Getting real about Obamacare
The CBO actually reduced its estimated net cost to $1.1 trillion, “about $50 billion less than the agencies’ March 2011 estimate.” The initial estimate ($940 billion) covers 2010-2019, while the $1.76 trillion gross cost is for the 11-year period from 2012-2022, which includes three more years of full program costs (that start in 2014). For…
In praise of ‘Thunderstruck’
Thunderstruck was a nice and refreshing film. We don’t have enough movies that are clean. I have three grown boys and have seen lots of fast-paced, actionpacked movies and have enjoyed them. Most movies include foul language, drugs, violent crime and sex. This one is funny and wholesome. The kid’s comment in the review about…
Proud to be a patriot
The fact that there are organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center, some stranger named Mark Potok who doesn’t know us from Adam, keeping lists of people like us, is the very reason that we have to stand up for our rights. The dictionary defines terrorism as the systematic use of terror, especially as a…
Parent hood
Carpenter Square Theatre has opened its 29th season with Yasmina Reza’s comedy God of Carnage, translated by Christopher Hampton. This is not a play that should be put on by amateurs, and director Rhonda Clark has assembled a cast of seasoned pros who do it justice. Whether this particular work is the best use of…
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…
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…
Bad politics
An election year may not be the best time to stage David Mamet’s presidential-election comedy, November. The play pales in comparison to the real thing. But I’m not sure any time is good for staging this insipid, tedious slog of a show. Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre is giving it a go at CitySpace under the…
Sleepwalk with Me
Early in Sleepwalk with Me, protagonist Matt Pandamiglio (comedian Mike Birbiglia, more or less playing himself) addresses via narration the feelings his character holds for his live-in girlfriend, Abby (Lauren Ambrose, Wanderlust) with the lines, “I think falling in love for the first time is such a transcendent feeling. It’s like pizza-flavored ice cream: Your…
More for Core to Shore
More for Core to Shore Concerns arise over Urban Renewal Authority efforts to obtain land for the future MAPS 3 convention center. BY CLIFTON ADCOCK The Oklahoma City Planning Commission has delayed for 60 days a measure that would allow the city’s Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA) to proceed with obtaining the site for the future…
New Yorkers think we’re interesting!
Maybe those damn Yankees find it interesting that our state has one of the nation’s most dismal percentages Credit: Brad Gregg of citizens lacking health insurance. Perhaps those highfalutin elitists think it’s ironic that most Oklahomans despise Obamacare almost as much as they despise vegetables and cedar trees. Whatever the reason, The New York Times…
Goats
Based on an assumedly semiautobiographical novel and well-directed by a member of the Coppola filmmaking dynasty — Christopher Neil, nephew of Francis — Goats centers on Ellis (Graham Phillips, TV’s The Good Wife), who leaves the remote Arizona desert home he shares with his trust-fund hippie mom (Vera Farmiga, Safe House) for a prestigious prep…
Red, red wine
It may be a bit early, however, for the big Syrahs and Cabernets; Pinot Noir is the perfect transitional red wine. Pinot is making its way onto fall wine lists around town. Melanie Chesser, owner of Vin Dolce (16 S. Broadway) in Edmond, said she is adding two new glasses of Pinot to her impressive…
In the park
More than 130 people attended the first of three public meetings on the MAPS 3 park. Credit: Mark Hancock Mary Margaret Jones, senior principal at Hargreaves Associates, the city’s consultant on the project, said it is important to consider many elements when making decisions about the park, such as Oklahoma’s climate, existing and future development…
Hail to the jail
The Oklahoma County Jail wins national accreditation, but other challenges remain. BY CLIFTON ADCOCK The Oklahoma County Jail has received national accreditation for jail operation from the American Correctional Association, but the beleaguered facility still faces issues with the U.S. Department of Justice. Sheriff John Whetsel said the jail has been working to win accreditation…
Bait 3D
Bait 3D marks the third new shark movie I have screened for review within little more than a week’s time, right behind Jersey Shore Shark Attack and Shark Week. The bar may be set low, but Bait was better than either of them. A Deep Blue Sea from Down Under, Bait strings viewers along for…
No Wonder
No Wonder Perhaps the most benign thing that can be said about Innocence of Muslims, that notorious 14-minute movie trailer sparking violent protests throughout the Middle East, is this: It has kept To the Wonder, a film largely shot in Oklahoma, from being the world’s most widely condemned flick. Expectations were high in 2010 when…
Wild Nothing — Nocturne
While it’s great to dive into heady, groundbreaking stuff or brilliantly crafted pop songs, it’s just as nice to enjoy something as beautiful and simple as the music that Jack Tatum is writing as Wild Nothing, and while 2010’s Gemini was a great listen, he’s made leaps and strides heading into Nocturne. It’s easy listening…
Two Snakes — Cut Them Down
Two Snakes call its brand of music meat-and-potatoes rock, but that’s underselling it. Humble, yes, but there’s a lot more going on here, and it’s a joy to listen to hard rock that brings in equal parts intellect and aggression. Lead track “Alleys” zips to a start, boasting a burly guitar hook and bass riff…
Drive-In
(How meta it would’ve been to see this at an actual drive-in; I’ll settle for its DVD debut from Sony Pictures’ Choice Collection, rather than the alternative, which is to never see it at all.) Like American Graffiti three years before it, the movie follows a select handful of youngsters, mostly teens, over the course…
Dillard’s exclusive
Give Tara Dillard a spotlight and a stage and she is set. Earlier this summer, the Oklahoma City-based singer-songwriter released her first single, “So Long,” on iTunes and Spotify, with plans to release a full EP soon. “I’ve just released the one single right now,” she said. “The whole EP project I’m hoping to finish…
The XX — Coexist
The xx is the exception. The English band’s 2009 debut, xx, is a modern classic, lauded for its moody and sparse pairing of R&B and indie grooves. “Intro,” “Crystalised” and “Islands” all made splashes, and The xx went from 0 to 60 like that. So then comes the follow-up, Coexist, with the words “sophomore slump”…
Map quest
Having formed at a Chicago art school, alternative-rock outfit Maps & Atlases has never shied away from lofty goals or pushing itself creatively. In the early days, that meant making math rock fun. Now, it means channeling the members’ inner Marty McFly. “It’s tough to make an album that exists out of time,” singer and…
Still whipped
Photo: Joshua Dalsimer The planet is heating up, running out of fossil fuel and getting stingy with clean air and water. World nations seem chronically on the verge of global economic collapse. Crazed gunmen and suicide bombers make daily headlines. Literacy is down, obesity is up and Kim Kardashian is a household name. Humanity, meet…
Hank airin’
Politics and social justice have never been too far from the mind of punk legend Henry Rollins, and the world of the Black Flag front man turned spoken-word artist plunges more and more into that realm as we approach Election Day on Nov. 6. Naturally, it’s become a chief point of discussion during this tour,…
The Victim
Someone needs to define “grindhouse” for Mr. Biehn, I’m afraid. The hardworking man who helped define the ’80s in early James Cameron films (Aliens, The Terminator) is a good actor and, as it turns out, a competent director. His script, however, is awful. For one thing, it’s hardly enough on which to hang a feature…
Just Blue it
The Georgia native is one-third of the Blue Man Group’s North America tour, which will stage five shows Friday through Sunday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker. The theatrical multimedia troupe is known worldwide for its energetic shows, absence of dialogue and, above all, bald heads covered in blue greasepaint. “The anonymity is…
Lawyer up
right Noah Zuhdi in action For the first time in more than 40 years, world championship boxing is returning to Oklahoma City. Native son Noah Zuhdi (15-1, 12 KOs) will face Panamanian fighter German Jurado (12-2, 4 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Union world lightweight championship in a 12-round title bout Thursday at the…
OKG7 Cleveland County stops
Big Daddy’s Smokehouse 220 S. Main, Noble 872-3287 Ricks of hickory stacked out front, in back and all round the sides of this small-town roadhouse are your sign it’s the real barbecue deal. Brisket and ribs are slow roasted next to smoldering wood until they’re tender and succulent. Traditional barbecue side dishes are made in…
The fantastic Miss Fox
Nothing about her demeanor suggests that she, in her short lifetime, has already battled cancer. Victoria showed the first signs of a serious illness in January of last year. “She became very sick, very suddenly,” said Vanessa Fox, Victoria’s mom. “We took her to see the pediatrician, but he couldn’t find anything wrong.” Soon after,…
The Cabin in the Woods
Without spoiling anything you don’t already see in the trailer — or the film’s first scene — Cabin has two settings: the title site, which is a staple of so many slashers, and … an “office,” let’s say. The former allows Whedon and his co-writer/director Drew Goddard to set up a chessboard of fright-flick clichés;…
Like a rock
Brad Johnson, executive chef for the Hal Smith Restaurant Group, said the restaurant at Lake Hefner’s East Wharf will open with an updated, modern look. “We’ve made subtle changes to bring the look from 1999 to 2012,” he said. “Much will be the same. The bar is still in the center and the exhibition kitchen…
You say ‘neck-o,’ I say ‘knee-ko’
Sushi is not about raw fish. I mean, it is, sometimes, but it’s also about artistry and skill. The best sushi combines excellent flavor with immaculate presentation and perfect construction. It should not be a shock to anyone who has dined in Oklahoma City that all this can be found at Sushi Neko. I’m never…
Brunch bunch
But when Sunday brunch rolls around, it’s time to relax and savor. Oklahoma City offers many brunch options; a few even feature entertainment. The historic Skirvin Hilton’s Park Avenue Grill, 1 Park Ave., has introduced a new menu along with a weekly music program. Well-known metro acoustic guitarist Edgar Cruz performs from 11 a.m. to…
Point: Slow down on ODOT funding
One of the few exceptions to the hard times is the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Following a long stretch in which state investment in roads and bridges remained virtually flat, the Legislature in 2005 created the ROADS (Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety) fund. Revenues for this fund come directly from personal income tax collections,…
Parked plans
Property owners, First National Building I and First National Building II, appear to have received an extension on the Aug. 28 deadline to pay the remainder of a $12 million settlement to lender Capmark Bank, thus preventing the complex from going into receivership. Calls to Milbank Real Estate Group, the property management company for the…
Animal Collective — Centipede HZ
In direct contrast to, say, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective thrives on being inexact, and to come so close to re-creating the formula nonetheless is impressive. Centipede Hz is not half as catchy; nothing resembles “Summertime Clothes” or “My Girls,” save for “Applesauce.” What you’ve got instead are nearly a dozen jarring pop songs that split…
Countering contraception
David Green Filed Sept. 12 in federal court in Oklahoma City, the suit contends that it is unconstitutional for the ACA to require businesses to provide employees with health insurance plans that include contraception. David Green, CEO and founder of Hobby Lobby and Mardel Christian-themed bookstores, said the company’s health insurance already covers contraceptives for…
The Smoking Section
Credit: Brad Gregg A police officer dispatched to the Bell reported that he found a single cigarette butt inside the food. The officer also noted that the Dycheses were smoking cigarettes at the time. Hmm. The plot, like the smoke in the Dyches household, thickens. The family subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming personal injuries and…
Red-hot rock
Photo: Jason Tanaka Blaney When Ohio rock act Red Wanting Blue got booked to play Norman Music Festival this past spring, the band members worried about whether they’d be able to impress the crowd. “These people have seen everything,” lead singer Scott Terry said. “I’ve never been close to a tornado, but most of these…
No party for third parties
Credit: Brad Gregg Nope. There’s also independents. And Von Hayek acolytes. And Ron Paul fans. And Ayn Rand devotees, or “Randroids,” as we called them in college (they were cool with it; libertarians have a great sense of humor). And your cabin-dwelling uncle who thinks the FDA is poisoning the water table. The Libertarian party…
For a Good Time, Call …
If you bet that means a lot of one-liners about penises and vaginas, and maybe some sight gags involving zeppelin-sized dildos, I congratulate you on your clairvoyance. But there are surprises here, too, particularly how sweet-natured this film actually is, and how winning are its two stars. Lauren (Lauren Anne Miller, 50/50), the straitlaced product…
Blondie has more fun
Blondie co-founder Chris Stein hears traces of his band in a lot of contemporary rock and pop, from Garbage to Lady Gaga. It’s an impressive range of influence for an outfit once considered the ugly duckling of New Wave acts toiling in the sweaty, steamy environs of New York’s CBGB back in the 1970s. “Assuming…
The Crimson Petal and the White
Romola Garai (Atonement) plays Sugar, a 19-year-old prostitute pimped out by her own mother (The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson, almost unrecognizable) to the hoity-toity about town. One such uncool customer is William Rackham (O’Dowd), a soap titan married to a mentally ill woman (Amanda Hale, Bright Star). So taken is he by Sugar’s honeypot that he…
Newspeak
Credit: Brad Gregg And on a completely unrelated note, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe has introduced a bill, the “Military Religious Freedom Act,” that would effectively ban any marriages or “marriage-like ceremonies” on military bases that were not between one man and one woman. Currently, military chaplains are allowed to perform ceremonies that are in accordance…
Spice of life
The Savory Spice Shop, 4400 N. Western, sells more than 400 herbs, spices and hand-blended seasonings. “It breaks down to 250 individual herbs and spices, and 150 proprietary seasoning blends,” said owner Able Blakley. “We have something for everyone and every kind of dish.” This marks the 18th franchise in the Savory Spice Shop concept.…
Counterpoint: Roads funding is critical
Over the past six years, the Legislature, along with Gov. Mary Fallin and former Gov. Brad Henry, have rightfully positioned transportation as a core priority. Oklahomans should be thankful. Recently the Oklahoma Policy Institute questioned the investment that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has received in recent years. Yes, transportation has received marked appropriation increases…
Pricey Medicaid expansion
Tiffee assumes that the money collected from hospitals in the form of a 2-percent provider fee will not be passed on to those using non-Medicaid forms of payment for hospital services. This assumption is ridiculous. Of course the hospitals will pass it on to their paying customers. Tiffee and those who support his position believe…
Happy Canadians
Brake doesn’t mention that the Canadian dog will have to come up with thousands of dollars for the hip replacement while the human hip replacement is covered by the government program. Overall, the average Canadian is quite happy with the Canadian system. Brake could also have told us that every year thousands of Americans go…
Stop worrying, we’re not Europe
I live in Austria, a country that has been ruled by socialists with only a few periods in opposition since 1945. Let me assure you all, the U.S. is not becoming Europe. In Austria, health care is totally universal, financed by employers, workers and taxes. Seeing a physician is never a problem, as they recognize…
Preserve affirmative action
And these disparities are actually improvements. Affirmative action programs were created to help decrease these inequities, as well as others, and combat discrimination against women and minorities. These programs have helped establish women’s clinics, domestic violence programs, breast cancer screening programs, higher education funding for minorities interested in medical and engineering fields, and for girls…
Mad Monster Party?
Filmed in “Animagic” and with characters designed and a script by two Mad magazine giants — Jack Davis and Harvey Kurtzman, respectively — the movie got beloved horror icon Boris Karloff to voice mad scientist Dr. Frankenstein, who looks just like the actor. The doc has invited all of moviedom’s monsters — y’know, Dracula, the…
Stay golden
“I really thought there would be a lot more bidders,” Box said, who purchased the building with an $800,000 bid. Former owner Irene Lam had owed Bank 7, the lender, more than $771,000 on the landmark structure. Box, no stranger to the area, has an ownership stake in several properties along N.W. 23rd, including the…
No ‘Wonder’
Expectations were high in 2010 when legendary filmmaker Terrence Malick came to shoot a movie in and around Bartlesville, where the director of Badlands and Days of Heaven had grown up and where his parents still reside. But judging by its recent screenings at film festivals in Venice and Toronto, Malick’s To the Wonder might…
More for Core for Shore
The planned location for the $252 million convention center, the former Fred Jones automobile dealership property across Reno Avenue from Myriad Botanical Gardens, is north of the boundary that currently defines the Core to Shore Urban Renewal Plan area. In order to buy the property, however, the city must redraw the plan’s boundaries to include…
Hail the jail
Sheriff John Whetsel said the jail has been working to win accreditation from the ACA for several years. He said the Sept. 10 announcement was the culmination of years of work by jail staff, jail officials and county elected officials. The ACA accreditation makes the county jail the second facility in the state — Tulsa…
