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Bloc Party's Back and Refreshed After a Two-Year Break

Bloc Party is back, and the post-punk outfit is Tempe bound. Hailing from London, the band is closing out its 2012 comeback tour here in the Valley. The buzz kings benefited from the early 2000s "rock is back" craze, but it stuck around, outlasting the hype and incorporating soul, post-rock, and p ... More >>

Dia de los Muertos Eats: Pan de Muerto and Calaveras de Azucar

Flickr- Alex BarthColorful sugar skulls decorated with royal icing, tin foil, beads, and other decorative touches.​Tacos may very well be the perfect food, but let's face it, the standard Meximerican fare can get a bit stale after a while. Taco the Town is here to highlight some of the more unusua ... More >>

Huitlacoche Crepes from Los Sombreros

Wikimedia- Cuauhtemoc F Ramirez AHuitlacoche tacos, the black gold of Mexican cuisine. ​Tacos may very well be the perfect food, but let's face it, the standard Meximerican fare can get a bit stale after a while. Taco the Town is here to highlight some of the more unusual Mexican finds in the Vall ... More >>

Mary Melton at P.F. Chang's China Bistro

​The tender: Mary Melton The bar: P.F. Chang's China Bistro (multiple locations) The pedigree: Melton found her first bartending job post-college, at an airport in Kansas City. After working her way around several bars and restaurants in that city, she moved to San Diego, where she ventured into r ... More >>

A Guide to Fresh Mexican Cheese and the Dishes to Top with It

Wikimedia Commons Fresh queso fresco, ready to use in a variety of Mexican dishes.​Tacos may very well be the perfect food, but let's face it, the standard Meximerican fare can get a bit stale after a while. Taco the Town is here to highlight some of the more unusual Mexican finds in the va ... More >>

Ten Strange Names Rock Stars Gave Their Kids

Wikimedia CommonsMama, don't let your babies grow up to be Bronxes -- or Diezels or Moon Units.​On Monday night, singer Jewel and her husband, Ty Murray, had their first child, a boy they named Kase Townes Murray. And while "Kase Townes" isn't that bizarre of a name, it's not as traditional as say ... More >>

Cabeza y Lengua Mixta: Head and Tongue Tacos

Erica O'Neil A trio of tacos, packed with beefy head meat, and accented by grilled onions and jalapenos. ​Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there's more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompas ... More >>

Dos Ranchitos Pork Cracklins: Fried Backfat

Erica O'Neil A crispy mound of Dos Ranchitos pork cracklins. ​Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there's more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles that don't make ... More >>

Ikura Nigiri: Fish Eggs from Kanpai Sushi

Erica O'Neil A jewel-tone duo of fish eggs, ikura nigiri from Kanpai Sushi.​Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there's more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles th ... More >>

Thousand-Year-Old Egg: Preserved Duck Eggs from Gourmet House of Hong Kong

Erica O'NeilWhite and yolk from a preserved duck egg, congee-style from the Gourmet House of Hong Kong. ​Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there's more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all ... More >>

Stuck at My Desk: Lean Cuisine Ginger Garlic Stir Fry

​What We Ate: Lean Cuisine Ginger Garlic Stir Fry with Chicken Chicken, whole wheat pasta, veggies, sauce The Facts: 280 calories, 4g fat, 550g sodium Why This One: We were feeling a little overloaded on the Italian and needed to mix it up a little with some Asian cuisine. This one looke ... More >>

Wink White Zinfandel

Erica O'Neil Wink white zinfandel, complete with a cutesy little label. ​Anyone who has searched the couch cushions for a handful of change knows that boozing on an extreme budget can be a risky proposition. To help you decide how to spend that meager pile of pennies, we've scraped the Bott ... More >>

Pig Skin: Chicharrones from Huauchinango Mexican Grill

Erica O'Neil Chicharrones quesadillas surrounded by tomatillo salsa.​Despite what the supermarket aisles may lead you to believe, there's more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles that don ... More >>

Hot Links: Exploding Boat, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Poop

​A Lake Havasu City man was injured after his boat exploded and threw him onto the dock. James Tucker, 65, suffered back pain and was taken to Laka Havasu City Regional Medical Center. The explosion is under investigation...The Deer Valley Unified School District will lay off 69 teachers, mostly k ... More >>

Hot Links: Fire Departments, Labor Disputes, and Shootings

​A fire broke out at the Boeing plant in Mesa early this morning. The fire, believed to be caused by a generator, was quickly contained by firefighters and a sprinkler system. No injuries were reported...The Phoenix Fire Department may be cutting some programs to avoid laying off firefighters. The ... More >>

Hot Links: Strikes, Mesa Schools, and IRS Checks

​Nearly 20,000 workers at Valley Fry's and Safeway grocery stores could go on strike if a contract deal between the companies and workers' union is not reached by 6 p.m. next Friday. Spokesmen for the grocery chains say the companies have tried to negotiate a fair deal, and plan to hire tempo ... More >>

Hot Links: Mesa Museums, Carpool Lanes, and Miss Homeless

​The Mesa Historical Museum will close early next year because of lack of revenue and city funding. The museum's exhibits will be moved to other places, including the Arizona Museum for Youth, where the exhibit "Play Ball: The Cactus League Experience" will be moved...An illegal immigrant who was ... More >>

Dissing in Action

Pop-punkers overcome the critics with snarky/fun tunes

Graffiti Artists in Tempe to be Identified by Their Work With New Computer Program

Image: Wikimedia Commons​ You're a graffiti artist who takes pride in his work -- your stuff is really unique. And that's why Tempe police are going to catch you. (Or so cops think, anyway). Police in the college town plan to launch new computer software that is slated to help officers in the ... More >>

Liberian Rape Case: Republic Claims English Language Differences "May Have" Skewed Police Investigation

Image: Wikimedia Commons​ Newspaper articles that contain the word "may" in the nutgraph, the "what's this article about" paragraph, should often be considered suspect from the start. It's a J-school basic, and it makes sense. After all, the casual reader can easily turn that into an equally a ... More >>

Hot Links: Tent City's Birthday, Party Crews, and Taser Sales

​Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will celebrate the 16th anniversary of Tent City today. The planned fete includes a hot dog barbecue and an ice cream social for inmates. Arpaio says the 1,000 hot dogs and the ice cream were donated...Police arrested 48 people at a house party near 32nd avenue ... More >>

Hot Links: Teachers at Capitol, Bodies on Lawns, and Taggers

​The number of illegal immigrants in Arizona has dropped by a third in the past two years, according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies. Arizona had the largest decline of any state, thanks in part to a tough job market and stricter immigration laws and policies...Dozens of Valley te ... More >>

Hot Links: Coyotes, Dogs in Heat, and Dead Sharks in the Road

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled yesterday that the city of Glendale must reveal records by Friday that show what incentives it's offering to a new owner of the Phoenix Coyotes ice hockey team. Among the potential team buyers are Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and Daryl Jones o ... More >>

Hot Links: Monsoons, ADOT's Outsourced PR, and 'Racinos'

The monsoons have finally arrived in the Valley. After a series of thunderstorms Monday night, the city saw more storms early this morning. Although temperatures in the Valley are expected to be around 108 the next several days, the Weather Service says the chance for thunderstorms will continue int ... More >>

Hot Links: Dr. Drugs, Brewer's Big Bills, and Voodoo

A medical doctor in Kingman has been charged with 14 felony counts, after an investigation revealed he regularly wrote up to as many as 100 prescriptions a day at his practice, for painkillers such as Percocet and Oxycontin. The doctor, Albert Szu Sun Yeh, also has a practice in Las Vegas, and was o ... More >>

Happy Campers and Hikers: State Parks Open After Employees Told to Report to Work Despite Lack of Budget

Image: Wikimedia Commons The state parks department sent out the following news release this morning, announcing that "closed" signs were being taken down at state parks. The Arizona Republic's Casey Newton reports that some campers had already been evicted as a state government shutdown loomed. But ... More >>

Hot Links: Suns Draft, 'Joe Sucks,' and Cheeto Violence

At least four students were arrested Wednesday at Canyon State Academy, a charter school in Queen Creek. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office report, 11 students were arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault after a fight broke out between students and faculty...The Phoenix Suns sele ... More >>

Hot Links: Shaq Packs, Doc Prescribes, and Cows Burp

ASU basketball player James Harden worked out for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Harden, the PAC-10 Player of the Year, is expected to be among the top five picks in tonight's NBA draft...the Phoenix Suns traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers the day before the draft. In ... More >>

Hot Links: County Suits, Lil Wayne, and the Asparagus Tribe

An analysis released Monday by the Office of Management and Budget shows that legal disputes between Maricopa county officials cost taxpayers about $1.1. million in fees. In the past year, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, County Treasurer Charles Hoskins, and the Board ... More >>

Hot Links: Home Invasions, Sarah Palin, and Oprah Winfrey

Incoming Arizona Board of Regents president Ernest Calderon is proposing a plan that would cut the cost of four-year degrees. The proposal would allow students to attend community college for three years, and then an Arizona university their final year...A Mesa woman reportedly shot two home inv ... More >>

Hot Links: 944 Sued, DMX Back in Phx, and Burger King Baloney

The California promoters behind the 944 Super Village Super Bowl party in Scottsdale have filed a lawsuit against the magazine, alleging 944's executives hijacked the event to promote their magazine and lost close to $1 million...84 students from Gilbert high school have been denied registration to ... More >>

Hot Links: Disabled Services, Jim Balsillie, and a Butt Stunt

Despite a lawsuit on behalf of the developmentally disabled that challenges a January budget-balancing law, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to review a Court of Appeals ruling that would allow budget cuts in services for disabled people. Among the services that can be cut are various forms of the ... More >>

Hot Links: Phoenix Mercury, Native Remains, and Anna Nicole Smith

In a sports team precedent, WNBA team the Phoenix Mercury accepted a sponsorship deal with identity theft protection company LifeLock. According to reports, the word "LifeLock" will replace "Mercury" and "Phoenix" on the team's jerseys...Another alleged UFO over Valley skies has been explained as so ... More >>

Hot Links: Lincoln Letter, Pounds of Pot, and Shocking Monkeys

A 22 year-old Tuscon woman has been charged in the death of a Tuscon police officer. The woman, Lluvia Alejandra Dominguez, was cited for failure to yield after hitting officer Peter Mannino while he was on his way home from a shift...Scottsdale resident Lawrence Cutler has donated a letter written ... More >>

It's Raining Cats -- and Animal Shelters Need You to Adopt One or Two

Image: Wikimedia Commons Maricopa County Animal Care and Control wants you to a adopt a "desperate housecat." Or maybe even two.Last year, the number of stray cats taken in by the county tripled once summer began. They literally took in thousands of cats for which they didn't have room -- and you kn ... More >>

Hot Links: Phoenix Coyotes, Bus Vandals, and Star Trek

Republican legislative leaders will bring a budget proposal to an Appropriations Committee in the state Senate today. The proposal includes privatizing three prisons, and cutting $220 million from K-12 funding. Not included in the proposal is the tax increase governor Jan Brewer was pushing for...Af ... More >>

Swine or Not, Flu Outbreak at Phoenix Grade School Prompts Closure

Image: Wikimedia CommonsLowell Elementary School in Phoenix has been close by health officials until May 26 because of an outbreak of "influenza like illness."Swine flu could be the cause, but no tests are planned. The virus, officials have decided, has a weak punch. Still, "as a precaution," Lowell ... More >>

Hot Links: Fire Bans, Plane Crashes, and Gun Rights

Starting today, the city of Phoenix has instituted a fire ban at city parks. Charcoal, wood, and open fires are not allowed in mountain preserves, and smoking outside vehicles is prohibited. However, propane and gas grills may be used in designated areas...A Valley homeless man named Greyson Malzac ... More >>

Close Shave: Barber Shop Shooting in Mesa Wounds Two; Police Seek Suspect

Image: Wikimedia Commons It was a close shave for two people shot and wounded last night in Mesa barber shop. Cops say a guy walked into Horacio Styles, 724 E. University, just after 9 p.m. -- when the shop usually closes. He "exchanged words with employees and customers." Then he pulled out a handg ... More >>

Hot Links: Priest Booted, Coyotes Broke, Teen Tased

Police in Mesa are investigating what the East Valley Tribune's calling the city's first homicide of the year. The victim, Rick Glum, was stabbed to death in a West Mesa neighborhood . A motorist found Glum's body Sunday morning...Catholic priest Chris Carpenter has been excommunicated from the ... More >>

Hot Links: Terry Goddard, the NRA, and Julio Cesar Chavez

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard's home in downtown Phoenix caught fire about 5 a.m. Tuesday morning. No one was injured and the home was not damaged, but the garage burned. Investigators are trying to uncover the cause of the fire...Officials for the Phoenix Convention Center have asked the s ... More >>

Swine Flu Arizona: Maricopa has 11 Confirmed Cases and 100 Suspected; Schools to Remain Open

Image: Wikimedia CommonsThe state Department of Health Services released a slew of news releases this evening about swine flu. Here are the highlights:*Maricopa County -- Eleven new cases, bringing the total to 20. One hundred more suspected swine flu samples have been sent to the Centers for ... More >>

Hot Links: Wet 'n' Wild, PETA, and Gamma Ray Bursts

The largest water park in the state, Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix, is scheduled to open in mid-June. The $30 million, 35-acre park includes 30 slides and a coaster called Maximum Velocity. The park replaces the WaterWorld Safari park in north Phoenix...In Tucson, Reina Irene Gonzales was sentenced to tw ... More >>

Hot Links: Electric Cars, Bat Mass Murder, and the Cardinals

The Maricopa Association of Governments plans to announce a partnership with Nissan and a Scottsdale-based company called Ecotality Inc. to create charging stations in the Valley for electric and hybrid vehicles. Nissan wants to bring 1000 electric vehicles to Phoenix, and Ecotality Inc. said tax in ... More >>

Hot Links: Marijuana Framed, Canines Cooled, Suspect Shot

The Mesa Unified School District plans to lay off 210 teachers today. The cuts do not include personnel with one-year contracts who may not be hired back anyway. A district spokesperson says the cuts will save the school district "30 to 60 million dolllars"...Rawhide Western Town will get new manage ... More >>

The Mexican Clears Up Some Canadian-Held Misconceptions

Flying Fish

Finning their way to the Finish Line

Living Legened

Andrew Thomas, Maricopa County's top prosecutor, burnishes his . . . Wikipedia page?