bar & Grill Blues/Rock Jam 7 pm

Corvallis

eat/drink

dance

Corvallis Boys & Girls Club 11122 NW Circle Blvd. Beginning/Intermediate Swing dance class 7-9 pm, $45

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Cardwell Hill Cellers 24241 Cardwell Hill Dr. Thanksgiving weekend open house 11:30 am-5 pm Harris Bridge Vineyard 22937 Harris Rd. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-5 pm

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Lumos Wine Company 24000 Cardwell Hill Dr. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-5 pm

live music

Pheasant Court Winery/The Wine Vault 1301 Main St. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-6 pm

Corvallis

Spindrift Cellars 810 Applegate St. Thanksgiving weekend open house 12-5 pm

Albany

eclectic

Corvallis

Enoteca Wine Bar Book Group [READ] 7 pm

Corvallis

FireWorks Southtown Open Mic Talent Search 8 pm

eclectic

Greater Albany School District Admin Offices, Weatherford Rm. 718 7th Ave. SW Masters of Art in Teaching Info Session [INFO] 4:30-6 pm

stage

OSU Theatre, Withycombe Main Stage The Coming of the Rain 2 pm, $5-$12

NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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Gaming culture thrives in A

redheaded cowgirl wearing chaps, boots, and a trench coat stands on a table. She holds a sawed-off shotgun on her shoulder but is pretty much nude. Though this cowgirl is virtually void indy auer of vestments, you have to look really closely to see the intricate details of her body. This is not your average cowgirl; she is less than two inches tall.

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That ’s because the cowgirl is a miniature figurine, part of Warhammer 40,000 – a tabletop game of warfare set in a futuristic dystopian society. Warhammer is one of many hobby games played regularly around the Mid-Willamette Valley and the rest of the world. Every week, a growing number of recreational gamers gather at local homes and businesses to engage in games that, like chess and poker, require strategy, skill, and sometimes a little luck. These groups of gamers form a unique subculture of hobbyists and number more than you may think. They play for different reasons, whether they are competitive, social, or collectors or the game memorabilia. For Warhammer, there are “fantasy” and “40,000” versions, which have different rules and

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game pieces. The fantasy version is set in a fictional world where elves, dwarfs, and lizardmen wield archaic weapons and magic spells, competing in epic battles. The latter is set in the distant future, where soldiers, creatures, and vehicles of war clash on the battlefield with the goal of domination. But, you can’t play Warhammer with just average game pieces. Players must assemble, paint, and upgrade their fighters. They use hobby glue, paint, sand, and other materials to add textures to their miniatures. Each army is unique in assortment, décor, and array. On a drizzly fall Saturday evening, a group of Warhammer fantasy players return to their games armed with bags of food from Burger King. They munch fries and chicken sandwiches while they prepare for the semi-final round of the bimonthly Warhammer tournament held at Pegasus Games in downtown Corvallis. The players set up the 4 x 6 foot board, carefully placing their hand-crafted miniature armies in strategic locations. Using measuring tapes, they check the distances between their forces and other board locales. During set up, one player pauses momentarily to take a drink from his soda. After several minutes, the game board is ready and play begins. Suddenly, it is like they are speaking another language. They run down the progression of play – movement, shooting, assault, magic. Each player is incredibly focused, never breaking concentration. Occasionally, they pick up a reference book to look up spells and actions which follow each roll of the dice. The winner of this round will go on the final battle where someone will earn the right to call themselves the victor of the night and to take the spoils of war – store credit at Pegasus Games. These players have already been competing for more than five hours (hence the dinner break) and they could be at it for several more. In another part of town on another night, a different group of hobby game enthusiasts engage one another in simulated warfare – only this time they are playing with cards instead of miniatures. The game is Magic the Gathering and two handfuls of players have assembled in the backroom of Matt’s Cavalcade of Comics on Buchanan Street to compete in the Friday Night Magic tournament. Tonight, they are “drafting”, meaning they play only with the cards they purchase that night. They buy four packs, three for their hand and one for the prize pool. On other nights, they play standard Magic, bringing cards from home and building the deck they want to play with ahead of time. “The draft is like the game before the game,” explains Dustin Bailey, an avid

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the Valley Magic player who has gone on to play in qualifier tournaments for Magic the Gathering World Championships and often plays Friday Night Magic at Matt’s. Tonight, the players sit at long rectangu-

Matt's Cavalcade of Comics

Monday 5:30 p.m. Hero Clix Thursday 5:30 p.m./when people show Warmachine Friday 7 p.m. Friday Night Magic Saturday 1 p.m. Magic the Gathering free play Pegasus Games Friday 7 p.m. Friday Night Magic Second Saturday of the Month 11 a.m. Warhammer Fantasy Last Saturday of the Month 11 a.m. Warhammer 40k Top Deck Hobbies Friday 7 p.m. Friday Night Magic

lar tables and check out the cards they’ve drafted. One player carefully slides his newly acquired cards into protective plastic covers. He pauses to takes a bite of a rainbow chip cookie. All the while, a princess Leia cardboard cutout watches over the scene, and Tigger and Pooh Bear - the two house cats - prowl the perimeter. None of the packs opened so far tonight have yielded a “mythic rare” card – the most powerful, coveted, and valuable Magic cards in the set. Statistically, that means there should be a rare card in one of the prize packs. This just upped the ante. Sitting off to the side, Bailey’s wife crochets a colorful orange shawl. She moves to where she can see Bailey compete once the match-ups are announced (they are playing a round robin tournament). They start playing at 7 p.m. and sometimes the tournament goes on past midnight. It’s nine-o-clock right now, which means there are several more hours in store. Both Warhammer and Magic have been around for some time. Warhammer was created in 1983 and Magic came along ten years later. While these games are not new, local gaming experts say they are seeing resurgence in hobby games and gaming in general.

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“It’s more popular now than ever,” said Seth Morrigan, owner of Top Deck Hobbies in Lebanon. Morrigan is referring to Magic the Gathering. He reasons that the increased popularity is tied to the evolving game design, which allows new players to pick up Magic easily yet still keeps veterans interested. To keep the game fresh, a new Magic set is released four times a year. The next release will be in February. New Warhammer armies are rarer. The Dark Eldar army was re-released on November 6. Before that, the last codex (book of rules) came out in 2002. Another reason for the current popularity of hobby games is that they make financial sense to people in these hard economic times “It’s essentially recession proof,” said Marc LeRoux, owner of Pegasus Games. He describes how you can easily blow more than $20 at the movies - between tickets and snacks - then your night is over. For the same price, you can buy a game and have several nights of fun. Along with hobby games like Warhammer and Magic, the Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Zombie Dice are also popular. While gaming may be on the rise, it seems to be gender specific. Male customers between the age of 16 and 35 dominate the demographics at all three Mid-Valley hobby game stores. So why do these games appeal to men more than women? Nobody is quite sure. Some say it is the war angle and the competitive nature, others just shrug. Entire books

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have been written on the subject, and insiders say this is a question the gaming industry would love to answer. Women are not completely unrepresented in the local scene however, and some speculate that hobby games are growing in popularity among the female demographic. What else about hobby games appeal to players? “I’ve met some of my best friends playing Magic,” said Bailey, who wears thin-rimmed glasses, sports shorts, sneakers, and a grey fleece sweatshirt. Others agree. “I play for the same reason that anybody has a particular hobby,” said John Reeves, who takes a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew out of his backpack and has a swig. “I’ve met some of my best friends through Pegasus Games.” In more gaming action, Matt Ashland, of Matt’s Cavalcade of Comics, hosts “JustA-Game-Con” at the Benton County Fairgrounds in April. It brings out hundreds of gamers to face off in nearly every hobby game imaginable. This event starts at 10 am on a Saturday and ends at 6 pm the following day. Needless to say, it gets a little crazy. While hobby game tournaments are played in local shops, there are also games going on in private homes around the Mid-Willamette Valley and online. However, players note that one advantage of playing at a store is the events are sanctioned, prizes are offered, and you get the social interaction. So players go to Matt’s, Pegasus, and Top Deck for the tournaments, but they also drop by to play at other times. People are always in these shops, milling about, checking out merchandise, organizing their Magic cards, or painting figurines. While hobby games are maintaining a fan base and increasing in popularity, Ashland, a local comic book connoisseur, said we may be seeing the end of an era with comic book popularity. Comic book collectors may be becoming a dying breed as gamers emerge as a faster growing population. Still, Ashland maintains his comic book stock and now has more than 300,000 back issues (at least) of classic comics. But overall, Magic and Warhammer bring in more people to local shops, and players are dying to get their hands on new merchandise. On a Friday afternoon at Matt’s, one customer is browsing comic books while another is checking out Magic cards. Ashland is busy talking to the mother of a young girl who was in his store earlier that day. Ashland caught this teen shoplifting. He has the incident on camera. What was this girl trying to lift? Magic cards.

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New restaurant in southtown offers halal-friendly menu

Al-Jebal

2240 SW 3rd St 541.207.3478

or those who haven’t heard, there is a new restaurant in southtown, well worth the extra mile of commute for us downtown denizens. Al-Jebal opened mid-August, right before Ramadan began this year. Which was a fortunate coincidence as one thing the restaurant prides itself on is being able to offer halal meals to Muslim customers. Think of halal as a set of rules, which devout Muslims use to regulate the kinds of food they put in their bodies. Like Seventh Day Adventists who don’t eat shellfish, or lla arie Jewish people who abstain from pork anus and cheeseburgers, these are guidelines created through religious philosophy to be used in daily life to better the adherents of those beliefs. Zabiha meat, is meat slaughtered and raised according to halal practices. Curious to find out what other halal options existed within Corvallis before this restaurant (which includes at least one halal restaurant: Crystals café on campus) I began to research the topic. I found several different ways of looking at food through the prism of lawful (halal), unlawful (haram) and questionable (mashoob) dietary options. According to www.muslimconsumergroup.com, forbidden foods include pork, birds of prey, carnivorous animals, improperly slaughtered animals or animal products from improperly slaughtered animals and alcohol. For example, vanilla in most of its forms is not halal and Gelatin is also a

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no. Soy sauce is haram. Sunny Delight has fish gelatin, which makes it mashoob at best. However, the tuna sandwich at Subway and banana ice cream at Coldstone are ok. Navigating the waters of a halal diet in American society is no easy task, nor is it seemingly one for the lazy. Dietary restrictions are nothing new these days. More and more people are seeking kosher, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free, non-dairy or other options. Across these labels it seems we are all trying to find ways to understand the ingredients which are going into our food, and what we should do about them. Halal is more focused on the slaughter of the animal and how it was raised, ensuring that animals are slaughtered in a way that first and foremost gives respect to Allah. This over arching respect towards God is one of the five pillars of Islam. Much of the meat in the US is non halal because inducing unconsciousness in the animal before killing it reduces the meat to a status of carrion- haram, haram. According to www. greenzahiba.com, it seems to become more and more obvious- thoughtfulness in the care of animals, including their slaughter, is the way towards eating halal. There is also I found a number of foods which Allah, the centerfold of the Islam faith, liked or disliked. Among the latter were onions – perhaps a throwback to the fact that onions were a favorite of the Egyptians who subscribed to one of the last largely polytheistic sect of beliefs in the Middle East before the arrival of Christianity and Islam. In Egyptian tombs, Pharonic

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and otherwise, onions are the most prominent vegetable life portrayed according to www.egyptianonions.com. I speculate that this dislike of onions is perhaps representative of a new religious leader trying to distance himself from the numerous Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Egyptian belief system. Kareema Elatchi and her sister Jamila Elatchi are the kind hearted women who run the day to day operations of Al-Jebal. Kareema doesn’t seem caught up by the nitpickiness of halal dietary restrictions. Instead her overall attitude is one of inclusion and gratefulness for being able to provide high quality halal to her many customers. It seems the populations following halal are slowly finding their way into certain areas, Al-Jebal restaurant grew out of a lifestyle, and not the other way around. This space was seen as a possibility on many different levels from many different people. It is an extension of a halal meat market in Beaverton, Ore. and, was brought down to the valley as a precursor to Kareema moving her family here and wanting there to be top quality halal food in the area. Kareema herself is Morrocan and the menu reflects this with different Morrocan specialties daily. Not too mention the daily expanding selection of pastries, kebabs, teas, coffees, hummus, baba ghanouj and just about anything you could ask for made to order and accommodating the growing clientele. For someone who is new to Middle Eastern cuisine I would suggest the veggie mezza plate, an appetizer with an array of different appetizers most of which are vegan.

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Not too mention the daily expanding selection of pastries, kebabs, teas, coffees, hummus, baba ghanouj and just about anything you could ask for made to order and accommodate the growing clientele. Soups and salads are also a good lighter fare, and specials change daily. For meat eaters shwarma is a grilled cut of lamb or chicken dishes which are kabobs typically barbecued and both reflect a delicate complexity of flavor which is typical to Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s also a great place to grab some Turkish coffee and a pastry and spend a few hours studying, relaxing, or observing the variety and diversity in their clientele. It is

wonderful that Corvallis has a new restaurant which supports those striving to have a more conscientious way of viewing their food whether it be for religious reasons or otherwise. As I finish my coffee and conversation with Kareema the orange walls and people within them are comforting, warm, and glow cozy. Definitely not Mashoob.

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literati

A pasture at midday by Michael Thomas

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They uncoil and string themselves across the meadow; the son toddles far afield, his mother after, and the father walks steadily behind with his daughter’s young hand in his gentle grasp. The grass rolls in the breeze and the daughter turns back and marks her father’s black pickup by the road. A fairground lies to the south in quiet attrition; its limbs rust in the sun. She is yet a child, but years later she cannot remember a day so bright. She can see all the cottonwoods that pock the earth in ambit to the field and in a blue haze to the north, she can make out a minster, some rooftops. A single oak stands at the other end of the meadow. This is the form that the family moved towards, and in the tall grass it is only them and the other. Beside the tree, and strewn through the valley is the brown curl of a river. Brush drifts in its flow and gars move heavily beneath the waves, their hard antediluvian bodies and jaws stuffed with teeth belonging to another time. Nearing the oak the grass is matted and flattened by the trek of a crowd—traces of the night prior. The father notes other signs of their passing. Crumpled cigarette butts, the gleam of sun off a beer bottle, candy bar wrappers. He smiles. “Must’ve been some show,” he says. The boy is panting when he reaches the tree. He is worn from the walk and the excitement of the day. “Merle,” his mother calls, “you just wait until your father gets there.” “Yes, mam,” he juts between heavy breaths. “My, it is a gorgeous day, ain’t it? Most so I’ve seen in quite awhile.” The father grins. “Certainly is,” he says, “well, ‘cept ‘en our boys over at A and M beat out Tulane back in January. That day was too. Gorgeous, it was.” The rough of his denim, the coarse hairs on his arm, the tuck of his flannel shirt and the way it ripples in the air. Of her father, these things the daughter will remember best. He still has her hand when they come to the oak. It is hanging from a branch of the oak, just like Merle said it would be—blackened and smelling of char. Beneath it the soil is stained darkly and the wind sets its smoldered frame swinging. There is no semblance in its face to the soul that once dwelled there and none who knew it in life could read its flayed and crisping bulk and discern any likeness of the man that was. Dried ink paths in the grass where dogs have lugged his spilled viscera and gorged themselves. The boy begins circling the thing, his eyes pass over it, his lips press together. He walks the body’s perimeter slowly, stumbling now and then in the earth, and fixes all of his attention on it. Several moments pass before Merle realizes that the others have joined him. They stare silently as it turns by its rope. “Which part should I take?” Merle says,

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turning to face his family. The father’s eyes are thin slits in the sunshine; his grip tightens on her wet hand. She looks up at him but he does not see her. Merle waits patiently. “Well, they ain’t much left,” the father says finally. He takes a step towards the torso letting go of his daughter’s hand. “I suppose what wasn’t took last night the buzzards probably picked off since.” “My, my,” the mother says. The boy hangs his head. “Now Merle, don’t discourage yourself,” the father says. He points at it and his son’s eyes follow. “Why don’t you give that toe a try?” “Connie?” he calls to his wife. Her face jerks towards him. “You got a hank Merle could use so he doesn’t dirty himself too much?” “Oh,” her hand draws forth a white rag from her breast pocket, “just this one,” she says and holds it out to her husband. He plucks it softly from her fingers, smiling at her before turning around and handing it down to his son. Merle takes the rag and runs up to the body. He takes the sun hardened appendage in his palm and starts yanking on it. Squeak of blackened rope as he pulls. He squeezes his tongue between his teeth and begins heaving at it with both hands. Small grunts escape him. “Merle…” Connie speaks. “It won’t give,” he says, tugging harder. “You keep at him like that and you’re gonna be covered in him,” his father says. “Dammit,” Merle yells. “Merle! You mind your tongue!” Connie hisses. “Sorry.” Connie looks over at her husband. She finds him grinning slightly and nods her head in the direction of the tree, their struggling child. “Alright, alright,” he says, rolling his eyes. The father steps across the bedded grass and stands behind his son.

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Her figure is like a pallid creature set across the gold of the field. She ambles over the earth without pattern or method, cutting a strange path

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“Now look,” he says, then glaring down at his son—still at his work, “Come on and quit already, y’aint getting nowhere.” Merle bolts upright, his hands drop to his side. “Give me that rag.” “Yes, sir.” He passes it into his father’s callused palms, but refuses to look at him. He feels something akin to failure. His sight is on the grass top, tumbling in the breeze. Smell of meat rot. But he feels the eyes of his father and there is quiet among them. His father grasps the toe. “You’re making a fool of yourself,” he says, “Now what you got to do is…Merle, look at me.” The son obeys. “Ya can’t just jerk on it like you’re trying to get yourself some milk. It won’t do. Not when its been out in the heat and such, long as it has. T’aint gonna do nothing but maybe shake him down on top of you. What you got to do is,” his fist clenches around the part, “twist it towards ya, and give it the most pull you can. And fast.” He grimaces, wrinkles trail across his face. He wrenches the toe and it rips forth from its holding in a dull snap, trailing cindery flesh from the belly of the foot. “There,” his father says. He holds it in the pit of the napkin and with his other hand, wraps the corners of the rag overtop of it until the toe is concealed. Merle cups his hands beneath his fathers, eyeing the bundle. His father pauses. He waits until his son meets his gaze. Pupils touch, hold, and the thing is passed. “Fiona,” Connie calls, “what are you doing over there?” Across the meadow the daughter is shuffling through the high stems. The father brushes his son’s hair and looks over to his wife. “I’ll get her,” he says, then pointing towards the rag, “make sure Merle doesn’t choke hisself on that thing.” Her figure is like a pallid creature set across

the gold of the field. She ambles over the earth without pattern or method, cutting a strange path that her father follows to entertain himself. Her way crosses, veers wildly, and circles in on itself. A scribbling in the grass. He finds himself lost in her trail, he finds that any new turn would only bring him back to the same place again. He is unsettled, though he does not know why, and quits the child’s web, cutting his own path to her. Nearing her, he sees that she has been following a bird. He watches it flit into the air, wobble, and then dive back into the grass. Fiona hops behind it, sending it skyward and when the bird falls, she dashes to its new landing. In the air, the bird flickers black and tan, its stomach a streak of white. When he is close enough to touch her, she speaks to him. The father is startled. He did not think that she had heard him approaching. “Daddy?” she asks. “Yes, Sunflower…” “What kinda bird is that?” It shakes in the grass, tweeting softly. “It’s a mocker.” “A mocker?” Black seed of an eye bounces in its avian socket. “Pretty common bird actually,” he says, kneeling behind her, “they’s in all parts of the state…most of the country too come to that. Can train themselves to sound like most other bird kinds. Called a mimicry.” The daughter looks puzzled. “Don’t worry ‘bout that one Fiona, you ain’t old enough to need to know what a mimicry is yet.” They could hear it chirping, but its form did not break the grass again. “I’ll tell you what though,” the father says, “you get a grouping of ‘em up in the air and the way they fly together, they look like a…a rope. They’s just like a rope snaking cross the sky together. They really is.”

Chicken Cashew Salad

Ingredients: 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast Salt Pepper Garlic salt Celery Salt Johnny’s Seasoning 1/2 cup of fresh celery, diced. 1/4 cup of finely minced onions (Red or Walla Walla Sweets work best) 1/2 cup chopped, salted cashews 3/4 cup of mayonnaise

enough to get the consistency that you like for your salad mix. The chicken salad will hold it in the fridge for 3-5 days. Once you have your chicken salad, chose a tossed salad, this serves very well with butter lettuce, ice burg, spring mix and bok choy, but any combination of salad mix will work. Place salad in bowl top with your chicken salad mix, serve with sliced roma tomatoes, cucumbers and sliced avocado. Another good side suggestion is grilled cornbread.

Chicken salad: season chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic salt, pinch of celery salt and Johnny’s seasoning and grill it. The chicken can be cooked in broiler in oven or in frying pan on the oven as well. Dice the chicken and mix with fresh celery, minced onions, and 1/2 cup chopped salted cashew pieces. Then add your mayo *just

eats@thealchemistweekly.com Lelan Norquist has served as an Executive Chef for Riverbend Resort, as well as an owner of California Grill. He has been in the restaurant industry in various capacities for 25 years, and his cooking career began at a military cook school in Virginia.

TELL US ALL ABOUT IT! The good, the bad, the ugly. WE WANT TO TELL YOUR STORY. WWW.THEALCHEMISTWEEKLY.COM

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NOVEMBER 23-NOVEMBER 29, 2010

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A L C H y AWARDS

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LAST WEEK to get your nominations in! Mail your analog ballot to PO BOX 1591, Corvallis, OR 97339. Go to www.thealchemistweekly.com for the digital version. All entries must be submitted by Friday, November 26th.

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