• Blake Collins

Nicole Flowers and Travis Reese are trying something new with Saint House, set to open August 15th at 256 E. Congress Street. Flowers and Reese love showcasing classic cocktails and serving good products at Scott & Co., but no one in town was doing rum. “It's the most diverse spirit in the world,” says Reese. “We wondered if we could do something unique with Caribbean-style food and pair it with drinks.”

They also wanted to create some diversity Downtown. “There's already a lot of American food,” says Reese, “and the Caribbean has a lot of unexplored North African and French dishes.” But Saint House will keep their food program approachable. There will be 4 ceviches, at least one veggie style, and a taco component. The Stew del Mar sounds mouthwatering with 5 different seafoods in a coconut curry broth. And everyone, absolutely everyone, is excited about the taro chips. “We were surprised at how good they are,” says Reese.

There will be some crazy dishes for the adventurous types, including one that features scotch bonnet peppers. “It can ruin a person if they're not expecting it,” says Reese.

The décor for Saint House was inspired by a visit to Miami, to which designer Chad Goebel added an upscale element. Grays, dark yellows, and dozens of lanterns — hanging or otherwise - give the restaurant a soft, intimate feel. The private dining room, done in light blue with dark blue accents, offers a breathtaking view of Congress Street.

Seating is extremely varied. Booths rest against a lantern-covered wall, there are low top and high top tables, and there are plenty of seats at the bar itself. “Hopefully it will be a different experience each time you come in,” says Laura Adams-Reese of Storyteller PR, who is handling Saint House. She eagerly pointed out the set of paintings by local artist Gonzalo Espinosa.

Then there's the long bar in the middle of the room. The shiny gray slate beckons you to sit down and order a drink. The bar was left open to highlight the cocktails and pull diners into the experience. “It's dinner and a show,” says Flowers.

Flowers admits that her specialty is the business side of things, while Reese works as restaurant manager. “Travis and I are equals at the top, but there's so much to do that we split up the work,” says Flowers. Big restaurant decisions, like the menu, are made together.

Since the focus is rum, there will be over 40 brands offered, which will appeal to a range of drinkers. Rum daiquiris will be a specialty here. “Daiquiri's are basically the perfect cocktail,” says bar curator Karl Goranowski. “They're balanced, not too sweet or sour.” At least, his aren't. Apparently most daiquiris we encounter are not true daiquiris.

Do you like vodka? Try a daiquiri with rum from Appleton Estate, which has a potent pineapple flavor. It's refreshing and light, the perfect poolside drink. American whiskey drinkers might like the Barbados aged rum, which has a little bit of toffee and vanilla from the barrel. It makes a richer-flavored daiquiri, and you can taste the barrel in there.

Rhum Agricole will have flavors that Margarita-drinkers find familiar, with something exciting added. It's like tequila-plus, without the oil, and grassy/vegetal notes on the back end. This daquiri is deliciously complex, and is one Goranowski would order for himself.

English Harbour is an oak-aged rum perfect for people who like cognac or bourbon. It smells of vanilla and a hint of leather, and has a sweeter taste without being cloying. “As Americans, we're told that all things vanilla are good,” says Goranowski. “Ice cream, bourbon...” And now daiquiris.

Once you get into the uniquely rum flavors, it's a wild ride. Banks is extremely vegetal, almost like a black olive. “It's a little bit down the rabbit hole,” Goranowski admits. It definitely has that fresh black olive note on the nose, and makes an incredibly complex and balanced daquiri. Those who like juniper will find satisfaction with this drink.

The sipping rums they offer are incredibly drinkable. Try Pusser's for a strange adventure that leaves you tasting raisins at the end. It's unforgettable.

A huge part of Saint House's mission is to educate the public about rum. The fun will be in trying daiquiris side by side to discover the nuances in flavor. Or let the bartenders know what you like, and they'll find a rum that suits you.

The softball team representing Sunnyside Little League is playing tonight in Portland, Ore., against a similar group of 11- and 12-year-olds from McLean, Va., for the Little League Softball World Series championship. The game is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. local time.

Sunnyside has gone 4-1 in the World Series to this point, including a 10-0 win Tuesday against Maunabo, Puerto Rico that was stopped after four innings because of the mercy rule. The game was also a no-hitter for Sunnyside's pitching staff.

If Sunnyside were to win tonight it'd be the first Tucson team to take the Little League softball title. The last local rep in the World Series was in 2002, when San Xavier's team made it.

Tucson's south side has traditionally been its strongest in Little League softball, though the way things go in this town when these girls reach high school they'll probably be starring for schools from all parts of the city other than the south.

The Nogales International's Murphy Woodhouse reports on the recent U.S. Department of Justice findings on the Border Patrol shooting deaths of Carlos Lamadrid and Ramses Barron Torres:

In the Lamadrid case, the DOJ said that “the evidence was insufficient to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges,” because “[u]nder the applicable federal criminal civil rights law, prosecutors must establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that an official ‘willfully’ deprived an individual of a constitutional right,” a difficult standard to meet.

Homicide charges were also ruled out, “because there is insufficient evidence for the government to disprove that the agent was acting in self-defense when he fired at the rock thrower and mistakenly struck the victim, who was in his line of fire,” according to the DOJ.

On the afternoon he was killed, police reports and videos of the incident show Lamadrid’s vehicle colliding with agent Tidwell’s vehicle, Lamadrid exiting his vehicle and running to a ladder against the border fence, and agent Tidwell aiming and shooting as Lamadrid attempted to flee into Mexico.

Jesús Romo, an attorney representing the family of Lamadrid in their ongoing civil suit against Tidwell, said that the DOJ’s decision to not pursue criminal charges, especially homicide charges, was “out of touch with the realities of the border.”

“[T]his young man was climbing a ladder and he was shot four times in the back,” Romo said. “So, it’s impossible for us to believe that he could have been shooting at someone else, missed that person altogether and shot our client in the back, who had no weapons, no rocks or any other instrument, four times. It is clearly a case of homicide.”

Guerrero, who said that the decision came as a surprise to her, shared her lawyer’s disbelief.

“They say that my son was in the line of fire, but there was big distance between the person on top of the fence and my son who was halfway up it,” she said. “It’s not reasonable. I don’t accept it.”

In the wake of the DOJ’s decision, Guerrero and Romo said that they intend to pressure the Cochise County Attorney’s Office to take up a criminal case against Tidwell. “At least manslaughter,” Romo said. “Or negligent homicide.”

While they've probably already played themselves out of the postseason race, the Arizona Diamondbacks are at least making things interesting for the fans and viewers who stick around.

By that I don't mean just the ones who attend games or watch on TV. I mean the ones who actually catch the end of the games, which appears to be the only time the D'Backs can provide any sort of excitement. Good or bad.

The past two nights have shown of some of Arizona's late-inning magic, as well as its late-game crapitude, as both Monday and Tuesday's contests against the Baltimore Orioles ended in walk-off home runs.

First, there was Monday's 7-6 walk-off win, that ended with Adam 'Spanky' Eaton depositing the first-ever game-ending homer into the pool at Chase Field:

Mind you, this pool shot came after Arizona tied the game in the seventh, then fell behind in the eighth, then took the lead in the eighth, then blew the lead in the ninth. You know, a typical D'Backs bullpen kerfuffle, thanks to people like the Heath Bell Experience.

Then, there was Tuesday night, when dark horse MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt tied the game with a homer in the ninth, then came back up in the 11th for a chance to do the rare tie it/win it homer double:

These are the kind of ulcer-and-heart-attack-inducing finishes that happen to the fanbase of a team that leads the majors in blown saves, wins after blown saves, 1-run victories, walk-off victories and victories in the last at-bat. It's also why the D'Backs are 7 1/2 games out of first in the NL West and 5 1/2 out of the final wild card slot with 34 games left.

None of this is new for longtime D'Backs fans, who over the past few years have seen some pretty spectacular finishes. No more outrageous than during the final series of the 2011 season, when — after allowing five runs in the top of 10th against the Dodgers, Arizona scored six unanswered with two outs to win 7-6:

Last year, CraftBeer.com's Great America Beer Bar Contest showed zero love for Arizona. In fact, on the map that accompanied the results, our state was largely covered by the event's logo. To some extent, the snub is understandable. We're stuck in the Mountain West region for the purposes of this competition and since that region includes Colorado, where every city block is legally required to have either a brewery or great craft brew bar, we're probably screwed. But that doesn't mean we can't try to do better this year.

They're taking nominations until Monday, Aug. 19 for this year's contest and while I personally voted for Tap & Bottle, there are a number of options in town that should at least be considered. Maybe this year, the outline of Arizona can make the map at very least.

Kickstarter has been seemingly hijacked by already rich folk wanting to produce endeavors their industry didn't want to touch with a ten foot pole (hey, Spike Lee has raised most of the $1.25 million he wanted!), but yet, there are still regular non-famous types out there with a desire that mainstream commerce just hasn't satisfied. In the case of a group of London artists working under the name "Greyworld," that desire is for the world's perfect tail:

As part of our experiments in interaction and play, we decided to create a Tail that we could wear on our journeys around town. We wanted an extra limb that could do all the naughty things you dream of, but don't dare. Having a Tail lets you express your cheeky side. It gives a voice to your emotions even when you're standing still.. And it looks fabulous out and about!

So we have been working on creating the perfect Tail for some years. The video above is of an early prototype. Our final prototype is much more advanced - being fully controllable, it can bend and flex and knock things off tables, tremble and twist and curl, stand up and of course wag and get frisky.. It can also dance in time to music - but more about that later..

They're not looking for all that much money (£10,000 by September 12) and the rewards seem reasonable, assuming you are also looking to have a tail that can dance to music. Keep in mind, however, I suspect local law enforcement might not accept "cheeky tail friskiness" as a legal defense in a sexual harassment case quite yet.

[Obligatory Entertainment Tabloid Lede] Watch your back, Queen Bey: There's a new First Lady of Hip-Hop — and it's the First Lady of the United States! Holla! [End Obligatory Entertainment Tabloid Lede]



But seriously, Michelle Obama is actually behind a hip-hop album, featuring roughly three musicians I've heard of, and a whole bunch of other people who arrange sounds with the intent of making them aurally pleasing. Though the point of this release isn't actually to topple the Carter-Knowles Empire (as if even the nation's chief executive has the power to do that at this point, much less his wife), it has similarly lofty intentions — namely, to end childhood obesity as part of Mrs. Obama's "Let's Move" campaign.



The tracklist for the album, which I would totally listen to if it happened to arrive for free on my doorstep, can be seen below. Welcome back to musical relevance, Doug E. Fresh (and, to a lesser extent, Jordin Sparks)!

1. “U R What You Eat” f/ Salad Bar (Matisyahu, Ariana Grande, Travis Barker)

2. “Everybody” f/ Jordin Sparks, Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Oz, Ryan Beatty, Hip Hop MD

3. “Let’s Move” f/ Doug E. Fresh, Artie Green, Chauncey Hawkins

4. “Just Believe” featuring Ashanti, Gerry Gunn, Artie Green, Robbie Nova

5. “Veggie Luv” f/ Monifah and J Rome

6. “Hip Hop FEET” f/ DMC and Artie Green

7. “Stronger” f/ Shayna Steele, Jeremy Jordan, Our Time Theater kids, and E-Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren

8. “Give Myself a Try” f/ Ryan Beatty

9. “Jump Up” f/ Brady Rymer and the Little band that Could

10. “Hip Hop LEAN” f/ Artie Green

11. “Pass the Rock” f/ Iman Schumpert and Artie Green

12. “Good Living” f/ Ashton Jones

13. “Beautiful” f/ Daisy Grant and Artie Green

14. “Change the Game” f/ The Happiness Club, featuring Naledge

15. “Wanna Jump (Let’s Move)” f/ Paul Burch

16. “Mother May I” f/ Amelia Robinson

17. “We Like vegetables” f/ Los Barkers!

18. “Get Up Sit Up” f/ Babi Floyd

19. “One Step Forward” f/ Samite

Tucson News Now

He's been off the air since June (one in a series of absences over the years) for reasons that haven't been disclosed, but Chuck George has announced today that he's leaving his full-time gig at KOLD to go back to school to get his doctorate.

From the article on KOLD's site:

Chuck George, the popular chief meteorologist at KOLD-TV, has decided to resign and devote his time to his pursuit of a doctorate.

KOLD News 13 Vice President and General Manager Debbie Bush made the announcement today "with much regret."

"While we are very sad Chuck won't be on the KOLD team anymore, we understand and want the best for him in the future," Bush said.

George, who has been on leave since early June, joined the station in February 2003 and quickly became one of the most recognized and favorite on-air personalities in Tucson. He is known for teaching viewers about the science of weather.

"This is the right time for me to pursue my lifelong dream," George said. "I want to continue my love of science in the academic community by pursuing a career in teaching and science in academia. It is a tough decision to leave my friends and family at KOLD as well as the wonderfully supportive Southern Arizona Community.

UPDATE: KOLD is really going all out with this news, including this image, currently receiving a ton of emotional comments as their Facebook cover photo:

More info to come.

If you're a fan of wacky '80s romps, "can do" sportsmanship, and movies (partially) filmed smack dab in the middle of the Old Pueblo, you should check out Major League tonight at The Loft.

It's all part of a celebration for Tucson's birthday month. In addition to the movie, there will be a Tucson-themed birthday cake, and several food tucks will be in attendance. There's also a free prize raffle for a "fabulous Tucson Gift Package which includes dvds of films made in Arizona, Tucson-centric books and gift certificates from local retailers!"

The 1989 comedy about a struggling, fictionalized version of the Cleveland Indians filmed their spring training segments over at Hi Corbett Field, back when the Tucson Toros reigned supreme and the actual Cleveland Indians did their actual spring training there. According to the Hi Corbett Field Wikipedia page, the film production used several University of Arizona baseball team players as extras. I can remember when the casting call for extras came out, asking for the city of Tucson to come on down and fill the bleachers while Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and the rest of the cast goofed around on the diamond. I repeatedly begged my mom to take us there, but apparently she had better things to do than sit around Hi Corbett Field for nine hours.

Major League is a light, hilarious movie that still manages to hold up. The plot is standard Bad News Bears fare; a struggling band of wash-outs and rookies prove their naysaying owner wrong and rise to the occasion by the end of the credits. The grizzled Berenger plays veteran catcher Jake Taylor, a womanizer with bad knees who was last seen catching stray balls in a dusty town in Mexico. Sheen is Ricky Vaughn, a pseudo-punk rocker with bad eyesight, a mean throw and a prison rap sheet. Watching the movie when I was younger, I always assumed Sheen's scenes were filmed right after he awoke from a coke-binge coma, turns out I was close; Sheen is on the record about juicin' up on steroids during the production.

Snipes, Corbin Bernsen, Rene Russo, Bob Uecker, the tough-as-nails and gravel-voiced James Gammon and current Allstate spokesman Dennis Haysbert round out the cast. The movie has a bevy of great lines; everything out of Willie Mays Hayes (Snipes) mouth is pure gold, and I still say "Fuck you, Jobu" with alarming regularity. You might also recognize a line you and your drunk uncle say when watching any game together; "JUUUUUST a bit outside" was heard here first!

Also, if you just can't get enough of Charlie Sheen filmed in Tucson hotspots, The Loft will be playing the bitchin' 1986 sci-fi revenge film The Wraith as part of their "Mondo Mondays" series on August 19 at 8 p.m. What's the matter Loft, you couldn't go for a Sheen/Tucson trifecta and book Terminal Velocity?

The fun and festivities start at 5 p.m. Tickets are the Loft's regular admission prices. More information can be found at the Loft's website. Batter up!

In the upcoming Tucson Weekly, medical marijuana columnist J.M. Smith explores CNN's star doc Sanjay Gupta's recent retraction that he might have been wrong about the benefits of medical marijuana. in 2009, Gupta wrote an opinion piece for Time titled, "Why I Would Vote No on Pot."

Without getting into what Gupta's change of heart means to the future of medical marijuana or even the further legalization of marijuana since Mr. Smith is so much better at that MJ stuff, watch part of his discussion with CNN's resident hobbit Brit and see what's making all your MJ friends on Facebook so so happy.