WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories
January 18, 2022
1/18/2022 | 28m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
Kingston Businesses, Blood to Ink, Hot & Sour Soup, SciFri Octopus Mind, and Coyote & Crow
Overcoming trauma is pertinent for so many of us, including our veterans - we share one program that’s doing it musically. And - It’s cold outside.. Warm up with hot & sour soup from "One World Kitchen.” Also, the octopus is smarter than you may think.. Join us as we delve into the mind of this eight legged creature.
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WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories is a local public television program presented by WPBS
WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories
January 18, 2022
1/18/2022 | 28m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
Overcoming trauma is pertinent for so many of us, including our veterans - we share one program that’s doing it musically. And - It’s cold outside.. Warm up with hot & sour soup from "One World Kitchen.” Also, the octopus is smarter than you may think.. Join us as we delve into the mind of this eight legged creature.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- [Stephfond] Tonight on "WPBS Weekly Inside The Stories."
- I just felt driven that I need to use music to heal or to have their stories told.
- [Stephfond] Discover a national nonprofit that is healing our veterans by helping them write their own music, it's called, "Blood To Ink" and it's changing lives.
And it's cold outside, warm up with hot and sour soup from "One World Kitchen," chef Pailin Chongchitnant.
Also, the octopus is smarter than you may think.
Join us as we delve into the mind of this eight legged creature.
Your stories, your region, coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly Inside The Stories."
(upbeat music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly Inside The Stories" is brought to you by the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation.
The Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, Carthage Savings.
CSX.
The Oswego County Community Foundation at the Central New York Community Foundation.
And by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation.
- Good evening everyone and welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly Inside The Stories."
I'm Stephfond Brunson.
Now many small businesses took a hit at the beginning of the pandemic.
Some didn't survive, but those that did, did so with the help of their community.
Here's a look at three Kingston area businesses waiting for you to check them out.
(screen whooshes) (upbeat music) - We like the future of Kingston, and there's no where any of us would rather work.
We offer a full range of services.
Our pricing is competitive, our service is unmatched.
Our attention to detail and our focus on solutions is really what sets us apart.
We do quite a bit of work outside of the region as well, but the large institutions within Kingston have been great, and they're a big part of the business that we do.
We have been active in the community since the beginnings of our careers.
It's an amazing city.
It has every opportunity from a business, personal, family perspective that I think any of us are looking for.
We did recently complete, it's actually round two, of a big project for Bloom University.
The graduating classes of last year and this year who didn't get a proper graduation and commencement, they sent out customized scarves in these beautiful little boxes.
With our team here we were perfectly set up to be able to put all these together.
My name is Brent Neely, DigiGraphics, we're at 655 Princess Street, right at the corner of Princess and Victoria.
- And we looked at it and it was the stairs.
We're a small quaint two level salon.
It's a better family run environment, the fun, friendly atmosphere and we do hair.
When I was in high school, I took a cosmetology class and I realized it was the only thing that kept me entertained and that was it.
We were closed for about seven months this year, it was long.
Community support's been pretty good.
You know, everyone's reaching out, even clients that when they come in, they always ask how we're doing, how everything's going.
There was phone calls the whole time we were closed and they just wanted to check up on us.
One client wanted to buy literally a year and a half worth of gift certificates just to make sure we stayed open.
I'm pretty much a home body, so family, friends.
I love going shopping.
I love the downtown SIMA Sushi, Golden Roosters pretty nice for lunch and Cards Bakery, you can't forget crave they make the best cinnamon buns.
My name's Jonno, I'm one of the co-owners of Blunt Hair Studio, and we are located Downtown Kingston.
- The fine tattoos as you can, I mean, you can see I'm pretty much a canvas.
We are a premium tattoo and piercing shop.
We have several skilled artists as well as very skilled piercer, and we also have Kingston's biggest selection of body jewelry.
Obviously here at inkwell tattoos and piercings, we're not able to offer takeout or delivery.
Whenever we open, you know, we see all of our clients coming back.
The community here in Kingston is phenomenal, and the amount of support that we've seen throughout the pandemic has been phenomenal.
There's so much I love about this city.
I always say, it's got all the amenities of a big city, and then it's got all the charm of a small town.
I love walking into any restaurant and running into someone you know, strolling down the street saying hello to other business owners and other managers in the morning when they're opening up their shops.
A talented artist is a talented artist, it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter if you're in a small town or a big town.
And we have vetted and trained and worked with very talented artists around here.
My name is Tommy Hunter.
I'm one of the owners here at Ink Well Tattoos & Piercings.
- And this new year, we have much to be thankful for, including our active military and veterans.
For one national musician, showing her appreciation to those in the armed forces comes in the form of music.
Not only does she tour the country, singing her original Americana songs, she also helps veterans write their own.
It's a form of powerful therapy that helps our military veterans overcome struggle and pain.
The musician is Kay Miracle.
The program she shares all over the world is called "Blood to Ink."
♪ Feel my native roots ♪ ♪ Cause it's who I am ♪ ♪ With the power of a song ♪ ♪ I can heal this land ♪ - I was inspired to do the program based on my relationship with my father.
And then I toured overseas for eight years on the USO tour, and it was a great experience, you know, to go all the world on, through these military bases and see what the soldiers in our different military branches do.
When I got back to the States, I started seeing some of the fallout, from people that had PTSD and trauma when they came home and we're getting more of an awareness about it, but there was a severe lack of understanding, including myself with my dad.
And so as I started becoming more knowledgeable, I just felt driven that I need to use music to heal or to have their stories told.
I'm a real Patriot at heart.
I've always been someone that wanted to join the military, but wasn't able to do so, so I did my own service by joining the USO.
But when I got back to the States, I felt like there needs to be kind of like an interstate USO where people could come and have their stories told, and connect to each other, and have the families understand what's going on with the people in their lives that come back from the military, and that's what started the journey.
All right, this is a song called "Over The Homes of The Brave."
I wrote it about the hometown and how the heroes that made this country free.
You know, without our service people and our veterans who served, we wouldn't be enjoying the freedoms we've got today.
So I'm so grateful, thank you.
(audience clapping) (guitar music) ♪ I remember Pearl for years ♪ ♪ She poured coffee at a local cafe ♪ ♪ She lost her childhood sweetheart ♪ ♪ In Normandy Beach during D day ♪ ♪ Never had children ♪ ♪ So she treated her customers like family ♪ ♪ She wore a Gold pocket watch ♪ ♪ Ascribed with the French motto Liberty ♪ ♪ I grew up with that old ♪ Like I find out what kind of music that they like to listen to and we use drums and different percussion, and I will sing them a song that I've written with someone else.
And then I will start a conversation, and during that conversation, there'll be some kind of a message or a hook for a song that comes out.
And once that happens, I just start writing a lot of notes about our conversation, and then I establish a beat.
I leave and then we connect again and I have all the ideas and thoughts, and they help me to actually fine tune it and arrange it so that it's done.
And at times they don't want their story to be heard, maybe just family members or someone close, so that they can at least have their story told where they couldn't say it themselves.
Or sometimes I will play them at different concerts around the country when we honor veterans.
So it's brought a lot of peace to, you know, families, but also these songs that were written by other people, have brought a lot of peace to people that listen to them.
When I play at American Legions or I play at Concerts of Light or anything that is a veteran association, I do these songs and immediately I have people come up and say, "You told my story."
♪ I watched the war in Vietnam ♪ ♪ Out of a black and white TV ♪ ♪ Broadcast death counts ♪ ♪ And haunting images of our US military ♪ But music is the only thing that really has a real firm story, it's not like texting something, it's not like having short conversations.
It's telling a story and it has an emotional appeal, because of the music and the beat, you know, it makes you feel something, it resonates deeply.
I really feel like it's an energy that comes with the music and it speaks to people.
And I have witnessed this everywhere I've gone, whether I'm performing, you know, in a bar or if I'm doing something with the veterans, or I have other groups that I use just to give people a voice.
Every time I do that, I'm just amazed by what happens.
Cause connection happens, a feeling of peace, a feeling of letting go of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and they feel like they're being heard, that's the most important thing they are being heard.
So a lot of times I just wait, I'll perform at some of these veteran things and wait, and eventually someone will message me or they'll come up to me and ask, "How does this work?"
Cause they're a little fearful.
"I'm not a musician, I'm not a singer.
How do I do this?"
And so I just said, "Sit down with me, we're gonna have a conversation, you'll see how it happens."
We get a private place, a safe private place.
Like a lot of times I do it at American Legions or VFWs.
And we just tell the story in a beautiful way, and then I either tape it or I play it at a concert, whatever their wishes are, but is kept very confidential, if that's what they want or I'm honored to sing their song, I'm very proud to sing their song.
♪ The power of a song ♪ ♪ Yay, yay ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Gave the people a voice with the power of a song ♪ - It's the middle of January and it's still cold out there.
Winter is comfort food season, and no doubt, you're looking for something new to dish out.
How about an ethnic dish?
Check out this hot sour soup recipe from "One World Kitchen" chef, Pailin Chongchitnant.
♪ We are, we are, we are ♪ ♪ On top of the world ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ We are, we are, we are ♪ ♪ On top of the world ♪ (upbeat electronic music) - Probably the most famous example of how Thai food balances flavors is hot and sour soups, and this is my version.
Lemon grass, delicate citrus aroma.
And when it grows, it grows into a beautiful Bush about this big and for hot and sour soups, lemon grass is the herb to have.
(knife slicing) And these guys lemon grass's best friend, Kaffir lime leaf, intense lime aroma, just look at your Asian grocery store, Galangal.
The best way to describe it is like a pine forest after the rain, it's just so refreshing.
(fast paced music) And of course, a little kick Bird's Eye chilies, these are fierce and these are what's gonna put the hot in hot and sour soup.
(fast paced music) And I love hot and sour soup, cause it was one of the first things I learned to make as a kid.
I got some unsalted chicken stock, but not anymore.
Ooh.
Everybody into the pool.
Chicken breasts, gonna just let him poach slowly and gently, till it's cooked nice and juicy.
I've got hot, I've got salty, now a little sweetness to balance everything out.
I've got Caramelly Palm sugar, but if all you got is white or brown sugar, not a problem.
And I just want this to simmer for a few minutes until it's all cooked through.
(bright music) Wow, that smells so good.
And the chicken is done, it has absorbed all the flavor from the broth.
Just gonna let the chicken cool.
I'm gonna shred it in a little bit.
And now the broth.
And I'm just gonna strain the soup, because all of that yummy goodness and all the lemon grass, Galangal and Kaffir lime leaves are now in the broth.
(bright upbeat music) Now the chicken.
I'm gonna keep it rustic.
And it's all about just little bite-sized pieces.
(bright guitar music) And now for the sour, fresh, fresh lime juice.
(bright guitar music) Extra salty kick, good fish sauce.
And my nanny always taught me when I was a kid to put everything into the bowl and then finish it off with the hot broth.
And Thai food is all about freshness, so the same flavors that infused into the soup, I'm garnishing it with a little Kaffir lime leaves, Shallots, fresh, fresh lemon grass, make sure it's very, very fine, cause it can be quite tough.
And looks like it needs a little red, don't you think?
There you go, hot and sour soup and I am so hungry.
This is gonna be good.
(upbeat music) This, it's one of those dishes I have no problem describing, it's hot, it's sour, but it's happening at the same time, and that's what Thai food is all about, balancing all the different dimensions of the dish.
Add some noodles and you got Thai chicken noodle soup.
(upbeat music) ♪ Take me home ♪ ♪ Take me home ♪ - When we think of an octopus, we think of eight legged creatures with more than one heart and blue blood.
But these unique water creatures are so much more and have an intelligence that's undeniable.
- [Dominic] We're not the only kinds of intelligence.
It's important to consider the diverse forms the mind can take on earth and in the universe beyond.
(fast paced music) - [David] I think we need to understand how brains evolve to work.
So, what we're looking at is a completely different neural architecture.
- [Dominic] I first gained interest in the mind of the octopus when I was in a lab full of Marine invertebrates.
It was one of those animals that seemed to be studying me as much as I was studying it.
I am Dominic Sivitilli.
I am a graduate student in Behavioral Neuroscience and Industrial Biology at the University of Washington.
- [David] The octopus fits into our research program, because they stand out as an extreme example of intelligence that is evolved along a completely different trajectory than that of the vertebrates.
Yet the octopus is solving many of the same problems that URI would solve.
My name is David Gire.
I'm an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington and my lab studies Comparative Systems Neuroscience, that means we study how different kinds of brains process information.
In the broad sense octopus nerves do function like ours.
They have physiological properties that are very similar and yet they're forming networks that are completely different from the networks we see in our brains.
- [Dominic] So it takes more time for information in the octopus nervous system to get from point A to point B, compared to vertebrates whose neurons can fire a lot faster.
Because it takes so long, how these systems are designed plays a much bigger role in how they can compute.
- [David] The octopus brain is distributed with two thirds of its neurons in its arms.
There's actually this dense network of neural clusters or ganglia that are locally controlling the muscles, so you can have a bunch of little individual decisions being made along the arm, which don't necessarily agree with each other.
This creates a unique form of movement that the octopus is able to possess.
If we're watching a rodent look for some food pellets, we're seeing some nice rhythmic motion, but when we watch an octopus, it's almost like watching the fluid environment itself, moving across the surface of the rocks.
There's an extreme density of chemo receptors in the suckers of the octopus, they literally can smell and taste with their arms.
So, it seems like the way the octopus deals with having eight independent arms and having to process all of that sensory information, is that it has located a lot of the sensory processing as close as possible to the external world.
- [Dominic] In a way, the octopus has sent its mind out into the environment to meet it halfway.
Key to understanding their intelligence is to understand how this distributed network is sharing information with itself.
(suspenseful music) - [David] Legos are a form of enrichment in the lab, much the same way they are for my four year old kid.
We try to give them a variety of these kinds of textures, so that this extensive peripheral nervous system they have is always kept occupied and active.
- [Dominic] No matter how hard one can work in that lab we'll all still spend a few minutes playing with them.
This is really important to them because they're very exploratory, they're very curious animals.
And at the same time as enriching them, we can also study how their arm is processing information and how their suckers are processing information.
- [David] In designing puzzles that these animals will solve, we're looking to challenge different parts of the nervous system and to see how information is going to be integrated across the arms.
- [Dominic] Where we began with two dimensional tracking, now our methods are more sophisticated.
We now use three-dimensional tracking cameras, which are stereo cameras.
And this is helping us understand the strategies that the octopus is using to control its distributed minds.
And we can interface that with virtual reality, this will help us pick up patterns that we may not have seen before.
It gives us an entirely different perspective on our data and the movement of our animals.
- [David] So we can infer what might be going on in their brains by using puzzles and motion tracking, but to really test that we need to move towards electrophysiology and make recordings from the nervous system, while the animals are making decisions.
You can imagine trying to fit electronic hardware onto an animal like that is probably nearly impossible, yet, we're at a really exciting point now in the lab.
We're using techniques that have been pioneered by Josh Smith's lab in computer science and engineering, to use a wireless battery free system to implant tiny electronics into large octopuses.
So once we do a small incision and implant the device, the animal never have to think about it again, and we, as researchers can stream the data and power the device without ever disturbing the animal.
In some ways, this is a watershed moment in general for science.
If we understand how a neural structure like the octopus nervous system can solve difficult problems, we might be able to design better ways to solve similar problems artificially.
- [Dominic] We reach out to them across the evolutionary divide out of curiosity, to understand this unknown as they are.
So it's like we're meeting each other halfway through our mutual interest in novelty in the end though.
- If you haven't heard the unique sounds of local musicians, Coyote and Crow, your missing out.
Thomas and Jamie Kopie visited our studios and sing for you tonight, one of their original tunes, "Mountains and Rivers."
- Hey, what's up we're Coyote and Crow, and here we are with "Mountains and Rivers."
♪ From the top of blue mountain in the height of October ♪ ♪ You can still hear the wind whisper his name ♪ ♪ This time of season the trees will finally risen ♪ ♪ Burning leaves with colors bright as flames ♪ ♪ And when he leaves the leaves fall to the ground ♪ ♪ So it's not the thorn just following the sound ♪ ♪ When he leaves the leaves fall to the ground ♪ ♪ So it's not the Fall till Spring time comes around ♪ ♪ By there next to Black River in the February cold ♪ ♪ Can you hear her story being told ♪ ♪ This time of season the stream can't keep on freezing ♪ ♪ About to try and find the strength to flow ♪ ♪ And when she leaves the streams will start to freeze ♪ ♪ Till Spring time comes around ♪ ♪ When she leaves the streams will start to freeze ♪ ♪ Till Spring time comes around ♪ ♪ With every breathe she breaths ♪ ♪ From the the top of Blue mountain ♪ ♪ In the height of October ♪ ♪ To the banks of Black river in the February cold ♪ ♪ Still hear the wind whisper his name on the mountain ♪ ♪ By the river you can still hear her story being told ♪ (banjo music playing) - That does it for us this Tuesday evening, join us next week for a fresh look "Inside The Stories."
Oswego County was host to nearly a thousand Jewish refugees after world war two, we'll take you to their safe haven where they began their lives and new.
And those refugees were featured in a short film, created in 1944, called "Over The Rainbow Bridge," as they traveled over the bridge into Canada to obtain their visas, we'll share the film.
Also Kellylee Evans takes the stage in Ottawa to jazz up a Glen Miller tune, her smooth jazz vocals aren't to be missed.
Meantime, if you have a story idea you'd like to see us explore, or you're a poet or a musician that would like to be featured.
Email us at wpbsweekly@wpbstv.org until then good night my friends.
- [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly Inside The Stories" is brought to you by the Daisy Marquis Jones foundation, dedicated to improving the wellbeing of communities by helping disadvantage children and families online at dmjjf.org.
The Watertown Oswego, Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business, serving Jefferson Lewis and Oswego counties since 1986, online at watertown.nysbdc.org.
Carthage Savings has been here for generations donated time and resources to this community.
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Additional funding provided by CSX, the Oswego County Community Foundation at the Central New York Community Foundation, And by the Richard S Shineman Foundation.
♪ And when he leaves the leaves fall to the ground ♪ ♪ So it's not the thorn just following the sound ♪ ♪ When he leaves the leaves fall to the ground ♪ (bright music)
Coyote & Crow - Mountains & Rivers
Clip: 1/18/2022 | 3m 3s | Coyote & Crow performs Mountains & Rivers (3m 3s)
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WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories is a local public television program presented by WPBS