Warehouse 13: Season One
Everyone laughed last spring when the Sci-Fi Channel announced it was changing its name to Syfy in an effort to rebrand. Then “Warehouse 13,” the net’s first series of that much-mocked effort, debuted to record ratings. Now, nobody’s laughing. They’re watching. And for good reason: “Warehouse 13” is one cool show. The 12 episodes comprising…
Batwoman: Elegy: The Deluxe Edition
With the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy making a comeback in current headlines, DC Comics’ release of “Batwoman: Elegy: The Deluxe Edition” is all the more relevant. See, this Batwoman “? former Army solider turned dark-of-night caped crusader Kate Kane “? is a lesbian. Although Kate’s sexuality helps define her character, it’s not…
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Stephenie Meyer’s not the only novelist moving millions upon millions of copies these days. So is Stieg Larsson, although he sadly died before his books saw print. Nonetheless, the Swedish author became an instant crime favorite with “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” first published on these shores in 2008. “The Girl Who Played with…
Galaxy of Terror
It would be easy to dismiss 1981’s “Galaxy Of Terror” as “Roger Corman rips off ‘Alien.'” The project may have been born for that reason, but somewhere in the execution, grew into much more. Although the story doesn’t make much sense, it’s full of imagination, plus the behind-the-camera wherewithal to make it work. An unhinged…
Charleston’s named audience’s favorite restaurant at Taste of Edmond
For the first time, attendees at Sunday’s annual Taste of Edmond in downtown Edmond were able to vote on their favorite participating restaurant. The winner was Charleston’s, 3409 S. Broadway, with second place going to Full Cup at 300 W. Edmond. “The Taste was fantastic ” much larger than last year, and as far as…
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits first in state to earn Seal of Excellence
The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits has been awarded the Standards for Excellence Institute Seal of Excellence. It is the first organization in the state, and one of the first in the nation, to be certified under the national accreditation program that began in 2006. Standards for Excellence provides nonprofits with a proper ethics and accountability…
July 2 blood donors to receive RedHawks tickets
Take me out to the old blood drive Friday, July 2. Oklahoma Blood Institute and the Oklahoma City RedHawks will offer two tickets to all healthy adults 17 and older who donate blood. The tickets will be for the July 4 RedHawks baseball game and fireworks show. Donors also will score free tickets to the…
Platt College sponsors free trolleys for a year
The estimated 50,000 people enjoying downtown Oklahoma City on this upcoming Fourth of July weekend will also enjoy free public transportation. Beginning July 1, Platt College is covering the cost of any and all riders on the city trolleys for a year. “Because our campuses are all over, we think it is important to support…
Oklahoma River to be first U.S. location for canoe world championships
When the Oklahoma River hosts the 2014 Canoe Marathon World Championships, it will be the first river in the U.S. to have the honor. “The vision of the city leaders has been correct: Build it and they will come,” said Shaun Caven, head coach of the Oklahoma City National High Performance Center and OCU canoe/kayak…
Regional Food Bank seeks volunteers to package 4.2 million pounds of food
Want to have fun, get free stuff and change lives, all in one fell swoop? The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, 3355 S. Purdue, will give away vouchers to the Oklahoma City Redhawks to the first 100 volunteers who arrive at 9 a.m. and the first 100 volunteers who show up at 1 p.m. on…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
There used to be a tradition in Sweden that young women could dream of the person they would ultimately wed if they put seven kinds of flowers beneath their pillows on Midsummer’s Eve. That’s crazy nonsense, of course. Right? Probably. Although I must note that two nights ago I placed a gladiolus, hydrangea, lilac, orchid,…
Smart, witty and emotional, ‘Toy Story 3’ continues Pixar’s amazing winning streak
When it comes to movies, three is not typically a magic number. And so a bit of trepidation was natural when approaching “Toy Story 3.” The previous two entries in the franchise are in the rarified air of masterpieces. “Toy Story 3” has tough acts to follow. If anyone can prove the skeptics wrong, however,…
Doctors debate the facts surrounding sexual orientation and gender confusion
A letter and fact sheet about teen sexual orientation and gender confusion sent from the American College of Pediatricians to public school administrators have been challenged as non-factual by two of the country’s largest and most prestigious professional associations: the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association. The letter and fact sheet were…
Activist and author Kathy Kelly will speak about peacemaking Tuesday at the Church of the Open Arms
Kathy Kelly 7 p.m. 376-3077Church of the Open Arms3131 N. Pennsylvania In 2003, Kathy Kelly found herself an eyewitness to history as she and her companions sat through the “shock and awe” bombing campaign in Baghdad. On Tuesday, Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania, will open its doors to Kelly, a peace activist…
An adults-only show that stages dance and all things local art, Kabaret Falschtanz is a bit naughty, but not burlesque-bawdy
Kabaret Falschtanz8 p.m. SundayMaker’s Piano Bar & Cigar Lounge25 S. Oklahoma590-7259Free Oklahoma City’s first and only adult cabaret performance troupe, Kabaret Falschtanz, will showcase its unique mix of dance, comedy, music and theater Sunday night at its monthly show at Maker’s Piano Bar & Cigar Lounge. The troupe was founded five years ago by local…
Amateur musicians vie for a title in ‘They Came to Play,’ a documentary that explores competition
“They Came to Play” is a sly title. The movie isn’t about sports, as is implied. Rather, it’s about people with a competitive spirit that, while not duplicating that of the big-time athlete, suggests it. Alex Rotaru’s documentary follows the lives of several contestants in the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by…
A letter to Sen. Inhofe
The Gulf of Mexico disaster is tied like an albatross around the neck of our political system and specifically to you, sir, and your votes. You willingly have participated in the gutting of our regulatory agencies under George Bush Jr. As I watch these hearings, I see every Republican on these committees defending an industry…
Issue advocacy
Wow, what a great issue of the June 16 Gazette. Loved the mix of stories, and I’m not even through the whole issue yet. Thanks to you and your staff for sharing your talents. You’re much appreciated. “Stephanie BondMidwest City
Despite its A-list cast and awesome comic potential, ‘Jonah Hex’ is vexingly bad
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to predict whether a movie will be good or bad. Sometimes you hear about a movie that just sounds stupid (“Avatar” comes to mind), and then it makes a billion dollars. And then sometimes a movie has an OK premise and reputable actors, but turns out to be the equivalent…
When Longhorns attack
The storied Red River Rivalry has a history of gettin’ mighty heated. Chicken-Fried News readers painfully recall when a University of Oklahoma football fan was accused of grabbing the cojones of a University of Texas fan in an Oklahoma City bar fight. And Sam Bradford told ESPN.com the following nugget about the annual Cotton Bowl…
PR BS
Lots of press releases related to the Sooner State cross our desk. This week, these titles least screamed “Stop the presses!” “”Automated Mail Service Completes Implementation of New Postal Technology”””AZZ incorporated Completes Offer for North American Galvanizing & Coatings, Inc.”””US Highland Announces Availability of Video Interview With President and Founder Mats Malmberg and COO Chase…
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
A few years ago, a group of artists built a giant bunny out of pink wool on an Italian mountainside. The 200-foot-long effigy will remain there until 2025. There’s a disturbing aspect to this seemingly goofy artifact, however: It has a wound in its side where its guts are spilling out. That’s why I don’t…
School bullies
So it isn’t just Brice the buzz cut-sporting bully stealing kids’ lunch money anymore. Apparently, school employees are getting in on the action, too. From the Tulsa World comes this article about Chickasha resident Tricia Nicole Bunnell, 28, who pleaded guilty in Caddo County for embezzlement. The former Anadarko Public Schools employee, who was in…
Relevant history
In addition to being a part-time, pro-bono, semi-curmudgeonly, commentator/”opinionizer” (regarding what we might call “The Cultural Decline of Western Civilization As We Know It”) ” plus an amateur hobby chef/food critic ” I am also a casual history buff. In my personal experience, there is no greater repository of “contemporary, still-living, history” than Oklahoma. Imagine…
A dark moment
At a candidate forum that featured Oklahomans who have voluntarily subjected themselves to run for governor and state superintendent of public instruction, there were very few reasons to put away the pillow. The candidates want to cut spending, make education a top priority, invent the perfect sausage, cure midlife crisis, yadda yadda yadda. These events…
Limited by a forced and temporary relocation, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ gets by with consistent acting and eye-catching costumes
The Taming of the Shrew8 p.m. Thursday-SaturdayThrough July 10Oklahoma Shakespeare in the ParkBicentennial Park500 Couchwww.oklahomashakespeare.com235-3700$8 adults, $10 students/seniors Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park has taken a step back in more ways than one with “The Taming of the Shrew,” the opening production of the company’s 26th season. And this retrogression is not necessarily a bad…
The Softball Hall of Fame and Museum hosts memorabilia commemorating more than 120 years of the game
With balls and strikes, home runs and pop fouls, the sights and sounds of athletes in competition mix with the history of one of America’s most popular sports at the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum, 2801 N.E. 50th. Invented more than 120 years ago in Chicago, the sport was called kitten ball, mush…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
I’m guessing that you’ve been ushered into a frontier that affords you no recognizable power spot. It probably feels uncomfortable, like you’ve lost the inside track. And now along comes some wise guy ” me ” who advises you in his little horoscope column that you are exactly where you need to be. He says…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In 1998, I spent three weeks reading The Psychoanalysis of Fire and The Poetics of Reverie, two books by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. His teachings were so evocative that I filled up two 120-page journals with my notes. To this day, I still refer to them, continuing to draw fresh inspiration from ideas I wasn’t…
Feel Spectres — Feel Spectres
And that seems to be where Oklahoma City’s Feel Spectres is getting its cues. The quartet’s self-titled debut, courtesy of local label Nice People, is 37 minutes of purist indie-rock goodness, the sort of music you heard the cool college kids in mid- to late-’90s sitcoms listening to. Even better, the album follows a sort…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
The plant known as the squirting cucumber has an unusual talent: When the fruit is ripe, it opens up and spits out a rapid-fire stream of seeds that travels a great distance. In the coming weeks, Pisces, you’ll have resemblances to this aggressive fructifier. It’ll be prime time to be proactive about spreading your influence…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
What have you lost in recent months, Libra? This week begins a phase when will you have the potential to not exactly recover it, but rather to re-create it on a higher level. Maybe a dream that seemed to unravel was simply undergoing a reconfiguration, and now you’re primed to give it a new and…
Tom Biggs’ Medicine Park-inspired watercolors are on display at the Capitol
“Around the World to Medicine Park in Watercolor” through Aug. 8Governor’s Gallery, state Capitol, 2300 N. Lincolnweekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 521-2931, www.arts.ok.govfree Tom Biggs is especially proud of his exhibition at the state Capitol, considering his artwork started out as a hobby. He had worked in the oil and gas industry for 35…
Cinema connoisseur and marijuana aficionado Doug Benson hits Oklahoma City with a stand-up set
Doug Benson with Graham Elwood, Leah Kayajanian and Cameron Buchholtz7:30 p.m. MondayCity Arts Center3000 General Pershing951-0000www.cityartscenter.org$20 advance, $25 door Comedian Doug Benson loves movies and marijuana. He combined the two on screen in 2008 for “Super High Me,” a documentary riff on Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me,” wherein Benson tested the physical and mental effects…
Big 12 Conference’s survival provides plenty of positives where Oklahoma is concerned
Once the dust settled last week and the wild rumor mill came to a screeching halt, the Big 12 Conference found itself still standing ” a couple of teams lighter, but with an upgraded TV deal in the works and a new lease on life. The announcement ended weeks of rumors that forecast the almost-certain…
An openly gay appointee to a government position says Oklahoma is making changes in right direction
A framed photo of Martin Luther King Jr. sits near the window of Richard Ogden’s downtown law office. It serves as a daily reminder of a phrase Ogden likes to use. “We’re all in this together.” Ogden, who was recently appointed by Gov. Brad Henry to the Board of Regents for the Regional University System…
The Cimarron Alliance Foundation renews it purpose with a new executive director
Scott Hamilton (not that Scott Hamilton) grew up in Oklahoma never thinking he would return. “I lived in New York for 24 years; it was just not in my thinking at all ever to come back here,” Hamilton said. Hamilton said that several things brought him back to Oklahoma. His husband wanted to return to…
‘Gospel Brunch’ at The Boom mixes standard church service with skits, sing-alongs and drag queens
As the curtains part, a silver phone on the stage’s lone table rings. Rev. Kitty Bob Aimes, a drag queen dressed in a blue choir robe and makeup worthy of a televangelist, answers. “Softly and Tenderly” blares from the speakers. Church at The Boom is beginning. For the next hour-and-a-half, Aimes and Rev. Norma Jean…
Questions raised
I want to thank you, and I think the citizens of Oklahoma owe you and the Oklahoma Gazette staff a debt of gratitude for Scott Cooper’s “Probate debate” article of June 16, 2010. It raises questions concerning Oklahoma County’s publicly elected officials probating the estate of an Oklahoma County citizen. We live in such a…
Oklahoma City Thunder drum team member Alton Buggs and other local musicians team up to teach six-week kids summer music program
“Bring Back the Music”4-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the Urban League, 3900 N. Martin Luther King11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays at ACM@UCO, 25 E. Californiathrough July$120, scholarships available627-0847, www.bringbackthemusic.org. Alton Buggs had to travel around the world to get the music experience that will now be offered in the heart of Oklahoma City.…
Shane Henry brings his blues back to Oklahoma, adding pop and soul to ‘Beauty in the Struggle’
Shane Henry and Marcy Priest 7:30 p.m. Saturdaythe Blue Door2805 N. McKinleywww.bluedoorokc.com524-0738$10 Shane Henry has been playing music professionally for a decade now ” a fact made all the more impressive by the fact that he’s only 26. “I feel lucky to have been introduced to music so young,” he said. “Music has been at…
Despite adversity and living with AIDS, Leon Sanderson believes he’s living a blessed life
The old upright piano is well-used, and it’s a far cry from the glistening organs and pianos Leon Sanderson sold for so many years. But when Sanderson, the organist for Midwest City’s St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, takes the seat at this instrument that encompasses almost an entire wall in his small living room, the…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
The notorious Wicked Bible was published in 1631. That wasn’t its original name. It was supposed to be as holy as every Bible. But it contained an error that slipped by the proofreaders’ notice: In the book of Exodus, where the Ten Commandments were listed, the word “not” was excluded from one commandment. What remained,…
Where are Oklahoma’s core values?
Five years ago when I returned home to Oklahoma, it was with the conviction that Oklahomans were fair, decent, compassionate people. In the effort to advance human and civil rights, surely Oklahomans would listen, and ultimately these values would persuade. In recent weeks, the Legislature overrode a series of gubernatorial vetoes, eroding individual freedom and…
Comedian May makes big splash by telling jokes aimed to make people not just laugh, but talk
ts watching “The Tonight Show.” “My grandma used to let me stay up and watch Johnny Carson’s monologue each night,” he said. “But she made me watch the news right before, so I understood what his jokes were about.” May hadn’t even hit double digits, and already he was learning the art of topical comedy.…
The Crazies
Admittedly, the bar was set low, but “The Crazies” remake easily bests the 1973 original by George A. Romero. The horror legend is hit-or-miss, and his virus thriller was a noble miss. Of all people, “Sahara” helmer Breck Eisner shapes the source material into a picture that while not exactly frightening, is quite effective and…
MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board plans second meeting to help $777-million project come to life
The MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board will conduct its second scheduled meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday in the City Council Chamber at City Hall. The members will receive additional knowledge on the projects planned in the initiative. MAPS 3 Manager Eric Wenger said presenting the board with background information is an important step in understanding…
Norman’s Sooner Theatre uses ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ to give acting ammunition to young performers
e traditional musical,” said SummerStage co-founder and co-director Melany Pattison. “We did ‘Beauty and the Beast’ last year and ‘Willy Wonka Jr.’ the year before. We want the students to experience all kinds of theater.” Pattison came to Sooner eight years ago with a dream to hold a summer camp for kids that would teach…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Have you ripened into such a knowledgeable, sophisticated person that you’re hard to surprise? Do you draw conclusions about each new experience by comparing it to what has happened to you in the past? I hope not. I hope you’re ready to be a wide-eyed, open-armed, wild-hearted explorer. I hope you will invite life to…
Seal deal
The June 2 cover story (Rob Collins, “The state steal”) was most interesting. The seal was not stolen. It was simply among the office items that W.B. Anthony, secretary to Gov. Charles Haskell, brought to the Lee-Huckins Hotel to be open for state business on the day following the election to move the capital to…
OKC Pride weekend starts with a party, ends with a parade, all with edgy entertainment and activism
OKC PrideBlock Party7-11 p.m. Friday”The Strip,” N.W. 39th Street and N. Pennsylvania Avenue Festival 10 a.m. Saturday-SundayMemorial ParkN.W. 36th Street and N. Classen Boulevard Street Dance and Show4 p.m. Sunday “The Strip” Pride Parade 6 p.m. Sunday From Memorial Park to “The Strip” Ginger Lamar was there when the first Oklahoma City Pride parade stepped…
Warping Nirvana, ABBA and more, The Bad Plus entertains both uninitiated and experienced jazz fans
Jazz in June featuring The Bad Plus, Guy Forsyth, Suzanna Choffel and more7 p.m. Thursday-FridayBrookhaven Village3700 W. Robinson, Norman 6 p.m. Saturday Andrews Park201 W. Daws, norman325-3388www.jazzinjune.orgFree Most beer drinkers don’t begin by sipping microbrews and exotic imports. It’s something you develop an appreciation for with experience ” like music. In this respect, The Bad…
There’s something about Sharia
Just when we think it can’t get any more embarrassing, we read this headline from ABC News: “Islamic Sharia Law to be Banned in, ah, Oklahoma.” Yeah, we can hear you snickering, ABC. So here’s what’s happening over at our levelheaded, not-at-all-nutty Legislature. Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, is behind the “Save Our State” amendment.…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Congrats, Gemini! You have not only weathered your recent phase of relentless novelty; you’ve thrived on the adjustments it demanded of you. I am hereby awarding you with the rare and prestigious title of Change-Lover, which I only bestow upon one of the signs of the zodiac every four years or so. So what’s next…
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVIII
p;creativeASIN=B003CNQPNI”>Mystery Science Theater 3000.” That’s my dream, anyway. With each Shout! Factory box-set release of the movie-skewering series “? we’re now up to “XVIII,” which is 18 for you non-Romans “? its potential for converting new MSTies grows. As with Shout!’s previous sets, “XVIII” presents another four episodes culled from all corners of the 10-year…
The American Diabetes Association presents the Tour de Cure, a cycling event to raise awareness
Tour de Cure6:30 a.m. SaturdayWild Horse Park1201 N. Mustang, Mustangwww.tour.diabetes.org Nathan Hamilton thought he’d be the lucky one in the family. With an astounding number of family members with diabetes, Hamilton knew all the signs. His sister was diagnosed at age 13, his father at 17, and when Hamilton was 23, he was sure he’d…
Rove: Obama’s inaction to blame for timeliness of oil spill cleanup
Karl Rove, former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to George W. Bush, said President Barack Obama contributed to the magnitude of the Gulf oil spill by his failure to act in a timely manner. “It took the president 12 days to go to the region, and to my knowledge, he’s yet to have…
Hung: The Complete First Season
</div> Who knew watching The Punisher serving lonely ladies would be so much fun? I speak of “Hung,” the HBO half-hour dramedy that casts Thomas Jane as Ray, a high school basketball coach forced to moonlight as a male prostitute to make ends meet, due to that whole economic downturn thing. (Perhaps you’ve heard of…
