Recurring Themes
Another Driver Poor at Multitasking: A German truck driver in his 30s crashed his 18-wheeler near Boras, Sweden, in September, and though not seriously hurt, was pinned, immobile, in the wreckage. When rescuers and police first saw him, they noted that the trapped driver’s genitals were exposed and that his hand was clasped in his…
Least Competent Criminals
Daniel Taylor Jr., 33, was arrested in Elizabethton, Tenn., in September following a domestic disturbance complaint against a neighbor. A sheriff’s deputy had gone to Taylor’s house by mistake, wrongly thinking it was the source of the complaint, but Taylor immediately surrendered to the deputy anyway, and turned around to be handcuffed. When the deputy…
Least Competent Criminals
Daniel Taylor Jr., 33, was arrested in Elizabethton, Tenn., in September following a domestic disturbance complaint against a neighbor. A sheriff’s deputy had gone to Taylor’s house by mistake, wrongly thinking it was the source of the complaint, but Taylor immediately surrendered to the deputy anyway, and turned around to be handcuffed. When the deputy…
Recurring Themes
Another Driver Poor at Multitasking: A German truck driver in his 30s crashed his 18-wheeler near Boras, Sweden, in September, and though not seriously hurt, was pinned, immobile, in the wreckage. When rescuers and police first saw him, they noted that the trapped driver’s genitals were exposed and that his hand was clasped in his…
North by Northwest: 50th Anniversary Edition
1959 You probably knew this already, but on its 50th birthday, it bears repeating: “North by Northwest” is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s very best films, right up there alongside “Psycho,” “Rear Window” and “Strangers on a Train.” That also makes it among cinema’s all-time greatest thrillers. To celebrate its five decades of awesomeness, Warner Home…
Police Report
Sensitive! St. Paul, Minn., police were called to the 1300 block of Desoto Street in July by a 43-year-old man, who demanded that a report be filed because he had found a slice of half-eaten pizza near his fence and thought it represented someone’s intent to “harass” him. A 56-year-old man was cited by police…
Police Report
Sensitive! St. Paul, Minn., police were called to the 1300 block of Desoto Street in July by a 43-year-old man, who demanded that a report be filed because he had found a slice of half-eaten pizza near his fence and thought it represented someone’s intent to “harass” him. A 56-year-old man was cited by police…
Things You Thought Didn’t Happen Anymore
Bombastic financier R. Allen Stanford was able to maintain secrecy in the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme he allegedly operated for years out of a bank in Antigua because he and Antigua’s chief bank regulator had met in secret in 2003 and taken an actual “blood oath” of loyalty. The hematic bonding was revealed by Stanford’s No.…
Fetishes on Parade
In September in Truro, England, David Truscott, 40, was sentenced to four months in jail for repeatedly trespassing on the farm of Clive Roth by playing in the farm’s manure-spreader while wearing only his underwear (and, curiously, rubber gloves). Truscott told the court that he had a sexual fetish for manure. Three weeks earlier, Gary…
Things You Thought Didn’t Happen Anymore
Bombastic financier R. Allen Stanford was able to maintain secrecy in the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme he allegedly operated for years out of a bank in Antigua because he and Antigua’s chief bank regulator had met in secret in 2003 and taken an actual “blood oath” of loyalty. The hematic bonding was revealed by Stanford’s No.…
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!
2008 It’s not every day you see a documentary feature dedicated to the crazy genre films of Australia. And thank goodness, because I came away from “Not Quite Hollywood” with so many new titles on my “gotta see” list that it damn well may bankrupt me. How did movies this out-there stay such a well-kept…
Fetishes on Parade
In September in Truro, England, David Truscott, 40, was sentenced to four months in jail for repeatedly trespassing on the farm of Clive Roth by playing in the farm’s manure-spreader while wearing only his underwear (and, curiously, rubber gloves). Truscott told the court that he had a sexual fetish for manure. Three weeks earlier, Gary…
Red Dirt Improv pays tribute to an iconic playwright by throwing away scripts, just winging it
fs might greet Saturday’s “Music, Mayhem and Mamet,” Red Dirt Improv’s plan to improv a two-act play in “Mamet speak,” with amused curiosity or purist’s revulsion. Either way, it takes a valiant performer to emulate a Tony Award-worthy script based only on suggestions from a crowd, which will only be made worse if said suggestions…
OU film production of ‘Mental Hospital’ makes its way to Web
Remember that movie shot in-state with that wacko nutjob? No, not Helen Hunt in “Twister.” I mean 1953’s “Mental Hospital.” You’ve never heard of the 20-minute educational film? Through the magic of the Internet, you can watch this lost gem (yeah, we’re being facetious) via www.archive.org, among other sites. It’s a production of the University…
This Is It
is stitched together from footage shot during rehearsals for Jackson’s hoped-for comeback tour. The performer seems to be giving out with his best about one-third of the time. The other two-thirds, he’s partly there but he seems to be holding back. No one can blame him for this “? these aren’t even dress rehearsals, and…
Oklahoma senator threatens to plan climate counter meeting
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe doesn’t like the climate change bill scheduled to move ahead this week. He doesn’t like it so much that he is going to take his toys and go home. Or something like that. According to the Tulsa World, Inhofe said that if Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., tries to bring the climate…
Batrider reins in sound, darken sky with frustrated album that wallows with dissatisfaction
For those interested in punk rock without a Y chromosome, selections have long been lacking, making the arrival of overseas import Batrider that much more welcome. Led by the disgruntled feral croon of singer/guitarist Sarah Chadwick, Batrider marshals noisy, writhing post-punk that sounds like P.J. Harvey with a head cold. Hazy with Chadwick’s deep, throaty…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The planets are aligned in such a way that suggests you may be able to experience an orgasm solely by meditating. This rare cosmic alignment also means that it’s conceivable you could generate money or attract new resources by following your holy bliss, or that you might stumble upon the tricky treasure you’ve been looking…
Rockabilly community drums up support for beloved local musician with brain cancer
If the name Derek Dugger doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because the musician has been fine with fading into the background of the metro’s vibrant rockabilly scene for years. DIRE DIAGNOSIS AWKWARD SILENCE KEEP TABS As the current drummer for Brian Dunning & The Rock & Roll Trio and The R.I.P. Tides, and a founding…
Good Hair
African hair “? the subject of “Good Hair” “? seems the kind of topic destined to be used to raise and indict issues like the effects of white culture on black culture, black culture for letting white culture influence it, black women for participating in a wasteful and potentially dangerous cosmetic farce, and even exploitative…
Batrider reins in sound, darken sky with frustrated album that wallows with dissatisfaction
For those interested in punk rock without a Y chromosome, selections have long been lacking, making the arrival of overseas import Batrider that much more welcome. Led by the disgruntled feral croon of singer/guitarist Sarah Chadwick, Batrider marshals noisy, writhing post-punk that sounds like P.J. Harvey with a head cold. Hazy with Chadwick’s deep, throaty…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
At a yard sale today, I paid a dollar for a stained, pocket-sized horoscope book with many of its pages missing. The reason I made such an odd investment is that it had a forecast for Libra for the first part of November 2009, and this forecast struck me as even more useful than the…
An innocent man
Greg Wilhoit, sent to Oklahoma’s death row on nothing but erroneous bite mark evidence, continues to be wrongfully accused despite his exoneration. The record needs to be set straight. Greg was acquitted by a judge on retrial because the bite mark evidence had been discredited and the trial judge found no additional evidence of guilt,…
Report: Oklahoma rates above average in lack of sleep
Let’s add another one to the list of “Things Oklahomans do too much/not enough.” Sleep, as in, not enough of it. According to a KFOR report, a new government study looked at sleep patterns of the 50 states. West Virginia gets the least sleep, but Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia are reportedly states with above average…
Note the double standard
In “A ‘cooperative affair'” (Commentary, Oklahoma Gazette, Sept. 30, 2009), Scott Jones asks “some big questions like, ‘Exactly what is government?’ and ‘What is its purpose?'” So where does Jones, a Christian minister, turn for answers? Jesus? The Bible? Theology? No. He turns to Will Rogers. No wonder Jones’ denomination is the fastest shrinking in…
Sad state of affairs’
Harry Mitchell (Letters, “Taking a step back,” Oct. 21, 2009, Gazette) is so typical of the sad state of affairs he decries. He is some kind of Frosty Troy wannabe, who with one side of his mouth rails about compassion for the downtrodden and with the other side vilifies anyone who is even one degree…
New program aims to help adults struggling with literacy
Thirty percent of Oklahoma adults read below a basic fifth-grade level, according to a national assessment completed in 2005. Twelve percent of those read below a second-grade level. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation hopes to change that with a new program called “Get Reading Oklahoma.” OBSTACLES CONCEPT OF TIME 1,300 HOUSEHOLDS The program offers various…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
There was a time when wetlands were considered dismal and unproductive. At best they were thought to be a waste of space, and at worst stinky breeding grounds for insect pests. For over 200 years, many marshes, bogs, and swamps were filled with dirt and transformed into places suitable for farms, houses, and recreational areas.…
New program aims to help adults struggling with literacy
Thirty percent of Oklahoma adults read below a basic fifth-grade level, according to a national assessment completed in 2005. Twelve percent of those read below a second-grade level. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation hopes to change that with a new program called “Get Reading Oklahoma.” OBSTACLES CONCEPT OF TIME 1,300 HOUSEHOLDS The program offers various…
Government in Action
Small-Town Mayors: For three weeks in September, budget-conscious Mayor Sallie Peake of Wellford, S.C., barred the police from chasing perpetrators of crimes in progress, even if officers drove at the speed limit. Officers were instructed, instead, to arrest suspects later in their homes. (The mayor, under siege, rescinded the policy on Sept. 24.) Mayor Stu…
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
It might be tempting to turn your home into a womb-like sanctuary and explore the mysteries of doing absolutely nothing while clad in your pajamas. And frankly, this might be a good idea. After the risks you’ve taken to reach out to the other side, after the bridges you’ve built in the midst of the…
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
There was a time when wetlands were considered dismal and unproductive. At best they were thought to be a waste of space, and at worst stinky breeding grounds for insect pests. For over 200 years, many marshes, bogs, and swamps were filled with dirt and transformed into places suitable for farms, houses, and recreational areas.…
Officials: Downtown rail initiative in MAPS 3 can serve as future framework
Of the nine modes of transit covered in Oklahoma City’s Fixed Guideway Study, which is the city’s blueprint for its transportation future, only one method of transportation could unite them all ” the modern streetcar, riding on rails in the street, city planners wrote. ‘WORLD-CLASS RAIL SYSTEM’ WHAT WILL OKC GET? WHAT ABOUT BUSES? MIDWEST…
OU film production of ‘Mental Hospital’ makes its way to Web
Remember that movie shot in-state with that wacko nutjob? No, not Helen Hunt in “Twister.” I mean 1953’s “Mental Hospital.” You’ve never heard of the 20-minute educational film? Through the magic of the Internet, you can watch this lost gem (yeah, we’re being facetious) via www.archive.org, among other sites. It’s a production of the University…
Printmaker, professor and collage artist weaves new life from bird’s nests
Kate Rivers receives old bird’s nests in the mail on occasion. Sometimes, people walk up to her at one of her art shows and hand her one. These situations thrill her, because she uses the tiny woven homes to create works of art “? each with a theme, each representing a memory. Rivers’ unique art…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Nature’s rhythm is cyclical. Everything alive waxes and wanes. If you’re smart, you honor that flow by periodically letting parts of your world wither or go to sleep. If you’re not so smart, you set yourself up for needless pain by indulging in the delusion that you can enjoy uninterrupted growth. According to my reading…
Classical Mystery Tour joins Oklahoma City Philharmonic to bring Beatlemania to OKC
With the recent release of the re-mastered Beatles catalog and the iconic band’s hit version of the “Rock Band” video game, enthusiasm for the Fab Four is the highest it’s been in years. A number of tribute bands have cropped up in the decades since The Beatles dissolved in 1970, but Classical Mystery Tour stands…
Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, Theatre OCU craft adaptation of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’
Exploring the nature of life and death and the consequences of playing God, “Frankenstein” chronicles the experiments of the titular doctor, during which he gives life to a creature comprised of the bodies of the recently dead. In the process, he damns both himself and his creation. The biggest problem with the Oklahoma City Children’s…
A Serious Man
Did I mention that “A Serious Man” is a comedy? The rap on the Coen brothers (“No Country for Old Men,” “Burn After Reading”) has long been that they’re gifted filmmakers, but hobbled by a sadistic streak with their characters. That criticism is unlikely to be dispelled by “A Serious Man,” a comedy so pitch-black,…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Your anti-role model — the person you should be the opposite of — is the Scorpio warrior, U.S. General George Patton, also known as “Old Blood and Guts.” He once said, “Practically everyone but myself is a pusillanimous son of a bitch.” That’s an attitude you should especially avoid in the coming weeks, since your…
Great Art!
Worth Every Dollar: New Zealand’s Waikato National Contemporary Art Award in September (worth the equivalent of US$11,000) went to Dane Mitchell, whose entry consisted merely of discarded packaging materials from all the other exhibits vying for the prize. Mitchell called his pile “Collateral.” (Announcement of the winner was poorly received by the other contestants.) At…
Midwest City Sun prints its last edition
The Midwest City Sun printed its last edition Oct. 28 after publishing for nearly three decades. The publication, which launched in 1980, was most recently owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. based out of Birmingham, Ala. “There were financial struggles,” Linnie Pride, CNHI’s vice president and division manager, told The Oklahoman. “It’s been struggling for…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I would love it if you could find a sword that could cut itself. Or a fire that could burn itself. Or some water you could wash. But even if you can conjure the magic to attract an experience that simply resembles one of those marvelous paradoxes, it would set in motion a series of…
Note the double standard
In “A ‘cooperative affair'” (Commentary, Oklahoma Gazette, Sept. 30, 2009), Scott Jones asks “some big questions like, ‘Exactly what is government?’ and ‘What is its purpose?'” So where does Jones, a Christian minister, turn for answers? Jesus? The Bible? Theology? No. He turns to Will Rogers. No wonder Jones’ denomination is the fastest shrinking in…
Documentary explores inspirational life, assassination of Rev. Stanley Rother
It was beyond sundown, and two Oklahoma priests drove through from the city limits to the Guatemalan church. No streetlights were visible, but the Rev. Marvin Leven could see people everywhere. Everyone was talking about his traveling companion, the Rev. Stanley Rother. SPIRIT PRESERVATION HATE SHEET SAINTING STANLEY “As we drove through it, I heard…
Man sentenced to 93 years for marijuana cultivation finds himself in hot seat after parole
For years, William Joseph Foster says he’s suffered from back pain, and the best remedy for easing his ache is marijuana. But the 51-year-old’s cultivation and usage of the drug led him through a 15-year journey of jail and court battles that are knotting up two states over his freedom. A LONG, STRANGE TRIP TRIAL…
Instrumental Chicago trio Russian Circles shelves metal, digs darker with ‘Geneva’
Cinematic instrumentalists Russian Circles are at it again. In late October, the musicians released “Geneva,” their third album of muscular, undulating rock that slithers and swells with palpable menace. MANHATTAN PROJECT OVERALL EFFECT While the Circles’ compositions follow a dramatic arc, the trio isn’t as predictable as many of its instrumental peers. Some songs, such…
Government in Action
Small-Town Mayors: For three weeks in September, budget-conscious Mayor Sallie Peake of Wellford, S.C., barred the police from chasing perpetrators of crimes in progress, even if officers drove at the speed limit. Officers were instructed, instead, to arrest suspects later in their homes. (The mayor, under siege, rescinded the policy on Sept. 24.) Mayor Stu…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Nature’s rhythm is cyclical. Everything alive waxes and wanes. If you’re smart, you honor that flow by periodically letting parts of your world wither or go to sleep. If you’re not so smart, you set yourself up for needless pain by indulging in the delusion that you can enjoy uninterrupted growth. According to my reading…
Matt Stansberry explores new direction
Taking a band back down to formula isn’t always the worst move for an emerging musician. Metro songwriter Matt Stansberry is exploring a new direction with his new “Self Portrait” EP by leaving the jam-based world of Phish and Red Hot Chili Peppers behind, in favor of the radio-friendly, acoustic-pop realm of Dave Matthews Band…
Three Michigan rockers keep things simple, make strong case Cheap Girls make great dates
Hope springs eternal, and, for similar reasons, there will always be new bands. Most acts obey the standard distribution curve, meaning they’re less than inspired, or worse. This is to the advantage of bands like Michigan’s Cheap Girls, who, despite a relatively fresh minting, are well-worth watching. The Girls’ second disc, last month’s “My Roaring…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
When Dante was nine years old, long before he became one of Italy’s supreme poets, he fell in love with Beatrice, an eight-year-old girl he met at a May Day party. They never had a close relationship. In the years after their initial encounter, they met infrequently, and both eventually married other people. But Beatrice…
Three Michigan rockers keep things simple, make strong case Cheap Girls make great dates
Hope springs eternal, and, for similar reasons, there will always be new bands. Most acts obey the standard distribution curve, meaning they’re less than inspired, or worse. This is to the advantage of bands like Michigan’s Cheap Girls, who, despite a relatively fresh minting, are well-worth watching. The Girls’ second disc, last month’s “My Roaring…
Oklahoma City Herpetological Society hosts snake seminar
When it comes to a child asking for a pet, most parents hope for a dog, a cat or maybe even a fish. Snakes are likely the last animal that comes to mind. While slithering reptiles are often associated with scary imagery, smaller three- to five-foot snakes make better childhood companions than many people realize,…
Sad state of affairs’
Harry Mitchell (Letters, “Taking a step back,” Oct. 21, 2009, Gazette) is so typical of the sad state of affairs he decries. He is some kind of Frosty Troy wannabe, who with one side of his mouth rails about compassion for the downtrodden and with the other side vilifies anyone who is even one degree…
Oklahoma senator threatens to plan climate counter meeting
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe doesn’t like the climate change bill scheduled to move ahead this week. He doesn’t like it so much that he is going to take his toys and go home. Or something like that. According to the Tulsa World, Inhofe said that if Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., tries to bring the climate…
Paseo holds 2009 container show
A new kind of art show hits the metro this weekend, and the exhibit makes it hard to contain artistic appreciation. “Hold It,” the 2009 container show, challenges local artists to create a three-dimensional, mixed-media piece. The exhibit premieres 6 p.m. Friday at the Paseo Arts Space, 3022 Paseo, during the district’s First Friday Gallery…
Documentary explores inspirational life, assassination of Rev. Stanley Rother
It was beyond sundown, and two Oklahoma priests drove through from the city limits to the Guatemalan church. No streetlights were visible, but the Rev. Marvin Leven could see people everywhere. Everyone was talking about his traveling companion, the Rev. Stanley Rother. SPIRIT PRESERVATION HATE SHEET SAINTING STANLEY “As we drove through it, I heard…
Fruitfly Brain
Recent Precision-Tuning of the Fruitfly Brain: Scientists at England’s University of Oxford know how to make fruitflies scared of things they weren’t scared of previously — by implanting artificial memories in their brains after somehow locating and managing the precise 12 neurons that enable the flies to learn things. The implanted “danger” (the smell of…
An innocent man
Greg Wilhoit, sent to Oklahoma’s death row on nothing but erroneous bite mark evidence, continues to be wrongfully accused despite his exoneration. The record needs to be set straight. Greg was acquitted by a judge on retrial because the bite mark evidence had been discredited and the trial judge found no additional evidence of guilt,…
OKC apartment complex dweller says he spied alligator in lake
Apparently, Big Foot is not the only creature lurking in Oklahoma territory. NewsOK.com reported a new tenant of an apartment complex in northwest Oklahoma City says he saw an alligator swimming in a nearby lake a couple of weeks ago. The tenant of the Willow Cliff Lakeshore Apartments said he spotted the gator at night…
Seniors’ Cabaret presents fine arts extravaganza benefit
In the Oklahoma City community, 75-year-old Joan Colee and her friends are considered senior citizens. But taking into account appearance and lifestyle, their ages become totally irrelevant. Last November, Colee founded the Seniors’ Cabaret, a group of dancing, singing and acting Okies all 55 or older. What began as five grew into 33 seniors, all…
Report: Oklahoma rates above average in lack of sleep
Let’s add another one to the list of “Things Oklahomans do too much/not enough.” Sleep, as in, not enough of it. According to a KFOR report, a new government study looked at sleep patterns of the 50 states. West Virginia gets the least sleep, but Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia are reportedly states with above average…
Great Art!
Worth Every Dollar: New Zealand’s Waikato National Contemporary Art Award in September (worth the equivalent of US$11,000) went to Dane Mitchell, whose entry consisted merely of discarded packaging materials from all the other exhibits vying for the prize. Mitchell called his pile “Collateral.” (Announcement of the winner was poorly received by the other contestants.) At…
The Flaming Lips fertilize new album in experimental metro studio insemination
With an endorsement from a friend and fan of the Oklahoma City band, Anderson slotted the Lips into her agenda for the San Diego music festival. There, Anderson said she was immediately swept away by the Lips’ live show. “I got caught up in it ” just that energy,” she said. “I’d never seen anything…
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
It might be tempting to turn your home into a womb-like sanctuary and explore the mysteries of doing absolutely nothing while clad in your pajamas. And frankly, this might be a good idea. After the risks you’ve taken to reach out to the other side, after the bridges you’ve built in the midst of the…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
At a yard sale today, I paid a dollar for a stained, pocket-sized horoscope book with many of its pages missing. The reason I made such an odd investment is that it had a forecast for Libra for the first part of November 2009, and this forecast struck me as even more useful than the…
Matt Stansberry explores new direction
Taking a band back down to formula isn’t always the worst move for an emerging musician. Metro songwriter Matt Stansberry is exploring a new direction with his new “Self Portrait” EP by leaving the jam-based world of Phish and Red Hot Chili Peppers behind, in favor of the radio-friendly, acoustic-pop realm of Dave Matthews Band…
Midwest City Sun prints its last edition
The Midwest City Sun printed its last edition Oct. 28 after publishing for nearly three decades. The publication, which launched in 1980, was most recently owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. based out of Birmingham, Ala. “There were financial struggles,” Linnie Pride, CNHI’s vice president and division manager, told The Oklahoman. “It’s been struggling for…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
When Dante was nine years old, long before he became one of Italy’s supreme poets, he fell in love with Beatrice, an eight-year-old girl he met at a May Day party. They never had a close relationship. In the years after their initial encounter, they met infrequently, and both eventually married other people. But Beatrice…
OKC apartment complex dweller says he spied alligator in lake
Apparently, Big Foot is not the only creature lurking in Oklahoma territory. NewsOK.com reported a new tenant of an apartment complex in northwest Oklahoma City says he saw an alligator swimming in a nearby lake a couple of weeks ago. The tenant of the Willow Cliff Lakeshore Apartments said he spotted the gator at night…
Fruitfly Brain
Recent Precision-Tuning of the Fruitfly Brain: Scientists at England’s University of Oxford know how to make fruitflies scared of things they weren’t scared of previously — by implanting artificial memories in their brains after somehow locating and managing the precise 12 neurons that enable the flies to learn things. The implanted “danger” (the smell of…
Oklahoma City Herpetological Society hosts snake seminar
When it comes to a child asking for a pet, most parents hope for a dog, a cat or maybe even a fish. Snakes are likely the last animal that comes to mind. While slithering reptiles are often associated with scary imagery, smaller three- to five-foot snakes make better childhood companions than many people realize,…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I would love it if you could find a sword that could cut itself. Or a fire that could burn itself. Or some water you could wash. But even if you can conjure the magic to attract an experience that simply resembles one of those marvelous paradoxes, it would set in motion a series of…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Your anti-role model — the person you should be the opposite of — is the Scorpio warrior, U.S. General George Patton, also known as “Old Blood and Guts.” He once said, “Practically everyone but myself is a pusillanimous son of a bitch.” That’s an attitude you should especially avoid in the coming weeks, since your…
Officials: Downtown rail initiative in MAPS 3 can serve as future framework
Of the nine modes of transit covered in Oklahoma City’s Fixed Guideway Study, which is the city’s blueprint for its transportation future, only one method of transportation could unite them all ” the modern streetcar, riding on rails in the street, city planners wrote. ‘WORLD-CLASS RAIL SYSTEM’ WHAT WILL OKC GET? WHAT ABOUT BUSES? MIDWEST…
Classical Mystery Tour joins Oklahoma City Philharmonic to bring Beatlemania to OKC
With the recent release of the re-mastered Beatles catalog and the iconic band’s hit version of the “Rock Band” video game, enthusiasm for the Fab Four is the highest it’s been in years. A number of tribute bands have cropped up in the decades since The Beatles dissolved in 1970, but Classical Mystery Tour stands…
The Flaming Lips fertilize new album in experimental metro studio insemination
With an endorsement from a friend and fan of the Oklahoma City band, Anderson slotted the Lips into her agenda for the San Diego music festival. There, Anderson said she was immediately swept away by the Lips’ live show. “I got caught up in it ” just that energy,” she said. “I’d never seen anything…
E.Z. Quixote
There is an old Southern tradition that says you should have your opponents speak at your funeral, because they know you better than anyone, and they will try to do you justice in your passing. I come to speak for E.Z. Million. E.Z. hunted me down 10 years ago, when the media first started contacting…
E.Z. Quixote
There is an old Southern tradition that says you should have your opponents speak at your funeral, because they know you better than anyone, and they will try to do you justice in your passing. I come to speak for E.Z. Million. E.Z. hunted me down 10 years ago, when the media first started contacting…
Instrumental Chicago trio Russian Circles shelves metal, digs darker with ‘Geneva’
Cinematic instrumentalists Russian Circles are at it again. In late October, the musicians released “Geneva,” their third album of muscular, undulating rock that slithers and swells with palpable menace. MANHATTAN PROJECT OVERALL EFFECT While the Circles’ compositions follow a dramatic arc, the trio isn’t as predictable as many of its instrumental peers. Some songs, such…
Rockabilly community drums up support for beloved local musician with brain cancer
If the name Derek Dugger doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because the musician has been fine with fading into the background of the metro’s vibrant rockabilly scene for years. DIRE DIAGNOSIS AWKWARD SILENCE KEEP TABS As the current drummer for Brian Dunning & The Rock & Roll Trio and The R.I.P. Tides, and a founding…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The planets are aligned in such a way that suggests you may be able to experience an orgasm solely by meditating. This rare cosmic alignment also means that it’s conceivable you could generate money or attract new resources by following your holy bliss, or that you might stumble upon the tricky treasure you’ve been looking…
OKC Infoshop packs up, moves to Paseo
Any good Realtor knows success is hinged to location, and after packing up and leaving behind an industrial warehouse in Northeast Oklahoma City, the all-volunteer crew behind the OKC Infoshop has resettled in Paseo Arts District and re-branded as the Scissortail Social Space. Despite the new name, the group’s mission remains the same: Create a…
Man sentenced to 93 years for marijuana cultivation finds himself in hot seat after parole
For years, William Joseph Foster says he’s suffered from back pain, and the best remedy for easing his ache is marijuana. But the 51-year-old’s cultivation and usage of the drug led him through a 15-year journey of jail and court battles that are knotting up two states over his freedom. A LONG, STRANGE TRIP TRIAL…
