Ethics commission, representative exchange words
At a Monday morning press conference, Chairman Don Bingham said the Oklahoma Ethics Commission did not view statements made by state Rep. Ken Miller (R, Edmond) as a threat. Miller addressed the commission at its monthly meeting last Friday. The Commission and the Legislature have been at odds over funding. The commission has been vocal…
Least Competent People
Not Ready for Prime Time: Police quickly made an arrest in Hughes, Ark. (pop. 1,800) in May after a Pepsi machine was stolen from a liquor store; the distinct dolly tracks led from the store to the man’s home, and besides, he had left the machine in his front yard. The armed robber of a…
The Aristocrats!
Shauntel Mayo, 29, was convicted in Tyler, Texas, in May of forcing four children (the youngest beginning at age 5) to perform sex acts on stage for something called the Mineola Swingers Club. Four other adults are scheduled for trial (including Patrick “Booger Red” Kelly, 41), even though Mayo’s jury deliberated only four minutes before…
People With Issues
Since 2004 the Palmerton Area (Pa.) School Board has paid $45,000 for the special education of Rebecca Maykish, 17, who has an apparently devastating fear of “school,” dating back to fourth grade. The mere act of spending time in a classroom, her mother says, causes her to cry nonstop for hours. The board, acknowledging her…
Fine Points of the Law
“Everyone knows what an ankle is,” said an official of the association of Texas medical doctors. Not so, said a lawyer representing Texas podiatrists: “You don’t have an ankle. The foot actually includes the ankle.” A state appeals court in March sided with the medical doctors, but the podiatrists say it’s not over yet and…
Three one-man acts assemble for a one-night show
Bob Log III, Scott H. Biram and Possessed by Paul James will perform at 9 p.m. Monday at The Opolis, 315 N. Crawford St. in Norman. Tickets ” 447-3416 ” are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. ALL KIDS LOVE LOGGREAT SCOTT ALL KIDS LOVE LOGBob Log III launched himself into orbit 15 years…
Add fuel
China continues to prepare for the Olympics: Officials have issued a standard chanting routine that all Chinese spectators should employ during competitions (translated as “Olympics! Add fuel!” with two claps and then both thumbs up, then “China! Add fuel!” with two more claps and raised fists, according to a June Reuters dispatch). (“Add fuel” is…
Former Sooner football player shares struggle in new book
Eric Thunander once viewed the world through the eyes of an abused child, and tried desperately to wish it all away. When he realized that was not possible, he simply found a way to survive. DOUBLE-HOMICIDE WITNESSOFFICIAL VISITTHERAPEUTIC CONFESSION And while basic survival may be the cornerstone of Thunander’s life ” as described in his…
Point: Support the troops: Barack Obama
Sen. Barack Obama represents the best hope we have of ending the disastrous war in Iraq. One can argue that in addition to his charisma, it was his public opposition to the war before it started that helped him to win the nomination over Hillary Clinton. Like all the other final candidates, she was in…
Woody Guthrie’s hometown hosts annual folk festival
Samantha Crain is a lot younger than many fans of American folk music, but one would never know it from the way she sings. WELL-KNOWN FESTIVAL FATHER FIGURE Her voice is powerful in its fragility, a raw-roots throwback to singer/survivors who had a story to share and the weathered voice to narrate it. Critics are…
Counterpoint: Proof of strength: John McCain
In no other area is the need for a John McCain presidency (and the risks of a Barack Obama presidency) more apparent than the war in Iraq. As the Donald Rumsfeld “small footprint” strategy became an obvious disaster, McCain called for a counterinsurgency strategy to deal with the realities on the ground. Meanwhile, fellow senator…
Cultural Diversity
Dozens of spas operate in Russia’s Caucasus Mountains region, exploiting the mineral springs in the area, and apparently colonic treatment is a specialty. In fact, in June, the Mashuk-Akva Term spa in Zheleznovodsk unveiled a large monument to the enema (an 800-pound brass syringe bulb held aloft by three angels). “Let’s beat constipation,” read one…
Landmark Oklahoma company’s files set off historian’s radar
Is it possible to tell the story of Oklahoma through the history of one company? Bob Blackburn thinks so. VERBATIMCOLLECTION The executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society and his entire staff have just completed the acquisition and cataloging of what Blackburn calls the largest corporate collection ever given to the Oklahoma History Center. It…
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Reviewer’s grade: C+ Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) stars as Kit Kittredge, a ten-year-old girl living in 1934 Cincinnati. Kit lives a perfect life hanging out in her tree house, pursuing her dream of becoming a reporter. Then the Great Depression hits home, her dad (Chris O’Donnell, “Grey’s Anatomy”) loses his job and has to…
Metropolitan Library System continues reading initiative programs
There’s still time to catch the bug that children and teens all over the metro have already been after since June 1. This summer’s “Catch the Reading Bug” program for children and “Metamorphosis @ Your Library” program for teens continues through July 31, motivating young readers to stay sharp by reading over their summer vacations.…
Various artists – Now That’s What I Call Classic Rock
music older than last week with “Now That’s What I Call Classic Rock” (note the absence of the exclamation point, as if excessive punctuation is not needed to sell the theory). The disc contains 20 tracks, all of which likely can be heard on KRXO-FM 107.7 on any given day. Twice. This includes songs that…
Comedian plans Rose State performance
Despite his 1991 debut in the stand-up comedy circuit, Indiana native and observational comedian Jim Gaffigan didn’t necessarily achieve national recognition until his appearance as “the meow guy” in the 2001 film “Super Troopers.” In the infamous scene, two Vermont state troopers accost a motorist “? played by Gaffigan “? who becomes the target of…
Woman makes accusations against Oklahoma Bar Association president
A legal point: If a local attorney were so intemperate as to allegedly bite the breast of a woman who did not want that, would such behavior constitute sexual battery? Yep, at least to the arresting officer ” and this one is not for moot court. According to a police report, Dan Murdock, who is…
Oklahoma energy magnate doles out dollars to campaign causes
A wealthy Oklahoma energy magnate, heavily involved in the famous ad campaign against 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, apparently has seen the light and is staying away from attack groups. Oklahoma City resident and Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon was one of the financial backers of what was then called the Swift Boat Veterans…
Questionable Judgments
A bus service that shuttles gamblers from Colorado Springs to nearby mountain-town casinos has been awarded $382,000 in Homeland Security anti-terrorism grants, according to a May report by the Colorado Springs Gazette. Federal officials said the grants were part of the Infrastructure Protection Activities program, with the money used for “vehicle security,” GPS systems and…
Authors pen history of Oklahoma City University School of Law
Writing the history of a person’s life was a tried-and-true practice for co-authors Von Russell Creel and Bob Burke. As authors of several biographies, the two decided to handle the task of writing the history of not a person, but Oklahoma City University’s School of Law. FOUR YEARSCLEAR INFLUENCE Although recounting the past of…
Oklahoma State researchers study rare chameleons’ sex habits
While it’s every boy’s dream to have sex as early as he can in life, it’s doom for a mini Madagascar species of chameleon. As reported in New Scientist, Kris Karsten and his Oklahoma State University comrades spent four years following tagged F. labordi lizards. Here’s the summary: They hatch, they have sex about seven…
Hancock
Reviewer’s grade: D+ Los Angeles-based heroic crime fighter “Hancock” is bitter, drunk and all but washed-up. Only occasionally does Hancock (Will Smith “I Am Legend,” “The Pursuit of Happyness”) wake from his stupor, stumble through the air and attempt to save the day. And when he does, he ends up causing more damage than good.…
Oklahomans explore alternative fuel options
Mark Sprowls, who works for a Honda dealership in Tulsa, finally decided to take the plunge last year and purchase one of the dealer’s new Civic GX models for his family. NEEDING ANSWERS BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COMEAMPS, NOT OCTANE Sure, Sprowls thinks Hondas are great cars ” he works for the company, but…
Willie Nelson – Stardust: 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition
Sony Legacy Willie Nelson released an album of pop standards in 1978, striking new ground for country performers. “Stardust” became an instant classic and remained on the country charts for more than a decade, etching its place onto many all-time best lists compiled by fans, magazines and newspapers. “Stardust”‘s original songs have been digitally remastered…
Bartlesville exhibit displays dishes
Paper or plastic, porcelain or glass, dinnerware is rarely thought of as a culturally cataclysmic force, much less art. But the revolutionary designs of Forties, Fifties and Sixties dinnerware are being showcased, highlighting the cultural impact of mid-century dishes in an exhibit at Price Tower Arts Center, 510 Dewey Ave. in Bartlesville. Transforming the at-home…
The Three Musketeers’ performance length sometimes dulls its edge
Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park is presenting its second production of the season, with an adaptation of “The Three Musketeers.” OSP’s foray into 19th-century romanticism has historical precedent, because Shakespeare was the romantics’ favorite playwright. Very well, let’s see how it goes with this play, which could be subtitled “A Country Boy in Paris.” The…
Boston publication selects Oklahoma’s best
Writers at The Boston Phoenix recently chose 150 bands and performers to represent the best music bets in each of the 50 United States. Three acts representing separate categories were chosen for each state and posted. According to the newspaper, Oklahoma’s all-time best solo artist is Woody Guthrie, an performer noted for writing hundreds of…
Drmanhattan prescribes energetic, eccentric post-pop-punk
Drmanhattan, the Wauconda, Ill.-based quartet, bears little resemblance to its notorious namesake: the brooding, blue-skinned superhero Dr. Manhattan from Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel “Watchmen.” BAND’S BACKSTORYECLECTIC, SPASTIC RECORDING Still, the lively act ” performing with Gay Blades, Damiera and El Paso Hot Button at 7 p.m. Friday at The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western (Call…
Four Republicans line up to race for Norman seat
Folks in Norman have always thought there is something strange about their water. But it’s hard to imagine that “Lake Dirtybird” ” what some Norman residents call Lake Thunderbird ” could have this much influence over a political race. IN THE HUNTCLOSE MARGINUNOPPOSED Wallace Collins is a familiar name to Normanites. The Democrat served in…
Oklahoma woman plans to amp up preventative yard decorations
Sometimes here at CFN, we’re tempted to just say, “Only in Oklahoma.” Take, for instance, the case of Stillwater resident Teresa McColley. A year ago May, her dog was hit and she decided it was high time to slow traffic in the southwest Stillwater area in which she lives. Did she go to city hall?…
The Beach Boys – U.S. Singles Collection: The Capitol Years (1962-1965)
Capitol You’ll have fun, fun, fun with The Beach Boys’ “U.S. Singles Collection: The Capitol Years (1962-1965),” a set that’s an embarrassment of riches, containing 16 CDs in a sturdy wooden box. Rather than issue yet another greatest hits package, Capitol’s approach here is pretty novel: Present the legendary group’s original singles as they once…
Mad Men: Season One
2007 Last year, cable channel AMC wanted to play the HBO game, and its first try was the original series “Mad Men.” Set in the early Sixties at an esteemed advertising agency in New York City, it’s even created by one of the guys who wrote one of HBO’s biggest hits, “The Sopranos.” And “? …
