Least Competent Criminals
Not Ready for Prime Time: In April, police in Fayetteville, N.C., were seeking a pregnant woman who walked into a Carter Bank & Trust branch with a handgun and demanded cash. As a clerk was taking money out to give to her, she received a call on her cell phone, and the conversation became so…
The Weirdo-American Community
Daniel Doster Jr., 42, was arrested in Yorktown, Ind., in March for masturbating while standing beside his mailbox (which he told police he was doing to show his neighbors “who was boss”). Dean Mark, 53, was arrested at Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, Nev., in June, for trespassing. Three students had reported encountering Mark…
Recurring Themes
Medical Marvel: Paul Gibbs, 26, hopes soon to have his left ear reattached after losing it in a barroom fight, but for now, the ear needs to be re-nourished to be strong enough to survive the surgery. Consequently, Gibbs has become the most recent person to have one organ surgically implanted elsewhere in his body…
Recurring Themes
Medical Marvel: Paul Gibbs, 26, hopes soon to have his left ear reattached after losing it in a barroom fight, but for now, the ear needs to be re-nourished to be strong enough to survive the surgery. Consequently, Gibbs has become the most recent person to have one organ surgically implanted elsewhere in his body…
The Weirdo-American Community
Daniel Doster Jr., 42, was arrested in Yorktown, Ind., in March for masturbating while standing beside his mailbox (which he told police he was doing to show his neighbors “who was boss”). Dean Mark, 53, was arrested at Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, Nev., in June, for trespassing. Three students had reported encountering Mark…
Least Competent Criminals
Not Ready for Prime Time: In April, police in Fayetteville, N.C., were seeking a pregnant woman who walked into a Carter Bank & Trust branch with a handgun and demanded cash. As a clerk was taking money out to give to her, she received a call on her cell phone, and the conversation became so…
Oklahoma Arts Council seeks nominations for awards
The Oklahoma Arts Council is seeking nominations through Aug. 6 for the 2009 Governor’s Arts Awards. “The 34th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards is an opportunity to celebrate Oklahoma arts and the people that facilitate its success,” said Executive Director Suzanne Tate. “During my travels, I’ve seen many examples across this state of how individuals, businesses,…
What About My Rights?
Chutzpah: In 2006, a jury in Tampa convicted William Deparvine, 57, of murdering a husband and wife in order to steal their restored, vintage 1971 Chevy truck that they had offered to sell Deparvine. Judge and jury agreed on the death penalty, and thus began the inevitable delay until execution. With time on his hands,…
That Sacred Institution of Marriage
When Ian Platt, 51, married Lisa, 42, in Leeds, England, in May, he dressed in traditional morning suit in a ceremony heavily attended by his family. However, after the family members departed, Ian slipped away, donned a wedding dress, and reappeared before friends to take vows as his preferred identity, Susan. Both ceremonies were approved…
Oklahoma Arts Council seeks nominations for awards
The Oklahoma Arts Council is seeking nominations through Aug. 6 for the 2009 Governor’s Arts Awards. “The 34th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards is an opportunity to celebrate Oklahoma arts and the people that facilitate its success,” said Executive Director Suzanne Tate. “During my travels, I’ve seen many examples across this state of how individuals, businesses,…
What About My Rights?
Chutzpah: In 2006, a jury in Tampa convicted William Deparvine, 57, of murdering a husband and wife in order to steal their restored, vintage 1971 Chevy truck that they had offered to sell Deparvine. Judge and jury agreed on the death penalty, and thus began the inevitable delay until execution. With time on his hands,…
That Sacred Institution of Marriage
When Ian Platt, 51, married Lisa, 42, in Leeds, England, in May, he dressed in traditional morning suit in a ceremony heavily attended by his family. However, after the family members departed, Ian slipped away, donned a wedding dress, and reappeared before friends to take vows as his preferred identity, Susan. Both ceremonies were approved…
Arts Council seeking nominations
The Oklahoma Arts Council is seeking nominations through Aug. 6 for the 2009 Governor’s Arts Awards. “The 34th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards is an opportunity to celebrate Oklahoma arts and the people that facilitate its success,” said Executive Director Suzanne Tate. “During my travels, I’ve seen many examples across this state of how individuals, businesses,…
Undignified Deaths
Their Last Words: “A million dollars is a lot of money to pay for a whore” were the last words of multimillionaire French banker Edouard Stern, according to his girlfriend, Cecile Brossard, who took offense (and was convicted of killing him in June in Geneva, Switzerland). “Shoot me, shoot me,” you “ain’t got the –“…
Undignified Deaths
Their Last Words: “A million dollars is a lot of money to pay for a whore” were the last words of multimillionaire French banker Edouard Stern, according to his girlfriend, Cecile Brossard, who took offense (and was convicted of killing him in June in Geneva, Switzerland). “Shoot me, shoot me,” you “ain’t got the –“…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
When he was growing up, the father of basketball superstar Pat Riley forced him to play basketball with kids who were stronger and tougher than he was. He said it forged his son into a winner. I can see the principle at work, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. In my efforts to provide…
Bye Bye Monkey
1977 The title is the best thing about this allegorical satire, made by Italians but shot and set in New York City. Prior to his early-’90s crossover with U.S. audiences, G
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem that describes events near the end of the Trojan War. Most modern critics regard it as a foundation stone of Western literature. In my opinion, though, it’s mostly just a gruesome tale of macho haters who are inflamed with pride, treat women like property, and can’t stop…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
I wouldn’t get too agitated about the supposed “writing on the wall” if I were you. The handwriting is not God’s, for God’s sake. It’s not even that of a wise elder or young genius. So don’t attribute too much authority to it, please. It’s just the opinion of someone who doesn’t know any more…
Country’s best wakeboarders compete on Oklahoma River
Given the recent intestinal issues faced by athletes who competed in a May triathlon, it would be understandable if the WWA Wakeboard National Championships promoters might be having second thoughts about the Oklahoma River. But, competitors in the five-day wakeboard and wakeskate contest are undeterred and ready to plunge into the waters running along downtown…
Scooters, classic motorbikes gather for fund-raiser at IAO Gallery
In the summer of 1964, suit-wearing, scooter-driving mods clashed with leather-clad, motorcycle-riding rockers in a series of brawls along the English coastline. Now, 45 years later, the two sides meet again. The Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery could possibly reignite this turbulent rivalry with the “Rally on the Alley,” which will draw both the mod…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
In the Middle Ages, people became adults when they turned seven years old. These days, the threshold is much later. I’m happy about that. In my view, the longer you can hold on to your playful irreverence and innocent lust for life, the better. Still, there is value in taking on the kinds of responsibilities…
Ironies
Evils of Renewable Energy: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick calls the Evergreen Solar Panel manufacturing plant in the town of Devens “the leading edge of our clean energy economy,” but neighbors continue to complain vociferously about the dizzying, 24-hour-a-day noise. According to a June Boston Herald story, farmers report that their horses are developing ulcers and…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
How well are you capitalizing on this year’s unique opportunities, Scorpio? Since we’re midway through 2009, let’s take an inventory. I hope that by now you have at least begun building the power spot or energy source that will serve as your foundation for the coming years. So much the better if it’s more than…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The sky will not start falling. But something resembling heavenly tokens may cascade down with such frequency that you’ll be wise to keep looking up a lot. You never know when another piece of the blessed puzzle will come raining down. And it would be a shame to suffer the embarrassment of having your favorable…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Miracle of miracles: A pointless pain in the butt will soon stop bugging you. Meanwhile, an annoying itch in your heart is subsiding, and may even disappear. As a result of these happy developments, you will be able to concentrate on a much more interesting and provocative torment that has been waiting impatiently for your…
Dogged actors battle the heat in ‘As You Like It’
bnails/AYLI-col.jpg” width=”150″ align=”right” vspace=”10″ border=”0″ />Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park has achieved its silver-anniversary season. Any theater company that lasts a quarter of a century deserves kudos, so here’s a tip of the tricorne to the Oklahoma Shakespeareans. One would expect OSP to open its 25th season a bit more spectacularly than with the lethargic…
Iranians living in Oklahoma look eastward
In 1977, Goli Dunkle came to Oklahoma from her native Iran to pursue a graduate degree in management. By the time she finished, the Iran she had left no longer existed, and there was no going back. As an adherent of the Baha’i faith ” founded in the mid-19th century in what is today Iran…
Country’s best wakeboarders compete on Oklahoma River
Given the recent intestinal issues faced by athletes who competed in a May triathlon, it would be understandable if the WWA Wakeboard National Championships promoters might be having second thoughts about the Oklahoma River. But, competitors in the five-day wakeboard and wakeskate contest are undeterred and ready to plunge into the waters running along downtown…
Public Enemies
It’s not clear what “Public Enemies” is trying to say. There are muddled messages about the expansion of the federal government into states’ legal jurisdiction, along with the requisite message that crime does not pay, but one would hope the film could illuminate something of the man behind the myth along the way. Sadly, it…
Whatever Works
I miss Woody Allen. Yes, he still makes movies, but the nebbishy genius responsible for some of the greatest films of the 1970s and ’80s left us some years ago. He has long since cocooned himself in an illusory universe of preening, self-satisfied New York intellectuals who speak and behave with less believability than a…
OKC theater group performs Whodunit Dining Room
Sit down with your family for dinner, entertainment and work, to solve the mystery of the death that just occurred in the restaurant. The Whodunit Dining Room is a local theater group that has performed dinner murder mysteries around the Oklahoma City area since 1991, said director Terri Myers. On Friday, the actors will perform…
Shoot the moon … or quit
Driving down the highway, I engage in a sorting and shuffling exercise. I review concerns, irritations, hopes, priorities and projects in order to decide where to put energy and assets. The powers that be in Oklahoma City are doing the same thing ” weighing what to do next with the tax known as MAPS and…
Junior Brown paints country-colored rockabilly with humor
He possesses a deep, throaty voice rich as dark chocolate and a nimble knowledge of the fretboard. He plays a double-necked device that’s part six-string electric and part steel guitar, and he’s schooled in a wide range of styles, crossing more borders than fireworks. While his home might be in country ” like his place…
Ironies
Evils of Renewable Energy: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick calls the Evergreen Solar Panel manufacturing plant in the town of Devens “the leading edge of our clean energy economy,” but neighbors continue to complain vociferously about the dizzying, 24-hour-a-day noise. According to a June Boston Herald story, farmers report that their horses are developing ulcers and…
‘Step on me, please”
A 48-year-old immigrant from Malta regularly hangs out in various New York City bars, but always on the floor, so that he can enjoy his particular passion of being stepped on. “Georgio T.” told The New York Times in June that he has delighted in being stepped on since he was a kid. While one…
Oklahoma resolution termed ‘bizarre,’ ‘wingnuttery’
In a bid to become the poster child for legislative branches highjacked by religious fervor, the Oklahoma Legislature, led by Rep. Sally Kern, has introduced a resolution that has been called “bizarre” by the Huffington Post. Others, however, have different names for it. Dave Weigel at the Washington Independent called our Legislature a “petri dish…
Compelling Explanations
Steven Gilmore Jr., 21, was arrested in Gainesville, Fla., after an aborted convenience store robbery in which he shot a clerk with a BB gun. Police said Gilmore confessed to the crime, explaining that he is an aspiring rap singer and felt he needed to commit a violent crime to gain “street cred” as a…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
I don’t care what you feel this week, as long as you don’t feel nothing. Get inflamed with hunger or justice or sadness or beauty or love, but don’t submit to apathy. Don’t let yourself be shunted into numbness. You can’t afford to be cut off from the source of your secret self, even if…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The sky will not start falling. But something resembling heavenly tokens may cascade down with such frequency that you’ll be wise to keep looking up a lot. You never know when another piece of the blessed puzzle will come raining down. And it would be a shame to suffer the embarrassment of having your favorable…
Oklahoma man uses cane to express Superfund displeasure
From CNN (not CFN) comes the heartwarming profile of a crotchety old man and his Superfund town ” a man described wearing powder-blue pants and a town described as one of the nation’s “most polluted toxic-waste sites.” Orval “Hoppy” Ray, 84 years old and deadly with a cane, is the subject of CNN’s profile of…
Freegans’ feast on discarded foodstuff
Spring and summer bring a bounty of fresh vegetation to Oklahoma City, and for some locals, that means a free lunch. By doing a little urban foraging for wild plants that grow in backyards, on roadsides and in overgrown fields, local citizens are finding a unique way to save money by harvesting the plants that…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
When he was growing up, the father of basketball superstar Pat Riley forced him to play basketball with kids who were stronger and tougher than he was. He said it forged his son into a winner. I can see the principle at work, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. In my efforts to provide…
Junior Brown paints country-colored rockabilly with humor
He possesses a deep, throaty voice rich as dark chocolate and a nimble knowledge of the fretboard. He plays a double-necked device that’s part six-string electric and part steel guitar, and he’s schooled in a wide range of styles, crossing more borders than fireworks. While his home might be in country ” like his place…
‘Step on me, please”
A 48-year-old immigrant from Malta regularly hangs out in various New York City bars, but always on the floor, so that he can enjoy his particular passion of being stepped on. “Georgio T.” told The New York Times in June that he has delighted in being stepped on since he was a kid. While one…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
“May you live in interesting times.” That old toast is actually a droll curse meant to be heaped upon an enemy. “Interesting” implies rapid change, rampant uncertainty, and constant adjustment. What’s preferable is to live during a boring era when stability reigns. Or so the argument goes. But I reject that line of thought. I…
Oklahomans split on representative’s morality proclamation
Scattered among the state Capitol crowd gathered to sign Rep. Sally Kern’s Oklahoma Citizens’ Proclamation for Morality on July 2 were some young Oklahomans, including a pastor, an educator and a political candidate. Kern’s press conference drew more than 250 people, including protesters, but the signatories were overwhelmingly over 50, white and male. RALLY QUESTIONABLE…
Man started Cowboys of Color Rodeo, dedicated to minority riders
The words “cultural diversity” and “rodeo” usually don’t go hand in hand, but Cleo Hearn is trying to change that. He started his rodeo career back in 1954 with the All Colored Rodeo in Drumright. At that time, he said that black cowboys weren’t welcome in traditional rodeos, so specialty rodeos were his only option…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem that describes events near the end of the Trojan War. Most modern critics regard it as a foundation stone of Western literature. In my opinion, though, it’s mostly just a gruesome tale of macho haters who are inflamed with pride, treat women like property, and can’t stop…
Dozens of musicians play tribute to Okie folk hero, political activist Woody Guthrie
For Jonatha Brooke, the feeble scrawls of Woody Guthrie in his twilight are a city thing. After all, she’s a city girl, and Guthrie played out his final years in the low-rise Gotham that seems determined to shove Coney Island out into the Lower New York Bay. So when Brooke spent two weeks of five-hour…
Traindodge – I Am Forever
ral Minnesota’s acclaimed alcove Pachyderm (Alkaline Trio, The Appleseed Cast, Son Volt and Nirvana, among others)’ the album is the most synth-heavy record yet released by the Oklahoma City band.”I Am Forever” is progressive and aggressive’ a disc that’s as impressive as it is expansive.”?Joe Wertz
Newspaper names Thunder mascot to lame list
The Oklahoma City Thunder mascot is not even a year old, and already some are proclaiming it as one of the lamest in professional athletics. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s sports department put out a list of the 10 lamest mascots in pro sports. The City of Brotherly Love is a famous sports town that seen its…
Oklahomans split on representative’s morality proclamation
Scattered among the state Capitol crowd gathered to sign Rep. Sally Kern’s Oklahoma Citizens’ Proclamation for Morality on July 2 were some young Oklahomans, including a pastor, an educator and a political candidate. Kern’s press conference drew more than 250 people, including protesters, but the signatories were overwhelmingly over 50, white and male. RALLY QUESTIONABLE…
Brave Combo still after audiences open to band’s wild brand of world music
It’s not easy to understand Brave Combo, even after several sessions with the Denton, Texas-based band’s latest album, “The Exotic Rocking Life,” a survey of its 30-year career of thriving on the periphery of mainstream listeners. Among the act’s contradictions is that despite life on the fringes, it has still managed to score two Grammy…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The sky will not start falling. But something resembling heavenly tokens may cascade down with such frequency that you’ll be wise to keep looking up a lot. You never know when another piece of the blessed puzzle will come raining down. And it would be a shame to suffer the embarrassment of having your favorable…
Compelling Explanations
Steven Gilmore Jr., 21, was arrested in Gainesville, Fla., after an aborted convenience store robbery in which he shot a clerk with a BB gun. Police said Gilmore confessed to the crime, explaining that he is an aspiring rap singer and felt he needed to commit a violent crime to gain “street cred” as a…
Scooters, classic motorbikes gather for fund-raiser at IAO Gallery
In the summer of 1964, suit-wearing, scooter-driving mods clashed with leather-clad, motorcycle-riding rockers in a series of brawls along the English coastline. Now, 45 years later, the two sides meet again. The Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery could possibly reignite this turbulent rivalry with the “Rally on the Alley,” which will draw both the mod…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
I wouldn’t get too agitated about the supposed “writing on the wall” if I were you. The handwriting is not God’s, for God’s sake. It’s not even that of a wise elder or young genius. So don’t attribute too much authority to it, please. It’s just the opinion of someone who doesn’t know any more…
Iranians living in Oklahoma look eastward
In 1977, Goli Dunkle came to Oklahoma from her native Iran to pursue a graduate degree in management. By the time she finished, the Iran she had left no longer existed, and there was no going back. As an adherent of the Baha’i faith ” founded in the mid-19th century in what is today Iran…
Norman becomes third city in Oklahoma to make parks smoke free
Norman City Council members unanimously snuffed out smoking in public parks recently ” that is, unless you’re a golfer. Smoking is still permitted at Westwood Golf Course, and park parking lots were exempted. The vote came after impassioned pleas from the public, balanced with concern for civil liberties by council members Bob Thompson and Tom…
Dozens of musicians play tribute to Okie folk hero, political activist Woody Guthrie
For Jonatha Brooke, the feeble scrawls of Woody Guthrie in his twilight are a city thing. After all, she’s a city girl, and Guthrie played out his final years in the low-rise Gotham that seems determined to shove Coney Island out into the Lower New York Bay. So when Brooke spent two weeks of five-hour…
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
At the farmer’s market, an escape artist performed in the middle of the street. As a crowd gawked, he had two big strong men tie him up tight in a straitjacket and 50 feet of chain. For the next 20 minutes he shimmied and contorted and bent over backwards. His face grew red and sweaty.…
Norman’s Performing Arts Studio features park ranger’s paintings
The Performing Arts Studio in Norman presents an exhibition featuring structure-focused paintings by a former New Mexico park ranger, through July 25. “Forms Large and Small” by Oklahoma native Sue Schofield includes paintings depicting structures as small as a piece of fruit and as large as the ruins of an old New Mexico mission. Schofield…
Newspaper names Thunder mascot to lame list
The Oklahoma City Thunder mascot is not even a year old, and already some are proclaiming it as one of the lamest in professional athletics. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s sports department put out a list of the 10 lamest mascots in pro sports. The City of Brotherly Love is a famous sports town that seen its…
New artistic director directs classic ‘The Music Man’
rs like “Ya Got Trouble,” “Seventy-Six Trombones,” and “Till There Was You,” director Nick Corley said that he is not approaching “The Music Man” as a museum piece. He hopes to breathe new life into the show by taking a more modern approach to some of the staging, having some of the action take place…
Shoot the moon … or quit
Driving down the highway, I engage in a sorting and shuffling exercise. I review concerns, irritations, hopes, priorities and projects in order to decide where to put energy and assets. The powers that be in Oklahoma City are doing the same thing ” weighing what to do next with the tax known as MAPS and…
Br
Only time ” Friday, to be exact ” will tell, but there’s a chance Oklahoma may play an unwitting role in “Brüno,” Sacha Baron Cohen’s controversial follow-up to the controversial “Borat.” In the film, Cohen plays Brüno, a flamboyantly gay television host. As he did with the character of Borat, Cohen mines his comedy by…
Oklahoma resolution termed ‘bizarre,’ ‘wingnuttery’
In a bid to become the poster child for legislative branches highjacked by religious fervor, the Oklahoma Legislature, led by Rep. Sally Kern, has introduced a resolution that has been called “bizarre” by the Huffington Post. Others, however, have different names for it. Dave Weigel at the Washington Independent called our Legislature a “petri dish…
Freegans’ feast on discarded foodstuff
Spring and summer bring a bounty of fresh vegetation to Oklahoma City, and for some locals, that means a free lunch. By doing a little urban foraging for wild plants that grow in backyards, on roadsides and in overgrown fields, local citizens are finding a unique way to save money by harvesting the plants that…
Br
Only time ” Friday, to be exact ” will tell, but there’s a chance Oklahoma may play an unwitting role in “Brüno,” Sacha Baron Cohen’s controversial follow-up to the controversial “Borat.” In the film, Cohen plays Brüno, a flamboyantly gay television host. As he did with the character of Borat, Cohen mines his comedy by…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
“May you live in interesting times.” That old toast is actually a droll curse meant to be heaped upon an enemy. “Interesting” implies rapid change, rampant uncertainty, and constant adjustment. What’s preferable is to live during a boring era when stability reigns. Or so the argument goes. But I reject that line of thought. I…
Ch
Back in 1988, director Stephen Frears (“The Queen”) and screenwriter Christopher Hampton (“Atonement”) delivered an exercise in irresistible wickedness with “Dangerous Liaisons,” a costume dramedy with the disposition of a dagger dipped in wine. That movie also happened to costar the luminous Michelle Pfeiffer (“Stardust”) “? who is just as luminous in “Ch
OU racing produces its best season in team history
In Norman, the University of Oklahoma has forged a football tradition steeped in history, filled with more than a century’s worth of colorful characters, unforgettable moments and unparalleled success. Across campus at the OU College of Engineering, the fan base pales in comparison. Saturday crowds are practically nonexistent and the roster of talent contains nary…
Man started Cowboys of Color Rodeo, dedicated to minority riders
The words “cultural diversity” and “rodeo” usually don’t go hand in hand, but Cleo Hearn is trying to change that. He started his rodeo career back in 1954 with the All Colored Rodeo in Drumright. At that time, he said that black cowboys weren’t welcome in traditional rodeos, so specialty rodeos were his only option…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The sky will not start falling. But something resembling heavenly tokens may cascade down with such frequency that you’ll be wise to keep looking up a lot. You never know when another piece of the blessed puzzle will come raining down. And it would be a shame to suffer the embarrassment of having your favorable…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
I don’t care what you feel this week, as long as you don’t feel nothing. Get inflamed with hunger or justice or sadness or beauty or love, but don’t submit to apathy. Don’t let yourself be shunted into numbness. You can’t afford to be cut off from the source of your secret self, even if…
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Well, I’ll be damned. Somebody finally got it right: a family movie that really does contain a variety of things for people of all ages, like a bit of sentiment, a dash of danger, a hint of satire and a big, heaping helping of comedy. It’s animated and, in some theaters, it’s in 3-D. I…
Brave Combo still after audiences open to band’s wild brand of world music
It’s not easy to understand Brave Combo, even after several sessions with the Denton, Texas-based band’s latest album, “The Exotic Rocking Life,” a survey of its 30-year career of thriving on the periphery of mainstream listeners. Among the act’s contradictions is that despite life on the fringes, it has still managed to score two Grammy…
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
At the farmer’s market, an escape artist performed in the middle of the street. As a crowd gawked, he had two big strong men tie him up tight in a straitjacket and 50 feet of chain. For the next 20 minutes he shimmied and contorted and bent over backwards. His face grew red and sweaty.…
OU racing produces its best season in team history
In Norman, the University of Oklahoma has forged a football tradition steeped in history, filled with more than a century’s worth of colorful characters, unforgettable moments and unparalleled success. Across campus at the OU College of Engineering, the fan base pales in comparison. Saturday crowds are practically nonexistent and the roster of talent contains nary…
Norman becomes third city in Oklahoma to make parks smoke free
Norman City Council members unanimously snuffed out smoking in public parks recently ” that is, unless you’re a golfer. Smoking is still permitted at Westwood Golf Course, and park parking lots were exempted. The vote came after impassioned pleas from the public, balanced with concern for civil liberties by council members Bob Thompson and Tom…
Little River Zoo hosts Junior Zookeeper Camp
Kids will learn about earth, emus and energy at the Little River Zoo’s Junior Zookeeper Camp all summer long. Each week during the summer at the zoo, 3405 S.E. 120th in Norman, campers ages 5-14 will learn to be respectful and kind to animals and the earth, through a series of activities and lessons, said…
Oklahoma man uses cane to express Superfund displeasure
From CNN (not CFN) comes the heartwarming profile of a crotchety old man and his Superfund town ” a man described wearing powder-blue pants and a town described as one of the nation’s “most polluted toxic-waste sites.” Orval “Hoppy” Ray, 84 years old and deadly with a cane, is the subject of CNN’s profile of…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
In the Middle Ages, people became adults when they turned seven years old. These days, the threshold is much later. I’m happy about that. In my view, the longer you can hold on to your playful irreverence and innocent lust for life, the better. Still, there is value in taking on the kinds of responsibilities…
Little River Zoo hosts Junior Zookeeper Camp
Kids will learn about earth, emus and energy at the Little River Zoo’s Junior Zookeeper Camp all summer long. Each week during the summer at the zoo, 3405 S.E. 120th in Norman, campers ages 5-14 will learn to be respectful and kind to animals and the earth, through a series of activities and lessons, said…
Traveling exhibition celebrates two Welsh sisters’ taste in art
Breaking barriers and exploring new realms in art can score artists long-lasting fame, but only if they are lucky enough to find patrons with the foresight to recognize their potential and herald the their work to the world. SCENES OF RURAL LIFE CURATOR RESTRICTIONS Great buyers may not receive the same acclaim poured onto the…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
How well are you capitalizing on this year’s unique opportunities, Scorpio? Since we’re midway through 2009, let’s take an inventory. I hope that by now you have at least begun building the power spot or energy source that will serve as your foundation for the coming years. So much the better if it’s more than…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Miracle of miracles: A pointless pain in the butt will soon stop bugging you. Meanwhile, an annoying itch in your heart is subsiding, and may even disappear. As a result of these happy developments, you will be able to concentrate on a much more interesting and provocative torment that has been waiting impatiently for your…
Miss March
2009 “Miss March” may not deserve the “worst movie of 2009” title it’s saddled with, but it hovers dangerously close. Its stars, writers and directors Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore are part of a sketch comedy series I’ve never seen, “The Whitest Kids U Know,” and this first impression doesn’t endear them for further TV…
