Cover Story
25 Bills to Watch
With Arizona’s lawmakers introducing more than 1,200 bills, memorials and resolutions this year, it can be hard to keep up with everything that’s happening at the Statehouse. So we here at the Tucson Weekly are highlighting some of the more interesting bills that Arizonans might like to know about with our online Blogislature feature. Following…
Penca is Open
Penca, at 50 E. Broadway, is finally open and in full-swing. After many delays and tribulations, which we have talked about here and here, Patricia Schwabe’s restaurant is beautiful in its urban splendor, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Last night I stopped in for a quick bite and a look around. As advertised, this is…
If You’re Freaking Out About Martial Law, Calm Down
Art Konovalov / Shutterstock.com Nope. Not happening here. Tuesdays are generally a busy day around here, as we wrap up our print edition (with Adam Rex on the cover! On newsstands nowish!), so when people kept calling yesterday to ask why the city council imposed martial law on Tucson (thanks for nothing, Infowars), it was…
Florida Woman Proves Second Amendment Rights Needed to Free Ourselves From Walmart’s Tyranny
Honestly, liberals don’t know what they’re doing, what with trying to limit citizens’ access to concealed weapons permits and trying to take away guns from people who obviously shouldn’t own them. This Florida woman, however, knows what’s up. Mary Frances Alday, 61, was attempting to use an internet coupon to take a dollar off of…
Jon Stewart Is Leaving The Daily Show (Temporarily) To Direct A Serious Film?
Daily Show host Stewart told the NY Times he will be taking 12 weeks off from hosting duties to direct the drama “Rosewater,” for which he wrote a screenplay. John Oliver, who often portrays the show’s “Senior British Correspondent,” will be taking over as guest host for eight weeks. The usual four-week break that the…
Bills To Watch: Health and Safety Audits on the Move
Last year, the Legislature passed an “environmental audit” bill that allows companies that report violations of environmental laws to the government to escape liability. The reports are sealed away from the public and, in most cases, cannot be used in court in civil lawsuits. This year’s HB 2485 would extend the environmental audit privilege to…
Daniel Patterson Is Considering Running For Office Again
Yeah, disgraced former state legislator Daniel Patterson (or “Daniel R. Patterson,” or “D.R. Patterson,” or “Dr. Patz,” as I hope he is called out on the streets), is supposedly entertaining thoughts of running for public office again. Good for him. This comes from a tweet from Patterson, in which he says he’d run for the…
TSA Allows Small Knives Back on Airplanes
Photo from Flickr Creative Commons by Christian Kitazume The Transportation Security Administration announced today that for the first time since 2001, U.S. airline passengers will be allowed to carry small knives on board with them, along with golf clubs, hockey sticks, billiard cues, and other sporting goods. This change, which will be effective beginning April…
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Is Dead
Hugo Chavez, the socialist president of Venezuela, has died today following a lengthy bout with cancer and complications from respiratory infections. He was 58. Chavez’s death was announced by Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro, at 4:25 p.m., Venezuelan time. From the Associated Press, via azcentral.com: Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba in June 2011 to remove…
R.I.P., Jesus Acedo
Jesus Acedo It saddens us to report that local musician Jesus Acedo passed away on Sunday, March 3. No cause of death is known at this time. Acedo, a masterful and unique guitarist, performed with his on-and-off psychedelic rock band Black Sun Ensemble (or Black Sun Legion, as it was sometimes called) since its formation…
Nine Inch Nails/”Call Me Maybe” Mash-Up Is Re-Wiring My Brain
I know that we generally have We Got Cactus for things like this, though over the last few weeks we’ve been spending time on great album reviews, previews of great festivals, band news, and tributes, but I can’t stop listening to this song, and I’m urged to share it with all of you now. It’s…
A Little Taste of SXSW: NPR’s Austin 100
So I’ve been prepping for SXSW (whose lineup is growing to absurdly epic proportions day by day, BTW) by listening to a playlist of JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, BOY, Divine Fits, Heartless Bastards, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Dawes, OK Sweetheart, Carrie Rodriguez, Leagues, Tegan and Sara, John Hiatt, Brownout and Starship Connection. But…
Sound City Players Streaming New Album on NPR
In case you missed it, former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl made a documentary. The film, Sound City, showcased a run-down, shabby Van Nuys, Calif. recording studio of the same name that made a bunch of awesome records like Nevermind, Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedos, and Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. Not missing…
Bills To Watch: Stopping Agenda 21’s UN Invasion
A wide-ranging group of Republicans—including Glenn Beck and National Republican Committeeman Bruce Ash of Tucson—is concerned about U.N. Agenda 21, an innocuous-sounding 1991 resolution supported by former President George W. Bush. Agenda 21 calls for sustainable development, conservation and women’s rights. This has been translated by right-leaning analysts as an attack on private-property rights and…
Washington State Lawmaker Says Bike Riders Pollute The Environment By Breathing Too Much, Then Recognizes How Dumb That Is
Washington State Representative Ed Orcutt is of the opinion that bicycle riders deserved to be taxed similarly to motorists because they both share the road that motorists use AND produce greenhouse gases. By breathing. I mean, I guess I see the logic behind the first part. But taxes based on increased respiration? Really? As a…
Serial Grillers Food Truck Is Hangin’ Out By ‘Weekly’ World Central Today
Hey folks working near Tucson International Airport (and roughly anyone who loves grilled meats): Serial Grillers is currently set up outside Weekly World Central, 3280 E. Hemisphere Loop, on Valencia Road between Country Club and Palo Verde roads, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. They’ll be serving up cheesesteaks, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and even…
Wildcat Hoops Fans: Contrary To Popular Opinion, The Sky Is NOT Falling
Jim Nintzel I don’t consider myself the No. 1 authority on University of Arizona basketball — after all, I’ve never written a coffee table book on their most successful coach or anything like that — but I think after following the team for 19 seasons I’ve got a pretty good idea about the program’s making.…
Dream-Pop Prodigy Youth Lagoon to Return to Tucson in April
Trevor Powers, aka Youth Lagoon, is returning to Tucson on April 22 with a show at Club Congress, expanding from a standout yet small show in fall 2011 at Solar Culture. Powers is starting a nationwide tour Wednesday to promote his sophomore album, Wondrous Bughouse, which releases tomorrow via Fat Possum Records. His first record,…
AZ Chamber Backs Brewer’s Medicaid Expansion in New Ad
Talking Points Memo notes that Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry is airing a 30-second ad to back up Gov. Jan Brewer’s push to expand Medicaid in Arizona: The ad was launched by Restoring Arizona, a group tied to the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and which has been promoting the Republican governor’s decision…
Mid-Winter Blooms
As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words! Here’s a couple to try to inspire you to always grow your winter desert potted garden. Ornamental Kale in its Winter Glory Same pot in its Pool Fence Grouping Have a Question? Email Marylee for help on your desert potted garden!
Almost No One Has A Clue About Who Holds Wealth in This Country
So this video from YouTube user Politizane has been making the rounds about the Intertubes lately, picking up nearly one million views in the past few days since being linked to on Reddit and Mashable. It’s a look at the perceptions of wealth disparity in America—what Americans think the disparity is like, what they think…
Tucson-Born Arte Moreno Named Among Forbes’ Wealthiest People
Arte Moreno, the Tucson-born University of Arizona alumnus and current owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, made Forbes’s Billionaires list once again, now for the sixth time. This marks Moreno’s sixth time on the list, and includes him among the ranks of four other Arizonans, according to Forbes. In fact, Moreno is tied…
Fall Out Boy Back in Action
Fall Out Boy has been busy since announcing their reunion last month. Most recently, they performed their new song “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” live with 2 Chainz at the NBA All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 17. In the weeks leading up to their reconciliation, fans…
Bills To Watch: Sen. Melvin Wants To Help Kids Read—And Help One of his Favorite Companies
Former Tucson Weekly automatic-weapons editor and longtime political gadfly Emil Franzi likes to remind us that “somewhere, every day, the fix is in”—and that sounds true of SB 1239, a bill sponsored by SaddleBrooke’s Al Melvin. The legislation directs that $30 million be spent on a computer-based system to help kids learn about reading, but…
Tucson Festival of Books Should Be Fun, Sharing Parking Not So Much
An entire festival dedicated to celebrating the love of reading and writing in general is always something to look forward to. But this Saturday, UA will see more traffic than just those attending the book festival. With softball and men’s basketball both playing games at home that day, most parking south of Speedway will be…
Do Your Friday Night Plans Involve A Road Trip To New Mexico? If So, Leave Early
The railroad is generally considered to be a big reason this country grew as much as it has from coast to coast. You can thank all of those Chinese slaves for that. Now the railroad can also be blamed for f—king with your plans this Friday night or Saturday morning, if said plans just happened…
How the Fourth Avenue Street Fair Will Learn To Live With the Modern Streetcar
Kurt Tallis, marketing and events director of the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association, tells The Range via email that the Fourth Avenue Street Fair will continue after the modern streetcar begins running between the UA and downtown: The 4th Avenue Street Fair will continue after the Modern Streetcar starts running. Yes, there is still life in…
‘Paths of Promise’ Looks at Less-Portrayed Aspect of American History
Tucson author Donna Grisanti’s experience as an up-and-coming novelist isn’t as rooted in a creative writing background as many typically are. Grisanti, a Chicago native who attended college at Arizona State University, studied nursing, psychology and sociology (and eventually went on to business administration) — not your average precursor for a career as an author.…
Bills To Watch: Pay-for-Performance Schools
Gov. Brewer’s new pay-for-performance education-funding plan was on the move this week. As we mentioned in this week’s cover story, Brewer has wants to introduce more competition into the Arizona school system by instituting a plan that gives schools that get higher test scores and improve their academic performance a boost in state funding. Critics…
Beyond The Block A: Tucsonan Wins First PGA Title
Michael Thompson is not flashy. He’s not brash. He’s not outspoken. He’s just a guy that loves to play golf. He’s now also a PGA Tour champion. The 27-year-old Rincon/University High School graduate won the Honda Classic tournament this afternoon in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., winning by one stroke over 7-time PGA winner Geoff Ogilvy.…
Someone Found a New Scorpion Here
Rob Bryson Jr. / Richard Ayrey / Michael Webber, Creative Commons A new Sky Island scorpion How this information affects your day-to-day life, I’m not sure, but the discovery of a new species of scorpion near Seven Cataracts Vista in the Santa Catalina Mountains by Dr Rob Bryson Jr. is interesting in the sense that…
Diplo and 2 Chainz are Coming to Tucson
So, there’s a new music event coming to town on April 19, and one with two solid headliners. The Midway Music Festival is an all-ages show at the Slaughterhouse (1102 W. Grant Rd.), with 2 Chainz (who played a sold-out show at the Rialto September of last year), Diplo (who played Congress in 2009, I…
The Return of Robbie Fulks
Bloodshot Records Robbie Fulks Guitar wizard, country lyric genius and generally smart guy Robbie Fulks first played Solar Culture on September 15, 2001, four days after the towers fell in NYC. He told Thursday’s audience he was then on tour and all he ould think of was going home. But the Tucson show was oddly…
AZ Illustrated Politics: The Sequester, Education Reform, City Council Races & More
Former Tucson councilwoman Carol West made her AZ Illustrated Politics debut this evening, joining former state lawmaker Frank Antenori and former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers for a discussion about the sequester, Gov. Brewer’s sales-tax and education-funding reform plans, a state bill to further regulate in-vitro fertilization procedures, the upcoming Tucson City Council…
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ With KXCI Tonight!
Pink Floyd fans and lovers of community radio, unite! As part of KXCI’s Spring Membership Drive, they’re hosting a benefit tonight to celebrate the 40th anniversary of what’s arguably Pink Floyd’s greatest album, Dark Side of the Moon at Plush. The album will be covered, in its entirety, by Tucson’s Atom Heart Mother, one of…
Dammit, Janice: Brewer Suggests White House Released Immigrants As ‘Payback’
In an interview with Fox News, Governor Brewer has apparently decided that, as an act of revenge for Arizona’s attempt at enforcing immigration laws, President Obama and the White House have decided to release dangerous immigrants—in keeping with sequester-related budget cuts. Conspiracies! From Talking Points Memo: Brewer suggested on Fox News Friday that the move,…
As If You Needed An Excuse to Shop on Saturday…
Courtesy of the Sunshine Mile Facebook Page One of Tucson’s most historic mile-long stretches will have its day in the sun tomorrow, and with a forecast of just over 80 degrees, the timing couldn’t be better. The Historic Sunshine Mile Festival, honoring the strip of Broadway Boulevard highly populated with local businesses between Campbell Avenue…
If Drive-Bys Are Happening In Oro Valley, We’re Not Safe Anywhere
Angry words while driving led to shots being fired Thursday night, resulting in the first homicide this year in Oro Valley. Joshua Switalski, 22, was shot near First Avenue and Oracle Road about 8 p.m. Thursday following what OV police are describing as in-motion argument that became a drive-by-shooting. A news release indicates Switalski was…
Local Author Brings Science Fiction Back Down to Earth
To local author Nicholas Campanella, sacrificing any trace of realism to tell a fantastical story is the first way to lose your audience – and your voice as a writer. “I want people to smell the air in my book. I want them to know what the sky looks like, how the characters feel,” Campanella…
Tom Goes To The Chair: Ruminations on ‘Girls,’ Orgasms and Urination
I once had a friendly disagreement with a female acquaintance. She asked me what was so great about being a guy. Seeking, as always, to raise the level of discourse, I said, “Well, one of the great things about being a guy is that you can pee outdoors.” She smiled and did that scales of…
Bills To Watch: Film & TV Tax Credits Has Stalled
Julia Tylor of Cronkite News tells us that SB 1242, one of our Bills To Watch this session, has stalled awaiting a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee: PHOENIX — When Alexis Bristor graduates from Arizona State University in December with a degree in film and media production, she plans to pack her bags and…
Beyond the Block A: Non-Wildcat Local Sports Success Stories
Yes, this is a college town. Frankly, it’s probably the biggest college town in America in that at times you’d think there’s NOTHING ELSE to talk about other then ‘our’ Wildcats. And sure, the University of Arizona’s athletic program is among the best in the nation, so it’s certainly deserving of the lions’ share of…
AZ Illustrated Politics: Sequestration, Latest From the Legislature, City Council Races & More
On AZ Illustrated Politics tonight: Former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers, former state lawmaker Frank Antenori and former Tucson City Councilwoman Carol West join host Jim Nintzel to discuss the local impact of sequestration, the latest bills at the Arizona Legislature, this year’s Tucson City Council races and more. The show airs at…
Jim Kolbe on Gay Marriage: “We Need To Have Full Equality”
Connor Radnovich/Cronkite News Service Former Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe was one of more than 100 Republicans who signed on to briefs supporting same-sex marriage in two cases being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. He was joined by a range of groups filing briefs on Thursday’s deadline. Connor Radnovich of Cronkite News Service brings us…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
The Jamis-Hagnes Berman professional cycling team appear to have been deliberately struck by a motorist on the east-side of Tucson. Check out the wild story of how the driver was caught and find out the name of the driver arrested. Are bike thefts on the rise in Tucson? It certainly seems so. Check out some…
Attractive Nuisance #5: Johnny Adams
File #5: Johnny Adams, Heart & Soul (1969, SSS International) This is not a happy story. Last year, the very good garage-blues duo the Black Keys—who have swelled out their lineup for live purposes—played to a lot of people; like, a lot of lot of people. In 2012, the Black Keys headlined its first arena…
Bills To Watch: Heat Up the Home Mint and Make Your Own Coins!
If you like the idea of minting your own coins from silver and gold or just want to pay your bills in shiny nuggets, you’d better start heating up the smelter. SB 1439, which established coins with silver or gold content to be legal tender in the state, passed out of the Senate yesterday on…
Bills To Watch: Securing a Place for Service Dog and Minature Horses
The Arizona Restaurant Association is behind HB 2401, which would limit service animals allowed in eateries to dogs and miniature horses. It’s a relatively minor tweak to the law to stop people from taking all manner of creatures out with them under the guise of service animals and highlights the new trend of using miniature…
Remove (Or Perhaps Replace?) Your Conspiracy Caps: Luke AFB Claims Responsibility For The Boom
Apparently, the boom that reverberated through out Tucson last night was caused by F-16 fighter jets operating out of Luke Air Force Base. From the local daily: The 425th Fighter Squadron from Luke Air Force Base in Glendale was on a training mission in F-16 jets when one of the aircraft broke the sound barrier…
Fascinating/Horrifying Medical Science Discovery Links Brains Of Two Rats Together
Researchers, led by a neuroscientist from Duke University, have found a way to link the brains of two rats that are occupying different cages—and that’s not even the crazy part. From Wired: In the new study, the researchers implanted small electrode arrays in two regions of the rats’ brains, one involved in planning movements, and…
New Measures Taken to Ensure Online Content is Being Accessed Legally
Photo from Flickr Creative Commons by Emilio Quintana If you are one of the many who share online media content illegally between computers, beware. The Center for Copyright Information released a statement in a blog post on Monday, announcing that their new Copyright Alert System (CAS) has gone into affect. The system targets those who…
Lawmakers Advance Mental-Health First-Aid Bill
Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service reports on a state bill to fund programs for mental-health first aid, a program that has been championed by Congressman Ron Barber at the federal level. Two Tucson lawmakers are hoping their bipartisan bill will help Arizonans be more attune to the mental health needs of their community. HB…
Mississippi’s First Gay Candidate For Mayor Was Found Dead
Marco McMillian, the first gay man to run for a mayorship in the state of Mississippi, was found dead on a Mississippi River levee Wednesday, and his death is being treated as a homicide. From Talking Points Memo: The 34-year-old McMillian was running for mayor of Clarksdale, a Blues hub where actor and Mississippi native…
Girls Gone Wild Goes Bankrupt, ASU Students Cry Out In Despair
Sorry, Girls Gone Wild University and Casino students, your school’s title sponsor appears to be in dire financial straits. GGW founder and really, really creepy dude Joe Francis has placed his company and its related brands under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. That’s to avoid losing parts of the company’s assets to resort founder Steve Wynn,…
So A Man Will Be Treking Across Antarctica To Break A World Record, Dragging Plastic Breasts With Him The Whole Way
This really puts all of those “Save the Boobies” bracelets to shame. Adventurer Geoff Wilson is currently training for a journey, code-named the Pink Polar Expedition, in which he plans to challenge a world record by traveling through Antarctica on foot, raising money for Australian breast cancer-awareness charity, the McGrath Foundation. And he’ll be dragging…
Today You Should Be Thankful the Wildcats Wear Nike
Yes, last night was rough, as Arizona lost to USC in Los Angeles, 89-78, and Thor registered his displeasure with a mighty thunderclap across the Tucson area. However, it’s important to look on the bright side of life. At least Arizona won’t be wearing these seemingly Zubaz-inspired uniforms that Adidas is forcing upon Kansas, Louisville,…
Top Ten in Cinema
1. Argo 2. Skyfall 3. Flight 4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 5. Anna Karenina 6. The Man With the Iron Fists 7. The Sessions 8. Sinister 9. Robot and Frank 10. Here Comes the Boom
Guest Commentary
I was offered a chance to reflect and write about my friend Mark Hummels after he was taken from us tragically in a shooting in Phoenix. Some of you know that I served the University of Arizona as a professor from 2001 to 2010. Tucson is where we met Mark and grew to love him.…
Noshing Around
Acacia hosts a tequila dinner; Sentinel Peak Brewing has set up shop; Relish Kitchen & Wine Bar is now open; and more!
Praying for Time
As a winter storm rages outside, Ralph Armenta guides me through the hushed confines of the First Assembly of God Church. Since 1950, the First Assembly has been a beacon of brick tranquility on Broadway Boulevard, just west of Campbell Avenue. And for 53 of those years, Armenta, a retired building contractor and devoted congregant,…
Violin Variations
Kishi Bashi with Shugo Tokumaru and Tall Tall Trees 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 5 Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. $10 advance; $12 day of; 18 and older 622-8848; hotelcongress.com/club Kishi Bashi must’ve really been feeling the love last year, following the release of his debut full-length album, 151a. The violinist and singer-songwriter, who also…
Resident Equality
Ana Valenzuela understands exactly how the expected vote on Wednesday, Feb. 27, by the Pima Community College governing board can change lives. The board is expected to vote on offering in-state tuition to students who’ve received federal work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The program, created by the federal government in June,…
Top Ten in Music
1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Nocturama 2. Title FightFloral Green 3. Besmirchers Skankenstein 7″ 4. Choking Victim No Gods / No Managers 5. Dinosaur Jr. Bug 6. Gogol Bordello Gypsy Punks 7. Jawbreaker Bivouac 8. Propagandhi How to Clean Everything 9. 7 Seconds The Crew 10. Germs GI / What We Do Is…
Checks and Balances
The Tucson City Council took a stab at closing the so-called “gun-show loophole” last week when it voted unanimously to approve a resolution that requires background checks on all firearm purchases at gun shows at the Tucson Convention Center. “We’re doing exactly what Tucson residents wanted us to do, which is to manage their property…
Soundbites
In which we decided to go hungry for the love of live music; Tucson experiences a wealth of worldly music; and so much more it’s spectacular.
Pedersen On Sports
By the end of this column—assuming you read the whole thing—you’ll either be thinking to yourself, “What have I done to deserve this?” or “This was just what the Tucson Weekly needed to cement itself as the top media source in the region.” I get paid either way, so it’s no bother to me what…
Nine Questions
Matt Costa is a singer-songwriter from California who has always had a passion for music and “trying to figure out really what it is about songs that make us feel something.” He released his fourth album Feb. 12 and kicks off his album tour in Tucson at Club Congress on March 14. What was the…
Live
Let me just get this out of the way: I love seeing shows at Solar Culture. There’s something about the little arts space on Toole Avenue that jibes me the right way, and makes me look at bands in a whole new light. Maybe it’s the train that’s spitting distance from behind the stage and…
T Q&A
Samuel Cohon is the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El and the host of the Too Jewish radio show, which airs at 9 a.m. Sundays on KVOI 1030 AM. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show, Cohon is hosting a live radio variety show at 7:45 p.m., Saturday, March 2, at the Fox Tucson Theatre,…
Frightened Rabbit: Pedestrian Verse (Atlantic)
After three records that made the most of Scott Hutchison’s reliably confessional lyrics, Frightened Rabbit turns the songwriting focus outward, capturing more of life’s struggles than those of the heart. Musically, the Scottish band retains its natural charisma and instincts for grand, buoyant indie rock, while adjusting its sound to allow for more layers and…
Media Watch
KFMA brings in a new host and drops the “new rock” tagline; iPods ≠ disk jockeys; and briefs from around the dials.
Joe Dodge: Hell Outta Dodge (Self-Released)
Clean and sober after years of substance abuse, Joe Dodge has purged some serious demons in the making of this album. Most of the disarmingly catchy and well-crafted psychedelic-garage songs are about addiction and recovery. Formerly a member of the ’80s Tucson bands Jonny Sevin and Yard Trauma (check out YouTube), Dodge sings and plays…
Police Dispatch
Yet another reason to stay away from meth; a powered-down security camera won’t catch tree-pluckers, folks.
Hibernian Happenings
If Hugo O’Conor could talk, he’d have lots to tell about Irish doings at the Manning House. The statue outside the historic downtown building could recount stories of St. Patrick’s Day luncheons and dances, of Bloomsday literary soirees and singalongs, and of all manner of craic (that’s Irish for “good fun”). But the Manning House…
Golden Grrrls: Golden Grrrls (Slumberland)
Golden Grrrls are a new UK trio channeling the sounds of the Dunedin scene (1980s New Zealand bedroom pop) and vintage twee pop. I’d put them in the company of other recent bands like Standard Fare and Evans the Death who’ve put out smashing records that have gone largely undernoticed and under-reported. These are bands…
Weekly Wide Web
Seth MacFarlane, the host for last Sunday’s Academy Awards, has a lot to answer for. He’s responsible for the growing fungus that is Family Guy, and its animated brethren/spin-offs, American Dad and The Cleveland Show, all of which follow similar casting formulas in different situations. He’s also responsible for last year’s Ted, which followed around…
Celebrating Code Talkers
Code Talker Stories By Laura Tohe Rio Nuevo Publishers $14.95; 256 pages. In the early months of World War II, Japanese cryptographers, many of whom were graduates of American universities, had been extremely successful in unraveling U.S. military codes being used in the Pacific. At the suggestion of Philip Johnston, a Los Angeles engineer who…
Ask a Mexican!
The Mexican tackles legal immigrant thoughts on illegal immigration; and the Mexican ritual of unrequited love.
The Skinny
The highlights of Mayor Rothschild’s State of the City address; Ben Buehler-Garcia wants to square off with Karin Uhlich again; Felicia Rotellini preps for another run at the Attorney Governor’s office; and more!
Aliens Among Us
A little Internet research reveals that “the Greys,” surprisingly, make up less than half of all the alien sightings in the U.S. Let’s play devil’s advocate and say all those sightings are real. What, then, are the other people seeing? The Greys are the popularized version of alien visitors. They’re the ones in Close Encounters…
Cannabis News, Collated
You can’t throw a rock these days without hitting an interesting medical cannabis development somewhere in this great nation of ours. From coast to coast, a rising tide of legislatures, lawyers and patients is washing up against a sea wall of cock-blockers and naysayers. It’s fun to watch, and interesting to muse upon. To wit:…
Feeding the Fringe
The 3rd Annual Tucson Fringe Theater Festival Friday through Sunday, March 1-3 Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. $7 single event; $5 per event for two or more events Schedule of shows at www.tucsonfringe.org When Yassi Jahanmir and Sara Habib were 10-year-olds, becoming friends as they participated in the Tucson Girls Chorus, their idea of…
The Pursuit of Justice
If you are not familiar with the case of the West Memphis Three, Amy Berg’s thorough documentary West of Memphis (produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh) gets you up to speed. Three young boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers, were found dead in a ditch in West Memphis, Ark., on May 5,…
A Runway With a Cause
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation presents Möda Provocateur, March 3 at Tucson Convention Center.
City Week
This week, go riding the rails of history; experience a poetic youth movement; tackle water security; open doors to black history.
True TV
Get On It Red Widow Sunday, March 3 (ABC) Series Debut: When her weed-smuggling husband is executed for, oh, stealing a few millions bucks worth of cocaine from an international crime lord, a woman (Radha Mitchell) with buried Russian mob ties covertly takes on said crime lord to repay hubbie’s debt and/or avenge his death—and…
Editor’s Note
First of all, you may or may not notice, but on page 39, we’ve added movie listings. Now, these aren’t the film times of old. Like I’ve told countless people complaining by phone and email, those just aren’t efficient for us to do anymore accurately or on our deadline. However, we can provide a list…
Slow and Sub-Par
Tony’s Italian Deli 6219 E. 22nd St. 747-0070; tonysitaliandelitucson.com Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pluses: Consistent; friendly service; house-made mozzarella is tasty Minuses: Consistently bland, boring food; orders take too long Restaurants that stay open a long time tend to accumulate a collection of regular patrons. They’re die-hard fans who come…
Danehy
I once read that The New York Times didn’t want to be considered just another newspaper, but rather the paper of record, something that could be looked up 50 years hence to provide the reader-researcher a full accounting of an event and the proper contemporary perspective thereof. I remember thinking, “How delightfully pretentious; good for…
Top Ten in Books
1. Mousetronaut Mark Kelly ($16.99) 2. Deadly Stakes JA Jance ($25.99) 3. American Sniper Chris Kyle ($9.99) 4. Beautiful Creatures Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl ($9.99) 5. Flight Behavior Barbara Kingsolver ($23.19) 6. Her Royal Spyness Rhys Bowen ($7.99) 7. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie Ayana Mathis ($24.99) 8. Les Miserables Victor Hugo ($6.95) 9. City…
Downing
Bring on the sequester! I’m with Rand Paul and Paul Ryan and my new favorite, Ted Cruz of Texas, on this one. But for different reasons. I’m just plain intrigued to see what happens when $85 billion evaporates from an economy that’s just beginning to pick up speed. Sure, I feel sorry for all the…
We’re Looking Into This Boom Thing
Tweets about “tucson boom”!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,”script”,”twitter-wjs”); Apparently, there was some sort of loud boom heard on the Northwest side of town tonight. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base says they weren’t responsible and there wasn’t an earthquake, so clearly social media panic has ensued and every local TV station will be leading the 10 pm news with live…
Gimme More: UA Classics Prof Reads Britney
UA Regents Professor of Classics David Soren has got that boom-boom in this dramatic reading of Britney Spears’ masterpiece.
Tucson Ultimate Frisbee Wants You(th)!
tucsonultimate.com For the love of the game! In preparation for the upcoming Youth Ultimate Frisbee League, running each Wednesday this Spring from March 6 to April 24, the folks at Tucson Ultimate are running a 3 hour instruction clinic for boys and girls ages 10-14, covering the basic skills and rules for playing the world’s…
DNA and Destiny: Put On Your Thinking Cap Tonight
The UA College of Science continues its exploration into the world of genomics with Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases Director Donata Vercelli explaining “Why DNA Is Not Our Destiny.” The free talk will bring a big crowd to Centennial Hall at 7 p.m., so get there a few minutes early, especially since…
