City Weekly December 24, 2020 by Copperfield Publishing

DECEMBER 24, 2020 | VOL. 37

N0. 30

SS O I S NS F OMI ION

Project Censored releases its annual list of news stories that have evaded the light of day. By Paul Rosenberg

CONTENTS COVER STORY

SINS OF OMISSION Project Censored releases its annual list of news stories that have evaded the light of day. By Paul Rosenberg

Cover illustrated by Free Press

6 PRIVATE EYE 18 A&E 23 DINE 30 MUSIC 36 CINEMA 37 COMMUNITY

2 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

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SOAP BOX Think This Year Was Bad? 1968 Was Worse

“2020: The Worst Year Ever,” reads the cover of Time magazine’s December 14 issue. “There have been worse years in U.S. history,” admits author Stephanie Zacharek, but not, to her way of thinking, since World War II. However, Zacharek opines, none but the oldest among us can remember a year nearly as bad. Just how bad a given year was is, of course, a matter of opinion, but Zacharek’s opinion on 2020 strikes me as overwrought in a way that’s becoming increasingly typical of whiny American poorus-ism. Lately, it seems everything has to be described in a superlative manner. Natural disaster. War. Police violence. Political craziness. You name it, we just can’t seem to accept that it’s part of a continuum. Everything

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absolutely, positively must be the mostest or the worstest of its kind, ever. I don’t remember W WII. I don’t even remember 1968. But that particular year lived on in our collective memory, and I remember (and sometimes still see) the shudders of those who lived through it. Some high points: In January, nearly 400 people died, and thousands were injured, in an earthquake in Sicily. North Korean forces seized the USS Pueblo. The Tet Offensive began in Vietnam. In February, police killed three students at a civil rights protest in Orangeburg, South Carolina. In March, American troops murdered somewhere between 350 and 500 unarmed civilians at My Lai in Vietnam. On April 4, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Riots

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ensued. In May, seven weeks of mass unrest began in France, and at least 46 tornadoes struck 10 U.S. states in one night, killing dozens and injuring thousands. In June, Robert Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles. July saw the first recorded cases in the 1968 H3N2 flu epidemic, which killed somewhere between 1 million and 4 million worldwide and as many as 100,000 in the United States (no, not as many as COVID-19, but the population of the U.S. was less than two-thirds of what it is now). It also saw four days of rioting in Cleveland, Ohio, after a four-hour gun battle between police and the Black Nationalists of New Libya left seven dead. In August, more than 200 died in an earthquake in the Philippines, the Soviet Union

invaded Czechoslovakia and police rioted at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, abducting and injuring hundreds. In October, soldiers opened fire on a protest in Mexico City, killing between 350 and 400, and 30 years of “The Troubles” kicked off after police in Derry, (Northern) Ireland, truncheoned civil rights protesters. Yes, 2020 has been a pretty crappy year, but let’s try to keep a little perspective here. There’s never been a year that some people didn’t think—at the time—was the worst ever. And even if you can’t think of a single good thing about 2020 right now, I can point at least one out for you: It’s almost over.

THOMAS L. KNAPP The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism

THE BOX

What is the worst present you’ve received under the Christmas tree? Pete Saltas Check in the living room. Whatever it is, it’s probably still there. Jackie Briggs My boyfriend painted a rock and put a leash on it … I had asked for a pug. Barbara Pavlinch A Pope Toaster Charley Cayias Chia Pet Patty Pecora An ice cream scoop and the handle was the shape of a pig. To be fair, it was a white elephant exchange. Kara Rhodes A Cinderella toothbrush holder ... I was 16. Gee, thanks. John Saltas A George Foreman grill Scott Renshaw I don’t know if I’ve just been that lucky, but I can’t remember a “boy, that sucks” gift. Or maybe it’s just my positive outlook on life. Kelly Boyce The absence of one from an ex “because she didn’t think we were doing gifts.” We didn’t make it to the New Year. Derek Carlisle A peasant shirt with leather strings to tie up the chest. Just cause I grew out the beard doesn’t mean I wanna get a summer job at the Shakespearean festival. Jesus! Jerre Wroble I’m having trouble remembering a bad gift that I received, but I know I’ve given a few in my time. One time the family drew names, and I gave my brother a bonsai tree that he had to drive a half hour to a nursery to pick up. Plants were not his thing and of course, it soon died.

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B Y J O H N S A LT A S

PRIVATE EY

Clowning Around I

n just a couple days it will be Christmas, a far different Christmas than just one year ago. Last year many of us prayed that a good and decent 2020 would be the best of all Christmas gifts, that we all might be another year closer to the greater America that Donald Trump boasted about but that he failed so miserably to make happen. Those prayers asked to take us safely through one more terrible year of Trump fanaticism, then to any kind of sanity that followed his mess of a presidency. Any kind of sanity is a loose ambition. Should another government circus follow Trump, even the clown show within it would be better than what Trump has been—the tiger that ate half of Siegfried and Roy. The trouble with clowns, though, is that some people adore them while others are fully frightened of them. When the clown genre includes kiddie friendly clowns like Bozo the Clown or Ronald McDonald but also reaches into the terror spectrum with Pennywise or John Wayne Gacy, it’s no wonder that clowns take the blame for nearly everything. Trump himself has been called a clown. You know that if you’ve been paying attention to something other than the news feeds and people that worship him, like Fox, OANN, The New York Post, Breitbart and of course, Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Chris Stewart. They love saying they love Trump. I get it. Some people like Pennywise. Lee and Stewart are like those people—just normal everyday Americans who say they love all there is to love about America, but who also stand by and do nothing while clowns kill people. Perfectly normal. Trump is the flesh and blood form of the most conspicu-

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ous clown of all, Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky—Krusty the Clown. Krusty made it to American TV back in 1989—somewhere near the time Trump was buying full page ads calling for the execution of the Central Park Five. Both were honing their devilish and often inept crafts at that time, and somehow both would merge into similar beings. If you were a fan of The Simpsons, you wonder which is the chicken and which is the egg. Some people even wonder if Trump himself were not tuned in because if you just go to the Krusty the Clown wiki, you could say that both lived very nearly the same life. In other words, if you study clowns, you have a good sense of who Trump is. Per Wikipedia, “Krusty is a multimillionaire who has amassed his fortune mostly by licensing his name and image to a variety of substandard products and services.” Ring a bell? Trump Steaks, Trump wine or Trump casinos? Like Trump, Krusty had a lifelong, strained relationship with the father he famously disappointed. As well, “Krusty is a hard-living entertainment veteran, sometimes depicted as a jaded, burned-out has-been who has been down and out several times and remains addicted to gambling, cigarettes, alcohol, Percodan, PeptoBismol and Xanax. He instantly becomes depressed as soon as the cameras stop rolling.” Stories about Trump’s alleged secret addictions are all over the internet (minus the cigarettes, plus the Adderall). Everyone who ever met him agrees he’s a publicity hog, to wit, holding clownish pep rallies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in order fill his need for adulation. When things were going the absolute worst for Krusty— back in 2002, by the way, plenty of time for Trump to copy and practice the move—“Bart convinces Krusty to run for Congress so that Krusty can introduce an airline rerouting bill and stop planes from flying over the Simpsons’ house.

Krusty agrees and runs on the Republican ticket. Although his campaign starts off badly, Lisa suggests that he try connecting with regular families. He does so, resulting in a landslide victory.” I’ll leave it to you to fill in the blanks and connect the dots. Let’s just say we were warned. So here we come to that end of 2020, the year that so many hoped would be their best turned out to be their worst. It’s been a clown show. Just like at the circus, we keep our eye on the clown so we don’t witness the mayhem happening all around. If Trump has any special talent it is that he has learned to keep all the attention on him. He’s been the perfect distraction for all manners of political mayhem, making him the perfect foil for the likes of Mitch McConnell and others who don’t mind one bit wallowing in elephant poop so long as no one is paying attention to what they’re doing as they fulfill their own private agendas. I wouldn’t be the first person to say America has no president, that America is without a leader. America has a bleater, not a leader. So be it. In another few weeks he will be gone from his office, and we will be better off than we have been. The Christmas wishes of 2019 might still happen in 2021. It’s not too late. So, to those who were elected to lead us in the most recent election, my single wish is that you don’t act the clown, you don’t be the clown, you disown the clown. Spencer Cox, Merry Christmas, know who the clowns are in your midst. Mike Lee, Merry Christmas, be a better clown. Chris Stewart, Merry Christmas, wipe off the elephant dung. Burgess Owens, Merry Christmas, nice tackle. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Merry Christmas, end the clown show. We’ve had enough. Really. That show must not go on. To all of you still around after 10 hellacious months: We love you even when no one else seems to. CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net.

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HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

HIT: A Sporting Try

It’s either “better late than never” or “too little, too late” for Spencer Cox. Gephardt Daily put it this way: “In what appeared to be an honest attempt to foster a more civil tone in Utah’s political discourse, the incoming governor wove a masterful narrative in a 14-tweet thread Saturday morning, tying his thoughts on sports, politics, fanaticism and eating broccoli to the last-minute action of Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, on Wednesday, designed to limit school-teacher bonuses to districts that have some form of in-person classes.” Good try. Cox spent considerable time praising House Speaker Wilson, assuming he had the best of intentions in withholding stipends to Salt Lake City schoolteachers because their classes are still online. Still, this has happened too often to support good intentions. The Legislature generally jumps at the chance to punish the liberal stronghold of Salt Lake City—even at Christmastime and during a pandemic. But, thanks for the sentiment, Mr. Cox.

MISS: His Argument Has Holes

There are some 24 million golfers in America, 77 percent of whom are male with an average age of 54—not exactly your wilderness-hiking types. How many of these testosterone-packed sportsmen will be going to Kane County whose natural wonders far outpace any groomed, grassy and thirsty golf course? This is just one of the questions facing the Kane County Water Conservancy District, run by former lawmaker and rural booster Mike Noel. He wants the district to foot the bill for 18 holes of fun in this water-starved region of Utah, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Noel claimed recreation was part of the district’s mission, which it is not, and that it will bring more tourism to Kane, which is doubtful. But more troubling is whether this is yet another argument for the Lake Powell Pipeline because Kane will need more water.

MISS: Chill the Drill

Everyone knows Utah loves drilling, the environment be damned. The state is so determined to maintain its fossil fuels that there are scarce plans to encourage alternative energy sources. And so, it was no surprise that a statefunded study from the University of Wyoming showed that a development ban from the incoming Biden administration could cost Utah $15 billion over 20 years, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Of course, this assumes a lack of mitigation over those years. Meanwhile, Utah tar sands took a little hit when the BLM’s new state manager called out a conflict of interest by one of their contract employees who also purchased federal oil and gas leases. Still, this was nothing new. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance has been questioning these transactions since 2010. The state needs to start paying attention to our energy future.

CITIZEN REV LT IN A WEEK, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Racial Wealth Gap

Black families are excluded from the opportunities long afforded the white community, and the struggle to understand the reasons persists. “Nearly 250 years of slavery followed by relentless oppression, discriminatory policies and deliberate exclusion from opportunities such as the GI Bill and key aspects of the New Deal have made wealth accumulation for the Black population virtually impossible,” say organizers of Washington Post Live, a new streaming service. Typically, in the United States, Black families have just one-tenth the wealth of white families. Thought leaders and scholars try to address this inequality in The Future Reset: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap. Virtual, any time, free. http://wapo.st/2J7SjIQ

Insights into the Universe

Maybe this sounds a bit new-agey, but Secrets of the Periodic Table of Elements could just offer insights into the universe and the world we live in. You may not be much of a scientist, but here’s a fun fact: There are only 92 different types of atoms found in nature, and we all are made up of them. This is one of a weekly open and civil discussion on moral philosophy, science, religion, politics, current events and more. Virtual, Sunday, Dec. 27, 6:30 p.m., free. https://discord.gg/JEbtd29

Vigil for Lives Lost

The year 2020 has been like no other, especially with the lives lost during the pandemic, racial violence and natural disasters. Join your community and those across the nation at Jordan Park COVID Candlelight Vigil to celebrate life and unity and to remember those who died from COVID-19, a loss in the U.S. of more than 311,000 since the pandemic began. Organizers promise COVID safety procedures, free food, entertainment and testimonials. “This is our chance to say we are not just numbers—we are people!” Jordan Park, 1000 S. 900 West, Thursday, Dec. 24, 3 p.m., free. http://bit.ly/2WFSsGF

Blood Drive

While the Red Cross always needs blood donations, the need is greater than ever during the COVID-19 emergency. In fact, there is less than a five-day supply on hand, even as cases rise and hospitalizations increase. Blood centers are keeping donors safe and encourage participation. Join ARUP Blood Services at one of their two donor centers during the Christmas Eve Blood Drive and receive a free stocking stuffer gift. There will be another drive on New Year’s Eve where you can receive a $10 Sonic gift card. ARUP, 9786 S. 500 West, Sandy, or 565 Komas Drive, Building 560, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., free. http://bit.ly/3mDAtv2

—KATHARINE BIELE

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SINS OF OMISSION Project Censored releases its annual list of news stories that have evaded the light of day. By Paul Rosenberg

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a chapter devoted to “Déjà Vu News,” tracking previous Project Censored stories to update them and track whether they’ve gained some of the wider attention they deserve. And the chapter Media Democracy in Action highlights individuals and organizations engaged in building a more inclusive, equitable, and democratic society. City Weekly will publish a Top 10 summary of stories in a total of three issues. If the summaries leave you hungry for more, Project Censored has all that and more waiting for you in State of the Free Press 2021.

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Consulting, which has been heavily involved in climate disinformation warfare. These stories are only part of what Project Censored does. The book’s other chapters are devoted to other forms of obfuscation that help keep censored stories obscured. There’s a chapter devoted to “Junk Food News,” meaning cheaply produced, stories focused on celebrityhood, industry-generated buzz and other trivia in place of substantive investigative journalism, and another devoted to “News Abuse,” meaning genuinely important topics presented through a distorted lens or two. There’s also

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very year since 1976, Project Censored has performed an invaluable service—shedding light on the most significant news that’s somehow not fit to print. Censorship in an authoritarian society is obvious, from a distance, at least. There is a central agent or agency responsible for it, and the lines are clearly drawn. That’s not the case in America, yet some stories rarely, if ever, see the light of day, such as stories about violence against Native American women and girls, even though four out of five of them experience violence at some point in their lives, overwhelmingly at the hands of nonNative perpetrators. “I wouldn’t say that we’re more vulnerable,” Annita Lucchesi, a Southern Cheyenne descendant and executive director of the Sovereign Bodies Institute, told The Guardian. “I’d say that we’re targeted. It’s not about us being vulnerable victims, it’s about the system being designed to target and marginalize our women.” And, the media erasure of their stories is part of that same system of targeting and marginalization. While journalists everyday work hard to expose injustices, they work within a system where some injustices are so deeply baked in that stories exposing them are rarely told and even more rarely expanded upon to give them their proper due. That’s where Project Censored comes in. “The primary purpose of Project Censored is to explore and publicize the extent of news censorship in our society by locating stories about significant issues of which the public should be aware, but is not, for a variety of reasons,” wrote its founder Carl Jensen on its 20th anniversary. Thus, the list of censored stories that’s the centerpiece of its annual book, State of the Free Press 2021 doesn’t just help us to see individual stories we might otherwise have missed. It helps us see patterns—patterns of censorship and suppressed stories, and patterns of how those stories fit together. This year, for example, among its top 10 stories there are two stories about violence and victimization of women of color, including the role of media neglect. There are similarities as well as differences between them and being able to see them both together in the following list helps us see them as distinct yet connected stories. There are also three stories concerning the media itself and two involving climate change and their overlooked causes and risks while a third had a climate change component—senators’ fossil fuel investments. Two are related to income inequality. There are also further climate change threads woven through these stories—a highlighted connection between the extractive fossil fuel industry and violence against Native women, as well as an unmentioned connection via Monsanto’s employment of FTI

“Four in five Native women experience violence at some time in their lives.” —the National Institute of Justice

SARAH ARNOFF

“In June 2019, the Canadian National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its final report, which received widespread news coverage in the United States,” Project Censored notes. “U.S. corporate news outlets have provided nearly nothing in the way of reporting on missing and murdered Indigenous women in the United States.” That’s despite a problem of similar dimensions, and complexity, along with the election of the first two Native American congresswomen, Deb Haaland (who’s since been nominated as Biden’s Secretary of the Interior) and Sharice Davids, who, Ms. Magazine reported, “are supporting two bills that would address the federal government’s failure to track and respond to violence against Indigenous women [and] are supported by a mass movement in the U.S. and Canada raising an alarm about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).” Four in five Native women experience violence at some time in their lives, according to a 2016 survey by the National Institute of Justice, cited in an August 2019 Think Progress report. “About nine in 10 Native American rape or sexual-assault victims had assailants who were white or Black,” according to a 1999 Justice Department report. “Although the number of Native Americans murdered or missing in 2016 exceeded 3,000—roughly the number of people who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack—the Justice Department’s missing persons database logged only 116 cases that year,” Think Progress noted. “The sheer scale of the violence against Native women and the abysmal failure by the government to adequately address it, explains why the issue was given such prominence during this week’s presidential candidates’ forum in Sioux City—the first to focus entirely on Native American issues.” But even that didn’t grab media attention. There are multiple complicating factors in reporting, tracking, investigating and prosecuting, which were explored in coverage by The Guardian and Yes! Magazine, as well as Ms. and Think Progress. “Campaigners, including the Sovereign Bodies Institute, the Brave Heart Society and the Urban Indian Health Institute, identify aspects of systemic racism—including the indelible legacies of settler colonialism, issues with law enforcement, a lack of reliable and comprehensive data, and flawed policymaking—as deep-rooted sources of the crisis,” Project Censored summed up. “As YES! Magazine reported, tribal communities in the United States often lack jurisdiction to respond to crimes.” This was partially remedied in the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, known as VAWA, but “it left sex trafficking and other forms of sexual violence outside tribal jurisdiction, YES! Magazine reported.” The House voted to expand tribal jurisdiction in such cases in its 2019 VAWA reauthorization, but, Ms. reported, “The bill is now languishing in the Senate, where Republicans have so far blocked a vote.” Another facet of the problem explored by Yes! is the connection between the extractive fossil fuel industry and violence against Native women. The Canadian report “showed a strong link between extraction zones on the missing and murdered women crisis in Canada,” Yes! noted. “It specifically cited rotational shift work, sexual harassment in the workplace, substance abuse, economic insecurity and a largely transient workforce as contributing to increased violence against Native women in communities near fossil fuel infrastructure.” “It creates this culture of using and abuse,” said Annita Lucchesi, executive director of the Sovereign Bodies Institute. “If you can use and abuse the water and land, you can use and abuse the people around you, too.” Project Censored concluded, “As a result of limited news coverage, the United States is far from a national reckoning on its crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.”

SARAH ARNOFF

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MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS

UTAHNS KNOW MORE THAN MOST While it’s true that the story has been grossly underreported on a national level, Utahns have benefited from broader coverage, thanks to the efforts of local media—including two cover features in City Weekly and features by Report for America corps member Zak Podmore and others in The Salt Lake Tribune. Thanks to such media accounts and the vital work of activists, nonprofits, state leaders, lawmakers and even the Trump administration, efforts are now underway to better track these cases locally. State Rep. Angela Romero,

D-Salt Lake City, sponsored a 2020 bill creating a task force to address how the state can respond to MMIWG issues. This was after President Trump created a federal task force on the issue in late 2019. Romero also sponsored a resolution that made May 5 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and LGBT+ Awareness Day. In late June 2020, Utah’s U.S. Attorney appointed a coordinator to address underreported violence committed against Native American woman, children and two-spirited people.

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In its fight to avoid liability for causing cancer, the agricultural giant Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) created an “intelligence fusion center” to “monitor and discredit” journalists and activists, Sam Levin reported for The Guardian in August 2019. “More than 18,000 people have filed suit against Monsanto, alleging that exposure to Roundup [weedkiller] caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and that Monsanto covered up the risks by manipulating scientific data and silencing critics,” the Hill summarized. “The company has lost three highprofile cases in the past year, and Bayer is reportedly offering $8 billion to settle all outstanding claims.” “Monsanto adopted a multi-pronged strategy to target Carey Gillam, a Reuters journalist who investigated the company’s weedkiller,” The Guardian reported. This took place while also targeting Neil Young (who released a 2015 record, The Monsanto Years), and creating a massive, multi-million dollar spying and disinformation campaign targeting journalists writing about it, as well as scientists and advocates exposing the risks its product posed. Creating a covert army of seemingly neutral allies to attack its critics was central to Monsanto’s strategy. The Guardian’s report was based on internal documents (primarily from 2015 to 2017) released during trial. They showed that “Monsanto planned a series of ‘actions’ to attack a book authored by Gillam prior to its release, including writing ‘talking points’ for ‘third parties’ to criticize the book and directing ‘industry and farmer customers’ on how to post negative reviews.” In addition, Monsanto paid Google to skew search results promoting criticism of Gilliam’s work on Monsanto, and they discussed strategies for pressuring Reuters with the goal of getting her reassigned. The company “had a ‘Carey Gillam Book’ spreadsheet, with more than 20 actions dedicated to opposing her book before its publication.” They also “wrote a lengthy report about singer Neil Young’s anti-Monsanto advocacy, monitoring his impact on social media, and at one point considering ‘legal action.’” The entire pool of journalists covering the third trial was also targeted in a covert influence operation, Paul Thacker reported for The Huffington Post. A purported “freelancer for the BBC” schmoozed other reporters, trying to steer them toward writing stories critical of the plaintiffs suing Monsanto. Their curiosity aroused, they discovered that “her LinkedIn account said she worked for FTI Consulting, a global business advisory firm that Monsanto and Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, had engaged for consulting,” and she subsequently went into a digital disappearing act. “FTI staff have previously attempted to obtain information under the guise of journalism,” Thacker added. “In January, two FTI consultants working for Western Wire—a ‘news and analysis’ website backed by the oil and gas trade group Western Energy Alliance—attempted to question an attorney who represents communities suing Exxon over climate change.” Nor was FTI alone. “Monsanto has also previously employed shadowy networks of consultants, PR firms, and front groups to spy on and influence reporters,” Thacker wrote. “And all of it appears to be part of a pattern at the company of using a variety of tactics to intimidate, mislead and discredit journalists and critics.” “Monsanto officials were repeatedly worried about the release of documents on their financial relationships with scientists that could support the allegations they were ‘covering up unflattering research,” The Guardian noted. At the same time, they tried to attack critics as “anti-science.” The internal communications added fuel to the ongoing claims in court that Monsanto had, “‘bullied’ critics and scientists and worked to conceal the dangers of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide,” the report summed up. “Monsanto’s campaign to monitor and discredit journalists and other critics has received almost no corporate news coverage,” Project Censored notes. A rare exception was a June 2019 ABC News report that nonetheless “consistently emphasized the perspective of Monsanto and Bayer.”

DREAMSTIME

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14 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

MONSANTO “INTELLIGENCE CENTER” TARGETED JOURNALISTS AND ACTIVISTS

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Your favorite garden center since 1955 3500 South 900 East | 801.487.4131

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Christmas trees, wreaths, garland, creative gifts, plants and gift cards

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A Great Christmas

16 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

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DREAMSTIME

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The U.S. military is ‘one of the largest polluters in history, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more climate-changing gases than most mediumsize countries.’ —Hidden Carbon Costs of the Everywhere War study

U.S. MILITARY—A MASSIVE, HIDDEN CONTRIBUTOR TO CLIMATE CRISIS

It’s said that an army travels on its stomach, but the Army itself has said, “Fuel is the ‘blood of the military,’” as quoted in a study “Hidden Carbon Costs of the Everywhere War,” by Oliver Belcher, Patrick Bigger, Ben Neimark and Cara Kennelly, who subsequently summarized their findings for The Conversation in June 2019. The U.S. military is “one of the largest polluters in history, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more climate-changing gases than most medium-size countries,” they wrote. If it were a country, it would rank as “the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.” Studies of greenhouse gas emissions usually focus on civilian use, but the U.S. military has a larger carbon footprint than any civilian corporation in the world. “The U.S. military’s climate policy remains fundamentally contradictory,” their study notes. On the one hand, “The U.S. military sees climate change as a ‘threat multiplier,’ or a condition that will exacerbate other threats, and is fast becoming one of the leading federal agencies in the United States to invest in research and adoption of renewable energy [but] it

remains the largest single institutional consumer of hydrocarbons in the world [and] this dependence on fossil fuels is unlikely to change as the USA continues to pursue open‐ended operations around the globe.” While the military has invested in developing biofuels, “the entire point of these fuels is that they are ‘drop‐in’—they can be used in existing military kit— which means that, whenever convenient or cheaper, the infrastructure is already in place to undo whatever marginal gains have been made in decarbonisation.” Things will only get worse. “There is no shortage of evidence that the climate is on the brink of irreversible tipping points,” the study notes. “Once past those tipping points, the impacts of climate change will continue to be more intense, prolonged and widespread, giving cover to even more extensive U.S. military interventions.” Understanding the military’s climate impact requires a systems approach. “We argue that to account for the U.S. military as a major climate actor, one must understand the logistical supply chain that makes its acquisition and consumption of hydrocarbon‐based fuels possible,” the study states. “We show several ‘path dependencies’—warfighting paradigms, weapons systems, bureaucratic requirements and waste—that are put in place by military supply chains and undergird a heavy reliance on carbon‐based fuels by the U.S. military for years to come.”

Data for their study was difficult to get. “A loophole in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol exempted the United States from reporting military emissions,” Project Censored explains. “Although the Paris Accord closed this loophole, Neimark, Belcher and Bigger noted that, ‘with the Trump administration due to withdraw from the accord in 2020, this gap … will return.’” They only obtained fuel purchase data through multiple Freedom of Information Act requests. Finally, Project Censored concluded: “Noting that ‘action on climate change demands shuttering vast sections of the military machine,’ Neimark, Belcher, and Bigger recommended that ‘money spent procuring and distributing fuel across the U.S. empire’ be reinvested as ‘a peace dividend, helping to fund a Green New Deal in whatever form it might take.’” Not surprisingly, the report had received “little to no corporate news coverage” as of May 2020 beyond scattered republication their Conversation piece.

This is Week 1 of a three-part feature. Author Paul Rosenberg is an activist turned journalist who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Al Jazeera English, salon.com and numerous other periodicals. He has worked as an editor at Random Lengths News since 2002. Send comments to editor@cityweekly.net.

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DECEMBER 24, 2020 | 17

Scolamiero says via press release. “Our classic version of The Nutcracker will provide the entertainment and inspiration that many will need, especially since gatherings with extended family and friends are strongly discouraged.” Support of Ballet West, however, is strongly encouraged, and those who plan to enjoy the broadcast performance can help keep the company strong by visiting balletwest. org to make a donation, or buy tickets for a scheduled upcoming 2021 production. (Scott Renshaw)

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve missed performances by organizations we’re all familiar with, and love. One upside of this terrible time, however, has been the opportunity to get acquainted with performing arts groups you might never have known about previously, thanks to the chance to catch their performances online. And while those of us along the Wasatch Front have plenty of great symphonic and choral music right in our backyard, you should also know about the relative newcomers from up north: the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra. Founded in 2008 by Dr. Craig Jessop, the Logan-based AFCO brings its performances and educational programs mostly to Northern Utah. This holiday season, however, the groups traditional annual holiday show has moved online for a “Christmas from Home.” The program is scheduled to include carols and other seasonal favorites including “I Saw Three Ships,” “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night,” plus USU Piano

From Michael McDonald to Third Eye Blind, it’s a goofy celebration of popular songcraft across genres, all delivered with Marcus & Guy’s wildly entertaining comedic punch. Take a post-holiday break by catching up with Marcus & Guy at Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West, wiseguyscomedy.com) on Dec. 26, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., $20 per ticket. Wiseguys continues to limit seating for safe social distancing of audience parties, and we’re all ready to send 2020 on its way with an evening of laughter. (SR)

The Grand Theatre Online: Estella Scrooge

Department faculty Kevin Olson and Cahill Smith performing a piano duet version of “Sleigh Ride.” Viewers will also get a performance of Kurt Bestor’s “Ding Dong Merrily on High” featuring the Highpoint Clydesdales, a preview video of 2021 Christmas guest artist Octave, and even a visit from Santa Claus himself. The link to the performance will be available through Jan. 3 at americanfestivalchorus. org. While the performance is offered free of charge, you can also donate at the AFCO website, and show your appreciation for this fantastic dose of holiday-season spirit offered directly to you, wherever you happen to be. (SR)

Necessity, we are so often told, is the mother of invention—and that’s certainly been true for theater professionals during this pandemic. New modes of storytelling have been created to bring stories to audiences where they are, combining new technology with the fundamentals of theater. So it’s fitting that a new version of one of the most tried-and-true Christmas tales is also using innovative virtual methods to say “God bless us, every one.” Estella Scrooge, as the title might indicate, offers a spin on Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol, with the modern-day equivalent of the miserly Victorian-era banker in a contemporary Wall Street tycoon (Betsy Wolfe) who happens to be an ancestor of the infamous Ebenezer. The narrative, created by Tony Award-nominated composer Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre) and Tony Award-winning director John Caird (the original Broadway production of Les Misérables), employs cutting-edge green-screen production, animation

COURTESY PHOTO

AFCO Christmas from Home

When you live in “flyover country,” it’s easy to think that all the great entertainment comes from the coasts. We should take a little more time to appreciate our home-grown talent, particularly in the rich local comedy scene. And while it continues to produce new funny voices, we shouldn’t sleep on terrific veterans like Marcus & Guy. Before 2012, Marcus Hardy and Guy Siedel weren’t Marcus & Guy, but simply two stalwarts of the Utah comedy scene who had managed some success on the national level, including Marcus’s appearance on Last Comic Standing. But they discovered that their shared love and deep knowledge of music made them a perfect pairing, leading to the creation of a duo act that takes advantage of Siedel’s skills on the guitar and Marcus’s “man of a thousand voices” impression talents. The resulting show is constantly changing, yet consistent in finding humor in musical notions like, as Marcus puts it, “no matter what you think you like, and what you think you don’t like, you’re wrong—it’s all the same.”

COURTESY PHOTO

BEAU PEARSON

This strange year’s strange holiday season might feel a little less strange with some familiar entertainment as part of it. While the closure of Salt Lake County arts venues forced the cancellation of Ballet West’s beloved annual production of The Nutcracker, those who have made it a tradition for all or part of its 65-year history can still get a dose thanks to a first-ever broadcast presentation. In partnership with KSL-TV, Ballet West will present The Nutcracker commercial-free on three nights—Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1—beginning at 5:30 p.m. MT, and subsequently available to stream on KSL’s free app. Those who grew up with the story in any of its many forms know and love E.T.A. Hoffman’s story of a young girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve to battle the Mouse King. The familiar, beautiful music of Tchaikovsky is set to the legendary choreography of Ballet West co-founder William Christensen. “There is no more important time to give this gift to our community than now,” Ballet West Executive Director Michael

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Marcus & Guy

Ballet West’s The Nutcracker KSL broadcast

COURTESY PHOTO

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18 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

ESSENTIALS

the

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, DECEMBER 24-30, 2020

and other digital tricks to enhance the recorded live performances of a supporting cast including Tony Award nominees Danny Burstein, Lauren Patten, Patrick Page and Carolee Carmello. And just in case you still think it’s just another A Christmas Carol, the original songs are combined with a lively Dickens mash-up that also includes elements of stories like Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House. Locally, this world-premiere musical event is presented by The Grand Theatre, with tickets ranging from $22.99-$44.99 available through Dec. 31 via grandtheatrecompany.com. Wrap up your holiday season with an intriguing interpretation of a classic tale about humanity and compassion. (SR)

Get Well Soon

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DECEMBER 24, 2020 | 19

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Plan now to support performing arts as they return to action next year. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

or all of us, 2020 has been a test of our resilience—and for performing arts organizations, even more so. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of most in-person productions, and while some groups were able to find resourceful ways to provide entertainment to audiences, many have faced unprecedented financial strains without people buying tickets for physical seats. While it’s true that, even with the introduction of the vaccine, much remains uncertain about 2021, plenty of organizations are planning with fingers crossed that they’ll be able to invite spectators into their physical spaces. Whether you’re looking for a last-second Christmas gift or a way to show your financial support for these groups that have endured so much, you can buy tickets now for a number of planned productions. Be sure to check out individual companies’ policies about possible postponements, and take a look at some of the things you can look forward to enjoying once this miserable year is in the rearview mirror. Ballet West: While the beloved annual production of The Nutcracker could not take place (see Essentials, p. ??), the company still plans for in-person productions after the first of the year, with a bit of a Shakespeare focus. February brings Michael

A&E

TDK

Ready for 2021

Smuin’s Romeo & Juliet and its beautiful Sergei Prokofiev score, while the April offering of Bolero & The Dream is a doublefeature including Sir Frederick Ashton’s Victorian-era re-telling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In May, the National Choreographic Festival returns with cuttingedge new works. While individual tickets are not available at press time, visit balletwest.org for season ticket options. Pioneer Theatre Company: The company has been staying busy in 2020 offering its limited-edition masks created from production costumes, and unique digital offerings. A shortened season is planned beginning with Something Rotten! (Feb. 19-March 16), the comedic tale of Shakespeare-era writers who decide to create the musical theater genre. Later in the spring comes the world-premiere of Ellen Simon’s Ass (March 26-April 10), about the relationship between a brilliant, ailing and illbehaved sculptor and his family members, followed by the successful Broadway musical version of the hit movie comedy Legally Blonde (May 7-22). Tickets for individual performances are not yet available at press time, but season tickets are available at pioneertheatre.org. Plan-B Theatre Company: Beginning from the uncertainty surrounding live theater heading into 2021, Plan-B took advantage of its long history producing radio drama for a unique season of audio-only productions by local playwrights. P.G. Anon (streaming Feb. 25-March 7) by Julie Jensen addresses issues of reproductive freedom; Matthew Ivan Bennett’s Art & Class (streaming April 15-25) tackles a fact-based story of a teacher whose job is threatened over the definition of “pornography;” and Local Color (streaming June 3-13) presents short works by Tatiana Christian, Chris Curlett, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin and Tito Livas. Full season tickets and individual production tickets are available at planbtheatre.org. Repertory Dance Theatre: Virtual dance has been coming from RDT throughout the fall, and early 2021 events including

Salt Lake Acting Company’s Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet Emerge and Regalia are currently planned for streaming presentation. As of now, the spring production Homage (April 17-19)— celebrating work by choreographers including Doris Humphrey, José Limón and Lar Lubovitch—is planned as an in-person performance, though a virtual option will also be available to those who are not yet ready to return to live venues. Tickets are available now at rdtutah.org. Salt Lake Acting Company: The veteran company has been providing digital content to kick off its “49-3/4” anniversary season, but plans to move into a live/streaming hybrid model for productions beginning in the spring. Originally planned for March 2020, the world premiere of Elaine Jarvik’s Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet (March 24-May 2) offers a speculative drama about what happens when Susan B. Anthony visits the widow of abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass on the day after his death in 1895, exploring the complex intersection of two social-justice movements. Also on

the docket: the National New Play Network rolling premiere of Audrey Cefaley’s southern comedy Alabaster (May 5-June 6) and the all-new immersive summer presentation #SLACabaret (July 14-Aug. 15). Individual tickets are available at saltlakeactingcompany.org or 801-363-7522. Utah Shakespeare Festival: Cedar City’s award-winning showcase cancelled its 2020 season, but heads into its 60th anniversary in 2021 ready for an amazing lineup. Shakespeare works on the schedule include Pericles, Cymbeline, the tragedy of Richard III and the classic mistaken-identity farce of The Comedy of Errors. That roster is complemented by a pair of celebrated musicals—The Pirates of Penzance and Ragtime—as well as Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel and the scary(ish) spin The Comedy of Terrors. The new Words Cubed program also offers a chance to see workshop versions of new plays and engage in feedback with creators. Season tickets and individual show tickets are available now at bard. org. CW

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Tasty takeout options for families great and small BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

DECEMBER 24, 2020 | 23

I can safely say that we’ll be hitting up at least one of the following local joints for some yuletide eats. Saffron Circle (4594 W. Partridge Hill Lane #140, Riverton, 801-206-4115, saffronvalley.com): While you could get consistently flavorful and aromatic Indian food from any Saffron Valley location, Saffron Circle’s Curry Combo ($34.99) has been one of my go-to takeout picks. This dinner-for-two option comes with two curries of your choice, two

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In order to adapt to this horrific new reality, restaurants found themselves pivoting to the curbside pickup model with varying degrees of success. The establishments that were most impressive were those who could whip up and package family-sized meals for the grab-and-go crowd—something I’ve come to rely on as a way to both support our local restaurants and enjoy some gourmet food with my family. With yet another round of holidays upon us,

families, Red Maple’s family dinners are fixed menu all-stars filled with dishes like clams in black bean sauce or golden pumpkin seafood soup. This place is great for those after something fast, delicious and generous with their portion sizes. Provisions ( 3364 S. 2300 East, 801-410-4046, slcprovisions.com): When you’re looking to capture the fine dining experience at home, the team at Provisions has some nifty ideas up their sleeve. When you land on their homepage, a welcoming pop-up briefs you on their daily take-home special ($20). It’s always a three-course meal, but the courses change from, for example, grilled organic salmon to braised Kurobuta pork shank. While you’ll want to order one of these per interested party, the food tastes just as good as if you were to get it served up tableside. I recently got the aforementioned pork shank—complete with sweet potato puree and braised kale—and it was a tender, lovingly-prepared entrée that didn’t seem to lose any of its flair during the drive home. Takeout dining has been a tricky beast to tame for most fine dining establishments, but Provisions seems to be leaning into the versatility that has made it into one of Salt Lake’s most fascinating destinations. CW

n the nine—or nine hundred—months that have passed since we’ve been locked in the unforgiving grip of a massive pandemic, our relationship with takeout has changed considerably. What was once something we did out of a desire for convenience became a fight to preserve our favorite restaurants, while limiting our own contact with the outside world.

buttress yourselves against the icy weather. One thing we cannot do without is an order of Golden Splendor, Sauce Boss’s luxurious heap of pasta shells and thick, melty cheese. Oh, and that cornbread. In retrospect, slice is not an accurate term—they’re straight up wedges of cornbread slathered in gooey honey butter. This is what you want when winter is trying to kick down your door. Red Maple (2882 W. 4700 South, 801-747-2888, redmaplechinese.com): The team at Red Maple is no stranger to the takeout crowd. Their menu is packed with such a wide variety of a la carte options that it’s easy to get something for everyone at this local Chinese favorite. However, when you and the people you’ve holed up need a bit of handholding when it comes to making a decision, Red Maple’s Chinese Cuisines for Two ($35.95) give you a well-curated choice of appetizers and entrees. The dim sum sampler is always an excellent pick in the appetizer arena, since it includes a tasting menu of Red Maple’s most popular dim sum items. Any of the traditional entrees are great bets here, but there’s enough variety with options like the Dragon and Phoenix, a heavenly combo of chicken and prawns stir fried in one of Red Maple’s many special sauces. For bigger

Family Style

orders of naan and two veggie samosas. The protein and curry mix is completely up to you, but I’m a sucker for the saag with paneer and the coconut korma with chicken. Something about the chopped and stewed greens that make up Saffron Circle’s saag and the cubes of mildly flavored paneer cheese hits all the comfort food bases for me, and the creamy coconut korma livens up the flavor of tender roasted chicken. I’ve lately been veering into the smoky depths of Saffron Circle’s Chettinad curry; its heavy notes of anise pair well with just about any protein on the menu. Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen (877 E. 12300 South, Draper, 385-4342433, saucebosssouthernkitchen.com): Every so often, you need a takeout meal that just whacks you over the head with cheesy, buttery and deepfried goodness. When you’re in that kind of mood, it’s time to snag one of this Draper favorite’s family meals. They come in different tiers based on the protein—pork chops are $40, chicken fried chicken is $45 and catfish is $55—and they come with two large sides and six slices of their thick cornbread. It’s a tough call between the pork chops and the chicken fried chicken for me and my family, because they’re both hearty proteins that stick to the bones and help you

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ALEX SPRINGER

Family meal from Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen

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Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: Coffee Kolsch (with Mindful Coffee beans)

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: GULB 2020

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Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: Fresh Brewed UPA

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24 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com On Tap: Feelin’ Hazy

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

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Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Beehive Brown Hoppers Grill and Brewing 890 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale HoppersBrewPub.com Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Barleywine Alei

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

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com

Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com

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

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Dunkel Lager

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: Foreign Gentleman: Stout with La Barba Coffee

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Udder Chaos Chocolate Milk Stout

Red Rock Brewing Multiple Locations RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Secale

Toasted Barrel Brewery 412 W. 600 North, SLC ToastedBarrelBrewery.com

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Project Porter

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Son of a Peach Hefe

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Barrel Aged Imperial Dirty Chai Stout

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

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Barrel-Aged Lowrider Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Peach Cobbler

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

BEER NERD

Two hop-forward ales to brighten the holidays BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

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creamy or oily, just smooth. Overall: This is the first IPA and canned beer to come from Desert Edge since the brewery opened in Trolley Square in 1995 (The Pub has been there since 1972). I knew this would be a winner because of head brewer Chad Krussel’s knack for tasty pale ales. This is really a nice beer—not a super-hoppy assault on the taste buds, but a nicely balanced, crisp and fresh tasting IPA. While it might not be something a hazy devotee is likely to go nuts over, I find it quite refreshing and very drinkable. Policy Kings - 01-01-01 IPA: Unless you rouse the can, you’re likely not going to get all of the suspended matter that you may want from this hazy IPA. The smell of the brew offers citrus sweetness of tangerine and orange, along with a decent showing of a grapefruit citrus hop. Along with these notes comes a little bit of pine and herbal hop, and a touch of a floral aroma. The taste begins with a nice, heavy grapefruit hop taste that is balanced by some orange citrus sweetness and a bit of a biscuit malt flavor. As the taste advances, a decent hit of pine and herbal hop comes to the tongue. While these are lighter than the grapefruit up front, they grow strong in nature as the taste advances, and soon surpass the grapefruit hops in intensity. With a touch of hay that comes at the very end of the taste, one is left with a nice, semi-crisp and decently hopped taste to linger on the tongue. The body of the 7.6 percent brew is average to slightly heavier in creaminess, with a carbonation level that is average. Overall: A nice hazy IPA with a bit of citrus hop and sweetness matched by some more dank hops to create a flavorful beer, making for an easy drinker. As Desert Edge hasn’t acquired their package agency license yet from the state, their 2020 IPA won’t be available for to-go sales; you’ll have to enjoy them at the pub in Trolley Square. Policy Kings’ 01-01-01 IPA is only available at the Cedar City brew pub; the family down south will appreciate the stop as you head down for the holidays. As always, cheers—and happy holidays! CW

here’s been an onslaught of heavy, boozy beers over the last couple of weeks. The “winter warmers,” as they are known, are designed for the holidays and for the seasonal cold that we’re currently experiencing. To help break up the heaviness, I thought I’d throw in two hop-forward beers to help break up the monotony of this very atypical holiday season. Both are from breweries that have never packaged in cans before. I hope you seek them out. Desert Edge - 2020 IPA: Pours a pretty, clear, golden amber color with just a touch of chill haze. The two inches of creamy offwhite head are fluffy and keep quite well. The aroma is bright and floral, with a lemon note particularly apparent. It has a zesty sort of citrus quality, with some grapefruit as well. The palate is also very pleasant, with citrus and a nice amount of hop flavor to begin. It’s lemony and grapefruity, a zesty and crisp flavor that’s not overly pithy or bitter, but not juicy-sweet either. There is some grassy flavor here, too, as well as a light malt sweetness—not caramel-like, but more akin to a light pale sweetness with a touch of biscuit as well. Hop bitterness is moderate, and it’s well-balanced for an IPA. Mouthfeel is a light-medium body, crisp and smooth. It’s pretty clean in the finish for a 7.0 percent IPA, with not a lot of lasting bitterness. The result is not overly

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Eight Settlers Distillery Opens

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After many years spent operating a sports bar in California, Utah locals Katia and Radu Dugala recently opened Eight Settlers Distillery (7321 South Canyon Centre Parkway, Cottonwood Heights, 385-9004315, eightsettlersdistillery.com). According to the new distillery’s website, Radu grew up distilling spirits with his grandfather in Romania, where his family hails from. The Dugalas have cultivated a dream of opening their own distillery, and after doing a bit of research on the founding of Cottonwood Heights, they decided it would be the ideal place to do so. Eight Settlers Distillery also has a restaurant that features a tantalizing array of proteins—from duck breast to grouper— and it also has a fully stocked wine and spirits menu. The beautiful space includes indoor and outdoor seating; here’s looking forward to a patio happy hour or two once the weather warms up.

Mint Sushi Expands

Mint Sushi (8391 S. 700 East, 385-434-8022, mintsushiutah.com), one of Sandy’s most chic tapas and sushi joints, recently announced the opening of a second location in Holladay (3158 E. 6200 South). Mint has made a name for itself on the Utah food scene with its wide range of diverse small plates such as baked mussels, fried shishito peppers and octopus carpaccio, along with its legendary ten-course tasting and wine pairing, which is a sampling of whatever Chef Soy decides to plate up for you (hint: Each course is a straight up banger). With Holladay’s niche clientele and its designation as a prime apres ski rest stop, Mint Sushi is going to feel right at home here.

Mystique Dining at Gardner Village

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Those of you who have never had the sweetly earnest kitsch of Gardner Village’s (1100 West, 7800 South, West Jordan, 801-566-8903, gardnervillage.com) Mystique Dining are in luck. On Christmas Eve, the Mystique Dining team will transform their dining room into a charming Victorian dream. Diners get a fivecourse dinner served up with intervals of poetry, songs and a culminating magic show led by one of Mystique Dining’s in-house magicians. Fans of the Dickensian Christmas aesthetic will adore the atmosphere and starched-shirt service, and nothing quite compares to rounding out a five-course meal with some flashy stage magic. Tickets are available via Gardner Village’s website. Quote of the Week: “There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!” –Ebenezer Scrooge, to the Ghost of Christmas Past

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Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom-and-pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves. Café Shambala

Salt Lake City lacks a strong presence of Tibetan food—at least so you thought. Café Shambala, embedded in the Avenues, offers a stellar lunch buffet. Patrons get unlimited access to chow mein, lentil soup, momos, spicy tofu, mixed vegetables and other healthy but delicious options. The spicy tofu alone will leave you feeling light, satisfied and longing to return. It will singlehandedly convert avid tofu haters to tofu lovers. Plus, the friendly owners and workers at Café Shambala are constantly smiling and happy to share their special food with you. 382 E. Fourth Ave., 801-364-8558

Cotton Bottom Inn

Whether you’re on your motorcycle or just coming down from shredding the canyons, Holladay’s Cotton Bottom Inn has the burger you need. You might hear from friends the place has one of the best garlic burgers around. Well, they’re not lying. The juicy burger dripping with roasted garlic is served on a square, toasted bun and topped with shredded lettuce, onion and optional cheese. Pair it with a side of chips and a beer and you’ll soon understand the hype. 6200 S. Holladay Blvd., 801-273-9830, cottonbottominn.com

Circle D

You’ve been on the road for hours taking in Utah’s stunning Route 12 and all that dazzling scenery is making you mighty peckish. But where to stop among tiny hamlets dispersed along miles and miles of empty desert? Escalante is your stop, and Circle D will sustain you for the long road ahead. Their burgers are juicy and fresh—the cow on your plate was raised just around the corner at the Flying V Bar Ranch. With 1/3-pound patties, you’ll be set until home, but if you decide on barbecue instead of burgers, you won’t be disappointed. Vegetarian road trippers, fear not. A black bean-burger is available, and there are a number of meat-free pastas and salads. 475 W. Main, Escalante, 435-826-4125, escalantecircledeatery.com

The Park Café

The early bird gets the worm. At The Park Café, they get a table. People line 1300 South daily just to get a seat at the homestyle breakfast and lunch joint. Grab a table inside or on the porch, and treat yourself to what just might be the tastiest breakfast potatoes in the history of spuds. There’s not a bad choice on the menu, but you can’t go wrong with the Odelay omelet (sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheddar cheese) or the fluffy and delectable banana pancakes. 604 E. 1300 South, 801-487-1670, theparkcafeslc.com

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2020’s Sweet Singles A taste of some of the best individual tunes from Utah musicians. BY ERIN MOORE music@cityweekly.net @errrands_

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tah musicians have been putting out a lot of music this year, and that includes singles. So, here is the roundup that spotlights the cream of 2020’s crop. Narrowing it down was hard, but these are the notables—in no particular order, and almost all streaming on Spotify. C.Valenta, Dreebo, “Deep”: Besides the immediately earwormy nature of this song with its dreamy and emotive backing beats, “Deep” finds local rapper C.Valenta and L.A.based artist Dreebo going deep indeed, moving swiftly from themes of ambition to salvation. Besides “making up for lost time, while practicing my patience,” C.Valenta gingerly Detzany Cruel World considers his own mistakes, but other things too, like the nagging question that many artists must fixate on—Would people care about and remember me if I was gone? “Deep” in itself answers that question by being such a memorable track. Savage Daughters, “420 to SLC”: Savage Daughters spin something wicked and angry in this song, a spell achieved with the trio’s typical spare, atmospheric style. They somehow manage to make the 3:45 of “420 to SLC” feel much longer, as they unleash a controlled spiral of haunting psychedelic shoegaze that conveys the feeling of standing alone somewhere very remote, very late at night—anxiety makes outer stillness feel like a storm. That’s what this song manages to sound like. Bly Wallentine, “Don’t Know What To Do (Besides Love)”: A gem among Bly Wallentine’s copious wild music, the single “Don’t Know What To Do (Besides Love)” finds Wallentine experimenting in placing their thoughtful and poetic ruminations on the self— and, particularly here, forgiveness—into a danceable pop format, albeit one that’s still wacky and experimental, as Wallentine’s music tends to be. A departure from Wallentines’s classically-informed work, this song is just more evidence that they are one of Utah’s most eclectically talented songwriters. Cmten, “NEVER MET!”: There’s a reason that the young SLC musician Cmten went viral on TikTok with his song “NEVER MET!” It’s catchy as hell, if you subscribe to the glitch-core alternate universe that has fostered acts like 100 gecs. The only restraint shown by Cmten and his collaborator, Glitch Gum, is on the carefully crafted, lo-fi electronic production. Otherwise, it’s an unabashedly youthful song about how embarrassing it is to get dumped. If you can’t find it online, a scroll through TikTok is another good way to stumble across it. Detzany, “Cruel World”: Sometimes a local puts out a song that sounds like you must have already heard it on the radio, because there’s no way an undiscovered artist could put out something so obviously fantastic. That’s the deal when “Cruel World” by Detzany comes on. The young up-and-comer has been releasing tons of singles this year, but “Cruel World” stands out. Detzany re-

Sophie Blair Don’t Be Like That! ally sweeps the listener away with her soaring, anguished vocals, making her one to watch for sure. Sample her string of singles and cross your fingers for an album soon. Sophie Blair, “Don’t Be Like That!”: For a newly-minted pop queen, Sophie Blair has got some bangers on her side. A one-time member of the folky side of the Provo music scene, she ditched meandering acoustics for pure pop, and it looks good on her. “Don’t Be Like That!” is the crush song for consuming, youthful desire that still makes you roll your eyes at yourself—and Blair turns that emotion into the kind of oh-so catchy song that has real staying power. A powerful signal for a local on the rise, this is the song to turn up loud and dance to alone. Eichlers, “txt me tmrw”: City Weekly profiled the release of Eichlers’ full-length album, which whipped ska and emo rap into an emotional and oftentimes sarcastic puree. Nowhere is that as apparent as on the single “txt me tmrw,” which sounds like American Football got shoved into a blender with riffs that reek of ska’s checkerboard legacy, all with the addition of the blatantly bummed lyricism that’s a hallmark of contemporary emo rap. It slaps, and more importantly, is completely unique. Choir Boy, “Complainer”: After goth-pop locals Choir Boy released their 2016 album Passive With Desire, it was a waiting game for anything new, and there was certainly some anticipation over whether it would maintain the fame they’ve grown internationally. “Complainer” signalled a 2020 album that was just as good, by building on Choir Boy’s synth-pop inclinations, pulsing with new rhythm thanks to the addition of local legend Chaz Costello’s signature basslines. This is high pop for the ghouls and goths. Ivouries, “Take Back”: The 1975 have had a long and far-reaching reign on the world of indie pop, and it’s evident in bands like Ivouries, who take the same kind of emo volcanism and run with it. “Take Back” takes a break from the suave swooning present on the rest of their self-titled EP, instead exploding with catchy, jangly guitar parts and funky basslines that accompany vocalist Jaxon Garrick washing his hands of a flighty lover. Sorry to Garrick for the loss, but at least we got this song out of it. CW

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Earlier this year it was Jay Warren’s sincerest goal to be the first Utah artist to reach No. 1 on the iTunes R&B charts with his 2020 album, Give Love. Turns out he did just that upon the album’s September release, but he’s stayed busy since then. On top of releasing music videos for singles like “Dangerous Thing,” now the local R&B crooner is inviting fans to enjoy Winter with the Warrens. A family affair of easygoing Christmas songs, it’s definitely a welldeserved, indulgent break for Warren, who’s hustled on his original releases throughout the pandemic. It’s also a glimpse at the musical talents of Warren’s other half—his wife, Annie Warren. The EP is not the first time Warren has collaborated with his wife, since the two share a podcast, The Internet’s Mom and Dad, where the parents of two discuss all things domestic bliss and otherwise. So, leaning into the most wholesome of holidays together for this release is a logical next step, and a welcome one for fans of both Christmas music and Warren’s signature smooth musical stylings. Warren’s familiar, soulful voice is contrasted by Annie Warren’s high and sweet contributions on the opening track “Baby It’s Cold Outside”—which the marrieds do easy justice to—and on their popified take on “White Christmas.” Bossa nova guitar parts shed some warmth on “The Christmas Song,” which features fellow local musician and frequent Warren collaborator Nait Waite. Among all these familiar Christmas tracks, with their catchiness and modern pop ring (including the closer “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”), Warren mixes it up with a honeyed take on “Ave Maria,” which is the EP’s anchor to the religious spirit of Christmas. So, whether you just want some new Christmas songs to soundtrack your holiday activities, or a sense of the Warren family’s warmth and company, give Winter with the Warrens a listen. Find all streaming and purchasing links at jywrrn.com/music.

Hive Live Presents Skumbudz and Friends

COURTESY PHOTO

BY ERIN MOORE

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Hive Live is back again this week with sponsorship from City Weekly, and this time around the locals under the spotlight for this post-Christmas show on Dec. 26 are some folks we’ve profiled in the past. Last year, we caught up with the trio of reggae rockers that are Skumbudz, who are bonded over their love of all things snow, skate and a certain kind of scum that can easily be guessed at by their name. Their 2019 album Valley Vibes is full of references to their favorite substance, but also filled to the brim with their fusion of psychedelia, rock, hip hop and, of course, reggae. They’ll be joined by like-minded folks inclujding Braden Lee Waiters, a funk and blues aficionado in the vein of Gary Clark Jr., who returns to SLC after sojourning to L.A. to make music there. He’ll do so on the tail of his 2020 release Deep Blues, which came out just last month. It’s a shame he left SLC, because the brand of out-of-this-world funk rock he’s got on display isn’t commonly heard here. Rounding it out will be The Fervors, who also deal in all things psychedelic, and who have been playing outdoor and socially-distanced shows these past few months. Like the Hive Live event before it, this night will find Soundwell operating at limited capacity, and tickets must be sold in groupings of at least two and no more than six. Groups will be seated six feet apart, social distancing outside those groups is required, and so are masks when guests aren’t eating or drinking. Doors are at 6:30, and tickets for the event are only $10. If you need a pick me up after Christmas (sometimes it’s not all merry and bright!), this just might be the show for you. Visit soundwell.com for more details and tickets.

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Adam Fuller and Matthew Sommers Release By Your Side

Braden Lee Waiters

Braden Lee Waiters Has the Deep Blues

The Aces Release Video for 801

This year found many musicians operating in different ways and places than they were used to, but for the Provo-native four-piece The Aces, that meant coming back home. Or at least, it meant that for half of the powerhouse quartet, who found themselves split between their native Utah and Los Angeles through the summer release of their second full-length album Under My Influence. Despite relocating to L.A. as many in the pop world do in order to make it, The Aces are still very much focused on the influence that growing up in Utah has had on their lives, and in particular their senses of being “black sheep” as a group that’s threefourths queer and grew out of the conservative Provo scene. They return to their erstwhile home in the video for Under My Influence’s song “801,” which finds them dressed as outsiders indeed—a leather-clad bike gang of ski-masked Aces cruising the streets and alleys of SLC. “801” sways with reggae rhythms, while frontwoman Cristal Ramirez wryly sings about the oh-so-Utah experience of growing up different here, doing things like going to the club, dancing with girls and smoking j’s. “Leave your church shoes and your Sunday clothes,” she implores, “But bring your guilt and we gon’ let it go.” Many people in the Utah counterculture lean into the edgy anti-Mormon thing, but it’s rather rare to see artists like The Aces also doing so, despite having made it as rising pop stars in their own right, far outside of the Utah scene. The video concludes with their lighting the 801 up, literally, by setting the ground on fire in the shape of the area code. While it could be read that they’re burning their hometown down, it feels more like a tribute to surviving the place, its limitations and judgements—more like burning down 801 expectations. Stream the video on The Aces’ YouTube channel.

Speaking of Hive Live and Braden Lee Waiters’ appearance there, the Utah native will be performing in the wake of his debut album, Deep Blues, released Nov. 13. It’s a short album at only seven tracks, but startles throughout as it outlines Waiters’s ambitious debts to blues, funk, soul and psychedelic rock. “Green Pig’’ opens the album with attitude, thanks to the steamy, traditional blues rhythms and gritty features from G. Love and Special Sauce. And though the rest of the album does not follow the same blues-driven path, it’s a strong opener for an album that sees no limits. From there, Waiters travels far, skipping right over to funk and psychedelia on the catchy, punchy “Purple Ink” with its ’70s hues and compelling groovability. The vintage tributes don’t stop there, but shift again when “Everything You Dreamed Of” highlights Walters’s ability to croon, which he does well alongside a feature from Kat Hall. Beyond those three distinctive opening tracks, the middle of the album returns to the jammy psych rock previewed on “Purple Ink,” with an emphasis on the “jam” on the single “Think About It.” However, the track “War,” which tries to be a rallying cry of sorts, falls a little flat—the guitars wail sparingly, the drums sound a little lonely—which is a shame for a song that one can tell might be strong when played live. “War” is redeemed, though, by the much stronger subsequent beat-driven track “Still Want More,” which serves as the starkest departure from the general vintage feel of Deep Blues, referencing the rap tradition of longing for the bag. Following that, “Mushroom Cloud” is the apt closer as a return to Waiters’s rock ‘n’ roll strength, with guitar parts that wind up and spring back with verve while Waiters’s vocals convey all the ease and confidence needed to really close out an album as ambitious and strange as this one. While rock ‘n’ roll with heavy ’70s aesthetics like this can often feel played out, Waiters is doing something notable here. Listen for yourself wherever you stream, or pick up a hard copy at bradenleewaiters.com

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The title track that introduces By Your Side—the new collaborative album by Adam Fuller and Matthew Sommers—is a warm, heart-tugging piano tune that stands alone among the rest of the album, while also opening up the ears for the sunny instrumentals that follow. Released Dec. 9 of this year, By Your Side was recorded roughly a year ago in November 2019 before COVID stopped the SLC-based Fuller and L.A.-based Sommers from being able to connect. The seven-song album is an experiment in the genre of vibes, contributing to the realm of ‘lofi hip hop beats to relax/study to” with upbeat fusions of jazz and funk house. While Sommers also released the more acousticleaning but sonically similar Sanctuary this year, By Your Side’s freeform fluctuations provides a chance for Fuller to shine away from his usual place in the lineup of local pop boy band Ivouries (whose single “Take Back” is listed in this week’s feature story on best local singles of the year). Sommers and Fuller met while both attending the U, and there Fuller also picked up a jazz degree. That background is only too evident on tracks like “These Loops,” where he contributes sharp and airy keys that dance among the shifting, saccharine beats. Along with the jazz influence, there are snappy, jungle drums that grab one’s attention on “Gotanda,” and elsewhere club beats become dreamy recollections of the past. A version of disco comes out to play on the spare, spiraling track “Happy Accident,” which is 6 minutes and 30 seconds of repetitious funk riffs perfect for a spell of trancelike dancing. On the closer “Without You,” the uptempo new millennium is called up again with the help of Fuller’s gleaming keys. A fine example of the skills and promise of both collaborators, this perfectly-trimmed work is one sure to perk up your ears next time easy listening is sought. The album can be streamed on Spotify, and bought at matthew-sommers.com, with all profits going to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention services to LGBTQ youth.

BRANDON SHAY

Adam Fuller and Matthew Sommers

MATTHEW SOMMERMIS

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36 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

CINEMA

FILM REVIEW

The One Thing

Soul tells a fantastical tale about the complicated path toward finding one’s calling. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

DISNEY SLASH PIXAR

n the popular 1991 comedy City Slickers, Jack Palance’s taciturn trail boss Curly shares his bit of life wisdom with Billy Crystal’s mid-life-crisis-afflicted Mitch with a simple raised index finger. It was meant to represent that one thing, the single thing that gives your life a purpose and a meaning. And as well-intended as Curly’s simple philosophy might have been, that’s exactly the kind of reductive nonsense that Soul wants to take a swipe at. The Pixar features directed by the animation studio’s current chief creative executive, Pete Docter—including Up and Inside Out—have long been some of their most emotionally resonant works, using fantastical worlds as the backdrop for rich stories about making peace with a life different from the one you expected. Soul journeys down that same road, and still finds more to share about hardwon lessons in finding happiness in previously unexpected places. The set-up, naturally, places those ideas in an unusual setting—eventually. We’re first introduced to Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) in a middle-school music room, struggling to teach (mostly) bored band students. It’s not his dream job, as it becomes clear when he cringes at bing offered a fulltime position at last; he really wants a career as a jazz pianist, which has never quite come together for him. Then, on the day when he lands a potentially life-changing gig with a celebrated singer (Angela Bassett), his life changes in another way: He falls down an open manhole, and finds himself on the way to the afterlife. He does, however, find a way to make a detour from obliteration—into the before-life. That’s where Joe finds himself assigned as mentor to Soul 22 (Tina Fey), who has spent thousands of years resisting the opportunity for a mortal

existence. That’s also where Docter and company are able to go wildest with the visual imagination, fashioning the realm of unborn souls into a mix of puffy clouds and sharp angles, particularly those on the two-dimensional cubist figures who run the place, and all take the name of Jerry. It’s a nifty little universe—and the place where Soul serves up many of its joke-iest references to earthly life—but one of the film’s most intriguing surprises is how little time it spends there. And that’s because Soul is clearly and resolutely about our time here on this planet, even if it employs a well-worn “body swap” concept to do so. Joe and Soul 22 both end up in physical bodies, but it’s Soul 22 who ends up in Joe’s body, and Joe in that of a cat. Plenty of action and comedy is built into that mismatch, but Docter and his co-writers— Mike Jones and co-director Kemp Powers—know precisely when to switch gears and explore what it actually means to have a “calling.” Joe initially misunderstands his mission as a soul mentor as helping Soul 22 find its One True Purpose as a human, because that’s the way he misunderstands his own life. One of Soul’s neatest tricks is the way it refuses to underline the possibility that Joe’s focus on what he believes is his One True Purpose hasn’t allowed him to appreciate the fact that he might have more than one calling. Soul takes yet another turn in trying to tackle the mes-

Soul 22 and Joe in Soul

saging from authority figures that can crush people’s dreams before they even have a chance to try, which admittedly jumbles things up a bit. There are moments during that detour when it feels like the narrative is drifting in the direction of a message like “don’t stop people from following their dreams,” when that’s not exactly the point here. The kind of heart-rending emotional moment you might expect from Pixar’s best doesn’t emerge in the same way, nor are most of the vocal performances as indelible, so it never quite reaches that highest bar Pixar has set for itself. But it’s valuable enough if the kids who watch it absorb the notion that being alive is its own kind of calling, and that there’s no need to limit its value or purpose by believing it’s all about [holds up index finger] one thing. CW

SOUL

BBB½ Jamie Foxx Tina Fey Graham Norton PG Available Dec. 25 via Disney+.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY B Y R O B

B R E Z S N Y

Go to realastrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Our lives are filled with puzzles and enigmas and riddles. We all harbor aspects of ourselves that we don’t understand. I hope that in 2021, you will be on a mission to learn more about these parts of yourself. One of your superpowers will be a capacity to uncover secrets and solve mysteries. Bonus: I suspect you’ll be able to make exceptional progress in getting to the root of confusing quandaries that have undermined you—and then fixing the problems so they no longer undermine you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) An Aquarian park ranger named Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times in the course of his 71 years on the planet. (That’s a world record.) None of the electrostatic surges killed him, although they did leave a few burns. After studying your astrological potentials for 2021, I’ve concluded that you may be the recipient, on a regular basis, of a much more pleasurable and rewarding kind of lightning strike: the metaphorical kind. I advise you to prepare yourself to be alert for more epiphanies than usual: exciting insights, inspiring revelations and useful ideas.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Until 1893, Hawaii was a sovereign nation. In January of that year, a group of wealthy foreigners, mostly Americans, overthrew the existing government with the help of the U.S. military. They established a fake temporary “republic” that excluded native Hawaiians TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Ark Encounter is a fundamentalist Christian theme park in from positions of power. Their goal, which was to be annexed by the Kentucky. Its main attraction is a giant replica of Noah’s Ark. United States, was fulfilled in July 1898. I propose that you use this Constructed mostly from spruce and pine trees, it’s one of the sad series of events as a motivational story in 2021. Make it your goal world’s largest wooden structures. Even though I don’t believe to resist all efforts to be colonized and occupied. Commit yourself that there was in fact such a boat in ancient times, I do admire passionately to preserving your sovereignty and independence. Be a how its builder, Ken Ham, has been so fiercely devoted to making tower of power that can’t be owned. his fantasies real. I encourage you to cultivate an equally zealous commitment to manifesting your own visions and dreams in 2021. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) In 2021, you may be smarter than you have ever been. Not necessarily wiser, too, although I have reason to hope that you will GEMINI (May 21-June 20) From 1961 until 1989, a concrete barrier divided the city of leverage your smartness to also deepen your wisdom. But as I Berlin. Communist East Berlin lay on the east side of the Berlin was saying, your intelligence could very well soar beyond its preWall, and capitalist West Berlin on the west. It was an iconic vious heights. Your ability to speak articulately, stir up original symbol of the Cold War between the U.S. and Soviet Union. thoughts and solve knotty riddles should be at a peak. Is there More than 100,000 people tried to escape from east to west, any potential downside to this outbreak of brilliance? Only one but just 5,000 succeeded. The standoff ended in 1989, during that I can imagine: It’s possible that your brain will be working the peaceful revolutions that swept through Eastern Europe. with such dominant efficiency that it will drown out messages In subsequent months, the Berlin Wall was slowly demolished. from your heart. And that would be a shame. In order to do what Today, tiny fragments of the wall are marketed as medicines for I referred to earlier—leverage your smartness to deepen your asthma, headaches, narcolepsy and ulcers. Now, I will propose wisdom—you’ll need to be receptive to your heart’s messages that in 2021, you adopt the demolished Berlin Wall as your metaphor of power. May it inspire you to be gleeful and forceful CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The birds known as red knots breed every year in the Arctic as you dismantle psychological obstacles and impediments. regions. Then they fly south—way south—down to the southern edge of South America, more than 9,000 miles away. A CANCER (June 21-July 22) The year 2021 will contain 525,600 minutes. But I suspect few months later they make the return trip to the far north. In you might enjoy the subjective sensation of having far more 1995, ornithologists managed to put a monitoring band on one than 525,600 minutes at your disposal. That’s because I think red knot’s leg, making it possible to periodically get a read on his you’ll be living a fuller life than usual, with greater intensity and adventures over the subsequent years. The bird’s nickname is more focus. It may sometimes seem to you as if you are drawing Moonbird, because he has traveled so many miles in the course greater riches out of the daily rhythm—accomplishing more, of his life that it’s equivalent to a jaunt to the moon. He’s known seeing further, diving down deeper to capitalize on the privilege as “the toughest four ounces on the planet.” I nominate him of being here on planet Earth. Be grateful for this blessing— to be your magical creature in 2021. I suspect you will have stamina, hardiness, persistence and determination like his. which is also a big responsibility!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) In my astrological opinion, love won’t be predictable in 2021. It won’t be easily definable or comparable to what you’re expe-

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Coral reefs are in danger all over the world. These “rainforests of the sea” are being decimated by ocean acidification, toxic runoff from rivers, rising temperatures and careless tourists. Why should we care? Because they’re beautiful! And also because they’re hotbeds of biodiversity, providing homes for 25 percent of all marine species. They also furnish protection for shorelines from erosion and storm damage, and they’re prime spots to harvest seafood. So, I’m pleased people are finding ways to help reefs survive and recover. For example, a group in Thailand is having success using superglue to re-attach broken-off pieces to the main reefs. I hope this vignette inspires you to engage in metaphorically similar restorative and rejuvenating activities, Pisces. In 2021, you will have an enhanced power to heal.

DECEMBER 24, 2020 | 37

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) When actor Gene Wilder was 8 years old, his mother began to have heart-related health issues. The doctor that treated her suggested he could help her out if he would try to make her laugh. From then on, Wilder cultivated an ability to tell jokes and got interested in becoming an actor. Ultimately, he appeared in 22 films and was nominated for two Oscars and two Golden Globe Awards. I foresee a comparable development in your life in 2021: A challenging situation will inspire you in ways that generate a major blessing.

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rienced before. But I also suspect that love will be delightfully enigmatic. It will be unexpectedly educational and fervently fertile and oddly comfortable. Your assignment, as I understand it, will be to shed your certainties about what love is and is not so that the wild, fresh challenges and opportunities of love can stream into your life in their wildest, freshest state.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19) Your capacity for pioneering feats and impressive accomplishments will be at a peak in 2021. So, you could become the best human ever at balancing a ladder on your chin or typing with your nose or running long-distance while holding an egg on a spoon with your mouth. But I’d prefer it if you channeled your triumphal energy into more useful innovations and victories. How about making dramatic strides in fulfilling your most important goal? Or ascending to an unprecedented new level of inspiring people with your passionate idealism? Or setting a record for most illusions shed?

PR STUNT

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. Gullible sorts 2. Captain born 3/22/2233 3. What comes to mind 4. Sister of Beth, Jo and Amy 5. Possessed child in “The Omen” 6. Sauvignon ____ 7. “____ a stinker?” (Bugs Bunny catchphrase) 8. One-fifth of MV 9. Korean export 10. Cul-de-____ 11. Portmanteau holiday also called

Get Your Drink on

Emancipation Day 12. Still being tested 13. Gave birth in a stable 18. Other, in Oaxaca 22. Steering position 23. Stroke 24. Die, as a light 25. Faulkner’s “Requiem for ____” 26. “Infestation” heavy metal band 27. “Young Sheldon” network 28. “All bets ____ off” 29. Watch closely 32. “That’s ____ subject” 33. A/C measure 35. Big ____ (BoSox legend) 36. Actor Gosling 38. “____ bit confused ...” 39. Drug used in microdosing therapies 41. She said “Little boy, gonna make you a man,” in a Kinks song 42. Saddlebag carrier 43. Rebelled 44. Like apartments built in the 1930s 45. Brad of “The Client” 46. Not on land 48. Novo-Ogaryovo is the official one of the Russian president

49. Guinness world record holder for longest live weather report 52. On 53. Like a warm bed on a winter night 54. Half of seis 56. Rank below cpl. 57. Fjord relative 58. School of thought 59. NYSE listings

Last week’s answers

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.

DOWN

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Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9.

1. 1% alternative 5. Arizona ballplayers, for short 11. Peter Pan rival 14. White House worker 15. Keys on a piano 16. Declaration made with a card in hand 17. Someone who’s crazy about pasta sauce? 19. Org. with the Suns and the Heat 20. Reggae kin 21. Limo window feature 22. Stiletto, e.g. 23. When some people have sex? 27. Apply liberally, as makeup 30. Leashed 31. Saberhagen with two Cy Young Awards 32. Heading on a personal bio 34. “Comprende?” 35. Staged attention-getter ... or this puzzle’s theme 37. Zip 40. Develop 42. They’re loaded with cash 43. Satisfactory 45. Tony winner Phylicia 47. Outfit made from a nutty confection? 50. Country star McEntire 51. Top-quality 52. Quit stalling 55. Punch lines? 56. Explanation for an inflated balloon’s undoing? 60. ____ Paulo, Brazil 61. Costar of Ford and Hamill 62. Move like molasses 63. Directional suffix 64. Chevy model since 1966 65. 1974 Elliott Gould/Donald Sutherland comedy

SUDOKU

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38 | DECEMBER 24, 2020

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

’Tis the season to try and be jolly. The one-dimensional Zoom cocktail parties are kind of a bore now, but if you mix in a drinking game with prizes you might have more fun! This is the time of the year when we pay attention to when and where liquor stores are open, because some of us heathens want to buy wine to give as gifts or load up on supplies for a cold winter’s night. Happily, the State of Utah is keeping all locations open during the COVID-19 winter of our discontent. Liquor stores are open (except on state holidays) Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., although the closing time may vary depending on the location. The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (UDABC) operates more than 40 package stores staffed by mostly part-time retail employees. Utah’s drinking laws really aren’t that weird, since there are other states that maintain tight control over alcohol consumption. In Utah, our alcohol practices are guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to which most Utah residents belong. The Word of Wisdom given in the Doctrine and Covenants advises its members against the consumption of alcohol. Thus, legislators have attempted for more than a century to make Utah a dry state or at least one where it’s difficult to find a drink. Ironically, in 1933, the state of Utah provided the deciding vote needed to repeal Prohibition nationally and then left it to individual citizens if they wanted to drink or not. When I moved to Utah in the 1970s, to get a cocktail you had to 1. belong to a private club that charged an annual fee or 2. order a drink with your meal by going up to the hostess of a restaurant and buying a mini bottle (like you would buy on an airplane). You would take that back to your table and order a mixer, and then mix your drink yourself. More recently, we had the “Zion Curtain” that legislators imposed on bars and restaurants to keep patrons from seeing how cocktails were made, and that turned into a national farce and confused people to no end. Bars and restaurants also had to put up signs to say, “This premise is licensed as a restaurant, not a bar” or vice versa. All of these are laws ultimately embarrass Utah. Many bars have closed due to COVID-19 and more may fail if PPP funds aren’t made available by the government. Fortunately, the governor just approved restoring bars’ hours of operation. One update for those who drink. The state store in Lamplighter Square on Foothill Drive has closed and re-opened at the space formerly occupied by Red Butte Café across the street at Foothill Village. The Lamplighter Square is being demolished along with the old Skyline Inn and a few other buildings near it to make way for a new mixed use construction project. Cheers! And Happy Freakin’ New Year … please?! n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

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WEIRD

Creme de al Weird Kazakh bodybuilder, actor and self-described “sexy maniac” Yuri Tolochko announced his marriage to his beloved, a sex doll named Margo, on Instagram on Nov. 25 and shared with his followers their wedding video, in which the joyous couple, wearing a tuxedo and a full-length wedding dress, exchange vows and welcome friends and loved ones to a reception after the ceremony, The Sun reported. The groom identifies himself as pansexual and able to fall in love with “a character, an image, a soul,” and said the two became engaged a year ago, after he rescued her from some unwanted attention in a nightclub. “Couples need to talk less and connect more,” Tolochko said. “Margo and I realized that it takes more than words to have a conversation.” Nice Try Jin Wu, of Taiwan, told his Facebook followers on Nov. 21 about his good fortune in purchasing a PlayStation 5 the previous day, and marveled at the low price he paid for it, reported Taiwan News. The reason became clear when the seller revealed he had tried to pass the console off as an air purifier, but his wife wasn’t fooled. “My wife wants to sell it,” the middle-age gamer told Wu. “It turns out that women can tell the difference between a PS5 and an air filter.”

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Superfan Houston Astros fan Darren Johnson in Fort Worth, Texas, posted photos of the chicken coop he built on Facebook in November and was “totally shocked” by the overwhelming response, he told KTRK. The coop, which Johnson estimates took about 100 hours to construct, is an exact 1/60th-scale replica of the Houston Astrodome, including details such as an Astros logo and the numbers of all the Astros’ retired jerseys, and the chickens who call it home are all named after Astros players. The social media attention “shows my kids that I’m not the only one obsessed with a stadium that’s been closed for 20 years,” Johnson said. Schemes n Residents in upscale neighborhoods of Woodway and Edmonds, Washington, have been visited recently by people carrying official-looking documents who knock on doors, tell homeowners they own the property and “they’re there to repossess the home and want the people to vacate the premises,” Edmonds police Sgt. Josh McClure told KIRO. The group identifies itself as Moorish Sovereign Citizens, McClure said, who “believe that they own all of the land between Alaska and Argentina.” So far, the people have cooperated with police and left after being told they are trespassing. n The 400 Rabbits tequila bar in Nottingham, England, has applied to the local registrar general to be declared a place of worship, namely the Church of the 400 Rabbits, in an effort to allow customers back inside the establishment, something that is currently prohibited by local COVID restrictions. The Guardian reports that the effort may have been inspired by a similar attempt made by a gym in Krakow, Poland, in October. Men’s Health reported that Marta Jamroz, manager of The Atlantic Sports and Fitness Club, went to great lengths to rebrand her gym as the Church of the Healthy Body. the outcome of her efforts is unclear; the tequila bar’s application is given little chance to be approved.

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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DECEMBER 24, 2020 | 39

Coping Seattle dad and self-described travel enthusiast Steve Simao attracted a following after his daughter, Annisa, called him out on her TikTok account for his purchase of a pair of first-class leather seats taken from a Delta MD90 Jetliner, complete with an air safety card. Simao, who is vice president of sales at Windstar Cruises, found the seats on eBay in November, reported The Washington Post, and has had fun scratching his itch to travel with them ever since, sending his daughter videos of her mother “bringing food to the (tray) table and him just sitting there enjoying it,” Annisa said. Delta CEO Ed Bastian has taken notice and given the three Simaos round-trip, first-class tickets to anywhere in the United States. Hawaii is high on their list.

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Awesome! n The British Museum on Dec. 9 announced that among the historical finds it has registered this year was a cache of 63 gold coins dating from the reign of Henry VIII, dug up by a family weeding their garden in New Forest. The coins, totaling 24 pounds and equivalent to more than $18,000 in today’s dollars, were probably buried around 1540, The Guardian reported. The museum has experienced an increase in garden finds this year, as Treasure Registrar Ian Richardson said people are spending more time in their gardens, “resulting in completely unexpected archaeological discoveries.” n French chef Benoit Bruel in Lyon struck a blow for French cuisine by capturing the Guinness World Record for most varieties of cheese on a pizza with 254 cheeses, United Press International reported on Nov. 30. Guinness posted a video of Bruel making and then enjoying the pizza with friends along with its listing of the achievement, noting also that “Benoit took this as a patriotic challenge, as one of the things France is most famous for is its cheeses.” n Ray Liddell, 49, of Hartlepool, England, was shocked when the inflatable toy Grinch he bought for his daughter turned out to be 35 feet tall—taller than his two-story house, Times Now News reported. The giant turned Liddell into a local celebrity, as hundreds have stopped by to see it, so he’s putting the attraction to good use, asking visitors to donate to Alice House Hospice, where his father was cared for before dying of COVID-19. “I reckon we must have had over 5,000 people visit,” Liddell said on Dec. 7, and he’s collected more than $13,000 for the facility.

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Bright Idea A Washington State Patrol officer pulled over a motorist on Interstate 90 near North Bend on Nov. 30 after noticing the vehicle’s “super dim” headlights, patrol spokesman Rick Johnson told CNN. Closer inspection revealed the unnamed driver had duct-taped flashlights to the front of his vehicle to replace headlights that had been damaged in a crash. Flashlights-asheadlights are illegal in Washington because they don’t provide enough brightness, Johnson said, adding that the driver also had a suspended license.

Least Competent Criminal Police in Jackson, Mississippi, had little trouble identifying the man who they said passed a threatening note to a teller at a Trustmark Bank on Dec. 3 and got away with an undetermined amount of cash, WAPT reported. Security cameras in the bank clearly captured images of suspect Richard Jiles, 41, wearing a white shirt and camouflage jacket with a blue face mask pulled down below his chin to reveal his entire face. Jiles was later apprehended.

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