Considering I'm generally judged in my job performance by how many people come to the Tucson Weekly website, it's a positive thing when any article of ours gets mentioned by a national website. I personally might not have much use for Andrew Breitbart's chain of websites, but clearly, a lot of people read Big Government and the others, so in general, it's a good thing for me to see a post like yesterday's "A ‘Marxist’ Agenda Against a Freedom Center" commenting on Tim Vanderpool's "Freedom's Ring" from last week's issue. I think the anonymous author's conclusions are a little absurd, but we do write things to create conversation and discussion, right?

However, here's what's strange: while there are 51 comments on the Big Government site, there hasn't been that much traffic to the article itself. Since the Big Government article went up, there have only been 18 unique visitors to Vanderpool's story that came from the link inside the article. Even saying that maybe a few people came to the article later or from another source, there are still a lot of people commenting on the linking article without actually reading the source material. Certainly, I imagine the same thing happens at the Huffington Post or wherever liberals are going from caustic opinion pieces these days, but in general, it's a good thing to actually try to understand an issue before issuing your definitive take on the issue, right?

KXCI says tickets are running out for its Sep. 23 benefit concert featuring Emmylou Harris; buy them here before you miss your chance. I grew up listening to the album she recorded with Linda Ronstadt at the Arizona Inn ("Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions"). Here's a video of those two performing with Dolly Parton in all her 1987 glory.

More from KXCI:

Emmylou Harris at the Fox Theatre Friday, September 23
Support KXCI in a co-benefit with the Fox Theatre. Tickets are on sale now. Don't miss the opportunity to hear twelve-time Grammy Award winner Emmylou Harris. Harris, an American songwriting treasure, has collaborated with Gram Parsons, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Mark Knopfler, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Rodney Crowell and Neil Young. Awarded a Grammy for the 2001 soundtrack to Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Harris continues to write inspired and heartfelt songs and delivers them with her iconic voice on her latest album Hard Bargain, which you've been hearing on KXCI.

Wilko, the restaurant down by the UA that Rita Connelly seemed to enjoy when she reviewed it last week, is adding a cocktail bar that could be serving drinks as early as this weekend.

Jonathan Zucchi, general manager for the restaurant, says the renovations that include installing the cocktail bar are almost complete. Cocktails should be available this weekend, and the full cocktail program will be in place by the following weekend.

Zucchi says the restaurant has worked closely with the folks down at the Red Room to shape the program. If you’ve been to the Red Room, you understand what a smart move that was. They really focus on quality, and it shows in both the consistency and the quality of the drinks made there.

Wilko’s cocktails will focus on classic recipes, although Zucchi says they might play with infusing their own liquors and making their own bitters as well.

• Adam Kurtz

A new Transportation for America study ranked Tucson as the 25th most dangerous metro area for pedestrians. The city ranked far below the Phoenix area on the "Pedestrian Danger Index," but above Los Angeles and San Diego. The four Florida metro areas studied took the top four spots; now I know where I will not be letting my parents retire.

This map lets you zoom in to see areas of town that are particularly unsafe for pedestrians. It looks like Sixth Ave. south of 29th St. is one place you might want to be careful hoofing it, as the map shows six pedestrian fatalities on a five-block stretch of road. (The data reflect incidents that occurred between 2001 and 2009.) There are several other such areas, so the study is worth a look — and now that school's in session, please remember to look out for foot traffic.

The ladies at the Monsoon Kitchen really opened my eyes to true popsicle creativity. Ever since I tried their crazy and inventive frozen treats I find it impossible to drink anything without wondering if it might be better frozen.

With this in mind I began my search for other frozen things to be had around Tucson, stumbling upon the fantastic company Prickly Pops a short time later. They are frozen. They are made with cool things like prickly pears and yellow Tohono O’odham watermelon. They are available at several farmers’ markets around town, and they sound delicious.

I’m trying to get in touch with the owner for a list of current flavors, but no luck yet. I might just have to head over to the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market on Thursday and experience them first-hand instead.

I like pandas, but my extreme dislike for Lebron James overrides my affection for adorable bears. Nice try, pal, but this phase of the charm offensive fails.

[GQ]

I personally don't fully understand the musical sub-genre dubstep, but the insta-fame of dude-in-a-post-hardcore-band-turned-electronic-music-producer Skrillex* is particularly confusing to me. Not that my opinion matters to him or his fans, but once someone appears as a "featured artist" on a Korn record, I sort of tune out of whatever music they're creating. However, with the helpful subtitles provided by YouTube user DubstepLyrics, his music all of a sudden makes sense. The part that goes "WEEEERRRGGGGHHH AHHHHHH"? Poetry, pure and simple.

* If your impulse is to send me an angry email telling me that "Skrillex isn't dubstep", save yourself the trouble. I DON'T CARE.

[Reddit]

September 25th at Kino Sports Complex, "new rock" station KFMA (where you can hear me Wednesdays at 8:10 am!) brings you all the angsty, riff-driven hard rock you can stand at their annual Fall Ball extravaganza. I tend to prefer my music more fey and emotionally stunted in a wear-unattractive-glasses-and-spend-time-journaling sort of way, but to each their own.

The lineup:

Stone Temple Pilots
Staind
Chevelle
Five Finger Death Punch
Middle Class Rut
Asking Alexandria
Falling in Reverse
Redlight King

Tickets go on sale Saturday at local Domino's Pizza locations, of all things.

I saw a curious Dairy Queen RV lurking around this area the other day as well. I’m not sure what’s up with that, but it was huge and rather impressive. I’ve heard that some chain restaurants are attempting to step into the world of food trucking. Maybe it has something to do with that.

Also, the blizzard of the month has Nutter Butters in it. That is all.

There's a streaming preview of the new Muppet tribute album up at NPR, and it's sort of worth listening to, especially considering that it's free to check out. There are a few really enjoyable tracks, particularly Andrew Bird's take on "Bein' Green" which seems like a perfect fit for him and his whistle solo, but overall, the whole thing is a little more cloyingly twee for my personal taste. Most of the tracks are delivered in breathy, slow, humorless takes, which seems to be to missing the point. I'm not especially inclined to enjoy the 92.9 The Mountain themed stylings of Matt Nathanson, but his version of "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" (originally from The Muppet Movie) would hopefully be booed off the stage at any coffee shop open mic night for being too overwhelming sincere and devoid of joy.

I'm probably a little too critical of this project, just because they're taking songs that I have a lot of nostalgic sentimentality for, but why cover a song if you don't add anything to it or provide some sort of new take on the original material. I've heard plenty of covers of "The Rainbow Connection", thanks, but the version Kermit sings for the opening of The Muppet Movie is still the best, as far as I'm concerned.

Thankfully, My Morning Jacket might make the entire album worth owning on their own, covering "Our World", a song from the 1977 TV special Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. It's really a beautiful song to begin with, and MMJ take it and make it their own. It's really sort of lovely.