Surely We Jest The Wrigley Mansion Does Not Cook Dogs! A recent extensive article appeared in New Times asserting that the Wrigley Mansion hosted an event that served up “unconventional” cuisine such as dog, cat, penguin and other exotic meats (“Xtreme Cuisine,” Stephen Lemons, May 11). Although the article was…
The last morning of Abigail Nicole Lahnan’s short life begins peacefully. It is March 23, 2005, a Wednesday. Abby, who was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital on November 28, 2003, awakens in her crib across the hall from her parents, Deanna and Patrick. The young family lives in a second-story…
The warm glow of candlelight suffuses the Wrigley Mansion’s grand living room, as George Gershwin’s ghost tickles the ivories of an ancient Steinway, belting out the dulcet tones of “Rhapsody in Blue.” Seems Gershwin was a guest of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. back in the day, and recorded…
It may be a practice dating back to ancient Rome, when primitive drawings announcing “Mongo was here!” decorated the walls of caves, but The Bird says “Beware!” to local graffiti artists and taggers: Our cultural wasteland isn’t your canvas so much as a dragnet waiting to drop on your spray-paint-stained…
Paul Rubin was named Virg Hill Journalist of the Year for the third time in his 20 years as a staff writer at New Times, at the 82nd annual Arizona Press Club awards banquet, held May 6 at the Heard Museum. Sarah Fenske was honored as Virg Hill first runner-up,…
Heavy Meddle Metal is as metal does: Kudos on your column (“Heavy Issues,” Stiletto, Michele Laudig, April 27). It is simple-minded people in the local scene and even the national and international scenes that place a black mark on metal with their ignorant rants of what is deserved in their…
Arizona State University’s men’s basketball coach Rob Evans revived a program disgraced by a notorious point-shaving scandal and reached postseason play four out of his eight seasons. While winning was important, Evans’ overarching goal was to teach his players how to succeed in life. He kept close watch on his…
Who says all politicians are corrupt, dimwitted hose-bags? Not this counterfeit canary, at least not since Governor Janet Napolitano’s veto of a bill that would have made illegal immigrants subject to the state’s criminal trespassing law. (In a letter to Republican Arizona House Speaker Jim Weiers, she’s vowed to veto…
It’s near midnight on a Friday, and IO club owner David Landreville and I are chatting up this lil’ pecan-skinned spitfire we’ll call “Natalie” ’cause she didn’t want me to use her real handle, for reasons that will soon be clear. We’re parked at IO’s backlit martini bar, and Natalie’s…
Loose Lips Far out, dude: I couldn’t agree more with The Bird’s assessment of Loose Change (“Goofball Shockumentary,” April 27). I hate the Bush administration, but all these conspiracy theorists just don’t make sense. What you say about Bush and his minions not being smart enough to plan 9/11 is…
The voice wafting over the airwaves is identified only as Jen, 15. In the flat tone of someone who’s seen it all and hated every minute, Jen describes first using crystal meth as an 11-year-old. Later, while using, Jen got raped, but she didn’t report it, didn’t even seem to…
To The Bird’s great amusement, it found itself at a crowded hippie hangout in Tempe called 3 Roots Coffee the other day, watching one of the funniest comedies this proud pecker’s seen in years. Loose Change, an extremely independent film from three New York twentysomethings, wasn’t meant to be a…
County prosecutors may have to take no for an answer now that a state panel again has rejected their attempts to have a judge sanctioned for accusing them of racial bias in a burglary case involving a black man. For the second time in seven months, the Arizona Commission on…
Don’t ask why Jett flaked on me this week. Something about a free eightball and a three-way in Ahwatukee. Not that I blame her. I mean, the last three-way I was invited to involved me, myself and I, all buck nekkid in the hot tub. Talk about a tight fit!…
The Kyl File Slim pickings: I’m a longtime Republican voter, and I thought your profile of Jon Kyl was first-rate (“Stealth Zealot,” Robert Nelson, April 13). You could have taken a lot of cheap shots at the “other” senator from Arizona, but you didn’t. You only gave him the negative…
The majestic red rock sculptures and rare desert vistas of Papago Park are in the gun sights of some of the most powerful real estate interests in the Southwest. Led by Phoenix attorney Grady Gammage Jr., the intellectual architect of Arizona’s rapacious development industry that’s systematically tarnishing the Sonoran Desert,…
The Bird observed all kinds of weirdness when it attended the massive march for immigration reform on Grand Avenue: white guys (from the news media) peeing in alleyways; illegal aliens (who’re normally treated like vermin by Americans) waving U.S. flags; Mayor Phil Gordon. But the strangest thing The Bird saw…
Is this the best the Democrats can do? The question kept rolling through my mind in the days after Tempe political kingpin Harry Mitchell declared his candidacy for Congress. Mitchell is challenging the sharply listing, Jack Abramoff-stained Republican J.D. Hayworth for the 5th Congressional District seat in November. The race…
Hellfire Giligin’s vile: I’ve always loved Inferno, but the one on the wise-ass Chuey and his “fear factor” shenanigans (“Mouthful of Midget,” Stephen Lemons, April 13) is great! I’m heading over to Giligin’s for the Wednesday night craziness as soon as I can. I loved the opener to your column…
Joe Baker has been a painter for decades, but the canvas he works on today is bigger than most artists could ever dream of. As a curator at the Heard Museum, a job he’s held for nearly four years, Baker is charged with choosing the subject matter, and the pieces,…
Arizona has two U.S. senators: John McCain and that other guy. The other guy is a decent man, so decent that in his 11 years as a senator in Washington, D.C., he has often seemed constitutionally incapable of promoting himself in the manner common of national political figures such as…
The Bird cruised over the pro-migrant march along Grand Avenue, half expecting to see KFYI-AM 550 squawk-jock Brian James’ head on the prong of a long, sharp rake at the front of the crowd. The demonstration, which drew at least 100,000 people, was coordinated as part of a nationwide “day…
