This mule train snakes down the Grand Canyon, much like the Brady Bunch did when they visited for a series of episodes.

In addition to worrying about important things like sparkler laws, Arizona elected officials are spending time making sure Arizona keeps its claim as the “Grand Canyon State.”

While the nickname has been used for years, it’s never been made official.

Are we the Grand Canyon State or not?, Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX — Arizona may soon officially become what many residents have always thought it was — “The Grand Canyon State.”

With only two dissenting votes, the state House voted Tuesday to officially lay claim to the nickname that has adorned everything from license plates to paperweights for decades. HB 2019 now goes to the Senate.

“I’m just disgusted that we’re voting on things like that instead of actually doing the work of the budget,” said Rep. Steve Farley, (D-Tucson), pointing out lawmakers have yet to adopt a budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins in five weeks. “I think we have other priorities right now.” Read story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/294567

Making the nickname official is important, however ill-timed it may be, since other states could swipe the cute little phrase.

After all, Florida stole New Mexico’s former moniker as the “Sunshine State.”

North Dakota tried to rip off New Jersey’s the “Garden State” by simply calling themselves the “Peace Garden State.”

Those that don’t get their nicknames in writing may also easily get stuck with stuff like Missouri’s the “Show Me State.”

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What nickname would you give Arizona if it couldn’t keep the “Grand Canyon State?”

A tall, muscular Egyptian is looking for the perfect match.

Ideal person will have a large yard, fun-loving nature and a sense of humor.

The mystery Egyptian is the massive Sphinx, the only statue left at Magic Carpet Golf, 6125 E. Speedway Blvd.

The rest of the concrete giants have found new homes, thanks to Tucson artist Charlie Spillar. Spillar was recently honored by the Mayor and City Council for his statue adoption efforts.

Want to give the Sphinx a whirl?

E-mail Charlie Spillar at cspillar@q.com.

An Indiana funeral home that had its license revoked three years ago apparently left a few things behind — like four dead bodies, according to The Associated Press.

4 bodies left behind in vacant Ind. funeral home, The Associated Press

GARY, Ind. — Church leaders who bought a defunct Indiana funeral home in a tax sale have stumbled upon four bodies that had been left behind in the vacant building…..

Lake County Coroner David J. Pastrick and his staff found one body in the bag, then another in a burial box and finally two more in caskets.

None has been identified.

Pastrick says the bodies may have been there since 2006, when the funeral home’s business license was revoked after several people filed complaints.

Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294607.php

It’s no surprise the place went out of business, but it is an awful surprise that the former owners could apparently be so crass.

Funeral homes are entrusted with more than just our money. We fully trust them to do the right thing for our dearly departed. Evidently, not all of them do.

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Have you had a particularly harrowing experience with a funeral home? What happened?

What about those that have met or even gone beyond your expectations?

Past "Music under the Stars" concerts at Reid Park have attracted more than 7,500 listeners.

Free concerts that have been a Tucson summer staple for 50 years have hit a sour note.

The Tucson Pops Orchestra may not have enough funding to keep the “Music under the Stars” program going.

The orchestra says the city government is not giving the program any more money, either.

“Music under the Stars” is at risk, Tucson Pops Orchestra site

…It is one of the few remaining city events where citizens of all ages and backgrounds come together in a safe environment.

The new realities:

• The cost per each concert in the park is $13, 000

• This year’s funding of $27,000 is a significant reduction from the $35,000 the Pops has received in prior years.

• The last two concerts of the spring season scheduled for June 7th and 14th will most likely be cancelled due to lack of funding.

• The current budget proposal before the Mayor and council calls for ZERO funding for the Pops in 2010.

• For the first time, the city is treating the Pops as an “outside” agency. This is a reversal of 50 years of policy which included the Pops as a program within the Parks and Recreation Department.

The Pops urge folks to write letters or attend the city’s 2 p.m. budget meeting Wednesday (today).

More info: www.tucsonpops.org/

The free concerts are one of the events that help make Tucson’s summers special. Heck, you can even bring your dogs to the things.

When budgets get crunched, art, cultural events and music tend to get bumped. This is a shame, since those are some of the things that make life worth living.

By no means should money be scraped away from public safety or other vital entities, but there should be a way to fund the arts.

Ideas, anyone?

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Are you a “Music Under the Stars” fan?

Are the free concerts worthy of saving or do you think money should be allotted for other things?

How important is art, culture and music in the grand scheme of life?

Tucsonans, and the entire state, may soon get the go-ahead to play with fire.

Or at least play with sparklers and other small, spinning, smoking and burning objects.

Bill legalizing sparklers clears a major hurdle, Capitol Media Service

PHOENIX — Arizona is halfway to making sparklers legal.

By 34-21, the state House voted Tuesday to make it legal for stores to sell and Arizonans to use sparklers. HB 2258 would also legalize cone fountains, ground spinners and toy smoke devices.

The legislation now goes to the Senate.

If approved there, odds are it will become law. Gov. Jan Brewer, who said she played with sparklers herself while growing up in California, is on record saying she believes the current restrictions make no sense. Brewer said she allowed her own children to play with sparklers in Mexico. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/294569

Well, if the governor’s done it, and her kids have done it, by all means the rest of us should follow suit.

I am not much of a fan of sparklers after I accidentally burnt down the neighbor’s picnic table umbrella with one.

There went my entire summer’s allowance.

These devices can be neat, but they can also get into the hands of pranksters and rabblerousers who will use them for annoyance and destruction.

Then again, those types would get their hands on them whether they were legal or not.

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Are you a fan of sparklers, cone fountains, ground spinners and toy smoke devices?

Do you lay awake at night wishing they were legal to sell and use in Tucson?

Health care remains a hot topic, as evidenced by the 1,000 folks who showed up for Tuesday’s town hall held by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

It was all about gathering opinions, and plenty were heard.

Health-care issue hashed out, Arizona Daily Star

Tucson transplant physician Dr. Khalid Khan said he thinks more changes in the health-care system should be happening locally.

“To me, health care has to be a right — I am from Europe. But it is not easy,” he said.

Ashton Banker, 23, who identified himself as a student, angrily left the meeting before it was over. “I cannot stand the idea of socialized medicine,” he said.

Without change, Arizonans’ health-insurance premiums will increase from 7 percent to 15.5 percent of their income by 2016, Giffords said.

Read story: ww.azstarnet.com/metro/294584

Health insurance is a necessity. An unforeseen disaster can wipe out an entire savings and plunge someone deeply in debt.

But it is also over-priced and can get ridiculous, making folks jump through hoops to get approval for procedures, doctors or reimbursement.

The cost of some procedures, too, can be ridiculous. Anyone who has stayed in a hospital and later looked at the bill would agree. Doctors sometimes charge a sky-high hourly rate to stick their head in the door for a millisecond. A single hospital aspirin has been known to cost more than an entire bottle does at the drug store.

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What’s your take?

How should health care be funded? What would make it affordable?

Have you ever gone without health insurance and hoped for the best?

Some people can’t be trusted. The lot includes those high on heroin, those standing in a doorway with a bloody butcher knife and anyone who hates animals.

One commenter continues to whine about the number of animal stories here.

We are unsure if this person hates animals, but we know he or she doesn’t like reading about them.

Thus we offer some tips for those who don’t appreciate the animal posts:

1. Don’t read anything with the following words in the headline: dog, cat, rat, puppy, kitten, bat, pet, horse, bird, budgie, snake, lizard, capybara, salamander, boa, potbellied pig

2. Also avoid headlines that contain the words “fuzzy” or “furry,” unless it’s a post about mold.

Quick animal facts:

• Kids who abuse animals often grow up to abuse people

• An estimated 63 percent of American homes have some type of pet, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association

• Animals have been successfully used for therapy, companionship and service, helping those who have limited capabilities live a fuller and more independent life

• The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke is so devoted to his Chihuahua, Loki, that he dedicated his recent Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor to the dearly departed pooch

• Happiness is a warm puppy

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Do you trust people who hate animals?

Yes, I very much wanted to ignore the Mike Tyson story that’s all over the Internet because, basically, he’s a jerk.

But I still feel for him once I read what happened.

His 4-year-old daughter is fighting for life after being strangled by a cord hanging from the family’s treadmill, according to a report in the Arizona Republic.

4-year-old daughter of boxer Mike Tyson critically injured

Boxer Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter was in extremely critical condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital on Monday night after police said she was found with a cord or rope around her neck.

Police said they believe the girl was playing near some exercise equipment in an activity room Monday when she accidentally got tangled in a cord or rope hanging from a treadmill. The case is being treated as an accident.

Police said they think the girl’s 7-year-old brother was watching television and her mother was busy cleaning in another room when the incident happened. Read story: www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2009/05/25/20090525hanging0525-ON.html

Take this as a cautionary tale.

Our homes may have more dangers than we think, even though we may chuckle at the warning label attached to venetian blind cords that say they are hazardous.

Another caution is to always know what your youngsters are doing.

More kids have also been taken to the emergency room after being crushed by large furniture, TVs and entertainment units.

Read story: blogs.findlaw.com/injured/2009/05/kids-injuries-from-falling-tvs-furniture-the-problem-and-prevention-tips.html

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Have you discovered any hidden – or obvious – dangers in the home?

How do you make your house safe for kids?

When Joseph Gutierrez’ 5-year-old son slipped of an inflatable dolphin in to the depths of a swirling river, Gutierrez did what most parents would do.

He jumped in to save the boy, reports The Associated Press.

He also drowned.

The child was saved by two bystanders.

The boy may also grow up riddled with guilt, but certainly knowing what true love is.

Chandler dad drowns trying to save 5-year-old son, The Associated Press

PHOENIX — A Chandler father trying to save his 5-year-old son’s life drowned in a river northeast of Phoenix, police said.

Gutierrez jumped into the 17-foot-deep water (of the Salt River) to rescue the boy, as did two bystanders who had been watching people float on inflatable tubes down the river.

The bystanders saved the boy, but Gutierrez drowned. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294413.php

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Would you risk your life to save your child?

Would you risk your life to save your parents?

Would you want your parents or children to risk their lives to save you?

More gore on the South Side, with a woman and her 13-year-old daughter stabbed and slashed in the arms and neck at the trailer park where they lived.

They survived, but the person arrested for the attack, 30-year-old Yesenia Sosa, is charged with attempted murder, among other things.

Arrest made in stabbings of woman, daughter at South Side home, Arizona Daily Star

The stabbings occurred about 12:30 p.m. in the 3500 block of East Alvord Road, near South Palo Verde Road.

The woman who was stabbed may have known the suspect, said Deputy Dawn Barkman, a spokeswoman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

They were “somewhat acquainted,” Barkman said. But the victim “did not know her that well.” Read story: www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/294409.php

Nice acquaintance.

Some still say the South Side is no more dangerous than other areas around town.

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What do you think?

Would Ralph Kramden look slimmer on DTV?

The plug is being pulled on old-fashioned TV, with the switch to digital slated for June 12.

All major U.S. television stations will stop sending analog signals, meaning TVs must have digital tuners or be connected to converters or a pay service, such as cable or satellite, to get over-the-air signals.

While digital TV promises sharper pictures and enhanced viewing, it may not fully live up to all of its promises, as one East Side resident outlines in the following letter:

DTV falls flat

So far my experience has been OK but I believe that the entire DTV experience has, thus far, not meet up to the expectations we have been sold.

Many people on the Northwest side can’t get a picture because of the mountains, this is a line of sight issue and apparently some of the stations are working on getting additional transmitters to help this out.

You would think that this issue would have been resolved long before the June 12 deadline. They must have known there was going to be problems for those viewers.

Also, the hype with the multi cast channels. Thus far Tucson only has a small handful of those additional channels, mostly PBS (which is great) but with stations having the potential to have up to six multi cast channels you would think we would have more.

I wonder why channel 4 doesn’t broadcast the “Southern Arizona News Network” on DTV. You must have cable to get it.

I suppose that some multi cast channels might come on board in the future, but the network affiliates here don’t even talk about what they have planned.

Even in a decent reception area I am constantly having to adjust my antenna to pick up the stations. When they come in, they do come in brilliantly, but it sure can be a chore to tune them in, another thing I don’t think we were really warned about by the broadcasters or government.

I always heard a simple rabbit ears will do it, but that’s not the case.

More on the switch to DTV: http://www.dtv.gov/

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What has been your experience so far with DTV?

Did you forget the switch was coming? Do you care?

Smile for the speed cameras

Ten speed cameras installed in Pima County have been patiently waiting to catch you in the act.

Their time has come.

The testing phase is finally finished and speeding violations will be issued starting Monday, according to a report at KVOA.com.

Don’t forget to smile for the camera if you happen to be speeding in one of the camera locations:

• La Cholla Boulevard at Sunset Road

• Mission Road at Nebraska Street

• Ina Road at Camino de las Candelas

• Swan Road at Calle Barril

• Alvernon Way near Station Master Drive

• Valencia Road near Camino de la Tierra

• Valencia Road near Wilmot Road

• River Road near Country Club Road

• Ruthrauff Road near Rillito Street

• Nogales Highway near Hermans Road

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Will speed cameras stop you from speeding?

Domestic violence can rear its ugly head just about anywhere, including at a high school graduation party.

Such was the case at a home in Mesa when a 37-year-old guy allegedly got into a fight with his ex-wife at a party.

Instead of leaving, which is what many normal people do when they get mad, he went out to his vehicle and got a gun, according to an Associated Press report.

2 dead, 6 hurt in Mesa graduation party shooting

Mesa police say two people are dead and six others wounded after a shooting at a high school graduation party at a home.

Mesa Police Sgt. Ed Wessing said Sunday that a police officer and two boys ages 8 and 10 were among those injured.

The suspect, a 37-year-old man, is in custody after a four-hour standoff at a home east of Phoenix. Read story: www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=10416443

Surely the graduate will remember the party forever, and not in a good way.

Meet your neighbors

Meet Tucson geek Josiah Segui

Geek Pride Day kicks off the week, so we found a self-proclaimed Tucson geek to provide some insight into why being a geek is cool.

Josiah Segui, 27, has already seen the new Star Trek movie twice, rates his all-time top flick as the animated Ghost in the Shell and enjoys anything that stimulates his brain.

Segui said his geekdom started when he was 12. That’s when he and his brother got their first home computer – which they promptly took apart.

“We were surprised everything still worked,” he said when they put the machine back together.

Since then Segui has earned two advanced computer certifications and nabbed a job at midtown’s Computer Guy Consulting. I met him when my computer went bust last week.

But you don’t have to sabotage your computer to meet a geek. At least one reader expressed interest in dating a geek, and Segui said it’s not difficult to find one.

“Ever heard of the SCA?” he asked. The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., is “an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating pre-17th-century European history.”

They’re the folks who dress in armor and costumes at the Renaissance faires. Deck yourself out as a medieval maiden and you could win a geek’s heart.

Segui said another great way to woo a geek is to engage them in an intellectual challenge. “Playing chess with a girl always works for me,” he said.

He’s single, by the way.

Segui (and a few others) also cleared up a few geek myths I previously got wrong, like saying they like soundtracks to Broadway musicals.

Segui and his geek friends dig alternative rock and bands like Linkin Park, Nightwish, They Might Be Giants and Fat Boy Slim.

He also backed up what a commenter said about geeks reading anything as long as it’s in comic book form.

“That’s 100 percent true,” Segui said. Other reading he’s enjoyed include anything written about the technology found in Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons manuals.

E-mail Josiah Segui at crimson_wolf82@hotmail.com

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Meet Your Neighbors is a new feature we’re testing at TucsonCitizen.com.

Do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you know a Tucsonan we should meet?

Comment below or e-mail rynski@tucsoncitizen.com (rynski@tucsoncitizen.com).

Tucson geek Josiah Segui in action

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding horses can be a man’s best friend.

A group of horses called The Warriors in Transition Unit are helping soldiers with their return to their home turf.

Horse therapy helping Ft. Huachuca soldiers cope with war stress

For soldiers coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq, the transition back into society can be a tough one.

As strange it may sound, horses are helping them overcome survivor’s guilt, battlefield nightmares and the transition back into society.

“We were seeing that horses had an incredible ability to teach able bodied people some advance human development skills, like leadership, parenting skills, relationship skills,” says Linda Kohanov, director of the Epona International Study Center. Read story: www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=10417766

Anyone who says animals are only good for messing on the throw rug or chewing through the sofa has definitely got it wrong.

My two dogs have certainly kept me going through some tough times, although neither has volunteered to teach me any leadership or parenting skills.

It’s hard to stay down when you’re met with a furry face full of unconditional love.

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Has your pet helped your through a tough time? How so?