Ladies, You’re Gross: A Guide to Hair, Makeup, and Tampons

Courting Disaster is Jackalope Ranch’s weekly column of dating horror stories, observations, how-tos, and more by Katie Johnson. Names of ex-boyfriends, past hookups, and bad blind dates have been changed to protect the guilty. Sorry, Beyoncé. But hardly any women just woke up like dis. And the ones who do…

Mike Birbiglia Is Coming to Mesa Arts Center

Notorious sleep-walker, self-professed pizza lover, and New York-based funny man Mike Birbiglia is no stranger to Mesa Arts Center. The award-winning comic, best known for his embarrassment-fueled monologues, came to the venue two years ago for his show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend.” He returns Friday, May 2, with new jokes and…

5 Best Fashion Trends of Spring 2014

And you thought we at Jackalope Ranch were a bunch of negative Nancys with our tirade against spring’s worst fashion trends (which, for the record, are still repulsive). But, dear fashionables, you were wrong. Without further ado, we present our five favorite trends that will hit the racks this coming…

Ignite Phoenix No. 16 Is Now Accepting Submissions

Do you have something you’d like to share with the rest of the class? How about the rest of the community? Ignite Phoenix is looking for innovators, thinkers, dreamers, and, most importantly, speakers to present at Ignite Phoenix No. 16, which is slated for Friday, May 2, at the Scottsdale…

11 Must-Know Terms for Talking Oscar Red Carpet Fashion

Watching the stars walk the red carpet sometimes can be more entertaining than watching the actual award ceremony itself, if you’re crazy fashion-obsessed freaks like us. If you’re not and actually watching to see who wins, the red carpet can probably seem tedious and confusing. And with the Oscars slated…

ZapCon 2014’s Game List Is Revealed

If you’ve ever wanted to get your hands on the long-forgotten arcade classic Turkey Shoot, you’re in luck. The ultra-rare Williams-produced game from 1984, which involves wasting villainous turkeys with a light gun, will be available for play at ZapCon 2014. Ditto for similar rarities like the practically Paleozoic 1972…

Southwest Maker Fest Coming to Mesa March 22

Attention all inventors, creators, Frankenstein makers, and mad scientists, a new event is coming to the East Valley to celebrate those who don’t just think out west, they think outside the box. In light of the DIY “maker” movement happening across the United States, the first-ever Southwest Maker Fest will…

Phoenix Phabulous History Mural to Debut at Art D’Core Gala March 1

When it comes to exploring Phoenix’s rich cultural history, we’ll admit that we’re visual learners. Which is why we’ve found yet another reason to attend the 26th Annual Art Detour’s Art D’Core Gala on Saturday, March 1. The creative kickoff party will be hosted by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, Downtown…

How Weird Bathroom Habits Ruin Relationships

Courting Disaster is Jackalope Ranch’s weekly column of dating horror stories, observations, how-tos, and more by Katie Johnson. Names of ex-boyfriends, past hookups, and bad blind dates have been changed to protect the guilty. Love means never having to say, “Holy shit, you’re weird.” But secretly thinking it. There comes…

Seed Spot to Host Kickoff Party for Third Cohort of Ventures

They’re at it again. The Phoenix-based non-profit for startup businesses, Seed Spot, has selected its third batch of ventures to undergo its coveted four-month incubation program and, tonight, it’s introducing the chosen applicants to the rest of the Phoenix community…

Robrt Pela Tours Gilbert’s New Mormon Temple

I visited the new Mormon temple in Gilbert. The big, beautiful art glass windows were worth the trip. The wall-to-wall interior limestone was stunning; the crystal chandeliers were magnificent. The building’s castle-like, three-story neoclassic façade, layered with concrete and white quartz and topped by a 195-foot spire, is straight off…

Eliza Dushku and Brian Posehn Coming to Phoenix Comicon 2014

You gotta have faith. Or, at least, that rings true for Phoenix Comicon 2014 organizers when it comes to this year’s guests. The annual massive nerdfest has added Eliza Dushku to its roster. Dushku played bad girl slayer Faith Lehane on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The chocolate to Buffy’s vanilla,…

Phoenix’s Lawn Gnome Publishing Hosts Cash Mob Following Recent Robbery

It looks like this past weekend was less than stellar for Lawn Gnome Publishing. On Valentine’s Day, the store’s owner, Aaron Hopkins-Johnson, revealed some rather unfortunate news on his Facebook page: “The store was burglarized last night. Electronics, jewelry, window, the cash till and employees’ pay are gone. I feel…

The New Robocop Hates FOX News, Loves the Bush Doctrine

Twenty-seven years ago, director Paul Verhoeven and company gave us the original Robocop, which gained cult status as an action movie with a sardonic wit and a lot of things to say about privatization, consumerism, and the human condition. Now, nearly three decades later, we have a remake directed by…