Cover Story
Healing Sounds
It’s about healing. And if anyone knows about how slow the healing process can be, it’s Ron Barber. The district director of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ office, Barber was shot twice—once in the cheek, and once in the leg—when a gunman opened fired on Giffords’ Congress on Your Corner event on Jan. 8, killing six…
Matt Taibbi Makes Sense of Occupy Outrage
I certainly have some issues with the Occupy movement, particularly now that it has spilled out into cities that are certainly affected by Wall Street, but seem to be too far from a power center to have much protest-related influence, but it’s not like I don’t understand the general frustration. However, part of the issue…
There’s a New Black Keys Song
While the new Black Keys song, “Lonely Boy”, is not, as I originally thought, a cover of the Andrew Gold classic, it is enjoyable watching some guy dance to the track in the above video. Their new album, El Camino, comes out December 6th. BONUS: The kind of depressing Andrew Gold song of the same…
AZ Clean Elections Wins a Round in Court
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dean Fink has yanked a proposition that would kill Clean Elections off the 2012 ballot. The prop, referred to the ballot by the Legislature earlier this year, was not a straight-up appeal of Clean Elections; instead, it amended the Arizona Constitution to prevent any public funds from being spent on…
Green Gourmet Now Serves Breakfast
Green Gourmet is a great little restaurant that opened a few months ago in the Dunbar School Project at 325 W. Second Street. It’s a small outfit but everyone who eats there seems to fall in love with it, and it now serves breakfast. This restaurant has the highest of aspirations, in that the people…
Rocky Mountain Poll: Cain & Romney Tied Among AZ Republicans; Obama Leads GOP Candidates in AZ. Also: CNN Screws Up AZ Story
CNN reports: A new survey of Arizona Republicans indicates that Mitt Romney and Herman Cain are tied at the top in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. And a Rocky Mountain Poll released Wednesday also indicates that President Barack Obama holds a slight advantage over three possible Republican challengers in hypothetical 2012 general election…
Iron Chef Pecan Is This Weekend
Sahuarita High School’s culinary arts program is holding a cooking competition this Saturday called Iron Chef Pecan. The event pairs students with area chefs to see which team can make the best pecan-themed appetizer and dessert. I was a judge at a smaller version of this event last year, and the student chefs at Sahuarita…
Talking Comics With Heroes & Villains: Alpha Flight
As part of an accidental Talking Comics doubleheader this week, Eric and Arnie discuss Canadian superhero posse Alpha Flight.
Witness the Treehouse of Horror!
Tucson can get one if its first peeks at part of the new Playground nightclub on Congress Street at a Halloween event this weekend. Playground, a multi-bar nightclub being opened by the owner of HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery, is opening up its rooftop deck over the weekend and calling it the Treehouse of Horror.…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Cocktails at Café Passe
As part of our Secrets of Tucson Bartenders series, we went to Fourth Avenue German-inspired restaurant Café Passe to learn to make a cocktail with Spanish wine Cava. For more on Tucson bartenders, check out Adam Borowitz’s feature story this week on the formation of a bartender’s guild.
Tucson Moves Ever Closer to Having a Food Truck Festival
I’ve gotten several interesting e-mails in the last week implying that Tucson is inching ever closer to having a food truck festival of its very own. The first speaks of a couple that owns property near downtown. They want to develop it to facilitate food trucks, and from the sounds of things they mean business.…
Resemble the Undead With the Help of This Makeup Advice
Jane Marie from super-awesome blog The Hairpin goes Halloween-themed for the latest installment of her video series How to Be a Girl, which looks helpful, although I’m admittedly not the target audience.
Strange Online Discussion Topic of the Day
From Reddit: I don’t know if I should believe that story or not. It seems too weird to not be real, you know?
McCain: Bringing Troops Home From Iraq Is “A Serious Mistake”
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c End O’Potamia www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook Over the weekend, Sen. John McCain criticized the Obama administration’s announcement that troops were coming home from Iraq by year’s end: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the…
You Should Go Drink A Lot at Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails Tomorrow
I keep having the strangest experiences at Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails. The last time I was there the only seat at the bar was next to the mean woman who lives next door to me. Just weeks earlier she’d almost run me over while I was jogging, and there we were, sitting next to each…
Jonathan Rothschild, Please Start Making Awesome Ads
Jonathan Rothschild’s new ad is out, and while I appreciate that it doesn’t scare my kids like the ones Tyler Vogt and Jennifer Rawson are running, it’s super boring. People I’ve never met think Jonathan’s a swell guy who works hard? He runs a business? Super news! I am now confident this guy will lead…
Rob Robb: “Extend the Sales Tax”
The Arizona Republic recently reported that the education lobby is starting to get worried about what happens when the state’s temporary one-cent sales tax goes away in 2013: However, the tax expires after May 31, 2013, creating what budget officials call the funding “cliff.” Two-thirds of the tax money is directed to education; the other…
This Week In Ridiculous Gambling News
From time to time a story comes along about someone actually taking it to the casinos, winning loads of money against all odds, smiling in the face of a stacked deck. This week, there could be two. Depending on the results of a couple of baseball games. * If you’re a fan of longshots, you’ve…
New Music from Mexican Institute of Sound
Mexican Institute of Sound.-El Jefe by MexicanInstituteofSound From the forthcoming album Politico, here is the new single from Tucson aficionados Mexican Insititute of Sound, “El Jefe”. The song is a lot of fun, like nearly everything MIS frontman Camilo Lara does, so you should listen to it.
Better Insults Through YouTube Technology
Coming up with mean things to say people on the internet can be a challenge, so thankfully someone has taken some of the work out of the process. If you’ve ever waded into the comment section below any popular YouTube video, you know that society is crumbling right at those virtual outposts, so where better…
Today Would Have Been Sam Taylor’s 77th Birthday
Born on October 25, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama, there aren’t many people more closely entwined with Tucson’s musical history as bluesman Sam Taylor. As a minor tribute to the man’s birthday, here are two performances from Art Fein’s Poker Party, a Los Angeles public access show (the one below also features Taylor’s son Bobby, who…
MTV Series to Examine Occupy Wall Street
Get More: Music News This might be surprising news to anyone who associates MTV with alternating marathons of Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant episodes, but they actually create some compelling television with their True Life series. On Saturday, Nov. 5, the series takes a look at Occupy Wall Street focusing on “three young people…
Herman Cain Goes for the Smoker Vote
Thank you, Herman Cain (and campaign manager Mark Block), for your injection of straight up weirdness into the race for the Republican nomination. Hang in there until the 40 second mark. I promise it’s worth it.
Democrats Take Aim at Romney in AZ
The Democratic National Committee is airing an ad against GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney here in Arizona. The New York Times reports: The Democratic National Committee will on Tuesday begin its biggest sustained advertising campaign against a Republican presidential candidate so far this year, with a spot attacking Mitt Romney in the state of Arizona,…
Chuck George Is Back on KOLD Tonight
Dan Gibson’s terrible screencap from the 4 pm broadcast on KOLD. He’s been off the air since a strange incident in early September, but Chuck George is back on air tonight, according to Dave Hatfield at Inside Tucson Business: KOLD News 13 chief meteorologist Chuck George is back on the air today (Oct. 24) following…
IRC Meeting in Tucson Tonight As GOP Lawmakers Hold Hearings on Redistricting in Phx
The Independent Redistricting Commission is meeting in Tucson tonight as part of the statewide series of public hearings on the proposed congressional and legislative maps for the next decade. Yeah, we know it sounds boring—but the politics surrounding the IRC continue to be explosive. In the most recent developments, Republican state lawmakers have begun having…
Sheriff Babeu “Exploring” Run for Congress
It’s still anyone’s guess where the actual boundaries of the Congressional districts will end up in 2012, but Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu formed an exploratory committee today to run in what is theoretically going to be District 4, making up much of what is currently District 2, represented currently by Trent Franks who will…
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Always Charming Frank Antenori
Hat tip to Rum, Romanism and Rebellion for pointing out a delightful exchange on Twitter between State Representative Ruben Gallego and State Senator Frank Antenori on Thursday: @RubenGallego: If you know of anyone that is lookin for seasonal employment, please have them come to my job fair. @FrankAntenori: Ruben, Don’t forget to use e-verify! @RubenGallego:…
Slingin’ Ink With the WPA
WPA Live! at Hotel Congress from Andrew Brown on Vimeo. Aside from this being a super-cool video, I thought it would be a nice preview/opportunity to get amped for the Wildcat Print Association’s live printing at Hotel Congress this weekend. On Saturday, Oct. 29, WPA will be posted up in the back patio at Hotel…
From Toy Telescopes to the SkyCenter
Adam Block, astrophotographer at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter in Tucson Ariz., has been enamored by the night sky since he received his first telescope at the age of 7. Block talks about his love for astrophotography and how his curiosity of the cosmos grew from a hobby, into a profession.
The New 106.3 Sounds Just Like the Old 106.3
This morning marked the re-branding of Mega 106.3 into 106.3 The Groove and since I have a passion for 80’s R&B and ended up listening to the old incarnation of the station quite a bit, I tuned in this morning to hear what “Tucson’s Old School” was all about. I might be wrong, but it…
It’s Alive! New Discovery Could Lead to Lab-Grown Organs
By Jason Torrey Coaxing a stem cell to differentiate is similar to telling a college freshman to pick a major—and about as difficult. With a plethora of options to choose from, how does one decide on a pathway to follow, and what’s the most efficient route? For the stem cell at least, researchers at the…
Tracy Shedd Has a New Video
I generally think Tracy Shedd and her Fort Lowell Records running husband James Tritten are in the high end of the top ten coolest people I know, so I don’t have much objectivity with regards to her music, so this video is presented without editorial assessment to its quality. However, I will say that if…
Giffords Traveling to North Carolina for Therapy
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is off to North Carolina for intensive therapy for a couple of weeks. From Giffords spokesman Mark Kimble: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords traveled to Asheville, N.C. earlier today for two weeks of intensive therapy sessions. Giffords will spend time with a therapist who has worked with her in Houston for the last…
Political Roundtable: The Mayor’s Race, GOP Campaign Ads, Rio Nuevo and a Lively Border Conversation
The Political Roundtable brings you up to date on the mayor’s race, the latest in the City Council races and the ongoing Rio Nuevo battles. Plus, GOP frontrunner Herman Cain’s electric border fence leads us into a lively conversation on border security.
The UA Streak!
In case you missed the (near) streaker at last night’s UA football game, here’s the whole episode, capture and uploaded on YouTube. (BTW: We’ve heard some folks complain that the culprit didn’t really streak because he kept his Speedo on. Two points: 1. Thank heaven for small favors. 2. If he had actually done the…
Grijalva on Iraq Troop Withdrawal: “We Thank the President for Fulfilling his Promise to the American People To End This Misguided War Quickly and Responsibly”
Congressman Raul Grijalva joins his co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, in praising President Barack Obama’s announcement that troops are coming home from Iraq by year’s end: President Obama’s announcement is a victory for America and another monumental step toward the end of the disastrous foreign policy of the…
The Furr’s Family Dining Restaurant at Oracle and Wetmore Is Closed
What a horrific week for longtime Tucson restaurants! First we hear that three well-known Mexican restaurants are on the chopping block, and now we’ve confirmed that the Furr’s Family Dining restaurant at Oracle and Wetmore roads has closed. The Furr’s on St. Mary’s Road, however, remains open. That Furr’s on Oracle and Wetmore had been…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Ever seen a 36-inch commuter unicycle or a commuter-bicycle race? Watch the video below to see that and more. This week’s Tuesday Night Bike Ride was marred by an incident in which a pedestrian allegedly pushed a cyclist off his bike. Find out what happened. Pima County is working overtime getting things ready for their…
Titanic: The Facebook Version
Almost everyone has seen the Titanic. Even though I had to wait until I was out of my house to watch it (thanks, Mom), I’ve at least seen it. But before now, we didn’t realize that the entire time the Titanic was sinking, Jack and Rose were updating their Facebook statuses:
Air War Underway in City Elections
We mentioned a few days back that Republican Tyler Vogt, who hopes to unseat City Councilwoman Shirley Scott in Ward 4, had an ad up on TV hammering her for spending on Rio Nuevo.The other Republican candidates have also taken to the airwaves. Republican Rick Grinnell, who hopes to beat Democrat Jonathan Rothschild in the…
Luz de Vida Benefit Concert: Good Music, Good Cause at the Rialto
Giant Sand “Recovery Mission (Radio Edit)” by FortLowellRecords When I was reporting this week’s feature story on the Luz de Vida benefit album, I got a chance to talk with Howe Gelb about how he wrote “Recovery Mission,” one of the 37 tracks on the benefit album for the victims of Tucson’s Jan. 8 shooting…
Downtown Meets Mars
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Among the many fun diversions downtown this weekend (including the Luz de Vida benefit concert at the Rialto Theatre and the opening of Who Shot Rock & Roll at the Tucson Museum of Art): The UA College of Science is opening Mars and Beyond, featuring a whole bunch of artifacts and exhibits…
Political Roundtable: Game On in City Elections, Herman Cain’s Electrified Border Fence and an Explanation of Why One of Panelists Is Getting Sued for a Million Bucks
This week’s Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable promises to be lively: Ballots have dropped in the mayor’s race, GOP presidential frontrunner Herman Cain wants to build an electrified fence on the border and one of our panelists is being sued for a million dollars. Tune in at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 6 to see Tucson Weekly…
Like Beer? Got Plans This Weekend?
Local firefighters will duke it out to see who makes the best homebrew at the second annual Homebrew Challenge at Thunder Canyon Brewery this Saturday. The event works like this: You pay $25 at the door (or $20 in advance), which entitles you to tastes of tons of different beers. Everybody drinks their beer-loving buts…
A Kodachromed Look at Old Las Vegas
Watching this video made me strangely sentimental for an era I didn’t live in, but filmmaker Jeff Altman’s montage of 16mm video home movies shot by his grandfather in the early 1960’s might have that effect on you as well. [@VeryShortList]
Yet Another Thing to Do This Crazy Weekend: Bollywood at the Fox and the Childrens Museum
If you’re bored in Tucson this weekend … you need help. Serious help. In addition to the Luz de Vida launch party going on at the Rialto; all the arts openings happening thanks to the Tucson Rocks! collaboration; and about a bazillion other things, the Childrens Museum Tucson and the Fox Tucson Theatre are hosting…
Insider’s Guide to Halloween: Where to Get the Most Candy and See Biggest Batch of Costumes
Photo Ryn Gargulinski Trick-or-treaters in Tucson and elsewhere already have it figured out, but a Halloween survey made it official: You’re more likely to get candy from folks who have a lot of cash. The fact that many have it figured out is steadily apparent on Oct. 31, when chichi neighborhoods that usually house about…
UA Moves to No. 15 on ‘Sexual Health Report Card’
An annual study by Trojan—yes, the condom manufacturer (and not the terrible USC mascot)—and Sperling’s BestPlaces says the University of Arizona is near the top when it comes to sexual health. The Trojan Sexual Health Report Card study considers criteri such a as the availability of free or at-cost condoms and contraceptives, student opinions about…
It’s Possible They Celebrate Christmas Differently in Australia
Ladies and gentlemen, the Wiggles featuring Joey Fatone. [Zooglobble]
What to Listen to This Week: Thursday Edition
This week, for your listening pleasure, we have tracks by TSOL, Crystal Antlers, Tom Waits, and Ennio Morricone. Casey DeweyTSOL, “Silent Scream” This being the season of all things dark and spooky, I thought I’d share my consistent go-to jam for Halloween. “Silent Scream” off of TSOL’s debut album, Dance With Me, is a bit…
Huppenthal: Where’s Your Apology?
TUSD Mexican-American studies supporters plan to be at the Loft tonight to greet Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal. Huppenthal is in town for a screening of a documentary that, according to the supporters’ Facebook event page, “exemplifies the curriculum at a school in Phoenix.” Huppenthal will be on a panel, and there will…
Notes From the Occupy Tucson Kitchen
There’s a kitchen at Occupy Tucson. Well, OK, it’s not a real kitchen, but it’s the place that seems to host the real heart and soul of this occupation, like a kitchen does in almost every home. That’s food for you. If you have a protest or march, everyone comes together, holds signs, shouts and…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 24: KBORK
The Mexican food at downtown food truck KBORK can hold court with any truck in town, and that includes the dozens of amazing taco trucks south of 22nd Street. The tacos are some of the best, and the bean burritos are filled with tender beans and copious amounts of cheese, which holds everything together perfectly,…
Go Grandpa!
100-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh broke the record for world’s oldest marathon runner after completing the Toronto Marathon in eight hours, 25 minutes and 18 seconds. The Indian-born London resident has earned himself the name “Turbaned Tornado” and already is a world record holder for his age group. Singh now hopes to participate in the…
Mexican Restaurant Armageddon
There’s something of a perfect storm happening for a number of well-known Mexican restaurants across Tucson. Inside Tucson Business reported Tuesday that El Parador Restaurant at 2744 E. Broadway and La Fuente Restaurant at 1790 N. Oracle Road will be sold at auction in January. And this morning there’s news that Casa Molina at 6225…
Jewish Inclusion Project’s Rainbow Keshet Awards
LGBT community members and activists Kate and Carol Bradsen, John Peck (a former Tucson Weekly contributor), Amelia Kramer and Dante Celeiro will be honored at the Jewish Inclusion Project’s Rainbow Keshet Awards on Sunday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road. Tickets cost $36, and include…
Rick Perry Goes the Flat Tax Route
It would appear that Rick Perry has to do something to get back in the race for the Republican nomination, and while a flat tax is generally popular among Tea Party types, it would seem that there would be a number of people with issues with the idea (the poor, who likely would end up…
Danehy
Disingenuous (Adj.)—Not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does. There’s been a whole lot of disingenuousness flying around since the initial Arizona state-redistricting maps were released. Some of it is mildly amusing, but other examples remind us that “disingenuous” is occasionally just a nice, political way…
The Way They Move
Forty years in, Pilobolus is still inventing astonishing new ways for human bodies to move—and to twist into impossible shapes. The company’s show at UA Centennial Hall on Sunday will illustrate its devotion to innovation. The five works on the program range from a Butoh-inflected work created just this year, to an Israeli collaboration from…
Mixing It Up
For his latest album under the name Moonface, pop-virtuoso Spencer Krug was inspired by the sound of the vintage Yamaha organ—complete with preset rhythms and sounds—that he played as a teenager. “When I started working on ideas that became the genesis of these songs, I wasn’t too keen on using an overly digital sound. A…
Messina
Radio used to be a source of excitement for me. As a teenager, I listened to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 every weekend. My ears were perked as I wondered what song would be No. 1. Today, radio is often a source of frustration for me. I listen in the car, pressing “scan” in a…
Eccentrics in Motion
Witty wordplay and a gentle rebuke of the moneyed class of early 20th-century England are characteristic of the delightfully wicked sensibility of Noël Coward, a playwright who is still able to make us smile almost 100 years after his heyday. Fortunately, his plays are often pulled off the shelf and given life on stages today,…
Top Ten in Music
1. The Modeens Take a Ride With the Modeens (self-released) 2. Key Ingredients of African Soul Abidjan to Bulawayo (self-released) 3. 8 Minutes to Burn Giant Master Control Knob (self-released) 4. Greg Morton When Pigs Fly (self-released) 5. Rainer and Das Combo Barefoot Rock With Rainer and Das Combo (Demon) 6. Will Clipman Pathfinder (Canyon)…
Mailbag
Misunderstanding Alabama; Danehy’s right about PCC; Serraglio is ‘Courageous’; and more!
Picking on Papa
Ernest Hemingway serves as an academic lightning rod for issues of race, class and gender. As literary critics and biographers continue to pore over his works—some timeless masterpieces, most written on deadline for commercial reasons—Hemingway’s moral and creative standing fluctuates on an article-by-article basis. The fluctuation goes like this: Hemingway is a misunderstood feminist. Hemingway…
Nine Questions
E. James Stevens is a Tucson native who has played the guitar since he was 9. He teaches guitar at the Allegro School of Music and for the Symphony Women’s Association. For the last 10 years, he has fronted local alt-rockers Muddy Bug, who have a new album due out in December. A Halloween nerd…
Shameless Self-Promotion
The Tucson Weekly was named the non-daily Newspaper of the Year in the Arizona Newspapers Association’s annual Better Newspapers Contest. The Sierra Vista Herald—which, like the Weekly, is owned by Wick Communications—won Newspaper of the Year honors in the daily-newspaper category. Newspaper of the Year awards are determined via a points system, combining honors won…
Top Ten in Books
1. 9/11: The Simple Facts: Why the Official Story Can’t Possibly Be True Arthur Naiman with Gregg Roberts, Soft Skull ($12) 2. The Best American Short Stories 2011 Edited by Geraldine Brooks and Heidi Pitlor, Mariner ($14.95) 3. A Border Runs Through It: Journeys in Regional History and Folklore Jim Griffith, Rio Nuevo ($17.95) 4.…
Live
Jazz-trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, from Oakland, Calif., is truly a star on the rise—and it was a thrill to hear him and his band play on Sunday afternoon at the University of Arizona, despite the fact that the musicians were embedded in a somewhat ill-focused touring show dubbed The Miles Davis Experience. Through the use of…
Empty Assurances
Back in 2008, the Tucson immigrant-rights group No More Deaths accused the U.S. Border Patrol of systematically abusing detainees. Those allegations were contained in a searing report that prompted a few headlines, a smattering of Border Patrol denials, and then silence. Three years later, the same group has issued another, far-more-expansive report. Compiled from interviews…
Horror in the Ice
The latest adaptation of The Thing has its share of good scares and decent-enough performances—but the film spazzes out toward the end, resulting in an admirable yet disposable experience. It was a great idea to take John Carpenter’s brilliant 1982 version of John W. Campbell Jr.’s short story “Who Goes There?” and make a prequel.…
We Were Promised Jetpacks: In the Pit of the Stomach (Fat Cat)
As localized music scenes capture broader attention, the boundaries blur between the bands that count among the influential originals, and those that are mere copycats. In the Scottish scene—which is making waves on England’s Fat Cat Records—the tendency for young bands making names for themselves is to make a sophomore album that’s bigger, bolder and…
The Skinny
A Democratic poll has Jonathan Rothschild beating Rick Grinnell by two touchdowns and a field goal … More campaign-finance troubles for Grinnell … Herman Cain’s dumb idea to build an electric fence along the border … and so much more!
Top Ten in Movies
1. Horrible Bosses Warner Bros. 2. Bridesmaids Universal 3. Fast Five Universal 4. Green Lantern Warner Bros. 5. The Tree of Life 20th Century Fox 6. Transformers: Dark of the Moon DreamWorks 7. Zookeeper Sony 8. Scream 4 Weinstein/Anchor Bay 9. Buck MPI 10. Set Up Lionsgate
Wilco: The Whole Love (DBPM)
Is The Whole Love enjoying the quietest reception of a major, triumphant release in recent memory? The implications of this are far-reaching, given the glut of critics who had declared Wilco as wallowing in insipid middle-of-the-road waters. It would be easy to fathom the waves of disbelief if two years ago, you’d suggested Wilco would…
Media Watch
The perils of hastily announced press conferences; Glenn Parker leaves ‘In the House’
Björk: Biophilia (Nonesuch)
Sometime in the last decade, Björk the artist began mutating into Björk the curator, a transformation that seems to be complete with Biophilia. If you think this is just an album release, you’re wrong. There’s an iPad app, a website, an upcoming “making-of” documentary, tuning forks (they come with the “Ultimate Edition”), artwork and animation.…
Views From Occupy Tucson
By Monday night, Oct. 17, the Tucson Police Department had issued more than 100 citations to Occupy Tucson demonstrators. The protesters took over the park on Saturday, Oct. 15, as part of a national movement inspired by the ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstration in New York City. During an Occupy Tucson general-assembly meeting on Oct.…
Long Arm of the Law
When the long arm of the law—clad in Phoenix Police black with a glove gripping an assault rifle—reached into the 2811 Club on Wednesday, Oct. 12, to “collect evidence,” it did little to dissuade the cannabis club’s operators. They are going ahead full-steam with plans for 16 more clubs around the state, including in Tucson.…
Police Dispatch
I’ll burn this spacesuit house down; “Throwing stuff about”
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Really? You answered “When Should You Use Usted Instead of Tú?” recently over my “Why Won’t My Gardener Fuck Me Again If I Demand an HIV Test?” Any sad gabacho can use Google for grammar tips. (No offense to Yo Quiero Hablar.) Meanwhile, we clueless gabachas need to know how to love our Gardeners…
Differential Debut
Pima Community College has instituted a differential tuition system for a handful of programs that it says are more expensive than normal to offer and operate. The differential, which applies to classes in 17 of Pima’s 131 programs, was approved in April and goes into effect for the spring 2012 semester. But it wasn’t until…
Downtown Divide
Candidates for Tucson mayor and City Council clashed over a range of issues at a forum earlier this week—with the biggest disagreement involving the Rio Nuevo downtown redevelopment district. Just days before ballots were set to be mailed to Tucson voters, more than 200 people turned out at a League of Women Voters forum on…
Two Good Scenes
We forget sometimes that there’s a great big world out there. Case in point: Johnny English Reborn, the sequel to a spy spoof released in 2003. Why in the name of Ian Fleming would Rowan Atkinson do this again? Oh, because it was popular in a lot of places not named the United States of…
Now Showing at Home
Horrible Bosses: Totally Inappropriate Edition (Blu-ray); The Tree of Life (Blu-ray); Winnie the Pooh (DVD + Blu-ray); Green Lantern (Blu-ray)
Getting Together
The factors that motivate a songwriter to create a piece of music are unique and deeply personal. But to a singer, songwriter and band, each of the 26 performers who contributed to the Can We Get Together? compilation album, which was released in April, have something very much in common: a deep desire to help…
Joy in Little White Boxes
In her best-seller The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Jennifer 8. Lee credits Misa Chang, owner of Empire Szechuan Garden restaurant in New York City, with popularizing restaurant home delivery. Lee devotes a whole chapter in her book to the topic. Whether or not this is true, I don’t know, but I do know that having a…
Back in Tucson Time
A tour of items from Tucson’s past has always been available thanks to the Arizona History Museum—but once a year, museum volunteers darn the garb and speak of 19th-century Tucsonans and lead excited young children and adults back in time. Mary Ann Ruelas is an educator at the museum. She says that volunteers for the…
Noshing Around
New restaurants; Wine at Wildflower; RA to raise money to fight breast cancer; and more!
Weekly Wide Web
As I mentioned last week, some of the comments on The Range, our daily dispatch, have taken a somewhat nasty turn lately. While I appreciate it when people come to our site, even if it’s to express their outrage, I would like to offer a few tips for those of you who consider yourselves to…
City Week
Punk art; BioBlitz; ‘Bus Stop’; and more!
Mutilated Surf
For years, bands like the Beach Boys defined the sunny sound of California surf. That’s changing now, as a new, weird breed of coastal rockers staggers onto the beer-can-littered sand, shuffling musical feet within the aural equivalent of the murky, stingray-infested, pier-pocked waters of a gritty Cali port-town. Like their noisy surf-pop peers—Best Coast, Wavves,…
Editor’s Note
Some notes and news this week: • At some point last Wednesday (Oct. 12), a bunch of Tucson Weekly newspapers were strewn down the middle of Campbell Avenue. First, we here at Weekly World Central apologize for this. It’s embarrassing to see our hard work turned into mere litter—and we know it wasn’t pleasant for…
TQ&A
Kelly Lewis recently published her first Go! Girl Guides travel book, Go! Girl Guides: A Woman’s Guide to Traveling in Thailand. Lewis collaborated with her friend Krissy Sauter, who took all the photos. Lewis has been traveling since she graduated with a journalism degree from the UA in 2008. In 2009, she created a travel…
Soundbites
Luz de Vida; Gringo Star; Grouplove; and more!
Maroon 5’s Music Just Almost Became Tolerable
While it will still take quite a bit of additional goodwill to overcome the musical abomination named “Moves Like Jagger”, Adam Levine of Maroon 5’s profane tweet from earlier today helps a bit. Still, I miss Kara’s Flowers:
That’s What the Police Academy Sound Effects Guy Has Doing
Michael Winslow, who will live on forever via his appearances in the Police Academy movies, has apparently become one half of a Led Zeppelin tribute act. [Reddit]
