House of cards. Since homebuilding is the state’s main economic engine — and since a home is the biggest investment that most local families will make — you might assume Arizona government officials take great pains to make sure construction here is done right. You’d be wrong. The state Legislature…
In 2003, when J.D. Power and Associates released its annual survey of new home buyers’ “customer satisfaction,” buyers in Phoenix topped the list — a fact the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona was quick to tout whenever anyone questioned the quality of construction in Arizona. But in 2004, Phoenix…
This just in from the How Stupid Is Andy Thomas Department: Everybody’s favorite local race-baiter had a pile of angry motions filed against him the other day from at least four Phoenix defense lawyers, who argued that the Maricopa County Attorney unintentionally disqualified his staff from prosecuting Superior Court cases…
Paco Paco might’ve been a drive-thru likker store back in the day. Something about the slanted roof, pointy lit-up sign, and the way the squat structure juts out to the south of Earll Drive on 16th Street with a little driveway off to the side. Whatever its original use, it’s…
Wool Power Just give him time: Jeez, way to go in turning the story of that Mesa fire chief guy and the lamb into a justified slam on Sheriff Joe Arpaio (“Baa-aaaaad News,” The Bird, Robrt L. Pela, March 16)! The foul fowl is such a funny writer! Even though…
Inspectors at the Arizona Registrar of Contractors get stuck dealing with bad homes after they’re built — when it’s too late to fix big problems easily. Homes under construction, however, are supervised by a different group: municipal building departments. And if you thought the state inspectors were busy — they…
Shari Wilson’s house is falling apart at the seams. And her life isn’t so great, either. You’d never know it to look at her. At 32, Wilson has the wholesome good looks of a sitcom mom. Juggling 3-month-old Teagen in her kitchen in suburban Surprise, she might be starring in…
Firefighters! You gotta love ’em. They save lives, they put out fires, they make a nice pot of chili. And one of them tried to bone a sheep, too. Now, The Bird tried desperately to fly above this story, which the Arizona Republic played straight (natch) in two tiny, buried…
How would you like to sit inside a federal courtroom for seven weeks watching a grainy videotape repeatedly document the final moments of your mentally ill son’s life inside one of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s county jails? What would go through your mind as you saw the jailhouse video of Arpaio’s…
Four hours before showtime, and Justin Warfield, the lead singer of the neo-New Wave band She Wants Revenge, has his hands all over some chick’s panties. Okay, several chicks’ panties, to be precise. Apparently, this is what some Rock Gawds do in their spare time. Um, you know, prep merchandise…
Holy War The Muslim Mafia: In the article “The Chosen One” (Joe Watson, March 2), Deedra Abboud, who converted to Islam, fails to say why she believes and accepts as factual the Koran’s claims, such as: Non-Muslims are friends of Satan and enemies of God, the numerous (ad nauseam) commands…
Gabe Cruz was pumped as he left work at 3 a.m. on the morning of March 3, 2005, a Thursday. Gabe had put in a long shift as a “bar back” at Graham Central Station, a popular Tempe establishment. He’d hustled all night, cleaning tables and stocking the bar at…
The Bird’s nesting better at night knowing that, while local politicians wrangle over how and why to secure the Arizona-Mexico border, someone’s keeping an eye on the opportunistic bums who’ve taken policing the border into their own hands. In fact, Democratic state Representative Kyrsten Sinema has done more than spy…
You’d think that the great real estate boom engulfing the Phoenix metropolitan area would bypass the dusty, decrepit town of Gila Bend. The main drag bisecting this wayside of about 2,000 folks 60 miles southwest of downtown Phoenix is littered with crumbling commercial buildings, abandoned motor inns, half a dozen…
The Candidate Throw the rascals out: I just saw your article, and I enjoyed your unique perspective (“Load of Crappioppoli,” The Bird, Robrt L. Pela, March 2). I’m glad there is a paper in Phoenix that gives a different point of view and doesn’t just march in lockstep with the…
The only thing The Bird hates more than a bag of seeds and stems (see the recent column on bong laws, dude) is a bag of hot air. Which’s why it loves politicians so much. Especially ones who cultivate the appearance of getting all puffed up about the deep injustices…
The City of Phoenix’s $878 million bond election, early voting in which is already under way, comes down to one issue: trust. Do you believe bond proponents’ pitch trumpeted by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon that the bonds can be sold “with no new taxes”? Or do you think it’s impossible…
A high-pitched cackle and a black strip of thong. That’s what DJ Lady Tribe and I hear and see from the back door of downtown’s Brickhouse Theater, as the lez-and-het-happy Milla Jovovich bum-rushes us, her glutes suddenly shimmering in the streetlight before she covers them up and bounces back to…
Coyotes Ugly Filling a need: It’s amazing how the Phoenix press, except for New Times, mostly misses the point of what’s going on. The Arizona Republic and local TV seldom try to get beyond what’s easy to report. I’m speaking of how there’s so much more to the Phoenix Coyotes’…
One Sunday evening in February, Deedra Abboud serves dinner at her north Phoenix home. The first course is lentil soup and lamb, followed by a dish of pickles, carrots and olives. Falafel, hummus, crab samboosa, cucumber sauce. And then, pot roast and mashed potatoes. You can take the girl out…
Dennis DeConcini was always a centrist Democrat, a “Pinto Democrat” as they used to be called here, but like many moderates in the party, he still felt a deep fondness for the intellectual and moral champions of the liberal cause. One such man was Phoenix attorney John Frank, among other…
The Bird likes nothing better than watching what Hollywood does with real-life catastrophes and miscreants. Whether it’s softly lighted and eyelinered queer cowboys (Brokeback Mountain, my feathered ass!) or desert island plane crashes peopled by a bevy of sexy supermodel survivors (this taloned scribbler isn’t too proud to admit that…
