Hi I'm Josh!

I'm a three month old little kitten who is looking for his forever home. I live in my kennel with my best friend Drake and we get along really well!

I'm a good boy who can be a little shy but I love snuggles and love from my HSSA humans.

If you're looking for a little kitten to cuddle and love stop by the Humane Society of Southern Arizona Main Campus at 3450 N. kelvin Blvd. to meet me!

Lots of love,
Josh –814321

Bike co-ops are a fantastic part of the community. Not only do these organizations, which are typically nonprofits, offer a place for folks to rally around a healthy, sustainable ride, they also are integral for low income individuals to get a cheap, efficient mode of transportation that they can learn to build and maintain on the cheap. That, among many reasons, is why supporting BICAS in their annual art auction is so important.

The BICAS art auction provides a decent chunk of operating income for the nonprofit each year, and this year's 20th anniversary auction is no different. While it's a great event to attend and maybe buy some bike-themed art for your home, artists are also welcome to participate in the fundraiser by submitting their own works to the auction. Last year's event alone saw over 200 pieces of entirely unique art up for auction.

Submissions for this year's art auction will be accepted through Saturday, Nov. 28 and can be inspired by bikes, made out of bikes, depicting bikes and more with various media accepted. BICAS is offering scrap metal for artists who need it, as well.

For more information on submitting works or the auction itself, which takes place on Dec. 4 and 5 at the Art Gallery (1122 N. Stone Ave.), visit the BICAS website. You can sign up to volunteer for the auction there as well.

The federal court that's been dealing with Tucson Unified School District's desegregation lawsuit is getting quiet a few letters from parents, and others, concerned with the future of eight magnet schools. With the support of the TUSD Governing Board majority, many parents argue that the court, as well as the plaintiffs in the suit, need to consider their opinion, since they actually have children who attend these schools and will be affected by any changes.

Sylvia Campoy, the long-time representative of the Mendoza plaintiffs, says in a mass email that the letters "reflect a great amount of misunderstanding by the public regarding the changes underway to TUSD's magnet program." And who's guilty of providing the community with misguided information, according to Campoy and other critics? Well, the TUSD majority and Superintendent H.T. Sanchez. (Read up on some of the things TUSD has to comply with, here.)

In the latest cour order, which was issued this month, it says: “The TUSD Board is the appropriate venue for the community to obtain information regarding this case and the best venue for the community to provide input and express concerns regarding this case.”

"With this specific order, it is made clear that the TUSD Board is accountable for ACCURATELY informing the public about matters concerning the Desegregation Unitary Status Plan," Campoy says in her email. "Given this, it is my hope that the misinformation campaigns that have attempted to divert attention from the real issues at hand will halt and that the misdirected blame aimed at the special master, the court, the plaintiffs’, legal counsel and representatives will also cease."

I've been off for the past few weeks, but the world of education decided to continue turning in my absence, and TUSD is no exception. So here's a quick catch-up on TUSD-related events and decisions: The Good, the Bad and the Arrogant.

TUSD decided to rework its student code of conduct. It's a good idea, especially if, as Superintendent Sanchez said, “The student code of conduct as it exists now is templated off of the penal code and speaks to student disciplinary actions as a law enforcement officer would." That's school-to-prison pipeline territory, and it needs to change. Helping students has to take priority over punishing them. Hiring consultant Jim Freeman looks like a good move, especially if he's as capable and experienced as his resume suggests. He should bring a wide variety of possible approaches with him, which he can mix and match to create a disciplinary policy best suited to TUSD students. I don't see how the district, or any district, has enough in-house knowledge and expertise to do the job itself. If Freeman comes through with an improved new disciplinary policy, it will be $35,000 well spent. [Note: a just-published study on suspensions in California schools maintains that lowering district suspension rates correlates with higher district achievement.]

The approval of a plan to change the student makeup of five schools, mainly adding middle school grades, is a mixed bag. The big question is how the move will impact the district's desegregation status, which is why it has to be approved by the courts before it's put into action. Overall, the plan is a good idea if it's anywhere from neutral to moderately positive in its effect of the district's racial and ethnic mix. As central as the deseg plan is to nearly every important decision TUSD makes, a district's mission is to provide the best education possible for its students, and if the changes increase the quality of education for the students attending those schools—and if it also encourages some parents to leave their children in TUSD rather than fleeing to charters or neighboring districts—those are good things regardless of whether they further the deseg cause. It's worth noting that the board was unanimous in its approval of all the changes except for the plans at Sabino High, which were opposed by Michael Hicks and Mark Stegeman. We haven't seen lots of unanimous board votes on important issues lately.

The controversies over TUSD's magnet schools, which haven't succeeding at their deseg missions, have moved in a positive direction with an agreement between the district and some of the plaintiffs in the deseg lawsuit. More money will be flowing to the magnet schools, recruiting efforts outside of the schools' neighborhoods are supposed to be stepped up, and permanent teachers are supposed to take over the classrooms which have been taught by long term substitutes. But the longstanding problems with the magnet schools, some of which will be addressed, show that the district has dropped the ball for years. And even with the positive changes, Sanchez, the board majority and their supporters in the magnet school communities continue to partake in mind-boggling doublespeak when they say the schools should be able to keep their deseg funding even if they continue to have Hispanic student populations far above the 70% maximum required by the court-ordered deseg plans. Magnet schools are called "magnets" because their unique programs are supposed to draw a wider variety of students from beyond the neighborhood. Any school that doesn't succeed at that is a failed "magnet" school, even if its program is a success with the students who attend. Call it a "specialty" school if you want, but not a "magnet." The district and parents have every right to believe a "specialty" school which enriches the educations of neighborhood students is a terrific idea, that it doesn't need to have a diverse student population to be valuable for its students, but they lose the right to call it a "magnet" school worthy of deseg funding if it doesn't try to attract students from outside the neighborhood and isn't interested in desegregation.

You may notice some changes happening at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort’s Signature Grill (3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd.). Not only has the space been completely revamped with updated décor to highlight the rustic Southwestern cuisine, but the menus themselves got an overhaul as well. In addition to the luxe wood and leather furnishings, a large mural on the restaurant’s ceiling, painted by local artist Ignacio Garcia, is meant to emulate the desert sunset. A chef’s counter and chalkboard wall on the inside and fire pits and lounge seating on the patio are also meant to draw new guests.

Although chef Danny Perez’s menu is still focusing on delivering a mix of Mexican, Native American and “cowboy” culinary traditions, the appetizer section is made to encourage a sort of communal tapas-style dining with mix-and-match small plates. The restaurant is also offering a selection of breakfast and dinner cocktails, each with their own menu, made with infused liquors, bitters and gastriques all done in-house. You can check out all that’s new at the Signature Grill now. The restaurant inside of the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort is open daily from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Director Sebastian Schipper and his cameraman pull off an amazing feat with this heist story shot in one, two hour plus take. Laia Costa plays the title character, a Spanish woman living in Berlin who meets a pack of guys while partying. Her loneliness leads to a fast, clingy relationship with Sonne (Frederick Lau), who is the most outspoken and charismatic of the group.

They wind up hanging out, and Victoria soon finds herself driving a getaway car in a heist, a hastily planned scheme with deadly consequences.

Cameraman Sturla Brandth Grovien allegedly got the movie shot in one long take on the third attempt. One sequence, where Costa lost her way during a driving sequence, is fun to watch because the panic in the cast’s voices is very real (They were deep into filming and almost had to start over). Schipper’s film isn’t just a technical achievement.

The movie is a compelling character study, and Costa is exceptional as Victoria (She delivers a piano performance that is extraordinary). It’s not the most original story, but the way it unwinds in one take contributes to the tension and results in something unique.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I look back at the previous year and reflect on the amazing love and compassion I've received. While I could write a book on all the people who've helped me out, I owe the most to the Syrian and Iraqi refugees I worked with in Jordan. They ignored our differences and took me under their wing when I didn't have anyone else.

I arrived in Jordan at a tough time. I had quit my job in Turkey early and didn't have a backup plan. I landed at a hotel restaurant in Amman, Jordan, not knowing a single person or a word of Arabic. It was a leap of faith and could have easily turned out terribly, had I not lucked out with my coworkers. The main crew I worked with was composed of myself, an Iraqi refugee, and two salafist Syrian refugees. I'm white, Mormon, and don't speak any Arabic. There was every reason for this to blow up in my face.

The leader of the restaurant staff was abu Abduh, a Syrian refugee. He spoke no English and I spoke no Arabic, so he bridged the gap by yelling Shaku maku Jimmy! every 30 seconds, or whenever one of us enters the room. Shaku maku is Iraqi slang along the lines of what’s shakin?  and my name isn’t Jimmy, so it got old. Fast. Abu Abduh used to be a taxi driver in Homs, Syria, but fled to Jordan as he became trapped between ISIS and the al-Assad regime. He was loud, obnoxious, and would give you the shirt off his back. He was the patriarch of our strange family.

Next came Thamer, another Syrian refugee. Young, serious, and a strict salafist. Due to his religious views, ISIS thought he would be sympathetic and tried to recruit him. He immediately packed his car and sped to Jordan. We regularly argued using hand gestures and a collection of profanity that we both understood, but could never stay mad for more than five minutes.

Finally, there was Muhseen. He's a former Iraqi Army soldier who also worked with American forces. He originally lived roughly 15 minutes from one of the locations I served in Iraq, close enough that I’ve probably given his son candy at some point in the past. Muhseen's brother worked as a barber on a US Army base and was murdered. He then found a bullet wrapped in a note that said “LEAVE” on his doorstep. Muhseen left with his family in the middle of that night. 

#EarthArt #Africa #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/9UbArUTC23

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) November 21, 2015

Another dazzling snapshot from astronaut Scott Kelly as he continues his Year in Space.

The people over at Inside Tucson Business, our long-time sister paper, do something pretty important ever year: They honor Tucson's "Women of Influence."

Now, Tucson women are endlessly inspiring, but ITB is looking to honor women in 18 different award categories. The honorees are decided by reader nominations, and winners are selected by an independent panel of judges. So, get a look at the categories, do some brainstorming and take the time to include thoughtful notes about the people you're nominating. 

Tucson is filled with incredible women. Help ITB honor someone you know makes a difference in the Old Pueblo—You've got until Dec. 18. 

Those familiar with the Phoenix dining scene are likely already fans of Pizzeria Bianco's sister sandwich spot, Pane Bianco. Until now, the restaurant's sandwiches, served on bread straight out of the wood burning oven, were unavailable outside of the Valley. However, now Tucsonans can get a taste of Pane without leaving the Old Pueblo.

That's right, folks. Pizzeria Bianco (272 E. Congress St.) is now open for lunch and serving up the three sandwiches in the style of Pane Bianco, with some differences. Although the bread is the same fluffy focaccia rounds, split in half, the menu is a little different:

Sandwiches:
-Sopressata, aged provolone, peppronata ($10)
-Fresh goat cheese, roasted tomato, arugula ($10)
-Market sandwich ($12)

Like Pane Bianco, the market sandwich at Pizzeria Bianco could be tender porchetta, slow roasted lamb or a "Sloppy Giuseppe"—the spot's take on a Sloppy Joe with an Italian twist. When tomatoes are in season, you'll also likely see Pane's hallmark sandwich offering—the housemade mozzarella, tomato and basil—as a special. If you're one of those people who far too often has to eat at their desk, the sandwiches are available to go as well.

The pizzeria is serving their six pizzas and three salad options during lunch too, which runs daily from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Pizzeria Bianco also plans to start serving spirits and cocktails at the restaurant in the near future.