Recurring Themes
Some parents, in exuberant yet inexplicable expressions of devotion to their babies’ supposed happiness, stage lavish birthday parties at such young ages that the supposed beneficiaries could not possibly remember or appreciate them. For example, the party by Sheila Chapman and Ray Reed for their precious “Prince” Clayburn Reed in February in Tampa Palms, Fla.,…
Undignified Deaths
A 50-year-old Buddhist monk, who had already lost parts of three fingers in one lawnmower accident, was killed in February when another mower got away from him, and in the ensuing chase and capture of it, he somehow fell and was fatally slashed by the blade (Buckinghamshire, England). And a 36-year-old man attempted to hang…
Oops
CLARIFICATION: Three weeks ago, News of the Weird reported that David Henton, 72, was on trial in Swansea, Wales, accused of murdering his longtime girlfriend, based on secret recordings police had made in Henton’s home, in which he seemingly “confessed” the murder to his only companions, his cats, to whom he spoke frequently. On March…
21
Reviewer’s grade: B Blackjack may be one of the easiest casino games that exists, but the odds of winning remain stacked in the house’s favor. That didn’t stop a real-life group of MIT students from figuring out how to reverse that equation by secretly counting cards, thus cleaning Las Vegas out of millions. …
Can’t Stop Myself
In February, a court in Cardiff, Wales, once again released Thelma Dennis, 50, to get therapy for her addiction of making bogus emergency (“999”) telephone calls, even though she has been prosecuted about 60 times in 24 years on similar charges. In an earlier case, Dennis agreed to a therapy that sent painful shocks through…
Great Moments in Maturity
Lawyer Kathy Brewer Rentas, 49, was charged with assault in February after asking to shake hands with federal lawyer Jennifer Keane (who was prosecuting Rentas’ husband for probation violation). The handshake began in businesslike fashion, but according to a court security guard, Rentas squeezed the hand, then yanked it up and down hard, “almost pull(ing)…
Least Competent Criminals
William Anderson, 51, was arrested in February after he attracted a lot of attention by parking a Hummer (with Michigan plates) outside the small-town county welfare office in Jonesville, Va., while he applied for benefits; a quick investigation revealed that the vehicle had been stolen. Frederick Watson, 57, was arrested in February in DeLand, Fla.,…
Array of spring festivals celebrate art, music, food, more
Medieval FairApril 4-6Reaves Park, NormanJousters, jugglers, human chess boards and maidens ” both fair and otherwise ” have been reliving the days of yore in Norman for more than three decades. Little River Zoo Kids for Kindness Earth Day Celebration Noon to 6 p.m. April 20Reaves Park, Norman366-7229Face painting, a petting zoo and booths will…
Vince Gill plans concert at former OKC elementary school
The auditorium at an 80-year-old Oklahoma City elementary school will be renovated thanks to a concert performed by one of its former students Thursday night. Country music star and Oklahoma native Vince Gill will play the Cleveland Elementary School auditorium 7 p.m. Thursday. Hosted by Oklahoma Today magazine, the benefit is designed to “raise…
Late, great Coe gave Masters some Okie flavor
As Tiger Woods and company begin final preparations for the 72nd Masters, something is missing from its tradition-rich atmosphere: a certain Oklahoma flavor. It has been absent since Charles R. Coe passed away in 2001. While his spirit lives on within the rolling, tree-lined landscape ” where he once finished tied for second with Arnold…
Plate speaking
A proposal to provide new license plates to Oklahoma drivers passed the state House in mid-March and is expected to gain Senate approval without significant opposition. The legislation will provide new metal license plates ” not just press-on renewal stickers ” for an estimated 3.1 million vehicles in the state. Supporters of the bill…
Court overturns Littlejohn’s death sentence
A death row inmate who claimed he received ineffective counsel from his attorney has been given a second chance at life. Keary Lamar Littlejohn had been convicted of first-degree murder for the 2002 killing of Gregory L. Rogers Jr. A jury recommended death and Oklahoma County District Judge Susan Caswell imposed the sentence. …
Fireworks Wednesday
the customers’ spacious apartment. The wife, Mozhde (Hedye Tehrani), appears to be in the throes of a breakdown, consumed with the suspicion that her husband, Morteza (Hamid Farrokhnezhad), is having an affair with a hairdresser (Pantea Bahram) who lives next door. Roohi tries to go about her job, but Morteza is suddenly called away…
Shutter
Reviewer’s grade: C Rachel Taylor (“Transformers,” “See No Evil”) and Joshua Jackson (“Cursed,” TV’s “Dawson’s Creek”) star as an American couple living in Tokyo in this Yankee remake of a Thai ghost story from 2004. They think they’ve run over a young woman on the highway, but there is no body, and then a…
Personal trainers can help battle winter bulge
Among the rites of spring, the tradition of trying to chisel off extra winter weight in time to squeeze into a bathing suit is as inevitable as seasonal allergies. Personal trainers can be a good way for the exercise-averse to find a routine they can enjoy ” or at least live with. “When you’re trying…
Army’s howitzer plan creates defense jobs in Elgin
This year, an $11 billion cannon was supposed to roll off an assembly line in Elgin, the beginning of a new era for the indirect-fire weapon known as a howitzer. Called the “Crusader,” the vehicle had a cooled 155mm gun that could fire 10 rounds a minute, even at different angles so the projectiles would…
Spring perfect time to head south to Wichita Moutains Wildlife Refuge
Chris Ozolins wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to talk about the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Since first finding it for himself in January 1993, the Oklahoma City resident has regarded the almost-60,000-acre refuge in southwestern Oklahoma as something of a secret retreat. “The first few years after I discovered the Wichitas, I was down there…
Ironies
Instant Karma: In January, a man in Citrus Heights, Calif., had a one-car accident that left him with serious head and body injuries that were perhaps exacerbated because he was not wearing a seat belt (even though the 12-pack of beer on the seat beside him was securely buckled, and survived). Daniel Thompson, 31, was…
Spring concert lineup will keep ears from being bored
Who: Xiu XiuWhen: Tuesday at The ConservatoryWhy: As experimental indie rock goes, these guys are some of the best. Who: FeistWhen: April 14 at Cain’s Ballroom, TulsaWhy: Leslie Feist makes music that is catchy, unique and oh-so-hip. Who: The Mars VoltaWhen: April 15 at Cain’s Ballroom, TulsaWhy: This prog-rock act is apparently amazing live. Plus,…
Compelling Explanations
In the 2006 take-off crash of a Comair commuter airliner at the regional airport in Lexington, Ky. (which the FAA blamed on pilot error), all 47 passengers were killed, and 21 lawsuits have been filed, with attorney William Johnson defending the only cockpit survivor (the first officer). The Lexington Herald-Leader reported in January that, in…
For the Fallen thrives on band members’ friendship
From elementary school classmates to college-aged bandmates, the five members of For the Fallen have seen each other through it all. “We’ve all been through our shares of ups and downs, whether is financially or family problems,” said Tyler Corr, the group’s lead singer. “So we write our music to pick people up. We want…
Meet The Browns
Reviewer’s grade: C- This time around, writer/director Tyler Perry plucks a few heartstrings with a story about a single mom with three kids who moves from the Chicago Projects to rural Georgia when her estranged father dies and leaves her a house that is so run-down even the roaches are on welfare. Harry,…
The X-Files: Volume 2 and 3
Checker Publishing With the “X-Files” sequel just a few more months from hitting theaters, fans can satiate their need for all things Mulder and Scully with “The X-Files: Volume 2” and “Volume 3,” Checker Publishing’s last two collections of the Topps Comics issues of the Nineties. Investigations in “Volume 2” involve mysterious night lights that…
Springtime ripe for viewing planets
Using a downloadable astronomy tool named SkyGlobe, Bill Wilburn ” who helps man Science Museum Oklahoma’s planetarium shows in his off time ” can keep tabs on the heavens above from his office or home below. But it doesn’t beat viewing the splendor of spring with his own two eyes. And, at a time of…
Jewel Box polishes farce in ‘Lend Me a Tenor’
For Italian tenor Tito Merelli, Cleveland is just another bump in the road on his 1934 world tour starring in Verdi’s “Otello.” Little does he know that before 24 hours is up, he will have been deserted by his wife, impersonated by an assistant, chased by the police and declared dead. And that doesn’t begin…
New poll suggests Oklahomans vote in shades of gray
Oklahomans:” are mainly conservative, but support civil unions; ” mostly oppose abortion, but believe in climate change; and ” support tax cuts, but want to end corporate welfare. Those are some of the findings according to a recent, wide-ranging poll aimed at profiling the “typical” state voter. SoonerPoll.com conducted the survey, which asked more than…
Fight nights are back as boxing returns to Remington Park
Lightweight division newcomer Noah Zuhdi has history on his side. The Norman law student and boxing hopeful boasts strong family ties to the sport of pugilism, starting out his career with former World Boxing Association lightweight champion Sean O’Grady in his camp. Zuhdi’s second professional fight will be part of the newest incarnation of “Tuesday…
Lack of Muskrat love
Dakota Abbott, 16, edged Samantha Phillips, 17, to become Miss Outdoors 2008 in February in Maryland’s Eastern Shore region’s annual beauty-contest-and-muskrat-skinning festival. The two were the only beauty contestants (out of eight) who entered both competitions. Abbott won her skinning division, but while she sang a song for the judges, Phillips won the talent trophy…
Sudoku solvers to meet at library
Yearning for a little gridlock? Young adults who enjoy the puzzle phenomenon known as Sudoku are invited to join the Sudoku Society. The informal group will hold its third-ever event 4-5 p.m. Thursday at the Midwest City Library, 8143 E. Reno. Sudoku is a number puzzle laid out on a grid of 81 squares, with…
Oklahoma women join lawsuit against vaginal sling maker
Some Oklahoma women are so upset with a California-based medical supply company that ” well ” it’s safe to say they are pissed, per a recent story. According to The Associated Press, the women are suing over a device used to treat urinary stress incontinence, called ” bear with us, now ” the ObTape Vaginal…
Bionic Woman: Volume One
2007-2008 NBC’s now-canceled “Bionic Woman” remake premiered to choruses of indifference and ire last fall, but what were people expecting? More Seventies camp? I happened to have loved this sleek, sci-fi series, however short-lived, and it certainly provided more bang each week than the second season of its network sis “Heroes.” “Bionic Woman:…
Annual conference addresses sustainability issues for state
The Oklahoma Sustainability Network will paint the state green Friday and Saturday in an attempt to provide public awareness of the ecological issues facing Oklahoma. For this year’s annual conference ” its seventh ” OSN is moving beyond the fundamentals of sustainability to focus on some of the less obvious methods of environmental consciousness, such…
Oklahoma City college student engages in beach-blanket protesto
So, how did most college students spend their spring break? Padre Island is usually popular, or skiing in Colorado. How about Florida, or visiting Grandma at the lake? Even hanging out the local mall could seem like a relief from tests and essay papers. But not for Susan Mills. The pre-engineering student at Oklahoma…
Cooperation and compromise
The Legislature has been back in town for about a month, facing a different set of circumstances than in recent years. Money is a little tighter, meaning the recent windfall of energy-generated taxes from businesses and individuals will have to be spread a little thinner. The good news is new Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa,…
Halpern’s landscape photographs on display at Capitol
Breathtaking landscapes from around the world “? as seen through the lens of Tulsa photographer David Halpern “? are now on display in the North Gallery of the state Capitol. “New Perceptions of Reality” will show through May 4, and its title reflects a change in the artist’s approach to his art, in a career…
Heartland Flyer allows for headache-free spring getaway
Want a quick spring getaway, but dread the thought of packing your kids into the SUV where they’ll be belted prisoners whining for drinks and bathroom breaks every half hour? Next time, try the train. The Heartland Flyer blows its whistle in downtown Oklahoma City from the Amtrak station at 100 S. E.K. Gaylord, chugging…
The Woman Who Is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach and Other Annoying People – Lauren Allison and Lisa Perry
or group that irked me to no end. The title was awesome: “Chances Are I Hate You.” But now there’s no need, because humorists Lauren Allison and Lisa Perry have beat me to it “? or is it a case of devious mind theft? “? with “The Woman Who Is Always Tan and Has a…
Spring is for lovers, but Oklahoma data suggests otherwise
The idea that “love is in the air” during the spring season is an old one. But is human interest in love actually stronger in the spring, and if so, is it based in our chemistry the way it is for animals? NATIONAL STUDIESBetween 1989 and 2006, seasonally adjusted data for the Centers for Disease…
All-American Rejects front man makes leap to movies
If he’s not already feeling on “Top of the World,” maybe sharing some screen time with seven sorority sisters and an “American Idol” this summer will help warm All-American Rejects front man Tyson Ritter’s “Paper Heart.” Oklahoma native Ritter will act alongside Anna Faris (“Brokeback Mountain,” “Scary Movie 4”) and pop singer Katharine McPhee, who…
Them
o:p> Directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud (“The Eye”), the movie is based on actual events. Maybe that’s why the ending is a letdown. They should’ve called it “? slight spoiler here “? “Hoodies.” “?Rod Lott
Edmond camel shares name with porn movie(s)
Two local newspapers recently published stories about an ailing camel that was near death until a local boys’ ranch seems to have healed the common desert animal. If only someone had come up with a better name for the four-legged friend. The Edmond Sun first reported the story of one Forrest Hump back in…
The Cook
2008 Admit it: A film with the tagline “Sorority babes: the other white meat” is an interest-piquer. Watching that film, however, is another story: “The Cook” will leave you with nothing but indigestion. This “horror comedy” is lean on the former and nonexistent on the latter. The film places a new cook…
Legislator uses funding a reason to make English Oklahoma’s official language
Here we go, again. Or, excuse us, ere-hay e-way o-gay, gain-ay. Yup, celebrate non-English phrases now, dear etro-may esidents-ray, because state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, is again proposing making English the official language of Oklahoma. According to The Associated Press, Terrill said last week the planned legislation would mandate all official state government business…
Drillbit Taylor
al style=”MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt”> At first, he’s just looking for a score to get him out of town, but as he gets to know his underage employers and, more importantly, their English teacher (Leslie Mann, “The 40-Year-Old-Virgin,” “Knocked Up”), he starts taking his job seriously. But is it too late? “Drillbit Taylor” isn’t the…
The Invisible Man: Season One
2000-2001 Seeing as how H.G. Wells’ “Invisible Man” was a bit of an ass, it was nice for the cable-series update to make its transparent hero somewhat of a ne’er-do-well. In the first of the 23 episodes here, Darien (Vincent Ventresca) is a thief. Post-arrest, he avoids jail by agreeing to a government experiment,…
West Coast sport of wakeboarding makes splash in Oklahoma
Wakeboarding ” a water sport that combines elements of skiing, surfing and snowboarding ” is not something one might expect to see outside of the coasts, where it’s a second-nature activity to many outdoor enthusiasts. But after 25 years in the boat business, the Trotter family decided to construct Central Oklahoma Wakeboard Center at 901…
Planting perennials gets gardeners most boom for buck
Landscaping during an economic downturn often means firing the help and bending one’s own back. But you don’t have to go it alone, according to Tommy Precure, manager of Precure Nursery & Garden Center, 8125 W. Reno. “Don’t try to do something too big for you to handle yourself, like putting in trees or big…
Log throwing among events at Scottish Highland Games
Barrel-chested men don kilts every week in an open field behind a metro YMCA. Joggers gawk as the men toss logs into the air, heave stones and fling bundles of straw over a baseball backstop in preparation for the second annual Iron Thistle Scottish Heritage Festival and Highland Games, set to command the Kirkpatrick Park…
Norman initiative asks residents to turn off lights for one hour
If ever there were a public service announcement to get you to turn off the lights, this is it: “You can be unplugged for an hour and it won’t kill you.” That’s the message Kyla McMoran, communications director for the Norman Chamber of Commerce, is trying to get across to Norman residents. With the chamber,…
NBA commissioner visits Oklahoma City
A group of National Basketball Association representatives looked and listened as city, state and business leaders presented their plan for hosting a professional team today as officials visited Oklahoma City. At the end of the day, NBA commissioner David Stern announced the representatives’ decision. “It is their recommendation to the relocation committee to recommend…
