You probably don't need to be reminded why we and the beautiful state of Arizona are in trouble. But just in case you do feel you need a reminder, check out this video of Arizona State Sen. Sylvia Allen (R) saying Earth is 6,000 years old.

But it's even more frightening how eager she is about mining and making sure she gets it out there that "you'll never know the mine was there when they're done." Has she ever driven south of Tucson?

It's bad enough that the Internet is killing off newspapers and the music industry. But now The New York Times brings us the news that it's also wiping out porn films with a veneer of plot:

The actress known as Savanna Samson once relished preparing for a role. “I couldn’t wait to get my next script,” she said.

There’s no reason to look at them anymore, she said, because her movies now call almost exclusively for action. Specifically, sex.

The pornographic movie industry has long had only a casual interest in plot and dialogue. But moviemakers are focusing even less on narrative arcs these days. Instead, they are filming more short scenes that can be easily uploaded to Web sites and sold in several-minute chunks.

“On the Internet, the average attention span is three to five minutes,” said Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment. “We have to cater to that.”

BMX activist Mike Hines reported back to The Range that the BMX protest at the new Albert Gallego Skate Park at Santa Rita Park on Sunday, June 28 didn't exactly change any minds about allowing BMX to share the concrete with skateboarders—but the turnout was encouraging.

"We counted well over 100 people," Hines says.

For more info, check out Hines' blog clickedbmx.com

Turns out the BMX protest was just the beginning of his efforts to get the word out about Tucson's need for a place for BMX riders to go. Joining him is Scott Laos, father of Kory Laos, the 14-year-old killed by a car while riding his BMX near the UA two days before his 15th birthday. They spoke at the Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday, and planned to speak in front of the Tucson City Council.

The county voted to approve naming a proposed BMX park in the Flowing Wells District Park the Kory Laos Memorial Bike Park. Hines says that could take years before ground breaks, and until then, he wants the City Council to consider allowing BMX at Santa Rita Park.

"The bike park is going to happen, the only question is when. I doubt it will be 10 years, I even doubt it will be 5 years. ... We need a place now. ... I think Santa Rita would be perfect until the bike park opens, two days a week would be acceptable, I'd even say no pegs. They can't tell me rubber inflated tires do more damage than metal skateboard trucks, and hard composite plastic wheels, right? Anyway, that's what I'm going to propose. Also, we need to educate those who have no idea what we ride. When most people hear the letters BMX, they think racing. We have to give them examples and ideas of what we do, that will help them see where we are coming from."

Regarding the protest, Hines says the Tucson Police were there for about an hour watching and waiting in the parking lot.

"At one point, one of the BMX riders went and asked the officers if they would arrest any of us for riding in the park. They said, 'We won't arrest anyone, or take their bikes, but we might ask you to exit the park.' It was obvious to all of us the police had better things to do then arrest kids on bikes. I'm not going to lie and say we didn't all go ride the park that day, but the majority of the time we set up obstacles and rode on the basketball court adjacent to the skate park. The whole time we where at the park, there was a total of two skaters using the facility."

Hines says the Monday after the protest, he contacted Peg Weber of Parks and Rec, and Joel Peterson in risk management. Hines says Peterson wrote back with a suggestion that he raise the funds to get a bike facility installed.

"That is exactly what the skateboard folks did several years ago. Go for it!," Peterson e-mailed to Hines.
Hines, however, remembered the money coming from different sources, and not the skateboarder community.

His breakdown of the $795,310 project:

$150,000 from/for, Pima County Neighborhood Reinvestment Program, (1997 Bond—CIP)
$151,825 from/for, Back to Basics- Community Development Block Grant Funds
$341,660 from/for Community Development Block Grant Fund (CDBG)
$111,825 from Ward 5, where the park is located and pitching in, in 2008 to advance the 1997 project idea, Ward 3 $20,000 and $20,000 from the Mayor's Office

The goal is $1.5 million for the Kory Laos Memorial Bike Park.

"We will eventually have a BMX park in Kory's name, but I'm afraid that will be years from now. Where are we supposed to go until then?"

The following is an expanded version of an interview with David Wain that's running in the June 9 issue.

Since the early '90s, writer-director-actor David Wain has been one of the premier ambassadors of absurdist, intelligent, and wonderfully random comedy on TV and in feature films.

A founding member of The State, whose comedy show aired on MTV from 1993 to 1995, he is also a member of the comedy troupe Stella (with fellow The State alums Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black), and is the director of the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer. He also helmed last year’s hilarious Paul Rudd comedy Role Models, and is the creative force behind the award-winning Web series Wainy Days.

On the eve of the long awaited release of The State on DVD, I talked to Wain about the groundbreaking show, his movies and future projects.

Hi David Wain. Do you remember the correspondence we had earlier this year?

I sure do not, but I love the fact that we had one.

I'm the dummy who wrote about the Stella guys being justifiably grouchy on the autograph line after their show. You wrote to us when you saw the article.

Oh, yes…of course I remember. Now I remember. It’s all good.

Actually, you are not supposed to read your own press. What are you doing?

Show me anyone who doesn’t.

It was online for, like, two minutes, and you caught me!

See?

The Tucson Association of Realtors starts its "Stuff the Bus" school-supply drive today.

Donations of back-to-school essentials (backbacks, notebooks, binders, etc.) can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Friday, Aug. 7, at the Tucson Association of Realtors Building at 2445 N. Tucson Blvd.

Donations can also be dropped off at the following times and places: noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 25, at the Office Max at 5550 E. Broadway Blvd.; noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Office Max at 3838 N. Oracle Road; and noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Walgreens at 4685 E. Grant Road.

Ladies and gentlemen: It is time to rock the Tucson City Council.

If the council does not act this Tuesday, July 7, to save the Rialto Theatre from the developers who are taking the first steps to driving it out of business, then the theatre could be facing the final curtain.

We here at the Tucson Weekly say this cannot be allowed to happen.

In the last week, developers Scott Stiteler and Don Martin have made it abundantly clear that they do not care about the future of the Rialto Theatre, which is one of the few elements of Rio Nuevo that can be called a success. They’ve informed the Rialto Foundation that they plan to evict the non-profit organization from space surrounding the city-owned theatre that the foundation has been using as a green room for performers and as an administrative office and storage space.

You can find the details of how we’ve gotten to this sorry state of affairs here, but the bottom line is this: Martin and Stiteler are furious with the Rialto Foundation because attorneys for the foundation stood up and protested a deal that would have delivered $4 million in property and control of much of the eastern end of downtown to Martin and Stiteler. The council asked for another two weeks to examine the deal; the developers, in turn, walked away and are now intent on destroying the Rialto.

Councilman Steve Leal has stepped up and asked the City Council to consider condemning the property that the Rialto needs to continue operating. Why should the city step in? Because the city owns the theatre and the council needs to protect its asset. And besides that, the Rialto has proven itself to be the economic engine of the downtown arts and entertainment district. Over the last four years, it has brought hundreds of thousands of people downtown for hundreds of shows.

We do not casually advise the City Council to use the power of eminent domain, but in this case, we see no other choice. The Rialto stands out as the success story of downtown redevelopment. We cannot allow a pair of greedheaded developers to destroy it.

What can you do? Contact the mayor and council offices to let them know you support the Rialto Theatre. After you’ve done that, show up at the City Council meeting at 2 p.m. this Tuesday, July 7.

We must win this fight. And it is your voice that will make the difference.

Say it with me: Save the Rialto!

To contact the mayor and council:

Karin Uhlich, 791-4711, [email protected]
Regina Romero, 791-4040, [email protected]
Steve Leal, 791-4231, [email protected]
Shirley Scott, 791-3100, [email protected]
Nina Trasoff, 791-4601, [email protected]
Rodney Glassman, 791-4687, [email protected]
Mayor Walkup, 791-4201, [email protected]

Rialto photo by David Olsen

What could be better than the usual July 4th shtick of brats and beer?

Watching Venus and Serena Williams in their fourth sister-vs.-sister Wimbledon final in eight years, that's what.

Sit back with a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream, and start taking bets. Serena won in 2002 and 2003, while Venus won in 2008. Perhaps she's due another win, although Serena has a 6-5 advantage in Grand Slam meetings, including five wins against the seven she's faced against her sister in finals.

Sitting on the couch in the middle of the summer, celebrating our nation's independence watching the Williams sisters play their hearts out in England—that's just fantastic.

I hope my swamp cooler holds out.

Remember Torino Ristorante Italiano in Oro Valley? It was a well-reviewed eatery that occupied the space at 10355 N. La Cañada Drive that eventually became Harvest Restaurant.

One of Torino’s ex-owners, Daniela Borella, dropped me an e-mail this week to announce that she is combining her adjoined restaurants, Spice Bistro and Caffe Torino (10325 N. La Cañada Drive), into one eatery that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Borella — who was born in Italy and knows a thing or two about her native cuisine — says the new eatery should open around the end of July.

Here's a print ad that is running for a limited time in Singapore. Draw your own conclusion!

I found the full story here.