Recurring Themes
People Different From Us: Howard Sheppard, 30, of Deltona, Fla., was sent to Florida Hospital DeLand in January after he found some bullets on the ground and experimented to see what would happen if he struck one with a metal punch. (He got shot in the arm.) Eric Fortune, 19, was sent to the Ashtabula…
People Who Should Have Left Well-Enough Alone
In April, sex offender Barry Whaley was under suspicion for failing to register his new address but made things much worse. Being questioned at a police station in Fairbanks, Alaska, he asked an officer to retrieve a laptop computer from his car so that it would not get stolen, and when the officer brought it…
Unclear on the Concept
The Web site InformationAgePrayer.com offers, for people too busy to speak to God themselves, a daily service of invocations (using voice-synthesizing software) for Catholics, Protestants, Jews or Muslims. Starting each day “reciting” the Lord’s Prayer (or the Islamic Fajr) is $3.95 a month. Hail Marys are 70 cents a day for 10. A Complete Rosary…
Bright Ideas
Coming Soon to Reality TV: The CMT cable channel has scheduled an August start-up for “Runnin’ Wild … From Ted Nugent,” in which the rock singer, hunter and uninhibited gun advocate will spend five episodes training three novices on how to survive in the woods, and then, in the final episodes, Nugent and his 18-year-old…
Star Trek
In rebooting “Star Trek” entirely, director/producer J.J. Abrams (“Mission: Impossible III”) understands the franchise played too much to its own cult, at the exclusion of everyone else. His movie does not require one to have seen all the episodes or memorized decades of continuity and arcane references. Hell, he’s even told the purists to stay…
My Bloody Valentine 3D
Having mostly missed out on the 3-D horror trend of the 1980s due to prepubescence, the prospect of seeing blood, brains and boobs comin’ at ya from the big screen is the big appeal of “My Bloody Valentine 3D,” the latest horror remake. From 1981, the original “My Bloody Valentine” was one of many slasher…
Oklahoma geniuses
A decade ago, Oklahoma decided to create a biotech industry. The area south of the Capitol has become home to a nationally recognized group of scientists who are finding cures for diseases, solutions to health problems and doing collaborative research with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and a…
The Teenage Body Book – Kathy McCoy and Dr. Charles Wibbelsman
ody Book” is, too. Written by former Teen magazine editor Kathy McCoy and pediatrics physician Dr. Charles Wibbelsman, the tome is essential reading for all parents “? and not when their children are about to become teenagers, but well before then. After all, girls can start menstruating as young as age 9. Gulp! It’s not…
Oklahoma governor displays his ‘cool’ factor
Could it be? Has it finally happened? Our governor, the governor of the great red state, is actually cool? Well, after saving the day from what was going to be a “did we really do that” moment, Gov. Brad Henry has officially been declared cool. The moment came after the state House of Representatives balked…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In recent decades, many British people with unfortunate surnames have changed them. There are now 40 percent fewer Shufflebottoms, while the numbers of Cockshotts and Smellies have also declined precipitously. Meanwhile, back in the U.S., the government has re-branded its notorious Global War on Terror, shifting to the more palatable “Overseas Contingency Operation.” I hold…
Rowdy Danish rock trio happy to kill, kiss, thrill or punch
The members sport their own rebellious fashion, pen pop culture-biting songs with hot-blooded punk rhythms, and “horror” is right in the name, but please don’t deem the Danish act HorrorPops as psychobilly. “I understand the confusion. We have an upright bass, so people therefore assume we’re psychobilly,” singer/bassist Patricia Day said. “It’s funny, because we…
Stillwater hosts annual ‘Testicle Festival’
Feeling saggy? You should’ve been in Stillwater the other night. We understand it was the place to let it all hang out. For the 18th year, the college town played host to Tumbleweed Dance Hall and Concert Arena’s annual Calf Fry, aka the “Testicle Festival” ” a four-day celebration of country music and fried bovine…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Did you hear about the older Korean woman who has failed her driving test 800 times? Or the American man who has filled out job applications at 25 Pizza Huts in 20 cities without being hired? Or the British artist who has completed over 5,000 paintings even though no gallery has ever shown his work?…
Things People Believe
Baltimore prosecutors were stuck in their case against cult leader “Queen Antoinette,” 40, whom they had charged in the starvation death of a young boy who was being punished for failing to say “Amen” at meal time. They would need the cooperation of the boy’s mother, cult member Ria Ramkissoon, 22, but she was refusing…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
This notice appeared on a bulletin board at a local nightclub that features hip hop DJs: “Missing: my great-grandmother’s necklace, which dropped off my neck while I was krump dancing last Saturday. It might have happened when I was doing a head spin. The necklace has three strands of pearls and a pendant engraved with…
Fight led by epic filming, great acting highlights too-long ‘Che’
One of the basic tenets of armed rebellion holds that guerillas will ultimately prevail when patient and prepared for extended conflict and drawn-out battle. Similarly, Steven Soderbergh’s (“Ocean’s Thirteen”) take on revolutionary icon Che Guevara is no quick victory, instead a protracted film entanglement that machetes through the jungle only to celebrate scattered victories. Collectively…
Exhibit highlights journeys into photography, sculpture down different, parallel paths
At first glance, the wide-lens photographs taken by Walter Nelson and the collage-like images by Phil Stein couldn’t differ more. However, it takes more than an initial glimpse to discover the parallels of these artists’ work. Both artists incorporate the uniqueness of landscape “? an aspect that prompted an upcoming art exhibit showcasing their works,…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
When they pray, Muslims face the Kaaba, a cube-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Every mosque around the world typically has a niche that shows the precise direction of that holy place. Recently, however, worshipers have discovered that many of the older mosques in Mecca itself have niches that aren’t pointing the right way. They’re…
New law places restrictions on alcohol sales between state wholesalers
A new law in Oklahoma will restrict some sales of wine and spirits between wholesalers, and supporters say there will be no impact for consumers. The law, originally House Bill 1604, was signed by Gov. Brad Henry on April 20, strengthening Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission rules and giving the commission more authority to…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
I encourage you to attempt a difficult feat: For a few days, dissolve every burst of anger that rises up in you. Squash it. Wrestle it into submission. Attack it with love bombs. If you can eradicate the fury at its source, never even letting it ripen, that would be best. But the most important…
Battle for Terra
WT2″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />”). At first, Stanton is suspicious of the Terrans, but as Mala shows him kindness, he warms to the planet. Stanton returns to his mother ship and we learn that the humans on it have been wandering the galaxy for generations, looking for a suitable planet…
Electro Lounge is an island among metro music venues
Eight years is a long stretch for a bar as improbable as the Electro Lounge. The tiny club sprouted up in the first floor of an office building and shares a parking lot with Best Buy. Unlike other hip spots in the metro, the Electro Lounge is stuck on an island, far from music venues…
The Uninvited
2009 “The Uninvited” was no welcome visitor at the box office earlier this year, although it deserved better reception. I partly blame the vague title, which has nothing to do with anything (and is too similar to “The Unborn,” to boot). This quiet little chiller is a remake of Korea’s “A Tale of Two Sisters.”…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
According to polls, more than half the population believes they are fantastic kissers. How did they get that way? Some people say they have rehearsed extensively by smooching the backs of their own hands or rubbing their lips up against posters of celebrities. Whether you’ve tried these techniques or have developed other strategies, Aquarius, I…
Gallery hosts new exhibit in time for Mother’s Day weekend
Two Oklahoma City artists are opening a new installation over Mother’s Day weekend at Istvan Gallery, 1218 N. Western. Suzanne King Randall and Jennifer Barron are holding an artists’ reception 6 p.m. Friday “? and an open house 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday “? to celebrate the opening of their new exhibit.…
Two artists explore diverse takes on local Oklahoma landscapes, landmarks
t know of an obscure incident, rather than paint a painting of Barack Obama,” he said. “Or, say you could paint a picture of the astronaut who had to pee their pants in the car. Like, if I made a painting of her, somebody’s going to recognize her and say, ‘I don’t believe somebody painted…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
BBC reported on the growing number of “spiritual tourists” who shop around in their search for inner peace. “We are entering a world,” said one expert, “where people aren’t interested in whether something is true or not, or whether they believe it or not, but whether it works.” That would be a good prescription for…
Mission Control, This Is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon – Andrew Chaikin and Alan Bean
This July marks the 40th anniversary of mankind’s one giant leap, when Neil Armstrong planted his feet on the surface of the moon. That historic moment “? and all the others of the NASA Apollo missions from the ill-fated first to the bittersweet last “? is discussed in the exquisite “Mission Control, This is Apollo:…
Can’t Possibly Be True
“You use the toilet every day. Imagine if you could start pouring a little gasoline into the toilet bowl and get 50 cents a gallon (as a tax credit from IRS) every time you flushed.” According to a hedge fund analyst (quoted by The Nation magazine for an April story), that’s the way Congress’ 2005…
The She-Beast
1966 The lovely Barbara Steele is the main reason to watch “The She-Beast,” a 1966 oddity from cult director Michael Reeves, best known for the Vincent Price vehicle “Witchfinder General,” after which the young helmer promptly OD’d on pills. You might require a stimulant (we suggest caffeine) to make it through all of “She-Beast.” It…
Capitol ironies
In November 1972, 82-year-old historian Angie Debo, preaching in her home church in Marshall, took for her topic the “unholy power of what Eisenhower called the ‘military industrial complex.'” According to her biography, “Angie Debo: Pioneering Historian,” by Shirley A. Leckie, despite 30 years serving as a lay minister, that particular sermon did not go…
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Buster Posey is an up-and-coming baseball player for the San Francisco Giants. The poetic incongruity of his name is so apt a symbol for your imminent future, I’m making him your patron saint. According to my reading of the omens, you’ll be called on to be like a “Buster” — a macho, pushy, no-nonsense dude…
Oklahoma lawmakers accuse ‘U.S. leaders of constitutional crimes’
Boy, that Legislature. Passing legislation against OU for having a pro-Darwin speaker, walking out on a gay pastor, voting against a rock song, passing laws against foreign languages “¦ passing a law declaring the federal government “criminal.” Oh, that last one? Yeah, they did that, according to a recent news release from Gov. Brad Henry’s…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
I’m going to quote a few pieces of advice from a piece I found on the Internet, “15 Fun Things To Do During a Big, Important Test.” I trust that this will stimulate your imagination in all the right ways as you get ready for your metaphorical version of a final exam. Bring your own…
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The question I am asked most often at this time of year “? besides “What’s your phone number, handsome?” “? is “When are the good movies gonna start opening?” In this case, “good” means “summer blockbusters,” and the answer is “last Friday.” The movie is “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which won’t mean much to you if…
Post-evolutionary strategies
In April at a New York City gallery, the Australian performance artist Stelarc starred in a video of his surgery in which an ear is implanted into his left forearm (right now, just a prosthesis, but to which stem cells will be added), which will house an Internet-accessed, Bluetooth-capable microphone. “Post-evolutionary strategies” are required, Stelarc…
Community Services Building in Norman has a new roof of its own
As the economy tightens, those on the financial edge are also feeling stretched mentally and physically. Nonprofit groups see local citizens, hear their struggles and direct them to the appropriate services. Needing assistance from more than one social service is not uncommon, and at the Community Services Building Inc. (CSBI) in Norman, a variety of…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
How do you deal with those three periods every year when Mercury is retrograde, as it is between May 7 and 30? I’d like you to consider the meditations of artist and activist Gabrielle Senza: “I think of Mercury retrograde as a big obnoxious Rottweiler on a chain that bares its teeth, lunging and barking…
OU conjures energetic modern-day ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
After a five-year absence from the University of Oklahoma, guest director Joel Ferrell has returned as a man on a mission: to make Shakespeare hip, relevant and more appealing to a college audience, without compromising the integrity of the play. While still telling the tale of lovers led astray by the mischievous intentions of magical…
Vienna Tang drives her own brand of Americana
The engaging Vienna Teng became a singer/songwriter after she tried a lot of other things first. While classical piano training, a degree from Stanford University and a software engineering job at Cisco Systems Inc., might not sound like the red-dirt résumé one might expect from a folksinger scheduled to serenade The Blue Door, Teng isn’t…
Meredith Meyer – It’s Spooky to Be Young
A high school dropout packs up and leaves for Los Angeles to realize her musical aspirations, only to be thwarted by elitism unwilling to waiver from the Sunset Strip sound. Bethany native Meredith Meyer shares a story line with hundreds of other musicians from across the country that migrated to Southern California in hopes of…
Enid pastor’s book delves into Southern Baptist issues
Enid pastor Wade Burleson has released a book detailing his three-year conflict with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Burleson, who pastors Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, made national news in January 2006 when he challenged an IMB decision that disqualified Baptist missionary candidates who spoke in tongues. COOPERATING CONSERVATIVES CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS…
Food festivals fill a traveler’s plate all summer in Oklahoma
For millennia, human beings have anxiously waited out the end of winter and the annual coming of the year’s crops. The plants break through the ground and people break out the wine, bringing forth a nonstop bacchanalia to celebrate the arrival of food on their plates after months of cold. STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL PEACH FESTIVAL WATERMELON…
Del City hosts parade honoring military
Show your patriotism and support Saturday at Del City’s annual Armed Forces Day and Shriners Parade. One of the largest of its kind in Oklahoma, the parade celebrates and honors both veterans and active duty military men and women with floats, vendors and a car and bike show. “Everybody loves a parade,” said Jim DePuy,…
Oklahoma doctor warns about the H1N1 flu
There have yet to be any reported cases of the H1N1, or swine flu, in Oklahoma at press time. But, we’re not taking any chances. We’ve already moved all Chicken-Fried News production to our bunker in an undisclosed location, the Mother of All Basements (actually, the mother of our intern Bucky’s basement), three years supply…
Myriad Botanical Gardens hosts ladybug release event
Kids will learn about nature and the environment as they help release 70,000 ladybugs into the Myriad Botanical Gardens Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory on Thursday. The annual “Bug Out” program is part of the Gardens’ integrated pest management system. The ladybugs eat other harmful pests like aphids and mealybugs, providing an earth-friendly way to maintain…
Farmers Public Market hosts night of near-indecency
Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and feast your gaze on dancers, mermaids, stilt walkers and an “orange guy.” “Cirque Berserk,” the freak show-themed version of this year’s Carnality Ball, starts 7 p.m. Friday at the Farmers Public Market, and brings with it fire-eaters, a sword-swallower, visual artists of all ilk and a whole host…
A new bill could ease way for tribes to sponsor charter schools
A measure cruised ahead that would pave the way for Oklahoma Indian tribes to sponsor charter schools in their districts. Senate Bill 586 was approved by the Oklahoma House by a vote of 78-18 on April 15 and went back to the Senate for further amendments, but is expected to cross the governor’s desk for…
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Most moviegoers could produce a list of Things I Never Want to See at the Movies. Mine would be topped by “The Jerry Lewis Story,” starring Jamie Kennedy, but surely in the top 10 would be another variation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Fine. Grouchy guy examines his life and realizes he’s been an…
What happens to Facebook accounts after death?
Just as there shouldn’t be a free-for-all for your valuables when you die, some Oklahoma City attorneys say your Facebook and other online accounts should be protected as well. When you die, there are a million little details your family or friends attend to: funeral arrangements and will readings, closing or transferring bank accounts and…
Bonnie and Clyde never had much luck in Oklahoma
This year marks the 75th anniversary of 1934, a bad year for American outlaws. Indianapolis-born bank robber John Dillinger saw his last movie on July 22, and Chicago’s own Lester “Baby Face Nelson” Gillis was found dead in a ditch on Nov. 27. Oklahoma’s Cookson Hills protected Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd before he headed…
State’s new sports Hall of Fame moves closer to completion
Imagine a place so rich in tradition the list of names adorning the walls and displays reads like a who’s who of amateur and professional sports. Overhead, a video continuously plays Lee Roy Selmon’s greatest hits, while a few feet down, one of the many hallowed halls one can relive dozens of memorable moments in…
Bricktown’s newest dueling piano bar opens for business
Piano bars aren’t that far removed from revival tents, with bustling, boisterous crowds belting out familiar songs to drain away the weight of the world. But instead of railing against the devil, piano men banter with bachelorettes and field endless requests for “Boomer Sooner.” DIFFERENT OCCASIONS MULTI-VENUE CLUB The latest such site is Michael Murphy’s…
West Coast foursome The Willowz offer songs for ‘Everyone’
Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you want to become. Fortunately for The Willowz, rock ‘n’ roll is a profession that allows for on-the-job training. It’s taken four albums for singer/guitarist Richie James Follin and his compadres to discover their path, but with their forthcoming disc, “Everyone,” the quartet seems to have…
