Happy People: A Year in the Taiga / The Gatekeepers
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga Love a good documentary? If so, you’re in luck, since two excellent, if decidedly different, ones are in town this week. Werner Herzog is easily among the most singular of documentary makers, having made such elegantly strange works as Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Still, fans…
The gap
Rotunda of the state Capitol Credit: Shannon Cornman Despite rising income inequality in the U.S. — a growing gap spotlighted by last year’s presidential campaign and the Occupy Wall Street movement — some Oklahoma leaders have wanted to make the state’s already-regressive tax code even more so. Although the top 5 percent of the state’s…
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…
Spinning top
Not so long ago, however, the spot at 5900 Mosteller Drive was filled with the sound of clinking wine glasses, conversation and soft music. But the once-grand revolving restaurant originally known as the Chandelle Club appears poised to return to life. Kevin George, whose other endeavors include the Interurban restaurant chain, plans to renovate the…
OKG7 gluten-free options
Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe3131 W. Memorialnunuscafe.com751-7000 For diners avoiding gluten, foods like fresh meats, fruits and veggies are fantastic options. At Nunu’s, a Greek salad topped with a chicken breast, tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts and olives might just hit the spot. Get a side of hummus dip, and ask for extra veggies in place of pita…
After Aubrey
Aubrey McClendon Credit: Shannon Cornman The nonprofit sector was put on notice by the company in January with a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that stated Chesapeake planned to significantly curtail its charitable giving. The company did not disclose how much less it would be giving to charitable causes. Chesapeake’s 2011 annual report showed…
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…
Conventional wisdom
Mike Carrier Credit: Mark Hancock The proposed 20-story hotel isn’t part of the $777 million MAPS 3 program but has proven to be a major sticking point for the convention center subcommittee. The panel met March 26 to discuss three convention center concepts provided by consultants Populous and GSB, Inc. “Making that decision (hotel location)…
Counterpoint: Don’t pull that trigger
Sen. David Holt, who sponsored such legislation for Oklahoma, said he was partly inspired by Won’t Back Down. But whatever the film’s merits as entertainment, its rosy portrait of parent triggers mask major problems with the idea. Under his proposal, if a school is given a D or an F on the state’s A-F rating…
Point: Triggering better schools
The bill only applies to schools that have received from the state Education Department a D or an F for the last two years or a D or an F for two of the last three years, provided the most recent grade was a D or an F. In those schools — where everything else…
Cup runneth over
OK, so that’s not an actual fact, but in my own guesstimation — which includes expertise from years in lingerie sales — it’s pretty darn close. One thing I learned from my retail days is that women typically wear the wrong size for two reasons: 1) They’re in denial, and 2) They’re uninformed. Seriously, get…
Ever so Slightly
Nearly 20 years in, and California’s Slightly Stoopid is still on top of its game. The reggae-punk fusion act released its seventh studio album, Top of the World, last August to its highest Billboard chart position to date. “It’s amazing. We’re living a blessed life,” guitarist, bassist and singer Miles Doughty said. “I don’t know…
CFN Quote of the Week
—Norman mayoral candidate David Kempf at a March 27 candidate forum, as quoted in The Norman Transcript
CFN Quote of the Week
—Norman mayoral candidate David Kempf at a March 27 candidate forum, as quoted in The Norman Transcript
Goin’ country
Credit: Brad Gregg Tishomingo resident and The Voice judge Blake Shelton will co-host the show, while he and his better/hotter half, Miranda Lambert, are both up for Entertainer of the Year. Other Oklahoma nominees include Carrie Underwood for top female vocalist and album of the year, while Toby Keith is in contention for male vocalist…
Tots entertainment
Credit: Brad Gregg So when the most recent trailer for To the Wonder, his upcoming feature, recently hit the web, we expected the unexpected. That said, we did not expect to see — starring alongside Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams — a Sonic Drive-In and Taco Bueno. Sonic is featured quite prominently, in fact; its…
How appealing
Credit: Brad Gregg “We have an obligation to protect our citizens and to make sure a life-altering abortion is held to the highest medical standards,” Pruitt said in a written statement. The lead plaintiff in challenging the ultrasound law, Nova Health Systems, was represented by the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights. “This last-ditch effort…
We voted … not
Credit: Brad Gregg The state fell to the near-bottom of voter turnout in a recent study from Nonprofit Vote, a nonpartisan organization that encourages voter participation. Our über-conservative state ranked 49th in the nation. According to the study, 49.6 percent of Oklahomans did their civic duty in the presidential election, beating only West Virginia and…
Taddy Porter — Stay Golden
Grammy winner Mark Neill (the man behind The Black Keys’ Brothers) co-produced Stay Golden with Dave Cobb (Jamey Johnson, Shooter Jennings), and that firepower shows. Stay Golden isn’t fool’s gold. It’s the real deal. It begins with “Changes,” a brilliant, self-knowing nod to the group’s new direction that moves with a cocky walk. “The Gun”…
Loan rangers
OU campus Credit: Mark Hancock A big chunk of that, not surprisingly, is the tab for college loans. Since 2008, the study found that student loan debt has “increased by $303 billion, while other forms of debt fell a combined $1.6 trillion.” In the aftermath of the worst recession since the Great Depression, young college…
Nothing to smile about
Credit: Brad Gregg So if you’re one of those people who avoid the dentist as if it’s crawling with HIV, here’s an unsettling fact for you: It might be. On March 28, the state Department of Health, the Tulsa Health Department and the state Board of Dentistry issued warnings of possible infection from blood-borne viruses…
That’s some green bean!
Credit: Brad Gregg The shtick caught Paseo Grill coowner Joe Jungmann by surprise. “My initial reaction was shock that we sent out an advertisement that was not proofread,” he said, “but then I realized that Paseo Grill made The Tonight Show.” And any press is good press, so say the people who make up sayings…
Heroic hangover
Brian Winkeler, a writer, and Robert Wilson IV, an artist, were patrons of New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian. Store owner Brian Berlin thought the two should meet. Soon after a fateful lunch outing, the plot and characters for Knuckleheads, a quirky series of their own, was born. Winkeler said they loosely adapted the concept…
Quake questions
Credit: Brad Gregg Earthquakes measurable on the Richter Scale are now commonplace in Central Oklahoma. The “why” part has puzzled experts, but last week University of Oklahoma seismologist Katie Keranen and two other researchers weighed in with a report attributing a series of November 2011 earthquakes near Prague — including one of a 5.7 magnitude…
Dream warriors
Those going to see Saturday’s Sundress show at Opolis, attention: Front man Ryan McAdams wants to make sure that you know his band won’t be there. Kind of. “The name is actually Shrines now. Sundress is no longer a band,” he said. “Shrines is actually playing the spot, and that’s the new group. It’s pretty…
Overdue books
By: Mark Hancock “Goodbye for now,” the post read. “We will sincerely miss serving you all. We made many great friends and hope to stay in touch.” Closing along with The Library is The Nook, its neighboring breakfast spot. Clifton and Kathy Grider, who own both places, were unable to renew their leases. Clifton Grider…
Bar none
In the wilds of Edmond, there is a sushi bar by the name of … The Sushi Bar. Yeah, I know. But really, it’s not like the other sushi restaurants in the metro are so creative either. Tokyo? Sushi Neko? Shawn’s Sushi? I mean, as long as you get the idea of the cuisine it…
Stitches
The title refers to the booze-soaked, foul-mouthed, likely STD-infected clown (British stand-up comedian Ross Noble) who meets an early, accidental demise while performing at an only child’s 10th birthday party. Because that’s what happens when kids tie your shoelaces together, causing you to trip and fall face-first into the butcher knife left precariously pointing upward…
House party
Twenty years later, drivers cruising down the highway between Altus and Wichita, Kan., can tune into any of the Christian radio network’s 15 stations, he said. It can be heard online as well, at thehousefm.com. Even Brewer can’t believe it; he’s still in awe that his ambitious dream became a reality. The House FM is…
Newtown school shooter visited Oklahoma gun range
The New York Times reported today how police in Newtown, Conn., found a cache of ammunition, swords and other weaponry in the home of gunman Adam Lanza. On Dec. 14, 2012, the 20-year-old went on a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing 26 people — including 20 children — before turning the gun…
13 Eerie
At least not at first. Six forensic-science students are boated and then bussed into a body farm adjacent to the 13 Eerie Strait Penitentiary for a “Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team” exercise. It’s a field exam to test their wits and skills for FBI readiness, with corpses placed carefully around the island grounds. The plan…
Watching history
“The addition of television news archives is extremely valuable in helping us preserve and share the history of our state,” said Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The collection includes more than 34,000 tapes with real-time, eyewitness accounts depicting historical events from the 1950s through the 1990s. The videos, films and other…
For sale: KFOR
KFOR and its sister station, KAUT Channel 43, are among 21 stations up on the block by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the parent company of Local TV LLC. “I can’t say anything about it. All I can tell you is we’re for sale,” said Joe Kozlowski, KFOR’s creative services director. A spokesman for Local TV,…
The Thief of Bagdad
The 1924 fantasy-adventure is considered widely as actor/writer/producer Douglas Fairbanks’ tour de force. Raoul Walsh (White Heat) may serve as director of the silent Arabian Nights adaptation, but the show is Fairbanks’ and the performer knows it, traipsing with abandon through the exquisite, no-expense-spared sets. (They come courtesy the mind and body of Oscar-winning production…
