Cover Story
The Need for Weed
At a Starbucks on the far eastside of Tucson, Michelle B. Graye and Stu Green make no attempt to hide their devotion to marijuana. After all, they’re wearing green-leaf-emblazoned T-shirts and buttons. As volunteers for AZ4NORML, Graye and Green worked nonstop for months to gather signatures to get Proposition 203, which made medical marijuana legal…
Let’s Take a Moment and Listen to a Sunnier, German Take on Black Sabbath
The things you find online when digging for information about old Eurovision competitions on Wikipedia. Unfortunately, Cindy & Bert divorced in 1988, although Cindy continues to perform.
Tucson Weekly TV: A the Intern Bows Out of the Race for Mayor
You win, Tucson political establishment…for now. However, A. Greene takes this lemon-scented obstacle and makes lemonade, albeit in another time zone.
Green Valley Remembers Gabe Zimmerman
Scott A. Taras Green Valley residents have created a memorial for Gabe Zimmerman, the 30-year-old “constituent whisperer” who was slain during the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Dan Shearer, editor of the Green Valley News & Sun, has details: Gabe Zimmerman knew the score when he came to Green Valley on behalf of his…
A Music Video From Yardsale Heart
Ahead of their record release show on May 28th at Plush, super hooky indie-rock act Yardsale Heart have released a video for the title track, “Watercolours”:
Public Policy Polling: AZ Dems Love Giffords, AZ Republicans Hate Trump & Hayworth
Public Policy Polling drops some more numbers from Arizona. Key takeaways: • Arizona Democrats would love to see Gabby Giffords be healthy enough to run for the Senate, but if she can’t, they’d like to see Terry Goddard go for it. It’s flattering for both Giffords and Goddard, but also indicates that Arizona Democrats do…
Man Behind Failed Dupnik-Recall Effort Claims Fellow Conservatives Have Done Him Wrong
Dan Baltes, the man responsible for the failed effort to recall Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, is now saying that he wants to clear his name and reinstate the recall, after allegedly filing a complaint with Pima County Elections. According to a copy of the six-page complaint obtained by the Tucson Weekly, Baltes’ main reason…
Arizona Only the Ninth Worst State to Be a Woman
Sad, but when I scrolled down to see Arizona at number nine, I felt a somewhat pleasant amount of surprise that eight other states are apparently worse. It’s the little things sometimes. 9. Arizona. Race-based abortion restrictions may have failed in Georgia, but unfortunately, such a law recently passed in Arizona, a state that can’t…
Photos From Last Week’s Los Lobos Show
This week’s issue has a review of the Los Lobos show last Friday including a photo by Elliott. However, of course, we had a number of great photos that we couldn’t publish, so why not share them with you all on the blog?
Padres Beat Round Rock 11-8. Tonight is Wiener Wednesday!
Samantha Sais Bring your appetite to tonight’s Tucson Padres game—hot dogs are just $1 on Wiener Wednesday! First pitch is 7 p.m. at Kino Stadium. Details here. The T-Pads won last night with a three-run, eighth-inning rally. Here are details from the Padres’ Tim Hagerty: The Tucson Padres scored three times in the bottom of…
Robb: “Under Arpaio, the Sheriff’s Office Became a Rogue Agency and a Threat to the Rule of Law”
The Arizona Republic’s Robert Robb calls bullshit on Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio: There is plenty in Babeu’s report, the memo by Deputy Chief Frank Munnell that triggered it and other public records to fully implicate Arpaio in the ethical cesspool his office had become. The Babeu report clearly shows that the office staged the…
Providing Context for Fox News’s Common Outrage
In case you were watching Fox News yesterday and were wondering just how frightened you should be by militant rapper Common, who apparently advocates shooting white people on sight or something, I present the video above. Yep, that’s Common. Possibly one of the least threatening rappers alive. Sure, the guy gets political sometimes and maybe…
McCain & Kyl: “What About Our Broken Borders?”
Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl—who both supported comprehensive immigration reform when George W. Bush was in the White House—have a hard-edged response to President Barack Obama’s immigration address in El Paso yesterday: President Obama speaks about our broken immigration system; but what about our broken borders? During the President’s first visit to our nation’s…
Cattlemen Not Amused by Obama’s Immigration Speech
The Arizona Cattlemen’s Association respond to Obama’s immigration address in El Paso yesterday: Today President Obama gave his remarks on comprehensive immigration reform in El Paso, TX, claiming victory in the fight to secure our border. The Arizona Cattlemen’s Association is outraged by his comments mocking the border security issue. Referring to the work on…
Hate Your Spouse? Want to Make $570?
Times are tough and it can get tough to get the cash together to get out of town as a couple. Thankfully, the TV show Divorce Court has a deal for you. Sure there’s a catch, but isn’t there always? Hopefully you get a separate hotel room from your soon-to-be former spouse as part of…
Critter of the Week (Dog Edition): Moose
Moose, a 2-year-old Labrador Retriever mix (most definitely not part moose, though his size is reminiscent of one), has fallen on hard times. Poor Moose has been homeless 5 times in just 5 months. After unexpectedly outliving his owner, Moose has been bounced around from home to home for jumping a 4-foot fence (he’s a…
Cops Shoot Man Dressed as Pirate; 3-Year-Old Goes on Blowtorch Burning Spree and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post Illustration Ryn Gargulinski PiRATe illustration from book ‘Rats Incredible’ We’re used to pirates menacing the seas, but evidently, police officers in Omaha weren’t sure what to do when they were faced with a man dressed as a pirate who came at them with his sword. So…
TUSD’s Michael Hicks: “We Have Lost Control”
Making its way through the blogosphere today is a post by The Arizona Republic’s Doug MacEachern, a regular Maricopa County critic of TUSD’s Mexican-American studies program. What’s interesting in MacEachern’s post isn’t his continuing rant against ethnic studies students and teachers, but a quote from TUSD governing board member Michael Hicks: “I would not have…
Sluts and Fox News
Raw Story notes that Fox News’ Sean Hannity is covering the new “slutwalk” movement with the help of Christian pop singer Rebecca St. James: Fox News’ Sean Hannity invited Christian pop singer Rebecca St. James to discuss recent “slutwalk” protests. The first demonstration was called earlier this month after a Toronto police officer claimed “women…
B-52’s at Rialto Tonight!
Who’s going to see the B-52’s at downtown’s Rialto Theatre tonight? Also at the Rialto this week: A Pink Floyd laser show tomorrow, Brandi Carlile on Thursday and lots more! Details here.
Tonight: Help the UA Music Program at Club Congress
Two UA students—Victor Castañeda and Kyle Wilson—are the masterminds behind tonight’s 8 p.m. show at Club Congress. They have a dream to “revolutionize and revive the love and unity amongst the local music scene.” Bands slated to perform are The Gallery, Van Gogh Rescue, A.M. Eyes, Falling Out of Planes. Showtime is at 8 p.m.…
Grijalva: Obama’s Immigration Proposal Is “Absolutely the Humane Approach We Need Right Now”
Congressman Raul Grijalva reacts to Obama’s immigration speech: Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, thanked President Obama for taking the opportunity in his El Paso speech today on immigration reform “to reaffirm his commitment to the principles we all know immigration reform needs to include. He laid out the case very…
Obama’s Immigration Speech: “A Delicate Political Dance”
The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza reacts to Obama’s immigration address in El Paso today: President Obama’s speech Tuesday in Texas was cast as an attempt at restarting the conversation about comprehensive immigration reform but will almost certainly land with a dull thud in a Congress wary of taking on an issue so fraught with political…
I Want To Drink and Play This Game Somewhere in Town
I refuse to drink Budweiser while playing “Poolball” but when there’s an opportunity to mix two things I enjoy but am terrible at, I couldn’t resist hanging out wherever this game would be available.
Law & Order Update: KVOA to Air Episode After All
From Lorraine Rivera’s Facebook feed Apparently, KVOA has decided that the Law & Order: Los Angeles episode is offensive in prime time, but not quite so much following the Carson Daly show that people forget is still on the air.
Take Us Out to the Ballgame: Welcome Home, Padres!
Samantha Sais The Tucson Padres return to town tonight for the start of an eight-game homestand, loaded with some great promotions, including $1 hot dogs tomorrow, $1 beers on Thirsty Thursday, appearances by the ZOOperstars on Friday and Myron Noodleman on Saturday, and a chance to take your pooch to the ballgame on Bark in…
PPP: “Trump Has Had One of the Quickest Rises and Falls in the History of Presidential Politics”
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Talking Points Memo shares a clip of Donald Trump telling Fox News that he understands why Ross Perot briefly dropped out of the presidential race in 1992: The media heat might be starting to get to Donald Trump. As he said last night on Fox News, he can see…
New Italian Food: Bella D’Auria
The former owner of Café D’Auria is back with a new Italian restaurant opening this summer at 4445 E. Broadway Blvd. Bella D’Auria will serve “Naples-style Italian food,” according to Chef Lorenzo D’Auria, who will be heading up kitchen operations. A trained sommelier and cigar expert, he will also oversee those aspects of the business…
Jetman Crosses Grand Canyon
We imagine that we’ll all be commuting to work with jetpacks like this in the future. For now, we have to settle for watching Yves Rossy scoot across the Grand Canyon.
Obama To Tackle Immigration in Speech Today
President Barack Obama will make a big speech on immigration today: President Obama will deliver a speech in Texas Tuesday intended to revive interest in a far-reaching approach to immigration, one of the nation’s most divisive political issues. The White House hopes to use the speech to “create a sense of urgency in Congress and…
KVOA Won’t Air Giffords Themed Law & Order: LA Episode Locally
KVOA has decided not to run the forthcoming episode of Law and Order: LA that revolves around a congresswoman shot at a public event, which makes sense since creating entertainment out of a local tragedy could be perceived as tacky, but for me, it makes me rethink whether I should get a little queasy over…
Grijalva: Bring Troops Home From Afghanistan and Iraq
Congressman Raul Grijalva launches a weekly video update on current affairs. This week, he calls for President Barack Obama to bring troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq, and promoted the People’s Budget, a progressive alternative to the GOP plan championed by Congressman Paul Ryan.
Today’s Amazing Website: The Library of Congress Jukebox
If you have any passion for historic American music at all, the Library of Congress’ new National Jukebox site is where your time will soon go to die. Apparently this is just the tip of the iceberg, but there are thousands of songs and speeches available now to stream, from 30’s era blues to an…
NPR Covers the Baja Arizona Movement
There was a sizable crowd at the Shanty on Thursday, so despite the longest of long shot odds, the Baja Arizona signature drive is on. NPR’s Ted Robbins interviewed a number of the people involved.
Taco Bell: The Model of American Productivity
Business Week reports that all of our American ingenuity is finding a home on fast food assembly lines: When I take my place on the line and start to prepare burritos, tacos, and chalupas—they won’t let me near a Crunchwrap Supreme—it is immediately clear that this has been engineered to make the process as simple…
At Least One Person Is Actually Running for Mayor
From Adam Kinsey’s Facebook feed Jonathan Rothschild has submitted the maximum number of signatures allowed to qualify for mayor, well ahead of the June 1st deadline. While there have been reports of signature gatherers downtown working for Marshall Home™, odds are he either won’t get enough signatures together or isn’t actually eligible to run, so…
Bristol Palin Gets Her Own Reality Show
Wait, we thought Bristol was moving to the town of Maricopa, not to Los Angeles? Guess Hollywood is a better setting for a reality show: Bristol Palin has scored her own reality series. The daughter of Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, will star in her own series on BIO. According to BIO, the currently…
Gov. Brewer Gets a Book Deal
It’s a good thing the legislative session ended so quickly. Gov. Jan Brewer has plenty of time to polish her memoirs. We especially like the part in the above teaser about how many YouTube views she has. Keep in mind that more than 2 million of them come from this less-than-flattering clip.
New Lady Gaga Track…Featuring Clarence Clemons
It’s a little strange to hear a Lady Gaga song that’s seemingly inspired by 80’s film soundtracks composed before she was born, but the dual sax solos by Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band are a nice touch. Good to see the pop/rock saxophone making a comeback, just when we need it most.
Finally, A Montage of Famous Filmed Sandwiches
I almost didn’t post this due to my outrage over the omission of the pixie stick sandwich from The Breakfast Club, but my love of movies and sandwiches won out.
Solar Energy in Afghanistan: Fewer Batteries Equals More Bullets
When Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was running for Congress last year, a group called Conservatives for Congress hammered her with a TV ad because she asked Gen. David Petraeus about the use of solar energy in Afghanistan. Conservatives for Congress chairman Steve Christy, the former auto dealer who wanted Republican Jesse Kelly in Congress, complained that…
Thanks for Nothing, My Fox Phoenix
While there’s certainly some parts of Al-Qaeda’s history that involves Tucson, I’m not entirely sure this story is fair or actually news in 2011, but why let that stop My Fox Phoenix from running a bizarre cut-and-paste job of a story titled “Tucson: The Birthplace of Al-Qaeda in America” without a byline?
Let’s Take a Minute to Appreciate This Bill Murray Photo
From the New Orleans Times-Picayune, a photo of Julia Reed, Bill Murray, and Sue Strachan from Steven Forster’s “Big Easy” party.
In Case You Missed the Two Funny Things on SNL…
An idea: let’s just make Saturday Night Live a thirty minute show. A Stefon skit, a clip by the Lonely Island, and an unfunny sketch based on half a premise just for the memories. The Lonely Island (feat. Michael Bolton): “Jack Sparrow” And Stefon’s tips for Mother’s Day:
Idiot Boksen – Ricky Gervais Wants to Remind You He’s Important
The other day, I was talking with some friends about the best comedians on Twitter, and I mentioned Anthony Jeselnik, who’s about as dark as comedians get these days. To illustrate his abilities, I quoted one of his best tweets, posted last November. (The joke is after the jump, and it’s pretty out there. You’ve…
Win Tickets to See Eisley on Tuesday!
Tyler, Texas family indie rock act Eisley is coming to Club Congress this Tuesday the 10th, and we have ten pairs of tickets to give away to lucky fans. Just go to our page for the contest, sign in with a TucsonWeekly.com account, and push the magic button to enter. The contest ends on Monday…
Meet the Tequila Party
A new voter-registration effort called the Tequila Party is aiming to get more Latinos involved in the political process. I’ve been hearing more and more about the group in recent days, including this tidbit from the Phoenix New Times: DeeDee Blase, Arizona’s Republican immigration activist, has a message for the Tea Party: “Move aside, the…
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes Indicted for Murder of Brian Terry
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, the subject of a recent Leo Banks piece in the Weekly, has been indicted in the Brian Terry case. From the office of United States Attorney Dennis Burke: A federal district judge today unsealed a 14-count indictment that includes charges against Manuel Osorio-Arellanes of El Fuerte, Mexico, for the December 14, 2010, murder…
Your Kentucky Derby Guide/Collection of Horse Pictures
Thanks to The Week magazine, I know can pretend I know something about the horses running in the Kentucky Derby tomorrow, including introducing me to Mucho Macho Man, a horse that has a story ready made for a Disney movie: Mucho Macho Man (or 3M) is a horse with a story to tell. He was…
Los Lobos at Rialto Tonight! And Lots More Coming Up!
Los Lobos performs at the Rialto Theatre tonight. Surely, you’re planning on going, right? And don’t forget: Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers are playing Saturday night, Fleet Foxes are playing Sunday night (and if you don’t have your tickets, you’re out of luck, because it’s sold out) and the legendary B-52s are playing on Tuesday…
Grijalva: GOP Plan To Eliminate Medicare Will Cost Older Americans Big Bucks
As Republicans begin backtracking on their support for Congressman Paul Ryan’s Roadmap, Congressman Raul Grijalva points to a study that shows how much the Medicare voucher plan proposed by GOP lawmakers will cost a 54-year-old American: A 54-year-old today will have to save an additional $182,000 in their Individual Retirement Account or 401(k) before retirement…
In Case You Missed It: Calexico on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
If you couldn’t stay up until midnight last night, here’s Calexico’s performance of “Crystal Frontier” from Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Republicans Who Won’t Be President Had a Get-Together Last Night
Presidental candidate Herman Cain, sporting a very nice hat. I really had no idea there was a Republican presidential debate last night, but if any of these guys are actually in the race against Obama on election day 2012, I’d be stunned. The debate had all the pomp of a nationally televised forum, but the…
Hiphop for Your Momma
Thanks to GQ for assembling the top ten rap songs about mothers. Personally, I’d put Ghostface’s “All I Got Is You” first, but it’s hard to argue with “Hey Mama”.
Kyl’s Number Plummet in Wake of Attack on Planned Parenthood
Some quick takeaways from the latest Public Policy Polling survey, released this morning: • Sen. Jon Kyl’s attacks on Planned Parenthood, coupled with his “not-intended-to-be-a-factual-statement” defense, have damaged his standing among Democrats and independents; • Sen. John McCain is remarkably unpopular, even though he handily won reelection last year; • The idea of having a…
Saturday Sippers
The RumRunner holds its Saturday Sippers event from 2 to 4 p.m., tomorrow (Saturday, May 7). This month’s event will feature three tasting stations where you can try a few sangrias and about a dozen other wines. The best part: It’s free! Tom Smith from the RumRunner tells us Savida Sangria will be available for…
Self-Employment in Tucson: Making Working for Yourself Work
Sign and photo by Ryn Gargulinski Marketing 101: Signs work well on street corners. Tucson is a great place to be self-employed — as long as you can make it work. These wonderful words of wisdom came from an ambitious and creative woman who started her own pet publication a few years back. It rocked.…
National Astronomy Day at Flandrau
Flandrau Science Center will be celebrating National Astronomy Day this Saturday, May 7 alongside the Tucson Astronomy Association and the National Sharing the Sky Foundation. Per a press release: World-renowned astronomer and comet hunter David Levy will present a special lecture on the night sky at Flandrau’s 7 p.m. planetarium show. Astronomy graduate students will…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 14: Angela’s Mexican Food
Angela’s Mexican Food is a sturdy white food trailer parked on the corner of Stone Avenue and Prince Road. It shares the neighborhood with a check-cashing store, a U-Haul lot and several weather-beaten parcels that have been stripped of vitality by exhaust fumes and the relentless desert sun. But exhaust and desert heat are nothing…
America’s Hottest Baby Name in 2010? Khloe
In other news, I’ve just lost my last shred of hope for society. Bring on our ape overlords! I welcome your reign, Dr. Zaius! The short answer, once again, is reality TV, that most reliable source for today’s fastest rising names. Khloe Kardashian is part of America’s most ubiquitous reality TV family, and over the…
Number of “Birthers” Shockingly Higher Than Zero
I certainly understand that there are going to be slightly unhinged people desperately trying to grab a moment in the spotlight by hanging on to a myth that didn’t seem all that plausible before Obama released his birth certificate, but it turns out there are still people who aren’t quite sure Obama was born in…
All Sorts of Good Things Happening at Café Passe
First up, beer, wine and cocktails are on the way for the café at 415 N. Fourth Ave. Owner Sabine Blaese said today that there will definitely be German beer — “I’m from Germany, and I think it’s the best beer,” she with a hint of a giggle — maybe a Portugese pilsner and Guinness,…
Wait, Jan Brewer Might Run Again?
I was so hopeful, thinking that she was term-limited by serving out Napolitano’s term, but apparently Jan Brewer is floating the idea of running again, claiming that the two term provision of the Arizona Constitution is referring to a term as four full years: Brewer, a Republican, floated the possibility Wednesday, saying there is “ambiguity”…
You Should Probably Get to Know David Barton
I spent many a bus trip in my evangelical youth watching David Barton videos discussing how everything good in American history was created by Christians, and not just Christians, but ones that thought and believed just what we did, so when I see this guy hanging with Glenn Beck and Republican presidential contenders, it’s no…
This Is What the Job Market Has Come To
Will someone please get Tucson’s City Council and all the economic development people on getting some Original SoupMan restaurants in town? There are unemployed angry guys with mustaches waiting for this opportunity! Side note: Does anyone think of that Seinfeld character as the “SoupMan”? C’mon. [GQ]
Calexico on Jimmy Kimmel Tonight
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Tucson’s own Calexico is performing tonight on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11 p.m. on KGUN 9. If you happen to be in L.A., they’re also doing a show with indie mambo sensation Sergio Mendoza y La Orkestra and Mariachi Luz de Luna at the Echoplex. Details at Casa de Calexico.
Pizza Plus #1 Serves Beer and Wine Now
Yes, the all-you-can eat pizza place at 914 E. Speedway Blvd. serves beer and wine now, but that’s not the best news. The really good news is that it’s always happy hour—from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.—which translates into $1.25 bottles of domestic beer and killer deals on wine all the time. I don’t know…
Sharon Lin, Geography Spelling Renegade
Also, she’s still not moving here, in two different comment threads! From “Finding the Bottom”: At one time, the news about even lower Tuscon housing prices would have been wonderful. My husband and I have made several trips to southern AZ to look at real estate. We’ve looked in Cochise, Pinal, Maricopa, and Pima counties.…
Guest Commentary
This can be a trying time to live in and love Tucson. The state treats us like a red-headed stepchild; the FBI is called in on the Rio Nuevo debacle; no one’s really interested in running for mayor; months after our beloved congresswoman and other wonderful denizens get shot, we have to fret about college…
An to Something
You’ve got to hand it to Kwang C. An. He’s long been a part of Tucson’s culinary scene, and at 70-plus years of age, the man keeps on truckin’. He has opened (and sold) numerous restaurants, and always seems to know what people want—and how to give it to them. Most nights, he can be…
City Week
A street fair to remember; Author Terry Greene Sterling; Free comic-book day; World premiere of High Crimes
Media Watch
Radio nostalgia, Prescott-style; KGUN, KNST land murrows for coverage of SB 1070, helicopter crash; Lee sells junk bonds, irks financial vultures; Pedersen loses wrongful-termination case against ‘Star’
Noshing Around
Something Sweet Receives Reprieve; New: Shades of Brew; AgaveFest; New: 2 Cupcakes; Coming Soon: Just Add Water Café
T Q&A
Phil Lopes retired (as the minority leader) when he reached his term limit in the Arizona House of Representatives and moved his focus to working with the Progressive Democrats of America’s Tucson chapter (pdamerica.org). He’s a staunch supporter of Clean Elections, which—for now—allows candidates to receive public funds to finance their campaigns for state office.…
Finding the Bottom
Since soaring to spectacular heights several years ago, home prices in Tucson have fallen like a rock thrown into the Grand Canyon. The question now is: When will they stop dropping? “I think we’re close to the bottom,” suggests housing researcher John Strobeck, owner of Bright Future Business Consultants. “They may drop a little bit…
Irreverent Creativity
Eighteen years after it came into existence, and after weathering various personnel changes and the ebb and flow of creativity, The Pork Torta is experiencing something of a rebirth, thanks to an addictive blend of remedial bubblegum-noise rave-ups and funky go-go garage rock. The local band has a new album, Casual Living, ready for public…
Mailbag
County Administrator: It’s unfair for early retirees to demand subsidies from active employees
History Repeating
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The old adage kept ricocheting around in my head as I watched Studio Connections’ production of Inherit the Wind. In the context of the 56-year-old show, which is still amazingly relevant today, the tendency for folks to hold on tenaciously to old ways—even when those…
Soundbites
Jumble o’ musical talent; Welcome back, Los Lobos; New rock and not-so-new rock; Hipster triple double!; On the bandwagon
Dazzling ‘Decameron’
The Decameron is one of the masterpieces of Italian literature. Written in the 14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio, the narrative tells of seven women and three men who have fled the bubonic plague that is devastating Florence. Ensconced in an abandoned villa, they pass the time telling stories—100 of them altogether. The title refers to…
The ‘Good Life’
Los Angeles, says artist Aili Schmeltz, is an “embedded catastrophe.” Sure, it’s glamorous and glorious, a creative capital set in a flower-strewn garden between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains. The mythic city embodies America’s dreams, and its barrios and skyscrapers teem with the energy of newcomers, migrants and moviemakers alike. Yet Los Angeles lies…
Nine Questions
Steven Ramshur came to Tucson by way of San Francisco on a ghost-hunting road trip about 10 years ago. Ramshur works at a popular grocery store and finds time for experimental gardening and beat-the-heat epic summer road trips. Says Ramshur of Tucson: “Someone once told me, ‘If you can’t make it here, you can’t make…
The Rise of Phoenix
From the late-1940s until the mid-1970s, a committee of mostly white, largely affluent elites ruled Phoenix through the Charter Government Committee, a bipartisan group formed in opposition to the old-machine politics that had controlled the small desert city for years through graft and back-of-the-saloon deals. The committee sought to make Phoenix run efficiently from the…
Live
When I met up with my dad in the Rialto balcony at the packed Foreigner show, he had just come from a meet-and-greet with the band. He told founding guitarist Mick Jones that his two kids were raised on the music of Foreigner, to which Mick replied, “Wow, that’s great to hear. Thank you.” It’s…
Top Ten in Books
Antigone Books’ best-sellers for the week ending April 29, 2011
Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)
There are two readings of Fleet Foxes’ genial sophomore album. First, it is slightly dull; innocuous folk rhythms jostle against Robin Pecknold’s demotic lyrics and boys’-choir three-part harmonies. Second, it is a nice experiment; its halcyon melodies, occasionally restrained, are loose enough to allow for some intriguing gambles. The ultimate result is a rewarding album…
Hammer Time
Director Kenneth Branagh brings his Shakespearean pedigree to Thor, easily his best effort since his epic Hamlet. The superhero genre is indeed suited to Branagh’s grandiose sensibilities. The perfectly cast Chris Hemsworth (Kirk’s heroic father from J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek) brings mountains of muscle, charm and good humor to the role of Thor, the hammer-wielding…
The Low Anthem: Smart Flesh (Nonesuch)
The Low Anthem make folk music that ambles with a sense of curiosity, ducking into unexpected corners just to see what’s been left lying around. It’s not exactly a throwback sound; it’s a sound that never really found its footing. The Low Anthem can be soft and slow, leaning on an airy clarinet and the…
The Skinny
Gov. Jan Brewer rejects a bunch of bad bills … Why it’s a good thing Brewer vetoed an effort to allow the sale of insurance across state lines … The Start Our State effort to free Baja Arizona is underway … and more!
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers: Unida Cantina (Emmajava)
Roger Clyne has a long-nurtured fascination with Mexico, singing plenty about the low-key party life found beachside, and peppering his Southwest rock with Spanish—and an open invitation to join him in the escape. Such an unerring faith to a single muse risks repetition, but Clyne brings a renewed sense of nuance to Unida Cantina, the…
Freedom From Regulation?
Notions of academic independence gained a fresh twist recently, when the new Freedom Center found a home on the UA campus. The center’s website (www.arizonafreedomcenter.org) opens with a two-lane blacktop meandering into the windswept horizon. It’s the quintessential icon of American freedom, beckoning us toward distant hills. But at the end of that road, you…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Please settle a dispute. I’m an Anglo who has been living and working in Mexico for years, in Culiacán, Sinaloa. (I married one of the famous Sinaloa beauties.) I live and function in Spanish. Where I live, there are virtually no other North Americans, other than English teachers at the university. Everyone else…
Development Dilemma
Rapidly shifting land-use regulations have some downtown-area representatives concerned that the city of Tucson has gone too far in its efforts to encourage infill development. “They took (neighborhood) voices away,” laments Ian Fritz, a past president of the Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood on downtown’s northwest side. “That should be changed.” The city’s infill regulations also include the…
Police Dispatch
Homework Robbery; Nude, not rude
Weekly Wide Web
Breaking News From Mike Tyson’s iPhone Game; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Help Wanted—With Weed
When Arizona voters narrowly made medical marijuana legal (sort of) with last year’s passage of Proposition 203, we here at Weekly World Central pondered how to approach the topic of medicinal pot. We made our decision with a little help from our friends at Westword, the alternative newsweekly in Denver. For about a year and…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending May 1, 2011
Top Ten in Music
The 17th Street Guitar and World Music Store’s top sales for the week ending April 29, 2011
Danehy
In 2112, when people look back at what Arizona was going through during its centennial, I’m betting that SB 1070 will not be the main topic of conversation. It will probably make for an amusing anecdote, a political oddity born of short fuses and small minds, one that was met with marches in the streets…
Battling the Bullies
With bullying becoming a more-troublesome trend, Susanne Bier’s In a Better World arrives with good intentions at a good time. The film leapfrogs motive—in a big way, some might argue—as the two boys at the center of the film may not fully relate motive to their actions. Nevertheless, the film leaves a big impact from…
Messina
The freedom to practice—or not practice—a particular religion is one of the privileges we enjoy in the United States. We can gather at churches, synagogues, mosques or even parks to exercise our beliefs. We choose whether or not we pray or believe in God. However, the government wants a say in all of this. In…
Now Showing at Home
Something Wild (Blu-ray); Blue Valentine (Blu-ray); The Dilemma (Blu-ray)
From the Darkroom
Photographer John Sexton is a “light writer.” He has the ability to make bold statements and leave lasting impressions with the click of a camera button. He draws feelings and emotions from the environment around him. For years, he worked with mentor and fellow “light writer” Ansel Adams to develop a photographic style, and Sexton…
Last Night’s TUSD Ethnic Studies Resolution Meeting Gets an F
It was probably a safe move on the part of Tucson Unified School District board president Mark Stegeman to delay a vote on the resolution he brought before the governing board last night. The terrible audio provided for those unable to get inside and the historic police presence are enough to question the legality of…
Band You Heard Briefly in iPhone Ad at Solar Culture Tomorrow
Close your eyes and listen to the very beginning of this song…maybe twice. Do you have visions of iPhones running through your head? Ending up in an Apple ad might be a little bit of a blessing and a curse. Tons of people hear your music for the first time, but they only end up…
Go See “Dr. Strangelove” Tonight
As part of their May series featuring films of the Atomic Age, the Loft is showing Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb tonight, although with a selection of “bomb scare” short films. There really isn’t anything I could say about Dr. Strangelove and Peter Sellers’ masterful…
Critter of the Week (Dog Edition): Jackson
Update: Jackson has been adopted! But don’t cry, friend; there are many more animals at the HSSAZ that would love a home. Jackson, a 6-year-old hound mix, wants to be your new BFF. Jackson is ready to put his rambling days behind him! Found tired, thirsty, and covered in ticks along a stretch of highway…
