Thursday, March 19, 2015
Another day in the world's largest all-you-can-hear audio buffet: Frank Turner performs a solo act at the SXSW Flood party.
I'm beginning to wonder if SXSW happens exclusively now so that people can take pictures of it. I'm guessing there's one shutterbug for every five attendees who aren't professional photographers—at least. Many of these photographers seem to be veterans of the biz and they prove it by insisting on obfuscating everyone else's experience with their large, protruding equipment—the larger the equipment the more important they are obviously.
I've been to a few festivals in my time and I've never seen so many photographers and they've never been so unrelentingly rude. It'd be nice if all of the venues instituted the very common "three songs in front of the barricade and then leave so everyone else can have a nice time without your flash" rule, but not every venue even has a barricade. If you're shooting the festival, be cool, dude. I get it. You're competing with seven million other photogs for that perfect shot, but there's more (much more) to the event than your pictures.
Tags: sxsw , stromae , courtney barnett , tv on the radio , free booze , stubb's bbq , austin , music , Video
Good news if you've been thinking about adopting a pet: Adoption fees for all animals at the Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N. Silverbell, are being waived for the remainder of March. Sadly, PACC has seen an unusually high number of animals being brought to the shelter—On March 5, the shelter took in 106 animals. Whaaaat? That's ridiculous.
The shelter is open from noon to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There's still a $15 licensing fee for adult dogs.
And, of course, adopt responsibly. I'm all for saving a few dollars (and animals!) by adopting when fees are waived, but make sure you can afford to care for your new pet.
Tags: puppy time , adopt responsibly , I want to cuddle that dog
You might find yourself craving a savory ham and brie crepe or a tart lingonberry crepe, but you're going to have to wait it out a little longer because Cafe Marcel's new location at 2281 N. Oracle Rd. isn't open quite yet.
Due to some delays in building out their new space, the restaurant won't likely open until April. To stay up to date on the new location, you can follow Cafe Marcel on Facebook.
Tags: cafe marcel , crepe , fourth avenue , tucson , restaurant , moved , closed
Robles Loreto has been living in sanctuary at Southside for seven months to avoid deportation.
Harrington and Gerardo are there to meet with Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives, Congress men and women and immigration advocacy groups.
ICE said last month that, although her removal order isn't a priority, her case is still, very much, open. Jon Gurule, ICE's Detention and Removal Operations deputy field office director in Arizona, informed Robles Loreto's attorney, Margo Cowan, he would not be closing her case.
After hearing those news, Robles Loreto's supporters launched a new campaign, "We Stand With Rosa," to continue pressuring immigration officials, and even President Obama, to close her case.
The Department of Homeland Security has said that cases like Robles Loreto's are not a priority—she doesn't have a criminal record and her children will, hopefully, get to apply for the extension of DACA soon (the immigration action was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Texas).
In his 2014 executive order, Obama reinforced that the feds should focus on deporting criminals not separating families.
But the days keep moving, and Robles Loreto still isn't home with her husband and two children.
Gerardo has been to D.C. before to advocate for his mom, so he definitely knows what he's doing at the very tender age of 11.
When I met him in February, he said he and his brother, sometimes, forget their mom isn't home.
The two are baseball fanatics, and miss their mom driving them to practice and watching their games.
Cowan, Harrington and other allies have a petition going around to reach out to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson and ICE Director Sarah Saldaña. They said the longer Robles Loreto is in sanctuary, they will keep moving up the list of officials, get closer to the White House, until Robles Loreto can go home.
Tags: rosa robles loreto , alison harrington , southside presbyterian church , sanctuary , dc
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
With the fire marshals keeping a tight lid on the door, the crowd was thick at Clive Bar for Future Islands' performance on Tuesday, March 17.
Tags: sxsw , sxsw 2015 , future islands , Image
Earlier this month, I wrote about Nicoll Hernández-Polanco, a transgender woman from Guatemala who has been held in an all-male immigration detention center since October.
While in custody, she says she has experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as brutal as she did in her native country, and later in Mexico. Despite protests, letters, and most-recently a National Week of Action, Immigration and Customs Enforcement refuses to release her, and has not agreed to at least transfer her to an an all-female facility.
In the past, ICE told Nicoll they could transfer her to a detention center in Santa Ana, California—allegedly, it's more "equipped" to housing trans women like Nicoll—but she refused. Abuse still occurs there, according to the Transgender Law Center, and Nicoll would have to part ways with the several Tucson and Phoenix LGBT/immigration rights advocacy groups that have helped her with her case.
Many members of these have become her family. She hasn't had contact with her relatives in years.
Nicoll supporters, including Tucson's Mariposas Sin Fronteras, want everyone to know that you can still call-in and/or email ICE to demand for her release. (The contacts are on the poster up there.)
It's been nearly six months since Nicoll turned herself in at the Sonora-Arizona border pleading for asylum over the violent abuse for being transgender that she's endured since a little girl.
She hoped the U.S. could be a safe haven. Instead, she's been thrown into a detention center in Florence, where the assaults continue.
Tags: nicoll hernandez polanco , mariposas sin fronteras , free nicoll , ICE , Arizona , tucson , LGBT , transgender law center
The Arizona International Film Festival announced its 2015 dates, promising an over two-week-long celebration of film along the streetcar line. From April 9 until 26, the event will screen films at The Screening Room and more with opening night festivities at Rialto Theatre.
If the event is anything like last year's, attendees can expect over 90 international and national independent filmmakers in attendance presenting 120 films from 31 countries. Several of this year's filmmakers will participate in an educational youth program called the Festival in the Schools and visit a cross section of Tucson area classrooms at no charge to the school.
In 23 years, the festival has showcased over 2600 films for more than 150,000 people. The diverse line-up of screened films often go on to win prestigious award like Oscars and garner national acclaim.
Senator Steve Farley will be the festival's honorary chairperson for the event.
Passes for the entire festival are $100, including screenings, workshops and special events. You can also purchase a $25 five movie pass or individual tickets for $8 in the evening or $6 for a matinee. For a full line-up of this year's films, including descriptions, visit the festival's website.
Tags: arizona international film festival , the screening room , rialto theatre , movies , film , tucson , cinema
Longtime SXSW institution Fader Fort debuted last night with performances by Mew and Passion Pit as well as a generous spread that included potent Jack Mules, hamburgers, sausages and Korean tacos.
Tags: t-town sessions , local , music video , mission creeps , abril castillo , st. cecilia studios , Video
