Recurring Themes
Something About Dentists: Hard-core federal income-tax resisters are frequently in the news, but a recent spate of them involved dentists. In October, Ed Brown and his dentist-wife, Elaine, were arrested after a nine-month standoff with federal marshals in Plainfield, N.H., where they had holed up, vowing to die before paying the federal government any of…
Least Competent Criminals
In Monticello, N.Y., Steven King, 40, was indicted in October as a result of a traffic stop, for allegedly doing nearly every single thing wrong: intoxicated, driving in oncoming-traffic lanes, with an open beer container, not wearing a seat belt, driving an uninsured car, with expired safety inspection sticker, with license plates belonging to another…
Questionable Judgments
In October, Patty Cooper, 50, accused her landlord (the Central Vermont Community Land Trust) of failing to “accommodate” her disability under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act when it barred her “service horse” from living in her apartment. Cooper uses a wheelchair because of a brittle-bones disorder and says the miniature horse (100 pounds, 32…
Strange Days
Several men were arrested recently and charged with sex “crimes” involving inanimate objects. In Ayr, Scotland, Robert Stewart was convicted of sexually aggravated breach of the peace (and officially labeled a sex offender) after being caught alone and pantsless in his hostel bedroom thrusting against a bicycle. Craig McCullough, 47, was arrested in Cedar Rapids,…
Rep. Terrill motivated by racism, says senator
Racism was part of the motive of the author of Oklahoma’s anti-illegal immigration law, formerly House Bill 1804, according to an Oklahoma state senator. Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, wrote the law for reasons that aren’t “in the best interests of the state of Oklahoma,” he said at a Thursday…
Urban League gets OK for $5.1 million housing development
A new affordable housing development in northeastern Oklahoma City should break ground in six months if all goes according to plans. Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City gained the Oklahoma Housing Finance Authority board’s approval this week to receive $500,000 in tax credits toward the development, according to a press release. Valerie Thompson, Urban League president,…
Cultural Diversity
In October, Italy’s economic minister, noting that a third of all men over 30 still live with their parents and that rental housing markets are depressed, proposed a tax break worth the equivalent of about $1,400 for each man in his 20s who will finally leave Momma’s house. A week earlier in Sicily, one mother…
Through the Eyes of a Broken Man – Robert Nalagan
Vantage Oklahoma City substitute teacher Robert Nalagan has released his first collection of poems in “Through the Eyes of a Broken Man.” This slim volume features introspective verse “? niftily printed on off-blue paper “? addressing such usual poet-friendly issues as heartbreak and hope. “Eyes” appears to be open and honest, with some cringe-worthy poems of…
Shoe Gypsy owner debuts new indie band, CD
Apparently, when Ryan Walker isn’t slinging footwear at Shoe Gypsy in Nichols Hills, he is off somewhere writing gorgeous, quirky songs or recording near-brilliant albums with Oklahoma City indie band Emelo. The band’s album, “Tranquilizers, Brain Screwdrivers and a Book Full of Cheery Poems,” will be un-bagged formally Friday at VZD’s. Recorded and produced by…
Girls Gone Wild’ founder says Oklahoma guards went wild on him
The millionaire founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” video franchise said he was treated pretty darn badly at the Grady County Jail while being held there on a federal tax evasion complaint, according to a recent story in The (Chickasha) Express-Star newspaper. Attorneys for Joe Francis, 34, who is now jailed in Reno, Nev.,…
Waynoka was ‘hot’ layover in early 1900s, thanks to Lindbergh
For 18 months beginning in 1929, Waynoka was the center of one of the most ambitious transportation endeavors the nation had ever witnessed. America’s fair-haired boy, Charles Lindbergh, had been the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo, on a nonstop flight, only two years earlier. Now his goal was to send passengers across the…
Omniplex’s name change affirms commitment to science education
One name change later, Omniplex is now known as Science Museum Oklahoma ” all part of a reinvigorated mission to make the site a more vital tool for the educational community to psych children up about the subject. “Too much of our academic process is memorization and jumping to result, but you don’t know how…
Coalition catalyst
Oklahoma’s new illegal immigration bill, considered one of the strictest such laws in the country, should become a catalyst for state leaders from diverse political backgrounds to come together to oppose it and educate the public about its unintended effects. Those leaders opposed to House Bill 1804, now the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection…
The Official Nancy Drew Handbook: Skills, Tips, & Life Lessons from Everyone’s Favorite Girl Detective – Penny Warner
Quirk Like a “Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook” aimed at preteen girls, “The Official Nancy Drew Handbook” imparts both enduring wisdom and handy info, seemingly from the most famous female investigative sleuth in all of kid-lit, still going strong (even if her movie tanked earlier this year). Some of the chapters actually have practical applications, such…
Guthrie takes weeklong trip back to Victorian times with annual festival
Guthrie is now a tourist attraction for the city’s vast collection of original Victorian architecture downtown. After massive restoration efforts, the buildings achieved national landmark status and even attracted movies looking for an authentic turn-of-the-century feel. The annual Victorian Walk, which takes place Saturday through Dec. 15, celebrates this rich history by setting the clock…
Welcome to the Jungle
2007 Had “Welcome to the Jungle” been made about eight years ago, at the height of “The Blair Witch Project” mania, this fake documentary might have made a tiny splash. Instead, it’s going to straight to video, which is exactly what it deserves. Playing upon the real-life 1961 disappearance of Michael Rockefeller “?…
Mental Health America ranks Oklahoma sixth most depressed
There is gloomy news coming from a mental health organization about the state of Oklahoma. The Sooner State ” with the unofficial motto “Oklahoma is OK,” where the wind comes sweeping down the plains ” is one of the most depressed states in the country. Mental Health America ” formerly known as the National…
American Indian artists to autograph 2008 calendar
The 14th Annual Native American Art Calendar Signing and Show will showcase the work of 13 featured artists, several of whom will be in attendance to sign it, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Jacobson House Native Art Center, 609 Chautauqua in Norman. Southwest Indian Arts…
Latest Religious Messages
“This is a college education that I can use,” said sophomore Emily Felts, 19, as she praised the homemaking curriculum of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas (which leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities). Men and women may be equal, the school says, but they have different roles, and for…
Funding the opposition
Some Oklahoma lawmakers are trying to keep secrets from leaking out of the state Capitol. Behind closed doors and with no accountability, local governments and state agencies are hiring lobbyists to push for more spending and increased taxes. But legislators, agencies and other government entities don’t want you to know how much of the public’s…
Awake
Reviewer’s grade: D What would have been a thrilling film centering around anesthetic awareness “? where you are put to sleep, but don’t fall asleep during surgery, and can feel everything “? is ruined by the distractingly bad performance from Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker of the “Star Wars” films) who plays the lead role.…
The Outsiders: 40th Anniversary Edition – S.E. Hinton
Speak The ink may have been dry for 40 years, but the characters still leap from the page in this platinum edition of “The Outsiders,” Tulsan S.E. Hinton’s celebrated teen-geared novel. Sporting the work’s original 1967 cover, and metallic lettering and flaps, this attractive anniversary version features:” a new foreword by Hinton,” an author interview…
Sleuth
Reviewer’s grade: A What a pleasure it is, for a change, to see a good movie that equals exactly the sum of its parts. The acting is brilliant (Michael Caine and Jude Law), the script is sharper than a serpent’s tooth (Harold Pinter), and the direction is precise and generous (Kenneth Branagh). It’s…
Barry Cooper’s Never Get Busted Again Vol. 1: Traffic Stops
2007 The best tips and tricks, I have found, are garnered by soliciting insider information from folks who either have quit or been fired from certain industries. And after spending years as a Texas drug cop, Barry Cooper knows the other side of the drug war. Luckily for us, Cooper “? who claims…
Downtown’s holiday ice rink now open for business
Now in its sixth year, the 62-by-150-foot Braum’s Ice Rink lets kids and families experience the seasonal thrill of outdoor ice skating, no matter what the temperature. The rink sits atop the lawn of the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker. According to Kim Searls, marketing director of Downtown OKC Inc., more than 26,000…
Indie legend Dinosaur Jr. returns from extinction
Mascis’ responses tend to be of the clipped, yes-or-no variety. He mumbles a lot, and the pauses between words could fill canyons. If he didn’t happen to be one of the most gifted and unique artists in rock music, it would be damned annoying. “I don’t like (interviews) especially,” he said. Pause. “Phone interviews are…
Infrastructure improvements at stake in Tuesday’s bond issue
A major bond issue to help with the city’s infrastructure and an open city council seat will be decided by voters on Tuesday. Oklahoma City residents will vote on whether to approve an $835.5 million bond package that would go toward improving:” roads, ” libraries, ” parks and ” bridges. The bond issue is broken…
CityRep, Pollard offer different takes of Dickens’ classic ‘Christmas Carol’
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s holiday redemption, seems to work wherever it is transplanted, from the Victorian streets of London to 1880s Indian Territory. ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’CityRep, Oklahoma City University Theatre and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre have partnered up to present Lance Marsh’s classic adaptation. While this same-named production travels back…
Celine Dion – Taking Chances
Sony The sticker on the plastic case bills “Taking Chances” as Dion’s “long-awaited new album,” which is puzzling because the Canadian wheeze bag released her previous album, “D’elles,” in May. Though “D’elles” was in French and distributed primarily in our northern neighbor, thinking about ravenous, Dion-starved fans panicking as weeks tick by with no…
The Truth About Poop – Susan E. Goodman
Puffin Finally, a science book your kids will want to read: “The Truth About Poop,” a no-bull, fact-filled guide to all things fecal. With cartoon illustrations by Elwood H. Smith, the book deposits nugget after nugget of interesting crap, from humans to the animal kingdom. For instance, did you know most Arabs don’t use toilet…
Home-based metro program helps young men struggling with behavioral patterns
Kris Bratton still remembers the pleading in his parents’ voices when they woke him up early one Saturday morning last month. “Kris, you need help. We don’t want to force you. It’s your choice.” Bratton rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Then he sighed,…
Hunt for yeti part of Oklahoma oilman’s legacy
Oklahoma oilman Tom Slick Jr. used his family fortune hunting the Loch Ness monster, bigfoot, yeti and so on throughout the Fifties. As Loren Coleman underscored in his 1989 book, “Tom Slick and the Search for the Yeti,” the man was determined to solve all the riddles that seemed to have no answers. EXPEDITIONSightings of…
Series of caged martial arts bouts will feature local fighters
Local gym rats will come crawling out of their holes for a chance to touch gloves and go hand-to-hand at 7 p.m. Friday, when the Farmers Public Market plays host to the first monthly event in C3 Fights’ 12-month “Contender Series: Local Heroes” tournament. The mixed martial arts caged event will pit amateur fighters from…
Singer/songwriter Peter Case coming to Blue Door
Peter Case is a songwriter’s songwriter who took Bob Dylan’s route backward, unplugging to go acoustic after doing the electric thing years with California power-poppers The Nerves and The Plimsouls. His latest album, “Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John,” is stripped-down, but don’t let the title’s allusion to Sleepy John Estes fool you: It’s not…
Norman rock act Gravity Propulsion System breaks orbit with new album
In a world of posers and shoegazers, there’s a need for some good old-fashioned, foot-to-the-floor rock music. Gravity Propulsion System has heeded that call for a decade now, and with its latest album, “Days Like Razors,” the Norman-based band continues to carry the torch for dirty, angry and aggressive garage rockers everywhere. The band will…
Various artists – Crunk Hits Vol. 4
TVT The most amazing thing about “Crunk Hits Vol. 4” is not that they managed to find more than a dozen “crunk hits” for a record, but that they have managed to do so on at least four occasions. If you aren’t familiar with the crunk genre, just think bouncy club music with…
As 46th state, Oklahoma shares number with sports facts
Happy 100th birthday, Oklahoma! There is certainly no shortage of deserving names on the who’s who list where the 46th state of the union is concerned. Near the top of that eclectic mix are the athletes and sports figures with Okie ties, who have impacted our state’s history with their various levels of notoriety and…
Bowling comes to Bricktown with new lounge
The newly opened RedPin Bowling Lounge at 200 S. Oklahoma sports 10 lanes, restaurant seating for 100 people and a full bar, just north of Harkins Bricktown Cinemas, on the canal level. Managing partner Erin Brewer said she and her husband read an article a few years ago about a similar bowling lounge/restaurant concept in…
Devil Doll combines retro pinup look with punk sensibilities
Devil Doll sounds like the soundtrack from a bar brawl between June Carter Cash and Patti Smith, yet comes wrapped as a sultry, dark-haired pinup starlet: leading lady Colleen Duffy. The fun-loving retro-rockers, known for their boisterous and energetic live performances, will take over Oklahoma City’s Blue Note stage tonight, and just might leave the…
2 Days in Paris
Reviewer’s grade: C Jack (Adam Goldberg) and Marion (Julie Delpy) are a 30something couple who decide to stop off in Paris to stay with her parents for a couple of days on the way from Italy back home to NYC. During their 48 hours in the land of Edith Piaf, Jack is tortured, via…
The Modern Mother
Style- and environment-conscious Canadian mothers insist on cloth diapers, especially designer labels of flannel, fleece or wool-knit, according to a November report in Toronto’s Globe and Mail. Handmade embroidered diapers (perhaps in tie-dye or camouflage) are priced at up to $80 each (and some babies get to wear them only just after taking care of…
Tulsa football coach earns ire of Rice band
How bad can marching band smack be? During the Nov. 24 Conference USA West Division championship game between the University of Tulsa and Rice University, “we’ve got spirit” was more like “we’ve got Satan.” Rice’s infamously irreverent “Marching Owl Band” ” better known as the MOB ” enacted a search for TU football…
The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Wolfgang’s Big Night Out
Surfdog After jumpin’, jivin’ and wailin’, The Brian Setzer Orchestra turns to the late 18th and early 19th century with “Wolfgang’s Big Night Out” to rework classical music into Setzer’s swing-revival style . Opening the album, the Beethoven-inspired “Take the 5th” gives the listener an immediate idea of the party atmosphere to come:…
Jericho: The First Season
2006-2007 Can’t wait for the apocalypse? This CBS series isn’t exactly about the end of the world “? just the chaos that ensues following a nuclear attack. The first episode premiered with a bang, purportedly a nuclear blast from Colorado. The show is set in the fictional town of Jericho in northwest Kansas.…
Regents unanimously select new Oklahoma State President
Oklahoma State University announced today the OSU/A&M Regents voted unanimously to select V. Burns Hargis at the school’s 18th president at a special meeting in Stillwater. “I love this university. It means so much to me and I want to see it excel and succeed on all fronts. I am grateful for the confidence shown…
