Cover Story
Reefer Research Madness
When UA President Ann Weaver Hart unveiled a new strategic plan last year to the Arizona Board of Regents, she and other administrators made it clear this was about transforming Tucson’s land-grant university into a grant-producing super-research center of higher learning ready to grow economies and minds. The strategic plan—titled “Never Settle”—was first communicated through…
If a Botched Execution Isn’t Enough to End the Death Penalty in Arizona, What Is?
I get it that it’s a standard liberal trope to oppose the death penalty and then for conservatives to say that’s soft on crime, and by all means, Joseph Rudolph Wood III did some awful, awful things for which he should be punished, but regardless of any of that, if we can’t actually manage to…
Wine and Cheese Summer Camp
Blu A Wine & Cheese Stop at 100 S. Avenida Convento is offering a “summer camp” for those who wish to learn “how to navigate your way around the expanding world of wine and cheese being produced by today’s artisans.” Camp takes place on Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. August 1: Wine & Cheese 101…
Let’s Watch R Dub’s Power 1490 Documentary on YouTube
If you have fond memories of 90’s AM radio here in Tucson (and I’m not sure what this says about me, but I really do), you’ll definitely want to set some time aside from actually working to check out Slow Jam King R Dub’s documentary AM Mayhem: The Story of Tucson’s Power 1490, which is…
Oro Valley Candidate Forum
From The Explorer, www.explorernews.com: Candidates for Oro Valley mayor and town council have agreed to participate in a forum Wednesday, July 30, at the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene, 500 W. Calle Concordia. The public is welcome to attend the free event, presented by the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce. Doors open at 5…
How Tucsonans Read a Weather Forecast in July
Pretty much. Not much else to say about that image—it’s how Tucsonans get through July and August. But the good news is the partial screen shot above was taken early yesterday, and since then, depending on what weather service you are viewing, most forecasts have lowered today’s high temperature down around 106° to 104°. And…
Antigone Books best-sellers
Here are Antigone Books best-sellers for the week ending July 18, 2014: 1. The Fault in Our Stars John Green ($12.99) 2. The Silver Star Jeannette Walls ($16) 3. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs ($10.99) 4. Writing from the Senses: 59 Exercises to Ignite Creativity and Revitalize Your Writing Laura Deutsch ($14.95)…
Charter School Messaging For Dummies
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com When you’re talking about kids filling out an application for a charter school, don’t call it an “application”; call it an “enrollment form.” Don’t talk about a charter school’s “staff”; instead, call them “teachers” or “school leaders.” Charters don’t have a “market share”; they have a “student share.” They don’t “experiment”;…
Wingspan is Prepping for Move and Needs Help
An email went out today from Wingspan’s programs director Chad Mosher, on the LGBT community center’s move and what they need in order to make the transition to the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation office effortless. They need moving supplies and brawn: Wingspan staff members are busy preparing for our move to SAAF. We are excited…
Sanchez Made A Poor Decision Hiring Grijalva’s Relative
An article in today’s Star has new background on the hiring of Adelita Grijalva’s mother-in-law, Olga Gómez, as the new principal of TUSD’s Myers/Ganoung Elementary School, and it doesn’t look good. Gómez herself comes out fine. Based on her experience, she may have been a good pick for the school. But Superintendent H.T. Sanchez should…
La Cocina Closed Until Aug. 2
It’s that time of the year when you go to your favorite local establishment and they have that pesky “Out of town” sign dangling on their door. Everyone is getting out of dodge. Heads up: La Cocina Restaurant & Cantina has gone on vacation. The restaurant will reopen at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1. No…
Is The Rock Going to Play Shazam?
We have been speculating on which DC Comics character Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson should play in a future film. It looks like we’ll finally have some closure. Total Film’s Josh Winning asked the actor who he would like to play. The Rock has been in ongoing discussion with the movie studio, and it looks like they finally settled…
Lenguas Largas CD Listening Party at The District
Hope you like new music from local bands because it’s coming. Lenguas Largas will embark on a nationwide tour in celebration of their new album, Come On In. Listen to the Tucson band’s new album at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at The District Tavern, 260 E Congress St. You can learn all the words and sing along when…
CD2: Barber Debuts New TV Ad
Congressman Ron Barber (D-CD2) unveiled his first ad of the campaign season this week, featuring narration by his wife, Nancy, and lots of family history alongside the usual stuff about securing the border, working across the aisle and such. Team Barber is tight-lipped about how much they are spending, with spokeswoman Ashley Nash-Hahn saying only…
The Border Crisis in 8 Simple Steps
Why are all these unaccompanied children coming to the United States from Central America? If you find yourself wanting to answer this question with some intelligence and history on your side, even if the person asking it doesn’t really care about intelligence or history, give this Huffington Post read a try, “Here’s How The U.S.…
Another Welfare Story Worth Reading
Darlena Cunha’s recent article in the Washington Post, “This is What Happened When I Drove My Mercedes to Pick Up Food Stamps,” got a lot of love and attention: Sara Bareilles played softly through the surround-sound speakers of my husband’s 2003 Mercedes Kompressor as I sat idling at a light. I’d never been to this…
FC Tucson to Host the PDL Soccer Playoffs this Weekend
Remember that soccer thing that everyone was really into when the World Cup was a thing? Luckily, Tucson has a growing soccer scene waiting for your support. FC Tucson announced that they are hosting the Premier Development League Western Conference semifinals and finals on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26. From FC Tucson: Friday night’s…
Jackson Needs a Home
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona presents Jackson, a 5-year-old, male, domestic short hair Reference No. 782799 Jackson had a rough beginning after he was abandoned on the streets. A feral cat caregiver trapped him for TNR but immediately realized that he wasn’t wild at all. In fact, he’s 100 percent lap cat material! Thankfully, Jackson…
Tuesday Night Comedy at Congress and O’Malleys
The Switch Comedy show has come a long way over the last year. Graham Van Bach started the show in the winter of 2012 at Mr. Heads, and it has since expanded to Flycatcher and Hotel Congress. Local comedians can jump on stage, ditch their set lists/best punchlines, and pray that someone in the audience texts…
Ted Nugent Endorses Dark Horse GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Frank Riggs
Ted Nugent: “In these crazy Obama times, Arizona must not just hold the line, she must push back hard. Frank Riggs is the right guy to do it.” It’s probably not a game-changer in the six-way Republican primary for governor, but dark horse GOP candidate Frank Riggs has captured the endorsement of Ted Nugent. We…
Huppenthal Takes Another Run At Explaining His Blog Comments (And Other Things)
Last week, John Huppenthal and his Republican primary opponent Diane Douglas had a televised debate on PBS. If it weren’t for Huppenthal’s responses to questions about his notorious blog commenting, the only statement that might be interesting to people who aren’t education wonks came near the end when Douglas was airing her objections to the…
Here’s Your Chance to See a Movie About a Giant Gila Monster
As the trailer says, “No human mind could imagine the enormous destructive power of this maddened killing thing,” the title subject of the 1959 film “The Giant Gila Monster,” which you can see tonight at the Loft as part of their Mondo Mondays series. For only $3, you can see a film that makes the…
That Band With the Exclamation Point Name Plays Congress Tonight
In the shorthand of the pop music world, Thriller has come to mean the pinnacle of an artist’s career. Michael Jackson’s 1982 classic is the all-time best selling album and represents the King of Pop’s most creative and vital period. So when the genre-bending dance-punk sextet !!! (pronounced Chk Chk Chk for simplicity’s sake) set…
This Weekend in Sonoran Strip Club News
Image courtesy of Shutterstock Remarkably, there aren’t photos of Boleiro TD’s online, so we grabbed a stock photo. Just like the rides at an amusement park, should strip clubs also have a sign warning those with heart conditions of what they’re about to experience? From the Nogales international: According to Nogales, Sonora municipal police, officers…
When Drinking Liberally Goes Wrong: Tucson Group 86’d by The Shanty
The Tucson chapter of the political social group Drinking Liberally has been banned from 4th Avenue bar The Shanty, its longtime hosting venue, following an alleged incident on June 25th, which prompted Shanty owner William Nugent to ask, via the Shanty Facebook page, that “Drinking Liberally, as a whole, not return to The Shanty.” In…
Take Some Pictures of Wrestlers With Fanny Packs This Weekend
Fanny packs are back in fashion. The front pouch carrier is best place to keep your personal belongings and business cards. I never realized it, but fanny packs are pretty common in the wrestling world. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Throwback Thursday fanny pack filled photo. If you that wasn’t enough, here’s the best wrestling themed Tumblr…
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s ‘Word Crimes” Is Word-Nerdy
If Henry can put up a video from “Weird Al’s” new album, “Mandatory Fun,” by God, so can I. It’s “Word Crimes.” Think Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Spoiler alert: I’m posting a few lines from the song after the “Continue reading” link. Lines from “Word Crimes” (Warning: These could be on the test): It’s a…
Tucson Scientifically Proven More “Exciting” Than Scottsdale, Less Than Tempe & Flagstaff
JAMES HUDSON A recent study analyzing Arizona’s most populous cities has proven what you already knew in your heart, but is now backed up with scientific data: Tucson is a more exciting city than Scottsdale. Using the same per-capita data, however, real estate firm Movoto also found the cities of Tempe and Flagstaff to be…
Steff & the Articles Debut the Official Music Video for “What a Terrible Thing to Do”
Steff Koeppen It’s been one hell of a week for the local music scene. Steff and The Articles teased a new track “Call You Mine” earlier this week. The always evolving and maturing four piece indie band debuted the offical music video for “What a Terrible Thing to Do” off the Why It Was So…
Watch this Disney Character’s Mug Fall Off During a Live Performance
Lately, I have been looking for an excuse to take a Greyhound up to Anaheim, Calif., and go to the “happiest place on earth.” Unfortunately, time and money has prevented me from being happy. So, watching this video of Disney character’s face pop off is the next best thing. Spoiler alert: Elastigirl is really Mickey…
Kwasman Makes the Colbert Report, Launches Ad Buy
The Colbert ReportGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook State Rep. Adam Kwasman, who made himself a national laughingstock earlier this week when he mistook a bus of YMCA children with, as he put it, “fear on their faces” for a bus of Central American undocumented migrants, reached the top…
Fook and Mishell to Leave KFMA
From the Fook at KFMA Facebook page Fook and Mishell Despite the fact he seemingly hated any segment idea I ever had, I’ll miss Fook, the morning show guy at KFMA for the last two years or so, who announced this morning that he and co-host Mishell Livio are leaving the station for a larger…
Andrew Thomas Will Fight the Mexicans, Gays and Liberals, According to His Terrible New Ad
Thanks to the fine people at the Arizona Capitol Times for bringing disgraced former Maricopa County Attorney/buddy of Joe Arpaio Andrew Thomas’ first campaign ad in his ill-advised run for governor to light. Remember when he was fighting crime in the greater Phoenix area? There weren’t all these pesky immigrants around, with their protests and…
Babeu’s Pre-Protest Robocall For His Self-Promotion Tour
I already posted the fundraising message Sheriff Paul Babeu sent out after the Tuesday event he trumped up in Oracle to protest the arrival of immigrant children who never arrived (and may never have been scheduled to arrive). Now a friend sent me a robocall Babeu put out Sunday advertising an event on the Monday…
Another Lens at the Oracle Protest/Counter Protest
The protest/counter protest held the morning of Tuesday, July 15 to block/welcome a bus load of Central American children who’ve crossed the U.S. border seeking refuge at least proved that some Arizonans are as delightful as those wonderful citizens of Murrieta, California. It was also a wonderful opportunity to continue to show Arizona crazy land,…
“Weird” Al Yankovic’s ‘Handy’ is Catchy
“Weird” Al Yankovic debuted his 14th full length studio album Mandatory Fun earlier this week. I have been listening to it, and I’m pretty impressed that he can still keep us interested after 31 years of parodies. The electic funny man has been debuting daily music videos since the album released. So, check out the…
Op-ed: What Part of Illegal Don’t You Understand?
WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND??? There is always one schmuck that needs to recycle that bumper sticker quote in the comments section of an immigration article. And it has to be in CAPS!! And it has to have multiple question marks and perhaps a couple exclamation…
Babeu “Dialing For Dollars” Off The Oracle Incident He Created
Hat tip to Tim Steller for putting Sheriff Paul Babeu’s new fundraising pitch on Facebook (also for Steller’s thorough analysis of Babeu’s tactics in the Star). If there was any question about Babeu’s motives for inflaming his anti-immigrant compatriots to protest the busing of children to an Oracle facility — at this point, we don’t…
Nine Questions
You might have seen local artist Danny Martin sketching his favorite landmarks. Martin, raised in Alabama but considers himself a Tucsonan, is currently working on a 14-by 17-inch letterpress art book titled Tucson Sketchbook Project. Keep an eye out for his iconic black-and-white stickers plastered around the most unlikely places, and check out his website…
Loft Kids Fest
It may be the dead of summer, but the Loft Cinema continues to offer a variety of entertainment options. Their annual Kids Fest is always a highlight, with plenty of cinematic fun and activities. A kick-off party takes place at 5:30 p.m., Friday, July 18, at Trail Dust Town. The Loft’s program director Jeff Yanc tells us…
Live
I’m a big fan of La Cerca. As one of Tucson’s greatest, longest-running bands, their upcoming record Sunrise For Everyone is an undeniable highpoint for Tucson music. Seeking out an unbiased opinion (or slightly less biased), I sought out the thoughts of an audience member, who would only identify himself as “Tom.” He also weighed…
Everything Lunar
If you looked up at the moon on Saturday night and thought it seemed a little bit bigger and brighter, it wasn’t your imagination. Saturday’s full moon was the first “super moon” this summer, with two more coming in August and September. The scientific term is perigee moon and it occurs when the moon is…
Nine on The Line
Sam Alboy is the owner of Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-b-cue. In 2010 he opened his first location on the edge of the bustling UA campus. He has since opened two additional locations, one south of Tucson in Rancho Sahuarita, and one in northwest Tucson at Thornydale. An additional Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-b-cue is scheduled to open on…
Underwear Party
It’s that time again—lay off the carbs, start doing those crunches and search your dresser for your best intimate attire. Hotel Congress is throwing its annual underwear party and staffers there claim it will be their biggest yet. According to a press release, 1,200 people of all shapes and sizes showed up last year and…
Soundbites
MUST BE THE MOON It’s apparently “let’s release something” week in Tucson, as there are (at least) three noteworthy celebrations of productivity around town. First up on Friday, July 18, Man Bites Dog is headlining a show at Gary’s Place (125 W. Ventura) with Gay Kiss, Humiliation, Womb Tomb and Boogienauts also on the bill.…
Life in Dark and Light
Roger Ebert saw a lot of documentaries during his reign as the world’s most renowned movie critic. It’s only fitting that one of the last things he did in his life was take part in a documentary that will certainly stand as one of 2014’s best. Life Itself gives us the full story on Ebert,…
Primer
WHO IS HE Singer, actor and San Francisco icon, the 58-year-old Isaak released his first album in 1984, but it wasn’t until 1989’s Heart Shaped World that he found stardom. Isaak regularly tours, but he’s slowed down on the recording side, releasing just one album of new material in the last decade (as well as…
Cinema Showdown
“When you’re a Jet/you’re a Jet all the way/from your first cigarette/to your last dyin’ day.” Words to live by, if you’re a Jet at least. I suppose it’s a different story if you’re a Shark. This Thursday, July 17, Cinema La Placita is rolling out 1961’s West Side Story as part of their month-long “It’s Not…
True TV
Unconscious Coupling Married Thursday, July 17 (FX) Series Debut: Judy Greer, Nat Faxon, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Regina Hall, John Hodgman, Michaela Watkins—any one of the players of Married are funny enough to headline their own series; thankfully, they’ve been assembled for a grownup cable comedy instead of wasted separately on more network filler (as…
Starting the Tour
For El Ten Eleven, playing shows in Tucson is like being up on a highwire, trying to maintain balance. The hard-touring Los Angeles instrumental duo typically starts their tours drive east from California, making Tucson a natural first stop. “The first show of the tour is always kind of sketchy for us. By the end…
The Cost of Clicks
You might have heard (and if not, John Schuster covers the happenings in Media Watch this week) but the Arizona Daily Star put up a paywall on their website on Sunday. Well, maybe we shouldn’t say the p-word, since—like most newspapers that go this route—the Star did everything they could to use some sort of…
Foreign Exchange
The Loft Cinema is a card-carrying member of various independent theater organizations, such as The Sundance Institute’s Art House Project and the New York Film Critics Series, which has recently allowed the Loft to preview screenings of American Hustle, Nebraska and other films in Tucson. The scrappy non-profit has gone international for the latest honor:…
Police Dispatch
THE OLD MAN AND THE BIG PIPE FOOTHILLS AREA JUNE 2, 1:43 P.M. An elderly male substantiated one petty senior stereotype—by driving poorly—but then shattered all others when he started a dangerous altercation using a large metal pipe against a younger man who’d dared criticize his driving—turning out to be one badass senior citizen after…
Strain Selecting
I lived in Germany for a few years back in the day, and one of the stark differences between my grocery store there and the ones I was used to was the comparative lack of choices. My neighborhood market there didn’t have a bread aisle; it had a bread section at the end of an…
Smith Speaks: “It’s Gut-Check Time”
Former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith recently sat down to talk about his campaign for governor. Smith is facing five other Republicans in the race for governor: Arizona Treasurer Doug Ducey, Secretary of State Ken Bennett, attorney Christine Jones, former California congressman Frank Riggs and disbarred former Maricopa County attorney Andrew Thomas. Here are some edited…
DVD Roundup
All Cheer-leaders Die When a party with their high-school football team goes awry, a group of cheerleaders return deader, hotter and hungry for revenge (but mostly just human flesh). It’s Bring It On meets Heathers meets The Walking Dead meets RedBox porn. (RLJ) Dom Hemingway Out after 12 years in prison, playboy safecracker Dom Hemingway…
The Skinny
ANOTHER MILLION BUCKS IN CD2 GOP challenger McSally Outraises U.S. Rep. Ron Barber again Republican Martha McSally, who is seeking to unseat Congressman Ron Barber (D-CD2) this year, had another great fundraising quarter. While The Skinny hadn’t seen the FEC report as of our print deadline, Team McSally sent out a press release announcing that…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I have some questions and observations. During George, W. Bush’s administration, there was a lot of talk for and against comprehensive immigration reform (amnesty to some). One remark that I recall was stated by a Mexican that went something like, “Go back to Europe!!!!” Aren’t Mexicans of European descent also? Hello, colonized by…
Danehy
Here are a few things you might have missed while trying frantically to keep your head above water during six years of an economy being kept down by Republican obstructionism. (It’s awful hard to get moving when one person is stepping on the gas and 300 or so are slamming on the brake for fear…
Rising to the Top
At nearly 30,000 feet high, scaling Mt. Everest seems an almost impossibly cruel aspiration. And yet, about 4,000 people have managed to do it, some more than once, and 658 thrillseekers reached the summit last year alone, and because climbing it is now easier safer than ever before, even with a recent tragic avalanche. It…
Media Watch
STAR FINALLY LAUNCHES PAYWALL, TO GLITCHES AND INITIAL SUBSCRIBER FRUSTRATION It had been so long since the Arizona Daily Star started making preparations for launching a paywall, that it was easy to forget those conversations even existed. But Sunday, after years, literally years of trying to make something operational, Tucson’s daily finally announced a structure…
Noshing Around
¡TEQUILA! National Tequila Day is next week, Thursday, July 24. Not that we needed a special reason to celebrate this beloved nectar in the Southwest, however, we have one! Tequila is so much more than something you choke back with some salt and lime on spring break. The blue agave plant, from which tequila (a…
Tacos by Daylight
Tucked into an ever-busy Campbell Avenue strip mall, its neighbors being a hair salon and a mini-postal shop, Taco Urbano could easily be missed. Cars fly by at a reckless pace. Few, if any, pedestrians are around. Competition is stiff on this long restaurant row. The only thing that brings attention to this tiny taqueria…
Ancient Roots
Judithe Hernández is a contemporary American artist, born in LA, but her work draws in part on the great Mexican art of the 1930s. As a member of the early collective Los Four in Los Angeles, Hernández helped pioneer the Chicano mural revolution. Inspired by the great muralists Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros, the Mexican-American artists…
