Protect the Internet
On Jan. 18, many sites on the Internet either shut down or allowed limited access in an attempt to illustrate the potential oppression that could come from the proposed Internet regulations referred to as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act). One of the most notable sites to shut down was…
‘A true statesman’
If there was any doubt about this public servant being a true statesman, one has only to read his commentary. Such wise words all of us can benefit from. Both Andrew and Apple Rice’s (his wife) understanding of community service, and their ability to work productively with others from different backgrounds and perspectives, bring to…
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
Starting in 1994 on the East Coast, Justin Duerr did; he wondered what it meant. The more he encountered them, the more his interest was piqued. Curiosity beget obsession when an in-its-infancy Internet search yielded no results, and the documentary “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” follows Duerr in his roughly 15-year search…
Dirty Girl
The young woman of the title is Danielle (Juno Temple, “The Three Musketeers”), the resident class slut of Norman East High School. She’s brought down a peg or two when her in-class behavior gets her sent to a class for special-needs students, where she’s partnered with “fat fuck” Clarke (Jeremy Dozier, TV’s “iCarly”) on a…
‘Rain’ on me
Two fine actors giving terrific performances and a director who knows when to let well enough alone results in “A Steady Rain,” a highly satisfying evening of theater. Concerning a pair of Chicago patrolmen, the play by Keith Huff isn’t so much a police procedural as it is a study of what happens when miscreant…
I want a new drug
House Bill 1235, authored by Rep. Ben Sherrer, D-Chouteau, seeks to make pseudoephedrine, which is also a component of many cold and allergy medications, available to Oklahomans by prescription only. The brewing legislative battle appears to pit law enforcement officials against drug companies that argue the change would be an undue burden on law-abiding allergy-sufferers.…
Time for full disclosure
Utilizing that decision, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Forward IV program and the Oklahoma City firefighters union each created a string of entities to inundate OKC’s spring 2011 council elections with $631,041 to attack or support council candidates. No campaign reports have been filed identifying the source of this campaign funding, only the name of…
Lynne her your ears
While plenty of industry honors, roles in film and television, and appearances on late-night shows have all come Shelby Lynne’s way over her two-plus decades’ career, she’s never forgotten the fundamentals of her craft. “With acting, I pretty much just use my singing credentials,” said the 43-year-old contemporary country singer-songwriter, who plays The Blue Door…
Burns both ways
Metalcore band August Burns Red is rapidly approaching a decade together with relatively few lineup changes and nothing but smooth seas in sight. “We never blew up and exploded overnight,” guitarist JB Brubaker said. “We grew at an organic pace and amassed a following that way. That’s the difference between us and some of the…
Dead alive
Costa Stasinopoulos, record producer and leader of Tulsa alt-rockers Dead Sea Choir, has had a pretty rough month. Someone broke into his car on Jan. 15, taking a friend’s guitar and a pair of hard drives containing yet-to-be finished records. And this came just as he was repairing his vehicle from another break-in mere weeks…
‘Slow’ your roll
With decidedly repulsive band names like Alabama Thunderpussy, Eyehategod and Goatwhore, it’s no wonder that underground Southern metal remained a subgenre largely unexamined — until the documentary “Slow Southern Steel,” that is. “This was something we felt passionate enough to put out there, because there is no comprehensive documentary about this scene, and we felt…
Twitter me this
What can you do with 140 characters? The common knock on Twitter is that the microblogging site is a wasteland of people describing their lunches, shamelessly self-promoting their businesses or begging for more people to follow them on Twitter. But comedian Blaine Bacon saw something else: regular, everyday people dropping one-liners that deserved to be…
Trapper keeper
Chris Trapper is an old pro … although he tends to forget that. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, 14 years, and have always had jobs and opportunities, but I don’t think about it like that,” Trapper said. “I still think I’m trying to make it.” The scrappy singer-songwriter has been rewarded for…
Paint the town Red
Pull that red dress out of the closet and bust out the emergency fund, because Saturday, you’ll need them both at the Red Night bachelor auction. “The goal for Red Night is to showcase the work that the YWCA does to help women and their families, and to assist them by raising as much money…
Glass plus
After a brief hiatus, Dale Chihuly’s glass creations have returned to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, kicking off the site’s yearlong 10th-anniversary celebration in its current location. “Illuminations: Rediscovering the Art of Dale Chihuly” re-introduces pieces from the museum collection after a re-conceptualization of its space and design. “It’s more 3D,” said Alison Amick,…
Hey Buddies
Parents: Is your elementary school kid moonlighting as a building contractor? Science Museum Oklahoma’s recently installed “Building Buddies” exhibit gives children a hands-on opportunity to learn about building and maintaining homes. The exhibit is geared toward children up to age 7, with a number of activities to keep little ones entertained for hours. “They are…
Need an outlet?
Years ago, shopping in this city was challenging, at best. But, with the flourishing local community, an abundance of shops are popping up to fulfill retail fantasies across the board. I’m not a huge fan of malls, in most cases, but sometimes, it’s nice to have a bounty of stores in a tight collection around…
Smag 7: Chow down
Sophabella’s Chicago Grill 7628 N. May 879-0100 $$$ Italian <br> This cozy neighborhood place offers seductive Italian fare. Each Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. is ladies’ night. Grab your gals, have a drink and sample free table-side appetizers. Some of the favorites include baked Brie, stuffed mushrooms and prosciutto-wrapped melon. Royal Bavaria Restaurant &…
Bite Size: 1-25-12
More from the cake lady The owner of the now-closed and already missed Ruth’s Sweete Justice, Ruth Rickey (pictured), is on the move again. When asked what’s in her future, she said, “I have developed my own line of petal dust, and I will have my own line of [tools] to make sugar flowers.” We…
Choco-homa
What would you get if you put all your favorite chocolate desserts from around the metro in one place? Besides euphoria, that would be the 2012 Chocolate Festival, which is even more special this year because its host, Firehouse Art Center, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. As the sole annual fundraiser for Firehouse, they bank…
Szechuan Bistro
When Szechuan Bistro opened last summer, owners Xium (Sophia) Zheng and chef Yuanren Zhen decided to populate the menu with thoughtful and inspired dishes that pursue a depth of flavor and textural contrasts. There are two menus at the restaurant: one Chinese and one American. Little red marks on the menu indicate the hot dishes,…
Ajanta Cuisine of India
There are lots of ways to voice your displeasure with a restaurant. Most people go the anonymous route: posting negative reviews online at Yelp or Urbanspoon or EataroundOKC. And if that’s your method of recourse, please allow me to apologize now for the next sentence: That’s a stupid way to get business done. If you’ve…
Take this job and love it?
If so, consider this: A trio of OKC-based companies made this year’s Fortune list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Chesapeake Energy Corp. ranked No. 18, with the magazine crediting the company for its 63,000-square-foot childcare center for employees. Devon Energy ranked No. 28 for its soon-to-be Devon tower boasting such perks as…
The not-so-soft bulletin
“Try one that lasts 1,000 years,” wrote Becky Ferreira in the article, “The Slowest Songs in the World,” in which she noted that the Lips’ “7 Skies H3” is “a mere heartbeat compared to John Cage’s ‘Organ2/ ASLSP’ … which takes 639 years to perform, or Jem Finer’s ‘Longplayer’ (1,000 years long)!” “And finally,” she…
Sneak peek
While this is only a fraction of the legislation filed, here’s a vague idea of what’s cookin’ at the Capitol: —No less than five bills would require drug testing of people receiving government assistance. Two of the measures, Senate Bill 1011 and SB 1171, require random drug testing, while three (SB 1073, House Bill 2388,…
Oil vey!
The would-be Keystone XL pipeline would mean an estimated 1,200 jobs in Oklahoma. Obama’s decision, hailed by environmentalists and condemned by the oil industry, had state leaders vying to see who could crank out the most pissed-off reaction. “I am outraged by President Obama’s obstructionism, poor judgment and lack of regard,” fumed Gov. Mary Fallin.…
Stop the hate!
The magazine surveyed 310 individuals across the nation asking for their reactions to 50 of the largest metropolitan regions. According to the story, out of all respondents, Oklahoma City ranked fourth in negative reactions, above only Cleveland; Birmingham, Ala.; and Detroit. Frickin’ Detroit. The only bright spot comes from respondents in the Midwest, which ranked…
Pie-ssibilities
The metro area provides plenty of divine places to pick up some of the most scrumptious desserts. More important, these delights not only reflect traditional themes but also innovative creations. Your taste buds will rejoice in culinary ecstasy — minus the dirty pots and pans. For a slice or whole pie, try out some of…
Diggin’ it
Mustang-based contractor John Hire is among 59 semifinalists scheduled to compete this week in the Case Triple Threat Rodeo Championship at the 2012 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. As part of the events, Hire was to face off against fellow North American equipment operators in challenges that test one’s skills with a skid…
Civil discord
Plans to renovate Oklahoma City’s Bicentennial Park, located between City Hall and the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall, met resistance from the city’s Downtown Design Review Committee (DDRC), which declined to approve the plans at its meeting last week. The tabling of the proposal Jan. 19 could push back awarding project bids for at…
The next step
Meanwhile, at least two Oklahoma City Council members have suggested that the city look into forming its own election reporting requirements and oversight body prior to the 2013 council and mayoral elections. During the council’s Jan. 17 meeting, Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid and Ward 4 Councilman Pete White expressed disappointment that the Ethics Commission…
Setting the record straight
Both the Reuters story and the Gazette column incorrectly suggest the lease brokers contracted by Chesapeake in Michigan were engaged in inappropriate practices. That was not the case. As reported in the Reuters story, the use of independent lease brokers is a standard and legal practice in the oil and gas industry. The Michigan agreements…
Skip the bathroom
It was tough enough that the Ward 7 council member was busted last week for drunk driving. Now, it turns out that Kelly wasn’t simply what the Brits would call “pissed” — he was literally pissed, too. A police officer arrested Kelly early the morning of Jan. 20 after the councilman was found sitting behind…
Modern Family: The Complete Second Season / The League: The Complete Season Two
While its recent Emmy sweep was well-deserved, “Modern Family” may never be as good as the new-to-disc sophomore season. Because roughly halfway into the current airing one, the show has failed to be anything but a hair above average, and sometimes going a week without a single laugh. But that second season was fairly solid, especially…
Spiderhole
It’s been such a cliché for decades that the recent comedy “Tucker and Dale vs Evil” may have parodied it (however unlikely) to its well-deserved death. At least the quartet of UK collegians of “Spiderhole” has done something different: Rather than go away for the weekend, these students leave their dreary dorms behind for good.…
The Big Book of Breasts 3D
But I’m going to try anyway. Taschen is one of the world’s most renowned publishers of art books, and this square-shaped (but not square-minded) hardback is but one reason why: top-quality treatment with top-quality material. It’s just in this case, the subject is top-heavy. Roughly 100 full-page, black-and-white images are included, comprising the meat of…
Texas Killing Fields
While Ami Canaan Mann’s “Texas Killing Fields” is her first, she no doubt picked up some tips from her director dad, Michael Mann, who’s made more than his fair share in “Heat,” “Thief” and “Manhunter.” That much, I’d expect. What I didn’t expect was that the daughter’s film would be better than her revered father’s…
Raekwon — Unexpected Victory
The guy’s so old, he got his nickname from Chuck D, but now that he’s signed to Cash Money Records, Busta’s probably going to be all over 2012, starting with a really fun guest verse on Raekwon’s “Unexpected Victory” mixtape. The track’s called “MTV Cribs” and opens with the Wu-Tanger doing what he does best:…
Give a Hoot
The 25-year-old Missouri native currently represents Oklahoma as one of 16 women competing for the title of “Hooters DreamGirl.” Shot in Aruba, the reality series airs on Speed, but the first episode will replay at 11:59 p.m. Sunday and 5 p.m. Wednesday on Fuel TV. Come Feb. 11, only two ladies will be left standing;…
Don’t Let Him In
I couldn’t help but think of that throughout the whole of “Don’t Let Him In.” Don’t. Don’t. Don’t! The “Him” of this particular title refers to “the Tree Surgeon,” the serial killer who comprises a quarter of a group going off to a cottage retreat for the weekend. Half of the group is a secure…
Dead Hooker in a Trunk
Substitute “bomb” with “whore corpse,” and you have the Canadian crime spree known as “Dead Hooker in a Trunk.” The title is the best thing about it, raising all sorts of hope it cannot satisfy. Written and directed by sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska — who star as Geek and Badass, respectively — the low-budget…
Julia’s Eyes
The latest case in point is “Julia’s Eyes,” a Spanish thriller that kept me on that proverbial edge of my seat for most all of its 115 minutes. A good rule of thumb is that if you were moved and menaced by 2007’s “The Orphanage,” then by all means, see this. Sharing a leading lady…
Lethal Ladies 2 Collection
Nope, that nugget of wisdom isn’t from Starz’s hit “Spartacus,” but from producer Roger Corman’s 1974 hit “The Arena,” one of three female-centric actioners that comprises Shout! Factory’s double-D, double-disc “Lethal Ladies 2 Collection.” Naturally, it’s the latest entry in the as-addictive-as-crack “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics” line. Unimaginatively remade with Playboy Playmates Karen McDougal and…
Extra! Extra!
That’s right. Kevin Durant will depict Kevin Durant in said film, previously titled “Switch.” The plotline, from an earlier press release: “A fun and energetic family basketball movie starring Kevin Durant AS HIMSELF, a basketball star who switches talent with a klutzy 14 year old fan. When Brian, a hopelessly uncoordinated young fan magically switches…
Justified: The Complete Second Season
Fresh off an Emmy nomination for his starring role, Timothy Olyphant owns his character of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens to such a degree, it just may prove to be the one that defines his career. In short: He’s badass. Givens remains in his godforsaken hometown of Harlan County, Ky., a backwater, redneck-ridden hellhole that he…
