Don't be fooled if John McCain refers to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as "my friend"—he does that with everyone. Half the time, it's code for "you're an asshole."

One of the big headlines coming out of GQ profile of Cruz is a tidbit about how much McCain dislikes his new colleague:

For a while, veteran Republicans groused in private about the new guy. But it boiled over when Cruz joined Kentucky senator Rand Paul's filibuster of John Brennan's nomination to head the CIA—an act of protest against Obama's drone program. John McCain, already seething over Cruz's treatment of Hagel, called them "wacko birds." "He fucking hates Cruz," one adviser of the Arizona senator told me. "He's just offended by his style."

Cruz has put the GOP in a curious position this month: Having forced the House to pass legislation that prevents the federal government from shutting down only if Obamacare is defended, he's now in the weird position of trying to convince his Senate colleagues to filibuster the bill to prevent the Senate from even beginning debate on the bill. Can anyone explain this stategery to me in the comments?

ETA: It appears that Senate Minority Leader doesn't see much stategery going on with Cruz, either. Talking Points Memo reports:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) broke with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Monday, revealing that he won't filibuster legislation to fund the government in service of conservative goals to defund Obamacare.

The Republican leader's decision is a major blow to the push by Cruz and powerful conservative activist groups, who wanted Republicans to unite and filibuster a continuing resolution until Democrats caved agreed to gut funding for the Affordable Care Act.

"Senator McConnell supports the House Republicans' bill and will not vote to block it, since it defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny," McConnell spokesman Don Stewart told TPM in an email Monday. "He will also vote against any amendment that attempts to add Obamacare funding back into the House Republicans' bill."

• Tom Potter Facebook Page

I try to find stuff to do that isn't always located in the downtown/metro area, but nothing's normally happening past Speedway on a school night. Tom Potter is performing at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Community Performance and Art Center, 1250 W. Continental Road, Green Valley.

Tom Potter is a former college dean and professor who began his career in comedy in 1989. As a professional actor and comedian, Tom has worked with the best including Jay Leno & Jeff Dunham, and can be seen in a variety of film and television projects including The Skeleton Key, Days That Shook the World, Man-Eater and Who’s Your Daddy?. He also performed for ten years at The Gaslight Theatre. Tom has combined his 1960’s rocker roots, his stand-up comedy and his love of the blues into COMEDY BLUES and a new one man show, Laughing Away the Blues, which highlights the benefits of laughter and ways to laugh more.

I performed stand up with Potter at the shortly lived "Laughing Liberally" shows, so his political/musical humor should make for an interesting night. Tickets are only $15 over the phone or $20 cash at the door. Call 399-1750 or visit performingartscenter.org for more information.

Send me an email at [email protected] and tell me what's going on in your neck of the desert.

• shutterstock.com

When I pay outrageous prices for a cheap scare I want those poorly paid actors to scare my pants off. Literally.

It looks like the folks at Shocktoberfest in Sinking Spring, PA have the right, sick and twisted idea. The haunted house is hosting an after hours nude tour for adult exhibitionist looking for a good scare. Who doesn't want to run around in the flesh with rotting flesh eating zombies chasing you?

There are some rules however:

Disclaimer: Shocktoberfest has created this experience so their customers can explore a new level of fear. This is about fear and pushing oneself out of their comfort zone. This is not about sex. No sexual misconduct, inappropriate or disrespectful behavior will be tolerated.
*Please note there is an additional cleaning charge if we scare the p*ss out of you!

That's a deal breaker.

What if I want to reenact a scene from one of my favorite horror films but not have the real fear of dying? I hope someone from the Slaughterhouse or Nightfall is reading and makes this a reality and takes it a step further. Tucson has to be more creative than Sinking Springs? It's like the underwear party but with a naked Leatherface swinging a chainsaw and more strobe lights. I want to go bloody streaking. Who's with me?

• shutterstock.com

This is why we can't have nice things, Tucson.

Saturday night in Tucson, Arizona, during a TNA Impact Wrestling live event, an unruly fan actually tried to attack TNA star Frankie Kazarian as he and Christopher Daniels were leaving the ring.

Security ejected the disgruntled fan from the show after tossing his expensive brewski on "The Future," according to the wrestling news/rumor site. Business hasn't been good at TNA, but there are rumors that legendary color commentator Jim Ross might join the sinking ship just to get back at WWE for cutting him loose.

Hope "Good Ol" JR likes getting a nice cold glass of beer to the face because them TNA fans are a classy bunch.

• Hannah Nance Partlow

It looks like we were caught with our pants down at the Tucson Weekly offices because we forgot to wish Lute Olson a happy 79th birthday yesterday. I blame Facebook for not reminding me.

I remember the first and last time I saw good old Lute. I was sweeping the floor at Park Place Century Theaters and I looked up and Olson was munching on a bag of popcorn with one of ex-wives. My hands dropped my broom and dustpan, my legs automatically ran over to open the door because god forbid they open their own door. As they walked by, I reached out to shake Lute's hand and he just walked by. Maybe he couldn't see me because I was face-to-face with his belt line or maybe he doesn't talk to the help. I'll never know.

Happy belated birthday, Lute. This Luther Campbell is for you:

• C. Elliott
• Cold War Kids at the Rialto Theatre Sept. 20

Can Tucson kids afford both Cold War Kids and Hanson within a week of each other? Of course, they don't have the added cost of booze. Still, shouldn't they be stalking people their own age?

On last night's AZ Illustrated Politics: Former Tucson City Councilwoman Carol West, former state lawmaker Frank Antenori and attorney Jeff Rogers sized up this year's City Council races; got the legal scoop on the Goldwater Institute's lawsuit to reverse Gov. Jan Brewer's Medicaid expansion; unpacked the delay in the U.S. Forest Service's approval of the Rosemont Mine; debated whether Arizona would soon legalize same-sex marriage; and debated whether Republicans should go forward with their plan to shut down government unless Obamacare is defunded.

I hate having that "I don't know. What do you want to do" conversation every weekend. Here's some interesting events you can partake this weekend. You know want to. Make some memories:

Born and Brewed: Here's a good way to gain some local beer knowledge to impress the ladies and/or fellas. Some of the featured breweries are: Dragoon, Barrio, Nimbus, Borderlands, Thunder Canyon, 1702, Ten 55 and Sentinel Peak, along with some special guest breweries.

Free Drumming and Dancing for Kids: It's hard to find activities that children and parents can both enjoy. Children Carrying Sound gives FREE drumming and dancing lessons every Saturday at the John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. Sixth Ave. Here's a preview of what kids learn and perform:

Standup to Violence: Vanessa Hollingshead is headling the third annual Stand Up to Stop Violence benefit for Emerge! at the Fox on Sunday. Lot of local favorites and some national acts in the lineup:

Comedian Suzie Sexton is bringing the show to the Fox Theatre for one stellar night of comedy. Suzie and friends David Fitzsimmons, (voted “Best Entertainer”, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine), Gary Hood (a comedy legend who has appeared at LAFFS Comedy Caffe, on Showtime and Comedy Central), Dina Kucera (comedienne and author of the bestseller Everything I Never Wanted to Be), Butch Lord (a 20-year veteran of standup whose “edgy look is softened by his carefree and light hearted view of himself and the world around him”), Elliot Glicksman (who has opened for Jerry Seinfeld, Phyllis Diller and Ricky Nelson), and Suzie Sexton (she has been called Tucson’s own version of Joan Rivers).

Be an extra in a music video: Penn "That Penn Thing" Weickhardt is filming a music video and needs your help. Penn is looking for young people in the age range of 18 through 25. The shoot starts at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort. Email him at [email protected] for visit his Facebook for more information.

KFMA Fall Ball: It's that annual music festival that gets on you the side of town you never visit unless you're going to the emergency room. Tickets are $39+ services fee. Gates open at noon and here's the lineup and schedule:

1:15 Stars In Stereo
2:05 American Fangs
3:00 Asking Alexandria
4:05 Pierce The Veil
5:20 P.O.D.
6:35 A Day To Remember
8:05 KoRn

For those of you on the Northwest side or driving there tomorrow, Dickman's Meat and Deli is having a party. Enter to win a $699 Traeger Grill, eat Dickman's tasty sandwiches and sample Ozzie's Naturals Healthy Pet Treats. This Tucson-based company makes dog and cat treats (and food in the future) that have NO preservatives. We'll have more about Ozzie's Naturals in an upcoming issue. Here's info from a press release:

Dickman’s Meat & Deli at Oracle and Orange Grove is conducting a GRAND REMODELING SALE to celebrate a doubling of their food/meat servicing space to accommodate customers, having signed another ten year lease at the Plaza del Oro Shopping Center, on the N.E. corner of Oracle and Orange Grove. 6472 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, Arizona 85704. Phone: (520) 229-9777

The event is being Sponsored by Ozzie’s Naturals Healthy Pet Treats.

The Black Skillet Review Band will be playing during the 11 AM to 3 PM Event. The Black Skillet Review will be performing an eclectic mix of music from Tex-Mex, Zydeco, Folk Blues to Eastern European Gypsy formats.

FREE DRAWINGS for:
* $699 Traeger Grill - Designed after the traditional Texas Style wood cookers, this unit brings old fashioned wood cooking into the 21st century.
* Ozzie’s Naturals Pet Treats — All natural, organic dietary formulas for cats and dogs that contain no preservations.
* Food items
* T-shirts

We’ll being cooking up brats and serving Dickman’s famous Deli Sandwiches — all Special Event prices.

All this talk of government shutdown, defunding Obamacare and going to war with Syria has pushed immigration reform the back burner. Today, Congressman Raul Grijalva announced he was introducing a new immigration-reform proposal. The press release from Grijalva:

Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Filemon Vela today introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity (CIR ASAP) Act of 2013, a bill closely mirroring the 2009 version introduced by Rep. Solomon Ortiz. Grijalva and Vela co-chair the Congressional Border Caucus.

A side-by-side comparison of the CIR ASAP bill and S. 744 on key issues is available below. A more detailed explanation of the bill is available at http://1.usa.gov/18g3hO9.

“The House discussion on immigration reform hasn’t been an honest debate about good policy, it’s been a one-sided refusal to take the issue seriously,” Grijalva said. “There are millions of American families waiting every day for better laws that will keep them together, provide their children with a better future, and help our economy. The conversation they need Washington to have has been hijacked by a small group that has shown no interest in their welfare. We’re tired of hearing this is a question of triple-layer border fences and militarizing our neighborhoods for our own good. I ask my colleagues whether they’d want their own children to pass teams of armed soldiers on their way to school every day for the next decade. They should consider what they’re doing to our border communities and start negotiating fairly instead of treating this as a military exercise.”

Grijalva pointed out that Democrats have already substantially compromised since the last major immigration reform discussions took place in 2009, as evidenced by the distance between the previous CIR ASAP bill and today’s Senate immigration overhaul.