Cover Story
A Morning Massacre
It was supposed to be just another Congress on Your Corner event, a chance for constituents to chat with U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on a sunny Saturday morning. It turned into a massacre that left Giffords critically wounded with a gunshot to the head, a half-dozen people dead, 13 others wounded, and the nation’s attention…
Ways to Offend Lots of People as a Governor Quickly
Perhaps you want to wait until your second day in office to ask the citizens of your state to accept Jesus in to their hearts, but then again, I don’t live in Alabama: Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as…
CNN: Giffords to Be Transferred To Rehab Facility Friday
CNN: In an e-mail sent to friends and family members Tuesday and obtained by CNN, Giffords’ mother, Gloria, writes that she will be moved from Tucson’s University Medical Center to rehabilitation facilities in Houston, Texas, on Friday. “There is a team of medical specialists involved … including military surgeons who specialize in bullet wounds to…
The House Gets Back to Work, Grijalva Speaks
Rep. Grijalva speaks on the House floor this morning regarding the attempt to overturn the last session’s healthcare legislation:
Save Yourself the Trouble of Reading Most Horoscopes
Two information guys, David McCandless and Thomas Winnigham, pulled together a year’s worth of Yahoo horoscopes and found out that largely, the same words and phrases are used over and over. So, if you want to skip checking your horoscope every day, just read this mega-scope. McCandless also created a word cloud for each sign,…
Community Food Bank Raises More Than $75K in Giffords’ Name
Mark Kelly, the husband of stricken Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, suggested in the wake of her shooting that people who wanted to help should consider donating to the Community Food Bank or the Southern Arizona chapter of the American Red Cross. That’s opened a floodgate of contributions to the Community Food Bank. Jack Parris, the food…
Adventures in Dangerous Budget Cuts: Camden Edition
Camden, New Jersey has some serious problems. They have the second worst crime rate of an American city, but also they’re $26.5 million in the red. So, how do you keep a city safe and balance the books? We’ll see, I suppose: The mayor of crime-ridden Camden, New Jersey, has announced layoffs of nearly half…
Couple Floats Down River on Inflatable Sex Dolls and More: Rynski Radio
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post One Australian couple took advantage of the area’s massive flooding by hopping into a swollen river on a pair of inflatable sex dolls. Their joy ride soon deflated and instead turned into a river rescue, complete with a berating from police. That story and more are…
Love of Reading Week
La Paloma Academy will be celebrating books during their Love of Reading Week, Monday, Feb. 7 through Friday, Feb. 11. Through author readings, special presentations and other fun activities, kids and adults alike celebrate their love of literature and reading. There was a good turnout last year, with many community members participating by reading a…
So Long, Sucka
Just in case you missed it, last Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano canceled the virtual border fence, an idea that began in 2005 and has now cost taxpayers $1 billion. Go to the CNN report here.
The Coachella Lineup is Out
Of course, everyone has their likes and dislikes with these festivals (the idea of Kings of Leon headlining anything hurts my brain), but this seems like one of the most “something for everyone” Coachella lineups in some time. Not that many huge reunions (although in rock en Español circles, Califanes counts), but there’s a solid…
An Agonizing Aftermath: Mark Kelly Talks About the Days Since Congresswoman Giffords Was Shot—And Her Fears That ‘Someone Will Shoot Me’
Brittany Walz Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords called her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, at his home outside of Houston as she was getting ready to start her Congress on Your Corner event on Saturday, Jan. 8. “I was a little bit surprised,” Kelly says. “She’d just been sworn in, and it didn’t take her long before…
Kirk Adams Doesn’t Like the “Death Panel” Phrase
According to Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini, Kirk Adams, Arizona’s speaker of the House, doesn’t like the “death panel” [hrase Kirk Adams, Arizona’s Speaker of the House, is a thoughtful, serious legislator and a loving husband and father. So why, he wondered, do I keep saying that politicians like him, along with Gov. Jan Brewer,…
Generosity on the QT
Ben’s Bells reminds us to be kind in other ways through a BENevolent Brigade January Drop on Friday, Jan. 21, from 4:30 to 5 p.m. at the Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, 2545 E. Adams St. From the Facebook invite: Show up at Emerge promptly at 4:30pm. Wear a funny hat or mask, if you’d…
A Scene From a Maricopa County GOP Meeting
DeeDee Garcia Blase, a Scottsdale resident who is president and founder of the Somos Republicans, had an interesting take on the tragic events of Jan. 8 and a Maricopa County Republican Party meeting she attended that day. You can read her opinion here. It was published Monday, Jan. 10 in the Santa Fe New Mexican.…
KQTH’s Justice: I’m OK After Morning Heart Scare
KQTH 104.1 FM talk show host Jon Justice called paramedics to the station this morning after concerns over a rapid heartbeat. Justice has a congenital heart condition that led to a surgical procedure in 2009. “I’m 100 percent fine,” said Justice via e-mail. “I can never be too careful when it comes to my heart…
‘New York Times’ Editorializes on Behalf of Ethnic Studies
Tom Horne and his wrongful battle against ethnic studies has been criticized by The New York Times editorial board. Here’s a takeaway, but you can read the entire editorial here: The school district has been put in a bind: shut the program down or lose state financing. Eleven teachers have sued to block the law.…
Gun Accidentally Goes Off at Southern California School
From the Los Angeles Times: Two Gardena High School students were injured when a gun in a student’s backpack accidentally discharged about 10:40 a.m. One girl was shot in the head, and is in grave condition at a hospital. The other victim, a boy, was wounded in the shoulder. According to Robert Alaniz, an LAUSD…
A Statement of Thanks: Jim and Doris Tucker
Jim and Doris Tucker were at the Congress on Your Corner event on Jan. 8 and were talking to U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords when the shooting began. Jim was shot, but Doris was not physically njured. The couple issued a statement today regarding Jan. 8: We wish to release this statement to the media concerning…
This Should Replace Four Loko Nicely
Finally, some genius puts hard liquor in a can. A Panama based company with the possible deceptive name Scottish Spirits (although they do have an office in Glasgow) is putting whiskey in what appears to be a twelve ounce can, perfect for the day at the beach when a plastic bottle is too much, but…
A Million Dollar Yacht’s Not Cool. You Know What Is?
A billion dollar yacht. Ladies and gentlemen of a far different tax bracket than my own, may I introduce the Streets of Monaco? Sure, it’s still just a design waiting to be built, but prepare yourself for a new level of opulence, emulating the streets of Monaco (which I’m sure you’ve been to, since you’re…
The Battle Hymn of Sarah Palin
Whether I agree or not with the lyrics or the choice of musical backing, the gentlemen singing sounds a lot like George Jones. I’d be interested in hearing him cover “A Good Year for the Roses”, if he’s taking requests. [Videogum]
Dear 14 Year Old Game Programmer: Stop Making Me Look Bad
When I was fourteen, I spent most of my spare time making mixtapes for girls that I would never actually give to them. Robert Nay made a game that’s been downloaded over two million times. For more than a month, Robert spent a couple of hours each day on the game, ultimately writing more than…
Sure, Let’s Make a Salad Out of Meat
Apparently, “carrots are for ugly people” according to the Epic Meal Time folks. I’m not taking any chances. Tough break, baby carrots packed in my lunch today…it’s to the garbage can with the whole bag!
Mark Kelly: Giffords Had Worried That “Somebody’s Gonna Come Up to Me at One of These Events With a Gun”
ABC News has released excerpts from an interview with Mark Kelly, husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, on 20/20 tonight. The program airs on Channel 9 at 9 p.m. in Tucson. In the interview, Kelly tells Diane Sawyer that he had been worried about his wife’s safety and they had discussed it in the past: DIANE…
Arizona Statute Could Mean Giffords is Removed From Office
The bad news: an Arizona statute states that failing to “discharge the duties of office for the period of three consecutive months” would render the Congressional seat in the Eighth District “vacant”. The good(ish) news: no one in Arizona politics seems eager to enforce that law anytime soon. An informal adviser to Brewer said it…
Possibly the Greatest Scarf Ever
[reddit]
Local Astrologer Reacts to Supposed Zodiac Shakeup
I was pretty confused last week when stories from some rather reputable news sources claimed that I was no longer a Virgo. But before I set about restructuring my personality profile to suit a new sign, I e-mailed the Tucson Astrologers’ Guild for clarification, and they got back to me today with the below press…
How to Help: Memorial Funds and More
Here’s a rundown of various funds that have been created in the wake of the Safeway shooting rampage that claimed six lives and wounded 13 people on Saturday, Jan. 8. We’ve also included resources for grief counseling and a way to send Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords your best wishes. Gabriel Zimmerman Scholarship FundJoop Rubens, Social Sciences,…
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Letter From a Birmingham Jail
April 16, 1963: But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,…
Today in Super-Delicious Mexican Food
Mmmmmmmm, guaraches are good. This is a guarache, and it is delicious. It is the signature food of the new Guarachez de Don Shuy at 4547 S. Sixth Ave. Big burritos, several kinds of fried tacos, tortas and other things are also available. You may notice it comes with a fork and knife. This is…
Martin Luther King, Jr: From the Drum Major Instinct Sermon
Feb. 4, 1968, Atlanta, Georgia: And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness. And this morning,…
What Happened When Pres. Johnson Ordered Pants
You might not think you’d enjoy watching an animated recreation of when President Lyndon Johnson called the Haggar company to order pants, but you will. LBJ: not the most regal resident of the Oval Office. Put This On: LBJ Buys Pants from Put This On on Vimeo. [Put This On]
Mark Kelly: Willing to Meet Loughner’s Parents
From ABC News and Diane Sawyer’s interview with Mark Kelly: However, when asked if Kelly would ever be willing to meet with Loughner’s parents, he told Sawyer that he was open to the idea. “I’d probably see them. You know, I don’t think it’s their fault. It’s not the parents fault. You know, I’d like…
Take-Aways From the 17th’s UMC Press Conference
Director of Surgery is speaking now. He’s running through the process so far. Dr. Randy Grant is going to speak for Dr. Rhee today. Two patients in good condition, Giffords in serious condition in ICU. Dr. Lemole will discuss a procedure done on Giffords Saturday. Surgery was done to repair of bi-lateral orbital fracture (roof…
Will Loughner Face Trial in San Diego?
The Washington Post muses that Jared Lee Loughner may face trial in San Diego instead of Arizona: The new chief judge, Roslyn O. Silver, will make the final decision about any venue change, but one law enforcement official said, “It’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of time.” Only the court can change the…
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.
April 3, 1968, Mason Temple, Memphis, Tennessee.
Giffords Upgraded to Serious Condition
Today’s news from University Medical Center: Three patients from the tragic shooting a week ago remain at UMC. Two are listed in good condition and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been upgraded to serious condition from critical because she is no longer on a ventilator. The Congresswoman continues to do well. She is breathing on…
A Remarkably Fair Look at Tucson’s Relationship With Guns
From the Sacramento Bee: Mike Harris has similar views. The former Marine Corps drill instructor said he carries a concealed pistol, a habit he picked up after being robbed when he was the owner of several Sizzler steakhouses and frequently carried cash from the day’s receipts. But he considers himself a trained and knowledgeable gun…
If a Yodeling Ventriloquist Can’t Be Miss America, Who Can?
Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Arkansas Alyse Eady, who was unjustly robbed of the Miss America title last night, but still has an outside chance at being appointed our new queen: [Zap2It]
Sen. McCain Writes About Civility in the Washington Post
Senator John McCain’s editorial for the Washington Post begins with the line “President Obama gave a terrific speech Wednesday night”, which is surprising enough, but from there he presents an interesting essay on the state of political discourse in America. Then again, this is coming from the guy who called Obama “that one” during one…
Snapshot: A March for Peace
Alexander Monarrez-Maldonado More than 400 people marched from McCormick Park to Gabrielle Giffords’ office on Sunday morning in support of the victims of the shooting.
J. Eric Fuller Has a Rough Night
It’s understandable that a victim of the Safeway shooting might be having a rough time still, but threatening someone’s life is never going to go over well. A victim of the shooting spree here that killed six people and wounded 13, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords, was arrested Saturday after he spoke threateningly at a televised…
Snapshot: One Week Later
Jimmy Boegle The memorial in front of the Safeway at Ina and Oracle roads, Saturday, Jan. 15.
Giffords Update: Respirator Removed; Feeding Tube Inserted
Today’s update from University Medical Center: UMC continues to care for victims of the tragic shooting a week ago. One patient has been discharged today, two patients remain in good condition. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords remains in critical condition. Her recovery continues as planned. A surgical procedure (tracheotomy) was performed this morning on the Congresswoman…
Pearce and Ready Inc.
The latest video from Dennis Gilman on the interesting relationship between state Senator Russell Pearce and neo-Nazi JT Ready:
Back to the DADT Debate, Apparently
Remember how excited people were when Pres. Obama signed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Well, now that Republicans control the House, why not go ahead and revisit the issue? A member of the House Armed Services Committee plans to introduce legislation next week designed to put the brakes on repeal of the military’s…
An Inside View of Arizona
Truthout recently posted an interesting take on Arizona in light of last weekend’s tragic event. The essay, “Corruption and Class Struggle: What It’s Really Like to Live in Arizona,” is by Joel Olson, an associate professor of politics and international affairs at Northern Arizona University and author of The Abolition of White Democracy. You can…
Violent Imagery Is Completely Acceptable, Until It Isn’t
Gawker reports that a Rush Limbaugh billboard featuring bullet holes as part of its design was pulled from a Tucson location shortly after last weekend’s shooting. Limbaugh is, of course, denying he had any knowledge of the billboard, and blaming the liberal media for noticing it, rather than taking any responsibility for his hateful and…
Victim of Last Weekend’s Tragedy Saves Boston Girl’s Life
The Arizona Republic is reporting that Christina-Taylor Green’s organs were donated to an organ-donation network, and have already saved a Boston girl’s life. The 9-year-old girl was one of six people killed in last weekend’s shooting. The Most Rev. Gerald Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson told the crowd that Christina-Taylor’s organs were donated. And a friend…
What the Center for Arizona Policy Is Doing Next
Cathi Herrod, president of Center for Arizona Policy—you know, the people who led the charge to make sure marriage in Arizona was only legal between a man and woman, and the people who send out regular e-mails called “5 Minutes for Families.” In the latest she asks folks to pray for the victiims in last…
The Safeway at Ina and Oracle Re-Opened This Morning
A little hard to believe, but the Safeway that was the site of last Saturday’s shooting re-opened this morning at 7 am. [CNN]
Pima Community College Releases Video Which Led to Suspension
Pima Community College has released a video by Jared Loughner—which reportedly led to his suspension from the school—to the Los Angeles Times. It, like pretty much every other thing produced by Loughner that’s been found online or otherwise, makes no sense at all.
Event Cancellation
Please note the following event has been cancelled: TREE RINGS, DOCUMENTS AND ORAL HISTORIES IN CEBOLLA CREEK, NEW MEXICO. University Medical Center, Duval Auditorium. 1501 N. Campbell Ave. 694-0111. Ronald Tower from the UA Tree Ring Laboratory speaks from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Monday, Jan. 17. Free. Call 907-0884 for more information.
Snapshot: Pam Simon and the President
Courtesy of the Office of Gabrielle Giffords Pam Simon sits with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in her hospital room at University Medical Center before Wednesday’s memorial service.
Angels Descend on Tucson
With the announcement that members of a Kansas-based hate group planned to picket the funerals of Christina-Taylor Green, Judge John M. Roll and others, Kat Sinclair and a group of volunteers got in action to counter the protesters. Clad in white clothes and wearing large angel wings, the group stood guard this morning at the…
Message From Mark Kelly, Husband of Cogresswoman Giffords
A message from Mark Kelly, husand of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, via campaign chair Michael McNulty: “The prayers and good wishes from the people of Southern Arizona and the country are deeply appreciated by our family. Your continued outpouring of support is powerful. As Gabby continues her recovery, I know she will be inspired and motivated…
Border Issues Fair
The Seventh Annual Border Issues Fair begins tonight and continues tomorrow at the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, 17750 S. La Cañada Drive in Sahuarita. At 7 p.m. tonight Guy Davis performs, and admission is a suggested $10 donation. For more information, call Shura Wallin, 399-1454, or Good Shepherd, 625-1375 Saturday’s Schedule: Sat., 8…
The Idiot Boksen: Week 2
I watched the series premiere of The Onion SportsDome with a friend of mine who was in town for the BCS National Championship (which I don’t want to talk about). The first few minutes were solid, with a few quick jokes (“The Phillie Phanatic has been arrested for molesting thousands of children in front of…
Now Open: Campus Candy
Students stock up on all things saccharine at the new Campus Candy. A new candy emporium called Campus Candy has opened at 910 E. University Blvd., and if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re going to want to drop whatever you’re doing and get down there. The place draws you in with its beautiful elliptical…
A Few Fundraiser Updates
From the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Two area Texas Roadhouse restaurants will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Christina Taylor Green Fund. The events will be held on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at both Texas Roadhouse restaurants in Tucson: 170 S. Wilmot Rd. and 8450 N. Cracker Barrel…
Jan. 8: The Timeline
The timeline of events on and leading up to Jan. 8, per the Pima County Sheriff’s Department: 11/30/2010: Jared Lee Loughner purchased a Glock Model 19, 9mm handgun with extended magazine and one box of ammo Winchester. 11:35 PM, 1/7/2011: Loughner drops off roll of 35mm film to be developed at Walgreens, 3800 W. Ina…
The Strange Jared Loughner Factoid of the Day
Every single day, the bar is raised for bizarre information about Jared Loughner: Law enforcement officials said Friday they have multiple photos of Jared L. Loughner posing with a Glock 9mm pistol next to his naked buttocks and dressed in a bright red g-string. It is the same model of weapon as the one the…
Typing Tip for a Lifetime: Never Use Two Spaces After a Period
First of all, my name is Dan Gibson, and I’m a recovering two space user. Thanks to Farhad Manjoo at Slate for giving me an extra dose of shame to (hopefully) permanently change my behavior. What galls me about two-spacers isn’t just their numbers. It’s their certainty that they’re right. Over Thanksgiving dinner last year,…
News Updates: 13 Surviving Victims ID’s; Redacted 911 Calls
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department today released the names of the 13 people wounded, but not killed, in Saturday’s rampage: Susan Hileman, 58Mavanell Stoddard, 75Pamela Simon, 63Ronald Barber, 65Gabrielle Giffords, 40James Tucker, 58Kenneth Veeder, 75George Morris, 76James Fuller, 63Randy Gardner, 60Mary Reed, 52Kenneth Dorushka, 63Bill Badger, 74 More details on the arrest of Loughner: While…
The ‘Tucson Weekly’ YouTube Dance Party?
Tucson has had a number of wacky local television shows in its history, but as far as I know, this city has never had its own Soul Train knockoff, like Detroit’s The Scene, which ran from 1975 to 1987. As shocking as this statement sounds, The Scene might have even been a little bit cooler…
Public Discourse Press Conference at 3 p.m.
According to a press release today, “Arizona civic leaders respond to the tragic events of January 8th by promoting a more civil and respectful tone in our nation’s public discourse” by coming together for a bipartisan press conference today at 3 p.m. at the Old Pima County Courthouse. Press release: In the aftermath of the…
‘You Are Not a Primitive Nematode’
Sure, Jon Stewart needs a lesson on how to pronounce Pascua Yaqui, but he offered a great criticism of “the criticism” of Wednesday’s memorial at McKale Center: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c <td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'Veiled Criticism www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire…
Artistic Range: Ralph Prata
“Pushing Out,” by Ralph Prata, is on display a show that opens Sunday, Jan. 16, and continues through Friday, Jan. 28, at the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, 6300 N. Swan Road. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
‘The New York Times’ on Gun Control
The New York Times takes a look at gun-control efforts through the prism of last weekend’s horrible events: In Washington, bills were being drafted to step up background checks, create no-gun zones around members of Congress and ban the big-volume magazines that allowed the Tucson gunman to shoot so many bullets so fast. Gun control…
The Name Loughner: ‘A Latino Sigh of Relief’
Daisy Hernandez (no relation to Daniel Hernandez), co-editor of Colonize This! Young Women on Today’s Feminism, was recently featured on NPR’s All Things Considered with a Latin view on what happened Saturday in Tucson. You can listen to the report and Hernandez here. Takeaway: It’s safe to say there was a collective sigh of brown…
Snapshot: Ron Barber and Anna Ballis
Jason Blake/courtesy of the Barber family, via the office of Gabrielle Giffords The attached photo shows Ron Barber sitting with Anna Ballis, the woman who applied pressure to his wounds moments after the shooting. Doctors told Ron that had she not administered this first aid, he likely would not have made it to the ER.…
Take-Aways From Friday’s UMC Press Conference
According to UMC, this will be the last regular press conference, with future updates coming from the web. Rhee: 4 remaining patients in hospital. 3 in good condition. Everyone is doing extremely well. Lemole: Giffords is continuing to follow commands. Confident she is making progress. Beginning to carry out complex sequences of events. Lemole: Couldn’t…
‘A Tale of Two Sheriffs’
Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman in a recent column wrote about the difference between our Sheriff Dupnik and Maricopa County’s Sheriff Arpaio. Takeaway: Contrast Dupnik with the sheriff of nearby Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio. He is notorious for the harsh conditions in which he jails people, using canvas tents in the searing summer heat. He has…
‘Sounds of Kindness in Tucson’
New York Times video on yesterday’s Ben’s Bells Project, which distributed more than 1,000 bells throughout Tucson while the city still grieved and recovered from last weekend’s tragedy.
Shooting Puts Tucson Officially On the Map, Right Beside Waco and Columbine
Tucson is officially on the map. Not for anything gorgeous like our weather or saguaro. Nor for anything unique or even inane, like our javelina or multi-million-dollar trolley. Photo Ryn Gargulinski We’ve instead joined the ranks of notorious places plagued by senseless violence. The sunny Saturday Safeway shooting that left six dead and several wounded—with…
Acacia Opens in Its New Spot
Acacia Real Food and Cocktails – the new incarnation of Acacia at St. Philip’s – opens tonight at its new home in Gallery Row at 3001 E. Skyline Drive. It will occupy the space formerly held by Sur Real. Chef Albert Hall didn’t announce the move until the last week in December, and now, a…
The Cover of This Week’s Economist
The Economist’s cover this week for North America: From their article on the shooting: Our North American cover considers the political blame game that has followed the shootings in Tucson. Politer politics would help America in many ways; but it needs sensible gun laws much more.
Greyhound Abuse Protest on Saturday
Because of an undercover video that was published in late 2010, many questions have been raised recently about the living conditions of the dogs at Tucson Greyhound Park. The dogs are kept in complete darkness all day, are constantly muzzled, and live in confining cages which they are rarely let out of. On Saturday, Jan.…
Celebration at McKale Center: More in the Crowd
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMANTHA SAIS Sen. John McCain joined other Arizona and national leaders at the celebration. A tone of celebration and hopeful rejoicing filled McKale Center for the Together We Thrive Tucson & America memorial. The capacity crowd applauded as family members, doctors, and Arizona politicians entered the V.I.P. section in the arena. Among the…
Friday’s Return to Regular Range Programming
It’s been an interesting day here at the Weekly today. After a stretch of exhausting and emotional days since Saturday morning, the shooting-related news has slowed, the heart wrenching funerals have begun, and President Obama visited, spoke, and left town. For a weekly newspaper and daily blog, the question we had to ask ourselves is…
Michael Chabon on Last Night’s Event
From The Atlantic: As he joined in, at times, with the applause, the president’s hard, measured handclaps, too close to the microphone, drowned out everything else in my kitchen right then, and seemed to be tolling the passing of something else besides human lives. I don’t know what. Maybe just my own sense of connectedness…
Updates: On-Site Investigation Concluded; Bag Found; More Heroism; Audio Released
Some updates this afternoon: — The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says the FBI has concluded its investigation at the shopping center at Ina and Oracle roads. — Per the county: The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has responded to a report of a black bag located in the vicinity of the suspect’s house. The black bag…
In Case You Missed It: The Entire “Together We Thrive” Program
We posted video of Obama’s portion of last night’s program earlier, but if you want to see the entire program, here’s C-SPAN’s complete coverage:
“And Then She Finally Opens Her Eyes…”
Talking Points Memo brings us a first-hand account of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords opening her eyes while Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz were with her at UMC last night: Gillibrand: And we just were so excited, so we were telling her how proud we were of her and how she was inspiring the…
Obama’s Words: Reaction Around the Nation
Photograph by Josh Morgan I haven’t sat down to write an analysis of President Obama’s speech last night from a political perspective, although I can say that, as a person in the audience, I found it to be a moving and emotional address. His call for us to find the better angels of our nature…
In Case You Missed It: Obama’s Message Last Night
Video of President Obama’s remarks last night at McKale Center:
Take-Aways From Thursday’s UMC Press Conference
One patient in critical, four in fair, one to be discharged. All making fantastic progress. She did have spontaneous eye opening yesterday, more and more alert. Rhee: Aggressive physical therapy with Giffords today. Lemole: Eye opening was a combination of the unexpected and familiar. Implies that parts of brain that let us awake from sleeping,…
Confirmed Details About Loughner’s Morning of Jan. 8, Search Results
Confirmation of some shooting facts via the Pima County Sheriff’s Office: In this update, it is confirmed that an Arizona Department of Game and Fish officer conducted a traffic stop with Loughner on the day of the shooting at 7:34 a.m. at I-10 and Ina Road. This stop was for a red light violation in…
Updates on Memorial Services for Green, Zimmerman
A memorial service for friends and family of Christina Taylor Green will be held today. Details from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office: The funeral services for Christina Green will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on January 13, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. The family has granted permission to the Arizona Daily Star to take…
Siblings Times Three
For its latest production, Live Theatre Workshop is presenting a historical drama, complete with period costumes and personal conflicts played out against a backdrop of global events. Since the play is Wendy Wasserstein’s The Sisters Rosensweig, the time in question is 1991. The events in the background include the AIDS crisis and the collapse of…
Weekly Wide Web
A rough Saturday; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Two Powerful Women
Something Wicked has this way come. The globally popular musical, with book by Winnie Holzman and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, has blown into Tucson, and it will reside at UA’s Centennial Hall through Jan. 23. For those who rave about this brassy and produced-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life show, come on down; you will not be disappointed…
The Spring Arts Preview
Welcome to 2011, arts-wise The good news is that Tucson’s lively arts calendar is crowded with great things to come: a major glass art festival, ¡Viva el Vidrio!; dance from two of the 20th century’s top choreographers, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham; new music at the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival; and a number of…
Brutal Realism
Blue Valentine is essentially two excellent films in one: It’s a sweet, passionate romance, and it’s a blisteringly nasty breakup story. In one part of writer-director Derek Cianfrance’s remarkably honest examination of a marriage blown apart, we see Dean and Cindy (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) magically falling in love and moving toward marriage. This…
Missing the Magic
The Tempest, written late in William Shakespeare’s career and probably the last play he wrote without a collaborator, is a spirited tale about vengeance and reconciliation, magic and passion. Unfortunately, you would never know that from the Rogue Theatre’s lackluster production of the play, which opened last week. The action is unfocused, and the energy…
A Concrete Career
During the harsh winters of the East Coast, Ralph Prata leaves his home in upstate New York to come to Tucson and create abstract sculpture that wouldn’t look out of place among early African or Aztec artifacts. The haunting figures and simple lines of his work find their home in an unusual medium: All of…
Top Ten in Books
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending Jan. 9, 2011
Moving Modesty
A couple of weeks ago, some of us were wandering around north of Interstate 8, only slightly lost, looking for the site of the 1851 Oatman Massacre. A big, white SUV with green markings and dark windows roared up. Three youngish Border Patrol agents peered out nervously. They claimed they’d seen our convoy of vehicles…
City Week
The 2011 Great Southwest Laff-Off; The Free Freedom Song Sing-Along; Stories That Soar! show by students from the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind; Performance by the Nahui Ollin Aztec Dancers
Familiar Twang
Session musicians in Nashville often use numeric shorthand instead of sheet music, because they work at a blisteringly fast pace, and because the songs they record aren’t necessarily that musically adventurous. A whole song can be scrawled on the back of a napkin; in many cases, all the musicians have to decipher is the key…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending Jan. 7, 2011
T Q&A
Kerstin Block
Now Showing at Home
Buried (Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack); Raging Bull (30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray + DVD); Stone (Blu-ray)
Tragedy
I’d just returned from the gym on Saturday morning and was about to head for the shower when Tucson Weekly publisher Tom Lee called. I answered the phone; Tom said something unintelligible and hung up. I was about to call him back, but for some reason, I decided to quickly check my e-mail first. I…
Italian on Oracle
Catalina isn’t exactly known as a culinary wonderland. Not that long ago, choices were limited to fast-food places, a steakhouse and a tiny, albeit cozy, café. But things are changing. These days, in one small strip mall alone, you can enjoy Mexican, Greek or Italian food. You’ve come a long way, Catalina! Vitello’s is the…
Danehy
Not long after the news broke about the shootings of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others, I received an e-mail from someone (who will remain unnamed) urging me not to lash out or point fingers. I could almost sense him fighting the urge to use the phrase, “Don’t go off half-cocked.” He ended the e-mail with:…
Noshing Around
Just Add Water Café; New Café and Juice Bar at 17th Street; Connections Café; Tea-Tasting
Messina
Bristol Palin, Amber Portwood and Maci Bookout are names we wouldn’t be so familiar with except for one fact: They are all teenage moms. Seen on the cover of tabloid magazines and on television shows, these women represent a new crop of reality stars—unmarried mothers famous for giving birth at a young age. Today, millions…
Invigorating the Muse
It was after 10 p.m. when Sabra Faulk finally called. She had just finished rehearsing for her gig this Saturday at the Abounding Grace Sanctuary, an eastside church built as an octagon with near-perfect acoustics. It’s late, because Faulk, like so many of her musical contemporaries, has a day job. And as difficult as that…
Mailbag
Danehy needs to stop writing boring columns and get back to his sports roots; Correction
Soundbites
Time for your yearly dose of wood; Spanks for the memories; Americana from the northwest; A renaissance man; On the bandwagon
Guest Commentary
It is no consolation that virtually every other state in the nation is also facing huge budget deficits, nor is it consolation that California is in worse shape than we are. There is consolation in the fact that, unlike California, there is hope for Arizona. Both California and Arizona are in dire budgetary straits as…
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records’ top sales for the week ending Jan. 9, 2011
Nine Questions
Andrea Burk
The Skinny
A community reacts to a massacre.
Live
“We’ve had a rough couple of days,” Kevin Pakulis said, summing up the complex web of emotions his audience pushed through to join him on Sunday evening. “Everybody takes tragedy differently. Let’s take a moment of silence to think about all beings that suffer, and the causes of suffering.” A pool ball caromed and clicked…
Media Watch
The history behind Dupnik’s criticism of vitriolic radio, TV; KVOA picks football over continuous shooting coverage
British Sea Power: Valhalla Dancehall (Rough Trade)
On its fourth proper album, the British rock band has moved beyond its influences—Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Interpol—into an arena of its own, melding thick atmospherics with the post-punk sound for which it has become known. The new direction probably was catalyzed by the moody, mostly instrumental soundtrack the band created in 2009…
Tears and Heroes
On Sunday, Jan. 9, Maria Martinez stood, bundled up in the desert evening cold, before a growing vigil of candles, flowers and placards in front of University Medical Center. She wore an expression of disbelief and cradled a framed photo in her arms. In that photo, she stands with her husband, Hector; her son, Claudio;…
Keyshia Cole: Calling All Hearts (Geffen)
For being such a meta-celebrity—once the star of BET’s reality show The Way It Is—Keyshia Cole’s albums aren’t at all postmodernist. So though she might be an interesting case study for an academic thesis (say, using Lyotard as a lens?) on the narrative of celebrity and self-awareness in art, she’s a purveyor of meat-and-potatoes R&B:…
A Troubled Voice
With the release of the now-omnipresent Pima County Sheriff’s Department photo of Jared Loughner, we have an image of the accused shooter in our head. He has a shaved head. Perhaps he’s been beaten up a little bit. He’s staring straight ahead, with what looks like a bemused smile. On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan.…
2nd Grade Hi Five: Potential (Self-Released)
2nd Grade Hi Five is a local duo that’s made a name for itself by recently opening for bands like The Rocket Summer, Greeley Estates, and He Is We. Randy Gurtler sings, plays guitar and handles programming and samples; Will Kniep plays guitar and sings backup. Gurtler has been recording as 2nd Grade Hi Five…
Police Dispatch
Near-naked and confused; Too spicy; Unfit counterfeit
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I read your column in the Village Voice and am hoping you can help me. I think I have a Mexican problem. In short, I have a home in sunny California on a property with an abundance of agave cactus and century plants growing along the street. Every year for the past 20…
Celebration at McKale Center: In the Crowd
Photograph by Josh Morgan Angela Robinson, the step daughter of Dorwin Stoddard who was killed in the shooting, is embraced by a friend at the start of the memorial. A tone of celebration and hopeful rejoicing filled McKale Center for the Together We Thrive Tucson & America memorial. The capacity crowd applauded as family members,…
Celebration at McKale Center: Speakers
Photograph by Josh Morgan U.S. President Barack Obama speaks infront of the capacity crowd in McKale Center. The event drew a massive response from the community, forcing university officials to open the Arizona Stadium for overflow. The eyes of the United States, if not the world, were on Tucson tonight as President Barrack Obama stood…
Sullivan: “The President Wrested Free of Politics Tonight and Spoke of Greater Things”
Kadie Pangburn Andrew Sullivan live-blogs President Obama’s speech from Tucson tonight. His final takeaway: 9.42 pm To rate this address on any political meter would be to demean it. The president wrested free of politics tonight and spoke of greater things. I pledge myself to try and follow his advice and debate with vigor and…
Live From McKale: As the Crowd Leaves (Updated)
From Jim Nintzel: Attendees exited to the sounds of the University of Arizona marching band playing “America the Beautiful” outside of McKale Center. Tom Zoellner, friend of Gabrielle Giffords: “Obama was talking about a better way to be, regardless of politics. It’s important to get out of this antagonistic malaise and start being better citizens…
Obama’s Remarks Tonight
To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.…
Scenes and Words From the Memorial (Updated)
From Jim Nintzel, at McKale Center: — Napolitano got about 10 times the applause that Brewer did. — Huge roar of applause and emotional moments when Daniel Hernandez gave shoutout to Pam Simon, Gabe Zimmerman, Gabby Giffords, Ron Barber, first responders, docs who saved Giffords life. — The memorial service brought out a wide collection…
Photos From Inside McKale Center
Photo by Joe Pangburn Photo by Joe Pangburn Photo by Kadie Pangburn
Early Photos from Tonight’s Memorial
Photo by Josh Morgan Photo by Josh Morgan Photo by Kadie Pangburn Photo by Kadie Pangburn Photo by Patrick McCardle Photo by Patrick McCardle Photo by Patrick McCardle
UC Berkeley Chancellor: Arizona’s Discriminatory Environment Linked to Shootings
Some lunacy from the San Francisco Chronicle: UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has come out swinging over the shooting spree that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six people, linking it to Arizona’s “discrimination against undocumented persons” and a “climate in which demonization of others goes unchallenged and hateful speech is tolerated.” In a campus-wide…
Arizona Republic: Loughner Case Assigned to California Judge
From the Arizona Republic: The trial of Tucson mass-shooting suspect Jared Loughner today was assigned to Judge Larry A. Burns of the Southern District of California, court officials confirmed. Richard Weare, Clerk of the U.S. District Court in Phoenix, confirmed that Burns was appointed to oversee the Loughner case by Judge Alex Kozinski, chief judge…
Tonight’s Performance of “Wicked” Still On
FYI, tonight’s performance of Wicked will go on as scheduled. For obvious reasons, parking might be a bit difficult, but the promoter is currently suggesting the Tyndall Avenue Garage and getting there really early.
UPDATED: Topeka Hate Group Skipping Tucson Entirely, Publicity Ransom Paid
First of all, I’ve tried really hard not to give the famous Topeka group of hateful morons any press online on our site. Sure, every other media outlet in town has jumped on every update, whether they’re coming or not coming, giving those idiots another mention, another batch of hits on their website, and we…
Take-Aways From Wednesday’s UMC Press Conference
Rhee: Six still in hospital. Giffords still going “as anticipated”. Rhee: Decreased amount of sedation. Getting more spontaneous. No questions today. Rhee: Family members of Ron Barber speaking today. Nancy Barber, Chrissy Blake, Jason Blake and Gawain Douglas and Jenny Douglas. Jenny Douglas: Ron was able to speak to granddaughters, expect that he will released…
