KXCI Community Radio: Recent Episodes
KXCI
đžAngel Rojas, a 21 year old student at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind, shares whyâŠ
Last Fall, KXCIâs Education team took a field trip to visit students at The Arizona State School for the DeafâŠ
On This Episode of Bonus Tracks from KXCI Tucson, 16-year-old Andrew, a sophomore at the Arizona State School for theâŠ
0:00: From KXCI Tucson itâs his Bonus Tracks. 0:03: Iâm Sydney and I want to talk about Tate McRae. 0:20:âŠ
DJ Groove, a youth broadcaster from KXCI Tucson, shares their love for âShotputâ by Still Woozy- a feel good indieâŠ
Transcript: 0:05: Iâm Luca and you are listening to bonus tracks from KXCI Tucson. 0:09: I will be playingâŠ
In this episode of Bonus Tracks, DJ Thunder shares a brief journey through country music hhistory. From the genreâs firstâŠ
Transcript: 0:08: From KXCI Tucson this is Bonus Tracks. 0:11: I am Isa and I want to talk about NoahâŠ
Transcript: 0:00: This is Evan Mitchell from Bonus Tracks, and today Iâm going to talk about Jaco Pastorius. 0:07: HeâŠ
From KXCI Tucson DJ Djuna talks about the band ABBA! Transcript: 0:03: I am DJ Juna, and you are listeningâŠ
0:00: From KXCI Tucson, this is Bonus Tracks. 0:02: I am DJ Glory, and I want to talk about myâŠ
Transcript: From KXCI Tucson this is Bonus Tracks. Iâm John Edwards and I want to talk about Marshall Bruce MathersâŠ
Transcript: From KXCI Tucson, this is Bonus Tracks. I am DJ Quaviar Windelbug and I want to talk about theâŠ
Transcript: 0:00: Youâre listening to 91.3 KXCI Tucson. 0:02: My name is Valentin, and this is Bonus tracks. 0:06: WeâreâŠ
Transcript: If youâve listened to the Beths, the Bangles, the Who, or even the Jonas Brothers, youâve listened to powerâŠ
Transcript: From KXCI Tucson, this is Bonus Tracks. I am Mr. Cat, and I want to talk about Frank Sinatra,âŠ
Transcript: My name is DJ Dodongo with KXCI Tucsonâs Bonus Tracks and Iâm here today to talk about the oneâŠ
Transcript: This is Bonus Tracks. I am DJ Melonite, and I want to talk about Marshmello and his electronic music.âŠ
Stream the latest episode right here! Hereâs a transcript of the episode: 0:02: Hi, I am DJ, Insomnia and thisâŠ
DJ Falling Up is here with the latest episode of Bonus Tracks- complete transcript is below along with song credits.âŠ
đ€đ»DJ Ice Crystals is taking us Back to 1981 with a deep dive into âGhost Townâ by The Specials! OnâŠ
đŁDive into the world of Avenged Sevenfold with DJ Click, one of our next-level youth broadcasters, on this weekâs episodeâŠ
Ben Elias, Project Manager at the City of Tucson in the Department of Transportation and Mobility, updates us on some important updates happening along Mountain Ave. The corridor from Speedway to Fort Lowell will be getting upgraded to a protected bike lane! Listen in to learn how this will affect the street and what we can expect from the update.
Hello, and thanks for tuning in! My name is Jake Shaw. I am a rising senior double majoring in molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry at the University of Arizona. My research in the Tomat group lab uses interdisciplinary approaches centered on the role of iron in cancer cells. Iron is essential to cellular processes responsible for growth and survival, making it a good target for novel cancer therapeutics. I synthesize and characterize new compounds, including iron deprivation drugs and biosensors, and then I test them in cancer cell cultures. I have recently begun incorporating computational modeling into my workâŠ
This weekâs Nonprofit Spotlight shines on Community on Wheels (COW), a mobile mutual aid group providing essential items & resources to unsheltered/ street-based neighbors on stolen Tohono Oâdoham land. Their objectives: + Support and aid vulnerable populations in and around South Tucson, using Santa Rita Park as their weekly hub to distribute items such as hygiene, first aid, nutrition, and harm reduction. + Provide solidarity and community care by forming relationships with folks who frequent their distributions, and offer services within their abilities and skills. + Continuing the work of other community groups in Tucson who advocate for systemic changesâŠ
Mia Hansen is the Executive Director of Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports (SAAS), a local organization that organizes sports programs and lends equipment to people with physical disabilities and mobility limitations. Pat of Living Streets Alliance chats with Mia about SAASâ adaptive cycling programâthe largest in Southern Arizona,â which leads group rides with participants training for El Tour de Tucson and the Ascension Cycling Team (ACT), or just for fun & fitness. Contact Mia to find out more or make an equipment or cash donation! info@soazadaptivesports.org
Ventana Canyon usually has water in its bed. A beautiful Hike in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Part one of the interview with Laurie Starr about her through hike on the Arizona Trail with her dog Chaco.
Part 2 of the interview with Laurie Starr about her through hike of the Arizona Trail with her dog Chaco.
Part 3 of the interview about Laurieâs through hike of the Arizona Trail withe here dog Chaco.
Karen Greene, the Pima County Public Libraryâs Librarian on the Move, joins us to chat about the Book on Wheels program. Which brings books to people who are homebound, and people unable to visit the library branches. Library volunteers select books for customers, and Pima County Bike Ambassadors deliver the books once a month. If you would like books delivered to your home and you live near one of these libraries, please contact the librarian: Himmel Park Library, Monica B. or Kayleigh H., 594-5305 Joel D. Valdez Main Library, Karen G., 594-5500 Murphy-Wilmot Library, Karen B., 594-5420  How toâŠ
This episode of The Nonprofit Spotlight shines on Liz Casey, organizer with Community Care Tucson (CCT), a youth/BIPOC/LGBTQ+ organized mutual aid group that has been providing resources and support to unsheltered folks and others in need since 2020. Their main activities focus on distributing water, gatorade, food, clothing, hygiene and first aid products to folks once a week in Armory Park. They connect people with other resources such as medical care, employment, shelter, furniture, and transportation. CCT also informs the public about people in need and upcoming actions and events, while organizing with other like-minded groups for systemic change.âŠ
Thanks to UBRP Research Matters welcomes Mira Kaibara to KXCI community radio. We had so much to talk about that this is a two-part episode! Hereâs what Mira has to say: Hi, Iâm Mira! I am a senior studying Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at the University of Arizona with minors in environmental studies and biochemistry. I am incredibly passionate about connecting human health with environmental issues: I have transferred this passion to various cultural and art projects on campus, the most recent being a cherry blossom sculpture project in collaboration with the Japanese American Student Association and the Campus SustainabilityâŠ
This episode of The Nonprofit Spotlight features t loving and Mirely from Kindred Connections Collective (KCC), a local collective dedicated to Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QT/BIPOC), Two-Spirit, and Gender Non-conforming healing, wellness, and liberation. Utilizing a framework of ancestral knowledge/ practices, harm reduction, and creativity, KCC works toward a flourishing, loving and whole community in which all can witness, engage and live. A longer version of Stephanieâs conversation with t loving and Mirely is available below:   Â
Join us as Kirk Astroth chats about Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists, a non profit that works to build, maintain, and protect multi-use single-track and mountain bike trail access in the greater Tucson, AZ region. This advocacy organization is dedicated to promoting the sport of mountain bicycling, and views it as a vehicle to promote low impact outdoor recreation and conservation. Listen in to hear more about new and exciting initiatives they have, as well as fun events coming up in the fall and winter, to learn more visit their webpage.
My name is Ines Studer and I am a senior at the University of Arizona majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences and minoring in Biochemistry. I am currently working as a research assistant in Dr. Xinxin Dingâs laboratory. During my time here, I have been fortunate to receive excellent mentorship and complete my honors thesis. The project that I have spent much of my time working on is titled âThe Characterization of naphthalene (NA)-DNA adducts in wild-type mice and firefighters.â NA is an environmental contaminant present in mothballs, car exhaust, and most relevant to this project, fire smoke. Our aim has beenâŠ
Karen Greene, the Pima County Public Libraryâs âLibrarian on the Moveâ talks to us about the Book Bike program of the Pima County Public Library. The fleet of three bikes roam the city filled with free books and reading glasses to share with the community. Learn more about the Book Bike and find out where the Book Bike will be next.
Hello! My name is Olivia Bertuca and I am a senior at the University of Arizona majoring in biochemistry. I am currently in Dr. Judith Brownâs laboratory in the Department of Plant Sciences studying RNA interference and gene knockdown in the potato psyllid. The potato psyllid is a pest that transmits the pathogen âCandidatusâ Liberibacter solanacearum to tomatoes, potatoes and other crops. This pathogen causes incurable and devastating disease in crops that causes massive yield loss. Currently, synthetic pesticides are being used to control the spread, which are costly and unsafe for the surrounding environment, so biopesticides utilizing RNA interferenceâŠ
Read Between the Bars is a completely volunteer-run organization that sends free books to people incarcerated in Arizonaâs state and federal prisons.
Hello! My name is Violet Rowland, I am a graduating Senior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and minoring in Biochemistry. In my lab, we study a process called segmentation. Think of yourself and how you have a backbone made of many repeating vertebrae- these are each segments (repeating subunits in the body plan)! During development we need to make these segments, which is called segmentation. We are trying to understand how this process evolved since you and me (and all vertebrates) are segmented but so are other animals like worms and insects. I study segmentation in the fruit flyâŠ
A few weeks ago I chatted with David Contreras who is a Fugista and a bike club leader. We chatted about his introduction to bikes and his love for sharing the knowledge he has with our next generation of riders. The interview was really rich, and I always had the intention of sharing the second half of it with you all. Not long after we recorded that interview, David was hit and run over by a vehicle while biking home from work. His bike was totaled, his helmet saved his life, and his recovery has been ongoing. Heâs been veryâŠ
This weekâs episode of The Nonprofit Spotlight shines on Sierra Rhodes, HOME Fellow and Staff Attorney at Step Up to Justice (SU2J). Step Up to Justice Pro Bono Law Center advances civil justice for low-income individuals and families in Pima County, Arizona. The organization works to lift people out of poverty by providing community education and emergency civil legal assistance; leveraging innovation, partnerships, advocacy, and volunteer services. SU2J is a full-service civil legal education and assistance center, created to close the justice gap for low-income residents of Pima County who need but cannot afford an attorney. They serve clients withâŠ
Hi, my name is Sophia Marcinowski! Iâm currently a senior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Iâm in my first year of the Accelerated Masterâs Program (AMP) at the University of Arizona. The research Iâve been a part of for the last two years relates to figuring out how the cell naturally degrades toxic protein build-up in patients with the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Weâre interested in learning more about this process because this could lead to finding therapeutic targets to treat ALS, of which there are currently none. In my free time, I love to draw andâŠ
Yaâatâeeh (Greetings). My name is RueShunda Jim, I am a rising junior here at the University of Arizona majoring in Public Health and with a minor in Professional Technical Writing. I come from the Navajo Nation where I am devoted to receive my education to improve the lack of resources on the reservation for future generations to come. This past summer I was able to participate in the UBRP summer program under EHS-RISE to get started with my research experience, and now it has almost been a year since Iâve been in Dr. Hooverâs Lab where I used my aspectsâŠ
Oma from BICAS talks to us about the Women Trans & Femme (WTF) programming that BICAS has every Monday from 3-7pm, as well as some recent additions to the program and exciting upcoming events!
Doralina Luna represents Tucson and Southern Arizona in family-based immigration, citizenship, naturalization, and some removal defense.
Camp Kesem is a nationwide organization with a chapter at the University of Arizona through the student government ASUA that provides free summer camps and year-round support for children impacted by a parent's cancer in the Tucson community.
Adventure Storytelling Series #4 â Serie de Historias de Aventuras #4 This collaborative community event is co-hosted by Roadrunner Bicycles, Campfire Cycling, and FUGA with additional support by Living Streets Alliance. The Sonoran Desert and greater Arizona are beautiful, rugged, and culturally diverse landscapes. Stories emerge from every saguaro, lie in every wash, under every rock and around every corner. The event is on April 23rd at 6:00 PM at American Eat Co., 1439 S 4th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85713. It is donation based and all proceeds will be donated to FUGA. FUGA (Familias Unidas Ganando Accesibilidad) (Families United Gaining Accessibility)âŠ
David Contreras, Fugista and teacher at Challenger Middle School, chats about his introduction to bikes and what they meant to him as a kid. Now, with the help of local non-profit FUGA, Challenger Middle School has a bike club which David runs. Stay tuned for a part 2 of this interview coming next month!
In this weekâs episode, The Nonprofit Spotlight shines on Gillian Paine-Murrieta, Board Chair for the Community Gardens of Tucson. In 1990, George Brookbank, a University of Arizona Cooperative Extension agent, and Darlene Schacht, a Master Gardener, created a program to teach gardening using hands-on experience on a vacant lot near 1st Avenue and Limberlost in collaboration with the Hand family. Five years later, George and Darlene with the help of dedicated Master Gardeners, established the Community Gardens of Tucson as an independent volunteer organization. In 2009, CGT became a 501 (c)(3) Arizona nonprofit corporation. More than thirty years after itsâŠ
Hello everyone, and thank you for tuning in! My name is Tom Pham and I am currently a junior at the University of Arizona studying Physiology and Medical Sciences, with minors in Emergency Medical Services and Pharmaceutical Sciences. When I started my college journey, I thought I wanted nothing to do with research but as I found myself being surrounded by one exciting opportunity after another, I decided to give it a try. Since then, I have had the pleasure of working in Dr. Abhijit Dateâs laboratory, where the focus is to repurpose and reformulate existing drugs with poor efficacy to give themâŠ
Parent Aid offers community parenting classes, in-home parent partners, and more to anyone who is caring for a child.
We welcome Denise Aquino, the new Executive Director of El Grupo to chat with us about the programming the organization is hoping to do in the near future. Denise comes to Tucson from New York and is marveled at the rich cycling culture this desert city has to offer, especially when it comes to youth empowerment and showing the transformative power of cycling.
In this weekâs episode, The Nonprofit Spotlight shines on Nicola Hartmann, CEO of Sister JosĂ© Womenâs Center. Sister JosĂ© Womenâs Center is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to aid and transform the lives of women who are unhoused. Their low-barrier day center provides unaccompanied women who are unhoused with a stable and safe environment to recuperate from the daily struggle of homelessness and extreme poverty. Sister JosĂ©âs is dedicated to creating a sustainable future for their guests by providing life-changing support and resources to begin their transition out of âhousing insecurity. A longer version of this episode thatâŠ
Emily Ahlgren is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona College of Architecture Planning and Landscape Architecture, and has been cycling the streets of Tucson since she moved here from Hawaii in 2017. In this episode of Pedaling the Pueblo she talks about her experience bicycling these streets, a recent crash she was involved in with a vehicle, her road to recovery and what she think cold be done to mitigate crashes involving cyclists on the roadway.
Hello! My name is Adithi, I am an international student from Mauritius, which is in the Indian Ocean. I am currently a junior majoring in Microbiology at the University of Arizona. I have been working in Dr. Schomerâs lab since summer 2023. It is a plant sciences microbiology lab. This lab is observing the process of chemotaxis in different bacteria with plant chemicals. These chemicals are often seed or root exudates and are called QACs (quaternary ammonium salt compounds). Chemotaxis is the ability to sense a chemical gradient and move directionally along that gradient. MCPs (Methyl-accepting Chemotaxis Proteins) are receptorsâŠ
Nonprofit Spotlight, Stephanie Engs talks with Vincent Flores, the Executive Director, and Raul Duarte, Board Member of Native Music Coalition (NMC). NMC offers to begin the healing villages and communities need. NMC provides a non-judgmental environment for Native American Families to develop the life and coping skills needed to have a healthy life we all deserve.
In this episode we reveal the end of our previous conversation with Cam Solorio Juarez. Here he gives us a look into what he thinks our society needs to change in its infrastructure to better include and center the needs of those most vulnerable.
DJ Electric Landfill does an in-depth analysis of Deltron 3030âs debut self-titled album, Deltron 3030. In this episode, he exploresâŠ
Hello! My name is Nick Mortimore and I am a rising Junior at the University of Arizona majoring in biochemistry and minoring in statistics and data science. I enjoy doing research on human illness and I am currently studying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Zarnescu Lab using a fruit fly model of the disease. After graduating from the University of Arizona I plan to go to graduate school to pursue a career in research and higher education, as teaching is another one of my passions. Outside of the lab I love to go on hikes around Tucson, play improvisational or classical piano, and explore local places to eat.
Stephanie Homewytewa is the Tohono O'odham Nation Outreach Coordinator for the Pima County Recorder's Office. In this episode she shared her goals of reaching into the Tohono O'odham community to encourage, educate, and get individuals registered to vote. History shows that Native Americans were given citizenship in 1924 with the signing of the Indian Citizenship Act, but in many cases weren't guaranteed the right to vote in all states until 1964. Voting barriers have existed and still exist in Native communities today, a few examples such as, in most tribal communities there are no physical addresses, and most tribal IDs cannot be used as identification for voting. For the most part the fight to have equal access to the ballot box for Native Americans is still a struggle. During the episode Stephanie touches on calling attention to the concerns of Native issues and how they can get involved in the voting process.
[caption id="attachment_62968" align="alignleft" width="348"] Design by: T. Andrew[/caption]
There is plenty to see along the North Bass Trail
Artifacts at Bass Camp.
Southwestern Trails on KXCI on Facebook. https:///www.facebook.com/SouthwesternTrailsonKXCI
As a public service, Monica and Bridgitte have a conversation about coronavirus and covid-19.
For More information here are some reputable sources of information.
Arizona Department of Health Services
and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
[caption id="attachment_62793" align="alignnone" width="413"] Cassandra Bendickson. Photo by Mindi Acosta of Fluteloop Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_62794" align="alignnone" width="413"] LuftBassoons. Photo by Mindi Acosta of Fluteloop Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_62795" align="alignnone" width="620"] LuftBassoons. Photo by Mindi Acosta of Fluteloop Photography.[/caption] In this episode we hear from Cassandra Bendickson of LuftBassoons, a Tucson based band of bassoons on a mission to bring the magic of the bassoon everywhere and anywhere. Cassandra describes the variety of genres the quartet enjoys performing, and their grant-funded project aimed at bringing locally-composed music to their stage. She describes new works composed by Jay Vosk, Russell Ronnebaum of Rogue Theater, Samantha Bounkeua of Rogue Violin, Dante Rosano of Two-Door Hatchback, and Marco Rosano of Orkesta Mendoza. Cassandra talks about this particular instrument and what drew her to it. We also have a conversation about impostor syndrome, (feelings of inadequacy that persist--despite success), and how she learned to take on challenges, even when (especially when) they scare her. Cassandra also talks about her artistic trajectory and her advice for emergent musicians today. Upcoming performances include:
- March 12 at 6:30 - New Works Grantee Showcase at Brings Coworking Space
- March 14 at 4pm - LBQ plays at Canyon Stage at Tucson Festival of Books at UA
- March 15 at 3pm - LBQ plays at the Sahuarita Creative Arts Festival in Sahuarita
- April 13 at 8pm - LBQ plays on KXCI Local's Only
- April 18 at 7pm - World Premiere of New Tucson Works for Bassoon Quartet at Sea of Glass Performing Arts Center on 4th Avenue
- June 23 at 1:30pm - LBQ plays in Iowa City, IA at the 2020 International Double Reed Society Convention
Exit Music: Cassandra Bendickson playing from a Bassoon Concerto by Vivaldi, Second Movement Listen to the full-length podcast by hitting play above (link to the mini below)!
[audio mp3="https://kxci.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Luft-Bassoon-Mini.mp3"][/audio]
Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas has written a powerful book titled âThe Menopause Myth.â Jennifer Davis-Paige talks with Dr. Arianna and Zsa Zsa Brown who has been suffering for years. Do you have any questions about menopause? Tune in for information that your mother, doctor and friends havenât shared with you about life over 35.
If you have a story youâd like to share, contact us at info@boomgoddess.com. Â
And now weâd like to hear from you. Share your comments with us at info@boomgoddess.com.Â
A visually enthralling documentary explores the potential benefits, on a planetary scale, of mushrooms. Mycology has been a relatively neglected subject over the years. Itâs the study of mycelium, which is a term for the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of thread-like filaments that bear fruit in the form of mushrooms. A new movie, written by Mark Monroe, and directed by Louie Schwartzberg, both veterans of documentary filmmaking, aims to remedy that neglect. Itâs called Fantastic Fungi (fun-jai), or an alternate pronunciation would be fun-guyâin fact, itâs pronounced that way a couple of times in the filmâbut the overall consensus, it would seem, is âfunjai.â Anyway, maybe this all sounds dull, especially if youâve endured science films in high school, but itâs not. The film combines a lot of fascinating information with a marvelous visual style. From the beginning, Fantastic Fungi emphasizes what a massive presence mycelium has on our planet. Underneath the ground, virtually everywhere on earth, exists this vast network of myceliem cells, branching out and breaking down decaying organisms, recycling carbon, regenerating the soil, and fostering new life. So basic and transformative are fungi to our ecosystem that itâs not considered part of the vegetable kingdom, but as something quite apart, and something that has been with us for millions of years. The filmâs special visual effects depict the reach of these filaments, that look like root systems, under our feet. Itâs explained how they enable the sharing of nutrients between trees and other plants, like an organic underground internet connecting all life forms. When it comes to mushrooms themselves, Schwartzberg treats us to a lot of mind-blowing time-lapse photography in which we see their slow growth revealed rapidly on the screen. Mushrooms, fungi, and mold have conferred enormous medical benefitsâthe history of penicillin is briefly covered hereâand there is some evidence that they can help eliminate pollutants. In the course of the filmâs tribute to the mushroom, we meet a mycologist named Paul Stamets, who has spent his life walking in forests studying all the mushrooms he can find. Stamets was inspired by the research of Andrew Weil, and he in turn has inspired a host of younger mycologists, some of whom we meet. Stamets is a cheerful and eloquent tour guide for us, although at one point the film almost threatens to become a tribute to him instead of a survey of the science. Now, besides the amazing biological information about mushrooms that we are presented with, the film goes into the particular subject of the psilocybin mushroom and its psychotropic qualities. There is some speculation that the sudden expansion of the brains of ancient humans may have been partly caused by ingesting these mushrooms. A series of therapists and researchers talk about the proven results of controlled use of the magic mushroom to treat depression, PTSD, and other mental ailments. In addition, Stamets relates how his own elderly mother was cured of breast cancer by taking a variety known as âturkey tail mushrooms.â I think at times, especially near the end, Fantastic Fungi tries to oversell its message, as if mycelia and mushrooms are the panacea for everything wrong in the world. This overflowing enthusiasm is pretty common in documentaries like this. But having said that, I think one comes away from Fantastic Fungi convinced of the great potential that this life form offers for the benefit of humanity and the planet. Itâs one of those rare films about science that inspires not only wonder, but hope.
On February 13, 2020, No More Deaths hosted a benefit entitled An Evening with Luis Alberto Urrea at El Casino Ballroom. Luis Alberto Urrea is the acclaimed author of 18 best-selling books. Born in Tijuana, Mexico to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss, and triumph. He lived in Tucson for a time in the 90s where he connected with some of his literary heroes, began The Hummingbirdâs Daughter, and met his wife Cindy. He continues to be a frequent visitor to Tucson and has presented at the Tucson Festival of Books each year since its inception.
In part 2 of this 2 part series, Urrea responds to an audience question about The House of Broken Angels. Urrea's extended family throws one last birthday party for their patriarch just before he succumbs to terminal cancer. He also discussed a book that he is working on now about his Anglo mother who served in World War II.
No More Deaths is an advocacy group based in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, United States, that seeks to end the deaths of undocumented immigrants crossing the desert regions near the United States-Mexico border.
Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger. This is part 2. Thank you for listening to 30 Minutes. You can find this and all recent episodes on the 30 Minutes program page at KXCI.org where you can find our social media links and subscribe to the podcast.
Mati Diop's first feature tells of a young woman in Senegal, grieving the loss of her lover who died at sea trying to migrate for a better life, and then finding herself challenged by what seems to be the presence of spirits.
The central dramatic figure of our time is the migrant, whose shifting, uncertain, and perilous fate reflects that of our world. Atlantics, the first feature film by Mati Diop, expands that metaphor to include the grief and injustice experienced by women, whose oppression makes them refugees in their own family and society. Diop is the niece of the revered Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambéty, and her film was widely anticipated at Cannes last year, not only because of her uncle, but due to her own excellent short films that led up to this one. Atlantics won the Grand Prix at Cannes, the second most important award next to the Golden Palm, which went to Parasite.
The film begins like a realistic social drama. We see a group of construction workers in Dakar, the large coastal city in Senegal, building a huge futuristic looking office building in the city, an incongruous structure in the midst of a poverty-stricken landscape. The workers cause a disruption when they demand their back wages in the paymasterâs office. They havenât been paid for months, their debt is piling up, and many face eviction for non-payment of rent. Their demands are denied.
Our focus then narrows onto one preoccupied laborer, Souleiman, played by Ibrahima TaurorĂ©. After work, he meets up with a young woman he is in love with, Ada, played by Mame Bineta Sane. They kiss and cuddle near the beach; she says that she has to go and will see him tonight; he seems like thereâs something he wants to say, but canât. It turns out that Ada has been promised in an arranged marriage to a man from a wealthy, conservative family. Her family and friends keep telling her how lucky she is, but sheâs been sneaking out at night to go to a little club on the shore, where girls socialize with the construction workers, and where she met Souleiman. Later that night, she goes out, but learns to her dismay that the âboysâ have all left on a boat, embarking on the ocean to find a better life in Spain, and for the time being providing for their girlfriends from there, and with luck eventually returning. But as time goes on, these hopes vanish. It appears that the young menâs boat has capsized, and they have all drowned at sea.
The dominant mode of storytelling in our world is linear, logical, and âleft brain,â so to speak. In contrast, Diop and her co-screenwriter Olivier Demangel, practice what you might call âright brainâ storytelling. Dialogue and scenes proceed by intuitive association; imagery conveys emotions that are not precisely formulated in words. The gentle, sometimes languid pace of Atlantics creates the sense of a world that has long existed prior to our awareness of it, and as the film goes on, this world is suffused with supernatural elements that are presented without being explained.
Just as Adaâs heart is torn by grief while she is forced to marry a man she doesnât love, she receives texts on her phone that make her think Souleiman may be back in Dakar. A police detective shows up investigating a case of arson that he believes was committed by Souleiman. And could it be that the spirits of the young men drowned at sea have now possessed the women they left behind, demanding the justice, and the wages, that they were denied in life?
The belief in spirits is a traditional one in Senegal, as it is in many places, and although there are nay-sayers in the story, the movie presents our everyday reality as surrounded by otherworldly influences. This serves to embody, more than anything, the grief and loss of the women in t
When I was little boy I thought the name yellow-bellied sapsucker was the funniest thing Iâd ever heard and though I did know it was some sort of bird, I took pleasure in calling a friend a yellow bellied sapsucker and laughing hysterically. I was a silly kid.
There are four species of sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus spp.) in North America and I read that where their territories overlap they hybridize making identification confusing. When identifying the yellow-bellied, red-naped and red-breasted sapsuckers a favorite field guide says to âbeware of relatively frequent probable hybridsâ between the three species. Now you know.
By the way, the vowel a in the name Sphyrapicus should be short not long, like the way I pronounced it. There are rules as to when a vowel is long or short in a Latinized scientific name, depending on which syllable itâs found. That said, over the years I guess my approach has been to plow ahead and say the name with some authority and Iâm guessing some folks think, âWow, I didnât know thatâs the way you say that.â My apologies. I will try to mend my ways.
The photo of the line of pecked holes on the trunk of the oak is mine. I donât think I could do be that precise with an electric drill and ruler.
The photo of the male red-naped sapsucker is from Cornell Lab All About Birds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-naped_Sapsucker/id
Oh, and the field guide referred to above is: Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona from The Tucson Audubon Society. Itâs in its eighth edition and it is to die for if you are an amateur (me) or expert birder.
The Classic Pick of the Week for the week of February 17, 2020 - Van Morrison's 1970 album Moondance.
[caption id="attachment_62514" align="alignnone" width="620"] Samantha Bounkeua. Photo by Ruth Christopherson[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_62515" align="alignnone" width="413"] Samantha Bounkeua. Photo by Ruth Christopherson[/caption]
We record this episode at Harbor Lighthouse Studios, where we talk with Samantha Bounkeua, aka RogueViolin; a queer experimental musician, composer and producer specializing in non-traditional violin performance. We have an in-depth conversation about the challenges involved in making a living in Tucson as a musician, and how Samantha plans to address some of those challenges through Harbor Lighthouse Studios. Part of her proposed solution--and business--is a LGBTQIA catalog of original music set up especially for sync licensing. She also talks about why inclusion needs to be a priority for the Tucson music scene, (there's a shout out to Jamie Manser and a nod to her recent article in Zocalo), including examples related to being the only femme-identified person on stage, recurrent issues with sound engineers, bro-dominated studio sessions, among other things. Samantha also treats us by sharing her personal artistic trajectory, starting with playing on a quarter size violin at age four, performing in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra by age twelve, her time at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the burn out, disenchantment and eventual artistic rebirth involving bands, tours around the world an eventual landing in Tucson.
Curtain Credits: Glass Bottle Heart by Sapphocracy
Listen to the full-length podcast by hitting play above (link to the mini below)!
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On February 13, 2020, No More Deaths hosted a benefit entitled An Evening with Luis Alberto Urrea at El Casino Ballroom. Luis Alberto Urrea is the acclaimed author of 18 best-selling books. Born in Tijuana, Mexico to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss, and triumph. He lived in Tucson for a time in the 90s where he connected with some of his literary heroes, began The Hummingbirdâs Daughter, and met his wife Cindy. He continues to be a frequent visitor to Tucson and has presented at the Tucson Festival of Books each year since its inception.
No More Deaths is an advocacy group based in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, United States, that seeks to end the deaths of undocumented immigrants crossing the desert regions near the United States-Mexico border.
Reverend John Fife was the moderator. He served as Pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson for 35 years. He was a co-founder of the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s and is a founding volunteer with Samaritans and No More Deaths, No Mas Muertes.
The program begins with Reverend Fife introducing Luis Alberto Urrea. Urrea described the events in his life that lead to his bearing witness. He then went on to tell a story inspired by a nephew who thought he was born in the United States and discovered that he wasn't when he ran into problems with the law. A version of the story can be found in The Water Museum.
Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger. This is part 1. Thank you for listening to 30 Minutes. You can find this and all recent episodes on the 30 Minutes program page at KXCI.org where you can find our social media links and subscribe to the podcast.
The anniversary of my 500th show came and went without me noticing. That's OK cause I'm no where near done with getting out in the 4 Corners Region.,
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Alex Alvarez is an MD/PhD Candidate at the University of Arizona. While Alex hails from Albuquerque, NM, he now calls Tucson home having completed his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the U of A in 2015. In his free time, Alex likes to dance, race bikes, and travel around the world with his partner.
"My name is Hannah Ball and I am a junior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona. I am in the Undergraduate Biology Research Program and work in Dr. Zarnescu's lab. Our lab studies ALS using fruit flies as a model. For my project, I look at how metabolism affects the progression of ALS and how an enzyme called PFK could potentially help improve the side effects of ALS. In my free time I love going to concerts and spending time with friends."
The Classic Pick of the Week for the week of February 10th, 2020 - Junior Walker's 1965 debut album, Shotgun.
Jacques Feyder's 1935 comedy, about the women of a Flemish town disarming an occupying Spanish army with wit and charm, embodies the lost ideals of an earlier time.
In 1935, Hitler had been in power in Germany for two years. The rest of Europe desperately hoped that the disaster that was the Great War of 1914 to â18 would not be repeated. It was too horrible to contemplate, even though German rearmament made the prospect impossible to ignore. It was against this historical background that the distinguished French director Jacques Feyder made a film dramatizing the tensions between two countries back in the early 17th century. Adapted from a story by the Belgian writer Charles Spaak, itâs Carnival in Flanders.
Flanders was a Dutch-speaking country that is now the northern part of Belgium. Along with The Netherlands, it was controlled by the Spanish empire for about 150 years, until popular revolt forced the Spanish out in 1714. These facts would be fairly common knowledge for European audiences in 1935; not so much now.
Anyway, Carnival in Flanders takes place in the year 1616. The government of a Flemish town named Boom learns that a Spanish duke is on his way with his army to occupy the town. The whole population is on the verge of panic. The Spanish are known as rapists and butchers, and the fear of chaos and carnage runs rampant. The burgomaster, or what we could call the mayor, played by AndrĂ© Alerme, decides to fake his own death, lying in state in the hope that the Spanish will respect the townâs official decree of mourning and leave quickly. The rest of the aldermen, and most of the men in the town, decide to lie low and basically go into hiding during the crisis. This act of mass cowardice places the responsibility for protection in the hands of the townâs women, headed by the burgomasterâs clever and resourceful wife Cornelia, played by the magnificent Françoise Rosay. Thus begins one of the most delightful film comedies ever conceived.
Part of the greatness of Carnival in Flanders is its impeccable production design. Feyderâs team created a beautiful and convincing replica of a Renaissance-era Flemish town, both in its buildings and costumes. They studied the art of the time (in fact one of the characters is a young portrait painter) and they succeeded in making the entire film look like a work by Bosschaert or Jan Breughel.
The women defend the town with the weapons of wit and charm. And this isnât just the idea of using their feminine attractions, so to speak, although that is an element here. They also employ fine manners, generosity, intelligent conversation, and subtle flattery. The Spanish duke, played by Jean Murat, is won over by Madame Cornelia, and the mayor must continue to play dead while his wife flirts with the enemy. The picture is filled with amusing incidents and plot details, in which the men appear increasingly ridiculous and the women confident and in control.
I adore this movie, in which the brave, witty women of a town triumph over the men. It's a memento of a wonderful dream that is now lost forever: that love and friendliness has the power to tame human savagery. It was banned in Belgium for insulting national manhood. Here in the U.S. it was condemned by the Legion of Decency for its free morals. We never see anything that could be referred to as indecentâthis was 1935 after allâbut just the hint of it was enough to outrage conservatives. And Nazi Germany banned it as well, for its pacifism. But despite all this, the film was a huge international hit.
Then, after World War II was over, critics attacked it for supposedly advocating collaboration. I can almost understand this too: from the jaded perspective we must now adopt after the horrors of the 20th century, the fil
Desert anemone (Anemone tuberosa) is in the Buttercup Family. Buttercups are the genus Ranuculus and the family name is Ranunculaceae. Itâs probably just me, but that is a marvelous family name to write and pronounce. Kearney and Peeblesâ Arizona Flora lists three species of Anemone (also a nice name to say no matter how you pronounce it), but I suspect one species got renamed or lumped with another and there are now only two species for Arizona. Thatâs the kind of stuff that keeps you on your toes, that is, if botany is of any interest. Anyway, desert anemone is one of the first wildflowers to bloom and to see it youâll need to head to a rocky slope above the desert floor sometime in February and thatâs where youâll find it hiding among the rocks. On our hike in the hills above Fort Bowie National Monument we also saw pointleaf manzanita blooming as it also is an early bloomer. Whoa, now you have two good reason to head for the hills!
The photos are mine and show desert anemone in the limestone on the hill above Ft. Bowie. Those are not petals on the flowers, but the sepals. The flower has petaloid sepals. Something you can say to your hiking companion to impress them. I did, but Iâm not sure it impressed. Oh, and by the way, those hills above Fort Bowie are an excellent place to see the shrubby form of sandpaper oak (Quercus pungens) growing out of the rocks. Now you know.
Sarah Lester is a senior at the University of Arizona with a major in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a minor in Biochemistry. She is originally from Illinois where she earned an Associates of Arts in Journalism before transferring to the University of Arizona. After being exposed to biology in community college, she quickly developed an interest in genetics. This drove her decision to apply to UBRP and join a lab that studies a type of genetic epilepsy, where she specifically studies how the brain reacts to seizures through mRNA. Sarah intends to apply to PhD programs to continue studying genetic disease once she completes her undergraduate studies. Outside of school, Sarah spends her time doing archery, reading, and enjoying the outdoors.
The Classic Pick of the Week for the week of February 3, 2020 - Big Audio Dynamite's 1985 debut album, This is Big Audio Dynamite, presented by KXCI DJ Gene Armstrong.
Jose Manuel Cisneros Vazquez was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on February 28, 1973. Jose is Professor at Campus North-Chapingo Autonomous University in the state of Durango. Currently, is Pursuing a Ph.D. in Natural Resources at the University of Arizona. He is interested in research to improve arid lands through geographical information systems, and watershed management. His hobbies include listen music, running and watch Netflix series.
This is the first Episode of 2020 with Salina Barajas, owner and curator of the Mi Reina Mobile Boutique. Selina share's her journey and the experiences that helped her fulfill a dream that has brought a unique vibe to South Chukson (Tucson). While raising her two daughters, Sofia Luna and Mia Sol, she has dedicated time to building, creating, and supporting her community. With the help of family and friends Selina's vision has come to life and is now as mobile as it can be. "Mi Reina" was an expression her nana Erlinda would refer to her and other grand-daughters. Through her definition of what the phrase means to her, Selina says, "Reina translates to much more than physical beauty, but strength, wisdom, empathy and compassion. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by women who carry these traits and honor them." Maybe you've seen the mobile boutique throughout the city of Tucson, and if you haven't then youâll definitely want to listen closely to how the story goes. Thank you for tuning in!
[caption id="attachment_62347" align="aligncenter" width="401"] Photo by: Rescophotography[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_62349" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Graphic design by: Tina Andrew[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_62333" align="alignnone" width="620"] Lisa Bowden and the child who made her a mother[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_62334" align="alignnone" width="465"] Notes from the Motherfield Live[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_62335" align="alignnone" width="620"] Notes from the Motherfield Live[/caption]
In this episode, we hear from Lisa Bowden, Executive Director of Kore Press Institute, who speaks at length about the storytelling series, Notes from the Motherfield Live (the next performance being March 6). Lisa talks about curating each six-woman panel of radical, truth-telling mothers and what a powerful experience it for the story tellers, and also for the audience. We talk about the intentional decision to take the stories from the page to the stage, the importance of the venue--the Jewish History Museum--as an intimate space of anti-oppression (seating only 100 people at a time), and the power of deep listening. Lisa also shares a few descriptions of the kinds of motherhood stories one might hope to hear, including a fierce tale of self-decolonization from Lane Santa Cruz, who currently serves as Ward 1's Councilperson, among other things. We refer briefly to Kore Press Instituteâs mission and history, including the book Letters to the Future: Black WOMEN / Radical WRITING, and assert opinions about where feminisms in the United States are now and where they need to go.
Listen to the full-length podcast by hitting play above (link to the mini below)!
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Chris Dashiell talks about his favorites among the films he saw in 2019.
Thinking back on 2019, preparing to put together a list of my favorite films from last year, I was struck more than ever by how my movie experiences were determined by the realities of film distribution. Reading other criticsâ end of year pieces, I noticed many films on their lists that never played in my city, many that have not yet been released on DVD or streaming platforms, or perhaps never will be. The amount of money behind a film helps determine whether or not you have a chance to see it, and even whether or not youâll hear about it. So with a nod to all the films I didnât or couldnât see, and a fervent wish for a broader and more inclusive world of distribution in the art form that I love, here are my favorites among the films I did see in 2019.
A Hidden Life (Terrence Malick).
Malick is a filmmaker with a unique style that combines subjective voice-over with lyrical visual editing. In recent years he has seemed stuck within this style, without a compelling theme or story grounding it. But in his latest film he has found an important story, that of an Austrian farmer in the 1930s and 40s who refused to say the loyalty oath to Hitler, or to fight in Hitlerâs war. Perhaps what moved me most was the idea of a single individual saying âNoâ to evil despite the opposition of society and government against him, and especially saying âNoâ even though, as people in the film point out to him, his action will have no effect on the war, which will go on anyway, and whatever punishment he suffers for it will go largely unnoticed. Malick puts a laser focus on the loneliness of conscience and affliction, and his gorgeous shots of the natural world create a tremendous contrast between the spirituality he identifies with nature and the horrors being perpetrated by human beings on one another. August Diehl is riveting as the main character, and Valerie Pachner is unforgettable as his wife, who struggles to understand what her husband is doing, yet doesnât waver in her love. This is a shattering film, and one that I think is particularly relevant for today.
Parasite (Bong Joon-ho).
This is one of the most cleverly constructed film narratives in recent years, and one of the funniest and most exciting as well. The story concerns a familyâfather, mother, daughter and sonâthat live on the bottom rung of society, but seek to escape poverty by scamming a wealthy family that the son happens to meet. Bong takes us on a roller coaster ride from edgy comedy to horror to satire, each step of the way dramatizing how class, the wide gap between rich and poor, is a social condition that invites chaos and insanity. Even though theyâre grifters, the poor family is not evil, and even though the rich family is privileged and clueless, theyâre not evil either. Itâs the social order itself that is the problem, the parasite, and every detail of the film has a double or triple meaning in this respect. Even a brilliant sequence in which the poor family has their basement slum apartment ruined by a flash flood canât help but bring climate change to mind. But Parasiteis much more than a political allegory. Whatâs left when the dust settles are broken dreams and relationships, as beautifully presented in the filmâs understated ending.
Mrs. Green reflects on how she's doing in being a friend to this great planet of ours. She asks you to think about your own walk in being a good steward for the planet and offers suggestions on what we can all do to make our world a better place.
Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger.
To hear more information about sustainable, healthy, and socially just living â listen to our podcasts at www.mrsgreensworld.com.
Tanque Verde Wash and Chivo Falls have plenty of water flowing in January 2020.
An unnamed side wash.
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My name is Jeremy Anderson, although I go by Jerry, and I'm an undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. I was born in Tucson, and I've always been interested in the brain and how it can be studied from an engineering standpoint, which is why I did my internship with the Undergraduate Biology Research Program in the lab of Dr. Jean-Marc Fellous, where research into the hippocampus and spatial navigation is being conducted. Aside from science and engineering, I enjoy making art and music (especially jazz), as well as hiking around Tucson's beautiful landscapes with my friends and family.
My ApsĂĄalooke name is IichiinmaaĂĄatchilash - Fortunate with Horses and my English name is JoRee LaFrance. I come from the ApsĂĄalooke (Crow) nation and from the Greasy Mouth clan and I am a child of Ties in the Bundle clan. I was born in Crow Agency, MT and was raised in Wyola, MT in the Mighty Few district. My parents are Lissa Whiteclay and Andre LaFrance. On my maternal side of the family, I am a Whiteclay, Tobacco, Horn and Bear Claw. On my paternal side, I come from the LaFrance, Knows His Gun, Good Eagle, and Spang families. My full last name is White Clay On The Forehead and it comes from my great-great-great grandpa who used white clay as his medicine when he went to battle. I am the 7th generation of Chief Pretty Eagle, the last principal chief of the ApsĂĄalooke Nation and one of the first five ApsĂĄalooke delegation members to travel to Washington, D.C. I graduated in June 2017 from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Earth Sciences and Native American Studies. I currently reside in Tucson, AZ where I expect to complete my PhD in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona.
Picture 1: Professional headshot (PC: Sings In The Timber Photography).
Picture 2: Photo taken in the Ewing Laboratory at Montana State University - Bozeman (PC: Dr. Stephanie Ewing).
Picture 3: Photo taken during the parade at my tribe's annual celebration, Crow Fair, in 2019. (PC: Tony Manolis Photography).
Tells the true story of a death row inmate, played by Jamie Foxx, who fights his unjust conviction with the help of a young lawyer played by Michael B. Jordan.
Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer, an African American, who founded the Equal Justice Initiative in 1989. The EJI provides legal assistance to prisoners on death row. Stevensonâs career expanded over the years to include involvement in a lot of civil and human rights issues. In 2014 he published a memoir that achieved considerable acclaim, âJust Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.â Although the book profiles Stevensonâs early life and career in general, it focuses on one case in particular that he took on, that of Walter McMillian, a black pulp wood worker in Alabama who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1988. Now the story has been made into a film. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, itâs called Just Mercy.
The film opens with McMillian, whose nickname for some unexplained reason is âJohnny D.,â getting stopped by police as he is driving home from work in June of 1987. Right away, we see how he puts his hands over the steering wheel to show that he is unarmed, and how carefully and fearfully he weighs his words when asked questions by the officer shining a flashlight on him. After being ordered out of the car with his hands up, he learns that heâs been arrested for the murder of an 18-year-old white woman seven months earlier. Johnny D. is played by Jamie Foxx, and itâs Foxxâs alert and passionate performance that centers the film.
The movie now introduces us to the young lawyer Bryan Stevenson, played by Michael B. Jordan. A Delaware native and Harvard Law School graduate, Stevenson decides to go to Alabama to work with death row inmates rather than take the possibly lucrative career that is open to him. Thereâs a scene where his worrying mother pleads with him to be careful. Itâs the 1980s, but itâs still dangerous for a black man to fight for justice in the South. What we donât learn in the film is that Stevenson was awarded a MacArthur grant to help him do this vital work. In any case, he comes to Montgomery only to find that the person who volunteered to help him, Eva Ansley (played by Brie Larson) got the office she had rented pulled away from her when the owner found out what it was going to be used for. Eventually they set up shop somewhere else, and Stevenson gets down to his work at the state prison.
When he reads up on McMillianâs case, he realizes that the evidence was incredibly flimsy. Everything rested on one witness, a felon telling an improbable story in order to get a better deal; while at the same time there are several witnesses confirming McMillianâs alibi, witnesses who were ignored by a police chief and a D.A. anxious to get a conviction in a case, the murder of this young woman, that prompted a lot of rage in the community. Stevenson decides to work towards getting a retrial, and although he knows it wonât be easy, it still ends up being a lot more difficult than he had anticipated.
Michael B. Jordan has become a star in a pretty short time, and in this movie he has a strong, solid presence, playing someone who lives by a simple faith that justice must be served, no matter what. Brie Larson is also fine as his sidekick. Two of the supporting actors are very impressive. Rob Morgan plays another death row inmate who has PTSD from his time in Vietnam. This manâs agony over his own actionsâhe did kill someoneâand the nightmares and self-doubt that he canât escape, really packs a punch here. Tim Blake Nelson is also on hand as the white man whose testimony convicted McMillian. Heâs mentally unstable, and comes off at first as a contemptuous low-life, but then Nelson and the screenplay invest the character with unexpected nuance. Most of all, tho
The Classic Pick of the Week for the week of January 27th, 2020 - They Might Be Giants 1990 debut album, Flood.
Whenever I do of my âpictures and storiesâ presentations I always show some photos of our chickens, followed by photos of some of the wildlife theyâve attracted over the last twenty-five plus years. âIf you want to attract wildlife to your yard, just get yourself some chickens,â I say to the audience.
The four species of skunks found in Arizona are also found throughout North America and are in the family Mephitidae. The hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) comes in a couple different color schemes from an all white back to an all black back with a couple narrow white stripes down its sides. We got the latter. Yay!
I canât prove that I caught the rascal that killed our chicken. We have the striped skunk and hog nosed skunk around our place too (the hog nosed is an unlikely culprit, as itâs too busy turning our garden over) and maybe this hooded skunk just broke in for the yummy cat food bait. One thing is for sure; after twenty-five years itâs time to re-secure the chicken coop and yard!
The photo is of a page in my oldâŠvery old⊠1959 edition Peterson, Field Guide to the Mammals. I donât know why I didnât get a photo as the skunk was leaving me in a foul mistâŠ
Tucson Second Chance Community Bail Fund Executive Director Lola Rainey is an attorney, poet, writer, and activist. She discussed TSCCBF's work to address the disproportionate impact of the cash bail system on communities of color and vulnerable populations in Pima County.
TSCCBF is a black woman lead, abolitionist, grassroots organization working to help restore economic justice and dignity to people by helping them return home, keep their jobs, retain custody of their children and fight their cases in court. The Fund is an outgrowth of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Tucsonâs May 2017 âMama Bailout Campaignâ to help bail out mothers. Many people in jail have not been found guilty or sentenced and yet remain incarcerated because they are unable to make bail.
In a December 27, 2019 press release they claim that two recent jail deaths from excessive force encounters with correctional officers are linked to corruption, racism and a culture of violence in the Pima County Sheriffâs Department. âThe community must reset its moral compass by demanding greater transparency and accountability from Sheriff Napier.â
They recently hosted a training with Tucson Standing Up For Racial Justice about risk assessment tools (RATs) and the pre-trial safety assessments (PSAs). They plan to roll out multiple campaigns over the coming months to address what they see as the problematic use of these âtoolsâ and to further their ongoing fight to end pre-trial detention in Pima County.
Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger.
Looking for a route into a canyon that seems inaccessible, can turn into a good day no matter what.
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Adam Sandler is excellent as a New York gem dealer in trouble for gambling debts in this high octane drama from Josh and Bennie Safdie.
I became a fan of the Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, after I saw their previous film from a couple years ago, Good Time, which I reviewed on this show. Good Time covered a day or two in the life of a manic, risk-taking criminal played by Robert Pattinson. That was a propulsion rocket of a film in which each crazy predicament seemed to outdo the last one. The Safdie brothers write and direct their pictures together with screenwriting and editing help from their friend Ronald Bronstein. Their new film is called Uncut Gems, and its style and energy are similar to Good Time, but more so. Much more so.
Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a gem dealer in the famed Diamond District of Manhattan. Howard is always on the move, always trying to make the next deal, while at the same time always trying to get out of whatever scrape heâs gotten himself into. Heâs a gambling addict, making bets on basketball games with a recklessness that is pretty close to being deranged. Married with three kids, his wife his fed up with his antics and wants a divorce. He lives in a separate apartment with his much younger lover (and employee) Julia, played by Julia Fox.
The plot gets rolling when Howard buys an uncut Ethiopian black opal, a stone which contains brilliant differently colored gleaming gems on its surface. Boston Celtics basketball star Kevin Garnettâplaying himself, and quite well, I might addâvisits Howardâs shop and wants the opal, but Howard has committed it to a big auction dealer. Garnett pleads with him and then Howard unwisely lets him borrow the stone for a few days, holding his championship ring as collateral, which he then goes and pawns for money to bet on the next Celtics game. Meanwhile he owes a lot of money to a guy named Arno, played by a weary-looking Eric Bogosian, who has hired a couple of thugs to get the money back from Howard through threats and violence. Later in the film, at a Passover celebration at Howardâs family home, we are surprised to see Arno in attendance. Apparently heâs an in-law. Now, the plot description doesnât do justice to this filmâs relentless rhythm, as Sandlerâs character scrambles through one tense scene after another in pursuit of the big score, almost always talking on his cell phone, while trying to avoid his enemies.
Iâve heard that some folks who donât read film reviewsâand I realize many people donâtâhave gone to this movie expecting a typical Adam Sandler film, and ended up walking out. This is not a comedy. Now, once in awhile Sandler has tried doing something different than usual, such as, for example, Punch-Drunk Love or even Spanglish, and this one is played absolutely straight, although thereâs a grim sense of humor at times if you pay attention. In any case, itâs excellent work by Sandler.
Howard is a maniacally driven individual, liable to lash out or do self-destructive things when he wants what he wants now, and Sandlerâs intense, crouching presence really draws you in. The film is practically designed to raise your blood pressure, with not very much down time in between scenes of yelling and arguing, overlapping dialogue, intermittent fear, violence and bullying, all the while accompanied by Daniel Lopatinâs pulsating musical score.
The Safdies are very interested in urban Jewish life, and especially in restless and ambitious Jewish people, driven by neurosis and dissatisfaction, and they really capture that feeling in this film. Howard, and the film, seems always poised just on the edge of disaster, and the audience feels that something terrible could happen at any moment. This suspense reaches it
Nikki Tulley is a member of the Navajo Nation. She is a second year Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental Science with a concentration in Hydroscience at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on ensuring that people living in Indigenous communities have access to clean drinking water to sustain their way of life in an ever-changing environment through sustainable practices, and water policies and management. She is an Alfred P. Sloan 2018-2019 Scholar, American Indian Graduate Center Fellow, and an American Indian Science and Engineering Society Sequoyah Fellow. Nikki received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Science in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico. She holds a deep passion for mentoring students living in underserved underrepresented American Indian and rural communities through STEM education. Nikki continuously works to support the enhancement of STEM understanding amongst American Indian communities and students.
The 31st Annual Undergraduate Biology Research Program Conference will take place on Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 10:00am to 3:00pm in the Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building (1064 E. Lowell Street) on the University of Arizona main campus.
Join us for a keynote talk by Oscar Serrano, MD from 10:00am â 11:00am. From 11:00am â 2:00pm, explore studentsâ research posters, the Symbiosis art exhibit, science outreach activities for the whole family, and enjoy refreshments. Awards and closing remarks will be given from 2:00pm â 3:00pm.
The Annual UBRP Conference is free and open to all interested!