• My dog Chava, sleeping on her comfy dog bed.

Got up this morning around 6 a.m., only to find that the gate to my front yard was open and my dog, who nudged me to go outside around 4:30 a.m., was missing. But this isn't an ordinary lost dog — well, hell, I know everyone who has a pet feels the same way — but my dog is old, has been showing that fact more and more as of late. She's partially blind, deaf and has some limited mobility in her back legs. There are mornings she's like the two-year-old pooch we adopted back in Washington who became one of my best friends — she's frisky and eager to run out to our front yard for a little chase. And there are a growing number of days when she sleeps almost the entire day, get's sick more easily and has problems getting up in the morning and out of bed.

More often lately, she's been going outside — in and out of our little house a lot. Getting a wake up from her at 2 a.m. and then another at 4:30 a.m. isn't unusual. But usually I remember to close the gate. This time, I'm certain I forgot. But this is the kind of dog, in the past, who would explore the orchards around our old house and head to the Wenatchee River or take soaks in the irrigation ditch that ran near our property. She'd come home every time, happy and in love with nature and the world around her.

In her youth, she especially liked hiking, camping and chasing skunks and birds. I remember the skunks regularly showered her with their own kind of love, too. It's hard to get rid of skunk stink when it's deep in your dog's nose. Really hard. I'm hoping a friend's words of comfort are true — that it was finally her time, she knew it and laid down some place. I worry right now that she is in our busy west side neighborhood scared, hungry, thirsty and alone.

I walked around the area and drove around — no sign. Word is spreading on social media. Today, as advised, I'll call the animal shelters to see if she's been found. I'll do Craigslist, too. But just in case — just maybe you might have seen her along Congress and Grande, or in that vicinity? Maybe she's thinking back to 15 years ago when they found her along the Entiat River. If you see her, please contact me at the Weekly. I sure would love to have her home. Her old orchard cat is gonna miss her soon. And my 12-year-old son, her charge all these years, is gonna miss her too.

Thank you.

Daily Koz's Jed Lewison flags Sen. John McCain's reaction to Sen. Ted Cruz's crazy comparison of Nazis and Obamacare supporters:

Less than an hour after Sen. Ted Cruz finished his long speech against Obamacare, Sen. John McCain took the Senate floor to rebut Cruz. McCain started out with two points to make: First, that Cruz was wrong to accuse Republicans of not fighting against Obamacare, and second that Cruz needed to recognize that "elections have consequences" and that it was time to "respect" the will of voters.

Then, after making those two points, McCain spent several minutes tearing Cruz apart for having compared Democrats to Nazis for supporting Obamacare, and for having accused Republicans of being like Nazi appeasers for not opposing them. It was the kind of thing that almost makes you forget that once up on a time, McCain chose Sarah Palin to be vice president of the United States, but it also was a vivid illustration of the fact that Cruz's filibuster has more to do with internecine GOP warfare about political strategy than on it does with any actual policy disagreements they may have with Democrats.

At the last election season's Pima County Republican Party fiesta, I remember watching a man and woman with a camera following former Tucson City Council candidate Lori Oien. I asked who they were and they said they were making a documentary. The documentary is called Election Year, and the trailer was just released. Sure enough, Oien is in it, as well as Tucson Unified School District governing board member Kristel Foster when she was running for school board.

The filmmakers description:

Set in the Wild West atmosphere of Arizona, where the ideological conflicts of America are at their most intense, ELECTION YEAR portrays the personal and political struggles of five ordinary Americans against the backdrop of the 2012 Presidential election.

A documentary collage of diverse perspectives, ELECTION YEAR demonstrates the impact of the national campaign issues on the real lives of its characters - a teacher running for her first political office, an unemployed Tea Party activist, a young squatter, an architectural designer struggling to recover from the real estate crisis, and a politically active mother preparing to launch her daughter into adulthood.

Inspired by the novels of John Dos Passos, ELECTION YEAR is the first installment of the USA Trilogy.

It was interesting watching them film at the election party, a party I've covered for years and in my liberal reporter biased views, I've actually enjoyed. There's always something — this last one being when we found self-described Democrat and TUSD school board members Mark Stegeman having a nosh downstairs at other GOP party happenings. That's Tucson for you, and a great example of politics at its best (or worst).

The documentary has a Facebook page, a website, and you can follow on Twitter.

Tucson Unified School District announced today that Sabino High School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and is the only high school in Arizona to receive the honor.

From TUSD press release:

Sabino, 5000 N. Bowes Road, is the sole Tucson school on the list, and is among 286 schools nationwide to receive the honor. Sabino has been an Excelling or “A” school for 12 consecutive years and is being recognized as an “Exemplary High Performing” school due to overall academic excellence.

“As the new principal of Sabino and a former Sabino student, it is a tremendous honor to receive the Blue Ribbon Award,” says Principal Matt Munger. “This recognition from the U.S. Department of Education validates our staff’s, students’, and parents’ commitment to excellence in education. It is an honor to be the principal at a high school whose community is 100% dedicated to academic success.”

The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of achievement.

Sabino was nominated for the recognition by the Arizona Department of Education. Sabino students’ SAT and ACT scores exceed state and national averages, and 92 percent of students enroll in college.

“Excellence in education matters and we should honor the schools that are leading the way to prepare students for success in college and careers,” said Secretary Duncan. “National Blue Ribbon schools represent examples of educational excellence, and their work reflects the belief that every child in America deserves a world-class education.”

Generation Iron is screening in selected cities, and Tucson's one of them.

The documentary is written and directed by Vlad Yudin (sounds like a Russian mob boss). I think Mickey Rourke posses the perfect barely audible, masculine voice to narrate this muscle packed film. After watching the trailer I felt like this is the sequel to Pumping Iron, but apparently a lot has changed since the 1977. You can catch Generation Iron starting tomorrow at the El Con after you hit the gym, of course.

In case you missed it or just didn't get enough glitz and glamour after watching the Emmy's, no worries! There's more fashion coming soon, closer to home and attending will contribute to a good cause.

The Monte Carlo inspired fashion show put on by the Tucson Ladies Council will take guests down their very own red carpet (so dress to impress!), serve divine Mediterranean cuisine, be deejayed by 94.9 MIXfm’s Bobby Rich and, of course, exhibit a runway show featuring "local retailers, vintage collections and unique brands like Burt Keeter from Project Runway."

It's their ninth annual event and in all the years of running they've managed to raise over $700,000 to benefit Tu Nidito Children & Family Services.

The Monte Carlo Fashion Show is being held at Casino Del Sol on Saturday, Sept. 28th. For more information and to purchase tickets click here: http://www.tunidito.org/events/tucson-ladies-council-fashion-show.

• C. Elliott
• Hanson at the Rialto Theatre Sept. 22

Nothing about having a family and planning for your kids' education seems to temper the lust for a hit. The Hanson boys always have had the right stuff, and their team's Internet chops have only magnified their scope like a plague of tiny hearts on notebooks worldwide. Street teams FTW!

Come and celebrate the winners and losers of the 2013 Best of Tucson tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 E. Toole Avenue.

Our fiesta is free (though you'll have to buy your own drinks) and dancing is encouraged. Tucson Weekly staff will announce 2013 winners throughout the evening. Buy some raffle tickets and possibly win some great prizes:

ReActivate — $25.00 gift card
Laff's — Two 4 packs of passes
Downtown Dispensary — Gift basket
Tucson Tamale — $25.00 gift card
Casa Video — (3) 7 movie gift cards
La Cocina — $25.00 gift card
Annette Andree — (3) $50.00 gift cards
Savaya Coffee — Gourmet coffee gift basket
Tap & Bottle— Beer Bag and goodies
Rialto — 2 Naked and Famous tickets
HUB — $25.00 gift card
Playground — $25.00 gift card

A $10 special ticket will get you a commemorative Best of Tucson mug and two drink tickets for a “specialty brew” only ticket holders can enjoy. Consider this your gold ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but with tasty beer.

As much as I could relate to the girl asserting her constitutional rights at a border checkpoint in the above video, I really hate the damn "Hot Chick" title. Her snarky behavior accentuates the fact that she's a white woman who would never have to experience what others have to when they are asked: "Are you a U.S. citizen?" Detained? Ask former Arizona governor Raul Castro about detainment.

• Happy Tuesdays Facebook Page

Bridgitte Thum is hosting her monthly comedy show "Lonely Hearts Club" tonight at The Loft Cinema in the Mooney Backlot Bar & Lounge located behind screen #3. Thum is like the underground Delilah Rene, but with liquid courage to boot:

In this busy town, there are lots of broken hearts and heart breakers. Lonely people, if you want to laugh at emotional trauma, heartache and betrayal come join the club. Bridgitte Thum will find the silver lining in your dirty laundry and inspire you to go out and love again. Fill out a brief request card and Bridgitte will consider your video dedications. Love is in the air and on the air.

I sent a letter once, and she responded with a very thoughtful video that included superheroes speed dating. It's a great place to mingle with other broken hearted fools and feel like you belong. The event is free to attend, and the doors open at 8 p.m.