Cover Story
Local Heroes
Phineas Anderson He’s fought nuclear proliferation for three decades “Nuclear weapons today present tremendous dangers, but also an historic opportunity. U.S. leadership will be required to take the world to the next stage—to a solid consensus for reversing reliance on nuclear weapons globally as a vital contribution to preventing their proliferation into potentially dangerous hands,…
All the Songs You Tried to Ignore This Year Smashed Together
The new issue of the Weekly features part two of our music critics opining on the best of 2010 (here’s part one, in case you missed it), giving credit to artists like the National and Ariel Pink, while bizarrely ignoring the work of modern day pop geniuses like Taio Cruz and Ke$ha. In the interest…
Snow Update!
Jim Meyer, the senior meteorologist at the Tucson office of the National Weather Service, says the first snow showers are already starting in the Rincon and Catalina mountains, where some areas could see as much as 2 feet of snow before the winter storm moves out of the area. “Right now, we’ve got a blizzard…
Sarah Palin Coming Up With Remark on Twitter to Dismiss CNN Poll
While political polls are a mind-bending business of trying to determine what information is useful and what should be immediately dismissed, a new CNN/Opinion Research poll is interesting in that Sarah Palin isn’t as popular with Republicans as you might imagine—and Barack Obama is recently a little more likable among Democrats. “Among liberal Democrats, 85…
Let’s Not Work and Look at Pictures of Baby Cheetahs Instead
It’s cold out; there’s a holiday coming up; and there are six pictures of adorable baby cheetahs to look at on The Washington Post’s site. Sure, they won’t be so adorable when they’re stalking you as prey someday, but right now, bask in the adorableness.
What’s the Worst Arizona Daily Star Headline of the Year?
David Safier at Blog for Arizona, who tracks the morning daily’s ridonkulous headlines, is having a year-end contest allowing readers to vote on the worst ones. Cast your ballot here.
Snowpocalypse Now: It’s Getting to the Children
As a winter storm heads towards Tucson, we feel you, Alexander Wright. We all should be in Florida, getting tans on our backs.
Acacia Restaurant Relocating to Gallery Row
Chef Albert Hall is moving Acacia at St. Philip’s from St. Philip’s Plaza at 4340 N. Campbell Ave. to a spot at Gallery Row at 3001 E. Skyline Drive. The new restaurant will feature an exhibition kitchen and closed-circuit television that will allow diners to watch the cooks work. What hasn’t been announced is what…
Smuggler Hides Drugs in Easter Candy, Hypnosis to Beat the Cold and More: Rynski Radio
Updated with playlist and download at bottom of the post. One drug smuggler got his holidays a bit mixed up when he reportedly tried to sneak cocaine through Los Angeles International Airport. He hid the drugs in little Easter egg candy—in the middle of December. Art Ryn Gargulinski Rabbit who ate the Easter candy It…
Advisory: TucsonWeekly.com Downtime!
Our crack technical staff informs me that TucsonWeekly.com will be down tonight (technically, tomorrow morning, but still …) for a brief amount of time. The outage will occur sometime shortly after midnight, and will last until sometime before 2 a.m., unless things go horribly wrong. The outage has to do with an upgrade or a…
El Chupacabra in Kentucky?
Scientists never go on record that these hairless discoveries—mostly in Texas, and now Kentucky—are, in fact, chupacabras. OK, fine, but why don’t they explain this apparent increase in bald raccoons or coyotes with some nasty, nasty mange?
A Sobering Reminder Not to Text While Driving
This is a wildly depressing 11 minutes of online video, but AT&T does a great job on this PSA of illustrating the potential consequences of texting while driving.
Epic Meal Time Make the Death Star of Crepes
I keep saying to myself that I’m going to stop reposting these Epic Meal Time videos, but between the disconcerting conversation the host has with a fast-food employee, and the assortment of unique and strange Canadian snack-food items, I couldn’t resist.
Guadalupe, Chihuahua: A Town Without Police
If you needed a reminder of how bad the drug war in Mexico is, consider that the Mexican town of Guadalupe no longer has a police force. The Mexican border town of Guadalupe has been left with no police force after the last officer was kidnapped. Erika Gandara’s house was set on fire by unidentified…
Old People Bullies: The Wrath of Denture Cream
Evidently the problem of bullying isn’t only exclusive to young people, according to today’s Arizona Republic. Retiree Doris Lor described being bullied by other residents of the Chandler retirement community where she resides. Evidently, this is a growing national issue. Here’s a snippet, but you can read the about Lor and the bullies making her…
New Southside Eats: Los Guarachez de Don Shuy
Kool Tortas, a Mexican sandwich and taco shop at 4547 S. Sixth Ave., has closed and a new restaurant called Los Guarachez de Don Shuy has opened there. It serves Mexican food and is decorated sort of like a taco stand. Gurarachez (which means “sandals” and is also spelled huaraches) are a popular street food…
Jesse Kelly Makes a Comeback? And Is His Pal Headed to the Independent Redistricting Commission?
The Range hears that Republican Jesse Kelly, who lost his bid to unseat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by fewer than 4,200 votes last month, may be itching for a rematch. The GOP rumor circuit is buzzing with word that Kelly will announce his plans to run against Giffords as soon as mid-January. And, depending on how…
Oddly Fascinating Twitter Feed of the Day
As you’ve heard on every single news outlet and from people on the East Coast complaining on Facebook, Snowpocalypse 2010 is in full effect. While it’s a little challenging to get too involved in the snow-created inconveniences of others, it has been interesting to read the Twitter feed of Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, who…
Sarah Palin’s Arizona?
PopEater reports: Now that Bristol Palin has left Alaska for Arizona, where she has just purchased a $172.000 five-bedroom home for cash, friends of the family are asking how much longer momma Sarah will call the great state home? “Sarah has been looking at homes in Arizona, too,” an insider tells me. “She wants to…
Let It Snow!
The National Weather Service says snow might be in store for Southern Arizona this week. From the forecast on the organization’s website: 2010 WILL END WET … COLD AND SNOWY AS A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE WESTERN STATES LATER THIS WEEK. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY PRODUCING…
New Year’s Dining and Entertainment
This is just a reminder that the Tucson Weekly’s New Year’s guide was in last week’s issue—and an updated version will be in this week’s issue. Also, an online version is just waiting for you to peruse it right here. Events take place all over the city and range from a theatrical karaoke dinner to…
Merry Christmas From the Tucson Weekly & Wilco (The Dog)!
Wilco (The Dog) is in hot pursuit of a mysterious sleigh. Season’s Greetings from Flagstaff!
Why Santa Claus Rocks: St. Nick Brings Much More Than Christmas Gifts
It’s a cold day at the North Pole when we stop believing in Santa Claus. Photo Ryn Gargulinski Santa Claus is one cool dude. Santa symbolizes the warm, cozy spirit of the season’s generosity. He is the magical man with big hugs and an even bigger toy sack. He’s our early white knight in shining…
Pat Robertson Endorses the Decriminalization of Marijuana? Really?
This was unexpected. Then again, based on when the 700 Club airs, there are probably quite a few people watching it while high, so maybe he’s just playing to his audience.
Coming to Campbell Avenue: Just Add Water Café
An interesting new café that will eventually feature a 40-seat theater and a serene, swamp-cooled patio is opening soon at 3067 N. Campbell Ave. The Just Add Water Café will sell beverages of all sorts—including affordable beer and wine, when the liquor license comes through—baked goods and the mixes to make those baked goods. A…
Your Tucson Weekly Sports Minute Featuring Blake Griffin
Despite the fact that several of us at the Weekly enjoy sports, that particular subset of the news doesn’t get much coverage in the paper or here on the Range. In an attempt to create slightly more balance, here is a YouTube video of the Clippers’ Blake Griffin jumping very high last night. Look for…
At Least in Nassau County, the Tea Party Revolution Isn’t Going Well
From the New York Times and the “actual governing is hard” file: Facing a huge budget deficit when he took office in January, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano did not impose a hiring freeze. He did not stop borrowing to subsidize some of the richest school districts in the country. He did not eliminate…
Local Steel Drum Band Covers Late 80’s Synthpop Classic
Tucson musical act Apocalypso perform popular music via three steel drummers (apparently, they’re called “pannists”) and a drummer. It is exactly what it sounds like, but yet with a little extra touch of awesome. Check them out tonight at Sakura on Tanque Verde tonight, starting at 6 pm. Here is their cover of Erasure’s “A…
The “This is Cool, You Should Watch It” Video of the Day
While the filmmakers’ claim that this short film didn’t cost them very much rings a little hollow (after all, the computers needed to render these sort of graphics aren’t cheap), it’s still a fun little sci-fi clip that’s cheaper than a ticket to Tron: Legacy. MODERN TIMES from BC2010 on Vimeo.
This Week in Tucson Weekly TV: One Shot of Happy, One Shot of Sad
We have something from both sides of the spectrum of online video this week: another segment in our Secrets of Tucson Bartenders series (featuring Amber from Harvest making a delicious margarita) and a piece from a School of Journalism student on services available for Tucson’s homeless this winter. Secrets of Tucson Bartenders, pt. 5: Services…
Human Ambition
One afternoon last week, an elderly man and his wife climbed the long stairs up to Etherton Gallery. When they arrived at the second-floor reception area, the man paused to catch his breath. Then he asked, expectantly, “Is this where the bridge photos are?” The answer was yes. The man—a retired engineer, perhaps?—lit up when…
Media Watch
Gargulinski leaves tucsoncitizen.com over job-description change
New Year’s Events
2011 Tucson Pokémon Trading-Card-Game City Championships; Casino del Sol’s New Year’s Eve Dance; Dinner With dUO VibrAtO; Tucson Jazz Society’s Fifth Annual New Year’s Eve Gala
An Odd Anthology
Charles Bowden’s corpus of writing spans the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico, with forays into far-flung locales like Argentina, Italy, London and Australia. He eats knowledge like we eat food, on a never-ending quest to understand our dry little piece of the world. He’s a first-rate journalist, but more than that he is a complex…
Helping Hands
The holidays are a season of giving, but for many religious organizations, giving is a year-round responsibility. A Tucson church, synagogue and mosque clearly illuminate that reality. The First United Methodist Church, located near the UA campus, assists several charitable programs, including the Community Food Bank. The church also aids the Methodist community center in…
Powhaus Meets Morocco
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, the party people behind Powhaus Productions have chosen the Rialto Theatre as the location at which to ring in 2011. You might want to come attired in evening gowns and dinner jackets, because the theme for this New Year’s Eve bash is…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending Dec. 17, 2010
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records’ top sales for the week ending Dec. 19, 2010
The Eyes Don’t Have It
While the phrase “the eyes are the window to the soul” originally had nothing to do with modern visual effects, it offers the best explanation for the biggest flaw in TRON: Legacy. In the opening scene—and then throughout the course of the film—a younger version of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is brought to life through…
Nine Questions
Dan Coleman
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending Dec. 19, 2010
For-Profit Punishment
Joyce Clayton’s son has another year left in prison, but she worries that he won’t return home alive. She gingerly pulls out a recent letter and a copy of an Arizona Department of Corrections request that her son made on Nov. 21 to transfer to a different prison. “Since they had the riot up there,…
The Real Deal
The mighty brothers Coen take their masterful talents to the Old West for a bravura remake of True Grit. Jeff Bridges wears the eye patch in place of John Wayne as the iconic U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn—and it’s one of the most beautiful bits of casting you will witness in modern cinema. As good as…
Live
“Oh, yeah? Name one song from the album. Sing your favorite part!” As we drank together at Hotel Congress during the second night of the Great Cover-Up, Vikas Pawa obviously wasn’t convinced by my claim that The Monitors’ latest recording, The Monet Shot, had become my favorite release by his band. Moments earlier, Beth Holub…
Now Showing at Home
The Other Guys (Blu-ray); And Soon the Darkness (Blu-ray); The Town
Weekly Wide Web
What I’m Giving Myself for Christmas; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Dining With Soul
For a while, I was wondering if soul-food-type restaurants in Tucson were irreparably jinxed. Last year, a little place called Auntie Dora’s Porch opened with a promise of tasty soul-food staples, started generating some buzz … and promptly closed after receiving several citations from the Pima County Health Department. Then last spring, we received word…
Warpaint: The Fool (Rough Trade)
After the Los Angeles-based, all-female rock quartet—which played in Tucson twice this year—released its impressive and acclaimed EP Exquisite Corpse, hopes were high for its first full-length recording. The Fool is a rich and haunting record that fulfills the first disc’s promise while exploring darker themes and funkier riffs. Sure, one can hear elements of…
Noshing Around
New: Rice House; Mercado San Agustin; Now Open: Mr. Head’s Art Gallery and Bar; Shout-Out
Avey Tare: Down There (Paw Tracks)
The hypnotic, icy and alien Down There is the first solo album by Animal Collective’s Dave Portner. Unlike his Animal Collective bandmate Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Portner’s solo work avoids any kind of accessibility. In part, this is because on Down There, Portner staunchly refuses to engage in the frenzied or glorious electronics of Lennox…
Danehy
It’s a sad reality in education and interscholastic athletics that the further away one gets from face-to-face interaction with young people on a regular basis, the more likely it is that an administrator will view student-athletes in terms of numbers rather than as human beings with hopes and dreams and goals. Rarely has this been…
Police Dispatch
Speed dispute; A teen’s tantrum
Listen Up!
Just like all other rags, the Weekly is home to resident music nerds who feel the need to make lists of their favorite albums each year—not the ones they think are going to matter 20 years from now, or the ones they think are the most groundbreaking, but the ones they simply couldn’t stop listening…
The 1900s: Return of the Century (Parasol)
Chicago up-and-comers The 1900s dangle two lures for the listener: gentle, male-female harmonies, and a sweetly bouncing pop groove. With that irresistible combination, there’s a lot to deliver—and Return of the Century mostly succeeds, evoking a bittersweet and wistful quilt of emotions. With a sound that falls somewhere between Belle and Sebastian and The Sundays,…
History Brought to Life
Did you know that 2010 marks the bicentennial of the start of the Mexican War of Independence, which led to the country’s split from Spain? Did you know that 2010 marks the centennial of the Mexican Revolution? Do you know anything about Mexican history? If not, and if you live in Tucson, then shame on…
Serraglio
This has been a discomfiting year for me. Too many friends died. Perhaps by the power of suggestion, or just the grinding forces of time and nature, I have become keenly aware of my own years piling up as the unwilling compromises of age accrue in body and mind. My job has begun to eat…
City Week
Not-for-Kids Christmas Stories; Access for All; Reliving the Expedition; Prints, Paints and Photographs
Mailbag
Hey, Danehy: Homeschooling Can Be a Fine Option; I’d Love to Know More About Downtown’s Old ‘La Calle’; Comments From Readers at TucsonWeekly.com
T Q&A
Lisa Bates
Familiar Faces
Long-time watchers of Arizona’s elite hunting clubs are never surprised by their various power grabs. Appalled, perhaps, but never surprised. Still, the latest attempt to control our state’s wildlife policies have left even wizened cynics aghast. In the last legislative session, State Rep. Jerry Weiers, a Glendale Republican, pushed through a measure to create a…
A Very Special Issue
There’s lots of good stuff in this very special episode issue of the Tucson Weekly. First off, this is our eighth annual Local Heroes issue. Now, I can be a bit of a hardened cynic, so it’s rather significant when I say that I actually got slightly choked up as I edited these profiles of…
The Skinny
Some ways to take advantage of the state’s charitable tax credit and KUAT’s Friday Roundtable signs off
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I live in a moderately fancy-ass suburb of Dallas, am super-white and make decent money. Naturally, I have a Mexican gardener/lawn dude who works his ass off, has 14 brothers and sisters in Guanajuato, employs all of his relatives, etc. He also has a sweet wife and three little boys. He does extra…
God Bless Us, Every One
One of the delights of this time of year is the reappearance of an oft-forgotten form of theater: the pageant. For most of us, our pageant experiences are limited to a nativity play, with children dressed in homemade costumes re-enacting the biblical story before a choir of squirmy angels. Once upon a time, though, communities…
Soundbites
‘Tis the season … for diversions; Worthy causes; A mullarkey milestone; On the bandwagon
Aural Options
I wish I could just publish Curtis McCrary’s entire chuckle-inducing press release about the classiness that will go down at the Rialto Theatre’s Casablanca New Year’s Eve soiree. But due to its length, we’d have to bring in a team of binders for this New Year’s Eve Guide. Besides, Gene Armstrong writes about the event…
Mama’s Hawaiian Barbecue Is Open
Mama’s Hawaiian Barbecue is open at 850 E. Speedway Blvd. How do I know this to be true? Because Mama herself e-mailed me last night: Hey, Mama’s is open and the beef teryaki is beaut! Please stop by, MAMA A second e-mail detailed her son’s culinary experience, but didn’t mention his name. She did send…
