Cover Story
Surviving and Thriving
Jeffrey Stewart learned he was HIV-positive in 1991. Two years later, his partner died of AIDS—and his whole world fell apart. Stewart, then living in San Diego, fell into a depression. He spent most of his time in bed, watching TV and rarely leaving his house. “It was the diagnoses and the loss, but it…
Arizona Unemployment Benefits Going to the Incarcerated
Over the past two years, 475 Arizona prisoners collected $1.1 million in unemployment benefits while sitting in their cells. On Feb. 8, the state Department of Economic Security found the 475 individuals by cross-matching lists of their beneficiaries and people incarcerated with the state Department of Corrections, said Tasya Peterson, communications director with DES. On…
Three Glorious Words: Tucson. Taco. Festival.
The Tucson Taco Festival is coming in April. I know this is a bit early notice, but I think this will be a big hit, so you may want to your tickets soon. Modeled after the Arizona Taco Festival, the event should prove to be tons of fun — not to mention all that good…
KVOA Hires Two Anchors (One Replacing Vazquez)
NBC affiliate KVOA announced to staff the hiring of two news anchors, both with ties to Tucson. Allison Alexander has been nabbed as the station’s noon and 4 pm news anchor, replacing Martha Vazquez, who resigned following a shoplifting incident. Alexander worked for KGUN from 2002 to 2004 and more recently as fill-in morning anchor…
Talking Comics: “The Last Zombie” Edition
This week, Eric and Arnie discuss “The Last Zombie”, which seems like an unlikely situation considering that there are new zombie-themed media items every week or so. If you’re a fan of Talking Comics, help Eric out a bit by voting for his character The Blackest Terror to appear on the Phoenix Comicon badge. All…
CD8 Forum: Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Zachary Vito If Republican voters were hoping to get some idea of where the Congressional District 8 candidates differ on the issues, I’m not sure that last night’s forum did them much good. Only three of the four candidates in the race to finish Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional term were onstage; Martha McSally, the former Air…
Golf and Poker, The Gambler’s Version of Surf and Turf
If you like the links, and are a fan of the felt, clear your schedule for March 31. That’s when Casino del Sol is hosting its 11th annual Golf & Poker Scramble, a gathering that just screams action junky. For $75 per person you can participate (first) in a 2-person scramble at Del Lago Golf…
Video Game Ad Plays Cruel Trick on City of Chicago
Tough luck, Cubs fans. You’ll have to purchase a $60 video game (and possibly a PS3) to even experience a glimpse of a World Series win. Of course, I’m a Cleveland Indians fan and I suspect that MLB The Show won’t even simulate a championship in digital form for my team. You get to the…
Meet the Robot That Will Hunt You Down Someday
Thankfully, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s headless running robot “Cheetah” still needs to be attached to an off-board hydraulic pump to operate, but at some point, DARPA will continue its technological advances and this bucket of bolts will be running the streets at 18 miles per hour hunting down human prey. Noel Sharkey,…
AFSC Protest Private Prison RFP Violations
The American Friends Service Committee, joined by the NAACP of Maricopa County. joined in filing a protest with the State Procurement Office over a request for proposals issued by the state Department of Corrections for 2,000 private, for-profit prison beds. According to a press release from AFSC, the protest letter, sent to the ADC chief…
March Means Unpredictable Weather
Design by The Contained Gardener, Photo and Gardencare by Martha Winter Pot 2012 We had a beautiful weekend and now the wind is kicking up. This will be followed by low temperatures and a possible light freeze on Thursday night. This kind of unpredictability is typical of March and why we talk about not rushing…
Great Ad, Bad Web Hosting
The ad, with its hilarity and appeal to my love for a bargain, had me sold. I was typed in “dollarshaveclub.com” and then nothing. Just a thought for companies hoping to catch viral video gold with their ad…make sure your web host can handle the traffic spike if you happen to find success. Still, the…
NPR Shares a SXSW Mix Tape: The Austin 100
I haven’t been to the film and interactive conference that’s going on this week, but Austin’s SXSW music festival is just a relentless rock ’n’ roll firehouse. With 2,000 bands roaming the clubs, theaters and streets, it’s impossible to sort through it all, but as long you don’t somehow break a leg and end up…
Fox News Latino Poll: Hispanics Souring on GOP Presidential Candidates
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com In Arizona, exploiting the politics of immigration has worked well for Republicans. Signing SB 1070 got Jan Brewer reelected as governor and created a wedge issue that helped the GOP win a two-thirds majority in the Arizona Legislature in 2010. But it hasn’t been without backlash. Russell Pearce, who…
Introducing Food Swap Tucson
Got a garden full of surplus veggies and nothing to do with them? Or perhaps you made a few too many jars of prickly-pear jelly last year and there they sit, lonely and unused, on the pantry shelf. Worry not, Food Swap Tucson can help. The group aims to create a network where local cooks,…
Rumble in the RV Jungle: CD8 Debates Are Here!
UA communications prof Kate Kenksi talked with AZPM’s Christopher Conover about the campaign dynamics of the compressed Congressional District 8 race, including the challenges facing Republicans who are trying to raise money to compete in an April 17 primary. Those GOP candidates vying to complete Gabrielle Giffords’ term—state Sen. Frank Antenori, 2010 GOP nominee Jesse…
Jon Justice, Our Own Mini-Rush Limbaugh
Selections from Jon Justice’s Facebook fan page: Unoriginal and crass! Way to go, Best of Tucson™ winner Jon!
You Enjoy Music and Dancing, Right?
Professional bias aside (a TW employee and a freelancer are part of the event), Dancehall Nights at the Eagles Lodge sounds like a fun night out on Friday. Live music, a great DJ, wine tastings and cheap drinks? I’m in. Saturnalia presents: Dancehall Nights at the Eagles Lodgewith Special GuestsSilverfox (The George Clooney’s of Rock)and…
RIP, Jim Gyuro
The Tucson music scene is short one pompadour this week with the passing of Jim Gyuro last Thursday night at University Medical Center after an 18-month struggle with a rare form of cancer. Gyuro was most recently known as kids’ rock crooner Mr. Mocos, as well as the lively “Casino Guy.” Within a brief 41-year…
More on Rush Limbaugh, Sluts, and Pills
The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive Yes, by watching this video from the Colbert Report, you will be exposed to the voice and opinions of Rush Limbaugh again, but I think Stephen Colbert’s comments make that inconvenience worthwhile. Meanwhile, while the number of advertisers fleeing Limbaugh’s show has…
Good News of the Day: Eli Rabago Has Been Found
Details are still forthcoming, but the Rabago Family Support Page on Facebook announced this morning that Eli Rabago, who left his grandparents’ house last week, has been found: We got him!!!! Details to follow. Please be patient… lots of questions I’m sure. But thank you thank you thank you.
Green Party Candidate Challenged in Special Race To Finish Giffords’ Term
Attorney Bill Risner has filed a lawsuit to knock Green Party candidate Charles Manolakis off the ballot in the Congressional District 8 special election on June 12 to complete the term of Gabrielle Giffords, who stepped down from Congress in January. Risner filed the court case on behalf of Luke Knipe, a Democratic Party activist…
Insane Clown Posse Has Its Own Facebook Now
As someone who has spent a significant amount of time thinking about Insane Clown Posse (this is my tenth post on The Range about the band!), the idea of a Juggalo-only social network where the group’s fans can be seen in their natural environment, interacting Juggalo-to-Juggalo is quite exciting. However, it almost makes too much…
Incubus Headlining KFMA Day
Alt-rock radio station KFMA announced the lineup for their summerish festival KFMA Day today, with (the pride of Calabasas, California) Incubus headlining the April 29th show at Kino Stadium. The lineup, as currently scheduled: IncubusCage the ElephantChevelleThe Dirty HeadsAWOLNATIONNeon TreesAnberlinCivil Twilight Tickets go on sale this Saturday at area Domino’s Pizza locations for $25.
Special Master, Judge Reject Petition to Reinstate MAS Classes
U.S. District Court Judge David C. Bury issued an order on Wednesday, Feb. 29 that Mexican-American studies classes do not have to be reinstated immediately based on a letter he received Feb. 23 from the court-appointed special master Willis D. Hawley. Bury’s order was in response to a petition filed by the Mexican American Legal…
Food Truck Roundup Tonight
Another installation of the popular Tucson Food Truck Roundup events takes place at the Tower Theatres in Marana tonight, and a whopping 30 trucks are attending. There’s more information on the event here. It should also be noted that tonight’s event will be the last chance to dig into a kimchi quesadilla or fried-rice burrito…
Metalchi Coming to Tucson (Twice!)
While I was a little iffy on the artistic value of Metalachi when I first heard them in May of 2011, I think I’ve warmed to the novelty of a pseudo-mariachi band covering metal tracks, mostly because if you’re going to spend money on a show, the least you can ask is for the performance…
Ice Cube Laughs at Your Nerdish Quest for Answers
Recently, I was excited as a person who loves both trivia and 90’s rap to read a blog post that spent an absurd amount of time and effort to discover what day was the subject of the Ice Cube track “It Was a Good Day”, but in a new interview, the man himself seems almost…
Tell The Sheriff’s Department How You REALLY Feel
If you’ve ever wanted to have the opportunity to speak freely and frankly with members of local law enforcement — and with some level of anonymity — the Pima County Sheriff’s Office is giving you that chance. At 9 a.m. Tuesday Sgt. Kenneth Coultas from PCSO’s Personnel Unit will host a live discussion via the…
You Can Have Ethiopian Food or an Animal Farm Burger for Lunch Today
Blue Sky Deliveries is a new service that delivers food from food truck Animal Farm, Ethiopian eatery Cafe Desta, Delectables on Fourth and Bacon and Craeggs. It uses eco-friendly tricycles to get the job done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The business delivers to downtown and the university area and charges…
Today in Events No One Could Have Seen Coming
If nothing else, you can say this guy died doing the stupid, life-risking thing that he loved: A Sri Lankan man has died while trying to set a record for the longest time spent buried alive, police said Monday. Police said Janaka Basnayake, 24, buried himself over the weekend with the help of family and…
A Gathering Spot for Cultural Foodies
I attended a nifty cooking demonstration yesterday afternoon at the foundation for Intercultural Dialogue/Turkish Cultural Center. This tiny, hidden spot is a bit of a Tucson gem. They have classes not just in cooking but also in Turkish painting and learning Turkish. On occasion they’ll have lectures on Turkish culture and international topics. There’s also…
Win Tickets to See Steve Aoki at the Rialto!
You’ll have to act quickly and enter nowish, but we have a pair of tickets to see Steve Aoki and Datsik as part of the Deadmeat tour at the Rialto Theatre on Thursday, March 8. Just go to our contest page, press a button, and we’ll draw a name Monday night to be notified by…
Political Roundtable: Presidential Primary Fallout, Super PAC Impacts, Daniel Patterson’s Ethics Investigation, Sheriff Joe’s Birth-Certificate Follies & More!
A busy week for Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable: Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod and Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries talk with Arizona Public Media’s Andrea Kelly and me about Mitt Romney’s next step, John McCain’s criticism of Super PACs, Sheriff Joe’s press conference about President Obama’s birth certificate, state Rep. Daniel Patterson’s political problems in…
Daniel Patterson Has Finally Been Served, Twice
Pima County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Deputy Dawn Barkman confirmed today that State Rep. Daniel Patterson was served at 3 p.m. outside of his home near Santa Rita Park. Barkman said Patterson was served by officer with orders from ex-wife Jeneiene Schaffer, as well as ex-girlfriend and ex-campaign manager Georgettte Escobar. Patterson had been…
I Miss You, Herman Cain
Remember how excited everyone was for a little while about Herman Cain’s candidacy for president? The whole adventure/debacle is a quickly fading memory to be likely replaced inside my synapses by information from the new season of Mad Men, but Cain is planning on sticking around in some form, because he’s still making weird political…
Have You Seen Eli Rabago?
Eli Rabago is a nineteen year old from the Phoenix area with diminished mental capacity, who while visiting relatives in Tucson left the house and has been missing for a few days. If you see him, the family asks that you do not approach him, but call 911 immediately. For more information, including organized searches,…
Political Roundtable: Presidential Primary Post-Mortem, Super PAC impact, CD8 Special Election & More!
It’s a big week on Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable as we talk about how the dust settled in the wake of the Arizona presidential primary election, John McCain’s criticism of Super PACs, the latest in the race to finish Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional term, state Rep. Daniel Patterson’s ethics complaint, the latest from the Arizona Legislature…
Night Three of the Desert Diamond Cup
This year’s edition of the Desert Diamond Cup wraps-up tomorrow night with the third place match between the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake at 6 p.m. and the final between the LA Galaxy and the New England Revolution at 8 pm. Some tickets were still available at the time of posting and…
Presidential Candidate Sarah Gonzales on Possibility of Being Romney’s Running Mate: “I Thought It Was a Ploy To Get Me To Self-Deport, So I Said No”
Big congratulations to Arizona’s Sarah Gonzales, the big winner of Project White House and sixth-place finisher in Tuesday’s presidential primary. Gonzales, who earned the Tucson Weekly’s endorsement in the Republican primary, had 1,464 votes as of yesterday. Gonzales clobbered former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer, who got only 657 votes. She trails Texas Gov. Rick Perry…
John Hodgman Needs to Fix His Zeppelin
I spoke to Daily Show contributor (and person you might recognize from standing next to Justin Long on television) John Hodgman on Tuesday, and I started the conversation seeking his expertise as a deranged millionaire on why fellow rich person Mitt Romney seems to be having trouble grabbing the Republican nomination, before moving on to…
Fords on Fourth This Sunday
The Southern Arizona Mustang Club, which claims to be the “oldest Mustang Club in the world”, will host their “Fords on Fourth” show this Sunday. Fords of all kinds will be displayed on three closed-off blocks of Fourth Avenue between Sixth Street and University Boulevard. The event also features the bagpipe group “Tucson and District…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
A new website collects and analyzes bicycle crashes in Tucson. Check out what causes the most crashes and where they occur. The driver who hit and killed a cyclist while drunk plead guilty this week. Find out many years in prison he is facing. This Rider of the Week commutes 18 miles roundtrip to her…
Tucson Mail Service Going to Hell in a Hand Basket (via Phoenix) with Planned Cherrybell Mail Center Closure
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski People often peg one of Tucson’s greatest charms as being a fairly sizable city that has not lost its small town feel. Well, that small town feel is going to get even smaller when the planned U.S. Postal Service closure of the Tucson mail processing center goes through. No closure date is…
Shooting at Willcox High; One Student With Minor Injuries
Two junior varsity baseball players at Willcox High School were “lucky to be alive” and a man is in custody after he allegedly shot at their vehicle with a high-powered rifle at about 3:15 p.m. Thursday. A freshman was transported to Northern Cochise Community Hospital by ambulance for treatment of minor lacerations from flying glass,…
Rush Limbaugh Thinks Women Should Have To Post Videos of Themselves Having Sex If They Use Contraception Funded in Some Way By Government
I thought the GOP’s determination to make a campaign issue about contraception was pretty weird in itself, but it took a truly reprehensible turn when Rush Limbaugh suggested that a college student was a “slut” because she testified before Congress about the importance of covering contraception, especially for women who might need it for reasons…
Prepare Yourself for the Strangest Political Sign in History
Unknown woman in Idaho Falls, you might have one of the strangest, non-felonious definitions of “sexy” I’m aware of. [@GarrettNBCNews]
Get a Free Track From Amos Lee’s Tucson Concert
Although it’s only available until noon Friday, you can get a free download of Amos Lee’s “Flower”, performed live as part of the Artists Den show at the Fox Tucson Theatre, by filling out a form on their Facebook page. The episode filmed here in Tucson, which also includes appearances by Calexico and the Silver…
Now Open: Tea and More
A new tea store named Tea and More has opened inside the Many Hands Courtyard at 3054 N. First Ave. Owner Petra Williams says she imports the tea from Germany and that she currently has nearly 70 varieties on hand, most of which are herbal. She does not sell tea by the cup, but says…
Joe Arpaio: Still Chasing Bad Ideas
Considering the videos shown by Sheriff Joe Arpaio today as part of his grand expose regarding Pres. Obama’s are hosted by the YouTube channel “TeaPartyPowerHour”, it’s possible that the commission he organized to look into the matter might not be entirely objective, but yet, Arpaio was out there claiming that he has “probable cause” to…
Let’s Listen to John Legend and the Roots Cover Springsteen
I’m not entirely sure why more late night talk shows don’t book interesting events like Jimmy Fallon has with his Bruce Springsteen event this week. Springsteen performed songs from his forthcoming album on Monday and will return on Friday, and mid-week, musicians cover Springsteen songs. Tuesday, Kenny Chesney did a nice job with “I’m On…
New: Dizzy Dame’s Bake Shoppe
Food educator and long-time pastry chef Rene Luedeman was pushing a shopping cart through a local grocery store when the first dizzy spell hit. More were to follow and she was eventually diagnosed with a balance disorder that resulted from inner-ear damage. As a scientist for 20 years and a teacher for Pima Community College’s…
Merle Haggard at the Fox Tucson Theatre
Country legend Merle Haggard performed to a sold-out crowd at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Tuesday night.
McCain: Citizens United Was “The Worst Decision of the United States Supreme Court”
Sen. John McCain isn’t happy about the drawn-out Republican nomination process. McCain visited the Tonight Show last night to complain that the GOP candidates were tearing each other to pieces. He said a lot of the blame lies on the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision striking down campaign-finance limits and that the justices “should be…
O’Brother Are Not a Country Band
I feel like I hear about a dozen bands everyday, and because I am human and only have so many hours to try to listen to things, I make simple assumptions about what a band probably sounds like. I know, I’m a terrible person. I would send in my rock critic club membership card, but…
Speaking for the Trees
The town of Thneedville is devoid of plant life. It’s been that way for quite a few years, since an entrepreneur called the Once-ler (the voice of Ed Helms) chopped down every last Truffula tree to manufacture his catch-all invention, the Thneed. You can’t miss the Truffula, if you’re lucky enough to see one: It…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Tower Heist Universal 2. J. Edgar Warner Bros. 3. The Rum Diary FilmDistrict 4. Drive Sony 5. In Time 20th Century Fox 6. The Way Arc 7. London Boulevard Sony 8. Take Shelter Sony 9. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 Summit 10. Anonymous Sony
Damn Hippies
Director David Wain tends to make great comedies that take a while to settle in. I liked Wet Hot American Summer just fine when I first saw it, and I gave it a happy, if not glowing, review. With repeated viewings, it is now one of my five favorite comedies of all time. It’s a…
Now Showing at Home
All Quiet on the Western Front (Blu-ray); J. Edgar (Blu-ray); Tower Heist (Blu-ray); The Rum Diary (Blu-ray)
Editor’s Note
By the time you read this, the Arizona presidential preference vote will be over—thank goodness—and off the candidates will go to the Super Tuesday states. As I watch the speeches and debates and whatnot, I keep coming back to one question: What kind of person would actually vote seriously for Rick Santorum? The fact that…
Fed Fast
First off: Hot Wok Asian Bistro is not a bistro. The word “bistro” conjures up an evening in a quiet, intimate setting; comfortable conversation that stretches over several hours; and hand-crafted food from a tiny kitchen in the back. Hot Wok has none of these things. The room is far from quiet; there is sort…
Danehy
So I got to the Sabbar Shrine Center on South Tucson Boulevard about 9 a.m. on Feb. 22, a full three hours before Right-Wing God’s favorite candidate, Rick Santorum, was scheduled to speak at a Tea Party rally. The doors were supposed to open at 10, and attendance would be cut off once the hall…
Noshing Around
Touring Tucson restaurants on foot; Gluten-free in Tucson; More beer, always; and more!
Downing
OK, granted, they’re not dead yet. But in my recurring role as the Cassandra of the Santa Cruz—She Who Can See the Future, but to Whom No One Listens—I am here to tell you that this election year will go a long way toward finishing off ABC, CBS and NBC, and it’ll be the Supremes’…
Balanced Chaos
The early story of Seashell Radio was how four Tucson songwriters came to share a single band. Chapter 2 is how those four songwriters grew close—overlapping each other’s musical styles, shedding comfort zones and arriving at a place where freewheeling collaboration allows for so much more than simply learning each other’s songs. “When we started,…
Mailbag
More about Chomsky, please; Mark Stegeman’s response of the week
Soundbites
Music for good causes; Drake comes to town; and more!
Guest Commentary
Tucson has a rather interesting—some would say odd—method of electing members of the City Council. As it’s described on the city of Tucson’s website, “Council members are nominated by the ward they wish to represent in the primary election and are elected to the City Council at-large in the general election.” In other words, the…
Top Ten in Music
1. The Besmirchers If Loving You Is Wrong … (Puke in the Sink) 2. Man Bites Dog Man Bites Dog (self-released) 3. Custody Battle Custody Battle (Morning Star) 4. Andrew Jackson Jihad Knife Man (Asian Man) 5. Boogie Nazis Boogie Nazis (self-released) 6. Al Foul Live at Tucson Roller Derby, Vol. 1 (self-released) 7. Andrew…
The Starting Gate
A half-dozen candidates are in the race to finish the term of Gabrielle Giffords, who stepped down from Congress in January to focus on her rehabilitation from a gunshot wound to the head suffered on Jan. 8, 2011. Barring some kind of successful petition challenge, four Republicans will battle it out in an April 17…
Intimate Musical Excellence
If you’ve ever wished a few world-renowned musicians could appear in your living room to play you some Beethoven—or perhaps a brand-new piece of their own—consider attending one (or more) of the performances at the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival. Chamber music is an intimate form of classical music, meant to be played by a…
Nine Questions
Dave Paiz is the host of Bat Country Radio, a scorching two-hour romp of metal, punk and rock that airs from 2 to 4 a.m., Saturday mornings, on KXCI FM 91.3. He can often be found at the Loft Cinema, where he holds court as the facilities manager. What was the first concert you ever…
The Skinny
State Rep. Daniel Patterson gets into a fight with his (now ex-)girlfriend … Patterson’s fellow Democrats hammer with him with an ethics complaint … and more details about the whole sorry episode.
City Week
Songs in Sabino Canyon; High fashion comes to Tucson; Passing the Bechdel test; Lucie Arnaz comes to town
Live
Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) and Hugh Cornwell (ex-Stranglers) stopped in town last Friday for a show billed as “Heavyweight Rock and Roll,” and each turned in a set of old punk favorites and newer material—with mixed results. Matlock, the founding bass player of the Sex Pistols who was infamously sacked for his love of the…
Media Watch
Alan Michaels back on the air; Tempo Magazine looks at Tucson music; and more!
TQ&A
For 32 Southern Arizona high school students, it’s all about William Shakespeare as they compete in a monologue competition on Saturday, March 3, for a chance to compete nationally in New York City—and perhaps study in London. Retired teacher Jerry Helm has been involved in the competition for more than 25 years, first taking his…
Sharon Van Etten: Tramp (Jagjaguwar)
Sharon Van Etten’s in-your-face songwriting has severed all ties with folk music on her third album, an edgy and moody burst of guitar rock. The shift is evident right from the album cover, a close-up photograph of Van Etten in starkly contrasting black and white. Compare that to the wispy orange and yellow lines that…
Arms Over Meds
Sometimes, a parallel universe just smacks you upside the head. One such moment occurred recently, when the Arizona Legislature birthed a pair of bills that would—conversely—allow gun fanatics to pack heat on campus, and ensure that sick students can’t toke medical marijuana. One bill has the support of college muckety-mucks; the other most definitely does…
Women in Transition
Margaret Edson’s Wit is a simple yet complex piece of drama. It’s simple in the directness of its form and its unsentimental approach to a woman confronting the end of her life; it’s complex because this is, after all, life and death. If we have a map for our life’s journey, it is one of…
Jenny Owen Youngs: An Unwavering Band of Light (Self-released)
On first listen, this deeply talented singer-songwriter’s third full-length album is almost overwhelming, such is its embarrassing wealth of beguiling melodies, effervescent arrangements and endearing almost-love songs. But each time I press “play,” it gets better, and now I find myself looking forward to each new track as the previous one fades. It’s just a…
Police Dispatch
Coming down from K2; Blood and stolen iPods
Relationship to the Sublime
Tucson painter Nancy Tokar Miller travels frequently, often going west to Asia, where she translates jungles and lagoons into gorgeous abstracted landscapes. Not long ago, she flew—twice—in a helicopter over Hawaii, zigzagging over the pristine north side of the island of Molokai. Much of Hawaii, of course, is overdeveloped, littered with tourist hotels, fast-food joints…
Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror (Mom+Pop)
Sleigh Bells’ debut was gimmicky, and I say that with no malice. What’s wrong with a little bit of Barnum and Bailey-style showmanship? What’s wrong with sequins and tassels? What the hell, after all, is wrong with trying to draw a crowd? Treats (2010) was a sequined carnival-barker’s outburst. It took a big idea, wrapped…
Weekly Wide Web
Every few months, I end up saying that I’m going to stop discussing politics on Facebook—yet a few days go by, and I find myself in the middle of a digital fray over some social issue. I like to justify the behavior by saying that I’m limiting my comments to correcting inaccurate information, but deep…
A Damaged Landscape
William deBuys’ 2007 book The Walk begins: “A species of hope resides in the possibility of seeing one thing, one phenomenon or essence, so clearly and fully that the light of its understanding illuminates the rest of life.” This is the fundamental idea behind his latest book, A Great Aridness. With the subtitle Climate Change…
Going Legit
The words chamber of commerce have never left a very good taste in my mouth. It’s not the kind of spit-that-shit-out-I’m-gonna-puke bad taste left there by, say, hard-core social conservatives or the words “political action committee,” but neither is it the fine, lingering tang of a good pinot grigio. It’s somewhere in between. But when…
Skin in the Game
A bill that would require nearly all students at Arizona’s state universities to pay at least $2,000 a year for their education—without relying on grants or scholarships—passed a key committee in the Arizona House of Representatives last week. House Bill 2675 was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 22 on a 7-6 vote,…
Top Ten in Books
1. Left for Dead J.A. Jance, Touchstone ($25.99) 2. One for the Money Janet Evanovich, St. Martin’s ($8.99) 3. The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($8.99) 4. Catching Fire Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($17.99) 5. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen, Bantam Classics ($4.95) 6. A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Aunqué soy Boricua, mi corazón está al lado del pueblo mejicano, aquí en Arizona. ¿Porqué no hablas contra “La Bruja Mala del Oeste” Gobernadora Jan Brewer, “El Leon Cobarde” Ex-Senador Russell Pearce, “El Hombre Hecho de Lata” Alguacil del Condado Maricopa Joe Arpaio, “El Hombre Hecho de Paja” Abogado General Tom Horne y…
What Can We Do to Stop One Million Moms?
I get a fair amount of criticism in the comment section for being critical of American Christianity. That’s probably a little fair, although I would content, as a Christian, I have some right to be offended by the wild misuse of what I believe in. However, it would really help me out if culture warriors…
Critter of the Week [Dog Edition]: Sam
Sam – #715709 — 10 Years Old — Chow Mix — Male Waiting and wishing — that’s how Sam passes his time these days. But this extremely easygoing gentleman never complains about anything and continues taking every opportunity to share his love with strangers. Surrendered due to sad family circumstances, Sam is now homeless but…
Farley Launches Congressional Bid
Jim Nintzel Congressional candidate Steve Farley: “Congress needs to learn a thing or two from Tucson.” State Rep. Steve Farley became the fourth candidate in the race for Congressional District 2 today, beginning with a kick-off speech at the Tucson Botanical Gardens and continuing with a tour of the new congressional district that includes planned…
