Or an artichoke suddenly appears on the table and quickly separates a diner from his or her dignity because they have no idea how to cope with the green globe. A little coaching, plus a dose of daring, can transform intimidating situations into a pleasant experience. Take that artichoke, for instance. Artichokes, although delicious, do […]
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Posted inArts & Culture
‘Nerd’ humor
It’s hard to say whether the title of “The Nerd,” by Larry Shue, now being presented by Pollard Theatre, is supposed to endear us to the eponymous character or turn us off right from the beginning. I guess it depends on your opinion of nerds, generally. In this tepid 1981 comedy, Willum Cubbert is a […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Little monsters
“I’ve referred to it in the past as ‘the beast,’” Yarrow wrote. “Possessing tannins that need to be tamed through intelligent wine-making, Petite Sirah can truly be a monster of a wine.” Anyone who has tried a bad one will know exactly what Yarrow means: excess bacon, smoke and graphite are common in over-the-top Petite […]
Posted inNews
Freedom fighter
There is an old legal truism about arguing either the law or the truth when one of them is on your side, or resorting to pounding your fist on the table with as much conviction as possible when you have neither. Reese has only emotion on his side: a poor reason to use for enforcement […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dogtooth
A family of five lives in isolation behind the walls of their well-groomed estate. Father drives into town every day to work, but he’s the only one who ever leaves. Mother has access to a telephone, kept hidden. The Eldest and Youngest, both daughters, and the Son stay home doing chores, swimming in the pool, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s up? Docs
“Strangers No More” looks at a K-12 public school in Tel Aviv, where students from 48 countries unite as one. “Children is children. In education, there’s no strangers,” says the principal. “And everyone has a special story. A real complicated story.” She’s not joking. Many of the kids have never set foot in a classroom […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Short stuff
ANIMATED “The Gruffalo” concerns a mouse saving his skin by outwitting a fox, an owl and a snake via a tale about the titular fabled monster in order to save his own skin. Crisp-looking and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, it’s one joke too long at 27 minutes. France’s “Madagascar, A Journey Diary” plays like […]
Posted inNews
Liberty’s Bell
Joann Bell’s children tell a story that seems emblematic of their mother. She was driving her kids to school when she glanced out the window and spotted four preteen boys beating up a younger boy. Bell slammed on the brakes and rushed to the boy’s rescue. Amid the scuffle, one of the boys inadvertently hit […]
Posted inNews
Munn ho!: Fourth in a series
Last week, one of the most burning questions surrounding former Oklahoman turned actress/model/geek icon (and now unwitting Oklahoma Gazette cover girl!) Olivia Munn is one that will have been answered by the time you read this. No, not, “Has she Twitpic’d her cleavage again?” (a given), but “Is she going to attend the Super Bowl […]
Posted inNews
CFN Mailbag
Recently, in your fine publication, I’ve read a number of letters from Christians addressing what a terrible threat Islam is to “Christians and Jews,” specifically one that was posted in the Chicken-Fried News (CFN Mailbag, Penelope M. Blair, Jan. 19, Oklahoma Gazette). I find it an interesting irony in that in all the letters I’ve […]