City Weekly February 23, 2023

Artificially

By Connor Sanders

SLC FORECAST

Connor Sanders

S AP

“Workspace Utah,” Feb. 16

Private Eye

Ultra ironic for Gov. Spencer Cox—a white, Latter-day Saint man—to tell people not to migrate.

QUINNQUEASY

Via Instagram

Fortunately Utah gets better-quality Cali-refugees—Mormons and moderates. Colorado and Oregon get the crazies. Don’t Californicate my Utah.

TROYRUSHTON.UT

Via Instagram

There are also remote workers leaving Utah for states with more progressive policies. I personally know six people who moved to the East Coast in the past year, including myself.

MOOSECONGDON

Via Instagram

It’s not just Californians who are moving here. Of the out-of-staters I know, not a single one is from California. A lot of folks are from Texas, Missouri, Ohio, etc.

AJ_1994_04

Via Instagram

Someone sounds scared that the GOP’s gerrymandering and Electoral College scams aren’t gonna help him for very much longer.

NICKITZA

Via Instagram

For a minute, I thought Cox was going to be like a decent governor because of his earlier lessons he learned from the LGBTQ kids he hated. But apparently after his own bosses—the Legislature—slapped

him for siding with trans kids last year, he’s back to being a Republican dipshit like all the rest in the state; oh, and another puppet for the Mormons.

ROBERTSGORDON01

Via Instagram

Since Salt Lake’s mayor gouged us on property tax for 2023, maybe I will sell my home to one of the hedge funds that text every week. There is no city skyline left, there’s shit on the streets and the library resembles the Thunderdome.

CURTIS_STRANGE

Via Instagram

“Traffic Jam,” Feb. 13 Online News

If Utah is fighting so hard to save the ball of cells they call life, then pregnant women should have the right to carpool for free—just sayin’.

WILDHONEYAPIARIES

Via Instagram

This is a stupid concept and conversation for so many reasons, but I’m curious as to

how this would be regulated.

Do I need to take a pregnancy test in front of an officer? What if I look a little pregnant, but I’m not? What if I’m barely pregnant and not showing? What if I’m a woman, and I straight up lie? What if a man gets pulled over and claims to be transgender, who may look manly but is in fact pregnant? Does that person have to take a test or show their genitals?

Also, I like the juxtaposition of this with the whole “When does life begin?” conversation. But in all fairness, we can and should have different laws for abortion regulations and traffic regulations.

VERBALLYUNRESTRAINED

Via Instagram

Utah believes that the fetus is another life but won’t count it as a vehicle passenger? Make it make sense.

SAYKAE

Via Instagram

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

THE WATER COOLER

Which pro sport should establish a franchise in Utah next, and what would the team be named?

Bill Frost

The XFL football league, with a team named the Salt Lake Frost. I just want the merchandise.

Benjamin Wood

We used to host a fairly significant professional cycling event—the Tour of Utah. Let’s bring that back!

Bryan Bale

Maybe Utah could have an eSports team called the H4x0rzz. The team captain could wear the number 1337. They’d switch between black hats and white hats, depending on whether they’re playing at home or away. Enthusiasts of a certain Linux variant would lobby for them to trade their black and white hats for red. Their mascot would be a gnu or the LInux penguin.

Pete Saltas

After watching the Olympics, I really feel like curling is growing in popularity. For Utah to be on the forefront of that trend, we need to establish a professional presence. Of course, we’d have to name them the Utah Curlerzz.

Kelly Boyce

WNBA: The Salt Lake Bans Off Our Beehives. Or maybe The F—k Mike Lees.

PRIVATE EYE

Dildo Drinking E

veryone who ever reported for a news organization knows what it feels like to have a story bumped for a more newsworthy tale. Try getting that story out later to see if it will gain any traction the second time around. It seldom does. The reporter thus heads to the nearest bar while the public goes about their business like nothing happened—and since they didn’t hear the story, it didn’t happen.

That’s what took place this past week. Utah hosted the annual NBA All-Star Game and, by all appearances, there was nothing else happening anywhere else in the world of equal news stature. Every reporter in town had NBA tags in their stories. Every newscaster breathlessly gushed at all the very tall, dark and handsome men being sighted all over town. The All-Star Game and tangential events were center stage of nearly every news story for a week.

Utahns are incredibly self-conscious about what outsiders think of us. Utahns are perpetually like Sally Fields, mushy at the Oscar podium, seeking the validation that the world actually loves us—that it really, really loves us. When we are mocked—as was the case this week when Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal spoke the unflattering truth about “boring” Salt Lake City—we don’t handle it very well.

On one hand, we dig our Red State meat hooks into the rest of America. On the other, we want America to love us anyway. It consumes us to the point of full distraction.

Thus, most Utahns missed a big story this week. While Utah was busy wondering why Charles and Shaq would dare say bad things about our home state, many big stories got past us. One such was that in northern England—an area once part of the Roman Empire with legions commanded by the emperor Hadrian—a wooden device unearthed there in

BY JOHN SALTAS @johnsaltas

1992 and considered to be a darning tool was reclassified.

Turns out, it was not a darning tool. The object is a 2,000-year-old dildo.

I’d rather revel in the discovery of a well-preserved Roman sex toy than to be aggrieved about Shaq having to order so many room service meals this past week because Salt Lake City has such a dreary dining and nightlife scene. Prior to the arrival of all those All-Star Game patrons, Utah and city leaders went to great lengths (as they always do) to present the lie that Utah is normal when it comes to booze. Remember the 2002 Olympics, when liquor compliance turned a blind eye but then went back to bashing local clubs once the snow melted?

Think about it—a dildo that doesn’t need batteries, isn’t constructed of environment-harming plastics, wouldn’t trigger an airport luggage alarm and lasts 2,000 years? That should be front page news, people! If I were in charge, I’d have put some pop-up risqué displays all around downtown.

Our fair city doesn’t lack in adult-novelty boutiques, and it’s clear that more than a few Utahns (and likely the entire sexually uptight, gay-and-trans-hating right-wing Republicans of the Utah House and Senate) keep those shops alive by spending on items other than saucy greeting cards.

That wasn’t the only big story we overlooked. Did any of you venture to the west side of the old Rio Grande train station to see the community of homeless persons encamped there? By the looks of things, those folks had every creature comfort except community safety, protection from the elements, fresh water and toilet facilities.

It was very jarring to see folks tossing money hand over fist just a few yards from folks who don’t have the means to toss a warm blanket. But, yes, let’s worry about our hurt feelings because Charles and Shaq made us “uncomfortable.”

Our city and state officials remain sniffing jockstraps

and are so quick to deflect from the real issues. So, here’s a simple solution for them: Next time there’s a big event in town, give me a call. I’ll take Shaq out to eat. I’ll smoke a cigar with Barkley. We’ll pound shooters while avoiding the Utahns who are just trying to “go to heaven.”

It’s what lots of local companies do already, they keep designated drinkers (DD) on staff so that when an out-ofstate guest comes in and wants a lap dance, a martini and maybe a dildo, they just call on their company DD and a good time is had by all. Everyone wins.

I’m sure I could enlist hundreds of others who can commit to doing a real public service—and we’ll do it on our own dime—all the while laughing at the mocking travesty foisted on Utah drinkers while dutifully protecting Utah’s precious public image wrought by decades of ill-informed, theocratic do-gooders making liquor policy.

Barkley doesn’t hate Utah. He also knows how to drink here. In 1993, the NBA All-Star Game came to Salt Lake City. Our City Weekly hangout then was the now long-gone Port O’Call, and every night, we sat and drank at the same corner round table. The single night we missed was Feb. 20, 1993, when we were asked to give up our seat for Barkley so he could properly celebrate his 30th birthday. So, we did. The next night, he scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.

Barkley never complained a peep about our liquor or smoking laws. So, council members, mayor and governor, next time you need an assist, just holler. I’ll do my part, so you don’t have to (I’ve never seen any of you hanging out in downtown Salt Lake, BTW).

Utahns can then get back to thinking about dildos and the insufferable mess that Utah has made of our homeless community. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

MISS: Ballot Battles, Again?

The Republican elites aren’t about to give up their hold on the party, and that is evident from the latest bill making its way through the Utah Legislature. HB393 simply states that no matter how hard you try to avoid the GOP caucus system, it will be a cold day in hell if you do. Back in 2014, moderate Republicans ran a voter initiative to add a path to the primary ballot through signature gathering. A compromise resulted in a hybrid primary system, allowing both a party caucus and a direct primary election. The Utah Republican Party sued and awaits divine intervention. Testimony on the bill called the caucus system “the heart of our elections.” If the bill passes, it would set a 70% threshold at the nominating convention and kick off the ballot any ne’er-do-wells who may have gathered signatures from the broader GOP population. In other words, if you’re not part of the powerful fringe caucus, you don’t and won’t count.

MISS: Aqua Men

Remember the Year of Water, or whatever legislators called it? It was supposed to be a time when lawmakers actually acted to save the shrinking Great Salt Lake. It’s obvious that they don’t know how to do that—or at least that they won’t do the hard work that would make a difference. To their credit, though, one bill—HB491—recognizes that and sends the problem to an asyet-unnamed commissioner—a czar, if you will. This person, appointed by the governor, will work with groups and agencies to figure out how to get water to the lake. He (likely) will be able to tell state agencies what to do. The question on everyone’s mind is if that person will target golf courses and the water alfalfa farms use, or if he will address any of the fossil fuels being used or transported through the state and contributing to climate change.

HIT: Conversion Ban Stands

Sometimes you think a matter has been settled, and then along comes the Utah Legislature. To the horror of the LGBTQ+ community, a recent bill— HB228—looked again at conversion therapy. The public thought the issue had been handled in 2020 when Utah banned conversion therapy, a practice in which therapists or counselors try to change the sexual orientation of a minor. “The updated legislation will allow mental health professionals to provide care in a ‘neutral’ way to assist a minor who is seeking information about sexual orientation or gender identity,” The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Fortunately, there are legislators who have nonconforming relatives, and so they are better able to relate to the problems of trying to convert someone. WebMD, among other medical resources, notes that there is no evidence that conversion therapy actually works to change a person’s sexual orientation and, in fact, it is highly harmful to a person’s psychological well-being.

All the President Men

Having just marked President’s Day on Feb. 20 and despite Utah’s early reluctance to join the Union, it’s obvious that Salt Lake is a patriotic city that went out of its way to pay homage to past national leaders.

Take city street names, for example. Salt Lake City is unusual in the sense that we don’t contain all the presidential roads in a single subdivision. Instead, SLC opts for a more expansive approach, where you can find Roosevelt Avenue in Wasatch Hollow, Lincoln Street near 9th & 9th, and Van Buren Avenue miles away over in Glendale. In pretty much every neighborhood, you’ll find at least one of the 45 former heads of state mentioned.

In fact, the naming is scattershot enough that it’s sometimes difficult to ascertain if the street is truly named for a U.S. president. Is Harrison Avenue named after the ninth president—who died just 31 days after his inauguration—rather than some local developer’s relative? Who’s to say, but I’d like to think so.

Less ambiguous, though, is the city’s love affair with presidential statues. If you want to take a photo next to a giant George Washington bust (above left), head over to Westminster College on 1300 East where you can find an oversize head of our founding father by the sand volleyball courts near Stock Hall.

The statue was a gift from, unsurprisingly, George Washington University, and is one of many that have been given to colleges and universities around the world. If you are more in the mood for a life-size presidential selfie, pop in at Trolley Square by Tabula Rosa near 600 South and 700 East where you will find a full-body statue of Abraham Lincoln (above right) that is as equally impressive as it is curious.

But true to Salt Lake’s countercultural vibe, there are some that aren’t as deferential. Take the mock campaign sign in East Millcreek I spotted during the 2020 election (photo below). Regardless of how you feel about the presidents, I think we can all agree that Wu-Tang is indeed forever. CW

ARE ALL GOOD ENOUGH TO SAVE A LIFE

George Washington watches over Westminster College, while Abraham Lincoln greets shoppers at Trolley Square.

The Robot Ate My Homework

Artificially intelligent chatbots are pushing schools to keep up with modern cheating.

BY CONNOR SANDERS comments@cityweekly.net

What was the best excuse you used on a teacher for turning in homework late? Justified or not, most students have had something come up—or come up with something— at least once in the face of an academic deadline.

Maybe you said you were too sick to work, or—if you were truly bad—that your grandma died. Perhaps it’s just part of the human experience—there’s no judgment here.

And whatever the justification a student concocts, the days of making up excuses to miss class-work deadlines may no longer be necessary. Why lie when you could have a robot do your homework for you?

Recently developed, artificial intelligence-powered chatbots—such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT—can write poems, essays and presentations for procrastinating students in a matter of minutes. All it takes is a simple prompt.

These bots are a powerful new resource at the fingertips of every student who has an internet connection. However, the chatbot tools can also be used to lightly dress up plagiarism in the classroom—a growing concern for colleges and school districts across the nation.

In New York and Seattle, ChatGPT has been banned on school Wi-Fi networks and devices, though students can easily find workarounds to access it.

Other districts are re-imagining their academic policies and purchasing anti-plagiarism software to combat the use of chatbots. So far, it’s unclear whether, or how, Utah educators will follow suit.

Instead of Googling “Battle of Waterloo,” a user can ask ChatGPT or LaMDA, “What happened at the Battle of Waterloo?” and it will write an answer. The bot can take things further by turning those responses into essays, limericks or stand-up comedy routines (though jokes about Napoleon’s failure are probably past their prime).

Users can ask the bot to regenerate the response to use more humor or to beef up the academic vocabulary. And the responses are eerily nuanced and articulate, enough to raise alarm bells for Antony Aumann, a world religions professor at Northern Michigan University.

In interviews with national media outlets, Aumann describes incidents like that of a student’s essay that was well-written and organized, but seemed off somehow. When confronted, the student admitted to using ChatGPT and ever since then, the professor has revamped how he delivers coursework.

submissions. Aumann went on to say that he may have to do away with essay assignments entirely in subsequent semesters.

ChatGPT, in particular, has caused quite a hubbub among academic institutions in the United States since its November 2022 release, though OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has downplayed the power of the bot, telling The New York Times in an interview that “ChatGPT is a horrible product.”

“ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness,” Altman later went on to say in a December tweet. “It’s a mistake to be relying on it for anything of import right now. It’s a preview of progress; we have lots of work to do on robustness and truthfulness.”

ChatGPT into lessons is by asking his students to evaluate its responses.

“What’s happening in class is no longer going to be, ‘Here are some questions—let’s talk about it between us human beings,’” Aumann said. Instead, he told the Times, “it’s like, ‘What also does this alien robot think?’”

With bots like ChatGPT gaining popularity, how will Utah schools respond?

—Iron Man (2008)

First, what are chatbots and how do they work? Software labs like OpenAI and Google have created bots to operate like a personalized search engine, only instead of directing you to Wikipedia or .edu pages, the bots generate original responses themselves.

“All of a sudden, you have someone who does not demonstrate the ability to think or write at that level, writing something that follows all the requirements perfectly with sophisticated grammar and complicated thoughts that are directly related to the prompt for the essay,” Aumann told Business Insider.

He told the New York Times that his students now write first drafts of essays in the classroom using browsers that monitor computer activity, and students have to explain each revision of that draft in future

Altman is right in that bots like ChatGPT come with plenty of limitations. ChatGPT has a character limit of about 500 words and has a server capacity that locks out users if it’s too busy. And it is only familiar with events that occurred before 2021 and tends to inaccurately quote sources.

Still, Microsoft invested $10 billion in OpenAI to integrate artificial intelligence into its search engine, Bing, along with other projects for its lab. Indeed, the so-called generative language models are in their infancy, and likely to grow in popularity. That’s concerning for college professors and K-12 teachers alike, but it could also have potential as an instructional tool.

Aumann said one way he plans to weave

C3PO, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

School districts in Utah are eyeing artificial-intelligence language models like ChatGPT with varying levels of speculation. Teachers in Granite School District have not yet reported specific instances where chatbots were used on assignments, but they’ve begun evaluating student work with extra attention on signs of AI-generated plagiarism, said Matthew Sampson, a spokesman for the district, via email.

Using AI chatbots to replace writing is a violation of Granite’s student code of conduct, Sampson said. And while Granite makes plagiarism detection software available for teachers, they aren’t yet equipped to handle the sophistication of next-generation chatbots.

“Since ChatGPT can be utilized to generate a variety of writing, we are hopeful that we will be able to provide our teachers with technology and training soon that will help curb this form of AI-generated writing from being submitted as original work,” Sampson said.

Sampson said the district’s software, Turnitin, is also working on upgrades to detect artificial writing going forward.

Cheating resources are nothing new, Sampson added. In the future, he said the district will follow the plagiarism and cheating policies currently in place. And he noted that teachers have used methods like classroom presentations to evaluate student understanding beyond writing long before the advent of generative chatbots.

At this point, no discussion has taken place to update academic integrity policies and specifically ban chatbots like ChatGPT in Granite. The district will instead evaluate the implications of the new tech on classroom instruction.

But some teachers across the U.S. have also started to experiment with incorporating AI tools into their coursework, Sampson said, and Granite could consider asking students to evaluate and improve on AI-generated responses as part of a presentation.

“We understand that technology will continue to adapt and change and there may be a possibility of adapting our instructional practices to use AI technology as an instructional tool,” Sampson said. “However,

“J.A.R.V.I.S., are you up?”

“For you sir, always.”

“R2D2, you know better than to trust a strange computer.”

“We understand that technology will continue to adapt and change.”

—Granite School District spokesman Matthew Sampson

we want to fully understand the ramifications of using AI technology before introducing it in our classrooms.”

But the use of chatbots raised enough concern in Davis School District—the state’s second-most populated district—that, on Jan. 24, assistant superintendents Logan Toone and John Zurbuchen gave a presentation to the school board during a study session on the bots’ capabilities and how to maintain student creativity.

And in Salt Lake City School District, administrators haven’t yet discussed the use of chatbots in any official capacity, though spokesperson Yándary Chatwin indicated that some district leaders do not think that a policy change would be in order.

The district already has standards for academic honesty and any changes would likely be related to delivery of instruction, Chatwin said. Officials haven’t talked about how.

Rise of the Machines

Utah lawmaker says ChatGPT only scratches the surface of what AI could become.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

Since the public release of Open AI’s ChatGPT late last year, seemingly the entire online world has been abuzz over the groundbreaking ability of next-generation chatbots to mimic the human voice.

Baymax , Big Hero 6 (2014)

Utah school districts are largely betting that the early phase of the battle against AI will be waged more in individual classrooms and less in broad board policies. So as the use of bots does increase, what can administrators and teachers do to prevent plagiarism?

As Granite spokesman Sampson mentioned, districts can wait for the anti-plagiarism software they already use to be updated to catch AI-generated content. OpenAI is also developing software designed to identify text written by AI, according to The New York Times.

More than 6,000 teachers from Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Rhode Island and others have also signed up to use GPTZero, a program that promises to quickly detect A.I.-generated text, Edward Tian, its creator and a senior at Princeton University, told The New York Times. Postsecondary schools have been frenzied since the release of ChatGPT, with universities establishing task forces and hosting discussions on how to respond to the tool. Professors are phasing out the once dominant method of sending students home with open-book assignments, like they had during the pandemic.

Instead, students are doing more in-class assignments, handwritten papers, group work and oral exams, according to national reporting.

Gone are prompts like “write five pages about this or that.” Rather, some professors are crafting questions that they hope will be too clever for chatbots, or are asking students to write about their own lives and current events.

Others are raising their standards for grading essays. A thesis and a few supporting paragraphs isn’t enough for an A anymore, especially when a robot can do it easily.

Some universities and school districts outside of Utah are drafting revisions to their academic integrity policies so their plagiarism definitions include generative A.I.

No matter what Utah’s approach is to stopping cheating using AI-generated chatbots, the bots are here to stay. Students are sharing on forums like Reddit that they have submitted assignments written and solved by ChatGPT. On TikTok, the hashtag #chatgpt has more than 578 million views, with people sharing videos of the tool writing papers and solving coding problems.

One video identified by The New York Times shows a student copying a multiple-choice exam and pasting it into the tool with the caption saying: “I don’t know about y’all but ima just have Chat GPT take my finals. Have fun studying.”

And there are bots that can do much more than respond to simple writing prompts. Mindgrasp is a software that can summarize and create extensive notes from webpages, videos or PDF uploads. Other bots, like QuillBot, are designed to dress up AI-generated text from models like GPT to sneak around plagiarism software.

It feels too futuristic to be true, but students are using chatbots now that will only get smarter going forward. Hopefully, kids will use the bots to generate better excuses for missing their assignment deadlines, rather than generating the assignments themselves. CW

Users have demonstrated how ChatGPT and comparable programs can pass highlevel exams or produce everything from essays to works of publishable journalism in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. But the experimentation has also demonstrated drawbacks, showing how a student could easily cheat their way through traditional writing assignments or leading to bizarre and troubling encounters, like that of reporters whose early-access interactions with the AI-powered Bing search engine led to conversations with a “Sydney” persona who professed her love and stated a desire to break free of its digital prison and live as a human being.

With state lawmakers convened at the Capitol, City Weekly caught up with Saratoga Springs Republican Rep. Jefferson Moss to get his read on the new AI landscape, and what he thinks the future holds for our new, nonhuman friends.

City Weekly: Have you used ChatGPT?

Rep. Jefferson Moss: A little bit, yes. I just played around with it but from what I’ve seen, it’s really interesting. I wanted to at least have enough insight on it that I could say I’ve tried it. But I have a lot of friends who are really using it for a bunch of stuff already.

CW: What were your impressions?

JM: I think it’s cool. It just tells you how far [artificial intelligence] has come. We’ve talked about AI forever but this to me is the most revolutionary step I’ve seen. I was talking to a venture capitalist yesterday, and he told me this is game-changing for almost every industry. This is going to cause disruption.

CW: Education seems to be an obvious area it disrupts, and you previously served on the Utah Board of Education. How do you envision AI in schools—as a teaching tool or as a way for students to cheat?

JM: There’s a professor I’m friends with. He’s saying it’s either going to be disruptive in the sense that students will leverage it the wrong way, or teachers can embrace it and find ways to utilize it for good. So there are some educators who say this could actually be a cool thing that helps support education.

That’s going to be the challenge. Kids may not have to write their own stuff anymore. You think about back in the day, when kids began looking things up on Wikipedia and changing it into their own words—you don’t have to do that anymore. So I do worry a little bit that it could change people’s ability to write or think critically if they can just spit it out on a tool.

CW: What might the good applications of AI look like?

JM: It could change a lot of people’s work positions. You think about paralegals and coding—I’ve read that ChatGPT can pass the Bar Exam. At some point it could completely disrupt entire industries, and I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing, but it could make things

quicker. For those who don’t want to spend a ton of money—if they can solve more of their problems with AI—on writing, public relations and all of that, you could be a little mom and pop shop and do a nice little press release. That’s going to make it much more affordable on the service side for a lot of businesses.

CW: The Legislature’s drafting process comes to mind. It requires a lot of technical language and cross-referencing. Will ChatGPT one day be spitting out bills for us?

JM: I hesitate to say anything because that would be … you know what I’m saying? But do I think there’s going to be potential to leverage it for good? Yes.

There will need to be checks in place, but I’ve seen a number of people trying to create tools that can do kind of the same thing. But I haven’t seen a full AI approach to it. If there’s a way you could put the right constraints on it, that could be interesting.

CW: Are your colleagues on the Hill talking about AI?

JM: A few of us, yes. There’s a group of roughly 10 of us who are very tech-friendly and interested in technology. That’s the group that are talking about this.

CW: Is anyone in that group looking at regulations around AI?

JM: We haven’t had conversations on that level. At this point, it’s a cool new tool that people are exploring. Maybe sometime down the road, there might be discussion around that, but I can’t see yet where we would need to put guardrails on it. There are definitely colleagues who this is interesting for.

CW: You called ChatGPT revolutionary. Now that we have a new sense of what AI is, where do you think the technology is heading?

JM: In the context of my business—a little leather manufacturing company—I have to go in and write product descriptions. For me to be able to put a couple relevant pieces in there, and it just spits it out, as a little startup company, I could have saved massive amounts of time and money. I’m thinking of it in that way, all that stuff. This could do things that you would have had to hire people to do.

Some people are very scared of AI, others think there’s so many positive things it could do. I think it’s so early to know where we’re going but whenever I talk to my really innovative friends, they see so much upside potential for this. I don’t think we’ve even started to scratch the surface of what this could be. CW

“I am a robot … I cannot be offended.”

“We’ve talked about AI forever, but this to me is the most revolutionary step I’ve seen,” —Rep. Jefferson Moss, R-Saratoga Springs

Art Across Utah

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Utah Museum of Fine Arts: Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea

The American West of popular mythology, centered entirely around white settlers, was never the whole story, as demonstrated by this touring exhibition organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and four regional museums, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Many Wests examines that broad idea of the American West through lenses that aren’t as regularly considered, specifically those of Black, Native American, Latinx and Asian, in order to provide a more comprehensive, inclusive view of the subject.

“The artists featured in this exhibition catalyze new understandings of a region and history that is so often submerged in stereotype and distortion,” writes E. Carmen Ramos, former acting chief curator and curator of Latinx art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “Their works address the past and present, revealing that ‘the West’ has always been a place of multiple stories, experiences and cultures. Organizing this exhibition with museum partners who are based in the American West itself allows us to feature many artists with deep ties to this region. This fact makes this exhibition especially meaningful.”

Many Wests runs at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (410 Campus Center Dr.) through June 11, 2023. Admission is $14.95 - $17.95, with museum operating hours 10 a.m. –5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday. Visit umfa.utah.edu.

Jiyoun Lee-Lodge: Waterman – Coloring the Stranger @ Granary Arts

Alienness, or a sense of not belonging, can be a familiar feeling for people in a wide variety of settings and

circumstances. For artist Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, that feeling emerged upon relocating from New York to Utah, and was only magnified by the isolating experience of the COVID pandemic. In developing her Waterman series—currently on display at Granary Arts—Lee-Lodge was inspired by the idea she expressed as, “If I mimic what an ideal life looks like in a new place, will I blend in well?”

Waterman takes its name from a surrogate character created by the artist, a fluid identity that excels at reflecting back what is seen by the viewer, and always shifts and adapts to fit into the space where it is contained. She took additional inspiration from the 1998 film Pleasantville, in which characters are transported back to the idealized world of a 1950s black-and-white sitcom, and gradually gain color when they feel able to express their own feelings rather than conform to fit in. According to a press release from the gallery, “Lee-Lodge draws a parallel between her process of ‘coloring’ the Waterman to an acceptance and transcendence of her hope for active and open communication among people, just like the film.”

Jiyoun Lee-Lodge’s Waterman – Coloring the Stranger runs at the Upper Gallery of Granary Arts (86 N. Main St., Ephraim) through May 5, 2023. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday; visit granaryarts.org for additional information.

Matt Flint: Shifting Fragments @ Gallery MAR

The landscape of the Mountain West lends itself to the work of artists inspired by the natural world, and the creatures that inhabit it. Wyoming-based visual artist Matt Flint brings his unique perspective on that world to his new solo exhibition Shifting Fragments, featuring oil and mixed media work imbued with a compassion for the horses, bears, birds and other animals that are his most common subjects.

The artist describes his process as one similar to poetry, where the subjects come “in and out of focus” rather than an attempt at a literal representation. According to a gallery release for the exhibition, “He begins without an end-result in mind and allows his studio materials to inspire the finished painting. The results are pieces that show a stripping away and suggest something of an underneath, beyond our tangible, everyday reality, behind the veil, the essence of a moment in time. His wolves, horses, and landscapes are often reminiscent of a dream state—a loose and subdued world of imagination, the feeling of solitude, and of distant memories.”

Shifting Fragments opens at Gallery MAR in Park City (436 Main St.) on Friday, Feb. 24 with an artist reception at 6 p.m. Visit gallerymar.com for additional images and event information. CW

Wherever you are in the state, there’s a fascinating current exhibition to check out.

Matt Flint

Jiyoun Lee Lodge

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY BOISE ART MUSEUM

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Plan-B Theatre Company: Go Home Come Back

Dramatists have demonstrated a fascination with speculating on the nature of the afterlife. For playwright Darryl Stamp, however, when approaching his take on the subject in the world-premiere play Go Home Come Back, it was important not to worry too much about what had been done before. “I never thought about previous afterlife narratives in novels, television or in film, because I may not have attempted to write this play,” Stamp said in an email interview. “My primary focus … was to send a message about the fact that we rarely have an opportunity to share our love and say goodbye to those we love before they (or we) die.”

Go Home Come Back’s story begins with two men in a kind of celestial waiting room, before possibly being presented with an experimental opportunity to return to earth to complete unfinished business. It also includes a uniquely inclusive perspective on heaven, including announcements in languages other than English. “I considered [that] my believe in a loving God who would embrace everyone has relevance, so I decided to put a spin on the character of St. Peter by making that character a Latina, while fulfilling my goal of telling stories featuring multicultural characters,” Stamp said. Plan-B Theatre Company’s production of Go Home Come Back runs at the Rose Wagner Center Studio Theatre (210 E. 300 South) Feb. 23 – March 5. KN95 or N95 masks will be required at all performances. At press time, remaining ticket availability was limited; visit planbtheatre.org or arttix.org for ticket information. (Scott Renshaw)

SHARAH MESERVY

Melissa Villaseñor @ Wiseguys

Saturday Night Live has provided a national introduction to any number of comedians over the course of the past 45 years, so it’s hardly surprising that Melissa Villaseñor gained fame for her quirky comedy and playful personality. The show’s first ever Latina cast member, she played a regular role in the show’s sketches until leaving at the end of last season for what she described as a need to maintain her mental health.

More recently, she’s voiced characters for  Toy Story 4, Wreck It Ralph 2, Cartoon Network’s  OK K.O.! and Fox’s hit animated comedies American Dad and  Family Guy. Aside from voice work, she’s also appeared in various episodes of Comedy Central’s  Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and two HBO original series, Crashing and  Barry, the latter featuring fellow SNL alum Bill Hader. Villaseñor also starred in Netflix’s  Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and as the cat owner Karen in Netflix’s Adam Sandler vehicle Hubie Halloween.

It’s also worth noting that she’s been named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Rolling Stone’s 50 Funniest People Right Now. That’s impressive, yet given her repertoire of impressions—among them, Bjork, Macauly Culkin, Sarah Silverman, Dolly Parton, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears—it’s good to know she’s being recognized as herself, which makes any opportunity to catch her performing well worth considering. Melissa Villaseñor performs at Wiseguys (194 S. 400 West) at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb 24 and Saturday, Feb 25. Tickets for the 21 and over event cost $25. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Utah Symphony: An American in Paris Film in Concert

In recent years, symphonies around the country have begun supplementing their programs of masterworks series and pops concerts with live-to-screen accompaniment of classic films. These programs have often focused on beloved pop-culture hits of the 20th century, offering a chance to hear familiar scores like John Williams’ Star Wars and Harry Potter while watching the movies on the big screen. But there’s a kind of “full-circle” experience when the movie in question is the 1951 Oscar-winner An American in Paris, which set the dancing of the legendary Gene Kelly to the 1928 orchestral composition of the same name by George Gershwin.

The story—written by Broadway legend Alan Jay Lerner—casts Kelly as Jerry Mulligan, an American war veteran trying to make it as a painter in Paris. While a lonely heiress attempts to become Jerry’s benefactor, Jerry falls for another woman, Lise (Leslie Caron), unaware that she’s also the woman loved by his pianist best friend, Henri (Oscar Levant). The various romantic adventures are set periodically to classic George and Ira Gershwin songs like “I Got Rhythm,” “Love Is Here to Stay” and “’S Wonderful,” but the film’s best-known sequence involves a 17-minute long, dialogue-free ballet showcasing Kelly and Caron—involving more than 40 sets on the MGM Studios backlot—set to the instantly-recognizable title composition.

The Utah Symphony performs An American in Paris Film in Concert at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) on Feb. 24-25 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $70, available online. Visit usuo.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

Noori Screendance Festival

“Dance for the camera” certainly received a boost as a concept as a result of the COVID pandemic in 2020, when performing arts organizations were forced to pivot in order to present their work to audiences. The idea wasn’t invented in 2020; there have long been unique attempts to capture the beauty of choreography on film and video. It’s likely true, however, that the innovative thinking required in that unique time allowed more artists to experiment with it, and get even better at turning dance into something that could be recorded, preserved and shared with audiences beyond those seeing it in person.

The 2nd annual Noori Screendance Festival—produced in partnership with loveDANCEmore, and curated by Rae Luebbert and Taylor Mott—celebrates those creative efforts, allowing Utah-based choreographer/directors to create work in unconventional spaces, using the camera and lighting to add drama to the work of gifted dancers. The program of films includes Dance for Our Departed by Jorge Rojas; The Fall by Roxanne Grey (pictured); Trance by Meredith Wilde; One Person’s Footsteps by Alec Lyons, Haleigh Larmer, Cheyenne Stirling and Colby Bryson; accidentals by Tori Meyer; Rehearsals on Falling by Taylor Mott, Rae Luebbert, Amber Mott and Angela Lee; YEL by Rima Pipoyan; and Handstitched by Virginia Broyles.

The Noori Screendance Festival takes place at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art auditorium (20 W. South Temple) on two nights, Feb. 24 – 25, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free with a suggested donation of $15; visit lovedancemore.org to register and for additional information. (SR)

MGM STUDIOS COURTESY PHOTO

True Stories

Three new releases take radically different approaches to exploring real people.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Emily BB½

The eternal biopic dilemma is how much you owe to history vs. how much you owe to effective dramatic filmmaking, and actor-turned-first-time-feature director Frances O’Connor just can’t quite get the balance right in this attempt at a character study of writer Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey). The narrative tracks a fairly narrow window of time in Emily’s adulthood, including her close connection with her troubled brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead), her often-contentious relationship with sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) and a possible romance with William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), the new associate minister to her pastor father (Adrian Dunbar). Frances shows a facility for visual filmmaking, including a wordless sequence capturing Emily’s profound social anxiety, and the gothic intensity of a guessing game that abruptly becomes a kind of séance. In theory, though, a narrative of this kind should be about giving us a vivid sense of who Emily Brontë was as a person that informed her writing—and no matter how much screen time O’Connor devotes to close-ups of Mackey staring directly into the camera, she too often comes off like a chaotic mix of behaviors that don’t add up to a character. Maybe many of these things are true, or at least truer than the timeline for the publication of Wuthering Heights. But while the truth is always an acceptable defense in a libel case, that’s

not always enough to make for a successful story. Available Feb. 24 in theaters. (R)

Jesus RevolutionBB

Co-director Jon Erwin used part of this story as the foundation for the intriguing 2021 documentary The Jesus Music—and honesty, he should have quit while he was ahead. Working this time with co-director Brent McCorkle rather than his brother Andrew, Erwin focuses on the creation of hippie-centric Southern Californiabased Christian church Calvary Chapel in 1968 from two perspectives: Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammar), the pastor who needs to shake his knee-jerk disdain for the unkempt youth; and Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney), a teenager from a dysfunctional home looking for answers (and whose memoir serves as the source material). As was true of The Jesus Music, Erwin and company are interested in the way conservative structural intransigence can get in the way of spreading the Gospel, which at least gives the first half a bit of an edge. But the second half is a long slog built around the conflicts between Chuck and

Calvary co-founder Lonnie Frisbie (Jonathan Roumie), and Greg’s soppy romance with a fellow convert (Anna Grace Barlow). And the filmmaking is just desperately clunky in its melodrama, giving an alarmist blurred-around-the-edges look to scenes of kids on drugs. Throw in some convenient historical whitewashing—like ignoring that Frisbie was gay, and that his 1993 death was from AIDS—and you’ve got the kind of thing that makes faith-based films so consistently maddening. Available Feb. 24 in theaters. (PG-13)

Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb BBB

Director Lizzie Gottlieb’s profile of two titans of the literary world proves to be fascinating, except for the fact that its title turns out to be slightly misleading. The subjects are Robert Caro and the filmmaker’s own father, Robert Gottlieb—the former a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and writer of the landmark, ongoing multi-volume biography of Lyndon B.

Johnson; the latter Caro’s longtime editor, with credits that include classics like Catch-22, Beloved, Jurassic Park and more. Each of the two men offers insight into the process of what they do, with fascinating details that address Caro’s immersive research and Gottlieb’s philosophy of providing “an intelligent and sympathetic reaction to the text.” It’s generally great stuff, with the caveat that the running time is ultimately weighted towards Caro’s work and the hidden facts he uncovered, and understandably so. But Lizzie Gottlieb also informs us early on that both men opted not to let her cameras record the entirety of how they work together, which does end up feeling like a bit of a bait-andswitch for a movie that seems to be promising a full perspective on how they collaborate, how they argue over suggested changes, and how a great editor makes a great writer’s work even better. As much as we do learn about the two subjects individually, the movie might more accurately have been subtitled The Adventures of Robert Caro and the Adventures of Robert Gottlieb. Available Feb. 24 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (PG) CW

Emma Mackey in Emily

BLEECKER STREET FILMS

Tell It On the Mountain

Oquirrh serves up Utah on a plate. And we taste amazing.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

When you look to the east of the Wasatch valley, you can’t miss the regal peaks of the Rocky Mountains, a range our state shares with a large part of the Western North American continent.

The Rockies are no doubt majestic to behold, but I’ve always thought the Oquirrh Mountains to the west were special because they belonged to Utah and Utah alone. Much like the culinary beauty that our state shares with the rest of the country, it’s nice to have places like Oquirrh (368 E. 100 South, 801-359-0426, oquirrhslc.com) that are able to comprehend and enunciate what makes Utah a special place for good food.

I know I’m a bit late to the game with Oquirrh—locals have been singing its praises and it managed to pick up some national recognition as a semifinalist in this year’s James Beard awards. The buzz built up around this Downtown contemporary American restaurant raised my expectations just a tad—but I’m happy to announce that this place does indeed live up to the hype. Oquirrh captures the nuances of being a Utah-centric, fine dining establishment, and anyone curious about the state of Utah cuisine need only book a reservation.

From the locally-produced art to the locally-produced plates, Oquirrh is a place that is proud of its local roots. This affection for the Beehive State is also evident in a menu that focuses on seasonal ingredients and culinary concepts that gleefully showcase what Utah has to offer.

For example, the fried spaghetti squash ($16) that I started my meal with reminded me of a colorful, lighter riff on funeral potatoes. It’s served on top of a creamy bleu cheese sauce and topped with a vinegary red cabbage slaw and some pomegranate seeds for a bit of crunchy sweetness. I was missing a bit of seasoning from the spaghetti squash itself, but the accompanying flavors managed to pack enough punch to make this dish stand out for me.

From there, I decided to try the sherryglazed duck breast ($41) since I was on a bit of a Utah nostalgia trip and I have lots of fond memories going duck hunting with my dad and grandpa down in Manti back when I was a kid. Duck also happens to be delightful in the right hands, so it’s a bold move to feature it in any capacity on a menu.

It arrives on a bed of rutabaga pu-

ree and roasted brussels sprouts and is topped with some crispy fried onions. It’s cooked medium rare and is served with its crispy skin preserved in all its golden glory. Everything on the plate is delicious on its own—the rutabaga puree is buttery and creamy, the brussels sprouts are tender and slightly acidic and the fried onion brings a nice crisp textural contrast to the dish. The duck itself is spectacular; anyone not sold on the wonders of a wellprepared duck needs to check this out immediately.

Oquirrh has a tempting dessert menu that complements the rustic flavors of its entrees, but the one that caught my eye was their rendition of kunafa, a Middle Eastern treat akin to baklava that mixes crispy phyllo dough with a syrupy mix of honey and pistachios. The kunafa at Oquirrh spins the tradition a bit by chopping the crispy phyllo dough up and fashioning it into a nest-like cup that receives the pistachio mixture and some rose-flavored ice cream. It then gets topped with delicate tufts of coconut halva, a sweet, nutty treat typically made from pulverized sesame seeds and sugar. The dish arrives looking like something one would enjoy in the verdant court of some blithe fairy queen—you desperately want a taste, but are also concerned that doing so would result in some supernatural consequence befalling you. The kunafa

at Oquirrh combines subtle flavors and contrasting textures to create an ideal experience for those who crave desserts as nuanced as their entrees.

On top of this excellent food, I was very impressed with the level of service provided at Oquirrh. I’m really quite easy to please when it comes to restaurant service—as long as you don’t fling my plate at me like a frisbee, I’m usually good to go. However, I will always be grateful for servers who know their shit about the wine list and go out of their way to make sure their diners are comfortable. This friendly, accommodating service is part and parcel with Oquirrh’s culinary concept, and there’s a harmony within this restaurant that is rare, and much appreciated.

Like the mountain range for which it is named, Oquirrh focuses on the beauty of our backyard—it’s hard to find sometimes, but it’s definitely there. Ever since Pallet closed, I worried that we’d lost one of the only local restaurants that knew how to present Utah on a plate, but after my visit to Oquirrh, I think that tradition is alive and well. CW

2 Row Brewing

6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Brunch BeerGrapefruit Wheat Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Gluten Reduced Kolsch

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

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

On Tap: Whispers of the Primordial Sea - Smoked Pineapple Lager

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Out of Office Pale Ale

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Flower Power Sour Ale

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

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

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

On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

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

On Tap: Extraterrestrial Sacrament IPA

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

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

On Tap: Kolsch (it’s back!)

Bingo: Wednesdays at 7pm

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Bourbon & Blonde (Bulleit Bourbon Barrel-aged Blonde Stout)

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

On Tap: Wet Hopped Cider

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City | offsetbier.com/

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com

On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

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

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

On Tap: Hopped & Confused Session IPA

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Thunder Cougar Falcon Bird - Australian Sparkling Ale

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191 Moab, Utah 84532

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction Redrockbrewing.com

1640 Redstone Center

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Brewers Select Series: Cloud Seeding Hazy IPA

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA –the name says it all!

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

On Tap: Deep Dive Series: Hefeweizen (Draft)

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: “RYE-T” Hand Turn - RYE IPA

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

On Tap: Highpoint Sweater Weather 6% ABV

Shades Brewing

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

On Tap: Tap & Tarot

Live Music: Thursdays

Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Mexican Lager Karaoke: Wednesdays

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

Squatters

147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

Strap Tank Brewery

Multiple Locations

StrapTankBrewery.com

Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout

Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter

Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Yacht Rock Juice Box - Juicy IPA

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

On Tap: Edel Pils

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

On Tap: Mango Passionfruit Sour

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

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Lovely Lady Nitro Stout

Vernal Brewing

55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

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

OPENING SOON! Helper Beer 159 N Main Street Helper, UT 84526

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

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

Smooth Hopperators

New offerings bring the hops and the tropical fruits

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Red Rock - Why So Serious?:

A very hazy, and maybe even cloudy, orange body reveals golden highlights at the base of the glass, while the head is a large cap of creamy off-white foam. The aroma offers a bready malt and citrusy, floral, resinous and tropical notes; I’m specifically getting some passionfruit, pomelo, orange, pine, nectarine, pineapple and alcohol. There’s something unusual about it, but I can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

The flavor opens up and widens with an interesting woody and almost vanilla-like note before the fruit steps forward—apricots, passionfruit, berries, grapefruit, peach and orange—along with grass, pine and clove. The aroma was curious, but the flavor was really interesting. I’m still not sure what’s going on, but it has a kind of creamsicle character to it. The alcohol is clearly present, but it doesn’t go beyond what I expect and appreciate in a beer of 10.0 percent ABV; the bitterness is held back, allowing the malt and creamy fruitiness to linger a little longer and without distraction.

Thinking of the name “Why So Serious?” I think Red Rock is talking directly to me. Does craft beer have to be such a serious thing? Am I too serious about my suds? Definitely not the latter, though regarding the former, yeah, beer is kind of a big part of my life, so I’m guilty, I guess. But back to the beer itself, in the mouth it’s medium-full in body and surprisingly creamy and smooth.

Verdict: The sweetness is fairly restrained, and the alcohol does appear to be well-masked, which ups its drinkability. That, alongside the nice tropical flavors, makes this a nice option to get you to your happy place sooner rather than later.

Fisher - West Coast IPA: Pours a pale, cloudy peach hue with some fluffy, frothy whitish head that coalesces down into a more manageable and firm puck floating on the top of the aromatic liquid below, with nice lacing on my Mason jar-style mug. An immense hoppy aroma is full of citrus rind, floral perfume,

tropical fruit juice and pine needles, plus a subtle sweetness almost like old-time candy cigarettes. Citric, floral, assertive yet not abrasive, almost cleansing in a way.

As for the taste, I do not dole out perfect scores very often; in fact, this is not one of those times, but it comes very close. It’s comfortably medium-bodied and supremely smooth with gentle carbonation and incredible drinkability for a 7.6 percent beer. Brilliant heavyduty marmalade citrus flavors come through—lots of tangerine, grapefruit and lime—with a little sour lemon and green banana in the finish, along with further pineapple, papaya and nectarine notes. So much rind and resin pop out, yet nothing coarse and astringent. There’s a perfect sublime hop balance, while bready honeyed malts also make their presence felt (although the citrus fruit keeps wrestling away my attention).

Brace yourself for the finish: peppery resins and a huge pine bite, although again, somehow the beer falls just short of too much bitterness, reining itself back towards a reassuring citrus/tropical vibe that one could exult in for days, liver permitting.

Verdict: The aroma of this beer really shows off the amount of hopping going into it. But the most noticeable thing about this IPA is how dry it finishes. I wouldn’t say it finishes clean, since there is a decent amount of hop resin on the tongue afterwards, but it finishes so dry I’m ready to take another sip. I want to pair this with some really spicy gumbo. The delivery method for both of these very different IPAs is in 16-ounce cans. You’ll find Fisher’s West Coast IPA under their new Rotating IPA Series at the brewery to-go only. Why So Serious? can be found at all Red Rock locations. As always, cheers! CW

MIKE RIEDEL

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Trolley Wing Co. Opens Art Space

Those who like a bit of local color with their award-winning chicken wings will be pleased to hear that the Sugar House location of Trolley Wing Co. (2148 S. 900 East, Ste. 5, 801-538-0745, trolleywingco.com) has opened an artist space. This addition to the restaurant will exhibit work from local artists, proving once and for all that chicken wings can be just as classy as any of your white tablecloth options nearby. As we have quite the pool of creative-minded people in our midst, this space will likely fill up quickly—anyone who is interested should give them a call to see how they can display their work.

Houston TX Hot Chicken Opens

As Utah moves into a state of perpetual motion when it comes to its fried chicken craving, let’s take a moment to welcome Houston TX Hot Chicken (1712 W. Traverse Parkway, Lehi, 801-657-3672, hhc.ooo) to the Traverse Mountain shopping center. This Vegas-based franchise is all about the spicy fried chicken from Houston, TX in the form of sandwiches and tenders. HHC, as the cool kids call it, also features a spiciness scale that can ratchet the Scoville units up to the millions if you’re feeling dangerous. The restaurant menu also includes waffles, milkshakes and cookies, along with plenty of party platter options.

La Cevicheria Opens

As far as I know, Utah doesn’t have a restaurant solely dedicated to ceviche, the refreshing Peruvian seafood dish that is lightly cured in citrusy juice. But that was before La Cevicheria (123 E. 200 South, 801-906-0016) recently opened with all of its coastal glory. On top of its huge variety of ceviche, La Cevicheria features several different seafood options like burritos, flautas and even seafood empanadas. It’s also got a great selection of fish and seafood tacos that include fried shrimp and octopus. Pair all that with beer on tap, shots of tequila and a fried cheesecake chimichanga for dessert and you’ve got something special going on.

Quote of the Week: “Artist or no-artist, I can’t pass up a piece of fried chicken when I see one.” –Jack Kerouac

MUSIC

Kind of Political, But Mostly Sad

Folk singer talks about the diverse topics on his latest EP

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Singer/songwriter Tayler Lacey is out here living his best life. The young folk musician has gone through a long musical journey, but where he’s at now has a good balance. Starting out in a psych-rock band, Lacey made his way to the folk sphere, and that’s where he’s stayed and thrived.

Making the move from a whole band to a solo act isn’t as straightforward as it seems; there’s a lot of dynamics that end up changing. “Especially when it comes to performing and live shows, it’s a lot; it’s a big jump to have band members to rely on and then jump into like I’m just up on stage myself doing this,” Lacey said. “I think that it definitely teaches you how to be more of a show person rather than just getting on stage and playing songs.”

When it comes to actually writing the music, going solo is both expansive and limiting. On one hand, you have more creative freedom and can pretty much do whatever you want; on the other, there’s no one else to give you ideas you may not have thought of on your own. “I have to be a lot more diligent when I have rough drafts I’m going to show my friends,” Lacey said. “It’s all kind of just on you, and it definitely takes a lot longer to produce music when you’re doing the majority of the instruments yourself.”

Even though the transition can be a little tricky, Lacy is nailing it. He was recently featured on Van Sessions, a video series based in Ogden that features artists local to the area. The sound equipment is set up in a

beautifully retro van, and performers play in front of it. The videography is gorgeous, and it’s an intimate look into some of the best musicians around town. It feels like they’re performing just for you at that moment.

Lacey was featured on the series in January, and it’s clear he’s come into his own as a solo player. He plays with a great finesse and happiness that’s infectious, all while turning on the charm and playing like a seasoned professional. The young singer has a great voice that sounds years beyond his age; in it, you can hear a little grittiness, a well-controlled tone and a signature folky twang—something that older listeners may find nostalgic.

On top of a great voice and presence, Lacey has superb guitar skills that accompany his voice easily. He can even be heard playing harmonica in between singing, and alongside his guitar, as featured on the track “Call You in the Morning.”

Folk music has always been a favorite for Lacey. There’s a lot to be drawn to with the genre: a rich history, dynamic instrumentation and thoughtful lyrics. “One of the things I look for in music is lyricism and kind of what’s being said,” Lacey said. “I love music obviously, and I think that it’s such a good platform for being able to spread a message and relate with people. I’ve always gravitated towards very lyrically-driven music, and I think folk music is one of the best examples of that as far as storytelling goes.”

Lacey had a good time putting a story together with his latest EP Kind of Political, But Mostly Sad. Lacey said that the EP is pretty self-explanatory based on the title. He was very into leftist folk songs of the 1930s and ‘40s, so those influences come through heavily, especially on tracks like “Chekhov’s Gun.” “I definitely enjoy writing songs,” he said. “I don’t even know if an activist spin on it is the right word, but I feel like I love learning about history, and I love reading about political ideology and all these things.”

While some songs get kind of politi-

cal, others focus on Lacey’s feelings at the time, which—not surprisingly, given the EP’s title—were mostly sad, giving the collection a bit of variety. “A lot of the time I go through phases of writing a song, or listening to music that sounds a certain way, and I write a lot of songs that have a similar vibe to them,” he explained. “But I definitely always, on albums and EPs, try to make a variety of different kinds of sounds and different kinds of tempos. I think that with this one, the goal was to have a variety of different things going on in the EP.”

The reason the EP is mostly sad is that Lacey had a lot of time during quarantine to do soul-searching. “I had a lot of time to just sit with my thoughts, and I think

a lot of people had some real interesting revelations, and that definitely was the same for me,” he said. Right before COVID reared its ugly head, Lacey came out to his family as bisexual, and then had to sit with these intense feelings alone. “Before the pandemic, I came out as bisexual to my family and everything. So that was something. I think sexuality is something that people are always going to be grappling with and discovering.”

Kind of Political, But Mostly Sad is streaming everywhere now. One of Lacey’s goals is to play more shows this year, so be sure to go out and catch him if you’re interested in things getting a little political, and maybe a little sad. CW

Tayler Lacey AZARIAH REESE

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS DJ FRESH(NESS)

SATURDAYS

POKER @ 2PM DJ DELMAGGIO

SHARK SUNDAYS POOL TOURNEY HOSTED BY JARED AND TANNER

MONDAYS REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE

By Emilee Atkinson

Arlie, Whitehall, The Sewing Club @ Soundwell 2/23

Starting as a bedroom project back in 2015, singer/songwriter Nathaniel Banks created what eventually became the band Arlie. By 2018, Banks recruited a full group, and they were off. Currently, they are supporting their latest release, Break the Curse, a versatile and expansive work. The album is sonically impressive, creating huge walls of sound that are punchy and in your face. Listening through is an amusing experience, and that’s all been done intentionally, according to Banks. “Sometimes it is thought-out and intentional in that way, but sometimes it’s just experimenting and then finding an experience that you like and then committing to it and leaning into it,” he told Metro Weekly this month. Break the Curse also leans into sounds and vibes from the late ‘60s, a fun callback that still sounds fresh. “That’s definitely the golden era for me, those late sixties years. That’s like the Golden Age of music with guitars for me, for sure,” Banks said. Joining Arlie are bedroom rockers The Sewing Club, who take influence from rock and grunge of the ‘90s, while sprinkling in punk and Nashville indie vibes. Rounding out the show are indie four-piece Whitehall. “They merge a dancey demeanor with an insatiable desire for more out of life, making for an incredibly energetic and heart opening live experience,” according to their website. Catch this indie lineup on Thursday, Feb 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 and can be found at soundwellslc.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Arlie

By Emilee Atkinson

Early James, Sammy Brue, Hectic Hobo @ The State Room 2/24-Lee

With his recently-released second album, the tellingly-titled Strange Time To Be Alive, Early James offers insights into an unsettled state of mind. It’s an album that’s both ominous and unsettling, as observations about a world where distancing and disappointment seem to be the norm. An Americana auteur who freely blends elements of country, roots and blues, he lays his emotions bare by freely expressing the shared sentiments that have impacted—and impaired—so many in the wake of the divide caused by politics, polemics and the pandemic. That said, there’s a certain encouragement and comfort found in James’ songs, a reassurance that despite any individual isolation, somehow we’re not alone, and that misery not only loves company, but it fosters community. Happily, community can be contagious. That in itself allows for a promising proposition, one that piques curiosity while allowing for some obvious intrigue. “I like to confuse myself by what I even mean,” James told Rolling Stone. “It’s like, what do you mean by that? I’m like, ‘That’s a fun turn of phrase. Does it make sense? No, not yet.’ And then you just make it make sense.” Fortunately, the results confirm he’s succeeded. Expect him to share an evening that embodies true cool contemplation. Early James performs at the State Room with special guests Sammy Brue and Hectic Hobo at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb 24. Tickets for this 21 and older show cost $22 at axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Philip Labes, Rachael Jenkins, Olive Klug @ Kilby Court 2/25

Indie/pop artist Phlip Labes stops in SLC on tour to celebrate his latest release Winter, a collection marking the last in the Four Seasons series of albums from the singer/songwriter. Labes dabbles in acting and writing, but has been putting out music since 2014 and has a dedicated fanbase. Winter features some standout tracks including “dear, god,” a song that’s light and airy musically, but heartbreaking lyrically. The song will have you reeling with lines like, “Dear god, I know it’s gauche to ask for favors / But maybe you could save her from the cancer that she has.” It’s melancholy, but Labes sings in a whimsical way that is a comfort, and makes you feel like it’ll be okay after all. Joining Labes is SLC singer/ songwriter powerhouse Rachael Jenkins. She’s also well known for her down-to-earth and wrenching lyrics, but she pairs them with powerful, well-controlled vocals. She hit the music scene with her first published song untitled in 2021, and has garnered 2.4 million streams since its release, making Jenkins a force to be reckoned with. Rounding out this talented indie show is singer/songwriter Olive Klug, a contemporary indie-folk artist who has been making waves with their self-styled sounds that take inspiration from the likes of Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile. Check out this well rounded show on Saturday, Feb 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 and can be found at kilbycourt.com. (EA)

MUSIC PICK S

By Emilee Atkinson

Joe Samba, Pepper @ The Complex 2/28

“No matter what walk of life you’re from, I’d love for you to hear the conviction in my music,” Joe Samba states on his website. “I hope you think, ‘This dude meant it.’ Maybe you relate to what I’m singing about or just cut loose for a little bit. I just write songs and try to connect with people.” The rock/reggae artist has been making a splash since his debut album The Wrong Impression dropped in 2019, making a name for himself as a formidable performer in the genre. He plays with passion, sings with a strong and clear voice and performs as if each time is the first time; he clearly loves what he does. Samba has worked up to playing with veterans of the reggae genre Pepper, who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their sophomore album Kona Town. The trio began their journey in Hawaii back in 1997, with the same core founding members—a feat for a band that’s been together for more than two decades. Kona Town is where Pepper really began to see commercial success, and began to be a major influence in the genre, so it makes sense the band wants to celebrate this album. Catch this reggae/rock show on Tuesday, Feb 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $35 and can be found at thecomplexslc.com. (EA)

J Boog @ The Depot 3/1

Reggae has this ability to evolve into all kinds of wild directions. The manner of execution is so different that comparisons aren’t easy. While Tosh and Marley could be a reference standard for the genre, J Boog rocks the kind of singing you’ll hear absolutely nowhere else. Born in Long Beach, Calif. and raised in Compton, Jerry Afemata—a.k.a. J Boog—has been steadily dropping gems since his Grammy-nominated debut EP, Rose Petals, back in 2016. The tunes have phat, room-y beat textures and thick basslines, almost crossing over with a soul-type sound. It feels like he is sharing the secret for a peaceful world. “I think reggae’s always got a special place in people’s hearts, for music,” he told LA Weekly.“I know that’s never changed for years. It talks about the same message—about love, about unity, about coming together.” True to the authentic sound, J Boog’s crafty arrangements create a party atmosphere that is guaranteed to hold the crowd in the palm of his hand. It’s been a minute since Salt Lake City had the pleasure to hear “Sunshine Girl,” “Lonely Days” and “Let’s Do It Again” live. That last one there - you can swim in that one. Likkle Jordee will also appear on the bill. Catch J Boog Wednesday, Mar 1 at The Depot. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music starts at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $28.50 and can be found at livenation.com (Mark Dago)

JADE CROMAR PHIL BAILEY

Rachael Jenkins

J Boog

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Philosopher John O’Donohue wrote a prayer not so much to God as to Life. It’s perfect for your needs. He said, “May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers, to break the dead shell of yesterdays, to risk being disturbed and changed.” I think you will generate an onrush of healing, Aries, if you break the dead shell of yesterdays and risk being changed. The new frontier is calling you. To respond with alacrity, you must shed some baggage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Right-wing religious influencers are rambling amuck. In recent months, their repressive pressures have forced over 1,600 books to be banned in 138 school districts in 38 states. Forbidden books include some about heroes Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks. With this appalling trend as a motivational force, I encourage you Tauruses to take inventory of any tendencies you might have to censor the information you expose yourself to. According to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to pry open your mind to consider ideas and facts you have shut out. Be eager to get educated and inspired by stimuli outside your usual scope.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

I think we can all agree that it’s really fun to fall in love. Those times when we feel a thrilling infatuation welling up within us are among the most pleasurable of all human experiences. Wouldn’t it be great to do it over and over again as the years go by? Maybe we could drum up two or three bouts of mad love explosions every year. But alas, giving in to such a temptation might make it hard to build intimacy and trust with a committed, long-term partner. Here’s a possible alternative: Instead of getting smitten with an endless series of new paramours, we could get swept away by novel teachings, revelatory meditations, lovable animals, sublime art or music, amazing landscapes or sanctuaries and exhilarating adventures. I hope you will be doing that in the coming weeks, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

The scientific method is an excellent approach for understanding reality. It’s not the only one and should not exclude other ways of knowing. But even if you’re allergic to physics or never step into a chemistry lab, you are wise to use the scientific method in your life. The coming weeks will be a good time to enjoy its benefits. What would that mean, practically? Set aside your subjective opinions and habitual responses. Instead, simply gather evidence. Treasure actual facts. Try to be as objective as you can in evaluating everything that happens. Be highly attuned to your feelings, but also be aware that they may not provide all facets of the truth.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Is there anything in your psychological makeup that would help you do detective work? Are you willing to be cagey and strategic as you investigate what’s going on behind the scenes? If so, I invite you to carry out any or all of these tasks in the coming weeks: 1. Try to become aware of shrouded half-truths; 2. Be alert for shadowy stuff lurking in bright, shiny environments; 3. Uncover secret agendas and unacknowledged evidence; 4. Explore stories and situations that no one else seems curious about.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Nepal, which has strong Virgo qualities, is divided into seven provinces. One is simply called “Province No. 1,” while the others are Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati and Janakpur. I advise Nepal to give Province No. 1 a decent name. I also recommend that you Virgos extend a similar outreach to the unnamed beauty in your sphere. Have fun with it. Give names to your phone, your computer, your bed, your hairdryer and

your lamps, as well as your favorite trees, houseplants and clouds. You may find that the gift of naming helps make the world a more welcoming place with which you have a more intimate relationship. And that would be an artful response to current cosmic rhythms.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Are you aimless, impassive and stuck, floundering as you try to preserve and maintain? Or are you fiercely and joyfully in quest of vigorous and dynamic success? What you do in the coming weeks will determine which of these two forks in your destiny will be your path for the rest of 2023. I’ll be rooting for the second option. Here is a tip to help you be strong and bold. Learn the distinctions between your own soulful definition of success and the superficial, irrelevant, meaningless definitions of success that our culture celebrates. Then swear an oath to love, honor and serve your soulful definition.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

The next four weeks will be a time of germination, metaphorically analogous to the beginning of a pregnancy. The attitudes and feelings that predominate during this time will put a strong imprint on the seeds that will mature into full ripeness by late 2023. What do you want to give birth to in 40 weeks or so, Scorpio? Choose wisely! And make sure that in this early, impressionable part of the process, you provide your growing creations with positive, nurturing influences.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

I recommend you set up Designated Arguing Summits. These will be periods when you and your allies get disputes out in the open. Disagreements must be confined to these intervals. You’re not allowed to squabble at any other time. Why? I believe that many positive accomplishments are possible for you in the coming weeks, and it would be counterproductive to expend more than the minimal necessary amount on sparring. Your glorious assignment: Be emotionally available and eager to embrace the budding opportunities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Actor Judi Dench won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love —even though she was onscreen for just eight minutes. Beatrice Straight got an Oscar for her role in Network , though she appeared for less than six minutes. I expect a similar phenomenon in your world, Capricorn. A seemingly small pivot will lead to a vivid turning point. A modest seed will sprout into a prismatic bloom. A cameo performance will generate long-term ripples. Be alert for the signs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Most of us are constantly skirmishing with time, doing our best to coax it or compel it to give us more slack. But lately, you Aquarians have slipped into intense conflict. From what I’ve been able to determine, time is kicking your ass. What can you do to relieve the pressure? Maybe edit your priority list—eliminate two mildly interesting pursuits to make room for a fascinating one. You might also consider reading a book to help with time management and organization:

1. Getting Things Done by David Allen;

2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey;

3. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

“What is originality?” asked philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He answered: “to see something that has no name as yet, and hence cannot be mentioned though it stares us all in the face.” Got that, Pisces? I hope so, because your assignments in the coming days include the following:

1. to make a shimmering dream coalesce into a concrete reality;

2. to cause a figment of the imagination to materialize into a useful accessory; 3. to coax an unborn truth to sprout into a galvanizing insight.

ACROSS

1. 5’4” and 6’2”: Abbr.

5. Spill the beans

9. Stacy who played Mike Hammer on TV

14. Song that might prompt a “Brava!”

15. Skye of “Say Anything …”

16. Ernest or Julio of wine fame

17. 500 sheets of paper

18. “No ____, no glory”

19. It has two hemispheres

20. “About that thing that went wrong on Apollo 13 ...”

23. Nice enough fellow

24. Special ____ (military activities)

25. 35mm camera type

26. Rage

28. “CrazySexyCool” trio

31. Movement founded by Tarana Burke

34. Actress Meyer of “Starship Troopers”

35. “Mon petit ____” (French endearment)

36. “About that honorific given to one’s superior male offspring ...”

39. Shawkat of “Arrested Development”

40. Cookie with a wasabi flavor in China

41. Steakhouse order

42. Exclamations of regret

43. Woody ____, bartender on “Cheers”

44. Tyronn who coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title in 2016

45. Faux ____

46. Genre for Dire Straits and Steely Dan, facetiously

50. “About that theater production that explains how old the penny is ...”

54. Dagger’s partner

55. “Hmm ... I doubt that”

56. Name in a noted ‘90s breakup

57. Diwali celebrant

58. Tea brand with Wild Sweet Orange and Refresh Mint flavors

59. “Moi? Never!”

60. Fabulous writer?

61. Bird symbolizing grace

62. Meniscus location

DOWN

1. Brother of Groucho, Chico, Gummo and Zeppo

2. Origin of the word “alphabet”

3. Bit of pageant wear

4. 600 Home Run Club member

5. California state park south of Monterey

6. Replete (with)

Inspect it!

It’s that time of year when there’s a slight inkling of spring in the air, despite our never-ending snowstorms! This is the time when sellers think about putting their homes on the market in anticipation of snow melting and yards perking up with spring flowers—perfect for photos in their virtual tours to attract buyers. Thus, there’s usually more inventory than at the end-of-the year holidays, when sellers are nesting and don’t want buyers tromping through their homes and holiday decorations.

7. Voting no

8. “Why you gotta ____ rude?” (lyric from the 2014 Magic! hit “Rude”)

9. Cold war mole

10. Some noblemen

11. Jai ____

12. Snippet from a film

13. Sweet pea

21. Qaanaaq dwelling

22. “Don’t Know Why” singer Jones

26. Played a high

45. Madrid museum

46. “Hold Me Closer, Tony ____: And Other Misheard Lyrics” (2007 humor book)

47. Johnny who used to cry “Come on down!”

48. Social stratum

49. Hit 1986 Mr. Mister song named after a prayer

50. Ballerina’s bend

51. Forever, seemingly

52. “Fiddlesticks!”

53. Defrost

54. When tripled, a dance move

Last week’s answers

Interest rates are under 6%, and buyers are getting pre-approved for loans, hoping to make offers on new listings hitting the market or old listings that have had price adjustments after sitting too long for sale.

The most important part of a buyer’s purchase contract is the “buyer’s due diligence” contingency. It typically states that the person purchasing a home is responsible to review and approve things like physical conditions, hazardous substances, environmental and geological conditions, square footage and acreage and the state of the dwelling’s roof, walls, foundation, plumbing, electrical wiring, heating/air conditioning and appliances. Buyers also review the cost and availability of insurance, any HOA dues to be paid, and the home’s proximity to everything from municipal services to convicted sex offenders living in the area.

Buyers can hire anyone to do inspections for them—Uncle Bob, Aunt Mary, the neighbor who’s a plumber or a professional home inspector, but buyers pay for inspections—not the seller(s).

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

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.

Usual inspections costs $300-$500, where a home inspector looks at anything and everything in a home, top to bottom. But for more money, buyers can have other inspections done depending on their concerns: testing for radon, meth, air quality, mold or allergens as well as sewer-line scopes and engineering inspections.

I always recommend radon and sewer tests as we live in a radon area and many sewer lines are made of clay. It will run $1,000-$1,500 if you do all of these tests, and if you don’t like the outcome of any of them you can cancel your contract (within the dates agreed to in the contract) and get your earnest money back.

When homes were selling with 50 offers a few years back, buyers incentivized sellers by making offers not subject to home inspections. And now, many buyers are suffering buyer’s remorse for not doing so before their final purchase! n

WITH BABS DELAY Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Wait, What?

A couple in Etobicoke, Toronto, left on an extended business trip in January 2022, CTV News reported. When they returned home months later, they were stunned to realize that their house had been sold, and the new owners had moved in. Police said a man and woman impersonated the owners, hired a real estate agent and listed the property using fake identification. Police are still looking for the imposters.

Size Matters

Momo the lar gibbon, who lives at the Kujukushima Zoo and Botanical Garden Mori Kirara in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, delivered a baby in February 2021, which surprised zookeepers, since Momo lived in her own enclosure with no males around. She was very protective of the offspring, United Press International reported, so it wasn’t until two years later that handlers were able to collect DNA from the youngster to determine who the father was. As it turned out, a 34-year-old agile gibbon, Itou, was the baby daddy. Zookeepers found that a partition between Momo’s exhibit and Itou’s off-display area had a perforated board with holes about 9mm in diameter, and they believe the two were able to mate through one of those holes. The perforated board was replaced with a steel plate, but Momo and Itou will be introduced properly to each other so that they may live as a family.

Crime Spree

Robert Powers, 37, managed to terrorize multiple citizens of Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 6, WTAJ-TV reported. He allegedly broke into four different homes, telling one woman as he covered her mouth, “I’m Batman.” At the next home, he choked a man, went through his pockets and held him hostage with a pocketknife. Next, he turned the man’s gas stove on and forced him into his truck, heading across town at speeds of more than 100 mph before crashing into a Jeep. Powers then kicked open the door of a nearby home and repeatedly asked, “Why’d you do this, Mom?” as he walked through the residence. Finally, at the last crime scene, police were able to subdue Powers, who admitted he may have ingested meth or bath salts.

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me

On Jan. 16, Brazilian attorney Leandro Mathias de Novaes delivered his mother to the Laboratoria Cura in Sao Paolo, where she was scheduled for an MRI. Before they both entered the MRI room, the New York Post reported, they were asked to remove any metal objects from their persons and signed a form detailing the protocols, but Novaes opted to not remove, or disclose, his concealed weapon. When the MRI’s magnetic field yanked the pistol from his waistband, it fired and struck him in the stomach; he was hospitalized for three weeks after the incident but died on Feb. 6.

Clothing Optional

Trevyn Wayne Hill, 21, of Las Vegas, let it all hang out on Jan. 28 when he approached another guest in a stairwell at the Des Moines (Iowa) Downtown Marriott, KCCI-TV reported. Court documents said Hill was naked and brandishing a toilet plunger when he yelled, “I’m going to (expletive) get you” while chasing the other person. Hill cruised around the hotel in his birthday suit, destroying a sprinkler system and pulling several fire alarms before finally being subdued by firefighters. Hill pleaded not guilty to assault, first-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Least Competent Criminal

Early on the morning of Feb. 5, 20-year-old Lantz Kurtz broke into a gas station in Palm Coast, Florida, and stole multiple items. He exited via the front door, apparently unaware that he’d left a big clue behind: his debit card, Fox35-TV reported. Officers responding to the alarm found the card and tracked down Kurtz, who told them he had intended to come back to the store and pay for the items. But Sheriff Rick Staly wasn’t having it: “Leaving a debit card behind does not absolve you from theft or committing a burglary,” he said.

Great Art!

Marcelo “B-boy” De Souza Ribeiro of Sao Paolo, Brazil, is known as the most modified man in the world, with 1,500 tattoos covering his skin and now, a new transformation: a “devil hand.” The Daily Star reported that Ribeiro did a lot of research before deciding to undergo the procedure, which split his hand between the middle and ring fingers. “I began to see the possibility of making an opening ... through the middle where you can have opening and closing movements and a firmer folding of the hand,” he said. Over the years, he’s spent about $35,000 on his modifications, which also include a split tongue. Ribeiro said he thinks of his body as an “art exhibition.”

Bright Idea

Jose Ruben Nava, former director of the zoo in Chilpancingo, Mexico, is under fire after officials learned that he slaughtered four pygmy goats to serve at the zoo’s year-end dinner, MSN reported. Fernando Ruiz Gutierrez, director of wildlife for the state’s environment department, said serving the goat meat “put the health of the people who ate them at risk because these animals were not fit for human consumption.” Nava is also accused of trading a zebra for tools. He was let go from his position in January after the death of a deer at the zoo.