Henry issues disaster declaration for 24 counties
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry announced today he has issued a disaster declaration for 24 counties — including Oklahoma, Cleveland, Canadian, Logan and McClain “? hit hard by the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin which passed through the state late Saturday and early Sunday. “It was called the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin but it looked…
Oklahoma National Guard helicopters in Texas during storm
Two Oklahoma National Guard helicopters as well as other National Air Guard assets were in Texas readying for the possibility of Hurricane Dean hitting that state’s coast when the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin hit Oklahoma, state emergency and military officials said today. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten said two Oklahoma…
Thinning the Herd
A burglar was killed trying to sneak into the Maranatha Used Clothing store in Miami on May 31; police said the man had crawled between the blades of a large, idle ventilation fan but that before getting all the way through, he accidentally tripped the “on” switch. In Forst, Germany, in May, as a 43-year-old…
Tropical Storm Erin floods Oklahoma
At least two are dead and several missing after Tropical Storm Erin entered Oklahoma early Sunday, leaving flooding and fatalities in its wake. Emergency crews and law enforcement conducted rescue operations in the wake of a tropical storm that flooded parts of the state Sunday. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten said flooding was especially…
Feuds
Hiroshi Nishizaki, 46, was arrested in Osaka, Japan, in May and accused of causing damage of the equivalent of about $5,500 by pouring urine on a neighbor’s house on 169 occasions, because it was blocking Nishizaki’s view. Wheaton, Ill., lawyer Donald Ramsell sued Geneva, Ill., lawyer Douglas Warlick in June, demanding that Warlick continue to…
Yikes!
In June, Pfc. Duncan Schneider finished training with his Oregon Army National Guard unit, immediately married his longtime girlfriend, and prepared for deployment to Iraq; the marriage means that Schneider’s unit’s first sergeant is now his mother-in-law. Officials at the Masters games in Milan, Italy, in July announced in advance that, since the invited athletes…
Superbad
Reviewer’s grade: A- Historically, the “one crazy night” premise has fueled many a teen comedy, but few have been as good as “Superbad.” Its story of two underdog geeks (Michael Cera and Jonah Hill) seeking to provide alcohol for their classmates so they finally can be “cool” “? and just maybe get laid “? rings…
Oops!
A toddler broke from his mother’s supervision in May at the Rhime Buddhist Center in Kansas City, Mo., and accidentally trampled the meticulously created colored-sand picture that eight monks had to that point spent two days creating, but the monks impressively responded with patience. “No problem,” said one, from India’s Geshe Lobsang Sumdup monastery. We…
Are giant octopi eating swimmers of Oklahoma lakes?
Lake Thunderbird offers 6,000 acres of water just perfect for boating, skiing, fishing, swimming and a horrific death at the tentacles of the giant, man-eating octopus. Well, at least according to some “¦ without hard evidence. A new book, “Monster Spotter’s Guide to North America,” claims that several Oklahoma lakes are inhabited by carnivorous freshwater…
The Lookout
ht direction. I don’t know if any movie other than “The Lookout” has made such a musical choice, but there’s nothing wrong with an example of one. Shedding all the stigma left over from his thankless, years-long role on “3rd Rock from the Sun,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns in a surprisingly strong performance as a…
All fired up
Clean-burning natural gas or abundant, less-expensive coal? The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has been asked to approve a new power plant to be built in Red Rock, a joint venture between OG&E Electric Services and American Electric Power-Public Service of Oklahoma. As submitted, plans for the $1.8 billion, 950-megawatt generating facility propose it will burn…
Oklahoma county tries to find potential drug dog a new home
Eddie would like to be man’s best friend, but it appears some of the men in Coal County don’t want Eddie as a friend. According to a story in the Ada Evening News, Eddie was obtained by the Coal County sheriff’s office more than a year ago to be a law enforcement drug dog.…
Stardust
Reviewer’s grade: D+ Trailing in the long, settling wake of “The Lord of the Rings” and the “Harry Potter” series’ success, “Stardust” is a magical fantasy about Tristran (Charlie Cox), a young man on a quest for True Love. On the way he meets ill-tempered fallen star Yvaine (bleach-blonde creepazoid Claire Danes), who is…
Underground art exhibits tells travel stories through paintings, photos
Lining the tunneled walls of The Underground is a series of artful postcards from the travels of several Oklahomans. “Traveling Through Artists’ Eyes,” is the latest exhibit at the Invited Artists Gallery in the newly remodeled underground Conncourse in downtown Oklahoma City. The postcards “? actually bold and vivid photographs, paintings and drawings “? document…
Nixons vet launches new band in 4 Points West
For the last few years, the pieces for Oklahoma City band 4 Points West have been coming together slowly, and that’s just fine with guitarist and organizer Jesse Davis. It’s been about five years since the demise of Davis’ previous band, Huver, whose lineup, including Davis, counted three former members of Nineties pop-grunge band The…
With Rocketplane missing summer financing goal, will NASA jump ship?
Time may be running out on the state’s space tourism and cargo-carrying company to fulfill its mission with NASA. Oklahoma City-based Rocketplane Kistler was awarded a $207 million contract with NASA a year ago to come up with a reusable launch vehicle that could transport cargo to and from the International Space Station. The contract…
Fine Points of the Law
The New Zealand Herald reported in June that a prostitute may be eligible for worker’s compensation based on her having been injured when the car in which she was riding plunged down a hillside. Because the driver was a john who was taking her to a site he had chosen for their encounter, the Prostitutes…
Daddy Day Camp
Reviewer’s grade: F If you and/or your children found anything to amuse in 2003’s “Daddy Day Care,” you might hope to find at least equal small pleasure in Fred Savage’s “Daddy Day Camp.” You will be grossly disappointed if you have that hope and act on it. Featuring the bad acting of…
Midnight Star headlines family fall festival
Sponsored by the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City Inc., Saturday’s 12th annual Family Fun Fest will bid farewell to the summer season, starting at 5 p.m. at Washington Park, 400 N. High. “Our annual Family Fun Fest is a community favorite and has become the traditional back-to-school celebration for northeast Oklahoma City,” said Valerie…
Heat hospitalizes Oklahoma sportscaster
KWTV Channel 9’s Dean Blevins reportedly spent hours in a Tulsa emergency room after suffering fainting spells during an Aug. 6 practice round at the PGA Championship at Tulsa’s Southern Hills. The Tulsa World reported the 51-year-old sports director was taken to St. Francis Hospital. Blevins was sweatin’ up a storm and had to…
Dement failed to break Sooner color barrier, but has no regrets
Now 71, Andy Dement remembers visiting Bud Wilkinson and telling the legendary coach he wanted to play football for the University of Oklahoma. He says he wasn’t out to make history or ruffle any feathers ” he simply wanted to test his talents at the next level. “I have no regrets at all,” said Dement.…
Skinwalkers
Reviewer’s grade: C- You can’t keep a good Hollywood horror myth down, so here comes another werewolf picture. This time a clan of werewolves is tracking a boy named Timothy. If he reaches his 13th birthday, he has the power to end the curse of lycanthropy across the board, and so another clan of…
Becoming Jane
Reviewer’s grade: B- In a period when a woman writing is considered scandalous “? and thinking for herself perhaps worse “? “Becoming Jane” portrays a young Jane Austen, who must choose between compromise and conviction, even if what’s right means going against her own wishes. Julian Jarrold’s fictionalized biography of the English author looks…
Scrambled cable signals make for unique photography exhibit
When Tulsa artist Dan Mayo watches television “? or more specifically, some scrambled cable channel “? he sees beauty and art. Through Aug. 25, Oklahoma City can share in his unique observation via his photography exhibit “TV Prints” at Untitled [ArtSpace], 1 N.E. Third. The show is comprised of 24 digital prints created by photographing…
Hans Zimmer – The Simpsons Movie: The Music
Adrenaline What’s the best accompaniment for an animated series turned movie about a misfit American family beset with family, employment and life woes punctuated by doughnut-eating, butt jokes and random pop-culture references? Why, add a musical score by Oscar- and Grammy-winning score composer Hans Zimmer. His “The Simpsons Movie” score juxtaposes serious orchestra…
Maximum Homeless Guy – Bums Away
On its MySpace page, Oklahoma City punk-rock trio Maximum Homeless Guy lists liquor and the Salvation Army as primary influences, which sounds just about right. In case the current crop of local Nickelback clones or introspective loner-rock bands has fogged your memory, this is the kind of punk rock you used to make…
Renaissance
2006/2007 Watch the trailer to “Renaissance” and you’ll be thinking, “Wow! Cool! That looks awesome!” Take the extra step to actually see “Renaissance” and you’ll be thinking, “Wait. Huh? How much of this is left?” That Miramax opted to give this French animated film a cursory release “? two theaters, folks “? should…
Resourceful Oklahoma man attempts to creatively hide his stash
Police arrested an Allen man recently who ended up getting caught in somewhat of a clincher. According to the Ada Evening News, police stopped two individuals at 2 a.m. on a recent Tuesday for an alleged expired tag along with heavy exhaust fumes ” at least it looked like exhaust ” from the vehicle’s…
Patton Oswalt – Werewolves and Lollipops
Sub Pop Patton Oswalt’s biggest mainstream success to date is the family flick “Ratatouille,” in which the comedian lent his voice to a lovable animated rodent. But Oswalt’s standup routine is anything but G-rated. If you like your comedy unapologetically misanthropic and laced with profanity, this is the comic for you. Oswalt’s “Werewolves…
Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine’s Guide to Life and Love
Patrice HannonPlume Suck the lightheartedness out of “The Jane Austen Handbook,” and you get something like Patrice Hannon’s “Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine’s Guide to Life and Love,” in which a fictional Jane answers a slew of Dear Abby-ish questions posed by modern women. Jane weighs in “? heavily “? on family, finances, sex and…
The Continuing Crisis
Widower Charlie Bonn Kemp, 77, of Vero Beach, Fla., took especially hard the loss of his wife, Lee, in 2006 because she was unquestionably the love of his life even though the couple stopped having sex even before they got married in 1978, according to a June St. Petersburg Times profile. Lee had been Charlie’s…
OSP tackles Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’
“Something wicked this way comes,” one of Macbeth’s witches says as he approaches. When a sorceress tags human royalty so coldly, you know you’re in for a darkly chilling ride. In Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s “Macbeth,” Tyler Woods and Erin Anderson have a strong chemistry that works as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Their youthfulness…
A tenth of a cent
Critics of business and industry love to point out cases of corporate greed. Rarely do they praise industries for doing the right thing. One of Oklahoma’s largest industries is energy, employing tens of thousands of people in high-paying, technologically advanced careers. It’s also generated the revenue to support a lot of farmers, ranchers and private…
Singer/songwriter ditched college for country music
Reaching the ten-year milestone of recording prompted Texan and country music artist Cory Morrow to release “Ten Years,” a collection of previously recorded songs, now revamped for fans old and new. Morrow acknowledged that a decade in music is a “pretty big accomplishment,” but he did not think that warranted a greatest-hits record. So he…
Disturbia
2007 There’s no way around it: Without “Rear Window,” the sleeper smash “Disturbia” would not exist. It’s not an official remake, but it may as well be, albeit with teenage characters and all their inherent hipness. Call it “Extreme Rear Window.” Current It Boy Shia LaBeouf stars as Kale, whose slugging of his Spanish…
Advocates for new Norman library facing questions
Many Norman residents believe the city needs a new public library, but nobody knows:” what it will cost, ” how it will be financed or ” whether public money can be better spent elsewhere. Built in the Sixties at W. Gray Street and N. Webster Avenue downtown, the current library has fallen victim to:” disrepair,…
Money, environment factors in power plant debate
In the debate over whether Oklahoma will build a $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant or use natural gas for fuel, both sides agree that:” coal is dirty, plentiful and cheap; and ” natural gas is cleaner and more expensive. When Chesapeake Energy Corp. chief Aubrey McClendon made his appearance before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission about…
The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World
Margaret C. SullivanQuirk Books For “Janeites” avoiding Austen Anonymous intervention, 17 bucks for this clever piece from Quirk Books couldn’t be better spent. Charmingly designed, the pale-blue guide is thick, its text attractively interspersed with quotations and drawings. Whirling through daily and social life of Jane Austen’s Regency England, the how-to offers advice on proper…
Library’s ‘wizard rock’ concert for Harry Potter fans
The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows pay tribute to Harry Potter through the magic of song. Both will take the stage 5-8 p.m. Sunday for a free, all-ages, outdoor concert at Southern Oaks Library, 6900 S. Walker. “I think it will be a lot of fun,” said Cheryll Smith, children’s services librarian at Southern…
Moore couple’s wedding dance makes ‘iCaught’ television series debut
One metro couple seems to have struck on the gift that keeps on giving ” when it comes to celebrating the thrill, thrill of their wedding a year ago last week. The first episode of ABC’s 9 p.m. Tuesday “iCaught” show ” which follows the stories behind popular Internet videos ” featured Moore residents…
Cargill announces plans for paying teachers on merit
State legislators will be looking at a merit-based pay system for Oklahoma’s teachers as a new method for increasing salaries. House Republican leaders announced their intentions today at press conference. Over the next few months, a study group will be formed to examine models and programs used across the country to financially reward teachers. “The…
Nominees set
A city council member and a former state legislator will face off to see who fills the vacant Oklahoma County Commission board seat. After all precincts reported in tonight, Oklahoma City Councilwoman Willa Johnson held off a crowded field to win the Democratic nomination, while Forrest Claunch easily took the Republican nomination. Claunch, the former member…
John Powell – The Bourne Ultimatum
Decca If you have seen any of the three “Bourne” films, you know that the music plays a big role in supporting the on-screen fight sequences, car chases and global espionage and treachery. Most of the soundtrack to “The Bourne Ultimatum” is composed and arranged by John Powell. His arrangement in “Tangiers” reflects…
