Cover Story
Are We Alone?
In astronomer Chris Impey’s office at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, the decor includes images of two icons: Pope John Paul II and ET. He can talk at length about either one. But at the moment, the subject is alien life, which Impey believes we’ll discover before long. “There’s a sense of excitement and…
Condiment Bandit Caught
It wasn’t a story in The Onion, but it could have been. For a year, Boise, Idaho, police were hoping to find the person sticking condiments in a local library drop box, causing thousands of dollars in damage with ketchup and corn syrup. According to a story in the Idaho Statesman here, the condiment bandit…
CD8: Kelly Vs. Paton Debate Video
The Kelly campaign posts video of the fireworks from yesterday’s CD8 debate in Green Valley.
Dougherty Launches Huff Po Blog
Democrat John Dougherty, who is running against three other Democrats for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican John McCain, launches a Huffington Post blog: Why would an investigative journalist who made a decent living uncovering one scandal after another decide to enter the seamy world of politics? The answer is simple: I’m fed…
Pride Week Surprises
Local Pride Week festivities kick off Saturday, June 19, and the Weekly celebrates the occasion with its fourth quarterly Pride issue, out this week. If you thought the House vote in late May to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a nice pre-Pride Month surprise, here are a couple of other surprises from Uncle Sam…
Polling Super-Genius Nate Silver on NPR Poll: Dems Have Even Odds of Losing the House
Nate Silver examines today’s NPR poll of swing seats such as Arizona’s Congressional District 8: Broadly speaking, this poll is consistent with the impression I have had of the House picture for almost a year now, which is that the over/under on the number of net Democratic losses is about 40 seats (i.e. they have…
Questions About Pinal County Deputy Shooting
Phoenix New Times’ Paul Rubin looks into the shooting of Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy Louie Puroll: The DPS investigation raises more questions than it answers about a scenario that instantly escalated the already tense situation in Arizona stemming from contentious Senate Bill 1070 and the shocking March 27 murder of border rancher Rob Krentz. Does…
60,000 Barrels a Day
CNN bulletin: Government officials raise estimate of oil spewing from a well in the Gulf of Mexico to 35,000-60,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, Mother Jones reporter Mac McClelland talks about how BP and local authorities are blocking the press from oil-drenched beaches: Elmer’s Island Wildlife Refuge, even after all the warnings, looks worse than I…
CD8: NPR Poll Shows Trouble for Democrats Like Giffords
NPR has released an in-depth poll examining voters attitudes in various congressional districts around the country. One of those surveyed was Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 8, where Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is considered to be in a competitive race with the winner of the GOP primary. The bottom line: The news is not good for Democrats.…
CD8: Graf Endorses Jesse Kelly
Republican Jesse Kelly, one of five Republicans running for the chance to take on Democratic incumbent Gabrielle Giffords in CD8, has won the endorsement of former state lawmaker Randy Graf. “I think Jesse is the most conservative and the best candidate to run against Giffords in the general election,” says Graf. It was Graf who…
CD8 Debate Update: Audience Likes Kelly Best
The audience members at today’s Tea Party-sponsored debate among the Republican candidates in Congressional District 8 picked Jesse Kelly as the winner. Kelly got the votes of 78 audience members, while 56 liked Jonathan Paton and 37 liked Brian Miller. Andy Goss, who was unable to attend, got three votes.
CD8: Who’s the Real Conservative?
Republican congressional candidates Jonathan Paton, Jesse Kelly and Brian Miller made a number of remarkable statements in today’s debate in Green Valley. When answering a question about closing the deficit, for example, Kelly proposed a plan to “drop the mother of all bombs—the largest non-nuclear device” on the ocean floor to stop the BP leak…
Glassman Vows to Wear Arizona Flag Pin on Lapel. Dougherty Calls for Cuts in “Unnecessary Defense Spending”
U.S. Senate candidate Rodney Glassman may be ducking the chance to debate his fellow Democrats, but he’s willing to let us know about his political fashion statements. This just in from the Glassman campaign: U.S. Senate candidate Rodney Glassman announced today that he will be adding an Arizona flag pin to his lapel, right next…
Tucson’s Everyday People: The 17th Street Farmer
Tom Taylor, the manager of The 17th Street Market on 17th Street and Park Avenue, has been involved in the grocery business for most of his life, having done practically every job imaginable in a grocery store. After managing a number of supermarkets of numerous chains, he has found himself at the 17th Street Market.…
Yuma Mayor: Gay Soldiers Are “Lacy-Drawered, Limp-Wristed People”
And you thought the idiocy in Prescott about lightening up a mural featuring Hispanic kids on the side of a school was bad. Yuma Mayor Al Krieger refers to gay soldiers as “a bunch of lacy-drawered, limp-wristed people.” The Arizona Legislature will probably swing into special session to issue a memorial celebrating Krieger.
Remembering Gerry
Friends of Gerry Glombecki will be gathering tomorrow, Sunday. June 13, at Club Congress to remember the musician, poet and all-around good guy, who died on May 25. Wolf Forrest, a friend of the Weekly, offered this about Gerry: Wolf Forrest I came into Gerry’s sphere of influence in early 1981—not through the musician’s band…
Friday Roundtable: Clean Elections and the Downtown Hotel
Just enough time tonight to talk about the Clean Elections decision and the downtown hotel proposal.
Friday Roundtable: The Rodney Glassman Interview
U.S. Senate candidate Rodney Glassman stops by Arizona Illustrated’s Friday Roundtable.
As We Predicted: Wallace Faces Challenge to Nominating Petitions in LD26
We told you in The Skinny this week that William Wallace, a Democrat seeing a House seat in Legislative District 26, was likely to face a challenge to his nominating petitions. Sure enough, he’s among the candidates fighting to stay on the ballot. Also, Republican Tom Gordon has dropped out of the governor’s race after…
CD8 Republican Debate: Monday, June 14
If you haven’t yet seen the Republicans in Congressional District 8 throw down in a debate, your next chance is Monday, June 14. Three of them—Jonathan Paton, Jesse Kelly and Brian Miller—will be at Green Valley’s West Social Center, 1111 S Via Arcoiris, for a Green Valley/Sahuarita Tea Party-sponsored debate from 2 to 4 p.m.…
Skinny 2010 Spotlight: Democrat Dustin Cox, Legislative District 27 House of Representatives
With two open House seats—Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford is running for the state Senate, while Rep. Phil Lopes is retiring that ol’ bow tie—the Democratic primary in Legislative District 27 is a crowded affair. Eight candidates have lined up to be the next state Representatives and Skinny 2010 would like to introduce you to Dustin…
The Jax Farm Project Blog
The people up at jaxKitchen are really onto something with their recently launched blog that follows the progress of their new chef’s garden in Barrio Viejo. It takes the whole farm-to-table concept to another level: Knowing your food is grown locally means the food is usually fresher and of a higher quality. Watching the tomatoes…
CiCi’s Pizza Invasion
CiCi’s Pizza is opening three new locations in Tucson as part of an expansion that is expected to result in as many as 25 locations across the state, according to a press release. CiCi’s Pizza currently has one location at 2912 W. Ina Road, and it has already closed and reopened since coming on the…
Tucson’s Everyday People: La Placita Village People
In this multimedia project by UA School of Journalism students R.J. Young, Raymond Slusarczyk and Nicole O’Shea, La Placita Village, located in Downtown Tucson, takes center stage as a place of vibrant colors in the Old Pueblo.
The Sky Is on Fire
A new favorite haunt of mine is Sky Bar at 536 N. Fourth Avenue. They have Happy Hour from 5:30 to 8:30 every day, except Sunday, when it’s Happy Hour all day! Two-dollar wells sounds damn good this time of year. Even better, Friday nights offer a free fire twirling show from local performance troupe,…
Picture This: Afternoon Delight
KATHERINE PARCHEN The Larry Redhouse Trio performs in the courtyard at the Park Place Mall on May 27.
An Exxon Valdez Every 10 Days
The latest estimates show that the BP spill could have been as much as 25,000 to 30,000 barrels a day.
Picture This: Make Some Music
KATHERINE PARCHEN The Joe Troop Band plays a concert at Park Place Mall on May 27.
Glassman and the Democratic Debates
Rodney Glassman Score one for Democratic Senate candidate John Dougherty this week. The former investigative reporter managed to make the putative front-runner, Rodney Glassman, look like he doesn’t have the stones to debate his fellow Democrats. Dougherty laid down a challenge to three debates—one in Tucson, one in Phoenix and one in Flagstaff—to the other…
Jason’s Deli Reopens, Gives Out 1,000 Free Sandwiches on Monday
Jason’s Deli is reopening its recently closed store at 4545 N. Oracle Road and will be giving away 1,000 free sandwiches on Monday. Another location at 5420 E. Broadway Blvd., which also closed unexpectedly on Sunday, May 30, is expected to open in late 2010. From the full press release: In a surprising turn of…
Skinny 2010 Spotlight: Democrat Sami Hamed, Legislative District 27 House of Representatives
With two open House seats—Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford is running for the state Senate, while Rep. Phil Lopes is retiring that ol’ bow tie—the Democratic primary in Legislative District 27 is a crowded affair. Eight candidates have lined up to be the next state Representatives and Skinny 2010 would like to introduce you to Sami…
Live
Robert Rich
Shows With Tunes
If you find yourself hankering for a dose of Broadway show tunes, but you can’t hitch a ride on anything Broadway-bound, you might want to look a wee bit north … to Marana. Yes, Marana. On three summer Saturday evenings, Marana’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Arizona Rose Theatre Company will celebrate the many…
The Skinny
The U.S. Supreme Court shuts down matching funds for Clean Elections candidates … GOP congressional candidates explain how to deport 11 million illegal immigrants … A Democrat in Legislative District 26 may be tossed off the ballot … and more!
Sunshine Superman
I need to admit something: I’ve not been the hugest N. Scott Momaday fan over the years. His poems—the sound, look and experience of them—too often bring to mind the stuffy, uptight, onion-skinned paper of overpriced, massive college textbooks designed to provide students with the broadest overviews of, say, 20th-century American poetry. This is ironic,…
Danehy
On May 28, the Democrat-controlled New York Legislature passed a bill that could more than double the number of charter schools in the state. It was a huge victory for billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a stinging defeat for New York’s teachers’ unions, which have long held sway in the Legislature. Perhaps…
Old-School Scares
Splice has invaded this bland summer movie season like an insane, confused partygoer told she was attending a Halloween masquerade ball rather than a friendly barbecue. It’s a crazy film likely to alienate those who prefer formulaic horror (I’m talking to you, Saw fans!) while pleasing those who like their scares a little more on…
Serraglio
I was wandering around the house the other day, trying to remember why I was wandering around the house, when I was startled by a voice rising from the bedroom—a voice rich with righteous indignation, almost thespian in its vigorous projection. It was my partner’s voice, and the sequence of her exclamations played out along…
T Q&A
Maureen Brusa Zappellini
What the Heart Wants
Upon his retirement, Esposito (Ricardo Darín) is still haunted by a brutal murder he investigated 25 years ago. An unspoken love for his old superior has lasted just as long—and haunts him even more. To occupy his time, the former detective attempts to reconcile these two major events of his life in a novel. Before…
Mailbag
Rosemont Copper Is Engaged in Marketing, Not Honesty; BP and Rosemont Copper: Both Motivated by Greed; Arizona’s Days of Dropping an Open-Pit Mine Into a Community Are Over; Police Dispatch Needs to Learn: Mental Illness Isn’t Funny
Now Showing at Home
Alice in Wonderland (Three-Disc Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy); Shutter Island; War of the Worlds (Blu-ray)
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I worked a summer job during college (the late-1960s) in Southern Arizona, where most of my co-workers were from the state of Sonora. Their favorite expression when something was broken was, “No vale verga,” literally, “Not worth dick,” but actually meaning “totally fucked up.” What happened with this expression? When I use it…
Holy Rolling Empire: Noise Will Be Noise (Self-released)
The new EP by Tucson combo the Holy Rolling Empire (this year’s Tucson Weekly delegate to SXSW), Noise Will Be Noise, is a strong effort in a growing body of work that consistently hits the sweet spot between hard-edged power pop and psychedelia—which is clearly HRE’s stock-in-trade. Noise Will Be Noise is the group’s first…
Court Commitments
Cherry Carter held a small bouquet of white, yellow and dark-red flowers while standing beneath a cloudless blue sky. Wearing a fashionable black dress, shiny crimson heels and a wide, blazing-red hat, she had come to Pima County’s old courthouse to marry Javier Guzman, 49, who looked cool and comfortable in a sport coat. “I…
Sarah Jaffe: Suburban Nature (Kirtland)
The music of Sarah Jaffe will remind some listeners of that of Cat Power or PJ Harvey, although at 24, the singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas, is a generation younger. She obviously crosses demographic boundaries, having toured with Norah Jones, Midlake and, now, Lou Barlow. The shambling elegance of her canny full-length debut album displays a…
Police Dispatch
Slap in the face; e-mail for a good time
Monster Pussy: 24-Hour Party Pussies! (Bloat)
When discussing this six-song 7″ from local pop-punksters Monster Pussy, “serious-minded” might be the last descriptor you’d pick. While the band’s sound is reminiscent of the grrrl- and queer-friendly music that K Records and Kill Rock Stars released in their mid-’90s heyday, the content is decidedly less revolutionary party, and more, well, slumber party. Rather…
Media Watch
Sign o’ the times: three TV reporters leave Tucson; Alan Michaels returns to Cool; Chita parts ways with KLPX
Home Sweet Loan
Foreclosures continue at near-record rates both locally and nationally—and Congressman Raúl Grijalva isn’t satisfied with the Obama administration’s response to the problem. He has called for additional federal help, and he’s supported by two Tucsonans involved with the ongoing crisis. “By any measure,” Grijalva and 26 other House members wrote Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in…
Weekly Wide Web
Most Americans don’t care whether other countries have better soccer teams than we do. After all, soccer games are often slow-moving, and a bad call from an official can ruin everyone’s fun. We’ve already got a sport like that here. However, the World Cup is starting this weekend, and a small percentage of the U.S.…
The Guard Card
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was quick to praise President Barack Obama’s recent decision to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the Mexican border. “The White House is doing the right thing,” Giffords said in a statement. “Arizonans know that more boots on the ground means a safer and more secure border.” Republican Jonathan Paton—one of the…
Top Ten in Music
Toxic Ranch Records top sales for the week
Footnotes in History
The Pima Air and Space Museum is a monument not only to aviation—with 300 planes on 80 acres, as its slogan has it—but to the tools of war. Helicopters and planes that were used in the major conflicts of the 20th century dangle from the ceilings of the museum’s half-dozen hangars. Nicknamed Buzz Bomb and…
In the Little Black Box
When I was a freshman in college, I worked at the jewelry counter of a suburban department store that sold everything from electronics to glassware to toys. I knew very little about the commercial-jewelry business, and though I was not surprised to learn that the markup on jewelry—particularly on diamonds—was insanely high, I was surprised…
Emotionally Direct
The first thing you notice about Lou Barlow when you call him at his Los Angeles home is how nice he is. The singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and veteran of such indie-rock acts as Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion seems genuinely charming. He’s not some unapproachable, reluctant alt-rock icon; he’s simply pleasant to talk to…
The Easiest Thing
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of decisions precede a wedding. Some are more crucial than others—napkin patterns for the reception being somewhat less urgent than, say, the selection of music—but they all must be made. But, fellas, here’s the great thing: They don’t have to be made by you. Welcome to the token Man Story in this…
Courting Suspense
Since the age of 7, Robert Dugoni wanted to be a writer. He was one of 10 children in his family, and according to his biography, the bestselling author often jokes that he expressed himself through writing, because he rarely was able to talk. He majored in communication at Stanford University and worked as a…
Noshing Around
New: Nimbus Ice House; Boca Is Open; Portable Jamaican Food; Dinner for a Good Cause; Noshing Notes
Louisiana Cookin’
Geographically and culturally, the bayous of Louisiana and the Sonoran Desert couldn’t get much more different. As far as the food goes, the only thing in common is a love of heat. Don’s Bayou Cajun Cookin’ brings some of that Louisiana-style heat to Tucson—and for the most part, this desert-dweller thought the eats were pretty…
Soundbites
Remembering Gerry; helping Craig; cowtown party!; the second Second Saturday; on the bandwagon
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books best-sellers for the week
It’s All in There
Without a map, it’s easy to lose yourself in the Coronado National Forest. Sprawling across southeastern Arizona and into New Mexico, this sublime domain encompasses nearly 2 million acres of mountains, arroyos and plains. Then again, any map is only as good as its ability to tell you where you are, and where you need…
City Week
Solar Solstice Fair; The photos of Bart Jennings; The Firefighter Combat Challenge; Pima County Public Library GLBT Author Presentation: Sonia Sanchez
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
Clubs and Marriage
Some notes and news to lead off this scorching-hot issue: • Mark your calendars: Fall Club Crawl® will take over downtown on Saturday, Oct. 16! Best of Tucson® 24 takes over Southern Arizona on Thursday, Sept. 23! And we’re this close to nailing down a date for the 17th annual Tucson Area Music Awards, aka…
Nine Questions
Cristina Williams
Mars Shot: On the Edge of Valles Marineris
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona A new batch of HiRISE images has been posted by the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab. See ’em here.HiRISE team member Patrick Russell tells us about the above photo: This observation shows the intersection of several geologic features at the edge of the huge Valles Marineris system of canyons on Mars. The…
U.S. Senate Candidate John Dougherty and Phoenix New Times Get $40K From Arpaio
Former Phoenix New Times reporter and U.S. Senate candidate John Dougherty get a $40K check from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio—sorta. New Times has the details and a great photo. The check was actually for legal fees expended by New Times in the pursuit of public records requested by ex-New Times reporter John Dougherty in…
Welcome to the Jungle
California voters embraced non-partisan primaries yesterday. Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic: The biggest news out of California last night was not an election: it was the endorsement of a ballot initiative, Proposition 14, that might radically change the type of candidate who seeks and wins congressional and statewide officers. The “Top Two Primary Act” allows…
No Private Money for Brewer
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s blocking of matching funds, the Clean Elections Commission has rejected a call from Gov. Jan Brewer to allow her to raise private funds to match Republican gubernatorial candidate Buz Mill’s big wallet. Howie has details here. But the commissioners have an alternative idea: Instead, the commissioners approved a…
Brian Lopez on Arizona Illustrated
Our friends at Arizona Public Media profile local musician Brian Lopez. If you don’t want to watch it on your computer, it airs at 6:30 p.m. tonight on KUAT’s Arizona Illustrated on Channel 6.
Brewer for President!
Rasmussen runs the numbers: Given a 2012 election contest for president between Obama as the Democratic candidate and Brewer as the Republican, 44% of all voters support the incumbent, while 39% prefer the governor. Nine percent (9%) like some other candidate, while eight percent (8%) more are undecided. But they do add a caveat: But…
Skinny 2010 Spotlight: Democrat Bob Gilby, Legislative District 27 House of Representatives
With two open House seats—Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford is running for the state Senate, while Rep. Phil Lopes is retiring that ol’ bow tie—the Democratic primary in Legislative District 27 is a crowded affair. Eight candidates have lined up to be the next state Representatives and Skinny 2010 would like to introduce you to Bob…
Bachelor Auction, Music and Comedy Tonight at Club Congress
Get yourself out of that music/comedy/dating rut tonight (and support a good a good cause!) by heading out to Club Congress’ benefit for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Word on the street is that there will be some sexy studs to bid on, stand-up comedy as well as music by the Provocative Whites (above),…
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at Rocky Point
Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers are set to perform the annual “Circus Mexicus” at Rocky Point, Friday, June 11, through Sunday, June 13. Tickets are $30 in advance available here and $35 day of show. The event will benefit the Esperanza Para Los Ninos Orphanage in Mexico (www.esperanzaparalosninos.com). For more information on Circus Mexicus, click…
Tucson’s Everyday People: Treading to the Top
Find more videos like this on VII VISIONAIRES Amateur Motocross rider Cody Briner talks about the path he’s taken to get to where he is now in this audio slideshow by Joshua Morgan.
