Recurring Themes
Public urination continues to be dangerous, as News of the Weird has reported periodically. In April, a 23-year-old man tumbled off a bridge over the Minnesota River in Bloomington, Minn., just before 5 a.m. while attempting to urinate. He fell 30 feet but survived. And in March, tugboat captain Kevin McGonigle fell off his boat…
The Classic Middle Name (All-New!)
Arrested recently and awaiting trial for murder: Codey Wayne Miller, Johnson City, Tenn. (May). Darcy Wayne Banaszek, Skamania County, Wash. (May). Dale Wayne Baylis, Denver (May). Benjamin Wayne Shorter, Catonsville, Md. (April). Timothy Wayne Fletcher, Welaka, Fla. (April). Paul Wayne Stark, Pueblo, Colo. (March). Abrey Wayne Fortner, Blountsville, Tenn. (January). On trial for murder at…
Least Competent Criminals
Questionable Judgments: In April in Arnold, Mo., police arrested a suspected shoplifter trying to leave a Schnucks store with unpaid-for merchandise. She aroused suspicion from security personnel only because she was attempting to exit through an automatic “enter” door and was slow to figure out the problem and loud in expressing her frustration. Nathaniel Johnson,…
Why Government Workers Get a Reputation
In April, accounting clerk James Kauchis made a formal complaint to the personnel office of the county Department of Social Services in Binghamton, N.Y., demanding that he be compensated for a recent interrupted lunch hour. Kauchis had missed lunch when DSS offices were locked down as police secured the neighborhood surrounding the site of the…
Ironies
On April 8, the New Hampshire House of Representatives debated a controversial bill to outlaw discrimination against “transgenders” (those born of one sex but who identify as the other), and the legislation passed by one vote. Coincidentally, April 8 was the state’s Tartan Day, and by tradition, male lawmakers of Scottish ancestry wore kilts to…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
When you Tauruses are at your best, you get into a groove but not into a rut — humming along with creative efficiency, not just going through the motions or repeating the same old tired shticks. When you’re at the top of your game, it’s because you’ve surrounded yourself with stimuli that make you feel…
The Cake Eaters’ bakes a sentimental story worth every slice
“The Cake Eaters” is the story of two families whose present is bracketed and, in some ways confined, by a shared past. Beagle (Aaron Stanford, “X-Men: The Last Stand”) lives a solitary life with his recently widowed father, Easy (Bruce Dern, “The Astronaut Farmer”). Beagle tries to take care of Easy, but the pair lives…
Oklahoma journalist uses ‘Red River Deep Throat’ to post kickoff
And now for a history lesson from the crusty crew at Chicken-Fried News: Blogs or the Internet didn’t exactly exist during the Watergate scandal, but anonymous sources did. The event leading to President Richard Nixon’s resignation from the White House was based on the daily newspaper reportage of two now famous Washington Post journalists and…
Former Oklahoma congressman becomes mass communuicator
For those of you who might remember that faint impression of gubernatorial candidates past, we’ve got Ernest Istook. “Ernie” is these days a distinguished fella at The Heritage Foundation, hosting a satellite radio show and churning out opinion papers regarding the state of policy in Washington, D.C. According to him, the Democrat-run halls of power…
Compelling Explanations
Neal Horsley, running for governor of Georgia in the 2010 election on a platform encouraging the quaint Peach State legal theory of “nullification” (i.e., that the state can override the U.S. Constitution in certain instances), is principally known as a staunch foe of abortion who once posted a “hit list” of doctors. However, Horsley is…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“We all have a blind spot in love,” says astrologer Jessica Shepherd at moonkissed.com. “Never simple to figure out and even harder to see head on, our blind spot is as unique and complexly layered as we are.” But it’s not a hopeless cause, I would add. In fact, you may ultimately be able to…
OKC musician endures hip replacement surgery
Like most men in their 20s, Kevin Dawson never paid much attention to his hips. The problems started about a year and a half ago. Pain spread from his lower back to his hips, becoming chronic, then debilitating. By the fall of 2008, Dawson was walking with a cane and feared his future would be…
Once a hotel, The Sieber, has opened for upscale housing
This two-building complex, fronting the west side of the 1300 block of Hudson Avenue, again offers apartments to discerning people looking for above-average, urban Oklahoma City accommodations. ‘SOMETHING DIFFERENT’ COMING BACK Certainly, that was a goal of Robert and Nora Sieber, who built a two-story brick building on the block’s north half to house…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing,” said Indian philosopher Nisargadatta Maharaj. “Love is knowing I am everything. And between the two my life moves.” According to my calculations, Sagittarius, you’ll be more on the “knowing you are everything” side of the polarity for the next few weeks. That’s because a flood is imminent. I expect…
Folk finger picker Jeff Hanson wrings hearts with womanly vocals
One day, Jeff Hanson will be able to begin interviews by talking about something other than his falsetto voice or the delicate, folk-trimmed melodies that adorn his wistful songs ” characteristics that have earned him a description as “a female Elliott Smith.” Of course, Hanson is not a woman, although his willowy vocals flutter so…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
It’s a ripe time to revise and rework your past, Pisces. I’ll trust you to make the ultimate determination about how best to do that, but here are some possibilities. Revisit a memory that has haunted you, and do a ritual that resolves it and brings you peace. Return to the scene of an awkward…
The New Waterboarding
In April, the district attorney in Vilas County, Wis., announced that he was seeking volunteers for a forensic test to help his case against Douglas Plude, 42, who is scheduled to stand trial soon for the second time in the death of his wife. The volunteers must be female, about 5-feet-8 and 140 pounds, and…
Arthritis sufferers join together to walk for awareness in annual event
Kim Anderson loves giraffes. She fell in love with them at age 8 while on a trip to the zoo. What captivated her was not their mysterious spots or the majestic height of their necks. It was their crooked, backward-bent legs. WALKING THROUGH THE PAIN NO CHILD’S PLAY “I thought they looked like me,” said…
CFN Quote of the Week
“Of primary concern to me is whether or not Judge (Sonia) Sotomayor follows the proper role of judges and refrains from legislating from the bench. Some of her recent comments on this matter have given me cause for great concern. In the months ahead, it will be important for those of us in the U.S.…
Norman Financial Center set to reopen in December after repairs, reinforcements
Watching the gypsy-jazz outfit Man Man convulse its way through a closing number, Joanna Carter of Yukon looked unimpressed. She tossed her cigarette, hiked up her tube top and took a swig from a koozie-covered Pabst before turning from the fringe of the crowd at last month’s Norman Music Festival and navigating a crowded Main…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
This is my pledge to you, Capricorn: I promise to use all my otherworldly connections to get your karmic debt reduced in the next few weeks. In return, I ask that you make these pledges to me: You promise not to be a self-pitying martyr or a cranky beast of burden or a willing victim…
Commentary: Point: Dependent district consolidation
If you want to see a group of legislators scatter like a covey of quail, just mention the “C” word: consolidation. Consolidation is one of the dirtiest words in politics, yet most honest observers will admit that Oklahoma has an excessive number of school districts. As of the end of the school year, Oklahoma has…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In the coming days, the surprise and delight quotient will be way up. I bet you’ll be more prone than usual to uttering exclamations. There may also be a confounding “aha!” and a mind-wobbling “What the frack?!” mixed in there, although I think the emphasis will be on developments that educate and entertain you. Since…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
As I was driving out in the country, I spied a curious statement written in large crooked letters on a homemade sign: “I have seen the truth and it doesn’t make sense.” I’m guessing you might feel that way yourself right now, Scorpio. You have summoned the courage to see the deeper reality beneath the…
Fine Arts Institute hosts preschool art event
Step aside, Crayola and Rose Art. Preschoolers today are more sophisticated than previous coloring-book generations. Local artist and teacher Anna Welte is leading a “Mixed Media for Preschoolers” class 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Fine Arts Institute in Edmond, 27 E. Edwards. The 45-minute class encourages 3- and 4-year-olds to color outside the lines, and…
Counterpoint: Consolidation education
The debate over school consolidation continues in Oklahoma, but consolidation is hardly the financial panacea presented by its proponents. School consolidation is often a sign that a small, rural Oklahoma community is no longer viable and must give up its schools, but that doesn’t mean state leaders should give up on these places. Sometimes, the…
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
One of the tastiest frogs in the world is at risk of dying out as a species. The “mountain chicken” frog, once a fixture on the chain of Caribbean islands known as Montserrat, has become endangered through loss of habitat, disease, and over-hunting by humans. In response to the crisis, conservationists have airlifted a number…
Oklahoma History Center hosts second annual Civil War event
Families can enjoy each other’s company amid muskets and gunpowder at the Oklahoma History Center’s second annual Civil War Saturday. Families of both Northern and Southern descent will gather at the center and join history by traveling to different stations to learn all aspects of Civil War life, both in Indian Territory and all over…
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum hosts photography exhibit
to organize the collection, Watkins said. Employees gathered artifacts found near the site that represented a mixture of religions and hired Clark to photograph some of them for the exhibit. The collection also includes photographs Clark took of the actual bombing site, a scene framed by churches that Watkins said have been standing since the…
Turns out bike racing is right up his alley
A road trip to Iowa doesn’t exactly sound life-changing. At least that’s what Ryan Lenhart thought when he loaded up with friends for a 2007 Memorial Day weekend journey. Prior to accepting the invitation, Lenhart was a casual bicyclist more interested in riding to stay in shape than anything else. But by the time he…
Fetishes on Parade
Perverts Giving 110 Percent Effort: Allan Mailloux, 45, was arrested for flashing motorists as he walked among rush-hour traffic in Madison, Wis., in January, on a day when the high temperature was minus-2 (F). Police in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, investigated reports in February from “several” people that a man was driving up alongside motorists on…
New York Dolls rediscover old fire with new members
These are the former heroes of the dissolute and dispossessed, real punk godfathers and ground-floor bomb-throwers. Guitarist Johnny Thunders’ barbed riffs pioneered punk’s sound from Johnny Ramone to Steve Jones, and front man David Johansen was the Bowery answer to Mick Jagger. NEW DOLLS INSPIRED With big hair, makeup and drag outfits, the Dolls may…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Research shows that if a stranger gazes at you for at least 8.2 seconds, he or she is definitely interested in you. If, on the other hand, the look lasts 4.5 seconds or less, there’s no attraction. I’m guessing that the percentage of long scrutinies you receive in the coming weeks will be higher than…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
While reading a crime report in the online version of Northern California’s Arcata Eye newspaper, I came across this entry: “A dreadlocked man attacked a lamp post on the Plaza with his mighty fists, punching it while yelling and, in the memorable description of a witness, ‘fighting amongst himself.'” I immediately thought of you, Aries.…
OKC-area charities benefit from college students’ summer departures
May is a unique time of the year for local charities. As school life ends at area colleges and universities, the donation season begins for thrift stores and philanthropic agencies. What was a throwaway for college students becomes a valuable secondhand store item. CHARITY SEASON NOT UNIQUE TO OKLAHOMA The pattern is simple: A college…
Born in Indian Territory, comic-book trailblazer Boody Rogers gets his due
ards of quality “¦ not to mention standards of unapologetic weirdness. The bulk of the book is devoted to Babe Boone, the blond Ozark goddess whose hillbilly family recalls “Li’l Abner” filtered through an acid-trip sensibility. Student Sparky Watts also gets some action, shrunk “Fantastic Voyage”-style on the head of a monkey; one of Sparky’s…
Metro stand-ups stake a claim and take the mic
ive to eight years on the road before a comic is booked to headline a show. The Loony Bin has been hosting open-mic events every Wednesday night since opening its doors more than six years ago, said club owner Larry Marks. “For me, the open mics are a great way to capture local talent. I’ve…
Oklahoma City leaders discuss wish-list for MAPS 3
In case you hit the snooze button and missed any of the May 19 Oklahoma City Council meeting, a new convention center proposal is high on Mayor Mick Cornett’s wish list for MAPS 3, Ward 2 Councilman Sam Bowman said. And the Mayor’s Development Roundtable was largely devoted to discussing a hotel-convention center idea on…
