GABBY COMIC

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

Coming to a bookshelf near you, the “Female Force Gabrielle Giffords” comic book. The publication put out by Bluewater Productions features the life of Congresswoman Giffords including the shooting on January 8, 2011 and her recovery.

In an official press release, Bluewater president Darren Davis said, “ Not to diminish the loss of life or life-changing injuries but we witnessed something incredible.”

Others featured in the “Female Force” series include Michele Obama, Hillary Clinton, J.K. Rowling, and Sarah Palin.

The print version of the Giffords comic will be available at the end of the month. The digital copy is now for sale on the Internet.

ARIZONA'S PRESIDENITAL FIELD SOLIDIFIES

posted to Political Buzz by Andrea Kelly

The majority of the major Republican presidential candidates running national campaigns have filed for Arizona's Feb. 28 primary, and any others have until the end of the day to do so.

That includes Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Michele Bachman and Herman Cain, the two Republican candidates who have suspended their presidential campaigns, did not file.

About a dozen lesser-known Republicans filed to be on the party’s primary ballot, including several from Tucson.

The only other party, so far, with candidates running here is the Green party, for which a handful of people are on the Arizona ballot. Even though there are a number of lesser-known Democrats running in other states, the Arizona Democratic Party is not holding a primary to pick its nominee.

The secretary of state is planning to hold a public drawing Tuesday to determine the order in which the names will appear on the party ballots.

SEEKING BREWER'S 2012 AGENDA

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Arizona Week Friday will feature our latest conversation with Gov. Jan Brewer., the fourth in a year's time.

We will ask the governor about her legislative agenda for the year, her spending and budgeting plans, what she thinks Child Protective Services needs to get better at what it does and other issues.

What questions should we ask of Brewer? Post your thoughts as comments with this blog, and we will try to work them into the conversation.

Then watch here later in the week for her responses, and watch Arizona Week Friday at 8:30 p.m. MST on PBS-HD6 or at azweek.com for the complete interview.

ABBEY ADDICTS OR DOWNTON DIVAS?

posted to Inside TV by Susie Hernandez

I was talking with a viewer today about Downton Abbey. That has been happening alot lately. Discussions range from costumes, Maggie Smith, and the eagerness for the new season to begin.

Fantastic costumes, incredible acting, brilliant writing--not uncommon compliments for Masterpiece dramas. Why is Downton so addictive? Could it be the length? The first season had 4 episodes and was six hours total. Plenty of time to get absorbed.

Abbey addicts or Downton divas might agree that the show simply allows you to escape. It is of no world we are used to, the issues are ones we generally don't face, and through great acting or writing or both, every character is relatable while being intriguing. The series is simply elegant and absolutely witty.

Screenwriter Julian Fellowes won an Oscar for his English country house mystery, Gosford Park, proving that an English country estate is a great place to establish drama! Masterpiece has a great interview with Lord Fellowes online. Check out the interview here.

Facebook can't contain my excitement, nor any of my friends. In the past few weeks, we have been sharing interviews, reviews, games and photos. Whenever a viewer and I get to talking about Downton, I end up passing along the games, photos and reviews to them as well. I thought I'd share a few with you!

Who are you?

Our sister station in DC has created a Downton Abbey Personality Quiz. I took the quiz and found out I am Robert, Earl of Grantham. "Honest and old-fashioned, you’re primarily motivated by honor and duty. You’re so honorable, you’re actually willing to let a virtual stranger inherit all your worldly goods rather than risk breaking up your family’s legacy. Some people might call you a stick in the mud, but you can be extremely generous and forgiving toward those you feel have earned your loyalty." It's not the worst character I could have been! (smile) Take the quiz here

In the UK, the Guardian created a quiz too and I am Lady Mary Crawley. "You yearn for glamour and excitement. And the exhumation of poor Mr Pamuk. Oh how you miss him!" The questions are pretty funny and worth a moment to take their quiz here

The Twitterverse will be celebrating the return of Downton Abbey with a live Twitter event during the broadcast. Special guests include bloggers Austenprose and Tom + Lorenzo, Vanity Fair magazine, and comedian Patton Oswalt. Yes, Patton Oswalt. Add #DowntonPBS to your tweets and join in the fun: http://to.pbs.org/DA2PBS

A new special is being offered that we will premiere on January 22nd @ 7pm. Secrets of the Manor House will air right before an episode of Downton Abbey and will give viewers a historical context. Exactly 100 years ago, the world of the British Manor House was at its height. It was a world of luxury that that has provided a majestic backdrop to a range of movies and popular costume dramas to this day. But what was really going on behind these stately walls and under the servants' stairs? Secrets of the Manor House looks beyond the fiction to the truth of how life was in these ancient British houses, and how mounting financial, political and social pressures were about to bring momentous changes to both the wealthy and their servants.

Entertainment Weekly reviewed Secrets of the Manor stating, "Fingers crossed we hear about sex, scandals, and someone with as biting a tongue as Maggie Smith’s Violet Crawley."

INDEED!

Stay tuned,

Susie the TV Programmer

MENTAL HEALTH HELP? NOT AFTER JAN. 8

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Here’s the sad fact of the day: Arizona has made no improvements in treatment of mental health issues in the last year.

At the state government level, no one is talking about it, no one is drafting legislation, no one is working on ways and means of coping with a societal issue that has stayed mostly invisible.

It was that way a year ago, too – invisible – until someone who needed mental health help acquired a gun and used it on 19 innocent people.

In the days following the Congress on Your Corner shooting tragedy in Tucson, there were anguished calls for improvement in the mental health treatment system, including requests for more resources.

The man accused in the shooting spree had manifested mental problems for several years, and yet he went untreated.

Afterward, legislative leaders labeled him a “nut” and a “mad man”, but they didn’t bother saying what they as public policy makers would do to see that this or any other mentally unstable person could get needed treatment to avoid another tragedy.

In the year since, very little has been said on the topic at the legislative and policy-making level of state government.

What has happened is that political leaders have drastically cut spending for health care for the poor, including money that would have gone for mental illness detection and treatment.

So we’re worse off now than we were a year ago, despite the impetus that this tragedy should have created.

And while we can’t pay for mental health treatment, we still have big subsidies in place, courtesy of state policy makers, for professional baseball and football and basketball.

We have a raft of tax breaks – dare we call them subsidies? – coming for businesses.

But we can’t afford to provide mental health treatment for people who need it.

And not only that, except for a few isolated forums, media stories and desperate pleadings, we don’t even want to talk about it publicly. That is, until the next tragedy, God forbid.

Who’s the mad man now?

BACK AT THE TROUGH

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

This is just a one-time return engagement to help out my friends at the Tucson Weekly, but for the first time in two and a half years I have written a restaurant review for the publication. I have no intention of doing any more.