Cover Story
Tucsonans Remember the Events of Sept. 11, 2001
8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11, out of Boston, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire. Robin Snyder was disappointed that she was going to have to spend almost all of that day indoors.…
Take Heart, My Dishwashing Brethren
Oh the dishes I could wash in this beauty. Readers of the Tucson Weekly may know me as a guy who writes about food, but in my heart I am still a dishwasher. Today I hover over this keyboard, but for six long years I stood in front of a peristaltic detergent injector and an…
Windows 8 Will Be Adorable
Old VS New via LifeHacker Being told that everything you’ve ever loved or cared about in the world is gone forever will sit a little easier when it’s through a sad-face emoticon.
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Tucson Weekly south-central-bureau correspondent Garrett Dangerfield brings us these photos, from the military-recruiting center on Broadway Boulevard just west of Swan Road. Check out the text at the bottom of the poster.
Sir Veza’s Taco Garage Is Holding a Sonoran Hot-Dog Eating Competition
Fun fact! The fifth of May, or Cinco de Mayo, is not Mexico’s Independence Day. It’s actually the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, which is certainly a minor holiday in Mexican communities, but not a celebration of the day Mexico became its own country. The day Mexico actually celebrates its independence is this Friday,…
OSIRIS-REx: Getting a Look at Asteroid 1999 RQ 36
The UA’s OSIRIS-REx space mission will put a robotic lab in orbit around a near-earth asteroid in 2019. That’s a long ways off, but now is the last chance to get a good look at the asteroid before OSIRIS-REx launches in 2016. The UA’s Lori Stiles has details: Astronomers Plan Last Look at Asteroid Before…
Stringer Bell Wants to Love You, Girl
I’m aware that Idris Elba is a real person who happened to play the character Stringer Bell on The Wire. I’m aware he’s had other roles since then, including the BBC crime drama Luther, which is pretty good, and he was on The Office for awhile. Still, this song is far more enjoyable when I…
“Post-Brontosaurus Indie Folk/Crunk” Comes to The Abbey
Does the name Rebecca Loebe ring a bell? Apparently she was on some show called The Voice. I could Google it, but that would sort of negate the health benefits I’ve accumulated by ignoring television for the better part of the past decade. Whoever she is, she calls her music “post-brontosaurus indie folk/crunk,” according to…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Talking (Superman) Comics
This week, Eric and Arnie discuss (the new) Action Comics #1. The last time there was an Action Comics #1, it introduced Superman and became one of the most valuable comic books of all time. No pressure for this one, I suppose.
Romney Storms the Desert, Releases Names of AZ Supporters
As part of his visit to Arizona today, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has released a list of Arizona politicos and bigwigs that are endorsing his candidacy. Romney is the first candidate to release this kind of list of Arizona supporters. While the GOP candidates have been doing plenty of work in other early primary…
An Update on Borderlands Brewing Company
See all this grain? This is what the guys down at Borderlands Brewing Company will use to brew their first batches of beer, which could be ready by early October. Myles Stone said yesterday that the only thing between him and brewing that first batch of beer is getting the electricity turned on, which is…
Yesterday’s Finest Angry Anti-Tucson Weekly Tweets
Even though he blocked us so via the @TucsonWeekly account we can’t see his stream-of-semiconsciousness tweets, our new pal @cybergrindz still has quite a bit to say to us. Yesterday’s highlights (before Twitter froze his account for overtweeting, no joke): If this guy starts into something about Kenneth and the frequency, I’m officially going to…
A Top 9 Rundown on the Ethnic Studies Hearings, with Audio
Today is the final portion of the three-part administrative hearing on the Tucson Unified School District’s appeal of Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal’s findings on the district’s Mexican-American studies classes. The hearing began at 8 a.m. at the Office of Administrative Hearings, 1400 W. Washington St., Suite 101, in Phoenix. Rather than dwell on…
The First Look at the New “Pop Up Video”
Get More: Britney Spears, Pop-Up Video, Pop Up Video: Britney Spears, ‘Till The World Ends’, Free Music Videos I’m already in the crowd of the wildly nostalgic that would be inclined to watch new episodes of Pop Up Video, but even if you don’t feel the pangs of oversentimentalism toward pop culture events that I…
Here Comes Rick Perry’s Parade of Bad Ideas
When you have the opportunity to suck up to a rogue, civil rights dismissing fame-hound of a law enforcement officer who many people consider to be a racist, you have to do it, right? In an attempt to eliminate any doubt over his conservative credentials, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is seeking the support of…
Mitt Romney Will Be in Tucson Tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 14)
Mitt Romney’s coming to Tucson tomorrow to speak at a Jim Click dealership. The people over at Fox 11 News have more: TUCSON, Ariz. — The presidential campaign for 2012 is coming to Tucson for the first time. The campaign of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said Tuesday he will hold a town hall and…
Not Quite First or Best, Arizona Daily Star
Compare and contrast: “Cafe Italiano Closing” (Sept. 6) vs. “Farewell Tucson cafe and your lovely gelato” (today) “Chuck George Takes Leave of Absence Following Odd On-Air Segment” (Sept. 9) vs. “Channel 13 forecaster is on leave” (today) To be fair, the Star has us beat on photo galleries of New York City’s Fashion Week, so…
You Should Eat Lunch at Green Gourmet Soon
A new restaurant called Green Gourmet has set up shop inside the Dunbar School Project at 325 West 2nd St. Emily Connally, who is handling marketing for the restaurant, says the restaurant is starting off small, but the plan is to eventually use it to train teenagers how to eat and cook healthier, while giving…
New Tigers Are the Best Tigers
Sure, The Range has featured stuff about animals in the past, but today, we’re featuring a new local animal. Unfortunately, it’s not an adorable baby tiger, but let’s not be ageist. Go to the Reid Park Zoo to check out their new addition. I mean, it’s not so hot that you want to die anymore,…
Do You Like Olive Oil? Do You Like Balsamic Vinegar?
We’ve got some more information on the new olive-oil and balsamic-vinegar store going in at St. Philip’s Plaza. Tom Alfonso, who is opening Alfonso Gourmet Olive Oils and Balsamics, says he’s working with an importer from California that has exclusive trade-agreements with olive farmers in Greece, Chile, Austrailia, Tunisia and many other countries. He will…
I Should Start Everything With “Dan Gibson Presents…”
I’ve been going about the whole fame and fortune thing all wrong, apparently. My first plan was to create a series of highly popular stage plays in which I dress in drag and dispense sassy, but sage advice on life, then extend that fame in to film and television, all branded with my name, but…
CultureStrike Arts Festival
Tomorrow, there’s something cool happening and yeah…it’s free. via Author Daniel Alarcón, poet Sherwin Bitsui, playwright James Garcia, novelist Jessica Hagedorn, San Francisco poetry-slam champion James Kass, spoken-word poet Logan Phillips and nonfiction writer Rinku Sen are among readers at the CultureStrike Arts Festival. Art and writing workshops take place at several locations throughout the…
Let’s Celebrate Bill Monroe Day
There aren’t many people who can legitimately be credited with inventing a style of music, but Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, born 100 years ago today, deserves that moniker. You should take some time and listen to his music today (if you use Spotify, the JSP collection All The Classic Releases 1937-1949 is a…
How Potted are You?
My first entry in the world of Tucson Weekly’s Blogosphere! How could I resist using my tagline of “Get Potted with Marylee”? The Contained Gardener designs, installs and maintains potted gardens for homes and businesses all over Tucson. We have fun in our business and want you to have fun in your garden. Having specialized…
East Side Going Up in Smoke?
Tucson’s East Side leads the metro area in medical marijuana patient applications, but if you’re looking for a caregiver, head to midtown. The most recent Arizona Department of Health Services reefer report shows that the Tanque Verde analysis area, which stretches from Tucson’s East Side down through Vail to the Cochise County line, has 186…
Guest Opinion: National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week
[Web Producer’s note: We were sent this guest opinion from Pima Community College on the subject of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Since it didn’t make the print edition’s deadline, we thought we’d run it on the blog.] This week is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week—an event which for the most…
The Fresh Fish Counter at the 17th Street Market is No More
Let me qualify that headline: They’re still going to sell an incredible selection of fish at the 17th Street Market, but the counter where you could saunter up and order from an enormous selection of fresh fish is no longer in operation. That counter was one of the best places — actually, probably the best…
Picture This: Tucsonans Commemorate 9/11
Tucsonans gathered Sunday morning at Fire Station One in Downtown Tucson to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The Tucson Fire and Police Departments held a memorial ceremony at the station, then marched to TPD headquarters, where there was a 21 gun salute, flag raising and a playing of taps. In case you missed the…
Arizona Presidential Primary: Tuesday, Feb. 28
Gov. Jan Brewer announced today that Arizona 2012 presidential primary will be held on Feb. 28. That’s a big conflict with Republican National Committee rules, which forbid states other than Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina from holding nominating contests earlier than March 6.What does that mean for Arizona? Well, if the RNC penalties remain…
My Favorite Tweet of the Month/Year/Forever
For some reason, Twitter user (or as I prefer as terminology “Twuser”) “cybergrindz” decided to flood the Tucson Weekly’s feed with a series of mentions making very little to no sense today (although maybe someone should look into his idea for an “Eastside Rio Nuevo”), before blocking us when I asked why. However, he may…
Chunk Is Coming to Town!
While Jeff Cohen, who played Chunk in The Goonies, is no longer a husky child star likely to lift his shirt and do the Truffle Shuffle, it’s still pretty cool that The Loft is making it possible to see the movie with someone who was in it and make a little money to fight cancer…
Seriously Snickers?
Not fun at all. There is absolutely nothing “fun” about this size of a Snickers candy bar. It would be fun if it was the size of a lunch box, or maybe a yard stick, but this dinky candy bar is gone in seconds, which is the opposite of fun. That is all.
Paradise Bakery and Café Opens Tomorrow
The new Paradise Bakery and Café on the corner of Oracle and Wetmore roads opens tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 13. This development takes a bit of the sting out of the closing of the Bagelry over on Campbell Avenue, being that Paradise Bakery and Café will carry all sorts of bagels and sandwiches made from those…
If You Were Wondering if Hooters Girls Love America, They Totally Do
I don’t know I missed this yesterday, but of all the tributes to first responders, the military at home and abroad, and America in general, this seems like the most heartfelt and – dare I say – the most important. [HT: Gawker]
Sierra Club: This Past Legislative Session Terrible, Next Year Even Worse
Last week’s Sierra Club meeting was a presentation on the environmental impact of Arizona’s last legislative session titled “The 2011 Arizona Legislature: A Case Study of Unleashing Polluters and Dismantling Environmental Protections.” This included discussion of the Sierra Club’s environmental report card, only one senator and seven representatives earning an A+. Rep. Nancy McLain (R-Bullhead…
Giffords To Give First Post-Shooting Interview to ABC News’ Diane Sawyer
ABC News announces: In a landmark television event, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Space Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly will share their remarkable story for the first time since the tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. Giffords’ story of strength, hope, and astounding resilience has captivated the nation over the past eight…
Need a Place to Be Alone? Consider a Showing of “Bucky Larson”
In his review of the instantly-forgettable 30 Minutes or Less, Weekly reviewer Bob Grimm mentioned his first impression of Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star: A trailer for an upcoming movie that [Nick] Swardson headlines, Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, previewed before the movie. I don’t like to prejudge a movie by…
A Link to Remember When It’s Not Raining
Sure, the monsoon has finally decided to visit again! But what about when it leaves, leaving you sweaty, sunburned, and angry? Well, you can always click on Rainy Mood, which is, believe or not, a website entirely devoted to rain sounds. As literally just a loop recording of rain, Rainymood.com isn’t the most technological of…
Grijalva: “Cutting Social Security Benefits and Raising the Medicare Eligibility Age Will Do Much More Harm Than Good”
Congressman Raul Grijalva pens an op-ed for The Hill defending Social Security and Medicare: It’s no secret that Republicans have worked for the better part of the last decade to cut Social Security and Medicare. The party’s roadmaps, plans, and bills all point in the same direction: smaller, privatized Social Security benefits for American retirees…
Coming Soon: Hibachi Super Buffet
Check out this massive buffet restaurant under construction on the northwest corner of Speedway Boulevard and Swan Road. There’s no word yet on when Hibachi Super Buffet will open, but judging from the stacks of plywood inside the building it could be a while. I have not done a scientific analysis of the various all-you-can-eat…
Revisiting “The Falling Man”
In 2003, Esquire’s Tom Junod wrote an amazing, heartbreaking piece about one of the iconic photos from 9/11, a man falling downward after jumping from the burning towers. Photographs lie. Even great photographs. Especially great photographs. The Falling Man in Richard Drew’s picture fell in the manner suggested by the photograph for only a fraction…
Welcome Back to KUAT-TV’s Friday Roundtable
The rumors are true: I’ll be hosting a new Political Roundtable on Arizona Illustrated starting next Friday, Sept. 16. I’m thrilled to be back on Friday nights at KUAT. I love talking politics and jumped at the chance to be part of a Friday Roundtable when Peter Michaels of Arizona Public Media told me they…
Frankie Muniz’s Band Plays Tucson Tonight
Most Saturdays, it wouldn’t really be notable that a pop-punk act from Phoenix is on a bill at The Hut, but gosh, it might be worth heading over there to see You Hang Up with former child star Frankie Muniz on drums. Their music is definitely not my thing, but the band’s history is mildly…
Chuck George Takes Leave of Absence Following Odd On-Air Segment
Meteorologist Chuck George is taking his second leave of absence from KOLD Channel 13 within the last 18 months, station general manager Debbie Bush announced today. George struggled during a weather report on Tuesday’s 10 p.m. broadcast. He spoke in a slow-motion, slurred manner, and rambled a bit about a hurricane developing in the Atlantic…
Remembering 9/11 the Wrong Way
There are all kinds of truly wonderful events happening to honor the upcoming 9/11 anniversary on Sunday. Stories that have been circling the internet for weeks have made me remember what it was like as a 14 year-old to watch the second plane fly into the second tower live on television. The following is an…
Idiot Boksen – I Want My Daughter to Be Tina Fey
Setting out west across the Mojave last week, our audiobook of choice was Tina Fey’s Bossypants, a collection of Fey’s autobiographical ruminations on motherhood, aging, angst, and leadership (which essentially amounted to “Hire talented co-workers you wouldn’t mind seeing at 3 AM, then get out of their way”). I really can’t recommend Bossypants enough, and…
Spider-Cat > Regular Cat
It’s bad enough for your cat, which probably sits around not doing anything special. Spider-cat should make you, the human, feel inferior. Unless you can climb walls, which you probably can’t.
“Baby Roulette” Among Worst Ideas Ever
I can say this with some degree of certitude: the only person who would ever say that you can just “work [a baby] in” to your life is someone who doesn’t have a baby. Oh sure, let’s just see what happens if we bring a living, disposable income annihilating, sleep-hating, disgusting-bodily-fluid generating creature into this…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Photo courtesy of BookBike.org. Photo by David Miller Photography. This book bike inspired a Pima County librarian to bring one to Tucson. The Pima County Library is putting a new spin on the book mobile. They are building a book bicycle. Find out when it will be rolling. A man who recently returned to cycling…
“Back to the Future” Shoe Update: Yes and No
Yes, the shoes exist, but they don’t actually powerlace. Regardless, 150 pairs of the shoes are on eBay now, raising money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation fighting Parkinson’s Disease, which is a very good thing.
Ifttt: Another Stupid Name, but a Great Online Service
I suppose there’s a vowel-hating monkey working a keyboard somewhere that comes up with the names for these various new online start-ups, coming up with names like Ifttt, but despite the absurd name, the service (still in beta) is definitely worth checking out. Essentially, the idea is “if” something happens, then the service triggers something…
Coming Soon: Alfonso Gourmet Olive Oil and Balsamics
A new store called Alfonso Gourmet Olive Oil and Balsamics is opening in St. Philip’s Plaza. We spoke with some of the marketing folks from St. Philip’s Plaza, and they said the store will feature olive-oil tastings when it opens. Other than that, though, I know very little about the shop, except that I’ll be…
Grijalva: “We Join the President in Calling on Congressional Republicans To Put the National Interest Ahead of Partisan Stonewalling”
Congressman Raul Grijalva responds to President’s Barack Obama’s jobs speech: Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison today released the following statement on the president’s jobs speech: “The President has delivered a good start for putting Americans back to work that includes elements we as progressives have been calling for. Our…
City Hall Brawl: Rothschild Snags Police Union Endorsement
The Tucson Police Officers Association has endorsed Democrat Jonathan Rothschild in the race for Tucson’s mayor. The press release from the Rothschild campaign: Democratic candidate for Mayor of Tucson Jonathan Rothschild has won the endorsement of the Tucson Police Officers Association. “I am honored to have the support of local law enforcement professionals. Tucson’s cops…
Critters of the Week [Ferret Edition]: Bones and Cissy
Bones and Cissy have better things to do than pose for a picture! In fact, it’s hard to keep up with these playful siblings when they’re in the middle of a frisky ferret fit — racing around the room, chasing after toys and doing anything to make you laugh. Although they love clowning around in…
Finally, a “TGIF” Based Fighting Game
I would have preferred a version of “Bad Dudes” starring Larry and Balki from Perfect Strangers, but I suppose this will do. [BWE]
Why I Don’t Understand (Some) Republicans
Good to know that Rick Perry doesn’t lose any sleep over whether any of the 234 executions that he has overseen as governor of Texas were of innocent men or women. I mean, there’s quite a bit of evidence that Cameron Todd Willingham was innocent of the crime he was executed for in 2004, but…
The Bagelry Is Closed
This one breaks my heart: The Bagelry at 2575 N. Campbell Ave. has apparently closed. I’d noticed that there were chains blocking off the driveway for some time, but I just called their number and it’s been disconnected. I noticed a lot of furniture stacked up inside when I drove past it early this morning…
Your Thursday Night NFL Preview
Until the novelty wears off, I thought it would be fun to get predictions for the upcoming slate of NFL games from people with no particular football expertise, largely selected from the people on my Facebook chat window. Also, this serves as a helpful reminder that we have a Pro Football Pick’em game you can…
What to Listen to Wednesday: Bonus Thursday Edition
We somehow missed Rialto kingpin Curtis McCrary’s pick for WtLtW yesterday and since it was his birthday, it seems important to get his pick in, so here’s Curtis’ take on “One of Life’s Pleasures” by Paul White ft. Danny Brown: The new Paul White collection has some of the underground’s finer new rapping talents over…
These Rattlesnakes Were Doing It in My Garden This Morning
Oh really Jimmy Boegle? You think it’s weird to roll into Tucson Weekly headquarters and find roadrunners getting it on? How about going out to water the tomatoes and finding two rattlesnakes getting busy? I thought there was only one rattler in the garden until now. We had a ritual where I would water the…
Get Out Tucson to Calexico and the Joads
Hey, did you feel that? That was the desert heat and monsoon humidity making its subtle shift to our oh so subtle fall. That means when you take a shower in the early morning you have to turn on the hot water for the first time in months, and you don’t sweat it out during…
Two Dads + 12 Kids = Great Story
Remember the story we did on those wonderful Tucson area gay and lesbian families? Well, here’s a great story from the Arizona Republic on two Phoenix dads that’s worth a read. Steve and Roger Ham have adopted 12 children and are being considered for a reality TV on their home life. Forget about that or…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Hollywood Knights at the TAMMIES
As part of our continuing series of somewhat chaotic videos shot at last week’s TAMMIES, we present Hollywood Knights, who won the Best Tejano Band award both this year and in 2010.
Gumby Wants a Bag Full of Money
If while you’re at your local convenience store stocking up on Big Gulps and donuts (don’t deny it, Tucson), Gumby enters the scene demanding cash and cigarettes—don’t panic. Gumby is a flat character so you can expect him to be clumsy with his gun and flail his big green arms around to evoke fear. Don’t…
The Shoes of 2015 Might Be Available Soon
This might all be a cruel hoax at my expense (keep in mind that a kid in my fifth grade class told me the hovering skateboards in Back to the Future II were real, but kept off the shelves of Toys ‘R’ Us by nervous parents and I believed him for six months or so),…
Bubblegum For Eating, Not Chewing
When I was a kid, the rumor was if you swallow bubblegum it will sit in your stomach for seven years… so I didn’t swallow it! And who the heck wants a belly-full of bubblegum anyway? Apparently Texans. “Fried Bubblegum” was named most creative food by State Fair of Texas judges during this year’s annual…
Why I Am Quickly Falling in Love With Union Public House
This is the inspiration for the children’s menu at Union Public House. It is a list of things one of the owner’s daughters want on the menu. This, and the fact that the rest of the menu full of flatbreads, inventive meat dishes, salads and other items inspired by British and American pub fare, is…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – The DC Relaunch Is Here!
This week, Eric and Arnie discuss an obscure selection from a small press comic imprint and the lasting social implications…no, not really. They talk about JLA #1 from the DC Universe reboot. Of course they do, silly.
Editor’s Note
On May 5, in this very space, I wrote these words: “Later this year, when Arizona’s medical-marijuana system is approaching functionality, we will start featuring a regular column of medical-marijuana reviews.” With that, we started searching for a medical-marijuana critic/columnist. I had no idea that the Tucson Weekly was embarking down a path that would…
Full-Frontal Hilarity
The promotional materials for Etcetera’s Persephone or Slow Time warn: This production contains full-frontal nudity, violence and strong sexual content. No one under 18 admitted. We sure don’t have to wait long for that full-frontal nudity. The play begins in 1507 in the workshop of Giuseppe (Eric Anson), an Italian artist. Giuseppe is sculpting a…
The Rapture: In the Grace of Your Love (DFA)
You don’t want to like a new album by The Rapture. The millennial “dance-punk” thing was ridiculous, and is responsible for the existence of bands like Cobra Starship and The Bravery. You remember “I Predict a Riot,” which predicted nothing. Sometimes, when you’re doing the dishes, you think you hear the dyspeptic wail of Brandon…
Danehy
Bring back Brian Miller! All the former head of the Pima County Republican Party did was insult a lot of people in his own party (including his predecessors), and insinuate that certain law-enforcement personnel had participated in a murder. At least he didn’t try to raffle off a gun several months after a similar gun…
Ringing Endorsement
Tucson’s new theater season is underway, and if Dead Man’s Cell Phone is an indication of what the season holds, we are going to be some pretty happy theater-goers. This collaboration between Chicken Lipps Productions and Studio Connections is a winner. Sarah Ruhl’s script is inventive, playful, thoughtful and wickedly funny. The direction, by Laura…
WU LYF: Go Tell Fire to the Mountain (L Y F)
It’s hard to envision an album more perfectly calibrated to the sensibilities of contemporary indie-rock fans than this debut by a willfully mysterious Manchester group. Recorded in a church? Check. Indistinguishable lyrics, emotively sung? Check. Angular guitar figures and an omnipresent, melancholy organ? Check and check. If not for the insidious rhythms and seductively apocalyptic…
Gargulinski
It’s tough not to remember a bully. Memories of pennies shoved in our lockers, sand shoved in our faces, and our faces shoved in a toilet in that wholesome maneuver known as a “swirly” are things that will stay with us forever. But what we might not realize is that our bullies, too, might remember…
Prized Place
The sounds of the sea wash over the gallery at Pima Community College. The crash of waves and the whoosh of receding tides repeat endlessly in a looping sound recording, creating a mesmerizing aural backdrop for Coastal Issues: Art, Science and the Sea. The first show of the season at Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery at…
Medical MJ
As part of the application for this job, the Tucson Weekly asked me to lay out my vision for this column. With a few shifts and nudges here and there, this is what I came up with. Good question, that. This is a cutting-edge area of media you are getting into. Yes, I ended that…
Mailbag
Fight for your right to swear at the President; A candidate for the ridiculous letter of the month; Is Tucson perceived as bad for business?
Italy and Inner Space
Poetry can represent the purest expression of the human soul. But does a poet need to travel in order to fashion verse of the highest order? Emily Dickinson rarely left her house, yet managed to conjure literary solar systems. Her expansive themes qualify her as a pre-Modernist who laid the groundwork for the existential lyricism…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I’m a young white dude who drives to work everyday, and on my commute, I get off the freeway and drive through the streets. Every single day between the hours of 5 a.m. and noon, there are AT LEAST 100 Mexican men out there waiting to be picked up for work of any…
Guest Commentary
A recent Arizona Daily Star editorial about the removal of Mark Stegeman as president of the Tucson Unified School District governing board depicts Stegeman as a heroic figure who dared to speak and think freely in an oppressive environment. In this depiction, Stegeman was the victim of a cabal of thought-and-speech police, and his ouster…
Butt Why?
For movie critics, this is the time of the year when it seems like Satan has temporarily won his eternal battle with the hallowed Baby Jesus, and his evil influence has taken over our movie screens. The summer movie season is over, and now I have to watch viciously bad movies for a few weeks…
Top Ten in Music
1. Rainer with Joey Burns and John Convertino Roll Back the Years (Rainer Music Archive) 2. Key Ingredients of African Soul Abidjan to Bulawayo (self-released) 3. Stefan George Cloth (self-released) 4. Greg Morton When Pigs Fly (self-released) 5. Más O Menos String Band Scratches in the Wax (self-released) 6. Grams and Krieger No, You! (Firesweep)…
Bad Man
Amy is a sex worker who was recently the victim of a sexual assault. She wants you to know that the guy who allegedly attacked her seems to be targeting sex workers—and she’s afraid his actions are only going to get worse. Amy, which is not her real name, told the Tucson Weekly that the…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Paul Universal 2. Something Borrowed Warner 3. Your Highness Universal 4. Win Win 20th Century Fox 5. Priest Sony 6. Blitz Millennium 7. Jane Eyre Universal 8. Wrecked IFC/MPI 9. The Conspirator Lionsgate 10. The Perfect Host Magnolia
The Skinny
Mayor and council candidates respond to the Pima GOP’s raffle of a Glock 23 … The city’s vote-by-mail operation boosts turnout in the primary … Learn more about how Republican lawmakers want to raise your state income-tax bill … and much more!
Top Ten in Books
1. Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories From the Animal Kingdom Jennifer Holland, Workman ($13.95) 2. El Sicario: The Autobiography of a Mexican Assassin Edited by Molly Molloy and Charles Bowden, Nation ($15.99) 3. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford, Ballantine ($15) 4. The Help Kathryn Stockett, Berkley ($16) 5. Cutting for…
Media Watch
The return of John C. Scott; KOLD fills their anchor chairs
A Film That Aches
Warrior doesn’t offer much in the way of a primer on mixed martial arts, if that’s what you’re looking for, but most sports movies really aren’t about the inner workings of their sport, anyway. Warrior, like Rocky, uses fighting in the ring as a very obvious metaphor for other kinds of fights. The question becomes:…
Primary Conclusion
The Republican Party initially failed to get a mayoral candidate on the November ballot. However, in last week’s primary, GOP candidate Rick Grinnell successfully captured more than enough write-in votes to ensure that Tucson will have a real mayor’s race this year. Grinnell will face Democrat Jonathan Rothschild and Green Party candidate Mary DeCamp in…
Now Showing at Home
From the Minds of the Coen Brothers (Blu-ray); Meek’s Cutoff (Blu-ray); Hanna (Blu-ray)
Police Dispatch
Creative uses of black pepper; Keep your hands to yourself
Meal and Dessert
The concept is smart: Two complementary businesses share a space, but not operating hours. One business is a simple sandwich shop, Melt; the other, 2 Cupcakes, is a cupcake store. The folks on the Melt side previously owned some other successful sandwich shops here in Tucson, so it’s no surprise that most of the sandwiches…
Weekly Wide Web
Let’s Talk Startups Now that Republican Rick Grinnell has made the November mayoral ballot, we have something resembling a real contest on our hands. Beyond the obvious benefit of there being more to write about between now and then, perhaps we’ll actually have a conversation about the future of Tucson and technology. Considering the general…
Noshing Around
Desserts galore!; New Moon Tucson; Another brewery; A new farmers’ market
College Spirit
Rising next to St. Augustine Cathedral like a bedraggled stepchild, the pummeled and patched Marist College is literally at a crossroads. To the north lie the dissipated dreams of Rio Nuevo; to the south spreads the barrio, slowly crumbling from what residents believe—and the city denies—are ancient and leaky water pipes. To the west stands…
Wave Riffing
Chatting with 23-year-old Laguna Beach-based indie-garage-punker Ty Segall on the phone is a laid-back, easygoing affair. The same can be said about his approach to rock ‘n’ roll, which is also, let’s just say, surfer-esque. Segall doesn’t intellectualize what he does; he lets his music—like his wave-riding (he’s surfed since childhood)—speak for itself. For him,…
Soundbites
Another event honoring local musicians; Lenguas Largas hit the town before hitting the road; Glam rock extravaganza; and more!
The Play Process
Entering the Temple Lounge is like stepping into a display of abandoned set props. A huge Buddhist-monk figure, leftover from the Arizona Theatre Company production of Hair, looms in a corner next to wall-to-wall windows. Makeshift fixtures—including Victorian-era hats held up with wire and hula hoops—accompany other assorted items. And what makes the lounge truly…
Nine Questions
Ned Krantz, 34, is the co-owner of the downtown modern-vintage store Social Science Junk Shop. He also works as a certified technician for Apple. He has a background in technical theater, and formerly taught at the Los Angeles Recording School. He relocated to Tucson in the early ’90s. What was the first concert you ever…
City Week
Appetizer battle!; Cocktails and jazz; The poetry of Thomas Sayers Ellis; Rock photography
Live
Hurricane Irene left a little dent in Tucson on Tuesday, Aug. 30, as scheduled opener Com Truise had to bail out on a Solar Culture show due to canceled flights. However, a local favorite DJ, E_RUPT, was drafted at the last minute to save the day and set the scene. E_RUPT was a wise choice…
TQ&A
It would be a mistake to call Mary Vaneecke a quilter. Although she does indeed sew layers of fabric together, the end result of her work isn’t blankets, but art that makes you think and sometimes squirm. Vaneecke’s latest show at Arts Marketplace, Subversive Stitches, displays work by the mixed-media textile artist that is sometimes…
Fruit Bats: Tripper (Sub Pop)
Over the course of a decade, the Fruit Bats have quietly been dancing in and out of trends carried by fellow Sub Pop bands that have garnered much more attention. Folky, sunny, poppy and now slightly more psychedelic, the lineup-shifting band led by Eric D. Johnson has never jumped into the spotlight, but has asserted…
City Council Axes City Manager
Tucson City Manager Mike Letcher has been fired by the Tucson City Council. Councilwoman Karin Uhlich made the motion to dismiss Letcher, which passed on a 6-0 vote. Details to follow.
What to Listen to Wednesday: Volume 3
Ok, it might be a little late to improve your Wednesday with music hand-selected by our music writers, but you’re not tied to listening to these songs on Wednesday. Tomorrow should still work. Annie HolubRubblebucket, “L’Homme.” I seriously love Rubblebucket—- their sound is a weird blend of Afro-Cuban New Wave, they make crazy videos, and…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 23: Peddler on the Path
Peddler on the Path is a sweet little food truck that spends its weekends behind the Windmill Inn and Suites by the corner of Campbell Avenue and River Road. You’ll also see it at cycling events and other local festivals, just minding its own business and selling quality coffee and other drinks to a steady…
