Cover Story
Defending the Innocent
Just after 1 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 19, 1996, Lawrence Matthews sent across the Internet a picture of a little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, engaged in a vulgar sex act. Matthews had already dispatched other such images into the Web’s darkest corners. He’d also become a fixture in “Preteen,” the…
Coming Soon to the CW, a Terrible Idea for a TV Show
Finally, a show where celebrities get their revenge on average worker drone types! In the clip below, Kim Kardashian, who initially rose to fame from her appearance in a sex tape, finally has an opportunity to leave her mansion to confront a woman who doesn’t like her very much (on camera, of course). Can you…
Loughner Not Competent to Stand Trial
From Jim Nintzel: As expected, both the defense and prosecutors agreed at a hearing today that Jared Lee Loughner is not competent to stand trial. He will be transferred into the custody of the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for treatment to be restored to competency. The next hearing in the case is slated for Sept.…
“Pop Up Video” to Return!
In news that’s probably only exciting to people with an overwhelming sentimentality for when they used to show music videos on VH1 (next up: a Mob Wives marathon!), 90’s metacommentary sensation Pop Up Video is returning to the network with sixty new episodes to debut this fall. Of course, the difference between the show’s heyday…
Arrest Made in Friday’s Hit and Run Accident
Thankfully, the police tracked down the driver who allegedly struck a bicyclist on Swan and drove off Friday night: The Tucson Police Department received a tip regarding the vehicle possibly involved in the hit and run collision that left a 23-year-old male in serious condition on Friday May 20, 2011. Traffic Detectives conducted a follow-up…
Woman Selling 2-Year-Old Girl on eBay, Yakking Cell Phone User Arrested and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post Photo Ryn Gargulinski Plaster kids’ heads are OK on eBay, but not a real, live child. A Michigan woman figured out a quick way to make some cash — she tried to sell a 2-year-old girl on eBay. She was busted when one man bid on…
Supreme Court Puts Off Health-Care Suit Hearing Until September
An update on yesterday’s reports (here and here) on the lawsuit to block the Brewer administration’s plan to reduce low-income Arizonans’ eligibility for insurance companies through AHCCCS: The Supreme Court said it would consider attorney Tim Hogan’s petition to block Brewer’s changes, but not until September—which is several months after the changes are set to…
Brewer and Horne Put Medicinal Marijuana Dispensaries on Hold
The timing of this is suspicious, as is the state’s off-and-on desire to avoid federal interference. Mess with immigration policy and we’ll dump whatever amount of money it takes into the fight for self-determination. When the voters approve legislation that right-wing social conservative types don’t like but seems to work under a memo by Eric…
Today in Terrible Legislator (Not From Arizona) News
According to Kansas state representative Pete DeGraaf women should plan ahead just in case they become pregnant from a rape. Not an exaggeration. Not from The Onion. That’s actually what he said. Rape is often called the ultimate violation of self. A crime of absolute contempt for personal integrity, leaving the women caught in its…
Justin Bieber’s Perfume Transports You to the Magical Skyworld of Bieber
Take a moment to appreciate how far Justin Bieber will go to convey the “fruity gourmand” essence of his new fragrance, “Someday”: the commercial was “filmed in a gravity-free cabin of a Boeing 737 NASA training jet”, according to Us Weekly. The ad doesn’t make any sense, but it was expensive, and that’s all that…
Today in Strange Covers: Bon Iver Takes on Leon Russell and Bonnie Raitt
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first Bon Iver record, famously recorded in a cabin, but it’s possible hanging out with Kanye West led to a little more musical variety rubbing off on the guy, but even still, covering Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” on Jimmy Fallon’s show is still a…
The Onion Questions Whether We Learned Anything From January 8th
This hits a little too close to home, for sure: On Jan. 8, 2011, we as a society were shocked and dismayed when 19 people, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a Democratic congresswoman from Arizona’s 8th District, were shot during a public meeting outside a local supermarket. Six people were killed and Rep. Giffords suffered a…
I Think The Espresso Pundit Might Have Lost His Mind
The easy joke is, of course, how would anyone be able to tell, but Phoenix based conservative blogger Espresso Pundit posted an odd missive yesterday to mark his several-day hiatus from blogland. Maybe this is coded conservative-speak that I’m just not capable of understanding. I’ve tried to get the passion back with less caffeine. Last…
Will State Lawmakers Extend Unemployment Benefits?
Time is running out for state lawmakers to act to extend unemployment benefits for Arizonans who are still looking for work. The extension wouldn’t cost the state any money; the funds come from the federal government, but to be eligible to receive the additional funds, state lawmakers must change one word in state law. Matt…
Tucson Padres Hop on the Healthy Food Bandwagon
Baseball is as American as apple… slices? Strange as it sounds, that could be the new reality in Kino Stadium as the Tucson Padres team up with the county to offer more nutritious food options at concession stands. Don’t worry, hot dog lovers: the traditional ballgame fare will still be available. But so will healthier…
The Trailer for the Conan O’Brien Documentary Hits the Web
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, a documentary covering the time between the end of Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show run and his show on TBS hits the Loft Cinema on June 24th.
NY 26: What Does It Say?
It’s a long way from Southern Arizona, but the special election for a House seat in New York’s 26th District has the attention of a lot of political junkies because it’s the first place that the Democrats are testing their strategy of running against Republicans who supported Paul Ryan’s proposal to essentially eliminate Medicare and…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 15: The Rolling Chef
Have I mentioned how awesome Tucson’s street food is? The Rolling Chef is a flame-emblazoned food truck run by the former executive chef of fine-dining establishment Anthony’s in the Catalinas. It can be found on the corner of Stone Avenue and Pennington Street between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., weekdays; and outside of the Music…
Perhaps Not the Endorsement Walmart is Looking For
Ladies and gentlemen (well, probably just gentlemen), your unofficially corporately branded bounce track of the summer, courtesy of Mr. Ghetto. Note: if you work or live at the sort of place where wild, unstoppable ass-shaking is frowned upon, perhaps you might want to skip this particular video.
Gov. Brewer Is “Confident in the Legality and Constitutionality” Of Medicare Reform
We mentioned earlier today that the Center for Law in the Public Interest has taken legal action to stop a plan by Gov. Jan Brewer to block low-income Arizonans from getting state-subsidized health insurance.Brewer spokesman Matt Benson told The Range this afternoon that the governor “is confident in the legality and constitutionality of her Medicare…
New Middle Eastern Restaurant and Hookah Lounge Opens Thursday
The doorman was trying on his new outfit when I stopped by. A new place called Sahara Cafe and Hookah Lounge holds its grand opening this Thursday, May 26. The restaurant and hookah lounge is going in at 1730 E. Prince Road, in the former Guadalajara Grill location. Owner Jamal Lulu—originally from Jordan—said he spent…
New Local Brew: Dragoon Brewing Company
A new local microbrewery should be up and operating on Tucson’s westside in the not-too-distant future. Eric Greene of the new Dragoon Brewing Company said he hopes to have “beer in the tanks” by the end of the year, although he says getting all the federal and state permits through could potentially push that date…
The World’s Least Qualified Cable News Analyst?
It’s a little bit of a challenge figuring out exactly what subject Michael Steele is an expert in, but we can all appreciate that the long standing felt-ceiling that has keep puppets from commenting on the news has finally been broken. Former Republican National Committee head Michael Steele has found himself a new role: MSNBC…
White-Chocolate Scallops, Milk-Chocolate Enchiladas and Dark-Chocolate-Marinated Beef
You’ll notice there is no dessert course on the menu posted below, being that decadence of that caliber is beyond the scope of our three-dimensional universe. Talented pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph is behind this unique tasting dinner at 6 p.m., this Wednesday, May 25, at Hacienda del Sol: 1st course – Scallops with a white…
Take the Boca Challenge
I can barely finish three tacos from Boca, the taco shop at 828 E. Speedway Blvd. But if there’s anyone out there who can mow through 17 of them and one of the restaurant’s one-pound baked potatoes stuffed with meat and fixings, then this challenge, posted recently on Facebook, is for you: The BOCA Challenge…
There’s a Teaser for the New Muppet Movie!
I still cringe a little when the Disney logo comes up, considering what they’ve generally done with the rights to the classic Muppet characters, but at least this first teaser trailer for the reboot of the franchise, simply called The Muppets, has a certain amount of charm. The script was co-written by Jason Segel of…
Center for Law in the Public Interest Sues Over State’s Health-Care Rollback
The Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court today to block a proposal by Gov. Jan Brewer to deny state-subsidized health-care coverage to low-income Arizonans. Tim Hogan, executive director of the Center for Law in the Public Interest, said in a court filing that the Brewer administration’s plan to…
Barack Obama: Guinness Drinker
While nearly everyone in America has made up their mind about Barack Obama and filters any information about him through that lens, there’s still something cool for me in a president who makes sure he grabs a Guinness during his trip to Ireland.
The One Interesting Moment From the Billboard Awards Last Night
There was no particular reason to watch the Billboard Music Awards last night (as far as I know, the awards are based on sales and popularity, so basically you’re giving awards to people who are already winning at life), but Beyoncé seems to have taken a strange and fascinating artistic turn on her newest single…
Impossible Dreams: Are Republicans Living in Denial of Reality?
After hearing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie refuse to answer a question about evolution, Slate’s Jacob Weisberg wonders if Republicans are losing their grip on reality: Christie is not part of the natural constituency for Darwin-denial. He’s an intelligent man, a lawyer, a fiscal rather than a social conservative. But Christie is also someone who…
The Family Radio Website Changed a Bit
So, you’ve predicted a monumental global event that didn’t quite pan out. What now? First thing: change the website to scrub any reference to the failed prophecy: Second plan on the agenda: Go door to door and rip the page from the Bible that has Deuteronomy 18:20 on it. [HT: Buzzfeed]
Iron Chef Tucson 2011 Voting Going On
Has everyone voted to determine who’s going to compete in this year’s Iron Chef Tucson event? If not, you can do so over here. Imagine the possibilities! Will Allen Yap of OM Modern Asian Kitchen drop a curry smack down? Can Steven Schultz of Red Sky and Luna Bella dominate with techniques from around the…
Shameless Self-Promotion: TW Nabs Six First-Place Awards in Press Club Contest
The Tucson Weekly took home seven honors in the Arizona Press Club’s annual contest—and six of those were first-place wins. Five of those wins came in writing categories. In comparison, the Arizona Daily Star only took home one first-place writing prize, and three first-place awards overall. All of the Weekly’s writing honors came in metro…
The Only Way I Like Joe Arpaio: Recreated in Bacon
I have no idea why the Phoenix New Times decided to make a bacon version of Joe Arpaio, but I welcome that sort of pioneering spirit. $75 well spent:
Idiot Boksen – “Terriers”, “Treme”, and Why HBO Still Reigns Supreme
Last September, FX premiered a show about two private eyes called Terriers. The show had a sunny setting in Ocean Beach, an eclectic township of San Diego. It had two dynamic leads in the perpetually underrated Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James, who played the Cajun-accented bad guy in the first season of True Blood. Terriers…
Seriously, Arizona Elections Director Amy Bjelland? Seriously?
It’s hard to say whether the Russell Pearce recall was going to work or not, but at least, I’d like to see it actually come to a vote before Pearce gets another session to reign destruction on the state. Well, because Arizona Elections Director Amy Bjelland made a tiny mistake regarding the rules for recall,…
The Only Rapture-Related Song Worth Noting
Sure, we’re all goofy over the latest failed rapture prediction, so Facebook is full of links to Blondie’s “Rapture”, but may I humbly suggest a substitute, just to mix it up a bit? My first instinct was Larry Norman’s “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”, a classic futuristic look at the rapture, thinking of those…
The Truth Is Out There: Was Roswell a Russian Attack Aimed at Creating Mass Panic? And Were Nazis Involved?
Jim Nintzel We wanted to believe: Hector Acuña and Tim Archibald on the hunt for evidence. I teamed up with photographers Hector Acuña and Tim Archibald to spend some time with the UFO community back in the mid-’90s, including a fact-finding mission to Roswell for the first big celebration of the anniversary of the ’47…
Note to the Naive: News From “The Onion” Isn’t Real
We’ve all been fooled by something on the internet at one point or another, I imagine, but getting tricked by an article from The Onion? In 2011? Not cool.
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Today is the last day to help a local mountain biking group win a $50k grant to preserve trail access in Southern Arizona. Here is how you can help. A piece of the Rillito River path that has been a missing link in the system for 20 years is now paved and open to bikes.…
RIP, “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo, better known as professional wrestling legend “Macho Man Randy Savage,” died this morning in a car accident following a heart attack in Tampa, Florida. The Macho Man was hands down one of the most recognizable and dynamic stars of the WWF in the 1980s and ’90s, then as part of the rival…
This Week’s Saturday Night Live: Definitely Funny for a Few Minutes
Watching Saturday Night Live in the streaming video era is often an exercise in frustration. Maybe there will be something outrageously funny (this happens every other week, maybe?), but while it’s always more entertaining to watch whatever happens when it’s actually on, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by just waiting until clips…
Another Rapture FAQ From James DiGiovanna
Former TW film critic James DiGiovanna is getting a lot of attention for an FAQ for his philosophy students in case The Rapture occurs tomorrow. A sample: Q: With the rapture coming, should I bother working on my final paper?A: Yes. The odds are you will not be judged worthy of ascent to heaven, in…
YouTube’s Most Riveting Interview Program
My new professional goal: do something important enough to be interviewed by Bert. Or Andy Samberg. But preferably Bert.
Why Lizards Do Push-Ups? And Other Tucson Wildlife Tidbits You Need to Know Before You Die
Photo Ryn Gargulinski Lazlo the skink It’s all about getting attention. We’re not referring to the reason motorists blast booming music through their cars’ tinny speakers, or why those bored-looking folks toss and twirl furniture sale signs on the corner of Swan and Fort Lowell roads. We’re talking about why lizards do push-ups. While we…
Today in Breaking Shaved-Ice News
There’s a new shaved-ice store under construction in the former home of Copper Kettle Popcorn at 3701 W. Ina Road. The new owners have put up white paper in the windows proclaiming that Shoobies Shaveice—that’s how it reads on the sign—cometh to rock our shaved-ice worlds, but no opening date or other details were in…
Perfect Thursday Night Entertainment: A Billy Joel Tribute
I’m a big fan of casino-style tribute entertainment (looking forward to ABBA Fan on June 2nd!), but I’m not entirely sure what to think of “Billy Joel Tribute, Piano Man” appearing at Casino Del Sol’s Paradiso Bar and Lounge tonight. Billy Joel has a decent catalog of songs to pay tribute to, and the guy…
Tucson Weekly TV: Drinking Beer With Jonathan Rothschild
While Jonathan Rothschild didn’t want to be filmed for our local beer tasting last night, I believe this animated video offers some insight into the evening.
Noble Hops Gastropub Is Open
The writing’s on the wall at Noble Hops Gastropub. I really enjoyed my first meal at the new Noble Hops Gastropub. The interior is the color of dark chalkboard, and everything is clean, sharp and casual. I found myself undistracted by most of the décor, allotting more time for contemplation of the rows of tap…
‘The Greatest Movie Ever Sold’ Now at El Con, Instead
In our review of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, (May 12 issue, here) we indicate the film will open on Friday, May 20, at Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. It will no longer open at Harkins. Instead, it will open Friday, May 20, at Century El Con 20, 3601 E. Broadway Blvd.
Daily Show Nixes Baja AZ Report
The Baja Arizona movement is evidently not nutty enough for Jon Stewart. We’re told that the segment on the push to allow Southern Arizona to form a new state unconnected to Maricopa County has been spiked by The Daily Show. To console you, here’s a classic Daily Show clip, mocking Arizona State University: The Daily…
Newt’s Crazy Health-Care Hiccup
The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Breaking Newt www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive Stephen Colbert had a field day with Newt Gingrich’s nutty wavering over his own criticism of the GOP proposal to end Medicare as we now know it by handing out vouchers to…
Doctors: Giffords Surgery a Success; Recovery Is “Almost Miraculous”
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords reached another milestone in her recovery yesterday when doctors at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center replaced a section of her skull that was destroyed when she was shot in the head earlier this year. Dr. Dong Kim, director of Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial Hermann Hospital, said at a press conference today that…
Sharon Lin’s Arizona Daily Star Based Doppelgänger
Now there are two women getting ready to retire that won’t move to Pima County, even though they love the hiking and birds? What have we done to our collective reputation as a county? Another highlight from the recent Star comments by Cynthia Ann: We have been visiting Tucson almost every year since 1985.We are…
Bummer of the Week: Pulse Tucson to Close
We covered the opening of Pulse Tucson in March, but unfortunately, the economics of the bar business haven’t been kind to the ownership. They have a full schedule through Sunday, which looks to be their last night. From their website: Hello Everyone, I feel it is necessary to write this letter to my friends, family…
Press Secretary Might Make Gingrich’s Campaign Worthwhile
It certainly seems like Newt Gingrich’s campaign could be over by the end of next week, but can we just agree to keep the guy around just because he has a press secretary who uses lines like “a lesser person could not have survived the first few minutes of the onslaught”? Rick Tyler fired off…
Endeavour Update: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Installation Underway
The crew of the Endeavour space shuttle is busy installing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 today. If you want to know how the AMS-2 goes about hunting for antimatter or dark matter through the analysis of cosmic rays, you can find details here. Here’s a bulletin from NASA: The initial wake up call to the crew…
Dorothy Parvaz on Syrian Detention: “I Was Standing in Two Fist-Sized Pools of Smeared, Sticky Blood…”
Dorothy Parvaz, who earned a master’s degree in journalism at the UA in 1997, talks about her recent detention while working for Al Jazeera in Syria: I was standing in two fist-sized pools of smeared, sticky blood, trying to sort out why there were seven angry Syrians yelling at me. Only one of them -…
Horse Event Cancelled
On page 23 of our May 19 issue, we picture a beautiful horse with a caption about the Arizona Paint Horse event on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22, at Pima County Fairgrounds. Due to the spread of Equine Herpevirus 1 (EHV-1) throughout the West, Pima County has suspended equestrian activities. Therefore, this event…
Your Guide to Not Worrying About the Rapture
Photo by Flickr user Lord Jim As someone with a long history in evangelical Christian culture and who still heads to church when I get the motivation together, the whole Family Radio May-21st-as-the-Rapture debacle is a little bittersweet. I enjoy mocking the absurdities of religious culture nearly as much as anyone, but on the other…
Pima County GOP: Our City Council Candidates Will Qualify for Ballot
After noticing our post about Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers delivering some smack talk about the GOP candidates for mayor and Tucson City Council, Pima County Republican Party spokesman Sam Stone called to let The Range know that GOP mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky has passed the minimum number of signatures to qualify for…
Endeavour, Day 3: Arrival at the International Space Station
On Day 3 of its mission in space, Endeavour docks with the International Space Station. I think it’s pretty cool stuff, but I like watching my Roomba dock with the charger after an hour a vacuuming the kitchen. YMMV.
The Cover of Fast Company Gives Me an Uneasy Feeling
I like Conan O’Brien and the novelty of his fight against NBC hasn’t entirely worn off yet, so I’m happy that he’s on the cover of Fast Company this month. However, I think I would have been ok with one Conan, instead of Conan in the guise of various honorees from the magazine’s 100 most…
The People Be Dancing
For more than 30 years, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has incorporated elements of R&B, funk, rock, bebop and hip-hop into the traditional New Orleans brass-band sound. It’s hard to believe, considering the institution the band has become, but such a combination once was viewed as radical. “From the beginning, we brought a lot of…
The Border’s Revolving Door
he May 6 unsealing of a federal indictment against Manuel Osorio-Arellanes revealed new details about the night of Dec. 14, 2010, when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered on Coronado National Forest land northwest of Nogales. Terry’s elite, four-man tactical unit was conducting operations at Mesquite Seep, along the dangerous Peck Canyon smuggling corridor,…
City Week
Female art-powerment; Little snapshots; Comedy done write; Bluegrass gone green
Soundbites
DISCOS, HOLD THE HEADSETS The relatively new local band Discos seems to be pretty polarizing. People seem to either love them, or say something along the lines of, “They’re good at what they do, but I’m just not that into it.” Maybe the naysayers can’t get over the fact that they use those goofy headset…
District in Distress
When Luci Messing became president of the Tucson Education Association, there was a different Tucson Unified School District superintendent—and a different attitude. The district, led by Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, was facing historic budget cuts and a belief that the financial nightmare handed down by the state Legislature was just beginning. However, Messing says, everyone agreed to…
TQ&A
Lorena Howard always wanted to start her own organization; her friend Maritza Broce always dreamed of starting a resale shop. The two, who have worked together in local politics and nonprofits, recently decided to put their dreams together, with the help of two other friends, to create Fortin de las Flores, a community-support and civil-rights…
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records’ top salesfor the week ending May 15, 2011
The Skinny
The prez makes a play for comprehensive immigration reform … About that ethnic-studies forum … Midtown’s mini-dorm storm … and much more!
Buccaneer Bounty
Somewhere on the high seas of the theater world, past the Straits of Literary Drama and far south of the Reef of Cultural Aspirations, lies a small island that hides a treasure of comedy gold. It is this island that the Gaslight Theatre explores again and again, and the current show, The Curse of the…
Nine Questions
Steff Koeppen writes songs, plays piano and sings. She is the frontwoman for local outfit Steff Koeppen and the Articles, who are part of the Arizona-based River Jones Music label. Koeppen just finished her sophomore year at the University of Arizona, and she will be spending her summer recording a second album, learning a new…
Police Dispatch
Don’t do that in the road; Reasonable? Doubtful…
A Stumbling Start
Too much. Too little. Too long. It may sound contradictory, but it’s an accurate description of Taking Steps, currently running at Live Theatre Workshop. English playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy takes a clever staging convention and exploits it to the max to tell the story of a silly bunch of people who get caught up in…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending May 15, 2011
Weekly Wide Web
Our web producer’s inability to stay off his phone; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Heaven and Hell
Forget, for a moment, the torments of hell depicted on the far side of Hieronymus Bosch’s glorious painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Close your eyes to the sinners being gobbled up by giant birds or manhandled by crusty black bugs. And put aside, for now, the fleshy orgy unfolding ecstatically in the center panel.…
Live
Few and rare are the pleasures that exceed that of hearing a pair of well-traveled music professionals perform an intimate gig, whether they’re gathered in a living room, under the stars or around a bar. That describes the singular, subtle joy generated when singer-songwriter Skip Heller performed with Tucson’s Al Perry this past Sunday night…
Under Construction
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) publicly gives itself an A+ for its performance since voters created it five years ago. About 400 RTA backers gathered on Monday, May 16, to hear short speeches and watch a series of slick videos that showed, as Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup declared: “We’re right on schedule.” Critics, however, give…
A Glorified Nobody
If not for the O.K. Corral fight, Wyatt Earp would be forgotten today. His life was not so different from that of countless frontiersmen who came West, flailed around trying to get rich without working too hard, and went through his share of women and legal scrapes. He lived until 1929 without much to show…
Times New Viking: Dancer Equired (Merge)
As a term defining a certain recording style and general aesthetic, “lo-fi” includes the notion of energetic, frenzied performances recorded with a screw-the-details ambivalence. The flaws are the charms, and if one song happens to be a little weak, there are plenty more to record. As the aesthetic of lo-fi grew into its own sort…
Top Ten in Books
Antigone Books’ best-sellers for the week ending May 13, 2011
Julian Lynch: Terra (Underwater Peoples)
When Terra’s intentions seem to end at providing the soundtrack for acupuncturists’ offices and ersatz yoga classes at conglomerated gym chains (take note, lady at the downtown Gold’s who sets her sun salutations to Third Eye Blind), it’s easily dismissible as misguided new-age schmaltz. Those familiar with Lynch—namely, those who rightly loved or admired 2010’s…
From the Kids to the Stage
As schools are being forced to slash arts budgets left and right, Sharon O’Brien swears she will never stop trying to empower children through theater. After all, O’Brien’s Stories That Soar! might be some of the only arts exposure that many kids get. O’Brien says children’s eyes light up when they see the Magic Box,…
More Vampires Again
About once a year, a film is released that forces us to ask the question: “Is this the movie that will finally make Paul Bettany fire his agent?” Bettany, an actor with good range and a natural presence onscreen, has nevertheless been slogging through a succession of embarrassments in the past half-decade: as the steely…
Media Watch
KGUN anchor moves to the big city; our search for a medicinal marijuana critic becomes international news
Charmingly Raunchy
Kristen Wiig delivers the best performance of the year so far by an actress in the raucously hilarious Bridesmaids. Wiig, who co-wrote the screenplay with Annie Mumolo, has flirted with movie greatness before, but Bridesmaids is her first chance to headline, and she kills it. We are introduced to Wiig’s character, Annie, in an awkward…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: What happened to my friend? She is white (Irish—her only aunt was a Catholic nun!); she grew up in Pico Rivera, Calif. (so most people think she is Mexican with green eyes); she is converting to Judaism—and guess what? All she meets are Mexicans! And all she likes are Mexican men—in fact, the…
Now Showing at Home
Childrens Hospital: The Complete First and Second Seasons; Burning Palms; The Rite (Blu-Ray)
New Names
A simultaneously joyous and sad aspect of being in the newspaper business is that staffers and contributors come and go with frequency. This month, Weekly World Central is experiencing a lot of comings and goings. First off, we have a new art director. Andrew Arthur recently moved to Southern Arizona after spending four-plus years editing…
Little Gems
Here at Weekly World Central, we often get comments from readers exclaiming that (insert name of restaurant) serves the best (insert food type or item) in Tucson, and we must check it out! Today, we’re heading to the eastside to check out two of these reader-recommended spots. The verdict: While I won’t go so far…
Danehy
Because the Tucson Weekly is the pre-eminent journalistic enterprise in Southern Arizona, some people expect me to do that journalism stuff, too. I’ve thought about trying it in the past, but I’ve always thought that people should play to their strengths. I mean, nobody expects Sofia Vergara to do Shakespeare, right? Still, I owe it…
Noshing Around
Eggs benedict in Oro Valley; New Italian restaurant under construction; Frozen custard at Frosty Jake’s; Mercado San Agustin is open!
Messina
Every Thursday night at Joaquin Murrieta Park on the northwest side, a childhood ritual returns. There’s a red squishy ball, a referee and players scattered around the bases. Yes, kickball is back in style. Here, though, the players aren’t kids, and it’s not recess. Co-ed teams of adults are clad in team uniforms featuring varied…
Guest Commentary
Once upon a time, Western public lands—places like our national forests and parks—were supported with American tax dollars. In return, we were welcome to use them. Undeveloped areas required no money to enter, and developed facilities were basic but affordable. Land managers were public servants whose mission was stewardship—or so it seemed. As in a…
Mailbag
Not a fan of the UA Freedom Center; A fan of nuke power; A fan of Gabrielle Giffords; Not a fan of government-promoted prayer; Not a fan of the Coffee Party
Worthy Endeavour
Big cheers erupted from the standing-room-only crowd gathered at the Trident Grill as the space shuttle Endeavour launched under the command of NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The launch, which had been delayed from last month, went off on schedule at 5:56 a.m. Tucson time on Monday, May 16. For the…
A Future Resident?
We recently received a letter from a student in Maine. She asked us to publish her request for information. Maybe one day, she’ll blog and let us know she is retiring in Arizona. Dear Reader, I am a 6th grader in Maine and have chosen the great state of Arizona to research. I would very…
Grijalva: “I Believe the Legal Challenges of the Constitutionality of This Law Will Eventually Overturn SB 1070”
Congressman Raul Grijalva does takes questions online at the Washington Post Web site. One exchange: Virginia: I lived in Latin America most of my life, speak Spanish fluently, and love its music, culture, and people. My Hispanic friends and I support enforcing Arizona law. Does that make us racists? Rep. Raul Grijalva: I’m glad you…
Rep. Vic Williams: Not on His Best Behavior Last Night
Apparently Rep. Vic Williams would prefer not to be associated with the sliver of the city that falls within his district, according to Bud Foster, whose KOLD piece on last night’s contentious Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting has this delightful quote from Williams: And he also took the city of Tucson to task for…
The Swigs: Johnson Family Values (Sapient)
The Swigs’ impressive 2010 debut, Let It Come Down, boasted virtuoso playing, well-crafted tunes and a driving energy. But the Tucson rock trio has topped that record by going epic with this audacious sophomore release. Produced by guitarist-singer-songwriter Kevin Henderson and engineer extraordinaire Nathan Sabatino at Loveland Studio, Johnson Family Values was recorded in analog,…
