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Project White House 2012
No filing fees! No nomination petition! You can run for president in Arizona, and we’ll help!
Talking Comics: Who You Gonna Call Edition
This week, Eric and Arnie from Heroes and Villains discuss “Ghostbusters #1”, which conveniently picks up the narrative following the second film. However, it doesn’t appear that the comic comes with a theme song by Bobby Brown, so I’m not exactly sure how to feel about the whole thing.
NORML Outs Feds’ MMJ Raid Guidelines
A read-through of the leaked guidelines used by the California U.S. attorneys to make a federal case against MMJ doesn’t really seem to raise the hairs on the back of my neck much. Despite recent raids and threats for more in California, the guidelines, which were posted Dec. 7 on the NORML blog, are mostly…
General Assembly Meeting Tonight Could Decide Occupy Tucson’s Next Direction
Tonight’s general assembly, 7 p.m. at the Occupy Tucson camp could be the most important since the Occupy Movement took root in Tucson on Oct. 15. On Occupy Tucson’s Facebook page it was posted today that Peacekeeper Alex Maldonado had to disband the peacekeepers today “due to lack of personnel and unable to ensure the…
Borderlands Brewing Company Opens to the Public This Saturday
Borderlands Brewing Company is holding a grand opening at 6 p.m., this Saturday, Dec. 10. The brewery has already hosted a few private and special events, but this will be the first chance the general public gets to check the place out. People who love beer have been talking about this place nonstop. A chef…
Rick Perry, Christian Crusader
I haven’t really noticed this supposed “war on religion” that Obama is apparently the commander-in-chief of, but if Rick Perry’s going to put an end to it, I suppose he gets my vote for president. It’s not really enough that I can go to church any Sunday I want without the fear of imprisonment or…
Grijalva’s Latest Fundraising Pitch: Really?
Former state lawmaker Amanda Aguirre of Yuma confirmed this week that she’s considering a challenge to Congressman Raul Grijalva in next year’s Democratic primary. Grijalva, who doesn’t much care for fundraising or campaigning, narrowly escaped losing his heavily Democratic district to a GOP newcomer last year after he made the political blunder of calling for…
Critter of the Week: Cat Edition
Meet Bat Cat, masked defender of tuna flakes and snuggle time. Bat Cat can’t get enough of your love. This dignified and confident gentleman is always happy to follow you around the house just to enjoy your company. The perfect sidekick, Bat Cat craves attention from his human friends and doesn’t seem to mind other…
“Swamp Loggers”: The Most Politically Divisive Show on TV
Experian Simmons (a division of the jerkface company that keeps track of things I “forget” to pay for some reason) conducts an annual survey to find out which TV shows are most and least popular among those of liberal and conservative political ideologies. While many of the results aren’t particularly surprising – liberals like The…
A Somewhat Disconcerting Craigslist Child Care Offer
It definitely can be a challenge trying to sneak in some holiday shopping with your pesky children hanging on you demanding attention, food, and such, but I’m not entirely sure if I’m willing to let someone with some spelling issues advertising on Craigslist help me with that problem: i can take care of your kids…
Apparently Bribing Blood Donors With Booze Is Wrong
There seems to be somewhat of a logical gap here, believing that providing an alcohol incentive for giving blood with inevitably lead to liver disease and death, but I suppose people are intended to give blood only for a cookie and self-satisfaction: A spokesman for NHS Blood and Transplant said: “Donating blood is a completely…
This Is What an Angry Birds Dress Looks Like
I suppose if your husband is the head of Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, and you’re invited to a formal dinner celebrating Finland’s birthday, it only makes sense to wear an dress themed to the game. After all, the game is a legitimate phenomenon and probably the biggest Finnish cultural export in recent memory…
Talking Christmas Music on KFMA
As part of my weekly appearance on the KFMA morning show with Fook, I’m discussing some unusual Christmas songs of the new rock vein. If you wanted to hear more of the songs we talked about, here they are, starting with Family Force 5’s “Carol of the Bells” above. Three more tracks in YouTube form…
We May Have Found Another Planet to Ruin
We don’t know if there’s anything for us to stand on yet, but the temperature appears to be a delightful 72 degrees, there’s light similar to that of our sun, and the year is a little longer than ours. Pack your bags for Kepler-22b, I think we’ve nearly milked this planet for all it’s worth:…
Andrew Bird, Noam Chomsky, and Troy From “Community” Are Coming to Town
Not together, but you might want to get your 2012 datebook out, because the events are starting to pile up in the first half of next year. The Rialto announced two shows today, the first of which is Childish Gambino, actor/comedian Donald Glover’s hip hop project on April 10th. Pitchfork didn’t like his latest album,…
America Would Prefer Not to Be Bothered by Opinions
Everyone loves those Planet Earth shows, since they’re exceptionally shot and capture moments in nature that otherwise would remain unseen, and the latest series Frozen Planet is probably no exception, especially if you like penguins and polar bears. However, when Frozen Planet airs in America on the Discovery Channel in early 2012, it will be…
Watch the Action as Tucson Takes on Arizona Today
Rand Carlson If you enjoy political showdowns in a court of law, you’ll want to tune in live to the Arizona Supreme Court’s hearing of City of Tucson v. State of Arizona and Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Sen. Jonathan Paton. In case you missed the excitement so far, Tucson is unique within Arizona for…
Mitt Romney: Known Francophone
I personally don’t speak French (because I LOVE AMERICA), but I can only assume that Mitt Romney is telling the French speaking world that he has their interests at heart and will turn America in a socialist paradise with brie on every plate and berets on every head. That seems to be the only logical…
Getting Into the Swing Of Winter in Your Potted Garden
Now that our first freezes are through – at least for the moment, you still have time to plant your winter potted garden. Picture by Marylee Snall In Tucson? If you decorate your home for the holidays, consider using some reds and white in your color palette. Near your front door or on your patio,…
Entire Tucson City Council Endorses Richard Carmona—Including Republican Steve Kozachik
Democrat Richard Carmona, who wants to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl next year, landed a bipartisan endorsement from all six members of the Tucson City Council. Carmona is expected to face Don Bivens in next year’s Democratic primary. If he wins that, he’ll likely square off against Republican Jeff Flake, the Maricopa County congressman who…
PayPal Prefers Cats to Children
UPDATE: PayPal says they’ve released the funds. Still, this is an example of how not to handle a disagreement with a customer. I’m not the biggest fan of the Etsy mockery site Regretsy, but site founder April Winchell does put the site’s reach to good use, raising money to give toys to needy kids. However,…
Super Incredible Goodies for the Holidays
The people at Sabino Artisan Chocolates are pulling out all the stops for the holidays and crafting some sweets that are blowing my mind. The molded Santa Claus candies are nice, but when the conversation turns to topics like eggnog-flavored ganache with nutmeg and brandy and white-chocolate ganache infused with peppermint oil and schnapps and…
RIP, Maybachs
My goal in life was to get enough wealth stacked up to buy myself a Maybach and roll around Tucson like the blogging Diddy Dirty Money of the Old Pueblo, but I guess that’s not going to happen now. I really just weep for the rappers who have to try to figure out how to…
Apache County Third Poorest in the Western Region
The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest numbers are pretty discouraging—here’s some of them. Apache County is by far the poorest in Arizona, with a whopping 34.5 percent poverty rate. That’s third in the entire West region. Nearby Crowley County, Colo. takes second place with 34.7 percent. The most poverty-stricken Western county is Malheur County, Oreg. with…
The Second Tucson Food Truck Roundup Starts in a Few Hours
As mentioned in last week’s Noshing Around, the second Tucson Food-Truck Roundup starts in a few hours. There will be a wide variety of street food ranging from Korean-Mexican fusion food to gourmet crepes; beer will be available; and they’ll even be showing vintage sci-fi movies. Check in at the Tucson Food Trucks Facebook page…
A Movie Even the Blind Will Enjoy
Some people pick the movies they see based on who’s in them, who wrote them or who wrote them. This is an advocation for seeing a film simply based on who did the music. It should matter not whether you’ve read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, or if you’re a fan of director David…
Dealing Drugs in the Military Is a Bad Idea
While Loren Grigsby should probably be thankful that he didn’t receive the maximum sentence of 65 years that he could have, the former Davis-Monthan airman who plead guilty to charges of distribution of marijuana, money laundering as part of distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to distribute marijuana learned that the military doesn’t mess around with…
Move Over Snuggie®! The Forever Lazy® Has An Unbuttonable Rear End.
Just in case you were tired of your Snuggie®, or your Slanket® for that matter, why don’t you go all in and get yourself a Forever Lazy®? That’s right, you can get a front zip set of adult footie pajamas with included “Back Drop!” As long as you’re content with looking like a perfectly incorrigible…
Consider Dining at the New Parisian Cafe This Week
We’ve been getting reports that the food at the brand new Parisian Cafe at 1012 E. Sixth St. is very good. We haven’t been down to check it out yet, but we hear the quiche and croissants are made from scratch and that the breakfasts are truly something else. Check in over here for more…
The New Muppet Movie As Anti-Oil Company Propaganda
Just so I’m understanding the point that Dan Gainor from Media Research Center tried to make on Fox Business, Disney, the world’s largest media company, is actually an secret agent of anti-corporate propaganda brainwashing the children because the bad guy in The Muppets is a wild caricature of a Texas oil man and in Cars…
Songs From Sleep Driver: Week One
Sleepdriver, “319” by TucsonWeeklySleepDriver The guys from local instrumental rock outfit Sleep Driver were nice enough to share four tracks from their new EP “Signals”, available January 2nd online and in limited edition physical form. We’ll post a track each Monday in December, starting with “319” today, which you can stream above or download (for…
The Legacy of Herman Cain’s Presidential Bid in One Sentence
While it should probably be taken into consideration that he was the head of a terribly run presidential campaign in 2008, Steve Schmidt provided a summary of the value of the Herman Cain campaign for the Washington Post: “That Cain’s candidacy was taken seriously for longer than a nano-second in a time of genuine crisis…
If You “Bling” Your Baby’s Bottle, Please Stop
If you think this is a good idea, you officially have too much money. I certainly have my own terrible parenting moments, but I think I had generally enough sense to curb my impulse to add small, highly choke-able rhinestones to items that go near my (then) infant’s mouth: The “bling” accessories pose a serious…
Need Help With Your Chickens?
If you’re interested in raising chickens, the Community Food Bank is offering two events this month to help you out. At Manzo Elementary by guest author Patricia Foreman (author of Chicken Tractor, City Chicks) all workshops are free and open to the public, her latest book “City Chicks” will be available for sale. Tues, Dec…
Janice L. Daniels Makes Arizona Politicans Seem Tolerant
Ladies and gentlemen, the recently elected mayor of Troy, Michigan, Janice L. Daniels! Advice for elected leaders, you might want to just start a new Facebook page when you run for office, especially if you’re a hateful bigot. [MLive]
Herman Cain Is Out of the Presidential Race
Remarking that he’s “at peace with [his] god” and that his wife is “at peace” with him, Herman Cain’s dropping out of the presidential race, embarking on what he calls “plan B”, which I assume means a show on Fox News or something. It was fun while it lasted, Herman, but I think you might…
Political Roundtable: Brewer Takes Aim at State Employees, Redistricting Battles & Bob Walkup’s Legacy
Another edition of the Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable, as Rodd McLeod and Daniel Scarpinato debate the merits of ALEC, Arizona’s ongoing redistricting battles, Sen. Jon Kyl’s torpedoing of the Super Committee and more!
Someone Fixed the “Women for Cain” Logo
Much better. Previously: The “Women for Herman Cain” Website Needs an Editor [I Am Not Amused]
What to Listen to This Week: Friday Edition
Four songs for your weekend enjoyment selected with care by our music writers, this time featuring Van Morrison, Chinese Man, Saviours, and Dr. Dog. Jarret KeeneVan Morrison, “Dweller on the Threshold” Day after Thanksgiving, I was feeling blue, trapped in Colorado for reasons I stubbornly couldn’t, wouldn’t, accept. I walked into a Barnes & Noble…
Political Roundtable: Brewer’s Upcoming Assault on State Workers, Redistricting Battle, Mayor Bob’s Legacy & More
Tonight on the Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable: A lively conversation about Gov. Brewer’s plan to take away job protections for state workers, the latest on redistricting, Mayor Bob Walkup’s legacy and more! Tune in at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 6 to see Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod and former Arizona House of Representatives GOP caucus spokesman…
Here’s a Clever and Fun Music Video
I didn’t notice any wizards or swords in this video, but the song by Hey Geronimo (a band I hadn’t heard of until just now, but seem worth checking out further) is a lot better and while this concept might end up feeling incredibly dated in six months, it’s still a fun way to spend…
Finally, the Guide to European Penises You’ve Asked For
Not of all that much interest to me, but since someone put so much time into creating this infographic, I thought it was worth sharing. One of the most prominent search terms bringing people to our site is “Big Dicks” (it’s a long story), so maybe this will help some of our readers with their…
Tucson Re-opening Section 8 Housing Waiting List
An opportunity to get some much needed housing assistance is about to come available for thousands of local individuals, couples and families struggling to pay their rent. Tucson’s Housing and Community Development department is re-opening the waiting list for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which depending on need would provide access to federal…
Colbert Salutes Sen. Lori Klein
The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c In Herman Cain’s Defense www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive Stephen Colbert highlights Arizona state Sen. Lori Klein’s definitive defense of Herman Cain: “There is no way Herman Cain could be a serial masher if he’s spending time around Lori…
The Race for the Republican Nomination Gets Dumber
Who knows which of the Republican hopefuls will show up at this event (although I doubt any of them would likely snub Newsmax), but if this actually happens, clearly the party has given up on being taken seriously. Why not just have the candidates appear on a very special series of Celebrity Apprentice? If I…
Election 2012: Nancy Young Wright Forms Exploratory Committee for Board of Supervisors Campaign
Democrat Nancy Young Wright, a former state lawmaker and Amphi School Board member, has taken another step closer to running for the Pima County Board of Supervisors next year for District 1 seat now held by the retiring Supervisor Ann Day. Potential Republican candidates include Vic Williams, who was Wright’s seatmate in LD26 for several…
I Really Like Music Videos With Wizards and Swords
I think you have to be dubious of any music video uploaded by an user with the name “attorneyguy”, but gosh, there’s so much to like in the new video from Alternate Reality, “The King That Never Was”. It takes a little while for the actual song to kick in, but it’s totally worth waiting…
The “Women for Herman Cain” Website Needs an Editor
I understand the idea behind Herman Cain’s new site, Women for Herman Cain, and it would seem that someone is screening the testimonials going up online in support of the Cain Train, but I’m not entirely sure Adrienne (Caos) Sinclair’s words on behalf of the “999 Problems” candidate is going to help his cause: Dear…
Help a Kid Get a Bike This Christmas
Every Christmas, Jesse Lugo manages to assemble a lot of bikes for needy kids in our community, but he needs your help to do it. Just $45 will buy a kid a bike. It’s a worthy cause. Find out how you can help here.
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
For those dark nights when you don’t want to lose your beer. Like bikes? Like art? Check out the BICAS Art Auction. The auction features incredible art made from bicycle parts and all the money goes to BICAS. See some of the pieces here. A new bike shop in Tucson hopes to be the premier…
What to Listen to This Week: Thursday Edition
While you’re still trying to process the idea of Bon Iver as a “new artist”, here are some recommended tracks from our music writers, including songs by Blue Oyster Cult, Exitmusic, and Stanley from The Office: Casey DeweyBlue Oyster Cult, “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” It’s a shame that every time I bring up BOC,…
Mac Lethal, Today’s King of the Internet
Not only has rapper Mac Lethal racked up over a million views with his pancake-themed take on Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” in one day, he’s also managed to launch one of the funniest novelty Tumblr sites ever with Texts From Bennett, a wildly profane recap of (apparently real) text messages Mr. Lethal receives…
Cover Up Conjecture: Wilco Edition
In part two of the series no one asked for (part one: Wings), I suggest five songs from an act that will be featured at the three day (and one afternoon) music event The Great Cover Up, happening December 15-17 and benefiting the Tucson Artists and Musicians Healthcare Alliance. This week, because I’m apparently working…
Tucson Radio People: Give Me a “Classic Jams” Station to Listen To
For some reason, Tucson has two radio stations playing mostly the same R&B and hip-hop tracks, two playing a slightly more youthful take on adult contemporary, two classic rock stations, and a couple conservative talk stations on FM now. However, what Tucson does not have is a retro hip-hop station and while I’m ignoring whether…
Tucson City Clerk to GOP Candidate: Give Us Back $32K in Matching Funds—And Pay $15K Fine
Tucson City Clerk Roger Randolph has informed Republican Jennifer Rawson, who lost the race for the Ward 2 City Council seat to Democrat Paul Cunningham last month, that she has to repay the city matching funds she received for her campaign. Randolph says that Rawson needs to give back $32,800.11 in campaign dollars she received…
Arizona, a Little Worse Than Nevada
The website 24/7 Wall St. has taken a bunch of fancy economic information and ranked the fifty states to determine the best and worst run. Guess what? Arizona’s near the bottom! Way to go, Arizona legislators! 47. Arizona> State debt per capita: $1,882 (9th lowest)> Pct. without health insurance: 16.9% (16th highest)> Pct. below poverty…
MMJ – Keeping the Highways Safer Since 2011
For a variety of reasons, medical marijuana leads to a 9 percent drop in traffic deaths in states where it’s legal, according to a new study by economists at the University of Colorado and Montana State University. The study takes a look at statistics from the 16 states with MMJ and hints that traffic deaths…
Tohono O’odham Delegation Pepper Sprayed at ALEC Protest
Probably the best account of what took place yesterday at protests against American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) at the group’s meeting in Scottsdale came from Censored News on police pepper spraying a Tohono O’odham delegation and the hospitalization of Tohono O’odham veteran David Ortega: Tohono O’odham Veteran David Ortega remained hospitalized Wednesday night after being…
Gingerbread Houses: Wonders of Magical Delight
Gingerbread houses always seem sort of magical, but I’m not sure why. The only memory I have of them is eating stale gingerbread house roof and dessicated frosting weeks after the tree had been stuffed back into storage for another year. Yet, whenever I see one I feel a slight tingling of holiday spirit, which…
AZ Republic: No More Mr. Anonymous Guy
The Arizona Republic uses the nuclear option to clean up online reader comments. Senior vice president of news and audience development Randy Lovely explains that commenters will no longer be able to hide in the shadows of anonymity: My views shifted gradually as I held out hope that the community at large would rise to…
Arizona Public Media’s Ready TV Launches Today
Read the daily newspaper and you’ll see stories written by an AP reporter from someplace else. Listen to the radio and you are sometimes listening to a DJ in another city. With outsourcing increasingly popular, it’s good news when something is done here. Check out Arizona Public Media’s Ready TV. Programming is done locally. Here’s…
Ron Paul Delivers a Takedown on Newt Gingrich
Personally, I welcome more inside-the-party Republican self-destruction (like this new ad from Ron Paul), but I also wonder how Newt Gingrich, a guy whose positions seem to change by the hour and based on his audience at that particular moment, was taken seriously as a presidential candidate for nearly two weeks. I suppose the adulterer…
A List of Ways to Participate in World AIDS Day
You might have seen some World AIDS Day events in the Weekly or online somewhere, but Jeffrey Scott Brown has done a great job putting together on Facebook a list of events happening all day long, including a free breakfast at Mother Hubbard’s right now and running until closing time early tomorrow. If you know…
Sabra Faulk: Acoustic Angel (Self-Released)
Those in the business of writing about music love to make comparisons; it makes the job easier. This makes it all the more challenging (and gratifying!) to come across a songwriter and singer so comfortable within her own voice and skin that comparisons, no matter how complimentary, are ultimately a disservice. It would be easy…
Gargulinski
Kim Kardashian and her clan are American royalty. This oft-mentioned thought may be incredibly disgusting, but it is also incredibly true. Twenty bucks says bunches of folks can name 10 reality-TV stars quicker than they can name 10 American presidents. No wonder the country is going to hell in a handbasket. Reality TV, with its…
Charlie Faye: Travels With Charlie (Wine and Nut)
Singer-songwriter Charlie Faye spent a month in the Old Pueblo almost two years ago, writing, recording and performing with local talent and in the process becoming an honorary Tucson musician. But we were only the first stop in a yearlong project, during which Faye took up residence for a month each in 10 cities. The…
Mailbag
A Rio Nuevo Board member discusses Rick Grinnell and other topics of note.
Live
If noisecore and life-size cat suits are your thing, you were in for a treat on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Club Congress. Tokyo-based Melt-Banana made a triumphant return to town, making up for a show missed due to visa issues a couple of years back. Nearing the end of their 2011 North American tour, Melt-Banana…
Guest Commentary
World AIDS Day began in 1988 as an opportunity for communities to come together and focus attention on the HIV crisis. Some of us never imagined we’d still be here. Yet here it is—Dec. 1 comes ’round again, and we mark World AIDS Day in the year of the 30th anniversary of HIV. It’s a…
What Lies Underneath
Audiences who love the mad-European-scientist subgenre but don’t have the stomach for one of the Human Centipede flicks may find Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In more to their tastes. Believe it or not, the films have a fair amount in common at a certain level, although Almodóvar’s new art thriller and the German…
A Board Divided
When Tucson Unified School District governing-board member Judy Burns unexpectedly passed away in late October, many people said it would be difficult to find a replacement who could fill her shoes. Turns out it’s been difficult to even start the process of finding her replacement. Pima County Schools Superintendent Linda Arzoumanian asked the board to…
Nine Questions
Joseph Valentino, a Cholla High School graduate, musician, artist and DJ, has been making music in Tucson since his early teens. Working under the moniker Neglect, Valentino creates music that is, in his words, “a meditative practice in accidental looping of found sound and the self. A soundtrack to an unmade film.” Valentino can also…
The Skinny
The Arizona Supreme Court slaps down Gov. Jan Brewer—again … State lawmakers try to find some other way—possibly even legal—to mess with redistricting … Voters don’t like Brewer anymore … and much, much more!
Top Ten in Movies
1. Super 8 Paramount 2. Crazy, Stupid, Love. Warner Bros. 3. Conan the Barbarian Lionsgate 4. Water for Elephants 20th Century Fox 5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Warner Bros. 6. The Change-Up Universal 7. The Trip MPI 8. Larry Crowne Universal 9. Cars 2 Disney/Pixar 10. The Devil’s Double Lionsgate
Top Ten in Music
1. Rainer The Best of Rainer: 17 Miracles (Glitterhouse) 2. Various Artists Can We Get Together? (Coseismic) 3. Bryan Dean Trio Pink Elephant (self-released) 4. Stefan George and Tom Walbank My Old Friend the Blues (self-released) 5. Greg Morton When Pigs Fly (self-released) 6. Stefan George Cloth (self-released) 7. The Wayback Machine Welcome to the…
Media Watch
Big changes at the Explorer, AZPM changes the channel; More bad news for Lee; and more!
Police Dispatch
The easiest drug bust ever; Tough times at Burger King
Noshing Around
Food Truck Roundup redux; Juice for your workout; Cocktail class; and more!
Conflict in Commerce
In the rolling rangeland around Sonoita, Elgin and Patagonia, taking care of business once meant rounding up the herd. These days, those tiny towns southeast of Tucson rely on city escapees who arrive to watch birds, linger in wineries or even buy a picturesque patch of property. Those key pillars of prosperity are not lost…
Now Showing at Home
12 Angry Men (Blu-ray); Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (Blu-ray); Cowboys and Aliens (Blu-ray); The Debt (Blu-ray)
Nutcracked Pueblo
“We love the Nutcracker in Tucson,” says Jennifer Neuser, artistic director of the eastside Ballet Rincon. Truer words were never spoken. The Nutcracked Pueblo this year boasts no fewer than seven versions of the cherished Christmas ballet, a frothy fantasy with gingerbread, angelic tots, twirling candy canes—and tour-de-force ballet moves. Why is our desert city…
Help Needed
The telltale signs of Christmas and other winter holidays have been present in your favorite retail establishments for some time now. However, it’s now crunch time, with Thanksgiving over and the latest focus on creating memorable late-December gatherings. It’s also when Tucson’s myriad charitable organizations start to wonder whether they’ll be able to help all…
Ban on Business
As I sat in my aerie overlooking the masses, watching Black Friday dawn over Southern Arizona in all its go-buy-some-shit-fast-be-afraid-of-the-terrorists glory, I felt like I was going to puke. The sheeple started lining up on Thanksgiving, if not before, so they could dig deep into their all-American jeans (made in Mexico) and shopshopshopshopshopshop. When they…
Holiday Bounty
Here in Tucson, the lack of leaves changing and snow falling can make it easy to forget that the holiday season is approaching … Yeah, right. Despite the lack of frozen precipitation, the holidays are nearly impossible to forget. Music pipes out of speakers at the grocery store. The television shouts advertisements for gifts. And—in…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Having been called a “gabacho” by “Mexicans” much lighter than I, and “wetback” by those whose parents (or who themselves) crossed several rivers as they west migrated to California, I’m curious as to which group you believe I should hold in the greatest disdain. While Anglo wetbacks are much more fun to ridicule…
TQ&A
Jenna Stone, a cosmetologist at Metropolis Salon, was diagnosed in October with endometrial cancer. However, that was only the beginning of Stone’s worries. Two years ago, Stone was laid off from a job and lost her health insurance. Her biggest focus is figuring out a way to pay for the surgery and treatment. Stone and…
Bring Your Own Mythology
A “human sacrifice” and a dance party rarely share the same bill, but for Powhaus Productions, combining the two is just another way to shake things up in Tucson. Powhaus’ latest event, Prophecy, at the Rialto Theatre, takes a look at the end of times through visual art and musical performances. For co-producers Nadine Roselle…
Soundbites
La Cocina fills in for The Red Room; Helping the Kools; Powhaus and the end of the world; Solar Culture shows galore; and more!
Weekly Wide Web
If you have any sort of semi-public job in the 21st century, you need to make a decision: Never conduct any sort of search for your name online, or get over the fact that people will say mean things about you. Personally, I try to limit my own vanity searches, and when I do find…
City Week
It’s electric!; World AIDS Day at Hotel Congress; It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Oro Valley and at St. Philip’s Plaza
Spirituality and Rhythm
Adrian Quesada tells us ocote is a type of firewood that produces lots of sparks when burning—which makes it perfect for the name of Ocote Soul Sounds, a band he leads with Martin Perna. Quesada and Perna stoke a rhythmic fire with generous helpings of music from African and Latin origins. Which makes sense, considering…
Life as Adventure
Molly Wizenberg, who as a child aspired to be a writer, had always been a top-notch student, but she’d never felt a strong sense of direction. Eventually, she found herself working on a doctorate in cultural anthropology, a pursuit that took her to Paris to gather information for her dissertation on the French social-security system.…
Top Ten in Books
1. Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, Scribner ($26.99) 2. Southwest Comfort Food: Slow and Savory Marilyn Noble, Rio Nuevo ($16.95) 3. Cooking the Wild Southwest: Delicious Recipes for Desert Plants Carolyn Niethammer, University of Arizona ($19.95) 4. Maya Roads: One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest…
Modeselektor: Monkeytown (Self-Released)
Berlin electronica duo Modeselektor (DJs Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) is a favorite of Thom Yorke, who has consistently championed it for many years. It’s easy to see why the Radiohead frontman enjoys this psychedelic-glitch-metal-rap-dance-whatever act, as it is hard to categorize, especially on Monkeytown, the fifth full-length and second self-released effort. Yorke guest stars…
Takamatsu Returns
Great restaurants are more than just places to enjoy a meal. They’re places that get wrapped up in our emotions; after all, restaurants are spots where we celebrate special occasions, go on exciting first dates and create everlasting memories. Takamatsu is a restaurant that has special meaning to me, because it’s one of the first…
Editor’s Note
Some housekeeping this week: • We have a lot of exciting things coming up. Mark your calendars: GASP!, our last-minute gift guide, hits the streets next week, on Dec. 8. Then we close out 2011 with our traditional year-end tripleheader: Get Out of Town (Dec. 15), in which we figuratively kick people, organizations and things…
Heart Felt
Writer and actor Jason Segel, along with co-writer Nicholas Stoller, came up with a concept to restart one of their favorite franchises a few years ago, and the resulting film is the clever and consistently fun The Muppets. The last time the Muppets graced the big screen was Muppets From Space back in 1999. Yes,…
Danehy
One of the more provocative book titles this year is Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone. Written by Stanford law professor Ralph Richard Banks, the book answers its own question with a depressing, “Mostly, yes,” but adds a slightly hopeful, “But it doesn’t have to be,” at the…
One Thing We Won’t Be Doing on Our Website
For your reference: at the Weekly, we’re not fans of animations that cross your computer screen and make some sort of noise. Just so you know.
Congress on Verge of Honoring Gabe Zimmerman
Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ office Gabe Zimmerman with the Declaration of Independence The U.S. House of Representatives will vote tomorrow to name a room at the U.S. Capitol in honor of Gabe Zimmerman, the “constituent whisperer” who was slain in the Jan. 8 shooting rampage. The press release from Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ office:…
