American Splendor #1
by one of eight different artists. The longer pieces are the most interesting and insightful. In “I’m No Help!,” illustrated by David Lapham, Pekar visits with a high-school-aged fan who claims a miserable life. Hilary Barta draws “Chicago Visit,” in which Pekar and his wife crash with friends in Illinois while on a book fair…
Updates
News of the Weird cited a police report last May that an unidentified man in Guelph, Ontario, had committed at least three incidents of approaching women and asking to be kicked in the groin. After seven such incidents, Jarrett Loft, 28, pleaded guilty in March 2008 to one count and was sentenced to 60 days…
Undignified Deaths
A 76-year-old Baptist minister was found dead in Clarksville, Tenn., in March after he had tried to pull a goat back into a fenced-in area of his property; apparently, the goat had resisted the slip knot, and somehow the animal’s jumping had wound the rope around the minister’s feet and neck, and he had begun…
Least Competent Criminals
Not Ready for Prime Time: Two boys, 12 and 14, were quickly arrested in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in March when they tried to rob a woman who was working at a counter behind protective glass in an office, by picking up the convenience phone and threatening her, implying that they had a gun. The…
Family Values
Sheila and Paul Garcia of Northfleet, England, acknowledged to London’s Daily Mail in February that they invited their 16-year-old daughter’s boyfriend to come live with her in her bedroom, despite the fact that he is 36 and divorced, with one child. The parents said they weren’t thrilled with the situation, but that it was preferable…
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Reviewer’s grade: C Ben Stein, of “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and Clear Eyes commercial fame, co-writes and “hosts” (it’s that way in the credits) this documentary about the Darwinist stranglehold on academia and its nefarious plan to banish religion, morality and all warm fuzzies from the human condition. Ostensibly a film about academic prejudice forcing…
Bill meant to uncrowd juvenile facilities passes through House
Relief to the state Office of Juvenile Affairs’ overcrowding situation has come one step closer in the state Legislature. Senate Bill 1889 would permit a juvenile who has been labeled a youthful offender to be kept in a county jail until a place can be found within an OJA facility. The bill, authored by Rep.…
New workout equipment worth the ‘weight’ at John Marshall
With one counting off “uno, dos , tres,” a handful of John Marshall High School students cut a ribbon to dedicate the school’s newly equipped weight room Tuesday, made possible through alumni donations. Bob West, a 1957 graduate of the school who went on to start as quarterback at the University of Tulsa, gave more…
Theater vet steps into the role of the ultimate stage mom in ‘Gypsy’
e. A self-described “broad,” this 25-year veteran of the stage has had her share of brash, salty female roles. But it is her turn at portraying one of theater’s most notorious broads, Rose Hovick, that has Halenda truly testing her acting chops “? and loving every minute of it “? in the musical “Gypsy,” which…
Under the Same Moon
Reviewer’s grade: B+ This tear-jerker from Mexico on the plight of one nine-year Mexican national’s journey from his home town south of El Paso, Texas across the American southwest to find his mother, who has been working illegally as a maid in Los Angeles for four years, is far more entertaining, humorous and real than…
Oklahoma sheriff in Custer County faces 35 sex-related felony charges
In the world of sexually subjugating one’s fellow human beings, the Custer County sheriff’s office under Michael Burgess was allegedly a hoppin’ place, according to an affidavit. Filed in Custer County District Court on April 16, the affidavit cites 35 felony counts against Burgess, who recently stepped down as sheriff. The counts include 14 of…
The Continuing Crisis
Dirk Opalka (whose fox scored 96 of 100 possible points) won best in show at the World Taxidermy Championships in February in Salzburg, Austria, beating over 100 competitors in the art of stretching animal skin over fake bodies so the critters look better than they ever looked alive. The attention to detail was astonishing, according…
Warning, Muskogee, OK’ movie trailer causes FBI ruckus
What’s the world coming to if you can’t make a joking threat against an entire city anymore? This Friday won’t be a beautiful day for the film “A Beautiful Day.” That’s when it was set to make its world premiere at Muskogee’s Bare Bones International Independent Film and Music Festival, according to an AP report,…
After trading basketball for jazz, Tisdale now conquers cancer
ut the most compelling aspect of the evening had little to do with Tisdale’s music. Rather, it was the story he told about his recent and ongoing fight with bone cancer. His infectious smile never goes away. The 43-year-old wore it on the court when he was known for having one of the sweetest left-handed…
88 Minutes
Reviewer’s grade: C Dr. Jack Gramm (Al Pacino) is a leading forensic psychiatrist and university professor whose mid-Nineties court testimony landed Jon Forster (Neal McDonough, “The Hitcher,” “Flags of Our Fathers”), aka “The Seattle Slayer,” on death row. Nine years later, it’s time for Forster to be put to death, and new accusations about the…
Forbidden Kingdom
Reviewer’s grade: B Jackie Chan and Jet Li, martial arts icons, team up for the first time in this exotic fantasy of ancient China. They play two good guys helping a modern American who pops up one day with a legendary weapon he’s been told he has to return to its rightful owner, The Monkey…
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Reviewer’s grade: A- Give Jason Segel his due: The guy is fearless. Will Ferrell gets laughs for showing off his paunch, but Segel (TV’s “Freaks and Geeks,” “How I Met Your Mother”) has written himself a movie part in which his penis is a visual punchline — not once, but twice. In “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,”…
The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America – David Hajdu
Farrar, Straus & Giroux Where I grew up, every boy on the block had comic books “? stacks of them. Crime comics, war comics, horror, Westerns, even romance. We bought them, read them, traded them and collected them. Our parents disapproved of certain comics, but we never dreamed our books might be confiscated because they…
The great debate
The recent MAPS tax proposal engendered endless editorial page discussions on just what would make Oklahoma City a great city. Mostly, these centered on the effect of a professional sports team. Cities are complex systems whose components interact sometimes in unpredictable ways. Nevertheless, useful generalizations can be made about the properties of cities widely acknowledged…
Various artists – Generation V
Dgenetics Musics Want to know what should be in repeat mode on your iPod all summer long? It’s “Skate with Me,” a snappy little number from Dgenerate Nation, one of four unknown acts on the indie compilation “Generation V.” “Skate with Me” provides instant buoyancy, fusing Seventies disco-funk with Nineties electronica and a lackadaisical vocal…
Morcheeba – Dive Deep
Ultra Take the advice of this album’s title, and immerse yourself in its aural anesthetic, awash with stress-numbing melodies and crystalline production. Morcheeba was formed in the mid-Nineties as a trip-hop trio, but since has evolved into a more sonically experimental sibling duo with a notably mature sound. Gone are the vocal-driven singles like “Trigger…
After U.S. Supreme Court decision, executions in Oklahoma will resume
The state of Oklahoma has requested execution dates for two inmates on death row now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that lethal injection executions are not cruel and unusual punishment. Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said the two inmates, convicted of capital murder, exhausted their appeals some time ago but that the state…
Two Norman art exhibits showcase the people, landscapes and history of Chinese culture
A pair of exhibits at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman offers a glimpse into contemporary China and examines the changes that continue to alter the country’s landscape and cultural identity. “China: Insights” and “Hung Liu: Now and Then” both use art to explore the people and issues that have shaped modern-day…
Oklahoma family hunting for mushrooms finds human remains
Aah, springtime, when flowers are blooming, breezes gently flutter the leaves of trees, and sunlight caresses the earth. When April showers bring “¦ morel mushrooms, and intrepid ‘shroom hunters on a quest for the flavorful fungus. Never mind that the tan to dark-brown morel features a deeply pitted, cone-shaped cap that resembles a shriveled “…
Tripping out
With the recent rash of flight cancellations by airlines suddenly inspecting planes, an increasing number of frustrated travelers may have been finding themselves with too many hours to kill. First, of course, they probably must stand in a long, slow-moving line to find out whatever it is that they’re supposed to do to get booked…
Auto dealership participates in breast-cancer charity
Test-driving a car is great, because it allows potential purchasers to try before they buy. And test-driving a BMW on Tuesday is greater, because it also benefits the fight against breast cancer. For the 12th annual BMW Ultimate Drive Supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, 25 BMWs will be available for a charity-supporting spin…
CFN wants to name that new Oklahoma City basketball team
With Oklahomans catching NBA fever, everyone is throwing their two cents ” including Mr. “My Two Cents” Ogle himself ” into what the name of the eventual Oklahoma City basketball team should be. The signs are looking pretty good that fast NBA action will make Oklahoma a permanent stop. The Oklahoman sports columnist Berry Tramel…
Zoo hosts Jungle Gym Art Party
Young artists, grab your paintbrushes ” it’s time to free the fierce and inventive beast within! Prepare to express your wild talents at the fourth annual Jungle Gym Art Party, presented by the Oklahoma City Zoo, in partnership with the Junior League of Oklahoma City. Parents can encourage their children to get their creative juices…
Exhibition highlights famed photographer
“Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art “? the collection’s first stop on a national tour “? includes 136 photographs that span the Brett Weston’s entire career and show abstractions, urban landscapes and nature in black-and-white contrasts. The photographs come from a large collection of Weston’s works donated to…
The Polyphonic Spree offers colorful aural experience.
With a lineup that resembles a sports team more than a band, the choral pop act The Polyphonic Spree could be charged with producing music that leans toward indulgence. But, if anything, the Spree never comes across as affected, with deep song arrangements and layers of sonic effluvia that mingle together much like old friends.…
Pollard Theatre’s ‘Peter Pan’ as good as peanut butter
Guthrie’s Pollard Theatre hosts “Peter Pan” through May 10. When James M. Barrie wrote the original “Peter Pan” stage play around the turn of the 20th century, he could hardly have dreamed what an international industry he created: multiple musicals, live and animated films, recordings, dolls and Halloween costumes, not to mention pages of memorabilia…
Confidentialty crisis
Lawyer confidentiality rules kept one man improperly on death row for 10 years and a probably innocent man in prison for 26, according to news that surfaced in January (in Virginia) and March (in Illinois). Daryl Atkins (sentenced to death in 1997) was the victim of probable prosecutorial misconduct, according to his co-defendant’s lawyer, Leslie…
Edmond is home away from home for British Sea Power
British Sea Power is nothing if not idiosyncratic. Hailing from the British coastal city of Brighton, the band is renowned for its vintage nautical uniforms and quirky shows where the stage is bedecked in foliage and tree branches. The band will play at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Norman Music Festival on the West Main…
Dimitri from Paris – Return to the Playboy Mansion
Defected Despite delivering a choice debut of originals in 1996’s “Sacrebleu,” Dimitri from Paris is best-known for his DJ mixes, especially 2000’s well-received “A Night at the Playboy Mansion.” The fancy Frenchman now follows up that effort with the twice-as-long but not twice-as-great “Return to the Playboy Mansion.” “Return” segregates its mixes into two distinct…
Groovefest mixes election-year messages with moving metro music
Counterculture celebration has become an annual tradition at Norman’s Groovefest, an event that combines a human rights forum with an all-day outdoor concert. Always a community-wide collaboration, Groovefest hasn’t changed much since being founded 22 years ago. The University of Oklahoma student chapter of Amnesty International continues to spearhead the event, which takes over Andrews…
Okie alt-glam rockers, the Chainsaw Kittens, reunite for Norman event
Sometimes Tyson Meade wonders if the Chainsaw Kittens ever really happened. It’s been nearly 20 years since the alt-glam rock band formed in Norman. More than a decade has passed since the lauded locals have celebrated any major radio play or had music videos on heavy MTV rotation. The Nineties were a busy time for…
The Aristocrats!
Mayor Art Madrid of La Mesa, Calif., apologized in February for an incident the week before when police found him, along with a female city employee, passed out about 10:30 p.m. Madrid was lying on the sidewalk near an SUV; the woman was in the driver’s seat with her legs sticking out the open door;…
Face of women’s roller derby continues to evolve
Since Oklahoma City roller derby was resurrected two years ago with the creation of the Tornado Alley Rollergirls, what at first seemed like a novel, possibly temporary sports phenomenon has instead expanded into three independent leagues with three different philosophies about how to be the best derby queens in town. The Tornado Alley Rollergirls were…
Capitol summit to discuss women’s incarceration, health and leadership
In the beginning of her poem “A Life Worth Living,” state resident Barbara Saunders writes of women forging such an existence in the midst of a risk-laced environment: prison ” which she experienced firsthand as an inmate in an Oklahoma correctional facility in the Nineties. But, according to statistics, Oklahoma women face a precarious position…
American Indian organization calls for Land Run re-enactment ban
On the anniversary of the Land Run of 1889, representatives of an American Indian organization are asking the state to ban re-enactments of the event in public schools. S.P.I.R.I.T., or Society to Preserve the Indigenous Rights and Indigenous Traditions, is presenting a resolution at the state Capitol today requesting teaching incorporate American Indians’ side of…
