Cover Story
Back in the Game
Theo Bisbicos is sitting behind home plate with three of his buddies, drinking cold beer, talking baseball and razzing the visiting team. Theo and his crew aren’t really sure who the visiting team is—it’s the Fresno Grizzlies, for the record—but that’s not stopping them from enjoying this warm spring night. What got Theo and about…
Padres Win in Tacoma As Rizzo Homers Again
First baseman Anthony Rizzo knocked another one out of the park last night as the Tucson Padres won again last night in Tacoma, Wash. The Padres’ Tim Hagerty has details: The Tucson Padres are back at .500, beating Tacoma on Tuesday 5-4, putting their record at 13-13. All five Padres runs came on home runs,…
Insane Clown Posse Render All Non-Juggalo Film Reviewers Irrelevant
MTV Shows While Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have been known to cry “like grown women” during films like The Notebook, they weren’t huge fans of Water for Elephants. They are, however, big fans of James Woods and free candy.
In Case You Missed It, Google’s “It Gets Better” Ad
While seeming to lack the pressure of actually making money likely helps, it’s nice to see a giant company like Google using prime advertising time (during Glee, in the case of when I saw it…it was Fleetwood Mac night, I couldn’t help myself) to sell their brand but also help reaffirm that humanity still has…
The Only Royal Wedding Recap You’ll Ever Need
The Daily Show – Exclusive – The Wedding Banners UncensoredTags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook The lesson: never tell comedians what they’re not allowed to do or you’ll end up watching a Taiwanese recreation of the royal wedding night, complete with Hitler and Paddington Bear watching as voyeurs.…
McCain: Don’t Release bin Laden Photo
NBC News reports that U.S. Sen. John McCain does not want to release the photos of a dead Osama bin Laden: After an intelligence briefing on Capitol Hill, McCain said it was a “judgment” the president has to make, but that he believes it’s “not necessary to do,” NBC’s Joel Seidman reports. McCain said he…
‘Tucson Weekly’ Seeking Medical-Marijuana Critic
Later this year—once Arizona’s medical-marijuana system is functioning—the Tucson Weekly will need the services of a medical-marijuana critic. This individual will review Southern Arizona’s dispensaries, clinics and other medical-marijuana-related businesses for the Tucson Weekly and TucsonWeekly.com. Prospective reviewers must have: • A prescription for medical marijuana, for a legitimate medical condition. • Some writing experience.…
No Bin-Laden Photo After All, Apparently
The White House has apparently changed its mind on releasing the photo taken in Afghanistan of Osama bin-Laden’s corpse: NBC News’ Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie have both reported via Twitter that President Obama has decided NOT to release photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse. This is somewhat of a surprising development given the great…
Astronomical and Gastronomical: Sky Bar Hosts Spelling Bee for Foodies
Sky Bar – the solar-powered, astronomy-themed club at 536 N. Fourth Ave. – is hosting a spelling bee just for foodies on Tuesday, May 10. All words will be food-related, and Sky Bar’s serves super-fine cocktails that will guarantee you’ll be in super-spelling mode. Organizers say if contestants spell the word wrong they can stay…
Public Policy Polling: Giffords Is Hugely Popular With Arizona Voters, While Flake Is “Not Exactly a Juggernaut”
We still don’t know if Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will be in the kind of shape she’d need to be in to run for the U.S. Senate next year, but Public Policy Polling’s latest survey of Arizona voters shows she’s extraordinarily popular in the wake of an assassination attempt: The Democratic field for the Senate in…
Hummer Driver Purposely Mows Down Ducklings, Third-Grader Sells Loaded Gun at School and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post Photo Ryn Gargulinski Hummer man would have a field day killing ducks at Fort Lowell Park. Anyone who thinks only jerks drive around in Hummers is right on at least one count, with the case of a Hummer driver who purposely ran over and killed four…
A Reminder: Don’t Sniff Bath Salts
Bad things happen when you sniff bath salts, including causing a grown man to wear a bra and panties while killing a neighbor’s pet goat. [HT: Gawker]
The Pac-12 Will Give You New Ways to Watch College Sports
To be honest, the fewer occasions that I’m forced to watch Oregon State football games on Fox Sports Arizona, the better: The conference’s football games will be shown on ABC and Fox — a combined five will be in prime time each season — and on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and Fx. Basketball will be shown…
Update From Pastor Harrington at TUSD
The Range just checked in with Alison Harrington, pastor of the Southside Presbyterian Church, who is at the Tucson Unified School District Headquarters with other clergy leading a vigil before the governing board votes tonight on ethnic studies. About 10 minutes ago, the clergy were asked by police to move off TUSD property near the…
A Solution to a Bike Problem You Didn’t Know You Had
You spent time at Plaza Liquors evaluating your options, thinking of what would compliment the meal you plan to prepare, paid for your purchase, but when you get to your bicycle, you realize: where am I going to put this bottle? Thankfully, Etsy user “Oopsmark” has this handcrafted leather and brass solution. Just make sure…
Salomón R. Baldenegro: ‘It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again’
Salomón R. Baldenegro, former assistant dean for Hispanic student affairs, was hoping an opinion piece he wrote recently would be published in today’s daily. It wasn’t, although there were three essays from governing board members Miguel Cuevas and Judy Burns, and two UNIDOS high school members, regarding ethnic studies. Baldenegro wrote his essay in response…
Metalachi…Terrible/Brilliant?
There’s certainly a proud tradition to mariachi music, especially here in Tucson as the Tucson International Mariachi Conference wrapped up last week, so the idea of a band covering metal songs in a pseudo-mariachi style seems sort of wrong initially. On the other hand, keeping some sort of creepy obsessive reverence over any genre contracts…
Pedicone Calls for Vote Delay, but Resolution Remains on Agenda
The Arizona Daily Star is reporting that Tucson Unified School District Superintendent John Pedicone has asked the governing board to delay a vote on Mexican-American studies classes which is expected to take place during tonight’s meeting, starting at 5 p.m., at 1010 E. 10th St. Despite his call for a delay, the agenda remains in…
Local Clergy Pray for School Board’s Ethnic-Studies Vote
At noon today, Alison Harrington, pastor of the Southside Presbyterian Church, joined other Tucson-area clergy in front of Tucson Unified School District headquarters at 1010 E. 10th St. at a press conference to explain their concerns about how the TUSD governing board has responded thus far to ethnic-studies classes and students. “We really believe it…
Do We Have to Reconsider Guantanamo?
The information out there isn’t exactly clear on where the tips that led to bin-Laden’s death came from, but some reports, including the New York Times, mention that detainees at Guantanamo Bay provided the identity of the courier, pushing over the first domino leading to the events of May 1st. The Atlantic asks if this…
“How Many Gays Must God Create Before We Accept That He Wants Them Around?”
Minnesota State Representative Steve Simon, you win the gold star for the week.
Here’s What I Want For My Birthday
While I have issues with Eddie Van Halen (nearly everything that’s happened since the year and the album 1984, for example), it’s getting hotter here and my birthday is coming up this month. While I generally grab a bunch of Old Navy flip-flops each year for a couple bucks, maybe it’s time to upgrade to…
Public Policy Polling: Obama Beats Trump by 12 Percentage Points in AZ. Plus, More Than Half of All Arizonans Don’t Want Sarah Palin To Move Here
Public Policy Polling surveys Arizona. A few interesting tidbits: Obama does remarkably well against most of the GOP presidential field and Arizonans aren’t that fond of Sarah Palin: It’s increasingly looking like Barack Obama has a serious chance at winning Arizona next year, largely because of the weakness of the GOP candidate field in the…
Gov. Jan Brewer Tells Arizona Week: “I Stood Tall for Education”
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was Mike Chihak’s guest on KUAT-TV’s Arizona Week on Friday. I joined him to talk about Brewer’s vetoes after interview with the governor.
If You Take Political Pundits Seriously, Please Stop
Other than the chance that Jon Stewart might run a series of your Fox News clips in a sequence some day, there’s not much accountability for political pundits. Make a bold, media ready prediction one day, by the time a week goes on, who cares anymore? A college class at Hamilton College in New York,…
Sierra Club Flunks Republican Lawmakers
The Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club releases its 2011 report card on the Arizona Legislature. As you can see if you look over the details, the GOP grades are not good: Despite their best efforts, Arizona legislators did not do nearly as much damage as they intended this session. Of course, saying that…
Dateline Looks At How Giffords’ Office Is Running in Her Absence
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy As Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords returns to Houston to await another trip to Florida for a rescheduled Endeavour Launch, NBC’s Dateline looks at how Giffords’ office is running in her absence.
Pima County Dem Boss on Ethnic Studies: “You Don’t Acquiese To Bullies Who Peddle Hate, Racial Dischord and Divisiveness Because They Won’t Go Away”
Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers wanted to make some remarks at last week’s TUSD meeting on the future of Mexican-American Studies, but as regular readers know, the meeting didn’t exactly go according to plan. Here’s what Rogers would have said: It is no exaggeration to say that there is war against Southern Arizona,…
Arizona Daily Star: Foster Care System in Crisis
Patti Machelor had an important story in Sunday’s Arizona Daily Star about kids in foster care. The number of abused and neglected children in state care has nearly doubled in Pima County over the past decade—even as funding to help them has dropped precipitously and the number of foster homes declined. Statewide and locally, it…
Prepare to Have Smooth 80’s Sax Stuck in Your Head
It seems a little unfair to drop a Sonny Rollins sax solo, even if it’s far from his finest work, into a list with David Sanborn (although his work on David Bowie’s “Young Americans” is pretty great) and the guy who played sax for Duran Duran, but I’m hardly an expert on the instrument and…
The View Sunday From the Situation Room
From the White House’s Flickr feed: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured.…
Brotha Lynch Hung Rialto Concert Canceled
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like the Sound Strike was behind this one, but Sacramento horrorcore rapper/Juggalo associate Brotha Lynch Hung has canceled his show tomorrow night at the Rialto Theatre, possibly due to “janky promotors” according to Mr. Hung’s Twitter feed. Get your refund where you bought the tickets.
Brushfire BBQ Opening an Eastside Location
Brushfire BBQ, the little barbecue restaurant at 2745 N. Campbell Ave. that took the Best of Tucson® award for Best Barbecue the last two years, is opening a second location. Owner Ben Rine said today that he’s taken over an old Blockbuster Video store near the corner of 22nd Street and Kolb Road, and that…
Congrats, Range Readers: You Helped Kill Some Bad Bills!
If you were one of the Range readers who participated in our Call-The-Governor campaign last week, you can feel pretty good about the results: Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the two bills we urged you to sound off on. One of them, Sen. Frank Antenori’s SB 1322, would have required Tucson and Phoenix to ask for…
Grijalva: “Hopefully We Can Begin Now To Look at How We Bring Our Soldiers Home From Afghanistan and Iraq”
Gongressman Raul Grijalva on Osama bin Laden’s death: Thanks to a great deal of hard work and perseverance by our intelligence and military services, the world’s most notorious terrorist has met the same fate he dealt to generations of innocent civilians. While we will never calculate the homes destroyed, the lives ruined and the families…
What the New York Times Cover Looked Like Before the Bin Laden News
There was actually a stop-the-presses moment at the New York Times last night, as, for obvious reasons, the entire news section needed to be redone. In case you were wondering, here’s what the cover was going to look like this morning:
Padres Sweep Sky Sox, Head Out on the Road
The Tucson Padres completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox last night. Tim Hagerty of the Padres has the details: The Tucson Padres earned their first sweep of the season and fourth straight win, cruising to a 9-3 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox Sunday at Kino Stadium. The Padres had…
In Case You Were Wondering How WWE Fans Reacted Last Night
The crowd at the Extreme Rules Pay Per View event at the St. Pete Times Forum in St. Petersburg, Florida? Decidedly pro-bin Laden’s death, especially when announced by hyper-American and current WWE Champion John Cena.
AG Rejects Age-Discrimination Complaints; Pima County Retirees Fight On
On Friday, April 29, Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry issued a memorandum to the Pima County Board of Supervisors letting them know an age-discrimination investigation by the state Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division determined there was not enough evidence to conclude that the county’s decision last year to end retiree insurance benefits was discriminatory. Read…
TUSD Moves Mexican-American Studies Meeting Back to TUSD HQ
I was critical last week of TUSD for not anticipating that a large crowd would want to weigh in on the future of Mexican-American Studies and moving such a controversial meeting to a larger venue, such as one of the many auditoriums that TUSD has at its high schools. People feel disenfranchised—justifiably, in my opinion—when…
Something Sweet Dessert Lounge Is Staying Open: Extended Version
Something Sweet Dessert Lounge was packed with people having final desserts during its last weekend in business when the owners quieted the crowd to make an announcement. “You should have heard this place when we stood up and said, ‘We are the former owners of Something Sweet, and we are here to tell you that…
Obama: “The United States Has Conducted an Operation That Killed Osama bin Laden”
President Barack Obama’s comments this evening on the death of Osama bin Laden: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands…
Obama to Announce That Osama Bin Laden is Dead
Wow. Barack Obama is about to go on television, but at this point, every news media outlet is announcing that Osama bin Laden is dead, American forces were behind his death in some manner, and they have the body. Wow.
T-Pads Win 9-8 and Go for the Sweep Tonight!
It was great to be back at Hi Corbett Field for a Triple-A baseball game last night, even if the weather was a little chilly. (On the bright side, it helped sales of Padres sweatshirts.) The Padres’ fourth inning rally—which included a monstrous shot by Anthony Rizzo that bounced off the left-field wall for his…
Something Sweet Dessert Lounge to Remain Open
At least that’s what the discussion over on the dessert lounge’s Facebook page is all about. From a post on their wall at 11 p.m., Friday: Its true!! New owner, still good stuff. We ran out of a lot tonight but we will be baking tomorrow. And from another post a day later reassuring fans…
Endeavour Won’t Launch Monday, Families Go Home
From NASA, the launch won’t happen until later in the week, at least: Technicians and engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are narrowing in on the likely source of what caused heaters on a fuel line for space shuttle Endeavour’s auxiliary power unit-1 (APU-1) to fail on Friday and scrubbing the first launch…
Jon Justice: ‘Call Chuck Huckelberry and Tell Him to Fire Richard Elias’
After an ACLU of Arizona panel discussion on medical marijuana on Wednesday, April 27, I talked a few minutes with Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, who told me Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry’s office was flooded that day with phone calls asking Huckelberry to fire public defense attorney Isabel Garcia and Elias for encouraging students…
Open Letter From Mark Stegeman
In reaction to Tuesday’s youth takeover of the Tucson Unified School District’s governing board meeting, board president Mark Stegeman wrote the following letter: April 28, 2011 Open letter to the public, concerning the April 26 meeting of the Tucson Unified School District: As is well known, the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board postponed its…
Brewer Talks to Arizona Week
Michael Chihak has a lengthy interview with Gov. Jan Brewer on KUAT-TV’s Arizona Week. Oh, and I’m on there, too, to talk about Brewer’s vetoes, including her rejection of Sen. Frank Antenori’s city-destroying SB 1322. Tune in at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 6 or watch it online at AZPM.org.
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 13: The Future of Tucson Food Trucks
It wasn’t long ago that Tucson’s mobile-food culture was little more than Sonoran hot dogs and taco stands, but that is changing. A new generation of food trucks is emerging, selling everything from tender barbecue sandwiches to Hawaiian shaved ice. I even saw a truck selling Chinese food out in Sells on the Tohono O’odham…
Giffords: Travel Plans Unknown At This Time
A statement from Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on today’s scrubbed launch: Congresswoman Giffords is disappointed that Endeavour was unable to launch today, but realizes that mission safety must come first. Launch delays are not uncommon with the space shuttle. We are looking forward to the quick rescheduling of this scientifically important mission. The congresswoman was pleased,…
Dear Star, Don’t Hold Your Breath for Maroon 5 Tickets
Dear Arizona Daily Star, While I understand that it’s hard news to take and the people at AVA still seem hopeful that Maroon 5 is coming to town, posting a story online saying that tickets aren’t on sale because “details for the show, which should feature Train, have not been finalized” could probably be cleared…
Endeavour to Launch Monday, At Earliest
From Space.com: NASA called off its attempt to launch the final voyage of the space shuttle Endeavour today (April 29) because of a malfunction in one of the spacecraft’s critical power units. “It’s unfortunate for the [Endeavour] team and Mark Kelly and his crew, but today the orbiter’s not ready to fly, and as we…
Writer’s Block: Hypnosis House Call
Local psychologist Steven Gurgevich’s book Hypnosis House Call: A Complete Course in Mind-Body Healing was recently published. Visit www.HealingwithHypnosis.com for more information. Like many psychologists, Steven Gurgevich, Ph.D. — who has been treating patients in private practice for 38 years, has trained over five thousand physicians, psychologists and other professionals, and has over 60 professional…
The Baja Arizona Movement Is Underway
Fresh from taping a segment with The Daily Show, Start Our State has launched a petition drive as the first step of splitting from Maricopa County:
Java Edge in Rita Ranch Closes
The Java Edge on the corner of Valencia and Nexus roads in Rita Ranch is no more, another casualty of tough economic times. From an e-mail announcing the closure: This week we reluctantly had to consolidate two of our locations together in order to make better use of our resources. Our Rita Ranch location at…
Farewell to a Soldier: Capt. Nathan J. Nylander
Senior Airman Shane Dunaway delivers the sad news about Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, who was killed in Afghanistan last week: Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, an Airman assigned to the 25th Operational Weather Squadron here at D-M was pronounced dead on April 27 after a shooting at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. The death of this Airman…
A Self-Proclaimed Bad Advice Column (Locally Written!)
Local comedienne J.L. Godwin promises “the worst relationship advice on the planet, guaranteed” on her blog. Her blog persona, The Big Chicken, is a self-described “big human person” who has a dream to “roller skate all across the land and make a movie about my funny adventures.” The Big Chicken jokes about breasts, legs and…
Laura Milkins Is Walking Home
On Sunday, May 1, Laura Milkins will begin her 2,000 mile walk home to her mother’s house in Grand Rapids, Mich. The walk will be broadcast online 24 hours a day as she treks across the country and talks with people along the way. That footage will also be edited into a weekly online TV…
Padres Win With 10th Inning Comeback
Samantha Sais The Tucson Padres made a 10th inning comeback last night, scoring four runs to defeat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Tim Hagerty, the voice of the Padres, brings us details: When Aaron Cunningham’s chopper rolled into left field in the bottom of the tenth inning Thursday, the Tucson Padres sealed their first extra…
A Musical About a Murderous, Cannibalistic, Necrophiliac! Tonight and Saturday at the Screening Room
Writer and producer Dan Davies presents the Arizona premiere of his film Ed Gein, The Musical at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at the Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Davis will offer an introduction, meet-and-greet and a Q&A session. The film’s director, Steve Russell, will be in attendance. Davies’ friend…
‘Bee’ Careful in Tucson Spring, a Season That Can Sting
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski Last rites for a bumblebee While we’re busy avoiding the rattlesnakes and javelina that blossom along with Tucson’s spring, we can easily forget one more potentially dangerous critter. All hail the black-and-yellow bumblebee. Many of us are reminded daily of how annoying bees can be—especially when we see the big, fat carpenter…
Watershed Management Group Wins YouTube Video Contest
Here’s a fascinating video produced by the India Staff of Watershed Management Group, a local nonprofit. The video was one of four winning videos out of 1,350 entries in the DoGooder Nonprofit Video Contest. The device created in the video is a tippy tap, a low-tech, low-cost and low-water use handwashing device. From a press…
A (Particularly Batshit) Day in the Life of an Altweekly Editor
8:35 a.m.: Arrives at the office. Fills coffee cup. Enjoys the first sip of coffee. The highlight of the day. 8:56 a.m.: Calls wannabe prospective concert reviewer and tell him his services are not desired, in light of the fact that said wannabe prospective concert reviewer became verbally abusive with the Weekly World Central front-desk…
Your New Animal Themed Ironic T-Shirt Store
Remember when those wolf howling at the moon shirts were the ironic clothing item of choice? Well, Mountain Retail Store’s selection of 3-D seeming animal face t-shirts take amusing ugliness to an entirely new level.
World Laughter Day Is Sunday
World Laughter Day takes place on Sunday, May 1. The international event began in 1998, and was created by Dr. Madan Kataria. From www.worldlaughterday.org: The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. Its popularity has…
Note: Don’t Drive Into the Grand Canyon
Photo by John Loo, Flickr I’m not entirely sure how one drives into a giant canyon accidentally, but I haven’t been for awhile. Maybe there’s a bridge that’s supposed to go over it, but hasn’t been finished and has a sign that “Out Of Order” that he accidentally drove through: A man who survived after…
I’ll Miss You, Michael Scott
Tonight’s marks the end of the Michael Scott era on the American Office, and while the show has driven me nuts on occasion, the last few episodes with Michael and Holly’s romance and the rest of the cast saying goodbye has been remarkably touching for a sitcom. Somehow The Office over time has become the…
Lamb Testicles, Strong Liquor and a Killer Cinco de Mayo Event
I was eating fried lamb testicles at a dinner party a few weeks back when a tall man at the end of the table raised a bottle overhead and roared: “AHHHH! Bacanora! It tastes like the deserts of Meh-he-co!” The bottle then made its way around the table, eliciting both grimaces and nods of approval.…
Hopefully Orly Taitz Will Go Away Now
While the MSNBC version of the Fox News trademarked shoutfest doesn’t do much for actual discourse, Lawrence O’Donnell gives Orly Taitz the definitively dismissive treatment that her relentless paranoia deserves.
Tucson Padres Are Back Home Today!
Samantha Sais As we note in this week’s feature story, the T-Pads start a four-game homestand today at Kino Stadium. Tonight is Thirsty Thursday, co-sponsored by your friends at the Tucson Weekly, and we’re real excited about Saturday’s Turn Back The Clock Night, which will take the Padres over to Hi Corbett Field. If you…
Reminder: Saturday Teachers’ Day at UA!
A reminder from the good folks at Tucson Values Teachers: ‘Teacher Day at UA,’ will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, April 30 on the University of Arizona campus. Teachers and three of their family members will receive free admission to attractions including UA Science: Flandrau, Arizona State Museum, and the Museum…
I Feel Old Just Looking at This Chart
Today’s xkcd comic makes me want to grab a blanket and cry myself to sleep under my desk. Terminator 2 was twenty years ago? Just super.
Not Every British Wedding Is Quite So Joyous
While the world focusing on one British wedding this weekend, let’s take a moment to think of those who aren’t quite so lucky in love, including Misery Bear.
Guest Commentary
Regarding the questions Jonathan Hoffman posed in the April 14 Tucson Weekly about the Tucson City Council’s decision to move to a vote-by-mail system—”Why?” and “Why now?”—the answers are simple: the actions of voters, and changes in the laws by the Arizona Legislature. The Arizona Legislature approved, and the governor signed into law, a measure…
Immune From Prosecution
Jill McCain is horrified. Any day now, the man who allegedly shot her husband may be free to walk out on the street. Pima County prosecutors say that unless an ongoing psychological exam shows that Curtis Bunton is a danger to himself or others, there is nothing they can do to stop him from walking…
The Skinny
Sheriff Joe’s empire begins to collapse … Bruce Ash’s has weird memory problems about illegal campaign contributions … Ron Asta stays in the mayor’s race … and more!
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Why does every Mexican rap/hip-hop song always contain the lyrics, “No paramos,” “Nunca paramos,” or some other logically equivalent statement (e.g. “Siempre avanzaremos,” “No acabaremos de seguir,” etc.)? Can’t you people be more original? I mean, come on! It’s not like you all speak a language that makes rhyming particularly difficult, and I’m…
Highs and Lows
The economy has hammered the final nail in the coffins of a number of longtime local dining favorites. One of these casualties is Acacia—at least the version many Tucsonans knew and loved, the place at St. Philip’s Plaza that featured jazz music, tasty (if pricey) entrées and a fantastic patio. That’s the bad news. The…
Tea Party Pooper
The past couple of weeks have not been easy for the Utah resident who started the “Recall Dupnik” effort. Last week, Dan Baltes decided to withdraw his petition to recall Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik after his brother, Kevin Elliott, threatened legal action, claiming that Baltes falsely used his identity and forged his signature on…
Media Watch
Buckmaster heads to KVOI; KOLD looks good in TV ratings; Clear Channel announces new hires; Guthrie to give UA commencement speech
Bars and Budgets
Many political careers have been forged by throwing down the hammer on criminals. Conservatives in particular have crusaded for cutting parole and mandating gargantuan sentences. But amid bleeding budgets and dwindling tax revenues, even some right-wingers are rethinking—albeit uncomfortably—the wisdom of draconian penal policies. Other hardliners, of course, are not. They include Arizona Senate President…
Noshing Around
Eat More Pie; New: V Fine Thai Dining; New: Hana Tokyo; Coming Soon: Sparkroot; Closing: Something Sweet
Police Dispatch
‘South Park’ on South Houghton; You can’t get killed if you don’t play
Folking It Up
If he remembers it correctly, Kevin Pakulis was there in the beginning of the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, which began in the late 1970s and today runs the annual Tucson Folk Festival. “The origin is often debated. My recollection of it is that it started in Kathy Rote’s kitchen. I could name six or eight…
Weekly Wide Web
Laziness 1, Privacy 0; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending April 22, 2011
Soundbites
Folking Early; Real Coachella (Not Really); Boost the Boots; Short Takes; On the Bandwagon
Bad Government!
So, who liked the movie?” asked one viewer as the mostly older crowd filed out of a matinee showing of Atlas Shrugged: Part I. “Loved it,” remarked one moviegoer. “What’s not to love about a movie like that?” asked another. More on what’s not to love later. One thing the filmmakers got unswervingly correct is…
Come Out Swinging
Ah, the South, the region that has always boasted the best alt- and indie-rock bands, from Big Star in Memphis, Tenn., to R.E.M. in Athens, Ga., to the late and great Sparklehorse (R.I.P., Mark Linkous) in Richmond, Va. Indeed, there’s a long tradition of eclectic rock ‘n’ roll, especially in a town like Knoxville, Tenn.,…
Laugh for Good Causes
A dose of laughter may just help heal wounds caused by the horrible events of Jan. 8. Stand Up to Stop Violence, a comedy fundraiser, will take place at Laffs Comedy Caffé on Sunday, May 1. “Laughter is the best medicine, and it’s not a cliché,” said Laffs’ Gary Hood. Hood said the events of…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending April 24, 2011
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records’ top sales for the week ending April 24, 2011
City Week
Fourth-Annual Miracle Mile Open House and Tour; Young at Art; British Invasion; Tucson on Two Wheels
So-So Circus
Set in a Depression-era circus and featuring some decent performances, Water for Elephants is good enough to recommend—but nothing to get super-hyped about. If you like elephants, and you like Reese Witherspoon movies, have at it. If you’d rather be golfing than watching a Reese Witherspoon movie, book your tee time now. The film moves…
Nine Questions
Brittany Katter moved to Tucson from Eugene, Ore., three years ago and started a band called the Fell City Shouts with Gabriel Sullivan. Today, she works at Café Passé on Fourth Avenue, serving up sandwiches, coffee and high fives; she also sings and shakes it in ’60s-esque soul-group Kiss and the Tells, who will play…
T Q&A
Emma Hughes-Juan used to hate the sound of her own voice, but a program called Girls Making Media helped her not only grow to appreciate her voice; it made her feel like she could pretty much do anything. The 17-year-old recently finished participating in Girls Making Media, taking with her numerous technical media skills. There’s…
Now Showing at Home
Blow Out (Blu-ray); Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Blu-ray); Somewhere (Blu-ray)
Live
April Smith and the Great Picture Show, a four-piece band from Brooklyn, has a sound that hearkens back to a time when speakeasies were sought-after relief from the daily grind, where wisps of smoke curled around velvet curtains and feathered hats. Smith’s voice is full and commanding, jazzy and spirited. They played “Terrible Things,” a…
Drama Princess
When I see a play which touches something sad and tender in me, I want to go home, pour three fingers of Jack Daniel’s and chain-smoke Marlboros. (I don’t, though; I just think the image seems right.) So when I went home after seeing Arizona Onstage Productions’ The Member of the Wedding, I felt that…
The End of ‘Troubletown’
This week, we bid farewell to Lloyd Dangle’s “Troubletown,” which has been a part of the Tucson Weekly for many, many years. Dangle has decided to retire the comic strip after 22 years. Why? Well, you can examine his final strip for clues; check it out at http://blog.troubletown.com/. While I don’t know Dangle’s exact reasons…
The Submarines: Love Notes/Letter Bombs (Nettwerk)
The title of The Submarines’ third album is a clear indication of the songs’ intent. Consider it music as an ongoing couple’s-therapy session. Husband-wife duo John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard play a refreshing, easygoing electro-pop, with bright harmonies and sweet, folky touches—but the lyrics rush immediately into conflict. It’s not as simple as songs of…
Comedian of Comedy
By any objective measure, Patton Oswalt is among the most successful and respected comedians of his era. During a career that has produced multiple full-length specials, various film and television appearances, and a best-selling book, he has managed to strike a balance between mainstream acceptance and comedy-snob credibility. How has he pulled this off? Simple:…
Danehy
If there is one thing that those on the other side of the vast Political Divide and I can agree upon, it is that “hypocrite” is an ugly word, which should be one of the last words drawn from the critic’s quiver, somewhere after “Fiesta Bowl junketeer,” but before “defrocked Catholic priest.” There is never…
TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light (Interscope)
Despite abundant praise from the music press and associations with the likes of David Bowie and Jonathan Demme, TV on the Radio has always been a spectral group in indie rock. The members appear to float through the ether of adulation and powerful connections—not to suggest they have not helped engineer their own powerful stature.…
Art on a Billboard
Andrea Jensen likes to paint big. Really big. Her three mixed-media paintings in the 2011 UA Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition at Joseph Gross Gallery are all at least 7 feet high, and one of them is 14 feet long. But these three works—made of painted and collaged pieces of vinyl harvested from recycled…
Downing
I had a shock yesterday when I got a license-renewal notice from the Pima County Health Department that says my dog is 9. Facing up to the passage of time—subtracting one date from another and admitting to the appalling difference—is hard enough when it comes to people. It’s so much worse when it comes to…
Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland)
In Love With Oblivion comes packaged in sci-fi chiaroscuro: an eclipsed planetoid, a cervical galactic blob and pinprick stars. The album opens with an ambient collage of burbles that give rise to a pulsing, two-note bass line. Its purpose is to affect the redundant pulsation of B-movie machinery, like an ambiguous panel of flashing lights…
Dead Serious
I was working my way through the massive Clint Eastwood box set the other day, 35 Films 35 Years, when I began to wonder about our collective fascination with crime stories, both real and imagined. Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry), played with a grim determination by Eastwood, is the anti-hero—the man we charge with cleaning up…
Mailbag
Serraglio’s Right: It’s Time to End Nuke Power; A Comment From a Reader at TucsonWeekly.com
New Tucson Weekly Feature: The Star’s Correction Section
As a helpful service to the readers of the Arizona Daily Star (and to the Star itself, so they don’t have to waste the column space), occasionally we will provide a space on The Range to cover corrections that need to be made to one of their stories. No judgment, we all make mistakes in…
RIP, Empire Carpet Guy
The world of televised carpet commercials will never be the same. Today Empire Today® is saddened by the loss of Elmer Lynn Hauldren, better known as the inspiration for the Empire Man character. Hauldren was known to millions of consumers as the Empire Man through Empire’s television advertising since the 1970s. Throughout the evolution of…
What Are the Bees Telling Us? Get the Answer Tonight at the Loft
Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? screens tonight at the Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) at 7:30 p.m. Information from a press release: Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, acclaimed director of the…
UA Students Seek Donations for Border Film
Austin Counts, a former Weekly intern and current contributor (check out “Tea Party Pooper” here), is seeking funds to continue production of his film The Border: Issues in the Arizona-Sonora Borderlands. More details below: A lot has happened in Southern Arizona over the past year and two UA journalism students want to bring that story…
Is $9 Too Much to Pay for a Coke and a Bowl of Birria?
Just wondering, because that’s what the guy at Birria Los Cuates (643 W. Ajo Way) charged me yesterday. I didn’t want to be a cheapskate and complain if that’s a fair price, so I thought I’d ask first. My other question is: What in the hell is going on at Birria Los Cuates? When I…
The Best Children’s Book Ever
Although it doesn’t come out until October 11th and my daughter will almost be four at that point, I know what children’s book is in her future*. * Not really, but the book is still a funny idea.
Help Thwart a Slingshot Wielding Idiot
From the University of Arizona Police Department: On Tuesday 12/21/2010 at approximately 12:11 a.m., a Nissan X-Terra was seen traveling eastbound on Speedway and an occupant of the vehicle is suspected of breaking a window at the Architecture Building, located at 1160 E. Speedway Blvd. An unknown individual in the front passenger side of the…
Ron Asta Facebook Watch
If you’d like to be on the ground floor of the Ron Asta For Mayor Facebook revolution, there’s still time! You could be the sixth “like” on his page! It seems worth mentioning that at least two of those likes are Tucson Weekly staffers wanting to keep tabs on his campaign, one is area Democratic…
Vote on Future of TUSD Ethnic Studies Rescheduled for May 5
I was running a little late getting to the Tucson Unified School District governing board meeting last night from work, so I’m not sure how the very beginning of what took place transpired — how 10 TUSD students from the UNIDOS student coalition came into the board room at TUSD headquarters and chained themselves together…
Teacher Leaves Dead Deer Parts in Ex’s Garage, Viagra Beer and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of the post Illustration Ryn Gargulinski Viagra beer, anyone? Beer and Viagra make a royal mix—at least that’s the case for British brewers who created the world’s first beer that contains Viagra in honor of the upcoming royal wedding. That story and more are up this week on…
