Recurring Themes
Least Competent Criminals: Alleged bank robber Feliks Goldshtein was arrested after a brief chase by police, who were summoned to National City Bank in Stow, Ohio, in January. Employees may have been tipped off because Goldshtein, wearing a ski mask, had waited patiently in a teller’s line and only displayed a gun when he finally…
Semi-Clever Perverts
The Court of Appeal in Brisbane, Australia, rejected in March the challenge of the man convicted last year for having sex with his underage stepdaughter but who had tried to protect himself by having her sign a “contract” of consent. (When arrested, the incredulous stepfather indignantly asked the police, “Did you not see the (expletive)…
Rosanne Cash will present state native into Hall of Fame
Rosanne Cash will present Oklahoma native Wanda Jackson at Saturday’s 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio. Museum spokesman Margaret Thresher confirmed Friday that Cash will introduce Jackson at the 8 p.m. ceremony. Cash is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and the daughter of country legend Johnny Cash. Her 1985 hit, “I…
Bright Ideas
At least four culinarily daring food emporiums in the U.S. serve deep-fried pizza, including the takeout Pizza Snobz in Wilson, Pa., though owner David Barker admits the specialty is more common in Scotland. The key point, he said, is to begin only with frozen pizza; otherwise, the cheese soon slides off into the fryer. When…
News That Sounds Like a Joke
The venerable 17th-century astronomer Galileo Galilei was honored at a gallery in Florence, Italy, in February to mark the 400th anniversary of his transformative work, which was widely discredited at the time (as contradicting the Bible) and which subjected him to vicious slanders. The exhibit includes Galileo’s only preserved body part: one of his middle…
Tokyo Zombie
2005 Everything you need to know about “Tokyo Zombie” is right there in the title: It’s set in Tokyo. There are zombies. Based on a manga and just now being released stateside by Anchor Bay, the film starts two perpetually bickering pals: the Afroed Fujio (Tadanobu Asano) and bald Mitsuo (Show Aikawa). They attempt to…
Oklahoma nonprofit group plans award ceremony
Several Oklahoma nonprofit organizations will have their moment in the spotlight at an April 25 awards ceremony that honors their excellence in the community. The 2nd annual Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence Awards, sponsored by the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, will award a total of $160,000 among 27 nonprofits from nine categories, along with a single outstanding…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Your IQ has crept up beyond its usual level, and may ascend even higher in the coming days. I suspect you’re poised to erupt with a host of sharp insights, and maybe some brilliant analyses or strokes of genius as well. Why? How? It may have to do with the way the planets are massaging…
Rx for Oklahoma works to help citizens get the prescriptions they need
Halving the dose of prescriptions. Skipping vital prescriptions. Not even purchasing prescriptions. Many without insurance are making these choices in order to pay for shelter, fuel or food. In Oklahoma, more than 700,000 people ” close to 17 percent ” don’t have insurance or can’t afford to purchase medicine, as reported by Rx for Oklahoma,…
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic promotes GetSET
Contrary to popular belief, fry bread is not a traditional food for American Indians. Pulled hot from vat of hot oil and usually paired with some type of soup or as part of a taco, it has a firm place in Indian Country, particularly among Oklahoma’s 37 tribes. Research shows that it could have started…
Poet makes visit to Oklahoma City University
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Justin Witte – Projections & Reflections
Justin Witte’s music isn’t terribly complicated. He plays straightforward, acoustic blues with a soulful quality that is far too uncommon in today’s music landscape. A guitar, a harmonica and a voice were all he needed to craft his latest album, “Projections & Reflections.” It’s obvious from the first track, “Bring It on Home,” that Witte…
Counterpoint: Deregulating curriculum
Senate Bill 834, currently pending in the Oklahoma Legislature, would gradually exempt Oklahoma school districts from state mandates and allow local districts to manage, develop and take responsibility for the success and failure of their curriculum. Deregulation of Oklahoma’s public school curriculum is a good thing for Oklahoma teachers. Allowing teachers to teach based on…
The Continuing Crisis
We Welcome Our New Monkey Overlords: Researchers recently revealed that they had observed monkeys (1) planning future combat and (2) perhaps teaching their young to floss. A researcher from Sweden’s Lund University, writing in the journal Current Biology, described a daily ritual of a 30-year-old chimpanzee that loathes his human visitors at a zoo north…
OKC teen sex parties apparently spread syphilis
When friends get together after school, they watch TV, text, gossip about boys and, you know, other stuff. Like group sex parties, for example, which are apparently spreading syphilis among teens in Central Oklahoma. At least that’s what state health officials told The Oklahoman recently. Treponema pallidum, the bacteria responsible for this little dandy, causes…
First Friday Gallery Walk features photographer’s work
Oklahoma photographer Randy Poe is displaying his “All Black & White” collection as part of the Paseo Arts District’s monthly First Friday Gallery Walk, beginning 6 p.m. Friday at Sauced Caf
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The three tasks I think you should work on in the coming week are among the hardest any human being can attempt. Luckily, you now have an unusually strong aptitude for them, and are likely to receive unexpected assistance if you’re brave enough to plunge ahead. Here they are. Interrupt and overthrow negative trains of…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
“So I sing to my seeds,” says gardener Leslie Gaydos. “What about it?” Although she sounds a bit defensive about treating her unsprouted kernels like sentient beings, I hope you won’t be in the least apologetic as you carry out your assignment: Serenade your seeds. Bathe them in your tender concern. Infuse them with your…
Redbud Classic draws athletes to benefit Boys Ranch Town
The 27th annual Redbud Classic is giving Oklahomans a good reason to dig out the running shoes to work off the pounds. The multifaceted event takes place over two days, featuring 5K and 10K runs and a free kids’ run, as well as a 2-mile fun walk and baby-stroller derby. “Redbud is designed to be…
Sunshine Cleaning
que, N.M., which includes many of her former school chums. She has a young son, Oscar (Jason Spevack, “Hollywoodland”), who is the fruit of an unmentioned coupling with someone neither Oscar nor the audience will meet. Rose’s love life is confined to periodic motel meetings with Mac (Steve Zahn, “Strange Wilderness”), Rose’s high school boyfriend,…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
When I was 19, I did Outward Bound, a wilderness survival course designed to make a man out of me. For 24 winter days, my team and I camped and traveled through New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Near the end of the ordeal, we were each required to do a three-day “solo” experience, during which time…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Some Japanese employees receive three days of “heartache leave” per year from the companies they work for. During those times they can recover from sad experiences or romantic reversals. If it were up to me, every company in every country in the world would annually provide workers with the opposite kind of holiday: ten days…
Traffic management method on high-speed Internet networks could reach Oklahoma
Cox Communications, Oklahoma’s largest Internet service provider, has caught the attention of net-neutrality activists with a new system that prioritizes its customers’ Internet use. In late January, Cox announced it would be testing a new method of traffic management on its high-speed networks in Kansas and Arkansas. AVERAGE USER UP-FRONT PEER-TO-PEER DOWNLOADS Starting in February,…
Oklahoma City’s World of Wings Pigeon Center shares more about pigeons
Take a ride around London in one of those famous double-decker red tour buses and, passing Parliament Square, you may hear a story, possibly apocryphal, that before he died in 1965, Winston Churchill said he never wanted a statue of himself erected in London. This, the story goes, was because of Churchill’s intense loathing for…
Ted Owens to be recognized during Final Four ceremony
Ted Owens is not a household name around these parts, although he probably should be. The 79-year-old Hollis native pieced together a career résumé that is as inspiring as it is impressive. BORN NEAR HOLLISFIVE ALL-AMERICANS And yet, his name might be more likely to appear as an obscure answer to a Trivial Pursuit question…
Tulsa’s alleged killer spider disappears
From one silent killer to another. Loyal CFN readers will remember that last week we brought you the story of the spider found shopping for organic produce at a Tulsa Whole Foods Market. Tulsa University’s Terry Childs, director of animal facilities, took the spider into custody and announced it a Brazilian Wandering Spider, a merciless…
Hardcore heroes MDC old-schools real punk rock
Punk ain’t what it used to be. Once a threat aimed largely at middle-class suburban American culture, with its self-satisfaction and alienating conformity, punk’s diminishing relevance is a testament to capitalism’s ability to co-op dissent and turn rebellion into a marketing angle; stores like Hot Topic now rule the malls punks once threatened to burn…
New weekly AM radio show supports local performers
From the upcoming Norman Music Festival and rock ‘n’ roll exhibit at the Oklahoma History Museum to the University of Central Oklahoma’s new Academy of Contemporary Music, fresh music outlets are popping up across the Oklahoma City metro. In Norman, a new radio program is showcasing the best in Okie music live from the University…
Oklahoma’s Carrie Underwood experiences hair-raising press
Checotah’s Carrie Underwood scored yet another Grammy award in February, but her new ‘do isn’t exactly having fans singing her praises. The “American Idol” season four winner returned to the show March 18 to sing a duet with Randy Travis. That guy looked the same he has for years, but the usually long-haired Underwood sported…
OCCC kicks off swim-lesson season
Summer’s almost here, and who doesn’t love spending an afternoon at the pool? Get the kids ready at a six-week swim lesson course starting Saturday at Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May. The “Saturday Learn to Swim” sessions teach swimming skills, floating, breathing, diving and water safety for children 18 months and up. The…
Seven actresses, adoring director take on ‘Anton in Show Business’
From Oklahoma City University Theatre, Jane Martin’s “Anton in Show Business” tells the story of an ill-fated production of “The Three Sisters” by Anton Chekhov being staged in San Antonio, Texas. The show is plagued by problems, including a TV actress who has never been onstage before, two directors who are fired, and an audience…
A Mercy – Toni Morrison
Before “A Mercy,” the latest novel by Toni Morrison, I had never read anything by the celebrated author and professor. It was one of instances where I had always meant to pick up one of her books, but never actually did. It’s one of the holes in my library: Toni Morrison, James Joyce and all…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Your symbol for the week is the Mariana Trench, which is the lowest place on the earth’s surface. Located underwater in the Pacific Ocean, it’s almost seven miles down — further below sea level than Mt. Everest is above sea level. I chose this natural feature for you to play with in your imagination because…
The Haunting in Connecticut
How much of a movie that is “Based on a True Story” has to be, well, based on a true story? Is it enough that a ghost movie that is marketed as portraying actual events be creepy, or does it owe its audience at least some degree of veracity? If you think being occasionally scary…
Oops!
In December, Idaho State University sent certified-mail letters to its adjunct faculty to disclose (as required by law) that some of them would soon be laid off. However, only the first-class mail fee was billed to the university, leaving each professor to pay on receipt the certified-mail surcharge in order to find out what the…
Traveling exhibit from U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum stops in Oklahoma City
An exhibit featuring the Nazi obsession with creating a master race is on display at Science Museum Oklahoma through July 5. “Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race” is a traveling exhibit compiled by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. PRACTICE OF EUGENICS SERIOUS QUESTIONS SEEK HUMAN PERFECTION Edie Roodman, executive director of the Jewish Federation…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The sirens are enticing and wooing and tempting you again. This time they say have a really fabulous deal, even better than before. They’re sorry, by the way, about the somewhat deceptive advertising they used on the last occasion you came their way. They want to assure you that they’ll never again pull the bait-and-switch…
Oklahoma native, civil rights pioneer passes away
‘Scuse us while we turn down the snark on this week’s final CFN: John Hope Franklin’s memories of Oklahoma are some of the worst any man could imagine. And yet, he is considered one the state’s greatest treasures. Born in 1915 in the tiny town of Rentiesville, south of Muskogee, Franklin’s early life in Oklahoma…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
There’s plain old everyday lightning, which travels about five miles, and then there are superbolts — strokes of lightning that are a hundred times stronger than a normal flash and that can travel over 100 miles. In the coming weeks, Aries, your power levels could be more like these superbolts than your usual output. I…
Monsters vs. Aliens
ed/Movie%20review%20thumbnails/monsters.jpg” width=”150″ align=”right” vspace=”10″ border=”0″ />First off, let me say that the trailers to “Monsters vs. Aliens” do it no favors. For whatever reason, the marketing geniuses at DreamWorks Animation opted to spotlight some of the more humor-challenged moments involving bathroom humor and a mention of “boobies.” The good news is that the picture is…
Point: All standards left behind
A GOP-sponsored bill deregulating schools is a dangerous measure that could lower academic standards and increase class sizes in the state’s schools. Its stated intent is to empower school districts, but Senate Bill 834, sponsored by Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville, could ultimately reduce the quality of education received by the state’s children. Under the measure,…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
As reported in UK’s Mirror, South African game warden Alex Larenty made a dramatic display of the trust he engenders among the animals under his care. Sidling up from behind to a full-grown male lion named Jamu, Larenty lightly grasped the beast’s balls and held on for a while. Jamu did not protest. I invite…
Five university students will spend their summer at Oklahoma companies
Five future Oklahoma entrepreneurs selected for a new paid fellowship program will catch more than just a glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship this summer. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FLAGSHIP PROJECT The Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, developed by the not-for-profit corporation i2E, will provide 10-week paid fellowships at technology startup companies to the five selected students…
Midtown collaborative brings freelancers together
Oklahoma City’s freelance community is growing, and its members are looking for more interaction with each other and with their clients ” something not easily accomplished if you work from home. That was the inspiration behind the Oklahoma City Coworking Technology Collaborative, or OKCCoCo, scheduled to open this month. OVERALL DISCONNECTOPEN HOUSE “I’ve been working…
Reptiles fight elements to survive in Oklahoma
Reptiles have been hitting the headlines in Oklahoma, mostly for hard times that have befallen them. “Merlin” and “Albert” are rock stars ” one is even a movie star ” when it comes to snakes and alligators in Oklahoma. The snake-napped albino python and orphaned 12-foot, 800-pound American alligator made headlines. SURVIVAL INSTINCTS TALE GATOR…
Orgasmic meditation
A 1970s-style San Francisco commune is organized around the practice of “orgasmic meditation,” but for women only, in daily sessions that start promptly at 7 a.m. Men belong to the commune, too, but are useful only digitally to the women and must remain clothed, according to a March report in The New York Times. The…
Four actor/musicians play, pick out tribute to Woody Guthrie in Lyric’s ‘Woody Sez’
The best thing about “Woody Sez: the Words, Music & Spirit of Woody Guthrie,” a musical presented by Lyric Theatre at Lyric at the Plaza, is that the show is unamplified. That means the music in “Woody Sez” goes unmolested by electronic alteration, directly from string and vocal cord through the air to eardrum. With…
