Nonprofit running pro-Coffee spots has its own IRS issues
An organization helping the state Senate president pro tempore fend off criticism in the wake of news reports of tax troubles has its own IRS issues, records show. Action Plan Oklahoma is currently running an advertising campaign aimed at drumming up support for Coffee who has been peppered with questions from reporters and Democrats about…
Least Competent People
Our Elected Leaders: During an April Texas House committee hearing (according to a Houston Chronicle report), state Rep. Betty Brown suggested a solution to the voter-registration confusion caused by Chinese-Americans’ Anglicizing their names (which yields nonstandard spellings): “Do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens,” she asked a Chinese-American activist, “to adopt…
Feral Americans
Recent Human Biting: Sheila Bolar, 49, was arrested after biting a transit driver because she wanted to ride only a “hybrid” bus (New York City, January). Aleyda Uceta, 30, was arrested for biting her son’s principal during a parent-principal conference (Providence, R.I., March). Curtis Cross was arrested for allegedly biting off another motorist’s ear in…
Questionable Judgments
Australian Marcus Einfeld (a lawyer, former federal judge and prominent Jewish community leader) was once decorated as a national “living treasure,” but he suffered a total downfall in 2006 by choosing to fight a (Aus.)$77 speeding ticket. By March 2009, he had been sentenced to two years in prison for perjury and obstructing justice because…
The Dana Carvey Show
1996 Remember “The Dana Carvey Show”? The former “Saturday Night Live” star’s 1996 sketch-comedy effort on ABC primarily got noticed for two things: its controversial opening bit in which Carvey’s President Clinton breast-fed puppies, and its controversial decision to have a different sponsor each episode, who would get credit in the title (i.e. “The Mug…
Poll numbers for 2010 governor’s race show front runners
The horse for the governor’s office shows a clear front runner on the Republican side while the Democrats are still jockeying for position. According to a fresh poll from SoonerPoll.com, Congresswoman Mary Fallin firmly leads in a primary match up with two other Republicans, with Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson neck…
Soloist
In “The Soloist,” director Joe Wright continues the exploration of romanticism he began in “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement.” The former reminded us that, as Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope observed, the only lasting love that comes out of marriage is at the end of an English novel; the latter suggested that romance might be a…
Obsessed
There’s odd stuff going on in “Obsessed,” but we’re not supposed to notice some of it. Odd, of course, is the behavior of Lisa, a temp office secretary filling in for a few days at a Los Angeles financial something-or-other that seems to be having no cash-flow problems. If the people who run the place…
The Reluctant Heiress – Eva Ibbotson
Speak For a fairy-tale escape “? complete with a castle “? check out Eva Ibbotson’s latest princess story. Tessa, also known Princess Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein, has given up her home and title to work as a wardrobe mistress for a poor opera company in Vienna. She seems content to sew buttons and comb wigs, anything…
How Oklahoma might respond to the worst disaster it might ever face
To view a .pdf of this article as it appeared in print, click here. Authorities now say the 2008 flu may have been the worst epidemic to hit humanity. Yes, more than the black death of Europe or smallpox in the New World. The World Health Organization now admits its original prediction — 7.4 million…
MC Chris arrives back in the OKC-metro area
He’s an über-creative, humor-spouting, rap phenom who drops more references than Wikipedia, and maintains a closer relationship with his fans than most have with their girlfriends. Chris Ward IV, aka MC Chris, took a roundabout way into the music business, but now that he’s here, he’s hell-bent for success. Almost literally. MC Chris with Whole…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
An engineering company has plans to grow flowers on the moon. Paragon Space Development intends to land mustard seeds inside a small greenhouse dome on the lunar surface by 2011. If all goes well, they will bloom within two weeks, and, thanks to the marvels of communications technology, we earthlings will soon thereafter view one…
Dallas-based country rockers seem destined for ubiquity
Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights should already be one of those bands that is impossible to avoid, popping up on commercials, “Monday Night Football” promos and television and movie soundtracks, and playing on the main stage of every jam band-heavy music festival in the nation. “Gyspy Woman” could have been the song that got…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The kitchen table will be a power spot for you in the coming weeks. Your own table will be a supreme vortex for visionary brainstorming, but even those in other households could be epicenters for brilliant planning, crucial shifts in attitude, and increased solidarity among allies. To encourage eruptions of creative behavior, make sure the…
Latest Religious Messages
Buddhist monks continue to add to their 20-structure compound near the Cambodian border using empty beer bottles, according to a February feature in London’s Daily Telegraph. Their building program, begun in 1984, already uses 1.5 million bottles, mostly green Heinekens and brown, locally brewed Chang, both of which are praised for letting in light and…
Wintergirls – Laurie Halse Anderson
Viking Laurie Halse Anderson’s lesson-filled “Wintergirls.” Anderson approaches the big teen issues with more eloquence and aplomb than the ham-fisted “Afterschool Specials” that I remember sitting through in health class. Her New York Times best seller “Speak” was a National Book Award finalist in 1999 and this newest, released in March, is in the same…
Sisters go the distance for common cause in marathon
in”>As the sisters traversed the scenic course, beginning at 6:30 a.m. near the Memorial, their focus on the ultimate cause was occasionally interrupted by the aches and pains that can often accompany distance running. Because of the heat, both sisters suffered from dehydration, and Mayes was slowed by a sore knee that had bothered her…
Iceland’s hidden people
When Alcoa Inc. prepared to build an aluminum smelting plant in Iceland in 2004, the government forced it to hire an expert to assure that none of the country’s legendary “hidden people” lived underneath the property. The elf-like goblins provoke genuine apprehensiveness in many of the country’s 300,000 natives (who are all, reputedly, related by…
Historians book museum gig that explores Oklahoma’s rock ‘n’ roll history
Rock ‘n’ roll is a beast that feeds upon itself, starving and growing. Old themes are rediscovered and reworked by new voices, but the songs never quite sound like they once did. Rock always rolls, often over itself, crushing the hands that hold it most dear. COLLINS’ MIX ‘GOLDEN’ ERA ‘HOT’ TROTS ON MEET…
Jewel Box Theatre’s ‘Forbidden Broadway’ leaves audiences wanting less, not more
For nearly 40 years, “Forbidden Broadway” has been satirizing popular musicals and the people who bring them to life. During that time, the show has been updated several times to include more timely spoofs, resulting in a productions spanning 60 years of Broadway history. While it’s comprehensive, it’s also burdened by its scope, with jokes…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
“A Pain in the Ash: Volcano Irritates Alaskans.” That was the headline of a news story about how the people of Anchorage, Alaska are dealing with the erratic behavior of nearby Mount Redoubt. As of this writing, the volcano hasn’t exploded yet, but it keeps hinting that it might. Meanwhile, it regularly burps clouds of…
Environmental initiative brings together state agencies, private organizations
A new Web site page through the Oklahoma chapter of The Nature Conservancy is linking environmental education opportunities throughout the state. The Conservation Education Initiative connects state-run agencies and private groups to present a searchable database for educators, parents and children. The idea for consolidating environmental education information was planted in 1992 with a bill…
Training seminar gives police officers information to recognize, thwart terrorism
Three days before last Christmas, police arrested Steven Jordal as he prepared to enter the Elephant Bar Restaurant in the Penn Square Mall parking lot. The Iraq War veteran had a bag concealing an explosive device and a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his possession. Jordal, of Forest City, Iowa, was charged with 10 counts of…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
An Arizona woman was jogging in the woods when a fox ran out of nowhere, leaped up, and clamped down on her arm with its teeth. Unable to pry it loose, the woman ran back to her car, which was a mile away, with the fox hanging on. She drove herself to the hospital, where…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
You may not literally have X-ray vision right now, but you certainly have a metaphorical version of it. With a little concentration, I bet you could peer beneath the surface of anything you want to. My analysis of the omens suggests that you have the power to see hidden agendas, invisible frameworks, and maneuverings that…
Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity plans most ambitious project to date
On first glance, it would be hard to distinguish Hope Crossing from other suburban-styled communities being built across the metro. Located just north of Wilshire Boulevard off Kelley Avenue in North Oklahoma City, the neighborhood is similar to others designed by developers capitalizing on the growth of the city. But there is a big difference.…
Writers from across the region converge on Norman
Writing is a lonely gig. Career writers are habitually isolated for hours while toiling on the computer, the only interaction being with the shadow lives unfurling in their imagination. Not all writers are complete shut-ins, however, as the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc. stages its annual conference at the Norman Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.…
Oklahoma man facing DUI charge allegedly arrives in court intoxicated
We have to hand it to James Matthew Lee ” he certainly has dedication. The 31-year-old Afton man was charged with aggravated driving under the influence back in October, according to a story in the Tulsa World. Now, we at CFN say, if you’re going to go, go all the way. Which is just what…
Convicted OKC bomber loses diet fight
Awww, somebody needs some Metamucil. Terry Nichols, the 54-year-old co-conspirator in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, asked authorities to whip him up something special for his meals inside Colorado’s “Supermax” federal prison, the highest-security jail in the country, according to an article in the Tulsa World. Has someone been eating too much cheese? Nichols apparently…
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds filter in for homeless prevention
Local and state officials are working on plans to help Oklahomans who are now, or face becoming homeless. The effort is part of the federal stimulus package aimed at pulling the country through the current recession. Oklahoma is slated for nearly $8 million over a three-year period to provide homeless prevention programs. Oklahoma City, which…
Oklahoma lawmakers try to renege on people’s choice for official rock song
Are things so bad in the state Legislature that they can’t even pass a bill to name the official Oklahoma rock song? By now, practically everyone ” including Millennials who don’t pay much attention to the news or government ” knows how the state House of Representatives failed to approve a measure to name the…
Pro-life intimidation
Women’s medical privacy rights could be threatened and the state’s growing bioscience industry would have suffered under new pro-life legislation in Oklahoma. House Bill 1595, which has passed the House and Senate, would require doctors to submit detailed information on each abortion they perform to the Oklahoma Health Department, which would put the information on…
CFN Quote of the Week
“My lefty friends think I’m a Nazi, and my righty friends think I’m a hippie.” “Toby Keith, speaking to the National Press Club April 21 in Washington, D.C.
Fanboys
Pop culture works within the larger culture in strange, unpredictable ways. Some pop-culture phenomena “? take break dancing, for example “? go the way of the blue suede shoe in a matter of months. Others, like science fiction, cross generations, growing roots in a way that defies expectations and logic. It’s difficult to explain the…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In April I was grateful whenever you obeyed all the signs, stuck to the beaten paths, worked a little harder than usual, and averted your eyes from the places where “interesting” bursts of chaos were unfolding. In May I’d appreciate it if you did pretty much the opposite: Question authority rigorously, wander off into less-traveled…
Documentary profiles renowned architectural photographer
A uniquely symbiotic partnership exists between architecture and photography. Even the most breathtaking building might have only a limited number of visitors. It’s through the photographic image, however, that most structures gain the admirers they are due. As the documentary “Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman” makes clear, few architectural photographers have done more…
Moore hosts family safety, health fair
Kids and parents can have fun learning about health, safety, summer camps and more Saturday at the 11th annual Moore Summer Fun and Safety Fair. The free informational fair will promote bicycle safety through a bicycle rodeo, in which kids can test their wheel skills out on an obstacle course and receive a complimentary bicycle…
Orchestra League opens house for fund-raising event
Take a tour and have lunch ” or even plan your own private evening event ” at the Oklahoma City Orchestra League’s 2009 Symphony Show House, 431 N.W. 17th. One of the organization’s largest fund-raisers, the 17-room, 4,600-square-foot historic Heritage Hills villa was built in 1918 and has stood to witness quite a bit of…
Hunted – P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
t=”” style=”border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;” width=”1″ border=”0″ height=”1″ />” is part of their “House of Night” series that follows vampire fledgling Zoey Redbird. They spell vampire “vampyre,” but I refuse. The last installment left Zoey and friends in hot water, with sides being drawn up in a big war between…
Former Miss Oklahoma sues New York City club
Chicken-Fried News is hopping the next flight to New York City, hailing a cab and heading straight for a particular strip joint on the East Coast. Why, you ask? Because there’s an ad for this club with a former Miss Oklahoma on it, and well, what right-minded, red-blooded Okie wouldn’t want a lap dance from…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Since it’s the Capricornian season of romance, I thought I’d give you some tips on how to thrive in the mysterious, paradoxical, crazy-making game of love. Love shouldn’t be a lottery, so don’t gamble on unlikely odds. Love shouldn’t be a power struggle, so try to purge any unconscious yearnings you might have to control…
Paseo gallery features work of Phoenix painter’s animal evolution
Nature is bizarre, so who’s to say that there isn’t a giraffe that evolved with zebra stripes, a crane with a serpentine neck or a stag with antlers sprouting 10 feet from its head? Timothy Chapman was en route to a biology degree in college, but instead veered toward the aesthetic absurdities of nature, specifically…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little,” said the writer Sydney Smith. While this is always good advice, it’s especially apt for you right now. You’re in a phase when giant leaps of faith are irrelevant, and fast, massive accomplishments are impossible. This is the…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
According to the legends of the Scottish Highlanders, this is the anniversary of the fallen angels’ expulsion from paradise. That’s why, they said, it was so crucial for humans to be well-behaved at this time. To blindly indulge in sin and error would set up a resonance with the malevolent exiles, making oneself vulnerable to…
Dominoes, anyone?
Mary Fallin is running for governor, and the 5th Congressional District is once again open. The consequences are many, as political ambitions again get released and posturing starts. The fires of ambition are burning brighter and earlier than usual in an Oklahoma campaign season. The Democrats’ best bet, former Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth, likely won’t…
The Lion King’ roars in, leads pack of family-friendly Disney musicals
A brilliant morning sun burns the fog off the African savanna, and thus begins “Circle of Life,” one of the great opening production numbers in musical theater. COMING-OF-AGE STORY CLOTHING AND CULTURE In this first scene from “The Lion King,” clawed, horned, winged and otherwise-endowed creatures of the jungle “? including a nearly life-sized elephant…
Museum opens exhibit featuring lithographs, etchings, woodcuts
opens Thursday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch. On display are 46 prints from renowned 19th-century French impressionists including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet and Charles M
Cultural Diversity
Among the lingering sex-based customs in Saudi Arabia is the restriction on women’s working outside the home, which forces lingerie shops to be staffed only with males, who must awkwardly make recommendations on women’s bra styles and sizes. The campaign for change, led by a Jeddah college lecturer, has enlisted even some clerks, who are…
Norman nonprofit plans fund-raising show at The Deli
College-aged crowds might not be the best target market for large-scale fund-raising efforts, but East Main Place executive director Christy Blair sees a wealth of volunteer manpower when she visits venues throughout Norman. The Rhythms for Refuge annual fund-raiser for East Main Place was designed to target that youthful vitality. The 9 p.m. Friday show…
South Texas country siren writes what she wants, goes where the spirit takes her
“If I had a daughter,” singer/songwriter Terri Hendrix offers on the song of the same name, “I’d tell her it’s better to be out there on the field of life taking hits and making touchdowns, than bitching about the game in the bleachers.” The lyrics are emblematic of Hendrix’s broadminded Americana style, which, if sometimes…
Pollard’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ makes for bountiful musical
Admittedly, I approached the Pollard Theatre with trepidation to review “Beauty and the Beast,” a big, glitzy, costume- and prop-intensive stage adaptation of the Disney animated musical. Is “Beauty and the Beast” the right type of show for the cozy Pollard Theatre, with its sardine can of an orchestra pit? Can this musical be done…
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
If His Holiness the Dalai Lama (like you, born under the sign of the Crab) had a Twitter account, I bet that this week he’d tweet something like this: “Nothing’s permanent and we should never be attached to anything, but wow! — the goodness rising up now may send ripples through eternity!” What he’d mean…
Oklahomans weigh in on Obama
While Barack Obama gets high praise on a national scale for the job he has been doing as president, a majority of Oklahomans still have problems with the new president. In a poll out today by SoonerPoll.com, a slight majority of Oklahomans disapprove of the way Obama is doing his job, 48 percent to 47…
Oklahoma governor makes Flaming Lips’ tune official song
Before throngs of applauding fans and politicians, the Flaming Lips today joined Gov. Brad Henry as he signed an executive order proclaiming “Do You Realize??” as Oklahoma’s official rock ‘n’ roll song. A resolution to name the song unanimously passed a Senate vote last month, but failed in the House last week. Henry last week…
