Recurring Themes
Criminals Not Keeping Low Profiles: Motorist Christopher Cadenhead, 39, was stopped in Osceola County, Fla., in January for having an expired tag. Inside his car, police found 200 pounds of marijuana. Jose Melendez, 54, and his wife and daughter were stopped by Douglas County, Neb., deputies in January after their RV was driving on the…
Undignified Deaths
Karma: A 25-year-old man who was a passenger in a car driven by a drunk friend was killed in Houston in February when he was thrown from the car in a crash. That incident came seven months after the victim had, himself, been charged with DUI in a crash that killed two people. Two brothers…
Fine Points of the Law
New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority ruled in February that a worker who, in a fury, tells his boss to “stick his job up his arse,” has not officially resigned unless he follows up the incident with a formal notice. Two competitors vying to sell the same type iPhone application (arrays of sounds of breaking wind)…
Ironies
Angel Galvan-Hernandez, 26, facing a long prison term after being convicted in a Seattle court, begged the judge in February to execute him, that he’d rather die “a thousand times” than be jailed. The reason, he said, was his fear of being raped in prison because of his petite frame and his history of being…
The Centerfold Girls
1974 Quentin Tarantino probably loves “The Centerfold Girls.” That’s a compliment. This 1974 obscurity is a fairly decent suspense/slasher film with buckets of bright-red blood and scads of gratuitous nudity. What makes it unique, however, is its three-story structure. It’s almost like it should be called “Sex Pervert Stalker: The Television Series.” Andrew Prine is…
As nuclear waste-fueled musicals go, ‘Zombie Prom’ is pretty tame
If a musical titled “Zombie Prom” makes you think of a cross between “The Rocky Horror Show” and “High School Musical,” you would be about right. Both have their place, for better or worse, in the musical-theater canon. But the fate of “Zombie Prom,” now among the living dead in Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre’s production…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Artist Amy Marx makes gorgeous paintings of tornadoes. She’s your role model for the coming weeks, Taurus. I hope that she will inspire you to use your chaos productively . . . to welcome elemental energy as raw material for your efforts to beautify your world. Are you up to the challenge? I think you…
Compelling Explanations
Christos Kokkalis, 19, allegedly doing 65 mph in a 30 mph zone, was charged with assault in Framingham, Mass., in March, for reacting badly to a pedestrian’s hand gesture suggesting he slow down. According to a police report, Kokkalis swerved across a street into the man’s path, drove by, turned around and did it again.…
Bright Ideas
It was thought to be the backwoods version of an “urban legend,” but the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department reported in March its first documented case of a deer hunter’s attempting to avoid detection after shooting a doe (instead of the permissible buck) by gluing antlers onto its head. Marcel Fournier, 19, used epoxy and…
The Class
Many Hollywood movies about high schools focus on troubled students who are helped by that One Special Teacher. Usually in the end, everyone realizes his or her potential, and the teacher comes away knowing all the ulcers and marital strain were worth it. Think “To Sir, with Love,” “Stand and Deliver” and “Dangerous Minds.” “The…
Counterpoint: The chicken crossing the road
Tyson Foods recently announced it is shifting production from its Ponca City processed meat plant to three plants outside the state. Production will be moved to plants in Buffalo, N.Y., Cherokee, Iowa, and Houston. A total of 580 local workers will be cut because of the closure. The announcement comes on top of Conoco Phillips…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
At the risk of endangering her own safety, a Capricorn woman I know intervened to protect a 14-year-old neighbor girl who was being beaten on the porch by her father. Another one of my Capricorn acquaintances informed her boss that she was offended by a certain unethical practice she’d discovered the company engaged in. You…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
One of the casualties of the recession has been grooming and primping. Many people are devoting less time and money to maintaining their appearance at peak levels. Make-up sales are down, and I’ve definitely been seeing more unkempt — or should I say raw and unadorned? — people lately. If you’ve been considering the possibility…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
In Salmon Rushdie’s book The Enchantress of Florence, an exasperated ally of the manipulative 16th-century politician Machiavelli tells him, “It’s your curse to see the world too f—— clearly, and without a shred of kindness.” Some of you Scorpios suffer from a milder version of the same curse, and judging from the astrological omens, I’d…
EPA rates Oklahoma first in carbon-dioxide emissions
C’mon, Chicken-Fried News readers, yell it with us! We’re No. 1! We knew we had it in us to get one more No. 1, and we did it! More generation at OG&E coal units and AEP-PSO’s coal and natural gas units caused Oklahoma to have the biggest increase of carbon dioxide emissions in the entire…
Strange Business
University of Oklahoma Press Rilla Askew, who splits her time between Oklahoma and New York, delivers her fourth book with “Strange Business” (University of Oklahoma Press). A collection of 10 stories set in the fictional Okie town of Cedar, it was praised by no less than Pulitzer Prize winner Larry McMurtry as being “very original…
The Wind Comes Sweeping
Mira Edmond author Marcia Preston’s sixth novel, “The Wind Comes Sweeping” (Mira), honors the state’s fabled winds. Set in Southwest Oklahoma, it’s about a woman who tries to save her family’s ailing cattle ranch by leasing it as a wind farm, despite protests from a neighbor with sabotage on the brain. For Preston, it’s her…
Gypsy punker, possible fanatical fringe leader Jason Webley putters into town
Oklahoma indie-rock crowd, meet Seattle’s wandering gypsy/punk accordion howler Jason Webley. You love spectacle, Webley loves spectacle; you two should hit it off nicely. His sound finds a middle ground between the battered soul of Tom Waits and the sentimentality of The Decemberists, all while garnering loyal followers with his lively and, at times, bizarre…
Former major-league baseball pitcher headlines museum event
Enjoy two evenings celebrating contributions to the stories of the American West Friday and Saturday at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s 48th annual Western Heritage Awards. The awards ceremony honors those in literature, music, film and television whose work reflects the American West. Baseball great Nolan Ryan will receive this year’s prestigious Chester…
Oklahoma native misspeaks during award show speech
‘Twas just a couple of weeks ago that our beloved Checotah cutie Carrie Underwood was exhibiting poor judgment in appearing before millions on “American Idol” with a hairdo best described as retirement-home-ready. Last week, she erred again in front of millions more, at April 5th’s Academy of Country Music Awards, where she simultaneously picked up…
Commentary: Point: What would Lincoln do?
This year marked the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln. Considered by many to be America’s greatest president, he will forever be remembered for his mastery of the English language and his ability to manage the job of president while maintaining his common touch. While he will always be remembered as the great Republican president,…
Breast cancer survivors, others to converge on state Capitol
The state Legislature’s problem, in Judi Grove’s estimation, is that when it comes to breast cancer, not enough legislators are paying attention. Grove is the founder of Breast Impressions and is the chair of Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the state Capitol on Tuesday. The demonstration will place information, artwork and draw out crowds so…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
“I’m beginning to understand myself,” said jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. “But it would have been great to be able to understand myself when I was 20 rather than when I was 82.” While this might sound discouraging, it’s actually a prelude to some very good news: You now have extraordinary power to dramatically deepen your…
Max Fleischer’s Superman: 1941-1942
2009 It would be easy to take the “Superman” cartoons of the 1940s for granted, given the dime-a-dozen VHS and DVD releases of dubious quality they’ve received over decades, thanks to the works falling into the public domain. However, Warner Bros.’ new, two-disc “Max Fleischer’s Superman: 1941-1942” restores them “? both literally and figuratively “?…
The Consumer Queen,’ shopped around to save $12,000 by couponing last year
If everything were suddenly free ” clothing, food, toiletries, shelter, love ” then Melissa “The Consumer Queen” Garcia might take up chess. And she’d probably be terrifyingly good at it. As it is, this mother of two has another hobby: shopping. If that sounds gauche, especially in these times of economic downturns and job losses,…
Festival of the Arts features children’s vocal competition
So it’s not quite “American Idol,” but it comes close. Kids can impress judges and audiences with singing, dance or other talents at the second annual “Festival Idol” competition, held Tuesday through Saturday, April 25, during the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s annual Festival of the Arts. “It really is a talent show, so they…
Oklahoma City-based Limbs for Life helps amputees afford prosthetics
Most little boys play sports and crawl in the dirt. They get into mischief with their siblings and seem to possess never-ending energy as they bounce around the house and run around the neighborhood. Six-year-old Connor Karow is no different. He runs track and plays soccer along with a host of other sports. The only…
Does People Do It? – Fred Harris
ght=”1″ />” by Fred Harris is a nice, easy read that gives great insight into many of the political events which shaped Oklahoma. Harris served as one of the state’s two senators to Congress between 1964 and 1972. He was in the middle of the debate and negotiations for civil rights and the Vietnam War,…
Could newspapers survive under a nonprofit model?
American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma. United Way of Central Oklahoma. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. OPUBCO Communications Group? Would the parent company of The Oklahoman, the state’s largest-circulation newspaper, join the list of area nonprofits? What about Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., owner of The Edmond Sun, The Norman Transcript and 12 other Oklahoma newspapers?…
The University of Oklahoma breaks all rules in Mieko Ouchi’s ‘The Dada Play’
In development for decades, Canadian playwright Mieko Ouchi’s “The Dada Play” will have its United States premiere this weekend at the University of Oklahoma. More than just a story about the infamous art movement, the play fully embodies the anarchic spirit of the movement. “The Dada Play” was borne out of a high school drama…
Oklahoma ranked as sixth happiest state
We may be on the verge of an insect invasion, but at least we’re chipper about it. Oklahomans have always been known to be happy people. It might help explain the state’s high obesity rate (fat and happy “¦ get it?). And now, another survey has come out putting the state’s joyfulness in a factual…
Businesses, artists join forces for Earth Day event
Several Oklahoma City businesses and artists are joining together this weekend for an Earth Day event that focuses on environmental awareness and eco-conscious art. “Rethink: Recycle: Redesign,” a collaborative art exhibit opening Sunday at Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, 811 N. Broadway, kicks off with an exhibit preview party 7 p.m. Saturday. The opening event…
Fire ants spread across Oklahoma
Let’s face facts. We’re all a bit nerdy here at CFN. Which is why, when we first heard about the following, we immediately thought of a phrase from a classic TV show featuring a kick-ass vampire slayer, “from beneath you, it devours.” We always thought the “it” that was doing the devouring was, you know,…
One-man psychobilly band Joe Buck has learned a lot
Jim Findley, aka Joe Buck, is a pretty uncompromising fellow, which is about what you’d expect of someone who names a band Joe Buck Yourself. Of course, the band is just him, pounding the drum and wielding the guitar like a bayonet with which he intends to carve his impression on you. His songs “…
Legacy of Work Projects Administration may be most visible in Oklahoma
With President Barack Obama talking public work projects as a means of handling the current recession, the impact government spending had on the Great Depression during Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal is under the microscope. While some critics may claim that President Roosevelt’s New Deal did not have a profound effect on the Great Depression, the…
Observe and Report
“Observe and Report,” is by no means the comic romp suggested by the trailer. Yes, it stars Seth Rogen (“Pineapple Express,” “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and every other comedy made during the last two years), but despite surface similarities, Rogen is no Jack Black. He’s funny, but there’s a darker underbelly to him…
Signature dishes
Through the years, News of the Weird has reported on restaurants around the world with singularly quirky themes and signature dishes, such as the one in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, that seats all diners on toilets and the Beijing restaurant whose cuisine features animal penises. Last year, a group of doctors in Riga, Latvia, opened Hospitalis, a…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
“I’m having a very good crisis,” financier George Soros said recently. The global economic turmoil that has brought such stress for so many other people has earned him millions of dollars. That’s no accident: A couple of years ago, Soros foresaw the approaching upheaval and made a raft of smart adjustments in anticipation. I predict…
Dreams to Dust: A Tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush – Sheldon Russell
University of Oklahoma Press Guthrie resident Sheldon Russell fictionalizes the rise and fall of his town in “Dreams to Dust: A Tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush” (University of Oklahoma Press), now in paperback. The territorial tale won the Oklahoma Book Award for best fiction and the Langum Prize for American historical fiction.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I actually kind of hope that your brain is in major overload right now. I hope that you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the new information you’ve absorbed, and that your imagination is a blur of wheels within wheels within wheels spinning at top speeds. In fact I’ll go so far as to say…
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Back in December, we Gazette reviewers were asked to predict the worst movies of 2009 and I chose “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” Well, it’s here and I’ve seen it and, unlike the falsely humble, I love it when I’m right. Prepubescent girls “? the only audience for which this thing is intended “? are said…
Three metro music stores celebrate second annual Record Store Day
Independently owned record stores throughout the metro will join hundreds of others across the country and around the world in celebrating the second annual Record Store Day on Saturday. Through in-store concerts, discounted merchandise and free promotional goodies, these local shops are commemorating a unique culture that still exists in smaller, hands-on music stores. PROMOTION…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
If intelligent extraterrestrial beings arrived on planet Earth and asked for a meeting, who would we send forth to serve as our ambassador? Believe it or not, the favorite choice, as determined in an Internet poll, was heavy metal musician and TV personality Ozzy Osbourne. Although he wouldn’t be my own top candidate, I could…
Legislature bypasses governor to get voter ID laws passed
If the Legislature continues on the road it traveled with a voter identification bill last week, Oklahoma voters may need more than one pencil when they head to the polls next year. Besides picking candidates for a slew of offices, a pattern has developed from the Republican-controlled Legislature that could greatly expand the ballot. If…
Lives of 11 women are shared in OCU’s immersive ‘Talking With …’
“Talking With “¦” features 11 female characters telling stories about seminal moments in their lives that deal with a range of issues including life, death, faith, love, loneliness and obsession. Despite the varied topics, the women share a common humanity and an ability to cope while the stories themselves are a consistent intermingled blend of…
Competition searches for young Oklahoma musicians
Orchestras are not exactly easy to come by, which makes the Young Artists Competition a unique chance for up-and-coming concert musicians to attain experience playing with a large ensemble. The Oklahoma Community Orchestra began the program a few years ago specifically for university-aged students. “We wanted to find a way to feature musicians around Oklahoma,” conductor…
Grading Thunder’s first season in OKC no simple proposition
The NBA playoffs get under way this weekend. Unfortunately, your Oklahoma City Thunder will have officially packed up its gear and headed their separate ways for the offseason by then. The Thunder’s 2008-09 season actually ends tonight with a meaningless Western Conference road game against the Los Angeles Clippers. OK, maybe not completely meaningless, depending…
Metro Web designer dips toes into game development with ‘BrainFreeze’
Metro-based Web designer James Warner saw an opportunity to meld an iconic time waster of the past with the highest of high-tech time wasters of the present when he adapted a Rubik’s Cube to the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. The game is called “BrainFreeze” and utilizes the iPhone’s touch screen to maneuver colored blocks…
Brooklyn indie-rock quartet the French Kicks sidestep success to go its own way
The French Kicks are a good band to know. In addition to making supple, engaging indie rock, the quartet seems to have great taste in opening bands. “Opening for us is a great career move,” frontman Nick Stumpf said. “There’s a long list of bands that opened for us that have gone on to sell…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Cracked.com ran an article on “5 Things You Think Will Make You Happy (But Won’t).” Here’s a hint about what those things are: fame, wealth, beauty, genius, and power. You might want to go and read the essay at tinyurl.com/d974te. Even if you don’t entirely agree with its points, it should inspire you to get…
Jim Gaffigan: King Baby
2009 A rarity in standup comedy these days, Jim Gaffigan gets laughs “? huge laughs, actually “? without being dirty. The proof is in the pudding. And by pudding, I mean “King Baby,” the concert film from last summer’s successful “Sexy Tour.” At more than an hour long, the show “? shot in Austin, Texas…
