Cover Story
Reading Tucson
“Tucson … is a kind of antipodes where they have no winter and where there is nothing to read.” —Poet Wallace Stevens, in a letter to a friend who was coming here to vacation, 1949. We can forgive Stevens. He was jealous—stuck in Connecticut, in March, again—and Houston was the closest he ever came to…
If Cee-Lo Isn’t Preachy Enough For You…
Finally, someone turns the Cee-Lo viral hit “Fuck You” into a song gently chastising people who post negative comments about Christians on YouTube. It’s a narrow niche, but someone had to do it. There’s a lot that confuses me about this video (the bass player who doesn’t move, that the Bravo network is mentioned, the…
This is What a Million Dollar Dog Looks Like
There are days when I say to myself: Why didn’t I study dog breeding, move to China and raise Tibetan Mastiffs? Today is one of those days. From the Telegraph: Tibetan Mastiffs are huge and fierce guard dogs that have stood watch over nomad camps and monasteries on the Tibetan plateau for centuries. They are…
You’re Not Crazy, Food is More Expensive Lately
The last time finished food prices jumped as much as they did (3.9%) in February? November 1974, when prices climbed 4.2%. “About seventy percent of the February rise can be traced to higher prices for fresh and dry vegetables, which jumped 48.7 percent. Advances in the indexes for meats and dairy products also were major…
Not Surprising, But Senate Democrats Not Fans of the New Budget
From the Senate Democratic Caucus: Senate Republican budget devastates Arizona’s economic recovery STATE CAPITOL, Phoenix — Late Tuesday, Senate Republicans released a budget proposal that decimates education by cutting more than a half-billion dollars in vital funding from all levels of Arizona’s educational systems. The Senate Appropriations committee will hear the budget bills Wednesday at…
Eye of a Storm With Tom Horne
Yesterday, during protests in Phoenix organized mostly by students who headed to the state Capitol during spring break, Arizona’s Attorney General Tom Horne strode right into what seemed like the eye of a storm. Horne was walking to a Univision interview, but from the looks of what greeted him along the way, he knew what…
More Photos from the Concert for Civility
Look for a review of the show by Gene Armstrong in the Weekly on stands tomorrow. Photos by Elliott:
Congratulations, Loft, You’re in the 2011 Arizona Piglet Book
How could we miss the March 9 release of the 2011 Arizona Piglet Book from the Goldwater Institute, which “exposes 147 pork projects, bad ideas and misuses of power that have wasted over $1.2 billion.” And since this is the Goldwater Institute, while an interesting read, it’s the same old story: arts, education and community…
RIP, Nate Dogg
I was surprisingly taken aback to hear that Nate Dogg, born Nathaniel Hale and master of the G-Funk hook, died yesterday in Long Beach, California, although in the last few years, he had several strokes and some trouble getting back into good health. Still, I’ll personally always remember living in the L.A. area in the…
Just in Case You Thought Normal Still Had a Chance:
Here is a list of 27 anti-immigrant bills making their way through the state Legislature For more details on each bill, visit Border Action Network’s website right here: 1. SB 1309/HB 2561: Arizona Citizenship2. SB 1308/HB 2562: Interstate Compact; Birth Certificates3. SB 1406: Interstate Compact; Border Fence4. SB 1405: Immigration Status; Hospital Admissions5. SB 1611:…
Who’s Pat Darcy? And Does He Want To Be Mayor?
Commercial real-estate broker and former major-league pitcher Pat Darcy tells us he’s still considering a mayoral campaign as an independent. “There are a lot of people asking me about it,” says Darcy. “So I’m seriously thinking about it. I’ve always been a believer in non-partisan elections.” The late Chris Limberis profiled Darcy when he ran…
Teen Arrested for Killing Hamster; Tiger Slays Lion in Zoo and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post New NOON showtime in Arizona A New York teen was arrested and faces two years in jail for killing her younger sibling’s pet hamster during a family fight. Art and photo Ryn Gargulinski Mean things include teens who kill hamsters. It’s about time rodents got some…
Should Arizona Add State Legislative Districts?
An interesting idea from AZ Blue Meanie (that just seems ridiculous to type out) today: add representatives to the Arizona legislature. While finding people willing to work for the absurdly low pay that gig offers is already a challenge with our existing number of positions to fill, but considering we’ve had the same number of…
Colin Powell Joins UA’s New National Institute for Civil Discourse
Colin Powell has joined the UA’s new National Institute for Civil Discourse. The press release: General Colin L. Powell, USA (retired), one of America’s most well-known and highly-regarded statesmen, has agreed to join the board of the National Institute for Civil Discourse at the University of Arizona. The National Institute for Civil Discourse — recently…
Scott Bundgaard Just a Regular Senator Again
From the Phoenix New Times: Senate sources confirm to New Times that Republicans voted to remove Bundgaard from his leadership spot over last month’s scuffle with the senator’s now-ex-gal-pal, Aubry Ballard, on the side of a Phoenix freeway. Last week, the Senate Republican caucus agreed to give Bundgaard a week to present them with “new…
Thanks for Nothing, WWE
Last year, I went to Wrestlemania when it was held in Glendale at the University of Phoenix stadium, and while there were some fun matches, it was a little lacking in big time star power and surprises. It was hardly the big time sports entertainment event I expected. This year’s Wrestlemania in Atlanta, there’s already…
A Beautiful Teen Pop Tribute to a Pair of Jeans
Note to music producers: The Justin Bieber success story, rising from YouTube to become a star, is a charming and admirable one, but as I think we learned from Rebecca Black, not every online video minor celebrity is quite ready for the big time. Then again, maybe I’m not giving Jenna Rose (appearing here with…
Heroes of the Day: The Engineers of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
There’s plenty of terrible news still coming out of Japan on a regular basis, but there are also wildly unfortunate stories of heroism, like those of the engineers who stayed behind at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant: Engineers at the plant, working at tremendous personal risk, on Tuesday continued efforts to cool down the…
Totally Hateful Christian on YouTube Just a Weird Prank
Yesterday, the internet was abuzz over a video from a frequent YouTube poster who claimed that her Lenten prayers might have been responsible for the earthquake in Japan, which was really just a wake-up call for a country that hasn’t fully embraced Jesus. The question was whether the poster was for real. Certainly, there are…
WSJ Looks at the Baja Arizona Movement
Seemingly worth noting: in the print edition, this article was placed above an obituary for LSD pioneer Owsley Stanley. On the patio of a downtown bar here last Wednesday night, a handful of people gathered over pitchers of beer to plot the creation of America’s 51st state. With copies of the Arizona constitution before them,…
Musical Therapy: Ron Barber’s Rock ’n’ Roll Recovery
Aleksa Brown Like many of the victims of the Jan. 8 shooting rampage in Tucson, Ron Barber has a way to go before he recovers from his wounds. Barber, who was shot twice in the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, suffered nerve damage that has left him without sensation in his left leg below…
The Best/Strangest Comment of the Week
We have a “Comment of the Week” feature in the print issue every week, but sometimes space limitations rule out some of the longer, more thought out reader missives which still deserve a special spotlight. This week, Frederick Rhodes (commenting on yesterday’s post “Gov. Brewer to Attend Dinner Honoring the “Faith Based” President”), you have…
Greetings From Mercury: The UA Lunar and Planetary Lab Is on the Edge of the Sun
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is set to enter orbit around Mercury this week and will be sending back images by the end of the month. The UA’s Lunar and Planetary Lab is on the job: Robert Strom, professor emeritus in the UA’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, said:…
SXSW to Let Sound Strike Promote Their Boycott
Clearly, I’ve chosen a side on the whole artist boycott of Arizona, but yet, there’s enough money and energy behind the Sound Strike to keep going, even as artists seem to be losing enthusiasm for the endeavor. The Sound Strike certainly have the right to continue campaigning to save Arizona by killing culture here, but…
Gov. Brewer to Attend Dinner Honoring the “Faith Based” President
No, not Barack Obama, who has spent an extensive amount of time discussing how his Christian faith impacts his life. It’s that other guy, the one before Obama. We are delighted to invite you to the epic, “can’t miss” event of the season, as we welcome President George W. Bush to Arizona to speak at…
Sure, a Short Film Based on a Arcade Fire Album. Why Not?
I don’t have much of a sense of what it must be like to be Win Butler of the Arcade Fire right now, but I imagine the number of possibilities that open up when you’re one of the biggest indie rock bands on the planet, but at least how I’d see it, there’s a danger…
Rocky Times in Rocky Point
Just in time for Spring Break: Ray Stern of Phoenix New Times delivers a dispatch from Rocky Point: The town’s boosters, condo owners, real estate officials, store owners, taco sellers, ATV renters, and residents are desperate for business, and they want people to believe the town of 50,000 is “safe.” They want to talk about…
Hospitals Offer Plan To Save Insurance Coverage for Poor
Arizona hospitals are coming up with ways to save health insurance for people on AHCCCS. Howie Fischer has details: Arizona hospitals are making a last-ditch effort to save government-subsidized care for about two thirds of the 250,000 childless adults Gov. Jan Brewer proposes to kick out of the state’s Medicaid program. A plan unveiled Friday…
More GOP Family Values on Display in Wisconsin
An amusing aside to the union-busting in Wisconsin, via The Raw Story: Protesters who marched at the home of Wisconsin state senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) were met with something of a surprise on Saturday. Mrs. Hopper appeared at the door and informed them that Sen. Hopper was no longer in residence at this…
Chris Rock on the Tea Party and Racism
The entirety of Scott Raab’s interview with Chris Rock in this month’s Esquire is worth reading, but this particular quote was worth a specific mention: You got kids? Kids always act up the most before they go to sleep. And when I see the Tea Party and all this stuff, it actually feels like racism’s…
Rep. Matt Heinz: Restore Hospice Funding for Dying Arizonans
Rep. Matt Heinz of Tucson is fighting to restore hospice care to dying patients. Jorge Salazar of Cronkite News Service brings us the details: Restoring hospice care to Medicaid-covered services in Arizona would provide better and more cost-effective care for dying patients, a lawmaker said. Rep. Matt Heinz, D-Tucson, authored a bill that would allow…
A Request to Tucson Clubs: Bring Hungry Kids of Hungary to Town
The joke’s probably on me and they’ve probably played here a dozen times without it coming to my attention, but Australia’s Hungry Kids of Hungary, appearing at SXSW this week, might be my favorite band of the moment. At least until I get distracted by someone else. “Old Money”: “Wristwatch”:
Sierra Club: Protect the Grand Canyon From Mining. Plus: The Bad Bills Continue at the Legislature
Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club sends out her weekly update: Hello all! The Legislature continues to move along with passing unnecessary and ridiculous bills and has not focused on the one thing they absolutely must do — pass a budget. Thank you to everyone who came out to participate in Environmental Day at the…
Heartbreaking Newspaper Front Page from Japan
The emotional photo on the cover of Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun by photographer Toshiyuki Tsunerari might end up being the iconic image from last week’s earthquake and tsunami. [HT: Blogging via Typewriter]
Palin Going Rogue on Fox?
Hank Stephenson New York Magazine wonders if Sarah Palin has gone rogue on Fox News boss Roger Ailes in the wake of the Tucson shooting rampage: Before Sarah Palin posted her infamous “Blood Libel” video on Facebook on January 12, she placed a call to Fox News chairman Roger Ailes. In the wake of the…
Two Mad Men Make the Pitch for High Speed Rail
I’ve spent a decade or so complaining that there should be a high speed train running from Flagstaff to Tucson via Phoenix, so I’m already in the bag for the message fictional characters Pete Campbell and Harry Crane are selling here, but if some of Mad Men’s aesthetic of cool makes rail travel seem more…
Artistic Range: Brandi Saxton at Borealis Arts
Courtesy of Nathan Saxton, Borealis Arts “Clara” by Brandi Saxton “Clara” by Brandi Saxton, is on display in Unbelievably Believable, running through March 16 at Borealis Arts, 6530 E. Tanque Verde Road, suite 160.
Your Monday Morning Legislative Recap, Courtesy of Random Musings
Random Musings rounds up the week that was at the Arizona Legislature. Among the highlights: – Senate President Russell Pearce announced that his “hold” on his anti-immigrant legislation was off. Last week, he had announced that those bills would be “held” until the state’s budget was completed. I could speculate on his reasons for rescinding…
The Morning After: Uh Huh Her
One of the best things about Tucson in March (for a music-lover) is that the city serves as a pit stop for some pretty awesome bands on their way to and from South by Southwest. Take indie pop rockers Uh Huh Her for example. The duo lit up Club Congress last night with a bubbly,…
Picture This: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Global Reporting at the Book Festival
STEPHANIE FOUSSE Mort Rosenblum signs copies of his book Little Bunch of Madmen: Elements of Global Reporting after the presentation. STEPHANIE FOUSSE Mort Rosenblum speaks on the current state of global reporting at the festival of books. Mort Rosenblum, author, presented on his new book Little Bunch of Madmen: Elements of Global Reporting at the…
The Wildcats Get Their March Madness Matchup
The U of A men’s basketball team got its matchup in the tournament a moment ago, and they’ll be heading to Tulsa to play the Memphis Tigers Friday, coached by former Wildcat Josh Pastner. If they get through the first round, they’ll face either Texas or Oakland. A reminder, fill out your bracket in our…
The Morning After: Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout
You might say that Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout has a cult following. If that’s true, I would like to know where to sign up. Yeah, that’s how good their 7″ release show was last night at the Red Room at Grill. Discos kicked off the free show with the kind of set I…
Images of the Destruction in Japan
Australian news network ABC News has a clever, but disturbing use of aerial images to show the physical devastation in and around Sendai, Japan, using the mouse as a slider to allow for before and after views.
Picture This: It’s a Beautiful Day, Don’t Let It Get Away … It’s a Great Day for the Book Festival
ANGELO SAMORA-VARGAS Thousands of Tucsonans have made it out to the Tucson Festival of Books. The Tucson Festival of Books hits its third year at the University of Arizona campus. Thousands of Tucsonans are at the festival for workshops, book signings, panels and games. For the schedule, visit Tucson Festival of Books. ANGELO SAMORA-VARGAS Books…
Glenn Beck Takes On James O’Keefe?
Earlier this week, undercover sting filmmaker James O’Keefe released a video incriminating a former NPR executive as a Tea Party hating, government funding slashing, Islam sympathizer. But, the question was whether O’Keefe used his sometimes questionable editing techniques to manipulate the story. You’d assume that some liberal news organization would be all over debunking O’Keefe’s…
Sonoita: Arizona Wine Country
Story by Melanie Huonker Videos Produced by David McErlean Surrounded by picturesque views, grazing cattle, and open fields, I found myself forgetting I was in Arizona. Gone were desert plains and cactuses, I was surrounded by vineyards. Just 60 miles southeast of Tucson in the Sonoita and Elgin area is home to 10 different vineyards…
Artistic Range: Larry Cocchiarella
Local artist Larry Cocchiarella uses flagstone to create some very unique art. He sketches his designs onto flagstone, then cuts them out and paints them. He recently did a piece for Christina Taylor Green’s memorial. That piece is now displayed in the family’s entryway. He also donated a piece of his art to Lizzie Bell,…
Gas Is More Expensive Than You Think
The Atlantic Monthly looks at the trickle down effect of rising gas prices: Jeff Grant is an ER technician and a paramedic. He lives in Waldoboro, Maine. He works two jobs, and his wife works one. Last month between them they spent $760 on gasoline, car payments (for two modestly used cars), and car insurance.…
Culver’s and Their Frozen Custard Are Coming to Tucson
From a press release that is nearly too exciting for me to bear: TUCSON TO WELCOME CULVER’S RESTAURANTS Wisconsin-based Franchise to Feature Great Food, Service and Hospitality The Midwest-based Culver’s franchise will open two new restaurants in Tucson later this summer. Culver’s is an expanding fast-casual franchise system with 428 independently owned and operated restaurants…
A Terrible Song Celebrating Fridays, Terribly
This song is no “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend”, that’s for sure.
A Tribute to the Most Moving Sax Solo Ever
This guy just wants to bring the joy of music through a performance of the sax solo from Wham!’s “Careless Whisper” and the establishment wants to bring him down. A shame, really. [The Daily What]
Idiot Boksen – In Defense of Local News and “The Wire”
flickr Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon As my colleague Dan Gibson mentioned yesterday, Felicia Pearson, who played Marlo Stanfield’s enforcer “Snoop” on The Wire, was arrested in connection with a “large-scale heroin and marijuana operation”. As if those two substances are somehow equal. The news was sad, but it wasn’t particularly surprising, because The…
UPDATE Today: Press Conference Raises Concerns on Ethnic Studies Changes
Today at 3:30 p.m., the Mexican American Studies Community Advisory Committee will hold an emergency press conference in front of TUSD headquarters, 1010 E. 10th St. According to an announcement regarding the press conference, its purpose is “to protest the recent and arbitrary administrative moves by TUSD that will have the effect of endangering the…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 10: Primavera Raspados and Hot Dogs
The mango chunks in the raspados at Primavera Raspados and Dogs look a bit like nuggets of slippery gold. They’re big, supple chunks, perfect for squishing into the crushed ice and vanilla ice cream layered below. Primavera Raspados and Hot Dogs serves mainly raspados, fruit salads and other things one wants on hot days. It…
Jan Brewer Has Another “Long Pause” Moment
However, it was the teleprompter’s fault, and definitely not an interruption of blood to Governor Brewer’s brain. Brewer Has Another Lengthy Pause During Speech: MyFoxPHOENIX.com [HT: Phoenix New Times]
Save Ethnic Studies Benefit with Luis Alberto Urrea
While author Luis Alberto Urrea is in town for the Tucson Festival of Books, you can also catch him on Sunday, March 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Maynards, 400 N. Toole Ave., for a Save Ethnic Studies benefit to raise funds for the ongoing litigation between the 11 TUSD ethnic studies teachers and…
Giffords Improving, Told of the Shooting
Good news from today’s press conference at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where Gabrielle Giffords has progressed from mouthing words to speaking sentences. Also, the doctors described the removal of her breathing tube as a “fist-pump” moment, signaling a significant moment in her recovery. Dr. Dong Kim addressed the recent story that Giffords would…
Artistic Range: Tucson Botanical Gardens
Courtesy of Darlene Kryza, Tucson Botanical Gardens “Terrestrial Orchid” by Manabu Saito “Terrestrial Orchid,” by Manabu Saito, is among the works on display at the Tucson Botanical Gardens’ Porter Hall Gallery, in a show continuing through March 30. The gallery, 2150 N. Alvernon Way, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, excluding holidays.
8.9 Earthquake Hits Japan, Waves Hitting US Shores
Photo by “Lessiecat”, Twitpic Obviously, there’s a lot going on around the Pacific Rim today following a massive earthquake with hundreds dead in Sendai, the Japanese city closest to the epicenter of the 8.9 magnitude quake. So far, waves have hit Hawaii, Oregon and parts of California, but it appears the rush of water will…
The Morning After: Jackson Browne, Alice Cooper & Company at TCC
Aleksa Brown If you ask Jackson Browne for help, he knows how to bring it. Last night’s benefit concert for Ron Barber’s new Civility, Respect and Understanding Fund was nothing short of extraordinary—and Ron himself, along with his family, ended up onstage with the entire company for the finale of “Teach Your Children.” More details—and…
Jesse Kelly Ready for Rematch Against Giffords?
We’ll learn more about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ condition today when her doctors at Houston’s TIRR facility hold a press conference. But it appears that Republican Jesse Kelly is moving forward with his plans for a rematch against Giffords. National Journal’s Hotline reports: As Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) continues to recover from a near-fatal assassination attempt…
Dog Owners Beware: Dogs Dig Eating Feet; Your Toes Could be Next
One of the dandiest things about dogs is that they are always looking out for our survival — even if that means eating our toes. Photo Ryn Gargulinski Feet can be a natural delicacy for dogs. Several dog owners have had the pleasure of finding this out firsthand, with the most recent being an Oregon…
Epic Meal Time: It Was Fun While It Lasted
When my favorite YouTube gluttony series is set to be featured on Leno, the party is clearly over: To the short list of Quebecers who have done their thing on the Tonight Show -an impressionist, a pop diva -add a chef whose primary ingredients are bacon and Jack Daniel’s. Harley Morenstein, who was a high-school…
It’s Thursday Afternoon. Here’s a Destroyer Video.
“Kaputt”, from the album of the same name. Destroyer plays a 21 and over show at Club Congress with War on Drugs! March 23rd at 9 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance.
Reminder: Benefit Concert for the Fund for Civility, Respect, and Understanding
Tonight’s the Concert for the Fund for Civility, Respect, and Understanding at 6 pm at the TCC, and by all reports from soundcheck, it should be an unforgettable night of music, with each group getting their own time on stage and then a series of one of a kind collaborations. The money goes to a…
It’s Hoops Hysteria Time!
At this time of year, college basketball fever spreads across Tucson and on Sunday, the brackets come out and productivity everywhere takes a nose dive. You know you’re going to fill out a bracket, so why not do it through Jack Furrier’s Hoops Hysteria, our local/nationwide tournament prediction contest? It’s super easy, you can win…
It’s Might Be a Lot Harder to Ignore Sarah Palin Soon
You know, this makes perfect sense. If you take the love of hunting away, Sarah Palin is nearly the embodiment of what I associate with women who choose to live in Scottsdale. The prospect of Sarah Palin running for president is, increasingly, dismissed by a political class that sees her facing weak poll numbers —…
Rep. Ellison’s Emotional Testimony
While it seems like it’s becoming more popular these days in America to associate Islam with the worst of those who practice (and distort) the faith, I think it makes a little more sense to connect the Muslim faith in this country to people like Rep. Keith Ellison and Mohammed Salman Hamdani, the first responder…
Not Terribly Surprising: Cast Member of “The Wire” Arrested
Part of what made The Wire such an amazing show was the tension in that some of the actors seems plausibly threatening enough to commit the real life versions of their televised crimes. When Snoop is rattling off information about how she might be able to use a nail gun to kill people, it was…
Is Today Bundgaard’s Last Day as Senate Majority Leader?
James King from the Phoenix New Times seems to think so: State Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard may have staved off being ousted from his leadership position when he met with Senate Republicans yesterday to explain his involvement in last month’s alleged domestic-violence incident, but sources tell New Times that the chances of Bundgaard remaining…
Vegan in Tucson: eegee’s
Ahh, Eegee’s … one of the many wonderful things about Tucson. Created in 1971 by Ed Irving and Bob Greenberg, eegee’s started out in a food vending truck that sold “frozen lemonade” to students outside of Tucson high schools. Today, they are a Tucson staple. All of the 21 locations are family owned, though ownership…
My New Favorite Tumblr (Until the Next One)
Some athletes have mustaches and beards. A lot of hipsters have facial hair. Hence, one can post photos of athletes on Tumblr and make jokes about hipsters. Finally, someone made that connection with Hipster or Athlete. Nice choice, Junior. “You’re Gonna Need Someone on Your Side” is my jam.
Superman: America’s Superhero Immigrant
The Immigrant Archive Project collects video interviews on the immigrant experience of different folks, including this one below from comic book writer Swifty Lang, who came to the United States from Belgium when he was a toddler. Lang proposes what most of us already know – Superman is an immigrant, although I suppose there’s room…
Brewing Concerns
Some local bar owners aren’t raising their glasses in tribute to the Fourth Avenue Street Fair. Instead, they are in a sober fight that is stirring up controversy. A few owners of Fourth Avenue bars have raised concerns that the vendors who distribute beer on the streets during the fair are hurting the bars’ business,…
The Storyteller
Storytelling is Jane Eppinga’s bailiwick. Her numerous books and articles, many on topics of Western history, attest to the storytelling success she’s had over the years. Eppinga’s own story is similar to the stories of many Tucsonans. Her family moved here in 1949 because of her father’s poor health. After he passed away, her mother…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending March 6, 2011
Police Dispatch
Home sweet Walmart; Just say no
Part of the Conversation
When Joseph Quintana Ramirez stood in front of a group of students recently at the San Xavier Mission School, he held up one of his favorite issues of Red Ink, believed to be the only student-run Native American magazine in the country. The bright colors on the glossy cover pop from a portrait of football…
Going Hungry
We Are What We Are is a Mexican export about a family of cannibals who must learn to cope and survive after the death of the patriarch. There are a couple of grisly scenes, though nothing approaches what passes for standard-issue Hollywood horror gore—and that’s a shame. Unfortunately, it appears that director Jorge Michel Grau…
Weekly Wide Web
Arguing Yet Agreeing; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
T Q&A
Joy Soler is a co-owner of Revolutionary Grounds, at 606 N. Fourth Ave. The bookstore and coffee shop specializes in books that aren’t necessarily on the best-sellers list; genres include LGBTQ, feminism, economics, Latin America and sustainability. Previously a social worker with the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, Soler and her husband, Paul Gattone, have been…
Now Showing at Home
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray); The Cable Guy: 15 Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray); 127 Hours (Blu-ray)
Soundbites
March madness!; Bröötally good; Local release madness!; Short takes; On the bandwagon
Media Matters
Old habits die hard, they say—but how hard will the transition be from paper books to digital media for readers and retailers? And what will the authors currently assembling for the Tucson Festival of Books be signing 10 years from now? Imagine, for example, a futuristic iPad, Kindle or Nook on which an author places…
The Semifinalist
I am a fan of Janos Wilder. He’s a great ambassador for Tucson’s culinary world, and he supports wonderful causes (like Native Seeds/SEARCH). However, I’ve dined quite a few times at Janos and J Bar, both at the Westin La Paloma, and I’ve never had a meal that blew me away. (I’ve never had a…
Owning Her Universe
When I ask Austin singer/songwriter Terri Hendrix how she’s doing, it’s more than just a courtesy. Eight weeks ago, our last phone interview began and ended with her telling me that she needed to reschedule her January performance due to a recent change in the medications she uses to manage her epilepsy. She did not…
Wandering Spirit
A poet can always draw inspiration from the city in which she lives, even if only for a brief while. A place often follows a poet wherever she goes afterward, stalking the imagination, lingering in the heart’s perimeter and waiting for a chance to be channeled creatively—its people, culture and soul. In the last few…
Noshing Around
The City Frozen Yogurt; Great Outdoors; Burgers and Bikers; I’ll Drink to That!; New: Borderlands Brewing Company
Top Ten in Music
Toxic Ranch Records’ top sales for the week ending March 6, 2011
Shameless Self-Promotion
Rita Connelly The Tucson Weekly restaurant reviewer will join freelance writer Edie Jarolim, former Bon Appetit magazine editor Barbara Fairchild, and chef Janos Wilder at “Critics Table: The Power of the Restaurant Review,” at 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 13, at the Culinary Stage on the UA mall. The panel will be moderated by Corey Dane…
Growth Experience
San Francisco’s Jason Quever got his start recording dreamy, lush pop music at home. But seeking to expand on his band Papercuts’ mellow and hazy sound, Quever left his home studio behind, working instead with noted producer Thom Monahan (Pernice Brothers, Devendra Banhart) at The Hangar in Sacramento, Calif. “I was surprised at how easy…
Nine Questions
Robert Ojeda, director of the Community Food Resource Center at the Community Food Bank, was born and raised in Peru. He moved to the United States at 17 to attend college. He has played Andean music in bands across the United States; his current band is Entre Peruanos. What was the first concert you ever…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending March 4, 2011
Messina
On Feb. 24, Tucsonans gathered on the southside to celebrate tradition. The 86th Tucson Rodeo Parade had all of its usual attractions—colorful costumes, flags flying in the wind and more cowboy hats than you can count. In central Tucson, I discussed a key element of the parade—the horse—with author Deanne Stillman. Instead of seeing animals…
Live
For such a legendary figure in American punk rock, Greg Ginn looked amazingly modest onstage at the Surly Wench Pub. The 56-year-old guitarist, bandleader and DIY entrepreneur wore closely cropped gray hair, a black T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Standing almost stock-still and displaying no expression other than hypnotized head-bobbing, Ginn almost resembled a monk from…
Understanding Ethnic Studies
Just to set the record straight: Sally Rusk is not encouraging her students to overthrow the United States government. Instead, she’s promoting active citizenship, delving into a curriculum that fights racism, and encouraging her students to give back to the community. Rusk is one of the 11 Tucson Unified School District ethnic-studies teachers who are…
Mailbag
Serraglio Ignores Violent Realities; Correction
Radiohead: The King of Limbs (TBD)
Every new Radiohead release seems to create a crisis among critics. The big, unspoken fear in the subtext of most Radiohead reviews concerns winding up on the wrong side of cultural history. This anxiety is not new, and the reviews of Radiohead’s decidedly iconoclastic output are the latest incarnation. The question Radiohead has been staunchly…
City Week
“Fostering a Secular Society: Keep Religion Out of Government”; Concerts Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Father Kino’s death; “The Roadrunner: Almost Human”; Mapping the Inside Out: Works on Paper by Kim Nikolini
Guest Commentary
I stopped by Borders on Oracle Road the other day and went in to check out the carnage. The company recently declared bankruptcy, and the Oracle store is one of eight across Arizona that will be history by the end of April. It was only two days after the announcement, and the line for the…
Ferrodyne: St. John’s Day (Terra Malverde)
From a critical viewpoint, you might worry if a band is recommended purely because its members are nice people, which is how more than one trusted musical adviser introduced me to Ferrodyne. They probably are good folks, but it’s also excellent that the gentle Southwestern folk-rock on the debut CD by this local act is…
T Q&A
In 2009, while Rachel Miller was spending a year in Italy, she heard that friends involved in Help a Mother Out (www.helpamotherout.org) wanted to find a way to help homeless families—especially mothers and children. Miller then decided to launch an online diaper drive benefiting the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona (diaperbank.org). Miller is still helping…
Stepping Up
And then there is 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green. Christina was an A student, a dancer, a gymnast and a swimmer. She often proclaimed that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. She showed an…
Lupe Fiasco: Lasers (Atlantic)
It wouldn’t surprise me if the well-publicized story of Lasers’ corporate neglect and its subsequent rescue from some Atlantic Vault of Lost Records (hey, Lasers, did you run into Missy Elliott’s Block Party in there?) by fan rioting has all been pre-scripted. Lupe has stated that Lasers is a watering-down of his vision by Atlantic.…
Merce vs. Desserts
When Robert Swinston was a young dancer starting out with Merce Cunningham Dance Company 30 years ago, the great man himself was still performing. “Merce was still the lead dancer at 61 years old,” Swinston says. “He was a dynamic teacher. We were his sweaty soldiers. He would say, ‘jump,’ and we would fly.” Cunningham…
The Skinny
Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard feels the heat … The state’s tax collections bump along the bottom … Shirley Scott gets an opponent … Jim Click opens his wallet for a fine cause … and more!
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: When World War II ended, the Germans and the Japanese had to return all of territories they had acquired by force. The U.S. acquired most of the West by force from Mexico, due to the war with Mexico. It’s generally agreed that the U.S. won the war, but does that make it right?…
Finding ‘Yonkers’
Neil Simon is one of the most prolific and popular playwrights in American history. His Lost in Yonkers—which won him both the Tony Award for Best Play and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama—is a touching and funny story which Arizona Theatre Company has embraced in a near-perfect production of what is ultimately a less-than-perfect play.…
Subterranean Nightmare
Lisa Mele ponders her homeowners’ insurance as she stands between a cracking wall and a buckling floor. The longtime resident of downtown’s Barrio Viejo finished renovating her old adobe home—”a labor of love,” she calls it—just 10 years ago. Now she’s watching the front part of that home fall to pieces. Like the Rollings family,…
Read This
It’s going to be a big weekend for Southern Arizona’s lovers of books, writers and all things literary, as the third annual Tucson Festival of Books takes over the University of Arizona campus. Congrats to the organizers of the event, who have assembled one hell of a lineup. I’ve heard some local writers complaining that…
Media Watch
Willcox’s KWCX to take over 104.9; Citadel-Cumulus deal could be near
Danehy
The Arizona Legislature has been catching some heat from left-wing rags and wags recently, but I say it’s time to leave the law-making folks alone. If we had a bunch of weak-willed Democrats running around the rented halls of power in Phoenix, do you think the state would have its very own Official State Firearm?…
Basic Needs
In this budget-slashing era, picking on the poor has become a bipartisan endeavor. To make a miniscule dent in the enormous federal deficit, President Obama has proposed deep cuts for Community Service Block Grants (CSBG). Instead of going after big-ticket items such as military expenditures, Obama has proposed reducing CSBG funding by 50 percent. Locally,…
Date Night With the Bard
Behold: the Shakespearean chick flick! In As You Like It, Shakespeare created the archetypal romantic comedy. Its lovers are not as serious as those in Romeo and Juliet, and its comedy is not as broad as in The Comedy of Errors. Instead, the play trots out a familiar collection of addlepated lovers, wisecracking best friends…
Destined for Lameness
The Adjustment Bureau has an interesting idea at its core. It’s loosely based on a Philip K. Dick short story (“Adjustment Team”), and he’s the genius responsible for mind-bending tales that led to great films like Total Recall, Blade Runner, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly. Writer-director George Nolfi has adapted Dick’s story to the…
Judge Orders Loughner To Undergo Psychological Evaluation
Jared Lee Loughner’s hair has grown back and he was sporting long sideburns and a hint of a goatee as he was led into a federal courtroom in shackles and a khaki prison uniform Wednesday. But the most distinguishing feature of the 22-year-old man who stands accused of killing six people and wounding another 13…
Loughner to Undergo Psychological Exams to Determine Competency
According to Jim Nintzel, U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns today granted a defense motion for accused Jan. 8 shooter Jared Lee Loughner to undergo psychological exams, in an effort to determine whether Loughner is competent enough to go on trial. A competency hearing is now scheduled for May 25. In other news, Burns agreed…
Artistic Range: Fiore Gallery
UPDATE: Fiore Gallery will have a grand opening event from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, March 12. Goldsmith Deborah Koorey will present a collection of beautifully cut and set gems and precious stones. David Fiore-McMahon will unveil his first bronze sculpture. Fiore Gallery, 3001 E. Sunrise Drive, No. 109, is now open will open on…
