The impending demise of K12 Inc., the for-profit online school corporation, has been an occasional source of schadenfreude in my posts. Online education as the sole source of schooling for K-12 students is a bad idea for all but a few people, and K12 Inc. needs millions of students, which requires a regular infusion of new students, to make a profit. The corporation's schools are failures by nearly every standard you can apply to them, and its stock prices have fallen steadily as a result. It had all the earmarks of a failing corporation, and I watched expectantly for it to crash and burn.

That changed November 9, the day after Trump's election. As you can see on the stock report at the top of the post, K12 Inc.'s stock price has soared since that fateful day. The Trump-era market is bullish on for-profit privatization in all its forms, including education.

Now, along comes Betsy DeVos as Trump's pick for Secretary of Education. DeVos is a champion of school choice—charters, vouchers and homeschooling. So long as it helps dismantle the school district model of public education (and where possible, promotes religious education), she's for it. In Michigan, DeVos' home state where she spends millions of dollars buying pro-school-choice politicians and setting up nonprofit advocacy groups, 80 percent of the charter schools are for profit, and accountability is kept to an absolute minimum. Even charter advocates complain that the Wild West approach to charters allows too many low quality Michigan schools to remain open.

But charter schools don't do well in sparsely populated areas where distances work against them. That's one reason DeVos and other school choicers support online education, where your "school" is always as close as your computer. Distance is no obstacle for distance learning, so online schooling opens up rural education markets.

We know DeVos held an "investment interest" in K12 Inc. before it went public, but we have no way of knowing if that continued. We may find out if she makes a full financial disclosure during her confirmation hearings.

As all of us T-town residents know, Tucson cares. I moved here from Brooklyn four years ago, after nearly a decade of touring the states as a musician. The perpetual travel of my 20s gave me the rather unique experience of getting to know every nook and corner of our country, coast to coast, border to border.

But in looking to live somewhere a bit more in line with my concept of home than the incessant hustle of New York City, I chose Tucson. It was an easy decision. This town hits on all levels. The quality of art and music is astounding. The natural beauty that surrounds us is both stunning and humbling. The culture is rich. And, more than anything, Tucson is home to the most compassionate and supportive musicians  I've ever experienced.
But this story is not about my love for Tucson. It's about a wonderful man, musician, and member of our community named Travis Ray Dent, Travi Ray to us. And, right now, he needs all the support and compassion we can muster.

I met Travis a year ago when Rey Murphy invited us to join a new band he was putting together called Street Blues Family. In the short time I have known Travis, he has become a dear friend, the sort you would do anything for. Travis is a radiant person. He has worked through and risen above some of the most difficult challenges anyone could imagine facing. He overflows with kindness, energy, love, and an excitement to create art and add a depth of richness to our musical community. He plays piano like none other, cascades of effortless melody flow through his hands. The calm, peace, and joy he exudes behind the keys is undeniable to anyone lucky enough to see him play.

Given the compassion of our community, it comes as no surprise that when hard times fall upon a local musician, Tucson represents. Travis has recently been faced with such times. As a result of a head injury and the concussion it caused, he spent a night in the ER at UMC last week. Rey Murphy and the entirety of the Street Blues Family came together to be Travis' advocates, staying at his side 24/7 and making sure the hospital conducted all scans and tests necessary. In a country with a healthcare system as difficult to navigate (and afford) as ours, many without such advocacy and support can fall through the cracks, causing the spiral of debt and hardship we all know too well.
Thankfully, the tests and scans showed that no permanent physical brain damage was caused by the head injury. But Travis' mental and emotional state has been compromised to the point that further medical and psychiatric care is necessary, in-patient treatment in the hope of ensuring his full recovery. Unfortunately, Travis does not currently have medical insurance. We have enrolled him in Obamacare, but the insurance plan will not become effective until Feb. 1. This means that none of the exorbitant medical costs incurred before that date will be covered.

So as his friends and family we took action, and Tucson followed. Within a day of Travis' hospital visit, Tucson musicians, artists, and community members started organizing a benefit and funding campaign to help cover Travis' immediate and eventual medical expenses. The Rialto Theatre Foundation offered their venue 191 Toole to host a benefit show on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. Howe Gelb, Joey Burns and Calexico (via video from overseas), Steff Koeppen, Louise Le Hir and Annie Dolan, myself, and of course the Street Blues Family instantly jumped on board as performers for the event. And, with his trademark blend of wit, lyricism, and empathy, Howe proposed we end the benefit evening with a one-off collaborative performance of everyone involved, aptly named the "Affordable Care Act" ("act" as in a band and everything else the word's otherly meaning and political statement connotes).

Beyond those who can attend, many other artists from the community have donated autographed, collectible vinyl, CDs, tapes, art and anything else they could come up with to sell at the benefit and add their support to the cause. Here are just a few of those who have already donated their work: Sergio Mendoza of Calexico and Orkesta Mendoza, Dimitri Manos of Goldenboots, Carlos Arzate, and Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan of XIXA. I have thrown in a beautiful old Spanish guitar that everyone involved will autograph. We will have this guitar at the benefit, though will probably auction it off internationally for the widest reach possible. And if anyone would like to donate anything else to lend support, please contact me directly at [email protected].

There is also a GoFundMe campaign for Travis' medical expenses here. We'll also be pursuing grants and funds from musicians' health alliances and foundations such as Sweet Relief and Tucson Artist's and Musician's Healthcare Alliance (TAMHA).

Lastly, thanks to the many other community members who have graciously lent their services and talents to this cause: Craig Schumacher of Wavelab Studios, Matt Milner and Duncan Hudson at KXCI, David Slutes of Hotel Congress and TAMHA, Rodger Cloud of Cloud Microphones, Brian
Smith of the Tucson Weekly, Dan Hernandez of 191 Toole, The Folk Shop ... there are too many to list.

Seeing this outpouring of support from our community warms my heart. Tucson truly does care for its artists, and that's why we're all here.

At 191 Toole, 191 Toole Ave., this Saturday, Jan. 21. 8 p.m.. $15-$20. All ages.

Performers:
• Howe Gelb solo acoustic
• A solo acoustic video performance by Joey Burns of Calexico, as well as a message of support from the band via video overseas.
• Street Blues Family
• Steff Koeppen (of Steff and The Articles)
• Joe Novelli (of Orkesta Mendoza, Street Blues Family, The Cloud Walls, Marvin and the Cloud Wall, Nive and the Deer Children, Etc.)
• Louise Le Hir and Annie Dolan
• More to be announced.
• PLUS a one-time collaborative performance to end the evening including all musicians on the bill, aptly entitled "The Affordable Care Act"

In addition, collectible, autographed items donated by other local artists like Orkesta Mendoza, Goldenboots, Carlos Arzate, Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan of XIXA, and others will be available for purchase at the benefit through donation.

Director Ben Affleck’s latest is a period piece/costume drama that looks like a lot of work went into it, but never feels like a cohesive picture.

Affleck also stars as Joe Coughlin, one of those gangsters you just gotta love, fighting the gangster fight during Prohibition in sunny Florida. Joe rises to the top of the gangster field, despite being the son of a cop (Brendan Gleeson), and despite basically being an all around good guy.

The problem here is that Affleck fails to give his central character a true identity and emotional toolbox. The character feels stilted, and the movie around him feels like a costume party. It’s as if Affleck is afraid to make him the truly bad guy he should be. The fedoras and sweet suits all look good, but it’s in the service of a story that has been told before in far more powerful fashion. Sienna Miller is good as Joe’s early love, and Elle Fanning, who had a great year with The Neon Demon and 20th Century Woman, is also good as a disgraced actress who finds a new career in preaching.

Again, the movie looks good, and Affleck’s performance is okay, but the story feels like a rehash of every gangster movie ever made.

Governor Ducey surprised me by proposing $114 million in new education funds for the upcoming state budget. That's $90 million more than I expected. According to Senator Steve Farley (D-Tucson), most of that comes from highway funds. Meaning, to paraphrase It's A Wonderful Life, every time a school bell rings, a roadway gets a pothole.

More than $100 million for education isn't nothing. It's not nearly enough (It moves us from 49th in per student spending all the way to . . . 49th), but it's a significant amount of money. Unlike last year when Ducey called money covering the increase in the number of students and inflation "new money"—that was a lie—this time, it's actually new money, above and beyond the required stay-even funding. We need to remember, however, this is only a proposed budget. The legislature passes the budget, not the governor. It's going to take some gubernatorial arm twisting to get the anti-"government schools" crowd to vote for all that new money. Don't be surprised if the final education budget comes in quite a bit lower. I hope no one is taking Ducey's money to the bank yet.

Let's take a look at how Ducey wants his proposed education funding to be spent.

His proposed teacher pay hike gets the most buzz, but it's only $13.6 million, compared to almost three times as much—$38 million—for "results-based funding." The pay raise comes to about a dollar a day, which is more of an insult to teachers than a pat on the back. It's wealthy, Cold Stone Stone Cold Doug Ducey saying, "Here's a crisp new dollar bill for each of you for the great work you're doing!" I hope he doesn't expect current teachers to go out of their way to thank him, or prospective new employees to flood school districts begging for one o' them high payin' teachin' jobs. Saying "I raised teacher salaries" makes for a great campaign pitch come reelection time, but a dollar a day doesn't put food on a teacher's table.

That $38 million for "results-based funding," on the other hand, is real money for those lucky schools that get a chunk of it. It's a third of Ducey's new money, and it will go to 10 percent of Arizona's schools. That comes to an average of more than $350 per student for each of the recipients, which is more than the $325 per student schools received from the Prop 123 money. All his other proposals are small ball stuff, but this one can have some big league consequences. It's enough for the schools to increase and improve their teaching supplies and technology and still have money left for significant teacher raises, all of which will make those schools more attractive to parents and teachers. And most of it will go to districts and charter schools educating the most privileged students. The main educational beneficiaries will be the current winners in the state's income inequality wars. To the victors go the "results-based funding" spoils.

Lando Chill's latest video is a sweet and temperate tour of Northern Arizona (Winslow, Flagstaff, and Kaibab National Forest), full of lover's joy (Chill and Laísa Laiia), without any dreaded maudlin overtones. The tune and video each effortlessly balance gentle flow and wide-eyed optimism for a deep appreciation of being alive, and unalone. Kudos to directors Malcolm Critcher and Symeon Platts for capturing the beauty. Also, it's a nice respite from the upcoming presidential inauguration where that old orange-pigmented mook gets his hideous day.  

The most recent presidential campaign has reignited many Americans' Facebook rants about "journalism these days," and how it's all turned into a biased, money-centered propaganda machine. No one could log into Facebook during the run up to the election without reading one or more lofty diatribes on why the candidate they support will be the next Messiah and how "the media" has a merciless vendetta against him or her.

Yes, news organizations all across the country missed an important mark while covering the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump by writing that Trump's victory was a "shock." I'd bet good money that many hard-core Trump supporters didn't share that same sentiment, so why was it spreading like wildfire in election night coverage?

Regardless, a generalized hatred for media coverage is unjustified. After all, journalists are the ones who maintain your Fourth Estate and are ultimately the glue that keep your democracy intact. I recently saw a tweet by Sarah Jeong, a contributing editor to the online publication Motherboard, that said, "Audiences say 'journalism' when they liked it and 'media' when they don't," which in my experience so far could not be more accurate. Journalists are undoubtedly a public pain in the derriere, but we're also an undoubtedly necessary one.
As a budding journalist myself, I have seen these rants by my own peers and have taken them personally at times—even if it was aimed at a national outlet. While my youthful idealism is still somewhat intact (but diminishes a little more with every passing semester), I am not naive enough to deny that poorly-written and completely false reporting is still out there. It's out there more often than it should be.

The most recent outrage over the unvetted Russian dossier is a particularly painful controversy for those of us trying to save the reputation of reliable reporting. However, the overwhelming majority of news and journalism in the world is still fair and truthful, and it's a shame that the hysteria over fake news gets more spotlight time than the incredible, breakthrough work that reporters kill themselves for and sacrifice personal time and sleep for every single day.

For all the readers out there, I humbly ask you to hear my takeaway plea: keep an open mind about journalism and the news industry. Sure, it has flaws, but every other industry does too. How can the world expect improvements in our field if you don't even give us up-and-comers a chance to prove you wrong?

Adam Driver plays the title character in writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s latest, a bus driver with a penchant for poetry.

His name is Paterson, he lives in Paterson, New Jersey, and he sets his folded clothes out every night so he’s good to go in the morning. His wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) aspires to be a country music singer, eagerly awaiting a new guitar the couple can barely afford (Also, it must be noted that she can’t play guitar).

The film offers no substantial plot; it’s simply a snapshot of a normal, pleasant life being led by two people who aspire to create art in their spare time. Jarmusch always does well with these sort of observational stories, and this is no exception.

Driver is terrific here, capping a great year that included Midnight Special and a great performance in the muddled Silence. It’s a funny, sweet performance without him really trying to be funny or sweet. The big events in this movie consist of Paterson taking his bulldog for a walk or meeting a fellow young poet who makes him feel insubstantial.

If you love Jarmusch, you will love this movie.

The first thing you do when you hear the late great Allen Toussant’s take "St. James Infirmary" is at the first imprint of sound consider the amount of times this anonymous standard has been recorded, much less played in a dormant piano bar by a pair of hands that feel its languishing generosity. 

And now, the slow tap dance is moving with a handclap and you’re inside of it: the restrained piano that fingers the keys, then loves them in full honor of both song and instrument, trading space with the acoustic guitar, and bending the strings with such passion where not one note is wasted, nor a single lyric sung, free of his classic horn charts that through the decades made so many seminal albums great. Here on the Bright Mississippi, released well after Katrina, in 2009, the river that gives and takes equally from its people. A land that could only raise an artistry, in all things beautiful and impoverished, this, the majesty of Louisiana, and of Allen Toussaint.

“Safe Space Comedy” is a newish thing in U.S. comedy clubs. By proclaiming “safe space comedy,” a club or event hopes to assure women that they can enjoy a trigger-free show without fear of harassment. The idea originated from high-profile harassment complaints in revered Los Angeles and Chicago improv theatres. Recent growth in the trend responds to Donald Trump’s very open misogyny. His vulgarity likely will encourage others to abandon whatever sensitivity they’ve portrayed during the Obamian years of arguable comity. Women now anticipate being demeaned on the regular, and not just emotionally.

For good or ill “dirty comedy” has enjoyed a long history of popularity. It has traditionally evoked laughs at the expense of, not only women and relationships, but also every flavor of what we’ve called “diversity” in recent years. Gary Hood, for years a godfather to Tucson standup, but a victim 2016’s relentless death march, is often imitated for the way he asked, “Clean or dirty?” Doug Stanhope, a national comedian out of Bisbee, boasts a large following for some apparently drunken, slothful and often filthy sets. Your humble scribe first laughed to the raunch of Red Foxx records her sophomore-year best friend sometimes brought over from her brother’s collection. Two new open mics could let Tucson comedy fans have it both ways. Mo Urban, who co-hosts the popular Comedy at the Wench series, has launched a new open mic at the early-for-comedy-hour of 6:30 p.m., the third Wednesday of every month. It’s at Café Passe, 415 N. Fourth Ave. A social worker who’s been outspoken about comedy offensive to women, she says “I have not defined the space, but I think it’s been safe because people know me.”

Meanwhile, Tucson comedy regular “Jose Joey G,” who first presented comedy at the Screening Room, now promises what he calls a “safe space” for “dirty” comedy at The Mint Cocktails, 3540 E. Grant Road. Having taken heat from some women comics after a routine based on one of Donald Trump’s more egregious quotes, he says he wanted to create an open mic where audience members might be less likely to harass comedians about objectification and insensitive references to body parts. The Mint, which opens 10 a.m., daily, is said to be Tucson’s second-oldest dive bar (after the Buffet). It features male and female burlesque performers on weekends. A permanent comedy schedule hasn’t jelled yet; follow The Mint on Facebook for calendar info.

Hi, I'm Delores!

I'm a pretty 3.5-year-old mama dog and I need a home. I was found as a stray so the Humane Society of Southern Arizona doesn't know a lot about my history. They do know that I love other dogs and I love to run!

I'm part of the Jog-A-Dog program so I get to go on an extra long run with volunteers and it's my favorite part of the day! I'm looking for a home where I can get daily exercise, play time and maybe a doggy friend to hang out with!

I need a home, but if you aren't looking to adopt you can still help homeless pets like me by donating to HSSA's fund to build a new home!

They are asking people like you to help them raise 3 million dollars! Click here for more information about the new shelter and how you can help today!

If you want to give me a home give HSSA a call at 520-327-6088 ext. 173 for more information!

Lots of love,
Delores (836517)