Friday, April 29, 2016
May 1st, 2016 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo.
On this week's episode of Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel: UA College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz stops by to talk what's going on at the Biosphere—including the One Young World conference, the Landscape Evolution Observatory and some plans for farming—as the giant terrarium's 25th anniversary approaches. He also fills us in on some of the latest news with the Lunar and Planetary Lab's space program. Then Phoenix New Times managing editor Amy Silverman joins us to discuss her new book, My Heart Can't Even Believe It, about how having a daughter with Down syndrome changed her family's life. And then Valerie Trouet of the UA Tree Ring Lab talks about some of her work, including a new study that used tree rings and shipwrecks to recreate a Caribbean hurricane record that dates back centuries.You can catch the show at 8 a.m. Sunday mornings on the CW Tucson, Channel 8 on Cox and Comcast and Channel 58 on DirecTV, Dish and broadcast. You can also hear it Sunday afternoons at 5 p.m. on KXCI Community Radio, 91.3 FM. Or you can watch it online here.
Here's a rush transcript of the show:
(Nintzel) Hello, everyone. I'm Tucson Weekly senior writer Jim Nintzel, your host for Zona Politics. Today We're going to detour away from politics to talk about science and books. We begin with our friend, Joaquin Ruiz, the dean of the U of A College of Science. Dean Ruiz, welcome to Zona Politics.
(Ruiz) Always a pleasure to be here.
(Nintzel) So the Biosphere is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. You have a big event coming up there this month One Young World Environmental Summit. What's that all about?
(Ruiz) Well, this organization called One Young World specializes in having meetings around the world, in which 18-to-30-year-old leaders meet and discuss whatever the topic may be. The last one was in Thailand. And now they've decided that they want to focus on the environment, specifically a summit on the environment. They're using the Biosphere as the venue, so it's beautiful. We expect to have at least 300 people, maybe even more. Again, leaders. They're either from Apple or Caterpillar or other companies and people from other countries and it will be a day and a half of meetings, conferences. We have inspirational people that are going to come and talk, and to me, the most important thing about the whole meeting is, one, allowing folks from around the world to come and see the Biosphere, and coming to see Tucson and what the UA has to offer with respect to the environment.
(Nintzel) And you have had the Biosphere, now, in the control of the College of Science for almost ten years, and, how's it going out there?
Eight years ago, Aaron Defeo, who was then running Hotel Congress' bar program, sought to create an event unlike any Tucson had seen before. He wanted to give pros and guests alike the opportunity to sip spirits, rub elbows and learn more about the liquor world through a place-centric tasting event.
"There just weren't any opportunities for people to taste a wide variety of curated spirits," Defeo says.
What's more is many of the tasting events that did exist were sponsored by one specific brand, which meant little diversity in the selection.
Flash forward eight years and Defeo's original single-day tasting event at Hotel Congress has exploded into a full week of seminars, tastings, concerts and more and become the Agave Heritage Week. Congress' general manager Todd Hanley wanted to expand the event this year, including off-site venues and more to grow the festival.
Tags: agave heritage week , tucson , festival , mezcal , tequila , dinner , janos wilder , aaron defeo , todd hanley , sergio inurrigarro , hotel congress , carriage house , rialto theatre , roger clyne , la ley , saul hernandes
"It" is the esteemed "Golden Gong" trophy—the prize one filmmaker will win, along with $1,000, for their submission to The Loft Cinema's First Friday Shorts: The Golden Gong Year-End Showdown short-film contest on Friday, May 6. The showdown currently plans to feature shorts from locals Gilbert Rataezyk, David Bornstein, Adela Antoinette, Brooke Hartnett, Matthew Vanek, Jacob Webb, Mac Benning, MJ Watz, Brian McAdams, Kevin Kittle, Steve Roggenbuck, Malcolm Critcher, Cody Hunt and Dom Villarrubia, but The Loft will accept up to seven new film entries at the show itself. If you're interested, submit your short quickly—the spots will fill fast.
The Loft's twelfth annual installment of First Friday Shorts will also begin the same evening, right after host Max Cannon presents the Golden Gong to its rightful owner. The First Friday Shorts winner will win a "sweet" $200, so be sure to submit your short to the contest.
Admission is $5 for Loft members and $6 for everyone else. Get your tickets here. For more information on The Golden Gong Year-End Showdown and First Friday Shorts in general, check out The Loft's website.
Tags: the loft cinema , the loft , first friday shorts , the golden gong end of the year showdown , golden gong , cinema , short films
I have a suggestion. Let's take Ducey at his word, or at least what he wants us to believe is his word. Let's pretend he's really advocating for increasing the amount we spend on education. And then let's be APPALLED! and OUTRAGED! when he goes back on his word. Hell, let's hold every one of the First Steppers to the same standard. If you say Prop 123 is a first step, that means you're an advocate for budgeting more money for public schools as soon as possible.
Looking at the budget deals being cut by Ducey and the Republican legislative leadership, we need be APPALLED! and OUTRAGED! right now.
Thursday, Ducey & Co. were talking about cutting $21 million from school funding. That's absolutely appalling. Lowering the amount our state budget allots for our children's education when we're already one of the lowest spenders in the nation? Outrageous! Especially when you promised to increase funding by telling us Prop 123 is just a first step. This morning it looks like there's a deal afoot to restore that funding. Again, unbelievable! Outrageous! That's the best you can do, put back the money today you stole from our kids yesterday? I thought you said Prop 123 was only a first step in boosting funding for public education. Where's the rest of the money you promised?
Tags: Prop 123 , Doug Ducey , "First step , " Education budget
The heralded Austin, Texas instrumental post-rock quartet—Chris Hrasky (drums), Michael James (guitar, bass), Munaf Rayani (guitar) and Mark T. Smith (guitar)—had recorded three soundtrack projects since the last studio record and deliberately set out to explore uncharted territory.
“We went into this knowing we wanted to push as much as we can to not do the default settings that maybe we’d developed for a few years,” Hrasky says. “We definitely wanted to feel like it was exploring different things and trying different things and make all that work in terms of songs.”
Tags: Explosions in the Sky , Rialto Theatre , tucson , concert , live , music , interview , the wilderness , Video
Stepping out of my swamp-cooled, cavelike house into the hot sunlight is a shock every morning. Join me in pretending the truly sweaty days of summer are still ages away with a weekend movie marathon.
Here are Casa Video's top 10 most rented DVDs from last week:
1. The Revenant
Tags: cinema , local stores , video stores , movies , casa video , Image , Video
This year, though, MSA’s spring market fest has a little something special for the food crowd too. The Seed + Feed culinary showcase will add an extra layer to the all-local event with food-centric panels and demos. On Saturday, April 30, Gary Nabhan of Native Seeds/SEARCH and the newly-founded UA Center for Regional Food Studies will present on the city’s new UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation beginning at 1 p.m. The following day, beginning at 11 a.m., Don Guerra of Barrio Bread will lead a “Seed to Bread” workshop.
The full Spring Bazaar takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information on this and other Mercado San Agustin events, visit the Mercado's website.
Tags: mercado san agustin , spring bazaar , tucson , artisan , market , local , shopping , events , barrio bread , gary nabhan , unesco , Image
Thursday, April 28, 2016
There's a "holiday" or two for (what seems like) every day of the year.
According to nationalcalendarday.com (the authority on these matters, I'm sure) April 30 has a lot to celebrate: It's National Bugs Bunny Day, National Raisin Day and National Oatmeal Cookie Day.
I feel like I know how to celebrate those (make some oatmeal raisin cookies and eat them while watching Looney Tunes, obviously), but another April 30 holiday makes how to participate clear in its name.
National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is Saturday.
To help you celebrate, Pima Animal Care Center (4000 N. Silverbell Road) is offering free pet adoptions this weekend (Friday April 29 through Sunday May 1) on all pets over six months of age.
The fees typically cover the pet’s spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchiping and a vet visit—all of which will still be included during this adoption weekend. A standard $16 licensing fee will apply to all adult dogs.
Enjoy your weekend of meeting your new best friend.
Tags: national holidays , adopt a shelter pet , adopt don't shop , I can't believe we missed national cheeseball day on April 17 , Image
Tucson-based World View, the upper-atmosphere ballooning company that recently struck an economic development deal with Pima County that has been criticized by some local conservatives, announced today that it had landed $15 million in venture capital investment. TechCrunch reports:
World View, the advanced high altitude balloon company, has raised a $15 million Series B led by Canaan Partners. The round also included investments from Northwest Venture Partners, Tencent, Moment Ventures and Base Ventures. The company had previously raised $7.1 million.The Goldwater Institute is taking legal action against Pima County, saying that county officials violated state law and the Arizona Constitution's gift clause with a deal to build a headquarters and launch pad that World View will rent. County officials say they are on solid legal ground because World View is renting the facility, so there's no gift. Local business leaders have asked Goldwater to back off, saying that the litigious conservative foundation is threatening economic development efforts in Pima County.
This marks the second aerospace investment for Canaan Partners, who previously invested in Skybox Imaging.
“I believe World View’s commercial applications of above-earth technology have the ability to transform entire industries–from communications to emergency response to weather research and forecasting–and we’re excited to be part of it.” Deepak Kamra, General Partner at Canaan Partners.
While the company is perhaps best known for their World View Experience tourism offering, World View plans to use the new funding to advance the development and commercial adoption of their latest product, the Stratollite.
An advanced high altitude balloon, the Stratollite can be placed over specific locations for an extended period of time. The balloons can be deployed rapidly and the payloads can be retrieved if needed.
With these capabilities, a Stratollite could be used for research or remote sensing purposes, to collect weather data, or to provide communications to aid first responders in remote locations during times of disaster.
Critics of World View, including Goldwater, have focused on the idea that World View is offering frivolous balloon rides to the upper atmosphere, but today's announcement shows that the company is actually using new technology to pioneer a cheaper alternative to satellites.
More to come as we get details on World View's new enterprise.
Tags: World View , Goldwater , Pima County
Writer-director Richard Linklater makes a sort of companion piece to his breakthrough film Dazed and Confused with mixed results.
This time out, he gives us a crew of young baseball players showing up for college a few days before classes and partying in various settings (disco, honkytonk bar, punk bar) because it’s 1980, and things are all mixed up. The movie is full of bad wigs, bad mustaches, typical song choices (“My Sharona,” “Rapper’s Delight,” “Bad Girls”) and ugly seventies cars.
What it isn’t full of are the type of memorable characters that made Dazed such a delight. Blake Jenner (Glee) plays the film’s main protagonist, Jake, a baseball pitcher who has his eye on an art major (Zoey Deutch). Their little courtship is cute, but most of the movie isn’t as clever as it thinks it is.
The cast of mostly unknowns deliver their lines like they are raining manna from their mouths, but none of it is all that funny or intelligent. For a film about baseball players, it spends very little time on the baseball field, and the ritual this team at the end of practice couldn’t possibly be done without killing somebody. It’s almost like Linklater is trying to make up for his shit remake of The Bad News Bears by giving us a more mature baseball film, but this one feels too scattered. It also feels like Linklater is copying himself rather than addressing a different era with fresh eyes.
It’s too bad, because this one looked promising.
Tags: Everybody Wants Some!! , Blake Jenner , 70s movies , Richard Linklater , Dazed and Confused , Zoey Deutch , Video
