City Weekly July 25, 2024

BY MATT PACENZA

By Matt Pacenza

S AP

BOX

”Hail to the Chief,”

July 19 Online News

Does Spencer Cox really think that Trump will change just because he got shot at?

Not a chance in hell.

DRUEDER Via Instagram

Utah is ridiculous—two Democrats running against each other. Cox is a joke, we need real conservatives in charge of Utah, not Cox and Romney.

PIZZAGUYFORPRESIDENT

Via Instagram

I guess all it took was an assassination attempt by a fellow Republican to seal the deal for his vote.

ADVHUM Via Instagram

What a flip-flopping disappointment.

SIRENLUNA Via Instagram

We can solve the Cox problem by voting for Brian King in November!

BONNIELT77 Via Instagram

I have no idea what they all see in [Trump]. Not a single spine in the Republican Party.

JASONSGRS Via Instagram

[Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian] King is a wonderful candidate with good character. We don’t need Cox! Come on Utah, vote for common sense and to better our state and protect our land.

D.LILASPHOTOGRAPHY Via Instagram

I wish they would vote to protect all those children that have been shot at. Send Trump some thoughts and prayers and grow a backbone.

DUENDELOUNGE Via Instagram

Cox is a flimsy tumbleweed, following wherever the winds take him. I don’t believe a word he has to say about inclusivity and values. Absolute sell-out!

CHRISSMOONEY Via Instagram

I guess Gov. Cox has never been in a relationship with a narcissist before.

ANNAPOCAROPHOTO Via Instagram

I’m already ashamed to be an American at this point. The nail is about hammered all the way in my coffin as being an embarrassed Utahn. Lord save us all. No one is going to save us at this point, so just be kind to each other.

ILLUMESKINCARE Via Instagram

What’s with all these conservatives thinking [Trump’s] tune will ever change? It hasn’t changed in 20 years! Not since he called them morons.

ROMEDROID Via Instagram

Utah was never a state to follow just to follow, but now there is Mike Lee and the same divisive rhetoric parroting Trump. Such a shame we can’t stand for decency anymore.

MOVINGSAINTS Via Instagram

Cox is making a fool of himself, or us.

CLCLARK44 Via Instagram

All Cox. No balls.

BRADINACAGE Via Instagram

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THE WATER COOLER

What’s your favorite summer cocktail?

Katharine Biele

I really like mimosas, but of course, we are not allowed to have them too early in the day. Our legislature knows best. That said, I’d move onto sangria, margaritas, and Long Island Ice Tea.

Kayla Dreher

The HK Mule from HK Brewing Collective. Favorite cocktail of all time actually.

Pete Saltas

I keep it simple with a whiskey on the rocks and a cigar.

Scott Renshaw

1-1/2 oz. each of vodka, lime juice and watermelon Torani syrup, topped off with 7-Up. Sooooo refreshing.

Krista Maggard

I love a good Spritz in the summertime— but anything light and citrusy!

Benjamin Wood

I love the simplicity of a gimlet in the summertime—just a good gin and Rose’s lime with a lot of ice. Perfect for sitting on the edge of a river or pool and dangling your feet in the water.

Wes Long

There’s a delicious sauce that my mother makes for shrimp. I always enjoy that. That counts as a cocktail, right?

BY WES LONG

OPINION Pioneer Day

Pioneer Day was never a big deal in my family. That was largely because half my childhood was lived outside of Utah, where we enjoyed being Mormon minorities within regions dominated by other cultural groups. When we returned here, however, many of the blind spots and excesses common to any majority population quickly became apparent.

Consequently, I grew to resent hearing about “the pioneers” from my fellow Utahns, because somewhere deep inside I suspected that their pious panegyrics were really exercises in self-praise through proxy. Not everyone made this impression, mind you, but just enough to leave a sour taste in my teenage mouth.

It wasn’t until I got into the history field that I became better acquainted with the pioneers, learning to both understand and respect them. Here were people from numerous nations and tongues—and we acknowledge their many frailties and foibles as well as their impact on the people they displaced—who were nevertheless willing to enter the unknown for a vision, improving their minds and making merry along the way.

Their church was a laboratory to create a “Zion” society, wherein there was to be neither rich nor poor but rather “the pure in heart.” Such was the vision for which the Mormon pioneers lived, however haltingly within the larger 19th century American context of racism, class distinctions, violence and everything else.

Within this project, every individual contributed their gifts and talents for the good of the whole, where the idling rich no longer lived off the laboring poor, and where humanity’s relationship to nature was no longer one of exploitation, but of concord.

This vision, as you might suppose, had just as hard a time breaking through then as it does now, for the fears and greed to which we are all susceptible howl for complete and total reign. The pioneers had a term for that kind of society, too: “Babylon.”

That was a world in which “every man prospered according to his genius, and … every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime,” to quote an Ayn Randian character from The Book of Mormon. Its methods of establishing order and values were by force and violence, its lifeblood principally wealth and possessions—or as the pioneers would have called them, Mammon and idols.

Why this abbreviated survey of the pioneer vision? Because I believe it remains valuable for us today, whether we are Mormon or not. This week, it’s worth considering what all the fuss was about to begin with.

It is a constant embarrassment to me that many American Mormons, for all their good qualities, have nevertheless fallen prey to the persuasions of what their ancestors likely would have called Babylon: the idea that their god sanctifies oppression or views life as callously and cheaply as we do. To see self-described Latter-day Saints parroting the rhetoric of alt-right provocateurs, the paranoid rot of the John Birch Society or the circular sophistry of PragerU renders their reverence for their pioneer ancestors rather flat.

Christian Nationalism and fascism are on the rise today, and as disturbing and offensive as these phenomena are to me, I am not convinced that the true force behind them is religion, government, or hopeless human depravity. It is rather simple greed—one which motivates rich donors to engage in generations-long warfare against anything that threatens their possessions and power. Politicians, the resentful and the lonely are all mere tools for this larger “Babylonian” project.

Mormons (and Christians) losing the plot of their beliefs are not the only contributors to this mess, either. I would contend that other factors include the “modern” contempt for all things spiritual, self-isolation through a world lived online, and the general tendency toward dog-

matism (religious or secular) that have so characterized the Age of Reason.

Whether packaged as outright hostility or couched in therapeutic terms, the results are the same: a miserable, frightened, angry and floundering populace. Whether cloaked as God’s way, self-expression, natural processes, survival of the fittest, taking care of one’s own, legalistic license, nihilistic nothingness or just “being realistic,” each of us has felt this pull to justify our hatreds and viciousness and call them good.

Such an invisible pull is ancient, of course, but today’s state of affairs has been in silent overdrive since at least the Reagan-driven ‘80s—indeed, we remain the inheritors of that vapid and dishonest time.

And look at what it has wrought: Blind prejudices everywhere, ecosystems destroyed and money upheld as the measure of all things.

“It has been supposed that wealth gives power,” summarized Brigham Young in 1862. “In a depraved state of society, in a certain sense it does, if opening a wide field for unrighteous monopolies, by which the poor are robbed and oppressed and the wealthy are more enriched, is power. In a depraved state of society money can buy positions and titles, can cover up a multitude of incapabilities, can open wide the gates of fashionable society to the lowest and most depraved of human beings; it divides society into castes without any reference to goodness, virtue or truth. It is made to pander to the most brutal passions of the human soul; it is made to subvert every wholesome law of God and man, and to trample down every sacred bond that should tie society together in a national, municipal, domestic and every other relationship.”

To flee from such things and do better was the vision of those immigrants to what later became the Beehive State. That so few of the pioneers lived up to the vision in their day should tell us something of the difficulty of the human challenge. That some came close to it at all should tell us something of our capacities. CW

This week’s Private Eye column is available online at cityweekly.net. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

CAN SAVE A LIFE

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele

MISS: In The Dark

Of course, conspiracy theorists and believers in the “Deep State” would want to keep the public from knowing, well, anything. Thanks to a July 15 report by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project, Utahns now know of an effort to keep them in the dark—especially from the federal government. The conservative Reason Magazine calls it the “anti-commandeering doctrine,” which says “while states and localities can’t actively impede federal enforcement of laws and rules created in D.C., they don’t have to expend a single dime or drop of sweat to assist the feds.” Never let it be said that we’d spend any energy to have good data available—particularly if it was from the feds. Drew Mingl, who worked for Utah’s Open Data Catalog, helped build it into a model of transparency for state governments, but was stopped by a new boss who ordered him to get rid of all public data from federal sources. We’re talking about health care, water, fire and tax return data, for instance. Mingl was fired and the new boss is gone, but the issue of data transparency continues.

HIT: Something New

Finally—maybe—a real plan to tackle homelessness. “I’m excited. I’m excited because for 30 years we’ve been doing it the same way and I’m frankly tired and I want us to do something different,” District Attorney Sim Gill told Fox-13 News on July 19. He was talking about an aspirational if compassionate 5-year $42 million plan unveiled by Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson to focus on housing, law enforcement and criminal justice reform, and systemic gaps needing aid. Better sooner than later after the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to aggressive removal of homeless encampments. Of course, the county has to access funding, but some of that is already available. Count this as a win for a systemic solution to a growing problem.

MISS: Cost of Living

If homelessness is a problem, so is home ownership. Analysts from real estate resource AgentAdvice found that Utah homeownership rates have been decreasing since 2014. You probably don’t need data to see that. And a Utah Foundation report underlines the problem: Recent household incomes were only about 20% higher than in 1985, it reported, while home prices increased 90%, adjusting for inflation. “Ultimately, high home prices are putting the American Dream out of reach for a growing share of Utahns.” Worse off were millennials, though housing affordability affected everyone. In Utah, renting may be preferable, but rents, too, are at a high. Maybe it’s good news that SLC and Utah are popular places to live. But supply has to catch up—despite the building boom. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute estimates a shortage of 37,000 homes. Don’t count on new ones being affordable. CW

BY SABINA LOWE

Hitting the Road

As a 15-year-old, learning to drive and obtaining a driver’s license is a hot topic with my friends and me. This summer, some of my older peers are turning 16 and have started to get their licenses.

My friends and I are excited to start driving around and gain independence by traveling through the Salt Lake Valley with one another. But much to our great disappointment, we soon learned that in the state of Utah, newly licensed 16- and 17-yearolds are not allowed to drive with any passenger who is not an immediate family member, until they have had their license for at least six months.

Pretty much everyone from the ages of 15 to 17 hates this law, and many choose to ignore it. But for those of us who follow the law, we are essentially stuck with our learner’s permit for an additional six months.

This makes carpooling to school or team practices impossible, and it causes a real inconvenience in our lives for those first six months.

Many of my friends and I were thrilled to learn that during the 2023 legislative session, Morgan Republican Rep. Kera Birkeland introduced a bill that would change this law.

She argued that driving alone is a safety risk to new drivers who live in the rural district she represents. She also claimed that many organizations across the U.S. support this policy change.

Birkeland brought up the point that doing away with the 6-month probationary period would allow parents and children to speak about the responsibilities of safe driving practices and decide how they will approach driving as a family. Unfortunately, the Legislature did not agree and the bill did not pass—but Rep. Birkeland would have had my vote.

The current law makes no sense. The logic behind it is that kids need time to learn how to drive safely, and then after six months, they can drive with whomever they would like. But Utah law already requires new drivers to have had a learner’s permit for six months before getting their license, so this requirement has essentially already been met before a license is obtained. Also, at one point or another, every new driver is going to have to learn to drive safely even with distractions in the car, so why not get it done at the beginning of your time as a driver so that you can get the most out of your driving skills?

I hope the Utah Legislature takes another look at this bill next session and with luck, they may come to a different decision … just in time for me to get my license and benefit from the change! CW

Fringe Twist

Great Salt Lake Fringe celebrates 10 years of maintaining a mission and bringing in new blood.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

When you call yourself a “fringe” festival—like, say, calling yourself “alternative” media—it’s a way of setting yourself in contrast to certain institutions. But what happens when you’ve shown enough staying power to become an institution in your own right? What evolves and what remains part of your core mission?

It’s been 10 years since the launch of the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, building on a fringe festival tradition dating back more than 75 years. And over that time, according to festival co-director and founder Shianne Gray, GSL Fringe has carved out its own identity within that tradition.

“What’s really common with fringe festivals is they adapt to their settings and circumstances,” Gray says. “Different fringes will have different focuses based on what the place wants to see more of. We tend to be a very local festival compared to other places; we have a lot of local artists who want to produce their own work, and this is an opportunity to do that. … In the first few years, we would get artists who had done work at other fringes, and then brought it here. Now, we have a large contingent that’s come out of this [festival] of artists that have done this for years and years.”

As a result, many of the participants, as the saying goes, understand the assign-

ment: keeping the shows under an hour in length and limited in terms of set and technical requirements, to accommodate the reality of multiple shows taking place in each small venue. Nevertheless, the logistics of wrangling more than 20 individual productions makes for an adventure every year.

“It’s a fine circus to juggle,” says GSL Fringe technical manager Jax Jackman. “I’ve been a stage manager for almost 20 years, so for me, a fringe festival kind of challenges my skills, but is a really rewarding kind of gig, because of all that juggling. … The challenge is, we don’t see the shows until the festival starts. We encourage them to allow the time for live theater to be live theater, but … there’s this much wiggle room, and that’s it.”

“It’s a really fascinating process,” adds volunteer coordinator Jack Cobabe, “to watch the turnover between two different shows. The audience needs to go out, all props and costumes, in 15 minutes, so there’s 15 minutes for the next show to load in.”

While there are a few such limitations on the length and scale of GSL Fringe shows, the festival is otherwise an open opportunity for artists to show their work. No judging or curating takes place when someone applies; if there’s enough physical space, and room on the schedule, you’re in. And as a result, it can be an amazing opportunity for those who might not otherwise have a place to find an audience.

“I’ve always seen fringe to be … I don’t know if accessible is the right word, but if they don’t have access to a whole company with funds—it might just be them and their art—they can really self-produce it,” Cobabe says. “I think it’s a very good way for artists to come and get their work produced, regardless of their backgrounds.”

Nevertheless, the festival’s staff believes there’s always room to do better and be better, especially when it comes to inviting aspiring artists into the process.

“I would say that we could always do better in terms of reaching out to artists, because it is a little daunting putting on something on your own,” Jackman notes. “For example, we realized there was a major gap finding connection with the local university theater departments. We’re a fringe theater festival, yet many of these students don’t know we exist. [Festival co-director Jay Perry] and I showed up at some department meetings, and said, ‘Ask us anything.’ Seeing that spark of inspiration, I could see was very effective. That’s a great example of what Fringe is capable of throughout the year, and not just when we have our festival: ‘Here is everything you need to know about creating a fringe show.’”

As much as the festival is for the artists, it’s also important to welcome in the audience—which can be challenging, since the very title of a “fringe” festival can make

some potential viewers unsure about what they’re in for. Yet Shianne Gray emphasizes that even though the content of some of these shows might be a bit unconventional, it’s a festival meant to welcome audiences in.

“Our goal for audiences is that they are comfortable and feel welcome,” Gray says. “These are very casual spaces, there is no dress code, you come as you are. It’s also, we hope, accessible from a financial standpoint compared to other performing arts—for less than you can pay for a touring Broadway show, you can see 10 different shows. It’s really about seeing the variety—everything from a hard-hitting drama to a funny burlesque musical in the same venue.” CW

GREAT SALT LAKE FRINGE FESTIVAL

July 26 – Aug. 4 Trolley Square 602 E. 500 South Individual tickets $15/ Packages $35 - $85 greatsaltlakefringe.org

The cast of Fickle Mistress Theatre Co.’s Spiralbound at Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival

Antelope Island Spider Festival

For some, the natural world is scary and intimidating; for others, it’s endlessly fascinating. And plenty of the critters that make up that natural world can seem particularly like a big “nope” to some folks—including spiders. But it’s hard to overstate how amazing and important these creatures are, and what a unique opportunity it is to learn about and celebrate them when Antelope Island and the Utah Division of State Parks present the 2024 Spider Festival.

This unique event includes 45-minute in-person guided walks around the island, with sign-ups on site, allowing for expert information about the local arachnid population; eBike tours (additional fee) are also available, taking a four-mile loop with stops to look at and talk about spiders. Guests are also invited to participate in a photography contest, with shots capturing spiders only in their natural environment, and judged by scientists and educators. Plenty of spider-related crafts and activities for young visitors will be available on site, and folks are invited to submit their “spider poetry” on the event website. And for those who are perhaps a bit unsure about leaping feet-first in the spidery world, there are also local scavenger hunts compiled on the website, and online virtual presentations created specifically for the festival.

The 2024 Spider Festival takes place at the Antelope Island Marina (4528 W. 1700 South in Syracuse) on Saturday, July 27, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. No registration is required, and events are free with regular park fees ($15 per vehicle admission up to 8 people). Visit stateparks.utah.gov for additional event information. (SR)

Urban Arts Festival

In recent years, the Urban Arts Festival has been a September tradition, part of ushering in the fall arts season. But art at its best is nothing if not unpredictable, so in this case, that means shifting your expectations to enjoy this 14th annual presentation from the Utah Arts Alliance at a new time—in late July.

Otherwise, many of the things that visitors love about the state’s largest free arts festival remain intact. Live music and performance—ranging from blues to drag— comes to the festival stages throughout the event, including a hip-hop showcase to wrap up Saturday night’s events. More than 20 muralists and graffiti artists will contribute to live mural painting, part of a celebration of visual art that also includes the annual Skate Deck Show at the Urban Arts Gallery and the artist marketplace featuring more than 90 vendors of unique creative work. And on Sunday, you can check out the Lowriders Custom Car Exhibition (pictured), allowing guests to look under the hoods of custom vehicles. According to Derek Dyer, executive director of Utah Arts Alliance, “We believe in fostering creativity and inclusion, and this event embodies these values, bringing together people from all walks of life to experience the transformative power of the arts.”

The 2024 Urban Arts Festival comes to The Gateway mall (400 W. 200 South) on Saturday, July 27 (noon – 10 p.m.) and Sunday, July 28 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.), free and open to the public. Visit urbanartsfest.org for a full schedule of events. (SR)

Broadway at the Eccles: Hamilton

Who knew that our founding fathers were rappers—or, for that matter, that people of color were so well represented amongst America’s architects? Of course that wasn’t literally the case, but with the musical Hamilton, audiences get that perspective courtesy of some powerful performances.

Based on the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by author Ron Chernow, and written and composed by LinManuel Miranda, the musical spans Hamilton’s complicated life, including his role in the American Revolution and his tragic demise following a duel to the death with rival Aaron Burr. After opening on Broadway in August 2015, it received a record 16 Tony Award nominations, of which it claimed 11, including Best Musical—that in addition to a Pulitzer Prize and various other prestigious awards. Miranda himself described Hamilton as “America then, as told by America now,” but given the turmoil and tenacity the nation is undergoing in today’s toxic political environment, there are new lessons to be learned.

Those difficult and divisive issues aside, Hamilton remains a dynamic, diverse and amazingly entertaining piece of storytelling and stagecraft—certainly one of the most remarkable musicals of the modern era, not to mention a true cultural milestone. So dust off those powdered wigs, trade in your Adidas for a some big buckled shoes and complement your knickers with knee-high boots. Or better yet, witness this wonderful touring company making the transformation instead. Hamilton comes to the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) July 31 – Sept. 1; performance dates and times vary. Tickets cost $59 - $299, depending on performance. Visit arttix.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

BY MATT PACENZA | COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

NOT THAT INNOCENT

Most people do not realize how popular adult websites are. Five of the 50 most-visited sites on the Internet show pornography, according to Similarweb, a data and analytics company. More people globally visit XVideos (No. 11) than TikTok or ChatGPT. More people check out Pornhub (No. 17) than LinkedIn, Pinterest or Twitch.

And it’s not just adults who are looking at adult content. It’s teens— and younger kids too.

The nonprofit Common Sense Media published a study last year based on a national survey of 1,300 teenagers ages 13 to 17. The results are alarming, especially if one suspects that the teens surveyed were likely to understate their habits.

The average age that kids first report watching porn? 12. The percent who have watched it? 75%. Of those, 70% say they watched it in the past week. And of those, 80% say that they’ve seen “what appears to be rape, choking or someone in pain,” according to the study.

Even though there are measures in place that try to shield minors from porn, they don’t work. Research shows that kids all over the globe are looking at sexually explicit material. That reality led Utah legislators several years ago to declare pornography a public health crisis. And, during the 2023 session, Utah became the second state (after Louisiana) to give its citizens the right to sue adult websites for damages if they don’t take steps to ensure their consumers are adults.

Those measures were mocked by many progressive Utahns, who saw the same heavy-handed morality that limits our access to alcohol and lottery tickets—one Tribune letter-writer

said the legislative focus on porn would make Utah a “national laughing stock.” And yet, Utah’s approach toward pornography has spread quickly across the country.

At least 16 states now have laws that obligate adult websites to verify that their users are over age 18. Most of those states are conservative, but even so-called “purple” states like Virginia have joined in.

While these laws spread, relatively little has been written about whether they are doing any good—or whether they are needed at all.

A careful look at Internet data and psychology research suggests that Utah officials have not found the best approach for protecting vulnerable youth from the firehose of online pornography. And, ironically, experts suggest that the best way to help our youth may be the one the Beehive State is least likely to embrace.

SO SUE ME

Utah’s pornography law grants a “private right of action,” or the grounds for an individual to file a civil lawsuit against a business for alleged harm. SB287, co-sponsored by Woods Cross Republican Sen. Todd Weiler and South Jordan Republican Rep. Susan Pulsipher, declared that publishers of material harmful to minors who do not comply with age-verification requirements are liable. Their bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously in 2023 and went into effect last May.

Other states have followed Utah’s approach and a few have also made it possible for their attorneys general to initiate lawsuits. In recent months, Texas has sued the companies that own Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn, Chaturbate and xHamster, seeking damages because the sites require

Continued from page 15

“no meaningful screening” to comply with Texas’ age verification law.

So far, no private Utah citizens have taken advantage of SB287 and filed a suit.

Weiler said he considered a version of SB287 that would have given the attorney general a right to sue, but he decided it was less likely to pass the Legislature because it would have likely cost several million dollars in salaries for attorneys and support staff.

“If I empowered the AG to go after them, it would have had a huge fiscal note,” Weiler said.

Pulsipher was confident that SB287 was the right thing to do, but she wasn’t sure how her constituents would react. However, she says, she was surprised at how much positive feedback she received.

“[It was] probably the most ‘Thank Yous’ of any stance I’ve taken or any bill I’ve ran,” she said.

It made national news last May when Pornhub, the second most visited adult website in America, announced it would block access to its content in Utah because of SB287. However, since then there has been almost no coverage of how other popular pornographic sites have responded—and whether the new law has made any difference in Utah.

City Weekly accessed the 20 most-visited adult sites (as determined by Similarweb) from a computer in Salt Lake City using a home Internet connection with no filters installed. Of the top 20, 10 could be accessed with no age verification or by simply clicking a button that says “Yes, I’m 18,” but offering no proof. None of these are complying with Utah’s law.

Mike Stabile, spokesperson for the Free Speech Coalition, which represents the adult entertainment industry, says he’s not sure why.

“Sites that are overseas may not feel the need to comply with U.S. law,” he said. “That’s one of the key flaws of this legislative approach.”

Six of the top 20 adult sites, however, do require age verification, while two others—Pornhub and YouPorn— have disabled their services entirely in Utah. Another two sites require registration and subscription, which may include age verification.

Data from Similarweb suggests that the Utah law has had a measurable effect: Local web traffic to the two sites that have disabled their services in Utah is down sharply, as are visits to five of the six sites that require age verification, with declines ranging from 12% to 81%, according to Simliarweb.

So, perhaps, Utah’s law is working, in a way? Or perhaps, those seeking online porn are simply going elsewhere, to less popular and less-regulated sites: Total overall traffic to the top 100 adult sites, according to Similarweb, has remained steady in Utah over the past four years, ranging from roughly 2.5 million visits each month to 3.0 million, without any apparent pattern, or any significant reaction to SB287.

And, unsurprisingly, the sites with no age verification have seen a boost in traffic in Utah: Seven of the ten are up, and three of those have seen their traffic double. It turns out that if you don’t make Utahns prove they’re 18, they’re more likely to check out your porn.

“[It was] probably the most ‘Thank Yous’ of any stance I’ve taken or any bill I’ve ran”

— REP. SUSAN PULSIPHER

South Jordan Republican

OUT OF BOUNDS

So, Utah’s law has not had any dramatic effect yet: It may have shaken up the market, but not reduced it. But, perhaps, as legislators say, it’s better to try and stop a bad thing than not try at all. Innovation in law, as in all fields, is not always successful.

“Are we winning the war against pornography?” asked Sen. Weiler. “No. Will we ever win it? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can.”

What Weiler hopes, he said, is that approaches like SB287 at least push back the age at which kids first encounter pornography by a year or two.

“Let’s grant them a little bit more innocence,” he said. However, it’s not clear that ordinary people are convinced that porn is all that bad. The polling organization Gallup has been asking Americans questions about pornography since 2011. Posters ask respondents whether a given activity is “morally acceptable.” Over time, for most choices—divorce, abortion or having a baby outside of marriage—the percentages of “acceptable” have steadily risen.

As a country, we are becoming more tolerant and less likely to judge.

That was also true of pornography—until it wasn’t. From 2011 to 2018, the percentage of Americans who found pornography “morally acceptable” rose, from 30% to 43%. But then it began to drop, settling into the mid- to high-30s. Perhaps, seeing how saturated the Internet is with porn has led some Americans to throw up their arms in disgust.

Even the industry, which fights regulation, recognizes the need to give adults tools to block their kids from seeing porn. Why don’t those work? The problem, says Stabile, is that adults don’t use the free filters that come with the phones and computers they buy for their kids.

But even if they do, he acknowledges, some explicit material will slip through. A 12-year-old might not be able to go to one of the industry’s big video-sharing websites, but he or she can find the same imagery in surprising places: Snapchat; Reddit; Twitter.

“The Internet is open and filled with adult content,”

Stabile said. “Search a sexual term on Google and more than half the results will come from sites that aren’t classified as adult.”

The major porn sites that belong to the Free Speech Coalition, the trade association for the adult entertainment industry, point to measures they already take to make online porn safer. They monitor their sites for any content portraying minors, for material that’s posted without consent (so-called “revenge porn”), for copyrighted images and videos and “deepfakes,” and for content that uses AI to replace an actor in a pornographic film with the likeness of another person (often a celebrity). They also make sure their sites are properly coded as suitable for adults only, so that filters on your phone, computer, browser or internet provider will block them.

Stabile, the coalition’s spokesperson, says that what lawmakers in states like Utah don’t realize is that if they drive viewers away from the sites that follow these practices, the demand for sexually explicit material doesn’t disappear.

“It just goes to sites that aren’t complying,” he said, “to the darkest parts of the Internet.” These legal and regulatory measures, Stabile believes, “punish the good guys and reward the bad guys.”

The adult industry offers reasons for why age verification systems are a poor solution, but such checks are common on the internet. Sites such as the rapidly growing sports gambling industry, online dating sites and sites that ship wine or tobacco to consumers routinely ask customers to prove they are over 18 or 21 before opening an account. “Age verification is a reality that many companies on the Internet have been living with for years,” Weiler noted.

True, says Stabile, but consumers of those products freely share a picture of their driver’s license because they aren’t worried about the harm to their reputation or livelihood if a hacker tells the world they liked the Patriots over the Packers or ordered a case of Prosecco or a carton of Parliaments.

“Sexuality is different,” he said. “Someone who looks at gay content, or fetish content, might have real reasons for refusing to share their ID.”

Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, co-sponsor (with Pulsipher) of SB287

Rep. Susan Pulsipher COURTESY PHOTO

PHOTO

MOLDING MINDS

“SEARCH A SEXUAL TERM ON GOOGLE AND MORE THAN HALF THE RESULTS WILL COME FROM SITES THAT AREN’T CLASSIFIED AS ADULT.”

“Sites that are overseas may not feel the need to comply with U.S. law ... That’s one of the key flaws of this legislative approach.”

MIKE STABILE spokesperson for the Free Speech Coalition

The “sexual revolution,” which began in the 1960s, allowed many American women to embrace contraception and claim a right to sexual pleasure. Along with that came a growing tolerance of pornography, particularly magazines and films, which began to creep into the mainstream.

By the 1980s, some thinkers who had welcomed freedom and tolerance began to critique pornography. Feminists like Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin said that pornography was inherently exploitative toward women—both for its production and its effect on viewers. They made allies with conservative Christians who saw porn as immoral.

Pro-sex feminists like writer Ellen Willis soon challenged these voices. Anti-porn discourse, they argued, infantilized women, treating them as victims who were unable to enjoy sex.

Such debates are at least 40 years old—but they continue today, framing the conversation around bills like SB287. What’s changed in the last 10 to 20 years is the focus on how porn affects kids, even before they are teens, now that so many children have high-speed internet and computers in their pockets and bedrooms.

Unfortunately, researchers cannot state definitively how pornography affects minors. It’s impossible to do the best possible research—it would be both unethical and illegal to intentionally expose a minor to pornography and then measure what happens. But psychologists and other experts have reached some conclusions over the past few decades, as studies have intensified.

Among their conclusions: Teens who watch more porn are likely to have “more permissive sexual attitudes … and stronger gender-stereotypical sexual beliefs,” according to a 2016 review of dozens of recent studies in The Journal of Sex Research. In addition, according to the review, porn viewing is linked to “greater experience with casual sex behavior, and more sexual aggression, both in terms of perpetration and victimization.”

Bryant Paul, an associate professor of media psychology at Indiana University’s Media School,

studies pornography. The research shows, he said, that young people and especially young men have come to expect certain sexual behaviors.

“It’s changed what they think is normative,” he said. Teens who watch many videos of women moaning in pleasure while they are subject to aggressive or even violent practices often assume those activities are desirable. Paul warns, however, that it’s difficult to establish a direct link between watching porn and becoming aggressive.

Are people drawn to violence in sex because they watched the kind of pornography that puts those scripts in their brains? Or, did they watch that kind of porn because they already had that predilection?

The answer to the age-old “correlation or causation” debate likely has to be some mix of both. “We have to assume that the people who are drawn to that content had some of those ideas anyway,” Paul acknowledged.

The data does seem clear on one front: Teens who watch more porn have less accurate ideas about sex. A recent study in Communication Monographs, which Paul co-authored, analyzed a survey of 595 American teens and found that “the more dependent adolescents were on pornography for sexual learning, the more erroneous sexual beliefs they held.”

These erroneous beliefs include: penis size is very important; most women enjoy anal sex; most people prefer rough sex to gentle sex; most women easily have orgasms during intercourse.

The data tells a complex story, however. Even if teens do watch porn—often at fairly high volumes, at disturbingly young ages—it’s also true that Generation Z and Gen Alpha are, by far, the least likely to have sex as teenagers of any generation in decades. They’re dating less, being less intimate and are less likely to be in long-term relationships.

Young people may be watching people have sex more than any generation in human history—but they’re engaging in sexual activity less too.

Some of that is good news: The teenage pregnancy rate in the U.S. dropped more than 73% between 1990 and 2017, according to the Guttmacher Institute. That’s a trend that everyone can cheer, but other shifts in

behavior are more worrying: It may be great that they are being more careful in their teens, but it’s less great if they remain isolated and less happy as they move into their 20s and 30s.

Declining marriage and birth rates are no simple issues, but Paul says one thing is clear: It’s not fair to blame online pornography alone for these massive societal shifts.

He calls that link “spurious at best.” The causes, he said, are bigger than dirty videos.

“We’re amusing ourselves to death,” Paul said, referencing the seminal 1985 book by educator Neil Postman. “Media has become the drug of choice for experiencing dopamine and serotonin. You don’t even need pornography. You can use Tetris. You can use TikTok. You’re getting your pleasure fix and there’s no reason to go through the hassle of dating someone, of having sex, of opening yourself up to the possibility of being rejected.”

LOGGING OFF

Deep breath, Utah parents. You know what is the most likely strategy to help young people not have their brains and libidos twisted by Internet porn? It’s not filters, or age verification laws, although those might help a little.

It’s by talking to you, observes Bryant Paul. “What we know works best for stopping the potential negative effects of this content is for parents to talk to their children openly,” he said.

The problem with porn, Paul says, is that it’s not accurate. It’s not realistic. Most people don’t have bodies like that. And they can’t or won’t do those things. Someone needs to be honest with kids about this, as deeply, skin-crawlingly uncomfortable as those conversations are.

There are promising programs, Paul said, in which teens can talk openly to their peers about the problems with pornography. He pointed to one in Boston’s South End, funded by the city’s public health agency, which offers teenagers a course in Porn Literacy.

Paul recognizes that such programs are a tough sell for parents, especially in conservative states like Utah. “They’re hard to introduce,” he says dryly. However, he adds, even exposure to some of the real story behind porn, like the narratives found in the 2015 documentary film he co-produced, Hot Girls Wanted, can help puncture illusions a teen has about what they’re watching.

The film follows several young women who answered a classified ad—“Hot Girls Wanted”—and within weeks they were acting in pornographic films. Within a month or two, the young women were being pressured to engage in sexual acts they had previously said they would not do.

The doc, Paul says, shows the viewer how “industry uses and abuses and chews up and spits out” these young women.

Some Utahns might be surprised that Weiler agrees—we need to talk to young people about porn, even if it’s hard.

“We need to make it safe to talk about it,” Weiler said. “They’re going to search for porn. They’re going to find it. And so we need to talk about it.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Continued from page 17

Day Drinking

Drunken Kitchen brings versatile Taiwanese comfort food to South Salt Lake.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Fairly early on in my journalism career,

I met Square Kitchen founders Ana Valdemoros and Tham Soekotjo when they were on the verge of cutting the ribbon on their booming culinary incubator. After nearly a decade of them nurturing local culinary talent, I’ve found myself wandering back to one of their innovative establishments. In addition to their culinary incubator on 751 W. 800 South, they’ve opened a mini food hall called Square Kitchen Eatery in South Salt Lake (2435 S. State Street).

I have to credit the team at Drunken Kitchen for initially getting me in the door. I’ve been following this local purveyor of traditional Taiwanese and Chinese eats ever since they started doing takeout orders. I was never quite able to line my schedule up with their weekend hours, but I seized the day and paid them a visit not long after I saw that they were operating out of a storefront.

Said storefront also contains Valdemoros’ Argentinian cuisine spot Best Empanadas (@argentinasbestempanadas), Soekotjo’s chicken katsu-centric Comfort Bowl (@comfortbowlutah) and boba milk tea brewers Shiba Boba (@shibaboba_slc). It’s a great combo of talents on display; both Argentina’s Best and Comfort Bowl have been local standouts in the mobile world of food trucks and pop-ups, and

My focus for the trip, however, was Drunken Kitchen. I have been enjoying their vibrant Instagram presence for some time now, and had been unsuccessfully trying to take advantage of their takeout menu for months. Though it took me a long time to finally set foot in Drunken Kitchen’s domain, it also gave me plenty of time to think about what I would order when that day came.

I started off with an order of the panfried pork buns ($11.99), because damn, do they look succulent on social media. Fortune was smiling upon me as I learned that my order was only minutes out of the pan, so this trio of perfectly steamed buns topped with sesame seeds and scallions was piping hot. They’re big boys for sure, stuffed with a generous amount of ground pork and served with a cup of DK’s own crimson chili sambal; think the spicy chili flake sauce that has been having a moment recently.

The pork buns are all about textural contrasts. The steaming process makes the dough light and fluffy, and the pan fry gives them a nice, crispy sheen on their little tuchuses. Filling-wise, I liked how the pork was cooked, but I found the textures to be more interesting than the flavors. There wasn’t anything wrong with them, and a liberal dose of the sambal adds a nice numbing heat, but I was missing a flavor contrast to match the nice balance of textures.

This lament was even more pronounced in contrast to the Taiwanese beef noodle soup ($21.99), with its rich broth, homemade noodles, tender chunks of beef shank and plenty of pickled mustard greens. Looking at the spectrum of beef noodle soups along the Wasatch Front, I’d say your top-tier local stuff comes from spots like One More Noodle House and

Mom’s Kitchen, which is just up the street from DK. I’d also say that the Taiwanese beef noodle soup at Drunken Kitchen is right there among the best.

I love a soup that conceals its ingredients in a dark, steamy broth, because each dip of the chopsticks is going to bring something new to the lips. There are so many lovely things swimming around in this rich broth, made slightly acidic by the thick slices of tomatoes along for the ride. The beef shank is gorgeously tender, the bok choy is toothsome but not unpleasantly crunchy and the noodles have the perfect amount of chewy heft to them (forgive my brain hijacking this to European territory, but I couldn’t stop thinking of spaetzle with each bite).

Everything going on in this soup is marvelous—I have already etched Drunken Kitchen on my list of preferred soup haunts for when winter freezes us over—but I need to make a special shoutout to the pickled mustard greens. They’ve been pulled from the jar at that ideal moment where they still maintain their crunch, and their time marinating in pickling brine has imparted an excellent acidic flavor. This feels like an opportune time to mention that these, along with pickled serranos and preserved duck eggs, are extras that you can snag from DK. Whatever they’re doing on the pickling front is paying off in tasty dividends.

While Square Kitchen Eatery has a great lineup of local culinary pros, I have to hand it to Drunken Kitchen. This stuff is the kind of flavor wake-up call that will be a special balm to those in the throes of hangovers and heartbreak. CW

Shiba Boba is definitely upper-tier when it comes to their selection of milk tea.

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Elderberry Blonde

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Limited Pride release, “Gei Effect”: a mango and pineapple Gose, 5%

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap:  Cerveza De Mayo for Bewilder.

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

On Tap: California Steam Lager, Hans Gruber Export Lager

Bonneville Brewery

1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Crispy Boi - cerveza-ish Cream Ale

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: “Proper Yasuke” dark rice lager 5%, Mamachari Strawberry Serrano kombucha (NA)

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap:  Ay Curuba! Curuba Sour

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Blueberry Cream Ale

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: All-American Cider, Pineapple-Passion Fruit Session Mead

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: Cask Nitro CO2  Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Chili Mangose

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Tap: Olut Amber Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Sun Slope Sour

Live Music every Sunday, 5 to 8pm

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST

550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Philly Sour Fruit Bat

Live Music every Saturday, 3 to 6pm

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  Arnie (Co-Lab with 2 Row brewing): cream ale base with Lychee black tea and fresh pasteurized lemon juice.

Mountain West Cider

425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Watermelon Juniper Cider and Slushies!

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

Ogden Beer Company

358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: Mastero of None Italian Pilsner

Park City Brewery 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Cold IPA dry hopped w/ Mosaic, Amarillo, and Chinook

Policy Kings Brewery

223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing

25 W Center St. Logan

Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: Golden Hour Belgian Sour

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com

Proper Brewing: Limited Pride release, “Gei Effect”: a mango and pineapple Gose, 5%

Proper Burger: “Whispers from Santa Maria” Helles lager with peach and jalapeno

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com

On Tap: “Bermuda Blonde” keylime blonde ale 5%

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

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 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Brewers Select: In the Shade Cold IPA

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Pineapple Sour Seltzer

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

On Tap: Chipotle Lager

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Luau Rider - Coconut Chocolate Milk Stout

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

On Tap: Scion Poached Pear Cider 5.8% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider. com

On Tap: Blackberry Lime

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

On Tap: Cranberry Lemonade Lager Slushy

Shades On State

366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Salud Mexican Lager; Spring Fever Grapefruit Radler

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

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co.

147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/

squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Kreator Kolsch

Squatters and Wasatch

Brewery

1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: Dog Days Jalapeno Golden Ale

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: The Baroness (Munich Helles); Lower Rider (Non-Alcoholic)

Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: German Pilsner

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West,

BEER NERD

Beer and The Other Things

Some of the more unlikely things happening in your beers

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Uinta - It’s Not Buffett: This is a piña colada-inspired beer made with the Philly Sour yeast strain. It pours a foggy golden color, first sporting a half-inch of loose, frothy white head that lasts for little more than 60 seconds. A foamy collar is its only remnant, with no cap or lace to speak of. As for the aroma, I’m mostly getting a lot of coconut, as well as notes of lemon, crackery malts and some sugary sweetness. The result kind of reminds me of a coconut and lemon meringue pie, actually, and while there’s not too much coconut, this smells enjoyable and enticing.

The taste is a mish-mash of flavors that works, for the most part. The coconut continues to figure strongly, with lemony acidity and pineapple flesh also joining in by mid-sip. The coconut provides a background sweetness that nicely complements the base Philly Sour and pineapple, but it all transitions sharply into a lemony sourness that spikes right at the finish. Hints of coconut, pineapple and acidity linger into the aftertaste, but only transiently—the coconut lasts the longest, but even that fades within a second or two. It’s medium-light in body, with moderately low carbonation levels that provide a gentle bite, frothing up ever so slightly in the mouth, and the overall texture is soft and smooth.

Verdict: This sour ale is pretty tasty. It’s not as sweet as expected, and I don’t know if the sourness totally works here, but that being said, if it weren’t for that sour element, maybe the whole thing

would wind up being a sweet mess. I think it turned out well enough, though. If you’re at all curious, and have an appreciation for the cocktail upon which it is based, don’t hesitate to take this Uinta beer for a spin.

Kiitos - Salt ‘n Pickle: This a beer made with pickle brine—and believe it or not, it’s damn refreshing. You have the option of having it straight or dosed with pepper sauce; I opted for a few drops of “Slap Ya Mama.” It pours with solid head production, but then runs flat. The body has some chill haze, but even past that, it isn’t perfectly clear, although there’s no particulate out of solution—a slight red slick lingers on top from the hot sauce. There’s not a ton going on with the nose, but I love what I get—it’s clearly a dill pickle beer. There isn’t much else there, maybe a touch of citrus and pepper. The inimitable presence of dill is definitely center stage, but by no means unpleasantly so.

It delivers that same experience to the palate—fairly salty, much more like pickle brine than a sour beer by style. Beyond the pickle flavor, there are very bare hints of lime, white bread and crackers, just enough perhaps to know you’re drinking a beer rather than pickle brine from the jar. The 4.8 percent body is perfect for what is clearly designed to be a crushable summer beer.

Verdict: Look, I love dill pickles—hate the sweet varieties—and I love this beer. It executes the premise, and past that, it’s legitimately enjoyable to drink. The option to add pepper sauce just accentuated the enjoyment for me. If you don’t like dill pickles, then this beer should be an obvious no-go for you.

Salt ‘n Pickle does have enough mass appeal for Kiitos to put it into cans, it has also been on draft regularly for quite some time, so at the very least, snag a sample. It’s Not Buffett is a limited smallbatch series, and is available in 16-ounce cans only due to its 6.4 percent ABV.

As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Aker Grand Opening

A new restaurant called Aker (9 Exchange Place) will be celebrating its grand opening on July 26, and it’s definitely perked up my eyebrows. Opening just off Main Street in the heart of downtown Salt Lake, Aker looks to be combining higher-end Japanese fare with some Latin flavors, and serving them up in an elegant space. Aker’s claim to fame will be its adherence to the Japanese robata technique, a slow-grilling approach that takes advantage of fresh ingredients and creative marinades—which is where the Latin flair will be making an appearance. On paper, it sounds like Aker is shaping up to be one of the new heavy hitters for downtown dining.

The Bagel Project Expands

Our local bagel darlings at The Bagel Project recently announced that their Holladay location (1919 E. Murray Holladay Road) is in its soft-opening phase. Bagel fans along the Wasatch Front know that traditional New York bagels didn’t really reach the desert plains of Utah until a couple New Jersey natives made it happen back in 2011. Since then, The Bagel Project has become the name that anyone in the know recommends to those craving a true East Coast bagel experience. Their Holladay location joins their downtown location (779 S. 500 East) in their quest to continue perfecting their bagel craft.

Utah Native (Dole) Whips Some Ass

Dole Food Company recently held a nationwide recipe contest to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Disneyland’s famous Dole Whip dessert, and it was a Utah native who took the prize. Food and recipe influencer Rachel Anderson from Saratoga Springs beat the competition with her Strawberry Coconut Lime Dole Whip. Not only does this prize secure bragging rights within the entire Dole Whip community—it’s bigger than you might think—but Anderson gets to spend 2024 as Dole’s official independent recipe creator. Her recipe is also one of the at-home recipes that Dole Whip aficionados can attempt to graduate from the newly christened Dole Whip University, which you can check out at dole.com.

Quote of the Week: “Bagels can be an enormous power for good or evil; it is up to us to decide how we will use them.” – Daniel Pinkwater

THE BEEHIVE

7/27-7/28

666 S STATE ST @BEEHIVESLC

Crying-on-theInside Clowns

Deadpool & Wolverine tries to have feelings and mock them.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The eternal psychoanalysis of perpetually wise-cracking pop-culture characters is that, deep down, they just want to be loved. Like Chandler from Friends, we’re told, they’re made up of deep reservoirs of hurt covered up by sedimentary layers of quips, bon mots and snappy ripostes as defense mechanisms, and ways of gaining acceptance. So every time Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson/Deadpool tosses off a snarky, foul-mouthed aside, it’s really a plea for understanding.

That seems to be the story, anyway.

The surprise success of Reynolds’ Deadpool franchise has been a strange outlier in the superhero-mad cinematic ecosystem, made up of movies that tried to play it super-cool about being above it all, and in on the tropes and tricks of the genre. Now, with Deadpool & Wolverine—the biggest swing the series has taken, in bringing back Hugh Jackman’s iconic clawed mutant from the X-Men movie series—there’s an attempt at being totally chill about finally being invited to the MCU’s popularkids party while also being utterly sincere about, like, emotions and trauma and stuff. And it’s kinda weird.

The specific plot machinations that manage to unite Deadpool and Wolverine, who died a noble death in 2017’s Logan—as Deadpool himself would certainly be quick to say—don’t particularly matter, given the flexibility of mortality in comic-book

verse is involved—specifically, the Time Variance Authority introduced in the Loki Disney+ series, with Matthew Macfadyen having a blast as a TVA executive—and that Deadpool is on a quest to save his particular universe by pulling Wolverine into it.

Along the way, there are many nods to both the print and cinematic history of Marvel Comics characters, particularly once our protagonists find their way into The Void, an out-of-time universe controlled by the telepathic villain Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), who is the sister of … well, if you know, you know. It’s here that the screenwriting team and director Shawn Levy—who previously collaborated with Reynolds on Free Guy—commit to playing in a very specific corner of the Marvel sandbox, one that definitely plays into the Deadpool sensibility of being outcast and unappreciated. Those references provide the expected temporary adrenaline hit, and even feel kind of earnest in their way about providing a reminder that even blockbusters full of costumed characters were made (or, occasionally, never made) by real people who might have feel-

ings about it all.

And make no mistake, Deadpool & Wolverine wants to have its feelings and mock them, too. The filmmakers frame the story as one about Deadpool seeking a sense of purpose and being part of something bigger than himself—up to and including applying to be in The Avengers—while this multiverse variant of Wolverine/Logan has his own need for redemption. Reynolds and Jackman play the scenes in which they reveal these motivations dead straight, and it’s actually a little bit disconcerting. While their banter and the bloody one-onone battles between the two nigh-immortals go for broke with a sense of anarchic, anything-goes fun, they keep stopping to reassure us that, deep-down, they’re the crying-on-the-inside kind of clowns— Pagliacci in a spandex mask rather than pancake makeup.

Deadpool & Wolverine is still destined to make a kajillion dollars at the box office, since the nerdy crowd is going to adore being in on all the jokes about corporate mergers, the creative stagnation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the personal lives of the actors involved, all

wrapped up in an R-rated shower of viscera and f-bombs. That stuff is still kind of fun, as far as it goes, especially since Reynolds has never found a more perfect distillation of his screen persona, and his gags remain entertaining whenever they can be heard above the sound mix. It’s just slightly off to see that same material treated as though it’s also part of the literal fate of the universe, and the ironic need for psychological healing in two guys whose physical bodies heal quite easily. Maybe all the geek-out material and gleeful carnage is enough. Or maybe it’s unnecessary to have all that fourth-wallbreaking framed as a way of asking for the comforting walls of a great big hug. CW

Release Radar

July 2024

New music from Carson Ferris, Get Born, The Groanies, This Valley Glow, Poolhouse

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

How are your summer playlists looking? There’s still plenty of time—and plenty of hot days—ahead to perfect it and curate the mood for your next party, trip or late-night drive. Keeping up on all of the local releases can be tough, so here’s a few you might want to check out in case they fit your summer playlist vibe.

Carson Ferris, “Ghosts”: Provo pop artist Carson Ferris is back with a new single that hopefully isn’t too relatable for you this summer. This track is about forgiving and letting go, even if that person isn’t in your life anymore. “‘Ghosts’ is a song about letting go and moving on from situations and people that aren’t good for you. In the bridge, the lyrics say that moving on is the only way things can be ok. That’s definitely true,” Ferris said. “All that holding on to things like that will do is cause more resentment. Sometimes that can be really hard to do, but it’s a necessary part of life that we can all relate to. And I think forgiveness is an important part of moving on, so I put a lot of emphasis on that in ‘Ghosts.’ You can’t let go until you forgive, even if it seems easier to hold a grudge.” “Ghosts” is streaming everywhere now.

Get Born, Tiny Grass Is Dreaming: Get Born’s debut EP Tiny Grass Is Dreaming is a lovely

and whimsical work that’s easy to get lost in and feel happy while listening to, even if the last track is titled “Losing My Shit.”

The duality of man, am I right? “There are very old songs on this EP and relatively new songs. Either way you can be sure this is just the beginning,” Get Born posted on Instagram. “This EP was a true DIY production recorded in living rooms, rented spaces, libraries and in backyards. I learned to mix and master (better) for this so it could be completely home brewed.”

If you’re looking for more of that DIY sound, this EP is perfect for you. Tiny Grass Is Dreaming is streaming everywhere now.

The Groanies, Finger Plastic Poison: “Hope you’re having a great time out there on this big blue world, underneath the big blue sky, with that big bright yellow sun,”

The Groanies wrote on Instagram about the release of their new EP Finger Plastic Poison. This is a shorter EP, but it’s packed full of exciting, loud punk energy. It’s sure to make your summer day much brighter with its punchy sounds and fast rhythms. It’s easy to put this four-track EP on repeat and revel in the epic punk sounds. The Groanies are always performing around town, so be sure not to miss out on hearing these new tracks live. Finger Plastic Poison is streaming everywhere now.

This Valley Glow, “On Its Way Out”: This Valley Glow are back with a new, original track after their collaboration with Scott Lippitt for the album Me, You, and the Avenues. “On Its Way Out” is leading the band in a different direction from their previous work. “The song feels like a new outlook for us as a band both sonically and thematically,” said Ryan Delvie of This Valley Glow. “It’s more forward facing lyrically when compared to

MUSIC

the songs from our first album. The song was created out of a pretty simple little synth chord progression and fluttery guitar riff that gave way to, what we feel, is a catchy, musical feeling song.” The song is beautifully balanced with its lyrics, electronic elements and light guitar. It feels floaty and happy—perfect for a chill night in with friends or for a long drive. “On Its Way Out” will be streaming everywhere Friday, July 26.

Poolhouse, “Yesterday”: Provo-based trio Poolhouse are well-known for their dynamic and lively indie rock sound, as they’ve cultivated a dedicated fanbase since their debut in 2020. Their newest single, “Yesterday,” is another perfect entry in the band’s library. Musically the song is upbeat and invigorating, but the

lyrics are all about love and the endless mix of emotions that come with it. The song builds and builds until erupting into a satisfying solo that’s worth putting the song on repeat for that moment alone. Poolhouse always puts on an amazing live show, but going just to hear this track is worth it in itself. Be sure to catch them when they’re playing around town; “Yesterday” is streaming everywhere.

Summer is the busiest time for the local music scene, so keep an eye out for new releases, because there’s always something for everyone. For now, give these ones a listen and we’ll try to keep you updated on more summer essentials. CW

COURTESY PHOTO

Carson Ferris

THURSDAYS

EVERY WEEKEND BEST HIP HOP DJS IN SLC!

SHARK SUNDAYS

POOL TOURNEY HOSTED BY TANNER

MONDAYS

REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE

MUSIC PICK S

AZ @ Metro Music Hall 7/25

I kind of wish that it were possible to talk about AZ without mentioning Nas’ debut LP Illmatic. It’s kind of a catch-22 of speaking of his perfect verse on the track “Life’s a Bitch.” You either mention it and look like a sheep, or write about his other work without mention of it and look ignorant. I mean, the list of emcees that get put on after one verse is short, and having penned a flawless feature on what many argue is the greatest hip-hop album of all time is truly a gift and a curse. However, after 10 solo albums and one ill collaboration project (1997’s The Album by The Firm), he is a whole legend out here. “For ‘Life’s A Bitch,’ we were in a professional studio, and my thought was never to be on the song, I was just showing moral support to Nas, by being in the studio,” Anthony Cruz (aka AZ) told Revolt.tv. “I just said my rap and when Nas heard it, he was like, ‘Yo, lay that shit down.’” The real ones know, Grammy-nominated AZ is the complete artist. His lyrics, voice, flow and delivery are highly slept-on. 2023’s Truth Be Told shows he’s not stuck in the past, but if one needs a refresher on how dope he’s always been, check out the DJ Premier remix of D’Angelo’s “Lady.” Catch him on the Truth Be Told tour at Metro Music Hall on Thursday, July 25, doors at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $13.50 and can be found at 24tix.com (Mark Dago)

HAPPY PIONEER DAY FROM US AT SOUNDWAREHOUSE

MUSIC PICK S

Sunfish, Mortigi Tempo, Homestyle Dinner Rolls @ Kilby Court 7/27

There are plenty of shows going on this weekend, but if you’re in the mood for a trio of energetic locals, look no further. At the top of the bill is alt-rock group Sunfish, who know how to bring the noise. Their 2021 track “Doors” has climbed in popularity, gaining 1.6 million streams on Spotify alone. The song showcases the band’s characteristic electronic elements blending with hard rock sounds that will have you headbanging in no time. Their subsequent releases have been just as excellent, including their most recent EP, Sunfish is Not a Cult. A standout on the EP is “Say it to My Face,” which was released as a single before the full release of the EP. You can’t really go wrong with any of their new tracks, though—they’re all great. You’ll also be able to see Mortigi Tempo, a neo-psych band from SLC. Their latest single, “MODERN DOG,” is summed up nicely by the band’s frontman Billy Blur: “Rock n roll is music that makes you want to either fuck or fight, and that’s exactly the kinda music Mortigi Tempo makes.” Last and certainly not least is Homestyle Dinner Rolls, one of Orem’s favorite alt-rock groups. This show is going to be off the walls, so don’t miss it on Saturday, July 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Grab them at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Genix @ Boomerang’s Down Under Bar 7/27

For a night of trance music, check out Genix this weekend. In the heart of downtown SLC is Boomerang’s Down Under, a vintage-modern style bar that regularly hosts musicians and live DJ sets. Damion Lewis Houchen, AKA Genix, has been a long-time linchpin in trance music. Hailing from the UK, Houchen was at the epicenter of the ’90s/’00s trance explosion, and has been a long-time member of Above & Beyond’s record label, Anjunabeats. You can still hear the formative sounds of 1990s dance music along with more modern songs in his blends, which makes him a timeless treasure. As Houchen’s career has developed throughout the decades, elements of techno, house and progressive are seamlessly weaved into his sets. Boomerang’s is known for its cocktails and dance floor, so if you’re in the mood for stunning melodies and beautiful atmospheric sounds, don’t miss out on Genix’s You.Me.Now Tour. Named after his newest album released this year, listen to “Lights, Sound, Camera, Action” and “Dream of You.” This event takes place on Saturday, July 27. Doors open at 9 p.m., and tickets for the 21+ show cost $15 at intricacynights.ticketsauce.com.

(Arica Roberts)

The Gaslight Anthem @ The Union 7/27

The Gaslight Anthem rate comparison to Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band in terms of their passionate and powerful delivery. “I think that’s our roots in punk rock and hardcore music,” drummer Benny Horowitz said in an interview with Rock and Roll Globe last year. “We were not a band that had to learn how to play fast, but to the contrast, had to learn how to play slow. Things like giant build ups, pick slides and anthemic sing-along choruses were just par for the course in the worlds we grew up in. I reckon it has always carried over into our sound.” The band’s debut album, aptly titled Sink or Swim, brought them to the attention of the pundits; it set the stage for their sophomore set, The ‘59 Sound, an album which marked their big breakthrough and led them to bigger stages such as Lollapalooza, the Glastonbury Festival and London Calling. After a three-year hiatus, the band—currently consisting of Horowitz, founder/lead singer/guitarist Brian Fallon, bassist Alex Levin, and lead guitarist Alex Rosamilia—returned via their reunion album, History Books, and reignited their dynamic delivery in the process . The lyrics to one of the songs, “Positive Charge,” more or less summed up their stance: “How I missed you, it’s good to be alive.” Given The Gaslight Anthem’s anthemic approach, they leave no doubt that statement is true. The Gaslight Anthem with Joyce Manor and The Dirty Nil perform at The Union on Saturday, Jul 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show cost $39.50 plus fees for GA, standing room only. Go to Ticketmaster.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Ben Folds @ Kenley

Amphitheater 7/31

Combining musical virtuosity with a punk sensibility, Ben Folds emerged on the scene during the ’90s alternative rock era. Fronting the playfully-named Ben Folds Five (they were in fact a trio), he introduced a style of music he dubbed “punk rock for sissies.” Notably lacking a guitarist, Folds and his bandmates crafted a sound that nonetheless had all the energy of guitar rock, with intelligent (and often sardonic) lyrics to match. “Brick” was a deeply emotional ballad, and “The Ballad of Who Could Care Less” and “Kate” were rousing singalong tunes with a strong pop foundation. The trio went inactive (with occasional reunions), paving the way for Folds’ solo career. His solo debut, Rockin’ the Suburbs had the misfortune of being released on September 11, 2001; it contained the sharply humorous (and knowingly self-aware) title track; an inspired music video was also released. As a solo artist, Folds has traveled a path in which he is freed—when he chooses—from BF5’s guitarless format. His brand of intelligent rock with bratty undertones has won him critical acclaim and an ardent following. He has also moved seamlessly into orchestral work, and is currently Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center’s National Symphony Orchestra. Folds’ fifth solo studio release, What Matters Most, was released in 2023 to predictably positive reviews. You can see Ben Folds Wednesday, July 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets to the all-ages performance at Kenley Amphitheater—part of the 2024 Summer Nights with the Stars concert series—are $30 and up at davisarts.org. (Bill Kopp)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Aries singer-songwriter Lady Gaga has written many songs, both for herself and other artists. She famously declared that some of her most successful songs took her just 10 minutes to compose. They include “Just Dance,” “Poker Face” and “Born This Way.” According to my interpretation of the astrological omens, you could be rising to Lady Gaga levels of creativity in your own sphere during the coming weeks. And I won’t be surprised if your imaginative innovations flow with expeditious clarity, like Gaga at her most efficient.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

During the winter, some animals hibernate. They enter a state of dormancy, slowing their metabolism, breathing and heart rate. Other animals enter a similar state during the summer, conserving energy when the weather is hot and dry. It’s called estivation. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, many of you Tauruses would benefit from a modified version of estivation in the next couple of weeks. You’re in prime time to recharge your energy through deep relaxation and rest.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

The English word “amphibian” is derived from the Greek term amphibios which means “living a double life.” The original meaning of the English word was “combining two qualities; having two modes of life,” though it came to be used primarily to describe animals that function on both land and in water. You Geminis are of course the most amphibious of all the astrological tribes. You can feel at home in a variety of situations. This may sometimes stir up confusion, but I see it as one of your greatest potential strengths. In the coming weeks, I hope you enjoy it to the maximum. It should serve you well. Wield it to take advantage of the sweet perks of versatility.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

I dreamed that a young elephant appeared on the deck of my house and stuck its trunk through the sliding glass door. I got up from my chair and gently pushed the animal away, then closed the door. After I woke up, I was sorry I had done that. What was I afraid of? The elephant posed no danger—and may have been a good omen. In some cultures, elephants in dreams and visions are symbols of good luck, vitality, long life and the removal of obstacles. So here’s what I did. I dropped into a deep meditative state and reimagined the dream. I welcomed the creature into my home. I gave her the name Beatrice. We wrestled and had fun playing with a red rubber ball. Amazingly, later that day, a certain obstacle in my actual waking life magically disappeared. The moral of the story, my fellow Cancerian: Welcome the elephant.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Some bamboo species grow very quickly—as much as 36 inches per day. I suspect your capacity to blossom will display a similar vigor in the coming weeks. You may be surprised at how dramatic your development is. I’m hoping that you will be acutely focused on channeling your fertility in positive ways. Don’t feed an urge to recklessly gamble, for instance. Don’t pursue connections with influences that are no damn good for you. Instead, decide right now what areas of your life you want to be the beneficiaries of your growth spurt. Choose the beauty and power you will encourage to ripen.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

For months, we heard and saw crows pecking on the roof of our rental house. Were they grubbing for food? It was mildly annoying, but seemingly no big deal. Then one night, their small acts of mayhem climaxed in an unexpected event. Rain began to fall around 8 p.m. It was constant, though not heavy. At 9, the ceilings in five rooms began to leak. By 10:30, our house was flooded. We managed to rescue our precious items, but the house was damaged. We had to find a new place to live.

I don’t expect anything this drastic to befall you, dear Virgo. But I encourage you to check if any small problem is gradually growing bigger. Now is a favorable time to intervene and forestall an unfavorable development.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Two Scottish veterinarians researched the health of rhesus monkeys that are compelled by human handlers to dance on the streets of Pakistan. When I first learned about this, my response was, “Wow! Don’t those doctors have anything better to do? That is the most obscure research I have ever heard of.” But later, I decided I admired the doctors because they were motivated primarily by compassion. They found the monkeys were under severe stress and publicized the fact as a public service. Their work will ultimately lead to better treatment of the monkeys. In accordance with astrological omens, Libra, I advise you to seek out comparable ways to express altruism in the coming weeks. By engaging in noble and idealistic acts, you will attract good fortune into your sphere both for yourself and others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Do you place any limits on how deep and expansive you allow your yearnings to be? Are you ever worried that maybe you desire too much and are at risk of asking for too much? If you answered yes, Scorpio, I will give you a temporary license to rebel against your wariness. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I authorize you to experiment with feeling the biggest, strongest, wildest longings you have ever felt. Please note that I am not advising you to immediately go out and actually express those longings to the hilt. For now, I’d like you to simply have the experience of entertaining their full intensity. This will be a healing experience.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You’ll never guess the strongest animal on the planet. It’s not the gorilla, tiger, or elephant. It’s the dung beetle, which can lug loads that weigh 1,141 times as much as it does. The equivalent for you would be to pull six doubledecker buses crammed with people. I’m happy to inform you that although you won’t be able to accomplish that feat, your emotional and spiritual strength will be formidable. You may be surprised at how robust and mighty you are. What do you plan to do with all that power?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

By age 35, you have shed over 50 pounds of skin. The flesh that covers you is in a constant state of renewal. In the coming weeks, I expect your rate of regeneration to be even higher than usual—not only your skin, but everything else in your life, as well. Here’s a proviso: Renewal and regeneration are preceded by withering or dwindling. To enjoy the thrill of revitalization, you must allow the loss of what was once vital but is no longer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Among people who hike, “death march” refers to a trudge through boring scenery in bad weather. Let’s use this as a metaphor for you. I believe you have recently finished your own version of a “death march.” Any minute, you will begin a more enjoyable series of experiences. Get ready for an entertaining meander through interesting terrains in fine weather. Be alert for unpredictable encounters with inspiration and education.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Alex Larenty gives massages to lions at the Lion Park near Johannesburg, South Africa. They especially love foot rubs. Even Jamu, king of the local beasts, rolls onto his back so Larenty can get a good angle while caressing and kneading his paws. I bring this to your attention because it’s a good metaphor for the unique power you will have in the coming days: a knack for dealing successfully with wild influences and elemental powers through the magic of kindness, affection and service.

Supply Chain Analyst (SLC):

Design networks for Building Automation products. Improve sourcing, mgng & contracting. Dvlp BI dashboards. Forecast for sales, costs, inventory & ops planning. Provide data analysis & design sols. Ensure global supply chain alignment. Process POs & resolve issues. Req: MS Supply Chain Mgmt/Equiv, 2 yrs exp, QuickBooks, iWork ##, Keynotes/Pages, Oracle ERP & VLookup. Resumes to hannah@passivelogic.com

Need a New Hive?

urban LIVING

Dirty History

The buzz this week is about Utah’s potential for hosting the 2034 Olympics and the start of the Summer Olympic games. For those of you who weren’t around for our 2002 Olympics, they were not only the first to make a profit, but many events (skiing) were held at the highest elevations ever since the first winter games were held in the French Alps 100 years ago.

Salt Lake’s then-mayor (Deedee Corradini, deceased) worked with state and local officials to bring the capital city into the 21st century, adding rail transit to the Wasatch Front. She also faced—as administrations had before her—a lack of tax revenue to improve infrastructure in the city.

Tens of thousands of commuters come to the city each day, causing wear and tear on roads and requiring help from police, fire and emergency crews. They then go back home at night to Davis or Utah County. They don’t pay property taxes in Salt Lake and back in 2002, the capital city only had around 180,000 residents whose property taxes supported the services offered to both residents and visitors.

No mayor wants to raise taxes, but Corradini and the City Council came up with an idea to make “brownfields” in the downtown area buildable and to shorten the freeway ramps to open space for commercial and residential developments like The Gateway. Along with development come property taxes, which pay for more police, fire, and capital improvements.

Corradini reported to locals that there were 650 acres (one city block is roughly 10 acres) in the Gateway area that could be cleaned up and developed, which would then add tax revenue to city coffers. And voila! Polluted dirt was scraped and hauled and a mall opened in time for the games.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Uninspired order, with “the”

6. Butt heads

11. 3-D map type

13. Keep tempo with, as a song (just not on beats 1 and 3)

14. Namesake of element #106

16. Scored 72, perhaps 17. It may precede 44321

18. Sour reactions

19. Pay phone need, once 21. Reno and Garland, for short 24. “Here’s the thing ...”

25. “___ Boot”

26. Holiday that lined up with February 10, 2024

27. Singer settings, in literature

28. Suffix after ion or union

29. Actor Heo Sung-___ who played gangster Jang Deok-su in “Squid Game”

30. Alex P.’s TV mom

31. Millennium div.

32. MKE abbr.

33. On edge

35. “Chicago Med” areas

36. “Son of,” in some surnames

37. Namesake, say

38. Edinburgh-to-London dir.

39. Far from

41. Some Bronze Age artifacts

42. Silicate mineral that sounds like paradise?

47. Crafts under investigation in 2024

48. Sierra follower

49. Played

50. Sci-fi villains that debuted in 1963

51. Middle name in the “black-ish” cast

52. Bingo coinage?

DOWN

1. Bear seen outdoors

2. Resort to

3. Cell finish?

4. Onetime Sony line of robotic pets

5. Washington Mystics and Capitals owner Ted

6. Headwear that may ring a bell?

7. Andy’s role on “Taxi”

8. Material at the back

9. They may look up to a Leo

10. Savvy

12. Throughout

13. Dim

15. Air of horror

16. It may cause some division on TV

20. 2002 Wimbledon winner ___ Hewitt

21. Like some goals

22. Manual replacement?

23. Propeller on the Mississippi, maybe

33. Adam’s group

34. Capital city close to Mount Ararat

40. Children’s movie that interrupted a 1968 Raiders-Jets broadcast

43. Role for BeyoncÈ

44. “See the one before”

45. Opinion

46. “Happy Motoring!” brand

Last week’s answers

One brownfield site that was cleaned up before Corradini’s term is now the home of the Delta Center, which brings in taxes. A “brownfield” is land that has been poisoned with toxic waste and has been cleaned up at sites like Centro Civico, Granton Square, the Swift building, Utah Barrel and Scrap VCP and an old gas station where Spy Hop’s building now stands on 900 South.

We have many brownfields in the state, but the EPA has recently granted money to Murray and Spanish Fork to clean up contaminated areas. Spanish Fork will clean up the Express Way Landfill and the Foundry. Murray will use their grant to clean up the slag and mine waste around Creek Pocket Park (near the old Murray smelters) and the Soccer Locker (along Little Cottonwood Creek). n

X

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

NEWS of the WEIRD

Awesome!

Betcha didn’t know about the Merlympics in Geneva, Switzerland. The event, in existence since 2015, is designed to “prove athleticism” among mermaid competitors, KSL-TV reported on July 7. At the May games, Mia Sim, 22, of Provo, Utah, secured her title as the fastest mermaid in the world. Sim has been mermaiding for 10 years; at the Merlympics, athletes must compete in five categories, including ecology (diving to the bottom and picking up trash); underwater posing for photographs; and rescue (swimming to “save” a submerged dummy)—all while wearing full mermaid or merman gear. “It’s not a skill that’s easily learned,” Sim said of mermaiding. “This type of restriction on your body is very difficult for people to understand.” She has now been inducted into Team USA and hopes other Utah mermaids will aspire to such heights.

Keep Digging

During a court hearing on July 2 in Crown Point, Indiana, defendant Devontae Harris, 26, just couldn’t keep his shovel quiet, the Chicago Tribune reported on July 5. Lake Superior Court Judge Gina Jones was hearing Harris’ argument for a plea deal in a stalking and battery case from November 2022, but when she denied the deal, Harris called her names and said, “... you think you know about stuff. I done killed (people). I got bodies under my belt. Go solve them.” He also threatened to throw his chair at the judge and asked her to perform a sex act on him. Jones added 210 days to Harris’ jail term, increasing it to 13 months.

Weird in the Wild

Bigfoot walks among us—or at least among campers in Louisiana, MSN reported. On June 28, the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for help from a group of campers—high school graduates from Houma, Louisiana—who were celebrating their matriculation. The kids were camping in Kisatchie National Forest and told officers they heard growling and saw a 5-foot-tall animal with “glowing eyes.” Officers were unable to locate the creature, but they escorted the campers back to their vehicle.

That Rule Doesn’t Apply: South Africa Edition

On July 7 in South Africa, a visitor to the Pilanesberg National Park lost his life after being trampled by an elephant herd, CTV News reported on July 9. The 43-year-old man was driving through the park when he left his car and approached the herd to take photographs, police said. Three other people in the car were unharmed. The elephant herd included young calves, which may have made the adults more aggressive. Piet Nel, chief conservation officer for the North West Parks and Tourism Board, said visitors are explicitly instructed not to leave their cars. “We must remember that you are entering a wild area,” he said.

Ignominious

The San Diego Humane Society has recently put the city on the map, but maybe not in a good way. CBS8-TV reported on July 8 that the SDHS claims the city has more fleas than any other city in the United States, making its pets miserable. “We have a perfect climate here, where it is warm year-round,” said Zarah Hedge, chief medical officer at the SDHS. “It’s just a perfect environment for them to live in.” Hedge recommended pet owners talk to their veterinarians about treatment. Or, you could move.

Recent Alarming Headline

Five Sri Lankan fishermen are dead and another is critically ill after they drank from bottles they found floating in the ocean, the BBC reported on June 29. The Sri Lankan Navy said the fishers thought the bottles contained alcohol, and they distributed some bottles to other crews fishing in the area. The navy said it was treating the men aboard their craft, the Devon, and trying to get them back to shore. Authorities are testing the contents of the bottles to determine what the sailors drank.

Bright Idea

After Daniel Jean, 39, and Esmy Valdez, 38, of Brooklyn, New York, exchanged wedding vows on June 27, they celebrated with friends at an unconventional venue: the New York subway L train, according to the New York Post . The couple hosted 20 invited guests—plus a bunch of strangers—on July 2 at a “dope reception,” Jean said. “We didn’t have the money to do the dream reception that I’d always envisioned,” he said. But for only $3,000, the couple had food catered by O’s Grill Spot, a cake, drinks and music. Valdez was charmed: “When I walked onto the train and saw everything, I thought, ‘Wow, I picked the right guy,’” she said. “Our reception was all about love.”

The Tech Revolution

Welcome to the 21st century, Japan! Reuters reported on July 3 that the government has eliminated all use of floppy disks in all its systems. “We have won the war on floppy disks on June 28!” announced Digital Minister Taro Kono. What a relief!

Celebrities: They’re Just Like Us!

The famous-for-being-famous crowd lit up with a dirty little story in mid-June about Derek Blasberg, 42, a “professional best friend to celebrities,” having a blowout time at Gwyneth Paltrow’s guest cottage in the Hamptons. Variety reported that Blasberg was outed as the culprit behind an “intense bowel movement” that caused considerable damage. Insiders say Blasberg cited his use of the drug Ozempic as the cause of his distress, but one doubter poo-pooed the idea to The Daily Mail : “That’s just what he told everyone.”

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

Programmer AnalystMainframe (PAM-PS) in Midvale, UT. Interpret functional reqs, dvlp tech specs from functional reqs, design & code appls. Telecommuting permitted from any approved states in the U.S. BS followed by 5yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

AEM Developer (AEMD-SRV) in Midvale, UT. Telecommuting permitted from anywhere in the U.S. Design, dvlp & support internet/intranet web sites & appls using AEM forms & sites and HTML. BS followed by 5yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

AEM Developer/Web Developer (AEMWD-SS) in Midvale, UT. Telecommuting permitted from anywhere in the U.S. Design, dvlp & support internet/ intranet web sites & appls using AEM forms & sites and HTML. BS followed by 5yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

Manager, Implementation (inContact, Inc.; Sandy, UT): Engage customers in consultative capacity and provide specialized expertise. Telecommuting pursuant to company policy. Resumes: HR, inContact, Inc., 75 West Towne Ridge Pkwy, Tower 1, Sandy, UT, 84070.

Data Engineer (DE-SKS) in Midvale, UT. Resp for dvlping & deploying enterprise grade platforms that enable data-driven solutions. Telecommuting permitted within area of intended employment. BS followed by 5yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

Data Engineer V (DEVKD) in Midvale, UT. Resp for dvlping & deploying enterprise grade platforms that enable data-driven solutions. Telecommuting permitted within area of intended employment. BS followed by 8 yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

Wide variety of job opportunities from Logan to Springville Good pay: every Monday, Wednesday & Friday