Weekly Wide Web

Let the Battles Begin!

There probably aren't many people who are excited about the barrage of political ads that will inevitably jam up the media channels during election season. I find them sort of interesting, but that's partially because we spend quite a bit of time (willingly) talking about local politics here at Weekly World Central, so I'm clearly more the exception than the rule.

However, when I saw Jesse Kelly's face staring at me from the side of my Facebook page, I realized: I need to get ready for nine months of this stuff.

Most of the political ads on Facebook aren't that big of a deal, since the limited space means candidates can't get too wordy or complicated with their message, but somehow, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Don Bivens manages to be sort of nasty with his. Bivens chooses to use the space to question opponent Richard Carmona's authenticity as a Democrat, since Carmona accepted an appointment as surgeon general during the Dubya years. I guess that's a legitimate argument, but I don't know if Facebook is exactly the place to present it, mostly because the link (at least when I clicked it) goes to a page that claims that we can't send "the same people back to Washington." The type of people who put partisanship above all else, Mr. Bivens?

Now that I'm a Republican (thanks to Project White House), I don't know which candidate I'll choose, but I think Facebook is a dark enough place without that kind of an advertisement.


The week on The Range

We welcomed Jesse Kelly back to Arizona (although Frank Antenori declined to bring the Welcome Wagon to greet him); introduced you to a local defense contractor planning to take on Raúl Grijalva, and a combat pilot thinking of getting into the crowded race to replace Gabrielle Giffords; tried to stay out of the battle between Steve Kozachik and Al Melvin; warned you that one state legislator is on the warpath to restrict medical marijuana; tried to keep up with Komen for the Cure's position regarding Planned Parenthood; wondered what Cecil Ash was thinking; presented Stephen Colbert's views on super PACS; met seven of the candidates for president at the Project White House Beer Summit; and welcomed Jeff Rogers and Sam Stone to Arizona Illustrated's Political Roundtable, with your host, Jim Nintzel.

We suggested you pick some vegetables at Tucson Village Farm; let you know there's a new place to get chocolate for your sweetie ahead of Valentine's Day; said you can now get lunch at Something Sweet Dessert Lounge; alerted you to a new Southern rock/country bar opening on Fourth Avenue; and enjoyed a cocktail at Mercado San Agustín.

We let you know Bon Iver is coming to AVA with Feist; tried to see the world through the eyes of director Wes Anderson; watched some Super Bowl ads; tried to figure out what TV shows women are willing to tolerate; tried to find new friends on Pinterest; added some culture to our lives at the opera; went to see Andrew Collberg and the Fort Lowell Records crew at Borderlands Brewing; wondered where we could get Ryan Adams' cover of the theme to Passions; pumped up the jams with the new pop station replacing Bob FM; and appreciated Bill Murray in photo and animated-GIF formats.


Comment of the week

"It is a shame that locally produced radio is fast disappearing. The 'need' to save money and play whatever the corporate wanks in two-dot Montana decide is 'right' for the Tucson market now dominates the radio scene."

TucsonWeekly.com commenter "n7iqv" isn't thrilled about the state of our airwaves ("Goodbye Bob FM, Hello i97.5," The Range, Feb. 3).


Best of WWW

While the Arizona Legislature works on making people reconsider the very idea of representative democracies, Project White House rolls on, and many of the candidates have made videos in an attempt to convince Republican and Green voters to fill in the box next to their name on the presidential preference primary ballot. Enjoy these unique perspectives on the issues of our day—and then ask yourself whether you want to vote for some big shot who needs millions of dollars to consider running, or whether you'd feel better supporting someone you might run in to at a local bar.