Cover Story
The Civil War
It was the one of the worst days of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s life. A good friend, federal Judge John Roll, had been shot to death. Another friend, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was fighting for her life after being shot in the head. Five more were dead, including 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, following a morning shooting…
Tough Break, Chicago
This is some real Day After Tomorrow stuff going on at Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. In other news, I complained about having to wear a sweater today. [Twitpic]
Don’t Travel to Nogales To Buy Your Medical Marijuana
Hank Stephenson of the Nogales International has this tidbit in a story about zoning rules for medical marijuana in Santa Cruz County: But while P&Z’s recommendations for implementing the new state law may be few, discussion at the Jan. 27 meeting noted that federal authorities — like those stationed at the Border Patrol’s I-19 checkpoint…
“That’s What Makes a Family”
Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student, speaking at a public forum on Iowa’s House Joint Resolution 6, which would end civil unions in the state. He’s right: I think anyone would be proud to have this guy as a son. The resolution passed yesterday by a vote of 62-37, although the Majority Leader…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume Six: Aqui Con El Nene
An e-mail arrived last night announcing that Aqui Con El Nene had been named a finalist in Rachel Ray’s Best Hot Dog in America contest. By this morning, the truck had beaten out every other hot dog stand in the Western category, including Tucson’s own El Güero Canelo. As of this writing Nene’s is in…
Georgia Makes Me Feel a Little Better About Our Legislature
CBS Atlanta: A state lawmaker from Marietta is sponsoring a bill that seeks to do away with Georgia driver’s licenses. State Rep. Bobby Franklin, R-Marietta, has filed House Bill 7, calling it the “Right to Travel Act.” In his bill, Franklin states, “Free people have a common law and constitutional right to travel on the…
The New Phone Books Are Here? Not Necessarily!
While Navin Johnson was awfully excited about the new phone books, I end up walking them from my front door directly to the recycle bin these days. That would be wasteful enough with one phone book, but for some reason, a new one seems to come every few months now, wrapped in a non-recyclable yellow…
AZ Poll: Obama Beats Palin
Hank Stephenson Public Policy Polling follows up its survey of Sen. Jon Kyl’s fortunes with a look at how President Barack Obama would fare against GOP challengers in Arizona in 2012—and Obama beats Sarah Palin. No wonder state lawmakers are pushing the birther bill.Here’s a tidbit from PPP’s release: In case there was any doubt…
Crazy Arizona Legislation? Just a Regular Day in the Desert
The Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Linda Gray, was expected to meet this morning to discuss two crazy bills—both sponsored by Gray. The first bill is SB 1188, which would require Arizona adoption agencies give first consideration in adoptions to a married man and woman. This means that,…
The Battle for Handheld Supremacy: Nintendo 3DS vs. Sony NGP
The next generation of hand-held gaming will soon be upon us, and it may change the way we think about interacting with games. Nintendo’s 3DS, with its glasses-free 3-D screen, is set to launch this March, while Sony’s freshly announced NGP, “Next Generation Portable,” is quite possibly the most technologically sophisticated portable gaming device ever…
What to do About Oral Sex?
In a recent USA Today, it was reported that head and neck cancers are on the rise, and experts think it has to do with an increase in the popularity of oral sex within the past few decades. Blame probably starts with Deep Throat, during the era of key parties and such, before Nancy Reagan…
Grijalva Posts Contact Info for American Citizens in Egypt
Posted on U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva’s website is information on how to touch base with American citizens in Egypt: The State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. Government personnel and dependents from Egypt. (Previously they were authorized to depart.) The press statement on this is pasted below. No new warden message or public…
Rape, Abortion and the House GOP
When is it a good time to redefine rape? Well, if societal norms are important to you, you understand this is a topic that’s best left alone. However, if you’re the new House Republican majority, and you’re interested in changing abortion laws, redefining rape is a good idea—no matter how many people end up looking…
Celebrate Black History Month at the UA
The African American Student Affairs office and other UA groups have partnered to create events in honor of Black History Month. According to uanews.org, the month kicks off tonight with music and speeches from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Second Street Garage stage. The month’s events include: * Feb. 2: A screening of “Prom…
Would You Rather?: Life in Prison or Death by Bear (While High)?
MSNBC: A convicted killer who escaped from an Arizona prison said after his capture that he had planned to overdose on heroin at Yellowstone National Park and let bears eat him to end the fear and panic he was experiencing while on the lam. Tracy Province told Mohave County sheriff’s Detective Larry Matthews that he…
Something Phil Collins Is Good for: Comedy Material
Watch comedian David Armand attempt to mime out the lyrics of Phil Collins’ largely unnecessary cover of the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love” for BBC improv comedy series Fast and Loose. Best use of the man’s music in some time. [Daily What]
Public Policy Polling: Kyl’s AZ Numbers Are Solid
If Jon Kyl does want to run for re-election, it looks like he’s a safe bet to win another term. Public Policy Polling delivers some numbers: Jon Kyl has solid approval numbers and will be a strong favorite for reelection if he decides to seek another term. Democrats’ best hope for making this a legitimate…
Hey Poor People! Get on Board With Growth!
From Random Musings: Speaking on KJZZ’s (NPR) Here And Now, Eileen Klein, Governor Jan Brewer’s Chief of Staff (starting at approximately the 6:45 mark of the audio archive) – “…we need to be using our resources in areas like education and other areas that can help build and grow our state, to make our state…
One Thing People in Pittsburgh Shouldn’t Really Worry About
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, will decide within the next month whether he’ll go on the NASA’s final scheduled space shuttle launch, or remain with his wife as she continues rehabilitation in Houston after being shot in Tucson last month. What do you think? Should he stay with…
Watch Beck and O’Reilly Argue About Egypt
I’m not sure what O’Reilly’s point is, but he doesn’t seem to buy Glenn Beck’s comparison of the recent events in Egypt to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. All I know is that it’s hard to follow Beck’s arguments without the chalkboard. [The Daily Beck]
Is Kyl In or Out in 2012?
Roll Call examines whether Sen. Jon Kyl will seek another term in 2012: Republicans based in Washington, D.C., tend to believe that Kyl will run for re-election, particularly because he could become Majority Whip in 2013. But Republicans in Arizona, including Kyl supporters, are now less certain. They initially believed that Kyl’s refusal to discuss…
Names of Helicopter-Crash Victims Released
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the names of the other three victims who were hospitalized after yesterday’s helicopter crash: On January 31, 2011, at approximately 11:30 a.m., The Pima County Sheriff’s Department helicopter crashed near Waterman Road and Silverbell Road. The three victims of the crash that were hospitalized are identified as Edwin Nettleton…
UA Cosmic Origins: Get a Little Science in Your Diet
The UA College of Science kicks off its Cosmic Origins spring lecture series tonight at Centennial Hall with Guy Consolmagno of the Vatican Observatory discussing “Cosmology: Making Sense of the Universe.” A quick description: Our “cosmology” is the sum of our assumptions and deductions of how the universe behaves. With the advent of modern physics,…
Film Students, I Just Saved You a Lot of Thinking
Why bother trying to come up with a new take on a film for a paper when you can just enter the name of the movie into the Film School Thesis Statement Generator and let the magic happen from there? The site probably isn’t actually helpful in any way, but it’s amusing to route films…
It’s Super Bowl/Epic Meal Time
I say to myself that I’m going to stop posting Epic Meal Time videos, but then they take things to the next level with a over ten thousand calorie burger. If it’s too much trouble for you to make a giant bacon cheeseburger in your home, consider one of the local establishments listed on our…
If You Need a Cat, Consider a Trip to Winnipeg
The marketing person at the Winnipeg Humane Society is a genius: [Urlesque] Seriously, however, there are adorable cats to be saved in our own locale as well. Save a cat and God saves a hug for you in heaven (or your spiritual equivalent).
Eight Out of Context Quotes From an R. Kelly Interview
For reasons unknown, Interview magazine had singer/songwriter/actor Will Oldham interview musician/genius/creepy person R. Kelly recently. Here are eight interesting things R. Kelly said, divorced from context entirely: “But I have to say, it was fun doing this Love Letter album because, hey, man, love has never failed. It has won every battle. And today and…
Health Care Reform Unconstitutional? Wait and See
Gibson noted earlier today that federal Judge Roger Vinson ruled that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post has more analysis of the decision here: Roger Vinson, the second Republican judge to rule on the constitutionality of the individual mandate, has, as expected, ruled against it. More surprising is that…
Update: Helicopter Pilot Pronounced Dead at the Scene
Pilot Loren Leonberger/Pima County Sheriff’s Department The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that of the four first reported injured in this morning’s helicopter crash, civilian pilot Loren Leonberger was pronounced dead at the scene. From the Pima County Sheriff’s Department: On January 31, 2011, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Pima County Sheriff’s Department’s helicopter crashed…
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day—With Cats
It’s Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, and what a great way to celebrate—with a cute cat video! Want more cats and bubble wrap videos? Of course you do, so go here.
Obamacare Takes a Hit in Court
Politico: A federal judge on Monday ruled that the entire health care overhaul is unconstitutional, the most striking blow yet to President Obama’s signature domestic legislation. But Judge Roger Vinson stopped short of ordering the federal government to stop enacting the law. Vinson ruled that the law’s requirement that nearly all Americans purchase health insurance…
Why Does New York City Care About Arizona Gun Shows?
I’m not really a gun guy. I’ve shot guns a few times with my father, but I don’t own one, I probably never will, and I’m generally disturbed by the rollback of Arizona laws restricting guns in public places. Still, I’d really rather New York City stay out of our business here in Arizona, even…
Today in Snorting Weird Legal Chemicals and Slashing Your Face With a Skinning Knife
The latest development in legal drugs popping up across the country is the emergence of so-called “bath salts,” which have already been blamed for several gruesome incidents. From The Huffington Post: FULTON, Miss. — When Neil Brown got high on dangerous chemicals sold as bath salts, he took his skinning knife and slit his face…
Update: Zimmerman Donations Continue to Climb; Food Bank Contributions Top Six Figures
Less than three weeks after being founded, the Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Fund has reached $25,000 in donations, says Sara Wright of Child and Family Resources in Tucson. The organization started the memorial fund at the request of Zimmerman’s family on Jan. 13, five days after the Safeway shooting in which Zimmerman lost his life. While…
Four Injured in Pima County Sheriff’s Department Helicopter Crash
Pima County S.O. fixed wing and MD530F helicopter from policehelicopterpilot.com. According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, a department helicopter crashed this morning at 11:30 a.m. near Waterman Road and Silverbell Road. There are four reported injuries. The Range is following the story and has a call in to Deputy Jason S. Ogan, the Pima…
Das Racist is Coming! Das Racist! Club Congress!
I have no idea how this happened, but NYC deconstructionist rap group Das Racist are coming to Club Congress’ Optimist Club on Thursday Feb. 10 with Phoenix/NYC hip-hop act Silver Medallion (who are still reeling from the death of one of their members last year). Even stranger, the show’s only $3. To say the least,…
Last Chance to Enter Our Valentine’s Day Contest
Today’s the last day you can submit your photo and love story to our Valentine’s Day contest sponsored by Fascinations. While there’s a real fight for first place that would be hard to catch up to, if you enter today and put on an all social media campaign, you could get you and your sweetheart…
Arizona Not the Only State Passing Silly Laws, Thankfully
While it might not be long until you can hunt wild game within city limits, at least for now, at least Arizona doesn’t have a gun as an official symbol of the state. But thanks to HB0219, if it gets through their Senate, Utah will! 22 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state…
The 41 Arizona Legislators Who Still Want to See Obama’s Birth Certificate
FYI, below the cut is a list of the Arizona legislators who are sponsoring HB 2544, which will require the all of the following for presidental and vice-presidental candidates: 1. An original long form birth certificate that includes the date and place of birth, the names of the hospital and the attending physician and signatures…
Yep, a Martyr Book Was Found in the Desert
A story on Fox News began circulating yesterday that an Islamic martyr book documenting those who died as suicide bombers was found in the middle of the desert by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Casa Grande sector. Considering some past reports about prayer rugs and such have gone unsubstantiated, the Tucson Weekly asked Border…
Adventures in Poorly Thought Out Tattoos
I’m a big fan of Auto-tune revivalist/R&B innovator T-Pain, but if you have a question about whether a tattoo will remain timely over the long term, perhaps it would be wise to consider other options.
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume Five: Los Tacos Del George
All the marketing Los Tacos Del George needs. West Prince Road is somewhat of a street-food hotspot. Several great food trucks and trailers are within walking distance of each other, each serving something a little different, all well worth a visit. A good jumping-off point is Los Tacos Del George, where the tacos have been…
The Idiot Boksen – Week 4
Photo by burningkarma, Flickr I like Modern Family a great deal. I think it’s funny and clever and the characters are well-developed. That is not a pun about Sofia Vergara. But I’m not entirely sure why it’s widely regarded as the greatest sitcom ever right now. It’s mockumentary style is a decade after that format’s…
Modern Street Car: Ready, Set, Go!
Looks like it’s going to happen after all. According to a City of Tucson press release sent out yesterday, the Modern Streetcar Project is going to bid soon on four separate projects: City of Tucson today received the green light to begin construction on the Modern Streetcar Project and begin spending the $63 million Transportation…
A Somber Anniversary: 25 Years Since Challenger
NPR: Twenty-five years ago, an event occurred that is seared into the memory of most Americans: About a minute after liftoff, the space shuttle Challenger blew apart, killing all aboard, including teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe. The day started off innocently enough. It was unusually cold in Florida that day, but NASA managers decided to attempt a…
Sierra Club Legislative Update: “There Is Not Too Much To Like”
Sandy Bahr, the legislative lobbyist for Arizona’s Sierra Club chapter, sends out a weekly update: Hello all! We knew it was too good to be true and that they would find a few ways to try and undermine environmental protections. This coming week, they will begin to move bills in earnest and, so far, there…
Taco Bell Fires Back About Their Beef
To their credit, Taco Bell’s full page ad today in major newspapers is probably the best way to respond to the “Is the meat real?” controversy:
Keep Up With Developments in Egypt
The situation in Egypt is changing rapidly right now (massive protests, the internet is off, a major democracy advocate is being detained, etc.), and British paper the Guardian has a great liveblog of events as they happen today, including multimedia reports from the field.
Art Heals After Tragedy: ‘A Piece of Peace for Tucson’ Saturday at Bohemia and Borealis Arts
When life bites, art heals. Tucson has an abundance of healing to do in the wake of the tragic shootings. So it only follows suit we’re getting an abundance of art. Art and photo Ryn Gargulinski Hercule the peace beetle A colorful, captivating collage of balloons and mementos already consumes a corner at the intersection…
New Video From Sleigh Bells
This is the new video for the third single, “Rill Rill” from hipster fave Sleigh Bells. The video’s a little gross, but the song is such a nice, laid back summerish jam, so I guess that balances out. Sleigh Bells – New Music – More Music Videos Sleigh Bells are playing the Rialto on April…
Tired Strippers (And More) Needed for Local Casting Call
There’s an open casting call for paid extras in Tucson on Tuesday, Feb. 1 (Jan. 28 in Phx). The movie “Desert Son,” is shooting in Tucson in February. Yep, sounds like a Tucson movie. They need a grubby hitchhiker, tired strippers and a Mexican barber, to name a few. They are looking for many Latino…
Judicial Emergency Declared in Arizona
According to a story published in yesterday’s Arizona Republic, Judge Roslyn O. Silver, who took the place of the late U.S. District Judge John Roll, declared a judicial emergency due to a shortage of judges in the district. The overload of cases in Arizona’s federal courts is a topic Roll had discussed in the past…
In Shadow of Jan. 8th, Don’t Forget About Brisenia Flores
Brisenia Flores Shawna Forde’s trial began this week in the death of 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father Raul. There are several interesting posts this week regarding what happened in Arivaca that early morning on May 30, 2009, but seems like a good time to review a story written by Tucson Weekly contributor Tim Vanderpool,…
Terrible News From Uganda
Last year, a Uganda newspaper published a list of “Uganda’s Top Homos” complete with photos and a note to “hang them”. David Kato, David Kato, the advocacy officer for the rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda, had his photo published in the paper and took the publisher to court with two others, winning a permanent injunction…
Really Old Educational Games Get New Life on Facebook
While I spent an obscene amount of time playing both games on really early Apple computers in my third grade classroom (Corbett Elementary, where you at?), I’m not entirely sure Facebook versions that likely will ask the player to post tons of “requests” on their wall and pay to actually enjoy the game is exactly…
Tucson Movie People: Make It So I Can See This
I have minimal ability to be critical of anything that comes from the world of the Muppets, so my pre-endorsement of the documentary Being Elmo playing this week at Sundance is probably somewhat useless. But still, can someone at the Loft or somewhere else in this town bring this film to town? I imagine there…
Nope, Nothing Wrong With American Health Care At All
ABC News: What can make the difference between receiving a potentially lifesaving surgery or not? For Vietnam veteran Ronald Flanagan, Ceridian Cobra Services determined it’s 2 cents. Flanagan has multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow, which he has been fighting since September 2008. He now needs a third stem cell transplant surgery but had…
Interesting Things to Read: Ted Haggard Comes Clean (Sort of)
You’ll probably be busy today reading the new issue of our paper, but when you’re done, GQ’s profile of disgraced Colorado Springs pastor on the comeback, Ted Haggard, is well worth reading. Turns out he’s willing to admit some of what he was accused of, but his penitence is still a bit murky. Ted may…
Rep. Sanchez: Probably Not Making Fans in Tucson
The Daily Caller: Behind closed doors, California Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez has proposed removing Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords from the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) until she recovers from injuries sustained after being shot in the head on Jan. 8 in Tucson, The Daily Caller has learned. The proposal sparked an outrage, according to those…
Nine Questions
Nate Jasensky
The Skinny
Democrat Jonathan Rothschild launches his mayoral bid … Andrei Cherny takes control of the Arizona Democratic Party, while a Tea Party activist you’ve never heard of wins the chairmanship of the Arizona GOP … How you can help in the wake of Tucson’s shooting rampage … and more!
Redemption Needed
At the center of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Biutiful is Javier Bardem, who is reason enough to watch just about anything. That fact is certainly put to the test in a film that places several unrewarding subplots in orbit around its star, who nevertheless delivers another unreal performance. The disappointment is that Iñárritu is as good…
Live
The gig last Friday night by The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger at Club Congress was impressive—not only because of the strength of the music, but also because of the uniformly charming nature of the performance. The GOASTT is Sean Lennon’s project with his girlfriend, model Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and their appeal extends beyond…
Killer Cuts
Exactly how many Arizonans will prematurely perish if suggested cuts are made to the state’s health-insurance program for the poor? That’s an impossible question to answer—but it’s undeniable that some will die if they lose their medical coverage. As a 2009 report from Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge (Mass.) Health Alliance concluded: “Uninsured, working-age…
Yann Tiersen: Dust Lane (Anti-)
There are only a few pop albums I can think of—like Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and Roxy Music’s Avalon—that are profoundly joyous in attitude and construction, yet still succeed in haunting the listener throughout with the sad realization that, ultimately, we’re just dust for the universe to brush away. Maybe our brief lives shouldn’t be…
Making Contact
As Tucson recovers from the tragic violence of Jan. 8, there’s a good chance our shared grief will eventually devolve into the more routine detachment from our neighbors and city. It’s a disconnect that many in our community know all too well. For the elderly, the disabled and others who face a monumental hurdle in…
The Decemberists: The King Is Dead (Capitol)
With a title that works as a coy Smiths reference, the Decemberists are back with their first record since 2009’s Jethro Tull-ish rock opera The Hazards of Love, and they’ve smartly dialed back the theatricality and ambition in order to give us a delicate song cycle that’s more woodsy than garish. The King Is Dead…
Police Dispatch
He snoozed; he lost; Innocent ‘til proven indecent
Fergus and Geronimo: Unlearn (Hardly Art)
The history of purposefully weird rock bands is scattered, at best. You can reference Frank Zappa and his ilk for the classics, and Ween in the indie-rock era, but the in-between includes obscure cult bands at best, and the forgotten and the failures at worst. Denton, Texas, duo Fergus and Geronimo (Jason Kelly and Andrew…
Indifferent to Your Mockery
Indifferent to Your Mockery; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: A few years ago, I moved to Tucson. In said city, I noticed that there were little piles of stuff accumulated on the medians of the main roads. It looks like Dia de la Muertos paraphernalia. I’m not so gringo as to not know what’s up; these little piles of beads—sometimes piles big…
Our Wacky Universe
What if an astronomer told you that astronomy has little to no practical value? Or that while the big bang was the beginning of our universe, our universe may have no beginning? Those are just a few of the conundrums that speakers and audiences will address over the next six weeks during the “Cosmic Origins”…
City Week
Active Imagination Theatre’s Spaced Out; Tucson Roller Derby: Copper Queens vs. Bad News Beaters and VICE Squad vs. Whiskey Row-llers; Paula Wittner: Paintings; Amber Norgaard in concert
TQ&A
Elizabeth Criger
Status Quo
I remember watching the press conference on Jan. 8 at which Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik—in the midst of what I’d imagine was the most trying day of his 50-year law-enforcement career—took some time to express his feelings about the vitriolic nature of today’s political discourse. In journalism, it’s what we call a “holy shit…
Modern Adaptation
When the ancient Greeks wrote their tragedies, there was no mystery in the paths that the stories would take. Their tales of heroes and gods were as familiar to them as our stories of the Founding Fathers and the Nativity are to us. The great art of those plays was in their poetry, and in…
Now Showing at Home
Broadcast News (Blu-ray); Let Me In (Blu-ray); Secretariat (Blu-ray + DVD Combo)
Danehy
I’ve never been a big fan of Russian literature, with its apparent affection for depression and its signature pattern of cascading one disaster upon another. However, Tucsonan Larry Prior, with what he’s gone through in recent years, would probably find Dostoevsky to be light summer fare. Larry’s always worked with his hands. He’d do construction…
Haunting Rhythms
After six people perished in Tucson’s deadly shootings, Noche Flamenca changed the program for its concert this Friday night at UA Centennial Hall. The troupe added an elegiac dance, “Esta Noche No Es Mi Día,” composed by artistic director Martín Santangelo in honor of late company member Antonio Vizarraga. “He was a gifted singer, and…
Noshing Around
Coming Soon: El Güero Canelo East; Sandal-Shaped Tacos; Go Lunar With Vietnamese; Skinny Cocktails; Yappy Hour
Messina
It is a place where I shop for groceries, do my banking and get take-out food. But on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 8, La Toscana Village was on television screens across the nation. My town, my neighborhood, was the site of fatal shootings. To many, that shopping center will never again be seen in…
Tricks of the Trade
It’s not often that the art world gets involved in extreme sports, but you can find an example of extreme perspective right now on the floor of the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Melanie Stimmell, a street artist known as a maestra of trompe l’oeil and 3-D, spent three days at the museum in…
Meaningful Experiences
Years of touring left Amos Lee with a batch of songs that chronicled not only what he’d seen, but also what he’d missed. They are songs of self-reflection and searching, songs of departures and new horizons, songs of loss and hope, songs with undercurrents of friendship, love and community. An uncommon talent at the intersection…
Mailbag
A Call for Jonathan Hoffman to Join the Common Reality; Boegle’s Wrong, and Danehy’s Right: Violent Rhetoric Is a Factor; Maybe the GOP Got the President’s Message; In the Global Village, the U.S. Is as Dangerous as a Deranged Lunatic; It’s a Game of ‘Let’s Pretend’; Corrections
Universal Themes
There’s a disconnect between the foreword to this new collection of short stories and the stories themselves. They’re not contradictory or incompatible; they’re just … oddly disparate. The foreword introduces one brand of Western writing, but the stories prove to be quite another. Nineteen pieces were selected for this year’s Best of the West. Editors…
Soundbites
For Gabby and the other victims; Fund free radio; Follow the pavement (influences); A busy week at Hoco; On the bandwagon
Media Watch
Why did the media latch on to the political-rhetoric storyline?
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending Jan. 21, 2011
Traveling Woman
Ayear ago, Austin-based singer-songwriter Charlie Faye spent a month living, writing and playing in Tucson. It was the start of a year-long project in which she did the same thing in nine other cities across the country. In each town, she’d immerse herself in local color, embrace the culture and seek out the best musicians…
‘Single-Family’ Stretch
Michael Goodman’s mini-dorms have become trademark structures in the neighborhoods north of the University of Arizona—but one neighborhood isn’t allowing new mini-dorms to go up without a fight. On Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association filed a complaint of violation with the city of Tucson’s zoning administrator in an effort to stop some…
Without Benefits
Has Natalie Portman pulled a Norbit and hurt her Oscar chances by starring in an awful movie released around the time when people will be voting for 2010’s Best Actress? Eddie Murphy was a Best Supporting Actor favorite for Dreamgirls in 2007, but then he dropped an unholy deuce with Norbit that February, and lo…
Top Ten in Music
Toxic Ranch Records’ top sales for the week ending Jan. 23, 2011
Lunchbox-Worthy Eats
In school, I always loathed cafeteria food, and envied my friends whose parents would make them homemade sandwiches and soups, or perhaps pack up tasty leftovers from the night before. Of course, my friends with the homemade meals were always wanting pizza or chicken strips from the cafeteria—so we’d work out a trade, and everyone…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending Jan. 23, 2011
Malicious Monkey on the Loose, Urine-Powered Video Games and More: Rynski Radio
UPDATE with playlist and download at bottom of post Video games have reached a new high, or shall we say low, with a new collection of games in Tokyo that work on the power of urine. Illustration Ryn Gargulinski As if that’s not enough strange stuff in the Land of the Rising Sun, a malicious…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume Three: Baja Mar
Perla Morales says seafood is the breakfast of real champions. Drive down South Sixth Avenue some morning … and just keep going. If you’ve got an appetite, you’ll be tempted to stop at one of the numerous Mexican or fast-food joints that line the avenue from end to end, but just keep driving, and driving,…
Don’t Get Any Ideas, Adam Borowitz
According to the food blog Eater, even the porn industry has taken an interest in the food-truck craze. Borrowing the name from the famous LA food truck, The Flying Pig, Ron Jeremy is starring in this new porn flick. I can just imagine the dialogue right now. “Where are your condiments?” “Condiments? Oh, you can…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume Two: Molcas Mexican Grill
Look for the yellow banner. The yellow overhead light in the dining area at Molcas Mexican Grill makes everything look like an eerie, colorized version of itself. The same butterscotch light gives the place a supernatural glow at night, illuminating the numerous diners who go there for tortas and fine plates of carne asada. Standing…
The Food Truck Diaries: El Chivo de Oro
Jesus watches over the tip jar at the mighty El Chivo de Oro. A breakfast plate at El Chivo de Oro (translation: The Golden Goat) will set you back $6, and that includes three handmade tortillas the size of dinner plates. The proper way to enjoy these tortillas is to place one’s face an inch…
Roadside Food Trifecta
Good things are afoot when the menu board looks like this. Today was my day off from the Tucson Weekly and the weather was heavenly, so I rolled out to check out the wonderful road-food scene blossoming in the Flowing Wells/Wetmore roads area. My first stop was the new barbecue stand called the Mesquite Pit…
