Councilman claims Devon executive chairman was force behind contentious campaign
Shadid also stated during today’s meeting that one of the most powerful men in Oklahoma City was behind a much-criticized election campaign and held sway over many of the important decisions made in the city. Shadid named Devon Energy Executive Chairman Larry Nichols (pictured below) as one of the driving forces behind this year’s City…
Slipping Mickey
Fast forward to July 13, and we see McVay practicing the very act he protests against by referring to progressives as “regressives.” Call me crazy, but I think McVay would be wise to remember that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. This is just one of several chips I’ve seen in his house, and…
Get off the fence
When did they make more than one true God? Yes, the Bible says that a man should not lay with another man, but the Bible also says that God will forgive you of all of your sins. Have you ever read the Ten Commandments? Have you ever broken one of those commandments? If you have,…
It’s the tax cuts, stupid
Here’s their solution: “OCPA has recommended that the Regents for Higher Education’s budget be reduced $250 million” (“Countdown to the budget deal: Who’s irresponsible now?,” May 11). The “empirical evidence shows that state appropriations for higher education neither positively affect economic growth nor lead to a higher percentage of collegeeducated citizens. … In other words,…
City folk
Music sometimes makes you do crazy things, like trade the peaceful plains of Kansas for the bustling concrete jungle of Brooklyn, N.Y. That’s what roots-rock band Country Mice frontman Jason Rueger decided to do a few short years ago, making the move from his quiet home of Beattie — population: about 300 — to the…
Papal state
Pop-punk band Smoking Popes formed a full two decades ago. To still be playing music is the last thing lead singer Josh Caterer ever expected. “I don’t know that I ever thought about what I’d be doing 20 years later when we started this band,” he said. “You always think you are going to be…
Yes men
As the godfathers of the progressive-rock movement, it’s easy to imagine the pair of Styx and Yes as Statler and Waldorf from “The Muppet Show,” hanging out in the balcony, ragging on the young guns offering their new takes on prog rock (or music in general). That’s hardly the case. “There are bands that have…
Thunder announces 2011-12 season schedule
Home games to be nationally televised on either ABC, ESPN or TNT Sports from the Oklahoma City Arena include:• Los Angeles Lakers, Nov. 23;• Orlando Magic, Dec. 14;• San Antonio Spurs, Dec. 16;• Dallas Mavericks, Dec. 29;• Denver Nuggets, Feb. 19, 2012;• Boston Celtics, Feb. 22, 2012; • Chicago Bulls, April 1, 2012; and• Los…
97’s in ’11
Rhett Miller, songwriter and vocalist of Old 97’s, thinks you can try to be a rock star, or you can try to be a musician. “When we started out, we wanted to do this years from now, and be proud of our music and the albums we’ve put out,” Miller said. With almost 20 years…
Beginners
They range from the witty (Mae West’s “You’re never too old to become younger”) to the philosophical (Seneca’s “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end”). Writer/director Mike Mills’ “Beginners,” a sweet if sometimes irritatingly twee film playing exclusively at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, encompasses that same range. It doesn’t always succeed in…
Back to the land
“I think the rosé Champagnes are wonderful,” Putnam said, “but people see the color and it triggers something else in their heads. These are some of the best wines made anywhere in the world, but people see sweet or cheap instead of quality and delicious.” Putnam is talking about two Grower Champagnes in his portfolio:…
Soda grows up
This is pop’s new time to fizz big. The bubbly age reached its zenith years ago. Slowly, pop flavor lost its zing. Natural flavorings were replaced by artificial additives, real sugar was exchanged for high-fructose corn syrup and traditional bottles gave way to aluminum cans. Luckily, the sparkle is back, and local vendors are selling…
No bull
Staff at the Bricktown restaurant said some diners are hesitant, but most get over it once they try the food. The concept has origins in Spain and caught fire in the stateside food scene a few years ago. Tapas are essentially small plates of food — not appetizers, but small dishes — aimed toward sharing…
That’s the ticket
If you were a member of the Oklahoma City Council, you could have gone to see them for free. Over the course of three years, current and former City Council members received thousands of free event tickets, mostly for Oklahoma City Thunder games, but also included tickets to rock concerts, stand-up comedians, ballet performances and…
Board ‘Brawl’
Victor Moyer and Tim Bugher, co-founders of VicTim Games, created the card-based role-playing board game, “ScrumBrawl,” and released it earlier this year. The original idea Bugher came up with was for a space game, but that idea ended up taking too long to play. After a lot of tweaks, the duo came up with “ScrumBrawl.”…
Garden variety
Through hail, wind and heat of day, area gardeners are persevering and, despite challenges from Mother Nature, flourishing, with hundreds of kinds of veggies and flowers growing in dozens of community and employee gardens around town. Close to the north entrance of Chesapeake Energy’s employee garden, one of the permanent garden plots was cleverly named…
Flock to it
Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park presents a case study of a dysfunctional family from a time before anyone knew the term for it, in Anton Chekhov’s 1896 drama, “The Seagull.” Now at the Myriad Gardens Water Stage, the production is directed by D. Lance Marsh and performed in handsome period costumes by Robert Pittenridge. It…
ROUTE 66
That’s the sensation one gets cruising down the stretch of Route 66 between Weatherford and El Reno. The interstate travelers speed by, dozens of cars jostling for position as they squeal past billboards. It’s a race with nothing in mind but the finish line. You can witness the prix clearly — separated by little more…
Do as I say
On July 10, the Tulsa World ran a story about elected state officials who have recently collected federal farm subsidies. The list of those receiving subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture included both Republicans and Democrats, but also a few names were on the list of those who have railed against government spending, and…
Under pressure
Very hot. So it was last week that the city, for the first time in more than a decade, implemented a mandatory odd-even water rotation program. Update: On Tuesday, July 19 the City of Oklahoma City announced via press release that the temporary outdoor watering ban for NW and NE areas will end at noon,…
To market
Owner Susan Graff has run the family farm since 1997, and she’s been participating in the OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market for most of those years. “You get to meet the farmer, and you know where everything is grown,” she said of farmers’ markets. “In meeting the farmer, you can talk to them about how their product…
Soundcheck: Smokey Robinson
1. His real first name is William; his nickname was given so he’d never forget his black heritage. (Irony alert: He’s rumored to have undergone chemical peels to lighten his skin.) 2. His great-nephew, Duke, played football at our own University of Oklahoma, starting in 2005. Sooooonerrrrrs! 3. UK New Wave band ABC’s 1987 hit…
Emergency functions
At a special Oklahoma City Council meeting July 12, Fire Chief Keith Bryant presented the city’s “window of opportunity” to opt out of the Emergency Medical Services Authority trust and either hand over ambulance services to the fire department or have the city or fire department manage emergency medical services and contract with a private…
Poetry
It’s ironic that “Poetry” would open with the image of a dead body floating near the film’s superimposed title, but the best of world cinema subverts viewers’ expectations. Director Lee Chang-dong (“Secret Sunshine”) does that through the entirety of this Cannes-blessed work from South Korea, even before it begins: Doesn’t a drama about a woman…
Ware it’s at
Norman’s Terry “Buffalo” Ware is essentially a human jukebox. The veteran guitarist has toured with names like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jimmy LaFave and John Fullbright, and has served as the leader for the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival’s backing band since its inception. The catalog runs deep in this one. “I don’t know how many songs…
Get your Phil
Singer and blues guitar virtuoso Phil Brown was classically trained on the violin in his teens. His life as a session man required him to sit in on countless recording sessions. He was behind hits, too, writing songs for Cher and Pat Benatar. But recently, with his trio atop the Oklahoma City Museum of Art,…
Too tough to die
Great bands are never truly forgotten, and that’s true of punk’s Ramones, who called it quits 15 years ago. Their influence is still felt today, and although its three main members — Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee — have passed, their legacy persists and is being given a revival by bassist C.J. Ramone. Born Christopher…
New York state of mind
Lyric Theatre takes audiences back in time to New York at the beginning of the 20th century in its production of “Ragtime.” Written by Terrence McNally, the Tony Award-winning musical was adapted from E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel. “Ragtime” explore the plights of three different families: one from Harlem, one from the white suburb of New…
Star bright
Many things have changed during Thirteen Stars’ nearly 13 years as a band: lineups, relationships, jobs and everything else under the sun. It’s come at a cost to its formerly rigorous touring and recording schedule, but with all these changes, its members have plenty to say on their upcoming album, “The Price of Progress.” “It’s…
How hot is it?
It’s so hot that you might resort to these items for relief. But be warned: Some of them are so uncool, they may not be worth the cold. BY ROD LOTT
Executive decision
And so it is we come again to Christina Fallin, daughter of Gov. Mary Fallin. Christina Fallin, 24, was chosen as the August Girl of the Month for Twenty Something Magazine, and partook in a photo shoot at the Governor’s Mansion as part of that. A hyper-kinetic video on the online magazine’s site offered a…
Bite size, 7-20-11
SAY FAREWELL Many restaurants in the area decided to stay closed for the Fourth of July holiday. One such was Los Comales, 1504 S. Agnew. It was probably a good thing the restaurant was closed since high winds and hail caused extensive damage to the roof and tiles fell down into the eatery. The mess…
Mud bath
The Dirty 30 is almost upon us. Organizers of the inaugural mud-running event will take over five kilometers of ranch land in Mulhall to set up an obstacle course. With seven tons of mud and 15 obstacles, competitors will need more than grit and determination — they’ll need a change of clothes. Organizer Vince Parker…
Book learning
The book relays the story of Rachel, who finds herself rescued and captured by pirates. She applies lessons she’s learned from her five brothers to earn the pirates’ trust. Her tale is filled with adventure and weaves a web on the importance of family. Anna said she came up with the idea on a family…
Art festivals
Have high expectations for the artists as they travel from around Oklahoma and surrounding states. Check out their one-of-a-kind paintings, jewelry, photography, ceramics and fine crafts. That not your thing? The festival will have food, and is located in the heart of Bricktown, 200 S. Mickey Mantle. “You can come down and spend the weekend…
Storm watch
A new photography exhibit at Visions in the Paseo, 2924 Paseo, showcases something very close to home for Oklahomans. David Mayhew’s “Stormy Skies” primarily features scenes of severe weather taken in Oklahoma and surrounding states. “He goes out and chases storms. Because those obviously give you some really amazing skies,” said Visions owner Glenn Fillmore.…
Okies noodlin’
Noodling — a term for fishing for catfish using only one’s bare hands — has increased in popularity in Oklahoma and abroad, perhaps due in large part to native Oklahoma filmmaker Bradley Beesley’s 2001 documentary on the oddball sport, “Okie Noodling,” and its 2008 sequel, “Okie Noodling II.” “I think people just have an insatiable…
Beat that heat
We made the trek out to the remote corner of the state for the annual Selman Bat Watch, and it was so hot (apparently the thermometer read 113, but I can’t even compute temps above 90) that I bought a hat. And I look horrible in hats. I most closely resembled someone named Wilma, an…
Wizards rock
These and other performers can be seen at the Metropolitan Library System’s free Wizard Rock Show from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Midwest City Library, 8143 E. Reno in Midwest City, where fans can celebrate and mourn the end of “Harry Potter” series, whose final film opened last week. The fifth-annual concert features…
Virgin territory
Italian Jim’s Restaurant 13 S. Broadway, Edmond 285-8800 What fun! Dine and watch the glassblowing going on next door in the Bella Forte studio. This restaurant is owned by Chris and Linda McGahan, who also own and operate the Yukon location. The menu will feature reliable pizza and a wedge salad, meatball sliders, pasta and…
PR BS
—“Ellen Degeneres, Carole King & Crazy Horse Auction” —“Breeding/Farrowing Intentions Don’t Quite Jibe” —“PowerSkin Delivers the Juice with HTC Sensation & HTC ThunderBolt Skins” —“STAIND UNVEILS ‘STAIND’” —“SWeNT Collaborates with Panasonic Boston Laboratory to Commercialize Printed TFTs” —“Purity Vodka and Kathy Casey are Pioneers in the H2O cocktail concept movement” —“DENNY’S FEATURES CLASSIC HEALTHY CHOICE…
Calculated account
In his self-published book “Walmart’s Egonomics: The Greed Behind the Smiley Face,” Charles H. Hood documented his unsuccessful struggle to provide Walmart customers with calculators and advertising mounted on the handles of Walmart shopping carts. Hood, who retired from the ad agency business in 1990, once served as chairman of Ackerman, Hood and McQueen. In…
Robinson crossing
To boldly go where relatively few have gone before (um, except for the likes of Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nate Robinson could try out for the NFL. Maybe. “I might go play football,” Robinson told SLAM ONLINE. “Do something that nobody’s tried to do.” The 5-9 Robinson had a football…
Bitter pills
The one-page report listed five painkillers — oxymorphone, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and oxycodone — and the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam as causing “probable mixed drug toxicity,” which led to central nervous system depression, pulmonary edema and aspiration pneumonia. “The chemicals found in his system were not those that had been prescribed by a physician, and we…
A fan’s guide to Twitter
But players shouldn’t be the only ones held accountable for what they tweet. As high-profile Twitter transgressions continue to pop up in our collective timeline, an important question should resurface like a Charlie Sheen-inspired hashtag: What role do fans play in the space student-athletes occupy online? Conventional wisdom, Bob Stoops and a decent attorney might…
Down on Quigley
Quigley decries at great length Barresi’s lack of experience as a classroom teacher, saying that she therefore treats teachers with disrespect. He concludes with the assertion that “education in Oklahoma will continue to fail until administrators such as Barresi start respecting, talking to and consulting with the teachers.” This is very odd. Quigley’s analysis implies…
Righteous indignation
In addition to that, I take exception to the ignorant and unfounded implication that there exists, in reality, a single “gay” couple who possess the complete lack of housekeeping and decorating skills pictured therein. Apparently, Mueller has never tuned in to HGTV or TLC. I — along with Charles Darwin and probably Gary Larson —…
Streetwalkin’
Corman even aped that by granting “Streetwalkin’” with “She dropped out of high school this morning. Tonight she’s a Times Square hooker.” It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but you get the picture: One successful whoresploitation film begets another, whether it deserves one or not. Here’s the difference: “Angel” was played by girl-next-door beauties…
Brother’s Justice
The veteran of MTV’s celebrity prank series “Punk’d” makes that move in “Brother’s Justice,” but alas, it’s only a mockumentary. Shepard gets this not-so-great idea to transform himself into a martial-arts star, and this faux film follows him trying to make that faux film, from wheeling in his producer pal Nate Tuck, to taking meetings…
Turbulent Skies
While the disaster-movie craze of the 1970s and its rebirth in the late 1990s are long behind us, you wouldn’t know it with writer/director Fred Olen Ray’s take, which may as well as have been titled “Turbulence 4.” (Yes, two sequels to “Turbulence” actually got made.) Consider this: An airplane’s maiden flight controlled by new…
Women in Cages Collection / Women in Prison Triple Feature
“Cages” comes as part of the irresistible “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics” line, which is only natural since the skinflint producer practically invented the sub-genre with lots of skin. In the dank, Filipino prison that is 1971’s “The Big Doll House,” the more unfortunate inmates hang in bamboo cages outside to bake in the sun. Inside,…
The Con Artist / Waking Madison
Anyhoo, “The Con Artist.” Fresh from doing five years in prison, car thief Vince (Rossif Sutherland, son of Donald and half-brother of Kiefer) immediately is pulled into doing more vehicle-snatch jobs for his old boss, Kranski (the aforementioned Donald Sutherland), to pay off debts he owes. In his spare time, when he’s not brooding or…
Cracks
While she’s attracting attention on Starz’s hit series “Camelot,” the public should also follow her to this low-key thriller. She plays Miss G, a teacher at an out-of-the-way British boarding school for girls in the 1930s. Amid an otherwise old-maid faculty, her youth and beauty make her popular among the students. On the surface, she’s…
The King of Fighters
In “Fighters,” three ancient artifacts — a sword, a shield and a chain-metal necklace that looks like Red Sonja’s thong — combine to unleash energy that opens a gateway to another dimension where characters compete in underground fighting tournaments to become the King of Fighters. There, logic and physics are on hold, tunnels are awash…
Shabazz Palaces — Black Up
That was all true for their first two projects, the “Shabazz Palaces” and “Of Light” EPs, and nothing has changed with the new full-length, “Black Up.” The same adjectives might fit the man behind the mic, Digable Planets alum Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, at least in his approach to rapping. His moderately paced, raspy and recognizable…
Within / The Dead and the Damned
In “Within,” the premise is that grade-school girl Rachel (Mia Ford, a veteran of TV’s “Barney”) sees dead people — or, rather, the evil spirits that lurk in the heart of man. Moving to a new city with her dad (Sam Jaegar, “Lucky Number Slevin”) following the senseless murder of her mother (Elaine Hendrix, TV’s…
13 Assassins
And this is the same man who made “Audition”? Yes, but don’t worry: He just saves most of it for the second half. Rest assured, heads will roll, literally. See the film for its visuals, not for its story. Martial arts films rarely are imbued with much in the way of plot, and this one…
The Image
Prior to that, he’d championed and imported European sex films, as well as produced and directed his own celebrated softcore entries such as 1968’s “Therese and Isabelle” and 1970’s “The Lickerish Quartet.” With hardcore an accepted norm, Metzger didn’t exactly dive into that naughty pool as eagerly as many did around that time. Instead, he…
Spaghetti dinner to benefit wounded soldier
The explosion caused him to lose both his legs and his left arm, making him one of only 23 surviving triple amputees from the war. Dunagan will be honored with a spaghetti dinner and bake sale from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion Building, 123 N. First in Guthrie. Adults can eat…
