OKCMOA’s annual Omelette Party a smashing success
Spears was speaking about the museum’s 27th Annual Omelette Party, held Feb. 5 at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center, where more than 950 people enjoyed gourmet omelets created by local chefs. There was an open bar, with live music from The Stars and DJ Brian Smith. The big hit of the party, besides watching the…
Gazette receives eight awards from Oklahoma Press Association
The Gazette won first in the categories of Advertising, Sales Promotion, Editorial Comment, News Writing and Feature Writing. Regarding the Gazette’s Advertising entry coordinated by Advertising Director Terri Sadler, judges said, “very impressive — great work.” Sadler’s Sales Promotion entry showed a “very impressive range of advertising tools” with “wide audience appeal.” The Editorial Comment…
One Week Job
The British Columbia native sought to work 52 jobs, one each week for an entire year, to find his true calling. The results can be see in the DIY documentary “One Week Job.” At the risk of sounding like my father, I expected to hate this Aiken guy and, therefore, the film, because this blond-haired…
Sharing is caring
This is the plight of the organizers for the Norman Music Festival, a free event since its inception four years ago. With 200 bands performing over three days in downtown Norman, organizers hope to scratch up extra funds to ease their stretched budget by hosting a wine-share Friday during the Second Friday Circuit of Art.…
The Illusionist
Don’t get me wrong: I liked “Toy Story 3.” I just feel like I had seen it before (it is a sequel, after all). All too often, I think good animated films like Pixar’s are overhyped, because when one considers the other crap our children drag us to — i.e. “Yogi Bear” — something like…
Think pink
Rosé is typically a summer wine, but sparkling rosé is good year-round. Since people tend to spend more money on red and pink around this time of year, why not stick with the theme and try sparkling rosé this Valentine’s Day? Wild Turkey Finer Wines & Spirits, 12021 N. MacArthur, is home to one of…
Masterful moves
Oklahoma City Ballet presents a showcase of four pieces in “Masters and Moderns.” The show includes two masterworks from two of the 20th century’s most influential choreographers, plus two world premieres from two artists making a name for themselves in 21stcentury dance. “Masters and Moderns” came about out of a desire to be able to…
Like!
This came as news to Eisenberg, as he revealed on an episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” last week. In talking with Leno about the accolades bestowed upon him for “The Social Network,” the young actor said, “I’ve won some awards that, frankly, I didn’t know existed.” “Like which ones?” Leno asked.…
Booze redo
Bishop says that if Whole Foods Market, Sam’s Club, Walmart, etc. are allowed to sell all alcohol, that “all of that revenue that currently stays in Oklahoma would leave the state” from local liquor merchants. Well, I have traveled extensively in the U.S., and I can safely say that in any other state I have…
Arise, Lazarus
Fans of Slayer would find themselves in familiar territory if they stopped in Saturday night at Bricktown Live, 103 Flaming Lips Alley, where the Wisconsin-based band will be playing tracks off “Black Rivers Flow.” The album was released by legendary label Metal Blade Records last week. Similarly thrash-minded bands Death Angel and Bonded by Blood…
Short stuff
ANIMATED “The Gruffalo” concerns a mouse saving his skin by outwitting a fox, an owl and a snake via a tale about the titular fabled monster in order to save his own skin. Crisp-looking and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, it’s one joke too long at 27 minutes. France’s “Madagascar, A Journey Diary” plays like…
‘Dark’ horse
There’s a gentle reflective cast to his songs. Nimble poetry pirouetting around burbling acoustic guitar melodies. A limber baritone supporting arrangements that are spare and understated, even on record, providing ballast that keeps them from drifting away. John Gorka has established himself as one of folk’s finest writers, a master at walking the tightrope between…
Standard-bearer
Songbook standards will never go out of style, as long as a select few are willing to hold their torch high. In Oklahoma City, that’s vocalist Darla Zuhdi. “The standards capture the essence of love,” she said. “Since I was a child, I have always loved this type of music because it fills my soul…
Liberty’s Bell
Joann Bell’s children tell a story that seems emblematic of their mother. She was driving her kids to school when she glanced out the window and spotted four preteen boys beating up a younger boy. Bell slammed on the brakes and rushed to the boy’s rescue. Amid the scuffle, one of the boys inadvertently hit…
Not too ‘Much’
The weather outside has been frightful, and theater lovers, tired of digitalized actors, are seeking real, flesh-and-blood ones. Any port in a storm, so Oklahoma City Theatre Company brings us a modest staging of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Director Paul Huebner sets the play in the present, showing it can be staged as a contemporary…
Monkey see
Oklahoma Children’s Theatre and TheatreOCU join forces to stage “Inherit the Wind,” an American classic dealing with the battle between religion and science over evolution. The play was inspired by the events of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in science teacher John T. Scopes was convicted of breaking Tennessee law for teaching Darwin’s theory of…
“Whole” lotta love
Oklahoma City-based artist Don Narcomey’s newest exhibit of wall hangings, “Whole,” is currently on display in the Oklahoma state Capitol. The exhibit is one of the more unique ones that the Governor’s Gallery has hosted, said Alyson Atchison, curator of education and Capitol galleries for the Oklahoma Arts Council. “Narcomey is a meticulous craftsman who…
Seriously funny
The University of Oklahoma is getting serious about comedy. On Friday and Saturday, the OU College of Arts and Sciences hosts its inaugural Film Comedy Conference. All of the dozen presenters are contributors to a book being edited by OU professors and conference hosts Andrew Horton and Joanna Rapf, “The Wiley- Blackwell Companion to Film…
Poster art
Photography capturing candid scenes of city life and major motion pictures are essentially the same thing, according to Steven Poster. The cinematographer should know, having worked on cinematic touchstones like “Blade Runner,” “Donnie Darko” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” “The act of making a photograph, as opposed to the art of shooting a…
Inside and online
So here’s a hypothetical: Say there’s a huge snowstorm — like massive and “The Day After Tomorrow”-sized — but you really, really feel like shopping. And all the local stores are closed. Can I also add that you’re craving Thai food, but your favorite Thai place is also closed. I know, bleak. You need to…
Valentine’s for all
We’re not all into heart-shaped necklaces and big white teddy bears. No matter what kind of love you’ve got, we’ve got some suggestions. Hopeless Romantic Isn’t love the most beautiful thing on this wonderful planet? You can’t help it — puppies and babies make you squeal. Your favorite movie stars are Kate Hudson, Sandra Bullock…
Cold-hearted
Friday is going to be the start of a long day for Scott Moore, when he takes the first of 24 dips into ice-cold water at White Water Bay. Although it might sound like Moore lost a cruel bet or someone is in serious violation of the Geneva Convention, he is actually taking part in…
Energize essentials
Benjamin Franklin once said “energy and persistence conquer all things.” Franklin must’ve had more energy than most because he was an author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician and printer back in the 1700s, before energy drinks and vitamins were the norm. In 2011, how can we increase our personal energy to “conquer all things” in our…
You, robot
Prepare for a robot invasion! It may not be on the same scale as “Transformers” (or even “Transmorphers”), but Science Museum Oklahoma hosts the annual FIRST Robotics scrimmage on Saturday, Feb. 19. Teams comprised of students all over Oklahoma will compete in highly technical robotics matches in preparation for the FIRST Robotics regional match, which…
Hey! Do this
Ride this Grab the bull by the horns (figuratively, of course) and head on over to the Oklahoma City Arena, 100 W. Reno, to watch the Professional Bull Riders — including a few home-state favorites — take on bucking beasts 10 times their size at 8 p.m. Friday. If you can’t make it then, saddle…
smag 7
Indulge your senses The best aphrodisiacs are a blend of food and love. Think oysters or chocolate. In a perfect world, an aphrodisiac is healthy, fresh and natural, with an attractive presentation. All of the seven mentioned here are quite common, and you probably already have them in your kitchen. But why cook? Take your…
On duty
The Feb. 1 snowstorm presented perilous challenges and dangerous conditions for Oklahoma City residents, as ice- and snow-covered roadways made getting around almost impossible. Public safety being the city’s No. 1 concern, they decided to bring in the big guns to “make it so”: Capt. Patrick Stewart. For those who may have had a social…
Chocolove
“It’s the food of the gods,” said Teresa Wall, owner of 42nd Street, 4200 N. Western. “I don’t know what it is in chocolate that really does stimulate your brain and give you a sense of pleasure.” In a glass case, Wall carries a range of decadent chocolates, including truffles from Lake Champlain Chocolates in…
Munn ho!: Fourth in a series
Last week, one of the most burning questions surrounding former Oklahoman turned actress/model/geek icon (and now unwitting Oklahoma Gazette cover girl!) Olivia Munn is one that will have been answered by the time you read this. No, not, “Has she Twitpic’d her cleavage again?” (a given), but “Is she going to attend the Super Bowl…
D-I-V-O-R-C-E
Yet, it’s not for lack of trying. In 1998, then-Gov. Frank Keating wanted to tackle the embarrassing (and costly) ranking by pledging to reduce the divorce rate by one-third by 2010. The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative resulted, which has helped thousands of Oklahomans since its inception in 1999 with relationship education for every age and life…
Successful seven
If you’re looking for gainful employment at a superior organization, he advises to look for these lucky seven characteristics common to all of them: 1. A clear mission and purpose for being 2. Forward-thinking, creative senior management, matched with a caring, well-trained staff 3. Meaningful work 4. Reasonable, understandable and uniformly enforced work rules 5.…
History and romance
Mention Twelve Oaks to people in the Edmond area, and invariably meat-eating traditionalists will go on about the steaks. It is the sort of place where there are no acrobatics being done with the cuisine. There are no crazy combinations made with darling of-the-moment vegetables or internal organs of an animal that might make your…
Discrimination contemplation
Among the report’s findings were statistics indicating lower earnings for gay men, work place discrimination against LGBT people in Oklahoma, with specific statistics drawn from Tulsa, and the benefits of nondiscrimination policies in the public and private sector. State Sen. Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said he commissioned the study because he was working with different…
Private and public
Three of state Superintendent Janet Barresi’s hires rejected by the Oklahoma State Board of Education in a contentious January meeting will stay on board using private funds to pay their salaries. Meanwhile, Barresi asked Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to look into possible Open Meetings Act violations by the board, alleging the push-back appeared orchestrated…
Time for ‘the talk’
Some state lawmakers hope that last gift will be a little more difficult to come by in the future, and have introduced legislation aimed at reducing the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. Both pieces of legislation, House Bill 1195 by Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa, and Senate Bill 37 by Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah,…
Smart house
How educated is the typical homeowner in Oklahoma City? According to a recent survey conducted by The Media Audit, among adults age 18 and older in town, 31.3 percent went no further than graduating high school, while 28.4 percent hold college degrees. Reporting “some college” are 19.2 percent, followed by advanced degree holders at 15.6…
Bite Size
Chefs and good cooks alike competed recently during the annual Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show. The statewide cooking event drew a nice crowd and was sponsored by the Oklahoma Cattlewomen’s Association and the Made in Oklahoma Coalition. The audience gathered in the Carriage Hall Building at State Fair Park to watch the action. In…
The last Samurai
Not everyone’s comfortable sending out a photo of themselves in a Donald Duck onesie or that Halloween Catwoman costume as a 8-year-old. But this is the situation The Samurai Conquistadors found themselves when they returned from a yearlong hiatus. The jazzy, atmospheric rock quintet from Norman formed nearly four years ago when most of its…
Ground floor
Sometimes the best solution is a fresh start. Fort Worth post-punk purveyors The Burning Hotels have always had a lot going for them: an established regional fan base, numerous awards, opening slots with bands like The Toadies and Ladytron, a magazine cover and even an appearance in a feature film (2009’s teen-rock flick “Bandslam”) as…
Tea for three
Three candidates for City Council, one of whom is an incumbent, are getting local tea party backing in their campaigns. Ward 5 Councilman Brian Walters, along with Ward 6 candidate Adrian Van Manen and Ward 8 candidate Cliff Hearron, have all received endorsements from the Sooner Tea Party, and the organization’s co-founder Al Gerhart said…
Divine Grace
It’s been a banner year for Grace Potter, who has too many highlights to pick just one. There were the duets with Kenny Chesney and Sharon Jones; her meeting with her personal idol, Robert Plant; the performance with Heart on “VH1 Divas”; taking the stage at Austin City Limits; and even helping formulate her own…
Seeing ‘blue states’
B. Zoeller’s letter (“‘Red states’ should pay off GOP debt,” Jan. 26, Gazette) scared me so badly I was seeing “blue states.” What scared me the most was Zoeller’s misconception of how the federal government spends our money. A basic U.S. Government 101 course clearly explains that the president of the United States does not…
With trade winds blowing, Thunder have some options
Between now and Feb. 24, most discussion about the NBA will revolve around trade rumors. As that date gets closer, followers of the league will pontificate about which players are on the market. Some teams will throw in the towel for the season and shed high salaried players while other teams will seek to add…
‘Gun-hating zealots’ are perpetuating backward thought
Karen Webb’s letter “Bullet proof in the line of fire,” (Jan. 19, Gazette) would be amusing, if not for the backward thinking perpetrated by the gun-hating zealots. Webb asks, “How do you tell a good guy with a gun from a bad guy with a gun?” Karen, here’s a hint: The bad guy is the…
Such great Heights
JT Woodruff, lead singer of Hawthorne Heights, loves Bruce Springsteen’s work. And not just the anthem-laden albums, which would make sense, as Hawthorne Heights have been playing their own soaring, pounding rock songs for 10 years. Nope, he’s a fan of The Boss’ “The Promise,” a 2010 collection of B-sides from the “Darkness at the…
Quality control
Bill Bishop’s Commentary (“Counterpoint: Paying the price,” Jan. 19, Gazette) is frustrating and loaded with half-truths. The idea that Texas liquor laws have a negative impact on selection and price in that state is an outright fallacy. Most major cities in Texas have robust selections in grocery and chain stores, and have thriving niche liquor…
CFN Quote of the Week
“It’s nothing new for Al Gore to claim that global warming (or should we call it global cremation?) is causing cold weather instead of hot. He already admitted that he was wrong to tout ethanol, but did it for political purposes. His latest comments are just as consistent.” —former Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Ernest Istook, now…
OKC Chamber CEO’S chronology is incorrect
Regarding the Point/Counterpoint Commentary in the Jan. 19 Oklahoma Gazette by Roy Williams (“Point: Revise outmoded liquor laws”), president and CEO of Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and Bill Bishop (“Counterpoint: Paying the price”), owner of The Grape Wine & Spirits in northwest Oklahoma City: Bishop makes several very valid points regarding the very…
Point: Legislate morality
The church-state separation fetishists are at it again. Now the Oklahoma chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State are decrying efforts by the Oklahoma Legislature to teach creationism in public schools, create vouchers or other mechanisms for school choice and define the beginning of human life. The creationism debate will not go…
O tower, where art thou?
Nary a crane was in sight even though construction has been under way for more than a year. Sometimes, the universe works in ironic ways. On the very same day that The Oklahoman ran an editorial titled “Natural gas anything but ignored in state,” Josh Fox’s “GasLand,” a film exposing the health and environmental risk…
Counterpoint: Separation anxiety
Religious proselytizing in the state’s public schools will be virtually sanctioned under bills introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature for this upcoming session, a clear violation of basic church and state separation. The bills would also appear to directly violate Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution, which states: “No public money or property shall…
PR BS
—“Possible Story – 27% of Americans Use Facebook In The Bathroom” —“The truth about our seasoned beef” —“Prince Arthur turned into a donkey? Funny times in Camelot TONIGHT on Syfy’s MERLIN” —“AEP’s Energy Efficiency Advisory Council Endorses New Standards, Tax Policies for Home Appliances” —“Equal Announces Preliminary Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law from…
The Ex — Catch My Shoe
Rebelling against the man became a played-out cliché that doesn’t inspire any actual action. Pop-punk is the only bearer of the word these days, and that’s just really hyper pop music. Punk, really and truly this time, is on its last legs. But it’s not totally dead, as long as The Ex is around. Formed…
The Night Digger
Although best-known as the creator of the enduring children’s characters Willy Wonka, Fantastic Mr. Fox and James (he of “and the Giant Peach” fame), writer Roald Dahl more than dipped his toes in darker, more adult works. One of those, “The Night Digger,” was a 1971 British thriller starring his then-wife, Patricia Neal, following her…
I Spit on Your Grave (1978/2010)
Being 9 at the time, I was so freaked out, I vowed never to watch the rape-revenge film they so viciously, venomously attacked. Never did I give “Spit” a try, nor did I want to, until its Blu-ray debut, released simultaneously with its 2010 remake of the same name, when curiosity finally got the best…
High Lane
And the result is “High Lane.” Despite my mocking references, I actually kinda liked it, in a “well, that was a pretty painless 80 minutes” manner. Abel Ferry’s thriller has much in common in Australia’s “Primal,” also recently released by IFC Midnight, in that both concern a small group of young people venturing outside their…
Neighborhood watch
“Neighborhood Leaders for Today” is an annual, seven-week leadership class sponsored by Neighborhood Alliance that features 30 different speakers. The free class meets from 6-9 p.m. Thursday evenings, March 10 through April 21, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, March 26 and April 9. Applicants need to commit to the entire schedule. Dinner…
Blue Valentine
She doesn’t have a chance, really, but in another year, amid a different set of nominees, things might be different. The same shift in luck applies to the couple who comprise this film’s core: one year, blissful; another, miserable. Cindy (Williams) is a nurse, while her husband, Dean (Ryan Gosling, “Lars and the Real Girl”),…
Earthquakes 101
Seismologists at the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) say the huge jump in numbers is partly due to the increase in instruments used to measure the earthquakes. According to the OGS, it only started monitoring earthquakes 50 years ago, so it’s highly likely such activity has happened before. Most humans feel earthquakes of 2.5 magnitude or…
Cake — Showroom of Compassion
If you don’t like Cake, you still won’t after “Showroom Of Compassion.” There’s nothing here that even tries to convince you otherwise. If you love Cake, though, this is the equivalent of John McCrea delivering a singing “thank you” and then giving you a hug. This album is magic (prolonged). By “fan’s album,” I mean…
Starlings, TN — How Dark It Is Before the Dawn
“How Dark It Is Before The Dawn” by Starlings, TN is easily the most crushingly sad album I’ve heard this year. It’s also on the shortlist for “Most Depressing Album I’ve Ever Heard,” right up there with every one of Elliott Smith’s records and “And Now That I’m In Your Shadow” by Damien Jurado. Starlings,…
Social Distortion — Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
On the other, the fact that a 32-year-old band is writing relevant music is kind of amazing and deserves more props than the first line gave it. I suppose it matters if you’ve heard Social Distortion before: If you’re a fan of their music, “Hard Times” will be nothing but exciting to you. New listeners…
Esben and the Witch — Violet Cries
The quiz determines whether or not you will want to purchase “Violet Cries” by Esben and the Witch: 1. Do you like Björk? If yes, buy album. If no, continue to question two. 2. Do you like art for the sake of art? If yes, buy album. If no, continue to question three. 3. Do…
Cloud Nothings — Cloud Nothings
The band — brainchild of frontman Dylan Baldi — made its first blip in late 2010 and has come on strong in 2011 with its proper debut and a simple enough style: Take recent tourmate Wavves, swap the weed for Red Bull, bathe it in Fun Dip, and you’ve got a close approximation. The self-titled…
Destroyer — Kaputt
Destroyer — despite its metal-sounding name — has been unleashing some of the best and brightest chamber pop since its formation in 1995. Frontman and chief songwriter Dan Bejar has taken time out since to contribute to supergroups The New Pornographers and Swan Lake, but has steadily streamed new tunes through Destroyer, including 2008’s acclaimed…
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
To shortcut things, if you loved or liked the first two, your feelings will remain … assuming you don’t expect the same ol’ same ol’. When we last left revenge-hungry punk hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) in “Fire,” she was left for dead after taking a bullet to the head — thanks, Dad! — ending…
What’s going on at the state Board of Education?
The Board was created by Oklahoma’s Constitution and its powers are found in our state’s laws. I’ve attended some meetings that were dull and a few with heated debate. But, this last meeting was a doozy and I’d like to tell you about it. By law, the Board is responsible for the hiring, firing, salaries, administration…
Revisionist history by state board members won’t whitewash their deplorable actions
But Gilpin’s revisionist picture is clearly refuted by the facts, as anyone who attended the meeting (or listened to the recording online) knows. The recent meeting was not only dominated by the partisan obstruction of board members, but also by the misogynist actions of Herb Rozell and Gilpin. As everyone now knows, Rozell referred to…
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
Then again, as I type these very words, a blizzard has shut down this fair city, so the doc’s timing is all too apropos. Having aired in the recent yuletide season, the BBC one-hour special makes its way to DVD and Blu-ray, where a Very Special Adventure awaits. Matt Smith is the current Doctor; Karen…
Open Letter to Chief Bill Citty
Having personally been the victim of a violent crime, I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am to all those who put their lives on the line every day in order to keep the citizenry safe. Since 1985, the members of Windsor Hills Baptist Church have had the privilege of honoring city, county, and state…
Let Me In
His cover claim that “Let Me In” represents “the best American horror film in the last 20 years” is high praise, but also overstating things. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with the film, as it’s a terrific tale. It’s just that audiences paid it no attention upon its theatrical release. What has this…
