Cover Story
Real Refuge
Young boys carrying plastic swords chase each other past girls in bright-colored clothes playing hula-hoop, weaving through the adults who are casually watching them. The courtyard of Sonora Cohousing reverberates with the sound of children laughing and playing as their shuffling feet make soft, rhythmic beats against the grass. Off to the side, past the…
County Closing Trails Into Coronado Nat’l Forest
A bulletin from Pima County: Due to extreme fire danger and concern for public safety, Pima County will close trails and trailheads that allow access to the Coronado National Forest and Rincon District of Saguaro National Park starting Thursday, June 9. Both the Coronado National Forest and the Rincon District will be closed to public…
Happy Birthday, Gabrielle Giffords
Obviously, it would be nice to honor Rep. Giffords under different circumstances, but happy 41st birthday to Gabrielle Giffords. Her Facebook page has a few photos of the celebration in her room in Houston. Also, her website has a space to send her birthday greetings, if you are so inclined.
The Tucson Weekly Extended Tribute to Bill Murray Continues
While I generally find the idea of paying $22 for a t-shirt somewhat offensive, any item that re-imagines famous film roles as if Bill Murray had been cast in them is exactly the sort of commerce I like to support.
New Farmers’ Markets
Local farmers’-market organizer Ed Dubis has started two new markets. A new farmers’ market opened last Tuesday at Ventana Plaza, on the corner of Sunrise Drive and Kolb Road, says Dubis. Vendors there sell organic produce, prepared foods, beauty products and crafts from 2 to 7 p.m., every Tuesday. Dubis has also established a market…
If You See This App, Someone Thinks You’re Talking Too Much
Introducing the Talk-o-Meter, an app for the iPhone, which is wildly too expensive at $4.99 for what will likely be something you try a few times and forget about. The premise is to use some sort of voice recognition technology to determine who is hogging any two-person conversation with their anecdotes and observations. I suppose…
Ayn Rand and Jesus: The Passion of Paul Ryan
It sure is vogue lately for many a Republican conservative to get all gushy about their love for Ayn Rand, but Faithful America is challenging those who love the mother of objectivism to say they love Jesus, too. From Faithful America: Paul Ryan: Put Down Ayn Rand What would inspire Republicans in the House of…
Who Inspired Tim Pawlenty’s Delusional Economic Plan?
It appears that Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty may have been taking economic advice from Jesse Kelly, the Republican who lost to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords last year. During his unsuccessful campaign, Kelly said the key to improving the economy was 10 percent GDP growth over 20 or 30 years. As I reported at the time:…
Critter of the Week (Dog Edition): Omi
Omi, a 3-year-old Pit Bull mix, is one happy pup, and it sort of looks like she’s wearing trousers! Cute! Omi has just one thing on her mind and that’s spending time with people. This lovey dovey little girl will wiggle her way over to you and look up longingly in search of a hug.…
Teen Sells Kidney to Buy iPad2; Woman Sues Dunkin Donuts for Putting Sugar in Her Coffee and More: Rynski Radio on Party934
Update with download and playlist at bottom of post Photo Ryn Gargulinski Hold the sugar, please. Teens will go to great lengths for the latest electronic gadgets, as evidenced by one 17-year-old boy in China who sold one of his kidneys to get money for a new iPad2. He traded his perfectly healthy kidney for…
Holland: Where a Politician’s Erotic Tweets Earn Followers
Anthony Weiner’s wiener tweets are boring compared to Dutch politician Frank van der Vorst’s accidental tweet: “As you throbbingly climax for the first time I feel your juices in my mouth as if they were the nectar of love.” He’s not married, and since he could have a second career writing erotic fiction, his approval…
Somewhat Embarassing Christian Rock Video of the Week
Who says Christian music is behind the times? Cortni’s 2010 “live” video for “After Party” recalls the music of Avril Lavigne, one of the biggest stars in music right now. Wait, she’s not? Oh. At least the song utilizes the sadly underappreciated Speak & Spell in a prominent musical role. That’s kind of cool and…
How to Save Money This Summer
Today Now!: Save Money By Taking A Vacation Entirely In Your MindFrom the Onion News Network’s Today Now!, this is the idea I’ve been looking for all spring (in between frantic, panicked looks at my checking account balance). Now I just have to figure out a way to get the rest of my family on…
Music to Listen to Poolside by Poolside
LA duo Poolside describe their music as “Daytime Disco” which I suppose means they have a sunny take on late 70’s pop/soul, but who knows? Their first single, “Do You Believe”, was a fun, summery, synth-heavy dance track, which they’ve followed up with a two-part similarly-themed mixtape nearly adding up to two hours of music.…
Arizona Afire
Smoke from southeastern Arizona’s Wallow Fire has drifted as far as Iowa. NASA brings us images from space. The Weather Underground’s Jeff Masters rounds up the devastation from Arizona’s wildfires: Smoke from Arizona’s third largest fire on record, the massive Wallow fire, has now blown downwind over 1,000 miles to Iowa. The fire, which is…
Paul Simon and David Byrne Pick a Strange Song to Perform Together
There probably aren’t too many opportunities in life to see two music greats like Paul Simon and David Byrne on the same stage, but of all the songs in Simon’s often-amazing discography, they chose “You Can Call Me Al” — for me, even though it was a hit, it’s the worst song on a great…
Film Forward: Free Screenings of “Boy” and “Son of Babylon” Tonight
Film Forward, the Sundance Institute’s mutli-culti traveling film festival, continues tonight with Boy at the Loft Cinema and Son of Babylon at the downtown library. Both screenings are free. This is a real treat for Tucson film lovers. More details, including the complete schedule, here.
The New Wii Seems Interesting, If They Can Keep Up the Pace
I’m not much of a gamer, I suppose, but I like having a video game console around, especially with two kids and a few months in the summer where it’s nearly unbearable to be outside. We bought a Wii when the console came out and at first, the novelty of motion-detection controlling and the ability…
Padres Get Crushed, 24-3. Back on the Field at Kino Stadium Tonight
Yikes! The T-Pads got pounded last night, 24-3. Tim Hagerty of the Padres has the details: The Tacoma Rainiers batted around in four different innings Monday, beating the Tucson Padres 24-3. The loss established new marks for the Tucson Padres in runs allowed, hits allowed (22) and margin victory by an opponent. Between Sunday and…
Powhaus Announces Latest Event, “Tulle”
The level of glamour and style the Powhaus crew are attempting to pull off with their latest event (the first since the organization regrouped a bit after a busy 2010) outclasses anything I’d be able to achieve, but if you’re looking for your high fashion moment in the sun, mark August 19th on your calendar:…
Happy Birthday, Prince
Happy 53rd birthday to Prince, one of the most creative and frustrating musicians of all time. Still, while Prince might not give his fans what they’re looking for at any given time, the air of mystery about what he’s going to do next and in an era where most musicians are relentlessly packaged and marketed,…
Pima County Democratic Party Endorses Mayoral Candidate Rothschild. Plus: Expect a Legal Challenge to Darcy’s Signatures
We goofed slightly in our report on Democratic candidate Marshall Home’s lawsuit to knock fellow Democrat Jonathan Rothschild off the ballot when we suggested that Rothschild had been endorsed by the Pima County Executive Committee. While the Pima County Executive Committee did take the rare step of endorsing the incumbents on the Tucson City Council…
Marshall Home Sues To Have Democratic Rival Jonathan Rothschild Kicked Off the Ballot, Says Campaign Slogan Will Be “Avoid Lawyers and Skunks”
Democratic mayoral candidate Marshall Home, whose candidacy is likely to face a legal challenge over his eligibility, today filed a preemptive lawsuit to try to knock Democrat Jonathan Rothschild off the ballot. Home is pinning his legal hopes on the fact that Rothschild is a lawyer. “I don’t want to see lawyers anywhere in our…
Film Forward: Free Screening of “Winter’s Bone” at The Loft Tonight
In last week’s print edition, I talked with the Loft Cinema’s Peggy Johnson about Film Forward, the Sundance Institute’s film series that’s running in Tucson this week. You can find a complete schedule here; there’s some really cool stuff showing for free around town this week. One of those movies is Winter’s Bone, a terrific…
Can Someone Explain This Concert Lineup?
Theories (as of 3:45 pm on June 6th): 1. Joey and John are legally required to be booked on every multi-act bill in Tucson, even if the headliner is the band behind “We Built This City”.2. It’s a different Calexico. Back when the Gavin Rossdale fronted band Bush was terrorizing ears in the 90’s, they…
Adorable Kid Singing Somewhat Inappropriate Song Adorably
To try to cleanse the palate from today’s stream of Anthony Weiner news, here’s a really cute kid dancing and singing along to the Glee version of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” (in costume!). While it might be worth questioning if a kid his age should be listening to a song with the line “let’s go…
What Should Happen When You Text at the Movies
There’s a lot to like about the Alamo Drafthouse mini-chain of indie theaters in Texas (although the Loft does have a lot of the same traits and features as the Drafthouses, even if they don’t seem to listen to my advice), including this promo which features their no texting policy. A note to obsessive texters:…
Maybe Anthony Weiner Is a Photo-Sending Creep (Actually, He Is)
[Update: Rep. Weiner is on television now, accepting responsibility for sending photos to women online. He claims he didn’t have physical contact with these women, and he isn’t planning to resign. He’s also taking the standard sex-scandal apology route, for what that’s worth.] Among the last things I’d want to do as a blogger is…
The Gathering of the Juggalos Video is Here!
The highlight of the summer music festival season is clearly the Gathering of the Juggalos, featuring the Insane Clown Posse and whatever ideas roll out of their heads while high. The second highlight of the summer festival season is the announcement of the lineup for the Gathering, and this year, the 27 minute long (!!!)…
RIP, Martin Rushent
For decades, it took a special sort of music obsessive to think about the person producing the songs they loved. Now, with producer dominated pop, R&B and hiphop, it’s a little different, but it’s easy to listen the music of Joy Division without thinking about how Martin Hannett influenced the dark, foreboding sound of “Atmosphere”.…
Mark Kelly Introduces a U2 Song in Seattle
While Mark Kelly was already on the ground when he introduced U2’s “Beautiful Day” from space at Saturday’s show in Seattle, it’s still kind of a cool bit. As cool as when Garth drummed with the band on the MTV Music Awards? Possibly.
It’s Getting Harder and Harder To Tell the Difference: Fox News Mixes Up Sarah Palin and Tina Fey
You’ll see a lot of this mix-up on the Web today. [The Political Carnival]
Bark in the Park: Bring Your Hounds To See the Padres Tonight
The Padres won a slugfest at Kino Stadium last night, 12-8. Tonight is Bark in the Park night, with all of Tucson’s baseball-loving mutts welcome at the ballpark. Details here. Here’s the roundup of last night’s game from the Padres’ Tim Hagerty: The Tucson Padres scored five late runs to win a wild game Friday,…
Rizzo Homers in Last Road Game. Padres Return to Tucson Tonight and Little League Players Get in Free!
Samantha Sais If you’re a little-league player, you get into the Tucson Padres game tonight by just wearing your jersey! And tomorrow night is another Sunday Bark in the Park night, with means your furry friends are welcome at Kino Stadium. More details on the home stand here. Last night, Anthony Rizzo hit another home…
Tequila Party Kicks Off Tonight in Baja Arizona
In an effort to increase Latino voter participation in 2012, a national movement formally kicks off its national tour in Tucson tonight — the Tequila Party. Makes sense that Baja Arizona gets to host the first of a national tour. But if you need a reason to celebrate the Tequila Party, think about Citizens for…
When 19-Year-Olds Go Bad on the Border
In this week’s media update from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the Southwest border, border officials seized 2,098 of marijuana, 20 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of heroin. However, two 19-year-old U.S. citizens got in on the action, too: On June 2, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen male attempted to enter the United…
In Unsurprising News: Palin Has No Plans To Run for U.S. Senate
Corey Rangel, a reporter for ABC-15 in Phoenix, was at Sky Harbor Airport and ran into Sarah Palin, who is taking a break from giving impromptu history lessons on her buscapade and retreating to her new Scottsdale estate. He asked her if she was planning on running for retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl’s seat: She…
Looking for Actors, Singers and Musicians This Weekend
Arid Rose Theater will be auditioning for actors, singers and musicians for productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Survival of St. Joan and History of the Devil from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5. All roles available. Arid Rose is located at 127 S. Fourth Ave. Call 990-9386, or…
Hey Johnny Lawman, Stop Hassling the Honey Man!
I wouldn’t mess with a guy who’s in cahoots with the bees. This honey seller on the corner of Silverbell and Ruthrauff roads keeps getting hassled by cops and deputies. He’s not taking it lying down, though, and was out there talking about how America was founded on small businesses like honey dealers, and how…
Can a Art Film Theater and a Indie Venue Save a City?
Photo by Flickr user “Pheaber” NPR’s Planet Money ran a feature on how a movie theater and a indie rock club are bringing back life to Omaha, Nebraska. Of course, we have the hottest entertainment spot in the country, so we’re fine. The movie theater, Film Streams, is a marvel. It’s brand new, gorgeous and…
Idiot Boksen – The Worst Opening Credits in TV History
Opening credit sequences can be elaborately beautiful gateways, preparing us for our favorite shows. Or they can be painfully distracting to the point we groan and pray for TiVo. This post is about the latter. (Before we start, I’d like to mention Dan Gibson’s post about H8R, wherein fame whores like Kim Kardashian and Snooki…
Padres Back This Weekend!
Samantha Sais The Tucson Padres are wrapping a road trip and returning to Tucson on Saturday, June 4, to start a four-game series against the Tacoma Rainiers, followed by four games against the Las Vegas 51s. There’s a bunch of fun stuff planned at the ballpark over the next week, including a visit from the…
Go See Tucson’s Soccer Team This Weekend!
FC Tucson, the team that made its debut as the opening act for the MLS teams at the Desert Cup, have matches Friday and Saturday as part of the semi-pro Men’s Super Soccer League at Murphy Field. While I haven’t personally seen FC Tucson since their Desert Cup matches, I was shocked by the skill…
VH1 Tries to Determine America’s 2011 Summer Jam
That cable channel that used to show a bunch of music stuff and now just has shows about the wives of rappers, basketball players, and mobsters, VH1, has an interesting experiment on their blog trying to determine the summer jam of 2011 by looking at several metrics of popularity. Summer seems like the time of…
Time to Move to Pyongyang, Land of Happiness!
You only thought you were happy living in America, but it turns out, you haven’t known true nationalistic joy until you’ve lived in North Korea. This is, of course, according to a North Korean study, but I’m sure that’s reliable: A report floating around China’s websphere alleges that North Korea’s Chosun Central Television recently released…
Learn to Spell Words You Didn’t Previously Know Existed
Sukanya Roy, an 8th grader from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee last night, defeating Laura Newcombe, from Toronto, Canada (USA! USA! USA!), when Newcombe misspelled “sorites” (“an argument consisting of propositions so arranged that the predicate of any one forms the subject of the next and the conclusion unites the subject of…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
One local cyclist thinks bike riders need to be better ambassadors for cycling by being more friendly and obeying laws. Read her thoughts here. A Tucson man is working on a photo book documenting the cycling community in Tucson. Check out some of the photos that will be included. There are examples of how not…
Richard Fimbres: Why I Voted for This City Budget
Ward 5 City Councilmember Richard Fimbres sent is this guest commentary explaining why he voted for the city budget. These past two years have been very difficult because of the economic downturn. During my time as the Ward 5 council member, we have had to deal with three budgetary deficits, and we balanced the city’s…
Tucson Abandoned Animals Face Cruel Fate When Phoebe Awaits
Photo Ryn Gargulinski Abandoned small animals are Phoebe’s favorite chew toys. Contrary to what Tucson parents might tell their kids, unwanted goldfish flushed down the toilet don’t end up merrily swimming round Reid Park’s duck pond—and small animals let loose in a midtown neighborhood do not live happily ever after. They are lucky to live…
Democrats Want To Knock GOP Mayoral Candidate McClusky off the Ballot
Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers tells The Range that he’ll try to knock Republican Shaun McClusky out of the mayor’s race. Rogers says that party operatives have discovered between 280 and 300 invalid signatures on McClusky’s nominating petitions. McClusky had to turn in 1,060 valid signatures to make the ballot. He turned in…
Nerd Worlds Collide! Muppet Star Wars Action Figures!
Yes, it will be a little bit of a hassle to have to travel to Disneyland to purchase the Muppet Star Wars toys. Yes, I’m sure at some point I will question when I’ll stop getting excited by nostalgic pop culture merchandise. However, it will be all worth it when I have a Link Hogthrob…
This Is Where Anti-Piracy Laws Are Going, Apparently
In Tennessee, if you share your Netflix password with someone, you could face a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. While it makes sense that if someone is using the service, they should probably pay for it, that’s sort of an ominously abusive penalty for letting your neighbor watch an episode of Dexter on…
Federal Judge Rejects Motion for Advance Notice of Loughner Drugging
Believing that Jared Loughner would not be forcibly medicated without the permission of the court, Judge Larry Burns rejected the defense’s motion to be notified in advance of plans to administer psychotropic drugs to their client: U.S. District Judge Larry Burns said he was confident that doctors at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in…
When You Need Only the Best in Ice Cube Technology
The ice that comes from the plastic trays in my freezer suddenly seems so inadequate. Only $205 (plus shipping) if anyone’s going to buy me something for Blogger’s Day (note: there is actually no gift-giving opportunity/holiday called Blogger’s Day). Apparently, Citizen Public House in Phoenix has one (albeit one made by a competitor, I believe).…
City Hall Brawl: Democrat Regina Romero vs. Democrat Joe Flores in Ward 1
As she wraps up her first term on the Tucson City Council, Democrat Regina Romero says she loves her job representing the westside Ward 1. “I’ve represented Ward 1 very well,” Romero says. “I work very directly with constituents and with neighborhood associations and businesses in Ward 1.” She cites her record of working with…
Shooting in Yuma Leaves Five Dead, Including Suspect
Tragic news today, according to the Yuma Sun: The suspect in a series of shootings around Yuma County is dead, police said. Carey Hal Dyess, 73, of Yuma, apparently shot and killed one person in Yuma and three people in Yuma County before shooting himself, according to a press release from the Yuma Police Department.…
New: New York Pizza Department
We finally made it over to the newish New York Pizza Department for a slice this week. The pizzeria at 1521 N. Wilmot Road did not disappoint, and it’s currently running a special where you can get a soda and a slice for $3. The menu is all subs, pizzas, Paninis, calzones and a few…
City Hall Brawl: Ward 2: Democrat Paul Cunningham vs. Republican Jennifer Rawson in Ward 2
Democrat Paul Cunningham was appointed to the Tucson City Council after Councilman Rodney Glassman stepped down last year to run for the U.S. Senate. Cunningham has been involved with politics most of his life; his father, George Cunningham, was a state lawmaker in the 1990s and served as a budget advisor in the Napolitano administration,…
City Hall Brawl: Democrat Shirley Scott vs. Republican Tyler Vogt in Ward 4
When Republican Tyler Vogt filed his nominating petitions to run for the Ward 4 Tucson City Council seat last week, he sent an open letter to Ward 4 Councilwoman Shirley Scott urging her to quit the race. “I offer you the opportunity to resign from this race with your dignity and your reputation intact,” Vogt…
The Decline of American Civilization Begins With Girls Playing With Trucks
Sean Hannity’s Great American Panel starts with the liberal influences of Elmo and takes that train straight to Paranoid Crazy Town:
Food Conspiracy Co-op Adds Some Serious Square Footage
Food Conspiracy Co-op has signed a deal that will more than double the amount of room the store at 412 N. Fourth Ave. has to work with. Co-op officials just announced that they signed a deal to lease a 6,500-square-foot building at 425 E. Seventh St. The plan is to convert at least 1,000 square…
City Hall Brawl: Just Who Is Running for Mayor, Anyway?
With Republican Mayor Bob Walkup stepping down after three terms, seven candidates—two Democrats, two Republicans, two Greens and one independent—filed to run for mayor yesterday. While it’s unlikely that all of the candidates will survive legal challenges to their eligibility, here’s how the race looks now: Democrat Jonathan Rothschild, a Democrat, faces a potential primary…
Go See the Sand Rubies Tonight (For the Last Time?)
The Sand Rubies/Sidewinders, the desert rock band that never quite made it, are hanging up their instruments tonight after 26 years as a band (albeit with a hiatus for the main components of the group – David Slutes and Rich Hopkins – to not speak to each other for a while). If you have any…
Live
Tucson’s Dead Western Plains create a beautiful wall of sound where melodies tap into exhilaration and melancholy in equal measure. The droning guitars, intricate keyboard work and borderline-tribal drums are the ingredients behind their well-crafted, soaring, psychedelic pop songs. The chaotic, colorful video display overlapped their white outfits, complementing their sound. Singer and keyboardist Johnnie…
Media Watch
KRQ still rule the Tucson radio school Alan Michaels is off the dial again
Police Dispatch
You killed my pussy, you pussy!; Just check her fingernails
The Donkeys: Born With Stripes (Dead Oceans)
California’s rich musical history gives San Diego’s The Donkeys plenty to draw from, and stylistically, Born With Stripes is a sampler plate, touching on sunny pop, beach rock, slacker alternative, psychedelic jams and alt-country. But the band is tight and talented enough to make it all work, thanks in part to the clear and crisp…
Top Ten in Books
1. The Help Kathryn Stockett, Berkley ($16) 2. The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories From the Arizona Borderlands Margaret Regan, Beacon ($15) 3. Tinkers Paul Harding, Bellevue ($14.95) 4. Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona’s Immigration War Zone Terry Greene Sterling, Lyons ($16.95) 5. Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese, Vintage ($15.95) 6. Life Keith Richards,…
Weekly Wide Web
Internet trickery; This week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Friendly Fires: Pala (XL)
The 2008 debut by Friendly Fires was a straight dance-punk record, though that album’s opener, “Jump in the Pool,” contained some of the summery, orchestral elements the band has developed for Pala. Named after the exotic island at the center of an Aldous Huxley novel, the new record trades rubbery, post-punk flavor for something with…
Monkey Business
As a huge fan of the first movie, I declare director Todd Phillips’ The Hangover Part II one of the film year’s biggest letdowns. The film is like a little kid who does something stupid at a birthday party and manages to get a couple of giggles. Inspired by the giggles, the stupid kid goes…
Policies Worth Pondering
Leah Edwards doesn’t boast a degree in animal husbandry or veterinary medicine or public policy. In fact, she doesn’t have any degree, at least not yet. But this UA honors freshman has nonetheless put her finger on key dilemmas surrounding Pima County’s approach to animal control, and has offered some common-sense options that—although successful elsewhere—perennially…
Merely Ornamental
In America, of course, we have the Academy Awards. The French equivalent is the César Awards, and it’s a safe bet that Anne Hathaway and James Franco would be lousy choices to host that, too. The stars of Potiche, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu, have between them a whopping 27 César nominations to go along…
TQ&A
Peggy Johnson is the executive director of the Loft Cinema Foundation, which will be co-hosting the Sundance Institute’s Film Forward Program. The festival will bring 10 multicultural and independent films, as well as workshops and discussions, to Tucson between Sunday, June 5, and Thursday, June 9. The films will be screened at the Loft Cinema,…
Top Ten in Movies
1. I Am Number Four Touchstone/DreamWorks 2. The Rite Warner Bros. 3. No Strings Attached DreamWorks 4. The Mechanic Sony 5. Blue Valentine Weinstein/Anchor Bay 6. The Dilemma Universal 7. The Green Hornet Sony 8. The Other Woman MPI 9. Gnomeo and Juliet Walt Disney 10. I Saw the Devil Magnolia
Just the Ticket
Nathan Christensen wants the audience to speak up at The Matinee Show, the vaudeville-style production that’s the first effort of his Seven Lively Arts company. He got what he wished for at just the second performance, staged last week. In Act II, following the script, actor Micah Bond asked audience members to share something about…
Editor’s Note
Not too long ago, the Tucson Weekly interviewed a subject who, when the paper hit the streets, decided she didn’t like how she came off in print (or, for online readers, in pixels). She claimed, among other things, that the Weekly paraphrased her answers to questions that she was never asked, and that as a…
Kate Bush: Director’s Cut (Fish People/EMI)
For her first release in six years, the reclusive English art-rock genius has re-recorded 11 songs drawn from her albums The Sensual World (1989) and The Red Shoes (1993). Does this Director’s Cut add anything substantial to the Kate Bush oeuvre? The answer is a guarded “yes.” The latest recordings do sound markedly different from…
Danehy
Some house-cleaning to get out of the way before we jump into summer: • I’d like to start by announcing that I will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2012. There, that makes me the 1,000th person to do so … this week. Come on, GOP-ers, somebody needs to step up to…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I’m new to the San Antonio area and am enjoying exploring the many wonderful aspects of its history and culture. One thing has become incredibly bothersome to me, though: pet overpopulation. With so many resources available for spay/neuter assistance, I’m not certain as to why this continues to be a problem. I have…
Now Showing at Home
The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town; The Twilight Zone: Season 4 (Blu-ray); Platoon (Blu-ray)
Messina
After the tragic shootings on Jan. 8, one particular word has become especially popular in the Old Pueblo: together. Whether it’s “together we thrive,” “Tucson together” or “come together Tucson,” the act of joining with others is in vogue. While it took tragedy for “together” to become a widespread theme, some people have had this…
Weekend o’ Art
For anyone who’s been missing the outdoor David Tineo mural taken down last winter at the Tucson Museum of Art, here’s good news. Tineo opens a solo show of paintings at Contreras Gallery Saturday night, June 4, during the Summer Art Cruise, an evening of multiple gallery openings downtown and around Sixth and Sixth. “We’ll…
Guest Commentary
In the last year, there have been too many stories about anti-gay bullying at school. Several years ago, we began a collaboration between the University of Arizona and the YWCA Tucson to help local students voice their concerns and share their experiences; we wanted to better understand discrimination and prejudice and its effects on students.…
Takeout, Maybe?
I’ve always felt that it’s easier for good food to make up for poor restaurant service than it is for good service to make up for poorly prepared food. However, my recent trips to Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery are forcing me to rethink. Walking into Hub, I was first struck by the unique, industrial…
The Skinny
Jared Loughner freaks out in federal court … State Sen. Al Melvin opposes any kind of help for Nogales businessmen … Republican lawmakers screw the unemployed … and more!
City Week
Fighting human trafficking; Hot Tucson fashion in the summertime; Toy trains all grown up; Burning Man on the big screen
Debunking Chupacabra
The dreaded chupacabra, or “goat-sucker”—named for its purported vampirism and appetite for livestock—first appeared in 1995 in Puerto Rico, just after the Hollywood movie Species opened on the island. Since that time, the beast has jumped to the mainland, and is regularly “seen” and blamed for livestock predation in Central America, Mexico, Texas, Arizona and…
Noshing Around
A new hookah lounge; Boca’s taco challenge; Fine dining in food truck news; Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market relocates
Back to the Barrio
Many Barrio Hollywood residents remember a time when they had dirt floors and no indoor plumbing. Because there were no municipal swimming pools, kids would swim in irrigation ditches. Meanwhile, preserving Mexican-American culture was not on the city government agenda, as officials bulldozed blindly through nearby neighborhoods, hungering for a bustling downtown. But residents’ pride…
Continually Inspired
Tucson’s last glimpse of the Old 97’s came when the band had a freshly released Elektra Records debut that was soaking up critical acclaim—as well as a live show bursting with cow-punk energy. In September 1997, the Dallas quartet seemed ready to break into the big time and had earned a somewhat incongruous opening slot…
Top Ten in Music
1. The Swigs Johnson Family Values (Sapient) 2. The Pork Torta Casual Living (Bloat) 3. The Distortionists The Mark Side of the Dune (Tu-Lo) 4. Husker Du: The Story of the Noise-Rock Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock (book) Andrew Earles (Voyageur) 5. A Transylvanian Funeral The Outsider (Forbidden) 6. The High Llamas Talahomi Way (Drag…
Space Chase
The UA Lunar and Planetary Lab is headed back into space. NASA announced last week that it had given the green light to OSIRIS-REx, an $800 million project that will send a robotic spacecraft to orbit near-Earth asteroid 1999 RQ36. Over about a year and a half, the spacecraft will take photos and other readings…
Soundbites
The Missing Parts; Surf legend Dick Dale; Bonzo Dog’s Neil Innes; Tequila Party kick-off; and more!
Nine Questions
Dave Gonzalez, former guitarist for The Paladins and the Hacienda Brothers, is the lead guitarist for the Stone River Boys, a country-soul band from Austin that will be performing at The Hut on Saturday, June 4. Guitar Player magazine included Gonzalez on their list of 101 Forgotten Greats and Unsung Heroes. The Paladins will reunite…
Conserving Cats
Around 150 years ago, jaguars thrived in much of the southern United States—ranging as far east as Louisiana. However, the cats were hunted because they killed livestock, and for their skins. Today, they’re virtually extinct in the United States, though a small number of them remain in Mexico. In northern Sonora, there is now a…
Mailbag
A church suggestion for Tom Danehy; A geologist’s take on Barrio Viejo cracking
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 16: Food Truckin’ With Chef Janos Wilder
Janos Wilder is unaffected by direct summer sun, and is a true food-trucking champion. I picked Chef Janos Wilder up shortly after 11 a.m. today at his restaurant Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, and we headed south in search of street food. We’d never met before and had no plan other than two empty stomachs and…
City Hall Brawl Update: Darcy in the Mayor’s Race
Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Pat Darcy is in the mayor’s race. Darcy, who is running as an independent, came down to the City Hall this afternoon to turn in 3,105 signatures on his nominating petitions, which were gathered hastily in recent weeks. He needs 2,596 valid signatures to qualify. More on Darcy here. In other…
City Hall Brawl Update: Asta and McClusky Turn in Signatures
An update from yesterday’s post on the roster for this year’s political season: Both Republican mayoral candidates, Shaun McClusky and Ron Asta, have turned in their nominating petitions. McClusky had 1,183 signatures, while Asta had 1,205. They both needed a minimum of 1,060 valid signatures, so neither one has much wriggle room if there are…
