City Weekly December 29, 2022

BY SCOTT RENSHAW

By Scott Renshaw

UDOT: We Need Traffic Solutions

Lately, there is a lot of dialogue about Utahns allegedly being the worst drivers in the country. I moved to Salt Lake City from Washington, D.C., in 1974. At that time, there were 1 million people in the entire state.

You could drive anywhere in the city in 20 to 25 minutes. Coming from D.C., I thought I was in heaven.

Fast forward to the present and the population has exploded, from Ogden to Spanish Fork and Heber to Salt Lake City. Interstate 15 is bumper-to-bumper traffic

filled with commuters during rush hour.

I live in Murray just off of 4500 South and Van Winkle, and those roads are just like the freeway, jammed with traffic, especially during rush hour.

It seems like red lights must mean “Go” for how often they are ignored, which so often leads to collisions. But as the saying goes: “Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions.”

In my opinion, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has not changed with the times. My pet peeve is left-hand turn signals. Drivers have become conditioned to running these lights because the signal only allow three to six cars on average, which includes cars running yellow and red lights. If you check the streets, there’s collision debris in intersections from cars that run yellow and red lights.

Making a left-hand turn at State Street and 4500 South—heading south and then turning east—is a suicide mission. Drivers heading north are going 45 to 55 mph and people turning left have a short left-hand light and then a yellow light. It’s very difficult to see the traffic, particularly when

drivers are turning left to go to I-15 from the other lane.

UDOT needs to adapt to change and the increase in drivers to figure out some new solutions.

BARRY HECKER Murray

“Walking the Walk,” Dec. 8 Opinion

I just wanted to send some appreciation to John Rasmuson for sharing his most talented writing ability. His prose is so wellrounded that I have to read it more than once to get the full picture.

Every time I see his name below the Opinion line on page 6, I know that I’m in for a damned good read. We’re so, so lucky to have him enhancing life in our great state. Appreciado!

BRENT DAYLEY

Salt Lake City

Project Censored, Part 2

Editor’s Note: The Dec. 22 issue of Salt Lake City Weekly featured the first half of Project Censored’s annual Top 10 list of the

most suppressed, censored and otherwise under-reported news stories of the year. Part 2 of that report continues this week on Page 19. If you missed Part 1, find it online at cityweekly.net.

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

What’s your hope for 2023?

Bill Frost

For Elon Musk to buy Fox News, Ticketmaster and the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services.

Katharine Biele

I think we all have been looking forward to the Second Coming—but then again, that hasn’t been working out so well. So, I’m going for peace.

Chelsea Neider

To keep living the beach, chasing waves and watching dolphins.

Scott Renshaw

That a certain former president/wouldbe-future-president will be closer to a jail cell than he will be to elected office by the end of the year.

Benjamin Wood

That Utah lawmakers will see the Rio Grande Plan is a win-win-win for all of Utah and, more importantly, a far better investment of state resources than expanding I-15 again (and again, and again).

Paula Saltas

Utah by 5 at the Rose Bowl.

Jerre Wroble

That there’s at least one new big beautiful idea about to spring to life in 2023.

BY JOHN SALTAS

Happy Tew Year

s I write this, it’s the Tuesday after Christmas—aka the final Tuesday of the year. Tuesday is a word derived of the Greek god Ares and the Roman god Mars, both ancient gods of war.

But these words were lost in the translation into Old English in order to pay homage to an altogether new god, Tius. Then, it became Tews, leaving us with the same word heritage but a day honoring another, different god of war each Tewsday—or Tuesday.

I suppose that’s not all bad, despite my extreme bias favoring all things Mediterranean and Greek. I have a near equal bias for all things New World, but alas, by the time the New World was discovered and then obliterated by the Old World, the days of our modern-day calendar were set. That’s a shame because the Mayans knew a few things about calendars, too, but they get no accolades when it comes to calendar-naming credits.

Over the years, the word “Tuesday” has had its moments. Plenty of songs include mention of Tuesday, such as “Ruby Tuesday” by the Rolling Stones. Ruby Marsday just wouldn’t cut it. Same as “Aresday Afternoon”—it doesn’t have the same cachet as “Tuesday Afternoon,” by the Moody Blues.

Not to mention that the worldwide taco industry would crumble if not for Taco Tuesdays. What would we have in Tuesday’s stead? Marzipan Marsday? Apple Pie Aresday? The gods knew what they were doing all along.

This Tuesday morning is hellacious in my cut of the Salt Lake Valley—Murray. The wind is howling, and all the items that were in the backyard covered with tarps—albeit haphazardly—are now barely covered. The continuous sounds of those tarps snapping in the wind is unnerving, a reminder that Tuesday still reveres those war gods

(primarily, but this is not the time to delve into the nuanced differences between the aforementioned war gods. Let’s just say it wasn’t all about war as we know it).

I’m fine with that. What I’m not fine with is that all the bird feed I put out yesterday is also blowing in the wind, leaving just my pilfering backyard squirrels to have at all those seeds, nuts and suet. The few backyard birds I’ve seen today must be lost.

Many years ago—despite the howling wind of Tuesdays and the cold—I’d go to the porch and pick up my morning paper. In later years, I’d no longer find my paper on the porch but instead, find it lodged somewhere between our street and garage: in the roses, out on the lawn, under the car, anywhere inconvenient. I can’t remember the operational directive that allowed for newspaper delivery to become more of a joke than a convenience, but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with saving money. I also believe it had to do with priming the pump to get people to adapt to the more convenient online delivery of our daily news.

It may indeed be more convenient to find news online, but it’s not necessarily efficient or effective. I don’t have to go to any particular newspaper site to find the news. I don’t have to search at all, either.

On those cold Tuesday mornings of yore, I found the newspaper in the yard, dried it off, read it front to back before my coffee was cold, and I left home confident that I knew all about all things in the world. And I’d also solved the daily crossword that nearly always had the clue “Roman god of war.” On the streets and at work, I met folks whose mornings were ordered like mine, which left us all on the same page when it came to being informed.

Anymore, not so much. The first piece of news that greeted me this morning was a text sent to me linking to a Deadspin countdown that ranked former Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton as the No. 10 Idiot of the Year

for 2022. Will our dailies fail to remember that Stockton famously quoted dubious websites and facts while assailing the COVID peril and the efficacy of wearing masks? I’ll find out later, I guess. Stockton also wrote a letter in defense of a person who participated in the nefarious Jan. 6, 2021, activities.

That’s right. The guy whose statue beckons fans in front of the Vivint Arena is less than a Bacon removed from an insurrection.

Of course, he’s welcome to say all of that, as is his constitutional protection. But it underscores what has become of discourse and what is defined as news in this era of online delivery. In the days before our society began the slide of distrusting all things—including the judgment of journalists—Stockton would never have had an outlet to spread his fake news that hundreds of professional athletes were falling over dead “on the pitch, on the field, right on the court” as was his outrageously false position on what happens after a person gets a COVID vaccine.

Without dubious online news sites, manned by even more dubious personalities, Stockton would never have even read the lies he came to believe in the first place. Some people, apparently even rarified folk heroes like John Stockton, revel and find comfort in the chaos. Such folks are easily fooled.

Ironically, Stockton played a game defined by rules, lines and boundaries. Imagine basketball without the rule that the game ended when the clock ran out—like an election.

Imagine every Tuesday like this one, cold and miserable.

It’s noon, and I haven’t once checked on today’s news in our local online newspapers. I’m starting to think more and more they are not only dead in print, but online, too.

Happy New Year. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

Year-End Sights

Another year on the books and, if I’m being honest, I can’t even bring myself to recite the corny quip of “It’s been real, it’s been fun, but it hasn’t been real fun.” Has it been fun? Is this really real life?

With each recent passing year, I’m feeling more like a boxer in the late rounds getting pummeled by some serious combination punches—pandemic! inflation! recession!—only to have the closing bell ring, giving me enough time to collect myself and regroup before the inevitable beatdown of the next round.

Maybe that’s why I take joy in documenting some of the quirky stories of the city, as the effort provides a reprieve from the bombardment of blows of negative news. Coincidentally, I’ve found myself on several occasions at the “right place, right time” in Salt Lake City, photographing unusual events. So, let’s end the year with a little bit of levity, shall we?

Despite closing its doors over two years ago, the abandoned Sizzler at 1300 East and 2100 South (top photo) found itself in a resurgence of online conversation in 2022. Most of the talk centered around the appropriate use of the site after it was revealed the Midwestern convenience-store chain Kum & Go intends to transform it into a gas station.

Some argued this unsightly addition to the northwest corner of Sugar House Park is karmic comeuppance for nearby residents who vigorously fought against highdensity housing in years past. Still others tried organizing a strong resistance to the unbidden petro plans.

But at least one person got caught up in a wave of nostalgia and decided to spray-paint on the entirety of the building’s west-facing exterior—first in purple, then in white for higher visibility—the message “Surf and Turf fo’ Life” with the hilariously appropriate hashtag of “#RIPSIZZ” appended at the end. Never have I met anyone with the amount of brand loyalty to fast casual buffet restaurants as this particular tagger.

All good things must come to an end, however, and just as swiftly as the graffiti went up, it was taken down. So R.I.P. to #RIPSIZZ—we’ll always have those three glorious days together in June.

Speaking of unusual messaging, another one of my favorite wacky local news stories involved a billboard conversation of sorts between a social media personality and an early-aughts pop-rock band. If you commute to the

south end of the valley, odds are you caught a glimpse of the perplexing billboard that simply stated “Weezer” in comic sans font on State Street near 5770 South in Murray (bottom left photo).

Turns out it wasn’t viral marketing for the popular alt-rock band but rather the brainchild of local TikToker Cory Hunter Winn, who has a side business of selling T-shirts with oddball designs and a penchant for atypical marketing.

A few months after the original billboard appeared, another popped up in response on State Street near 6400 South. The same day as its appearance, I took a photo and posted about it online, attempting to trace its origins. And shortly thereafter, the mystery was solved—sure enough, the band Weezer released a video taking credit for its creation.

As most other bands might be tempted to send a cease-and-desist letter, Weezer took a different approach by directly thanking Winn via billboard—a much more “Perfect Situation,” in my opinion.

Lastly, you can’t get through a year-end recap of 2022 in Salt Lake City without mentioning “Out of the Blue” or the more colloquial title for the leviathan of a sculpture (or leviathan sculpture?): The Whale. In the 10-plus years I’ve lived in Salt Lake City, never have I experienced a work of public art that captivated the city more than this piece by sculptor Stephen Kesler and muralist Mike Murdock, located at the roundabout on 900 South and 1100 East

Whether you love it or hate it, you couldn’t help but talk about it.

Since it came to us—ironically—on April 1, the whale has spawned a library’s-worth of fan artwork, a killer Halloween costume and even a mildly credible religion. Even I wasn’t immune from the hysteria, as I showed my fealty to our cetacean overlord by running a 5-mile route that outlined the majestic mammal’s signature breach pose. “Hail the Whale” is more than just a phrase. For some, it’s a lifestyle.

Of the hundreds of photographs I’ve taken of The Whale, my personal favorite is the four-photo series that charts the few weeks of its construction and painting (center photos). It’s a reminder that as time passes and events of each new year come and go, the whale will always be here, with its head just emerging above the waterline. Relatable. CW

Hits and Misses is off this week. Send comments to cityweekly.net.

Top row: A tagger declares their love for the abandoned Sizzler near Sugar House Park, which is set to be replaced with a Kum & Go convenience store. Center rows: “Out of the Blue” sculpture under construction near 9th & 9th.

Bottom row: Weezer and a local resident communicating via billboard.

BRYANT HEATH BRYANT HEATH

GLOW Light Garden @ Gallivan Center

Lights abound at this time of year, and many of us have been enjoying colorful displays in our own neighborhoods, at big outdoor venues or retail spaces. But there’s no need to stop appreciating the beauty of light as an artistic medium just because Santa has gone back up the chimney until next year. For the third year, the Downtown Alliance is adding to the spectacle and joy of winter in downtown Salt Lake City with the GLOW Light Garden at the Gallivan Center.

Artist Emily Nicolosi, in collaboration with the In Theory Art Collective, has created four large-scale light sculptures, composed of thousands of dichroic pieces that take on unique reflective properties during the day in addition to being illuminated at night. Those illuminated pieces are designed with an interactive component, allowing those who visit to find the sculptures responding to those who are nearby.

“We started creating art for Burning Man,” said Nicolosi in a press release statement. “It’s a place that inspired us to try new things like making art and figuring out how to do it together, as a collective. We hope our art creates a magical moment in your day, and inspires you to think about the best parts of being human: our wishes, dreams, and love for each other.”

The GLOW Light Garden will be at the Gallivan Center (239 S. Main St.) now through March 1, 2023, available to the public when they visit the venue for ice skating or just taking a walk around. Visit downtownslc.org for additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

COURTESY PHOTO

Bill Engvall: My Last Show @ Eccles Theater

The end of the year traditionally brings things to a logical conclusion. It’s fitting, then, that actor, author and comedian Bill Engvall should take the occasion to retire from the road. His tellingly-titled “Here’s Your Sign It’s Finally Time Farewell Tour” makes its final stop right here in SLC courtesy of two performances on New Year’s Eve that will be recorded for a farewell TV special.

The culmination of 40-plus years working the road, the descriptively dubbed “My Last Show” is exactly what it says it is: an opportunity for Engvall to offer his audience a look back on a bountiful career, one that’s included television (most recently via a role on the successful sitcom Last Man Standing with Tim Allen), film, Grammynominated, best-selling comedy albums, several books, and, of course, stand-up. So too, Engvall’s participation in the Blue Collar Comedy troupe—alongside Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White—reaffirmed his popular persona as a no-nonsense, straight-talking Southerner, and brought him superstar stature. He also established his niche through some occasionally caustic commentary, as evidenced by his classic line “Here’s your sign,” a patented putdown to those whose ignorance and stupidity made it an ideal retort. Las Vegas’ 2019 “Casino Comedian of the Year,” Engvall will now get the last word.

Bill Engvall’s My Last Show performance takes place at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 at the Delta Performance Hall in the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, 131 Main Street. Tickets cost $35-$85; visit arttix.org for details. (Lee Zimmerman)

COURTESY

PHOTO

Video Games Live @ Abravanel Hall

Real ones know: If you don’t believe that video games are an art form, you’re about 30 years behind the times. From the artistry involved in creating digital worlds to complex storytelling, gaming shouldn’t be considered just some unworthy knocker on the door of “real” art. And what better way could there be of recognizing its inclusion in the artistic space that recognizing the iconic music of video games in a glorious symphony venue like Abravanel Hall.

This week, the Utah Symphony presents Video Games Live, a touring production created by composer/designer Tommy Tallarico to celebrate the art of music created for video games, and which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. Combining symphonic arrangements of video game music with synchronized video footage and lighting elements, it’s a way to celebrate both the edgy, punk-rock spirit that still characterizes gaming creations, and the old-school creative expertise required behind the scenes. It’s a way to introduce the symphony audience to the world of gaming, and the gaming audience to the world of the symphony—and excels at both. The current incarnation of the show incorporates selections from Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts, Overwatch, Okami, Castlevania, Mass Effect and many more. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite game characters for a costume contest that will include gift cards for local game stores.

Video Games Live visits Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) for one night only on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 - $85, visit usuo.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

OUTINGS

Auld Lang Sign-off

A roundup of some of Utah’s best ways to ring in 2023.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

After a couple of particularly weird years, 2022 felt … normal-er? Normalish? There was no question most people were happy to kick 2020 and 2021 in the ass on the way out the door, and certainly plenty of folks will still feel that way about the year we’re now wrapping up. But some might be feeling at least a bit more celebratory. And while there is still plenty of cause for being cautious about group gatherings in the middle of the COVID/ RSV/seasonal flu maelstrom, it feels like we have at least a better sense of how to do these things sensibly.

So if you’re feeling like welcoming in 2023 in Utah with enthusiasm and a larger-scale party, you have options. Here are a few of the options available to you for this New Year’s Eve weekend.

The Gateway “Last Hurrah”: Downtown’s big bash kicks off at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 at The Gateway (400 W. 200 South), with two stages featuring live performances— including DJ Jared, future.exboyfriend and The Moss on the Olympic Plaza main stage—and karaoke. Buskers at the venue will provide additional musical entertainment, while pop-up serving locations will offer both adult drinks and hot chocolate for revelers. Anyone looking to get out of the cold will have plenty of options, as

many Gateway merchants will be open for extended hours, and plenty of restaurants will provide dining choices. It will all wrap up with a big fireworks display at midnight—and it’s all free to the public. The Gateway is conveniently located along the Blue Trax line, so neither weather nor the effects of bending an elbow should keep you away. Visit atthegateway.com for additional event information.

New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball: The Marriott Salt Lake City at City Creek (75 S. West Temple) brings in 2023 with a festive occasion with formal or cocktail attire required. Tickets are $60 - $150, and include entertainment from DJ Stario, food, live roaming masked entertainers, photo booth, raffles and door prizes, plus a “best mask” contact. At midnight, it all culminates with a balloon drop to ring in the new year. Festivities kick off at 6:30 p.m.; visit lefleauentertainment.com for tickets and additional event information.

The Leonardo “Now or Never” New Year’s Eve Party: Sticking to the downtown area, The Leonardo (209 E. 500 South) hosts indoor revelry for adults 21+. A $100 per person ticket includes live music performances, drink ticket and champagne toast. The event runs 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. Visit theleonardo. org to register.

Viridian Center New Year’s Eve Bash: Over on the west side of the valley, the Salt Lake County Library’s Viridian Center (8030 S. 1825 West, West Jordan) hosts a party for those ready to dress to impress and enjoy live music, dancing and winter carnival activities, plus balloon drop. The adults-only event is alcohol-free; admission is also free, but reservations are required. Visit Eventbrite.com for reservations and additional event information.

Ski Resort Torchlight Parades: Living in

Utah offers plenty of unique experiences, and if you’ve never enjoyed one of the local ski resorts’ holiday torchlight parades, there’s no time like the present. It’s also a chance to kick off your new year celebrations a touch early, with Deer Valley among the venues offering a torchlight procession down the ski slopes on Dec. 30 at dusk (approximately 6 p.m.), with complimentary hot chocolate, cider and cookies available from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Snowbird offers its torchlight parade on New Year’s Eve proper, with festivities beginning at 6 p.m. on the Plaza Deck, continuing with refreshments and fire pits, and wrapping up with a grand fireworks display. Visit individual resort websites for more details.

Evermore Park New Year’s Eve: Also among those aforementioned uniquely Utah opportunities is ringing in a new year in the fantastical environs of Evermore Park (382 S. Evermore Lane, Pleas-

ant Grove). The live interactive experience includes specialty characters wandering with you through the park grounds, live performances including the bird & reptile show and magic show, activities like axe-throwing, and a chance to tour the grounds on the Evermore Express. Tickets are $19 for children and $24 for adults, with the park opening at 7 p.m. on Dec. 31. Visit evermore.com for tickets and additional information.

Luminaria New Year’s Eve @ Thanksgiving Point: The traditional holiday luminaria light displays at Thanksgiving Point’s Ashton Gardens (3900 Garden Dr., Lehi) come to a close along with 2022 on Dec. 31, including fireworks displays at 10 p.m. and midnight. Specific time-slot reservations are required, and tickets are $19 - $26. Visit thanksgivingpoint.org for tickets and additional event information.

CW

DAVID NEWKIRK

New Year’s Eve “Last Hurrah” at The Gateway

Part TWOProject Censored

The billionaire’s press dominates the media censorship beat in 2022.

By Paul Rosenberg Project Censored senior editor comments@cityweekly.net Graphics by Anson Stevens-Bollen

Each year, Project Censored releases a list of the Top 10 un- and under-reported news stories. Part I of the 2022 list—which focuses on the role of corporate ownership in shaping media coverage and includes topics like the fossil fuels industry being subsidized by unacknowledged costs, wage theft, the suppression of environmental warnings and the dark money connections between the Jan. 6 insurrection and conservative lobbying around judicial appointments—was published in the Dec. 22 issue and is available at cityweekly.net. Part II of this story continues below.

6. Corporate Consolidation Causing Record Inflation in Food Prices

“Corporate consolidation is a main driver of record inflation in food prices, despite claims by media pundits and partisan commentators to the contrary,” Project Censored reports. “The establishment press has covered the current wave of inflation exhaustively, but only rarely will discuss the market power of giant firms as a possible cause, and then usually only to reject it,” as they did when the Biden administration cited meat industry consolidation as a cause of price increases in September 2021, “treating administration attempts to link inflation to consolidation as a rhetorical move meant to distract from conservative critiques of Biden’s stimulus program.”

But as the nonprofit Food and Water Watch reported in November 2021, “while the cost of meat shot up, prices paid to farmers actually declined, spurring a federal investiga-

Common grocery items are increasingly controlled by a small number of corporate food giants.

tion.” That investigation is ongoing, but meat conglomerates Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Smithfield Foods and JBS have paid just over $225 million to settle related civil suits in the poultry, beef and pork markets.

That’s just part of the problem. A July 2021 joint investigation by Food and Water Watch and the Guardian “reported that a handful of ‘food giants’—including Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra, Unilever and Del Monte—control an average of 64 percent of sales of 61 popular grocery items,” Project Censored noted.

Three companies own 93% of carbonated soft drink brands; while another three produce 73% of the cereals on offer. And a single company, PepsiCo, owns five of the most popular dip brands—88% of the market. Altogether, “four firms or fewer controlled at least 50% of the market for 79% of the groceries,” the Guardian reported.

It’s not just producers: “In an October 2021 article for Common Dreams, Kenny Stancil documents that food producers, distributors and grocery store chains are engaging in pandemic profiteering and taking advantage of ‘decades of consolidation, which has given a handful of corporations an ever-greater degree of market control and with it, the power to set prices,’ according to research by the Groundwork Collaborative.”

As for grocers, “Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the country, cited rising inflation as the reason for hiking prices in their stores even as they cut worker pay by 8 percent,” Project Censored noted. Yet, as Stancil explained, Kroger’s CEO publicly gloated that “a little bit of inflation is always good for business.” That CEO earned 909 times what the median worker earned, while worker pay decreased by 8% in 2020, and “the company spent $1.498 billion on stock buybacks between April 2020 and July 2021 to enrich its shareholders,” the Groundwork Collaborative reported.

Kroger was one of just four companies that took in an estimated two-thirds of all grocery sales in 2019, according to Food and Water Watch.

More broadly, “A report for the American Prospect by Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, and David Dayen revealed that one of the most common inflation scapegoats, supply chain problems, is itself a consequence of consolidation,” Project Censored noted. “Just three global alliances of ocean shippers are responsible for 80 percent of all cargo. ... These shippers raked in “nearly $80 billion in the first three quarters of 2021, twice as much as in the entire 10-year period from 2010 to 2020,” by increasing their rates as much as tenfold.

Supply chain consolidation reflects a broader shift in the global economy, the Prospect noted. “In 1970, Milton Friedman argued in The New York Times that ‘the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits.’ Manufacturers used that to rationalize a financial imperative to benefit shareholders by seeking the lowest-cost labor possible,” leading to a surge in outsourcing to East Asia, and eventually China. “This added new costs for shipping, but deregulating all the industries in the supply chain could more than compensate.”

Occasionally articles touched on the issue of consolidation (mostly to debunk it), though there are a couple of opinion pieces to the contrary. “But these isolated opinion pieces were far out-numbered by the hundreds, even thousands, of reports and analyses by commercial media outlets that blamed everything but oligopolistic price gouging for the rising cost of groceries,” Project Censored concluded.

& Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to newsrooms, journalism schools and researchers around the globe.

7. Concerns for Journalistic Independence as Gates Foundation Gives $319 Million to News Outlets

The list of billionaires with media empires includes familiar names like Rupert Murdoch, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and, most recently, Elon Musk. But, “While other billionaires’ media empires are relatively well known, the extent to which [Microsoft cofounder Bill] Gates’ cash underwrites the modern media landscape is not,” Alan MacLeod wrote for MintPress News in November 2021.

MacLeod examined more than 30,000 individual grants awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and found the foundation had donated “more than $319 million to fund news outlets, journalism centers and training programs, press associations and specific media campaigns, raising questions about conflicts of interest and journalistic independence,” Project Censored summarized.

“Today, it is possible for an individual to train as a reporter thanks to a Gates Foundation Grant, find work at a Gates-funded outlet and to belong to a press association funded by Gates,” MacLeod wrote.

“Recipients of this cash include many of America’s most important news outlets, including CNN, NBC, NPR, PBS and The Atlantic. Gates also sponsors a myriad of influential foreign organizations, including the BBC, The Guardian, The Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom; prominent European newspapers such as Le Monde (France), Der Spiegel (Germany) and El País (Spain); as well as big global broadcasters like Al-Jazeera,” he reported.

“MacLeod’s report includes a number of Gates-funded news outlets that also regularly feature in Project Censored’s annual top story lists, such as the Solutions Journalism Network ($7.2 million), The Conversation ($6.6 million), the Bureau of Investigative Journalism ($1 million), and ProPublica ($1 million) in addition to the Guardian and The Atlantic,” Project Censored noted. “Direct awards to news outlets often targeted specific issues, MacLeod reported. For example, CNN received $3.6 million to support ‘journalism on the everyday inequalities endured by women and girls across the world,’ according to one grant. Another grant earmarked $2.3 million for the Texas Tribune ‘to increase public awareness and engagement of education reform issues in Texas.’ As MacLeod noted, given Bill Gates’ advocacy of the charter school movement—which undermines teachers’ unions and effectively aims to privatize the public education system—‘a cynic might interpret this as planting pro-corporate charter school propaganda into the media, disguised as objective news reporting.’”

“[T]here are clear shortcomings with this non-exhaustive list, meaning the true figure is undoubtedly far higher. First, it does not count sub-grants—money given by recipients to media around the world,” because there’s no record of them, MacLeod reported.

“For a tax-privileged charity that so very often trumpets the importance of transparency, it’s remarkable how intensely secretive the Gates Foundation is about its financial flows,” Tim Schwab, one of the few investigative journalists whose reporting has scrutinized the tech billionaire, told MintPress.

Also missing were grants aimed at producing articles for academic journals, although “they regularly form the basis for stories in the mainstream press and help shape narratives around key issues,” he noted. “The Gates Foundation has given far and wide to academic sources, with at least $13.6 million going toward creating content for the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.” And more broadly “even money given to universities for purely research projects eventually ends up in academic journals, and ultimately, downstream into mass media. … Neither these nor grants funding the printing of books or establishment of websites counted in the total, although they too are forms of media.”

“No major corporate news outlets appear to have covered this issue,” only a scattering of independent outlets, Project Censored noted. This despite the fact that “As far back as 2011, the Seattle Times published an article investigating how the Gates Foundation’s ‘growing support of media organizations blurs the line between journalism and advocacy.’”

8. CIA Discussed Plans to Kidnap or Kill Julian Assange

The CIA seriously considered plans to kidnap or assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in late 2017, according to a September 2021 Yahoo News investigation, based on interviews with more than 30 former U.S. officials, eight of whom detailed U.S. plans to abduct Assange and three of whom described the development of plans to kill him. If it had been up to CIA Director Mike Pompeo, they almost certainly would have been acted on, after WikiLeaks announced it had obtained a massive tranche of files—dubbed “Vault 7”—from the CIA’s ultra-secret hacking division, and posted some of them online.

In his first public remarks as Donald Trump’s CIA director, “Pompeo devoted much of his speech to the threat posed by WikiLeaks,” Yahoo News noted, “rather than use the platform to give an overview of global challenges or to lay out any bureaucratic changes he was planning to make at the agency.” He even called it “a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia,” a designation intended to grant the CIA wide latitude in what actions it took, while shielding it from congressional oversight.

“Potential scenarios proposed by the CIA and Trump administration officials included crashing into a Russian vehicle carrying Assange in order to grab him, shooting the tires of an airplane carrying Assange in order to prevent its takeoff, and engaging in a gun battle through the streets of London,” Project Censored summarized. “Senior CIA officials went so far as to request ‘sketches’ or ‘options’ detailing methods to kill Assange.”

“WikiLeaks was a complete obsession of Pompeo’s,” a former Trump administration national security official told Yahoo News. “After Vault 7, Pompeo and [Deputy CIA Director Gina] Haspel wanted vengeance on Assange.” It went so far that “Pompeo and others at the agency proposed abducting Assange from the embassy and surreptitiously bringing him back to the United States via a third country—a process known as rendition,” they reported. (Assassination entered the picture later on.) Since it would take place in Britain, there had to be agreement from them. “But the British said, ‘No way, you’re not doing that on our territory, that ain’t happening,’” a former senior counterintelligence official told Yahoo News.

There was also pushback from National Security Council, or NSC, lawyers and the Department of Justice, which wanted to put Assange on trial. But the CIA continued to push for capturing or killing Assange. Trump’s “NSC lawyers were bulwarks against the CIA’s potentially illegal proposals, according to former officials,” Yahoo News reported, but the CIA’s own lawyers may have been kept in the dark. “When Pompeo took over, he cut the lawyers out of a lot of things,” a former senior intelligence community attorney told them. “Pompeo’s ready access to the Oval Office, where he would meet with Trump alone, exacerbated the lawyers’ fears. [The NSC’s top lawyer John] Eisenberg fretted that the CIA director was leaving those meetings with authorities or approvals signed by the president that Eisenberg knew nothing about, according to former officials.”

“U.S. plans to kidnap or assassinate Julian Assange have received little to no establishment news coverage in the United States, other than scant summaries by Business Insider and The Verge, and tangential coverage by Reuters, each based on the original Yahoo News report,” Project Censored notes in its 2022 review. “Among U.S. independent news outlets, Democracy Now! featured an interview with Michael Isikoff, one of the Yahoo News reporters who broke the story, and Jennifer Robinson, a human rights attorney who has been advising Julian Assange and WikiLeaks since 2010. Rolling Stone and The Hill also published articles based on the original Yahoo News report.”

The Bill

A former Trump Administration official describes then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo as “completely obsessed” with WikiLeaks.

9. New Laws Preventing Dark Money Disclosures Sweep the Nation

Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling relaxing campaign finance regulations, dark money spending has exploded and, now, Republican lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing legislation to make it illegal to compel nonprofit organizations to disclose who the dark money donors are. Recently passed laws in Arkansas, Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia are based on model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, which brings together corporate lobbyists and conservative lawmakers to advance special-interest, businessfriendly legislation.

“ALEC is deeply enmeshed with the sprawling political influence networks tied to billionaire families like the Kochs and the Bradleys, both of which use nondisclosing nonprofits that help to conceal how money is funneled,” Donald Shaw reported for Sludge on June 15, 2021. “Penalties for violating the laws vary between the states, but in some states could include prison sentences.”

“Shaw explained how these bills create a loophole allowing wealthy individuals and groups to pass ‘dark money’ anonymously to 501(c) organizations, which in turn can make independent expenditures to influence elections (or contribute to other organizations that make independent political expenditures, such as super PACs), effectively shielding the ultimate source of political funds from public scrutiny,” Project Censored summarized. “‘These bills are about making dark money darker,’ Aaron McKean, legal counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, told Shaw.”

The South Dakota law was overwhelmingly passed by the state’s GOP-dominated Legislature despite the fact that voters passed a 2016 ballot measure requiring disclosure of “the identity of donors who give more than $100 to organizations for the purpose of political expenditures,” a requirement the Legislature repealed a year later, Shaw reported in February 2021.

There’s a federal impact as well. “In a March 2022 article for Sludge, Shaw documented that the federal omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022 contained a rider exempting political groups that declare themselves ‘social welfare organizations’ from reporting their donors, and another preventing the Securities and Exchange Commission from ‘requiring corporations to publicly disclose more of their political and lobbying spending,’” Project Censored noted, going on to cite a May 2021 article from Open Secrets about Senate Republicans’ Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act, that “would prevent the IRS from requiring that 501(c)(4) nonprofits disclose their top donors.”

Democrats and good government groups have pushed back. “On April 27, 2021, 38 Democratic senators sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig urging them to roll back an anti-disclosure rule put in place by the Trump administration,” Project Censored reported. “In addition, the Democrats’ comprehensive voting-rights bill, the For the People Act, would have compelled the disclosure of all contributions by individuals who surpass $10,000 in donations in a given reporting period. The bill was passed by the House but died in the Senate.”

While there’s been some coverage of some aspects of this story—a Washington Post story about Democrats pressuring the Biden administration and the Associated Press reporting on South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s defense of her state’s law—except for regional papers like the Tampa Bay Times, Project Censored reports, “There has been little acknowledgment in the establishment press of the stream of ALEC-inspired bills passing through state legislatures that seek to keep the source of so much of the money spent to influence elections hidden in the shadows.”

10. Media Lobbies Against Regulation of “Surveillance Advertising”

“Surveillance advertising”—collecting users’ data to target them with tailored advertising—has become an ubiquitous, extremely profitable practice on the world’s most popular social media apps and platforms, like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.

But now, as Lee Fang reported for the Intercept in February 2022, the Biden administration’s Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, is seeking to regulate user data collection. Lobbyists for the Interactive Advertising Bureau, or IAB, are pushing back.

“In a letter, IAB called for the FTC to oppose a ban on data-driven advertising networks, claiming the modern media cannot exist without mass data collection,” Fang reported.

“The IAB represents both data brokers and online media outlets that depend on digital advertising, such as CNN, The New York Times, MSNBC, Time, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, Vox, the Orlando Sentinel, Fox News and dozens of other media companies,” Fang explained. “The privacy push has largely been framed as a showdown between technology companies and the administration,” but “the lobbying reveals a tension that is rarely a center of the discourse around online privacy: Major media corporations increasingly rely on a vast ecosystem of privacy violations, even as the public relies on them to report on it.”

As a result, “Major news outlets have remained mostly silent on the FTC’s current push and a parallel effort to ban surveillance advertising by the House and Senate by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.,” Fang concluded.

“The IAB argues that targeted advertising—and, by extension, the siphoning of user data—has become necessary due to declining revenues from print sales and subscriptions,” Project Censored’s authors summarized. “Nondigital advertising revenue decreased from $124.8 billion in 2011 to $89.8 billion in 2020, while digital advertising revenue rose from $31.9 billion to $152.2 billion in the same period, according to Pew Research.”

Complicating matters, “The personal information collected by online media is typically sold to aggregators, such as BlueKai (owned by Oracle) and OpenX, that exploit user data—including data describing minors—to create predictive models of users’ behavior, which are then sold to advertising agencies. The covert nature of surveillance advertising makes it difficult for users to opt out.”

In addition, according to Project Censored, “The user information collected by media sites also enables direct manipulation of public perceptions of political issues, as famously happened when the British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica tapped into personal data from millions of Facebook users to craft campaign propaganda during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

“The corporate media have reported the FTC’s openness to new rules limiting the collection and exploitation of user data, but have generally not drawn attention to IAB lobbying against the proposed regulations,” Project Censored noted, citing articles in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post as examples, among others. “[N]either outlet discussed IAB, its lobbying on this issue, or the big media clients the organization represents.”

Paul Rosenberg is a Los Angeles, California-based writer, senior editor for Random Lengths News, and a columnist for Salon and Al Jazeera English. Read Part 1 of Project Censored’s 2022 list at the cityweekly.net website.

South Dakota lawmakers overruled a voter-approved ballot measure to install model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council (aka ALEC).

Lobbyists for major media organizations like CNN and The New York Times argued that modern newsrooms cannot exist without mass data collection.

Season’s Eatings

My favorite dining experiences and discoveries of 2022.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Another year of dining out has come and gone, and while the year is ending with the news of some truly heartbreaking closures—especially when awesome bakeries are concerned—it has also provided quite a few memorable experiences for this locally-sourced food dude. While I will wish our eateries who have closed their doors this year a very fond farewell and hope to see their proprietors do something awesome in the future, I also wanted to take some time and reflect upon the most memorable restaurant experiences that I had over the course of 2022.

I’ll kick things off with my visit to Nana’s Sonoran Hot Dogs (Instagram: @ nanas_hotdogs, 623-210-7320), as I was able to cross Sonoran hot dogs off my junk food bucket list. This regional Arizona snack—which wraps a hot dog in bacon before nestling it in a dreamy-soft bun and topping it with everything from nacho cheese to flamin’ hot Cheetos—is one of the finest culinary inventions of the modern age. Not only was the experience of trying something I had fantasized about for years everything I hoped for, but there was something special about the experience itself; the Ledezmas, who own and operate the food truck, are always enthusiastic when someone tries a Sonoran dog for the first time. On top of that, I feel like

everyone’s first time with one of these bad boys should take place in a parking lot on a spring evening just as things are starting to warm up. You can catch Nana’s all over the place, but they typically hunker down at Latino’s Furniture (7659 S. Redwood Road) in West Jordan on weekends.

From there, I need to talk about a restaurant whose bonkers concept came together rather nicely upon visiting, and that’s Dolly Donuts (3245 S. State Street, 385-355-9904, dollydonutsut.com). In a spiritual sense, Dolly Donuts is a diner that hearkens back to the golden age of soda jerks and jukeboxes. They’ve taken the tools from that toolbox and crafted something that also supports a full bar and a doughnut bakery, and I’ve never really seen a place stick the landing on such an ambitious concept. A visit to Dolly Donuts for their spin on the famous Juicy Lucy burger (with its signature cheese-stuffed ground beef patty), a cold local beer and then some homemade doughnuts for dessert is escapist dining at its finest.

It’s no secret that I tend to gravitate toward the misfits of the local dining world, but I did have some great moments in the world of more upscale dining this year. Perhaps the most surprising of these moments came from Sol Agave (749 W. 100 North, Ste. CRA8, 801-692-1758, solagave. com) in American Fork. As someone who grew up on the more casual Mexican restaurants that dot the Wasatch Front, it’s good to see that the team at Sol Agave are presenting a more sophisticated take on the cuisine of Mexico. There is a lot to be said about the complexities, flavors and history that comprises Mexican food, and diners don’t often get the opportunity to explore that world to its fullest. Though Sol Agave’s menu is still accessible for the

most skittish of diners, it’s doing great things to present Mexican food as fine dining which I really hope we see more of in the future. Oh, and don’t even get me started about their butter cake.

I also continue to be impressed by Laurel Brasserie & Bar (555 S. Main Street, 801-258-6708, laurelslc.com), which continues to be one of the most welcoming fine dining spots in town. Being housed inside The Grand America Hotel tends to give the restaurants within a reputation of being overly expensive, but Laurel has kept its menu reasonable without skimping on the quality of its dishes. Its expansion into cool nightspot territory has been a success—it’s got a fantastic dinner and drinks menu—and its brunch buffets are great family-friendly dining events. On top of all that, it’s a truly gorgeous space filled with immaculate white tile and lushly maintained patio.

Last but definitely not least was the pop-up event called Arthur (Instagram: @_arthurslc) hosted by Kevin and Alexa Finch. Course after course of locally-sourced delights came our way, and each dish built upon the last so fantastically that it was hard to keep my head on straight. When you dive into the rich luxury of a grilled maitake mushroom and bearnaise sauce, only to shift gears to a black cod filet swimming in acidic bone broth and pureed garlic, your knees turn to jelly, and you need someone to slap you in the face to make sure your feet are still on the ground. There are times when a corner of reality’s fabric gets peeled back and you catch a glimpse of the infinite, and this was one of those moments for me.

Here’s to one more year of living deliciously. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you all in 2023. CW

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale

2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Proper Beer - English Golden Ale

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Gluten Reduced Kolsch

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC craftbyproper.com

On Tap: Salted Caramel Porter

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Pomegranate Sour

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Orange Stick Imperial Stout

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: Fisher Beer

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Back to Basics Pale Ale (award winning City Weekly beer!)

Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Vienna-Style Lager, it’s back! Bingo: Tuesdays at 7pm!

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Squeaky Bike Nut Brown

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Wet Hopped Cider

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan prodigy-brewing.com/

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Hop Blooded - Belgianstyle Hoppy Red Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction Redrockbrewing.com 1640 Redstone Center

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap

this week

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC

RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Lone Ranger Mexican Lager

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Grievance: Scotch Ale aged a year in Laird’s Apple Brandy Barrels

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: 2 Hop 2 FuriousDouble Hopped Belgian Pale

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Eden Imperial 11 Degree Rosé - 11% ABV

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Prickly Pear Sour Ale

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

Squatters 147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

Strap Tank Brewery

Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter

Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Lake Effect Gose

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Edel Pils

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Udder ChaosChocolate Milk Stout on Nitro

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Lovely Lady Nitro Stout

Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

OPENING SOON!

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street Helper, UT 84526

Apex Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Bon Voyage Beers

If your diet is changing next month, these beers will send you off right.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Starting that new year’s resolution diet, or participating in dry-January? If that’s the case, you may as well end 2022 on a high note with these two flavor powerhouses.

Kiitos - Winter IPA: Pours a golden yellow color with a two-finger, bright white head that recedes to a thin layer fairly quickly that persists. There’s a slight haze to the clarity, and moderate carbonation bubbling up through the glass; decent lacing is present. The scent hits you with lots of lemon in a hoppy, citrus tang right up front, with plenty of grapefruit, orange and tangerine aroma. Some underlying sweeter fruits mix in—maybe peach or mango—and some fresh, floral notes. A bit of malt breadiness emerges at the very end, with a big, dank hop aroma. Very fresh.

The taste is much more complex than either the appearance or aroma let on; it is also of much higher quality. Initially, you get hit with some sweet, lemondominated citrusy notes, accompanied perfectly by just a touch of sweet, biscuit malt. Then a wonderful mango taste chimes in, lingering while it fades into grapefruit and grapes, and finally a bit of astringency that begs for another drink. There is not much bitterness here from the hops outside the aforementioned astringent aftertaste, just fantastic, complex, hoppy goodness.

Mouthfeel is just slightly creamy, and ends up around a medium mouthfeel. The carbonation is great and makes what is already a very refreshing beer that much better. Astringency is perfect to keep the drinker coming back for more, and the aftertaste feel is engaging. It just

begs you to remember it with each sip.

Verdict: This one is obviously all about the hops. It should be easy to find if you can get Deschutes in your area, and the price is not on the really-expensive side. The end result is a fine celebration of the wet-hop season. I would recommend picking this one up before it sits around too long.

Park City - Mango Milkshake IPA: It pours thick, heavy and viscous, like a melted mango creamsicle, with minimal head formation. Straight-up haze doesn’t allow even the slightest bit of light through. The aroma immediately pops out of the glass with tons of vanilla and mango, like sticking your nose into a tub of mango and vanilla bean ice cream.

Hints of citrus—orange, grapefruit, tangerine— and sweet bready malt come out more as it warms, but are definitely overshadowed by the aromas of the nonhop additions. Overall, the nose on this is as pungent as they come.

Whoa—sweet mango coats the mouth up front. Rich vanilla bean closely follows along, with some contributions from the hops. The finish is really interesting, as the ultra sweet, candy-like flavors completely succumb to a surprisingly enjoyable combination of creamy milkiness (from the lactose), dank bitterness, spicy green mango and grassy berries. It’s super unconventional, but it works damn well. As the name suggests, it’s dense, chewy and ultra-creramy; the addition of oats and lactose truly give it the mouthfeel of a melted milkshake.

Carbonation is light, with medium bitterness, yet highly drinkable. It’s hard to believe this thing is 5.0 percent ABV; it feels like at least 6.5 percent.

Verdict: Okay, so this may not be for everyone, but it certainly epitomizes the “juice bomb” term that gets thrown around every whichway nowadays. It’s one of the most unique beers I’ve ever tried; they really pull off the combination of lactose, vanilla, mango and intense dry-hopping. I’m super-thankful that I had the chance to try it.

These are both seasonal batches, which means they won’t be around very long. Each is exclusive to their breweries and should be enjoyed sooner rather than later. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

From the Embers with Bodega and The Rest

Fresh from their recent reopening after repairing damage from a fire back in September, Bodega and The Rest (331 S. Main Street, 801-532-4452, bodegaslc.com) will be hosting a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31 starting at 10:30 p.m. The evening’s entertainment will feature the chamber pop music of Book on Tape Worm, and plenty of charcuterie and champagne will be on hand for those in attendance. For those after a New Year’s Eve party that mixes old school charm with new school style, you’ll want to check this one out. Plus, it’s a good time to turn out and show the team here how much we’ve missed them for the past few months. Tickets are available via EventBrite.

Back Door New Year’s Eve Party

Those eager to check out Back Door, a bar space connected to Laziz Kitchen’s new downtown location (152 E. 200 South, 385-267-1161, lazizkitchen.com) are in luck. This speakeasy-style location will be hosting a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31 starting at 8 p.m. Admission includes a free cocktail, and Laziz will be offering its full menu along with some New Year’s Eve specials and a cocktail menu throughout the event. As it’s the inaugural New Year’s Eve party for both Laziz and Back Door, it’ll be fun to see what the crew has cooked up to ring in the new year. Tickets are available on the Laziz website.

Salt Lake NYE Bar Crawl

For those who don’t want to sit still on New Year’s Eve, consider joining the New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl in Downtown Salt Lake. After checking in at The Green Pig Pub (31 E. 400 South, 801-5327441, thegreenpigpub.com), bar crawlers get a wristband that grants access to other participating bars around town. The event includes drink tickets, an appetizer buffet, photo booths, karaoke, DJ sets and a VIP viewing of the 2022 ball drop. If trekking around downtown Salt Lake fueled by alcohol and free food this New Year’s Eve sounds at all appealing, this is the deal for you. Advance tickets can be purchased via EventBrite.

Quote of the Week: “Take no hatred into the new year without requiring it to restate its purpose.” –Robert Brault

A Bar Named Sue

A Fisher Brewing Co.

Aaron Peters

Abyss Body Piercing Aces High Saloon AD Club

Adnet Advertising Agency

AEG Live

Afro Paradigm

Ahh Sushi

Alf Engen Ski Museum

All Trades Staffing

Amazing Windows

American Cancer Society

Apex Brewing Apollo Burger Apollo Burger Archuletta, Ricky Area 51

Aromatic Plant Research Center

Art & Soup

Ascent Kitchen Asian Association of Utah

Bad Caddy / Social Axe Throwing Ballet West

Banbury Cross Barley Legal

Beans and BrewsCorporate

Beehive Distilling

Beehive Farmacy Beer Zombies

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Best Friends Animal Society

Better Business Bureau of Utah

Bewilder Brewing Big Cottonwood Canyon Flea Market

Bingham Cyclery Black Diamond

Blackhouse Vapor BLOC

Bloc Pharmacy

Blue Gene’s

Blue Iguana

Bombdilla

Bonwood Bowl

Boomerang’s Down

Under Bar

Bourbon House

Brewvies

Bricks Corner

British Field Day

Buddha Gear

Bundles of Hope

Cache Valley Tourist Council

Cactus and Tropicals

Caffe Ibis

Thank yo u f o r s upporting

Cajun Boil

Cannabist

CannaBuddy Clinic

Caputo’s Car Sold For Cash

Carlson Distributing Castle of Chaos

CBD Essentials

Cedar Clinical Research

Chapman Richards

Charles Cayias Insurance

Chartway Credit Union

Chili Beak

Christopher’s

Chuck Bronstein City of West Wendover Clark Planetarium

Cocktail Collective Coffee Garden

Crucialfest

Curry Fried Chicken DAMA

Das Energi

Dave’s Barbershop

David Sperry

Deep Roots Harvest

Deer Valley Resort Department of Veterans Affairs

Deseret Wellness

Desert Edge Brewery

Dewey’s Bail Bonds

DogMode

Dominion Energy Downtown Alliance Events

Draper City Amphitheatre

Drew Zayak (Tribe Of I)

Earth Center

Acupuncture

ECH Immigration Econus

Eggs In The City

Egyptian Theatre Company

Electric Alley Sliders

Elixir Lounge

Emery County

Empathetix

Entrada Institute

Epic Brewing

Equinox Nutraceutical

Etta Place Cider

Eye Institute of Utah

Farmer & Chemist

Fat Jack’s Burger

Emporium

Fear Factory

Feed Me Send Me

Munchies

Feldman’s Deli

Fillmore-Bureau of Land Management

Finn’s Cafe

First Utah Bank

Fisher Brewing

Flake Pie

Flanker

Formation AG

Fort Desolation

Franklin Ave.

Freshie’s Lobster Co.

Froerer & Miles Gallivan Center

Gem Faire Inc.

General Army Navy Outdoor Store

Global Hemp Association

Goldminer’s Daughter

Lodge

Gondim Law Corp.

Good Company Theatre Gracie’s

Graham Adair

Graham Orthodontics

Greater Avenues Community Council Green Bike Green Future Accounting Green Pig Pub Grid City Beer Works

Grid City Music Fest HallPass Han’s Kombucha

Haneke Printing Healing of the Nation

Central Oregon CBD Healing of the Nation Farms

Health Elements

Healthy Hemp Pet

Heber Valley Brewing Co.

Hemplucid

High Art Studios

Highlander Club HillFest

Historic Park City Alliance

Hog Wallow Pub

Hogle Zoo

Hogle Zoo Rendezvous

Holystone Distilling Hopkins Brewing HRG

Husch Blackwell LLP

Hustlers

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

IconoClad

IHC ADCLUB

In The Weeds

Institute for Disability

Intercap Lending INTERnection

Advertising Services

Iris Piercing Italian Graffiti

Italian Village Italian-American Civic

League

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Jamaica’s Kitchen

Jed’s Barber Shop

Johnny’s on Second Jon Byk Advertsing

Josh Richardson JRC Events

Judge Memorial Catholic School

Judith Peterson

Jump Around Utah Kahve Cafe

Kaiser’s To Go BBQ Kanell’s Furniture Outlet

Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center

Ken Sanders Rare Books

Kilby Block Party

Kilby Court

Kimball Shinkoskey

King’s English Bookshop, The Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Koodegras KRCL

KUED

Kurt Gardner

La Casa Del Tamal

Lander Chamber of Commerce

Landis Lifestyle Salon Landslide Festival

Lava Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Legends Sports Pub & Grill

Lev Lion Level Crossing Brewing Company

Live Nation

Live Nite Events

LMG Law Group

Locally Twisted Logos Coffee

Lord of Spore

Lost Acorn Gallery Lot 19 Consulting

Lucero Hair

Lucky 13 Bar & Grill

M & M Distributing

Mamachari Kombucha

Marissa’s Books

Mark of The Beastro

Martell Consulting

Maverik Center

Mazza

Mcycle Studios

Meat Hook BBQ Medical Cannabis Housecalls

Metro Music Hall

Michael Lyness Milk

Millcreek Gardens

Modern SLC Injections

& Aesthetics

Moonlight Mountain West Cider

Mountain West Medical Clinic

Mountainside Spa Moxie

My Clean Leaf Nailed Natur Showroom

Neutral Ground New World Distillery New World Shakespeare Company

Nightmare on 13th No Name Saloon Nomad Eatery NOW CFO

Odyssey Dance Theatre

Odyssey House of Utah Ogden Arts Festival

Ogden Convention & Visitor’s Bureau Ogden Downtown Alliance

Ogden River Brewing Ogden’s Own Distillery

Oishi Ramen

Old Cuss

Other Place, The Outback Concerts

Pain Free Acupuncture Papito Moe’s Puerto Rican

Park City Institute Park City Ski Team Park City Song Summit

Partlow Investment Properties

Physicians’ Research Options

Pib’s Exchange Pierpont Place Pig & A Jelly Jar Pioneer Theatre Company

Piper Down Planned Parenthood

Poplar Street Pub Post District Prohibition Prolific 1

Proper Brewing Puf Hemp

Purgatory Quarters

Randy’s Records

Real Taqueria

Realine Group

Rebel House

Red Butte Garden

Red Cliffs Lodge

Red Fort Cuisine of India

Red Iguana

Red Rock Brewing Co.

Red Rocks Art Festival

Red Willow Counseling Repertory Dance Theatre

Retreatment Wellness

Rich’s - Mighty Fine Burgers & Grub

Ririe - Woodbury Dance Company

Rising Consciousness Roadhouse Brewing Company Roctaco Rodizio Grill Rogue

RoHa Brewing Project Ron Edwards Productions Root To Rise Root’d

Ruin Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

Ruth’s Diner

Salazar’s Cafe

Salt Flats Brewery

Salt Hive Silver

Salt Lake Film Society

Salt Lake International Airport

Salt Lake Running Co.

SaltFire Brewing SaltFire Food

Sampoll

Sauced Up Salsa

Sawadee Thai Cuisine

Schellraiser Music Festival

Scion Cider Bar

Shade Master Tree Service

Shades Brewing Co

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CINEMA

I Did It My Way

An idiosyncratic celebration of the best movies of 2022

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Iwish, desperately, that this didn’t need to be said every year, and yet here we are: Movie critics’ top 10 lists are not some conspiracy to celebrate little-seen movies at the expense of box-office hits. This battle erupts persistently, and perhaps more so in 2022 after the release of the every-10-years Sight and Sound list of all-time great films inspired more harrumphing over being elitist and obscurantist. How dare the people who watch hundreds of movies per year not include only movies I already know and love!

This is, to put things quite simply, deeply stupid. The goal of my list, or any other list, is neither to congratulate you on having already seen the year’s best films, nor to make you feel insecure for not having seen the year’s best films. Mine is an individual, idiosyncratic indication of what moved me, excited me, intrigued me and dazzled me at the movies—and I share those things because I love movies, and love to celebrate what I love about them.

So if you’re wondering why [fill-inthe-blank with any movie title] isn’t on my list of the year’s 10 best, it’s because my 10 best are different; it’s no more complicated than that. I encourage you to make your own list. Meanwhile, here we go.

10. Decision to Leave: Park Chan-wook turns in what might very well be the most dizzyingly entertaining directing work of the year in this psychological drama about a married Korean homicide detective who becomes obsessed with the wife of a man found dead after a fall from a mountain—a wife who also happens to be a suspect in potential foul play. The unfolding mystery and the Vertigo-esque character dynam ics are plenty compelling, but the great est pleasures come from watching Park’s camera zig every time you’re expecting it to zag, providing a master class in creative filmmaking.

9. Navalny: A documentary filmmak er doing a “fly on the wall” profile never knows when they’re going to encounter that magic, unexpected thing that makes the film impossible to ignore. Director An drew Roher’s profile of Russian politician/ Putin opposition leader Alexei Navalny deals with material that’s already compel ling about Navalny’s life, including surviv ing an assassination attempt with a nerve agent, but then Navalny’s attempt to gather proof that Putin was behind the attempt yields … something that’s better left discovered if you don’t know what’s coming.

8. Tár: Cate Blanchett’s lead performance—as a celebrated composer/conductor whose predatory behavior threat-

monster.

7. After Yang: Kogonada follows up his remarkable debut film Columbus with a tale that’s nearly as rich and resonant, set in a near future where a man (Colin Farrell) attempts to repair the android “big brother” (Justin H. Min) of his adopted

tation of Don DeLillo’s notoriously “unfilmable” novel—a 1980s-set tale of a blended family dealing with the anxieties of the time—brings out the absolute best work of the director’s career as a visual stylist. Beyond that, it’s a mix of components that absolutely should not work

yet absolutely does, finding both the absurdist humor in both the everyday and apocalyptic terrors facing protagonists Jack (Adam Driver) and Babette (Greta Gerwig) and the absolute sincerity in two people who fear the death of their partner more than they fear the death of themselves.

5. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On: How in the world do you turn playfully silly three-minute shorts about a stop-motion animated shell with a single googly eye into one of the most heartbreaking stories about loneliness in years? Just like this, as director Dean Fleischer-Camp and cowriter Jenny Slate (who voices Marcel, in one of the all-time great animated voice performances) combine light-hearted visual humor with a character study about the need for family, and how the chance

for connection comes only from opening yourself up to the possibility of loss.

4. RRR: Why did this particular example of Bollywood filmmaking—with its ambitious mixing of spectacle, melodrama and music—break through to a more mainstream audience? I’d like to think it’s because it worked on all three levels, very loosely adapting a real-life story of rebellion against colonial rule into a fascinating mash-up of The Departed, Braveheart and John Wick, with some extraordinary visual set pieces and exhilarating music. It’s like Marvel’s The Avengers, if the slugfest between Thor and Hulk also included an awesome dance-off.

3. Hit the Road/No Bears: Creatively speaking, it was quite a remarkable year for the Panahi family. Ahead of his imprisonment as a dissident, veteran Jafar

Panahi made No Bears, casting himself as himself in a story that allows him to become the stand-in for forces that irresponsibly use power to manipulate others. And son Panah Panahi turned out Hit the Road, a hilarious family road-trip drama about trying to smuggle someone across the Iranian border. Taking two very different approaches to addressing the tumult facing their country, father and son both nail it.

2. Everything Everywhere All It Once: The title kind of tells you all you need to know about Daniel Kwan and Dan Scheinert’s brand of “earnest maximalism” in telling the story of a harried laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) discovering the existence of a multiverse. The performances are sensational across the board—including Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee

Curtis—in a story that somehow manages to blend kung-fu action, butt-stuff lowbrow humor and a sincere conversation between two rocks into a meditation on what it is that really tears worlds apart.

1. The Banshees of Inisherin: What does it mean to be “nice,” and why do we treat it like an insult? That’s the undercurrent percolating through Martin McDonagh’s tale of an Irishman (Colin Farrell) whose best friend (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly decides that he doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore. Farrell’s performance is the best work of his career and the best performance of any kind this year, capturing how the heartbreak of personal rejection can destroy someone. And the historical context only adds more complexity to a study of the decisions that divide us. CW

One Star

Americana veterans Hectic Hobo approach nature as entertainment with a wink

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Album titles come from a lot of different places. For Hectic Hobo, their latest came from the realization that for some people, the natural world has become just a form of entertainment and online engagement-hunting.

One of the best examples of this is the title track on their album, American Bison. Frontman Hasen Cone detailed a trip he took with family down to Yellowstone, and a hilarious encounter with a fellow tourist.

“There was a buffalo in the field, and we’re all standing behind the fence, and there was a single buffalo and there’s this guy with his camera and his kid, and he’s just like, ‘Come on man, come on,’” Cone recounts. The tourist tried and tried with all his might to get the creature to turn around for that great shot, but it just didn’t want to cooperate. “The guy started getting so pissed and his kid was like, ‘It’s okay, Daddy,’ and the guy’s like, ‘No, it’s not,’” Cone shared. He never got the photo, but the band got great inspiration for the title track.

“The line from the song is, ‘How can he post a picture of just a hump?’ How can this guy post a picture on Instagram of just the back hump of a buffalo? He needs that face shot,” Cone said.

The song jests and makes fun of the idea that for some, nature is just a form of entertainment, something to post online. The song emerges from the perspective of this person who longs for the perfect shot, and when they don’t get it, it’s as if they’re leaving a one-star review of the experi ence, as disgruntled people are wont to do.

Cone goes on to sing, “This park blows / Let’s go home / I’m done / Next year I’m taking you to Hawaii son,” perfectly encapsulating the hilarious encounter with this tourist, and creating a fun narrative for listeners to enjoy at the beginning of the album.

The longtime SLC Americana veterans have been creating music for about 15 years, playing their brand of whiskeysoaked, narrative-driven rock n’ roll, and they show no signs of stopping. In fact, American Bison is a favorite for the group— and they’ve been having a blast sharing it with the community.

Like many bands with a long and storied history, Hectic Hobo has gone through lineup changes over the years, but according to Cone, this lineup is the best it’s been. The five-piece features Cone on vocals and guitar, Eric Peatross on keys and vocals, Nicholas Newberry on accordion, TJ Johnson on drums and Christian Mills

where the ‘hobo’ comes from. Then ‘hectic’ was more of a reference back in our younger days when we had a lot more stage energy, jumped around a lot more. It was just kind of describing the nature of the band. I wouldn’t call us hectic anymore, but I think the hobo part is still definitely there.”

The sound has varied in the time they’ve been playing, but the group has always enjoyed a wild west Americana sound dabbling in vibes that hearken to Eastern European folk music. “We used to do a lot more of that. We’ve kind of over the years just funneled into more just songwriter Americana,” said Cone. “But we have a new song on the album called ‘Girl Like You’ that we all like playing, because it reminds us of a lot of the old songs we used to play in that style, which we haven’t done as much anymore.”

While “Girl Like You” is a bit of an outlier, the majority of the album leans on Hectic Hobo’s Americana roots. “That style of

were times they lost sight of it a bit. “We’ve struggled to try to keep the lyrics to act as a lead instrument with all these,” Cone said. “There’s been times we’ve had seven or eight players in the band. We’ve had horns, we’ve had fiddles, we’ve had other guitars. We’ve had all sorts of things. And I always feel like the more people in the band, the more fun we have on stage, but the less the stories get to shine through.”

American Bison does just that. It’s a rich and vibrant journey that takes listeners on an adventure filled with campfire stories and heartbreak. Cone mentioned that this album has a different vibe than their previous work, and some of that has to do with the pandemic. “A lot of it was written sitting at home during lockdown with my guitar and having a different perspective on the world than I had ever had,” he said.

“I’ve loved every record that we’ve made, but there’s something different about this one that I feel more proud of,”

Fired Pilots, Down River, Thelema @ Quarters DLC 12/29

If you’re looking to kick off your New Year’s weekend with a line-up of locally grown rock and roll, Quarters’ hole-in-the-wall venue is where you’ll end up. Headlining is Fired Pilots, a Salt Lake City up and coming staple in the rock genre. Playing together since high school, the crew has developed their unique take on the genre to a point that’s ready to be shown off. The release of their self-titled album showcases their patented blend of striking vocals and heartfelt solos. Along with them comes Down River and Thelema, two more prominent rock and roll groups in the SLC scene. Down River has a more classic ‘80s sound, and as they put it on their Facebook profile, their music features “Bitchin Riffs, screaming vocals, thundering drums” which certainly do characterize each track of their self-titled album Thelema is the newest kid on the block, but hanging tough with the older crowd, boasting the fastest melodies of the night, and sure to get blood boiling early. Taking inspiration from the classic rock sound of the ‘90s, this is a rock night demanding to be taken seriously at one of the most intimate venues in the city. If you’re of legal drinking age, play games and head bang at the show on Thursday, Dec 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ are $10 and can be found at quartersslc.com. (Caleb Daniel)

Fired Pilots

By Emilee Atkinson

of

It’s a sonically crushing and delightfully dark introduction, and they haven’t stopped delivering that sound in the following decade. We haven’t seen new work from the group since 2018, but The Thundering Heard is some of the duo’s best work. They told Echo Sound that the album focuses on “the beauty and deadly power of the natural world, and how wondrous myths arose from man’s desire to understand and explain it. And how it may ultimately destroy him if he does not find a way to understand his role and his effect on this planet,” when the album was released. Joining the duo are O-Town natives Hemwick, who focus on DIY heavy instrumental songs. They’ve had a busy 2022, touring extensively, so it’s nice to see them home to finish out the year. Their latest release from 2018, Junkie, is an epic heavy adventure from beginning to end. Hemwick’s music doesn’t feature vocals, yet it still conveys plenty of emotion. It’s not something you see very often with metal music, and it is a nice treat to sit back and listen to the careful instrumentation being played, and focus on the squealies, driving guitar rhythms and heavy drums. Come out and headbang on Friday, Dec 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at urbanloungeslc.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Eagle Twin ALBERT DANIELS

Eagle Twin, Hemwick @ Urban Lounge 12/30 Veteran duo Eagle Twin bring their brand of experimental sludge/doom metal to this epic end-of-year show. Eagle Twin have been entertaining metal fans in the area since 2009, when they dropped their debut album The Unkindness

Crows.

By Emilee Atkinson

MUSIC PICK S

By Emilee Atkinson

The Kitchen Dwellers @ The Commonwealth Room 12/30-31

The Kitchen Dwellers take a populist approach that successfully bundles the basics of bluegrass with contemporary credence and an Americana approach. The Montana-based quartet—Shawn Swain (mandolin), Torrin Daniels (banjo), Joe Funk (upright bass), and Max Davies (acoustic guitar)—are known for their distinctive melodies, brought to bear through drive, determination and an actual sense of urgency that still manages keep those more accessible elements intact. In the process, they’ve amassed sell-out shows, millions of streams and scores of critical kudos. Their new album Wise River, their third studio outing to date, finds them gleaning inspiration from their native environs while sharing nuanced narratives that faithfully pay homage to some specific heartland happenstance. “When you listen to Wise River, I hope you hear some of the original qualities that made us who we are, but that you also recognize aspects that are new and adventurous,” Davies states on the band’s website. “I hope you hear what it sounds like when the four of us are at home and have the space to create something together. This album is really how we sound as a band.” Happily, we’ll be able to witness that firsthand. The Kitchen Dwellers with special guests The Pickpockets perform at The Commonwealth Room, on Friday Dec 30 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec 31 at the same time. Tickets are $37 for general admission or $68 per reserved seat. Find tickets at thestateroompresents.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

The Silver Ball @ DLC 12/31

If your goal is to party your way into the new year, The Silver Ball at DLC is the way to go. Joining one of the last shows of 2022 is delightfully retro, yet newly refreshing group The Plastic Cherries. This group has been making a splash in the music scene since 2021 with their debut album Sunshine, recorded on retro analog equipment. The project was started by couple Joe and Shelby Maddock, and has since flourished into a fantastic five-piece. Their single “Lovers on the Run,” from last August, has become a favorite for fans of the group, who have become part of the show themselves. The Cherries have a dedicated fan base lovingly known as the Moon Unit who come out to shows dressed up and ready to vibe. Joining the Cherries is another SLC favorite, Over Under, which has shared some excellent music between 2020 and now. They’ve been touring their butts off this year, sharing their brand of psychedelic vibes, and it seems like they have plenty more tunes in the works. Last but not least, the Silver Ball features psych pop group The Psychosomatics, whose 2021 album Seams of Expectation has taken the community by storm. Listening through this psychedelic dream will have you floating along with cool melodies, then picking you up with some driving reverb and epic electronics. Jam out at the Silver Ball on Friday, Dec 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at quartersslc.com. (EA)

1/1

Ringing in the new year with a show is a perfect start to 2023, and this lineup brings nothing but good vibes; featuring three local SLC favorites, there’s no way you can have a bad time. Blue Rain Boots are kicking off their tour in Utah before heading out to share their infectious energy with other cities. The tour coincides with the announcement of new music from the group releasing on Jan. 1, a two-song EP featuring tracks called “Penelope” and “I Will See You in Dreams.” It’ll be exciting to hear what the group has on tap next. Their single “Hold Me” from May 2022 is an energetic track with crunchy, driving guitar and light intriguing vocals. Along for the ride are local glitch grunge group Sunfish. They have been steadily releasing singles the last few months, the latest of which brings a fresh and unique sound to the grunge genre. “You Like the Pain” has a spicy and excellent bassline leading the way on the song, but things get more interesting as the glitch part comes in. The staticky electronic sound gives the song a satisfying crunch to go with an addicting chorus that will have you headbanging. Completing the lineup is future.exboyfriend, another local group who is a delight to see. Their latest single “Hazy” is a song that you’ll have on repeat once you hear it. The band recently posted on their Instagram that it’s a personal favorite of theirs, and it’s easy to see why. Start the new year off right with this epic lineup of locals on Sunday, Jan 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at soundwellslc.com. (EA)

SILKY SHOTS

Blue Rain Boots, Sunfish, future.exboyfriend @ Soundwell

Kitchen Dwellers

Blue Rain Boots

Who Knew?

In June, people in South Korea will suddenly become younger, the BBC reported. On Dec. 8, the South Korean parliament voted to switch from two traditional methods of counting age to the more widely recognized international method for official documents. Currently, Koreans are 1 year old at birth and then gain another year on the first day of each following year. An alternate method has them at 0 upon birth, then adding a year each Jan. 1. So, for example, someone born on Dec. 31, 2002, is 19 years old using the international method. But under Korea’s traditional methods, they might be 20 or 21 years old. One member of parliament said the change would reduce “unnecessary socio-economic costs, because legal and social disputes as well as confusion persist due to the different ways of calculating age.”

Unclear on the Concept

Phoenix police officer Christian Goggans, who had been assigned to home duty, took advantage of the situation by dedicating more hours to his porn career, KOLD-TV reported. Goggans is facing an internal investigation after he allegedly traveled back and forth to Las Vegas while on the clock to produce and star in pornographic videos. He posted the films to a public Twitter page using his “stage” name, Rico Blaze (which has since been made private). A Phoenix PD public information officer said Goggans’ work-from-home assignment required only that he call in once daily.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Someone aboard the USNS Yuma, a Navy transport ship moored on the Greek island of Crete, is having a superior bathroom experience, thanks to the installation of the Bio Bidet BB-1000, The Washington Free Beacon reported on Dec. 12. At a cool $553, the BB-1000 offers a heated seat, blow dryer, remote control, deodorizer and an “effective enema function,” which a retailer called “the absolute strongest spray pressure of any electronic bidet seat on the market.” The Military Sealift Command confirmed the purchase but declined to offer more details.

People Different From Us

In Japan, a phenomenon known as rojo-ne —literally, sleeping on the road—is once again becoming a hazard as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and people are out partying more, reported The Guardian The number of deaths of snoozing partiers has nearly doubled in Tokyo compared to last year, police say, and they’re worried that the impending end-of-year celebrations will only add to the problem. Officials have also asked taxi drivers and others to drive with their high beams on and slow down.

Animal Antics

A live nativity scene in Carolina Beach, an island community about 140 miles southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina, was missing its cows on Dec. 4, the News & Observer reported. The two cows escaped their pen at Seaside Chapel around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, police explained, and were apparently so determined to get away that they ended up in the Cape Fear River. Carolina Beach police were joined by state park rangers and a K-9 with special herding skills as they hauled the soggy bovines back to shore.

Bright Idea

A homeowner in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was puzzled when he discovered five bullet holes in the siding of his house, along with another in his son’s bedroom window, the Grand Forks Herald reported. Police were summoned, and they questioned a next-door neighbor, Michael James Powers, 76, who readily admitted that he’d been shooting at a squirrel that was on his bird feeder; as he put it, “Well, that’s war.” Powers was aiming from his own bedroom window, and said it wasn’t the first time he’d shot at squirrels. He offered to go talk to “the other guy” and make it right, but officers had something different in mind: They arrested him for reckless discharge of a firearm. When Powers told his wife he was being arrested, she responded, “Well, I told you.”

Police Report

Anthony Thomas Tarduno, 48, saved the Hernando County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office the trouble of investigating after one of their patrol cars was set on fire on Dec. 7 in Spring Hill, Florida, WTSP-TV reported. As officers looked over the scene, Tarduno walked up and confessed to being the arsonist, saying he “had been drinking at a bar ... and decided he’d like to set it on fire.” Tarduno placed a bag of garbage under the patrol vehicle and used a lighter to set it ablaze, police said. Tarduno admitted to detectives that when he gets drunk, he does “stupid things.”

Ewwww

Muscle Shoals, Alabama, experienced a thunderstorm on Dec. 10 that brought more than lightning and heavy rain, WHNT-TV reported. The city’s utility board manager, James Vance, said lightning struck controls at a sewer pump station, which allowed almost 2,000 gallons of sewage to flow into the streets of the Camden Cove subdivision. The sludge eventually flowed into a stormwater retention pond, and utility crews were able to clean up the mess.

Send weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

Vaporizing Beyond Cannabis

Harmonizing your inhalations with the power of medicinal herbs

By Josh Williams from Greenthread Apothecary

WHICH HERBS CAN I VAPORIZE?

This is a question I get asked a lot. When people learn that many of our medicinal herbs can be consumed, their eyes light up and suddenly a new world of possibility opens up. While many herbs can be safely and effectively vaporized for both flavor and effect, there are some that are an absolute pass.

Herbs that shouldn’t be vaporized include those that are spicy or hot such as Ginger Root, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper, and Clove Buds. Herbs that are unsafe for internal use in most people are also not a good idea to add to your vaping blend: Comfrey Leaf and Arnica Flowers being two important ones to remember. Finally, herbs that have a strong physiological effect on the body should either be avoided in a vaping blend or only worked with under the guidance of a qualified herbalist.

HOW DO I SMOKE/VAPORIZE MEDICINAL HERBS?

If you’re familiar with vaping cannabis or tobacco, you already know what to do! Herbs that have been properly harvested, dried, and stored are generally ready to be consumed using your favorite method. Many whole dried herbs can be packed directly into a pipe, vaporizer, or other apparatus with a bowl. For rolling, I suggest giving your herbal blend a few spins in a clean spice grinder or blender to even out the texture and get rid of any bits of larger material. Scan the QR code to continue reading this article found in the Fall issue of Salt Baked City…

for new emails 41. “____! Humbug!” 42. 39.37 inches 43. ____ und Drang 44. Quick-witted 46. Spearheaded 47. Arm of the Mediterranean 49. Seismic event 51. Field of Jean-Luc Godard 54. Atom who directed “The Sweet Hereafter” 57. It’ll make you laugh, hopefully 62. “Super Bass” singer Minaj 63. Lamb Chop puppeteer Lewis 64. Provide (with) 66. Catering vessel 67. How coq may be cooked 68. Feast on a beach, perhaps 69. Fish eggs 70. Queen of ____ (Biblical figure) 71. Fool 72. Low USN rank DOWN 1. Major uncertainty 2. Immune system component

karaoke in an ant costume?

ring ruling, in brief

answers SUDOKU X

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

Icy Times

I

f you’re tired of those song lyrics—

“The weather outside is frightful”— sorry, there’s more snow coming. And let’s all pray for more, more and more to break that drought!

Given the forecast, I have to ask: Are you a good property owner who shovels your sidewalk as soon as the snow lets up? Or are you a lazy one who just lets people trudge through your snow and ice to get to where they’re going?

Salt Lake City and other municipalities have rules about snow removal on public sidewalks that you may be unaware of, but which you’ll learn about if the civil enforcement cops leave a warning or even a ticket because you didn’t shovel after each storm.

Generally, it’s your neighbor who’s going to make a report that your sidewalks aren’t cleared of snow. Then, an enforcement officer may come by and will usually post a warning note on your door knob (at least, for the first infraction). In Salt Lake City, the rules are pretty clear:

• Remove snow from the public sidewalks and curb ramps abutting your property to make a clear path of at least 42 inches wide within 24 hours after snow has ceased falling. Ice shall be removed to bare pavement or made as level as possible and treated with ice melt, sand or similar material.

• You cannot move snow into the street or onto sidewalks from your property.

• You are asked to be good citizens and clear any snow that may be blocking an accessibility ramp, fire hydrant or catch basin.

If you are caught shoveling onto the street, or not shoveling, the officer can give you a warning or a fine, and if you ignore that, you’ll get more fines. If your walks are less than 200 feet long, fines are $50 the first 24 hours and up to $100 for up to 72 hours. If more than 200 feet long, the fines range from $100 to $200, according to City Code 14.20.070.

In Salt Lake City, to report a violation in your neighborhood, phone 801535-7225. Make sure you have the exact address to report and, if it’s a business, the name of the business. You can also go online to report at slc.gov/buildingservices/civil-enforcement or through the SLC Mobile app.

On its website, the city states: “The ordinance protects the safety of every individual in SLC. It is important that the snow be removed from your sidewalk so people are able to walk and ride safely out of vehicular traffic. Under ADA regulations, accessibility to sidewalks for disabled individuals is required.”

Imagine being in a wheelchair or having to use a walker or cane to get from one place to another when the sidewalks are covered in snow and ice—impossible!

And know that if you are a tenant and not the property owner, you are still required by city ordinance to remove the snow and ice from the sidewalks around your property—or be subject to potential fines. The enforcers take photos and rely on citizens to report violations. ■

Engineer – Draper, UT - Execution of enterprise data warehouse dlvry incl. dsgn, dvlpmt, testing, deployment. Collaborate w/data scientists & architects on projects. Maintain/migrate data from traditional dbase systm such a SQL Server to Cloud platforms such as AWS S3, MongoDB. Work on multiple ETL partner/vendor integration projects. Conduct complex data analysis; report results. Prep data for prescriptive & predictive modeling. Coordinate w/testing activities. REQ: MS Comp. Sci. or related + min. 1 yr related exp. Resume: Prestige Financial Services, 351 West Opportunity Way, Draper, UT 84020

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor,” writes Aries author Anne Lamott. “It will keep you cramped and insane.”

I think that’s a key theme for you to embrace in 2023. Let’s express the idea more positively, too. In Navajo culture, rug weavers intentionally create small imperfections in their work, like odd-colored beads or stray pieces of yarn. This rebellion against unattainable exactitude makes the art more soulful. Relieved of the unrealistic mandate to be flawless, the rug can relax into its beauty.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Here are my four decrees for you in 2023, Taurus: 1. You are cleared to be greedy if it’s in service to a holy cause that fosters others’ well-being as well as yours; 2. It’s permissible to be stubborn, if doing so nourishes versions of truth and goodness that uplift and inspire your community; 3. It’s proper to be slow and gradual if that’s the best way to keep collaborative projects from becoming slipshod; 4. It’s righteous to be zealous in upholding high standards, even if that causes less diligent people to bail out.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

In 2023, many interesting lessons will arrive via your close relationships and collaborations. You will have the potential to learn more about the art of togetherness than you have in a long time. On occasion, these lessons may initially agitate you. But they will ultimately provide more pleasure and healing than you can imagine right now. Bonus prediction: You will have an enhanced talent for interweaving your destiny together with the fates of your allies.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Here are some projects I’d love to see you pursue in 2023: 1. Teach your allies the fine points of how to cherish you but not smother you; 2. Cultivate your natural talent for appreciating the joys of watching and helping things grow—a child, a creative project, a tree, a friendship or your bank account; 3. If you don’t feel close to the family members that fate provided you with, find others you like better; 4. As you explore territories that are further out or deeper within, make sure your Cancerian shell is expandable. 5. Avoid being friends with people who are shallow or callous or way too cool; 6. Cultivate your attraction to people who share your deepest feelings and highest ideals.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Mystic teacher Terence McKenna said, “You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.” This will be key advice for you in 2023. You will be wise to craft an updated version of your personal philosophy. I suggest you read a lot of smart people’s ideas about the game of life. Make it your quest to commune with interesting minds who stimulate your deep thoughts. Pluck out the parts that ring true as you create a new vision that is uniquely your own.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

How should we refer to your romantic adventures in 2023, Virgo? We could be whimsical and call them “Ritual Mating Dances on the Outskirts of History.” We could be melodramatic and call them “Diving into the Deep Dark Mysteries in Search of Sexy Treasures.” Or we could be hopeful and call them “A Sacred Pilgrimage to the Frontiers of Intimacy.”

I think there’s a good chance that all three titles will turn out to be apt descriptors of the interesting stories ahead of you—especially if you’re brave as you explore the possibilities ahead of you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

“Coddiwomple” is an English slang word that means to travel resolutely and dynamically toward an as-yet unknown destination. It’s not the same as wandering aimlessly. The prevailing mood is not passivity and vagueness. Rather, one who coddiwomples has a sense of purpose about

Go to

what’s enjoyable and meaningful. They may not have a predetermined goal, but they know what they need and like. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the next six months will be an excellent time for you Libras to experiment with coddiwompling.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

In the theater of ancient Greece, the term anagnorisis referred to a pivotal moment when a character discovered a big truth they had previously been unaware of. Another Greek word, peripeteia , meant a reversal of circumstances: “a change by which the action veers round to its opposite.”

I bring these fun ideas to your attention, dear Scorpio, because I think 2023 could bring you several instances of an anagnorisis leading to a peripeteia How would you like them to unfold? Start making plans. You will have uncanny power to determine which precise parts of your life are gifted with these blessings.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Winters are cold in Olds, a town in Alberta, Canada. Temperatures plunge as low as 24 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But an agronomist named Dong Jianyi has built a giant greenhouse there that enables him to grow vegetables year-round. He spends no money on heat, but relies on innovative insulation to keep the inside warm. In 2021, he grew 29,000 pounds of tomatoes. I propose we make him your inspirational role model for 2023, Sagittarius. My guess is that, like him, you will be a wellspring of imaginative resourcefulness. What creative new developments could you generate? How might you bring greater abundance into your life by drawing extra energy from existing sources? How could you harness nature to serve you even better?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In accordance with your astrological omens in 2023, I’ve chosen a quote from Capricorn storyteller Michael Meade. I hope you will make it one of your core meditations in the coming months. He writes, “All meaningful change requires a genuine surrender. Yet, to surrender does not simply mean to give up; more to give up one’s usual self and allow something other to enter and redeem the lesser sense of self. In surrendering, we fall to the bottom of our arguments and seek to touch the origin of our lives again. Only then can we see as we were meant to see, from the depth of the psyche where the genius resides, where the seeds of wisdom and purpose were planted before we were born.” (The quote is from Meade’s book Fate and Destiny, The Two Agreements of the Soul .)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In addition to my career as a horoscope columnist, I have written novels and other books. I have worked as a singersongwriter in rock bands and performed a one-person show in theaters. As I survey my history, I always break into sardonic laughter as I contemplate how many businesspeople have advised me, “First, you’ve got to sell out. You’ve got to dumb down your creative efforts so as to make yourself salable. Only later, after you have become successful, can you afford to be true to your deepest artistic principles.” I am very glad I never heeded that terrible counsel, because it would have made me insane and unhappy. How are you doing with this central problem of human life, Aquarius? Are you serving the gods of making money or the gods of doing what you love? The coming year will, I suspect, bring you prime opportunities to emphasize the latter goal.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

I’ve chosen a sweet taste of advice for you to keep referring back to in 2023. It’s in rapt alignment with upcoming astrological omens. I suggest you copy my counsel out in longhand on a piece of paper and keep it in your wallet or under your pillow. Here it is, courtesy of author Martha Beck: “The important thing is to tell yourself a life story in which you, the hero, are primarily a problem solver rather than a helpless victim. This is well within your power, whatever fate might have dealt you.”

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