Cover Story
Fighting While in Hiding
It was a fall day in 2006 when Hollace Lyon answered the phone and heard her partner say the word “fan.” Lyon didn’t say anything in return. Instead, she hung up the phone and waited almost four months before she saw or talked regularly to her partner again. Lyon’s partner, Linda Thomas, today is the…
Wisconsin Republicans to Ban Fun in Act of Sore Loserdom
From the Daily Caller: A week after Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker received a prank call from blogger Ian Murphy, who posed as conservative billionaire David Koch, two Wisconsin legislators introduced a bill Monday that would ban prank calls, reports the Badger Herald. Republican state Sen. Mary Lazich and Republican state Rep. Mark Honadel said…
Today in Christian Evangelicalist Hypocrisy
At this point, while it isn’t exactly fair, I just assume anyone loudly complaining about the moral decline of our society is probably contributing to that decline on a personal level. The Rev. Grant Storms, the Christian fundamentalist known for his bullhorn protests of the Southern Decadence festival in the French Quarter, was arrested on…
Free Stuff: Tickets to See the Phil Ochs Movie Tonight
The Loft Cinema has the film Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune showing tonight as part of their One Hit Wonders series, a documentary looking at the life and influence of one of the most important folk musicians in American history. Tonight’s screening will be introduced by Tucson author Tom Miller, whose remembrance of Ochs…
PCC Creates Scholarship Fund in Memory of Shooting Victims
With memorial and scholarship funds popping up left and right following the Jan. 8 shooting, Pima Community College has decided to join in. The Pima Community College Foundation has established a scholarship fund in memory of those who died in the shooting, with a special emphasis on shooting victim Gabe Zimmerman, an aide to Rep.…
Rep. Matt Heinz: Abortion Bill Could Destroy UA’s OB/GYN Program
Tessa Muggeridge of Cronkite News Service updates us on the abortion bills moving through the Legislature—including one that could have dire consequences on the UA College of Medicine’s OB/GYN program. The state House on Monday approved and forwarded to the Senate two bills that would further limit abortion in Arizona. HB 2416, sponsored by Rep.…
Epic Meal Time Hits the Gym
They’ve made some disgusting dishes in their time in the YouTube spotlight, but I suspect I’ll be seeing the cheeseburger Happy Meal protein shake in my nightmares tonight.
Brewer on ‘This Week’: ‘Government is a Necessary Evil’
Just in case you missed our governor’s debut on ABC News’ This Week: Favorite takeaway: Both Haley and Brewer also condemned the 14 Democratic state senators in Wisconsin who staged a walk-out of the state house in Madison last week in the wake of the labor protests, calling their actions “shameful.” “I think it’s despicable…
Etcetera, LTW’s Late-Night Series, Announces 2011-2012 Season
Etcetera, the late-night theater series over at Live Theatre Workshop, has released its 2011-2012 season. For my money, Etcetera does some of Tucson’s best theater, hands-down, and the new season looks rather intriguing. Here are the deets. The Book of Lizby the Talent Family, Amy Sedaris & David Sedaris June 30-July 16, 2011Directed by Christopher…
American Legion: Not Happy With Justice Dept on DOMA
Just in case you wonder or care how the American Legion’s national commander feels about the U.S. Justice Department no longer defending the Defense of Marriage Act, here’s a recent press release with a letter sent to the congressional leadership: The American Legion National Commander Jimmie L. Foster sent a letter today to the congressional…
Brian Hewlett, PCC Instructor, Arrested at Oracle/Ina Safeway Friday
This is weird. Really, really weird, which seems like the last thing that Safeway needs for awhile. An instructor at the same college campus where Jared Lee Loughner went to school has been arrested after a bizarre incident at the site of the murders that Loughner is accused of committing. According to a Pima County…
Another Example of When Fun Folks Have Too Much Free Time
See more at Paula Deen Riding Things.
A Koch Industries Boycott
According to an AlterNet piece posted today, a boycott of Koch Industries is gaining speed in Wisconsin: As AlterNet’s Washington bureau chief Adele Stan puts it, Walker is “carrying out the wishes of his corporate master.” But why are the brothers Koch so interested in stifling labor rights in Wisconsin? For one thing, they have…
Kromko Gets Probation
KOLD Channel 3 reported yesterday that former state legislator and activist John Kromko was sentenced to two years of probation “after pleading guilty to charges stemming from questionable signatures on his petitions to get on the general election ballot in 2008.” In an e-mail to KOLD, Kromko writes, “… if I had been convicted of…
A Reminder: We Have Two Contests Ending Tomorrow!
If you enjoy free things, the clock is ticking on our two Club Congress related contests: Diamond Rings/PS I Love You Giveaway – You and a plus one for Thursday night’s Optimist Club show, plus a limited edition 7″.Kitten and Young the Giant at Club Congress – You and a plus one on the guest…
Lee Leffingwell, Will You Be Our Mayor?
When Bob Walkup gave his State of the City address last week, it was most notable for his announcement that he wasn’t running for another term than anything else. It was a fine speech, especially the reflections on January 8th, but, still largely the same sort of political platitudes that you get from those sort…
Arizona Economy on Slight Rebound
The state’s finances are slowly moving in the right direction. Tax collections have been on an upswing, as compared to the same month one year ago, for six straight months. It might not seem like much, but that represents a reversal of years of declining comparative revenues. The sales-tax numbers look especially promising. In January…
Paul Eckerstrom Discusses Baja Arizona on MSNBC
From MSNBC: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Live Music Tonight: Hawk and a Hacksaw at Solar Culture
From Gene Armstrong’s article previewing tonight’s Hawk and a Hacksaw show: The tour that brings A Hawk and a Hacksaw to Tucson will feature a scaled-back version of the band. In addition to Barnes and Trost, a trumpeter and doumbek player will be in attendance, Barnes says. The band’s extended compositions are rich and cinematic,…
If You’re Playing Soccer in Colombia, Do Not Kick an Owl
From The Week: During a Colombian championship soccer match last weekend, Panamanian player Luís Moreno outraged fans and players alike when he brutally kicked the opposing team’s mascot, an owl, that had mistakenly flown onto the field. Players immediately confronted Moreno, and fans soon began chanting “murderer!” The owl was taken to a veterinary clinic,…
Cosmic Origins: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Black Holes
The UA College of Science spring lecture series continues tonight at Centennial Hall with a talk about black holes. The lectures have been standing-room-only affairs, so get there early if you want a seat. Details from the Cosmic Origins web site: Origins of Black Holes: Gravity at Its Extreme Feryal Özel, Associate Professor, Astronomy/Steward Observatory,…
Jon Stewart: Not a Fan of the “New” CNN
I often forget that CNN is still a part of my cable lineup, but this weekend, I tuned in to see if they were covering the protests in Wisconsin, but instead they were extensively discussing what they thought celebrities might wear to the Academy Awards. Good times. The Daily Show – The Biggest NewserTags: Daily…
Your Breast Milk Ice Cream Update
Photo by Daniel Morrison, Flickr If you purchased plane tickets to London in anticipation of trying breast milk ice cream, you better check the rescheduling policy: A restaurant which put breast milk ice cream on sale have had their supplies seized by council officials amid fears it is unsafe. The Baby Gaga ice cream will…
Jadi Norris: Thanks for My Favorite Range Comment (Possibly Ever)
As you might remember (if the regression therapy hasn’t kicked in yet), back in October of 2010, Rodney Glassman thought it would be a super idea to release a YouTube video of himself singing a re-written take on the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic “Sweet Home Alabama”: Somewhat predictably, the video ended up being more of an…
Picture This: The Sexy Love Show
Keith Hickman-Perfetti Performers at “The Sexy Love Show” at the Urban Tribe space put on various skits about sexuality and love. Skits ranged from aerial rope dance, to fire dancing, to an audience sing-a-long. The Urban Tribe rents out their warehouse space to various local Tucson artists for events, and also offers classes in capoeira,…
Free Stuff: Two Tickets to See Kitten & Young The Giant Wednesday
If you want to see LA female fronted buzz band Kitten open for Young the Giant (featured in the TW music section this week) at Club Congress on Wednesday night, you might be out of luck, since the tickets are nearly sold out. However, The Range comes to your rescue. Enter our contest and you’ll…
AZ Fact Check: Montenegro Abortion Claim “Mostly False”
AZ Fact Check determines that this claim by Rep. Steve Montenegro in defense of his bill to ban abortions based on race or sex is “mostly false”: “(Department of Health Services) just came out with reports for 2009 with numbers that show a higher number of abortions for minorities. It’s both a statewide and national…
The Genius Behind Fake Rahm Emanuel Revealed
I really couldn’t have cared less about the Chicago mayoral race in general (bigger local issues to worry about, let’s say), but what did make the race fascinating to me was the Twitter feed @mayoremanuel. Wildly profane and brilliantly satirical, it got to the point that the real Rahm Emanuel offered $5,000 to the anonymous…
Obama Backs Off a Bit on Health Care Mandates
I’m not entirely sure why this concerns me, considering by 2014, Arizona might have already seceded from the union already, but still, anything that pleases Republican governors at this point concerns me: In remarks to the National Governors Association, Mr. Obama said he backed legislation that would enable states to request federal permission to withdraw…
Let’s Watch a Shirtless Kid Lip-Sync Wildly
You’re going to end up seeing this video at some point. Someone will inevitably send it to you on Facebook and you will laugh. Might as well get it out of the way now.
Did Anyone Actually Think SB 1178 Through?
From today’s Arizona Republic: Joe Sigg of the Arizona Farm Bureau calls the bill “a real job killer.” For example: Currently, milk has to be Grade A, whether you ship it to Casa Grande or California, as regulated by the FDA. The Arizona Department of Agriculture enforces the federal Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, but SB 1178…
The Most Interesting Moment of the Oscars Last Night
Charles Ferguson, director of Inside Job, on accepting the award for best long-form documentary last night: “Forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by financial fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that’s wrong.” Related: Matt Taibbi’s Rolling Stone article on…
Charlie Sheen Gives Me a Month of Comical Facebook Statuses
Rarely would I feel compelled to watch a 12 minute celebrity interview video, but Charlie Sheen’s just a comedy goldmine right now. My favorite part (other than the multiple times he points at himself and says “WINNING”): the extended quoting of Allen Iverson’s “Practice” press conference monologue. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and…
Your Mars Lesson of the Week
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona The UA Lunar and Planetary Lab’s Alfred McEwen talks about a HiRISE photo from Mars: Some of the largest landslides known in the Solar System have happened on Mars. These are interesting phenomena, but they also sometimes produce excellent exposures of the bedrock geology, in cross-sectional views. The purpose of this image…
Donald Rumsfeld Refuses to Answer If He’s A Lizard From Space
It might not have been the greatest idea for the Opie and Anthony show to put Donald Rumsfeld and Louis C.K. on the air at the same time, but at very least, we’ve learned that anonymous people buy Donald Rumsfeld dinner sometimes, that he won’t address the idea of trading France for the freedom of…
Arizona Legislature Pro-Life Pander of the Week
Earlier this week, the Arizona House of Representatives moved forward with a bill that work force women to sign affidavits that they were terminating their pregnancies based on the fetus’ race or sex: Tessa Muggeridge of Cronkite News Service has details: Following an hour of heated debate, the state House gave preliminary approval Monday to…
Breast-Milk Ice Cream Debuts at London Restaurant
So I realize America isn’t ready for breast-milk ice cream, but this quote about the London restaurant that serves it is pure gold: “Some people will hear about it and go yuck – but actually it’s pure organic, free-range and totally natural.” This bit from the mother who provides the milk isn’t bad, either: Mrs…
Guns on Campus Bill Advances
The Senate bill to allow anyone with a concealed-weapon permit to carry a gun on campus advanced through the Senate Rules Committee this week. University presidents and the Arizona Board of Regents oppose SB 1467. TW intern Jazmine Woodberry tells The Range: UA President Robert Shelton doesn’t want to see guns on campus. “I get…
The Idiot Boksen – Oscar Edition!
flickr I’m not one for awards shows. They’re long and self-important and they almost always fail to live up to hype. So, basically, they’re like sports, which I do love. But with sports, you get people running around. This year’s Academy Awards seem bland on paper. The hosts are ubiquitous renaissance man James Franco and…
The Goings On at 47 Scott and Scott and Co.
Owners Travis Reese and Nicole Flowers are revamping the patio behind 47 Scott and adding a patio to Scott and Co., the cocktail bar next door that specializes in interesting twists on pre-Prohibition cocktails. Reese says the goal is to make the patio behind 47 Scott an extension of the indoor dining area by adding…
The Next Target: Obama
TPM reports the latest from Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia, who apparently couldn’t find it in him to condemn the idea of gunning down the president of the United States when a constituent asked him “Who’s going to shot Obama?” at a town hall this week: Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) said in a statement Friday…
Killing Clean Elections: “No Taxpayer Subsidies for Political Campaigns Act” Advances
The “No Taxpayer Subsidies for Political Campaigns Act,” which would ask voters to ban the spending of public money on political campaigns, is close to clearing the Senate floor. It’s a back-door way of killing Clean Elections by blocking the distribution of dollars to candidates and sweeping the funds back into the general fund. Lauren…
Mystifying Quote of the Day
Senator Russell Pearce in the Arizona Republic on the Supreme Court’s 1982 decision Plyler vs. Doe, which addressed a Texas statute that prohibited public education funding for illegal aliens: “It’s not the law of the land when a Supreme Court issues a bad decision,” Pearce said. “It’s to be challenged and overturned.”
When Russell Pearce Doesn’t Like the Rules, He Changes the Rules
From Random Musings, just add this to a list of strange things that have happened in what will likely be seen as a historic and bizarre week in the Arizona Legislature. In the Senate Judiciary Committee, immigration bills proposed by Russell Pearce were having trouble getting out of committee because Sens. Adam Driggs and John…
Sierra Club: “No Good News” at Arizona Legislature
Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club delivers her weekly bulletin recapping the week at the Legislature from the environmental perspective: Hello all! There was no good news at 1700 West Washington this week — on anything. In the environmental realm, they continued the march backward to the 19th Century by advancing bills to ignore federal…
Finally, Cartoon Eroticism Comes to the Wii
It appears that We Dare, the video game for soft swingers, is going to only be offered in Europe for now, which is a shame, since the people in the ad seem to be having such an authentically entertaining time. I guess Americans are stuck with strip Mario Kart for now. Bummer.
GQ Provides an Oral History of the Tucson Shootings
While I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to voluntarily read or hear anything else connected to the events of January 8th at this point, this month’s GQ has an interesting oral history of that happened, as told by some of the heroes of that morning: Daniel Hernandez, Patricia Maisch, and Bill Badger. Hernandez: Originally we…
A Japanese Cat in a Difficult Box
Oh, Maru. That box is just too much for you. [Daily What]
Arizona Bill’s Good Intentions Cannot Stop Worst Violent Offenders
Arizona lawmakers are trying to do a good thing—but even the best of intentions can’t stop the worst kind of predators. Photo Ryn Gargulinski A warning isn’t good enough. A bill kicking around the Legislature hopes to prevent future incidents like Tucson’s Jan. 8 mass shooting that left six dead, multiple people wounded and Congresswoman…
Picture This: Old Tradition Brings Out the Young, the Hairy
Teenagers opened the parade down the south side. PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAMANTHA SAIS The 86th Annual La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros officially started today with the parade on the south side of Tucson. Thousands of Tucsonans lined the streets to partake and participate in the old Tucson tradition. (more after the jump) Grandparents Chris and Patricia…
Picture This: Tucson Rodeo Honors Victims, Giffords Staffers
Members of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ office were honored at the rodeo parade. Photographs by Samantha Sais In what seems like already a lifetime ago, a deranged gunman killed six people and injured 18 more in a shooting spree one quiet Saturday morning in January. What followed was a month-long display of community solidarity and support…
Baltimore: More Like “The Wire” Than I Thought
MSNBC: More than a dozen Baltimore police officers and the owners of a car repair shop have been charged in a towing extortion scheme. Federal authorities announced Wednesday that 17 officers and two brothers who own Majestic Auto Repair Shop in Rosedale were charged in the conspiracy. Prosecutors say the brothers paid officers to arrange…
June Scobee Rodgers Book Signing at UA Bookstore
On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger explosed after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board. One of those astronauts was Commander Dick Scobee, a graduate of the UA College of Engineering. Now 25 years years later, the Challenger Center for Space Science Education (CCSSE) celebrates its use of science and math to teach…
‘8 Murders a Day’ Opens at Harkins Theater Tomorrow
The film 8 Murders a Day, a documentary that closely examines the escalating violence in Juarez, Mexico, will open in Tucson at the Harkins Theater, 5455 S. Calle Santa Cruz, on Friday, Feb. 25. Two Tucson natives are featured in the film: author Charles Bowden and former television news reporter Paul Cicala. Synopsis (from the…
Art I Can Understand: Breakfast Cereal Themed
I had a dream like this once, and now artist Brian Stuckey has made it real with “The Last Breakfast”:
Possibly the Worst Song I’ve Ever Heard
If you’re looking for music to drive guests from your home or to use an example of how much better things were when you were a kid, may I suggest this song by Crazy Crazy Awesome? So much terrible Autotune and painful screaming. Why, Elkhart, Indiana? Why? Bonus: their bio describes them as “two hyped…
Tucson Weekly TV: The Plush Remodeling
This week Tucson Weekly TV looks at the process of reworking a venue, as Plush wraps up their renovation process and local photographer Lisa Healey cataloged the renovations from start to finish.
Diamond Rings/PS I Love You Ticket & 7″ Giveaway
A week from tonight, Optimist Club at Club Congress hosts a solid night of musical entertainment with the Canadian doubleheader of electro-pop act Diamond Rings and indie rockers PS I Love You along with Brazilian dance act Database. We have a pair of tickets (well, two names to put on the guest list most likely,…
No More Black Mambo: Spice Outlawed In AZ
Rebekah Zemansky/Cronkite News Service Rep. Matt Heinz, D-Tucson, co-author of legislation outlawing spice, says the substance is dangerous because its side effects vary by brand, batch and person. How crazy is this legislative session? It’s so crazy that a Democrat got a bill passed. Rep. Matt Heinz of Tucson worked with GOP lawmakers to ban…
Taking Some of the Greasiness Out of the Spoon
You might be surprised at what’s popped up at Mother Hubbard’s since Kelzi Bartholomaei bought the place. “It’s still a breakfast-and-lunch joint, but I’ve taken some of the greasiness out of the spoon,” said Bartholomaei, who bought the restaurant at 14 W. Grant Road last April. “My tastes are pretty eclectic.” Take the breakfast hamburger…
Mind Control on Senators? Not Cool, Army
While the argument could be made that senators need to have minds before those minds could be controlled, this was still a terrible idea: The U.S. Army illegally ordered a team of soldiers specializing in “psychological operations” to manipulate visiting American senators into providing more troops and funding for the war, Rolling Stone has learned…
Dissent 101
Can we fly Rep. Gordon Hintz—a Wisconsin Democrat—to Phoenix to teach our Arizona minority party a few lessons on telling it like it is? Of course, if would help if 35,000 Arizonans decided it was time to camp out at the Capitol, too. I’m wondering what it’s going to take? After staying up to watch…
Ron Barber and Pam Simon at the Rodeo Parade
Photo provided by C.J. Karamargin Ron Barber, his wife, Nancy, Pam Simon, Mayor Bob Walkup and Beth Walkup. Photo provided by C.J. Karamargin Pam Simon riding “Devil” as part of today’s Rodeo Parade
What’s in a Name? Hopi Tribe Supports State Park, but Wants “Ruins” Removed
Arizona State Parks The Homolovi II ruins site at Homolovi Ruins State Park. With Republican lawmakers sweeping the funds that support state parks, the Arizona State Parks Board has had to find creative ways to partner with local governments and non-profits to keep the gates open. Now the Hopi Tribe is saving Homolovi Ruins State…
Messina
Every eight seconds. That’s the frequency at which cats and dogs are euthanized in American shelters each year. That equates to 4 million animals killed per year. Right now, there are about 320,000 adoptable pets listed at petfinder.com. And in Tucson, there are more animal shelters than McDonald’s locations. These statistics point to a critical…
Related Works
The Littler clan is easily the biggest and longest-running dynasty in the Family Ties show at Tohono Chul Park. Four artists from two generations of the extended family are in this unusual show, which exhibits the artworks of seven all-in-the-family artist groups from Tucson and environs. Among the Littlers, there’s the progenitor, the late Charles,…
Sic Alps: Napa Asylum (Drag City)
As with labelmates Magik Markers, Oakland, Calif.’s Sic Alps treads such a very fine line between ramshackle, lo-fi scuzz and effortless pop melodies that it’s endearing, impressive and fun to guess where things will go next. Napa Asylum is an apropos title, as the songs here sound exactly like they were recorded in an old,…
Guest Commentary
Phil Ochs was singing in the back of a flatbed truck in a Florida parking lot to 80 people at a benefit concert supporting defendants in the 1973 “Gainesville Eight” trial. The eight had been charged with conspiring to disrupt the previous summer’s political conventions in Miami, and Ochs volunteered to sing on their behalf.…
Bear With It
I’d never heard of William W. Johnstone until his New York publisher, Pinnacle, sent a review copy of the latest novel in what I’m told is the long-running “Mountain Man” series. The news release offers no small boast: “The Greatest Western Writer of the 21st Century.” Wow, is he the heir apparent to Louis L’Amour?…
Mark Growden: Lose Me in the Sand (Porto Franco)
Inspired by the musical vibe in Tucson, Bay Area musician, composer and singer Mark Growden employed an all-star lineup of country and blues players from the Old Pueblo to record his explosive new album last year at Loveland Studio. Lose Me in the Sand explores some of Growden’s musical roots while planting new seeds in…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending Feb. 18, 2011
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: The perception of Mexico having a defective culture has come up in your column several times. It’s most important to point out the historical differences between the United States and Mexico. The U.S. was invaded by settlers who came to live here permanently. Mexico was conquered by gold-seeking thugs who wanted to return…
Not So Memorable
You can almost picture the pitch meeting at which the producers of Unknown agreed to fork over the cash: “It’ll be like Taken meets the Bourne movies,” says the screenwriter, “and we’ll get one of those hot chicks from Mad Men to stand around for a couple of minutes.” “Sounds promising,” the producer admits as…
Barrio Blues
Donald Rollings prods an old wall, and watches a fist-sized chunk of plaster tumble to the floor. When he steps back, he does so gingerly; the floor itself is a buckling mess, a result of what Rollings believes is moisture leaking from ancient water mains. That moisture, he says, is laying waste to this 1850s…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending Feb. 20, 2011
Pride: A Note from the Editor
Welcome to the sixth edition of Pride, the Tucson Weekly’s regular LGBT special section. Since our first Pride issue in October 2009, we’ve brought you incredible stories examining various aspects of Tucson’s LGBT community. In each issue, we’ve also included comprehensive listings sections featuring events, support groups and other information. (To see what we’ve done…
Golden Experiences
Phil Lopes was one of the first Peace Corps volunteers ever, and he believes his two years of service, which began in 1961, were personally transformative. Katie Silvester and Chris Caruso, who served decades later, share that sentiment. “It speaks a lot about who we are as a nation,” Silvester says about the Peace Corps,…
Why?
Man, I didn’t even know about Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son until a few weeks ago. Or maybe I did know about it at one time, but my brain blocked the info in an attempt to protect me from mental harm. The movie is just about as bad as one would expect it to…
T Q&A
Joe Sprague
Weekly Wide Web
A Sports Cheat Sheet; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Now Showing at Home
Chaplin: 15th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray); Due Date (Blu-ray); Twilight Zone: Season 3 (Blu-ray); Megamind (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Fashion With Compassion
Activism and philanthropy may not be among the first things that come to mind when you think of a beauty salon—but they’re certainly connected, at least here in Tucson. In fact, a lot of salons here promote activism and philanthropy, particularly when it comes to HIV/AIDS awareness. We know of at least six such salons—that’s…
Police Dispatch
Pothead in the road; Didn’t see it coming
Monthly Miracles
There’s something ultra-cool about eating at the bar at a nice restaurant. It’s at once intimate and convivial—so when we called to make reservations at Feast for a recent Tuesday dinner, and we were told that the only room was at the bar, we didn’t hesitate. Feast has long been one of Tucson’s premier restaurants.…
Mailbag
Now Is the Time to Invest in Education, Not Destroy It; In Defense of Right-Wing Rhetoric, Confederate Soldiers; The Food Code Keeps Us Safe—but It Should Be More Flexible
Road to Recovery
When the gunman opened fire on Jan. 8, Pam Simon remembers thinking: It’s really happening. She watched as the gunman shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords point-blank in the head. She watched him shoot Ron Barber, the district director who was standing next to Giffords. And then Simon was aware that she’d been shot herself. “The odd…
Noshing Around
A Clarification: Lindy’s at Redline Sports Grill; New: J. Marinara’s; New: China Boy Restaurant; The Food Truck Diaries
City Limits
When we rounded up our gaggle of bills that we’d be following this year (see “You Say You Want a Revolution,” Feb. 17), we overlooked SB 1339, which would essentially eliminate all state regulations that weren’t approved by the Legislature. SB 1339, which passed out of the Government Reform Committee and is headed for a…
Based on Life
After 20 years of ups and downs in the country-music world, Tracy Lawrence is finally comfortable in his own skin. Lawrence’s upcoming album, Hard Times, has an especially appropriate title. The artist burst onto the country scene in 1991, kicking off seven straight years with a Top 3 single. Since then, he’s released just two…
Don’t Stay in School
After writing and rehearsing for seven months in a shared beach house, and another nine months crammed together in a West Hollywood apartment, Young the Giant had the sound and the songs they wanted. Saddling up with famed producer Joe Chiccarelli, the band put together a debut album straining with youthful energy, reflecting both the…
The Skinny
The end of an era at City Hall … Financial follies at the Legislature … Obama outsmarts Brewer on health care … City Council candidate dropouts … Better schools through nuclear waste … and more!
Soundbites
This week in new releases; This week in benefit shows; His week in Greg Ginn; On the bandwagon
Media Watch
Ex-‘Star’ scribe fights twitter-related firing
The Fool and the Hero
Jeremy Barnes is fascinated by the endlessly curious manner in which musical influences travel in a loop around the world. “A lot of bands today in the former Yugoslavia, Greece, the Balkans and other parts of Eastern Europe are influenced by Mexican and Spanish music, because a lot of the folk music from this part…
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records’ top sales for the week ending Feb. 20, 2011
City Week
Fourth Annual Tucson British Car Roundup; Found Footage Festival; Holmes and Watson II; God Glimmer
Nine Questions
Vladimir Novokshchenov
Answers ‘n’ Awards
I’ve received a number of questions from folks regarding the Tucson Weekly’s Best of Tucson® since I mentioned it in this space last week. Here are some answers to those questions: • The Best of Tucson® Readers’ Choice balloting will start at TucsonWeekly.com during either the first or second week of April, and will run…
Amusing Enough
I have a friend who, when asked about his well-being, often replies, “Absolutely adequate.” My friend’s declaration is also an accurate description of Live Theatre Workshop’s production of Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party. In almost every aspect, it is solid, but not stellar. It’s a fairly tidy production of a fairly tidy script which provides…
Live
In recent months, many Tucson bands have taken on the daunting yet rewarding task of producing an album. Faster Than Light is one of those bands, and its CD-release show provided an opportunity for new fans to become hooked. One Big Happy Sound opened with well crafted, toe-tap-worthy pop songs that sounded like a happy…
Danehy
I was at a social gathering over the holidays, and the topic of the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act came up. It had just been defeated in the United States Senate. (Actually, in the arcane workings of that body, the Senate voted in favor of it, but not by enough, effectively…
Chicano ‘Oedipus’
It is incredible that the 2,400-year-old Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex is still familiar to us. Written by Sophocles and first performed around 429 B.C., the tale of a man who kills his father and marries his mother still echoes in our culture today. Each generation grapples with the play’s themes of pride and fate, filtering…
Deerhoof: Deerhoof vs. Evil (Polyvinyl)
Calling the members of Deerhoof musical dilettantes is disingenuous. The San Francisco group’s lengthy career (going on 16 years) may be cultivated on a healthy musical curiosity, but there is nothing superficial or casual about the band’s methods or products. Evidence: the meticulously crafted, yet indelibly cool Deerhoof vs. Evil. It’s a safe wager that…
Al Melvin’s Plan to End AHCCCS Would Devastate Economy, Destroy Jobs and Drive Away Doctors
AP reports that a ludicrous GOP plan to eliminate AHCCCS in Arizona—supported by Republican Sen. Al Melvin, who rules over the Catalina Foothills and Oro Valley—would cost the state $7 billion, cause unemployment to skyrocket and drive doctors from the state: Arizona’s economy would be devastated and roughly one in every five residents would be…
‘Ribs, Barbecued Chicken, Fried Catfish, Shrimp …’
John Bryant Jr. says the new Onyx Room—which we mentioned earlier this week—will be “kind of like a supper club, like they run back East.” The food, however, will be more like what they serve down South. “We’re doing a nice, down-home Southern menu,” Bryant said about the yet-to-open Onyx Room. “Ribs, barbecued chicken, fried…
