Government Run Amok
So The New York Times reports on a government program with questionable legality, and morons like Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth want to punish … The New York Times? C’mon.
I Can’t Be Everybody’s Friend
I’ve always defended MySpace due to what it does for independent musicians—anyone can post music and create a page for free, and so suddenly the whole question of legal/illegal downloads becomes mute: just go to their MySpace page, and listen to some songs there. But since anyone can create a page, there are a whole…
Duct Tape
Not that this excuses falsifying a police report and faking a kidnapping, but it takes an impressive amount of skill to duct tape yourself to your car’s steering wheel.
Go Beavers!
Congrats to our Pac-10 brethren from Corvalis, who are the national champions in baseball. While it’s a bummer Arizona (and my alma mater, Stanford, the team Oregon State steamrolled in the super regional) didn’t advance (or in Arizona’s case, even make the postseason), you’ve got to be happy the Pac-10 took the crown. And if our…
Bad News for Greyhounds
I’ve been on vacation for the past 5 days in Northern California, and the weather wasn’t as cool as I would’ve liked—it was in the high 90s in parts of the East Bay, but there were layers of fog coating the horizon driving southbound on Highway 1. That was refreshing, even though the hairpin turns…
TAMMIES Time!
If you give a rat’s patootie about local music, then you should be at the Rialto Theatre this Wednesday night (June 28) for the 13th annual TAMMIES awards. Here’s the thing: This is a free event with one sole purpose: To celebrate all the good that’s in the Tucson music scene. We’ll be giving out…
Charles S. Speaks Fondly About Dan Rather
Some guy by the name of Charles S. sent this to my Noshing e-mail, but since it’s appropriate to the current discussion about the media, I’m putting it up here. Dan Rather leaves, and the profession he helped elevate chases him out with Enquirer-worthy snipes. What were the headlines yesterday? “Rather Departs Under Cloud of…
Political Irony
The interesting thing about this uproar and its media coverage is that it’s probably given Don Goldwater legitimacy as a candidate. I mean, John McCain and Jim Kolbe are talking about this nobody now, which is something they really weren’t doing before. Let’s face it: The only thing Don Goldwater has going for him is his…
Stupid River Road
I’m so happy that I can’t drive right now. With my current residence placing me smack dab in the middle of County Supervisor Ann Day’s River Road nightmare, I only need to close my eyes and listen while my driver du jour bitches as we traverse a craggy obstacle course of dirt, temporary asphalt and construction…
They Call Him ‘Chick’
This story was funny in the first place, but it was his nickname that had me doing a spittake.
Coulter Club
Our friend and former colleague Walt Nett, now doing the journalism thang in Fresno, recently alerted us to this, from Media Matters for America, which calls itself a “progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.” Maybe Ann Coulter will be finally recognized as the…
A League of Our Own
Arizona’s legislators aren’t the only ones suffering from flag fever. According to the Boston Phoenix: The United States is on the verge of joining China, Cuba, and Iran as the only nations in the world where “desecrating” the flag is a national crime. Maybe we should tip them off to the importance of posting the…
Step Away From the Mic
Steve Aiken, who was fired from his job as campaign spokesman for congressional candidate Randy Graf, has now lost his gig as a radio talk-show host for KVOI AM 690. Aiken’s employment troubles were triggered last week when ABC News.com reported that he had been convicted of corrupting the morals of two teenage girls who were…
An Excerpt of a Note From a PR Person
Got this in the ol’ e-mail … Jimmy, Tucson has been named one of the “chillest” cities in America by Sperling’s Bestplaces. Baileys Liqueur conducted a unique study utilizing specific criteria suited around residents spending time or “chilling” together. The survey analyzed/compared the 100 most populous cities in America. After reading your paper and different…
Weirdness in Precipitation Measurements
So last night about 6 p.m., we received a humdinger of a cloudburst at the Weekly’s south-central bureau (aka my house). It was actually kind of cool and useful, seeing that the storm served as a test-drive of sorts for my brand-new roof. (Unfortunately, the test drive revealed some leaks, which led to a huffy…
Vanishing Past
Important archaeological sites face growing threats
Nine Questions
Harold Garland
The Skinny
TEEN BEAT Less than two days after candidates formally filed for office last week, we had our first salacious scandal when the ABC News Web site broke the story that congressional candidate Randy Graf’s campaign spokesman, Steve Aiken, had been convicted in 1996 of “corrupting the morals” of two teenage girls. Graf fired Aiken the…
Live
TapeOpCon Music Showcase, Hotel Congress, Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17
Next Door to Poison
Some fear history may be repeating itself when it comes to toxins on the southside
Rhythm & Views
It’s all about who you know, but a lot of times, who you end up knowing depends on how interesting or talented you are. Professional skateboarder Travis Graves, the mastermind behind Mt. Egypt, knows some pretty important people: Wayne Coyne, for example, and Willie Nelson, who both took Graves on tour with them as their…
Media Watch
Contract Binds 1290 to Late-Season Baseball Coverage
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records top sales for the week
The Range
A recap of last week’s news
Rhythm & Views
To say nothing else, it’s a bit of a disappointment. That said, A Hundred Miles Off, the third release by New York’s the Walkmen, does get better upon repeat listens. Still, the group has moved away from the pummeling rhythms and salon-piano flourishes that defined their previous releases, and they certainly take a step back…
T Q&A
Tucson Q&A with John deDios
Rhythm & Views
God bless the Dixie Chicks for remaining true to their liberal ideals within a musical genre that has traditionally catered to red-state attitudes and demographics. The Chicks’ first album since the Dubya flap features the gloriously defiant first single “Not Ready to Make Nice,” but all 14 songs are sterling examples of expert songwriting, arrangements…
Police Dispatch
Strike A Pose Speedway Boulevard and Campbell Avenue, April 28, 1:02 a.m. A man failed his field sobriety tests in a decidedly theatrical manner, according to a University of Arizona Police Department report. An officer stopped Justin Lawson Bishop, 21, for allegedly driving the wrong way down a one-way street. The report noted that Bishop…
Engaging in the Army
In Arizona Rep’s hands, Neil Simon’s boot-camp tale succeeds in every way
Pick of the Week
Activism Through Beauty
Murderous Mayhem
Two totally different comedies delight at Live Theatre Workshop
City Week
Our top picks of what to do and where to do it for the week.
Dancing With Death
Renowned artist, former UA teacher Luis Jiménez is killed by his own creation
Danehy
Tom Danehy turns on the charm with readers who disagree
Writing That Reeks
What is a talented guy like Jack Black doing in this racist, laugh-deficient flick?
Big Art in Small Packages
Everyone’s a winner with the ‘Small Works Invitational’
Tuttle
Stereotypes: Often hurtful, usually inaccurate
Love for the Ages
Though it’s silly and kind of stupid, ‘The Lake House’ makes people care
Trying to Understand
Anti-death-penalty activist Katherine Norgard tells her story of being the mother of a murderer
Guest Commentary
Some ideas for industrious Mexicans on how to capitalize on the border crackdown
Now Showing at Home
“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “L.A. Story: 15th Anniversary Edition,” “The World’s Fastest Indian”
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books best-sellers for the week
Editor’s Note
A note from the editor.
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
Mandatory Waiting Period
Restaurants need some time before being seriously evaluated
Mailbag
Howls of outrage and squeals of delight from our astonished fans.
Better Late Than Never
Former Tucsonan Ben Bridwell will never have to make pizzas again
Noshing Around
Monkey Box Tuesday Special At the Monkey Box on Tuesdays during the summer, enjoy a special cheese plate for two plus a bottle of wine for $25. Other daily summer selections feature locally grown organic ingredients like citrus arugula pesto pasta, along with domestic artisan cheeses from Marin County, Calif., and baked goat-cheese salad. On…
Promises, Promises
The 2006 campaign season has begun!
Soundbites
LIKE SAND THROUGH THE HOURGLASS, THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR TAMMIES The Tucson Area Music Awards, or TAMMIES, have become something of an institution around these parts, a yearly gauge of the current state of our local music scene. For the last 13 years, we’ve asked you, the local music fan, to tell us…
Don’t Paint the Town Red
The city shakes up its graffiti program as the problem continues to increase
Music Is an Expression
AWOL One bemoans hypocrisy, competition in the music business
