TUSD hired a group of five consultants to help it develop a five-year strategic plan. The hiring process has earned the district two days of bad press in the Star (here and here) and put a cloud over Superintendent H.T. Sanchez's head. And rightly so. There are questions that need to be answered. Whether the cloud results in a light sprinkle or a thunderstorm remains to be seen.

I only know what I’ve read about possible conflicts of interest in the Star, so I’m not going to weigh in on that issue. But I do want to look at some problems with the consultants themselves — two in particular, Cathy Mincberg and Terry Abbott. Their backgrounds are inextricably linked to the fortunes of Rod Paige. He was the superintendent of the Houston School District who went on to be George W. Bush's Secretary of Education. During Paige's tenure in Houston, the district used deceptive practices to inflate student scores on high stakes tests. Before the problems were widely publicized, the press was marveling at the “Houston miracle.” When Paige moved to D.C. with Bush, he was instrumental in creating and promoting No Child Left Behind, based in large part on the bogus Houston model.

The two consultants are also linked to some of the heavily funded groups that form a major part of the middle-right-to-a-little-left contingent of the conservative “education reform” movement.

Education consultants bring their own agenda to the table, which often has more influence on their conclusions than the feedback they receive from the district and the community. These two consultants who promoted the failed educational policies of Rod Paige and the Bush administration (along with a third Texas educational heavy hitter on the team, Mike Moses) should not be the people advising TUSD about its future.

Whether or not there were improprieties in the hiring of the consultants, it was a botched job. TUSD should find a way to cancel the consulting contracts, then cancel the February 25 meeting with the community, after which it can restart the search for consultants using greater transparency and deeper research into the people being hired.

Here’s a look at the two most troubling members of the consulting team, Cathy Mincberg and Terry Abbott.

Frank Castle is back! Talking Comics' Cynthia and Malcolm reviewed Marvel Now! Punisher #1. Please note that Bobby Acosta is MIA this week, but the Danny Trejo love balances everything out.

Check out the latest episode after the break.

UPDATE: In reaction to our blog post we received a statement from Time regarding the allegations from Narcos News on the cover featuring Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Prepare yourself:

STATEMENT FROM TIME:

TIME does not accept payment in exchange for editorial coverage under any circumstances. Rates listed on TIME's public media kit refer to the cost of advertising with TIME and have nothing to do with editorial content.

A Spanish-language version of TIME's cover story is now available here: http://ti.me/1jC66z8

The Time magazine cover on Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto has caused a Twitter shit storm easy to follow with the hash tag #SavingMexico. Mexican activists and others must be giving the news magazine a fine headache and the resulting parodies created are rich—the president holding a scythe and the words Saving Mexico replaced with Slaying Mexico is my favorite, but Moses, Lady of Guadalupe and Alfred E. Neuman lovely.

Think Mexican has the parodies posted on their tumblr page right here.

Watching Time react is sad, however, the only one to get to the heart of what's wrong with the cover is Narco News' Bill Conroy, whose latest report alleges the cover was essentially paid for—the extension of a public relations and advertising campaign that leeched into editorial content. You can and should read the entire piece right here.

Conroy's charges:

Unfortunately, many revenue-strapped commercial media outlets today, among them the giants of the business, are now crossing all too frequently the time-honored line that used to separate advertising from editorial integrity.

...

And in the case of the Peña Nieto cover story, it does appear TIME tripped over that line as well — maybe because the once-venerable magazine company later this year is about to be spun off from its parent company, Time Warner, and forced to survive on its own accord, without the benefit of being propped up by its parent company’s huge revenue stream.

The Evidence

In TIME’s Dec. 23 issue — the edition featuring Pope Francis as “Person of the Year” — the magazine also featured a 14-page “sponsored-content” section (an advertorial) that promoted Mexico as a tourism destination and also hyped the reforms being pursued by the Peña Nieto administration, billing his plan as a smart agenda for attracting foreign investment.

The advertorial includes several promotional stories paid for by government and corporate advertising sponsors, as well as a number of high-impact ads, all under an opening headline: “‘Mexico’s Moment’ Set to Last: Against a backdrop of comprehensive economic reforms, Mexico’s reputation as a secure destination for investors is boosted by a record performance of foreign direct investment (FDI).”

Atop each page of this advertorial are the words: “Special Advertising Section.”

The narrative of this advertorial section is remarkably similar to the story line of the TIME news story penned by Crowley and published less than two months later — officially in TIME’s Feb. 24 issue, though the story appeared online more than week prior to that date. [See sidebar.]

It is not clear how much the multiple Mexican public- and private-sector sponsors of this “special advertising section” paid for the content and its placement in a national publication like TIME, but it’s certain the cost was not cheap. National magazine advertising can cost as much as $25,000 per page or more — putting the cost of a 14-page section at $350,000 or more.

A story now making news in Mexico, based on documents obtained from a Mexican government agency, indicates that Peña Nieto’s government paid Time Warner — the owner of TIME magazine — a total of 576,000 pesos (about $44,000) between January and October of last year for “publicity” (advertising). That might have covered the Mexican government’s portion of the costs for the multi-sponsor 14-page advertorial, though the Mexican government documents do not offer specifics.

Regardless, the fact that TIME was willing to publish a major cover story touting Peña Nieto as “Saving Mexico” — after only two months early publishing a 14-page advertorial that does essentially the same thing — raises some serious questions about who is really calling the editorial shots, ultimately, at the magazine. Is it the editors or the business department?

And Weekly World Central is posting her speech at the Human Rights Commission's Time to Thrive conference anyway. And yes, completely agree with actress Jane Lynch:

“When I was younger, I lied by omission. She should give herself a break and not call it 'lying.'”

Glee star Jane Lynch told People that she supports Ellen Page, who came out Friday in a moving speech delivered at the HRC’s Time to Thrive conference, and that she shouldn’t be so hard on herself. Lynch spoke to a People reporter at Saturday’s Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards in Hollywood.

“When I was younger, I lied by omission. She should give herself a break and not call it 'lying,'" said the 2012 OUT100 cover star. "But I know what it is to feel like you can't be open and honest about your orientation. Good for her!"

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, hands down one of the most ambitious comic book movies in recent memory, trailer finally debuted.

The 15 second clip opens with the million dollar question: "Who are you?"

Honestly, Guardians of the Galaxy is one of those comics that was never really appreciated until the movie was finally in works. The series was relaunched with some of the best creators in the industry, and some Spawn controversy tied in to keep everyone talking. One of the best things about this new franchise is that even comic book fans hardly know who these characters are.

This is a completely fresh comic book movie that everyone can discover together. The trailer was fine, but there wasn't enough Rocket Raccoon. I saw his back once and that's it. But I'm confident that I will get tired of him quick when the internet spawns endless memes of the ferocious character.

The full trailer will debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight.

In order to keep your winter flowers blooming into May, you need to provide them with some regular attention. Take a morning coffee break with your garden a couple times a week so that you can enjoy your labors for several more months!

1. Deadhead your flowers weekly. Be sure to pinch them back to the originating stem, not just the flower. This will support continuous bloom.
2. Cut back ornamental grasses to just above ground level in February.
3. Fertilize your potted plants every two weeks with a water soluble fertilizer. Best applied with a hose applicator.
4. Plant color annuals such as pansies, petunias, larkspur, primrose, poppy, stock, violas, alyssum, snapdragon and marigolds (warmer areas only.)
5. Watch shallow-rooted newly planted annuals, which can quickly dry out with spring winds.
6. Adjust watering schedule according to winter rains.

IDEA OF THE MONTH
Create a “Tea Pot” as a fun gift for a tea-loving friend. Use a light weight pot or other container with drainage and good potting soil. Herbs that thrive in our desert heat can be mixed in the pot. Be sure to label them so your friend knows what each herb is. Include some information about the teas they can make with each herb.
Peppermint - this is a perennial favorite for many people. Its refreshing taste is uplifting and cleansing, as well as wonderful for stomach troubles of all kinds. Peppermint is generally very easy to grow and enjoys sunny and semi-shaded spots. Grows very, very easily and unless you want it escaping across the garden, keep it pot-bound. The leaves are the part used for making tea.
Violas — These cute flowers will add color to your pot and the flowers are edible. Freeze them in water making decorative ice cubes to put into the Peppermint ice tea!

Want to keep your money out of the compost heap? Sign up for the Desert Potted View and our Free Monthly Potted Garden tips - sign up at Potted Desert Newsletter.

Marylee is the founder and former owner of Tucson’s The Contained Gardener. With more than 15 years of successfully designing and growing potted gardens in the desert’s challenging and oftentimes harsh climate, Marylee has become known as the Desert’s Potted Garden Expert. Marylee is available for in-home or digital consultations and you can always email her with your questions and comments. Follow The Potted Desert on Facebook!
Marylee is also available for business growth counseling.

In my high school teaching days, I did a ten year stint as a photography/photojournalism teacher, which I enjoyed thoroughly (I love the smell of Fixer in the morning!). So going to the Etherton Gallery, 135 S. 6th Ave., is always a pleasure. The photos regularly on display in the back areas of the gallery make my knees weak — some of the greatest photos in the history of the medium, the kind of work you travel to fine museums to see. They're always worth a visit.

Through March 15, you can see a stirring exhibit in the main gallery area, "Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement." Timed, I'm sure, for Black History Month, these are photos from 1962-1964 taken by the first staff photographer for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a 20 year old Danny Lyon. Gripping work.

You can see a few of the photos after the break.

Highly-regarded Tucson homebrewer and owner of the soon-to-open Iron John's Brewing Company John Adkisson, showed us around his new brewing facility not long ago, as we talked to him about the State of Tucson Craft Beer. As we spoke, we couldn't help but wonder: Where did the name "Iron John" come from?

The answer is below.

If you can't listen, check out the transcript below the jump.

Not sure how local media missed this report, but luckily for Tucsonan G. Johnson, the Cryptozoology News is around.

According to the Feb. 13 report, mountain bikers on the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Race spotted a reptilian humanoid (not a chupacabra):

The bicyclists were riding the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race course, a 17 mile trail, when they spotted the creature.

“It’s a tough one,” said G. Johnson, 34, a self-described businessperson from Tucson. “It is a 24 hour track, so you better come prepared with more than enough food and water. There are times you just wanna go back and wish you had never got there in the first place. But when you see what nature has to offer you here…well, those regrets dissipate rather quickly.”

Johnson states that he and two other friends were half way into the track when something “terrifying” made the group consider cancelling the ride.

“We had been riding for about… I don’t know maybe nine hours, taking breaks every now and then. Then Michael says he needs to stop for a minute. We are waiting for him to finish when all of a sudden we see this long figure walking across the trail. He is maybe about 6-foot tall, very very skinny, and it had an awkward gait, like a monkey…or a man with a disease, almost robotic, kind of,” he told Cryptozoology News.

Perhaps Johnson should have asked friends about the symptoms of dehydration; maybe someone would have told him drinking water is one way to avoid hallucinations. But then again, we wouldn't have gems like these:

Johnson believes that what they saw was real and not a product of their imagination. “When you read these stories online or watch them on TV, well, you think man these people are crazy, on meds or something or in need of attention, but this has made me a believer. There has to be more of them out there. If there’s one, there’s gotta be two at least right? I know most people won’t believe a word I said, that’s the way I used to be. I don’t blame them at all. But they are out there. Now I’m not saying this is an alien or a chupacabra or anything like it, all I’m saying is I have never seen anything like it in my life. But I am no biologist so what do I know.”

I hosted Robin Hiller's radio show, State of Education, Saturday. I survived my first hosting gig without seriously embarrassing myself (wipe sweat from brow, sigh with relief) and actually enjoyed myself.

My guests were Rep. Bruce Wheeler, LD-10 (Central and Eastern Tucson) and Victoria Steele, LD-9 (Mid Tucson through the Foothills and Casa Adobes).

Wheeler was on the first half of the show. He talked about Empowerment Savings Accounts, whose name should be "Vouchers on Steroids" and discussed his comment quoted in the press: “There are ideologues in this state, unfortunately in high positions, who definitely are out to dismantle public education."

Steele was on the second half (starting around the 26 minute mark) and discussed her Mental Health First Aid legislation and related issues.

Listen to the show after the break.