Monday, May 23, 2016
Family, food, fun and furry friends, Reid Park Zoo's Summer Safari Nights has it all!
Enjoy the Zoo every Friday evening of the summer, with live music, animal features and dining.
Each week will have a different theme.
The first Summer Safari kicked off last Friday, but there's still plenty of time to go on an adventure.
The themes for the remaining nights are as follows:
May 27: Hooray for Underdogs: Meet the Zoo's Lesser Known Animals
June 3: Animal Playground: Watch Training and Enrichment with Zoo Animals.
June 10: Buggin' Out : Meet the Animals that Dine on Bugs
June 17: Hats Off to Dads: Learn about our Zoo Dads
June 24: Go Grey: Elephant and Rhino Night
July 1: Spots and Stripes Forever: Zoo Animals with Spots and Stripes
July 8: Staying Cool at the Zoo: Learn how the Animals Stay Cool at the Zoo
The last Summer Safari Friday Night will be on Friday, July 8. Safari nights offers families the chance to enjoy a picnic concert or wander through the zoo, learning about animals and participating in wildlife activities.
Wondering how much these fun filled nights cost? Look no further. $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children, children 2 years and under are free and members get $2 off.
Sound like fun? Follow the Summer Safari Facebook or check out their website for more information.
Enjoy the Zoo every Friday evening of the summer, with live music, animal features and dining.
Each week will have a different theme.
The first Summer Safari kicked off last Friday, but there's still plenty of time to go on an adventure.
The themes for the remaining nights are as follows:
May 27: Hooray for Underdogs: Meet the Zoo's Lesser Known Animals
June 3: Animal Playground: Watch Training and Enrichment with Zoo Animals.
June 10: Buggin' Out : Meet the Animals that Dine on Bugs
June 17: Hats Off to Dads: Learn about our Zoo Dads
June 24: Go Grey: Elephant and Rhino Night
July 1: Spots and Stripes Forever: Zoo Animals with Spots and Stripes
July 8: Staying Cool at the Zoo: Learn how the Animals Stay Cool at the Zoo
The last Summer Safari Friday Night will be on Friday, July 8. Safari nights offers families the chance to enjoy a picnic concert or wander through the zoo, learning about animals and participating in wildlife activities.
Wondering how much these fun filled nights cost? Look no further. $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children, children 2 years and under are free and members get $2 off.
Sound like fun? Follow the Summer Safari Facebook or check out their website for more information.
Jason Bateman follows up his strong directorial debut, Bad Words, with The Family Fang, a loopy tale about a quirky, dysfunctional family that never really finds its way.
The film gets off to a good start, with Bateman playing Baxter Fang, a down-and-out writer trying to put together his next novel but taking odd writing jobs in the meantime. He winds up doing a feature on potato guns, eventually getting shot in the head by one.
Enter Annie Fang (Nicole Kidman), his actress sister, who used to be an indie queen but has reached that stage in her career where taking off her clothes is mandatory. She comes home to assist Baxter, which gets them to ruminating on their childhoods with their crazy parents.
Their parents, Caleb and Camille (played by Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett as older people) were infamous pranksters. They would stage bank robberies and other public occurrences, film them, and call it art. This resulted in a rather screwy childhood for Annie and Baxter, with famous parents who got famous by basically being horribly irresponsible.
Oddly enough, the film loses steam when Walken enters the picture. The premise involving his character feels a little too contrived, and it actually puts a strange sort of restriction on the weirdo actor. When Walken is off screen, the movie has a whimsical, funny vibe to it. When Walken is on, despite an okay performance, the film feels phony.
Bateman looks to be an interesting director, but his subject matter doesn’t suit his style this time out. The Family Fang feels uneven, but Bateman and Kidman are good together, and it isn’t a complete waste of time.
(Available for digital download and rental on iTunes, Amazon.com and On Demand during its limited theatrical release. Available on DVD July 7).
The film gets off to a good start, with Bateman playing Baxter Fang, a down-and-out writer trying to put together his next novel but taking odd writing jobs in the meantime. He winds up doing a feature on potato guns, eventually getting shot in the head by one.
Enter Annie Fang (Nicole Kidman), his actress sister, who used to be an indie queen but has reached that stage in her career where taking off her clothes is mandatory. She comes home to assist Baxter, which gets them to ruminating on their childhoods with their crazy parents.
Their parents, Caleb and Camille (played by Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett as older people) were infamous pranksters. They would stage bank robberies and other public occurrences, film them, and call it art. This resulted in a rather screwy childhood for Annie and Baxter, with famous parents who got famous by basically being horribly irresponsible.
Oddly enough, the film loses steam when Walken enters the picture. The premise involving his character feels a little too contrived, and it actually puts a strange sort of restriction on the weirdo actor. When Walken is off screen, the movie has a whimsical, funny vibe to it. When Walken is on, despite an okay performance, the film feels phony.
Bateman looks to be an interesting director, but his subject matter doesn’t suit his style this time out. The Family Fang feels uneven, but Bateman and Kidman are good together, and it isn’t a complete waste of time.
(Available for digital download and rental on iTunes, Amazon.com and On Demand during its limited theatrical release. Available on DVD July 7).
Friday, May 20, 2016
May 22, 2016 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo.
On this weekend's episode of Zona Politics: Arizona Daily Star cartoonist and columnist David Fitzsimmons sits down to talk about Donald Trump, Doug Ducey, Ally Miller and more. Then Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll talks about why he's calling it quits and how the political environment has changed in the two decades he's served District 4. And then retired Gen. Hoyt "Sandy" Vandenberg and Bill Westcott talk about their proposal to build a memorial to the USS Arizona on the UA Mall. (Make your donation here.)You can catch the show at 8 a.m. Sunday on the CW Tucson, Channel 8 on Cox and Comcast and Channel 58 on DirecTV, Dish and broadcast. You can also listen to it at 5 p.m. Sunday on KXCI, 91.3 FM. Or watch online above.
Here's a rush transcript of the show:
Hello, everyone. I'm Tucson Weekly senior writer Jim Nintzel, and we're here to talk Zona Politics. Today, we'll be talking with Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll as well as two men working to create a memorial to the USS Arizona on the U of A Mall. And we begin with one of Tucson's most notorious scoundrels, Arizona Daily Star cartoonist Dave Fitzsimmons. Dave, thanks for joining us here on Zona Politics.
(Fitzsimmons) My pleasure, senior writer. I guess I'm the senior cartoonist of the Arizona Red Star.
(Nintzel) Indeed you are. And what is it like being an editorial cartoonist in Arizona?
(Fitzsimmons) Oh, what a target-rich environment! I died many years ago and went to heaven, and this is heaven to me. This is paradise. When I started at the Star in '86 Evan Mecham was governor, and when he was driven from office, I thought to myself, that's the last of goofy politics in Arizona. And, happily, I was so very, very wrong. This has been a rich cornucopia for me. Yeah. I'm in heaven. I love being a cartoonist in Arizona. And I love being employed. It's great to be working indoors doodling and ridiculing hard-working, decent people, in light of the fact that there are only about 25 cartoonists left in the United States working at newspapers, so ....
(Nintzel) Are you eligible for endangered species protection?
(Fitzsimmons) I am! I am ferruginous.
The bizarre story about Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller’s staffer, Timothy DesJarlais, has taken some new twists today.
As the Weekly reported yesterday, DesJarlais has an alter ego, Jim Falken, and recently someone had used the Falken name to create an online news site and to query members of the Board of Supervisors as well as candidates for office.
Big kudos to Tucson Sentinel’s Dylan Smith, who has a comprehensive report on DesJarlais’ strange cyber trail and the only interview with DesJarlais about this peculiar episode. It was after Smith reached DesJarlais via phone on Tuesday night that traces of “Jim Falken” began vanishing almost immediately from the web.
DesJarlais, who is also seeking a seat on the Marana School Board, has not returned multiple phone calls from the Weekly to confirm or deny that he set up an online news source—the Arizona Daily Herald—under the name of “Jim Falken.” But he did release a statement to the online propaganda blog Arizona Daily Independent.
DesJarlais acknowledged creating the “Jim Falken” identity “as part of a high school project” but said that he did not have anything to do with Jim Falken’s effort to create the Arizona Daily Herald:
“Regarding the current Arizona Daily Herald site and email address, those accounts are bogus accounts created by someone trying to impersonate me,” DesJarlais said in his statement. “As I work for Supervisor Miller and know both Kim and Marla well, I would have no reasons or time to pull any stunts like this. Nevertheless, I do apologize to anyone for the inconveniences caused to them and charge whoever did this to come forward and confess the truth.”
Perhaps DesJarlais will join O.J. on the hunt for the “real killers” next.
Has anyone else been ready for this week to be over since last Sunday? Celebrate the weekend with sour beer, some time by pool and maybe a few movies.
Here's a look at the 10 most popular movies at Casa Video last week:
- Deadpool
Tags: casa video , casa video top 10 , movie rentals , Video
Mark the date, May 20, 2016. That's the day Governor Ducey declared that Prop 123, his "first step" to improve Arizona education, passed. The count isn't official yet, but Ducey believes it's a done deal. So now it's time to find out what he has in mind for the next step.
When Howard Fischer asked Ducey outright what comes next, the governor got cute.
Let me offer a suggestion. Ducey should get together with the leaders of the House and Senate and propose a $300 million K-12 education package to match the $300 million Prop 123 is supposed to bring in. The first $90 million of that will take us from 70 percent to 100 percent of what the courts say the state owes our schools. The remaining $210 million will be new funding.
When Howard Fischer asked Ducey outright what comes next, the governor got cute.
“We’re going to take the rest of the day off,” he said. “We’re going to celebrate a little bit.”Fine. But unless he's planning to go on a serious bender, the celebrations should be over soon and it'll be time for him to state his plans. The "Next Step" Watch has begun. Today is Day 1. Weekends count, since being governor is a 24/7 job. I'm sure Ducey has been thinking about what he wants to do next, he just hasn't told the rest of us. It's time.
Let me offer a suggestion. Ducey should get together with the leaders of the House and Senate and propose a $300 million K-12 education package to match the $300 million Prop 123 is supposed to bring in. The first $90 million of that will take us from 70 percent to 100 percent of what the courts say the state owes our schools. The remaining $210 million will be new funding.
Tags: Prop 123 , Education funding , Doug Ducey
The Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a "no texting while driving" ordinance this week.
Really, it's a rule that should have been obvious even before an ordinance passed. Keeping your eyes on the road and off Facebook is a great idea—it usually makes you avoid crashing into another car or running over a pedestrian or biker.
The so-called Use of Handheld Electronic Devices While Operating a Motor Vehicle ordinance will come into effect on June 16, the county says.
According to a Pima County press release, the ordinance states, "A person may not, while driving a motor vehicle on a highway, manually manipulate a handheld electronic device for any purpose other than to initiate, receive, or engage in voice communication."
Because I guess some drivers find it extremely difficult to not text and drive, there will be a 30-day grace period starting on June 16, where drivers will only receive a written warning if caught texting. After the grace period, texting and driving will be considered a civil traffic offense.
State Sen. Steve Farley, who since 2007 has continuously tried to pass bills in the state Legislature prohibiting texting and driving, testified at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday in support of the ordinance.
"...When the law goes into effect, the roads will be safer for all of us Southern Arizonans," he wrote on his Facebook page later that day. "Next year, with Sen. [Andy] Biggs no longer in the Legislature, we will get this done statewide after more than a decade of hard work."
Really, it's a rule that should have been obvious even before an ordinance passed. Keeping your eyes on the road and off Facebook is a great idea—it usually makes you avoid crashing into another car or running over a pedestrian or biker.
The so-called Use of Handheld Electronic Devices While Operating a Motor Vehicle ordinance will come into effect on June 16, the county says.
According to a Pima County press release, the ordinance states, "A person may not, while driving a motor vehicle on a highway, manually manipulate a handheld electronic device for any purpose other than to initiate, receive, or engage in voice communication."
Because I guess some drivers find it extremely difficult to not text and drive, there will be a 30-day grace period starting on June 16, where drivers will only receive a written warning if caught texting. After the grace period, texting and driving will be considered a civil traffic offense.
State Sen. Steve Farley, who since 2007 has continuously tried to pass bills in the state Legislature prohibiting texting and driving, testified at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday in support of the ordinance.
"...When the law goes into effect, the roads will be safer for all of us Southern Arizonans," he wrote on his Facebook page later that day. "Next year, with Sen. [Andy] Biggs no longer in the Legislature, we will get this done statewide after more than a decade of hard work."
Tags: steve farley , pima county board of supervisors , texting and driving , tucson
Veterans Affairs Doctors in Some States (Like AZ) Could Soon Recommend Medical Marijuana to Patients
The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday an amendment that would allow Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients in states where using medicinal cannabis is legal—like Arizona.
The amendment was attached to a military appropriations bill. The Senate approved a similar amendment in a spending bill that would go into effect in 2017, according to The Huffington Post.
The Veterans Equal Access Amendment, introduced by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, strikes down a Department of Veterans Affairs prohibition on VA doctors recommending medical marijuana as treatment for veterans who have chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions, the HuffPost writes.
The amendment was attached to a military appropriations bill. The Senate approved a similar amendment in a spending bill that would go into effect in 2017, according to The Huffington Post.
The Veterans Equal Access Amendment, introduced by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, strikes down a Department of Veterans Affairs prohibition on VA doctors recommending medical marijuana as treatment for veterans who have chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions, the HuffPost writes.
Under current regulations, veterans had to seek these recommendations outside of the VA system and pay out of pocket for the related expenses.
Tags: medical marijuana , veterans affairs , house of representatives , senate , veterans , sue sisley , arizona , weed , cannabis , the huffington post , drug enforcement agency
Thursday, May 19, 2016
In the way-new media world, online news sites come and go.
But few live as brief a life as the Arizona Daily Herald, which barely posted a story on Facebook before it vanished from the web earlier this week.
The Herald was, purportedly, the work of one Jim Falken, who does not seem to exist except on the internet.
But photos of Falken bear a remarkable resemblance to Timothy Desjarlais, who works as Pima County Supervisor Ally’s press/communications assistant. DesJarlais, who has worked on campaigns for Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, is also a candidate for the Marana School Board.
DesJarlais did not return phone calls from the Weekly asking if he was masquerading as a reporter under a false name while working as the communications staffer in Miller’s District 1 office.
But when confronted by Explorer Newspaper reporter Logan Burtch-Buus at an Oro Valley meeting earlier today, DesJarlais refused to comment and then fled into a bathroom.
Miller did not return a phone call seeking comment on the entire bizarre affair.
Pima County supervisors started getting emails from Jim Falken last week. Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez got the following email:
Hi,Around the same time, some candidates for office started getting emails requesting comment on Miller’s recently released plan to improve the roads. Republican John Winchester, who is seeking to challenge Miller in this year’s GOP primary, got the following email:
I am emailing you today to ask you to add me on Supervisor Ramon Valadez’s press advisory/release emailing list so that I can receive all your most recent updates and such. I am the editor of newly founded paper and would like to stay informed with the workings of your office.
Sincere Regards,
Jim Falken
Editor of the Arizona Daily Herald
For some extremely lucky folks, summer means time off. Spend some of that time off with your brain on, reading books by local authors.
I'm linking to Amazon order pages for ease but don't let that stop you from picking these books up from your favorite indie bookstore instead.
Tags: summer reading , books , tucson authors , tucson books
