‘Tightening the noose’
Basically other states have come to their senses about pot, both medical and recreational and the associated prison reform. Once again, Oklahoma is tightening the noose on its citizens. When Oklahoma uses human incarceration as a major economic model, it is helpful to keep the private prisons and the legal system clogged with nonviolent drug…
Terrific teachers
—Makes students his or her top priority;—Has the ability to stimulate students; —Consistently looks for and brings to the classroom current and stimulating material; —Works with students outside the classroom on projects that give students a practical application for the subject; —Keeps up with his or her field of expertise; —Has the ability to see…
Mucking up marketplace fairness
The MFA would make Internet retailers unpaid tax collectors for almost 10,000 governmental entities. It sets an arbitrary threshold for small sellers doing $1 million or less in sales — not profits. Think about all of the mom-and-pop shops who sell online. These are the Internet entrepreneurs who have worked hard to provide a fair…
Taking tests to task
Just like workplace drug testing, if it really affects work performance, do you really need a drug test? Won’t you see its effect? Those who do cocaine, meth, etc. and time it right, you’ll never catch those people — do it Friday and Saturday, and it’s out of your system by Monday. And a $20…
OKG7 new nomz
Simply Sweet Candy Buffets and Dessert Bar501 S. Mustang Roadsimplysweetbuffets.com577-2272 Sometimes all one needs is a chocolate-covered Oreo, or a custom push-up pop made with cake or brownie. Complete with a full bakery, this confectionary will surely satisfy your sweet tooth. Wes Welker’s Sports Bar and Grill3121 W. Memorialweswelkers.com608-2200 You don’t need to be an…
Crêpes of hath
BY: Shannon Cornman The made-from-scratch crêpes include specials such as Cherry Pie — a sweet yet tart cherry pie filling and crumbles of pie crust — and The Club, which has turkey, ham, tomatoes, greens and Boursin cheese. Annaleigha Harris, the one-woman marvel behind Crepe Brewers, is excited to be doing her part in the…
What about Kabob?
Daal channa BY: Mark Hancock Look, I just eat the food. Sorry. If you’re looking for an in-depth look at what makes Indian food and Pakistani food different or some kind of historical significance or really anything … I don’t know. I just like Kabob-n-Curry, which is the only Pakistani place I’m aware of in…
Word on the street
Marco Powell is a Curbside Chronicle vendor. Credit: Shannon Cornman It was an idea that Whitley O’Connor, executive director of The Curbside Chronicle and a self-proclaimed “social entrepreneur,” has seen benefit the destitute of many cities throughout the U.S. “It’s not a new idea, but we’ve put a new spin on it,” he said. O’Connor…
Blown away
And no, it has nothing to do with a Scarface scenario or a … well, you know (and don’t pretend that you don’t). It’s better, actually. While a shopping column on where to get gutter glitter locally would most certainly increase my gangsta street cred, I’m relatively sure it would result in an Orange is…
All that jazz
Jeremy Gossett On July 5, many months of work and sacrifice paid off when the first episode of Backstage Jazz hit the airwaves on Norman-based public radio station KGOU-FM 106.3. After the first show aired, Gossett received praise from his new legion of followers via the phone and Internet. “That night, we got about 30…
Atheist
Rebecca Vitsmun Credit: Mark Hancock That latter fact might seem incongruous in a state often characterized as the buckle of the Bible Belt. But some experts suggest the large numbers of self-described atheists aren’t so surprising. “I am a native Oklahoman, and I have found that while Oklahoma is a conservative state with a strong…
Getting real
Credit: Brad Gregg His reasoning? Well, as much as he’d “love” to kill the omnibus measure, Coburn just doesn’t think it’s sound political strategy. “I’d be leading the charge if I thought this would work, but it will not work,” he said. “It’s a denial of reality mixed with a whole bunch of hype to…
Garden burgers — sorta
Credit: Brad Gregg And that’s great news for visitors to the Myriad Botanical Gardens. The Ice House, a restaurant slated to open on the garden grounds in September, will offer Nic’s celebrated onion burgers, fries and shakes. The Ice House will operate eight months out of the year, but will be closed during skating season.…
Irony Man
Credit: Brad Gregg If the Manning case has taught Americans anything, it is that irony remains alive and well. Federal authorities, outraged over how the leaked documents spotlighted the U.S. military at its most questionable, responded by keeping Manning in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. During much of that time, he was forced to…
Survey says …
Survey results revealed residents view OKC an “excellent” or “good” place to live (88 percent), work (82 percent) and raise children (81 percent). Ratings for those items were significantly higher than the national averages for large U.S. cities. The six-page survey was mailed to a random sample of 3,000 households this summer. A total of…
Pigging out
BY: Mark Hancock By sundown, three were left of the Shawnee-based chain after its Moore eatery on S.W. Fourth was demolished by an EF5 tornado. “The good news is that our employees who were in the restaurant at the time the tornado hit managed to walk away without a scratch,” co-owner Mark Shuman said. “After…
Boo-rant
Credit: Brad Gregg Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant recently attended an L.A. Dodger home game with his new agent, Jay-Z, when the crowd broke into a chorus of boos. A stadium cameraman had spotted Durant and slapped his mug on the jumbotron, prompting the cacophony of jeers. Poor Laker fans. Evidently they’re still feeling…
What a softy
Credit: Brad Gregg Yeah, he’s worth millions. Yeah, he’s dating Kate Upton, one of the hottest women on the planet. Yeah, he does funny commercials. But still! Did you know his fellow NBA brethren think he’s “soft”? That’s, like, the worst thing you can say to a guy who’s 6-foot-10-inches tall and rocks rims for…
Behind the snitch?
Credit: Brad Gregg When two men allegedly finished burglarizing a house just outside McAlester last month, one of the thieves evidently made the job of police much easier by accidentally butt-dialing 911. The dispatcher transferred the call, allowing investigators to listen while the pair of voices on the other end discussed swiping money, jewelry and…
Expendable real estate
Credit: Brad Gregg Either the Oklahoma-born martial artist-cum-actor is embarrassed about his prediction or he’s just been busy tackling a “honey-do” list to get a house ready for sale. Holes don’t patch themselves, you know. According to The Los Angeles Times, a Dallas home co-owned by Norris and his brother is on the market. If…
High Society
Greg Simkins When Jerrod Smith opened The Society’s doors two years ago, the Plaza District venue was meant to be a community-driven art space that would also function as a studio for himself and a couple of other artists. But, to be honest, he wasn’t sure it would last one year, let alone two. “I…
Passion play
A, B, A, B, B, A, up, down, up, down, select. If that means anything to you, you’re the exact type of patron who Stephen Kovash, the founder of the Istvan Gallery, wants. “The Istvan is one of the few commercial galleries in Oklahoma City that actually show urban, street, young people, hip — whatever…
Lady bits
For six years, Reduxion Theatre Company has treated Oklahoma City theatergoers to its unique interpretation of classic plays. The company is known for dynamic, participatory theater in an intimate space — challenging the traditional notion of the audience’s role in the action. “No one passively watches a Reduxion show. We create experiences,” said Erin Woods,…
Clear History is a feature-length showcase for the comedian’s masochism.
BY DEAN ROBBINS All of us Curb Your Enthusiasm fans were suspicious when writer-star Larry David suspended the series to work on an HBO movie. But we needn’t have worried. Clear History is like an extended episode of Curb, with even bigger and better humiliations for the Larry David stand-in (Saturday, 8 p.m.). Here he…
Close as a Blade
Bladerunner with Mindset Evolution vocalist Rob Ulrich Credit: Steve Van Halen He hopes to revive that experience with the new Bladerunner Radio. “That is exactly what FM radio used to do,” said Blake Wolney, the DJ better known as the Bladerunner, who was on KATT-FM 100.5 in the 1980s and ’90s. “It made it interesting.…
Shades of cinema
Matt Barse’s I Said I Would Never Paint This Way Again Promoting minority filmmakers and artists, Saturday’s In Color Film Festival showcases features, shorts and documentaries that convey Oklahoma’s multicultural landscape. In partnership with the Inclusion in Art project and the Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, In Color began in 2008 to encourage diversity while…
Reel change
Brian Hearn Photo: Heather Brown The upgrades were made in order to remain in the “mix of contemporary, global art cinema,” said Brian Hearn, OKCMOA film curator. Hearn said he and the museum’s film program team began funding for the upgrades in 2011 with a “Projection Perfection” campaign. Donations from private family foundations and everyday…
Bowlsey — Sleepy Weather
In a weird way, it does. The budding Oklahoma City trio released Sleepy Weather — a five-song demo of sorts — just a month after the band’s conception, each track abstaining from any semblance of formula. With a range of influences spanning from sultry lounge and folk jangles to Adult Swim hip-hop and chilled electronica,…
Ready or not
The Ready Set Photo: Jared Thomas A 20-something singer-songwriter from the Midwest readies to play a few tunes Thursday night from his ever-growing repertoire of chart-topping singles, acoustic endeavors and previews from his upcoming third full-length album. As The Ready Set, Indiana native Jordan Witzigreuter has charmed national audiences — particularly the teen, female demographic…
Roots radical
Bill Kirchen Bill Kirchen is a man of many titles. Some people call him one of the “founding fathers of Americana”; others, “Titan of the Telecaster.” He helped pioneer the Americana movement, as well as the “twangcore” and “dieselbilly” scenes. Many know him as the lighting-in-a-bottle guitarist behind country rock’s Commander Cody and His Lost…
Poor logic on Hobby Lobby decision
According to a majority of the 10th Circuit, the businesses owned by the Green family are religious “persons,” and, therefore, can have the benefit of RFRA. But the court’s reasoning is utterly divorced from RFRA’s history and the larger context of federal law generally. It is critical to understand that due to the doctrine of…
Going up
Chloe Massenat Credit: Mark Hancock Chloe’s climbing ability became visible through gymnastics, which she did at an early age. She eventually took a summer climbing camp, and her dad, Laurent Massenat, said it was pretty obvious she had a special skill. “She’s a remarkable athlete with lots of flexibility and strength and the ability to…
Hobby Lobby deserves protection
After the U.S. Supreme Court decided to no longer strictly scrutinize most laws that substantially burden religious liberty, outraged people of all ideological hues vowed to restore the legal protection refused by the court. The Senate passed the bill 97-3. The House passed it unanimously. RFRA instructs courts to invalidate any law or government action…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact number…
Wrangling over wellness
Putnam City Baptist Church Credit: Mark Hancock Liberty Institute attorney Michael Berry sent a letter July 26 to Oklahoma City Manager James Couch and municipal counselor Kenneth Jordan outlining why the city is within its legal and constitutional rights to negotiate with Putnam City Baptist Church as a potential operating partner for one of the…
The race is on
Cornett will face at least one opponent in Ward 2 Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid, who is running for the mayor’s seat. Shadid was elected to the council in April 2012. “Our work’s not done yet. I am running for re-election as your mayor, so that we can continue Oklahoma City’s renaissance together,” Cornett wrote…
X-Ray / Schizoid
The former, perhaps better-known as Hospital Massacre, comes from the age where you not only could smoke inside a medical center, but could rest a nationwide release on the shoulders of a Playboy personality — in this case, Barbi Benton. She plays Susan, a beautiful divorcée who goes to the hospital to hear her results…
Olympus Has Fallen
I’m talking about Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, just to be clear. In Antoine Fuqua’s Olympus Has Fallen, Aaron Eckhart grows angry and Morgan Freeman pulls strings from the sidelines, while a possibly crazy but altogether decent man dishes out some superheroic justice to save the city, yet the result is a terrible movie, arguably…
Oblivion
In 2077, post-nuclear war, Earth is largely uninhabitable, sending survivors to live on one of Saturn’s moons. Cruise’s Jack Harper cruises the skies over the former New York City to guard giant water-sucking machines from attacks. He’s aided in his daily missions by the watchful eye of Victoria (Andrea Riseborough, Disconnect), who works behind a…
Bert Stern: Original Madman
New to DVD from First Run Features, it is one of the very best nonfiction films of the past year. The former soda jerk and Korean War vet earned fame and fortune as a conceptual photographer in the Madison Avenue ad game, helping revolutionize the industry in the 1950s and ’60s with his creative thinking…
The Guillotines
Not necessarily. The guillotines of The Guillotines are of the shimmering CGI kind, and so obvious as to be cartoons. Still, this Hong Kong pic is at its best when the guillotines spin on their scooped launchers like rabid dogs waiting to be unleashed, then zoom around the place looking for a head to latch…
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec
In his first live-action directorial outing since 2005’s Angel-A, Besson adapts the first story from Jacques Tardi’s acclaimed comics, which began in 1976. The titular heroine (played by Louise Bourgoin, Black Heaven) is a professional tomb raider in early 20th-century Paris, like Lara Croft but sporting frilly outfits and feathers. This grandiose dose of…
