Undignified Deaths
A 77-year-old man was crushed to death in October while visiting his parents’ gravesite at the St. Gregoire Cemetery in Buckingham, Quebec, when a tombstone fell on him. And in November, a 67-year-old woman was killed in southern Brazil on her way to the cemetery following her husband’s funeral. She was a front-seat passenger in…
Governor delivers State-of-the-State speech
Gov. Brad Henry said Monday in his State of the State speech to the Oklahoma legislature that hard times facing the state could have a silver lining. “In this demanding economic environment, we must make difficult decisions. But, just as the Chinese character for ‘crisis’ also denotes ‘opportunity,’ so, too, do the challenges we face present…
Least Competent Criminals
Failed to Keep a Low Profile: If a motorist is carrying $18,000 worth of marijuana, he might try to avoid attracting attention (and not go the wrong way on a one-way street, as Samuel Randall, 27, did in Chicago in January). Or if carrying a duffel bag full of marijuana, not driving around in a…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Studies suggest that one out of every 10 men and one out of every 20 women carry around an excess of anger — so much so that they’re capable of damaging property in an outburst. If you’re one of these rage-aholics, Capricorn, you now have a window of opportunity to calm way, way down. The…
Fine Points of the Law
In November, a jury acquitted Ms. Johnnie Miles, 42, of $7,500 worth of fraudulent credit-card transactions against a store in Vero Beach, Fla., and Miles assumed she had thus earned her freedom. However, Judge Dan Vaughn apparently considered Miles a disreputable rip-off artist (even though technically not guilty of “fraud”) and used her schemings to…
Recurring Themes
On successive days in January in two towns in Britain, loners in their 70s were reported dead from dehydration in their homes after becoming trapped in monstrous labyrinths of, in one case, hoarded garbage, and in the other, hoarded but unopened merchandise. Gordon Stewart, 74, was found dead in a tunnel system he had arranged…
Cold Prey
2006 Call me crazy, but when I think of hotbeds of horror movies, Norway isn’t top-of-mind. However, the Norwegians have been making quite the splash overseas with “Cold Prey” “? thoughtfully retitled for us Yanks from its native-tongue name of “Fritt Vilt.” The film doesn’t break new ground, but it does show that the American…
Street Fighter: Extreme Edition
1994 With the video-game-based “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li” hitting theaters in late February, Universal would like to remind you that it was there first, thank you very much, with the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle “Street Fighter.” It tanked in theaters, but a tie-in is a tie-in “? in this case: “Street…
A.W.F.U.L. Pro Wrestling builds metro OKC following
Crave the physicality of sports, but just wish you had more opportunity to wear flamboyant spandex, trash talk fellow athletes and be the superstar you always knew you were in your heart of hearts? Try professional wrestling on for size. There are a number of small federations across the state on the lookout for the…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“If your actions speak louder than words,” rants TV pundit Stephen Colbert, “then you’re not yelling loudly enough.” That’s a funnier variant of the advice I have for you, Sagittarius, which is as follows: The coming week is a time for crafty talk, not impulsive deeds; a time for intense discussion, not brash exploits. Engaging…
Ford Center hosts ‘Revolve Tour: All Access’
An action-packed weekend for teen girls starts Friday night and continues Saturday at Revolve Tour: All Access, two days of live Christian music, skits and speakers on topics like relationships, body image, self-esteem and faith in God. The event is designed for sixth to 12th grade girls. “It’s an extremely exciting and fun event. It…
Stillwater indie rockers are a bit stranger than local pop-rock stage brethren
A cursory glance at Mayola’s show history and you may think you have them pegged. Frequent shows with pop-rock locals like The Neighborhood and The City Lives imply affability ” high-energy, radio-friendly beats with an indie rock edge. NORMAN SHOWSCATTER THEIR INSPIRATION Singer/guitarist Riley Jantzen, bassist Antonio Laster, keyboardist Bryan Thompson, guitarist Travis Nichols and…
OKC musician shares coleslaw preparation secrets
Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne shared a culinary creation with Spin magazine last month, detailing special seasonings he sometimes used to spice up fare at a local Long John Silver’s. The LJS “experiments,” as Coyne called them, were carried out during the performer’s near 12-year tenure as a fry cook at a northwest Oklahoma…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Your world is going to get very wet in the coming days. At least I hope it will. There are wrong moves you could make that would keep things pretty dry, or else move you away from the imminent deluge. But I hope you will go with the cosmic flow and allow yourself to get…
T.S.O.L. front man keeps anarchic spirit burning
T.S.O.L. were punk rock originals, and the flagship act of the late 1970s/early 1980s Orange County hardcore scene, headlining shows with Bad Religion, Social Distortion and Suicidal Tendencies. Though a hugely influential act, the group never attained the same acclaim beyond California, hampered by their ever-shifting sound, drugs and the adventures of mercurial front man…
Legendary Harlem Globetrotter acquired his skills on Crescent’s red dirt courts
Hubert Ausbie has traveled around the world, many times over. He has played to sold-out arenas in dozens of different countries on six different continents. Over the course of his career, he has earned the adoration of generations of fans who number in the thousands. BORN IN CRESCENTPROFESSIONAL HOOPS CAREERTWO OF HIS BIGGEST THRILLS During…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
According to Harper’s Index, an Iowa farmer can generate an annual revenue of $300 per quarter acre by growing corn to produce ethanol. If the farmer instead puts a wind turbine on that same patch of land, however, he could earn $10,000 per year. I urge you to meditate on that scenario as a metaphor…
Cutting-Edge Science
Ewww, Gross! Two brain surgeons in the western U.S. admitted that recent operations had shaken them up, though both said the patients have since been doing nicely. Dr. Peter Nakaji, expecting to find a dreaded tumor in the brain of a woman in Phoenix, was heard on video of the surgery chuckling when he realized…
Oklahoma’s gun sales mirror U.S. trend of record sales
At Oklahoma City’s H&H Gun Range, which has a large selection of firearms for purchase as well as classes and lanes for shooting, founder and president Miles Hall said his staff experienced a surge during the election of Barack Obama. SURGE IN GUN SALESDIRECT FACTOR?POSTED AGENDA The day after the election, Hall said, his store…
Jewel Box Theatre presents Shakespearean farce ‘Thee and Thou’
has a negative cumulative effect. The role of the notorious highwayman, The White Fox, is among the worst written characters, but also one of the best performed, by Bryan Whorton, who delivers a much more subdued, but no less funny, turn as the bandit who decides to impersonate Shakespeare. The character is plagued by inconsistencies…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Poet Jack Spicer was a native Californian who wrote most of his poetry while living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He did, however, spend a short time on the East Coast. “Like most primitive cultures,” he reported after returning home, “New York has no feeling for nonsense.” I don’t agree with that assessment. Some…
Norman jail detainee allegedly plots smelly escape
Anyone remember Garbage Pail Kids? The gross trading cards featuring Cabbage Patch-style dolls with disgusting names were all the rage for about three quick seconds? Apparently not everyone remembers in Norman. According to The Associated Press, Andrew Lawarren Johnson attempted to escape the Cleveland County Jail by hiding out in a trash can. Nothing like…
Notorious
If “Notorious” were the movie I wanted it to be instead of the movie it is, I’d like it a whole lot more than I do. I suppose you can say that about any film —? if “Wall-E” had only not been animated and had a masked serial killer in it and lots of gratuitous…
Oklahoma legislator files bill to make eyeball tattooing illegal
It seems state Sen. Jonathan Nichols is not a fan of Crystal Gayle. The famous country singer is best known for her hit song “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” But Nichols might be trying to make sure that never happens. In the weeks leading up to the Legislative session, silly season takes place…
Man detained after allegedly threatening OKC federal building with bomb
That’s what we needed ” someone to make a bomb threat at the downtown OKC federal building. According to Gary Johnson, the Oklahoma City spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a guy made the threat at the new federal building, which lies not far from the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building,…
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Movie vampires have gone through a lot of changes over the years. While there was always an undertone of sexiness associated with American movie vampires (“Nosferatu” was German, and decidedly unsexy in every way), the current brand of boobs-and-blood-drinking horror represented in “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” goes beyond anything Bela Lugosi could have imagined.…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“The seed cannot sprout upwards without simultaneously sending roots into the ground,” says an ancient Egyptian proverb. Keep that thought in mind as you head into the thick of your new phase of growth, Aquarius. What part of you needs to deepen as you rise up? What growth needs to unfold in the hidden places…
Austin singer/songwriter builds on reputation as acclaimed Americana act
With 10 highly regarded albums and counting to his credit, Austin-based singer/songwriter Darden Smith has in recent years mixed his performances with presenting programs for school children, using his musical sensibility and experiences to encourage creativity. BLUE DOORSEMINAL INFLUENCETALE OF WOE “Be An Artist,” founded in 2003, is Smith’s personal way of helping educators in…
Norman group shuns metal-band label
nd feels it’s best-received at The Deli, a 21-and-over Norman venue “? the sort of bar that exudes appreciation for rock ‘n’ roll. The band will perform there 10 p.m. Saturday with The Mean Spirits. After releasing their self-titled EP last year ” “We recorded it to have something to make our MySpace sound better,”…
Oklahoma Department of Environmental says mercury is rising
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just us? According to a recent report by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, mercury levels have risen is freshwater fish in the state. In fact, said the report, some of the highest levels in the nation are found in the fish that call southeastern Oklahoma…
Anne Frank: Hidden Hope – Rita Thievon Mullin
Sterling Biographies From Sterling Publishers comes Sterling Biographies, a set of small, kid-friendly biographies that tell the story of influential people throughout history. “Anne Frank: Hidden Hope” follows the plight of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family “? dad Otto, mom Edith and sister Margot “? in 1942…
Independent and proud of it
As part of Oklahoma Gazette’s 30th anniversary year celebration during 2009, commentaries will occasionally reflect on our newspaper and publishing company. This commentary is about our independence. We’re proud of it. We proclaim it each week on the front page of the Gazette, “Metro OKC’s Independent Weekly.” To maintain the trust, confidence and support of…
Stillwater indie rockers stranger than local pop-rock stage brethren
A cursory glance at Mayola’s show history and you may think you have them pegged. Frequent shows with pop-rock locals like The Neighborhood and The City Lives imply affability ” high-energy, radio-friendly beats with an indie rock edge. NORMAN SHOWSCATTER THEIR INSPIRATION Singer/guitarist Riley Jantzen, bassist Antonio Laster, keyboardist Bryan Thompson, guitarist Travis Nichols and…
OU School of Art and Art History holds chili fund-raiser
ry, said there should be many varieties of chili to sample. “We have challenged all the faculty and staff to do the contest,” she said. “We’ll have vegetarian and regular chili, hot and spicy, bean and no bean chili. Everyone has their own secret recipe.” TIME CONSUMING Watson said the process for making the 100…
Homemade superhero costumes
They’re either earnestly civic-minded or people with issues, but in several dozen cities across the country, men (and a few women) dress in homemade superhero costumes and patrol marginal neighborhoods, aiming to deter crime. Phoenix’s Green Scorpion and New York City’s Terrifica and Orlando’s Master Legend and Indianapolis’ Mr. Silent are just a few of…
The Color Purple’ has inspired generations to speak up
Felicia Fields captured the attention of many theatergoers long before “The Color Purple” became a popular musical. But her portrayal of Sofia in the musical based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has brought this Chicago native out of her hometown to New York City and across the country as part of the Broadway cast…
OKC’s enterprise schools are not the same as charter schools
osing to pull out of public school. “I’m not happy with separating them (students) off in a corner behind a beautiful iron gate where other children can’t go.” But, she added, “I received telephone calls that were full of people screaming at me. I’m just a citizen trying to help. I don’t need that.” ADVOCATES…
Metro pros provide rules to navigate social networking, new media sites
The party season is over. What to do with the new contacts you met at that holiday shindig? You could send a tweet on Twitter, friend them on Facebook or request a link up on LinkedIn. But, watch your wording or risk stumbling into another realm of social outcasts. SOCIAL MEDIUMSBUILDING RELATIONSHIPSPASSIONS Several Oklahoma City…
Oklahomans recall their inaugural experiences
WASHINGTON, D.C. ” Oklahoma City University student Carri Perrier never thought she would walk four miles in Washington, D.C., in freezing weather before the sun had risen. But on inauguration day, she did. And so did thousands of others. PURE ADRENALINE RUSHSIMILAR COMPANY Perrier, a liberal arts graduate student from Broken Arrow, spent 10 days…
Leading Economic Indicators
People With Too Much Money: The owner of a local ski shop told the Vail (Colo.) Daily in November that he was confident he could sell his parking space in a town garage for his asking price of $500,000. After all, he said, it was on the top floor and next to an exit. The…
Defiance
“Defiance” is set in Eastern Europe during World War II, but deals with many of the problems we still face. No, not the Nazi conquest of the world. Smaller things, but just as deadly. Fear. Despair. Courage. Leadership that doesn’t lead where we need to go. Daniel Craig (“Quantum of Solace,” “Infamous”) stars as Tuvia…
Sooner Theatre celebrates its 80th birthday with ‘Always… Patsy Cline’
In honor of its 80th birthday, Norman’s Sooner Theatre, is presenting a special production of “Always … Patsy Cline.” The play is more than just a tribute to the legendary country singer. The show is based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with Houston-based fan Louise Seger, who after a one-time meeting at a…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Before she died at the age of 101, photographer Ruth Bernhard attributed her longevity to her restlessness. “Never get used to anything,” she advised. I recommend that approach to you right now, Gemini. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when thinking big and wild and free will be rewarded. To improve your physical…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Don’t tell me you have nothing to be thankful for, Aries. Your parents could have named you “Hooligan” or “Lightsaber” or “Flu,” and they didn’t. There are no photos floating around the Internet that show you riding a pig in the nude. No one has ever broken up with you via text message. Now please…
Oklahoma artist offers oil painting demonstration
Oklahoma artist Dennis Parker will give a free oil painting demonstration 7 p.m. Monday at the Mid-Del Art Guild’s monthly meeting. Parker, from Oklahoma City, teaches and demonstrates throughout the state and has painted several award-winning works of art and studied with accomplished artist Richard Goetz. “He’s really well known here in Oklahoma,” said Sheila…
City Arts Center presents spy-riddled casinos, Las Vegas glamour
for established artists in the scene, as well as emerging artists. We try to include all media from photography, painting, ceramics, new media, mixed media and fiber art.” This has been McCune-Elmore’s first foray into fund-raising, and she said it was difficult getting used to hearing “no,” but sees City Arts as a critical institution…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Sometimes a great idea whose time has come springs up in two or more places at once. In the 1850s, for instance, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace independently happened upon some of the key concepts of evolution. And in the 1840s, mathematicians Urbain Le Verrier and John Couch Adams virtually duplicated each other’s predictions…
Nashville punkabillies serve up rock ‘n’ roll out of Louisiana bayou
Somewhere on his way from Kentucky to Nashville, Tenn., Legendary Shack Shakers’ front man Colonel J.D. Wilkes must have gotten lost and ended up in the Louisiana bayou. Wandering through the marshes, he’d been ripped apart by a gator ” only to be pieced back together by a voodoo priestess. Trudging out, Wilkes would finally…
Major leap returns big dividends for Texas country act
It’s been a whirlwind year for the Eli Young Band, and drummer Chris Thompson’s still trying to catch his breath. They’ve not only watched music from their Universal South debut, “Jet Black & Jealous” climb the Billboard country charts, but have fueled it with nearly nonstop national and radio tours. NORTH TEXASIMPRESSED “We’ve been together…
