You might think it's a little bit early to start planning what you're doing on Friday, Dec. 19, but hear me out. The Party for MOCA is that night and you'll want to hop on the event train now so you can get your raffle tickets for your chance to snag a hand-embellished jean jacket by local people of import such as Sofie and Howe Gelb, Dave Sayre, Erin Bradley, Gabriel Sullivan, The Taylors, Darren Clark, Tom Walbank, Lesli Wood, and Mellow Lund.

Raffle tickets for the jackets are $10 each or three for $25. Four of the nine jackets have raffle tickets that are currently available and can be purchased online in advance according to the jacket you hope to win.

The event will also feature several other art pieces for purchase with 50% of proceeds going to the MOCA and the other 50% going to the artist. Featured artists include Michael Berman, Jeff Smith, Isaiah Toothtaker, Patrick Foley, Henny Garfunkel, Harvey Wang, Ojal Streeling, Hong Kong Fluids, AKERS, and Clif Taylor.

Aside from the art sale, DJs Alix Perry and Alice Wilsey will be playing records and refreshments will be provided at the event.

If you're interested in snatching up some killer local art, plan on going to the MOCA benefit party and art sale on Dec. 19 from 7 until 10 p.m. The event will take place at BRINK's Super Marketing spot at 1100 S. Sixth Avenue. Until then, buy a few raffle tickets so you can get a rad new one-of-a-kind denim jacket.

Sen. John McCain took to the Senate floor to denounce the torturous methods laid out in yesterday's Senate Intelligence Committee's report. Talking Points Memo reports:

McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, said on the Senate floor that his personal experience has shown abused prisoners offer up more bad than good, or even deliberately misleading, intelligence.

"Most of all, I know the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies," he said. "Our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights which are protected by international conventions, [which] the United States not only joined but for the most part, authored."

McCain did acknowledge that the CIA resorted to extreme interrogation techniques with the goal of protecting Americans, but argued the ends didn't justify those means.

"I dispute wholeheartedly it was right for [CIA officers] to use these methods, which this report makes clear were neither in the best interest of justice, nor our security, nor the ideals we have sacrificed so much blood and treasure to defend," he said.

TPM rounds up the "most horrific revelations" here. Andrew Sullivan live-blogged the breaking news here.

It seems like every week is a good week to be a beer geek in Tucson, but I have to say that this week is shaping up to be a particularly good one.

First off, Dragoon Brewing Company is expanding today and they’re inviting fans of their craft brews to drop in from 3 until 10 p.m. to celebrate. Attendees can check out tours of the expanded brewery at 1859 W. Grant Road, Suite 111, along with plenty of new and old Dragoon beers and food from Zany Beaver and Black Top Grill.

If you can’t make it out to that tonight, the tap room will be open thereafter Wednesday through Friday from 3 until 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.

On Friday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m., San Diego-based brewer Greg Hess will be bringing ten different Mike Hess Brewing Co. beers to the Tap & Bottle at 403 N. Sixth Avenue, Suite 135. With a little bit of every style, you’ll likely find a new favorite or two among Hess’ offerings, which include:

Habitus Rye IPA on Serrano Chiles
Grazias Vienna Cream
Coffee Grazias
Ficus Belgian Dark
Magna Cucurbita Pumpkin
Pershing Pilsner
Solis Occasus IPA on Nitro
Umbrix Rye Imperial Stout
Restauro Rye Weizen
North Park IPA

Both events are free to attend, which means you’ll have more money to spend on beer and food trucks. 

If you enjoy indie/alternative rock music and want to support a few of your local bands then head on over to Club Congress next Wednesday, Dec. 17, for performances by Indian Lakes, Signals, The New Classic and Spider Cider.

Indian Lakes is the only band that isn't local - having originated out of California, but is worth seeing. The band recently released its third album Absent Sounds on Triple Crown Records, which has gained much traction. The band will make its appearance at Club Congress at 5:30 p.m. Signals, The New Classic and Spider Cider will follow at 7 p.m. Tickets are available now for $15 at http://www.ticketfly.com/event/710869-from-indian-lakes-tucson/. Take a listen. You won't be disappointed.



A little taste of Signals.



The New Classic with "Keep That in Mind"



Timothy Brecht of Spider Cider gives us a little taste of "Where Your Feet Should Fall"

Want to know why Republican legislators think they don’t have to pay up the billion dollars they owe our school kids because they illegally ignored the voters’ demand back in 2000 that school funding has to keep up with inflation? Howard Fischer covers the story in detail, but for your reading pleasure, I’ll paraphrase, loosely, the four arguments presented by the attorneys representing state legislators.

1. We don't have the money, so there's no way we can come up with the billion dollars. You know we'll never raise taxes, right?

2. It's not fair to make today's taxpayers pay for something that taxpayers should have funded before. I mean, some of them weren’t even here back then, so why should they have to pay? And some people who've left the state will be off the hook, so how fair is that? Better to screw over all the kids than be slightly unfair to some adults.

3. The courts can't make us pay. They can just say we acted illegally and leave it at that. Because, I don’t know, “Rule of Law” or something.

4. Our lawyers told us it was fine to ignore the will of the voters, and we were just following their advice. And these were the good lawyers, not the bad lawyers we always complain about.

The best line in the Howie Fischer article came from the lawyer representing the schools. Arguing against the idea that there's no way the legislators can come up with the money, because of course they'll never raise taxes, he countered,

“‘I don’t want to’ is not a legal defense.”

Apparently, "I don't want to," followed by "and you can't make me," makes perfect sense to petulant children, deadbeat dads and Republican legislators.

If you haven’t followed RuPaul’s Drag Race in the past, you probably hate entertainment or you have yet to realize the error of your ways. No worries, though, the multi-faceted talent competition is coming back and this time we all have a local queen to cheer on.

The show’s network, Logo TV, announced a full list of all of season seven’s contestants, and Tucson’s Tempest DuJour is on the show. Their bio of DuJour notes that, “married with two children, Tempest mixes maternal instinct with campy kitschy humor… a perfect storm to take the crown.” Here's hoping.

You can learn more about your new favorite drag queen, Tempest DuJour, by reading our profile of the rising star from last year. The new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race airs on Logo TV in January 2015.

Passing by the intersection of Sixth Street and Stone Avenue, you may have noticed recently that a mysterious sign went up advertising the "Solomon P. Guggenheim Art Museum" coming to the corner Fall 2017. While that would be really great news if it were true, something seems off about the whole thing.

First of all, I'm not a fine arts savant, but all of the other Guggenheims are either named after Solomon R. (which stands for Robert) or Peggy (his niece), no Solomon P. as of now. It's safe to assume a foundation as prestigious as this would get their namesake's middle initial correct.

Secondly, there's no mention of any plans of a Tucson-area Guggenheim on the seemingly well maintained foundation website. After all, the press folks had time to release a statement on Monday, Dec. 8 that the New York museum would be open New Year's Day so one would logically guess they would have also mentioned a new branch of the museum in the works— seems press release worthy to me.

Last, but not least, the sign has a (somewhat poorly) Photoshopped Tucson Weekly cover proclaiming the museum's eventual existence. Needless to say, we didn't ever write that, but we are flattered to be included in whatever weird hoax this is shaping up to be.

So now here it is: I'm looking for the sign maker(s) to come clean and tell me the real story. I even tried knocking on the door of the building at 503 N. Stone Avenue, but nobody answered and it looked pretty boarded up. Your move, person, e-mail me at [email protected].

The United States Census Bureau is offering an analytic tool called "Social Explorer," which gives insight on demographic information for 18 to 34 year olds in major metropolitan areas. According to the tool, there's some good news for Tucson and some not so good news.

Starting off with the good stuff, Tucson, when compared to the U.S. as a whole, is more diverse. With both a larger minority population and more bilingual homes or homes in which a language other than English is spoken, Tucson also has a white (non-hispanic) population around 50 percent whereas the rest of the country is at about 60 percent. Tucson also boasts a higher veteran population, a larger percentage of young adults living alone, and less YAs living with their parents.

For many factors, such as the number of people never having been married or those who drive to work, Tucson is about on par with the rest of the country. However, since the 90s, Tucson has had a higher instance of unemployment for young adults with a little over 60 percent of 18 to 34 year olds in town being employed from 2009 to 2013 compared to 65 percent in the nation.

Median earnings for full-time workers in that age range in the city has been declining. Currently that number is hovering at about $31,000, while nationally it's closer to $34,000. Comparatively, Tucson in 1980 was near the current national median. Tucson also ranks lower than the national average in young adults with Bachelor's degrees. 

Unfortunately, all of that amounts to Tucson having one of the highest poverty rates for young adults in the country. According to The Atlantic, when compared to other metropolitan areas in the nation, Tucson has the fifth highest poverty rate for that age range at 27.19 percent. The census categorizes poverty rates as the number of young adults whose income in the past 12 months was below the current poverty level, which is about $12,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Although it seems for the most part like a grim outlook for young adults, we at least all have some solid statistical ammo to fire back with during Christmas dinner when we get wrapped up in another "millennials are lazy" discussion— not that that's much consolation. 

It's that time again where Tucson Weekly and the Rialto Theatre are joining forces to offer you free concert tickets. This time, bossa nova singer Bebel Gilberto is coming to town on Saturday, Dec. 13 and we have two pairs of tickets to give away.



Gilberto, who is the daughter of Brazilian musician João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, grew up around música popular brasileira back in the day, so she knows her stuff. Recently, the airy samba-influenced singer released her seventh studio album, Tudo, and has been on the road promoting the album. 



If you're looking to catch the singer's rare live performance, enter the giveaway by texting TUCSON to 77948 to download our Best of Tucson app for Apple and Android phones. Once you're signed into the app, just tap the "Our New Giveaway" banner and follow the prompts to enter. The winners will be chosen and notified via e-mail on Thursday, Dec. 11, meaning you have a couple days to get the app and enter.

If you don't win, no worries. You can get tickets for Bebel Gilberto's performance at the Rialto Theatre for $32 through Ticketfly. Winning a pair would save you $64, though, so good luck!

You can attend a panel discussion, Prison Policy: A Crime Against Our Community, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6 to 8 p.m., YWCA Frances McClelland Center, 525 N. Bonita Ave.

Join us for a panel discussion on the history of incarceration policies in the US and Arizona. Learn how current policies impact and oppress our community and what might be done to bring positive change.

Panel Presenters:
Caroline Isaacs, MSW. Program Director of Arizona American Friends Service Committee.

Tom Litwicki, M.Ed. CEO Old Pueblo Community Services. Retired, Regional Administrator, Arizona Department of Corrections.

A few facts to carry with you to the discussion, from a recent Capitol Times article:

Arizona’s sentencing laws became tougher in 1978, and prisoner population grew from about 3,000 then to more than 42,000 today. The state adopted a “presumptive” sentencing system that requires a judge to sentence someone to a set term and add or subtract time based on findings.

[snip]

The Arizona Department of Corrections, which has a nearly $1 billion budget, recently notified the Governor’s Office it will need $26 million more in fiscal year 2016 for increased expenses, including health care, to cover the current and anticipated growth.