Cover Story
Book Smarts
Tucson writer Patricia Preciado Martin used to tell camping stories to her son and daughter—the same Mexican legends she remembers being told about as a child, like “La Llorona,” the crying woman of the wash. One day, her husband, now a retired Pima Community College professor, told her that she should think about putting these…
Mike Hein Visits Arizona Illustrated Tonight
Former City Manager Mike Hein will be Bill Buckmaster’s guest on KUAT-TV’s Arizona Illustrated tonight. We don’t expect any bombshells—Hein does need to find a job and it doesn’t look good to be badmouthing your former bosses when you look for work—but we’ll be tuning in to see what he has to say. The show…
Jan, Guv Jan, We Need an Official Rock Song
Jan, uh, Guv Jan, this here economy stinks, and you and your fellow ‘publicans don’t even get along anymore, so here’s an idea taken from the page of Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry. Today, Henry is expected to sign an executive order that names the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize?” as the official rock song of…
Do You Believe In Magic?
We know we promised you a review of Black Devil Doll, but when we got the Loft Cinema last night, we ended seeing The Great Buck Howard instead. Our capsule review: John Malkovich enchants as Buck Howard, an over-the-hill magician who still has a few tricks left up his sleeve. We did sneak upstairs to…
The Peasants Bring Pitchforks and Torches To City Council Meeting
The Tucson City Council got an earful tonight from residents who were unhappy with the idea of a tax on housing rental payments. They set up room at the TCC that only seated 500 people, so a couple hundred were left milling around after the fire marshals quit letting any more people into the hearing.…
Is Reconciliation a Laughing Matter? Hell Yes
The Red House commercial is gaining popularity, with folks wondering if it’s for real. Yes it is. Made by Internet comedy guys Rhett and Link. Enjoy!
Never Mind, Again: Republicans Cancel Legislative Budget Hearing
Once again, Republicans have canceled a budget hearing that was set for this afternoon. It appears their latest budget proposal, released by leadership yesterday, is already running into resistance from rank-and-file.
The Fleeting Tweeting Craze
Nielsen Online reports that Twitter has a much smaller retention rate than either MySpace or Facebook. Take that, fawning media! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been resisting the urge to join Twitter. Facebook status updates have almost crossed the line into annoying irrelevance for me. I don’t know if I could handle Twitter.
Your Chance Sound Off Tonight
Don’t forget: The Tucson City Council will be hearing from angry citizens at the Tucson Convention Center tonight beginning at 5:30 p.m. Most council meetings are pretty boring, but this one promises to be a real hoot. As we explained in this week’s Skinny, council members are considering nearly $18 million in new taxes on…
Excelsior! Stan Lee Visits Chandler
Attention, all true believers: Stan “The Man” Lee will be visiting Dave’s Comics, Cards & Games in Chandler, Az., this Saturday, May 2.
A State Budget Emerges?
It appears that Republicans may have finally crafted a budget deal that preserves spending while avoiding a tax increase. A document released this afternoon shows that they’ve filled in a $2.775 billion shortfall with $670 million in spending cuts (including $175 million for school districts and $5 million for charter schools), a healthy helping of…
Eat and Do Good
It’s time again for the annual Dine Out for Safety night. This Wednesday, April 29, restaurants across the city will be setting aside a portion of their profits to benefit the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault. Details here.
Notes From the Pima County Fair
Did the County Fair have a sideshow? Yes, but they called it a “Freak Show.” Tyrone the hip-hop killer rat topped the bill. There were things with two, three, four, five and six legs. Rides propelled people braver than me to great heights and sickness. Shed-sized fiberglass lemons dispensed lemonade. Tractors began to feel familiar.…
In Summary
Postmodern Barney has collected Uncomfortable Plot Summaries. A sample: BLADE RUNNER: Man with no apparent skill stumbles into escaped robots, fails to kill most, fucks one. BOOGIE NIGHTS: Deformed boy goaded into life of crime. BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S: Pretty redneck girl fools socialites, flirts with gay gigolo. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: Deranged pedophile big-business…
Listings Maintenance!
Due to a database glitch, a number of our listings were wiped out early Friday morning. However, our crack Web staff assures us the listings data has now been restored. If you notice something missing, please alert our listings staff. Thank you, and God bless.
Friday Roundtable: Skepticism About Toll Roads, City Budget
Me and the gang tackle the week, after the jump:
Sugar Ray on Friday Roundtable
Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll stopped by the Friday Roundtable. Unlike some dead-enders (we’re looking your way, J.T. Waldron), Sugar Ray gives the RTA election a clean bill of health. He says he wouldn’t vote for a sales tax to support Major League Baseball stadiums and appears to now be targeting Kino Hospital and University…
Make That a Shit Taco Combo Platter: Kromko Indicted
Looks like political gadfly John Kromko has more to worry about than our mocking of him. The Star’s Erica Meltzer breaks the news this afternoon that Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall has hit Kromko with charges of identity theft, forgery and fraudulent schemes. The charges stem from Kromko’s nominating petitions for an ill-fated campaign for…
No More “Driving Excitement”
GM is cutting the Pontiac brand, according to NPR. More layoffs to come.
Pressure Against Rent Tax Builds
This week’s Skinny column talks about the difficult politics facing the Tucson City Council as members consider a 2 percent tax on housing rental payments. Opponents of the rental tax have their own Web site up. We’re expecting that the budget hearing at the Tucson Convention Center at 5:30 p.m. this Tuesday, April 28, is…
Cooking With the Sun
The green movement is all the rage these days, but the organizers of Tucson’s annual Solar Potluck and Exhibition, now in its 27th year, were hip to eco-friendly living long before it started making national headlines. If you’ve never been to the potluck—which goes down at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 25—it takes place at Catalina…
Music, Movies and More!
Warning: The above trailer is most definitely Not Safe For Work! Black Devil Doll opens for one week only at the Loft Cinema today. The Loft’s Web site describes the plot thusly: A young, moist, buxom teen vixen finds herself hurled into an odyssey of forbidden sex and unspeakable violence after an innocent evening dabbling…
Welcome Linda, Even If We’re a Little Mad
So we’re the town that wants to remain Podunk, and as a consequence, we’re really good at building some mighty fine inferiority complexes about our sunburned burg—one of which revolves around Tucson native Linda Ronstadt, who gave up the Down-and-Out Pueblo for the Bay Area. And it seems we just can’t forget about it—or at…
BJs Vs. War Crimes
Someone recently brought it to my attention the fact that not enough Americans seem troubled by a pretty basic equation: Torture + Dick + George + A Few Others = War Crimes. War Crimes usually leads to tribunals, trials and uproar—but perhaps not when the economy right now could use it’s own happy ending. And…
Catching Up with Photographer Tim Archibald
I had the great pleasure of working with photographer Timothy Archibald here at TW many years ago, before he went off to become a bigshot Photographer of the Year for the Phoenix New Times. He’s now in the Bay Area, working in commercial photography. He’s also working on a haunting series with his son, Eli,…
Three Cheers for the UA Press
This week’s cover story about the 50th Anniversary of the UA Press didn’t have enough space to clue you in on a few events happening in town with authors and anniversary celebrations, too: Mary Ellen Barnes, at left, author of The Road to Mount Lemmon: A Father, A Family and the Making of Summerhaven, will…
UA Farmers’ Market Is Sew Totes
This Friday, the Earth Day celebration continues at the UA Farmers’ Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Main Gate Square on University Boulevard between Park and Euclid avenues. Bring a T-shirt, and folks at the Campus Health booth will make a tote bag out of it for you for free. Then use your bag…
Pima County Fair: A Winning Cake
This mother’s-day-breakfast-tray cake is among the winners in the baked-food competition at the Pima County Fair, which continues through Sunday, April 26.
Comforting the Afflicted
This week’s announcement of the 2009 Pulitzer Prizes showed how when the journalism business suffers, the public suffers. One of the winners is the East Valley Tribune, a paper up in Mesa, which garnered a prize for Local Reporting. Specifically, Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin won the honor “for their adroit use of limited resources…
Connecting Indie-Media Dots
The mainstream media gets it wrong; governments lie; people are fighting back. That’s Amy Goodman’s America. Goodman is the host of Democracy Now!, an hour-long radio, TV and online news program which has grown, from humble beginnings 13 years ago, into a grassroots institution for the left. Her show, on each weekday, focuses on stories…
Police Dispatch
WANDERLOST EAST SPEEDWAY BOULEVARD MARCH 25, 12:22 P.M. An out-of-town woman engaged in hotel-hopping without possessions or money, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. The front-desk manager at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, 14301 E. Speedway Blvd., told deputies a woman staying there was wandering around barefoot in emotional distress, wearing only a…
City Week
Music, Poetry, Funding Po’Tree Salo(o)n: Benefit for Casa Libre and Sonora Review 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 29 Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. 622-8848; hotelcongress.com; casalibre.org When it comes to federal funding, artists don’t get the respect they deserve. This is especially true when the economy is in a recession. Therefore, two outlets for creative…
Noshing Around
Fat Greek II George and Traci Markou, owners of The Fat Greek (994 E. University Blvd.), are opening a second location in what is currently Ziggi’s (3225 N. Swan Road, Suite 105). The Fat Greek II will offer a larger selection of vegetarian fare, said George Markou, and will open in mid-May. Visit www.thefatgreek.biz for…
Biosphere Blowhard
Me and the Biospheres: A Memoir by the Inventor of Biosphere By John Allen Synergetic 336 pages, $39.95 In the early 1990s, Southern Arizona enjoyed a rush of international attention when eight “biospherians” sealed themselves inside the newly built architectural and engineering wonder near Oracle called Biosphere 2, and promised not to come out for…
Pickleicious!
Burger City 47 N. Sixth Ave. 903-0919; website Open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (closing times may vary) Pluses: Moist, tasty burgers with unusual but effective toppings Minuses: Stuck on a not-very-active downtown side street There are two main reasons to eat downtown at Burger City.…
The Dangers of Pool
The Music Man Presented by Arizona Repertory Theatre Various times through Sunday, May 3 UA Tornabene Theatre UA campus, southeast corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard $31 general; $29 UA employees, seniors, military; $21 students 621-1162; website There may be trouble in River City, but its resolution—76 trombones and all—is as flat as an…
Danehy
There is a creature that lives in the waters of the Amazon River Basin called a candiru. Also known as the vampire fish of Brazil, the translucent candiru is shaped like, and is about the size of, a toothpick. It is one of the few creatures in the world that survives on a diet consisting…
Disasters Deconstructed
Trouble in Paradise: Examining Discord Between Nature and Society 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, through June 28 Tucson Museum of Art140 N. Main Ave. $8 general; $6 seniors; $3 students; free for children 12 and under and for members; free to all the first Sunday of the month 624-2333;website…
Messina
Dateline: May 8, 2009. The lights dim. Voices hush. Anticipation rises. Upon the silver screen, a picture of the Earth appears. The camera pans left, and a spaceship comes into view. It’s not just any space ship. It’s the Starship Enterprise, ready to take us into the final frontier. Fasten your seat belts, everyone: The…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: First of all, please don’t think that I’m a self-loathing Mexican; I was born in the United States to northern Mexican parents. As far as I know, my ancestry is just Indian, Spanish and a little French. For some strange reason, I have developed an intense fascination—you might say love—for Arab culture, language,…
Guest Commentary
Though Leo W. Banks makes several incongruous references to kindergarten in his April 2 cover story, “Trashing Arizona,” we at the Sierra Club and Derechos Humanos suspect he missed a few lessons. Conservation groups, wildlife biologists and human-rights advocates address problems at their root cause, which is why we are not, as Mr. Banks puts…
Now Showing at Home
Doubt MIRAMAX MOVIE A- SPECIAL FEATURES B DVD GEEK FACTOR 7.5 (OUT OF 10) An acting powerhouse of mammoth proportions, Doubt is even better upon a second viewing. While Naomi Watts was my pick for Best Actress last year (for her incredible performance in Funny Games), Meryl Streep was the best of the Oscar-nominated actresses.…
Rather Jolting
Crank: High Voltage Rated R Starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart and Dwight Yoakam Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor Lionsgate, 96 minutes Now playing at AMC Loews Foothills 15 (742-6174), Century El Con 20 (800-326-3264, ext. 902), Century Park 16 (800-326-3264, ext. 901), Century Park Place 20 (800-326-3264, ext. 903), Century Theatres at the…
Black Math Horseman: Wyllt
Black Math Horseman Wyllt TEE PEE The alternative-metal scene grows stronger every day, despite the misguided efforts of Brooklyn media hipsters seeking to ensure the domination of pathetic electro bands like Animal Collective. For every horrendous indie-rock act praised in the virtual pages of music blogs, there’s a musically accomplished group of post-headbangers knocking on…
Stolen Youth
17 Again Rated PG-13 Starring Zac Efron, Leslie Mann and Thomas Lennon Directed by Burr Steers New Line, 102 minutes Now playing at AMC Loews Foothills 15 (742-6174), Century El Con 20 (800-326-3264, ext. 902), Century Park 16 (800-326-3264, ext. 901), Century Park Place 20 (800-326-3264, ext. 903), Century Theatres at the Oro Valley Marketplace…
Depeche Mode: Sounds of the Universe
Depeche Mode Sounds of the Universe MUTE/CAPITOL/EMI Imagine Depeche Mode circa 1981, singing its vapid synth-pop hit “Just Can’t Get Enough,” sporting Flock of Seagulls quiffs, bondage gear and full-on makeup. A robust 30-year career in the music business hardly seemed in the cards. Unbelievably, Depeche Mode has done just that, and with their 12th…
Kennel No. 1
In October, state inspectors at Tucson Greyhound Park discovered a little problem. It seems that Kennel No. 1, recently home to 58 dogs, was a filthy mess. A smattering of dog diarrhea—affectionately known as “blowout” in the business—covered one wall. A bucket of putrid water sat next to cages. Dog crap was abundant. Or to…
Silversun Pickups: Swoon
Silversun Pickups Swoon DANGERBIRD The second full-length album by this young Los Angeles quartet melds pop-rock conventions with robust guitarscapes, hypnotic rhythms and lyrics that juggle angst, trepidation and beauty. The band’s 2006 debut, Carnavas, was uneven but contained a couple of killer tracks. While there’s nothing on Swoon as powerfully transcendent as Carnavas’ “Well…
No Sale
If you were hoping to have a chance to vote for a tax increase to balance the state’s budget, it appears you’re out of luck. The idea of asking voters to approve a temporary tax increase, which was floated by Gov. Jan Brewer in a speech to lawmakers in March, appears dead. Republican leaders dismissed…
On Bonds
A recently compiled Pima County report contains an impressive list of projects successfully completed thanks to 2004 general-obligation bond funds. Unfortunately, the report is a bit misleading. One project shown as completed is the $682,000 rehabilitation of the Tucson Performing Arts Center on South Sixth Avenue. Five years ago, voters were told funds would “provide…
Top Ten in Books
Antigone Books best-sellers for the week
KUAT Experience indicates the digital transition may not be so bad
KUAT EXPERIENCE INDICATES THE DIGITAL TRANSITION MAY NOT BE SO BAD KUAT Channel 6 prepared for the worst but got fairly pleasant results when it turned off its analog television signal earlier this month. The concern, of course, was that many viewers would be without programming, but once the switch actually took place, problems were…
Touching Greatness
The Provocative Whites with Garboski and Floater 9:30 p.m., Saturday, April 25 Plush340 E. Sixth St. $5 798-1298 The four members of the Provocative Whites are the kind of musicians who started playing in rock bands because they couldn’t think of a better way to pay tribute to the bands they love. Their affection for…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
Kamillia Hoban
Kamillia Hoban became executive director of the Southwest Conservation Corps seven months ago; before that, she did most of the jobs at the natural-resource stewardship agency that provides youth with work doing infrastructure projects, like park trails and habitat restorations. Hoban says she got her start in a similar organization as a crew member at…
Nine Questions
Ted Prezelski Ted Prezelski is a native Tucsonan whose roots here stretch back to the 18th century. He first became a supporter of local music after seeing the Lonely Trojans play the Student Union Cellar in 1988. He has been a political activist and writes at his political blog, www.rumromanismrebellion.net; it was recently named by…
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records top salesfor the week endingApril 19, 2009 1. Silversun Pickups Swoon (Dangerbird) 2. Wilco Ashes of American Flags (DVD) (Nonesuch) 3. Jadakiss The Last Kiss (Ruff Ryders/Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam) 4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz! (Interscope) 5. Neko Case Middle Cyclone (ANTI-) 6. Black Lips 200 Million Thousand (Vice) 7. Iron and Wine Norfolk…
The Skinny
WELL, THAT SETTLES THE WHOLE RTA THING … DOESN’T IT? After all the sound and fury over allegations that the 2006 Regional Transportation Authority election was rigged, Attorney General Terry Goddard announced this week that a recount showed the sales-tax increase was, in fact, approved by voters. This should put an end to all those…
Live
FRANZ FERDINAND, BORN RUFFIANS RIALTO THEATRE Sunday, April 19 What’s the purpose of visual effects in a live rock performance? Are they supposed to make up for some shortcoming by misdirecting us with spectacle? Or are they just the proverbial cherry on the sundae, adding another component to what’s already entirely satisfying? Isn’t it supposed…
Mailbag
O’Sullivan Needs to Do More Research Before Writing I was thoroughly embarrassed for Catherine O’Sullivan while reading her opinion about legalizing pot (April 2). She states that when you ask a pothead, “What time is it?” the response is that time has no meaning because of some physics on Star Trek. First off, nobody watches…
Soundbites
LIKE CLOWNS WITH A SMALL CAR We’ve been graced with so much great live music lately that it’s been something of a game to see how many shows I can cram into this relatively small space. Game on, people! Let’s play! LET THE OUTDOOR CONCERT SEASON BEGIN On Aug. 27, 1977, 67,000 fans piled inside…
Greetings From Mars
The HiRISE team at the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab regularly posts new images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Today’s releases include this shot of possible olivine-rich terrain. Photo by NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.
Never Mind
In “No Sale” this week, I mention that the Senate Appropriations Committee was scheduled to hear budget bills tomorrow. Since press time, that hearing has been canceled because GOP leadership is still trying to round up enough votes within the caucus for their budget proposal.
You’d Think Bruce Ash Would Be Proud To Be A Republican
Tedski reports that the mysterious mailer smearing Kelle Maslyn in the ongoing election for Marana Town Council has been traced back to National Republican Committeman Bruce Ash.The mailer, sent by People for An Independent Marana, accuses Maslyn of taking too many campaign contributions from people outside Marana. Ash lives, as Tedski points out, in Tucson…
Free Roxana Saberi
Medill School of Journalism students put together a Web site for American journalist Roxana Saberi (photo by Eustacio Humphrey of ZUMA Press), arrested in February and recently convicted of spying in Iran. Saberi is 31, and is a freelance journalist with dual citizenship; she’s worked for NPR and the BBC. Saberi is expected to start…
