"It’s all for education. Both my dad and mom were deprived of education, so he worked hard in the mountains."

Said Tenzing Sherpa, the eldest son of the famed Everest guide Apa Sherpa, quoted in "'I See No Future': Sherpas Leave the Job They Made Famous/Perils of the job and a scant safety net are pushing climbing guides to leave the industry and ensure the next generation has other options" (NYT).

Apa Sherpa, 63, moved, with his family, to Utah in 2006. Tenzing Sherpa is an accountant at a biotech firm.

How many young Utahns dream of working as mountain guides and would never consider becoming an accountant?

Here are 5 TikToks to amuse you tonight. Let me know what you liked best.

1. A short philosophy movie.

2. Passing people on hikes.

3. Elvis, without the music.

4. The amazing geography of Utah — Part 1 and Part 2.

5. Death bed.

"If the Great Salt Lake, which has already shrunk by two-thirds, continues to dry up, here’s what’s in store..."

"The lake’s flies and brine shrimp would die off — scientists warn it could start as soon as this summer — threatening the 10 million migratory birds that stop at the lake annually to feed on the tiny creatures. Ski conditions at the resorts above Salt Lake City, a vital source of revenue, would deteriorate. The lucrative extraction of magnesium and other minerals from the lake could stop. Most alarming, the air surrounding Salt Lake City would occasionally turn poisonous. The lake bed contains high levels of arsenic and as more of it becomes exposed, wind storms carry that arsenic into the lungs of nearby residents, who make up three-quarters of Utah’s population. 'We have this potential environmental nuclear bomb that’s going to go off if we don’t take some pretty dramatic action,' said Joel Ferry, a Republican state lawmaker and rancher who lives on the north side of the lake....  In theory, the fix is simple: Let more water from melting snowpack reach the lake, by sending less toward homes, businesses and farms. But metropolitan Salt Lake City has barely enough water to support its current population. And it is expected to grow almost 50 percent by 2060...."

The NYT reports.

"After Mitt Romney was photographed drinking a Diet Coke while running for president in 2012, the church posted a statement on its website clarifying its stance on caffeine, saying it 'does not prohibit the use of caffeine.'"

"The Word of Wisdom, the church’s health code, specifically bans hot caffeinated drinks, like coffee and tea. Brant Ellsworth, an associate professor at Central Penn College in Summerdale, Pa., specializes in the history of the church. He said that its clarification about caffeine did not likely spur the popularity of soda shops in Utah... 'Moms can’t function without caffeinated beverages,' said Ms. Durfey, a mother of two. 'We’re exhausted... I don’t know a single mom who cannot [sic] go through the day without some form of caffeine. I think that has definitely aided in the popularity of soda shops, because L.D.S. women can’t have coffee, they can’t drink alcohol. So their vice of getting that relaxation, that energy, and that whole kind of ritual I guess you could say — I feel like soda is their only option.'... As a nod to her hometown, Atlanta, Olivia Diaz, who is 27 and lives in Orem, Utah, likes to order Life’s a Peach — Dr Pepper with peach and vanilla syrup flavorings, and half-and-half to make it 'extra dirty.' (The term 'dirty' refers to the flavor add-ins, and its use in marketing was the basis of a 2015 trademark lawsuit, when Swig sued Sodalicious.)... Many of the dirty sodas, which come in sizes up to 44 ounces, can contain up to 1,000 calories."

From "In the Mountain West, the ‘Dirty’ Soda Rush Is On/With locations now numbering in the hundreds, regional soda-shop chains are spreading far beyond Utah, where they first found popularity" (NYT).

The second-highest-rated comment over there is: "I’m not usually a humorless scold, but this is not a good thing. Completely empty calories, mountains of probably not biodegradable waste, and cutesy names/flavors tailored to an eight year old. I’ll stick with plain old water, and a glass of wine before bed. But then, I’m a grown up. And don’t get me started on 'The Church.' Cheers."

Believe the science... of astrology.

The Salt Lake County Health Department gives us this:

Now that Mercury is not in retrograde, we're just going to leave this here...

(and yes, this is based on data) pic.twitter.com/fOxBHaDPvY

— Salt Lake Health (@SaltLakeHealth) October 19, 2021

Is that okay because it's sort of a joke or all in good fun or a possibly effective way to stimulate a competition to get your group to win? But it reinforces superstition and channels people into fantasy, and it might cause some people to become more resistant to getting the vaccination. It's easy to imagine a Scorpio identifying with a rebel image and leaning into it.

I got there via The Washington Post, which has a headline that isn't grounded in science but is perfectly supportive of astrology believers: "What does your star sign say about your covid vaccination status? One Utah county crunched the numbers. Leos are apparently most likely to be vaccinated, and Scorpios the least. An astrologer weighs in."

I know WaPo will defend itself by claiming astrology is just for fun and it's a relaxing diversion from all the sad news. And surely its readers know astrology isn't science. They can dabble in astrology and then get back to following real science. 

From WaPo:

Monopffft.

The mysterious metal monolith that was found last week in the Utah desert has vanished. https://t.co/tUFYRCfhe0

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 29, 2020

I question whether the monolith has vanished. If you're with me in a room, then you leave and come back a week later, and I am not there, it would be a gross failure to follow Occam's Razor to say that I had "vanished." In all likelihood, I walked out, and I continue to exist. I've gone somewhere else. You just don't know where. The question is who extracted the 10-foot-tall steel slab from its precisely hewn hole in the rock and where have they taken it. 

My guess is that the same art installation folk who set it up in the first place have precision-cut a new hole and moved the slab to a new place so the process of discovering the "monolith" can happen once again. I assume the thing is still in the Utah desert, in a new and different location.

First, there is a monolith/Then there is no monolith/Then there is.

The performance art continues. Perhaps you'll be the one hiking around the Utah desert who'll discover the new location.

It makes me think of the old "Traveling Gnome prank":

"The Angel Moroni statue atop the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lost his trumpet in an earthquake Wednesday."

CNN reports.

The Salt Lake Temple, dedicated in 1893, was the first temple topped with Angel Moroni, according to the church. The 12-foot-5-inch statue, made of copper and gold leaf, stands on a stone ball atop the 210-foot central spire on the east side of the temple....

The church teaches that Moroni was an ancient prophet who led Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith, to the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Moroni's horn, the church says, symbolizes spreading the message of the restoration of Christianity that Mormons believe was begun by Smith....

At the Circular Café...

... you can frame your observations carefully.

The photo is by Meade, from a couple weeks ago when we were at Arches National Park. And, since this is a café (i.e., an open thread), it's an occasion to remind you that you can show your support for this blog by using the Althouse Portal when you shop at Amazon. The "Althouse Portal" link is always in the banner.

A walk in the park in Moab.

And a street-corner sculpture of a dandelion...



(Photos from a week ago.)

Music in Moab.

We're home now, but we drove into Moab, Utah last Wednesday, had a nice dinner at La Sal House, noticed a poster advertising free bluegrass music later that evening, went for a walk, and just happened upon the music venue, Moab Backyard Theater...



... as the show was about to begin. So we went in and took a chance...



Great! The band was Quicksand Soup. Here's how they looked and sounded on the same stage a few days before we heard them.

They didn't do "Rock of Ages" the day we were there. My favorite song they played was "Sixteen Tons." Here's their studio recording of "Sixteen Tons."

From the Wikipedia article on "Sixteen Tons":

"Sixteen Tons" is a song written by Merle Travis about a coal miner, based on life in coal mines in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.... The line "You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt" came from a letter written by Travis's brother John. Another line came from their father, a coal miner, who would say: "I can't afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store."

Merle Travis got some fantastic letters! The brother even provided the rhyme. I'm impressed.

Now, I'm reading more about Merle Travis. What were his other songs? Well, one was "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" (listen here). Travis seems to have been a master of found text. Not only did he get those "16 Tons" lines from letters, he got "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" from the writing on a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes:

The slogan "So round, so firm, so fully packed, so free and easy on the draw" was used in the Lucky Strike brand cigarette advertising of the time.

The song also uses the slogans "I'd walk a mile" (from Camel cigarettes), "Just ask the man who owns one" (from Packard automobiles), and "The Pause that Refreshes" (from Coca-Cola).

ADDED: Here's a Lucky Strike commercial from 1948 where you'll hear the slogan: [VIDEO DELETED]

That's very amusing, but please don't smoke! As President Trump says...



"Never take drugs. Don't drink alcohol. Don't smoke. Enjoy your life."

"Orrin Hatch, Utah Senator, to Retire, Opening Path for Mitt Romney" — but Does Mitt Romney live in Utah?

The headline is in the NYT, which says:

Mr. Hatch, 83, was under heavy pressure from Mr. Trump to seek re-election and block Mr. Romney, who has been harshly critical of the president....

Mr. Hatch’s decision clears the way for the political resurrection of Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee who is now a Utah resident and is popular in the Mormon-heavy state. Mr. Romney has told associates he would likely run if Mr. Hatch retires.

“It would be difficult to defeat Mitt Romney if he were running here,” said David Hansen, a longtime Utah Republican strategist and chairman of Mr. Hatch’s political organization.

I associate Romney with Massachusetts, but that says he's a Utah resident. And here's a WaPo article from 2015, "Romney, ahead of 2016 run, now calls Utah home, talks openly about Mormon influence."

After losing two straight presidential races, Mitt Romney packed up his home in Massachusetts and journeyed west to Utah, building a mansion here in the foothills of the Wasatch Range that has served as his sanctuary from defeat....

“He feels very at home here,” said John Miller, a close friend in Utah who has been talking with Romney throughout his recent deliberations. “This is a very prayerful thing. . . . In the end, it’s really a decision between he [sic] and Ann and their belief system, their God. That’s the authentic Mitt.”...

In Holladay, an upscale suburb of Salt Lake City, the Romneys have built a manse complete with a “secret door” hideaway room and an outdoor spa off the master bath. They consider it their primary residence, near their son Josh and his wife and children.

Together with another family, the Romneys also bought an 8,700-square-foot ski chalet in nearby Park City. They still own a lakefront estate in Wolfeboro, N.H., and a beach home in the La Jolla area of San Diego, which made news in 2012 because of planned renovations that include a car elevator. Last year, the Romneys sold their Boston-area condo; they stay at Tagg’s Belmont, Mass., home when they visit....

ADDED:

First screenshot: 3:12 PM EST today

Second screenshot: 5:45 PM EST today

See if you can spot the difference. pic.twitter.com/OuxM7sc2cd

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 2, 2018

At the Phantom Rock...

... there's one more chance to talk.

Another photo from Arches National Park. March 10th. There's no person in this photo, but I see a human image in it.

Also: please think of using The Althouse Amazon Portal if you have shopping to do.

At the Narrow Gate Café...

... you can talk about anything you want.

These are pictures I took in Arches National Park on March 10th. To get a sense of the scale, notice the human being standing between the rocks in both pictures.

And please think of using The Althouse Amazon Portal when you have shopping to do.

"We are not going to be a majority Mormon nation; we are not going to have Utah’s cultural homogeneity."

"But we could have more politicians like Lieutenant Governor Cox, and even more honest and sympathetic conversations about poverty. We could offer more, and better, help to people who need it. Why not look for more promising scripts than the ones played out across the U.S. today? With inspiration from Utah, perhaps the U.S. could inch toward Utah-level mobility — and toward the American Dream."

Writes Megan McArdle, who "went to Utah precisely because it’s weird."

I just went to Utah myself, but I didn't go because it's weird. I went to Utah because it's beautiful.

Looking for petroglyphs.

In Capitol Reef National Park, March 9th.

Feel free to explore about any subject in the comments (and to use The Althouse Amazon Portal to pursue any shopping needs).

Red rock landscape.

In Utah, on March 9th. With Meade.

Use the comments for late-night and overnight discussion of whatever you can get going.

Utah color.

Talk about anything.

(And shop via the Amazon Althouse Portal.)

At the Polygamy Café...

... you can talk about whatever you want. That's a bottle of porter bought at the Valhalla Café in Bryce Canyon National Park on March 8th. We were eating pizza after a long pre-dusk walk on the Navajo Trail, where I took this picture.



I encourage you to talk all night. Thanks for all your contributions to this blog in comment form and just by reading.

And remember to click on the Amazon link in the banner when you have some shopping to do.

The colors of Zion.

The Riverside Walk in Zion National Park, March 1, 2017.

Utah names Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" its Official State Work of Art.

The NYT reports.

Ah, no. Wait. The headline is a bit deceptive: "‘Spiral Jetty’ Is Named an Official State Work of Art by Utah." Note the "an." It's not the official state work of art.

The great American sculptor Robert Smithson... would undoubtedly have been pleased with a vote by the Utah Senate and the Utah House of Representatives to designate as official state works of art both his masterpiece — “Spiral Jetty,” the huge curlicue of black basalt rock he built in 1970, jutting into the Great Salt Lake in rural Utah — and the state’s plentiful ancient rock art, petroglyphs and pictographs that have been widely celebrated and studied.

That's a lot of works of art! All the petroglyphs and pictographs are included. They've got one modern, monumental thing keeping company with innumerable ancient rather small things. Why designate at all if you can't choose? This is the kind of everybody-gets-a-trophy attitude that is ruining this country.