Where Grass Meets Glass

art entertainment food drink music nightlife Thursday, January 26, 2017

DGO WHERE GRASS MEETS GLASS A roundtable with local and regional glassblowers at the intersection of art and cannabis

dgomag.com

Also: From the files of Not Normal (a new feature), Winter Pride at Purg, the best beer books, and re-mixologist Julia Hastings-Black

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DGO Magazine

STAFF

What’s inside Volume 2 Number 14

January 26, 2017

Chief Executive Officer

7 Why Pride matters

Douglas Bennett

Being LGBTQ is not a lifestyle. It is not a choice. It is a natural state of which more than 10 million American adults openly identify as. The fact that this is still a controversial statement is why having LGBTQ support organizations and celebrations, like Pride festivals, still matters.

V.P. of Finance and Operations Bob Ganley V.P. of Advertising David Habrat V.P. of Marketing Kricket Lewis Founding Editors Amy Maestas David Holub

David Holub

17 New feature: From the

Files of Not Normal

dholub@bcimedia.com 375-4551 Staff writer

Jerry McBride/BCI Media

»» Durango artist Jim Righter.

ptempleton@bcimedia.com 375-4546

5

Contributors

Cookbooks meet bar books Julia Hastings-Black discusses her road to Durango and her recent publications, “ReMixology: Classic Cocktails, Reconsidered and Reinvented” and “Cocktails at Dinner: Daring Pairings of Delicious Dishes and Enticing Mixed Drinks.”

Katie Cahill Katie Clancy Christopher Gallagher Bryant Liggett Jon E. Lynch Cooper Stapleton Cyle Talley Robert Alan Wendeborn Advertising 247-3504 Reader Services 375-4570

DGO is a free weekly publication distributed by Ballantine Communications Inc., and is available for one copy per person. Taking more than five copies of an edition from a distribution location is illegal and is punishable by law according to Colorado Revised Statute 18-9-314.

From the Editor

4

Love it or Hate it

8

Sound

Downtown Lowdown

6

What I learned from a dying deer and a gun-toting Trump supporter “We may have been firing offensive posts to each other on Facebook a few months back, but right now, we are two citizens who want to do the right thing.”

A new administration has descended upon the land and some things are not normal.

We’re here to keep track.

This week’s abnormality: “Alternative facts.”

8

Album Reviews 9 10 Beer 16 Weed

Editor/ creative director

Patty Templeton

4

Seeing Through 16 the Smoke

17 Movies 18 Savage Love 19 Vintage Durango 19 Happening 20 DGO Deals 22 Horoscope/ puzzles 22 Pages

19 Vintage Durango

23 Get Smart

Remember when it took an hour to see your photos, and even then, they were printed on paper?

/dgomag

/dgomag @dgo_mag

ON THE COVER A glass pipe by Durango artist Jim Righter. Or is that the view after using it?

Jerry McBride/BCI Media

Tell us what you think!

Got something on your mind? Have a joke or a story idea or just something that the world needs to know?

Send everything to editor@dgomag.com

DGO Magazine is published by Ballantine Communications Inc., P.O. Drawer A, Durango, CO 81302

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[CTRL-A]

[ love it or hate it ]

David Holub |DGO editor

Tobacco Love It

El Moro is back, and so is its creative spirit, cool historic vibe

W

alking past El Moro last week, I couldn’t escape the buzz radiating from its still-closed doors. It was a day before its scheduled soft re-opening, and I’d been meaning to catch up with General Manager Dave Woodruff to see how the reconstruction had gone after the fire in early October. When I walked in, I was hit with something I didn’t expect: I had missed this place incredibly.

I’d always felt the void El Moro left since Oct. 5, missing most its modern, eclectic brunch choices and the draft and bottled beer selections, where you know you could always find varieties no one else in town had. But the thing that hit me in the gut when I opened the door for the first time in over three months, this visceral feeling of comfort, was something more than what I can stuff or pour into my face-hole.

What I settled on is this: El Moro embodies and exemplifies Durango’s character and charm, a town where past meets future. El Moro is unmistakably historic – and cool historic, too, with the original brick walls and floor-to-ceiling liquor showcase equipped with sliding ladder.

And how many buildings come with not only pasts of gunfights and “soiled doves,” but ghosts who just can’t let the past be? It’s also unmistakably modern with its décor – the hip repurposing of cheese graters and mason jars as lamps and torches – as well as its progressive menu: trendy takes on the classics or new culinary concoctions altogether.

But it’s more than a building and its décor; it’s the El Moro staff, embodied best by bartender/manager Lucas Hess who looks straight from casting for the role of Old West Bartender, polishing clean glasses, wearing his slicked-sideways blond hair and offering warm, friendly, quiet charm. He’s the same oldnew combo of El Moro’s décor: a master of classic cocktails with a flair for progressive mixology.

In fact, Woodruff said what sets El Moro apart the most is its staff.

“You’re excited to come in to work.

It’s not like you’re dragging your tail between your legs, like ‘Aaagh, god, I gotta go into work today,’” he said. “I really feel that whenever you have a strong culture and people want to be here, it exudes into the customers.” And when an establishment has no TVs – how did this become so rare? – a bar staff is especially forced to be more social and interactive.

Keeping the staff engaged during the closure was one of the biggest challenges, Woodruff said. Retaining nearly all of the staff in that time, Woodruff would check in with everyone every two weeks at least. They set up times for training and conditioning. They encouraged employees to volunteer in the community. Woodruff himself guest-bartended in Grand Junction one day, with proceeds to benefit his colleagues.

On top of its community spirit, what I appreciate most about El Moro is its creative spirit. Its menus and selections are inspired and imaginative, an establishment created for the culinarily adventurous. What’s exciting is that the closure allowed Woodruff and his staff an opportunity to generate ideas and concoct some new menu additions.

“I’ve got 30 cocktail books, so we brought them in and they started bouncing ideas off of each other,” – with spirits and booze and beer and wine, doing blind tastings.”

With a touch of levity and humor, El Moro’s Facebook page advertised one of those, the “Burn Down the Island,” featuring Five Island rum, Venezuelan rum, Peruvian pisco, brown sugar and molasses syrup, and malic acid apple juice. “Then, we encase it with a burning stick of cinnamon to give it an enticing, spicy, smoked aroma,” the post said.

At least now, Woodruff, Hess and the rest of the El Moro staff won’t have to answer the question, “When are you reopening,” something Woodruff said he never tired of.

“That means they want us back open,” he said. “If nobody asked, then I’d be concerned.”

Welcome back, friends.

For a moment, put down your chicken-fried steak and bacon gravy, your 64-ounce stein of beer, your double-rack of pork belly nachos, your tallboy “energy” drinks, your chemical-laden cleaning products and toiletries. Disregard Fred Flintstone selling Winstons to young’ns or greedy, science-silencing capitalists deliberately misleading consumers in the name of profits, loyalties, and generational subjugation. I get it, this little weed has been demonized but is far from the only unhealthy thing we allow into our bodies or the only thing we voluntarily let kill us. Dare I say, like marijuana, this has more to do with people than a plant.

From a historic sense, with tobacco being America’s first cash crop, we owe much to this sustainable plant for the early viability of this country.

And basically everyone in the world’s buzzy demand for it spurred the infancy of life-on-earth-changing global trade and the spread of information and technology that accompanied it (along with a bunch of diseases and suffering).

Tobacco is a plant that brings people together, fostering community, whether through Native American ceremonial purposes or through smokers standing outside the Ranch.

And though there are many other options to induce contemplation, I like what Albert Einstein had to say: “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.”

— David Holub

Hate It Hey rude-ass smokers who exhaled in my face while I recorded your stupid Moons Over My Hammy orders back in my waitress days, screw you and your effing cigarettes. Your GD diet pop ain’t gonna fix your greasy dinner or black lungs.

Your $2 tip isn’t gonna fix the secondhand smoke exposure either.

Thank Eris, nonsmoking establishments have become a thing.

All you wiff-n-poofers out there can shove it. Think your Sherlock Holmes pipe is dignified? It expels a goat crap smell. Don’t argue that chewing is better. Your spit-cups smell like dumpster fluid and have apocalyptic spills.

I get pissed off at the aroma, the health cost, the environmental price, and the monetary expense of tobacco products. I’ve lost people to lung cancer. I’ve been owed money by people who can still afford a pack a day at $7-10/pack. I don’t like that 5.8 trillion cigarettes are smoked a year worldwide and that equates to about 2 billion pounds of cigarette butts.

And oh my gawd, you bastards who smoke around books. YOU RUINERS OF CULTURE. I don’t get it. Smoking turns you into a hacking, cancered-up, yellow-fingered, tooth-stained, wrinkly smell-tank who is more likely to die early. No and thanks.

— Patty Templeton

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[eat/drink]

Where cookbooks meet bar books »» Talking food and booze with a local chef, “ReMixology” author Julia Hastings-Black Durango, you are full of intriguing folks. One such someone is Julia Hastings-Black, chef, teacher, writer, and all-around striking woman.

We met Hastings-Black at the Animas Chocolate Company to discuss her road to Durango and her recent publications, “ReMixology: Classic Cocktails, Reconsidered and Reinvented” and “Cocktails at Dinner: Daring Pairings of Delicious Dishes and Enticing Mixed Drinks.” At a cozy, window-situated table, the spiced cocoa and conversation flowed.

What is one of your favorite pairings in “Cocktails at Dinner?”

I really like the Corpse Reviver #2.1. It is paired with grilled lamb skewers with garlic mint yogurt and tomato marmalade. I like that one a lot. It is super tasty. It’s from Café Maude in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What about a favorite cocktail creation from “ReMixology?”

There is a tasty variation of a margarita. It is a mix between a margarita and a mojito with a lot of mint. It is called the Old Cuban. It’s from Pegu Club in New York. It has champagne in it, so there’s a little bit of fizz. It’s a good summer drink.”

How long have you been cooking?

I have been cooking since I was a child.

My mom’s family is French and there’s a long tradition of cooking, running hotels and bed and breakfasts, and also writing about food. When I was a kid, I didn’t think necessarily that I would pursue food as a profession. It was more a part of family life and kind of a hobby. At age 18, I had my first restaurant job and I was hooked. My senior year of high school, all the seniors did a month-long internship. Mine was at a restaurant called Restaurant Nora, owned by Nora Pouillon. It is the U.S.’

Watch Julia Hastings-Black make us an upside down martini - Julia Child’s favorite drink at dgomag.com/videos

GO! French Basics – Quiche, Vinaigrette, & Crepes Class When: 9 a.m. - Noon, Saturday, Feb. 18 Where: Manna Culinary Teaching Kitchen, 1100 Avenida Del Sol Cost: $95 Information: http://www.durangolearns.com/events/category/ culinary/

writing projects. “ReMixology” and “Cocktails at Dinner” were both his ideas and he said, “Well, what do you think? Do these books sound interesting? Would you like to work with me on them?” and I was like “Absolutely, sign me up. When do I start?” and he said he had to think about it and said he would call me. So several days later, he called me back and said, “I don’t want to hire you.” And my heart kind of sank. But then he said, “But I want you to be my co-author.”

about all kinds of things while you are working. It’s different than something like writing where you really have to be focused on your research or your writing. You can’t really interact with people when that is going on. But cooking can be a social activity. And that’s how it was in my mom’s kitchen and my grandmother’s kitchen. Everyone gravitated there. It’s where people were and where conversation took place. I love those social dimensions. My greatest enjoyment though is the craft of cooking – taking raw materials and turning them into something useful. Having the skill to nourish bodies and please taste buds is satisfying to my soul.

What dream cooking course would you love to teach in Durango?

How does that love of cooking connect back to your books?

I have a vision for a class about cooking without recipes. It would need to be a series. The way I envision it is through food concepts or subjects, like soup.

A lot of soups start in the same way. It would be learning that formula when building a soup and how to play with what ingredients to include. Or like a frittata or a quiche. There is a technique for making both, but the ingredients that you can put in each are endless.

I think that for both Michael and I, cocktail culture is certainly not about getting drunk or drowning your miseries. It’s about bringing people together.

I think that we both have experienced, on the consumer side and on the maker side, how food and drink can bring people together. I think that is what we tried to capture. That sense of conversation, friendship, and bonding over food and drink.

What do you love about cooking?

This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.

Laurie Kain/DGO

»» Author and chef Julia Hastings-Black first certified organic restaurant. Pouillon was on the vanguard of the farm-to table-movement ... Even though I had grown up cooking and eating very well, I was blown away by how fresh all the ingredients were. It was life-changing ... When all of my friends went off to college, I decided I would keep cooking.

It began with moving to Vermont and working on an organic farm.

How did working with food turn into writing about food?

The story begins with how I met my co-author, Michael Turback ... He had written a bunch of books, and one of them, the one that really caught my attention, was the “Ithaca Farmers Market Cookbook.” I loved how he combined storytelling, biography, photography, and recipes. For me, much of the excitement of food and cooking is the people behind it. Food is a great way to get to know somebody and where they came from. I was between jobs and a friend of mine was like, “Have you ever met Michael Turback?” and I said, “No, I haven’t,” and she arranged an introduction for us. She knew that sometimes he hired research assistants. We met for coffee and Michael told me about his different

In many ways, because cooking is very routine, you can have conversations

—— Patty Templeton DGO Staff Writer

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[wellness]

GravityBrain | Katie Clancy

Lessons from a dying deer and a gun-toting Trump supporter

I

t’s another one of those dark days, ending with one of those sad winter rainstorms, when I encounter the buck right outside my front door.

I’d just been thinking that it sure doesn’t snow much down here on the river anymore. It rains; a cold, harsh rain that soaks straight through my joy and dooms my brain with worrisome thoughts about climate change and the inevitable demise of our species. My first thought of the buck is that he symbolizes the last wild animal on our ruined planet, a helpless victim of global warming and human inertia. My iconic visitor is an elegant eight-pointed beauty, resting rather calmly, antlers alert, in a patch of marsh between my house and the Animas which borders my property.

But something is wrong. At first, I assume he is simply trying to burrow under the cottonwoods away from this unkind weather.

But, as the black night engulfs the valley, I take a closer look. His head slumps unnaturally onto to the ground; his body collapses slowly into the cold wet earth.

This animal is hurt. Maybe dying.

I couldn’t tell if he was starved or sick. Was he struck by a vehicle?

Now I’m focused: What is my responsibility to this wild creature?

I cannot kill him. Even if I knew how to shoot a gun (which I don’t), I do not feel confident taking the life of such a massive beast. I was a vegetarian for 20 years, for goodness sake. Maybe I should leave him to die in peace? What then? Leave him to rot in this muddy field? Rent a backhoe and haul him to the dump? I consider asking Facebook but quickly ignore that impulse: my plea for help would sound either too redneck (and what would my yoga community think?) or not redneck

enough (can’t handle a deer in the yard?)

I knew I could call the Department of Wildlife, but I was trained at a young age to NEVER DIAL 911 (Hunter S. Thompson was a family friend).

Panic begins to nibble around my brain, and I know I’ve got to make a choice. I’ve always taken pride in my Colorado roots: I’ve raised chickens, ridden plenty of horses, and can ski some sicky gnar gnar backcountry couloirs. But this is a whole different level, and I’m ashamed to say I’m not much of a mountain woman tonight.

Desperate, I phone a childhood friend, who puts me in contact with Conner (named changed for anonymity) whom I’ve never met. Within minutes, a Dodge Ram pickup burns into my driveway. On the driver’s window, a sticker reads: Liberalism is a mental disorder; on the bumper, VOTE TRUMP. I observe the unease in my body as he parks the car, gets out, takes off his not-for-fashion cowboy hat and greets me. Can I trust this guy? Seriously? I sure didn’t trust him in November – how can I be confident about a person who voted for that narcissistic swine who believes climate change is a hoax?!

I swallow my bubbling anger and lead him to the buck. As we approach, it tries to run but stumbles back to the ground. Mystery solved: This one must have been struck on the highway, and now he’s got broken legs and maybe even broken hips. Conner knows what needs to be done. I’m not so sure. Who are we to decide when an animal is suffering enough to take its life into our own hands? Who are we to say this damage is fatal?

I look Conner in the eyes and feel a sliver of solidarity. My Gravity Brain urges me to trust, in this moment, this man’s judgment.

We may have been firing offensive posts to each other on Facebook a few months back, but right now, we are two citizens who want to do the right thing. And we need to do it now.

He goes back to his truck and returns with what turns out to be a 16-caliber pistol. The shot goes off like a firecracker; hundreds of huddling ducks on the pond explode off the water and disperse through the gloomy sky. When it’s over, we stand over the regal body. I notice Conner’s eyes are watering, perhaps from the adrenaline surge.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve never had to do that like that before,” he says, clearly spooked. We hug. “I just didn’t want him to suffer,” he responds. It turns out, hunters are not really executioners – who knew?

Maybe this is equanimity, I think, as we shiver over the buck. Maybe this is what it means to stand in the middle of it all and witness the helplessness of a wild animal, the discomfort around a stranger, the disappointment around my lack of mountain smarts – without repressing or exaggerating the experience too much. My tendency to process and package experience – say, into a column – is difficult to delay.

As Conner hauls off the body to take home and butcher, an insight from Buddhist writer Gil Fronsdal comes to me, and I look it up later: “While some may think of equanimity as dry neutrality or cool aloofness,” he writes, “mature equanimity produces a radiance and warmth of being.” So true. I’ve never been so grateful for a gun-loving Trump-supporting neighbor.

Conner will be back to give me the antlers he was able to salvage from the buck. Maybe then, I’ll invite him in for a smoothie and broach the subject of politics.

It’s true, Obama, what you said in your farewell speech last week: I am tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet. I think it’s time to try talking with one of them in real life.

Katie Clancy is a movement educator, dancer, and freelance journalist living in Durango. She dedicates her time to supporting healthy spines and structural alignment through the therapeutic traditions of Pilates, yoga, bodywork, and dance; she is also a member of 20Moons Dance Theatre. Find her here: www.altaer.org; clancy. katie@gmail.com.

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[Something Wicked]

Patty Templeton

Anti-LGBTQ isn’t behind us: Why we still need Pride fests

B

efore I moved to Durango, I lived in Chicago. I walked past a McDonald’s in Andersonville, a LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood. As I passed a red pickup truck in the drive-thru, a young lookin’ dude screamed, “Dyke!” Short hair and combat boots was all he needed for that assessment. Bi, is more accurate, but who wants to argue with a good ol’ boy? That is not a harsh story. I know a kid who was kicked out of his house because he was gay. I know a woman who was beaten bloody because she was a lesbian and refused male attention.

I know that the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs – who only record statistics from 12 states – show that 88 people died of extremely violent deaths from 2012 to 2015 for being LGBTQ. I know the FBI reported that 1,115 Americans were victims of hate crimes in 2014 based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. That’s almost 93 people a month in the U.S. Being LGBTQ is not a lifestyle. It is not a choice. It is a natural state of which more than 10 million American adults openly identify as.

The fact that this is still a controversial statement is why having LGBTQ support organizations and celebrations, like Pride festivals, still matters.

President Trump has stocked his Cabinet with anti-LGBTQ politicians.

Betsy DeVos, nominee for Secretary of Education, opposes marriage equality. Her family has actively donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to anti-LGBTQ causes. Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary pick is Republican Rep. Tom Price. Price stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage was a “sad day for marriage” and voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This being the man who will have a $1 trillion budget of health services to

GO!: Purgatory Winter Pride Fest Red and White Snow Ball When: 7:30-10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27 Where: Hoody’s Basecamp Lodge, Purgatory Resort Cost: $10 Rainbow Pride Parade When: 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28 Where: Meet at Lift 1, Purgatory Resort Cost: Free An Evening With Latrice Royale When: 6:30-8 p.m. and 9-10:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28 Where: Hoody’s Basecamp Lodge, Purgatory Resort Cost: $25, $45 VIP Information: www.purgatoryresort.com/events/gay-ski-weekend/ dole out to 100 million Americans.

The Cabinet of Horrors doesn’t stop there. Ben Carson is the nominee for Department of Urban Housing and Development secretary. Carson believes sexual orientation is a choice and that businesses have the right to deny services to LGBTQ people. We can get to the daddy of that service issue, too.

Vice President Mike Pence signed the “religious liberty” bill (Senate Bill 101) in Indiana that allows religious business owners to deny service to LGBTQ folks. According to Snopes, Pence also supported using federal funding to “change sexual behavior.”

For the next four years, at least, there will be people in powerful positions who actively oppose the lives and rights of LGBTQ people. Having Winter Pride at Purgatory means a place for positivity among all this hate, a place to feel like yourself rather than the “other.” To quote novelist, poet, and activist Alice Walker, “Hard times require furious dancing.”

»» Latrice Royale

Mountaintop realness at Purg’s Winter Pride Fest She’s large, in charge, and hella jazzy. The indomitable Latrice Royale will spill tea for two shows at Hoody’s for the Purgatory Winter Pride Fest, 1 Skier Place. The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum will play an early show at 6:30 p.m. and a late show at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28.

Royale is a fan favorite queen who will glamazon your guts out.

You’re going to go to the show. You’re going to see an extravaganza of gorgeousness. You’re going to laugh your ass off and be awed by the fierce gleam of spangles and star power. You are also going to buy your ticket early because this shit will sell out.

(Tix are $25/$45 VIP.) For more information, hit up https://www.picatic.com/winterpride

������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Thursday, January 26, 2017 | 7

[sound]

Downtown Lowdown | Bryant Liggett

Is there a more polarizing or elusive genre than jam band?

I

t’s a jam-band world. They creep into the local venues, show up at festivals, and have managed to trick music lovers with little knowledge of bluegrass and funk that all bands that play bluegrass or funk are jam bands.

Colorado seems to be the center of the jam world, where musicians with top-notch chops dabble in the noodling. The state has birthed Leftover Salmon, The Motet, String Cheese Incident and many more, while Durango has Liver Down the River and Elder Grown, part of a younger guard that are both growing in popularity. Durango will host two Front Range jam bands here this weekend, with Grant Farm playing the Balcony Backstage Thursday, Jan. 26, and Ignatius Reilly playing the same venue on Saturday, Jan. 28. The former, led by Tyler Grant, a bluegrass-reared, award-winning flatpicking guitarist whose bluegrass projects get less attention than his rock outfit that dabbles in country-influenced rock while highlighting Grant’s stellar guitar playing.

The ladder is a Denver outfit adept at strippeddown acoustic or boogie-based rock ’n’ roll, a rowdy mix of Southern rock and alternative country with Allman Brothers-like jam influences.

The reasoning behind the love of jam bands continues to baffle genre traditionalists, sighting lack of substance and soul. But for the fans, a good time is brought by the two sets and hours of music. It’s a communal scene full of colorful characters and, at times, ripe with attitude adjustments and enhancements to make it so much more fun.

It’s a genre that remains difficult to define. Maybe it’s the crossing of genres. As in some cases when a band says, “We do bluegrass, funk, electronic and rock,” it’s safe to call them a jam band.

Maybe it’s the 18-minute songs where 12 of those minutes are improvised.

Or perhaps it’s the one

2017

250685

Bryant’s best Saturday: Rock, blues and jam with Ignatius Reilly, 9 p.m. No cover. The Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave. upstairs. Information: 422-8008.

Tuesday: Open mic night at Moes, 8 p.m. No cover. Moe’s, 937 Main Ave. Information: 259-9018.

David Holub/DGO

song that flows into another song then back into the original.

If song length is a qualification, then that makes indie-rock stalwarts Built to Spill a jam band, solely for their often-18-minute cover of Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer.”

If the use of “[title of lame song > another lame song]” is a qualification, chalk The Gourds up as jam band for their cover of “Gin and Juice” being used as a platform to launch into other covers that could be anything from Fleetwood Mac to R. Kelly.

These traits would also make Sonic Youth and Ween among others jam bands, as well.

I consulted a few KDUR DJs that dig on the genre. For Critter Golden, his love began when he was in the womb and his parents attended Grateful Dead shows, and it’s carried over to a love of the live unpredictability of set-lists found in either the rock or bluegrass bands that fall into the jam realm.

For Keith Dunning, the love may start and stop at Phish, as he refers to the band as THE jam band, sighting improvisation, creative humor and complicated structure as a reason to like them.

“There are constant gags, inside jokes, strange lyrics, on-stage antics and a secret language,” said Dunning. “And the complexity of a lot of their composed songs is very attractive.

In my mind, some tunes border on rock’s takes of classical compositions.”

There are reasons to like and reasons to dislike the genre, like any genre. That likely comes with the fans: Want to get turned off to a genre of music? Spend an afternoon with its diehards.

Five minutes with me and you’ll end up hating Drone-Womp.

Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.

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8 | Thursday, January 26, 2017 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[sound] What’s new

Available: Friday, Jan. 27, at your local independent record store via Carpark Records on CD, black vinyl and for the super fan, in limited quantities of Green Marble vinyl.

Recently, a somewhat reputable news and music media outlet essay argued that indie rock is, in fact, alive and well. I suppose that having an involvement/working in college radio, on some level or another since the late ’90s, I never knew it was being eulogized.

I’d concur that loud music, made with guitars and released on small(er) record

New at

Jan. 27 POS,“Chill Dummy” Just in time for him to grace our strange little mountain town with his presence, Minneapolis rapper POS is releasing his fifth solo album, “Chill Dummy,” on Rhymesayers Entertainment. This is the type of hip-hop that our town loves: A little weird, a little too honest at times, and with beats that both surprise and inspire sporadic dancing. But don’t slide off POS as another EDM rapper. The man has bars. Check out “Sleepdrone/ Superposition” off the new record. It has him spitting over a constant droning note and is legitimately amazing. POS has the ability to pull from all elements of the current hip-hop scene, to make something that fans of Atmosphere will dig. At the same time, fans of clipping will feel right at home.

Cloud Nothings,“Life Without Sound” Indie rock has been in a strange state for the past few years, where it has occupied a place of popularity often surpassing traditional “rock” music, and often transcends its own genre trappings by employing songwriting techniques of other pop styles. The Cloud Nothings do not strike me as being guilty of this. The single “Internal World” feels so genuine I almost can’t stand it. It brings to mind elements of early Weezer on top of some of the

labels, is viable as ever, especially when, this week alone, it was hard to choose just one single record to review here in the pages of DGO. Ty Segall is releasing a self-titled album for heavy-hitting, Chicago-based label Drag City. Vancouver, British Columbia’s Japandroids have their first record in four years on Epitaph subsidiary/sister label ANTI-. Finally, on Washington D.C.’s Carpark Records, we are treated to the fourth long player

weirder bands in the rock spectrum like Lift To Experience or The Residents, albeit with less blatant experimentation. I found myself enjoying “Life Without Sound” a lot more than expected, and found its sarcastic but genuine tone to be heartwarming during this cold winter.

from Dylan Baldi and his band, Cloud Nothings.

Cloud Nothings began as an alias for Baldi in 2008 to make records of sometimes loud guitar-based rock ’n’ roll. “Life Without Sound” is the latest record from the full band and is their most complete, rounded, and accomplished. The guitar is full force, front-and-center and well-considered. “A thing I like to do with all of my records is drive around with them,” the 25-year-old Cloud Nothings frontman

So you say you want a record that sounds like it was recorded in a locker?

Say no more fam, I got you. Ty Segall is so prolific I just expect a new album from him every five months or so. The man has played on 23 albums since 2008! Toeing the line between fuzz rock and stoner rock, Segall brings in

says. “In high school, I would listen to music for hours like that: just driving through the suburbs of Cleveland. And if it sounds good to me in that context and I can think of high-school-me listening to it and saying, ‘That’s OK,’ I feel good about the record. This is the one that’s felt best.” From the standpoint of a listening fan, I agree.

Recommended for fans of the guitar-driven, indie-leaning rock ’n’ roll of the late ’90s and early aughts and artists such as Pavement or Dinosaur Jr. and contemporaries Wavves or Car Seat Headrest.

—— Jon E. Lynch KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

enough noise to give it character without everything drowning in the mix, which is always an accomplishment.

And underneath the fuzz there are some killer riffs to discover that will make your neck hurt from inadvertently bobbing your head. It’s a good thing.

—— Cooper Stapleton

Japandroids,“Near To The Wild Heart of Life” The brilliant blenders of arena rock and the fuzzy basement punk of the early ’90s return. After nearly four years of inactivity, Japandroids proclaim on the title track of the album, “I used to be good but now I’m bad!” And we are all happier for it. If you want hooks, you got ’em. You want choruses that’ll get stuck in your head? Stick your head in here! You want surprisingly good musicianship buried in just enough fuzz to make you think you’re being subversive? I have just the record for you.

Kreator,“Gods of Violence” You may know about the concept of the Big Four in thrash metal, which often consists of Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax. If there was a Big Four of thrash bands that are actually good, Kreator would definitely be one of the acts in there. These guys have been making music since 1982, existing in the periphery of popularity since then. But man. There are some riffs in here. Some real effing riffs. Honestly, this record feels so steeped in “thrash culture” that if you told me it came out in 1985, I would’ve believed you. And the oft-neglected whammy bar gets a real workout on “Gods of Violence.” So if you’re about that life, check it out.

Ty Segall,“Ty Segall”

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Cloud Nothings,“Life Without Sound”

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[beer]

First Draughts | Robert Alan Wendeborn

Books on beer are scant, but here are three to check out

I

’m kinda biased, but I think the overall literature about beer is pretty boring. I don’t know how beer writers somehow make beer into a boring read, but it happens, and usually falls into one or more of the following categories: Self-help/how-to, history, or science.

It’s quite obvious that nerds are writing most of the books about beer. I am a self-professed beer nerd, so I will willingly and eagerly dive into beer nerd literature, but I would never suggest a beer book to a non-beer nerd friend. Ever. Beer nerdom is getting close to mainstream, but it’s still so fringe that there aren’t even any good dad books on the market (you know what I mean by “dad books.” Like one of Arnold Palmer’s six autobiographies, or a Tom Clancy novel, or a book by someone in the military).

Unless of course, your dad makes beer, then

almost all books would be great dad books.

Of the self-help/how-to variety, the books either fall into how to taste beer, or how to make beer. I call that self-help, because if you don’t know how to taste beer, you really need to get your self some help. And most of those writing these books are not qualified to provide adequate mental health advice, so that’s why I call it “self-help.” I’m especially upset with the tasting or sensory books. There needs to be a good chapter dedicated to metaphor creation and building sense memories.

Anyway, here are some that do the genre some justice:

“The Brewmaster’s Table,”

by Garrett Oliver One of the more reputable tasting books, Continued on Page 11

Alexi Grojean/Special to DGO

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[beer] From Page 10

it’s a thick volume with advice on pairing, history, and process. His prose isn’t over the top, or too flowery, but still meanders into the poetic. It’s as narrative as possible, while staying in the framework of the book: regions, breweries, styles, though it could have been even more narrative and personal (and probably more interesting). But it is one of the best of this variety. It’s actually one of the most readable books on beer that I’ve read. The only beer book that would be more readable would be if Michael Jackson (the beer writer, not the musician) had a collection of essays.

“Designing Great Beers,” by Ray Daniels On the how-to make beer side, I hesitantly recommend “Designing Great Beers,” by Ray Daniels. It’s loaded to the gills with history and gives some decent ideas on technique, though it’s a little dated. It’s also more like an encyclopedia than a book to sit down and read. But if you want to know how to brew an award-winning Marzen, or Old Ale, or anything really, there’s probably a recipe in here.

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Robert Alan Wendeborn is a former cellar operator at Ska Brewing and current lead cellar operator at Tin Roof Brewing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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If you want to go super-deep-divedown into the nerdy beer world, I recommend “The Practical Brewer.”

Don’t let the name deceive you, this is a massive, technical, science-rich, engineering-focused book. It’s not written by one person but by experts in each area of beer production. If you are working in a brewery, you need to read this. Every brewery should have a copy.

So these aren’t the only books out there about beer or brewing, just a sample of the variety (and there’s really not a lot). There are some books that I still need to check out: Sam Calagione’s new one and the book by those Brew Dogs guys, but the reviews are kinda scaring me away. Craft beer needs an Anthony Bourdain-type, Kitchen Confidential. We need a book that anyone can pick up and read because we’re making beer that anyone can pick up and drink.

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[visual]

THIS JUST MIGHT

BLOW YOUR MIND

Courtesy of Mary Hess Courtesy of Matt Beale

»» Flower bubbler by Durango artist Matt Beale.

whim, where as something that came from overseas is what it is, take it or leave it. I once worked with a medicinal smoker for weeks on end, a guy with multiple sclerosis, to make a pipe that fit his hand just right ... [Additionally,] buying locally helps grow and maintain the local economy, whereas buying imports helps grow and maintain some other country’s economy. If you buy from me, for example, I’m going to use some of that money to buy more glass from Glasscraft, a local supply company [in Golden], and they’ll use some of that money to pay their employees, who will use some of that money to eat at a restaurant or something, whose employees might then again, buy a pipe locally.

»» A roundtable with local and regional

glassblowers on why you should consider glass in your cannabis experience

Matt Beale: Well, when it comes to that, local artists will make a quality product and it is going to last longer. It is gon-

E

veryone knows that the strain you smoke matters. Well, so does what you smoke it out of, damn it. That cheapass pipe you snagged at the checkout counter is going to clog quick. It’s gonna bust into a billion bits the first time you drop it. It’s also ugly. If you care about your weed, you should care about your glassware.

The right glass can increase the flavor and potency of your high. It can also boost the local economy.

In the name of getting stoned while supporting local art, we tracked down absurdly talented Colorado glassblowers and talked about the benefits of buying local. Our roundtable included Mary Hess of Colorado Blown in Cortez, Gordon “RightBrain” Rowthorn of RightLeftBrains in Aurora, and Durango artists Matt Beale and Jim Righter – who both can be found at Cloud 9 Headshop.

What are the benefits of buying locally-made glass?

Mary Hess: It’s the circle of life. When we support each other locally, we have a healthier community. I feel very blessed to have strong

»» I Love Lucy glass chillum by Cortez artist Mary Hess, of Colorado Blown.

na be crafted by a trained craftsman. You will have intricacies within the glassware. Some people will notice those intricacies, but then others might not care. A local artist, like me, can make simple, clear pieces so that if they break, you can buy another one, and there you go. But there is also room to create work for those who know and desire art glass.

Jim Righter: The sheer quality of it, simply put. It all comes down to functionality. Blow-hole size, mouthpiece size, all of this stuff, when it is mass produced will not necessarily function properly or will break easier. It may clog up on you more. When you buy local, like from someone like myself, I make sure every part of a piece is perfect. That it Continued on Page 14

»» LEFT: Pink Flamingo pipe

by Aurora artist Gordon “RightBrain” Rowthorn of RightLeftBrains.

Courtesy of Gordon “RightBrain” Rowthorn

local support, and it’s so fun to get to know the counterculture of the Four Corners.

»» RIGHT: Work

by Durango artist Jim Righter.

Gordon Rowthorn: There are a lot of benefits. One can ask a local blower for subtle adjustments, such as a longer pipe, or a deeper bowl, or perhaps a color combination not listed.

Local artists can make little adjustments on a

Jerry McBride/BCI Media Jerry McBride/BCI Media

»» Durango artist Jim Righter works on one of his glass-blown pipes.

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Joints 4/$25 FLOWERS IN JANUARY

$130/oz

[visual] From Page 13

is thick and has increased functionality.

I sometimes put magnets in a piece so that your lighter can stick to it or so your pipe can stick right to the fridge. Really, supporting someone local is supporting quality and innovation, too. The longer an artist – not an assembly line – is creating a body of work, the more time that artist has to think about ways to make their art better.

How does a weed experience morph depending on the glassware used?

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Hess: If you’ve ever used cannabis, you’ve probably felt a greater sense of creativity while high. Using a colorful and artistically-designed pipe definitely enhances that experience. I’ve spent much time contemplating the universe while gazing into a glass marble ... on weed.

Rowthorn: Imports are often of a lesser quality. I’ve seen imports that are colored with paint instead of glass, which will burn when used and fume out. Not good for the lungs. I’ve seen imports that were not annealed.

I could tell because they used the color ruby, which goes on clear and needs to be annealed in order to turn red again, and these were clear with just hints of the ruby color. I’ve seen imports that were made with no holes to get around import laws (it’s actually illegal to import/ export pipes), and had holes drilled in them once they arrived, which will leave trace amounts of glass dust inside of them. Also not good for the lungs. [Plus,] smoking out of something you take pride in never hurts.

That special little piece that only you have, and your friends are like, “Whoa, where’d you get that?” It’s a good feeling to have a unique piece. Also, there are so many blowers and so many unique styles, it can be a lot like fashion. Finding that certain piece that fits your personality to a T. One of my most popular lines is my musical pieces. The trumpet, trombone, and sax ... Being a multi-instrumentalist/singer musician myself, I can certainly relate to wanting to express that in other areas of my life.

What are some misconceptions people have about

Courtesy of Matt Beale

»» Psychedelic bubbler by Durango artist Matt Beale.

Courtesy of Gordon “RightBrain” Rowthorn

»» Blue Spectrum Elephant pipe by Aurora artist Gordon “Right Brain” Rowthorn of RightLeftBrains.

glassblowing or paraphernalia work?

Rowthorn: ... That I must be making bank living in Colorado during the Green Rush, as it came to be called. Us being the first state to have legal recreational marijuana and me being a glassblower that lived here during the start of that, people thought I was making a killing off of my product, but its been a rough road.

Edibles took off, and pre-rolled joints became a regular product. Vape pens hit it big. This meant people didn’t buy as many glass pipes. Also, lots of glassblowers moved here from all over the country thinking they’d take advantage, which only brought more competition, and lots of people moved here to open head shops, which meant that not only was there more competition between blowContinued on Page 15

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[visual]

1015 Main Ave. Durango, Co 970.385.4526

245955

Courtesy of Mary Hess

»» One Eyed Monster pipe by Cortez artist Mary Hess, of Colorado Blown.

From Page 14

ers, but each shop had less customers themselves so they all started buying less pieces, and less frequently.

Beale: You can glob glass together and make a pipe and call yourself cool or you can go hermit status and really figure out what it takes to get this stuff to look like the Italian masters ... Thinking about how the heck did someone make that piece in the museum? You could spend years trying to figure it out. I always try to emphasize elegant, good quality pieces and that takes time.

Righter: That you can only work on small stuff. It can be very intensive, very hot.

Some people think that you sit there on a bench and make dinky little pipes all day, but there is definitely a craft to it and a spot where you hit the next level, where you are creating art. Another misconception is when people – I’ve had it happen a countless number of times – when people are like, “Oh what do you do?” and you say you are a glassblower and the first thing that runs through their mind is that I’m making crack pipes or stuff like that. People sometimes don’t understand that these are really cool, artistic, one-of-a-kind pieces. Also, a lot of people think that this is only for stoners.

“Oh, you blow glass, you must be a stoner.”

And that’s not immediately true. There are a lot of glassblowers out there that are straightedge or vary in lifestyle.

How is spending money on local vs. imported glass a political statement?

Beale: I spent 23 days in China in a factory over there. I tried to see if any processes or parts were worth working with ... Everybody’s been really weirded out about the

foreign market, and rightfully so. It’s been deemed a huge threat to us ... I spent a lot of time in the office talking numbers and picking brains. I realized that by buying foreign glass, you are empowering a Chinese government that doesn’t always see to the best interests of their people. People in the factories aren’t making what they should be, and there isn’t really anything but lateral movement for employees. They don’t get a fair earning for their skill. To see the amount of siphoning off of profit and the heartlessness of international trade at that level ... All that profit is going somewhere you might not like.

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Righter: If someone’s able to sell a piece that cheap, it probably came from an assembly line where people are not liking their jobs and getting paid next to nothing. I think there is a morality to it.

Rowthorn: Imports are a way of getting around child labor laws, and/or minimum wage laws. If morality is your thing, buying local will guarantee you’re supporting fair labor. You have to be 18 to work with torches here in the U.S., and individual blowers set their own prices according to what they think is fair or makes sense, and U.S.-based glassblowing companies have to follow labor laws such as minimum wages and overtime pay and all that.

Hess: With all the passion on the political stage, I think the best thing we can do as a community is to be as self-sufficient as possible. We see the most change when we give and receive the support of our neighbors and friends.

This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.

Note: Cloud 9 Head Shop will be relocating to 831 Main Ave., Suite 201 & 202.

—— By Patty Templeton DGO Staff Writer

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[ weed ] Seeing Through the Smoke Christopher Gallagher

These unlikely converts are pro-legalization. Who’s next?

1.

LEAP admits that the “War on Saul on the road to DaDrugs” (load up your memes) has mascus and the work been a failure and, in their role as a he did after becoming group committed to reform, supports St. Paul. an overhaul of the current system in 2. Malcolm Little entered Charlesfavor of one based on the concept of town State Prison a petty thief and regulated legalization. Models like con man and emerged as this favor the sale Malcolm X, a central and distribution of step on his path drugs similar to as an advocate. what currentThere is something ly monitors special about the sale and the convert distribution and their ability of alcohol and to receive infortobacco. The greatest benefit mation in a would be to that fashion eliminate the not only chalpresence of lenges, but criminal oroverrides a ganizations set of beliefs devoted to that makes them uniquely this process. suited to dissemMost of the current American inate knowledge and international related to their new drug enforcement policy worldview. has its roots in three internaIn the battle to overturn the Alexi Grojean/ unjust legal system as it relates tional treaties, the 1961 Single Special to DGO to cannabis (and other illegal Convention on Narcotic Drugs substances), a system built on (the source of drug “scheduldeceit and propaganda, an unlikely ing”), the 1971 Convention on Psychogroup of supporters has entered the tropic Substances, and the 1988 Unitfray. The Law Enforcement Action ed Nations Convention Against Illicit Partnership, founded in 2002 by five Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychoretired police officers and originally tropic Substances (all of which were called Law Enforcement Against spearheaded by our federal governProhibition (LEAP), is a nonprofit ment). These treaties are outdated, organization headquartered in Medespecially with their language as it ford, Massachusetts, with over 150,000 relates to cannabis, and have been members in 21 countries which “ensubstantially responsible for birthing and sustaining worldwide criminal visions a world in which criminal cartels. The proof of their archaic justice and drug policies keep our nature lies in their inflexibility as it communities safer.” They believe, relates to cannabis decriminalization according to their statement of vision, and legalization efforts in dozens of that “[e]nding the War on Drugs and countries around the globe. These looking beyond the criminal justice treaties are substantial stumbling system for a range of solutions to adblocks, for example, in the state-led dress society’s ills will better protect efforts to change legal policies in human rights, reduce violence and addiction, and build public respect for Continued on Page 17 and trust in law enforcement.”

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[movies] Playing in Durango Animas City Theatre No Man’s Land. Two aging writers get drunk in a Hampstead pub and tell talltales. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart star in this Harold Pinter play broadcast live to cinemas from Wyndham’s Theatre, London. 13+ and over event.

Seasons. Winter had gone on for 80,000 years when, in a short period of time, the ice retreated, the landscape metamorphosed, the cycle of seasons was established and the beasts occupied their new kingdom. Rated PG. Lion. Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train that takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family.

Twenty-five years later, armed with only memories, his unwavering determination and Google Earth, he sets out to return to his first home. Rated PG-13.

Gaslight Theatre Arrival. An elite, scientific team race for answers while the world teeters on the brink of war after alien spacecrafts land on Earth. Rated PG-13.

From Page 16

the United Stated and attempts to reform cannabis legalization policies in Canada. In 2014, LEAP proposed an amended treaty that would modernize these earlier treaties to reflect modern research and attitudes toward the substances in question.

LEAP has supported efforts to reform laws that would decriminalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana and allow for legal medical use. The organization worked to support legalization in Colorado, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, and each of the states that passed citizen-led recreational initiatives during the 2016 election cycle.

Stoners, patients and their families, even law enforcement officers, support cannabis in 2017.

Who, exactly, stands in opposition?

There is, thankfully, a money trail to answer this question, and that’s exactly what we will do here next week. Be well ‘til then.

Christopher Gallagher lives with his wife and their four dogs and two horses. Life is pretty darn good.

Silence. Two Jesuit priests find their faith tested in 17th century Japan. Starring Liam Neeson and Adam Driver, this Scorsese film looks at how true one can be to religion when it is outlawed. Rated R. Manchester by the Sea. An uncle is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies. Rated R. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. Rated PG-13.

Durango Stadium 9 A Dog’s Purpose. A devoted dog finds the meaning in his own life through enriching the lives of his humans. Based on the beloved novel by W. Bruce Cameron.

Rated PG. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. The Umbrella Corporation’s T-virus has wrecked the world. Alice will battle the Red Queen, far under Raccoon City in a hellscape of monsters, demons, and zombies. If she fails, mankind dies. Rated R.

Split. Kevin has 23 personalities, that his doctor knows of. But there may be one personality more dangerous than all the rest. It certainly is to the three girls he’s abducted. M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film. Rated PG-13. xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. Daredevil operative Xander Cage is back. Cage and his adventure-addict cohorts race to recover Pandora’s Box, the weapon of all weapons.

Gold. Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is a modern day gold prospector.

His serach will take him from Wall Street boardrooms to the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Based on a true story. Rated R. Live By Night. The saga of a young gangster, as he rises to power in Boston, does time in jail, and is released to start over in Florida, where he is caught between two rival gangs. Rated R. Monster Trucks. (Also available in 3-D with surcharge) Looking for any way to get away from the life and town he was born into, Tripp builds a monster truck from bits and pieces of scrapped cars. Rated PG.

Patriots Day. An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis’ actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath.

Rated R. The Bye Bye Man. When three college students move into an old house off campus, they unleash a supernatural entity known as the Bye Bye Man, who comes to prey upon them once they discover his name. Rated PG-13.

Hidden Figures. The untold story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Rated PG. Sing. A koala has one final chance to restore his theater to its former glory. Rated PG. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (See Gaslight listing) Moana. A teenager sails out on a mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest.

Rated PG.

From the Files of Not Normal Alternative Fact 1: Donald J. Trump dresses up as Rainbow Dash on the weekends and Melania rides him in a She-Ra costume.

single reporter to ask a question during the briefing.

ALTERNATIVE FACTS

Alternative Fact 2: Every first Tuesday of the month, Donald J. Trump views Paul Ryan perform naked skits inspired by Buffalo Bill from “Silence of the Lambs.”

Did any of that sound a little ... off? It was.Those were not facts.They were “alternative facts.” An alternative fact is a LIE.

News you need to know Kellyanne Conway is one of Trump’s closest advisors. Recently, on “Meet the Press,” Conway was asked why the White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, reaffirmed President Trump’s lie that he had the biggest inauguration crowd in history. The show host contended that Spicer lost credibility, as did the president, by lying on Day 1 to the press, let alone not allowing a

Conway stated that Spicer didn’t lie, he gave “alternative facts.”

Alternative facts do not exist. A fact is indisputable. The only alternative to a fact is a falsehood. A falsehood is a GD lie.

Why this is not normal Conway attempted to normalize lying by creating the Orwellian term “alternative facts.” It is a fascist tactic.

(Fascism is when the government has all the power, instead of the people.)

If a government can create more than one version of the truth, it means they can persuade you to believe their version.

If Press Secretary Spicer, advisor Conway, and President Trump will lie about something as *petty* as crowd size, what actual issues will they fabricate and falsify?

—— Patty Templeton DGO Staff Writer

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[love and sex]

Savage Love | Dan Savage

Your selfies are my self-pleasure – do I need permission?

I am quite the follower on social media – Facebook and Twitter in particular. I make no trolling comments, no #MAGA hashtags; I just look with my male gaze. Like Laura Mulvey says, the male gaze is only natural.

I’ve lost interest in pornography, so I use everyday pictures of women, typically selfies. It helps me to know the story behind the face and body. None of these pics are pornographic – just feel-good selfies by young women posted on social media. I don’t communicate with these people, because that would be creepy. I’m not worried about whether this is abnormal. I just wondered if people would be OK with this, if people were aware of behavior like mine when they post, and if I should ask these girls for their permission to wank to their selfies.

Not Anthony Weiner So long as you’re wanking alone, wanking with a reasonable expectation of privacy, and not bothering anyone who isn’t a sex partner or a sex-advice professional with your wanking, NAW, you can wank to whatever you’d like – except for images of child rape, aka “child pornography.”

You remind me of the proverbial shoe salesman with a foot fetish. (Full disclosure: proverb of mine, not a proverb of Proverbs.) Let’s say a guy working in a high-end shoe store has an intense attraction to feet. Is it inappropriate for him to get an obvious boner while helping women try on shoes? Of course it is. It would also be inappropriate for him to drool or pant – and it would be super inappropriate of him to ask the women he’s serving if he can jack off about their feet after his shift. But if he can be completely professional, if he can go eight hours without giving off any signs of secret perving, that guy can (and probably should) sell shoes. And he’s free to upload mental images to his spank bank for later – we’re all free to do so, NAW, and it’s only creepy if the people whose images we’re uploading/ repurposing are made aware that we’re uploading/repurposing them.

So in answer to your question, NAW, under no circumstances should you ask the girls whose selfies you’re wanking to for their permission. People who post revealing pictures to social media – men and women – know they run the risk of their pics being wanked to by random strangers. But there’s a difference between knowing some stranger might be wanking to your pics and hearing from one of those wanking strangers. Being asked by a wanker for permission to wank drags the social-media poster into the wanker’s fantasies – and not only is that creepy, NAW, it’s also no way to show your gratitude. If some stranger is going to make your day by posting a hot pic, why would you ruin theirs – or make them think twice about ever posting a revealing pic again – by telling them exactly what you’re doing while you gaze at their pics?

If you saw a woman on the street that you thought was hot, you wouldn’t stop her to ask if you could wank about her later. You would no more ask a stranger that question than you would flash your penis at her because, NAW, it would constitute sexual harassment.

(Promise me you wouldn’t do either of those things.) You would instead walk on by, minding your own business while discreetly filing her mental image away in your spank bank. You should behave similarly on social media: Don’t harass, don’t send unsolicited dick pics, and don’t ask for permission to wank.

Finally, NAW, your question inspired me to read feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey’s 1975 essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” in which she coined the phrase “male gaze.” Mulvey describes the male gaze as phallocentric, patriarchal, pervasive, and socially constructed – she never describes it as natural.

A problem has cropped up for me ever since the reports of Donald Trump’s pissing Russian hookers made the news. Every time someone on social media tries to make a comment about how disgusting that is, someone else jumps in and scolds that person for

“kink shaming.” The problem for me is that by normalizing my piss fetish, you’re making it dull for me. Piss was one of the few things that even the kink community found disgusting. I now find myself looking for different porn because, eh, a lesbian pissing in the mouth of another lovely lady on a train platform? No big whoop anymore, it seems. My polyamorous boyfriend and I found each other without knowing we shared a love for piss. Neither of us had ever had someone to enjoy that with before. The one thing the piss porn I’ve been watching for half my life completely failed to capture is how goddamn amazing it is to embrace and make out with a person you love dearly while you’re both covered in each other’s piss. If you personally don’t want to kink shame, that’s fine. I get it. But everyone, please stop telling your friends not to kink shame so that my boyfriend and I can get back to the business of pissing on each other and feeling disgusting about it and horny because of it.

Pissed Off Slut Wife I have grappled with this same conundrum, POSW. If a kink is boner- or slicker-inducing to some precisely because it’s so transgressive and disgusting to most, efforts to normalize said kink – by shaming kink shamers, for instance – could piss away that kink’s power to induce all those boners and slickers. But I’m confident that the kink shamers will continue to have the upper hand for decades to come, despite the best efforts of the kink-shamer shamers. So your kink will continue to induce enough revulsion and disgust generally to keep you and your boyfriend feeling disgusting and horny in perpetuity.

Listening to pundits discuss the president on the radio, I was inspired by your brilliant acronym (DTMFA) to yell, “Impeach the mother[eff]er already!”

I’d love to see a line of bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing that sensible

message: ITMFA! We need a shorthand for the obvious – think of the boost to productivity we’d get if we could cut half-hour conversations about the president to five simple letters: ITMFA! I appeal to you to bring this acronym into our everyday vocabulary.

Dumped My Mother[eff]er Already DEAR READERS: DMMA wrote me that letter in 2006. She wasn’t referring to Donald Trump, our current awful president, but George W. Bush, our last truly awful president. I thought DMMA’s idea was great, I put up a website (impeachthemother[eff] eralready.com), and I raised more than $20,000 selling ITMFA lapel pins and buttons. I donated half the money to the ACLU and the other half to two Democratic candidates for the US Senate. (My readers helped turf Rick Santorum out of office!)

I didn’t think I’d see a worse president than George W. Bush in my lifetime. But here we are. So I’m bringing back my line of ITMFA buttons and adding T-shirts and, yes, hats to the ITMFA collection. Go to impeachthemother[eff]eralready.com or, if that’s too much typing, ITMFA.org to order some ITMFA swag for yourself or someone you love. All the money raised will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the International Refugee Assistance Project.

We’re in for a long and ugly four years, folks. Let’s raise some money for groups fighting Trump, let’s bring ITMFA back into our everyday vocabulary, and let’s remember that we – people who voted against Trump, people who want to see him out of office as quickly as possible – are the majority. ITMFA! Dan Savage is a nationally syndicated sex advice columnist writing for The Stranger in Seattle. Contact him at mail@savagelove.net or @fakedansavage on Twitter and listen to his podcast every week at savagelovecast.com.

18 | Thursday, January 26, 2017 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[happening] [Vintage Durango]

A mid-week psychedelic break On the last day of this, the weirdest January within recent U.S. history, you might need to relax.

You might need to breathe in some Colorado green, breathe out smoke in slow strolls, and dance till you don’t remember who’s president.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, a psychedelic funk band from Courtesy of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Baltimore, play Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Alt-rock band Sky Pilots will open. For only $12 or $15 day of, you can groove and move till your feet hurt and your heart gets high.

Doors at 8:30/show at 9 p.m.

18+ show.

»» Photo development advertisement from the May 25, 1977, Durango Herald.

The era of 1-hour photo

Thursday

Saturday

“Photography from the Inside Out” art workshop, 10 a.m.-noon, Durango Arts

Jack Ellis, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Center, 802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org.

Greg Ryder, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spiritori-

Tim Sullivan, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle

Laugh Therapy showcase, 7-11 p.m.,

Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

In the ancient times, you had to wait an ENTIRE HOUR to see the photos you took. You dropped off film at a lightning fast, 1-hour photo joint and came back to printed pictures.

This was a world of considerably less dick pics. Not many folks wanted their schlong copied and kept by the 1-hour photo staff. If you couldn’t afford a Polaroid camera, ain’t no sexy pics for you.

Today, 67 percent of people don’t print any of their photos, according to a survey by the Professional Photographers of America. Not printing pics is cost effective, considering we’re the most photographed generation ever. It also means there’s a good chance that all our memories will be lost to shifting digital platforms within 10 to 20 years.

Should you print every photo you take? Hell no. You don’t need a quinoa burger photo unless you are eating it with Oprah. Consider printing up those pics from yer BFF’s wedding in Thailand though. You don’t want ’em lost to a digital dark age.

—— Patty Templeton DGO Staff Writer

um, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Jack Ellis, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spiritorium,

Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.theirishembassypub.com.

699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

Karaoke with DJ Crazy Charlie, 9 p.m.,

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 3752568.

Sunday

Karaoke, 9 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

Irish music jam session, 12:30 p.m.,

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Friday 12th annual backcountry film festival, all-day event, Fort Lewis College, 1000

Rim Drive, www.cmc.org/bsi.

Andy Janowsky, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond

Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.theirishembassypub.com.

Blue Moon Ramblers, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Jazz church experienced musician session, 6 p.m., Derailed Pour House, 725

Main Ave., 247-5440, www.derailedpourhouse. com.

Starry Night Snowshoe Tour to Andrews Lake, 6-8 p.m., Andrews Lake, mk@

Joel Racheff, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spiritori-

sjma.org, 759-9113, www.sjma.org

Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

Black Velvet Trio, 7 p.m., Derailed Pour

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

House, 725 Main Ave., 247-5440, www.derailedpourhouse.com.

Monday

Open Mic, 7-11 p.m., Steaming Bean, down-

Four Corners Arts Forum, 9 a.m., KDUR

stairs at the Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.thebean.com.

Jose Villareal, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spirito-

rium, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Kirk James Band, 8:30 p.m., The Billy Goat

Saloon, 39848 U.S. Highway 160, 884-9155.

um, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

91.9/93.9 FM, www.kdur.org.

People’s Practice in the Park, 12:30

p.m., Buckley Park, 247-8395, www.turtlelakerefuge.org.

Happy HourYoga, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Ska Brew-

ing Co., 225 Girard St., www.skabrewing.com.

Continued on Page 20

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[happening] Drag meets Cards Against Humanity The delicious, divine, boldly eyebrow-lined Alice Glamoure takes over Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., on Monday, Jan. 30.

Drag Against Humanity is a Cards Against Humanity Experience. So it’s a card game? No! It’s a drag show? No! It’s a game show? YES! Can you bring your grandma to it? Hell yes, especially if she’s nasty.

Put on by the Haus of FishCandy, aka Colorado’s finest purveyors of drag theater, Drag Against Humanity will smack your ass outta that case of the Mondays, make you laugh your pants off, then fist you full of depravity.

Good times will be had by all.

Doors are at 6:30. Show is at 7. No cover. Tips/ donations accepted.

This is a 21+ event.

Courtesy of Alice Glamoure

From Page 19 Joel Racheff, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Tango foundation class, 7 p.m., Groove

U Dance Studio, 26369 U.S. Highway 160, 9035128, ljubalemke@gmail.com.

Spoken Word, 7-9 p.m., Steaming Bean,

downstairs at the Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.thebean.com.

downstairs at the Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.thebean.com.

Bird Walk, 9-10:30 a.m., Rotary Park, 1565

Super Ted’s Super Trivia, 6:12 p.m., Ska

2017 Kid’s Follies, 5 p.m., Durango Arts

Center, 802 East Second Ave., 259-2606.

“Intergalactic Showdown” at Derailed, 8:30 p.m.-midnight, Derailed Pour

Greg Ryder, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

House, 725 Main Ave., 247-5440, www.derailedpourhouse.com.

Acoustic jam, 6-8 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub,

Karaoke with DJ Crazy Charlie, 9 p.m.,

Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., 247-5792, www. facebook.com/supertedstriviaatskabrewing.

Useless Knowledge Bowl Trivia+, 7 p.m., Durango Brewing Co., 3000 Main Ave., 247-3396.

Tango guided practica, 7 p.m., Cerda 7

Ace Revel, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spiritorium,

Cantina y Comida, 639 Main Ave., 769-7053, www.tangodurango.info.

699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Tim Sullivan, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spirito-

rium, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Tuesday

Open Mic, 8 p.m., Moe’s Starlite Lounge, 937

“Cut Loose with Pastels” art workshop, 10 a.m.-noon, Durango Arts Center,

Main Ave., 259-9018.

Wednesday

Terry Rickard, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Snowdown, 9 a.m.-11 p.m., events will be hosted at several locations in Durango, www. snowdown.org.

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900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.theirishembassypub.com.

Geeks Who Drink trivia, 6:30 p.m.,

BREW Pub & Kitchen, 117 West College Drive, 259-5959.

Pub quiz, 6:30 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.theirishembassypub.com.

Two-step lessons, 6:30-7:30 p.m., $10, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 7998832.

802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org.

Acoustic jam, 6-9 p.m., Steaming Bean,

East Second Ave., www.durangogov.org.

Terry Rickard, 7-11 p.m., The Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Pingpong and poker tournament,

8 p.m., Moe’s Starlite Lounge, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 3752568.

Submissions To submit listings for publication in DGO and www.dgomag.com, visit www.swscene. com, click “Add Your Event,” enter the event info into the form, and submit. Listings at www.swscene.com will appear on www. dgomag.com and in our weekly print edition. Posting an event on www.swscene. com is free and takes one day to process.

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To advertise in DGO Deals contact us at 970-247-3504 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, January 26, 2017 | 21

Horoscope ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Dealings with bosses, VIPs and parents are unpredictable this week. If you are upset by what they say, don’t quit your day job. Give things a sober second thought.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Travel plans will be delayed, canceled or subject to detours and changes.

Likewise, publishing, the media, medicine and the law are subject to sudden changes.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Double-check bank accounts and important agreements because something to do with inheritances, shared property, taxes and debt might throw you for a loop. Know what’s happening.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Bizarro

A friend or partner will throw you a curveball this week. He or she might

want more independence in the relationship. This person also might make a weird accusation!

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) Your job’s routine will be interrupted this week. Staff shortages, equipment breakdowns, computer problems, delivery delays or other unexpected situations will force you to deal with surprises. Be cool.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) This is an accident-prone week for your kids, so be vigilant. Know where they are at all times. Be careful to remove potentially hazardous equipment or items around them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) Something unpredictable will affect your home or family this week. It may be an argument, or a minor breakage could occur. Someone might have surprising news. It will be something.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Be careful this week and take your time so that you are mindful and aware, because this is an accident-prone week for you. Think before you speak, and think before you act.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Keep an eye on your finances this week because something unexpected will affect them. You might find money, or you might lose money. Something you own might be lost, stolen or damaged.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) This week, you feel impulsive and rebellious. Even though you usually are cautious and careful, this week you might shock someone with a sudden decision or action.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

You feel restless this week. You feel as if you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. You might be agitated because of changes taking place in other people’s lives around you.

PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) A friend might surprise you today.

Something unexpected will take place with someone you know, perhaps in a group setting.

BORN THIS WEEK You are bold, energetic and confident.

You have ideals, but you also can be rebellious. You are a free thinker who is unconventional. A new nine-year cycle will begin for you this year. It will open up many possibilities! You might start a new business or change residences.

Open any door because your future is in your hands. © 2017 King Features Syndicate Inc.

weekly bestsellers Jan. 15-21 »»1. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly

(Paperback) »»2. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (Paperback) »»3. Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur (Paperback) »»4. Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Future of the Earth,

by Craig Childs (Paperback) »»5. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho (Paperback) »»6. Over and Under the Snow, by Kate Messner (Paperback) »»7. The Water Knife, by Paolo Bacigalupi (Paperback) »»8. You Are a Badass, by Jen Sincero (Paperback) »»9. The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Paperback) »»10. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by JD Vance (Hardcover)

22 | Thursday, January 26, 2017 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[Expert Advice on Trivial Affairs]

Get Smart | Cyle Talley

On credit unions Ever wondered just what in the blazes a credit union is? Let Emily Ter Maat, CEO of Southwest Federal Credit Union, tell you what they are, what they do, and why they might be worth a second look.

How long have you been with credit unions?

I’ve been here for 35 years, and was at another for six years before that. I started as the bookkeeper fresh out of college, went through the ranks there to become the CEO, and then moved back to Durango because it’s my home. I was born and grew up here.

What do you like about them?

The philosophy; the way they’re run. They’re a “notfor-profit” business and so we don’t have monthly sales goals or numbers to hit, and you’re not constantly trying to sell someone products or services they don’t want. You don’t have to do those kinds of things to make the bottom line. All we have to do is make our expenses and pay our dividends to our shareholders. Everyone’s happy.

How do they differ from traditional banks?

We’re owned by our members, not stockholders.

When you buy a share in a credit union – which is $50 – you’re a part-owner, and as such, you can run for the board of directors or be on a committee, if you want to. You have a say at the annual meeting, you even have a vote. So that means that we’re really locally-owned. Our board of directors are all locals and volunteers who aren’t paid, so they really have our members’ interests at heart.

When you say members, you mean people who bank here?

Yep. A member must live, work, or go to school in the five counties of southwest Colorado, and to keep your account active, all you need is $50 deposited. You can keep your account forever, too. Move to Washington D.C. and we’re still there for you. Keep the account open, and you’re still a member, which then allows your family to join as well. Say you had a parent that lived in California. Because of your affiliation, they could join us too. The person who has $500,000 on deposit gets one vote, just like the person who has $50. Everybody has an equal say in how we’re run.

How many members do you have?

We have about 3,500, and our assets are just over 50 million.

What services do you offer?

Pretty much everything: Savings, deposits, checking, certificates of deposit. We do any type of loan – auto, RV, boat – and even mortgages.

So you’re fully insured?

It’s a comparable fund to the FDIC, but it’s run by the National Credit Union Association, which insures people’s accounts to $250,000, just like the FDIC, but ours is actually a stronger fund when you compare them dollar-to-dollar. We have more on deposit to fund potential losses.

What’s most satisfying about running a credit union?

I’ve seen a lot of people grow because we take the time to educate them. They might come in and say, “I need $500 for snow tires,” and we’ll look at their whole picture and say, “You know, that’s really not

going to help you. It’ll just add one more debt. Let’s work through this and figure out another way besides a loan to get you taken care of.” It’s a real pleasure to get to work alongside people to help them understand their financial picture, and make their lives better. We’ve got a gentleman who comes in to do free consultations with people about investing. He’ll work with them to see their whole picture – whether they’ve come into some money that they don’t know what to do with, or some other thing – and help move it forward. We’re glad to see the money leave us, if it’s going to benefit them and help someone do something that will make their lives better.

What is the most common misconception about credit unions?

I think the biggest problem is that most people think that in order to be in a credit union, they have to belong to some employer group or union or work for the federal government. We got a community charter in 2000, which means that anyone in the community can join. But people still walk in saying, “I thought you had to be part of the federal government.”

What pleases you most about the dayto-day?

We know our members by name, and we have great relationships with them. We strive for great member service, giving them our complete and best attention, and we love hearing their stories. We take the time to interact and enjoy each of them.

The credit union’s mantra is “Not for profit, not for charity, but for service.” We want to serve people not because we have to make profit, but we won’t just give our services away either.

We want to be intelligent and run a responsible organization, but we want to provide great service and products to our members every day.

Cyle Talley is unsettled by rain in January. So it goes. If there’s something you’d like to GET SMART about, email him at: cyle@cyletalley. com

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