Moot ‘toot’ a hoot
Most people are three generations removed from the farm and aren’t sure where their food comes from, so those of us in animal agriculture are working constantly to correct misinformation, and put the public at ease. The beef you serve your family likely started on one of the 1 million U.S. cattle ranches like mine.…
Cattle call
Here is the bottom line and the truth of the numbers: According to the EPA, the entire U.S. agricultural system from blueberries to beef accounts for 6.2 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, while fulfilling the absolute essential role of providing food security to Americans and many people in the world. The beef we raise…
Tower of power
On April 24, two men were arrested on trespassing complaints after climbing to the top of the unfinished building, jumping off and parachuting to the bottom, a practice known as base-jumping, according to The Oke. Around 2:40 a.m., security guards at the tower called police to tell them that a couple of guys with parachuting …
Embarrassing loopholes
The bill’s many loopholes and missing safeguards make it embarrassing. Here’s how it works: The bill authorizes $3.5 million of lucrative tax credits, which are employed as a fundraising incentive to subsidize a $10 million dollar scholarship fund for K-12 private school students only. This perpetual “earmark” continues even if state revenues decline. Even if,…
Wedding-ready
Dresses at Lime Leopard Thankfully, that last bit of the line isn’t quite true, and I am blessed with alcohol-loving friends. I’ve got two big weddings coming up in the next month. One is just a couple weeks away (oh, my God, you two, are you freaking out yet?), and I’m the maid of honor…
Queen of bad press
But, as we found out on April 27, that’s just because she was saving up her material. During debate on a measure that would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to end affirmative action programs in state education, contracting and employment, Kern went off. Her comments from the House floor have garnered national media…
Cheryl’s mom says ‘thanks’
It took place in Oklahoma City, in the Paseo Arts District. She was rushed to OU Medical Center in critical condition and spent the weekend on life support. Cheryl passed away March 7, a little before noon, surrounded by the love of her family and friends. Everything happened so quickly and unexpectedly, I was hardly…
Trawlin’ for N’awlins
WHAT WORKS: Style and substance both count. There’s no froufrou food from a Cajun finishing school here. WHAT NEEDS WORK: The place is a little off the beaten path, quite hidden off N.W. 63rd St. THE TIP: This is casual, no-frills stuff. No other city is quite like New Orleans, with its cobbled streets and…
Information or Islamophobia?
Michael Hoehn, an attorney and executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Alliance for Vigilance, spoke last week at several Oklahoma City and Edmond venues, such as the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee and the High Noon Club. Hoehn spoke to the groups about a wide range of threats from Islam, including terrorist attacks, the implementation…
Twins tower
Dozens of words can describe Generationals’ brand of indie pop, but “tight” and “clean” are the first to come to mind. In their brief three years together, they’ve already churned out two solid albums of bright, shiny and impeccable rock tunes that seem to showcase the duo locking their feet in perfect step. Grant Widmer…
Nice aim
When friends Brent Green and Jeff Goldberg were looking to kick-start their careers, they wanted to do something that would have a positive impact. In 2009, they started Toy Gun Films, a nonprofit production company based in Oklahoma City and Los Angeles, aimed at producing films that tell stories of moral courage and overcoming social…
‘Black’ beauty
As the state’s highest, driest and coolest location, Black Mesa bears an unforgiving landscape with dry grasslands and extreme temperatures. But, Linda Coldwell, marketing officer for the museum, said that although the landscape looks harsh and deserted, the area is teeming with life. “The Black Mesa currently has 150 species of animals living in it,…
Thunder shouldn’t take the Memphis Grizzlies lightly
But now, they’re back. Expectation. Pressure. Stress. After the Thunder wiped their hands clean of the Nuggets, in terms of just taking another step, it was mission accomplished. Winning a playoff series meant this season could be seen as nothing but a complete success. Oklahoma City had progressed a little more. There was another jump…
Bite Size
He has been with the company for more than three years and has recently expanded its sushi and cheese deli. “The cheese would blow your mind,” Langford said. What do you wish you knew five years ago? “What the industry changers were. But we are doing good.” Family: “Two daughters: Stacey Adams and she has…
PR BS
—“Emergency Exercise Deemed Successful at Rose State College” —“Celebrate Administrative Professionals day at Taco Bueno.” —“Annoucing 100% Natural Lipton Iced Tea” —“UCO Invites Proposals To Add Fifth Sorority To Greek Community” —“This Cinco De Mayo, Choose Your Tequila Wisely” —“EXCLUSIVE – the best metal core tank tops EVER!” —“LIFETIME & DEMI MOORE ENTER INTO MULTI-PROJECT…
Living arrangement
The Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust at its April 26 meeting gave the green light for Level Urban Apartments, located at Northeast Second Street and Oklahoma Avenue, to receive $1.25 million in tax increment finance district money for development. However, the developer, Center City Development LLC, will not receive the money until it has completed…
Optimistic thoughts
The municipal budget, which like many cities has taken a beating recently thanks to the recession, is projected to show enough increase to begin to restore some positions cut as a result of the revenue shortfalls in previous years, said city Budget Director Craig Freeman. The budget proposal at the next council meeting will be…
Wine Forum wrap-up
Within the past decade, as the market has matured, Argentina has joined Chile as an exporter of excellent everyday drinkers and world-class, critically acclaimed wines. This year’s Wine Forum of Oklahoma brought together chefs, vintners, winery owners, students and the public to explore the relationship of food and wine in two surprisingly similar cultures: Oklahoma…
Network marketing
Owners of the house at 1145 N.W. 39th have taken to “The Social Network” to find a buyer. Visitors to facebook. com/1145NW39thSt can tour the residence’s rooms via photos, as well as be enticed with wall posts that touts its convenience to nearby retail shops and eater ies along Western Avenue: “City restaurants are a…
Second-degree Murder
above GG Allin performing in 1992 There’s never been nor will there ever be another performer like GG Allin. A raging id given a stage, he was easily the crudest, rudest, most violent and disgusting individual to hold a microphone. He would stand onstage naked (occasionally receiving oral sex from audience members); sodomize himself with…
Saintly
“I originally started looking around for a space about four years ago,” Ireland said. “But throughout that entire time, the Plaza District wasn’t what it is now. That whole process kind of gave the Plaza District time to get ready for me, I think. It’s just wonderful along this little strip now.” The name Saints…
A Film Unfinished
“A Film Unfinished,” screening Friday and Saturday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, starkly illustrates both the duplicity and unflinching honesty of cinema. The harrowing documentary has a more urgent purpose, however, as it details the evil of the Holocaust. At its center is an unfinished work of Nazi propaganda chronicling life in…
Sexing up the spectrum
The members of Colourmusic think about sex a lot. They wrote their entire new album, “My _____ Is Pink,” about it. But wait! It’s not what it sounds like, the Stillwater/England four-piece is quick to point out. “Sexuality is one of the most important elements of music to affect people. We wanted to explore that…
OKC rapper Nymasis flexes his skills
“A lot of these cats, they come with premeditated stuff, but I come with the essence of true battle rap,” said Nymasis (pronounced “nemesis”). “There’s no one here who can mess with me.” The rapper, legal name Anthony Tee, recently proved his words with a win in Oklahoma City’s “Hottest on the Scene MC” battle.…
Cannabis crackdown
Authored by Rep. Sue Tibbs, R-Tulsa, the measure extends the same harsh penalties currently imposed on cannabis cultivators to the industrious individuals who make hashish, the compressed resin excreted by marijuana buds. According to the Tulsa World, there has not been a surge in hashish manufacturing, yet a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics…
“More” photos
Blakemore, a Houston-based Tulsa native, is known for her use of the Diana camera, which was mass-produced in the 1960s and ’70s, and is very sensitive to light, said Alison Amick, the museum’s curator for collections. “The nature of the camera has a very strong impact on her work,” Amick said. “Her images are unique,…
Fiesta time
Señor Tequila 200 S. Santa Fe, Edmond 340-4888 This is the place to go for that special white cheese dip that is not like others (often made with added water), as Señor Tequila’s is a blend of milk and cheese. Señor Tequila has a specialty called the fajita tequila that is made with chicken, shrimp…
Parks and recreation
Earlier this spring, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced that Adair State Park in Stilwell; Beaver Dunes in Beaver; Boggy Depot in Atoka; Brushy Lake in Sallisaw; Heavener Runestone in Heavener; Lake Eucha in Jay; and Wah- Sha-She in Copan will close on Aug. 15. The good news is that the 10 employees whose…
Space out
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., attendees will have plenty of hands-on, space-related activities, such as piloting a Mars rover, launching rockets and gathering moon rocks, said Alex Mattison, museum communications coordinator. “Space Day is one of our biggest events, and it really sets itself apart from our other events, because of how many activities…
Thor
I’m thinking it were either the unnecessary 3D, the half-hour its 114-minute running time didn’t need, or a combination of the two. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, I enjoyed it more than expected, holding no love for the Marvel Comics character. Chris Hemsworth (“Star Trek”) is Thor, god of thunder: arrogant, reckless and cut like…
Hot shots
Reminiscent of jazz, it’s full of improvisation, offering a variety of tastes and styles with influences pulled from just about every bottle behind the bar. While lacking the depth of a good glass of wine or the exquisite burn of an oak-soaked bourbon, quite a bit of creativity goes into the blending — and naming…
Still Smokin’
There’s a reason why the best blues musicians from the ’60s and ’70s are still the best blues musicians today: They tend to get better with age. Texas-based guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek is a perfect example. His first album to land on the U.S. Blues chart came when he was in his 40s, and he’s…
‘Monday’ mourning
Michael Fracasso has a lot going for him: a seamless tenor; an easy smile; a compact, poignant writing style; even a serious talent for cooking pasta dinners. He’s so courteous and agreeable at his shows, it’s somewhat jarring to hear him drop the F-bomb while covering John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.” But it’s always tricky…
The Other guys
Do the math: Other Lives does not equal Kunek. Songwriter Jesse Tabish, a member of both projects with cellist Jenny Hsu and drummer Colby Owens, is quick to point out that the beloved Stillwater band Kunek and newer group Other Lives aren’t exactly the same thing. “It was mutual parting with another member. It wasn’t…
But that’s my stapler
But that time can be diminished by broaching the topics in a way that improves working relationships. “Disagreements, disputes, and honest differences are normal in any workplace,” said Dinkin, who heads the National Conflict Resolution Center. “When these normal occurrences are treated as opportunities for exploring new ideas about projects, they can become catalysts for…
Christian music
“I’m still the 15-year-old kid sitting on the side of his bed dreaming that all this stuff would happen, so you make it work,” said Kane, who has a starring role on TNT’s hit series “Leverage,” opposite Timothy Hutton. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. If you really want something, you’ve got…
Oklahoma motorcyclist deaths down in 2010
The numbers mirror an overall decline nationwide, according to a new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association. Nationally, motorcycle fatalities decreased by at least 2 percent last year. However, a slight increase toward the end of 2010 gives officials pause. “While there is a lot of good news in this report, the increase in…
Winter in Wartime
In 1945, teenage Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier, in his acting debut) is intrigued by the Dutch Resistance movement to Nazi occupation going on almost literally in his own backyard. He rides his bike alongside marching, jackbooted soldiers as if it’s standard operating procedure for a child to do. But when a British plane crashes spectacularly in…
Covert Affairs: Season One
What it’s not, however, judging from its first season, is appointment television. It might be if it started anyone other than Piper Perabo. As mid-20s CIA newbie Annie Walker, she’s fine in the role, but ever since Hollywood tried to shove her down our throats in 2000 with the execrable “Coyote Ugly,” she’s never clicked…
The Other Woman
I found it odd the song fades right after the lyric, “everyone you know someday will die,” yet we soon learn it’s rather fitting; despite a title that screams “erotic thriller,” the film actually is about a mother grieving over the loss of her child. Making a miserable situation worse is that the woman, Emilia…
House votes to reprimand Rep. Sally Kern
Prior to the reprimand, Kern gave an emotional apology for her words, which came on the House floor during debate on a constitutional amendment that would do away with affirmative action programs for state employment, education and contracting. Kern said in response to one lawmaker citing a statistic of the number of black people in…
Gazette wins eight top honors at statewide journalism contest
The Gazette claimed first in Government Reporting of MAPS 3 by former staff writer Scott Cooper and contributing writers Ben Fenwick and Grant Slater. Judges complimented thorough reporting and sourcing for the “beautifully organized” coverage. In Election Reporting, Cooper earned top honors for gubernatorial race content described as “complete, well-written, lively, thorough and balanced.” His…
I Saw the Devil
Although “Devil” opens with a snow-filled scene shown in the South Korean film’s trailer, viewers’ nerves are on alert nonetheless from frame one as we await the stunningly inevitable: the murder of a pregnant woman stranded on the roadside by the serial killer Kyung-chul (Min-sik Choi, “Oldboy”). The madman may have picked wisely out of…
Get Yourself a College Girl
It’s new to the MOD DVD circuit from Warner Archive. It has cartoony credits, rock ‘n’ roll hits, super-cute women, a go-go club setting and almost no story. With those first four, however, it doesn’t need much of one. So why does “Girl” have such sour ratings and reviews? In other words, what do people…
Kern: ‘I am not a racist’
Kern has come under fire in the past after making controversial comments about the gay community, and the latest comments came this week during legislative debate about a bill that will send a constitutional amendment eliminating state affirmative action programs to voters. She claimed much of what she said had been misconstrued and her words…
Megan Is Missing
Wait, I take that back. It’s the “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2” of Internet predator movies — in other words, a complete creative failure. David Schwimmer recently tread these waters to far greater effect, but still emerging only semi-successful, with the melodrama “Trust.” Here, the only thing writer/director Michael Goi achieves is making Megan…
Is Sally Kern an aberration?
The first of many unsettling racist encounters as I traveled across Oklahoma was in a diner where a voter told me that “Obama should be taken out before it is too late.” In 2009, after the president was elected, colleagues and I saw a Tea Party protester at a rally outside the state Capitol with…
Fast Five
And understandably so, as the first and fourth films failed to rev my fun engine. Yet “Fast Five” achieves that seemingly insurmountable peak. Once worldwide receipts are counted, I suspect its tally will be larger than any of its predecessors. Part of that is because it mostly glosses over what the 2001 original so off-puttingly…
Cop Hater
Now on DVD as part of MGM’s Limited Edition Collection, “Cop Hater” is based on the first novel in Ed McBain’s long-running “87th Precinct” series, released one year prior. One wishes it had kicked off a franchise, but subsequent films were only loosely related and sporadic (only on TV have the characters achieved any semblance…
Save Coffy’s Cafe!
It is scheduled from noon to 10 p.m. May 7. Coffy’s, 1739 N.W. 16th, is located in the Plaza District. Hudgens said that owner Janice Francis Smith, aka Coffy, is an amazing person. “I want to make sure this wonderful place stays open,” says Hudgens. “She has been instrumental in providing the community with a…
Of Gods and Men
While not a documentary, “Of Gods and Men” focuses on a group that is nonetheless real: French monks. Either way, you can’t get further from “Fast Five” this weekend. Hope you like subtitles. Opening Friday exclusively at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, 2501 W Memorial, the Cannes Film Festival winner from writer/director Xavier Beauvois…
The Black Sleep
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present 1956’s “The Black Sleep,” now available on DVD as part of MGM’s Limited Edition Collection. Directed by Reginald Le Borg (whose “Diary of a Madman” helped kick off the line), the film stars Basil Rathbone (arguably the best of the big-screen Sherlock Holmeses) as surgeon Joel Cadman.…
Coffey’s cup is speaking with spirits
But his abilities, which supposedly allow him to communicate with the deceased, have led him to become one of the country’s most recognizable psychics, appearing on A&E’s reality series “Paranormal State” and “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal.” On Monday, Coffey will bring his clairvoyance to the Oklahoma City Zoo for a one-night-only event, where…
