Power Trip: Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden kick things off in the desert

• October 7, 2023

Thousands of rock and heavy metal music fans descended upon the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Friday, Oct. 6 to come together for the first-ever Power Trip.

The three-day celebration of the genres began with marathon sets from English heavy metal band Iron Maiden and Los Angeles-based rock band Guns N’ Roses. Next up over the weekend will be Judas Priest and AC/DC on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Metallica and Tool on Oct. 8.

ALSO SEE: Power Trip bassists weigh in on the rock and metal event before it hits Indio

For the first day, the fans ventured onto the festival grounds early as gates opened at 4 p.m., the peak heat of the day when temperatures were just about 100 degrees. It was a scorcher, but that didn’t stop the die-hards who were mostly clad in black shirts — some of which had seriously faded to gray with age that displayed both Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden’s previous tours from years or even decades before — from showing up to party with thousands of their new friends.

“The whole world is here,” Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson said during his set.

In just chatting with fans that smooshed into the massive pit area directly in front of the stage on Friday night, we met people who had made the pilgrimage from the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, just to come to Power Trip. Guests explored the festival grounds, after navigating a horrific traffic flow that caused Maiden to postpone its set by about 15 minutes to allow more people into the event, or at least that’s what Dickinson blamed for their tardiness.

Some people went a bit too hard too early and underestimated the power of the blazing sun and were spotted “napping” in the grass as their buddies stood guard, or took some passed-out selfies with them in between the two acts. Though there are just two bands playing each day, this is still a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a long day and very late evening.

Maiden played for two hours, delivering mostly the same set from its latest The Future Past Tour. The outing has included songs from the band’s newest album, “Senjutsu” with “The Writing on the Wall,” “The Time Machine” and “Death of the Celts” and its 1986 “Somewhere In Time” record with “Wasted Years,” “Heaven Can Wait” and “Alexander The Great.”

This is a mighty, mighty band with players that deliver mind-blowing sounds as guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers absolutely just shred while Steve Harris stomps around the stage, holding it down on bass and drummer Nicko McBrain sets the pace back on his massive drumkit.

But for Power Trip, the set seemed a bit lackluster compared to other Maiden turns through the years in Southern California. It felt like this audience wanted a more all-killer, no-filler type of set as fans responded the most to the sprinkled in hits including “Fear of the Dark,” “Iron Maiden,” “The Prisoner” and “The Trooper.” It also wasn’t as big of a theatrical spectacle as Maiden is known for, but we did get a brief firepower battle between Dickinson and the band’s towering mascot, Eddie, and a bunch of fireball pyro in the encore.

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Dickinson is a powerhouse vocalist and showcased his range throughout the evening, seemingly conjuring up energy in the crowd as he swirled his arms around as if casting a spell and repeating “Scream for me, Indio!” louder and louder until fans were running out of breath. In the end, he said “We’ll see all of you again,” as he scanned the crowd and teasingly added, “Make of that what you will.”

Well, we didn’t see Maiden again at Power Trip as everyone took an extended break in between acts as Guns N’ Roses was as fashionably late as ever — by about 35 minutes. The group hit the stage at 10 p.m. and played a three-hour set that had vocalist Axl Rose wailing out the final notes of “Paradise City” in time to make the curfew cutoff at 1 a.m., as some ill-timed fireworks blasted into the sky in nearly total silence as the song had ended almost an entire minute before the celebratory blasts began.

By 1 a.m. more than half of the crowd had cleared out either to beat a mass exodus and to escape the traffic nightmare that had greeted them at the start of the day or because the median age of this particular audience appeared to be about 50 and a three-hour set with far too many lulls was asking a bit much. It was also true that the number of Iron Maiden T-shirts worn on this day outnumbered the GNR threads by about 10:1.

Guns N’ Roses’ set was a rollercoaster that could have been edited down by a solid 30 minutes. Did we need to hear “Chinese Democracy” and a cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman”? Probably not. Hearing bassist Duff McKagan belt out The Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” was fun and listening to the band rip through Velvet Revolver’s “Slither” got the pit stirring.

But the set was just filled with highs and lows and odd song choices that they’ve been doing out on the road that prompted one female fan in the pit to just yell “I don’t understand what’s going on” as she had been rockin’ out one minute and forced into a break the next during yet another solo. Same, girl, same.

Just as the momentum would build and the crowd would get fired up, another slower song or too long of a solo would hit. Look, Slash is an amazing guitarist and it’s mesmerizing to watch his fingers fly up and down those strings, but there were a lot of those moments here.

It also felt like Rose’s vocals were going to give out at any second. He was singing super high on a lot of songs and he’d also get very quiet on certain verses midway through the set which was worrisome. But shockingly, near the end of the show is when he sounded his absolute best. He soared through the band’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” was an expert whistler on “Patience” and ripped through “Coma” and “Nightrain.”

Power Trip

With: Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses

When: Friday, Oct. 6

Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio

​ Orange County Register 

Got time for some chin rubs? Tabby cat Leo would like them all

• October 7, 2023

Breed: Domestic shorthair tabby

Age: About 9 years

Sex: Neutered male

Leo’s story: Leonard is sweet and adores chin scratches, being brushed, and any and all attention you’d like to lavish upon him. His owner passed away, leaving him in the care of a kind neighbor. He can be a little shy with new people, but he warms up pretty quickly. He loves attention so much that he even drools a little. Leonard is up to date on vaccines and microchipped.

Adoption donation: $125

Adoption procedure: Call Leo’s foster mom, Meghan, with Long Beach Spay and Neuter Foundation, at 310-210-7481.

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​ Orange County Register 

Great Pyrenees Pearl is large and in charge 

• October 7, 2023

Breed: Great Pyrenees

Age: 9 years

Sex: Spayed female

Size: 90 pounds

Pearl’s story: Beautiful Pearl was returned to the Great Pyrenees Association when her family moved out of state. After a period of adjustment, she’s now running her foster home. She’s great with other dogs of all sizes, as well as children. She patrols the fence and gate at the ranch with tail waving, loves car rides and is very active. She has a funny trait: If her food or water bowl isn’t full, she’ll bang it on the floor until she gets everyone’s attention.

Adoption procedure: Contact Great Pyrenees Association of Southern California Rescue Inc. at 909-887-8201 or [email protected]. Fill out an application on the group’s website. Other dogs in need of homes can also be seen on the site.

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​ Orange County Register 

5 of the worst garden weeds and what you can (or can’t) do about them

• October 7, 2023

“Fall is in the air. Time to plan spring blooms.”

These words of horticultural wisdom come from Jenna Christensen who gardens in Manhattan Beach. New beginnings in the garden come twice a year: In the fall, when we plan and plant according to what we want to bloom next year and beyond, and in the spring when whatever we plant now puts on a spurt of growth and bulbs, at least, sprout glowing, smile-producing flowers that make the winter wait for them worthwhile.

According to Jewish tradition, the world was created in the fall and Adam and Eve were created on Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish year. The idea of fall creation makes sense since the first couple had an immediate source of food in the form of tree fruit – much of which ripens in the fall – ready to be picked. And there was lots of fruit to choose from as God tells Adam: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” (Genesis 2:16-17). Of course, Adam and Eve could not resist the forbidden fruit and, as they say, the rest is history.

But what were the horticultural consequences of this regretful act? Weeds! To quote the Biblical account: “Because you ate from the tree I commanded you saying: ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed be the ground … it will grow thorns and thistles for you” (Genesis 3:17-18). Indeed, the curse of the garden is weeds and we can only dream of what life would be like without them.

Here is a list of five of our most pernicious weeds:

1. Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon)

As a lawn grass, Bermuda is desirable for its drought tolerance. In order to thrive, it needs regular water in hot weather, if not daily irrigation, but it can survive virtually without water owing to its triple insurance policy: underground rhizomes for long-term energy storage in the form of starch; above-ground stolons or runners that root wherever a node touches the soil surface; and deep roots, which may go down as far as 10 feet. In an ornamental or vegetable garden, hand-pulling will keep Bermuda grass under reasonable control and four inches of mulch above a layer of newspaper will have a depressing effect on its growth.

2. Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

Convolvulus is a wiry-rooted weed with attractive white or pinkish-white gramophone-shaped flowers. It’s called bindweed because it binds itself and winds itself around the stems and leaves of everything in its path and, if nothing is in its path, it winds itself around itself. It can never be completely dug out owing to its Bermuda-like rhizomes and its taproot that defies deracination. In addition, its seeds remain viable for more than 20 years.

To control bindweed in the garden, don rubber gloves and spray a systemic herbicide onto a sponge. Sponge the leaves and shoots of your bindweed and watch it wither away. If you are adamant about the avoidance of toxic chemicals in the garden, you can kill it and most other weeds, for that matter, with a 20% vinegar solution (4 parts water: 1 part vinegar). The problem is that whatever vinegar touches it will kill so you have to exercise caution in targeting weeds while directing spray away from desirable plants.

3. Wood sorrel or oxalis (Oxalis corniculata)

Wood sorrel is another attractive weed. Novice gardeners often mistake it for clover, because of its shamrock foliage. It also has the look of an ornamental ground cover, due to its mounding growth habit and attractive, butter-yellow flowers. There are two commonly seen types, one with green and one with maroon to deep violet-colored leaves.

The problem with oxalis eradication is its wiry tap root and explosive seed capsules. If you scrape or hoe it off to ground level, it will simply grow back. If you try to dig out its roots, you will be at great pains to remove them completely because they grow in a web, easily break apart and defy smooth extraction.

You may decide that, well, this plant is actually kind of attractive, so why not just let it take over the flower bed? You may even excuse your inactivity by recalling that famous maxim of weed scientists, namely that “a weed is a plant for which no useful purpose has yet been found.” The problem with oxalis is that it does not stay confined to a single flower bed, but shoots its seeds six feet in every direction so that it will soon become a garden-wide headache. Control it like you would field bindweed.

4. Black mustard (Brassica nigra)

This is the most widely distributed weed in California. It’s a winter annual which means it dies in summer but comes up with winter rain, flowering in spring and summer. It is actually quite a spectacle to see a mass of it in bloom with its heavy load of yellow flowers. Control it through solarization which involves soaking it when actively growing, after which it is immediately covered with clear plastic, after which it dies in the steam heat that is generated and trapped under the plastic when the summer sun beats down upon it.

5. Nutsedge or nutgrass (Cyperus esculentus)

This is widely considered to be the worst weed in California. It is easily identifiable by its shiny leaf blades and hard, nutlike underground tubers. Complete eradication may not be possible. But there are some anti-nutsedge chemical products, available in garden centers and through the Internet, that you might want to try. If you are opposed to chemical use, you will probably have to sell your house and move to another, after carefully inspecting the garden of your home-to-be to make sure no nutsedge is present. Still, heavy mulching, as in a six-inch layer of wood chips, may be effective for nutsedge control if you can keep that thickness of mulch present at all times.

There are relatives of nutsedge that are more garden-friendly. Umbrella plant (Cyperus alternifolius) grows up to 5 feet tall with many parasol-shaped leaves. It is valued, in some quarters, for its durability as a container plant, whether on the patio or indoors. The problem with umbrella plant is that it, too, may become weedy. However, if you begin to see too much of it, you can eliminate it through simple excavation.

The most famous nutsedge relative is papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), encountered both as an aquatic and partial-shade garden specimen, growing to 6 or 7 feet tall. Misled, perhaps, by its somewhat wispy and delicate-appearing foliage, some people make the mistake of giving papyrus too much shade, which will inhibit its growth or kill it outright. Make sure that papyrus has good ambient light, but take note that ‘King Tut,’ a 2-to-3-foot-tall dwarf papyrus, is a bit more shade tolerant.

California native of the week: Blue-eyed grass (Sisrynchium bellum) is actually a perennial member of the iris family although its foliage gives it a grassy look. It’s one of the few natives that prefers heavy soil and you should probably not have to be concerned with over-watering it. Its half-inch, star-shaped blooms come in the spring and the plant may go completely dormant in summer. It may grow up to two feet high and wide although there are dwarf cultivars that stay beneath a foot tall, one of which is available at Artemisia Nursery (artemisanursery.com) in the El Sereno area of East Los Angeles, which is described on the nursery’s website as “good under oaks, full sun to part sun along the coast to part shade inland.” The San Simeon cultivar grows to only four inches tall with white flowers, while golden-eyed grass (Sisrynchium californicum) also grows up to two feet tall with shiny yellow flowers and a strong capacity for self-sowing. Most native plant nurseries should carry blue-eyed grass and the Theodore Payne nursery (theodorepayne.org) has its seeds available as well.

I am seeking a way to keep nocturnal visitors – raccoons, skunks, and rodents – from chewing on my irrigation lines. I have made countless repairs to these lines due to animal damage. This is the first year I have experienced this problem and I am wondering if the heavy rains led to the proliferation of urban wildlife in search of water.

In any case, if anyone has experienced this problem and found a solution to it, please share your success in an email to [email protected]. Your questions, comments, and descriptions of garden problems or pests are always welcome, too. If you have a plant in your garden that more of us should know about, please take a photo of it with horizontal orientation and send it to this same email address for possible publication.

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​ Orange County Register 

It’s time to rein in California’s Civil Rights Department

• October 7, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

What today’s shopping experience means for the business landscape

• October 7, 2023

Occasionally it’s good to empty your inbox of meandering messages. Today, I purge my consciousness of random thoughts that take up too much bandwidth.

So, here it goes. As someone famous once opined, they’re just opinions but they’re all mine.

Generational wealth

Lately, I’ve encountered several instances of generational wealth created through commercial real estate ownership.

A common thread runs throughout these families, and that is investment in commercial real estate decades ago when it was much cheaper than today.

Generally, there was a workhorse such as a manufacturing company that created excess dollars that were poured into commercial real estate ownership. In some cases, this was raw land held for development in the future.

It’s astounding how deep generational wealth runs.

The start of school

Every September, when the school buses crank up and young people leave for college, my thoughts drift toward the trades and how important they are to our economy. In my generation, we were taught a college education was the ticket.

Nowadays, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and handymen start at much higher salary levels than those with college educations. Pair the two – college and a skill – and you’re golden!

Additionally, these trades provide a platform for young folks to start their own businesses. Please understand I’m not dissuading anyone from getting a college education, I’m just of the mind that there are many other ways to make a great living in today’s economy.

Today’s shopping experience

Recently, I decided to replace my iPad. You see since the days of the pandemic lockdown my entire workload has been carried by two Apple devices — my iPad in my iPhone. That’s right! No PC in this man’s world.

I recall the last time I bought an iPad. It was a bit painful, as passwords had to be recollected, data had to be transferred and inevitably it just didn’t work like the old machine.

To combat this, I kept my old one around for a while. Now my work space looks a bit like a scene from “Wall-E,” where pieces of old devices are strewn about.

However, this latest shopping experience was different. I simply placed my old iPad next to the new one, and voila, the data transferred. The new machine was operational and looked identical to the old one. What an incredible experience.

On my way back to meet my wife, I visited Warby Parker. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Warby Parker is a bit like Chipotle, only for eyeglasses. You simply walk in with your prescription, check out the samples of your glasses, and they magically appear at your house six business days later.

It’s difficult for me to imagine how old-line optometrists and computer stores will have a future.

The details matter

Recently, I negotiated a lease on behalf of our client. This is commonplace, however, this lease negotiation took on a whole life of its own.

In addition to making sure the lease reflected the business points, we were asked to opine on certain areas of the lease and their impact on future events. As I reminded our client many times, we are not attorneys and do not dispense legal advice.

But, our client felt comfortable with our laymen’s interpretation of certain clauses in the lease. In situations like this, I feel particularly valuable, but at the same time vulnerable. I can’t recall being so invested.

The deal is now done and our client has a shiny new home. Best of luck!

Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, is a principal with Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Orange. He can be reached at [email protected] or 714.564.7104.

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (Sept. 28-Oct. 5)

• October 7, 2023

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Orange County health inspectors from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5.

Kobe Bistro, 9822 Bolsa Ave., Suite B, Westminster

Closed: Oct. 4
Reason: Cockroach infestation

Com Tam Dao Vien, 8461 Westminster Blvd., Westminster

Closed: Oct. 3
Reason: Cockroach infestation
Reopened: Oct. 4

Taqueria Mexico, 14022 Springdale St., Suite C, Westminster

Closed: Sept. 28
Reason: None provided
Reopened: Sept. 29

Habachihana Grill, 2561 W. Ball Road, Anaheim

Closed: Sept. 28
Reason: Cockroach infestation
Reopened: Sept. 29

La Carreta Supermarkets, 4637 E. Chapman Ave., Orange

Closed: Sept. 28
Reason: Cockroach infestation
Reopened: Sept. 29

Updates since last week’s list:

San Clemente Pizza Co. at 401 S. El Camino Real, Suite B, San Clemente, which was ordered closed Sept. 27 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen Sept. 29.

Retro Saigon Xua Restaurant at 9550 Bolsa Ave., Suite 115-C, Westminster, which was ordered closed Sept. 26 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen Sept. 29.

Shima at 10076 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach, which was ordered closed Sept. 27 because of a cockroach infestation, was allowed to reopen Sept. 29.

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This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published in the following week’s list. Source: OC Health Care Agency database.

​ Orange County Register 

Douglas Schoen: Newsom focuses on political benefits, shakes up California’s Senate race

• October 7, 2023

California Gov. Gavin Newsom fulfilled his long standing promise to appoint a Black woman to the United States Senate when he selected Laphonza Butler to assume the seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, who passed away at age 90 last week.

The decision was largely political in nature for Newsom, a top surrogate for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign who is likely looking to position himself for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, or, as I have written previously in these pages, a potential 2024 run if Biden makes a late decision not to run, whether due to his age, mental fitness, or any other factors.

Despite concerns about Butler’s previous status as a registered voter in Maryland and complete lack of experience holding public office – which caused Butler herself to be surprised by the appointment – even if Newsom does not run in 2024, his pick to replace the late Sen. Feinstein will surely help in 2028, although it would be foolish to overlook the impact of this appointment in the here and now.

Principally, Newsom had to make good on his prior commitment or he would have been excoriated by members of his own party. Butler belongs to Democrats’ two most important demographic groups; African Americans and women. Further, Butler is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, an increasingly influential voting bloc for Democrats.

Put another way, in a Democratic Party often looking to play identity politics, Newsom’s choice may cushion the inevitable pushback he would receive by challenging Vice President Kamala Harris in a Democratic primary.

Indeed, Butler helps secure Newsom’s position on multiple key policy fronts. As the president of pro-choice Democratic fundraising powerhouse EMILY’s List prior to her Senate appointment, Butler is a leading voice for reproductive rights and commands a strong network of advocates and allies, many of whom EMILY’s List fundraised for. Reproductive freedoms will undoubtedly be a top tier issue for women and Democratic voters in the post-Roe era.

Additionally, Butler worked for nearly 20 years at the Service Employees International Union, and, as president of its California chapter helped raise the State minimum wage to $15. Newsom has had a rocky relationship with labor throughout his tenure as Governor, so appointing Butler could go a long way to smoothing those issues over.

Newsom’s appointment of Butler, aside from shoring up his left-flank by selecting someone who is representative of several crucial Democratic constituencies, is also pragmatic and politically tactical. Any candidate seeking the Democratic nomination in 2028 will have to secure wide swaths of support among African Americans, women, and unions.

The move also showed political deftness. The governor will likely have to maneuver around fellow Californian Vice President Kamala Harris if he wants to be the Democratic nominee, either in 2028, or as Democrats’ ‘emergency option’ in 2024.

If President Biden bows out of the race, Harris would be the obvious Democratic frontrunner and the California governor would have to make up significant ground quickly, and appointing a black woman would certainly help Newsom vis-à-vis Harris in a primary.

In the wake of Newsom’s decision, there will likely be a messy 2024 California Senate primary. Senator Butler, the third Black female U.S. Senator in history, will have just two months until California’s filing deadline in December to decide whether to run for reelection and shake up the race.

Democratic Representatives Katie Porter from Orange County, Adam Schiff from Los Angeles, and Barbara Lee from San Francisco are all currently in the primary race. Porter and Schiff are fundraising heavyweights while Lee has the full weight of the Congressional Black Caucus behind her.

The caucus had urged Newsom to select Lee, but the governor was – wisely – wary of wading into an open Senate race and did not want to lend any of the three declared candidates an upper hand. Picking an outsider insulates Newsom from potential attacks that he played favorites and sought to influence next year’s election.

Although the primary election is still six months away and thus polling is scarce, a late September poll of likely voters in the state found Schiff at 20%, Porter at 15%, and Lee at 8%, underscoring that the race is wide open and the potential impact on the race had Newsom appointed one of the already-declared candidates.

Now that Butler joins Lee in the Congressional Black Caucus, it will be interesting to see how the CBC proceeds if Butler announces a run, which Newsom has said she is free to do, despite a lack of indication from her camp. Indeed, it is possible that after a couple months of campaigning the caucus decides it is in their interest to use Butler’s incumbency advantage to win a full term.

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Although short on time, Butler can leverage her stint at EMILY’s List and her union connections to build a well-oiled fundraising and organizing operation. Whoever ends up winning next year’s race in the influential liberal state will likely become a powerful leader in the Democratic Party and hold significant political capital as a possible surrogate in the future.

Should Butler decide to run, and win a full term, it will be interesting to see who she endorses in a primary between Newsom, who has started Butler’s career in public office, or Harris, who Butler advised in 2020 and remains a friend.

Even if Butler does not run next year, her appointment is the first in what will likely be an array of high-profile political moves by Governor Newsom to position himself to win the Democratic nomination in 2028 — or maybe even sooner than that.

Douglas Schoen is a longtime Democratic political consultant.

​ Orange County Register