Oklahoma Gazette 12-10-14 by Oklahoma Gazette

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVI NO. 50 DECEMBER 10, 2014

Spiritual

spoof

Nothing goes by the book when this Broadway musical hits the heartland. BY DEVON GREEN P.35

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CONTENTS 34

ON THE COVER

Faith is kind of like family: It’s fine to make fun of it as long as it’s yours. Well, usually. Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon breaks that taboo — in cringe-inducing yet hilariously relatable ways — with the help of equal-opportunity offenders and writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park, Team America: World Police) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q). Story by Devon Green. P.34.

NEWS 4

State: gun sales

City: police graduation

Metro briefs

State: 2015 Creativity World Forum

Chicken-Fried News

Commentary

Letters

MISSION STATEMENT

LIFE

Buzz on okc.BIZ: executive gift guide

Performing Arts: Graham Elwood

Buzz on okc.BIZ: Have You Met? Chad Mount

Books: Collector’s Edition: Innovative Packaging and Graphics, Word Paintings

OKG picks

Sudoku / Crossword

Food & Drink: OK Ko-Mart, Compass Coffeehouse, food briefs, OKG eat: Spicy eats

Holiday Services Directory

Active: Oklahoma City Dodgers, Cheryl Miller

Music: best local albums of 2014, Oil Boom, event listings, Chase Kerby

Astrology

Classifieds

Ultimate Gift Guide

Shopping: credit card safety

Visual Arts: Christmas at the Elms

Cover: The Book of Mormon

Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

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I-40 EXIT 178 | SHAWNEE, OK | 405-964-7263 OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 3

NEWS STATE

Shooting straight M A RK HA N COC K

Guns have never been more popular in Oklahoma than they are right now. BY BEN FELDER

“Our freedom is under attack like never before,” said Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, during a conference last year. Many gun supporters and organizations, like the NRA, have claimed their right to bear arms has come under attack in recent years, but polling and gun sales show that support for guns has never been higher. In 1959 nearly 60 percent of Americans favored a ban on handguns, according to an October Gallup report. That percentage has steadily decreased over the last 55 years. Today, only 26 percent say they would support a ban. Forty-seven percent of Americans are in favor of stricter gun laws, but the majority are in favor of laws remaining as they are or becoming less strict, which has been the case in Oklahoma where open carry laws were passed by the Legislature a few years ago. The percentage of Americans who are in favor of fewer restrictions on gun laws has increased over the past 20 years, despite the attention placed on mass shootings from Columbine High School to Newtown, Connecticut, where 26 elementary students and adults were killed by a lone gunman in 2012. Gun deaths in America each year are close to 32,000, and while that number has risen by a few thousand people over the past decade, the rate of gun deaths per 100,000 residents has remained relatively unchanged, show reports from GunPolicy. org. Gun control remains a hot political talking point and officials with organizations like the NRA continually

As the Oklahoma [attack] indicates, people can stop terror attacks with firearms. — John Snyder

talk about the threat to their rights. But the reality is support for guns has never been higher and politicians on both sides of the aisle appear unwilling to push for any type of gun control measure. President Barack Obama’s exploration of stricter gun laws following the the mass shooting in Newtown gained almost no support from members of Congress, whether Republican or Democrat. In Oklahoma, the support for gun ownership also transcends party lines as 2014 Democratic candidate for governor Joe Dorman was an outspoken supporter of gun rights and even had signage at his campaign office encouraging guns to be carried. While Democrats are the most likely political party to promote skepticism on gun rights, Dorman attempted to outflank Gov. Mary Fallin from the right on the issue this past year. “Fallin vetoed it in a temper tantrum,” Dorman said this year about a bill Fallin vetoed that would have given approval of some gun purchases to local law enforcement. It was an NRA-backed bill that Dorman called “a reasonable policy, but apparently Fallin supports gun restrictions forced onto Oklahomans by

4 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

federal bureaucrats. She’s completely out of touch with Oklahomans.” Fallin, who took the controls of a sixbarreled machine gun during the opening of an OKC gun range last month, is a vocal supporter of gun rights. While Dorman’s claims that she wanted to limit gun use was considered a stretch by some political observers, the push by Dorman showed that the way to many Oklahoma voters is through their guns. “It’s a great new addition to Oklahoma City and its creating jobs,” Fallin said last month at the opening of Wilshire Gun, a shooting range and store that gained national attention for its full service bar. While Fallin and other politicians see the opening of another gun range in OKC as a creator of jobs and a victory in America’s fight to arm itself, skeptics believe the growing popularity of guns will results in more gun-related deaths. Mass shootings, which have risen in recent years and resulted in a record number of mass shooting deaths in 2012, according to research from Mother Jones, has some saying fewer guns is the only logical response. However, others have said the rise in mass shootings and other acts of workplace violence is proof that more Americans need to be armed. “Americans should be ready to face these fanatics,” John Snyder, a lobbyist and gun law expert, said in a press release following the beheading of a woman at Vaughn Foods in Moore earlier this year. When the attacker attempted to harm another employee, he was shot by another worker. “As the Oklahoma [attack] indicates,

from left Troy Arnold with Wilshire Gun discusses a Smith & Wesson handgun with Scott Smith, a representative from Smith & Wesson, during the recent opening of Arnold’s new store. people can stop terror attacks with firearms,” Snyder said. “Americans need their guns to defend life and freedom.” Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe was one of several senators to threaten a filibuster last year when the Obama administration pushed a gun safety bill. Criticizing the president for his attempt to disarm America, Inhofe, who is one of the NRA’s highest ranked U.S. legislators, said the country was facing an attack on its Second Amendment rights. “Our president ... has been doing everything he could to stop the private ownership of guns in America,” Inhofe said. Some may look to decrease the nation’s access to guns, but saying gun supporters are losing the battle isn’t a claim easily backed up, especially in Oklahoma. The Sooner State ranks No. 6 on Gun and Ammos’ ranking of the best states for gun owners, the list of prohibited places to carry a gun in Oklahoma is relatively small compared to other states and Tulsa is home to one of the nation’s largest gun shows. An online search for shops yields at least 20 establishments in OKC and dozens more in neighboring communities. Gun sales continue to grow and the opening of Wilshire Gun last month shows that guns remain a big business in our state.

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 5 12/4/14 4:24 PM

P HOTOS BY GA RETT FI S BEC K

NEWS METRO

Proud to serve Police academy graduates join the force with hopes of positivity and building relationships with the communities they will serve.

Recruits take the oath of office during the graduation ceremony for an Oklahoma City Police Academy recruit class.

BY BEN FELDER

Kelly Fry was nervous, proud, scared and a little teary-eyed. His daughter, Rebecca, was one of 41 Oklahoma City Police Academy graduates, a fresh group of men and women who will hit the streets in coming weeks. “It’s tough to sit and watch your daughter, the pride of your life, walk across the stage to take a job knowing it is potentially as dangerous as it could be,” Fry said. “It’s tough.” Rebecca was one of six female graduates in a class that also included five bilingual officers and four AfricanAmericans — figures that are important as police departments across the country look for ways to diversify, especially in urban communities like OKC. “Obviously, there are a lot of challenges [to being a police officer] and the career isn’t for everybody,” said graduate James Runner. “But for the people it is for, it’s a calling. It’s an honor.” In a time when YouTube videos of officers using force in questionable ways and media reports that can paint police as callous individuals are readily available, a police academy graduation offers a raw look at the pure motives many officers have for joining the force. “These guys have a big heart,” said Cpt. Juan Balderrama, a member of the department’s media relations team. “You have a bunch of eager people here. They are doing this not to get rich, not because its safe but because they want to make this a better place to live.”

“It’s up to us to continue building trust,” said Deloera, who is fluent in Spanish. The desire to serve the community, which new graduates say led them to the complete the 28-week police academy, is evident to their family members who say police officers can often get an unfair reputation. “She’s always wanted to do something for somebody else,” said Fry, Rebecca’s father. “So it doesn’t surprise me too much that she has become a [police officer]. It makes me nervous, but it doesn’t surprise me.” Alma Deloera receives flowers from her daughter, Tatiana, 7, and her niece, Belle Reyna, 6, after an Oklahoma City Police Academy recruit class graduation at First United Methodist Church last week.

A new world

New graduates enter a world where minorities are arrested at higher rates than whites, where mistrust of police appears to be at an all-time high — Pew Research reports 65 percent of Americans believe department only of a fair or poor job at handling officer accountability — and politics and cable news have turned a conversation about police actions into nightly talking points. These new officers will not play a part in the national discussion on police actions, but graduate Alma Deloera said each officer plays an important role in building trust in the community.

6 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Bilingual officers

During a time of tension between law enforcement and minority communities, the hiring of police officers who can communicate with citizens who speak a foreign language is important. OKC’s Hispanic population nearly doubled from 2000 to 2010, and while not all of the 110,000 Hispanic residents speak Spanish, a large number do. “It used to be that we would locate our [Spanish speaking officers] in specific parts of town,” Balderrama said. “But now they are needed in every part of the city.” Two of the officers to recently graduate from the academy speak fluent Spanish, including Deloera, who will join the city’s bilingual unit. “We have several officers who speak Spanish and will hopefully be able to call on one of those officers if they are ever needed,” Balderrama said. Balderrama also said that some

officers speak other languages and are fluent in sign language. Tommy Tran is another new graduate of the police academy and can speak Laotian. “I can see where some in the Asian population [in Oklahoma City] might not want to talk to the police,” said Tran, referring to the relationship between law enforcement and the community in some parts of Asia. “But having more Asians on the department helps that. I just think that its very important in general for our department to be diverse. It helps relationships between us and the community.” The new class of police offices features five bilingual officers, including two who also speak Vietnamese. Prior to the academy graduation, the Oklahoma City department was 6 percent African-American, while the city as a whole is close to 15 percent. Black officers in the department have said recruiting in the minority community can be a challenge because of the stigma some minorities have toward police. In addition to a diverse police force, the OKC PD says it has various programs designed to build relationships with local youth. There is also an effort to be transparent, Balderrama said. “We try to be very transparent; we put the good, the bad and the ugly out there,” Balderrama said. “If the community feels we are transparent, they are going to trust us more.”

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 7 11/25/14 11:05 AM

METRO BRIEFS

Fast track

P ROVI DE D

The Eastern Flyer rail line will finally connect Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

PROVIDE D

A privately operated passenger rail line between the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metros will begin in the spring, and OKC city officials have expressed a desire to see the train reach downtown. The current route map will see the Eastern Flyer terminate at 10th Street and Sooner Road, with buses transporting passengers to a location in downtown. However, Ward 4 Councilman Pete White said last month he said he wants to see the line extended to Bricktown or downtown OKC. “It may work alright [as it is], but I think it will be a deterrent to a long-term [success] to not have it reach downtown,” White said. “There are solutions on this end to at least bring the train into Bricktown.” City Manager Jim Couch said a meeting will be held with the owners of the new rail line to discuss options for bringing the line into downtown.

Mayor gets married

OKC has a new first lady. Mayor Mick Cornett, 56, and Terri Walker, 55, were married last month in Tulsa, where Walker works as a sales manager for KTUL. City Hall said that Walker plans to relocate here in the next few weeks. Mick and Terri first met on a blind date in Tulsa. The date was arranged by Cindy Morrison, who anchored with Cornett at KOCO in the 1990s. Morrison later moved to Tulsa’s KTUL, where she met Terri.

P ROVI DED

BY BEN FELDER

Easy outcry

Politicians and ministers held a press conference last week to express outrage over the way the city’s urban schools have been unfairly treated. Their complaints weren’t focused on inequalities that exist in school facilities, teacher pay or school funding when compared to more affluent school districts. Rather, the criticism was over a bad call during a football playoff game. “This is about an organization of adults that has taken something away from a group of Oklahoma children,” State Sen. Anastasia Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, said at last week’s press conference, not speaking about the state Legislature’s decision to cut over $200 million from the education budget over the last few years but instead about a Douglass High School touchdown that was disallowed due to a bad call. It cost the team a win and the opportunity to advance in state playoffs. “As a school system, we should place more value on academics than we do sports,” said Amber England, executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of Stand for Children, an organization that advocates for students and seeks to develop community support for schools. “There’s something to the fact that people get upset about a football game but don’t show up to a PTA meeting.” England said students in urban districts understand the way their schools might be shortchanged compared to those schools in more affluent neighborhoods. She also said the outcry over a football game, while possibly justified, also sends a message. “There are a lot more important reasons to be upset,” England said. To say Oklahoma educators and parents haven’t been vocal in their frustration with education funding and leadership would be inaccurate. Over 25,000 teachers gathered at the state capitol this year to protest the state’s education funding cuts. The rally was one that the OKC Public School District

8 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

did not allow its teachers to officially participate in, but there were many OKC teachers on hand. While England said the Douglass football game debate is an example of how sports can appear to take precedence over academic performance, she believes the focus here is already shifting. “It’s a conversation we should be having, and I think we are starting to have that conversation in [OKC],” England said. The school district launched its Great Conversation last month, which includes a series of meetings over the next several months between community and business leaders to discuss ways to improve academic performance in the OKC school system. Pittman acknowledged that the attention on a football game might cause some to believe school priorities are misassigned.

This is about an organization of adults that has taken something away from a group of Oklahoma children. — Anastasia Pittman

“We’ve been at the forefront of education, and we don’t want to devalue education by making a ruckus about a football game,” Pittman said, admitting she has heard some complaints that too much of a focus is being placed on sports. “But this is an issue that is important to my constituents.” Pittman has advocated for higher teacher pay, college tuition assistance and other issues related to inside the classroom. “This [football issue] has received high volumes of attention, not just because of constituent calls,” Pittman said. “This thing began to snowball over the weekend; I was inundated with instant messaging, text messaging, phone calls. However, when we have other education issues, we don’t always have the community support because they are not aware of it.”

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) denied the district’s request to replay the game, but a judge said it review the case this week following a lawsuit filed by the school district. Following last week’s OSSAA board meeting, Brandon Carey, attorney for the OKC school district, said the district’s appeal was on behalf of the Douglass students. “We are fighting for those students over there,” Carey said. “We are fighting for them to be given a fair shot.” Fights to give students a fair shot in the classroom also take place, but this week shows it’s sometimes easier to get support for a fight when it involves a football. By the numbers

21. That’s how many airports Will Rogers World Airport will offer nonstop service to in 2015 with the launch of daily flights to Seattle via Alaska Airlines. “This is a very exciting announcement for the Oklahoma City market,” says Mark Kranenburg, director of airports. “Alaska Airlines has been high on our list of targeted airlines for several years. Say what?

“There is a right way and wrong way to teach about the Bible and other religious texts in public schools. The Hobby Lobby curriculum is an example of the wrong way.” That was the statement from Ayesha N. Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS), who praised the Mustang school district for its decision to drop a Bible course at its high school. Earlier this year, Steve Green, president of OKC-based Hobby Lobby, was successful in getting approval from Mustang to pilot a Bible course he developed. At previous events, Green expressed his desire to spread the message of Christianity through public schools. The Mustang course evoked criticism from several organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and AUSCS. Mustang officials announced last month they will not offer the Bible course and have no future plans to do so. (See related story on P. 12.)

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 9 11/25/14 12:14 PM

P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K

NEWS STATE

Thinking big

above Cayla Lewis traveled to the Creativity World Forum this year in Belgium. She says the exchange of ideas there “blew [her] mind.” left Susan McCalmont, president of Creative Oklahoma, believes the Creativity World Forum picked OKC for its 2015 event due to the impression Oklahoma delegates recently made at a conference in Belgium.

Oklahoma City will host the 2015 Creativity World Forum, bringing thousands of minds together on topics as varied as education, commerce and culture. BY BEN FELDER

Oklahoma is a hub of creativity. Silicon Valley, New York City and the Pacific Northwest might get attention for being regions of innovation and progress, but the Sooner State holds its own as a creative center, and the world is taking notice. Oklahoma City will host the Creativity World Forum in March, welcoming thousands of delegates to discuss entrepreneurial vision. Members from several global districts of creativity (DC) will come to OKC, which is home to the only DC in North America. “We had to figure out a way to make Oklahoma a player in this new ideas economy,” said Susan McCalmont, president of Creative Oklahoma, a statewide nonprofit formed in 2006 to advance the use of creativity and innovation-based initiatives in education, commerce and culture. Creative Oklahoma is a part of the global DC Network, an organization based in Belgium that believes “transregional collaborations can foster the exchange of best practices and experiences of stimulating creativity and innovation in business, culture and education,” according to the organization’s website. “We know that in classrooms, all children learn better when gifts and talents are encouraged and nurtured to do amazing things,” McCalmont said. “The same is true in the business community.” Creative Oklahoma promotes ways to enhance the use of creativity in

education, business and culture, all in an effort to plant the seed for initiatives that can solve big problems.

Harnessing ideas

“[Creative Oklahoma] is helping to develop and harness the huge capacity in Oklahoma for great ideas, new thinking and new business opportunities so Oklahoma becomes a player in the 21st century,” said Sir Ken Robinson, a prominent speaker on ingenuity, a former national advisor for Creative Oklahoma and the most viewed presenter of the popular TED Talks. “What Oklahoma is trying to do almost every state in the union is trying to do.” Robinson, who will headline the world forum in OKC next year, said our state has many unique characteristics that make it an ideal location for creative ideas. He said a smaller population, strong leadership and the relatively low risk of starting new organizations and businesses can help make the state an incubator for creative ideas. This year’s world forum was held in Kortrijk, Belgium, and 18 Oklahoma delegates traveled to the event last month. “The conference itself was amazing; it blew my mind,” said Cayla Lewis, a state delegate who traveled to Belgium. Lewis, a community relations coordinator for Downtown OKC, Inc., said the speakers, team building with other delegates and seeing new ideas from other countries made her trip a valuable experience. She also is excited to host

10 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Oklahoma’s forum after interest in our state piqued in Belgium. “I think the biggest thing about the forum was the impression we left on those people and maybe their idea of Oklahoma,” Lewis said. “We were the only group from the United States. That was kind of cool to be the representative of our state and even the United States.”

World-class creativity

The world forum is March 31 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., and organizers said that delegates from other countries will travel across central Oklahoma to see examples of innovative businesses and organizations before the event officially begins. The forum will feature presentations from Michael Strautmanis, vice president of strategic programs for corporate citizenship at the Walt Disney Company; Stephan Turnipseed, executive director of Strategic Partnerships at LEGO Education; and Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director of The Imagination Institute. One goal for Creative Oklahoma, the DC Network and the annual world forum is to highlight the importance of bringing diverse people together and showcasing their individual talents. Lewis said her trip to Belgium was enhanced because the delegation included a variety of people she has since worked with on other projects after they returned from the conference. “You never know what can happen

when you bring people together and put ideas together,” Lewis said. “Something crazy can happen that you never knew was possible.” The 2015 world forum does more than showcase OKC; it also lets hundreds of local residents gather and learn about improvements in this region and ways it can become stronger. “It gave a sense of hope to people who had given up hope on Oklahoma,” McCalmont said about the last world forum held here in 2010. “It was a paradigm changer.” The success of the 2010 world forum inspired an annual conference for Oklahomans, and each year, Creative Oklahoma hosts a one-day event that consistently sells out. “After the forum in 2010, we wondered, ‘How do we respond to these young people who are craving to get to know each other?’” McCalmont said. With the help of Creative Oklahoma, the forums also have drawn guests from organizations across the United States. In a few months, the city will play host to a world forum that some might not believe fits into Oklahoma stereotypes. But for those who have witnessed the innovations, developments and new ideas created here over the last several years, OKC hosting a global event makes sense. “There’s a lot to show off here,” McCalmont said. “It’s a great opportunity for us.”

CHiCKEN CKEN

FR FRiED NEWS

Halting for a good cause

Garth Brooks once again proves that he’s the nice, upstanding man he seems to be. The Yukon-raised country music star dominated Billboard Country Albums charts for the second week in a row with his comeback album, Man Against Machine. This is Brook’s first fulllength album of new material since 2001. According to Rolling Stone, the album sold 62,000 copies the last week of November. Brooks has been on a national tour promoting his new album, including an appearance on the Thanksgiving episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Following the grand jury decision to not indict officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Brooks issued this statement on his Facebook page: “We landed in NY last night to the news of the civil unrest that was going on in our nation. To spend the day promoting our stuff like nothing

was wrong, seemed distasteful to me. I will gladly reschedule any or all appearances the networks will allow. Love one another, g” Stay classy, Mr. Brooks, and keep standing up for what you believe in.

Always on the record?

And, unlike Mr. Nicey-Pants, our city’s county deputy assessor Larry Stein recently shared a not-so-nice opinion regarding the Ferguson, Missouri, protests. He posted to his Facebook: “There hasn’t been this great of a racial divide in America since the 1805’s. Congrats to the thugs and animals in Ferguson.” Yeah, there’s this thing called the First Amendment. He posted it to his own page. The post has been removed. He replied via email to KFOR.com with this comment: “I have removed my private personal thoughts, shared on a webpage, that proves some people have very thin skin and may try to bully those who speak things they

don’t like to hear.” In other words, “You can’t handle the truth!” (Read out loud in the voice of Jessep (Jack Nicholson) in A Few Good Men.) Many readers disagreed, and some even called for his resignation. Social media expert Patrick Allmond told KFOR.com: “There’s no ‘on the record,’ ‘off the record’ anymore when you’re on social media. You are always on the record.”

Funny weather

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, has made some fairly outlandish claims over the past few years, but this one takes the rugelach. In an article published by Mother Jones on Dec. 2, political journalist David Corn recounted a run-in he had with Inhofe in December 2009. While roaming around a climate change summit in Copenhagen, speaking his truths to anyone who would listen, Inhofe told Corn

that a number of “Hollywood liberals and extreme environmentalists” were responsible for what Inhofe deems the climate change hoax. When Corn asked for specific names, Inhofe delivered a doozy right out of the gate: Barbra Streisand. Yes, that’s right. In the midst of recording a new album, touring and becoming an active, vocal champion for awareness of women’s heart disease, America’s favorite Funny Girl has been spreading lies about climate change. She’s a busy lady, you know. Streisand was not amused by Inhofe’s comments and took to Twitter to voice her concern after posting Corn’s article. “This would be hilarious if it weren’t so frightening. I thank Sen. Inhofe for singling me out as a voice against the perils of climate change,” she tweeted Dec. 2. “God help us! This man is going to head the Committee on the

Thank You 2014 TURKEY TROT PARTICIPANTS Your participation directly helps other Oklahomans! • Family Treatment Center • Therapeutic Foster Care • Substance Abuse Prevention • Youth Mentoring

For more information OR to make a donation contact Sharra at srivera@eagleridgeok.org 12 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Environment in the US Senate. Like giving a fox the keys to the chicken coop.” Did we mention that Inhofe is poised to become the leader of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee? And don’t forget his book, The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future. Papa, can you hear me? Things are looking dire.

land-grant universities, OSU is committed to sustainability in our practices, education, research and outreach,” said OSU President Burns Hargis in a media statement. “We are nurturing a culture of respect for, and commitment to, sustainable practices and environmental stewardship with our students that will extend beyond our campuses. We are honored to receive this distinction and will continue to expand the use of green power to improve our campuses and our world.”

Green with pride

Dropping gas prices and jaws

OSU angry. OSU smash. Whoops, sorry. Wrong green power. Oklahoma State University is actually very happy, as the school was recently recognized by the U.S. EPA with a Green Power Leadership Award. The prize honors leading “voluntary” green power users across the country, reported the Stillwater News Press. “As one of the nation’s leading

Your cheaper gas prices are hurting the men and women — mostly white men — who manage Oklahoma’s largest energy companies. While most Americans are celebrating lower fuel prices, Oklahoma, which is highly dependent on the oil and gas industry, does better with higher gas prices. The stocks of energy giants like Devon and Chesapeake have taken

hits with oil prices dropping and city and state leaders are concerned about what it could mean for the economy long-term. Colder temperatures in the coming weeks could drive up the demand for natural gas and new drilling technology could also help local energy company stocks rebound, but every time you fill your gas tank for less than $30 some energy executive had to sell another yacht. Don’t you feel like a jerk?

is there a plan to provide such a course in the foreseeable future,” said Mustang superintendent Sean McDaniel in an email sent to the Freedom from Religion Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and quoted in the Washington Post. The curriculum’s author, Jerry Pattengale, said he’s undaunted in his mission and “remains committed to providing an elective high school Bible curriculum and continues work on an innovative, high-tech course that will provide students and teachers with a scholarly overview of the Bible’s history, narrative and impact,” he told the Washington Post. While pagans and liberals rejoiced at the news, we imagine the Green family was a bit disappointed but cured their blues by swimming Scrooge McDuck-like in a skyscrapersafe full of money and historical bible artifacts.

There is no God ... curriculum

Now that the Supreme Court is in his pocket, Hobby Lobby president Steve Green is coming after your children! JK! Though Green has been behind a push to get Mustang schools to teach a Bible curriculum, the school ultimately rejected the class, simply stating that “the topic of a Bible course in the Mustang school district is no longer a discussion item nor

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COMMENTARY

Ferguson, our problem BY ADAM SOLTANI

In 2013, I was honored to be in the presence of Dr. George Henderson in a course that I took at the University of Oklahoma. Henderson gave us a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to not only read his book, Race and the University: A Memoir, but to ask questions to an individual that had experienced the black civil rights movement firsthand about race relations in the United States. Although there were many questions lingering on my mind, there was one that I had to ask: “You have lived to see a lot of changes in Oklahoma and America; you have been instrumental in many of those changes. Have we truly seen progress as a nation in terms of race relations?” Henderson’s response was one that I believe we see reflected in the reactions in cities all across our state and country following the Nov. 24 decision in Ferguson, Missouri, when a grand jury

declined to indict a local policeman for the death of an unarmed 18-year-old black man. “We have made a little progress,” Henderson said. “But we still have a long way to go.” He went on to explain that one major change he witnessed was the newfound lack of social acceptability to be racist and/or bigoted. The underlying causes of racism have not fully been dealt with, and until and unless they are, it is impossible to truly embrace diversity and multiculturalism in our society. Oklahomans want to see change and are taking a strong stance so we might not experience our own Ferguson. Following the tragic death of Michael Brown, hundreds gathered on the north steps of Oklahoma’s Capitol to say, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” and stood in peaceful solidarity with the

protestors in Ferguson. Within days following the Nov. 24 decision, groups in Tulsa and Oklahoma City organized vigils and rallies to let Oklahoma and America know that “Black Lives Matter” and we will continue this “Journey for #Justice.” Ferguson is not just a race issue. Ferguson should not only be a concern for the black community, as this more than just an isolated incident. Ferguson is our problem, and it’s one that we have a history of pretending does not exist. But all signs point to the reality that minorities, and blacks in particular, face a concerning increase in cases of police brutality in our country. We can only begin to work on a solution once we have accepted that we, as a nation, have a problem. Oklahoma Muslims, which includes a sizeable black population, know all

too well what it is like to deal with bias, bigotry and hatred against our community. We all feel the impact of hate crimes, discrimination and attacks on our religious institutions. We know all too well what it is like to be on the receiving end of abuse of power by law enforcement. As an Oklahoma Muslim community, we also know what it is like to hope for change and to see justice. We stand in solidarity with people everywhere who are calling for justice, peace and an end to racial profiling. We, as humans, have hope that one day, the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. described will come to fruition. Soltani is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and executive director of the Oklahoma Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

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 jchancellor@ okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette. com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification. Legalize it

Oklahoma has a painkiller epidemic with new addicts every day and prescription drug accidental overdoses happening too frequently. People are either suffering or becoming opioid dependent because a naturally occurring plant is illegal in Oklahoma. If a person takes Percocet every six hours for seven days, that person will experience physical withdrawal from opium (diarrhea, chills and fever, loss of appetite, nausea and possibly death). If a person smokes marijuana every six hours for seven days, that person experiences no physical withdrawal symptoms. No one has died from a marijuana overdose. Marijuana should be legal in Oklahoma. Gov. Mary Fallin endorses a gun range with a bar that sells alcohol. This is a tragedy waiting to happen.

If Gov. Fallin legalized both medical and recreational marijuana, the income the state would receive could be used for better education, better bridges and highways and to make repairs of the state of Oklahoma capitol building. — David Dill Norman Freedom from religion

Robin Meyers has once again found something to frown disapprovingly over (Commentary, “If Only I Were a Corporation,” Robin Meyers, Aug. 6, Oklahoma Gazette), but then, we always knew that he would, didn’t we? No matter what Robin may wish to think, the court made a valid decision in the Hobby Lobby case, recognizing that yes, the Greens do indeed have freedom from the religion of their employees. After all, freedom from religion and freedom of religion are mutually required things; where you do not have one, you do not have either, and any claims that one is more important than the other are symptoms of a failure to pay enough consideration to their natures and needs. It is, however, a shame that as so

14 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

many other liberal voices, Mr. Meyers has claimed that Hobby Lobby’s employees are now prevented from access to contraception. The ruling is only that the Greens do not have to pay for it, and it does absolutely nothing to limit the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Still, it is a shame that it had to come to this. Let us hope that Congress eventually replaces mandatory insurance with a health care voucher extension to the minimum wage, thereby eliminating the entire argument in one fell swoop. That the health care mandate was ever included is a sign of the tunnel vision Democrats hold in respect to health care. And Robin? Your tax metaphor is

directly equivalent to saying that you have a moral say in respect to how I spend money that you have given to me as payment. All moral responsibility ends when the dollar changes hands. Your moral responsibility in regards to taxes is political in nature, not fiscal. Otherwise, everyone must be a slave to everyone else. — Jared Maddox Oklahoma City

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 15

Congrats Grads! 1,217 promises kept 1,217 dreams realized 1,217 lives transformed The Central community congratulates the 1,217 Bronchos graduating in our fall 2014 class!

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It’s unavoidable. Tech is everywhere this holiday season. These trends showcase versatility and style.

P HOTOS BY GA RETT FI S BEC K

2014 tech gift guide Amanda Fortney poses with her Kindle Fire.

BY GREG HORTON

Fitness Fitness is one of the fastest growing segments of the consumer electronics market, and thanks to Apple and Android apps, devices can now communicate more quickly and efficiently with phones and tablets. Jay Kelly, Jay Kelly director of business and his Fitbit. development for 9Tribe, a custom software development firm, said he uses the Fitbit Flex bracelet as part of his daily fitness routine. The Flex is a wearable fitness monitor that tracks steps, distance traveled,

N K HA

COC

calories burned and sleep cycle. The bracelet wirelessly downloads information to phones or tablets, including the new health app on Apple’s iOS 8, and costs just under $100 on the Fitbit website. There are a few options, including one that fits in a pocket, and prices vary depending upon model chosen. Kelly said the device has become integral to his daily routine. “When I look at my wrist at noon and realize I’m nowhere AT&T near my activity goal for Hotspot the day, I get out of my chair and start moving,” he said. One of the primary competitors for Fitbit is Jawbone Up. Although a little more expensive than Fitbit ($129), Jawbone allows more customization of design. It is fair to say the design elements are a little more feminine than Fitbit’s, but it boasts the same ease of use. Colleen Dame is a local corporate wellness manager, and she said fitness devices are a good way to engage people who are hesitant to visit a traditional gym. “The devices really are fun,” Dame said, “and the daily reports can be eyeopening, encouraging users to move more and track their progress.” MAR

Despite daily technology moving away from diverse gadgets and toward apps, the gadget market is still expected to be robust this year. Americans are expected to spend more than $30 billion on consumer electronics during the 2014 holiday season, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Echoing those predictions for a record year, IHS, Inc., a research and information firm, said they expect nearly 70 percent of Americans to purchase consumer electronics for the holidays. In the area of business equipment, fitness and consumer electronics, Americans still rely on the enhancements gadgets provide. We talked to business professionals around the metro to find out what products they were using for business or personal reasons. While smart phones and tablets still dominate the list of mostused and most-wanted gadgets, there are other products that add aesthetic and practical value to our lives.

Music Streaming services like Pandora and Spotify have revolutionized the ways we listen to music, and

serious home electronics systems now make it simple to add these streaming services to home entertainment. Sonos makes several options, from portable wireless speakers to fully integrated home music systems. Thomas Hill, chief operating officer at Kimray, Inc., a line control manufacturer for the oil and gas industry, has Sonos speakers in nearly every room of his house, including portable speakers that he can take to the pool or garage. “The Sonos system uses a proprietary communications protocol that syncs the speakers in every room,” Hill said. “I researched systems before deciding on Sonos, and many of the systems had lag time from room to room, so you would hear different things if you were close to another room.” The Sonos is easy to set up and allows users to add streaming services easily. Additionally, the whole system can be operated from an iPhone or Android app. Prices range from $200 for a portable, wireless speaker to several thousand depending upon configuration.

Connectivity Wireless connectivity has become a necessity, or at least a preference, outside the home as well, and portable hotspots are becoming more common. Apple added one to the latest iPhone, which means the market will continue to expand. For people outside normal service areas or for multiple connections to a hotspot, AT&T Unite uses the Netgear AirCard 770S to create one of the best portable hotspots on the market for about $150.

Dustin and Cealy Mills, owners of Elite Document Imaging, LLC, use the Unite when on remote locations for energy research, but the applications also extend to more fun activities like camping or a day at the lake. “We use a prepaid system, so we only pay for what we actually use and avoid monthly billing,” Dustin Mills said.

Paperless Another device that helps with work processes is the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500, a wireless scanner that is an office workhorse in a very small package. John Ross, managing partner of Packard’s New American Kitchen, uses the scanner for document storage, and he said it has greatly simplified inventory control and management. The Fujitsu has a document feeder that actually works well, and it scans a document in under three seconds. Each document is converted to a searchable pdf, meaning that a standard search on iOS or Windows will locate any words or numbers in the document. No more file cabinets or hopeless searches for misfiled invoices.

Tablets The variety and availability of tablets has increased every year since Apple released its first iPad, and now, solid quality can be had for under $200. The Kindle Fire is one such device. Amanda Fortney, a musician and music teacher, said her Kindle Fire provides all the functions she needed for much less than more expensive devices.

Read more of this story

exclusively at okc.BIZ

David Hamilton,

KGOU listener and giver OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 19

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recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Sara Cunningham Book Signing, author of How We Sleep at Night; also joined by her son who will perform a musical program, 6:30-8 p.m., Dec. 11. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Children’s Book Authors and Illustrator’s Day, story time led by eight children’s book authors and illustrators, 1-2:30 p.m., Dec. 13. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth, Edmond, 340-9202, bestofbooksedmond.com. SAT Rand Elliott Book Signing, Oklahoma architect and author of Word Paintings, 3-4:30 p.m., Dec. 13. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Terry Britton Poetry Reading, former president of Rose State College; has been writing poetry since the 1970s with a few poems published in various magazines, 2 p.m., Dec. 14. The Depot, 200 S. Jones, Norman, 3079320, pasnorman.org. SUN Gary Conrad Book Signing, author of Murder on Easter Island, story of a detective who is faced with gruesome crimes and never could have predicted what is to come, 2-3:30 p.m., Dec. 14. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SUN Thomas Oden Book Signing, author of A Change of Heart, intellectual and spiritual memoir of one of the last century’s most celebrated liberals, 5:30-6 p.m., Dec. 16. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE

FILM Last Days in Vietnam, (U.S., 2014, dir. Rory Kennedy) documentary assembled from rare archival footage; examines the United States military’s hurried exit from South Vietnam, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 11; 5:30 p.m., Dec. 12. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. THU-FRI More Than Frybread, (U.S., 2011, dir. Travis Holt Hamilton) mockumentary comedy; frybread-making gurus travel to Flagstaff, Arizona to participate in the 1st annual Arizona Frybread Competition, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m., Dec. 12. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 517-0787, theparamountokc.com. FRI Actress, (U.S., 2014, dir. Robert Greene) documentary of Brandy Burre as she decides to make a comeback and the life she’s created for her family starts to fall apart, 8

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OKG picks are events

The Naughty List Naughty or nice? We prefer the former. Apparently, so do Oklahoma musicians. Celebrate the release of The Naughty List at an all-ages party 8 p.m.-midnight Friday at Stash, 412 E. Main St., in Norman. The Naughty List is the fifth Okie-centric holiday album presented by Fowler Volkswagen and recorded at Blackwatch Studios in Norman. It features musicians Jarod Evans, Chad Copelin, Benjamin King, Ryan Lindsey, Brine Webb, Cale Chronister, Josh Evans, Brad Price, Jordan Elder, Nathan Price and Sherree Chamberlain. You won’t find coal, but you will find refreshments, craft beer by COOP Ale Works and live music. For more information, visit fowlervwchristmas.com.

Friday the big screen to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the musical, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m., Dec. 14; 7 p.m., Dec. 15. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 424-0461, cinemark.com. SUN-MON

p.m., Dec. 12. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI National Gallery, (FR, 2014, dir. Frederick Wiseman) details the life of the London museum over the course of the filmmaker’s twelve-week stay, 4 & 8 p.m., Dec. 13; 2 p.m., Dec. 14. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-SUN

Sherlock Jr., (U.S., 1924, dir. Buster Keaton) comedic silent film in which the main character longs to be a detective and gets to put his skills to use when he is framed for stealing; local pianist Breck McGough will play his original score during the showing, 2 p.m., Dec. 14. Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park, 2318650, metrolibrary.org. SUN

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, (U.S., 1954, dir. Michael Curtiz) the beloved holiday classic is coming back to

HAPPENINGS Holiday Pop-Up Shops, shop local stores during this weekly holiday shopping village in Midtown; every week hosts new pop-ups from some of your favorite stores, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Dec. 11-13; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Dec. 14. OKC PopUps, 399 NW 10th St., okcpopups.com. THU-SUN

PROVIDED

Kenbe Fem, photographic body of work compiled photographer and missionary, Maria Atkinson; she will also share stories about her experience as a missionary photojournalist in Haiti, 7-10 p.m., Dec. 12. The Parish, 1757 N.W. 16th, 474-1783, theparishokc.com. FRI Gingerbread House Contest, holiday contest and fun for the whole family; categories include ages 5-11, 12-17 and 18 and up, 2 p.m., Dec. 13. Edmond Historical Society & Museum, 431 S. Boulevard, Edmond, 340-0078, edmondhistory.org. SAT

Something Merry This Way Comes

Winter Shoppes, quaint winter shopping village with ice skating and a carousel; goods, gifts ideas, decor and lots of other goodies, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Dec. 11-14. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. THU-SUN

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park shares an aural present including holiday songs, readings, poems and stories in Something Merry This Way Comes 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St. It’s directed by Caprice Woosley, who also directed the group’s successful summer production of Pericles. Works by Dylan Thomas, O. Henry, Clement Clarke Moore and John Milton will be featured. Tickets are $8 for youth and $10 for adults. Call 235-3700.

FOOD

Friday-Saturday

20 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Health by Chocolate, learn how to use chocolate to enhance your food and your health, 1:30-3 p.m., Dec. 10. Natural Grocers, 7001 N. May Ave., 840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. WED Intro to Basic Herbalism, learn what herbalism is, how it works and why; learn about some of your favorite herbs and spices and the healing or harming effect in nutrition, 6 p.m., Dec. 11. Dope Chapel, 115 S. Crawford Ave., Norman, facebook.com/Dop3chapel. THU

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Oklahoma City Ballet introduces its all-new production of The Nutcracker for a 10-show run Saturday through Dec. 22 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Showcased this year are new costumes by Susanne Hubbs, a new set designed by Emmy Awardwinning Gregory Crane and familyfriendly choreography by Robert Mills — all while staying true to the original libretto performance. Tchaikovsky’s classic score will be performed nightly by Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Tickets cost $15-$59. Visit okcciviccenter.com or call 297-2584.

Saturday-Sunday, ongoing Christmas Crawl, local charity fundraiser crawl for OK Foster Wishes; dress up, eat and drink at various favorite local businesses, 6 p.m., Dec. 12. Deep Deuce Grill, 307 N.E. 2nd, 235-9100, deepdeucegrill.com. FRI Essential Oils Class: Brown Sugar Scrub, learn to make brown sugar scrub; perfect for gifts, 6 p.m., Dec. 15. Buy For Less, 3501 Northwest Expressway, 946-6342, buyforlessok.com. MON

YOUTH Feathered Friends Scavenger Hunt, learn about the birds of Oklahoma; collect clues throughout the garden to help each bird find something it needs, Dec. 10-17. Children’s Garden, 301 W. Reno & Harvey, 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com. FRI

SHOWS THRU DEC 27

Wild Wish Tree, be your favorite animals secret Santa; choose ornaments from the Wild Wish Tree to learn what’s on their wish list for you to donate, Dec. 10-17. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington, 424-3344, okczoo.com. MON Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast and festive pictures with Mr & Mrs. Claus, 9:30 a.m., Dec. 6. Skirvin Hilton Hotel, 1 Park Ave., 272-3040, skirvinhilton.com. SAT

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Yarn Snowman Canvas, create your own holiday craft, 10 a.m.-noon, Dec. 13. Michaels, 5012 N. May, 942-8920, michaels.com. SAT Drop-In Art: Van Gogh Snowmen, guest artists as they interact with families to create extraordinary works of art inspired by the Museum’s collection, exhibitions and special occasions, 1-4 p.m., Dec. 13. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

TICKETS :: 405.524.9312 LYRICTHEATREOKC.COM OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 21

replaces need for iTunes App!

All smartphone and tablet users will love how adaptable it is for their on-the-go lifestyle. So go check out okgazette.com for all your news, arts and entertainment needs.

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continued

Chesapeake Energy Snow Tubing Snow tubing might just be the most fun you’ll have outside this holiday season. Saturday and Sunday, head over to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, and slide into opening weekend. Guests clamber up one of the tallest manmade slopes we know of and then glide down in a provided tube. Tickets for single, 90-minute sessions are $12 and are available at okcdodgers.com and ticketmaster. com. For the full schedule, visit downtownindecember.com.

Saturday-Sunday, ongoing

PERFORMING ARTS Todd Rexx, stand-up comedy; over the top impersonations and brilliant crowd interaction, 8 p.m., Dec. 10-11; 8 & 10:30 p.m., Dec. 12-13. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED-SAT

Holiday Pipes, improvised concert by Dr. John Schwandt; on the spot responses to submitted audience requests for their favorite holiday music on the Mildred Andrews Boggess Memorial Organ, 8 p.m., Dec. 12. Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, 325-0538, musicaltheatre.ou.edu/facilities/catlett. FRI Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker, a Holiday celebration based the the life of Jane Austen and the fictional characters she created including, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Jane herself, her sister Cassandra

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The Games Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays, comedic murder mystery; William Gillette takes on the persona of Sherlock Holmes as he tries to track down who killed one of his guests, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 11; 8 p.m., Dec. 12-13; 2 p.m., Dec. 14. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 232-6500, carpentersquare.com. THU-SUN

A Territorial Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens classic tale, adapted by Oklahoma playwright, Stephen P. Scott, is set in the days of the Oklahoma Land Run, 8 p.m., Dec. 11-12; 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., Dec. 13; 2 p.m., Dec. 14. The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison, Guthrie, 2822800, thepollard.org. THU-SUN

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The Nature of Man: Paintings and Drawings The Nature of Man: Paintings and Drawings by Harold Stevenson includes 21 works by the Idabel native. Showcased pieces include Bandits (pictured), painted in 1958 and donated to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in 2013 by Idabel designer Ross Dugan Jr. Stevenson’s work often pairs land topography with curves of the human form. Stevenson was largely self-taught. He was born in 1929 and studied at Oklahoma University before moving to New York City in 1949. See the exhibit at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., in Norman 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Subject matter might not be suitable for younger visitors. The exhibit runs through March 15. Admission is free. Visit ou.edu/fjjma.

Wednesday-Wednesday, ongoing

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and many more, 8 p.m., Dec. 12-13; 2 p.m., Dec. 14. Reduxion Theatre Company, 914 N. Broadway, Ste. 120, 651-3191, reduxiontheatre.com. FRI-SUN Jake Johannsen, comedian who has appeared on shows such as The Late Show with David letterman, HBO Young Comedian’s Special among many others, 7:30-11:30 p.m., Dec. 17. Oklahoma Contemporary, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., OK, 951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. WED

ACTIVE OKC Barons vs. Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL hocky game; affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m., Dec. 12-13. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 6028500, coxconventioncenter.com. FRI 50/50 Hollywood Workout, join instructor Kelly Hancock in an interval training class that combines 50 minutes of strength and 50 minutes of cycling, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Dec. 13. PACER Fitness Center, 5520 N. Independence, 949-3891. SAT Santa’s Adventure on the Oklahoma River, be like Santa down the Santa Zip dropping presents into chimney targets, experience the Rumble Drop and fall faster than a snowflake, climb to the North Pole on the SandRidge Sky Trail along with many other adventures, 1-8 p.m., Dec. 12-13. Boathouse District, 725 S. Lincoln Blvd., 552-4040, boathousedistrict.org. FRI-SAT Nightlight Run, 5K run/walk through the Holiday Lights Spectacular, 5:45 p.m., Dec. 13. Joe B. Barnes Regional Park, 8700 E. Reno, Midwest City, 739-1293, midwestcityok.org. SAT OKC Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns, NBA basketball game, 6 p.m., Dec. 14. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. SUN

VISUAL ARTS

301 nw 10th - M1dtown okc

Celebrations, exhibit showcasing acrylic painters Sue Hale, Dana Powell and Mary Howard along with glass artist Nicki Albright. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo, 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com. espongo i miei sentimenti, exhibition of new work by Oklahoma City based artist, designer, architect, and builder Larry Dean Pickering. Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery, NW 27th and Blackwelder Ave., 208-5229. Goddess/Anti-Goddess, artists Deborah Brackenbury, Elyse Bogart, Douglas Shaw Elder & Karyn Gilman explore the history of deification and vilification the female form and psyche have faced. IAO Art Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan, 232-6060, iaogallery.org. Journey of a Self-Taught Artist, exhibit by Joeallen Gibson; demonstrates the evolution of techniques and the changes in his style of works, as he matures over the years after becoming a full time artist. Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo, 525-2688, thepaseo.com.

Join us this

hol1day

Meg Deb Art Opening, artist who inspires and moves people by making colors come to life in her artwork; also featuring music from Calvin Arsenia, 7 p.m., Dec. 13. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 5170787, theparamountokc.com. SAT

season

Spiritual Hunger, exhibit of Norman artist, Laura Reese; an innovative show combining food, gardening, and visual art. The Project Box, 3003 Paseo, 609-3969, theprojectboxokc.com. The Animal Kingdom, clayboard etchings by Linda Hiller; Masonite board with a layer of clay, covered with ink and then artwork is etched by hand. The Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928 B Paseo St., 831-3279, summerwinegallery.com.

fresh trees for sale!

with

The Toy Maker, a collection of recreated “Once Toys” which have been reanimated to amuse anew. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 N.W. 16th Street, 6046602, kasumcontemporary.com.

and

Art in Recycled Trash (A.R.T.) Show, features pieces of recycled and upcycled art; turning trash into treasures. Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, 900 W. Main St., 235-3700, oklahomashakespeare.org.

local shops right next door - see the entire schedule online Join us – We’re Hiring! MidFirst Bank is seeking candidates for a variety of call center opportunities in our home loan servicing operation. Open positions include:

Customer Service Representatives Loss Mitigation Plan Administrators Loan Counselors

MICH I SUSAN

Please complete an on-line application by visiting our website www.midfirst. jobs so we can schedule an opportunity to meet with you immediately or stop by our OPEN INTERVIEW EVENT and meet one of our hiring managers:

Deck the Walls 4x4 Art Show and Auction One night a year, this show and silent auction raises funds for Paseo Arts Association with its offerings of affordable and distinctive art that’s — you guessed it — 4 inches by 4 inches. If you’re too impatient to bid, each piece also has a $100 “buy it now” price option. Discover works by Oklahomans Matt Goad, Michi Susan, Dustin Oswald, Beatriz Mayorca, Clint Stone and others. Artists get 50 percent of the proceeds from their sales, so everyone wins. It takes place 5:308:00 p.m. Thursday at Studio Six, 3021 Paseo St. Call 525-2688 or email contact@thepaseo.com for more information.

Thursday

For OKG music picks see page 47

Thursday, December 4th 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. 501 NW Grand Blvd, OKC 73118 MidFirst Bank If you have previously applied and remain interested, please contact hr@ midfirst.com. We look forward to meeting you!

All candidates must complete an on-line application. If you are unable to attend or have previously submitted an application or were interviewed, please send us an e-mail to hr@midfirst.com to let us know that you are interested.

AA/Equal Opportunity Employer-M/F/Disability/Vets

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 23

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LIFE FOOD & DRINK

M A RK HA N COC K

Better than OK If you have a longing for both Korean cuisine and shopping, OK Ko-Mart has it all.

BY ANGELA BOTZER

One of the ways I often give myself a mini, one-hour vacation is by visiting ethnic grocery stores and restaurants that make me feel like I’ve been somewhere. It’s my way of relaxing, shopping for exotic ingredients and eating something entirely different. Luckily, the metro is replete with such stores and restaurants, including OK Ko-Mart Oriental Foods, 6000 SE 15th St., in Midwest City. This Korean market (with a restaurant in the back) has everything you need for creating authentic Asian fare.

Hot, fresh and unique

In the back of OK Ko, tucked away, is Hawaiian BBQ, a tiny, no-frills restaurant. Wait. What’s a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant doing in a Korean market? “I lived in Hawaii for 30 years. That’s how I learned to make the Hawaiian barbecue,” said Koreanborn restaurant owner Hee Kim. “The barbecue has a hint of pineapple in it.” However, the rest of the menu is authentically Korean. I ordered the Bibimbap ($9.99), a traditional Korean rice dish served in a hot stone bowl. It includes rice, kimchi, spicy hot barbecue sauce, sautéed zucchini, mung bean sprouts (with a kiss of sesame oil), marinated beef strips, stirfried green beans, sliced cucumber and carrots and is topped with a fried egg. This is seriously good, and quite frankly, for a few days after eating this, I was still craving Korean food — I love the healthy balance of ingredients. Many Koreans believe this dish also

heals the body, gives energy and helps ward off illness during the winter. It’s cliché to say that kimchi is either a love-it-or-hate-it type of food, but by all accounts, it is an acquired taste. However, it’s also amazingly healthy. It’s a probiotic, fermented cabbage superfood that is believed to enhance digestion. The kimchi here is spicy and fresh and accompanies most of the menu items, which makes me happy.

Many Koreans believe Bibimbap heals the body, gives energy and helps ward off illness during the winter. Beef bulgogi ($9.99), a much-loved Korean dish, is served flawlessly at Hawaiian BBQ. It’s barbecued beef served in thin strips with stir-fried and marinated vegetables over rice. The beef was cooked perfectly, with hints of sesame oil and mirin (a type of rice cooking wine) counterbalanced by the addition of sugar in the marinade. The fried dumpling plate ($7.99) is for the true dumpling aficionado, generous with no less than 12 dumplings. These traditional Korean dumplings, called mandoo, are stuffed with pork and thin potato starch noodles, placed on a bed of shredded cabbage and served with a dipping

sauce. This is a perfect dish to share with others, perhaps as an appetizer. Hawaiian BBQ has a steady lunch crowd and features lunchtime specials. Try the mix plate ($7.99), which includes marinated pork, bulgogi and chicken with rice, cucumbers, kimchi and beansprouts. Service is fast, and it’s a good deal for a fair amount of food. Also order the spicy tofu soup ($7.99), a meal in itself, or the stir-fried squid plate with rice and vegetables ($10.90).

Spice is nice

Some days, all food needs just a bit of Sriracha, and yes, OK Ko has your Sriracha — actually lots of varieties. It also sells dozens of varieties of soy sauces, rice vinegars, sesame oils, dipping sauces and sautéing sauces. There are marinades of every type, as well as a wide selection of barbecue sauces and chili garlic sauces. And next to the beloved Sriracha sauces, there are other hot sauces, such as sambal oelek, which is the color of a fire engine and matched in intensity. This chili paste, Javanese (Indonesian) in origin, is made of ground fresh chilies in vinegar and used in Korean cooking.

Dry and pre-cooked meals

There is an entire aisle of noodles. Wheat noodles and sweet potato starch noodles are common in Korean cuisine, along with mung bean noodles. Cellophane and bean thread noodles and buckwheat noodles also play an important role

Hawaiian BBQ includes short ribs, pork and beef bulgogi, surrounded by Korean sides, at Hawaiian BBQ, inside OK Ko-Mart in Midwest City. in Korean cooking. Other noodles included frequently in Asian cooking are udon, somen and soba noodles. Somen noodles are often served cold, accompanied by vegetables, soy sauce and sesame oil. In the freezer section, there is a wide selection of dumplings and a separate freezer section for kimchi, meat, fish and even Korean-style frozen dinners.

Set the tone

To show off your Korean cuisine cooking skills, OK Ko carries dinnerware as well. Chopsticks — both everyday and fancy gift sets — are on display. Porcelain serving plates (which would also double as sushi serving plates) and other dishes of every size are on the shelves. Pots, pans and clay pots for braising all give the air of authenticity.

Eat your vegetables

Korean cuisine has an emphasis on vegetables, sautéed, marinated or pickled. Beef — marinated or barbecue — often takes center stage. But there’s more. With roots in Taoism, a yin and yang balance of well-being accompanies the creation of each meal. Korean food is based on five tastes and five colors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy; and red, green, yellow, white and black.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 25

Saturdays • 8:30

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The right direction A new Edmond coffee shop is a quick but cozy alternative with a hyper-local approach. BY DEVON GREEN

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Ally Moore said she didn’t do anything that special. She wanted her neighborhood to have a warm, local place to buy good coffee and treats. She also wanted her customers to feel welcome buzzing through on busy mornings or hanging out in a relaxed environment. Did we mention it must have good local coffee? “That’s really all there is to it,” she said. “We decided to go for it.” (When she said “we,” she meant the two partners who prefer to remain behind the scenes.) Compass Coffeehouse, 900 NW 150th St., is a new spot in Edmond near Quail Springs, almost in northwest Oklahoma City. Before Compass, there was only one major chain coffee shop relatively close, and that one was still miles away. “There just hadn’t been anything really close by, and we didn’t want to do anything super trendy or anything; we just wanted to be more of a local stop for the neighborhood,” Moore said. And Compass offers coffee you won’t find at many metro locations. Topeca Coffee Roasters, 1229 E. Admiral Blvd., in Tulsa supplies Compass’ coffees. Its product, although mostly shade-grown in places like El Salvador, is supervised by the descendents of founder Rafael Álverez Lalinde, from bean to cup. Also, it roasts everything at its Tulsa headquarters. The family’s hands-on approach — and the fact that it’s local — convinced Moore to use Topeca. “They’ve been in business since 1850. Everything they produce is fair trade if it’s not from a farm they own. But really, it’s that we just loved their

A fresh brewed coffee drink is good for warming the hands as well as drinking at Compass Coffeehouse in Edmond. customer service with us — we knew they were the right choice,” she said. Compass’ pastries are made by another veteran local producer, Brown’s Bakery, which has been in business since 1946. The coffee house offers a daily selection of donuts, muffins, Danish pastries and gargantuan cinnamon rolls. For a more healthy start, try oatmeal or yogurt. Also find a selection of teas and warm, caramel-apple cider. “I have a meeting today with another local producer for more on the menu,” she said. “You could say we like to keep things local.” She’s being modest; her venue also is a member of Keep It Local OK, and cardholders get 10 percent off any espresso drink. Even with her emphasis on locally made and handcrafted goodies and drinks, Moore also understands that many of her customers are short on time. “We do have a drive-through,” she said. “We’re specialty coffee, and we do serve good coffee, but we know how to serve it on the go.” As for seasonal specials, Moore finished out November with a pumpkin spice. At press time, she was putting finishing touches on other seasonal specialty drinks, including one called True North. As for any other hints about the flavors or ingredients, it’s a surprise. She said to visit her shop to find out. Learn more at compasscoffeehouse. com or call 286-1440.

M A RK HA N COC K

Belly Dancing

Burgers for breakfast

GA RE TT FI S BE C K

FOOD BRIEFS

Truckburger just improved your morning with new brunch options. BY DEVON GREEN

Just when you thought it couldn’t be any more fun eating at Truckburger, Bricktown Brewery’s burger truck now serves brunch. How about some bacon and cheese slammed between two donuts? Yes, it exists and is called The Luther Burger. It’s not always available for breakfast, but it appears often enough to make your trip worthwhile. Especially when the standard breakfast menu includes Big Mike’s Breakfast Biscuit ($12) with bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon and cheese covered in sausage gravy. There’s also a traditional breakfast biscuit ($7) with your choice of meat served with hash browns on the side as well as biscuits and gravy ($5). Keep an eye out for Truckburger on Twitter (@truckburger). You can find out more about booking the truck by visiting bricktownbrewery. com or emailing truckburger@ bricktownbrewery.com. Pecan harvest

Just in time for pie season — or for those looking to unload themselves of some excess pecans — the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) is providing consumers and growers alike with informational updates each Thursday during the growing season, which started last month. According to ODAFF, this year’s crop should be approximately 14 million pounds. Due to drought and a late spring freeze, this year’s crops weigh on the light side. According to ODAFF, statewide, the harvest has been spotty, with a wealth in some areas and a dearth in others. However, both farmers and

Truckburger now offers brunch, too. consumers say the quality is better than last year’s harvest. Not all people think of pecans as a cash crop in Oklahoma, but National Agriculture in the Classroom (agclassroom.org) names the state the No. 5 largest producer in the nation. With the online data, you can watch as crops wax and wane — information helpful to growers and buyers. Visit the report at ams.usda.gov. If you do not have access to pecan trees and would like to experience a harvest, find a farm that allows you to pick your own at pickyourown.org/ OK.htm. The site offers information about where you can find the nuts yearround. The site also features information about freezing and canning techniques for enjoying year-round produce. Pecans are available at local farmers markets like the revamped OKC Farmers Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., and at OSU-OKC Farmers Market, 400 N. Portland Ave. Forget cookies

In further proof that bacon is poised for world domination, Farmland Foods fights hunger by claiming that it’s what Santa really wants under the tree. Participants pledge to leave bacon for Santa, take a selfie with him and post it to social media with the hashtag #BaconForSanta. Farmland takes care of the rest. In exchange for this pledge, Farmland donates 10 meals to Feeding America. To learn more about Feeding America, visit feedingamerica.org. For more information about the campaign, visit farmlandbaconclub.com.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 27

Hot dish Forget the hot chocolate and bring on the hot chiles! The cold wind ripping and the wet snow falling doesn’t mean another boring meal of chicken soup or beef stew for dinner. Plenty of local eateries specialize in unique, south-of-the-border fare. — By Louis Fowler Photos by Mark Hancock and Garett Fisbeck

Cafe Kacao 3325 N. Classen Blvd. cafekacao.com 602-2883

It’s an oft-repeated stern maternal warning: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And few joints do it up right with a decidedly Latin flair like Cafe Kacao. Specializing in Guatemalanstyle cooking, its breakfast menu ranges from the wild berry pancakes and a native oatmeal called mosh, to big-boy platters like the Izabal, which includes sautéed potatoes mixed with chorizo, onion and peppers and then two sunnyside-up eggs thrown on top.

Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant

Ted’s Cafe Escondido

Everyone has their favorite Chelino’s in the city, but when taking seasonal out-of-towners craving real Tex-Mex to dinner, it’s hard to bypass this venue. With something for everyone, the less adventurous can enjoy crunchy tacos and cheese enchiladas while those looking for a standout platter can try the chilaquiles norteno, served with sliced potatoes or the chuletas locas, featuring two pork chops covered in cheese and a pair of fried eggs.

Ted’s has been a local staple for a few decades now, and after one look at the menu, it’s easy to see why. A guaranteed favorite is the big burrito dinner featuring a 10-inch flour tortilla absolutely stuffed with chicken or beef. But for a real taste of what Ted’s has to offer, it’s hard to beat the slowly marinated fajitas (chicken, steak or shrimp) served in steaming skillet with caramelized onions and bell peppers. They will warm cold hands just well as cold stomachs.

15 E. California Ave. chelinosmexicanrestaurant.com 235-3533

2836 NW 68th St. tedscafe.com 848-8337

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28 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Iguana Mexican Grill 9 NW Ninth St. iguanamexicangrill.com 606-7172

Winter weather may persist but the temperature is always nice and tropical in Iguana. What better way to treat the whole gang after a day of Automobile Alley shopping than refueling with plentiful and simple tacos? There’s adobo chicken, chorizo, beef al carbon, chile verde pork, shrimp, fish and that good ol’ standby ground beef. Order them hard or soft; a couple of handfuls and the party is back out on the road and energized.

Casa Perico Mexican Grille

Zarate’s Latin Mexican Grill

Casa De Los Milagros Mexican Restaurant and Cantina

4521 NW 63rd St. casaperico.com 721-3650

706 S. Broadway, Edmond zarateslatingrill.com 330-6400

Family-owned and operated since 1996, Casa Perico is the epitome of the neighborhood Mexican restaurant. The especialidades include the parrillada platter, a meat-lover’s fiesta featuring chicken and beef fajitas, grilled shrimp and even pork chops, complete with sides and garnishes. And it offers simpler meals like the tacos de pollo, pizza Mexicana and the torta de carnitas. We think they’re best paired with a frozen margarita no matter what the temp is outside.

Zarate’s is one of the most eclectic Latin restaurants in the metro, focusing on crafting dishes that are representative of many tropical countries including Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica and owner Jorge Zarate’s homeland; Peru. One of his favorite dishes, lomito saltado. It’s a choice of open-flame sautéed steak, chicken or seafood mixed with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, aji pepper and red wine, served with yucca and sweet plantains.

5111 N. Classen Blvd. 286-9809

For many Latinos, no other food screams the holidays like tamales. But if you’re not lucky enough to have your abuela toiling away in the kitchen and bringing out platter after platter of the Mexican marvel of deliciousness that is homemade tamales, Casa de los Milagros just might be the next best thing. The tamales especiales dinner packs three huge pork tamales on a plate with rice and refried beans, as well as some pico and chile con carne on the side.

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Shop safe Don’t let your credit or debit cards buy other people’s gifts this holiday season.

BY ZACH JACOBS

In case you haven’t noticed, the holiday shopping season is here again. But others have noticed, too — those who aren’t looking for the perfect holiday gift. Among the hustle and bustle of getting the perfect presents at the lowest possible prices, often, consumers will let their guard down and give thieves in stores and online chances to steal their identities, information and money. Amy L. Welch, communications director for the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA), said there are a number of ways consumers can be more cautious with their personal information and protect themselves during this (or any) shopping season.

Technically, if you don’t sign your card, it isn’t valid anyway — and I have actually heard of merchants refusing to accept a card if you take it back and sign it in front of them. — Amy L. Welch

Carry identification

Consumers should always carry an ID and be prepared to show it with their cards at the time of purchase. While all card users are instructed to sign the backs of their credit and debit cards, some instead print “See My ID Card” to tell cashiers to verify a customer’s identity. Regardless, Welch said a buyer should beware. “Technically, if you don’t sign your card, it isn’t valid anyway — and I have actually heard of merchants refusing to accept a card if you take it back and sign it in front of them,” Welch said. “I sign my card and put ‘SEE PHOTO ID’ on the back, but they don’t always ask to see my photo ID and I don’t have any false sense of security by having it on there.” Welch said that monitoring your bank statements and credit reports will not prevent ID theft or forgery but it will mitigate damages if someone does get a hold of your credit or bank card.

32 | DECEMBER 3, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

“Most liability is limited depending upon when it is reported,” she said. No major retailers have announced any beefed-up customer security procedures this year. “I would hope that, despite presumably long lines and the holiday rush, clerks take a little bit of extra time and ask for photo ID,” Welch said. “I certainly hope store owners and managers have taken a little time to educate their employees and taught them what to look for so everyone will keep a watchful eye.”

Check statements

While retailers continue to work on protecting their customers’ credit/debit card security, customers should always be vigilant. Thieves and hackers will find ways to build a better mousetrap, so

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consumers should be proactive and check their bank statements and credit reports regularly. “It may give you peace of mind to subscribe to a service that will alert you if something comes up in your credit report,” Welch said. “I subscribe to one that charges about $10 a month, and I get an email and text any time my credit report changes.” Also, check a retailer’s informationsharing or -selling policies. They vary from company to company, but a customer buying a product from a given company — especially an online company — might inadvertently be giving away personal information, like a mailing address, phone numbers or email addresses.

Check company policies

“If you’re shopping online and a retailer asks lots of personal information — like your address, for example, for shipping — you should check the store’s privacy policy,” she said. “If you’re not comfortable with the store’s policy, you should probably contact them and ask how to keep them from sharing your information or simply shop elsewhere.” Additionally, disputing bad purchases or theft can vary between banks and credit card companies. Credit cards usually offer the most protection, Welch said, but shoppers should keep their budget in mind when shopping. Working with local banks is much easier because you can walk in and speak to a personal banker and that person generally walks you through what to do right then and in the following days. However, while the process of challenging purchases with credit card companies is timeconsuming and stressful, Welch saw those companies making strides in working with defrauded customers. “I believe major credit card companies are getting better at fraud resolution, and most have teams dedicated to helping card holders with those issues,” Welch said.

Paper or plastic

While security measures have improved, Welch said those who want to avoid having their information stolen might consider using pre-paid credit or debit cards.

Quick tips for card safety The OSCPA provided a few other quick consumer protection tips:

1. For online purchases, don’t give your account number to anyone on the phone unless you’ve made the call to a company you know to be reputable. If you’ve never done business with them before, do an online search first for reviews or complaints. 2. During a transaction, keep your eye on your card. Make sure you get it back before you walk away. 3. Never sign a blank receipt. Draw a line through any blank spaces above the total. 4. Save your receipts to compare with your statement. 5. Open your bills promptly — or check them online often — and reconcile them with the purchases you’ve made. 6. Report any questionable charges to the card issuer. 7. Notify your card issuer if your address changes or if you will be traveling. For more information on how to protect yourself while shopping for the holidays, visit OSCPA’s consumer news and information page at knowwhatcounts.org.

“[Buy and use one] that only has the amount of money that you budgeted for holiday shopping,” she said, “instead of using your debit card from your primary checking and savings account.” Regarding cash-only shopping, oldfashioned security precautions come into play for Welch. If you have a big-ticket item on your list, Welch does not advise walking around with a wad of cash.

Call for backup

If you have been victimized, you should call the financial institution and immediately cancel the card and then call all three credit bureaus and report possible identity theft. “Go to ftc.gov and follow the consumer complaint and identity theft tabs, and that will offer helpful tips and instructions,” Welch said.

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2 N D

A N N U A L

FILM ROW

Holiday PARTY

PRESENTED

D U NL AP

CO D D I NG

7:00-10:30PM AT D U N L A P C O D D I N G / 6 0 9 W. S H E R I DA N AV E DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY

FOOD! DRINKS! A N D L I V E M U S I C F R O M

M AT T S TA N S B E R RY AND T HE R OM ANCE

INTERACTIVE GAMES & HOLIDAY TRE ATS THERE WILL ALSO BE VISITS FROM SANTA, A PHOTO BOOTH, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.

The Film Row Holiday Party is an all-ages event and i s f r e e a n d o p e n t o t h e p u b l i c . N o R S V P n e c e s s a r Y.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 405.607.8600

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 3, 2014 | 33

Paper noel Paper art by 11 artists will be on display through December at JRB Art at the Elms.

Joy Reed Belt walks past pieces featured in this years Holiday Show at JRB Art at the Elms.

BY MOLLY EVANS

Christmas at The Elms 2014 Through December 28 JRB Art at The Elms 2810 N. Walker Ave. jrbartgallery.com 528-6336

the Christmas show. “The prints for the show are images of paintings from my last show, which was based on nature, travel and the subconscious,” she said. Duong said she has maintained and developed this current aesthetic for about a decade, when her style truly came together. “I’m a curious person and love spontaneity and

frequented before becoming an exhibiting artist. She recently completed a series of medium-sized abstract paper paintings that emulate fractures, such as broken glass and topography. “When I work on paper, I always use gouache, pin, ink and gold leaf,” she said. “I used lots of hard, straight lines and sharp angles. I was ready to minimalize the soft, organic shapes I typically paint.”

I was trying something new out, so I just happened to get lucky and coincidentally had pieces for the show.

Dozens of framed and unframed works — Denise Duong on paper from 11 artists will be on display Red Passage by and for purchase during Michelle Metcalfe the month of December “It is great to be Poem by Michi Susan at a Paseo Arts District challenged to [begin] gallery. on a blank piece of Christmas at The paper and work through Elms is an annual show somewhat wild/chaotic at JRB Art at The Elms, and controlled marks and a gallery that represents paint,” he said. “The art between 60 and 70 always guides me through Prairie Barn by artists from Oklahoma many edits that [end] in a Almira Hill Grammer City, surrounding cities painting that is spiritually and neighboring states. alive yet interesting in a Gallery organizers serene sort of way.” simply selected a round of artists from Gummersall hopes Christmas at The its large repertoire to display small Elms will expose his art to new admirers works that would make nice gifts for the adventure,” she said. “I feel like my Moershel said she enjoys participating and collectors who will see “something holiday season, said gallery coordinator paintings give you a sense of that and you in the group show because it’s an new in the painting every day” and share Carolyn Stuart. can come up with your own narrative to opportunity for her to meet the many it with others. Unlike past Christmas exhibitions, the pieces.” artists JRB Art represents, most of whom Carolyn Stuart said exposure for Stuart said the prominence of works on Duong considers herself lucky to have she doesn’t know. the gallery’s array of artists and gift paper in this year’s show comes from the just had her show in November because One of those artists includes Greg options for visitors during the month of gallery’s abundance of prints in its “flat she didn’t have to prepare as much for this Gummersall, a Durango, Colorado artist, December is the goal of the annual endfiles” or archives as well as the common final show of the year. who began his career 35 years ago on the of-the-year show. medium of artists on display this year, “I was trying something new out, West Coast and his partnership with JRB Other artists with works on display including Oklahoma artist Denise Duong. so I just happened to get lucky and Art back in 2009. include Scott Momaday, Brunel Faris, Duong, who has been represented coincidentally had pieces for the show,” Gummersall said works on paper Ginna Dowling, Gail Rothschild, Mary at JRB Art since 2006, had a joint show she said. challenge and encourage him to draw on Ann Strandell, Bert Seabourn, John Wolfe with Timothy Chapman at the gallery in For Ellen Moershel, a Norman native, “the beautiful paper,” a medium that uses and the late Dan Kiacz and D.J. Lafon. November, and two of her prints from Christmas at The Elms in 2013 was her much smaller dimensions than his typical that exhibition will be on display again at first time to show at JRB Art, a gallery she painting canvas.

34 | DECEMBER 3, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

M A RK HA N COC K

LIFE ART

JOA N M A R C US

C0VER

Like the Good Book says Tony Award-winning The Book of Mormon twists the meaning of faith and teaches us that satire is good for the soul. BY DEVON GREEN

The Book of Mormon Dec. 30-Jan. 4 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 297-2264 $35-$85

Faith is kind of like family, it’s fine to make fun of it as long as it’s yours. Well, usually. Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon breaks that taboo — in cringe-inducing yet hilariously relatable ways — with the help of equalopportunity offenders and writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park, Team America: World Police) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q). With those credentials, however, it’s no shock that one of the most successful Broadway musicals of the last decade is about religion. The Book of Mormon focuses on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). You know, Mormonism. And it’s screamingly funny. Since launching in New York City in 2011, it has earned nine Tony Awards, including best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, best direction of a musical, best featured actress in a musical, best orchestrations and best lighting, scenic and sound design.

Odd couple

The musical is about two Mormon missionaries, elders Price and Cunningham, a mismatched pair a la The Odd Couple. Price is a by-the-book believer with a capital “B.” However, Cunningham has trouble remembering the book, and he’s a friend-deficient dork who is terrible at selling anything, let alone a faith. The duo is sent on a mission to Uganda to convert people who are, in short, too caught up in trying to survive to be concerned about two foreigners in dress pants and white button-down tops peddling eternal life. What’s brilliant about the musical, is, well, a lot. In an interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Alexandra Ncube, who plays the unfailingly optimistic Nabulungi, said it wasn’t so much her character that drew her in as the play itself. From an outsider’s perspective, Mormons, with their ever-polite ways and sometimes strange beliefs, often get the side-eye from people not familiar with their faith. “I had been listening to the original Broadway recording, and I was like, ‘You can do that on Broadway? That’s amazing!’” Ncube said. She fell in love with the subversive nature of the production and its universal message. At the time, she was on tour with a local children’s theater company in Arizona but sent in an CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 35

COVER audition tape anyway. She waited. And then she waited some more. “A year later, I was in a band and I got this email titled ‘The Book of Mormon.’ I assumed the show was coming to Arizona and they wanted to sell tickets,” she said. But it was more than that. “Then everything started happening really fast,” she said. “I went to New York and LA for auditions.” Soon, Ncube won a big role as Nabulungi in the national tour. How does one build an entire production around missionaries in Uganda and not have the cast draped in cliché, National Geographic-like garb — or worse — at curtain call? Sly masters of satire Parker and Stone, the creators of some of the most satirically off-color humor in modern history, teamed up with Lopez, whose Avenue Q was a Broadway hit that featured a neighborhood populated with foul-mouthed puppets and overtly adult themes. What was created was a parody that’s relatable to almost any faith. In the tradition of unconventional comedy hits like the unfettered race-baiting satire in the movie Blazing Saddles or Broadway’s mockery of the legal system in Urinetown: The Musical, only this creative trio could make The Book of Mormon successful. In fact, few today but Parker and Stone could pull off this theme. For decades, the duo has ridiculed everything and everyone via their crudely animated television show South Park and their movie Cannibal! The Musical (which also became a popular stage production). Indeed, almost everything the two do has a musical bent, which is no accident. In recent press notes, Parker said he grew up loving musical theater team Rodgers and Hammerstein and studied music through high school and college. South Park and Parker and Stone’s films are filled with nimble wit and sophisticated satirical and political statements. You’ll also notice humor that makes a broader statement about the world we all occupy. This also is precisely the place you’ll find the genesis of The Book of Mormon.

Chance meeting

While in New York, Parker and Stone caught a performance of Avenue Q. Lopez thanked Parker and Stone in the playbill. Then, one day, he looked out to see them in the audience. When the three got to talk after the show, it was kismet; all three loved musical theater and nurtured dreams of creating something about the story of Mormonism. In numerous interviews, Parker said that Mormonism was an obvious topic for a classic musical, simply because of

JOA N M A RC US

Singing satire

The Book of Mormon national tour company brings its wit and satire to Oklahoma City, Dec. 30-Jan. 4.

I had been listening to the original Broadway recording, and I was like, “You can do that on Broadway? That’s amazing!” — Alexandra Ncube

its dizzying optimism and positivity. Mormons are always cheerful, helpful and nice, and Parker said that he has expected Mormons to burst into song at any moment. It was too much of a coincidence to not pursue, but it took seven years and a lot of frequent flyer miles to make it happen. The Book of Mormon debuted in 2011 at Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. At the 2011 Tony Awards, the play swept up its accolades. Its first national tour kicked off a successful run in 2012. This year, its second tour comes to Oklahoma City just in time for the New Year.

Commonalities v. differences

In Uganda, in a village devastated by AIDS, famine and war, there is a prevailing sentiment of dread and hopelessness. Enter two unfailingly cheerful and incredibly naïve characters who might be different in their approach but quickly realize they are in an untenable battle to redeem these

36 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

villagers. Still, they attempt to convert a community that has very little to hold on to, especially faith. Wackiness ensues on levels that only Parker, Stone and Lopez could conceive. Ncube summed up the challenges and perks of working on this tour. “It’s my first Broadway experience and the chance to work with people who have been on Broadway for decades, and there’s just so much to learn,” Ncube said. “I really am going to value this, even if it’s just a short part of my life. When you get down to brass tacks, it’s not a bad gig to have.” Her character, Nabulungi, is the daughter of the chief and is desperate to find a glimmer of hope for the people of her community. “She is the embodiment of optimism, and she finds these two Mormon missionaries who seem to represent what she can’t come through with, but she ultimately has to get the village out of this turmoil with their help,” Ncube said. She admitted that on the surface, the play might seem like a way to poke fun at something people don’t understand, but the production emphasizes commonalities, not differences. “The beauty of the show is that they aren’t just crude jokes to be crude, and the characters — they all have meaning and depth and they’re all so well-rounded. They’re very likable, even the villains. If they had made the show all about meanness and making fun, then no one would want to see the show,” she said.

Reception

Ncube is eager to see what Oklahoma

audiences think of The Book of Mormon, considering the religious conservatism our state is known for. She heard about the controversy surrounding last year’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and is hopeful that audiences here will not skip the show altogether or give up halfway through. Also, this is the first time the tour will do a stop in Salt Lake City, Utah, considered to be the center of LDS cultural influence. (It’s noteworthy that the LDS took out an ad in the Broadway show’s playbill.) When asked about viewers in other cities, Ncube said some surprise her and the cast with their delight — or their disappointment — and it’s fun for her and the cast to try to gauge which audience will be conservative, permissive or something in between. Each is unique in its own way. One of the show’s co-creators echoed this sentiment in an interview with the show’s creators. “There’s a catharsis about being able to laugh at some of the goofier ideas of religion without necessarily laughing at the people practicing them,” Stone said in a media statement sent to Oklahoma Gazette. And in case you’re wondering, Ncube’s band Instant Classics still rocks on in Arizona without her — no hard feelings. In fact, her fiancé is in the band, and they manage the distance like everyone — with patience. She knows that this is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

Comedy warrior Enjoy a sunset moment with comedian Graham Elwood when he headlines a local comedy show and a podcast. BY ERIC WEBB

Fowler VW Presents: Graham Elwood & Comedy Film Nerds podcast 8:30–11:59 p.m. Thursday Oklahoma Contemporary 3000 General Pershing Blvd. okccomedy.com 951-0000 $15 ($22 for both shows)

This exhibition has been organized by the Tampa Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and curated by Barbara Pollack.

Graham Elwood

headed overseas for seven separate USO tours. Elwood described the USO tours as the most physically and emotionally challenging and rewarding thing he has ever done. “Doing shows in small fire bases in the Middle East is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Talking about it in my act has been cathartic and connected me to more military people and their families,” Elwood said. Those performances resulted in a stand-up special, Graham Elwood: Live From Afghanistan, and the documentary Laffghanistan: Comedy Down Range directed by Elwood. After the release of the documentary, Elwood and fellow comedian and filmmaker Chris Mancini created the Comedy Film Nerds website as a home for funny movie reviews and original shorts. For the OKC recording of the Comedy Film Nerds podcast, Elwood and Mancini will be discussing and, where warranted, lampooning, trailers for upcoming 2015 films. Elwood said the biggest challenges over his career have been expanding his fan base and staying thin while eating comedy club food. The podcast has made a pretty big impact on the former. “I have done over 300 episodes of TV and never had fans,” he said. “Now, because of podcasts, I have fans all over the globe, some of which that have become friends.”

P ROVI DED

OKC Comedy presents a Graham Elwood double bill tomorrow night. Elwood headlines a stand-up showcase at 8:30 p.m. with openers Michael C. Hall and Spencer Hicks followed by a live recording of his popular Comedy Film Nerds podcast. A proud second-degree yellow belt in karate, Elwood’s many TV appearances include The Late Late Show, The Sarah Silverman Program and The High Road. He was also in the comedy documentary Super High Me. After soaking up the work of comic maestros like Steve Martin, Richard Prior, John Belushi and Joan Rivers growing up, Elwood first stepped up to the mic at the age of 18. “I entered a comedy contest hosted by Judd Apatow my freshman year of college. It’s on my YouTube page if you want to see Judd in acid wash jeans and a mullet,” joked Elwood. He honed his own comedic voice over many years, performing hundreds of stand-up shows during which he would experiment and improvise a lot on stage, something he still does, incorporating what worked into his sets. “Dear God, I hope I’ve changed since I was 18,” Elwood responded when asked how his comedy has changed over the years. “No more jokes about term papers and trying to meet sorority girls. That is what I love about being a stand-up comic — whatever I’m dealing with in my life, I can talk about it on stage.” In the late aughts, Elwood had come to a crossroads and considered quitting comedy. He had long desired to do something for military service members in a post 9/11 world, and when his mother reminded him about the USO work Bob Hope did, Elwood decided to follow in his footsteps and

Birdhead (Chinese, founded 2004). The Light of Eternity No. 3 (detail), 2012. Black and white inkjet print. © Birdhead, courtesy of the artists and ShanghART Gallery Shanghai.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 37

LIFE BOOKS

Collector’s edition A local rocker collaborates on a book for a good cause.

BY ALISSA LINDSEY

Wayne Coyne, Oklahoma City native and lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of The Flaming Lips, designed an outlandish cover bomb for British graphic designer Stuart Tolley’s new book Collector’s Edition: Innovative Packaging and Graphics. Tolley’s book showcases 180 limited edition designs in the music, movie and magazine industries. “I wanted the book to be an inspiration and celebration of innovative design and production. A lot of people put a huge amount of time and effort into creating these releases, and I wanted to celebrate their passion and creativity,” Tolley said. Targeted toward an audience of design professionals, students and music aficionados, the book highlights the ability of digital and print media to coexist. Tolley chose examples that show downloadable technology and innovative printing technology working together. While compiling the book, The Flaming Lips were interviewed about the music they released on USB drives embedded in life-sized gummy skulls back in 2011. “We were redoing our contract with [Warner Bros], and [we] all decided that we would try some weird things and see what we liked… And so we were reverting back to our very first album, which came out in 1984, and the image on it was a skull…This idea of making a skull that had music in it was part of that concept of that whole year,” Coyne said. After the interview, Tolley reached out to Coyne to be one of the ten contributors in the artist cover bomb series to create collector’s editions of Collector’s Edition. The Flaming Lips had skull candles and fêtes soaps sitting around the recording studio to give as weird gifts, and Coyne set them on top of the book and doodled around them. The bid for Coyne’s cover bomb

38 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

is currently at 260 pounds, but Coyne said he has a friend who is planning to outdo the highest bidder. “The thing to remember is they are all completely unique, handrendered artworks created exclusively for this project and will never be seen again. This makes them covetable,” Tolley said. Tolley spent two years researching for the project, and while doing so, he only chose to include media that had been released in multiple formats and had a collector’s edition. All proceeds from the sales of Collector’s Edition and the auctioned cover-bombed books will be donated to Alzheimer’s Society, a support and research charity in the United Kingdom, in memory of Tolley’s grandmother who suffered from dementia. Overall, Coyne said he enjoyed his participation in the artist’s cover bomb series because it started a conversation among artists and designers and it has encouraged him to do more projects like it in the future. Tolley owns Transmission, a UK-based creative agency that specializes in the art direction of design for magazines, visual culture books and other projects. He has worked at Esquire, Sleazenation and Independent on Saturday magazines. Other cover bomb contributors include Paul McCartney, Nick Cave, Stanley Donwood, Peter Gabriel, The Designers Republic, Jessica Hische, Alec Soth, Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Oliver Jeffers. The auction is open online and will be held until midnight UK time on Friday. Bids can be placed at the-collectors-edition.com/auction. Copies of Collector’s Edition, released in September, are available for $50 from Thames & Hudson (thamesandhudsonusa.com).

Carriers of creativity BY GREG HORTON

Rand Elliott book signing 3-5 p.m. Saturday Full Circle Bookstore 1900 Northwest Expressway fullcirclebooks.com 842-2900

Rand Elliott, the principal and founder of Elliott + Associates Architects, has won awards at every possible level in his field. This year, he’ll release his first book, and it is a project that has been on his mind since he was 16 years old. “I started writing poetry when I was 16,” Elliott said. “I have always had a curiosity about words, about how they go together.” Specifically, Elliott has been fascinated with the relationship between words and

Rand Elliott

inspiration or creativity. “I am curious about people’s creative practices,” he said, “especially how they solve problems. I think creative people want to know that.” Early in his life, Elliott started writing words, phrases and lines that were meaningful to him. That practice led to him composing poetry throughout his life. As a young man, he tended to write longer pieces, sometimes 40-50 lines, but as he has gotten older, he uses fewer words to convey his “word paintings.” His book, Word Paintings, is published by ORO Editions, an award-winning, international publisher specializing in art and architecture. The project is a collection of Elliott’s poetry and pictures of his projects. Poems and photos are on facing pages so the reader can see the

“architectural portrait” that emerged from Elliott’s description. After consulting with a client, Elliott will have answers to the questions of client goals and the purposes of a project. At that point, he begins to search out the spirit or personality of the facility or project, one that is consistent with what is the best fit for the client. That fit is the architectural portrait that emerges. Elliott then combines his description with the architectural portrait to make a single concept and move the project forward. This analysis of creative process is what generated the idea for the book. Elliott believed that his desire

The American Spirit Dance Company

P ROVI DE D

Local architect Rand Elliott celebrates his first book.

to get at the root of his own creative process, as well as his fascination with the creative process of others, could lead to a community-wide intellectual conversation about the nature of inspiration. Elliott hopes the book serves as more than a conversation starter, though. Word Paintings might not be the method for all creative types, but it is an exercise that creative types can use, and at its core, it is similar to spiritual concepts in many religions — the idea of epiphany or “suchness,” to use a Buddhist term. At his upcoming book signing at Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, Elliott said he does not want to just sit and sign books, as that would be contrary to the spirit of his book.

Home for the Holidays A Gift of American Dance

Directed by Jo Rowan presents

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Dec. 11 Dec. 12 Dec. 13 Dec. 14

8 p.m. 8 p.m. 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. 2 p.m.

All performances are held at the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center on the Oklahoma City University Campus

To Reserve Tickets, Call the Performing Arts Ticket Office

405.208.5227 Noon - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

www.okcu.edu/tickets

“Home for the Holidays is one of our town’s spectacular Christmas shows.” - J. Leland Gourley, OKC Friday OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 39

SUDOKU/CROSSWORD SUDOKU PUZZLE MEDIUM

WWW.S UDOKU-P UZZLES .N ET

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 1130, which appeared in the December 3 issue.

A F R O

L O A N

M U L E

A S U N C M I L O K N H U M O R E D

40 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

A M E R I C A

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S O R R Y R E T R Y R E A I R

D E M M I O A N S S B A A T I O T W K O E L L S I O N C C O O L O N

A R R E N X P I R E E M O R A N T A I T E P O M M O R E P O N S O R L L O O N E Y S C M A T U C P A P A R H A L E R A L A P E W T E R D I E T A A E R I S D I M E N H E R L L I E M E E S W I V E H E R E

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C O Y

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W O M B A R A N A M I B C S I R E E M E Z I O X F O U S M P U

M I O T W L A N E L S Y

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A L I B A B A

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ACROSS 1 Interjects 5 Pass off 10 Pianist Schumann, early champion of Brahms 15 Certain servers 19 Focused on one’s fellow fraternity members? 21 Egyptian war god 22 Fast break? 23 Workers in booths 24 Dublin dance? 26 Pooh’s baby friend 27 King Abdullah, e.g. 28 Like a desert climate 29 Like circus tumblers 30 What may come with a trophy 32 “Shut up!” 33 Like the Head Start program, for short 34 African flier 36 What Clark Kent needs to become Superman? 41 Response to a gotcha 42 One-named chanteuse 43 Dry 44 Julius Wilbrand invention of 1863, for short 45 Somewhat bashful? 49 Article of papal attire 51 ___ spot 52 Red alert source? 53 Uncommon cry after a lottery drawing 55 Oscar winner who was formerly a regular on TV’s “Laugh-In” 56 Fine-wool sources 59 Firing offense? 61 Polish capital 63 Local afternoon newscast? 67 Sentence ender, maybe 70 Execs 71 Eggs-to-be 75 Subject of a Fox hunt 76 Excel function 77 “I’m f-f-freezing!” 79 ___-Locka, Fla. 80 Show, as cards in gin rummy 83 Business offering the right to buy and sell securities? 88 Carrier to Tokyo 89 End of an era?

91 III 92 Textile patented in 1894 93 How to find what a creep is looking at? 97 Become fond of 98 Ones bowled over? 99 What Microsoft Word’s Track Changes shows 100 Flowering tropical plant 101 Spartacus, at one time 103 Itsy-bitsy 104 Northern passage 106 Chain letters? 109 Says, “I didn’t do it!” before fessing up? 111 Clarifies 113 Fibula : leg :: ___ : arm 114 Taken 115 Cigarettes or booze? 116 Conclude in court 117 Where Indiana Jones reunites with Marion 118 Overly involved 119 Paul who composed the “Tonight Show” theme DOWN 1 “This guy walks into ___ …” 2 Fictional villain whose given name is Julius 3 “Wrong way” 4 Prefix with masochistic 5 One may be grand 6 Perfectly timed 7 Fingered 8 Golfer ___ Pak 9 Some OT enders 10 Mao adversary 11 Country singer Morgan 12 Blue bloods, informally 13 “A.S.A.P.!” 14 Bit of air pollution 15 Digicam component 16 “Well, fine” 17 Washington attraction 18 English glam-rock band with six #1 hits 20 Essential, in a way 25 Armored, as a horse 28 Asian capital known as the City of Lakes 31 Astronaut’s woe, perhaps

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32 Sleeper and others 33 Father 34 When D.S.T. starts or ends 35 Burn a little 36 Refuse at the polling station 37 Old Hollywood’s ___ Code 38 Leaves in a waiting room? 39 Flaky? 40 British guns 42 Climax of many an action film 46 Hot-pot spot 47 Pieces in the game Othello 48 Certain Endorian 50 Flamboyant 54 Connections 57 Poker resignation 58 Bubkes

102

39 44

101

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the November 26 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

Oklahoma Gazette

59 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 72 73 74 76 77 78 81 82 84 85 86 87

105

O’Connor successor Bilge “Butterfly” actress, 1982 ___ cit. (footnote abbr.) Mexican bear Band-Aid competitor Orchestra section Rice ___ Hersey novel locale Major annoyances Singer whose “I Get Ideas” was on the charts for 30 weeks Its icon is Spaceship Earth Decline Pique activity? Quick snack Sound of approval Some oxygen molecules Bowls over High fidelity? Ugly ones Pop’s pop Make

106 112

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NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ZAP! By Matt Ginsberg / Edited by Will Shortz

90 “Things aren’t so bad” 94 Occupy 95 Ancient Macedonian capital 96 Stonehenge feature 97 With caution 100Chewed stimulants 101Potential libel 102Scoop (out) 103With 105-Down, some amphorae 104 Scoot 105 See 103-Down 107 Head turner 108 Between ports 110 Cod piece 111 West ___ (upscale furniture store) 112 Actress Gardner

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OKL AHOMA GAZ ETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 41

Christmas Schedule

ADVENT PENANCE RITE * Mon., Dec. 15, 6:30pm RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CHRISTMAS PAGEANTS IN THE CHURCH SANCTUARY

Preschool to Fifth Grade

Sun., Dec. 14 10:15 • Wed., Dec. 17 5:30

MASS SCHEDULE Christmas Eve Mass, Wed., Dec. 24 *4:00pm Music begins at 3:40 Vocals by Children’s Choir - grades 3-5 *6pm High School Music begins at 5:30 8:30pm Adult Choir Music at 7:55 11pm Adult Choir Music at 10:25 Christmas Day Mass, Thurs., Dec. 25 10am music begins at 9:40am Feast of Mary, Mother of God Vigil Mass, Wed., New Year’s Eve 5:30 New Year’s Day, Thurs., Jan. 1, 2015 10am *Nursery Provided

Catholic Parish of St. John the Baptist 900 S. Littler Ave. • Edmond, OK 405.340.0691

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Christ the King CHRISTMAS SERVICE

Catholic Church

SUNDAY

Christmas Eve Masses 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., Midnight

12.21.14

Christmas Day Mass 9:00 a.m.

10:30AM WILL ROGERS

New Years Eve Mass 5:00 p.m.

THEATER

New Years Day Mass 10:00 a.m.

43RD & WESTERN

Confessions Saturdays 3:30-4:15 p.m.

THEVINEOKC.COM

8005 Dorset Dr.

(405) 842-1481 • www.ckokc.org 42 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

LIFE ACTIVE

Dodger Blue Oklahoma City’s Triple-A baseball team has been rebranded as the Oklahoma City Dodgers. BY BRENDAN HOOVER

Oklahoma City’s professional baseball team carries much history, including its 89er days at the old All Sports Stadium. Now a new history has been injected into the franchise, as it was announced recently that Mandalay Baseball, LLC, which bought the team in September, would be rebranding it as the Oklahoma City Dodgers. “Today marks a new chapter in Oklahoma City’s baseball history,” said Michael Byrnes, team president and general manager, in a Dec. 3 statement. “Soon after the ownership change took place, there was a dialogue as to how we could rebrand the team. Ultimately, ownership, team leadership and key stakeholders felt there was no bigger statement for the Los Angeles Dodgers to plant their flag in Oklahoma City than by renaming their Triple-A team the Dodgers as well.” Mandalay Baseball is a joint venture between ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers and an investor group led by Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Guber and also includes Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Also co-owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, Guber is a New York Times bestselling author and a producer whose film credits include Oscar bait such as Rain Man and The Color Purple. “Using the Dodgers’ name is a privilege,” Guber said. “It’s one of the three or four most iconic brands in sports all over the world, and we are thrilled we have the opportunity to share it and shine with it.” The Los Angeles Dodgers are the fifth Major League team to call Oklahoma City its home since Triple-A baseball came here in 1962. Oklahoma City was affiliated with the Texas Rangers for 28 seasons and had been affiliated with the Houston Astros since 2010. The Dodger nickname will be the team’s third during that time, following the fan-favorite 89er nickname and the RedHawk nickname, used since 1998. Oklahoma City will continue to play in the Pacific Coast League’s Northern Division, and all team management will remain with the

Mandalay Baseball, LLC, recently rebranded the OKC Redhawks as the OKC Dodgers. These mockups show the new OKC Dodgers jerseys and logos. club. Los Angeles had been affiliated with the Albuquerque Isotopes for the last six years. The Los Angeles Dodgers also entered an agreement to make the Tulsa Drillers its Double-A affiliate. When the Oklahoma City Dodgers take the field at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark next season, they will sport new logos and uniforms that incorporate cultural elements of Oklahoma City and Bricktown culture and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ history — including the ascending Dodgers script and the famous “shooting ball,” which have been associated with the franchise since 1938. “We wanted to tailor the Dodger brand to something that people in Oklahoma City could take pride in, hence elements like the homage to Bricktown on the primary logo and the SkyDance Bridge patch on the home uniforms,” said Ross Yoshida, Los Angeles Dodgers director of graphic design. The team’s home uniforms are modeled after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ classic home whites, and the gray road uniforms are modeled after the Major League team’s current road uniforms. The primary home cap is dark royal blue and says “OKC” in letters styled after the old Brooklyn Dodgers “B.” The primary road cap features a state logo with a star representing Oklahoma City and the letters “OKLA,” the interlocking “LA” resembling the familiar Los Angeles logo. Fans will be asked to name new mascots that will be introduced before the 2015 season begins, team officials said. Oklahoma City Dodgers merchandise is available at the team store located at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, and season ticket packages are available for the 2015 season. For more information, call 218-1000 or visit okcdodgers.com.

Christmas Trees Sorghum Mill Tree Farm 7121 Midwest Lane Edmond 340.5488

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 43

LAUREN HA M I LTON

LIFE ACTIVE

Miller time

The Langston Lady Lions are the team to beat this year thanks to their new coach, the legendary Cheryl Miller. BY BEN FELDER

As the pep band played just a few feet away and the small crowd sounded about five times larger in the cramped college gym, Lulu Perry leaned in closer in an attempt to hear her coach during a firsthalf timeout. Staring back at Perry was one of women’s basketball’s most decorated icons, a former Olympic gold medal winner and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “It’s special,” Perry said about having Cheryl Miller as her basketball coach. Langston University’s hiring of Miller to coach the Lady Lions might be one of the most underrated local sports stories of the past year. This small, historically black university a 30-minute drive north of Oklahoma City raised eyebrows earlier this year when Miller was announced as its new coach. The Lady Lions opened its season at Southwestern Christian University, a venue that is certainly different from the NCAA and professional arenas where Miller has played, coached and worked as a television analyst for TNT. The first game was nerve-wracking. However, Miller passed the test. Langston, which plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, won its first season game 60-57. Miller’s career included a fiery personality that she said was a necessity growing up playing with her two brothers, which includes NBA great Reggie Miller. “Cheryl was the king of the block, and that was over the guys and the girls,” Reggie said in the ESPN documentary Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks. “She jumped the highest,

44 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Cheryl Miller winks at the camera before coaching the Langston Lady Lions against Southwestern Christian University in Oklahoma City. she played the hardest and she hit the hardest.” In just one game, the Lady Lions appeared to have a bit of their coach’s personality in them, including Perry, who wrestled the ball from two opposing players on the floor and would slam the court with her hand in celebration after driving into the lane, scoring a basket and picking up the foul. “I love the game of basketball, so I try to play with as much energy as I can … as much as the referees let me,” Perry said. “[Miller] pushes us a lot. She allows us to play basketball.” However, Miller said that personality in some of her players existed before her arrival. “That’s their makeup, too,” Miller said. “It just so happens that they’ve got a very wiry and fiery coach and some of them play like that.” During its three-point win, Langston showed speed, size and physicality, even if it wasn’t as consistent as Miller would have liked. Combine that talent with the presence of an iconic coach and the expectations are high this year for the Lady Lions. Miller is used to the questions about why she chose Langston, but she always calls it a “great fit” and believes there is a chance to raise the profile of the program to a national level.

LIFE MUSIC

Must-haves

Oklahoma is rife with musical talent, and here is a smattering of some of the best it has to offer. BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON AND ZACH HALE

10. Weak Knees Weak Knees EP Guitar pop isn’t as sexy as it once was, but Oklahoma City trio Weak Knees proves that it still can be with its brisk, self-titled debut EP. Bopping with a nonchalant lo-fi jangle, the amber-hued collection of polite indie rock jams shuffle between dusky alt-rock time capsules (“Colocho”), ’90s simmered anthems (“She’s No Fun”) acute, math pop refrains (“IceBevo”) and everywhere between. To cast a net this wide with only four tracks is impressive, but to do so as easily as the fledgling outfit does here would leave just about anyone with a heart weak in the knees themselves. — Joshua Boydston 9. Glow God House of Distractions The brutish House of Distractions comes out swinging from the very start, and from there, it’s like 10 straight rounds of a battering ram to the throat. But buried in the visceral guitar licks, palpitating distortion and manic grunge energy are some of the strongest melodies you’ll hear all year, the very same that helped Nirvana and Mudhoney transcend the scene decades ago. That’s especially apparent when the mayhem slows in swampier numbers (“No Maybe Don’t,” “Stuck”) but stays true in the party-of-one mosh starters “Man Down” and “Numb,” too. — JB 8. Power Pyramid Power Pyramid You don’t typically use the word “power” when describing shoegaze, but rising OKC guitar deities Power Pyramid have an equal serving of forcefulness to go along with their full-bodied, melodydriven brand of pedal-driven guitar-rock. With last year’s debut, The God Drums, the band thrust itself onto the local scene

with an assured, fully realized debut. Power Pyramid improves on it in many ways. A mini-album of sorts, the eightsong effort find the band refining its sound while eschewing the “shoegaze” label, culling as much inspiration from ’90s college-radio rock as the more opaque undercurrents of the same period. — Zach Hale 7. Horse Thief Fear in Bliss As a music fan, there are few things more exciting than witnessing a promising young act fulfill its potential. With Fear in Bliss, Oklahoma City’s Horse Thief took any reservation one might have had, sliced right through it and hung it on the wall like a taxidermist. With riveting standouts like “I Don’t Mind,” “Already Dead” and “Stop,” it’s clear these grizzled, talented folk-rock enthusiasts have realized — and in many ways superseded — expectations. Simply put, much of Fear in Bliss is flat-out breathtaking. The scary part? They can be even better. — ZH 6. Sex Snobs Lonely Lonely isn’t so much performed as it is attacked, chucking its bottled lightning against the wall and electrifying the whole room in the process. A daunting, unrelenting sort of album, it is equal parts artful, progressive, impassioned and threatening, pummeling the harder end post-punk with some hardcore dissonance and intimidating noise rock. Laced together with peaceful samples detonated in a blast of guitar spikes and carnal howls, songs like “Sick as a Dog,” “The Idiot Room” and “Pissin’ the Bed” strike hard and fast with knifed-up melodies folded up into their smiling, conjured chaos. — JB 5. PVLMS Compassion One of the greatest compliments you can give to a release is that it sounds like it should be on one of your favorite labels. PVLMS’ — the Norman-based duo Lexi Sacco and Frank Stevens — Compassion

EP would sound right at home on Tri Angle Records, home to such darkly immersive electronic acts as Holy Other, Evian Christ and Balam Acab. Yet this five-song EP establishes its own unique aesthetic that would fit snugly anywhere that allows its soundscapes to sink in. The duo is unrepentant in its affliction for dense, mechanical sound collages, and when you make songs this engaging, such confidence is justified. — ZH 4. Askanse Spring & Early Summer As sensorial as temporal, the otherworldly songs from Spring & Early Summer register in a foreign fashion, unfurling out in some primal, deepseeded subspace. Like the Nicholas Jaar/ Dave Harrington project Darkside, Askanse is a sampling wizard with a knack for evoking something deeper than the typical music experience, and that muscle is flexed over and over again in these electronic vignettes that wash over you in a second skin. Pensive (“The Shadow of Joy”), euphoric (“Growing Comfortable, Uncomfortable”) and vivacious (“What Seems”), Spring & Early Summer is a treat for all five senses. — JB 3. Broncho Just Enough Hip to Be Woman Forty years later, ’70s rock revivalism is alive and well, and few albums — regardless of region — embody this notion better than Just Enough Hip to Be Woman. Tulsa/ Norman-based purists Broncho don’t just typify this aesthetic; they revel in it. Look no further than “Class Historian” and its ridiculously catchy hook or “Kurt”’s menacing proto-punk riffs — Broncho does “old” about as well as any new band out there. One of the hardest creative tricks to pull is to resurrect old sounds and

rekindle the magic they once conjured. With its sophomore album, Broncho does just that and then some. — ZH 2. Husbands Achin’ Achin’, the debut EP and first proper nonsingle release from Husbands, opens with a Jimi Hendrix sample. That’s about where the similarities between the guitar god and Wil Norton and Danny Davis’ bedroom pop project end. As demonstrated by last year’s single-a-week methodology, the blooming experimental duo can cover a lot of ground. And while Achin’ is a diverse effort, it’s also a pleasingly cohesive collection of invigorating, brain-splitting sound experiments. Like a Merriweather Post Pavilion-era Animal Collective covering unearthed Beach Boys tunes, Achin’ demonstrates a willingness to explore exotic sounds while keeping its gripping pop foundation in tow. And the results are equally engrossing. — ZH 1. Sardashhh Vol. 2 Toiling away in the underground, Sardashhh created Oklahoma’s answer to Endtroducing: A daring, brilliant record masquerading as an unassuming hip-hop beat tape. Armed with a Madlib/J Dilla-like ability to draw every last ounce of soul from each lovingly-selected sample, the seamless affair chirps and bounces with everything from would-be bangers (“Flamsky”) to heart-warming romances (“Lumpyheart”), each layered loop capturing a different emotion, a different slice of the human psyche. It’s life in music with all its ups and downs, a racing flash of your past before your eyes that makes you all the more excited for the thrill ride laying ahead of us all. — JB Honorable mentions Luna Moth — Celestial Shades Josh Sallee — Know Society Sun Riah — … the Musicall Depth & Current — Dysrhythmia Parker Millsap — Parker Millsap

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | 45

LIFE MUSIC

P ROVI DED

Metal masterpiece Dallas-Fort Worth band Oil Boom releases its breakout album and celebrates with a show in Oklahoma City on Saturday. BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Oil Boom with The Daddyo’s and Kyle Deming 8 p.m. Saturday Lettering Express 2130 W. Reno Ave. letteringexpressok.com 235-8999 Free

Since the Dallas-Fort Worth trio’s formation in 2010, Oil Boom has always been something of a throwback, conjuring that same cocky bravado and sound of rock ’n’ roll’s unrivaled reign in the ’70s. But it’s more than slick styling, impressive facial hair and vintage guitar riffs; the band exudes the same humor and levity that is often lost in today’s self-serious state of rock. In lieu of cross-country pilgrimages, icon worship or historical lessons, Oil Boom cracks wise on social media, titling songs “There May or May Not Be Blood,” “Escalator Up to Heaven” or “Röckenröül,” and getting laughs, smiles and only an occasional ceaseand-desist letter for its efforts. “Humor is hugely influential. We work hard, and the music is the most important thing, but I never wanted us to take ourselves too seriously,” said frontman Ryan Taylor. “You got to add a little humor to it for yourself and your fans. I fail miserably often, but at least I try.” That streak continues with Red Metal, Oil Boom’s new album, released in October. Sonically expansive, the trio finally found its signature sound within the writing and recording process. Evoking the same strippeddown simplicity that garnered so many comparisons to The Black Keys over the years, the band also added in classic glam rock undercurrents (“Mid-Range Jumper”) and indie pop structure (“The Sneak Tip”). This album represents a

46 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

We progressed beyond our comfort zone. — Ryan Taylor lot of growth and hutzpah. “We progressed beyond our comfort zone,” Taylor said. “We worked in something new and incorporated different influences, experimented in the studio a little more than before.” Helmed by Grammy-winning producer and engineer Jordan Richardson, Red Metal is the trio’s breakout. Frenzied single “The Sneak Tip” snuck right into NPR’s Heavy Rotation lineup this fall. Also, Oil Boom released a Daytrotter session this summer and undertook some of its most extensive touring to date. With each milestone, more eyes are on this Lone Star State act, and at just the right time, by the group’s estimation. “We come from different places musically, and we’re slowly figuring out the best place to go as a band,” Taylor said of pulling in more disparate influences like Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. “We’re going in a different direction that isn’t so completely blues-based … It’s stuff we couldn’t have done two years ago.” Even as everything is changing — for the better — Oil Boom found at least one way to stay in touch with its roots: the rainbow. By following up Black Waxy and Gold Yeller with Red Metal, a tradition was born, one that will keep it anchored home no matter how white-hot the band gets in 2015. “It happened with the first two, and we thought, ‘Why not keep it going?’” Taylor said. “Led Zeppelin has their numbers. We will always have our colors.”

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10

P ROVI DE D

LIVE MUSIC

Ed Houchuli/War Boner/Lie, Dope Chapel, Norman. ROCK Equilibrium, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. JAZZ Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Edgar Cruz, Oklahoma City Museum of Art. ACOUSTIC

Jacob Becannen/Mark Vollersten, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ACOUSTIC

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

James Slaw, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. JAZZ

North Meets South/John Calvin, The Deli, Norman. FOLK

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Replay/80’z Enuf, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

Left To Die/Southern Heretics/Captains Side Show, The Conservatory. ROCK

The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

THURSDAY, DEC. 11 Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

LUCKY, Remington Park. COVER Micky and the Motorcars, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Nathan Burris, Thunderbird Casino. COUNTRY Randy Cassimus, Bricktown Brewery. ACOUSTIC Stoney LaRue/Bo Philips Band, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNRY

EOTO, The Conservatory. VARIOUS

Studda Budda/Frank Black/Beetyman, Blue Note Lounge. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Kevin & Dustin Welch, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Tallows/Cleanup/Moongiant, Opolis, Norman. ROCK

Replay, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Tech N9ne/Stevie Stone/Krizz Kaliko, Diamond Ballroom. HIP-HOP

SATURDAY, DEC. 13

The Dave Thomason Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COVER Travis Linville, Grandad’s Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER White Mule, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

FRIDAY, DEC. 12 2AM, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ROCK 411 Band, Riverwind Casino, Norman. COVER Adam Hood, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COUNTRY Annie Oakley/Helen Kelter Skelter/Locust Avenue, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS

411 Band, Riverwind Casino, Norman. COVER Billy Bogges & Friends, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. VARIOUS

Adam Hood

Broken Flesh/Enfuneration/Center Of Disease, The Conservatory. ROCK Calvin Arsenia, The Paramount OKC. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

OKG

music

Chase Sanford Band, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. JAZZ Foxburrows/Hitt Boyz, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Avenue, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

James Slaw, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. JAZZ

Brandon Jackson, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. COUNTRY

Jay Falkner, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. COUNTRY

pick

Adam Hood Friday

He has been compared to John Denver and Alabama, but this Southern singer-songwriter and musician has toured with folks like Tulsa Sound icon Leon Russell and outlaw country idol Willie Nelson. His latest album, Welcome to the Big World, was released last month. He performs Friday at Grady’s 66 Pub, 444 W. Main St., in Yukon. Visit gradys66pub.com.

Brian Pounds, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Josh Abbott Band/Kyle Park, Diamond Ballroom. COUNTRY

Maurice Johnson, Avanti Bar & Grill. JAZZ

Buffalo Fitz, Full Circle Bookstore. ROCK

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Mitch Casen, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY

DJ Evan C, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS

Life of the Party, Remington Park. COVER

TUESDAY, DEC. 16

Pierce Hart, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

Caleb McGee, The Deli, Norman. R&B

PROVIDED

Red Eye Gravy, Grandad’s Bar. COUNTRY

Edgar Cruz, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ACOUSTIC

Rick Jawnsun, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. COUNTRY

LUCKY/Shaun Suttle, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. COVER

Stat Band, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Steve Story, American Legion 40et8. COUNTRY

Them Hounds/Caleb McGee/Helen Kelter Skelter, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17

SUNDAY, DEC. 14

Amy Speace/Rod Picott/Wild Ponies, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Blue October/Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness/Semi Precious Weapons, Brady Theater, Tulsa. ROCK

Derek Harris Band, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK

Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC

North Meets South/Wink Burcham, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS

From Indian Lakes/Ultra City/Himalayas, The Conservatory. ROCK

The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Mike Hosty, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Wayne McEvilly, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library. PIANO

The Sisters of Swing, The Depot, Norman. JAZZ Tribute to Woody Guthrie, The Blue Door. COVER

MONDAY, DEC. 15 Alan Orebaugh and Friends/The Handsome Devils, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Josh Abbott Band, Diamond Ballroom, Saturday, Dec. 13

Ali Harter Residency, Blue Note Lounge. SINGER/ SONGWRITER David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

OKL AHOMA GA Z ET TE | DECE M B E R 10, 2014 | 47

COMPLIMENTARY MOVIE PASSES

LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS

invites you and a guest to a special advance screening! WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17

HARKINS BRICKTOWN 150 E. RENO AVE, OKC

Pick up your pass for two at

The Paramount OKC 701 W sheridan 405.517.0787 theparamountokc.com WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. PASSES NOT A GUARANTEE OF ADMISSION. SEATING IS LIMITED TO THEATER CAPACITY, AND IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED ONLY. SCREENING HAS BEEN OVERBOOKED TO ENSURE A FULL HOUSE. THEATER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERBOOKING. PASS HOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO ARRIVE AT LEAST 90 MINUTES EARLY. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED.

IN THEATERS CHRISTMAS DAY

On Sale Fri 12/12 10aM!

Flush fricative BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Long has Chase Kerby laid claim to a position as one of Oklahoma City’s best songwriters. That much has stayed true even as The City Lives stalled out in 2010 and Defining Times’ pace has been slowed down as of late. Kerby is a powerful songsmith, a deep thinker and nimble lyricist who is intimately aware of his own emotions and is naturally gifted at translating those into cathartic songs that are as universally impactful as they are melodically infectious and tightly composed. Of course, Kerby always has potently capable bands helping bring those compositions to life, and the same sensitivity that makes him such a magnetic songwriter makes him a wonderful bandmate eager to give credit to the players. He stands on level ground with them. Thus, Kerby’s choice to step out as a solo artist with his four-song EP Tidal Friction is an important distinction. This isn’t a new look. The songs are torn from the same pages that made up Defining Times’ Separate Tongues: sweeping, contemplative and tenderhearted. He has talked about going solo before, so this isn’t unexpected, but its timing speaks to Kerby’s obsession to work and mold this style of music when, where and how he chooses. There’s a self-contained feel to the scope of Tidal Friction, a full, lived-in soundscape that bubbles effortlessly outward instead of pounded out on a conveyor belt. There’s one stamp of approval, not four or five. And because of that, the EP is a condensed, concentrated

taste of everything that makes Kerby the artist he — and he alone — is. Stewed in tattered romances, haunted opener “White Skies” is a pure example: The flush piano notes ring out from a chilly, somber loop like the howls of a hopeless romantic clearing a path to reconciliation. Those sounds marry well with a stirring swatch of guitar distortion that seeps in midway through. This is vintage Kerby, handy at developing mood with more than just words. Unassuming, acoustic-driven “Before the Fourth” follows in a pretty but fleeting moment, a fling between two more serious loves. The hazy “Dawning” drifts in neatly afterward, a watercolor blur of fragile but present keys, sparse percussion and whirling, textural samples. This is a look at the OKC native’s future, his voice still present and now pulled into a great new terrain that’s wellsuited for it. “Who Is It I’m Lying To” is the nightcap, starting as a soft and unsuspecting confessional that grows more and more animated the deeper it reaches into itself. It erupts into Tidal Friction’s most in-your-face, empathic moments. The smell of Holocene is on its breath, the muted “oh’s” ushering out each chorus becoming a literal and figurative echo, but the flame it brings to the wintery effort is a welcome flicker of heat. Tidal Friction is brief, but in music, life and romance, it’s more about how you use your time than how much you get, and Kerby says a lot about who he is and who he will be moving forward from here all the same.

Chase Kerby EP: Tidal Friction’ | Available now | chasekerby.bandcamp.com

48 | DECEMBER 10, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: What’s the one feeling you want to feel more than any other in 2015? Tell all: Truthrooster@gmail.com. ARIES March 21-April 19 “Too much happiness can make you unhappy,” reported journalist Marta Zaraska in the Washington Post. Citing research by psychologists, she concluded that being super-extra cheerful can make you selfish, gullible, and more prone to stereotyped thinking. On the other hand, she said, maintaining merely moderate levels of happiness is pretty damn good for your mental and physical health. So here’s the takeaway, Aries: The astrological omens suggest you’re due for a surge of joy and pleasure. Just be careful it doesn’t spill over into rash, delirious excess. Here’s your watchword: well-grounded delight. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) In the 19th century, the Grimm brothers gathered over 200 old fairy tales from a variety of sources and published them in an unprecedented collection. Many of their stories are still popular, including “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and “Rapunzel.” Around the same time they did their work, a storyteller named Franz Xaver von Schönwerth assembled his own compendium of fantastic myths, fables, and folklore. Unlike the Grimm brothers’ book, his work faded into obscurity. But it was rediscovered in 2011, and 500 lost fairy tales are now finding their way into newly published books. I foresee a comparable phenomenon happening for you in 2015, Taurus. Forgotten stories will return. Raw material from the depths will resurface. Interesting news from the past will come flowing into the present. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Your first task is to ascertain the half-truth, the whole half-truth, and nothing but the whole half-truth. Only then will you be able to find the other half of the truth. I realize it may be frustrating to use this approach. You’d probably prefer to avoid wrangling with the deceptions and misdirections. But I think it’s the only way to jostle loose the hidden or missing information. For best results, be a cunning and unsentimental detective who’s eager to solve the mystery. Don’t focus on finding fault or assigning blame.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): One of the ingredients that makes yoga mats so soft and springy is the chemical azodicarbonamide. The same stuff is added to the soles of shoes. There’s a third place where it’s used, too: in the burger buns sold by McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and other fast food joints. I’m not suggesting that you order a big supply of azodicarbonamide and ingest it. But I do hope you will consider the metaphorical equivalent: doing whatever’s necessary to make yourself bouncy and fluffy and pliable and supple and resilient. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) “There are two kinds of light,” said author James Thurber, “the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” Lately you have been an abundant source of that first kind of light, Leo. The fire in your heart and the gleam in your eyes have not only brightened the mood wherever you’ve gone. They have also clarified confusing situations, warmed chilly attitudes, and healed dispirited allies. Thank you! In the coming weeks, I’d love to see you continue on your hot streak. To help ensure that you do, keep your ego under control. Don’t let it pretend that it owns the light you’re emitting. With a little introspection, you will continue to generate illumination, not glare. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Studies suggest that 57 percent of all people with access to the Internet have engaged in the practice known as ego-surfing. This modern art form consists of searching Google for mentions of one’s own name. This is a suspiciously low figure unless we factor in the data uncovered by my own research -- which is that a disproportionately small amount of Virgos go ego-surfing: only 21 percent. If you are one of the 79 percent of your tribe who does not indulge, I invite you to remedy the situation. It’s an excellent time to risk exploring the potential benefits of increased self-interest and self-regard. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) When I started writing horoscopes many years ago, I was a good astrologer but an unexceptional writer. Eventually, the practice of composing 12 packets of

pithy prose every week allowed me to improve my authorial skills. The stuff I composed in the early years wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t want to present it as my work any more. So should I feel guilty that I got paid and appreciated for those old efforts even though I was less than perfect? Did I get away with something I shouldn’t have gotten away with? I don’t think so. I was doing the best I could at the time. And even my unpolished astrological musings were helpful to many people. Now, Libra, I invite you to apply these meditations to you own unfolding destiny. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You may already know what I’m about to tell you. It’s a core principle at the root of your Scorpio heritage. But I want to focus your attention on it. In the coming months, you’ll be wise to keep it at the forefront of your conscious awareness. Here it is, courtesy of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “You have it in your power to invest everything you have lived through -- your experiments, false starts, errors, delusions, passions, your love and your hope -- into your goal, with nothing left over.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “A savage desire for strong emotions and sensations burns inside me: a rage against this soft-tinted, shallow, standardized and sterilized life.” So says Harry Haller, the protagonist of Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf. His declaration could serve as an interesting point of reference for you in the coming months, Sagittarius -- not as a mood for everyday use, but as a poetic inspiration that you periodically call on to invigorate your lust for life. My invitation has a caveat, however. I advise you not to adopt the rest of Harry Haller’s rant, in which he says that he also has “a mad craving to smash something up, a department store, or a cathedral, or myself.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) I have lived near an open space preserve for five years. Up until the last two months, it has been a peaceful, quite place. But then the coyotes moved in. Just after dusk every evening, a pack of them start yipping and yowling in the distance. At first

I found the racket to be eerie and unsettling. It activated some primal unease in me. And yet the coyotes have never actually been a problem. They don’t roam into my neighborhood and try to bite people or prey on pets. So now I’ve come to relish the situation: The wild things are close and exciting, but not dangerous. I’m guessing this has a metaphorical resemblance to what your life will be like in the next six months, Capricorn. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont are really a single town that straddles the border between the U.S. and Canada. Many of the people who live there have dual citizenship, but they’re still supposed to carry their passports with them at all times. I suspect you may experience a metaphorical version of this split in the coming months, Aquarius. You will be in a situation that has a split down the middle or a seemingly unnatural division. Whether it turns out to be a problem or an opportunity will depend on your adaptability and flexibility. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) When a dead tree topples over in the woods, its withered branches may get entangled with the branches of a living tree that’s standing nearby. As years go by, the living tree must grow the best it can with the decaying wood trapped in its midst. Has something like that ever happened to you? Are you still carrying the rot that other people have burdened you with? If so, the coming months will be an excellent time to get disentangled. A tree isn’t capable of freeing itself from the dead weight of the past, but you are -- especially in the first half of 2015.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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