Skip to main content

Boulder Weekly 7.9.2020

Page 19

FREE

Ever y

Thursday

For

26

Ye a r s

/

w w w. b o u l d e r w e e k l y. c o m

/

July

9

-

15,

2020

6TH ANNUAL

101 WORD

FICTION CONTEST


8

101-word fiction:

Boulder Weekly’s 6th annual 101-word fiction contest

Boulder bluegrass outfit Bowregard sends ‘Arrows’ out into the world by Caitlin Rockett

14

virtual events:

A ladies virtual happy hour, 101st Army Dixieland Band, Strangebyrds, and more to do when there’s ‘nothing’ to do... by Boulder Weekly Staff

theater:

15

film:

19

beer:

25

feast:

26

Local Theater Company gears up for season 10 with a new virtual series and expanded programming by Caitlin Rockett

Gentle humor and acute observations in ‘First Cow’ by Michael J. Casey

Beer and barbecue at 8,228 feet by Michael J. Casey

A beleaguered food industry asks Congress for help, Blackbelly/Santo owners build momentum in search for cure, and more by Matt Cortina

27 29

Danish Plan: Predicting the future: The internet and two old poems Letters: Signed, sealed, delivered... your views Home viewing: ‘The Lady Eve’ on Blu-ray and DVD Words: ‘War of the Hummingbirds’ by Kevin EM Rodgers Savage Love: Cucking dykes Food/Drink: Food news and what to try this week in Boulder County Astrology: by Rob Brezsny Cannabis Corner: Time’s up, stoners. Please hand in your petitions now.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

THANK YOU

FOR SUPPORTING OUR MISSION

FIRST PLACE: Best Gluten Free Restaurant SECOND PLACE: Best Organic Restaurant THIRD PLACE: Best Vegetarian Restaurant

departments 6 16 18 21 23

Boulder, Colorado

12

buzz:

5

Eatery & Marketplace

I

FRESHTHYMES.COM EATERY 303 955 7988 2500 30TH ST. #101, BOULDER, CO MARKETPLACE 720 484 5969 2690 28TH ST., BOULDER, CO

JULY 9, 2020

I

3


Publisher, Fran Zankowski Editor, Matt Cortina Circulation Manager, Cal Winn EDITORIAL Senior Editor, Angela K. Evans Arts and Culture Editor, Caitlin Rockett Special Editions Editor, Michael J. Casey Adventure Editor, Emma Athena Contributing Writers, Peter Alexander, Dave Anderson, Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Paul Danish, Sarah Haas, Jim Hightower, Dave Kirby, John Lehndorff, Rico Moore, Amanda Moutinho, Leland Rucker, Dan Savage, Alan Sculley, Ryan Syrek, Christi Turner, Betsy Welch, Tom Winter, Gary Zeidner SALES AND MARKETING Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Account Executives, Matthew Fischer, Sami Wainscott Advertising Coordinator, Corey Basciano Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar PRODUCTION Art Director, Susan France Senior Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman Graphic Designer, Daisy Bauer CIRCULATION TEAM Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama BUSINESS OFFICE Bookkeeper, Regina Campanella Founder/CEO, Stewart Sallo Editor-at-Large, Joel Dyer

July 9, 2020 Volume XXVII, Number 47 As Boulder County's only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holds-barred journalism and thought-provoking opinion writing. Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county's most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit boulderweekly.com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you're interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@ boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO, 80305 p 303.494.5511 f 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. © 2020 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.

Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@ boulderweekly.com) or the comments section of our website at www.boulderweekly.com. Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Predicting the future: The internet and two old poems by Paul Danish

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” —Yogi Berra

B

ack in 1984 or 1985, the late Jerry Pournelle, sci-fi writer, futurist, computer geek and American polymath extraordinaire, wrote a piece for InfoWorld on the perils of predicting the future. Generally speaking, he said, predictions you make for five years in the future will be overly optimistic. Predictions you make for 20 years in the future will be overly conservative. Then he made a prediction for 20 years in the future: Thanks to exponentially increasing computer power, I

in 20 years, it will be possible for anyone on Earth to find the answer to any question, provided the answer exists. It was a bold prediction for the time. In 1985 the internet was still being cobbled together. The world wide web wouldn’t be available to the general public until 1991. Google didn’t come into existence until 1998. But as more powerful search engines began to appear in the midand late-1990s, I thought of a small way I could monitor how Pournelle’s prediction was playing out. I picked two obscure poems I had read in high school, but which I couldn’t find online at the time. A JULY 9, 2020

couple times a year I would look for them. The first was titled “The Little Red God,” by an unknown author, probably written in the 19th century. I found it online in late 2004, 20 years give or take after Pournelle’s prediction, with a straightforward Google search on the title. The second poem was more mysterious. It was a short work about the discovery of the early surgical anesthetic ether by Crawford Long and William Morton in the 1840s. I had forgotten both its title and the author’s name, but the opening stanzas were unforgettable. I’d search for it a couple times a year, using a phrase from the first stanza, “whet your saws.” I finally found it last year — quite by accident in the online edition of a 1933 collecsee DANISH PLAN Page 6

I

5


DANISH PLAN from Page 5

tion of poems titled A Book of Americans by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benét. Pournelle’s prediction that it would be possible to find any known answer to any known question by 2005 was overly optimistic. But thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and the digitization of whole libraries of text and graphical material, I predict the prediction will eventually become a reality. Say, maybe 20 years from now. “The Little Red God” and the first two stanzas of the ether poem appear below:

knows she lies; Shovel dung in the city mart To earn a crust for his chosen art; Build where the builders all have failed, And sail the seas that no man has sailed; Run a tunnel or dam a stream, Or damn the men who finance the dream; Tell a pal what his work is worth, Though he lose his last, best friend on earth; Lend the critical monkey-elf A razor — hoping he’ll kill himself; Wear the garments he likes to wear, Never dreaming that people stare; The Little Red God Go to church if his conscience wills, Here’s a little red song to the god of Or find his own — in the far, blue guts, hills. Who dwells in palHe is kind and aces, brothels, gentle, or harsh huts; and gruff; The little Red God He is tender as it with the craw of love — or he’s grit; rawhide tough; would be possible to find The god who A rough-necked any known answer to any never learned rider in spurs how to quit; and chaps, known question by 2005 He is neither a Or well-groomed was overly optimistic. But son of the town fool with a frozen smile, — perhaps; ... I predict the prediction Or sad old toad in And this is the will eventually become a cask of bile; little Red God I He can dance sing, reality. Say, maybe 20 with a shoe-nail in Who cares not a years from now. his heel wallop for anyAnd never a sign thing of his pain reveal; That walks or He can hold a mob with an empty gallops, that crawls or struts, gun No matter how clothed — if it hasn’t And turn a tragedy into fun; got guts. Kill a man in a flash, a breath, — Unknown Or snatch a friend from the claws of death; Title unknown Swallow the pill of assured defeat “O, whet your saws and shine your And plan attack in his slow retreat; knives, Spin the wheel till the numbers dance Ye surgeons, tried and true! And bit his thumb at the god of Were going for to operate Chance; In eighteen-forty-two! Drink straight water with whiskysoaks, “And, if the patient starts to yell Or call for liquor with temperance And bounce about the floor, folks; Just tell him Pain is bound to be, Tearless stand at the graven stone, And give him one chop more!” Yet weep in the silence of night, — by Crawford Long and William alone; Morton, from A Book of Americans, Worship a sweet, white virgin’s glove, by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Or teach a courtesan how to love; Benét. Dare the dullness of fireside bliss, Or stake his soul for a wanton’s kiss; This opinion column does not necesBlind his soul to a woman’s eyes sarily reflect the views of Boulder When she says she loves and he Weekly.

Pournelle’s prediction that

6

I

JULY 9, 2020

On the fracking moratorium Our elected officers have an inherent duty to protect our quality of life. Water is life. On Tuesday, July 14 at 2:30 p.m., the Board of Boulder County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a virtual public meeting. It is to consider the current “moratorium on oil and gas development applications and seismic testing in unincorporated Boulder County.” This moratorium is set to expire on July 31. There are clear environmental reasons why the BOCC should extend this moratorium, including the pollution of water by fracking fluid. Our nation’s laws do not do enough to protect water. Ideally, the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA) was designed to wave stop signs and halt pollution from entering our nation’s waterways. Unfortunately, in 2005, the CWA was revised and fracking was given a yield sign to pollute. This yield sign is also known as the Halliburton Loophole. Our federal government has failed to protect its citizens from water pollution caused by fracking. We need to take local action. Will we? The announcement for the July 14 meeting of the BOCC noted that “an oil and gas operator indicated an interest in applying for a drilling permit in Boulder County.” Why? There is currently a worldwide oil glut. If the BOCC lacks the legal authority to stop further fracking of our county, then we should rewrite the laws. We should govern ourselves under the assumption that we are a part of, I

not apart from, nature. We should recognize the Rights of Nature as have the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma. They are also struggling with the effects of fracking. Kristen Marshall/Boulder

Protect nature For too long, humans consciously disconnected from other species on this planet. Time is changing. More and more of us recognize the value of reconnecting with nature and caring for other species. Encountering a deer during a hike fills us with joy. Watching a raptor soar high in the sky fills us with respect and awe. All these moments shared with wildlife are precious and delightful. They motivate more and more of us to stand up for our wildlife friends that are victims of our human created climate crisis. But what can we do? In Colorado, we can be grateful for Governor Polis’ executive order from August 2019 calling for more habitat connectivity in Colorado. Creating wildlife corridors allows wildlife to diversify its genetic pools, to move to new, healthy and welcoming territory, and to reduce fatal vehicle encounters. It is a perfect time for citizens and state legislators to take action to secure lasting and durable policies. Christel Markevich/Nederland

What we know Here is what we know: We know that global warming is see LETTERS Page 7

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


LETTERS from Page 6

a pandemic we are in the midst of. We know that fossil fuel use is the cause of global warming. We know that it is technically and economically feasible for us as a community to run our homes, vehicles and businesses on high levels (95+%) of renewable energy (wind, solar and storage). What is hindering us as Xcel customers in pursuit of 95+% renewable energy is the archaic system of state laws and regulations governing utilities in Colorado. We know that home rule municipalities in Colorado, such as the City of Boulder, have the constitutional right to opt out of the state-regulated monopoly utility system to form and run their own utilities. We know that the directors and executives of Xcel have for the last decade demonstrated their ability and willingness to exploit the legal system and the regulatory system at every turn in order slow to a crawl the City of Boulder’s exercise of our constitutional right. We know we have to keep going. We know we have to keep fighting for our rights. We know we have to keep fighting for our planet. Paul Culnan/Boulder

PRPA gathered feedback from member communities on how to transition to renewable energy (RE), then developed three concrete options to achieve its goals, comparing fuel and storage costs, emissions impacts and time frames. Especially interesting is PRPA’s Option 2, which eliminates coal-fired generation, adds renewables and storage, keeps limited natural gas backup, and achieves 95% non-carbon generation by 2030, with only a small rate increase. This is historic. Meanwhile, PRPA will reach 50% non-carbon electricity this year. Boulder has a goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and currently receives about 30% renewable electricity from Xcel Colorado. Xcel has a stated goal of 80% renewable electricity by 2030, but has not shared a written plan to get there. Boulder would like to achieve emissions reduction and clean energy goals, and harness economic benefits that will soon be available to our neighbors. If PRPA can have a 95% carbon reduction plan for 2030, then Boulder should be able to have one too, with or without Xcel. Julie Zahniser/Boulder

Better Colorado energy plan

If there was doubt it must be painfully clear just what we have in the White House. It’s more than a protégé — it’s Son of Vladimir Putin. By re-tweeting the “good Democrat” phrase in his pointed condemnation of looting in Minneapolis, the self-proclaimed emperor’s clothes have all fallen off. The re-tweet showed no attribution that I know of; this guy is a national executive, so he gets attention... and feeds on it. I’m a long-time independent voter. My hope is that somehow those of African-American (and Muslim and Hispanic) ethnicity can refuse to take the bait. Anything remotely resembling a “race war” by anyone’s definition would play into his hands too well. Discouragement and intimidation of voting on the part of these citizens is quite likely, so it might be up to just us white folks to summarily kick the spoiled obstreperous brat all the way to the Keys. Make up your own acronyms. Greg Iwan/Longmont

Most Boulderites agree: we want low-cost clean electricity as soon as possible. Wouldn’t it be great if a Colorado utility had a plan for 95% carbon reduction by 2030? Such a plan may be close to fruition. The Longmont Times-Call reported that municipal utilities, Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins and Estes Park, served by Platte River Power Authority (PRPA), announced a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 95% by reducing coal and natural gas and increasing renewable energy to generate electricity. The plan is in response to customer demand. According to BizWest, many northern Colorado business and community leaders expressed support for PRPA. “Moving swiftly to a clean energy economy is an essential step to strengthening local economic development and improving the quality of life in Northern Colorado for ... residents and businesses.” BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

We are all about Available Now!

Apartments at Winter Park Base with Village access. Available units: studio, two bedroom, two bedroom plus den. $1500 - $3500 970-531-7670 Chillrentalwinterparkcolorado.com Chillwinterparkcolorado@gmail.com

SELECT SANDALS ON SALE UP TO 50% OFF Shop in-store or online with free delivery or curbside pickup

Visit comfortableshoes.com for updated hours and Coronavirus Safety protocols

Democracy and the child prince

I

Computer Glasses Many of us are working on the computer more than ever. Increased screen time may cause digital eyestrain. New technology may help. The Eyezen enhanced single vision lenses offer sharper vision than ordinary single vision lenses. And they help protect blue light. Dr. Lowell Steinberg 303-447-8470

Dr. Terri Oneby 303-443-4545

bouldervisioncenter.com JULY 9, 2020

I

7


6th annual

101 word fiction contest

T

he 101-word fiction contest has become one of our favorite traditions here at Boulder Weekly. It’s a chance for us to read the best flash fiction from writers in Boulder County and beyond. Maybe it’s because the pandemic shut writers inside their homes and kept them in front of their computer screens for weeks, but this crop of submissions were some of the best we’ve received in the six years BW has held this contest. Here are the nuts and bolts of how we determined the top 20 entries: As in years prior, each writer was limited to five submissions — many of the writers who entered the contest submitted more than one piece this year. There were four judges who assigned a score between one and five on each entry. It was a blind process, as the name of the writer was stripped from each entry before reading. We only learned of the winning identities after tallying the scores, which is why you’ll see some writers appear more than once in the list of winners. We ended up with five winners, six honorable mentions and nine additional finalists, however, there were plenty more we wished we could have included. The top 20 finishers have been published here and online. Thanks to all who participated in this contest. We hope you enjoy this year’s selections as much as we did. We’re already looking forward to the next batch in 2021. 8

I

winners SECOND PLACE Prologue

FIRST PLACE Untitled

S

he sat on the beach. Waves washed around her feet. She was dropped off here randomly. Mangroves and seagulls surrounded her. Rolled over on the sand and watched the sunrise. Odd start to the day. Odd start to a new life. — Cyndy Van Sant

D

oralee wheeled her chair down the hall. “I’m going home,” she said. At the door, an alarm sounded and a harried attendant took the handles of the chair. “Let’s go to the dining room,” he said. “It’s almost time for lunch.” After her meal, Doralee sat by her window. She said to the nurse’s aide, “I’ll be leaving soon.” — John LeMay

THIRD PLACE The Last Animal

T

he last animal died on August 17, 2213. After years of debate, the WGO finally ruled the resources needed to maintain DeAnne the dolphin and her 9 square meter tank were no longer justifiable according to World Law. There was no formality to the euthanasia, yet it appeared ceremonious due to the massive media presence and 24-billion worldwide screen viewership. DeAnne’s body was immediately delivered to a local energy port and reutilized into the System. The site was deemed residentially viable, so construction on a 300-floor studio tower began that afternoon. —Thomas Fuller JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


FOURTH PLACE

FIFTH PLACE

I like it like this

Cinderella69

C

ommute time 12.23 seconds. Dress code minimal. Service level outstanding. Price of lunch under $2. Interruptions slight. Background noise arcadian. Hair messy. Communications prompt. Window view mountains. Music selection eclectic. Chores list checked. Exercise frequently. Meal prep handy. Overtime acceptable. Road rage nonexistent. Laptop never forgotten. Soulmate nearby. Comfort zone adjustable. Stairs to climb none. Razor blades reduced. Happy hour flexible. Zoom meetings mutable. Shower optional. Warm sunshine. Cool breeze. —BR Holland

D

on’t know what my dad looks like. Mom just said that he was a friend of Richie Havens,” Ionia told Charlie. She was standing in his art shop on Tinker Street and searching a photograph of the Woodstock Festival. The lilt in her voice reminded Charlie of his sister, when they were children. A bird singing at dawn. “After it rained, the concert grounds were a big mud pie. My mom’s left shoe got sucked off. She never got it back.” Charlie stared at her. There was a muddy shoe, from the 1969 festival, hidden in his closet. —Kristen Marshall

honorable mentions Gifted

Can’t Stay

Roomies

Loveland

Rubberized

Röykkiöhauta

I

awoke to the clangor of the doorbell frantically ringing and sprang bolt upright in the lounger, groggily trying to gather my wits. Stumbling to the front door, fighting dread and panic, I peered through the door’s peep hole. A flickering orange glow faintly illuminated the porch in contrast to the starless black sky. Unlocking the dead bolt. I opened the door and cautiously peered out. The chilly air caressed my face. Looking down I discovered an amorphous object ablaze on the welcome mat. Instinctively, I flung the door open wide and stomped it out. “CRAP!” I cried. Literally. —Craig Kupras

I

leave my 94-year-old grandfather in a huff, angry about some silly chauvinistic remark. I drive around fuming, turn after furious turn, spending my anger clutching and shifting. Tears finally come. Fury dissipates. I remember I adore him. I forgive him his old-man ways. Racing home, ruminating on his rapidly shrinking existence, I startle at the emergency vehicle parked curbside. My mind explodes with images of Gramps lying dead on a gurney. Rushing into our living room, I see him sitting comfortably alone. He smiles his cherubic toothless smile. “The broad next door’s got a gas leak,” he says. “Wanna beer?” —Virginia Winnen

S

he did not possess the strength of steel. No, indeed, more like the adaptability of rubber able to twist and conform to fill the spaces in the lives of her loved ones. As a younger person collegiality, understanding, swallowing her voice seemed the right choice. Everyone must be pleasantly satisfied; that is how conflict is managed. Or is it? After years of suppressing her own thoughts and beliefs, suddenly a cancerous root was growing. Sadness took hold. She was a conglomeration of all the non-spoken feelings all backed up in her soul. Literally, she was rubberized — a gelatinous mess. —Anne McWhite

T

revor Boscoe stirred knowing that this life had ended yesterday and a new one would have to begin today. He rolled over and savored the break. When he finally decided he needed to leave the farm, he stood, and gathered what he could fit into the truck. As he lifted the last box the screen door slammed. He whistled for Roy to jump in front beside him, took one last look in the rear view mirror, then gazed out past his dog and across the vast, brown field. Answering Roy’s curious gaze he simply said, “Can’t stay. Dirt don’t bloom.” —Pat Young

W

e made it to the parking lot in a stumbling scrum of torn jeans, shallow gasps, and panic; a shaking pile of limbs that collapsed next to the car. Jacob asked if he was dying and we all actually thought he might be. His skin went translucent, he shook like a weird Elvis and finally stopped breathing: a perfect rockabilly vampire. I stared over our wrecked pile of youth at the Taco John’s. All I could think was, “do we have to do this across the street from Taco fucking John’s?” I mean, none of us had ever eaten there. —Shadrock Roberts

A

mound of coastal tombs, sun burning stone markers red. Tree shadows broaden to take human form. 400 years before Christ. The Iron Age. Steel swords forged over open fires in forests of birch, trunks as white as bone. The Vikings? 1,000 years away. Bodies placed east to west in the extended position, eyes and mouths closed. Hands cross over chests. Heads on the side of the sunset. Listen. Hear whispers? Those below ground speak through the lichen clinging to the granite. —Kirby Wright see 101-WORD FICTION Page 10

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

JULY 9, 2020

I

9


101- WORD FICTION from Page 9

finalists Untitled

T

his is the time each year when the black widow mates visit the mortician. I just came from the local resource center. Similarities? Just call me “transient” or “independent.” No bicycle, no grocery cart. You won’t see me holding a sign at the supermarket. I don’t like rules. All I need is the bus routes. What’s important is, can I vote? My ID shows where I lived two years back. My ZIP code now is 00000. “They” say I must live in “my” precinct twenty-two days to be eligible. Tough. I’m on my way to my next flop. Where you goin’? —Gregory Iwan

In Search for a Lost Friend

I

followed him to this ghost town. Not the kind of ghost town found abandoned inside the belly of Colorado. Boulder is different. I call it a ghost town because you can see on the town’s facade the lingering dull gray shades of the past. Memories that stubbornly cling to the ribs of everything new. Also, it is cursed, by Chief Niwot. Entranced by the beauty, you stay forever and in staying, undo the beauty. I will not deny it is a thriving American community that Jim had chosen. But picked for its beauty, he too is missing. —John Dungan

Welcome BackUntitled Welcome Back Welcome Back I Our showroom is open again and our

took a break from yard work to watch an old man shuffle past my house. His steps were slow and deliberate, I assumed for fear of falling. He didn’t pause to talk to people or to admire Laura’s prize-winning roses. He just shuffled, looking straight ahead until he eventually reached the end of my block where he turned the corner and disappeared from view behind a hedge. I didn’t wonder where the old man was going, but instead I wondered where he came from and who he was before he became an old man shuffling down my street. Clean, Safe and Small Enhanced showroom cleaning and an intimate shopping —Barbara Harvey

expert team is ready for your flooring

showroom is is open again andand our our OurOur showroom open again project. expert team is ready for your flooring expert team is ready for your flooring project. project. Clean, Safe and experience. NoSmall huge crowds here.

Welcome Back

Enhanced showroom cleaning and an intimate shopping experience. huge crowds ShopNo Your Way here.

Clean,Our Safe and Small showroom is open again and our

A Handful of Lint

P

atty brought her old sweater to be washed at the laundromat. She did this

every time there was a big change in her life. She didn’t quite fit in with regular In-store, at home, virtually…just let us know what works for you.

Enhanced showroom intimate shopping expert is readyand foran your flooring Shop Your team Way cleaning project. experience. No huge crowds here. In-store, home, virtually…just let us know what works for you. Weat Love Our Community

customers: a young mother with a fussy baby, scurrying between laundry duties and attending to her child; a handsome young man delicately, meticulously folding clothes (probably gay); and a sixty-something woman, just outside the door, on a cigarette break. Proud to be part of [insert city] and grateful for your support Clean, Safe and Small The dryer buzzed, Patty took out the sweater or rather one huge ball of lint. WeEnhanced Love Our Community showroom cleaning and an intimate shopping of local business. Thank you! Taken aback, she tossed it in the waste-basket and stepped out into the cold. experience. Noof huge crowds here. Proud to be part [insert city] and grateful for your support Boulder —Daniel Angel Martinez

Shop Your Way

In-store, at home, virtually…just letyou us know what workswe’re for you. of local business. Thank you!make If new floors would happier at home, here

Shop Your Way to help. Call us today toletchat about project. In-store, at home, virtually…just us know whatyour worksnext for you. Untitled If new floors would make you happier at home, we’re here day after the hurricane snatched up a baby and pulled it out to sea somewhere to help. Call usOur today to chat about your next project. We Love Community near Houston, Devin killed himself. I don’t remember much about talking to his

A

We Love Our Community

to be part of [insert city] and grateful for your support girlfriend at 4 a.m. after she found his body… the sunrise that morning was beautiProud toProud be part of [insert city] and grateful for your support of local business. Thank you! ful, though. Humongous. Cinematic. A hot neon ball you could fall into: a soft lava of local business. Thank you! love seat. Moments later, so bright that it would just as happily burn your eyes out 123 S. Main St, Anytown BC | 123-456-7890 | carpetone.ca If new floors would make you happier at home, we’re here as look at you. I went to the march anyways. We were a pile of weeping limbs and to help. Photos Callforus today to chat your next illustrative purposes only. See about store for details. ©2020 Carpet project. One Floor & Home®. All Rights Reserved.I spent the day standing in a puddle of absence.

S. Main St, Anytown BC | 123-456-7890 | carpetone.ca If new123floors would make you happier at home, we’re here Photos for illustrative purposes only. See store for details. ©2020 Carpet One Floor & Home®. All Rights Reserved. to help. Call us today to chat about your next project.

—Shadrock Roberts

123 S. Main St, Anytown BC | 123-456-7890 | carpetone.ca Photos for illustrative purposes only. See store for details. ©2020 Carpet One Floor & Home®. All Rights Reserved.

10

I

JULY 9, 2019

I

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


finalists

Contact us for Take Out orders!

The Tree of Knowledge

D

iabetes is god’s punishment for gobbling fudge at Martha’s Vineyard. Sugarlaced butter shriveled my kidneys and kishkes. I cringe catching my old man reflection in mirrors and storefront glass. I ask Gabriel to fly me to the Land of Nod and lead me to Abel’s grave. I’ll hike west for the Tree of Knowledge, where Cain carved images of Adam and Eve in the trunk. I’m guessing that tree’s still alive. After all, it bore the divine fruit that spun man mortal. I’ll pull gold apples from its branches and hurl them into the sky. —Kirby Wright

What’s True?

T

here’s a unicorn in the garden again. She is eating the strawberries,” she announced during breakfast while gazing out the kitchen window. “That can’t be,” he said, “unicorns only make wishes come true and I love strawberries.” “OK. I will look again,” and this time she stood and craned her neck as far as she could to see as much of the garden as possible. “Oh,” she said, “I think you are right. She is eating the beets.” “That makes more sense,” he responded, “I only planted the beets because you insisted.” “No matter, she is gone, for now,” she said. —Pat Young

Rickety

M

y life fell apart on March 10th. I was a senior super star, a competitive race walker, a force to be reckoned with. Cartilage was my undoing. Now, climbing with a two-step approach, first left foot then right foot, and up I go one step at a time. Lost my flexible elastic connection; apparently used up my allotment. As is the case, in the process of living, there is no such thing as invincible. Age holds a deceptive grip. A tightly binding knee brace — my new fashion statement. I slowly join the ranks of those rickety seniors. —Anne McWhite

School Lunch

L

ook, Nannie.” Nannie looked at her brother’s hand and saw the discarded skin of a garter snake. “What are you going to do with it?” “Save it.” “That snake didn’t want to carry it anymore. Why should you?” “I’m going to be a scientist.” “If you survive lunch. Bean burritos, again. They were donated because they’re past the expiration date. But just by a day or two. And here’s an apple. Eat around the soft spots. Just don’t look too closely. Would even make a snake skin crawl away.” —Kristen Marshall

15

VOTED BOULDER’S BEST THAI

LUNCH: Mon-Fri Noon-4pm DINNER: Mon-Sat 4-9pm Sun 5-9pm

1600 Broadway, Boulder

YEARS IN A ROW!

We Deliver!

WE’VE GOT ISSUES

BUT NOT YOU...YET Come join our Team We’re a local company helping other businesses grow. Not looking for someone to move mountains, just someone to help us reach higher. Boulder Weekly is seeking a highly-motivated, careeroriented Sales Professional. The right candidate has excellent written and verbal skills paired with business creativity. Experience in sales (media sales especially) is preferred, while an education in business, sales, or marketing is encouraged.

Email Cover Letter and Resume to: Publisher Boulder Weekly franzan@boulderweekly.com

This year’s 101-word fiction contest may be over, but Boulder Weekly is always interested in running flash fiction and poetry from local writers throughout the year. Send your work (450 words/35 lines or fewer) to poetry@boulderweekly. com for consideration.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

JULY 9, 2019

I

11


JOSH ELIOSEFF

The five archers

Boulder bluegrass outfit Bowregard send ‘Arrows’ out into the world

by Caitlin Rockett

I

t’s hard to imagine putting out your first record in the middle of a global pandemic, but then again, it’s hard to imagine entering the Telluride Band Contest at the last minute and winning. Boulder’s bluegrass quintet Bowregard has done both. And the band’s barely two years old. The debut record, Arrows, is just another testament to Bowregard’s collective talent, funded by a Kickstarter campaign that well exceeded expectations. A collection of reimagined bluegrass classics mixed with original material, Arrows showcases the quintet’s virtuosity and eclectic musical tastes — the exact qualities that made them champs at Telluride last year. This summer was supposed to be a victory lap of sorts for Bowregard: the band would launch a Kickstarter campaign in early 2020 to fund the record, which would come out sometime in the 12

I

spring. Then they’d hit the main stage at Telluride in June. But if you want to make god laugh, tell him about your plans. “As we were kind of realizing that [the pandemic] was shutting everything down, we didn’t think that it was appropriate to be releasing a Kickstarter campaign,” says guitarist and vocalist Max Kabat. “People were worrying about their family members and their health, and we didn’t want to ask them for anything.” When it became clear the virus had taken off its coat and planned to stay awhile, the band decided it was time to ask. Turns out folks were eager to help, seeding the Kickstarter for Arrows with nearly $42,000, twice the amount the band hoped to receive. “We really feel strongly that one of the best things that we can contribute right now is music and giving that in a way where we don’t expect anything in JULY 9, 2020

return,” Kabat says. “We just want people to hear our music and feel good, and that’s what it’s all about for us. We’re really proud of ourselves and happy that we were able to release this album in these really strange times, because I think it’s what we all need to be doing. We all need to be giving and thinking about what we can do, what we can give to the collective, even if it is something really simple, like giving shit.” Though it’s said with good humor, the sentiment is earnest; the members of Bowregard have taken this moment seriously, looking at the history of bluegrass music and taking time to honor its roots. “We all feel this way in our group: It’s really important to remember the roots of the music that you’re involved in. All bluegrass music is basically derived from [the music of enslaved people in] Appalachia, and blues. I think it’s really important to trace everything back to its roots and understand where stuff came from, understand that the banjo is an African instrument, and respect that. There’s an entire industry of music that has been popularized based on the exploitation of black music.” But on a positive note, music is a medium capable of crossing boundaries, I

a vessel that has often helped bridge divides that men create based on race. Music is a salve that Bowregard hopes can heal wounds and launch conversations. It would be hard to expect less from a group like Bowregard, who count among their ranks a Harvard-educated lawyer, a graphic designer, a public relations manager and a real estate agent. They are parents and partners working day jobs to make ends meet. They’re real people. And maybe because the members of Bowregard are so very real, so down-toearth and yet so monumentally talented, the universe seemed determined to put the five together. “[Banjoist] James [Armington] sent me a message one day [several years ago] that said, ‘A lot of my friends have been telling me that we should play music together,’” Kabat says. “I thought that was great because what better way to [meet a bandmate] than to have it be brought forth by all of your friends?” It wasn’t long until Kabat and Armington were jamming together at bluegrass picks like the one at the now defunct Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub, where they discovered fiddler Colleen Heine and bassist Zachary Smith, who were both BOWREGARD from Page 13

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


BOWREGARD from Page 12

just visiting from their home in Savannah, Georgia. “I remember this moment exactly,” Kabat says, “because somebody at the bluegrass pick leaned over to me and was like, ‘Somebody’s gonna swoop these guys up and start a really awesome bluegrass band.’ And I just remember thinking, oh yeah, that person is me.” The final piece of the band was dobro player Justin Konrad, who Kabat and Armington had known for years, but who had always been busy with other projects. “When we asked him, he was like, ‘Well, what took you so long? I’ve been waiting; I’ve been waiting for like four months,’” Kabat says. “So it was really cool to hear him say that.” While the pandemic may have upended some plans for Bowregard, Kabat says the band is ready to turn to creative formats to share the new album. They’ll be using some of the money from the Kickstarter campaign to purchase the

ON THE BILL: equipment they ‘Arrows,’ by need to produce Bowregard, is now high-quality vidavailable, bowregard. eos and conduct com socially distant performances. As for missing Telluride this year, it’s a bummer, but there’s no looking back. “We’re all trying to make light of the situation and stay in good spirits,” he says. “We’re going to have this opportunity next year. We’ve already spoken with Planet Bluegrass and we know we’ll be in the same slot at next year’s festival — as long as it happens. Every musical artist and production agency and booking agency is affected by this. So it’s been really helpful for us to kind of put ourselves in that alignment and realize that we’re all kind of suffering right now.” For now, these five archers have sent Arrows out into the world.

Call 720.253.4710 All credit cards accepted No text messages

Max Kabat’s Heavy Rotation JAKE BLOUNT

Banjo player and fiddler Jake Blount is a scholar of ethnomusicology, specializing in the music of black and Native American communities in the southeastern United States. In 2016, Blount became the first black person to make the finals at the prestigious Appalachian String Band Music Festival, and the first to win in the traditional band category. Blount’s latest record, Spider Tales, gives voice to the black musicians whose art and voices have been co-opted and shunned from the American roots music industry. “When I listened to [Blount’s record] I was like, holy shit, this is good,” Kabat says.

BRYAN SUTTON

A flatpicking legend who first came into prominence as the lead guitarist for Ricky Skagg’s band Kentucky Thunder, Ryan Sutton has played with the (formerly known as Dixie) Chicks, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, and currently Hot Rize. “He’s one of my favorite guitar players,” Kabat says. “He’s probably been on 100 records.”

JOHN HARTFORD

Nobody knew Mississippi lore better than John Crawan Hartford, the singing/dancing/string-playing firecracker of an entertainer whose hit “Gentle On My Mind” went on to be covered by artists as disparate as Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. “You didn’t want to follow John,” Ricky Skaggs once said of Hartford. “If John was playing from 9 to 10, you could forget about playing after that because the crowd was his.” Kabat says band members Zach Smith and Colleen Heine gave their son the middle name Hartford after the late, great entertainer.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

JULY 9, 2020

I

13


What to do when there’s ‘nothing’ to do...

COURTESY OF STRANGEBYRDS

VIRTUAL EVENTS BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

If your organization is planning an event of any kind, please email Caitlin at crockett@boulderweekly.com. A LADIES VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR.

Presented by Colorado Mountain School. 6 p.m. Thursday, July 9, facebook. com/ColoradoMountainSchool.

C

onnect with other women who love the outdoors for a virtual happy hour. Professional mountain guides Mia Tucholke and Sarah Janin will host, giving mini-presentations and answering questions about alpine climbing in the Front Range and desert climbing in Moab before facilitating a discussion about your own experiences and ideas on how to make the community stronger. This event is limited to 100 participants. Please RSVP with a free ticket to confirm your attendance. All women and girls (transgender and cisgender) as well as non-binary people who identify with the women’s community are welcome.

101ST ARMY DIXIELAND BAND.

Longmont Museum Virtual Summer Concert Series. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9, facebook.com/longmontmuseum.

T

he 101st Army Dixieland Band’s repertoire features the hits of Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Jelly Roll Morton and many others. Regular favorites at the legendary Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and Monterey Dixieland Band Bash, these soldiers honor their nation through the most original American art form. These concerts are free, streamed lived from Stewart Auditorium. Visit Longmont Museum’s Facebook page at 7:30 p.m. on the night

14

I

of the concert and click “videos” to join. Learn more at longmontmuseum.org or call 303-651-8374.

STRANGEBYRDS

Little Tree House Concert Series. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18, littletreeacoustic.com.

C

ari Minor and Ray Smith have flown together as Strangebyrds since 2010. They’ve developed a following with songs built on poetic lyrics, penetrating harmonies and approachable personas. Their brand of “blue collar folk,” as they like to call it, weaves together the powerful acoustic traditions of folk-Americana rock and blues. Donations for virtual concert seats are $12 and up on a sliding scale (so pay what you can). Little Tree asks that you donate early — instructions on how to join the concert will be provided after donation. Following the concert will be a Zoom meeting to discuss the show and socialize.

YOGA AND MEDITATION CLASSES.

Presented by Open Space, Open Mind. 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, with a half-hour meditation at noon on Wednesdays, openspaceopenmind.net.

COURTESY OF THE 101ST ARMY DIXIELAND BAND

I

n this time of uncertainty and self-isolation, you may find healing by engaging in a more traditional form of yoga. Open Space, Open Mind of Louisville offers a slow, contemplative form of classical yoga that not only strengthens the body but heals the soul and calms the mind in this stressful time. Every yoga class concludes with a guided deep relaxation. Classes are ongoing. Yoga classes are $10 and meditation is $5. To reserve your space, email openspaceyoga@hotmail.com or text 303-396-9023.

JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


books

Local

about the amazing outdoor activities we have around us

younger brother Ezekiel. That won’t be easy, as a viral and the virus emerges, it seems Agnes may have to choose between saving her family and saving the world.

Four Colorado authors to read now

‘THE DOG LADY OF MEXICO,’ BY ALISON SAWYER CURRENT

conceived of ‘Agnes’ when the image of a woman with a

The Dog Lady of Mexico is based on the true story of Boulder resident Ali-

‘OTHER PEOPLE’S PETS,’ BY R.L. MAIZES save neglected cats and dogs in the through the character Rose, who learns there are endless obstacles to saving stray animals on the island, but The Dog Lady of Mexico is a heart-

Pets

debut novel, Other People’s -

a young La La and her father, Zev. A locksmith-turned-thief, Zev is a

‘THE ADVENTURE FRIENDS SKI DAY,’ BY BRIAN DUHON, THEADVENTUREFRIENDSBOOK.COM

‘AGNES AT THE END OF THE WORLD,’ BY KELLY MCWILLIAMS

Louisville-based author Brian Duhon loves to teach his two sons how to create their own adventures. Duhon’s debut children’s book, The Adventure Friends Ski Day, follows four animal

But what she doesn’t understand is that it’s a cult, controlled by a mad-

and Shreddy Bear. “I wanted to read books to my children about adventure and teach them

T

THEATER

announced its 10th sea-

herself from crime and almost made it through veterinary school when her father gets arrested for burglary. To

unravel Agnes’ notions of what is and

where she can feel an animal in distress. Other People’s Pets

more and more dangerous, Agnes

with and the family we create.

Local Theater Company gears up for season 10 with a new virtual series and expanded programming by Caitlin Rockett

tive fire; sometimes it’s regenerative, like a wildfire clearing out debris on the forest floor.

life of daytime home burglaries and backroom-fence-

says of Living Room Local, “So John will

bers to access the artist series (both live at

-

launch a virtual series called Living Room Local, which will host

-

-

interactive discussions. Local Lab, which traditionally and audience feedback for three -

-

learn from and interact with artists in one-hour-long Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown. It’s a fitting launch for season 10, as Lithgow helmed his one-man stage memoir, Stories by Heart, in 2011. “It’s sort of like a master class where you get to

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

JULY 9, 2020

Applications are open for Local Lab until Aug. 15. See localtheaterco.org for more information.

see EVENTS Page 16

I

15


EVENTS from Page 15

Personalized Interventions and Targeted Transitional Services to Support K-12 Students in Reaching their Full Potential

400 E. Simpson Street, Suite G02 Lafayette, CO 80028 info@truelearningeducation.com 510-909-9939

See why we’re consistently the TOP MOVER in Boulder County at

TAYLORMOVE.COM

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Locally Owned & Operated by the Taylor Family

Call Today! 303-443-5885

CRAFT BEER AND OTHER CRAFT BEVERAGES EAT IN +INDOORS ORDER TO-GO

WE SPEAK LOCAL.

Kate Riedell, Ph.D., Director Specialized Expertise in Autism, Learning and Intellectual Disabilities and ADD/ADHD

Home viewing

FURNITURE COMES FULLY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO USE

I

by Michael J. Casey

love with a con artist. So it goes in The Lady Eve, and such is the stuff of screwball comedy, a brief but brilliant subgenre of the romantic comedy that found its heyday in Depression-era America. The rich have always fascinated Americans, and screwballs like It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby and, the progenitor of the genre, My Man Godfrey, are all comedies of class and comedies with class. They show how ridiculous the wealthy are, how petty they can be, and take great pleasure in letting commoners get one over. They are farces, but as British critic David Cairns points out in a video essay accompanying The Criterion Collection’s new restoration of The Lady Eve, farces never sell in America. So, screwball it is. Back to Pike: He’s played by Henry Fonda, Hollywood regality if ever there was such a thing. In 1939, Fonda played the Great Emancipator in Young Mister Lincoln. In 1940, he was struggling-everyman Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath. If audiences wanted to idolize anyone, they needn’t look further than Fonda. That only added to the humor of Pike toppling over outstretched legs, slipping in mud puddles and crashing into oversized sofas. “That sofa’s been there for 15 years, and no one ever fell over it before,” Pike’s father says with suspicion. Father Pike is played by Eugene Pallette, a beach ball of a man with a bullfrog’s croak who looks nothing like Fonda. It’s perfect casting, and writer/director Preston Sturges knew it. Why aim for authenticity when oddball gets the laugh? When The Lady Eve was released in March 1941, audiences still felt the pangs of the Depression, but a new foe was on the horizon. War was building in escape, and once The Lady Eve got rolling, a dark and scary world slipped away into one of ocean liners, dinner parties and proper people acting like a bunch of damn fools. It was a beautiful distraction then, and it’s a beautiful distraction now, and Criterion’s 4K restoration of The Lady Eve booklet features an essay from Geoffrey O’Brien and 1946 LIFE is available on Blu-ray and DVD from The Criterion Collection wherever Blu-rays and DVDs are sold starting July 14.

NEW ARRIVALS DAILY! 16

L

et us be crooked but never common,” Colonel Harrington urges his daughter, Jean. He’s played by Charles Coburn, grand in every meaning of the word, and she’s played by Barbara Stanwyck, arguably the greatest actor to grace the silver screen. They are a couple of cardsharps looking for a catch, and Jean just hooked a Pike, Charles Pike, heir to the Pike Ale Company (“The ale that won for Yale.”). Pike, or “Hopsie,” as Jean will come to call him, doesn’t give a lick about ale, or beer; the boy’s got snakes on the brain. He’s just returned from the Amazon, and snakes are all he can think about. That is until Jean steps in and

JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


SEE SOME ART MUSEUM OF BOULDER

F

ollowing a four-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Museum of Boulder (2205 Broadway) opens its doors again on Sunday, July 12. Masks are required for all visitors, and enhanced sanitation practices, social distancing protocols and capacity limits will be implemented. The museum will be open Wednesdays, Fridays (including evening hours) and Sundays. The full schedule and entrance requirements are available on the museum website (museumofboulder.org). Current exhibits include: The Boulder Experience, unpacking the roots of Boulder’s reputation and complicating the traditional narrative. Since March, a community-sourced exhibit, featuring materials from around the county, including artwork from Boulder Community Health, photographs and showing the quiet streets of Boulder during the lockdown. Archive 75, a deep dive into Boulder’s past using artifacts from the Museum’s extensive collection Playzeum, with its rainbow forest, cabinet of curiosities, and hands-on building activities, encourages younger visitors to imagine and experiment.

‘SCRAPTOPIA:’ Live Exhibit of Mixed Media Art by Kit Hernandez. Bricolage Gallery at Art Parts Creative Reuse Center, 2860 Bluff St., Boulder, ArtPartsBoulder.org Kit Hernandez is a long-time Denver artist and Art Students League of Denver instructor whose art conveys a playful sense of experimentation. Her work combines her talents in drawing, sculpture and assemblage to produce art that is fearless, surprisingly varied and sometimes raw, often referencing social justice issues and her Chicano heritage. This is a free, live exhibit that children and adults will enjoy. Masks are required. Bricolage Gallery is open Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and Wednesdays noon-7 p.m.

We’re excited to welcome you back for “Social D” sushi, drinks & more in our dining room and extended patios. Make your reservation today at boulderjapango.com CURBSIDE PICKUP

BOULDER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Not venturing out yet? You can still pick up your Japango favorites. Just call in your order and we’ll bring it out to you.*

BMoCA is now open a limited number of days each week (Wednesdays and Fridays, 1-7 p.m.). This schedule is subject to change, and updates can be found at bmoca.org. Visitors will be limited to 10 every 30 minutes, and masks and social STACEY STEERS, PHANTOM distancing will be required. Cash will not be CANYON (DETAIL OF COLLAGE accepted as a form of payment. For more USED IN FILM). details please visit bmoca.org/programs/ public. Exhibitions on view:

‘NIGHT REELS’: The Work of Stacey Steers – Exhibition in the West and Union Works galleries extended to July 26

MARGARETTA GILBOY: ‘Flying in the Hands of Time: A Retrospective’ – Exhibition in the East gallery extended to July 26

STEVEN FROST: ‘Helen & Alice at the Museum’ – Exhibition outdoors in the

D E L I V E RY

Everything you love is also available for delivery. U B E R E AT S | D O O R DA S H | G R U B H U B

MENU

BoulderJapango.com HOURS & PHONE

Daily: 11am–10pm +1 303 938 0330 Thank you for your continued support of our Japango family. It means the world to us!

InsideOut exhibition space

JOEL SWANSON: ‘OPEN’ – Commissioned installation in museum’s entryway BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

*Sake, beer, wine & cocktails available for curbside pickup with valid ID.

JULY 9, 2020

I

17


‘ORCHID WITH TWO HUMMINGBIRDS’ (1871) BY MARTIN JOHNSON HEADE PUBLIC DOMAIN

War of the Hummingbirds by Kevin EM Rodgers

Open Range Competition Teams Summer Day Camps Classes & Private Lessons

Target & Hunting Full Service Retail Pro Shop & Service Recurve & Compound

High Altitude Archery

begins in silence…ends in silence like inhaling/exhaling once the violence vague, barely implied colors shed tangential red and green mist of subtle implication animated peripheral vision barely spied... the battle rages like giggling and akimbo posture flutter as tie dyed cotton feather missiles shot flying not at so much at but backward and away simultaneously attack and retreat in one blurred motion then over again barely perceived done and over just that fast the great conflict of the hummingbirds is a flash leaves all the feeders intact and the nectar flowers laughing out loud the battlefield smells of honey in the aftermath everything is happy and alive for the first time in awhile leaves all the feeders intact, and the world growing some more after the brief pastel explosion of a hummingbird war.

455 Weaver Park Rd #500 Longmont, CO 80501 720-491-3309

All his life, Kevin EM Rodgers has wondered why he’s alive and if there is a point to it. He’s inspired by science, philosophy and his own experiences in attempt to make some sense of it all.

18

I

JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER WEEKLY


A24

Unexpected capitalism on the Oregon Trail

Gentle humor and acute observations in ‘First Cow’

by Michael J. Casey

H

is name is Figowitz, but everyone calls him “Cookie.” It fits him well. Not only is he the cook for this outfit of beaver trappers traipsing through 19th-century Oregon Territory, but “Cookie” also captures his sweet and gentle nature. When Cookie goes looking for food, he comes back mostly with nuts, berries and mushrooms. When he comes across a salamander wrong-side-up, he gently rights the creature, letting him go about his business. And when it comes time to milk a cow, Cookie does so gently, softly talking to her with a casual, conversational tone. When he asks her about her day, you half expect she’s going to answer back. Her name is Evie, and she’s the first cow to find herself in the Oregon Territory. The prized possession of Chief Factor (Toby Jones), a wealthy landowner in this soggy muck. How Cookie (John Magaro) got here is anyone’s guess. He once was an indentured servant to a baker in Boston, which is how he learned his skill. That’s not a skill many in these parts have, and King Lu (Orion Lee) quickly finds a way to capitalize. How Lu ended up in these parts is another toss-up. Like the country they call home, origin stories are complicated and often unsavory. What matters most is the present and what you do with it. And what they do is sell: Oily cakes, hot and fresh biscuit/donuts that remind the trappers of grandma’s cooking. When Factor bites into one, he’s transported back to England. One bite is enough to know he’s got something special in his hands. The same can be said of First Cow, BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

the seventh feature ON THE BILL: from writer/director ‘First Cow’ is Kelly Reichardt, and available On her fifth collaboration Demand starting July 10. with writer Jonathan Raymond. Working from Raymond’s novel, The Half-Life, Reichardt and Raymond spin something as delicate and delicious as Cookie’s oily cakes. And those oily cakes don’t even show up until 30-plus minutes in. But when they do, you realize the story Reichardt and Raymond are telling. And it’s a funny one at that: From acquiring raw materials to the market of supply and demand, from the tyranny of growth to the promise of wealth. It’s the rise and fall of American capitalism, all contained in one little oily cake. Marago and Lee excel in their roles — you believe their friendship from start to finish. Same with this world: Christopher Blauvelt’s camera remains low to the ground, constantly shrouded by foliage and fauna. The square Academy framing further keeps the movie from looking overly cinematic and presents each character as a figure eternally out of place. And they should, none of them belong. Even the Native Americans Factor entertains or keeps as servants are dressed in Western wear. There’s good fun in First Cow even if, in the end, it’s still tragic. Despite Cookie’s skills and Lu’s business acumen, First Cow is a cutting reminder that though free enterprise appears open to all, only a few get to play the game. No matter how good the indentured servant and the Chinese refugee’s oily cakes are. I

Summer Promo 10% off purchase Code: July10 (Expires 7.15.20)

Shop Local

Save on local dining, entertainment, retail and wellness.

bestofboulderdeals.kostizi.com

JULY 9, 2020

I

19


Authentic NYC BAGELS in Colorado

S OUTHWEST A CUPUNCTURE C OLLEGE B OULDER

ANTE

FE

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 2020 SESSIONS Flexible online classes embedded within an accredited Master’s residential program Transfer Students Welcome. Call us today for more information or explore on our website.

LAFAYETTE 489 US Highway 287 303.665.5918 LONGMONT Prospect Village 1940 Ionosphere, Ste. D 303.834.8237

GOLDEN on Route 93 303.279.1481 BOULDER at Meadows Shopping Center 303.554.0193

25% OFF

the purchase of a Big Daddy Club Mug, & get FREE COFFEE REFILLS EVERY MONDAY WITH THE MUG

Contact us for Take Out orders!

OF COUNTY 2020 WINNER

OF COUNTY 2020 WRITE-IN

20

I

JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


ships back when there was very little information about gay cuckolds online, CUCKGIRL, much less gay cuckold porn or other resources. In fact, Dear Dan: I’m a lesbian in a longthere was once so little info online or term relationship. After much conversaanywhere else about gay cuckolds that tion with my partner we’ve decided to many people — myself included — explore cuckolding role-play together. weren’t convinced that gay cuckolding I’m not comfortable bringing another person into the relationship — especially was actually a thing. Cuckolding wasn’t a thing in right now — but I am willing to explore Thomas’s marriage at the start. “Total this as a fantasy. The thing is, I’m havmonogamy had always been the plan,” ing a hard time figuring out how to do it. There’s not a lot of info out there on how said Thomas. “But I got interested after seeing some straight cuckold porn. I to engage in cuck role-play, especially immediately identified with the cuck but I between two women. Could you point was too embarrassed to bring it up with me in the right direction here so we can have some fun while remaining monoga- my husband because it went against our vision of our marriage but also because mous? I only ever saw cuckolding represented —Couldn’t Undergo Cuckolding in straight porn.” Raising awareness of Kink’s Glories In Real Life gay cuckolds — and representing gay Dear CUCKGIRL: “You can definite- cuckold relationships — motivated ly introduce cuckolding themes and even Thomas to start his blog. So if you’re not finding anything out there about lesbian a cuck identity into your cuckolding, CUCKGIRL, ROMAN ROBINSON relationship while remainperhaps you could borrow ing monogamous,” said a page from Thomas’s Thomas, a married gay playbook and create the man and former cuck content and resources you blogger whose husband would like to see. has cucked him many Sadly, Thomas’s gay times IRL. “In fact, many cuckolding blog is no cuckold relationships are more. His was just one of monogamous and cucking the many sex blogs — remains in the fantasy deeply personal passion realm.” projects, one and all — Thomas even sees his that were lost forever after relationship as monogathe geniuses who ran mous — at least on his Tumblr decided to purge adult content side. “The definition of monogamy varies from their platform. In a matter of days greatly for each couple,” said Thomas, Tumblr saw its traffic fall by one-third “and I do consider myself monogamous and its value crater. Yahoo paid $1.1 bilbecause I’m the cuck and so I don’t technically have sex with other guys. My lion to acquire Tumblr back 2013 but six husband does. I just get to watch some- years and one porn purge later the site sold for just $20 million — less than 2% times.” Let me quickly define terms for read- of what Tumblr was worth when it still hosted Thomas’s gay cuckolding blog. ers who somehow missed the 300 other (The moral of this story: Don’t fuck with columns I’ve written about cuckolding gay cuckolds.) over the years: A cuckold relationship is Thomas thinks it’s entirely possible a one-sided open relationship where one for you and your partner to enjoy lesbipartner is free to have sex with other an cuckolding fantasies while keeping people while the other partner remains your relationship monogamous on both faithful. What distinguishes a cuckold sides. Indeed, that’s what Thomas and relationship from your standard open his husband did for many years. “My relationship where one person doesn’t husband and I started playing around care to sleep around is the element of with cuckold fantasies several years humiliation. In most cuckold relationinto our marriage and it remained a hot ships, GUCKGIRL, the cuck — the person who remains faithful — enjoys being role-play fantasy for a long time,” said Thomas. “It was fun, it was sexy, and it teased or mocked by their “unfaithful” improved our ability to communicate partner; sometimes the “unfaithful” partwith each other about sex in general.” ner’s lover or lovers, usually referred to They kept their fantasy play simple at as “bulls,” participates in the erotic first — for example, his husband would humiliation of the cuck partner. talk about a guy he found hot while Thomas created a popular Tumblr Thomas blew him or Thomas would blog about gay male cuckold relation-

BY DAN SAVAGE

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

tease his husband about a sexy new coworker of his that he knew his husband had a crush on. They would use insertion toys and pretend they were other guys’ dicks and only gradually did they introduce some humiliating dirty talk into their cuckold role-play talk, and then only as Thomas’s husband became more comfortable with the idea of humiliating him. “Making use of cam sites is also a great way to explore if you’re comfortable with that level of monogamish,” said Thomas. “If you’re a cuck like me, watching your partner perform for someone else is incredibly erotic.” A more monogamous way to explore cuckolding without opening the relationship — not even a crack — is simply to ask your partner to tell you about her past sexual encounters. Listening to your partner talk about hot experiences she had with other women while you masturbate or while you two fuck is a great way to explore cuckolding without actually opening up your relationship. You’ll be bringing people up, CUCKGIRL, not bringing them in. “But just as a gay cuckold couple’s fantasies aren’t identical to a straight couple’s cuckold fantasies, a lesbian couple’s fantasies aren’t going to be the same either,” said Thomas. “CUCKGIRL and her partner just have to find their own way. But the most important thing is to keep communicating. Always communicate! If a particular form of role-play isn’t working, tell your partner. And give each other veto powers and go easy on yourself. Cuckolding is a fantasy that plays with your fears around monogamy and infidelity — it can be very hot but it can be scary too. So take it slow.” Like a lot of sex bloggers who were kicked off Tumblr, Thomas migrated over to Twitter, where he currently has more than 13,000 followers. His handle on Twitter is @gaycuckoldhubby. Dear Dan: I often masturbate thinking about the straight boy who wakes up in female underwear, tied up, gagged and pegged by a female. Is there a name for this fantasy? —Good And Simple Pervert

Adam Sloat Broker/Owner

Your Boulder Real Estate Expert and Music Guy

LOW DOWN PAYMENT HOMEBUYER INSIGHT: Q&A WITH MY MORTGAGE BROKER FRIEND PHIL

Question: Hey Phil, any special insight for Boulder County homebuyers?

Answer: It is possible to now purchase a home with very little down payment, you are able to borrow 101% of the purchase price so that the required cash to close is small. Please just make sure to focus on maintaining high credit scores. – Phil Zajicek, Premier Mortgage Group

Dear GASP: I can’t give you a name — a name for this sequence of events and mélange of kinks — but I know plenty of professional female dominants that would be happy to give you an estimate. On the Savage Lovecast: Do not miss the Planned Parenthood show! Send questions to mail@savagelove. net, follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage and visit ITMFA.org. JULY 9, 2020

720-466-8212 adam@adamsloat.com www.westwaterrealty.com I

21


Once Again Serving Up The Food You Crave

SEATING INDOORS & OUT! Curb-Side Pick-Up via 303.604.6351 or Doordash or Grub Hub

fresh, authentic, tasty japanese food

Prettiest Patio In Boulder County

[

Open 8:00am - 8:00pm Wednesday - Sunday

BOTTOMLESS WINE WEDNESDAYS 4-8pm MORNINGGLORYCAFE | 1377 FOREST PARK CIRCLE, LAFAYETTE | 303.604.6351

S I M P L E

|

L O C A L

S AT & SU N 9 AM - 2 PM 22

I

|

]

AUTHENTIC JAPANESE CUISINE

FA R M

T O

LUNCH Tue-Fri, 11:30am – 1:30pm DINNER Tue-Thu & Sun 5pm–8:15pm Fri-Sat 5pm – 8:45pm. Closed Monday Follow us on instagram: Sushiyoshilouisville

TA B L E

TUE-SUN 4:30PM-8PM JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER WEEKLY


BOULDER WEEKLY

TRY THIS WEEK: Almond Coconut Danish @ Shamane’s Bakery and Cafe JUST TRY TO WALK

into Shamane’s Bakery and Cafe, a cozy spot nestled in a plaza behind the old Boulder Beer location, and leave without ordering something. The pastries on display are stunning — from sweet galettes to pot pies, cookies, croissants and much more. A recent visit led us to the almond coconut Danish; its lightly caramelized edges crunch easily and give way to flaky pastry. And that’s just the edge of the Danish — inside there are slivers of toasted coconut and almond atop a sweet, irresistible almond-forward custard.

SHAMANE’S BAKERY AND CAFE. 2825 Wilderness Place, Suite 800, Boulder, 303-417-9338, shamanesbakery. com

2

1 Drink this: Busey Brews’ Tropical Staycation Juicy IPA A) You’re not going anywhere this summer. B) Beerin’ just ain’t what it used to be. Every brewery in Boulder County is trying to stay afloat, and some are doing it better than others. Busey Brews in Nederland is doing it better than most. Their food menu is as robust as ever, and their beer selection is fresh and delicious. Their latest addition, Tropical Staycation Juicy IPA, is a beauty: Hazy yellow in the glass, fresh fruit on the nose and loads of stone fruit in the mouth. The bitterness is subdued, but there’s plenty of malt to hold up to whatever’s on the table. It’s a summer void of vacations, but Busey’s brews make life a little brighter. See page 25 for more.

Jacaranda x Arcana Pop-up Experience the splendid mashup of Jacaranda and Arcana this week only (through July 11). Modou Jaiteh brings an expanded menu of West African dishes (and food born out of the African diaspora) from his stall at Rosetta Hall to Arcana, for sit-down or take-out meals. Dishes include oleleh (smoked eggplant, palm oil, black-eyed peas and habanero all steamed in a banana leaf), fried fish yassa (bone-in snapper steak with yassa onions, confit garlic and pikliz (a Haitian relish), and sides like succotash and fruit-forward, seasonal salads. To reserve a dine-in spot or place a take-out order, follow directions on arcanarestaurant.com.

High end quality meats Catering also available

2426 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder 303-443-0596 www.kalitagrill.com BOULDER WEEKLY

I

JULY 9, 2020

I

23


Boulder’s Local Music Shop Since 1971 Shop online at hbwoodsongs.com for no contact pickup or free local delivery (on purchases over $20). Open to customers or for pick-up with these new hours of operations: Mon.-Sat. 12-5 pm Sun. 12-4 pm

3101 28th St, Tebo Plaza, Boulder

303.449.0516

1085 S Public Rd. Lafayette (303) 665-0666 Hours: Tues. Weds. Thurs. Sun 11am - 9pm Fri. Sat 11am - 9:30pm

hbwoodsongs.com

Thank You for Voting us Best Asian Fusion

Restaurant

Closed Monday

24

I

2016

JULY 9, 2020

I

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE


Tour de brew: Busey Brews Beer and barbecue at 8,228 feet

by Michael J. Casey MICHAEL J. CASEY

N

ederland’s newest brewery isn’t even a year old, and it’s already a winner. At least that’s what Boulder Weekly Best Of voters think: The brewpub with a barbecue emphasis was the top write-in vote-getter for Best Nederland Restaurant — which is nothing to sneeze at considering it’s only been open for 10 months, two of them in a pandemic. Frankly, it’s a surprise Busey Brews didn’t also get writein acclaim for Best Wings or Best Mac ‘N’ Cheese. Well, the latter isn’t a category (yet), but they should have netted both. The wings are plump and juicy, smoked with a good bit of char, and then sluiced in your choice of sauce — the buffalo reigns supreme, but the Nashville hot is no slouch, and the mac ‘n’ cheese sports oversized elbow macaroni drenched in gooey, life-affirming cheese. Wash it all down with a slug of Tropical Staycation Juicy IPA (see page 23), and the summer of social distancing just got a lot more tolerable. Enough of the food, we’re here to discuss beer and Busey’s brews shine bright like a diamond. They offer five (and a house-brewed kombucha) and are one of the few breweries around still doing flights, which is the way to go if this is your first rodeo. Follow Busey’s suggestion and start with Mango Kölsch-al Distancing. Hailing from Cologne, Germany, Kölsches are similar to Bavarian lagers except that they are fermented with ale yeast, which produces delightful and fruity aromas. Busey kicks it up with mango, giving

the beer a tropicality without overrunning the base malt, which is what you want when you reach for a Kölsch. It’s wonderfully bright, has enough alcohol (6.1% ABV) to stand up to heavier meats and cheeses, and plenty of sweet malt to coat and cool the tongue if you’ve got a heavy hand when it comes to the hot sauce bottle. If Looks Could Pilz is a traditional take on a Pilsner: light and lean with peppery hops. Hambone IPA is a welcome approach to a West Coast India pale ale: Amber in color, dank on the nose with loads of citrus and fleshy fruit, and well balanced in the mouth. If I Had a Midnight Lager is dark in the glass, semi-sweet chocolate chips in the mouth, with a refreshing finish. What’s more, all of Busey’s brews are fresh and vibrant, which is not something you’re guaranteed at every restaurant and brewery these days. Practically everyone in the food service business runs on thin margins, and many of them couldn’t afford to dump their beer, even if waiting out the shutdown pushed them past their prime. Not the case here; all of Busey’s brews are smallbatch — as of this writing, they’ve brewed 2,654 gallons, or a little over 63 barrels — and each beer is numbered accordingly (Tropical Staycation appears to be the most recent at BB-22). On deck, they have a barrel-aged stout, a Mexican lager, a Berliner weisse, a saison and a double IPA. With a lineup like that, they’re sure to make future noise in Boulder Weekly’s Best Of in the Beer category as well.

Three brewpubs, one location

L

ocated at 70 E. First St., the building housing Busey Brews has a storied history in the town of Nederland. The building itself was built in 2006; at the time, the first structure built in over a decade. Its first occupants, Cori and Tom Boogaard, opened the Wild Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery after Tom’s several stints in the brewing industry, including a stop at Avery Brewing Co. (he helped design The Reverend). Success carried over to their Nederland venture, especially when it came to his Hop Diggity IPA. The Boogaards called it quits in September 2016, and two months later, Mark Ruiz and Matty McClyman revamped the place for James Peak Smokehouse & Brewery. In March 2019, they hired Kyle Busey as James Peak’s general manager, and when they decided to sell the place, Busey was right there to scoop the spot up. His brother, Nick, had been a homebrewer since 2018, and with the help of their family, the brothers opened Busey Brews on Oct. 19, 2019.

A MODERN SHRINE TO REGIONAL MEXICAN CUISINE Our kitchen is 100% Gluten Free

CONTACT US FOR TAKE OUT ORDERS!

#EatMoreTacos

SUN l THURS 11am - 9pm l FRI l SAT 11am - 10pm TeocalliCocina.com l 103 N Public Road, Lafayette l 303.284.6597 BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

I

JULY 9, 2020

I

25


H

ere’s the price-tag to bail out the U.S. food industry following the massive disruption caused by the pandemic: $120 billion. To start, at least. On July 2, the newly formed Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), comprised of more than 215 restaurateurs, farmers, brewers, distributors and other pieces of the food supply chain, asked Congress to pass the RESTAURANTS Act, which would provide $120 billion to “small food and beverage establishments facing devastating financial setbacks.” The bill was introduced on June 18 and has bipartisan support, including from Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner. The IRC laid out the toll the pandemic has taken on the food industry

in its July 2 letter: $1 billion of perishable goods were wasted within a week of dining rooms closing; wine sales dropped 67%; spirit sales dropped 75%; seafood sales dropped 80%; and meat processors were forced to euthanize animals. The data shows how the closure of thousands of small restaurants affects every foodrelated industry up the supply chain; it’s why the IRC has the support of small business owners (like Bobby Stuckey), food celebs (like José Andrés and Andrew Zimmern) and food and beverage heavy hitters like Bacardi and Niman Ranch. You can support the cause by sending a letter to Congress via a form on the IRC site: saverestaurants.com/take-action.

A beleaguered food industry asks Congress for help

COURTESY BLACKBELLY/SANTO

Blackbelly/Santo owners build momentum in search for cure

B

B

lackbelly/Santo owner and chef Hosea Rosenberg and his wife, Lauren, found out earlier this year their 3-year-old daughter, Sophie, had a rare genetic disorder, multicentric carpotarsal osteolysis (MCTO). Since, they’ve launched the nonprofit Sophie’s Neighborhood to raise funds to find a cure or treatment. In just the last couple of months, they’ve raised $250,000 of their $2 million goal, which will fund the research needed to find a cure. So, on July 19 (National Ice Cream Day), stop by Lucky’s Bakehouse & Creamery, Blackbelly, Santo, Gelato Boy or Fresh Thymes in Boulder and purchase a designated Sophie’s Ice Cream Social item, and some proceeds will go to Sophie’s Neighborhood. You can also participate in a bake sale organized by Cookies4Cures, a nonprofit started by Boulder 10-year-old Dana Perella, wherein you’ll buy some cookies and proceeds will go to help find a cure for 26

I

City Star brews beer for a good cause

Sophie. All the details on both events can be found at sophiesneighborhood.org/fundraise. And, most importantly, the fundraising so far has enabled the Rosenbergs to make progress on finding a cure — they’ll soon begin a research project with the scientist who discovered the gene that causes MCTO; and after connecting with MCTO patients around the globe, they’re building a patient registry and history study, which is critical to developing treatment. JULY 9, 2020

erthoud’s City Star Brewing has joined nearly 1,000 breweries around the world in brewing beer to support the Black is Beautiful Initiative, an effort to highlight issues of racial injustice and use the brewing industry to raise funds and awareness to effect change. Each brewery in the initiative is asked to “brew a unique stout, commit to the long-term work of equality and choose their own local organizations to donate to that support equality and inclusion.” City Star recently released a blackberry chocolate stout (donning the Black is Beautiful name) on tap and in 16-ounce cans. Twenty percent of the sales of City Star’s Black is Beautiful will be donated to NAACP Denver. Says City Star co-owner Whitney Way of the decision to join in, “We lack diversity. Our community lacks diversity. It’s no secret the craft beer industry lacks diversity. Berthoud is a predominantly white community, where we are often blind to racial injustice and the challenges that people of color face daily. Because of our location we feel even more compelled to brew this beer in support of justice and equality for people of color.”

I

BOULDER WEEKLY


BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES

MARCH 21-APRIL 19: “As beautiful as simplic-

ity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration,” said singer Laura Nyro. This is practical advice for you to heed in the coming weeks. According to my analysis, you’re scheduled to enjoy an extended engagement with rich, fertile complexity. The best teachings won’t be reducible to a few basic lessons; rather, they’ll be rife with soulful nuances. The same is true about the splendid dilemmas that bring you stimulating amusements: They can’t and shouldn’t be forced into pigeonholes. As a general rule, anything that seems easy and smooth and straightforward will probably not be useful. Your power will come from what’s crooked, dense and labyrinthine.

TAURUS

APRIL 20-MAY 20: You may think that playing

heavy metal music and knitting with yarn don’t have much in common. And yet there is an annual contest in Joensuu, Finland, where people with expertise in needlework join heavy metal musicians on stage, plying their craft in rhythm to the beat. The next Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship will be July 15-16, 2021. This year’s event was canceled due to the pandemic. If it had been staged, I bet multiple Tauruses would have been among the top ten competitors. Why? Because you Bulls are at the peak of your ability to combine things that aren’t often combined. You have the potential to excel at making unexpected connections, linking influences that haven’t been linked before, and being successful at comparing apples and oranges.

GEMINI

MAY 21-JUNE 20: In 1848, Danish King Frederick VII

agreed, under pressure from liberal agitators, to relinquish some of his absolute power. Thereafter, he shared his decision-making with a newly formed parliament. He was pleased with this big change because it lightened his workload. “That was nice,” he remarked after signing the new constitution. “Now I can sleep in every morning.” I recommend him to you as an inspirational role model in the coming weeks. What so-called advantages in your life are more boring or burdensome than fun and interesting? Consider the possibility of shedding dubious “privileges” and status symbols.

CANCER

JUNE 21-JULY 22: Cancerian author Mary McCarthy

provides you with a challenge you’ll be wise to relish during the rest of 2020. She writes, “Everyone continues to be interested in the quest for the self, but what you feel when you’re older is that you really must make the self.” McCarthy implies that this epic reorientation isn’t likely until you’ve been on earth for at least four decades. But judging from the astrological omens, I think you’re ready for it now — no matter what your age is. To drive home the point, I’ll say it in different words. Your task isn’t to find yourself, but rather to create yourself. Don’t wait around passively for life to show you who you are. Show life who you are.

LEO

JULY 23-AUG. 22: Some night soon, I predict you’ll have

an agitated dream while you’re asleep: a nightmare that symbolizes an unresolved conflict you’re wrestling with in your waking life. Here’s a possible example: A repulsive politician you dislike may threaten to break a toy you loved when you were a kid. But surprise! There’ll be a happy ending. A good monster will appear in your dream and fix the problem; in my example, the benevolent beast will scare away the politician who’s about to break your beloved toy. Now here’s the great news: In the days after your dream, you’ll solve the conflict you’ve been wrestling with in your waking life.

VIRGO

AUG. 23-SEPT. 22: “Love is the best school, but

the tuition is high and the homework can be painful,” writes author Diane Ackerman. I’m guessing that in recent months, her description has been partially true

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

for you Virgos. From what I can tell, love has indeed been a rigorous school. And the tuition has been rather high. But on the other hand, the homework has been at least as pleasurable as it has been painful. I expect these trends to continue for the foreseeable future. What teachings about intimacy, communion, tenderness and compassion would you like to study next?

LIBRA

SEPT. 23-OCT. 22: “A single feat of daring can alter

the whole conception of what is possible,” wrote Libran novelist Graham Greene. His words can serve as a stirring motto for you in the coming weeks. I sense you’re close to summoning a burst of courage — a bigger supply of audacity than you’ve had access to in a while. I hope you’ll harness this raw power to fuel a daring feat that will expand your conception of what is possible.

SCORPIO

OCT. 23-NOV. 21: “It’s not always easy to tell

the difference between thinking and looking out of the window,” wrote poet Wallace Stevens. That’s a problem you won’t have to worry about anytime soon. The coming weeks will be a favorable phase for you to both think and gaze out the window — as well as to explore all the states in-between. In other words, you’ll have the right and the need to indulge in a leisurely series of dreamy ruminations and meandering fantasies and playful explorations of your deepest depths and your highest heights. Don’t rush the process. Allow yourself to linger in the gray areas and the vast stretches of inner wildness.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV. 22-DEC. 21: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to undertake a transformative vision quest, even if the exigencies of the pandemic require your quest to unfold primarily in your inner realms. The near future will also bring you good fortune if you focus on creating more sacredness in your rhythm and if you make a focused effort to seek out songs, texts, inspirations, natural places, and teachers that infuse you with a reverence for life. I’m trying to help you to see, Sagittarius, that you’re in a phase when you can attract healing synchronicities into your world by deepening your sense of awe and communing with experiences that galvanize you to feel worshipful.

Serving Boulder since 1986

CAPRICORN

DEC. 22-JAN. 19: “To love well is the task in all mean-

ingful relationships, not just romantic bonds.” The author and activist bell hooks wrote that. (She doesn’t capitalize her name.) In accordance with the highest astrological potentials, I’m inviting you Capricorns to be inspired by her wisdom as you upgrade your meaningful relationships during the next six weeks. I think it’s in your self-interest to give them even more focus and respect and appreciation than you already do. Be ingenious as you boost the generosity of spirit you bestow on your allies. Be resourceful as you do this impeccable work in the midst of a pandemic!

AQUARIUS

JAN. 20-FEB. 18: “One-half of knowing what you

want is knowing what you must give up before you get it,” wrote author Sidney Howard. Now would be a perfect time to act on that excellent advice. Is there any obstacle standing in the way of your ability to achieve a beloved dream? Is there a pretty good thing that’s distracting you from devoting yourself wholeheartedly to a really great thing? I invite you to be a bit ruthless as you clear the way to pursue your heart’s desire.

Avoid the hassle of people in your home - consign your furniture and leave the rest to us. Locally Veteran owned Family business.

PISCES

FEB. 19-MARCH 20: Author Ellen Goodman writes,

“The truth is that we can overhaul our surroundings, renovate our environment, talk a new game, join a new club, far more easily than we can change the way we respond emotionally. It is easier to change behavior than feelings about that behavior.” I think she’s correct in her assessment. But I also suspect that you’re in a prime position to be an exception to the rule. In the coming weeks, you will have exceptional power to transform the way you feel — especially if those feelings have previously been based on a misunderstanding of reality and especially if those feelings have been detrimental to your mental and physical health.

I

We sell brand new fully assembled furniture. Now you can see our inventory of new items on our website. GENTLY USED CONSIGNMENT FURNITURE AND NEW FURNITURE SINCE 1986

USEDFURNITUREBOULDER.COM JULY 9, 2020

I

27


Time’s up, stoners. Please hand in your petitions now. By Paul Danish

F

or months, marijuana activists have been circulating petitions to put recreational and medical marijuana initiatives on various states’ ballots. Deadlines for handing in initiative petitions tend to fall in June and July, and as a result, activists in Arizona, Nebraska and Montana submitted their petitions recently. Here’s how they made out: Arizona. In 2016, Arizona voters defeated a recreational marijuana ballot initiative, in part because of disagreements between rival pro-legalization factions. This year, supporters united behind Smart & Safe Arizona’s proposal, which needed 237,645 valid signatures to make it onto the ballot. Last week (on July 1), they turned in that many plus an additional 182,000, which works out to a total of more than — wait for it — 420,000. Sounds like they were trying to say, “We came to play.” The initiative would legalize recreational pot for those 21 and older. They could possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time and cultivate up to six plants. Marijuana sales would be taxed at 16%. People with prior pot convictions could petition the courts to have them expunged. A poll taken in early June found that 66% of those surveyed either definitely or probably intended to vote for the initiative. Fun fact: If the initiative passes, Arizona would be the first state with legal recreational marijuana to share a common border with Colorado. Well after a fashion, anyway. The northeast tip of Arizona and the southwest tip of Colorado touch (along with the southeast tip of Utah and the northwest tip of New Mexico)

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

at Four Corners. Think of the Arizona-Colorado “line” as Colorado’s shortest state border. Nebraska. Nebraska activists circulating a medical marijuana initiative petition needed 121,669 valid signatures to get on the November ballot, including 5% of the voters in a minimum of 38 counties. On July 2, they handed in petitions containing more than 182,000 names. “We are confident that we’ve met the requirements for ballot qualification, and after seeing the outpouring of support for our petition, we’re even more confident that Nebraska voters will approve this initiative in November,” said State Senator Anna Wishart (D), co-chair of the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign committee in a press release. If passed, the initiative would allow doctors to recommend marijuana to patients with debilitating conditions. Those patients would be allowed to possess, buy and “discreetly” cultivate marijuana for personal use. The signature-gathering campaign involved a lot of drama. For a while it was suspended due to the pandemic, but was re-launched in May with social distancing protocols, and one-use pens, in place. While most of the signatures were collected by paid canvassers, 33,000 were gotten by volunteers, included 14,000 in the last two and a half weeks of the drive. The campaign also registered more than 5,000 new voters. Montana. A couple of weeks ago, Montana activists turned in signatures for two initiatives, one for a statutory initiative to legalize recreational marijuana,

I

JULY 9, 2020

and the second a constitutional amendment stating that one had to be 21 or older to participate in a legal marijuana business. (Currently the state constitution would allow 18-year-olds to participate.) The statutory initiative needed roughly 25,000 valid signatures to get on the ballot. Supporters handed in roughly 52,000 names. The constitutional amendment needed about 51,000 signatures. It got about 80,000. “We’ve overcome a global pandemic, wildfires, floods, hail, snow and hurricane force winds,” said Pepper Petersen, a spokesperson for New Approach Montana. “Our campaign implemented strict health protocols and worked around the clock so that Montana voters could sign our petitions safely and qualify these popular initiatives for the November ballot.” Toward the end of the petition drive, the campaign snagged the endorsement of the Montana Democratic Party. Given the number of signatures collected in all three states, odds are good that voters in Arizona, Nebraska and Montana will be voting on marijuana legalization initiatives this fall. So will voters in South Dakota, where separate recreational and medical marijuana legalization initiatives were successfully petitioned onto the state ballot earlier this year. Mississippi activists also succeeded in getting a medical marijuana initiative onto that state’s ballot months ago. And New Jersey voters will cast their ballots for a recreational marijuana question that was put on the ballot by the state’s legislature. Supporters of all the initiatives should keep in mind that getting on the ballot is the easy part. The hard part is getting the voters to approve the measures, especially if there’s organized opposition. Getting on the ballot is like winning the right to get in the ring with a 500-pound gorilla. Still, it’s a big step in the right direction.

I

29


$99

Mix & Match

Ounces

HAPPY

710 BOULDER!

$69 4G NUHI

LIVE RESIN $45 4G NUHI SUGAR WAX & SHATTER TRY OUR NEW LIVE RESIN CARTS!

$5.00 PRE-ROLLS $7.00 KIEF PRE-ROLLS TRY OUR AWARDWINNING VAPE CARTRIDGE! Text JOIN THC to (720) 513-3543 for Deals and Promotions

2 FOR $50 NUHI LIVE RESIN CARTS

10% OFF TERP PEN OR

NUHI DAB MAT WITH CONCENTRATE PURCHASE

$4.00 BUTANE

WITH CONCENTRATE PURCHASE ORDER ONLINE WITH OUR LIVE MENU

www.thchealth.com

OUR FLOWER OUR QUALITY YOUR LOW PRICES Rec 21+ Happy Hour: Tues-Sat 8-9 am/pm, Sun & Mon all day long!

537 Canyon Blvd. Boulder, CO ALL SALES VALID 7/9/20 - 7/12/20


Help Wanted The Health Center, an award winning dispensary, is hiring for a Full Time Budtender at our Boulder location! We are looking for a highly motivated and dependable person with a MED Support or Key Badge. 21+. Prior experience preferred, but not necessary. Hourly +Tips. Please send a copy of your MED badge and resume to

ALL TOP SHELF BUDS. NO STRAIN RESTRICTIONS. ONE TIER PRICING.

We are all about

ORDER ONLINE WITH OUR LIVE MENU - WWW.THCHEALTH.COM

Available Now!

VALID JULY 9 - JULY 12

537 Canyon Blvd. Boulder, CO • 720-532-8664 • www.thchealth.com • 21+

Apartments at Winter Park Base with Village access. Available units: studio, two bedroom, two bedroom plus den. $1500 - $3500 970-531-7670 Chillrentalwinterparkcolorado.com Chillwinterparkcolorado@gmail.com

See our ad below

“Cannabis Corner” on page 29

Award-winning seafood, affordable! Dine-in and Patio seating and Take-out with Curbside delivery now available. Locally-owned, Independent.

Cleanest Artisan Cannabis & Extracts Naturally-grown award winning flower since 2009

(720) 630-8053 • 11am-9pm

Atlas Valley Center, SW corner of Arapahoe and 95th

www.eatreelfish.com

Celebrating 710 Day ALL MONTH LONG! Check out Boulder’s best selection of concentrates today. 5420 Arapahoe • Unit F • 303.442.2565 • www.boulderwc.com Now open til 8p Thurs, 9p Fri & Sat, 6p Sun, 7p Mon-Wed

Met Your Soul Drum Yet? HAND DRUMS, DRUM SETS, AND LESSONS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES.

PEARL STREET MALL - BOULDER 303.444.1564

HELPINGHANDSDISPENARY.C0M

$25 OFF All Recreational Ounces! 20% OFF Canyon Cultivation! LYONS

Order Online - Quick, Easy Curbside Pickup

BUDDEPOTDISPENSARY.COM


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Boulder Weekly 7.9.2020 by Boulder Weekly - Issuu