Cade Gallery Brings Art and Arcade Games to Downtown Phoenix

On March 4, a new gallery will open in the old anti_space location on Fourth Street and McKinley in downtown Phoenix. Like other galleries in the area, Cade Gallery will exhibit a variety of artwork, but (nerd alert) it’s also an old school, mini-arcade, so customers can kill space bugs…

Pita House

If you’re not sure how to get to Pita House, do not use Google for directions. Google tells you to head north on Drinkwater and make a right onto First Avenue, which is impossible, because at that spot, First Avenue is restricted by an iron gate. We stupidly parked in…

Governor Jan Brewer Signs Arizona Spice Ban Bill Today

The party’s pretty much over for spice lovers in Arizona. Today, Governor Jan Brewer signs House Bill 2167 into law. Introduced by Arizona State Representative Amanda Reeve (R) in January, House Bill 2167 bans ten chemical compounds commonly used in spice blends. Before getting to Brewer’s desk, the bill passed…

Gardening on the Moon

Anybody who’s ever tried to grow anything in our desert soil is familiar with the green-thumbed frustrations of bulging water bills or running into caliche while digging. Local blogger Jeffrey Ross gets it, and his blog, Gardening on the Moon, dishes helpful tips that are tailored to our desert environment.For…

Seattle’s Best Iced Latte

Remember when Starbucks’ Frappuccinos were all the rage? Well, there’s long been another version on the market, made by another company headquartered in Seattle called Seattle’s Best. And while we prefer to go with Starbucks for the hot coffee that we make at home, Seattle’s Best might have the winning…

The Mystery Castle

There’s not much mystery behind the Mystery Castle near South Mountain, but there is a great story behind this sprawling, quirky house.Construction on the castle started in 1929, when the builder, Boyce Luther Gulley, drove to Phoenix from Seattle in a Stutz Bearcat. He’d been diagnosed with tuberculosis, and, figuring…

The DEA Media Roundtable on Synthetic Drugs in Spice and Bath Salts

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration hosted a media roundtable on synthetic drugs this morning. DEA Special Agent Gary Boggs discussed synthetic cannabanoids (commonly found in “herbal incense” like spice) and newer products being sold as “bath salts” that generally contain synthetic compounds said to produce effects similar to meth…

Midori’s Performance Art: The Best Part of Fetish Revolution 11

Fetish Revolution 11 took over the Venue Scottsdale on Saturday, February 12, and to many of the thousand-plus people in attendance, the most exciting performances were flesh-hook acrobatics by local group Life Suspended.But for us, the most exciting performance — and by far the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen…

Rejuvenizer

The phrase “herbal carbonated drink” makes us think of fizzy dirt tea, so when we saw it on the label for Rejuvenizer, we were reluctant to try it. The fact that the green tea/cranberry flavored Rejuvenizer is a dark purple color didn’t help (we have a history of falling down…

Riverpoint Solar Research Park

When you’re driving along the I-10 East toward the Broadway curve, you may see a giant dish off to the side of the freeway, pointed at the sky. The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates that approximately 239,000 vehicles pass by this dish every day, yet most people have no clue…

Federal Spice Ban Not Yet in Effect, Says DEA

Contrary to the announcement made last November that five chemicals commonly used in spice would be temporarily banned by December 24, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration is now stating that the ban is not in effect.DEA spokesperson Barbara Carreno told media that the emergency ban had to be revised…

Lost Phoenix

Note: This blog has been updated with information since its initial publication.Marshall Shore is from New York, but you’d hardly guess that based on how much he knows and loves about Phoenix. Shore’s blog, Lost Phoenix, highlights historical places and events that helped shape the culture of the Valley, but…

Arizona Legislators Working to Ban More Spice Chemicals

Last Thursday, the Arizona House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to pass House Bill 2167, which would expand the definition of dangerous drugs to include ten chemicals commonly used in “herbal incense,” also known as “spice” and “synthetic marijuana.”This news comes more than a month after the federal Drug Enforcement Administration…