After a week of technical difficulties, crying and heavy drinking, it appears the blog's back and, well, if not better than ever, exactly the same as it was. Which is a start.

In any case, welcome back, and feel free to comment on this week's issue--or, heck, last week's issue--here. And enjoy this week's YouTube Ask a Mexican!

Ruthie Foster's performance at last weekend's Folk Festival didn't make it to air with the rest of KXCI's coverage, due to a programming error at the station.

But the headliner's set will be broadcast in its entirety this Sunday, May 11, at 6 p.m.

The good folks from the Southern Arizona Stonewall Democrats asked us to post something about their confab this weekend:

The Southern Arizona Stonewall Democrats are pleased to announce that they will be hosting the National Stonewall Democrats on May 8 through 11, 2008 for a conference and Board meeting here in Tucson.

The conference will be held at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Airport at 4550 S Palo Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85714 (520) 746-3493, and feature training programs designed for Democrats locally, state-wide and nationally, including topics involving media, fundraising, organizing campaigns, and youth programs.

You can find more info, including a schedule, here.

Here are a few events that were received too late for inclusion in our May 8 print issue. We recommend calling event organizers to check on last-minute changes in time, location, price, etc.

• Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m.

  Cafe Passe

  415 N. Fourth Ave.

  Film Screening. American Drug War, a documentary from director Kevin Booth, screens. Free. Call 624-4411 for info.

• Saturday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  La Paloma Academy

  2151 N. Palo Verde Blvd.

  Open House. Parents can tour the new campus and meet the principal and teachers. Kids can enjoy jumping castles, face painting, balloon figures, cotton candy, popcorn, sandwiches and icees from Egees. Free. Visit www.lpatucson.org for more info.

• Saturday, May 10 from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

  Triangle L Ranch in Oracle

  Barn Dance. Contra dance under the stars with dance caller Laila Lewis and the fiddling of Diamond Jim Hewitt and friends. Take a lesson at 7 p.m. $5 per person. Event will be held outside. Benefits GLOW. Visit www.trianglelranch.com for directions and info.

• Monday, May 12 from 6 to 9 p.m.

  Beowulf Alley Theatre

  11 S. Sixth Ave.

  Theater Auditons. Audition for Dinner With Friends. Prepare two contrasting monologues (comedic and dramatic) one minute in duration. Auditions start at 6 p.m.; callbacks will take place between 7 and 9 p.m. Call 241-4604 or e-mail [email protected] for info.

Looks like voters won't have a chance to vote on whether Arizona's Redistricting Commission--which draws the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts--should put more emphasis on ensuring that the districts are competitive.

Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services has the details, but it looks like the backers of the initiative drive didn't want to have to compete with an alternative that state lawmakers were contemplating putting on the ballot. State Rep. Jonathan Paton, who had sponsored the legislative alternative, says he'll pull the plug on his bill.

We mentioned in this week’s Skinny that the initiative to restrict payday loans is in trouble, while the initiative to extend payday loans--which, of course, is sponsored by the payday loan sharks--is likely to make the ballot.

There’s another pair of dueling initiatives out there: Support Legal Arizona Workers and Stop Illegal Hiring.

Support Legal Arizona Workers is the addled brain-child of Don Goldwater, the half-wit nephew of the late and lamented Barry Goldwater, and state Rep. Russell Pearce. It would permanently revoke the business license of any employer who is caught with an illegal immigrant on the payroll.

The one-strike-and-you’re-out initiative launched when state lawmakers were considering Pearce’s employer-sanctions bill last year. Even though they passed the bill, Russell and Co. went ahead with their petition drive, mumbling something about how lawmakers could still amend the law if it didn’t have voter protection. Yes, it’s certainly a terrible notion that we would give the legislature an option to change a law if it doesn’t work as intended.

The business community, understandably concerned that a bunch of knotheads were writing regulations that could put them out of business without so much as a warning, countered with their own initiative, Stop Illegal Hiring. The biz gang is spinning their effort as cracking down on under-the-table hiring, which the other initiative doesn’t address. And to sweeten the pot, they use the fines from the initiative to help schools and hospitals. Stop Illegal Hiring would eventually strip an employer of a business license for knowingly having illegal immigrants on the payroll, but it includes a variety of loopholes and defenses that Pearce’s initiative doesn’t include.

The game here is obvious: The biz boys figure that voters will support Pearce’s plan if it makes the ballot, so they hope to get more votes so that their initiative will take precedence.

Ultimately, that’s why the fixes to the employer-sanctions bill signed into law by Gov. Janet Napolitano last week may not make much of a difference. We suspect the issue will ultimately be decided by voters, though if Pearce and Co. can’t come through wit the signatures, the winner will be pretty obvious.

Look! It's a new issue! With our summer movie preview! Special!

Comment on its contents here, and in the meantime, enjoy this week's YouTube Ask a Mexican! And be sure to stop by and show The Mexican some love this Saturday (5/10) at 2 p.m. at the Borders on Oracle Road.

The Weekly's corporate sibling, Inside Tucson Business, made an appearance on David Letterman's "Small Town News" segment on Tuesday night. Showing an ad touting "the growing number of Tucson's most successful women business owners" which prominently featured a man's photo in the mix, Letterman cracked that "she would be lovely if she lost the goatee."

ITB was in good company. Items from the Chicago Tribune and the Detroit News were also used, as were clips from The Grizzly Weekender of Big Bear Lake, Calif., The Mountain Messenger of Downieville, Calif., The Leader-News of Greenville, Ky., The Tremonton Leader of Tremonton, Utah, and The Benicia Herald of Benicia, Calif.

As of 9:10 a.m. this morning at Tucson City Court, on the corner of Alameda Street and Sixth Avenue, no one had been arrested as Charlotte Gillis and about 10 friends/supporters stood in front of the building to protest what they feel is gender discrimination.

Gillis and eventually three other women took their shirts off to expose breast--with the areolas and nipples taped over to make them "legal." And a couple of guys got in on the action too, sans tape.

While Gillis went in for her pre-trial hearing with friends, Kristina Stevens and Nate Campbell kept up the protest, while two Tucson Police Department officers looked on.

On her return, Gillis reported that she asked for a continuance so she could raise additional funds to pay an attorney who wants to take her case. Her new pre-trial hearing is set for June 2.

For more information on Charlotte's case, go to her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/rptlgrl.

Here are a few events that were received past our deadline for the May 1 print issue. We recommend contacting event organizers to check for last-minute changes in time, location, price, etc.

• Saturday, May 3

  6 a.m. to midnight

  Titan Missile Museum parking lot

  1580 W. Duval Mine Road

  Exit 69 off Interstate 19

  7th Call Area QSO Party. The Radio Society of Tucson will participate in a special broadcast event where the object is for amateur radio operators to make as many contacts as possible. Prizes will be awarded for the most contacts. Free. Visit www.rstclub.org for more info.

• Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  3250 E. Kleindale Road

  Richard Zelens Art. View paintings, ceramics and silks by the artist. Items will be on sale. Call 867-9582 for info.

• Sunday, May 4 through Wednesday, May 7

  Benihana

  6091 N. Oracle Road

  Children's Day. All children 12 and younger will receive free favors: edaname and drink, instructions for an origami Samurai helmet, koi streamer, Polaroid keepsake and a pamphlet about Japanese culture and the tradition of Children's Day. Available during lunch and dinner hours. Call 297-5555 for info and to reserve your seats.

• Monday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m.

  UA Stevie Eller Dance Theatre

  1713 E. University Blvd.

  Dance Performance. The UA School of Dance presents Last Chance to Dance. $5.