Now, Which One Is the Brake? (all-new)
Elderly drivers’ recent lapses of concentration, confusing the brake pedal with the gas: A Varnell, Ga., woman, 81, drove through the front office of an insurance agency (August). A Wausau, Wis., man, 80, crashed through a wall of a Burger King (September) (and then got out and ordered breakfast). A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, woman, described…
Recurring Themes
Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre makes News of the Weird periodically (the latest in May 2007) because the six Christian denominations that share its management become involved in petty but elaborate disputes. A similar problem arises at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian clerics share space…
Late Rep. Toure remembered as ‘fighter’
Former state Rep. Opio Toure has died after battling a deteriorating lung condition. He was pronounced dead Monday at St. Anthony Hospital at the age of 53. “Rep. Opio Toure will be remembered as a fighter, a vigorous debater, who wasn’t scared of any issue,” said Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. “He took on…
House elects Benge as Speaker of the House
The Oklahoma House of Representatives elected Tulsa Republican Chris Benge as the speaker of the house in a late-afternoon session at the State Capitol. “It is quite an honor,” Benge said to his fellow representatives from the podium on the House floor after the announcement. “Today we stand united and ready to move forward.”…
Least Competent Criminals
Clumsy: A 26-year-old accused shoplifter was hospitalized in Grand Rapids, Mich., in January after he got into a scuffle with a department store security officer. He had allegedly stuffed some knives under his clothes, and when he was knocked to the ground, he accidentally fell on several of the blades. Josue Herrios-Coronilla, 18, was arrested…
The District of Calamity (continued)
Washington, D.C., firefighter Gerald Burton faced suspension in December for disobeying a direct order by fighting a blaze he had come across while driving his fire truck to a training class. A supervisor had ordered him on to the class, but Burton and his partner put out the fire (limiting damage to $150,000), along with…
The Weirdo-American Community
Authorities in Valentine, Neb., have been on the lookout since November for the vandal who has approached several storefronts at night and, apparently with Vaseline smeared over his nude body, pressed himself against windows and doors. A radio station called the person “the buttcheek bandit” (although some speculate there may also be a copycat). Asked…
Fatal Contact
2006 Fresh-faced Jacky Wu Jing (“Kill Zone,” “Drunken Monkey”) has a real showcase for his talents in “Fatal Contact,” the latest Hong Kong actioner to get the royal, two-disc treatment from the Dragon Dynasty label. Wu Jing portays Kong, who becomes the king of an underground fighting circuit once he’s plucked from his acrobatic opera…
The Comebacks
2007 After providing reliable comic support in films like “Anchorman” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” David Koechner deserves a funny movie all his own. But “The Comebacks” is absolutely, positively, definitely, most assuredly not it. In fact, it’s one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. The bald, pudgy Koechner fits right in to everyone’s idea…
Confessions of a Superhero
2007 Hollywood has its stars, and those who would like to be. Among the latter are those dressed as costumed heroes who stand outside the famed Mann’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, ready to pose for photos with passing tourists for tips “? one dollar, one smile at a time. Some call them panhandlers; they…
Untraceable
ARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt”> Diane Lane is Diane Lame, and Colin Hanks is Colin No-Thanks. The characters are likable, but we aren’t really invested in them and the crazy plot doesn’t hatch from any details, hints, tips or subtleties in the movie “? it all ends up being about stuff we had no idea about.…
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Collected Best II
Checker Publishing Clive Barker’s 1987 film “Hellraiser” remains a classic of modern movie horror, but its casual reputation has been diluted by a string of seven so-so to sorry sequels. Attempting to restore a bit of luster to the nails adorning Pinhead’s noggin is Checker Publishing’s “Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Collected Best II,” an anthology of…
Whatever Happened to Molly Murphy’s House of Fine Repute – Jeffiee Tayar
Dog Ear Publishing Fondly remembered among Oklahoma City restaurant-goers in the Seventies and Eighties was Molly Murphy’s House of Fine Repute, where members of the waitstaff dressed up in outrageous costumes to insult and embarrass the patrons, who loved every minute of it. If you’re looking for a sex-and-drugs expos
Bipartisan balance
One can only wonder about the course of the many promises grabbing headlines now. In these days prior to Monday, the start of this session of the Legislature, platforms, caucus agendas and leadership priorities are a daily staple on our diet of television, print media and radio. My own “aha!” experience concerning the vying…
Metro group works for sexual orientation issues in absence of city commission
Oklahoma City remains without a municipal human rights commission. Members of the Central Oklahoma Humans Rights Alliance are trying to fill the gap left when the Oklahoma City Council defunded and disbanded the municipal human rights commission in 1996. Nathaniel Batchelder, director of the Oklahoma City Peace House, stepped down as chairman of COHRA’s board…
Edmond artist tackles celebrity, sexuality at Mainsite
Britney Spears repackaged as a religious icon and a 14-inch stainless-steel cucumber are among Jeff Hamilton’s blunt new work debuting Friday at Norman’s Mainsite Contemporary Art gallery. A tabloid photo of Spears lopping off her locks during her infamous meltdown last year comprises the larger of Hamilton’s two pieces. The pop-tart image is surrounded by…
Great Moments in Maturity
Douglas Hoffman, 61, was sentenced in January to as much as five years in prison for staging a small-scale terror campaign among his neighbors in Henderson, Nev., to mask his own vandalism in destroying over 500 trees to get a better view of the Las Vegas Strip. At first, according to prosecutors, Hoffman cut down…
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Columbia Since 1997’s “Boogie Nights,” we have known that John C. Reilly could sing. Playing Reed Rothchild, we felt his heat, and as Dewey Cox, the actor/singer lets us feel a whole lot more. “Walk Hard” is, of course, the album-opener, a hard-comedy-charging parody of “Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash, in which the…
Forever Plaid’ mixes musical greats with lighthearted comedy
When The Plaids, a small-time singing quartet from the Fifties, headed out to give their first concert, they had no inkling their unfulfilled legacy would be obliterated by a school bus filled with Catholic girls, killing the music group. Through some sort of celestial magic, however, the four guys find themselves delivered to a modern…
Cass McCombs – Dropping the Writ
Domino Cass McCombs’ latest album, “Dropping the Writ,” is a weird, fiery mix of lonely droning songs that combine parts of underground folk and experimental basement rock ‘n’ roll. His previous album, “PREfection,” met with Internet acclaim and parallels to the Velvet Underground and The Smiths. The Lou Reed vibe is there, especially…
The Continuing Crisis
In December, the city of Bangalore, India, staged its fifth annual marathon, with an elite group of runners that officials thought would bring the city recognition in the world racing community, but problems occurred, the least of which were the city’s ubiquitous potholes and pollution. At about the 20 km mark, the leaders were chased…
OKC native Wes Welker worth cheering for in Super Bowl
Local football fans have good reason to take even more interest in Super Bowl XLII: Wes Welker. When the New England Patriots and the New York Giants clash on Sunday, Welker will be one of the reasons the Patriots are favored. The Oklahoma City native set a franchise record by hauling in 112 passes during…
Oklahoma boasts newly discovered frog species
What creatures might one never spot but sound like a million smoke detectors with their batteries running out? That would be the “Cajun chorus frog,” a newly discovered species native to eastern Oklahoma. Former Oklahoma Gazette intern Althea Peterson reported the “ribbiting” story in the Tulsa World (she done us proud!). Its discovery…
School election critical
Tuesday’s presidential primary could possibly overshadow two important elections in Oklahoma City. If you live in the Oklahoma City Public Schools districts generally between N.W. 36th and S.W. 29th streets, you’ll have a school board election to consider Tuesday. Board positions in election Districts 3 and 4 are at stake. The boundary line between…
Former Oklahoma City broadcaster hosts new Fox game show
Former KWTV Channel 9 sportscaster Chris Harrison has a new gig to keep him out of the soup kitchen lines between seasons of ABC’s “The Bachelor”: as host of Fox’s latest game show, “The Moment of Truth.” The show, which premiered Jan. 23, submits contestants to a battery of 21 personal questions, increasing on…
Letter to CFN about Oklahoma State graduate’s marital woes
We at CFN love positive feedback. Nothing warms the cockles of the heart more than sincere appreciation from the community. CFN is all about giving. In that spirit, we’d like to share a recent CFN letter from Edmond resident Katy Jones. The Jan. 16 CFN she references was about John Cleese, a member of…
Ken Jennings’s Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days – Ken Jennings
Villard Answer: By writing a trivia book. Question: How can the all-time “Jeopardy!” champion extend his 15 minutes of fame? Ken Jennings famously rode a 74-game winning streak on “Jeopardy!” in 2004, and now he shares his nuggets of knowledge with you in his weighty “Trivia Almanac.” Designed to look like an almanac “? complete…
Black Hole – Charles Burns
ission. Describing its horrors would be one thing; to see them takes it to another level. Burns’ book is set in the mid-Seventies of Seattle, following a few select high school students ruled by their hormones. In Burns’ hands, however, there’s a twist: The sexually transmitted diseases of the day go way beyond open sores…
How She Move
Reviewer’s grade: C It’s another retelling of the story about a poor kid trying to improve her life by rising in society through a good education, which is not a bad message. Raya Green (newcomer Rutina Wesley) wants to win a steppin’ contest so she can use her share of the prize money to pay…
Meet the Spartans
Reviewer’s grade: D Now that Al Gore is a member of the Hollywood community in good standing, he ought to quit talking about global warming and pound the bully pulpit about a real problem: the fact that talentless yuckmeisters “? emphasis on the “yuck” “? Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer are allowed to keep…
Guitarist Singleton promises rowdy roots-rock show
Texas guitarist Nathan Singleton leads a roots-rock band, His Sideshow Tragedy, that has drawn comparison to Bob Dylan and Old 97’s, and is returning to Oklahoma City on Friday for a show at the Wormy Dog Saloon in Bricktown. The band’s live show is loud and rowdy, he said, and departs from the more subdued…
Art for the office focus of JRB exhibit
Not all art is intended for the home. JRB Art at The Elms, located in the historic Paseo arts district, invites visitors and art lovers alike with the debut of “Office Art,” a salute to artwork suited to the corporate world. Opening Friday with a 6-10 p.m. reception, the exhibit features works by numerous guests…
Keller Williams – 12
SCI Fidelity Songwriter Keller Williams has released “12,” an album the Virginia singer touts as his “hitless greatest hits” career-spanning album. His trademark guitar style and story-song vocal delivery is again delivered in each of “12”‘s dozen tracks, which were culled from his different records. “Anyhow Anyway,” from his “Buzz” LP, is desolate…
Ponca City man plans presidential bid
Although CFN is avoiding endorsements during this political season, we want to mention that a new presidential candidate lives right here in River City! Er, it’s actually Ponca City, but he’s an Oklahoma resident! Independent candidate Richard Fleharty reportedly needs 40,000 signatures to get his John Hancock on the ballot, according to News9.com. Fleharty,…
3:10 to Yuma
2007 Decent westerns have been in such short supply for so long, the arrival of a near-great one calls for some celebratory gunslinging. It helps, of course, if that western in question is a remake of a classic “? in this case, 1957’s “3:10 to Yuma” starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. Based on…
Number-crunching in full swing as presidential primary dawns
The race for the White House is ready to make a stop in the Sooner State as the presidential primary is Tuesday. New York senator Hillary Clinton has a lead in Oklahoma polls. The latest poll from TVpoll.com finds Clinton ahead of John Edwards 35 percent to 26 percent among likely voters. Barack Obama comes…
Five Oklahoma lawmakers experience tax troubles
There’s hardly anything funnier than when elected officials get caught acting like the laws they write don’t apply to them. And with our lawmakers, the funny bone is constantly tickled. Members of the state House of Representatives shared a philosophy more akin to Leona Helmsley than your friendly neighborhood CPA when they failed to…
Thunderbirds cautiously optimistic of cease-fire in Iraq
CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT ” As many as half or more of the members of Oklahoma’s National Guard ” the 45th Infantry Brigade, or Thunderbirds ” have deployed overseas. Detainee operations, “Green Zone” security and convoy protection are among the tasks that the Thunderbirds will undertake during their estimated year in Iraq. Most of these things…
Party-rock band Sodder hails from Woodward
After they leave their day jobs, four friends trade in grade books, wrenches and briefcases for a cramped stage and a rowdy crowd as they come together as Sodder , the anything-goes alt-rock/pop band from Woodward. “When people ask about us, they always say, ‘Who do you sound like?’ And all I can say is,…
Rambo
>Reviewer’s grade: C- Sylvester Stallone not only reprises his starring role as dialogue-challeged killing machine John Rambo, but directs, produces and co-writes this (hopefully) final foray into the Heart of Sly’s Darkness. Rambo, it turns out, has been in Thailand wrangling cobras for a sort of snake circus since he saved Col. Trautman from…
Bright Ideas
Michael Windisch, proprietor of the Maltermeister Turm restaurant in Goslar, Lower Saxony, Germany, solved what has become a crisis for other restaurants since the state extended a smoking ban in August. Windisch opened three holes in an outer wall so that, in cold weather, a smoker need not venture outside but can stick his head…
Zoo’s prairie dogs to sub on Groundhog Day
Wondering what Punxsutawney Phil’s weather predictions are going to be for the rest of winter? Well, the original forecasting groundhog may remain in Pennsylvania, but a close relative will make an appearance on Saturday for a one-of-a-kind celebration of Groundhog Day at the Oklahoma City Zoo, 2101 N.E. 50th. The zoo’s extensive animal collection does…
Banjo museum moving to Bricktown
The National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum is relocating from its home in Guthrie to a century old building in Bricktown, according to a report from the Associated Press. The $1.3 million building, located on Sheridan along the main entrance to Bricktown, will undergo a $2 million renovation this spring. The museum’s executive director,…
Torchwood: The Complete First Season
2006-07 In a secret base underneath Cardiff work the men and women of Torchwood, a beyond-the-government organization investigating alien life-forms and other supernatural forces. A huge hit in the UK, the BBC program is a spin-off of “Doctor Who,” and its first 13 episodes are now on a seven-disc set. Cocksure Capt. Jack…
Eastern Promises
to play Nikolai, learning the ropes in his new job as thug-for-hire for a criminal kingpin in London (Armin Mueller-Stahl). One of his first assignments is to apply muscle to a well-meaning nurse (Naomi Watts) who wants to return a diary of her dead patient. The diary contains vicious secrets, which she finds out after…
The Kingdom: Series Two
see story lines resumed “¦ and then new ones left unthreaded. Although its cult following knows such details, “The Kingdom” refers to a hospital whose floors and walls are privy to strange, supernatural goings-on, including ghost, demons and maniacally mad physicians. Sound familiar? Americans may know it better as ABC’s 2004 one-season-wonder, “Kingdom Hospital,” adapted…
Cargill unveils ‘100 Ideas’ book
After a year of listening and soliciting, a book of ideas was finally unfurled onto the Oklahoma public. Spearheaded by Rep. Lance Cargill, organizers released “100 Ideas: Innovation for the Second Century” during a reception Tuesday morning at the Oklahoma History Center. “We saw true democracy at work,” Cargill said as he introduced the…
Preservation organization to announce state’s endangered sites
Preservation Oklahoma will announce its annual list of the state’s “most-endangered historic places” Thursday night at the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum. Featuring 12 sites nominated by the public, the 2008 lineup includes at least one in the metro. The event begins with tours of the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, at 5 p.m.,…
