Readers’ Choice
Two young men and a juvenile were charged in May in Houston with corpse abuse after they allegedly dug into a grave in a cemetery in the town of Humble, removed the head, and took it away in order to use it as a bong for smoking marijuana. Jorge Espinal, 44, was taken to a…
Update
Luxury toilets were introduced in hygiene-sensitive Japan in the 1970s, and within 20 years, models were available to automatically heat bottom-splashing water, take health readings of bodily emissions, and supply music and “white noise” to mask the movements, as News of the Weird noted in 1990 and 2001. Though the world is more environmentally conscious,…
Ballet Oklahoma could be facing final curtain
Cash-strapped after years of dwindling ticket sales, Ballet Oklahoma is nearly bankrupt and has suspended its fall season, a board member said last week. Organizers with the historic ballet company, which has its roots in the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet, founded in 1963 by legendary American Indian ballerina Yvonne Chouteau, presented the bleak situation to…
The Aristocrats!
A 28-year-old woman, unnamed by the Kitsap (Wash.) Sun, was arrested in May and charged with stealing her husband’s wallet and subsequently assaulting an arresting officer. According to deputies, she had awakened her husband, 24, demanding sex, but he had rebuffed her by insisting that from that point on, the two of them would quit…
Trustee files federal motion to reopen Terrill bankruptcy
A legal trustee assigned to Oklahoma legislator Randy Terrill’s 2005 bankruptcy case filed a federal motion to reopen the case, citing undeclared funds in an election account, court records show. The trustee ” John D. Mashburn ” alleges a loan for $11,301 Terrill, R-Moore, made to his 2004 election funds were not reported in his…
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! No. 1
than “Bone” creator Jeff Smith’s recent try, which played out over a heavily hyped four-issue miniseries. Former animator Kunkel begins his new monthly title with illustrations that purposely look hand-drawn by a child, using crayons on wide-ruled notebook paper. These few pages get readers up to speed on the original of Captain Marvel, a red-and-yellow-suited…
People With Issues
In Singapore in June, a 36-year-old man was sentenced to 14 years in jail and 18 strokes of the cane after he was convicted of 23 counts of molesting women on elevators and other places, mostly by sniffing their armpits. In June, a masochist, with tastes similar to those of the Ontario man reported here…
Least Competent Criminals
Not Ready for Prime Time: James Milsom, 21, was arrested in Avon and Somerset, England, in June after a hidden camera in a police bait car caught him breaking in and swiping the GPS device. It was his third arrest in four months for breaking into a police bait car to steal a GPS (caught…
Bike racks planned for Downtown OKC
City officials are reviewing plans to affix public bicycle racks in strategic areas of downtown Oklahoma City. Proponents of the plan presented it to the Downtown Design Review Committee at City Hall on Thursday, complete with presentation of samples of the kinds of bicycle racks proposed. Jessica Gonzales, events director for Downtown OKC, told the…
Laser tag gains foothold as niche sport, working toward legitimacy
Fog machines oozed smoke and generic rock music blared, while red and blue specters sped through the maze of walls and windows, lit only by black lights. Amid the occasional growl of frustration, voices blared, “Watch for activators!” and “Do not recharge! Do not recharge!” COME, ARMAGEDDON, COMESKILLS TO SLAY THE KILLSTAG ALONG It was…
Nuclear punishments
After languishing for two years in the Irish legislature, the Nuclear Test Ban Bill of 2006 has recently been rethought and refurbished, according to a June report in the Irish Independent. Originally, the bill codified the U.N. Test Ban Treaty, adding some provisions specific to Ireland. Among those additions was the punishment for anyone detonating…
Oklahoma senators sign CO2 emission declaration
Oklahoma Sens. Tom Coburn and James Inhofe are signatories on a new environmental statement co-written by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Family Research Council and the Institute on Religion & Democracy, among others. The declaration is part of a larger campaign called We Get It! MANHATTAN DECLARATIONEVANGELICAL LEADERS The We…
For Girls Only: Everything Great About Being a Girl – Laura Dower
ob, but Dower does a disservice with an occasional item that stereotypes rather than empowers, such as a page titled “Match That Princess!” or diagrams of cheerleader poses. Luckily, that’s only a small smattering of the content. The rest is useful, interesting and, above all, fun. How-to articles instruct girls on telling a good ghost…
Toby Keith-written movie to air in August
In this summer movie season of iron men and crystal skulls, CFN wonders if there might be something cinematically “¦ well, different. We envision, oh, Oklahoma’s own Toby Keith busting through a door, brandishing a gun all tough-guy-like. Country “comedian” Rodney Carrington wearing one of those idiotic hats like Randy Quaid in “Christmas Vacation.” A…
Amateur Softball Association celebrates diamond anniversary
Seventy-five years strong. Traditional wedding terms identify that particular milestone as the “diamond anniversary.” It just so happens the definition could not be a more perfect fit for the Oklahoma City-based Amateur Softball Association’s current celebration, as 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the organization’s, well, organization. NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETINGGREAT MOMENTS The ASA ” the…
Oklahoma law prevents alternative automobiles
When Mike Barkley drives to Dallas to meet with fellow electric car enthusiasts at the North Texas Electric Auto Association, he has to do so in a gasoline-powered car. It’s too far for his all-electric 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse, which he converted to electric power himself. Barkley, who lives just outside of Durant, has to be…
Breakout band The Republic Tigers prepare to pounce on Norman
Responsible for transplanting Death Cab for Cutie from Seattle to “The O.C.,” television music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas has helped put some of indie rock’s brightest acts on the mainstream map. MUTUAL MUSIC INTERESTSLUSH ELECTRONIC ORCHESTRATIONELABORATE CRAFTSMANSHIP Now launching bands beyond prime time with the launch of her own boutique record label, Patsavas has recruited The…
The Coke Dares – Feelin’ Up
Essay The band’s name sounds like a booth game at the Hi-Lo Club, and the music on “Feelin’ Up” could easily be the jagged, broken soundtrack. The 33-track collection of absurdly short songs are performed by a trio of Indianans culled from the ranks of Magnolia Electric Co. and Impossible Shapes. The songs collectively waste…
Two Texas teens bring School of Rock music lessons to Oklahoma City
An ensemble of outstanding students from “rock school” clinics across the country who mastered their Frank Zappa, Metallica and Led Zeppelin lessons have hit the road for a little live learning. PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK MUSICMUSICAL DIRECTORSCHOOL OF KNOCKS From Austin, Texas, Trey Gish and Geena Spigarelli are among the students leading class at…
John Mayer – Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles
Columbia Finally, a collection of live songs made more annoying by a stadium of screaming morons and improvisational guitar noodling. “Where the Light Is” is split into two CDs, as John Mayer plays acoustic guitar and leads a trio on the first disc, and performs with a full band on the second. The hit “Waiting…
Former OKC attorney takes up mature modeling career
“But soft, what light through yon window breaks?” “William Shakespeare It is Gassaway, that’s who ” breaking “¦ into acting. Forgive us our poetic license, but we at Chicken-Fried News are inspired by the recent news that the flamboyant (former) Oklahoma City attorney Mike Gassaway has taken up acting. Yep, according to a Web site…
Is a state candidate just blowing smoke about Saddam?
He is a decorated war veteran. But, in politics, he is just another candidate. A candidate who is finding out words matter. Retired Lt. Col. Steve Russell served in the Army for 21 years, which included tours in Kosovo, Afghanistan and his last assignment in Iraq. Russell’s efforts in Iraq are his greatest source of…
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Reviewer’s grade: D- Brendan Fraser (“The Air I Breathe”) stars as Trevor Anderson, a scientist struggling to keep his 10-years-missing brother’s lab functioning. When some evidence comes to light about the brother’s possible whereabouts, Trevor takes his nephew (Josh Hutcherson, “Bridge to Terabithia”) with him to Iceland, where they meet a hot mountaineer (Anita Briem)…
Let’s Get Lost
Reviewer’s grade: B Through trumpet and voice, Chet Baker produced some of the most romantic sounds in the history of jazz. He was also a sorry sonovabitch, a user of people and drugs who manipulated loved ones as easily as he mastered the valves of a trumpet. That gap between brilliant musician and troubled man…
Common sense
Will common sense prevail in state government? It seems we have a good start. Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City, held a public hearing July 9 to discuss the possibility of flexible or compressed work schedules ” essentially a four-day workweek ” for state employees. Shelton noted that employees of state agencies could cut their commuting…
Norman mayor’s e-mail causes meeting mayhem
There’s early voting by absentee, there’s early voting Chicago-style and now there may be early voting Norman-style. One is perfectly legal, one may never be known as legal or not, and one has been deemed a violation by a former government attorney. The latter is not Chicago-style. According to a story in The Norman Transcript,…
Strong performances center uneven production of ‘The Shape of Things’
Playwright Neil LaBute likes to make audiences squirm. Whether it’s a graphic description of performance art involving menstrual blood or a tense scene between characters who are philandering friends, he attempts to make the audience feel the psychological nakedness of his characters. Some people might say that LaBute is manipulative; others would counter that making…
Museum celebrates 35th anniversary of art exhibition
Now through Sept. 7, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum celebrates the 35th anniversary of the “Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition,” a show featuring the works of the country’s contemporary Western artists. With more than 300 paintings and sculptures by some of today’s most talented and renowned Western artists, the exhibit truly captures…
Can’t Possibly Be True
In the 1920s, when inmate “chain gangs” were in their heyday, Alabama sheriffs were allotted a prison meal budget of $1.75 per prisoner per day, with thrifty sheriffs allowed to pocket any excess for themselves. According to a May Associated Press investigation, the policy, and the amount, are unchanged to this day in 55 of…
Unclear on the Concept
Denmark has already aroused Muslims’ ire for a Danish newspaper’s publishing blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in 2006, and in June, the country’s public broadcast channel DR1 sponsored an Internet-voting contest to choose among women (presumably Muslims) modeling headscarves. The winner was 18-year-old Huda Falah, who is Iraqi and one of the 46 women…
When a book, movie or TV show ends, fan fiction writers keep characters alive
Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls were meant to be together. Or maybe it was Veronica and Wallace. Or Weevil? MORE TO EXPLOREWRITING BY NUMBERSWRITING AND WRITHING Heck, maybe she was supposed to get down in a sapphic way with her best friend Mac. But she was totally going to the FBI. Or what if she…
Oklahoma native works behind the scenes at online depository
Ever wonder how to manage a congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction? How about how to operate a 16mm motion picture projector? Or maybe you want to make a rocket using Mentos and Diet Coke, or perhaps just get rid of a one-night stand. These and 11 other choices popped up in the main window at www.wonderhowto.com,…
Pollster finds interest in local politics lackluster
Candidates for public office are often reminded all politics is local. But one local pollster has an interesting twist on the familiar slogan. “All politics is local, but national politics is more interesting,” said Bill Shapard, CEO of SoonerPoll.com. NATIONAL CAMPAIGNLOCAL INTEREST His expansion on the creed of successful politicians comes after new polling data…
Degree checks
Oklahoma should be trying to make college affordable for as many of its residents as possible, yet the state continues to drastically raise tuition rates. Virtually every leader in the state publicly agrees we cannot expand the economy and improve the quality of life without higher education. Why then does Oklahoma make it more difficult…
Weatherford museum provides out-of-this-world entertainment
Nothing beats the summer doldrums like a new adventure, especially an interstellar one. A big surprise is that one is so close: less than an hour from Oklahoma City in the cozy, yet cool community of Weatherford. Head west on Interstate 40 and find yourself within inches of lunar landing equipment at the town’s Stafford…
Try these 20 wines, each available for less than $20
One of the joys of every oenophile is finding a little-known bottle hiding on the stacks at your favorite liquor store, taking it home and discovering you’ve made a great choice. Now that gas prices are hovering around $4 per gallon, all of us have less money to take a chance on those unknown gems,…
Pulitzer Prize winner Ernie Pyle toured Oklahoma during Depression
Ernie Pyle was not the first famous journalist to visit Oklahoma and make light of it, but he was drunker than most, and he stayed longer. ‘ALFALFA BILL’ LETS ERNIE DOWN THE ELUSIVE MR. ITT’PURITY OF THE SOIL”ERNIE TALKS OUR LANGUAGE’ Richard Harding Davis, editor of Harper’s Weekly and the best-known journalist of his day,…
Exhibit presents international exotic flora, fauna
If you’re itching to travel the world this summer, but don’t necessarily have the time, money or energy, the “Passport to Plants” exhibit at the Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno, has you covered. As the latest addition to the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, “Passport to Plants” is an opportunity for guests to visit the…
Batman: The Story of the Dark Knight – Ralph Cosentino
Viking According to all reports, the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight,” takes its title to heart, proving too bleak and sinister for younger audiences. Instead, the tots can get their fix of the caped crusader via a new, 32-page picture book written and illustrated by toy designer Ralph Cosentino. With a cover that apes…
Various artists – Mamma Mia!: The Movie Soundtrack
Decca It could be known as “ABBA Comes Alive!” The cast-led soundtrack to the film adaptation of jukebox musical “Mamma Mia!” features delightfully saccharine arrangements of the Swedish pop group’s songs. The title song, performed by Meryl Streep, is upbeat and catchy, with a cheesy sheen just glossy enough to sell the film to audiences…
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Reviewer’s grade: A Ron Perlman, in the title role, Selma Blair as Hellboy’s way-too-hot (literally) girl friend, and Jeffrey Tambor as a prickly bureaucrat, return and lead a supporting cast of elves, trolls, and assorted paranormal good and bad guys in the best comical/tragical/melodramatic fantasy-adventure of the summer. Hellboy and his team of paranormal crimebusters…
Intricate designs, unique components demonstrate elaborate creative passion
If romantic art evokes heightened emotion and new ways of looking at the world, what does “Romantic Materialism” mean? STRIDENT MINIMALISM INTRICATE DETAIL Signe Stuart, one of the three artists featured in the “Romantic Materialism” exhibition at Untitled [ArtSpace], defines the term as reflecting the passion artists bring to new mediums and materials. The exhibition,…
Brothers plan performance before moving East
The Brothers Sarmiento, Adam and Eric, are relaxed onstage and in person, as if they just wait for the truth to float to them. Maybe that’s why they haven’t “made it” in the consistently confusing world of indie rock. Adam Sarmiento, a drum instructor at Charlie Rayl Music Lessons in Norman, and Eric Sarmiento, a…
The Phantom Rockers churn out the blistering music
Mark Burke first invaded America with his psychobilly group The Phantom Rockers back in 1993. The resulting tour with The Meteors introduced the U.S. to the UK hybrid of punk, rockabilly and heavy metal. With several years and albums behind them, The Phantom Rockers have settled into San Antonio’s small, but durable punkabilly scene and…
History of Russian culture replayed through exhibition
The plight of iconography within Russia is not just the story of the country’s spiritual history, but that of its tumultuous society. 300 YEARSIRON CURTAINOKLADS The University of Oklahoma’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman opens an exhibition of 45 icons “? or religious images “? from Russia, ranging from the reign of…
Poteet Theatre hosts Dr. Suess musical
Hop into the magical world of Dr. Seuss this summer by experiencing “Seussical: The Musical,” the stage adaptation of books by the beloved children’s author, at the Poteet Theatre, 222 N.W. 15th, starting Friday. Bringing the stories of Seuss favorites like Horton the Elephant, Layzie Mayzie and Thing One and Thing Two to life, “Seussical”…
