Presidential candidate Michael Oatman, who ran as a Democrat in 2008, is now seeking the Green Party's nomination for the presidency. You can see his campaign video from 2008 above, learn more about him here or read his platform below:

Please allow me to introduce myself; my name is Michael Oatman and I am seeking nomination as a candidate for the office of President of these United States of America from the Green Party, seeing as how the Democratic Party has chosen not to participate this year.

I am submitting my Candidate Nomination Paper via the Tucson Weekly for the Arizona Presidential Preference Election to be held on the 28th day of February 2012.

Now, I would like to tell you a little about my platform. Actually, unlike just about every candidate who is currently running for president, I would like to describe fully (to a practical extent) the platform upon which I will be running for the office of President of these United States of America. For more complete information, you may view my website, currently at http://MichaelOatman.wordpress.com/ where you may also participate by asking questions and leaving comments.

Tucson's first location of Pinkberry, a frozen-yogurt outfit that started in Hollywood and spread across the world with a quickness, opens next month at the University of Arizona.

How did Turkey and Peru get Pinkberry locations before Tucson? The world may never know, but you can check in at the page counting down the days until the local store opens over here.

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Up With Chris Hayes is apparently a show on MSNBC, which airs on Saturday morning before they dive full on into their weekly marathon of shows about prison life, but the program this weekend did an excellent job of explaining the debate over SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), providing an opportunity for an executive from NBC Universal to explain why they're for the bill and for a founder of the link-sharing site Reddit to explain why many people online think it could cripple the internet as we know it.

I found the truck parked in the parking lot of Fairwheel Bikes at 1110 E. Sixth St., where it will be serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., weekdays, until further notice. I came for a bite to eat and left with a very full stomach and a whole new notion of how good food-truck food can be.

What Animal Farm is doing hints at the vibe going on at places like Pasco Kitchen & Lounge, but the prices are lower and the food is just as good. For instance: The burger made with open-range, grass-fed beef and served on a bun from La Baguette Bakery is a mere $6.50, while a similar burger at other eateries runs for about $10. The tacos, jerk chicken and side-orders also boast top-notch ingredients, and prices top out at $6.75.

Which isn’t to bust on eateries that focus on local and sustainable ingredients, but it is to Animal Farm’s credit that prices remain low while quality remains high. Even the cheese curds are sourced locally — they come from the Arizona Cheese Company in Phoenix — before being coated in Panko crumbs and fried to perfection in the onboard deep-fat fryer.

Since Stephen Colbert is now running in the South Carolina presidential primary, he can't operate the Super PAC he founded, so clearly this ad attacking Mitt Romney wasn't his doing. However, it is running in the state in which Colbert is a candidate and is hosted on his television show's site. So there's that.

[NYTimes]

• Elliot

Ben Folds performs at the Fox Theatre as a benefit for the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understand.

More photos from the show with Calexico and Silver Thread Trio below the jump.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has seen the light and will halt the ludicrous legal fight to block medical marijuana dispensaries across the state.

In a statement issued Friday, the governor told God and everyone that she has ordered the processing of dispensary applications in Arizona, but not immediately.

"I have directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to begin accepting and processing dispensary applications, and issuing licenses for those facilities once a pending legal challenge to the department‟s medical marijuana rules is resolved," she said.

Brewer continues to complain in the announcement about the supposed prosecution threat to state employees, again asking the U.S. Attorney's Office for a clarification of the feds' position on workers who process applications and regulate the dispensaries. But in the end, she gave up.

"I believe the best course of action now is to complete the implementation of Proposition 203 in accordance with the law," she said.

Unless, of course, she decides not to. The statement ends with this threat:

"Know this: I won't hesitate to halt State involvement in the AMMA if I receive indication that state employees face prosecution due to their duties in administering this law."

La Taverna at Roma Imports, the restaurant inside the well-stocked Italian grocery store Roma Imports at 627 Vine Ave., is getting ready for another series of feasts. They're calling it "Let's Go Rome Again," and the first one takes place this Saturday, Jan. 21.

From the menu:

ANTIPASTI
Suppli alla romana
Bruschetta with roasted Tomatos and Basil
Artichoke Bottoms with Bacon and Onion
Eggplant and Zucchini Fritters
Lentil Salad
Frittata with Speck and Asparagus
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Glaze and Pumpkin Seeds
Fried Goat’s Cheese Medallions
Figs stuffed with Gorgonzola and Walnuts
A Roman mixed antipasti

MAIN COURSE
Rolled Pork Roast with Wine and Herbs
Abbacchio alla romana - Lamb with Garlic and Anchovies
Trippa alla trasteverina — Baked Tripe
Gnocchi alla romana
Pastry filled with Spinach
Patate e cavoli - Potato and Savoy Cabbage with Pancetta
Melanzane ripiene — Eggplant Stuffed with Tomato and Mozzarella

DESSERT
Fette di Mele Fritte — Fried Apple Rings
Crema di Ricotta — Homemade Ricotta Cream
Chocolate Mascarpone Roll

The event takes place again on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27 and 28. Tickets are $40, and the feasts are served buffet-style. Contact the restaurant over yonder.

One great thing about Coachella is that you don't have to go to reap the benefits of their lineup, since quite a few of the bands playing the two weekends in Indio will end up playing in Tucson on the way there or back. Sure, we might not get an At The Drive-In show here, but Tucsonans get to see great bands for a far more affordable price and a lowr risk of heat exhaustion. One of the Coachella-adjacent shows you should really make an effort to catch is St. Vincent and tUnE-yArDs, coming to the Rialto on April 17th. You might remember either name from any number of Best of 2011 Music lists from the last month or so (list aggregator Acclaimed Music has St. Vincent's Strange Mercy as the second best reviewed album among American reviewers; tUnE-yArDs' "WhoKill" comes in fourth), they're both signed to glamorous label 4AD, and both make adventurous, creative music that's actually still listenable. Tickets are $19 in advance, and go on sale Friday. You really shouldn't miss this show, unless you're going to Coachella, then you have an excuse.

tUnE-yArDs, "Bizness":

1996 was a wonderful time, falling somewhere between the advent of numerous video effects and most people's ability to use them correctly.