Our Long National Nightmare Is Over

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:18:07 -0500

I got home from crew practice, and there on the rainy doorstep...my Sunday paper! Our long national nightmare is over.

Dude, Where’s My Newspaper?

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:32:16 -0500

I admit this old-fashioned, but I still enjoy reading an actual newspaper. You know, the inky kind that leaves residue on your fingers and keeps you inconveniently flipping back and forth between sections.

As tale-end Gen X, born right after the Carter election, I don’t know anyone in my age group that subscribes to the paper - even though most of us actually grew up in homes that had daily subscriptions, or at least the Sunday paper for coupon clipping.

Some of my newspaper love is by background, admittedly. My parents met back in the 60s when they both worked at the old Oklahoma Publishing Building in downtown OKC. My dad was a photographer, and my mom was in the ad department. In high school, one of the best jobs I had was at the Oklahoman - taking pages off the proof printer for the editors and running a cart down to the press at 1 am to grab the first editions for the staff in the main building. It was always fun to go down a few minutes early and watch the press whirl into action and see all the little papers fly overhead on a conveyor - already neatly folded.

So you can imagine our dismay at the US of MH that we have not received our Sunday Oklahoman for three weeks running now. A call to customer service has not remedied the situation. The Sunday ritual of breakfast, over-caffeination, i-tunes and newspaper has been woefully incomplete.

Citizens, this is serious. I miss getting angry at the conservative editorials, seeing what’s new in local business, looking at pictures of people I don’t know in the Style section, and flipping through ads of things I don’t need to buy- but seriously consider doing so anyway.

We’ll keep you posted on all the breaking news as this story develops.

Ms. Burka Meet Mr. Bluetooth

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:33:06 -0500

I’m not sure if this is fashion forward, but very innovative nonetheless. Markus Kison’s new “CharmingBurka” kit sends a self-defined picture of the woman beneath to every Bluetooth mobile phone in the vicinity. The inventor says no laws of the Koran are broken.

Count me skeptical that Mr. Kison won’t see a Fatwa in his future if this technology takes off in its intended market. Totally clever, and funny...

Via engadget.

Provincialism Watch - Continued

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 20:34:28 -0500

Just in case you didn’t believe me...

Provincialism Watch

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 12:43:20 -0500

Occasionally, the US of MH will present an award for Egregious Displays of Provincialism. This week’s lucky winners are patrons of my local Blockbuster who checked out Guillermo Del Toro’s, “El Orfanato,” and, upon placing this fine piece of international cinema in their DVD player are shocked to discover it’s in SPANISH! Enough called to complain, and now the cute warning label.

I don’t really know what to say here. Maybe the first clue should have been that the movie is called, um...El Orfanato! And it didn’t end there. Next to Sweeney Todd? You guessed correctly: THIS IS A MUSICAL!

Bad. So bad.

New York City, Summer 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:07:35 -0500

Citizens, I have been a bit neglectful of the blog lately - relationship, work and travel have meant for infrequent posting - but will do more writing again soon, promise. It’s been a great summer so far - New York was a wonderful, and much needed vacation. I posted several albums, and will share some travel highlights on this page in the upcoming future. In the meantime enjoy the pictures. Cheers! I took the above photo from the bow of the Imagine Schooner, Monday, June 29 2008 at sunset.

Photo of the Day

Sun, 6 Apr 2008 20:54:22 -0500

One of the cool things about living in a college town is that the graffiti is often terribly funny and amusing. Example: this little nugget of wisdom scribbled on the back of an electric substation on campus corner in Norman.

Sally Kern College Tour 2008

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:59:41 -0500

Our infamous anti-gay legislator, Sally Kern, spoke at a meeting of the University of Central Oklahoma’s College Republicans this evening at the Edmond campus to a crowd of around 75 people. The event was covered by the local ABC and CBS affiliates, and it appeared progressives who heard about it through the grapevine outnumbered the future conservatives of America.

I need some more time to digest the speech, and to go through the audio I recorded. What jumps out strikingly in her pedestrian oratory was the overall intellectual poverty of her remarks, conclusions that flowed from one faulty premise into the next, and an utterly uncompromising world view. It was a different experience hearing and seeing the bigotry in person.

I actually had a close encounter of the Sally kind and managed to find myself in the elevator with her on the way to the speech. I was totally distracted and didn’t have time to get in a great question about her thoughts on gay stoning, and other Old Testament favorites, because I was busy averting my gaze, lest I end up like one of her victims from Clash of the Titans, and trying to protect my personal space from her security detail.

She did not mention the “homosexual agenda” or even say the word “gay” during her speech, and instead focused on how, in her words, our system of government is founded on Christianity and a biblical world view, thus - we need leaders and laws that reflect this reality. It was an oblique way of arriving at her previous conclusions, though in a far less incendiary manner. In the end, nothing has changed, and everything she said was utterly specious.

The best stuff was during the Q&A when she called those who did not believe in Christianity, “infidels,” and that Islam is a real danger to America because Christianity is the only path to salvation, and that if we doubted the “Homosexual lifestyle” was bad for people’s health, all we had to do was look at the CDC website. Likewise, If we doubted that gays are indoctrinating kids in school, just Google search “homosexual agenda” and behold the proof that pops up. Additionally, she really did seem to lay it on Islam rather hard tonight, even though she couldn’t even pronounce the word “Sharia.” I had to help her out with that one from the audience. (Just wait for the audio).

She was well challenged during the Q&A, and she only got one softball question that I counted. When given the opportunity (again) to apologize, she refused, and at least two students got up, left, and flipped her off on the way out. I’m glad they gave her their best gay face.

This may be surprising to some, but that’s the first time I’ve actually been subjected to those arguments by a true believer in person - I didn’t grow up in a religious household, and was never exposed to it along the way, mirable dictu. Obviously, in college and into adulthood, I only surrounded myself with fellow travelers and kindred spirits.

The United States of Michael may be in Oklahoma, but on nights like these, girl, I realize the US of MH is really a world unto itself. My own Private Idaho. I’m glad I went for that reason.

As an aside, KWTV’s Rusty Surette asks when we should call it quits on coverage of the village idiot (my words, not his). We don’t want to be following her around everywhere, do we? It’s gotta end at some point.

I have a feeling unless she throws some more rhetorical hand gernades that we may not see much more of her. As she continues to be blog worthy, I’ve decided I like our Lady Medusa pulled from Queerty to use in lieu of real Sally pictures.

Easter in the Park

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:48:49 -0500

Another fabulous weekend in Dallas. I made some new friends, and had a great time with the boyfriend. I’ve noticed over the years that Dallas seems to get better and better - more urban, more great restaurants, and very cool renewal projects underway. It’s a short get away from Oklahoma City and provides so much that we miss here locally in terms of a big city feel.

As an aside, the Warwick Melrose hotel on Cedar Springs and Oaklawn was the perfect place to crash in style. The building is an 8-story 1920s brick and stone edifice that is definitely a cut above the typical hotel experience - and at a fairly reasonable price for what you get. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

The event supports animal welfare charities, and the local animal adoption agency based in Dallas successfully placed eight of their dogs with new homes. More Easter in the Park photos in the albums section.

Blog Love

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:40:58 -0500

My thanks to Dan Savage at The Stranger for linking to the United States of Michael Heaton, as well as Andrew at Queerty. They will be on the short list for cabinet positions...Trust, girl. I definitely love The Internets.