Opinion

Tucson Taco Madness: A fiery battle of taco powerhouses
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: A fiery battle of taco powerhouses

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Mexico City is the Washington, D.C., of Mexico. It is also a standalone district outside of the other states, and it’s the capital of the country.  Perhaps equally important, it is arguably the home of the best al pastor tacos.  It is a taco rooted in history and cultural heritage. Its original conception was introduced by Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Mexico. It was a remix of a homeland dish — with the traditional anatomy substituted with ingredients found in the region. Pita bread was switched for a corn tortilla and lamb for pork. The meat was seasoned with chiles and spices from the region, and voila … the al pastor taco, as we know it today, was born. An al pastor taco is made with cuts of layered and seasoned pork m...
Tucson Taco Madness: The battle between goats and porks
Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: The battle between goats and porks

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post The state of Jalisco has given the world tequila and mariachi, but equally as artful of a cultural contribution — is birria. Birria has a rustic origin, has a rich tradition and is known for its versatility.  You can enjoy it as a broth with a birria taco on the side. As a taco with broth on the side for dipping … or as a straight up taco. People eat birria for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And with beers, the day after some beers or in family gatherings. Nearby states of Jalisco are known to have mastered the craft of making birria, but one of them is the state known for their carnitas. Michoacan gave birth to this beautiful incarnation of pork — it is tender on the inside and crisped to golden perfection on the outside.  Car...
Let’s put the worst behind us, and prepare for whatever comes next on COVID-19
Opinion

Let’s put the worst behind us, and prepare for whatever comes next on COVID-19

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. (CDC) By Diane E. BrownArizona PIRG Education Fund With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rapidly declining, we’ve got a real shot at putting the worst of this pandemic behind us, but only if more people get vaccinated.   Health experts agree, this virus isn’t done with us yet. It will continue to spread and mutate, and there’s no guarantee that the next variant won’t be more deadly. Vaccination continues to be the best tool we have to protect ourselves, our community, and to get back to seeing friends and family safely. If you’re young and healthy, the odds that you’ll get severely sick or even die from COVID-19 are low, but ...
Tucson Taco Madness: A grilling duel in the Sonoran desert
Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: A grilling duel in the Sonoran desert

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Carne asada is not just another menu item in the Mexican state of Sonora. It is a tradition and a symbol of cultural pride. Sonora is mainly a livestock farming and agricultural state. It's a state known for its top-quality beef — and consequently — its carne asada. People have their grilling technique and taco construction philosophy that's passed from generation to generation or friendship to friendship. Although, two cardinal rules are followed by every Sonoran and perfected by some to become oracle-level “taqueros.” The meat (diezmillo or arrachera) should only be salted and not marinated. Marinating is frowned upon and is the mark of a lack of carne asada expertise.Carne asada tacos are to be made with flour tortillas, full stop. ...
A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “Strawberry Mansion”Directed by: Kentucker Audley and Albert BirneyRating: RRun time: 1 hour, 31 minutes “Strawberry Mansion” is a sci-fi romantic comedy set in 2035. It’s a future where our dreams are taxed and recorded on iPad-like devices hooked to beds. The movie isn’t as dystopian as it seems, though. It is a hazy and whimsical story about a tax auditor that is tasked with going over the dreams of an eccentric older woman for dream auditing. Upon finding out that she didn’t switch over to the new technology, and all her dreams are in VHS tapes, our protagonist has to stay longer than he anticipated to complete the job.  Of course, hijinks and a time-traveling romance ensue. When I saw the trailer, I was excited to see this movi...
2022 Tucson Taco Tournament
Culture, Food, Opinion, Reviews

2022 Tucson Taco Tournament

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post In 2015, Tucson became the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the United States, a distinction shared by only 36 cities in the world.  Tucson is famous for its unique multicultural food scene, particularly for its rich Mexican cuisine. In the very true and eloquent words of the late Anthony Bourdain: “I should remind you that Mexico is not homogenous. When you say ‘Mexican’ food to a Mexican, you haven’t really said anything at all. There are 32 distinct states, the food changes from region to region.” One universal staple, however, is the taco (seriously, there’s even a Netflix docuseries about it called “Taco Chronicles”). And the taco landscape in Tucson is one of the best in the country. Local chefs who specialize in tacos have app...
An NBA check-in: the Western Conference Edition
Opinion, Sports

An NBA check-in: the Western Conference Edition

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post A couple of days ago, the NBA’s reigning MVP Nikola Jokić, continued his unprecedented play with a historic game log and a win to keep his team securely in the playoffs, even without his best two teammates. Then on Sunday, Jayson Tatum — one of the best young stars in the league — had a career performance and his Boston Celtics remain the best Net Rating team since the All-star break. Still, the collective basketball media world chose to focus on Lebron James’s 56-point performance in a rare win for a Lakers team that is inconsequential for the playoffs. James and his team have been covered with exhausting detail, and at this point, it feels like we're watching "Keeping Up With the Lakers" and not the NBA. When instead we should be talking ...
‘The Worst’ is one of the best
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

‘The Worst’ is one of the best

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “The Worst Person in the World”Directed by: Joachim TrierRating: RRun time: 2 hours, 8 minutesNow playing at The Loft Cinema “The Worst Person in the World” is one of the most ambitious movies of the year. Not because it’s abstract or over the top, but because it’s inventive and original. Almost every movie nowadays is based on a comic book, it’s a remake or a biopic — and every now and then we get a completely original movie that resonates with audiences and critics. This is that movie. It feels refreshing even if the plot is something we’ve seen before: it’s a highbrow mix between “A Lot Like Love” and “One Day.” But Joachim Trier directed and co-wrote this movie with longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt in a way that it feels like it lives on...
Audiences absorb ‘Spongebob Musical’
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion, Pima News, Reviews

Audiences absorb ‘Spongebob Musical’

What: “The Spongebob Musical”Where: Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam RoadWhen: 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 1 p.m. Sunday.ASL interpreters will be at the March 3 show. Cost: $12-$24Information: 520-206-6986 and online By EMILY GASTELUMPima Post  “The Spongebob Musical” makes you feel like a kid again. It was a chance to see your favorite characters come to life. Spongebob, who was played by Samantha Beamer, brilliantly brought the water sponge to life.  It seemed like Spongebob was actually there and that the audience was in Bikini Bottom trying to save the town from an active volcano. The rest of the cast also took their characters and brought them to life. It was exciting to see how the cast and director Chris Will portrayed the characters. “Spongebob...
The Word: What are your thoughts on the U.S. involvement in Ukraine?
News, Opinion, Pima News, Politics

The Word: What are your thoughts on the U.S. involvement in Ukraine?

By JOSH BAILEYPima Post “The U.S. should intervene if necessary but ‘play Switzerland’ and avoid World War III in the meantime. I really hope we can avoid war.” Veronia VasqueraMajor: Translation Interpretation “Even though the U.S. tends to put its foot where it doesn’t belong, Russia being able to take Ukraine is a big issue for us. It sets the stage for further conquest, and no matter what we do, war is inevitable. Russia is very much so a threat and can start the next world war.” Emile HarrisMajor: Psychology “U.S. intervention can end up just like Vietnam, and look how that ended. We lost. Look at Afghanistan. We lost.” Adrian IbarraMajor: Digital Arts “I don’t think we should get involved, but if things get worse, we might have to.” ...