Cover Story
Super-Change Agent
If you missed viewing excerpts from Susan Stryker’s film Christine in the Cutting Room at downtown’s Playground Bar & Lounge, I feel your pain. After sitting in Stryker’s office and listening to her talk about her project, which focuses on the world’s most famous transsexual, Christine Jorgensen, I’m kicking myself for not being there. Stryker,…
U.S. Rep. Ron Barber: “We Should Not Recess Tomorrow. We Should Stay Here and Do Our Job”
Southern Arizona Congressman Ron Barber called for an alternative to the sequester today on the House floor: Mister Speaker, we now are less than 48 hours from sweeping and irresponsible across-the-board budget cuts that will go into effect on Friday. These cuts will weaken our military, harm our border security, undermine our economic recovery and…
Cannabis News From Oregon
A bunch of duly elected lawmakers in the nation’s capital – led by one from the shadow of the Space Needle – put their heads together and agreed on something this week. WTF? It won’t avert any fiscal cliffs or huge tax increases, but the States’ Medical Marijuana Patients Protection Act represents agreement across the…
Asian-Latin Dinner at Om Modern Asian Kitchen
On March 6, Chef Allen Yap at Om Modern Asian Kitchen will be cooking with Guest Chef Ramiro Scavo, from Pasco Kitchen & Lounge, to create an Asian-Latin fusion wine dinner. This dinner will be highlighting South American wines. When I called for information they didn’t have a price or menu planned yet. Dinner is…
Spring Gardening Workshop with Native Seeds/SEARCH
Now, I know I am usually going on about food trucks, or beer events, but where our food comes from is also very important to me. Nothing says “I care what I eat” more so that growing your own food. With a little bit of knowledge desert growing here in the Southwest is so easy…
Local Beer Dinner at Whole Foods
The new Whole Foods location is hitting the ground running. On Tuesday, March 5th at 6:30 p.m., the Whole Foods location at 5555 E River Rd. will be having a beer dinner in their brand new bar. $30 gets you four courses from Chef Nathan Hirsch’s kitchen, paired with four beers personally selected by the…
We’ve Got Two Pairs of Tickets to Broadway in Tucson’s ‘Memphis’ — Who Wants ‘Em?
As the headline says, we’ve got two pairs of tickets that we absolutely need to give away for tonight’s Broadway in Tucson performance of Memphis, a rockin’, rollin’ period drama we previewed two weeks ago (“From Tennessee to Tucson,” City Week, Feb. 28): The show, which won four Tony awards in 2010, centers around the…
Cyclist Gives First-Hand Account Of Weekend’s Vehicular Assault On Valencia Road
Cyclist Tyler Wren was on a training with his teammates from cycling team Jamis-Hagens Berman Friday morning along Valencia Road when their ride was violently interrupted by a Tucson driver who ran Wren and a coach with the team off of the road. VeloNews.com has Wren’s account of the incident: We departed for our ill-fated…
Native Tucsonan Finishes Third In NASCAR Nationwide Series Season Opener
Alex Bowman, 20-year-old from Tucson, finished in third-place Saturday after avoiding two wrecks in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Driving the #99 Florida Lottery Toyota Camry for RAB Racing, Saturday’s finish was both RAB Racing and Bowman’s highest at the speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. A blog post on Bowman’s website describes the…
‘Argo’ Wins Best Picture, Though Iran Disagrees
Tying with Les Misèrables for second place with the most awards received at the 85th Academy Awards, Argo achieved three Oscar vistories on Sunday night, including the prestigious Best Picture award. It beat out Life of Pi (which took home four awards, the most of the night), Amour, Les Misèrables, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern…
Ari Shapiro’s Falora Pizza To Open Soon? (Update: This Sunday)
During a trip downtown to Xoom Juice, I happened to find the fairly innocuous flier above, alongside numerous other cards and sheets advertising local businesses. This one stands out though, as it appears to be the menu for Xoom Juice and Sparkroot owner Ari Shapiro’s newest venture, Falora, an artisan pizza and espresso bar in…
‘Hopped Up’ Visits the Gents at Ten Fifty-Five Brewing
If you’ve not heard of the folks at Ten Fifty-Five Brewing, we suggest you start getting acquainted (start here and here), with one of Tucson’s latest nanobrewing ventures. We also suggest that you follow the good folks behind “Hopped Up,” Spent Grains, who’ve gone to some of the best beer-centric joints in Tucson to figure…
Rodeo Recap from UA Student Photogs
Drew Gyorke The student chapter of the National Press Photographers association took a working field trip to La Fiesta de los Vaqueros rodeo. If you missed the show, you can catch the results here. Check out pictures of bucking broncs and cantankerous cattle after the jump. Yoohyun Natividad Briana Sanchez Drew Gyorke Yoohyun Natividad Briana…
Leftover Salmon at the Rialto Theatre, Sunday, Feb. 24
Elliott Leftover Salmon While it was all red carpet and formals for Oscar Night at the Fox, down the street the sidewalk in front of the Rialto was awash in tie-dye, construction and the sweet smell of cannabis. Leftover Salmon, one of the preeminent jam bands of the 1990s was on break, having just reminded…
Just In: KFMA Day 2013 Lineup Has Been Announced
KFMA 92.1 FM has just announced the lineup for KFMA Day 2013, which is set to take place at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 4. The Killers will headline the event, which will also feature performances by Cake, Minus the Bear, Bad Religion, Middle Class Rut, Black Veil Brides, and Dead Sara. Tickets…
Primus Announces May Rialto Show
Primus is bringing what they call the “first ever” 3D-enhanced tour to the Rialto on May 18. The experimental rock three-piece that many know from the South Park theme song will drop by the Old Pueblo on their “3D Tour” to promote their latest record, Green Naugahyde, which was released nearly a year and a…
Jennifer Lawrence: Oscars MVP
Courtesy of Tumblr, dailydot When it comes to Jennifer Lawrence’s night at the Oscars, this GIF pretty much covers it. The Best Actress winner was the silver lining of last night’s Academy Awards: delivering plenty of GIF-worthy hijinks, flippant quotes and, of course, the wipeout seen ‘round the world, Lawrence provided much-needed charisma to a…
Buehler-Garcia To Run Against Councilwoman Karin Uhlich
Republican Ben Buehler-Garcia wants a rematch with Tucson City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich. Buehler-Garcia, who lost to Uhlich in 2009 by less than 200 votes, filed as a candidate for the Ward 3 City Council seat on Friday, Feb. 22. “I think the challenges facing our community are jobs and the economy,” Beuhler-Garcia said. “Crime is…
A Final TUSD Desegregation Plan Has Been Submitted
A final desegregation plan for Tucson Unified School District was resubmitted to US District Court Judge David C. Bury last week reflecting Bury’s Feb. 6 ruling. You can read the entire plan here: MENDOZA___F__2_19_13__Stip_of_the_Parties_re_the_Re-Filing_of_the_Unitary_Status_Plan-_final.pdf The 88-page document was one of Bury’s last orders to all parties involved in the desegregation case — representatives for Mendoza…
Rotellini Files for 2014 Attorney General Run
Democrat Felecia Rotellini wants another shot at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Rotellini, who lost to current Attorney General Tom Horne by less than 4 percentage points in 2010, officially filed as a candidate this morning for a run for AG. “I want to return the focus of the AG’s Office to prosecuting crime and…
Derrick Williams to Bring Minnesota Timberwolves Teammates to VII Grand Tonight
University of Arizona basketball’s current favorite son, Derrick Williams, is bringing his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates down to Tucson with him today to hang out (and sign autographs) at his new streetwear shop, VII Grand, 178 E. Broadway Blvd., prior to their game with the Phoenix Suns tomorrow night. AZ tomorrow .. My boys @jjbareapr @rickyrubio9…
Someone Took the Time to Make A Flipbook Version of the Gangam Style Music Video
YouTube user Etoilec1 recreated parts of the “Gangam Style” video in the form of a flip book! The lip movement and dancing is really accurate and impressive. Whoever made this video must have a lot of patience and way too much time on their hands. I didn’t even have the patience to count past the…
Don’t Prune Back Your Freeze Damaged Plants Yet!
A Welcoming Entry Yes – we are tired of the cold in Tucson. And we are tired of our sad looking plants. However, I ask you to wait just a little longer before pruning them back. Historically our last freeze averages around March 15. We have some 36 degree temperatures forecasted for the week of…
Not His First Rodeo: Eric Kroll Shoots La Fiesta de los Vaqueros
Eric Kroll Famed photographer Eric Kroll, who suggested we go on a photo safari to the Tucson Rodeo yesterday, captured a set of portraits and candids while I snapped action shots. He shared a few with TW. More photos after the jump and more from Kroll at his blog. Eric Kroll Eric Kroll Eric Kroll…
A Day at the Rodeo
Jim Nintzel It was sunny Saturday afternoon at the Fiesta de los Vaqueros yesterday for all the cowboys and cowgirls in attendance. Today is the final day for the Tucson Rodeo. Details here and more photos after the jump. Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel Jim Nintzel…
AZ Illustrated Politics: State of the City, Annexation, Background Checks & Immigration Reform
On last night’s edition of AZ Illustrated Politics: Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries and former Tucson City Council aide Miguel Ortega discussed Mayor Jonathan Rothschild’s State of the City speech, a renewed call for annexation, the City Council’s recent push for background checks at gun shows on city property…
A Movie, Hedwig and Erotic Art: Your Saturday Itinerary
Here’s your itinerary for today. Do not deviate. If you do, your Saturday will suck. 4:30 p.m. (Park Place)/5:10 p.m. (El Con) Bless Me, UltimaThis movie adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya’s controversial novel opens this weekend for a limited time, so you better go today before our state Attorney General Tom Horne bans it. It’s about…
Gallardo and Gonzales Reintroduce Bills to Repeal SB 1070
We’ve been here before — or, should we say, State Senator Steve Gallardo and Representative Sally Ann Gonzales have been here before — introducing legislation to the state house and senate to repeal SB 1070. When the state lawmakers, Gallardo from Phoenix and Gonzales from Tucson, introduced similar legislature last year they were told by…
Presentation on Migrant Death Maps Tonight
John Chamblee, research chair for Humane Borders, will present “A Borderlands Transformation: Reflections on Migrant Death Maps Since 2002,” tonight, 6 p.m. at Grace St. Paul Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Chamblee, research chair for Humane Borders, heads the organization’s mapping project. While not about Chamblee’s work, Margaret Regan wrote this interesting piece in…
The Fox Theatre is the Place to Be for Oscar Night
Courtesy of the Fox Tucson Theatre If your living room’s sorry lack of a red carpet is a detriment to your Oscar experience, the Fox Theatre has you covered for Sunday’s festivities. For the fourth year in a row, the Fox is hosting the Oscar Experience for Tucsonans seeking a bit of glamour on film’s…
Father of Aurora Shooting Victim Received Form Letter Responses Concerning Newtown From Senators Flake and McCain
Alex Teves was 24 when he was killed last year in Aurora, Colo., one of 12 who died last year in a mass shooting upon a theater full of movie-goers. His father, Tom Teves, of Phoenix, recently wrote to Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, urging them to reconsider their stances on assault weapon…
The Pope’s Resignation May Be Tied To Discovery Of A Network of Gay Bishops
Odd news out of the Vatican, courtesy of the U.K.’s Guardian: Last May Pope Benedict’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and charged with having stolen and leaked papal correspondence that depicted the Vatican as a seething hotbed of intrigue and infighting. According to La Repubblica, the dossier comprising “two volumes of almost 300 pages —…
AZ Illustrated Politics Tonight: State of the City, Immigration & TUSD
On tonight’s edition of AZ Illustrated Politics: Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries and former Tucson City Council aide Miguel Ortega join host Jim Nintzel to discuss Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild’s State of the City Speech; Rothschild’s call for more annexation; Vail’s push to incorporate into a town; the ongoing…
Frank Ocean Hints at ‘Channel Orange’ Follow-Up in 2013
Courtesy of Idolator Fresh off a Grammy win for his studio debut Channel Orange, Frank Ocean is already “10 or 11 songs” into an as-yet-untitled follow-up to what many critics pegged as one of the best albums of 2012. Ocean, who was in the UK to appear at the BRIT Awards (where he won the…
Bill To Require Notarized Signature for Early Ballot Dies
Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service reports on a bill to that would have required a notarized signature in order to receive an early ballot: One person’s safeguard is another person’s hurdle. The motives of a bill that would require a notarized signature to get on the Permanent Early Voting List were called into question…
You Should Watch This Cool Time Lapse of #TucsonBlizzard 2013 (Never Forget!)
While I’ve taken it as my solemn duty to remember the many who’s lives were entirely destroyed/kinda inconvenienced as a result of #TucsonBlizzard 2013, this time lapse video is probably the coolest thing to have come from one of the many Tucsonans who survived, (henceforth known as The Orphans of Sonoran Superstorm Sofia). Great work…
Tom Goes to the Chair: Sorry Folks, ‘Girls’ Is Still Terrible
With February coming to a close, we’re almost done with the second Sweeps Month of the TV season (and the cheapskates who run TV these days don’t even give us a full month of TV in May, so these are the good old days). A few things about this season so far: • Vegas should…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Photo by Devon Balet Did you miss the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo mountain bike race? Check out the recap here. The group that organizes two wildly popular mountain bike rides is taking their show on the road. They are putting together a new ride in Grand Junction, Colo. Find out when the ride…
Weirdly, Tucson Has Had More Snow Than Seattle This Year
That’s right, Tucson. Thanks to #TucsonBlizzard 2013 (Never Forget!), we’ve actually eclipsed snowfall totals experienced by the folks in Seattle, Washington. From KOMOnews.com’s Scott Sistek: Not only has Mother Nature essentially blanked Seattle in the snow department this winter, she’s rubbing it in by bringing real winter to places that aren’t supposed to have it.…
Walmart, Poetry, and Mercados: Where Americans (and Arizonans) Miss Out On Love
psychologytoday.com According to a study of Craigslist’s “Missed Connections” sections across the country by Dorothy Gambrell, the most popular place in the United States where love is found (and then lost, in short order) is Walmart. Yeah, seriously. Gambrell’s research, presented in map-form, is the result of poring through a state’s 100 most recent “Missed…
A John McCain-Hosted Immigration Town Hall Event in Sun Lakes Turns Into a Scene from ‘Parks and Rec’
Lost in the chaos surrounding #TucsonBlizzard 2013 (Never Forget!) was this news item published yesterday from the Associated Press, detailing a trip by Arizona Sen. John McCain and current Director of Homeland Security (and former Arizona Governor) Janet Napolitano to the U.S.-Mexico border, took a turn for the wacky when describing the arguments Sen. McCain…
Aussie Party Update: Parking Lot Shooter Arrested
Tucson Police announced today they have identified and arrested the man who is believed to have fired a gun into the air outside a massive college party at an off-campus apartment complex last month. Da’wan Grandville Lord, 20, turned himself in today and was booked into the Pima County Jail on one count of discharging…
Lawmakers Take Step Toward Defunding Clean Elections
Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service reports on a bill to transfer the funding for the state’s Clean Elections program to Arizona schools: An Arizona lawmaker is looking to send the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission back to the voters in a move that some say might be a bit dirty. HCR2026, which passed out…
Cyclovia Tucson Launches Kickstarter to Prepare for Two Street-Closing, Bike-Friendly Events This Year
Last year’s attempt at closing down the streets of Tucson, Cyclovia Tucson, was marred by March showers (something I feel partially responsible for, after jokingly suggesting the possibility of rain with Coley Ward, organizer of the then-concurrent event, Solar Rock during an interview). To counter that, and to double-down on bicycling fun, Living Streets Alliance…
Never Forget #TucsonBlizzard 2013: Your Tales
#tucsonblizzard reports of a band of rampaging yetis coming down from the mountains. oh god they are at the door, someone hel……….— Carlos Wilhelm (@BeardlyManstach) February 20, 2013 So it appears that we are now, finally, in the clear, Tucson. The Storm of the Century of the Decade has blown through Southern Arizona, and it…
And The Award For “Coolest” Mom Goes To…
Judy Viger, from Saratoga County in upstate New York, who hired two strippers for her son’s 16th birthday party, according to CNN: Judy Viger, 33, of Gansevoort is charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, District Attorney James Murphy said in a statement. The parents of five teens who attended the…
Shop Closed
If you thought U.S. District Judge David C. Bury was going to be the superhero parents, students and teachers prayed for back in December, well, yeah, you were wrong. When the Tucson Unified School District governing board voted in December to close 11 schools to ease a projected $17 million deficit, the hundreds of parents,…
Tracing History
Language of the Land: Popular Culture Within Indigenous Nations and the New Wave of Artistic Perspectives 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through Friday, March 29 Joseph Gross Gallery, UA Arts Complex, 1031 N. Olive Road Free 626-4215; web.cfa.arizona.edu/galleries Chris Pappan grew up in Flagstaff, and the map of Arizona undergirds much of…
Assistance Arrangements
Arizona Restaurant Association backed HB 2401 is aiming to take some of the guesswork out of who’s coming to dinner. While it hasn’t quite been “lions, tigers and bears,” it has been “parrots, ferrets and squirrels,” according to restaurant owners, who say Arizona’s loose definition of service animal is resulting in service animal shams all…
True TV
Get On It Burning Love 2 Thursdays (BurningLove.com) New Season: The sequel to 2012’s online hit Burning Love, the Bachelor spoof that was waaay too long coming, premiered last week on Valentine’s Day: Burning Love 2 centers on Burning Love’s “damaged goods,” Julie Gristlewhite (June Diane Raphael of Adult Swim’s NTSF:SD:SUV), and her search for…
Media Watch
What’s the difference between Clear Channel and Cumulus? Not all that much, really.
Thai Treasure
Sa’ing Thai Cuisine 9136 E. Valencia Road, Suite 100 663-5955 Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 8:30 p.m. Pluses: Wonderfully balanced dishesMinuses: No Thai iced coffee; no to-go menus The only thing wrong with Sa’ing Thai is that…
Police Dispatch
A man with a dirty mouth spends a night in jail; a paltry attempt at a bribe won’t help you avoid a citation.
Noshing Around
Serial Grillers grabs another truck; 17th Street Market closes; PieZano’s opens on Fort Lowell; Maynards makes three hours even happier.
Weekly Wide Web
The Harlem Shake is stupid. Let’s back up. As of February 2013, the Harlem Shake has become a viral video meme in which one person, typically with a helmet, dances alone to a song entitled “Harlem Shake.” After eight bars, the beat drops; the video then smash-cuts to a huge group of people who dance…
Top Ten in Cinema
1. Skyfall 2. Flight 3. Seven Psychopaths 4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 5. The Man With the Iron Fists 6. Hotel Transylvania 7. Here Comes the Boom 8. The Sessions 9. Downton Abbey (Season 3, disc 2) 10. Downton Abbey (Season 3, disc 3)
The Skinny
The fundraising race begins; and hopefuls for the governorship are popping up across both sides of the aisle.
The Dead Live On
A solo acoustic show by Bob Weir With Jonathan Wilson 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26 Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. $15 to $68; all ages 547-3040; foxtucsontheatre.org Hang out long enough with a bunch of Deadheads (you know, that group of concert-chasing, dope-smoking, tape-trading, VW van-loving, Woodstock Nation vagabonds—all of whom were forced…
Soundbites
ChamberLab gets wonderfully weird; Robbie Fulks pops into Solar Culture; Cotton Jones wanders into Club Congress; and so much more!
50 Years Later
Celebrate Black History Month by visiting Special Collections at the University of Arizona Main Library through August 30.
Top Ten in Music
1. Bullet for My Valentine Temper Temper 2. Mumford & Sons Babel 3. A$AP Rocky Long. Live. A$AP 4. fun. Some Nights 5. Brotha Lynch Hung Mannibalector 6. Kendrick Lamar Good Kid: M.A.A.D. City 7. The Lumineers The Lumineers 8. Bruno Mars Unothodox Jukebox 9. The Black Keys El Camino 10. Foals Holy Fire
City Week
Explore Tucson’s native heritage; Enjoy the Oscars at the Fox; check the songs and culture of the ’50s at Tucson Music Hall; and more!
LIve
On stage last weekend at the Fox, John Pizzarelli said he’s no saloon singer. But he’s hardly a lounge lizard either. His natural habitat is the supper club and the concert hall. Leading his jazz quartet in a UApresents concert, the 52-year-old New York-based singer and guitarist showed off his refined and sophisticated tendencies on…
T Q&A
Sheila Kressler-Crowley, the marketing director for Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, has worked for the popular Arizona chain for nearly seven years. The long-awaited Bookmans Sports Exchange is set to open in April in the Rancho Center, 3330 E. Speedway Blvd. For more information, visit www.bookmans.com or follow the store on Twitter @BookmansSports. When did planning begin…
Nine Questions
Dana Cianciotto created Musical Mayhem Cabaret, a musical comedy troupe, in Phoenix in 2011, but the concept traveled south when she moved back to Tucson last May. The group performs the second and third Wednesdays of every month at New Moon Tucson, 915 W. Prince Road. For more info, visit musicalmayhemcabaret.weebly.com. What was the first…
Weddings and Writers
If you’re in the mood for some light and bright entertainment, check out Live Theatre Workshop’s production of Paul Rudnick’s Regrets Only. If it doesn’t bring you some laughs with its smart satire, zinging dialogue and, at times, sheer absurdity, you might want to check your pulse. Rudnick’s story is a jesting look at marriage,…
Indians: Somewhere Else (4AD)
The songs of Indians’ debut are ephemeral, shifting creations, evocative of the large-scale world in the sense that you can never quite take in everything at once. Though often quiet and delicate, these songs are built of layers upon layers, an atmospheric yet folky electronica that suggests wide expanses, like icy peaks or windswept plains.…
Editor’s Note
If you follow us on Facebook and the social media site/curse on humanity has been kind enough to actually show you our posts lately, you might have noticed that we’ve been asking questions each Saturday. What’s Tucson’s best hamburger? Where should we go for breakfast this weekend? We’ve been doing this for a few reasons.…
Love and Comedy
First Kisses opened at the Invisible Theatre, appropriately, right around Valentine’s Day. Jay D. Hanagan’s play is a simple, sweet love story about two people, Mary and John, whose relationship starts in childhood and continues into old age. What makes this production even sweeter is that it stars a real-life married couple, Harold and Maedell…
Caspian: Waking Season (Triple Crown)
The musical style loosely called post-rock is populated by many impressive, mostly instrumental artists. Caspian should be mentioned among them as a band expert in erecting cathedrals of blissful noise. Their dramatic plinths of sound are built from treated keyboards and effects-laden guitars, and moved by tectonic shifts of rhythm. On their fourth album, the…
Gargulinski
Don’t hate them because they’re pink. The “they” in this case are breast cancer sufferers, survivors, supporters and organizations like the Southern Arizona affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, all of whom are linked to pink whether they like it or not. Komen’s 15th annual Southern Arizona Race for the Cure kicks off…
The Good Guy
When Law Was in the Holster: The Frontier Life of Bob Paul By John Bossenecker University of Oklahoma Press $34.95, 464 pages During the last 20 years or so of the 19th century, the Arizona Territory was rotten with scoundrels, rogues, killers, thieves and confidence artists. Among this mob, Pima County Sheriff Bob Paul stood…
Electric Six: Absolute Pleasure (Metropolis)
The dynamic blend of Motor City hard-rock riffing and funky disco rhythms practiced by Detroit band Electric Six is best displayed in an anything-goes concert setting. So the group’s first live album was a no-brainer. The band’s audacious attitude and unbridled enthusiasm can be credited in large part to the booming presence of frontman Dick…
Guest Commentary
It must be nice to have friends like Al Melvin in the state legislature. You never know when the fiscally conservative senator might throw $30 million your way. A Utah-based company, Imagine Learning, could be the recipient of Melvin’s largesse if the bill he’s sponsoring, SB1239, becomes law. It allocates $30 million for one company…
Top Ten in Books
1. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Jonas Jonasson ($15.99) 2.The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table Tracie McMillan ($16) 3. Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong Norman Fischer ($16.95) 4. My Beloved World Sonia Sotomayor ($27.95) 5.The 3…
Lingering Issues
Once there was a scientist named Friedrich Wurst. There probably still is, but back in 2003, he did a study of alcohol metabolites in the corpus humanum. He found that one, ethyl glucuronide (EtG), is an excellent indicator that a person had a drink up to 80 hours prior to testing. EtG is among a…
Danehy
This is, without a doubt, the biggest sports week of the year in Tucson. Consider: • The Tucson rodeo—La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros—is rocking the rodeo grounds on the south side of town. This gives you the opportunity to see horses and cows and goats, plus people wearing really cool hats. Hailing originally, as I…
A Vacation From Hell
Bruce Willis returns as trouble magnet John McClane and looks lost, tired and miserable in A Good Day to Die Hard, a real party-pooper installment in an otherwise fun franchise. One gets the sense watching this disaster that Willis realized he was in a dud, and spiritually clocked out well before the shoot was over.…
Ask a Mexican!
The Mexican tackles the challenges of the DREAM Act; food-based nicknames; and burrito engineering.
Well Read
They peer down upon our city’s intersections, waiting to witness traffic transgressions. They steadily scan Interstate 19, catching the random smuggler in their cold, technological gaze. They ride along in cop cars all across the country, constantly noting our whereabouts through a license plate’s rich portal. In a security-obsessed nation, these electronic eyes—aimed at everything…
Better Than Expected
The young-adult novel adaptation is dead. Long live the young-adult novel adaptation! Twilight, mercifully, has been put out to pasture, but another very similar set of circumstances stands ready to take its place. Beautiful Creatures switches the roles ever so slightly: It’s not girl-falls-for-vampire; it’s boy-falls-for-witch. And it could be easily dismissed for that or…
Here’s Your Chance to Tell Us About Your Favorite Tucson Dishes
Instagram user @getsdead Love you forever, Pico de Gallo As I mentioned in this week’s Editor’s Note, we’re putting together an issue themed around Tucson’s 100 Essential Dishes for March, but since we don’t want to miss anything, we could use your input. What dishes – individual items on menus of fine dining establishment to…
Attractive Nuisance #4: Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris
File #4: Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris, Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions (1999, Asylum/Elektra) After taking a week to remove our heads from the condom-strewn New York sewers of Lou Reed, we touch down locally—at the Arizona Inn, specifically—for the crisp, meditative desert of Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris. Theirs is a collaboration so pristine,…
