Rest of the Best of OKC 2011
From people and places to the Gazette itself covering these last 52 weeks, we once more not-so-proudly present a handful of additional rankings, in an attempt to satiate your need to have everything numbered in a nice, orderly fashion, but not limited to five slots. Just remember: Be careful what you wish for. Parental guidance…
Fine fare goes West
Since opening in November, West has proven it satisfies with both a great location and its ability to please guests. Scores of satisfied peeps already have discovered the restaurant and are gobbling up the many interesting menu items that combine comfort food with modern cuisine. In particular, diners are stuffing themselves silly on the onion…
The more, the merrier
Boom-A-Rang Diner 5745 Martin Luther King 427-3500 In July, this Boom-a-rang jumped in all the way with both feet! Hardworking cooks are selling the heck out of its fresh, handpattied hamburgers, chicken-fried steak and catfish. Boom-a-rang also has deep-fried pickles, and they are not bashful about telling anyone that everything is made from scratch. There…
‘One-stop shop’
“It’s never one thing. It’s 20 different things, and there is no single agency that is able to address all those issues,” said Dan Straughan (pictured), executive director for the Homeless Alliance. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to reducing and preventing homelessness in Oklahoma through collaboration with government, faith-based and nonprofit service providers, city government…
Oklahoma City’s choices
Which means I’ve been able to see a lot more of the city since I moved back in January, in less time, than I would have been able to in the other two cities I’ve lived in, Boston and Atlanta. So much has changed. Downtown came back from the dead, an NBA franchise moved in,…
For Pete’s sake
During a public meeting on the redistricting plan, Ward 4 Councilman Pete White (pictured) unveiled a plan that would put a new ward in the southwest part of the city and another south of downtown. The purpose of the Aug. 9 meeting was to get public input on the redistricting plan. The city will vote…
The Rev. Steve Kern disputes dino diets
Did the article say there were at least 1,600 people there on Friday evening? One of my good friends and fellow young Earth creationists, Tom Sharp, was a featured speaker. All those people came to hear a good deal of evidence to support our view. I wonder if Gazette letter writers Mack Paul (“If Kern…
Questioning the Kern clan
Clicking “partners” reveals that WorldNetDaily, an infamous advocate of the infantile, racist notion that President Obama was born in Kenya, is an RAFC partner. Since the Rev. Steve Kern and his wife, Rep. Sally Kern, are associated with RAFC and widely pontificate on issues that concern RAFC such as homosexuality and evolution, I think it…
Blame it on the rain (and wind)
Tulsa’s Brady Block Party sustained winds clocking in at 65-70 mph, resulting in a collapsed stage and fans running for cover, according to the Tulsa World. No offense to the second-largest newspaper in Oklahoma, but the storm events were best summed-up by front man Wayne Coyne’s Aug. 6 tweets, presented by Chicken-Fried News in glorious…
In the raw, in the rough
In a July fundraiser at the Boiling Springs Golf Course for the Elk’s annual rodeo, one of the event’s volunteers with apparently questionable impulse control decided to disrobe as a portion of a putting-green challenge, The Oklahoman reported, although the female volunteer was not asked to show her birthday suit. Elks Rodeo Chairman Neal Day…
Meditation on the mind
Practitioners of meditation claim they can get that feel-good state without fatty food, alcohol or a pricey trip. The idea that you can get peace wherever you are, without spending a dime, is pretty foreign in our stressed-out, maxed-out culture. In our fast-paced world, asking ourselves not just to slow down, but to sit still…
Womb to grow
Naturally, Womb demands curiosity and questions from more daring individuals. A few weeks back, it was a 70-something man in a U.S. Navy cap who knocked on what used to be Mel’s Towing, then opened the door. “I just wanted to know what you had here?” he asked co-directors and curators Rick Sinnett and Justin…
Valley rally
Valley Brook, located just north of Crossroads Mall, is surrounded on all sides by Oklahoma City. According to 2009 census numbers, the population is 789. The controversy started when resident Richard Ford (pictured presenting to the council) noticed a change in his city utility rates: an increase of $10 on his trash service bill and…
Puzzling proclamations from public figures
I must respond to Clifton Adcock’s recent article covering the Reclaiming America for Christ event titled “Reclamation project” (Aug. 10, Oklahoma Gazette), which detailed one instance in a long series of troubling anti-reality events in recent history. I will address a few key points and encourage my fellow Oklahomans to look at these ideas and…
Design unintelligent
Let’s look at Lake Yellowstone and a diatom species, for an example: All over the world, a diatom known as S. niagara can be found. However, if one takes a close look at the sediments of Lake Yellowstone beginning about 14,000 years back, one can see S. niagarae transform into S. yellowstonensis within 4,000 years…
Is that the best she could think of?
U.S. Marshal Kim Heath said she learned that Contreras-Sanchez … look, we’re just going to call him CS from here on out, agreed? OK, anyway, CS was gonna make a break for it, according to NewsOK.com. And who should be driving from Las Vegas for his sentencing hearing but his lady love, Maria Jimenez? Hmmm.…
Changing hands
The trust voted during its Aug. 9 meeting to take ownership of the foundation’s property at 123 S. Hudson, known as the Vitagraph property, in exchange for the trust forgiving the $4.2 million loan the foundation used to buy the property. However, the foundation will also have to pay to the trust $188,500 in unpaid…
Shadid’s ‘sacrifice’
Central Oklahoma should be proud and thankful to have an astute individual in the person of Dr. Ed Shadid on the Oklahoma City Council. I don’t personally know him; nor have I talked to him. We need and should encourage differing opinions from the council members. From what I can gather, this spine surgeon gains…
Slim start
Turning 30 is an exciting time. You get more serious about your work. Maybe settle down romantically. And in the case of Langhorne Slim, you start paying rent. Yes, the Americana singer/songwriter managed to make it through his 20s without paying any rent, until recently relocating to Portland, Ore. “It sounds really cool now ……
Final Destination 5
So has everything else. As has been the case over the course of the hit horror series, each chapter adheres to its tried-and-true template. In fact, it could be argued that the movies are written from a “Mad Libs” page, but the only variable to change is the epic disaster that kick-starts each one. With…
Hangman
Not many Oklahomans know this story, but local historian and author Alvin Turner based his new book of poetry, “Hanging Men,” on it. He said that the story should be better recognized, even if it’s not crucial to Oklahoma’s overall history. “The particular story’s not especially important; you can tell all of Oklahoma history without…
All a ‘Dream’
Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park has upped its costume budget lately, and the results show. Robert Pittenridge designed them for all OSP shows this summer, and his “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” work, now at the Myriad Gardens Water Stage, is downright sumptuous. Hippolyta carries a bow and an arrow-filled quiver for much of the play,…
Hot wax
Charlie’s Jazz and R&B5114 Classen Circle Charlie’s is famous for not only for its wonderful selection of hard-to-find LPs, CDs and tapes, but for the lively owner and namesake. Charlie makes soul, blues and jazz the focus here, with plenty of rare pieces hidden away. meeting him is a must, and make sure to ask…
The oldies
I’ve been all about vintage lately (I’m on the lookout for a cool reading chair for my bedroom), so I struck out to find the not-new: vintage, antiques, slightly used — all those things you couldn’t find in, oh, say, an outlet mall that backs up highways for miles. I’ve been driving by French Quarter…
Space-age wine
They had spent years in the food and wine business, and they wanted to translate their knowledge and experience into a product that could genuinely revolutionize the wine industry. “We had learned over the years that for most people, it’s about that $10 bottle of wine,” Large said. “I had been in the boutique wine…
Bite size
CALLING ALL ARTISTSTo celebrate its 14th anniversary, Sushi Neko, part of Western Concepts Restaurant Group, is holding a T-shirt design contest. The restaurant is offering some pleasing prizes to three winners who submit a design that could be featured on a tee. The deadline to enter is Saturday, and winners will be chosen by the…
Flame throwers
These refreshing beverages are part of a new clique. Perfect for summer, they compete nicely with the scorching temperatures in a mouthwatering way. To satisfy local residents, a new group of bars and bartenders give the metro drinking scene a particularly swanky flavor. The bar at Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson, opened last fall and leads…
Another Earth
Relative newcomer Brit Marling, who co-wrote and co-produced the picture, portrays Rhoda, an intelligent young woman with a scholarship to MIT and plans to become an astrophysicist. Those dreams disappear in an instant, however, when she causes a car accident that kills a woman and her small child. That wreck leaves a grieving husband and…
One Day
Familiarity is hardly a negative in melodrama, however, where its very predictability can be as comforting as a favorite blanket. “One Day,” which opens Friday, understands the role it plays, but it’s smarter and more polished than many of its ilk — and it soars on the appeal of its leads. Adapted by David Nicholls…
CFN Headline of the Week
“Olivia Munn, The Power of Padded Bras and Other News” —from thesuperficial.com, Aug. 8
Soundcheck: The Prids
The pair wound up in Portland, Ore., in 1999, where they started recording a certain subconsciously subterranean, guitar-driven music with catchy, but still literary lines sung boy-girl. And don’t forget the special ingredient: just the right amount of distortion. Last year’s “Chronosynclastic” draws all this musical influence in and emotes it over 15 years’ worth…
CFN Quote of the Week
“Well, I will just be right up front with you and tell you I oppose legalizing marijuana.” —Gov. Mary Fallin, speaking during an Internet town hall broadcast Aug. 4 from Oklahoman Republican Party headquarters, according to the Tulsa World
Taking aim
To say this has been a trying summer for Pennsylvania punk band Handguns would be an understatement. “Touring has been total hell,” said founder and guitarist Jake Langley. “My singer quit, our drummer quit, we got a new drummer, he quit, and somehow, we are still here. I don’t know. We have had to find…
Moore, no less
One day, a package arrived in the mail that stirred up hundreds of memories for Ian Moore. It was a copy of an unreleased album he had done with his original band — known simply as Ian Moore Band — that had been shelved and lost in the shuffle. He immediately thought of the era…
Good grief
It used to be easy to imagine singer/ songwriter Ryan Lawson as a Charlie Brown type: sweet and sincere, but always a little melancholy with life dumping on him at the worst moments. Naturally, that fed into his music, but as things have turned around, he’s smiling a whole lot more. “A lot of people…
Gingerly
Lots of musicians look at music as a sort of therapy, but singer Ginger Leigh needed it to be even more than that. The Austin, Texas-based performer — whose music falls somewhere in the realm of K.D. Lang and Melissa Etheridge — was forced to combat breast cancer this past year, and she is pretty…
Flipping art
For about 20 years, since the restaurant’s inception, Flip’s walls have featured a different artist every six weeks. This month, it’s Melissa Key, who has been a professional photographer for 13 years. After surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she found everything paintworthy. Without water and electricity for several weeks, she painted. Her current exhibition highlights…
Doggie styles
Man’s best friend is more than a furry pal who plays fetch, chews your coffee table and loves on you every afternoon. Man’s best friend is also an art exhibit, running through Aug. 31 at Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo. Diana J. Smith’s “Canine Companions: Adoption Series” features more than the ball of fluff, but…
Water work
With less than a year left to prep for potentially career-defining performances, athletes are relocating from nationwide to train extensively with the staff and facilities in Oklahoma City. Kayaker Kaitlyn McElroy (pictured) moved from Maine a year and a half ago to train with her K2 partner, Jen Burke. In that time, McElroy said the…
River cruisers
Gliding along the Oklahoma River, a 7.2-mile portion of the North Canadian River, Oklahoma River Cruises have three ports: Regatta Park, Exchange Landing and Meridian Landing. “Everything around here is redeveloping,” said Jeanne Smith, river transit manager for the Central Oklahoma Transit and Parking Authority. “Parking in Bricktown is costly, so why not park at…
A wild ride
Pantheon, son of Helios, grabbed the reins of the Greek god’s sun-chariot to speed across the sky, but when he lost control, the flames scorched the land, creating the arid desert. Half a world away, sons and daughters are still going on joyrides through another Sahara, this time without world-destroying results. Located in Waynoka, Little…
Like a song
Karaoke is everywhere, but ever wondered how others feel about it? Take Patrick House, for example, an ex-bartender in Edmond. He hates karaoke. As part of his uniform for bartending, he would wear earplugs, totally offending some singers. “For every one good singer, there are 20 bad,” he said. “Nails down the chalkboard or a…
Durant talkin’ turkey
Your reigning “Best community leader” and “Best person or business to follow on social media,” Kevin Durant, is reportedly pursuing a contract with a foreign basketball club. The Durantula’s agent told ESPN.com last week that he’d met with officials from the Turkish Besiktas, which has already succeeded in signing New Jersey point guard Deron Williams.…
Tube food
“Where there’s color and sound and movement, your eye fixates on it; not intentionally, it just does that,” said Jonathon Stranger, who, along with business partner Russ Johnson, made a deliberate decision to not include televisions inside Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson. But he’s one of the only metro restaurateurs committed to being TV-free. From the…
Alfred Hitchcock: A Legacy of Suspense
Mill Creek Entertainment’s “Alfred Hitchcock: A Legacy of Suspense” collects 18 movies on four discs, for less than $10. The cover reads 20 movies, but two episodes of NBC’s “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” while welcome, do not count. While “early” means “public domain” — in other words, expect no “Psycho” — don’t think these aren’t worth…
Super Hybrid
It comes equipped with built-in heat vision and a morphing system that allows it to look like a Ferrari one minute, a Griswoldian station wagon the next, and everything in between! And just wait until you see what’s under the hood: a hissing, snake-like mass of tentacles! You won’t find another vehicle like it on…
A Fistful of Dollars / For a Few Dollars More
The first two now join the third in being released on individual Blu-rays each packed with extra material; it’s hard to imagine that they have ever looked better. Donning a now-iconic hat, poncho and soggy cigar, Eastwood makes a strong, silent impression as “the Man with No Name.” Supposedly, he’s playing a different character in…
Chinese buffet to benefit recovering deputy
Unfortunately, Waldenville remains in the hospital, recovering after being shot on May 21 in Stockyards City. The fundraiser will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 27 at Mr. Pho, 1133 N.W. 25th. Tickets are $20, which includes a buffet featuring Chinese classics including egg rolls, grilled chicken and pork, fried catfish, shrimp lo…
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
Five records, four guys and one dysfunctional relationship add up to the core of “Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest,” a note-perfect documentary on the group’s quarter-century history. One need not even listen to the Tribe’s style of music to appreciate the film’s dramatic heft. Instantly likable, it’s better than…
Kanye West and Jay-Z — Watch the Throne
Or … not. This marks three consecutive years of blockbuster hip-hop releases from these two guys who’ve built a close friendship around their megastar lifestyles, respective talents as artists (technical rap wizardry for Jigga, arena-blasting, prog-rap production from ’Ye), and incomparably massive ambition as pop stars. Kanye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” prompted more sterling…
The Lincoln Lawyer
Ever since the glory days of “Perry Mason,” I’ve been a sucker for stories about slick lawyers who live along the thin line of professional ethics, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other. In “The Lincoln Lawyer,” Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”) skates along with one foot on the ethical side…
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Movie Collection — Set 6
Acorn Media has collected three of the four episodes comprising the series’ 12th season for a Blu-ray box set. If you think, “Why not all four?,” know that the missing ep, “Murder on the Orient Express,” already has made its high-def debut. If you think, “Isn’t three episodes chintzy?,” know that each is like a…
Meet Monica Velour
A self-described dork at age 17, Tobe (Dustin Ingram) escapes his friendless existence by obsessing over his favorite porn star of the 1970s, Monica Velour, whose work include such hardcore skin flicks as “Saturday Night Beaver,” “M*U*F*F” and “Pork’n Mindy.” When Tobe notices the now-middle-aged Velour (Kim Cattrall) will be making an appearance at a…
Camp Hell
No wonder the movie is titled “Camp Hell.” I understand the intent of putting Jesse Eisenberg front and center on the cover, the art of which suggests a camp-counselor slasher in the style of “Friday the 13th,” but “The Social Network” star has little more than a cameo, and the film is unfortunately more of…
Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf
But I enjoyed the hell out of “Kingdom Hospital,” despite its missteps. Ditto for “Medium Raw.” In the film by writer/director/actor Andrew Cymek (whose previous effort, 2007’s “Dark Rising,” I did not enjoy), 15 girls have fallen pray to a killer the press have dubbed “The Wolf” for his signature move of leaving the sentence…
‘Yahu!
“I think, to be honest with you, most people have one thing to say,” Matthew Miller said. “They have one thing to put forward.” For Miller, better-known by his Hebrew and stage name, Matisyahu, that one binding theme is his Orthodox Jewish faith, an ever-unfolding struggle to grow closer to God. From this fount, he…
Tactical Force
He seems not to mind. The new “Tactical Force” takes the same route as Austin’s recent star vehicles “The Stranger” and “Hunt to Kill,” being a mildly diverting, no-brain actioner that would’ve made a modest profit in the 1980s under the banner of Cannon Films. After successfully completing their 30th mission — defusing a hostage…
Blitz
“Blitz” has little need for humor — who does when you’ve got that winning Statham scowl? Lensed in London and based on a grit-noir novel by Irish crime writer Ken Bruen, “Blitz” casts Statham as Detective Sgt. Brant, whose temper has become a liability for the station in the form of bad publicity. This makes…
The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Hendrix in the West / Winterland
I have no doubts that the news of Merge Records’ forthcoming reissue of Superchunk’s 1994 classic, “Foolish,” has my friend George Lang at The Oklahoman nervously checking his inbox every four or five minutes, anxious to download that remastered 50 minutes of 90s indie-guitar glory. The re-done edition is accompanied by never-before-heard bonus material and…
Collections of Colonies of Bees — GIVING
How’s that, you figure? Well, COCOB’s taken instrumental post-rock where it needs to go by completely eliminating all the typical boring moments from their formula. “Giving” is a short album that’s constantly barreling forward and never stalled out by a single breakdown or pause, ethereal jam session, or instrumental solo. Even when the guitars, so…
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
And that would be a bad thing, because “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” hoses off any stink Burton left behind. It’s one of the year’s nicest surprises. An origin story to the sci-fi franchise that began on the big screen in 1968, “Rise” draws upon story elements of 1972’s “Conquest of the Planet…
Partnership provides food, supplies for homeless pets
The 501(c)(3) organization Pet Food Pantry of Oklahoma City recently began a partnership with local veterinary clinic Swaim Serum Company accepting donations to distribute in the metro area through the national nonprofit Pets of the Homeless, which provides pet food and medical services to homeless and low-income people. Donations would be accepted at the clinic,…
Childers wins Senate District 43 primary, advances to Oct. 11 election
Childers raked in around 58.4 percent of the 1,553 votes cast, and will now face Moore Democratic candidate Kenneth Meador, who was unchallenged in the primary election, during the Oct. 11 general election.The District 43 seat opened up after a term-limited Republican Sen. Jim Reynolds, who successfully ran in November for the position of Cleveland…
The Task / Scream of the Banshee
In “The Task,” half a dozen collegians are kidnapped (presumably) by clown-masked goons and taken to a field outside the abandoned Pennyville State Prison. Turns out, some months ago, they all auditioned for a reality TV show. This is that show, and all they have to do to garner $20,000 a piece is to spend…
Torchwood: The Complete Original UK Series
With “Torchwood: Miracle Day” burning up the ratings for cable outlet Starz, you can see where it all began in one high-def package with “Torchwood: The Complete Original UK Series .” The 12-disc set compiles all three seasons of the BBC series, and the result is so heavy, you wouldn’t want to drop it on…
Donnie Darko: 10th Anniversary Edition
Also official: Its fervent embrace by all the emo teenagers whose previous hobbies consisted only of cutting helped us to forget that writer/director Richard Kelly’s debut was a pretty damn good film. 20th Century Fox’s re-release in a “10th Anniversary Edition” make this crystal-clear. The four-disc set gives you the movie as a Blu-ray, a…
