Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2006

Jul 27 - Aug 2, 2006 / Vol. 23 / No. 22

Your Wednesday Afternoon Etiquette Question

— So let’s say you’re, oh, I dunno, an editor. And someone calls you and leaves you a message, wanting to sell you professional services of some sort. And you call that person back … and get a busy signal. And you call back a while later, and get another busy signal. The question: How…

Technology Killed the Journalism Star

This column by Chris Dahlen makes an interesting argument: “pop culture today is primarily a technology story. And we don’t know how to write about technology.” He’s arguing that the reason why there is no Hunter S. Thompson or Lester Bangs of cultural journalism these days is because they got to write about drugs, which…

Your Tuesday Afternoon News Update

— So we got a press release earlier today with the following headline: Paul Newman announces endorsement of Patty Weiss So my immediate reaction was: “The famous actor and salad-dressing dude is endorsing Patty Weiss! How interesting! Like that would make me vote for her!” But, it turns out it’s not that Paul Newman. It’s…

World Dining Quiz

This is a fun little quiz and time waster that tests your savoir faire about dining etiquette in other countries. I got seven out of 11 correct, which just goes to show you that I’m a lucky guesser.

Your Tuesday Morning News Update

— As if the weird-ass weather all across the freakin’ world wasn’t enough of a hint … — The beginning of the end for another dictator? — And forgive me for being a day late with this, but yesterday’s Star featured one of the better “Flowers and Thorns”—and it still blew chunks. A flower to…

Technical Difficulties: Day Five

OK, this whole “Tucson gone Seattle” thing was cute when it started. Now, it’s getting freaky. Weekly Publisher Tom Lee reports that his northeast-side health club was evacuated this morning when a nearby wash began spilling over its banks. Rescue operations and closed intersections are a dime a dozen. The National Weather Service says the…

Your Friday Afternoon News Update

— Coming soon to a theater near you: The Passion of the Drunk? — Am I the only one that finds the sentence, “After discussing war and peace in the Middle East, President Bush squeezed in a 10-minute photo-op Friday with finalists in the hit television show American Idol,” kind of well, weird? — Having…

Your Friday Morning News Update

— What the hell is wrong with the military? — This was listed as one of four “AP Headlines” on SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Web site. Um, why? — Cool enough for ya? — And finally … for the GOP to consider this, it MUST be an election year.

Your Thursday Afternoon News Update

— How can Congress and George W. Bush NOT DO SOMETHING about greedy oil companies after this news? — Is this another case of an athlete cheating? — Arizona football is picked to finish sixth in the Pac-10, and fans … rejoice? — Four more illegal immigrants may have died attempting to enter the country. Sigh.…

Tucson Greyhound Race Track Under Investigation

Well, it’s about time and of course, it hasn’t happened yet but because of some missing greyhounds (100-200), our state Department of Racing has decided to do an investigation—but of course, there is no deadline for when that investigation will be done. Don’t worry Mr. Racing Commissioner: We greyhound adopters will be hounding you about…

Technical Difficulties

We regret to inform you that the Tucson area’s weather is apparently experiencing some technical difficulties.   The National Weather Service is reporting the following weather in Tucson, in July: Light rain, fog, 72 degrees. This is not Tucson July weather. This is Seattle July weather. Because of this technical difficulty, I regret to inform you that…

Trash Cash

The city makes headway with its garbage-fee assistance program–but it still has a way to go

Soundbites

DOG DAYS OF MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT For those of you who are relatively new to the seasonal sensation we call summer around these parts, let us tell you: Things used to be a lot different around here. Talk to anyone who’s weathered upwards of five of ’em, and they’ll regale you with tales of the…

The Skinny

CRIMINAL THINKING The serial killer–or killers–loose on the streets of Phoenix? It’s all the fault of Gov. Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard, two Democrats who have allowed a criminal culture to thrive in Arizona. Or at least that’s the argument coming from the GOP team of gubernatorial candidate Len Munsil and attorney general…

Rhythm & Views

Even though Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 masterpiece Illinois is 22 songs long, it was originally supposed to be a double disc; 21 songs were left undeveloped or axed in the final stages–an avalanche of songs, if you will. Aptly named The Avalanche, the long-lost sibling of Illinois brings all of those seeds and fetuses of songs…

Police Dispatch

Search My Cavities River Road and Campbell Avenue, July 6, 4:35 p.m. Authorities responded to calls claiming that a man wearing handcuffs was running through a shopping center, a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report stated. Deputies stopped someone matching the suspect’s description as he entered a Circle K parking lot. The man, who was described…

Rhythm & Views

Considering the girlish, bubble-popping title like Pink, one may be expecting a Top 40, faux-smutty dance harlot with lame dance moves, facial piercings and tacky tattoos. Fugedaboutit. Boris obliterates any signs of nauseating pabulum by bludgeoning the listener with tsunamis of sonic overload, and later by blasting into hard-core hyperspeed. Japan’s premier doom-metal-meets-shoegazing power-core trio…

Danehy

More on school vouchers and the faux conservatives who love them

Rhythm & Views

The first time I met Caithlin De Marrais, in 2001, she was wearing an off-white cable-knit sweater and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked like the Connecticut-bred University of Wisconsin at Madison grad that she was. These days, though, she’s got that hot-hipster thing going, and Rainer Maria is opening for…

The Blue Willow Special

If you’ve lived in Tucson for long, you’ve probably eaten at the Blue Willow on Campbell Avenue, and if you’ve eaten there when you were really hungry, you’ve probably had the Blue Willow Special, a wildly generous, profoundly satisfying mass of eggs, tortillas, chicken, green chiles, tomatoes, salsa, cheese and sour cream, with fried potatoes…


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