Least Competent Criminals
Not Ready for Prime Time: In March, two men were seen on a backyard surveillance camera in St. Petersburg, Fla., attempting a home break-in during the day when no one was home. According to the police report, one of the men assumed a football stance, then ran the length of the yard and rammed the…
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits bestows awards
The Oklahoma Blood Institute took home the top award Saturday at the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits’ second annual Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence Awards honoring distinct nonprofit organizations. Nine other organizations chosen from select categories were awarded for outstanding community service, along with 17 others honored as finalists. A total of $160,000 was awarded to the 27…
The Jesus and Virgin Mary World Tour
Recent Public Appearances: Dade City, Fla., February (Jesus in a stain on the door of a car-dealer sales manager’s office). Huntsville, Ala., February (Jesus on a rock on the side of Keel Mountain Road). Near Helena, Mont., January (Mary on a translucent agate rock along the Yellowstone River). Sydney, Australia, January (Mary and Jesus in…
Update
Several Florida jurisdictions have restrictions on where convicted sex offenders can live, even those who long ago finished their sentences. As noted in News of the Weird in 2007, Miami-Dade, Florida’s most populous county, has only one spot far enough away from places where children roam: the approach to the Interstate 195 bridge to Miami…
The Continuing Crisis
For the past two years, Britain’s Jean Driscoll, 72, has been studied by two doctors and three hospitals’ staffs, but so far no one knows why she belches constantly every day. “I don’t go out anymore,” she said. “People laugh and stare at me. One man said, ‘Can’t you control that?'” The Democratic Process: In…
People With Issues
Vinyl Lust: A 23-year-old man was arrested in February and charged with a series of break-ins at sex shops in downtown Cairns, Australia, in which the intruder inflated plastic dolls, had sex with them and left messes. (In the break-ins at Laneway Adult Shop, the perp appeared to be sweet on “Jungle Jane.”) George Bartusek…
Leading Economic Indicators
Tight Money: As Italy’s banks (like so many others) curtailed lending during the global financial crisis, the country’s 180,000 small businesses had nowhere to turn for liquidity except to the Mafia, whose lending continued (at ridiculous interest rates, of course), unrestricted by the recession, according to a March Washington Post dispatch from Rome. Organized crime…
Effort dies to make Lips tune Oklahoma’s official rock song
The legislative effort to make “Do You Realize??” Oklahoma’s official state rock ‘n’ roll song is dead for the next two years, according to state Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs. The measure failed on a tally of 48-39 because it needed 51 votes for a majority. If the full body had been in the chamber,…
Laid to Rest
verall production quality. “?Rod Lott
Oklahoma native Broadway star reveals anatomical anomaly in book
Broken Arrow’s Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth has it all: a Tony Award, an Emmy nomination and a vagina that predicts the weather. In her new memoir, “A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages,” the “Pushing Daisies” star recounts the time at Opryland when an attempt at doing the splits ended painfully and…
Government Accountability Office reports
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration recently postponed its crucial program to rejuvenate quarter-century-old Trident missile warheads because no one can remember how to make a key component of the weapons (codenamed “Fogbank”), according to a March 2 report of the Government Accountability Office. The GAO found that, despite concern over the bombs’ safety and…
Festival of the Arts among the biggest and greenest in 43-year history
Sponsored by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City, the 43rd Annual Festival of the Arts includes 144 fine artists, more than 300 performance artists, four stages of entertainment, a youth plaza with activities for children and families, an international food row and a sculpture park. Emily Reagan, arts council communications director, said more than 750,000…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The famous physicist Robert Oppenheimer sometimes displayed a disarming humility. “There are children playing in the streets who could solve some of my top problems in physics,” he said once, “because they have modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago.” I invite you to consider the possibility that you, too, could learn a…
Algae can produce 30 times more energy than other potential biofuel crops
Pond scum used to be an unsightly, nasty inconvenience. But lowly algae are now being touted by some as the crop that can completely replace the world’s need for fossil fuel. The single-celled plant that uses lots and lots of carbon dioxide, or CO2, and sunlight is the hottest development in the race to produce…
Earth
Sixty years ago, Disney blazed the trail for nature filmmaking. It seems kind of unfair that today, the company seems like it’s bringing up the rear. While the new big-screen documentary “Earth” marks the launch of the new DisneyNature specialty division, it’s hardly the first time the Mouse House has shown an interest in animals…
Traveling Oklahoma man allegedly carries hatchet, just in case
Sometimes, people just need to take a breather. After Oklahoma City man Robin Shelman cut a woman off in traffic last March in Missouri, the 23-year-old and the unnamed victim pulled into a Steak ‘n Shake parking lot, according to an article from The Associated Press. Let’s just say they weren’t there for the fries.…
Tort reform takes a hit from Oklahoma lawmakers
The tort reform movement took a step backwards April 22 as the state Senate voted down one law suit reform bill while passing another which will be tweaked. House Bill 1602 failed to get the required 25 votes to pass out the Senate, falling short with 23 votes. The bill would have put to a…
Second Norman Music Festival hosts more than 90 national, local performers
Amanda Reynolds was among the crowd of 13,000 that stood shoulder-to-shoulder on Main Street last year for the closing performance of the inaugural Norman Music Festival. Reynolds, 24, said she eagerly joined a carload of her Texas girlfriends to made the three-hour trek to Norman so she could watch her favorite group, Dallas psychedelic-rock choir…
Embattled Oklahoma Senator digs deeper
As Will Rogers said, the first step to getting out of a hole is to quit digging. Dig a recent report involving state Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. If his recent bouts with his late-paid taxes weren’t enough, Coffee’s senior policy adviser took a jaunt down Mexico way in December with a…
Counterpoint: Nuclear energy a bright spot
Tremendous potential exists for rebuilding the U.S. economy on green jobs, particularly as energy companies gear up to meet rising electricity demand. Nuclear energy is one of the few bright spots in the U.S. economy ” expanding rather than contracting. That’s due to a growing consensus that any credible program to address climate change while…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Astrology and Tarot cards are my favorite divinatory tools, but I also get a lot of use out of magnetic poetry kits. These are boxes full of evocative words and symbols in the form of refrigerator magnets. Sometimes after analyzing your astrological omens, I’ll close my eyes, beam a question out into the ethers, and…
Eco-friendly idea could add outdated license plates to ponds, pastures, landfills
January was the start for Oklahoma tag agents to begin handing out the newly designed aluminum license plates to people who renewed their vehicle registration. Paula Ross, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Tax Commission, said approximately 3.5 million embossed steel tags are expected to be replaced this year through the program, which was authorized by House…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
You’ve said enough for the time being. You have expressed the hell out of yourself and have been thorough in providing your vision of how the collaborative efforts should unfold. But now I think you should cultivate the power of silence. Keep your evolving thoughts to yourself for a while so that they can ripen…
Film follows an Israeli hero who frees Hungarian Jews from Auschwitz
The title “Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh” is from a poem by Hannah Senesh. The match in question is one that lights a single candle and thereby brings a glimmer of light into the darkness. Within the context of this documentary, Hannah is the match. Hannah Senesh, originally Szenes…
Eco-friendly funerals gain ground in Oklahoma
rmal” style=”MARGIN: auto 0in”>”It appears to be a growing movement, because some individuals in Oklahoma have expressed an interest in it, but it just hasn’t gained momentum in our state yet.” National response from the public and those in the funeral and mortuary business to the Green Burial Council’s efforts has been remarkable, Sehee said.…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Rachael Yanetta, a young English woman, got a bellyache while working her regular job at the local pub. Despite the pain, she toughed it out until her shift was over, then went home. Her distress increased, though, and at 3 a.m. she checked into the hospital. A little over an hour later, to her shock,…
Point: No to nuclear energy
Prior to the onset of the legislative session in Oklahoma, the buzz was all about our potential to lead the nation in renewable energy development and its economic impact on our state. Capacity crowds at the Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference in December illustrated the desire of thousands of Oklahomans to participate in the new energy…
Oklahoma lawmakers pass measure to corral feral hogs by air
The state Legislature seems to be doing all it can in the name of Homeland Security, or maybe this has more to do with protecting the Oklahoma-Texas border (especially if our neighbors secede from the Union). The state Senate has approved House Bill 2158, which gives Oklahomans the right to chase and hunt down feral…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
It’s a Love Emergency! Am I right? There’s a growing itch in the romantic sphere, and it needs immediate scratching. I mean it really can’t wait for a few more days to pass; something’s got to be done soon. It may be true that this thickening of the plot has been underway for quite a…
Middle Hanson brother steps up to front Tinted Windows
Tinted Windows performs at 7 p.m. April 25 at Plunkett Park at the University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive in Edmond. Speaking in the collective “we” and perpetually reinforcing the importance of the fans’ perspective, Taylor Hanson is quite the diplomat. APPARENT SUDDENNESS NO ONE KNEW After 17 years in his eponymous band,…
Drop in recycling commodity prices puts squeeze on local programs
Ed Copelin used to make a tidy sum from bales of cardboard boxes from his Norman business, Copelin’s Office Supply. But there won’t be a check coming from the last few times the cardboard bales were picked up. The bales aren’t worth enough to compensate Copelin for them. INSATIABLE HUNGER THREE CITIES RECYCLING RATE That…
Initiative links farmers, businesses to help reduce carbon footprint
The Oklahoma Carbon Initiative, a program of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, is helping state farmers earn money when they practice sustainable agriculture and reduce greenhouse gases. The initiative brokers contracts between the farmers ” whose sustainable practices create carbon credits ” and the individual or organization that needs to purchase those credits, allowing…
Oklahoma City Zoo hosts National Multiple Sclerosis Society event
Join the movement to end multiple sclerosis Saturday at the annual Oklahoma City Walk MS, presented by the Oklahoma chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The organization expects about 1,000 walkers to attend the event, which steps off at the Oklahoma City Zoo, 2101 N.E. 50th. “We invite all people who have any connection…
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
This would be an excellent time for you to lead a populist revolt to overthrow the abusive authorities or out-of-touch elites who have been working their dumb magic for far too long. It would also be a perfect moment for you to stop cooperating with energy-draining situations that undermine your autonomy. The Age of Passivity…
Dance Robots, Dance! DJs have outgrown their dance floor
From underwear dance parties to The Toxic Avenger, it’s been an interesting two years for Robotic Wednesdays at Electro Lounge. Robotic Wednesdays with Dance Robots, Dance! Perform at 10 p.m. April 22 at Kamp’s Market & Deli, 1310 N.W. 25th. ROBOTIC WEDNESDAYS LONDON BRIDGES The themed parties and colorfully named DJ crews kept hipsters flocking…
The IT Crowd: The Complete First Season
2006 The cover to “The IT Crowd: The Complete First Season” proclaims it’s from a producer of “The Office” (the British version, mind you), and even if it weren’t, such a comparison would be a foregone conclusion. Like a growing number of sitcoms, this workplace comedy delights in discomfort. Nothing so uneasy that it will…
The Frontiers of Science
Researchers at Germany’s Max Planck Institute recently published findings of a cross-cultural study of people’s spit. “(W)e can get more insights into human populations (from saliva) than we would get from just studying human DNA,” the team’s leader told Reuters in February. The study’s main conclusion was that spit content does not vary much around…
Author, photographer lectures at OU museum
Photographer and author Richard Steven Street presents his lecture, “Photographer’s Double: The Historian as Photographer, the Photographer as Historian,” at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm in Norman. The two-screen slide lecture describes the process Street used to sort through 10,000 images while selecting a cover for his…
Texas punk scofflaws the Riverboat Gamblers work through bad run of cards
A decade and four albums into their career, the Riverboat Gamblers hit a wall upon returning from a tour supporting 2006’s “To the Confusion of Our Enemies.” Founding bassist Pat Lillard called it quits, having suffered enough at frontman Mike Wiebe’s hands, between having his teeth knocked in by an errant microphone swing, and losing…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
As I close my eyes and ask my deep self for a psychic vision that symbolizes your current astrological omens, here’s what I see: You’re trying to look relaxed even though you have one foot on a dock and one foot on a boat as the boat pulls away. How should we interpret this scene?…
Oklahoma City Community College hosts oral health fair
Find answers and ask important questions about children’s oral health Saturday at Oklahoma City Community College’s Children’s Oral Health Fair. The college will provide free dental and orthodontic screenings and oral health workers will answer parents’ questions. In addition, a nutritionist will discuss and distribute information on healthy food choices and childhood obesity. “We just…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
As a leading practitioner of magical thinking, I regard it as my responsibility to serve as a kind of Quality Control Board. Excessive trust in invisible forces and odd coincidences, after all, can be as hazardous to your intelligence as blind faith in pure reason. This week, in fact, I’d rather see you operate like…
Student Film – Generator, Operator, Destroyer
icked gospel with a backbeat and carnival organ undulation that would set a scene of some backwoods snake-handling. Starkly different are a pair of barely-over-a-minute-long instrumental tracks: the saxophone-laden “Itty Bitty Deluxe” and the droning, atmospheric “Outclassed & Embarrassed.” The latter seems out of place, but is sonically among the most interesting tracks on the…
Oklahoma DEQ has issued $7.3 million in fines since 2004
On May 5, 2008, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality received a phone call from an Oklahoma City resident about some dead fish. The resident told DEQ there were between 20 and 30 dead fish in Chisholm Creek near N.W. 150th and Western Avenue. The estimated number was a bit off. It turned out there…
Oklahoma City University ends season with ‘The Most Happy Fella’
e told out of insecurity creates big problems. “It’s a story of contrasts and duality “? sort of an Old-World-meets-New-World situation,” said director David Herendeen. “Further emphasizing the duality of the piece, Tony sings in this beautiful Italian accent with rhapsodic, almost operatic quality, while Rosabella sings with very music-theater quality, so the flavors of…
CFN Quote of the Week
“Things are getting worse and worse. There needs to be some people out there with guns.” “Roy Richmond, pastor of Tree of Life Ministries in Moore, featured in the April 8, 2009, Time magazine article “Boom in Gun Sales Fueled by Politics and the Economy” after recently purchasing his first handgun
State of Play
Many Americans hold a slightly negative view of reporters, and consider them a necessary evil. At their worst, reporters print, broadcast or post sensationalist fare that’s more like gossipy entertainment than actual news. But at their best, they play an invaluable role in our democracy by speaking truth to power and untangling complex political and…
University of Central Oklahoma hopes to seduce audiences with comedic opera
roduction, they loved Mozart’s music, but hated the words,” said Alicia Tafoya, guest director. “For a time, people would add new lyrics when performing the opera because they were so offended by it.” FRENCH FARCES Tafoya said “Cos
An eco-friendly exhibit showcases two dozen Oklahomans
Sue Moss Sullivan never set out to create a piece of sustainable artwork. But when a few coffee filters evolved into something much more, she already had. Two of the Oklahoma City artist’s sustainable works are on display in “Rethink: Recycle: Redesign,” a juried exhibit organized by Individual Artists of Oklahoma and Sustainable OKC that…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
From an astrological point of view, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to start a band and record an album. Your creativity is waxing, your attunement with the right side of your brain is especially sweet, and you will benefit immensely from anything you do to become less of a spectator and more…
Celebrated New York mix-master heads to Bricktown to scratch out sounds
A lot has changed since DJ Skribble first stepped behind a pair of turntables. Born Scott Ialacci, the Long Island DJ first made a name for himself in the early 1990s as a member of New York rap group the Young Black Teenagers. After two albums garnered only mediocre success, the group split, but Skribble…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
“Being understood is not the most essential thing in life,” said actress Jodie Foster. While that may be true for her, I bet you won’t turn it down if a flood of appreciation and acknowledgement comes your way in the next few weeks. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you now have the…
Distance can send carbon emissions skyrocketing
You bring your own bags to the grocery store. You buy local foods. You even use energy-saving light bulbs. How much more green could you get? More, actually ” if you’re in a long-distance relationship. It may sound crazy at first, but the logic adds up: Long-distance relationships have a way of upsizing one’s carbon…
