Opinion – Page 3 – Pima Post

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

24Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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 t...

Tucson Taco Madness: A grilling duel in the Sonoran desert

24Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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...

A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks

24Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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 movie. It...

10Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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 appeared...

An NBA check-in: the Western Conference Edition

8Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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 about...

1Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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 ...

1Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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 ...

1Mar

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

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.” ...

15Feb

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arts & Entertainment, Opinion, Reviews

‘Flee’ is a story worth telling

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “Flee”Directed by: Jonas Poher RasmussenRating: PG-13Run time: 1 hours, 29 minutesNow streaming on Hulu Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” is a unicorn of a film. We haven’t seen anything like it before, and we probably never will. Some films in the animated documentary genre have been nominated for an Oscar or have received critical acclaim, but none to the extent and success of “Flee.” Movies in this genre tend to be overly ambitious or too niche with their storytelling and animation. However, this animated docudrama has been a heralded success because of its simplicity in style. The reception from critics, audiences and the academy resulted in three Oscar nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best Animated Feature Film and ...

15Feb

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

2022 Oscar nomination takeaways

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Now that the dust has settled from the media and fan reactions to the 2022 Oscar nominations, it’s time to do the uncool thing and look at the list with nuance and hindsight. For the most part, the nominations ended up being what many prediction models anticipated, and there was only one reproachable snub (it was not Lady Gaga). Although, the argument for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” receiving a Best Picture nomination could be made because it was a highly critically acclaimed movie and a massive commercial success. It demolished “Titanic” in the box office during an era when no one goes to theaters anymore because of streaming and the pandemic. The Oscars are on an annual slide in ratings, and adding one or two of these movies might give a...