The outpouring of support both physically, emotionally and monetarily has been so heartwarming and gratifying. We are unpretentious folk down here and take pleasure in the simpler things. And one of those will be in a few weeks, where happiness will be watching TV news reporters headed home with an out-of-state roofing contractor under each […]
tornado
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Too red for government aid?
Sens. James Inhofe and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma both voted against the Hurricane Sandy Aid bill, Inhofe saying that the money requested amounted to a “slush fund.” Hurricane Sandy affected a total of 24 states, and the costs have amounted to $50 billion. Now comes the question: What will their vote be concerning these recent […]
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Still the ‘Oklahoma Standard’
I’ve lived in Oklahoma City for just three years, so this is my first “let’s all pull together” Okie moment. Nicole Hill (“To be an Oklahoman”) summed it up wonderfully. This place gets in your blood really quickly. And now that the degree of separation is no more than two for everyone in OKC regarding […]
Posted inMusic
A time to heal
As America learned of Moore’s utter devastation by the May 20 tornado, the news hit the two members of New Orleans-based Generationals especially hard. “Everybody is aware and thinking about what has happened in Oklahoma,” said Grant Widmer, lead singer and guitarist. “Tragedies like these are particularly resonant for us because of what happened to […]
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Undaunted Durst
Credit: Brad Gregg Those guys are still around. No, really. Limp Bizkit challenged the May 31 tornadoes to “Break Stuff” at Diamond Ballroom and played afterward for an audience of about 20 plucky concertgoers who had braved the storm with them. The nu-metal band, all Florida residents, had an interesting day in Oklahoma. Front man […]
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God and tornadoes
Those messages are coming from everywhere. After speaking in Vermont at the annual meeting of United Church of Christ churches in my denomination, this small and cash-strapped body of small New England parishes handed me a check for $5,000 to help with tornado relief. So many people have prayed for us and supported us through […]
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Stormy weather
Credit: Brad Gregg And it’s also not news that unity borne from tragedy eventually becomes political. Still, the suggestion that climate change could have been a factor in the May 20 disaster certainly came as news to Inhofe. And bad news at that. “The liberal media is trying to exploit a tragedy to advance and […]
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Atheists, assemble!
Credit: Brad Gregg Stand-up comic Doug Stanhope started an Indiegogo campaign called Atheists Unite for Vitsmun and hoped to raise $50,000 in rebuilding funds over a 60-day period. The campaign goal was met in less than 24 hours. A week later, $107,566 had been raised. “Let’s show the world that you don’t need to believe […]
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Taking cover
“Had we had a safe room, it would have been our procedure for our students to be there,” said Amy Simpson, Plaza Towers’ principal, at a tearful May 24 news conference. “My school will have a safe room when it’s rebuilt.” Her sentiments were echoed by Briarwood Principal Shelley McMillin. “What we normally do is […]
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In cars
His frustration stems from TV coverage of the EF3 tornado that swept through sections of Central Oklahoma on May 31. That’s when Morgan urged viewers who couldn’t get underground to a shelter to “leave south Oklahoma City and go south. Do it right now.” A little later, Morgan repeated that a tornado warning was in […]