Okie Sister

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Music: American Idol alum Taylor Hicks has a new cd out this week called The Distance. Amazon.com is offering a free download on one of his songs, Seven Mile Breakdown. That’s free, as in, no money. Download here.

 

 

Television: NASCAR driver Jeff Burton will appear in an upcoming episode of General Hospital. Burton will take part in scenes with Dr. Patrick Drake. Drake’s character, played by Canadian actor Jason Thompson, is an avid race fan. Burton’s episode is slated to air in mid-March.
“I’m excited about going to the set of General Hospital and taking on a role with Jason,” said Burton. “I’ve been in commercials and was a guest star on a sitcom a couple of years ago, so I’m hoping those appearances prepped me for my soap-opera debut. Luckily, I get to play myself and talk racing, which will help take some of the pressure off.”

 

Fox's upcoming musical comedy, Glee, has booked Okie Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies, Wicked) and Victor Garber (Alias, Eli Stone, Sweeney Todd) in recurring roles. Matthew Morrison (Hairspray) stars as an optimistic high school teacher trying to transforms the worst glee club in America. Produced by Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Popular). The show is scheduled to premiere this May after American Idol.

 

Don’t miss the third season of My Boys airing on TBS starting March 31st.

 

In The News: Former NFL player-turned-actor Brian Bosworth has been arrested in Hollywood on suspicion of driving his Harley under the influence. Los Angeles police Sgt. Alex Ortiz says Bosworth was arrested early last Friday. The Boz was held on $5,000 bail.
Okie Bosworth garnered fame as a University of Oklahoma linebacker before retiring three years into a 10-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks due to a shoulder injury. His movie credits include "Stone Cold," "Virus," "Three Kings" and "The Longest Yard."

Drivers, this is what happens when you stop in the middle of the street to let somebody pull out in front of you. You think you are being kind, but you are really being stupid. Stop waving people into traffic before you get someone killed. Just follow the dang traffic rules. Here is what I’ve always wondered. What about the people behind you that you are holding up? You are certainly not being kind to them. End of rant.

 

 

Funny Cartoon: My oldest brother emailed me about last week’s episode of Lost. I think he summed it up accurately.

 

Summary of last Wednesday’s LOST
Three years later...
Three years earlier...
Three years later...
Three years earlier...
Three years later...
Three years earlier...
Three years later...
Three years earlier...

 

   

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn

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Soap News: Big catastrophe on General Hospital this week. Big enough that the show will be unveiling a new hospital set in April, complete with a new nurse’s station. I still miss seeing nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin) behind the round 7th floor nurse’s station desk on GH?
I guess you could say GH is getting a facelift. Not unlike characters Bobbie Spencer (Jackie Zeman) and Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson). Or is that botox? (Who besides me remembers that actress Jackie Zeman once posed in a men’s magazine?) On the show, the wealthy Quartermaine family pay for the Extreme Hospital Makeover.

 

Reality TV: Watch for Okie Christie Volkmer and her sister Jodi Wincheski on the next Amazing Race when it premieres Feb. 15. These ladies are Southwest Airlines flight attendants. I wonder if that will give them an advantage. Jodi is from Houston, Texas and Christie is from Choctaw, Oklahoma.
Also on the show will be the first ever deaf contestant, Luke Adams. He will be accompanied by his mom, Margie. Gay rights activist Mel White will be racing with his son Mike, screenwriter of the most excellent movie, “School of Rock.” One leg of the race has the contestants traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railroad through a snowstorm in sub-zero temperatures.

America’s Next Top Model starts again on Feb. 25. One of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ex-girlfriends, Kortnie Coles, is a contestant. She is listed as a 24 year old non-profit organizer from Houston, TX. Answer This... hosts a shot of her wearing the famous “Not Everything Is Flat In Kansas” t-shirt. She should be a lot of fun.

Speaking of NASCAR women... I wonder what ever happened to TLC’s reality show NASCAR Wives. It was supposed to premiere after the Miss America pageant last month.

In The News: Speaking of Pageants... It’s that time of year again here in Lawton, Oklahoma for Cameron University to crown a new queen. Each year the headline in the newspaper catches my eye.

 

Every year I think the same thing when I read it too, When is the Miss White CU Pageant?

Several earthquakes have occurred in Oklahoma recently. Centrahoma reported a 3.2 on Feb. 3, a 2.4 was recorded between Carney and Chandler on Jan. 29, and a 3.4 the day before that near Amber.
Amber, Oklahoma...home of some Steak(?) restaurant Hubby wants to take me to. Have any of you been there? Let me know if it’s good, okay?

Speaking of wacky... weather, that is. Have you seen the 5-ton ice sculpture of a “shivering” Al Gore. It was revealed by Craig Compeau in Fairbanks, Alaska. Compeau, a self described moderate skeptic of the whole global warming theory, is using the sculpture to raise money for Presbyterian Hospitality House. Participants guess whether this winter will be warmer or colder than it was the winter of 1947-48. Gore was born March 1948. More info at www.frozengore.com.

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Television: Laura Prepon aka Donna from That 70’s Show will appear in five episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Could she be the mother?
Laurence Fishburne has been cast as Dr. Raymond Langston on the new season of CSI. Country music phenomenon Taylor Swift will appear in one upcoming episode of that show.
In April, Scott Bakula and Chevy Chase will appear as software development rivals on three episodes of Chuck. Remember Chuck promising his sister that he would find their dad in time for her wedding?
Bakula is also scheduled to appear with Andre Braugher in a new Ray Romano series, Men of a Certain Age, airing later this year on TNT.

Idol Music: First of all, who besides me can’t stop singing David Cook’s Light On?
There’s a DVD out about gold medal Olympic snowboarder Shaun White called Don’t Look Down. Evidently this was aired on ESPN and is now available via Netflix. The music from this video is coming out on a soundtrack this week. Don’t Look Down features music from American Idol contestant, Australian cutie, Michael Johns. There is a beautiful duet on it with fellow Idol singer Brooke White.
Bubbly Brook’s cd, Songs From The Attic, is already out. She’s done a remake of Aerosmith’s Dream On (why?) and Coldplay’s Yellow.
Melinda Doolittle, who also didn’t win the Idol title, has a cd coming out February 3. She has a great pop, jazz, soulful sound. Everything R&B used to be.
Kelly Clarkson’s new cd, All I Ever Wanted, debuts March 17. The first single released is My Life Would Suck Without You. With Suck being the operative word. I don’t particularly care for this song, but the poster for it is... um... interesting. 

 

In Print: Oklahoma rockers Hinder are now immortalized in a comic book based on the band’s touring experiences. I’m sure that even though the book has naked women sitting at their feet on the front cover, it’s totally PG... and PC.
The iconic Stan Lee is working with Showtime to develop a show based on Perry Moore’s novel Hero about gay superhero Thom Creed, a high-school basketball player hiding his sexuality.
Remember the last show Stan Lee brought us, Who Wants To Be A Superhero? It was a campy reality show where every day people could act on their secret desire to be super. My favorite was Fat Momma with her belt of doughnuts. She wanted to help people who were down about themselves or being teased for being different.
Stan Lee’s character Spiderman had a special edition recently with a cartoon Barack Obama. The Inauguration Issue sold out quickly and has now gone into a second printing.

Okie Sister thinks the country could really use a new superhero in DC named Foreign Policy Woman.

In The News: Edward Vaughn, President of the Alabama NAACP made an arse of himself recently when he stated his objections to the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids being the only representation of the state in the upcoming inaugural parade. He, of course, preferred an all black group represent. He said the Maids remind him of slavery days and that their appearance would make Alabama a laughingstock. Little did he know that his racist comments were the only thing being laughed at.
The Azalea Maids are fifty senior girls from Mobile County who must have a high academic record and knowledge of state history, landmarks, and current events. It should be noted that this is a racially integrated group of ladies. They represent their state at many events wearing period costumes representing the colors of the Azaleas that line Mobile’s streets. The reason they picked this particular time period is because they feel it represents Southern Hospitality.
Fiddle-dee-dee. I don't no nothin' 'bout being a maid. I'd like to be a southern belle, but only if I can portray this one.

 

NASCAR: Only 20 more days until the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona, the official start of the 2009 racing season. Four extra cars will be in this year’s race, all wildcard picks. No doubt one will be Tony Stewart in the new Stewart-Haas Office Depot - Old Spice car.

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Tech Stuff: I’m loving me some Google Reader these days. I finally discovered enough blogs that I enjoy reading, that I had to get them all organized on one page. I was very jealous of Bloggers feature of updating their blogrolls. “Don’t know if this here TypePad has that ability or not. If it does, I reckon I ain’t figured out how.” I picked this particular reader because Hubby and I already have a shared calendar on Google.

Okiedoke is hosting the annual Okie Blog Awards. Oklahoma bloggers can nominate and vote on their favorite Oklahoma blogs. The site has links to many fellow Okie bloggers.

TV Alert: What could possibly make me watch Barbara Walters? The Swayze. Yep, Patrick Swayze in his first interview since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Wednesday night ABC will air “Barbara Walters Special - Patrick Swayze: The Truth.”
I wonder if she will ask him important questions like, “What kind of tree would you be?” Can you tell I’m not a big fan of the Ba-Ba Wa-Wa? I used to be. I think it has something to do with that awful The View show. I’ve never been able to watch that mess. A major pet peeve of mine is over-talking, which these ladies do all the time. If everyone talks at once, nobody can be heard. Which, for them, is no great loss. The show's concept was supposed to be different women with different points of view. In reality, it’s Elizabeth’s point of view against everyone else’s collective liberal point of view and one airhead that doesn’t have a point of view. Basically, I don’t relate to any of these women. They don’t represent me or anyone I know in lifestyle, morals or values. The end.

Racy News: Indy driver Danica Patrick ended the year as she began it, receiving another speeding ticket in Scottsdale, Arizona. Danica was clocked doing 54 in a 35 mph zone. She paid the $196 fine on Wednesday. The last ticket, for doing a whopping 57 in a 40 mph zone, sent the race car driver to traffic school, which Okie Sister finds extremely amusing. Wouldn’t a better punishment be to have her do community service and teach the defensive driving course? Or here’s another idea, maybe the Scottsdale police could stop targeting her Mercedes. Jealous much? Granted Danica shouldn’t be breaking any traffic laws, but don’t you think every cop in town knows who she is. She wouldn’t be a danger driving through your town at three times those speeds. Which she is NOT doing by the way. Maybe they just like pulling her over to talk to her.

 

Field Trip: The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge will conduct “In Search of Eagles” interpretive programs for the general public during January and February 2009. Participants will be taken by bus into the Special Use Area, where they will search for bald and golden eagles. Bring your binoculars. Call the Visitor Center, (580) 429-2151, for dates and time.

 

In Memoriam: It was tragic news this week to hear of the passing of Kelly Preston and John Travolta’s son Jett. No parent should ever have to bury their child. I’m sure there will be a worldwide outpouring of love and condolences to this family. May that bring them some comfort at this time.

What do you possibly say to a grieving parent? No words come to mind that don’t sound like clichés. What about all the parents out there that don’t have adoring fans? How do they cope?

Locally, another sixteen year-old child died this week. Cache, OK high school student Paige Bivans was thrown from the pick-up truck she was traveling in when the seventeen year-old driver lost control while speeding down a rural road. Paige was the only one not wearing a seatbelt. Paige was an honor student, active in many school clubs, sports teams, and her local church group. She had worked this holiday season at the mall in Lawton as one of Santa’s elf. She was a beautiful young woman. Such a tragedy.

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Girl Power: Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as head of the Army’s supply arm, making her the first female four star general in the U.S. Army.
"I am very honored but also very humbled today with this announcement," said Dunwoody. "I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were. This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career...that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform."
"There is no one more surprised than I - except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, 'Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.'"
What you might not know is that Dunwoody began her career right here at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. We Okies salute you ma’am.

Local News: Central Baptist Church (where Okie Sister met Hubby back in the 70’s) recently made plans to open a new learning academy at their church. Does this private school, Trinity Christian Academy, constitute a new use of said facility? That was the question that was put before building inspectors, the fire marshal, a slew of lawyers, and finally the city council this week. When an agreement could not be reached, the church was left to proceed with said plans for their school. Meaning, they do not have to install all the upgraded FIRE SAFETY measures suggested.
Fire Marshal Mark Mitchell said he had several concerns when he did a walk-through inspection over the summer, including corridors that pull air - and, potentially, smoke - through the building and an interior construction of combustible timber.
A church representative previously stated they didn’t have the money to make any upgrades. They have reportedly purchased several new smoke detectors and fire extinguishers for the education wing.
What was bizarre about all this, is pastor Keith Miles’s statement that he doesn’t think the city is correct in “inserting” itself into the church’s ministry. Max Sasseen, church board member, said church members were “amazed” the city would put itself in a position to judge what subjects would be taught in the classroom. Subjects? Huh?
What’s that got to do with the price of VBS Kool-aid in China?
I’m pretty sure the city’s only concern is that the students don’t end up trapped inside a burning building. But way to deflect guys, because accidents never happen...

I had just mentioned that Lawton is expanding with new housing additions. Yesterday at one of those construction sites, a 29 year-old man was trapped when a trench he was laying new sewer lines in, began to collapse around him. Local emergency personnel, (fire, police, public works) along with specialist from OKC, worked for 12 hours to free him from the 13 foot deep hole.
Reminded me of little Baby Jessica caught in that Midland, Texas well so many years ago. My own Texas baby daughter was only a few months older at the time.
This story has a good outcome as well. The worker, Alex Cabrera, is in stable condition with no broken bones at an OKC hospital.* The newspaper made note that Cabrera did not speak much English.
I’m sure there will be a full investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.
Okie Sister asks, is this the same housing addition that Toby Keith and Barry Switzer are investors in?

Tech News: The FCC recently okayed use of unlicensed portions of the television airwaves known as “white spaces” to deliver wireless broadband service. This would be another way besides telephone and cable to received Internet service. This was over objections from TV broadcasters who argued that this could disrupt their signals. I guess we will find out in February after the big switcheroo from analog to digital broadcasting.
I personally won’t be able to tell, since I already have DISRUPTION OF MY SIGNAL. The local ABC channel coming through my Dish Network breaks up into colorful pixilation blobs on a regular basis and often times the sound does not sync up, making me feel like I’m watching an old Kung Fu movie.
If not for Eli Stone and Dancing With The Stars, I wouldn’t even watch this dang channel. Dish Network informs me they are aware of the problem. Being aware is good...

Monkisms: An Australian woman says she will have nightmares for the rest of her life after abdominal surgery to remove her gall bladder. Rebecca Jones awoke just as the operation started. She felt every cut of the surgeon’s knife but she could not move or speak because she was paralyzed by the anesthesia.
"I was freaking out. Then I managed to move my hand and someone in the room noticed it. He said, 'she's just moved her hand'. But they kept going. I was trying to scream, to do anything"
In a written statement, the hospital conceded that Jones was “awake” but denied being AWARE she was suffering any pain.
“A study in March of this year found that as many as 30,000 American wake during surgery each year.” Holy Crap!

Elsewhere, Okie Sister recently had a traumatic nightmare about mold, after seeing a tiny spot of it near drain in sink.

ROTGLMAO: I happened to spy the Big Lots circular in today's newspaper. They have a new Online Deal of the Day which they are promoting with a colorful new cartoon character, “Anita Deal.” Hmmm...she looks really familiar.

*Update 12-19-18: Alex Cabrera suffered from crush syndrome and has since had both legs amputated below the knee. Another part of the story is that there was another worker in the trench when it collapsed. Cabrera help him escape and he immediately started digging Cabrera out.

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In Memoriam: Oklahoman Tony Hillerman passed away Sunday October 26th in an Albuquerque hospital. He was born May 27, 1925 in Sacred Heart, OK in Pottawatomie County. He was a decorated WWII veteran, returning from France with two shattered legs that never stopped causing him pain. He was a journalist, educator, and author, best known for his Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels.
“The teacher at Sacred Heart’s one-room school house was rumored to be a member of the KKK, so Tony and his brother were sent to St. Mary’s Academy, a school for Indian girls. It was there that he developed a lifelong respect for Indian culture and an appreciation of what it meant to be an outsider in your own land.”
He and his wife Marie raised six children, five of them adopted. Hillerman worked at one time as the city editor for our local paper, The Lawton Constitution. He was inducted into the OK Journalism Hall of Fame in 1993.

 

Randy Stotler passed away September 29, 2008. Randy was an award winning photo journalist for The Lawton Constitution newspaper.
“He had the ability to capture the essence of life through his still photography. He was proud of his Animal Shelter photos, which led to the adoption of many pets. He was a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.”
(For another sample of Stotler's work, see the photo on my About page. Yes, Randy took that shot of me and my husband in Elmer Thomas Park.)
Yesterday a memorial was held at the park by his friends and colleges from the paper. Next to Lake Helen, they remembered their friend and planted an oak tree in his honor.

 

 

TV: The Discovery Channel's show "Storm Chasers" is back for another season. Look for the TIV (tornado intercept vehicle) that was built right here in Lawton, OK. The TIV looks like something right out of Mad Max and certainly turns heads when it's parked on a city street.

Fine Living Channel has a new series called "Whatever, Martha!" The premise of the show is Martha Stewart’s daughter Alexis and her friend Jennifer Koppelman Hutt watch old segments of Martha Stewart Living and make wise cracks at Martha’s expense. It’s pretty funny. It airs on Tuesday nights.

Did anyone catch the episode of "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" with guest John Tyler Hammons? Remember, I told you about Hammons when he became the 19 year-old Mayor of Muskogee, OK.

 

All I Got Is A Photograph: I snapped this photo somewhere west of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refugee. I say “somewhere” because I actually had no idea where I was driving at the time, much to my husband’s chagrin. We had a lot of laughs though, wondering aimlessly through the countryside. The white flowers are actually a weed, but they look pretty when there is a whole field full of them.

 

 

Update: Thank you Tammy for the plant identification: Euphorbia marginata or Snow on the Mountain. Here is a close up picture.

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In Print: Illustrator & cartoonist Ted Key, creator of the comic strip Hazel, died on May 3rd at the age of 95. Hazel first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. Hazel was also a popular television show in the early sixties starring Shirley Booth. I remember watching reruns of it as a child. It was a very cute show; it made you want a sassy maid too. Key is also noted for creating the time traveling dog Mr. Peabody and his sidekick Sherman for Jay Ward’s Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Remember the WABAC (wayback) Machine? He also wrote the screenplays for Walt Disney’s The Cat From Outer Space, Gus, and Million Dollar Duck. I bet most of you have seen at least one of those movies or read The Biggest Dog In The World.

Music Legend: Eddy Arnold passed away last week, only a few days before his 90th Birthday. Arnold was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and an inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was second only to George Jones for having the most hits on the country charts. The most popular being his rendition of "Make The World Go Away." A favorites of mine is "I Really Don’t Want To Know." Arnold preferred love songs over honky-tonk tunes and often infused his music with an orchestra sound. He had a clean-cut, non-flashy persona and was married to one woman for 65 years. Interesting to note, his first manager was none other than Elvis’s own Colonel Tom Parker. I’m sending out a big "Bouquet of Roses" for the 'Tennessee Plowboy' today. I remember him always having a big smile on his face.

Music: 80’s rock band Def Leppard hit number one on the Classic Rock music charts recently with the first single off of their new CD, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge. "Nine Lives" features country singer Tim McGraw, who co-wrote the single with the band. McGraw’s tour manager is the brother of one of the band members, so that’s how the collaboration came to be. Def Leppard is known for it’s heavy metal sound and numerous number one hits. Drummer Rick Allen, who joined the band at age 15, lost an arm in an auto accident on New Year's Eve 1984. He later taught himself to play drums without it. "They are simply one of the best rock bands ever and it was a great time working together," said McGraw. This is not the first time that Tim has crossed over to a different music genre. In 2005, he teamed up with Nelly on the single "Over and Over" and landed on Billboard's Hip Hop/ Rap chart as well as the Top 40. Which made no sense to me, given that Nelly’s explicit lyrics are so extremely far removed from what country music is all about.

Nature Photo: From Hitsujiyama Park near Tokyo, Japan. Over 200,000 Japanese Moss Phlox in full bloom. Breathtaking!

Some of my sightings this week are a little out of date. I guess I should get my news clips from other sources than just The Drudge Report headlines because I had missed those above. Hey, I was sick last week! I did see a headline this Wednesday from my home state. When Oklahoma makes the front page of Drudge, it usually means some hick as done some bone headed move and cast my state in a negative light. Either that, or some city has poisoned a bunch of Prairie Dogs. So, it makes me nervous. Below is what I read.

Local Celebrity: The citizens of Muskogee, Oklahoma just elected a 19 year-old political science student as their Mayor. Oklahoma University freshman, John Tyler Hammons said a key to his platform that resonated with voters was openness of government and keeping citizens better informed of city operations. "Being elected does not change my desire to continue my education," he said. "We will schedule our time in an appropriate fashion so that I can be mayor and stay in school."

In Other News: A 38 year old Texas man tried to sell a 25-gallon drum of cyanide to an FBI informant in Muskogee, OK. He was arrested after being recorded saying he was willing to sell the drum in exchange for $10,000, a thermal imager and a fully automatic Russian-made AK-47 assault rifle. "I could kill a city with that (the cyanide)," he said. "Euthanize a whole village."

So, good luck young mayor. You Okie from Muskogee! You’re going to need it. Do they teach 'Combating Terrorism 101' at OU? And what’s up with the three names?

"Lone gunmen assassins, they always have three names," Jerry Fletcher. (1997, Conspiracy Theory)

TV, Dead or Alive: And speaking of assassins... ‘the powers that be’ at the big networks are making more announcements this week about which shows will be back next season and which ones we’ve wasted our time getting to know.
Dead - Aliens in America, Back To You, Men In Trees, New Amsterdam, and Women’s Murder Club
Anne Heche from Men In Trees has already gone to court to get required alimony payments stopped since she is unemployed and, in her words, broke.
Alive - Eli Stone, How I Met Your Mother, Reaper, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and ’Til Death.
I wrote this mainly for my husband’s benefit. Since I’m the one that sets the DVR each week, he has absolutely no idea what shows are still on TV.

What’s The Story, Observatory?: NASA announced Wednesday that the Chandra X-Ray Observatory had discovered the youngest Supernova in our galaxy. The 140 year old explosion is the newest one known in the Milky Way.
"Finding such a recent, obscured supernova is a first step in making a better estimate of how often the stellar explosions occur. This is important because supernovae heat and redistribute large amounts of gas, and pump heavy elements out into their surroundings. They can trigger the formation of new stars as part of a cycle of stellar death and rebirth. The explosion also can leave behind, in addition to the expanding remnant, a central neutron star or black hole."

Um…Okay. Unless you are ‘a rocket scientist or something’, I guess there is no way to truly understand the implications of such a major discovery.
Prompting Okie Sister to just burst into the song "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis. Why? Because she hadn’t heard it in a really long time and used to enjoy it immensely. Did it really come out way back in 1995?

Later Okie Sister started humming "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden, which was released in 1994.

Okie Sister could then be heard mumbling over in the corner something about black and white TV, Peabody’s Improbable History, The Wonderful World of Disney, fa-fa-fa-Foolin’, and something about being older than dirt.

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Music/TV: You may not have won Celebrity Apprentice, country singer Trace Adkins, but you were sighted yesterday in Genoa City on Okie Sister's favorite soap opera, The Young and The Restless. Trace performed an acoustic version of his hit song, "You’re Gonna Miss This," which has beautiful lyrics about appreciating where you are in life because it goes by so fast. When Trace is not singing about "Badonkadonk," he can sing moving ballads like this one and another favorite of mine, "I Wanna Feel Something." "I just wanna feel something. Somethin that's a real somethin. That moves me, that proves to me I'm still alive." I prefer this more serious, softer side of Adkins. He referred to this last song as sappy.

More Music: Gavin DeGraw's new self titled CD comes out this week. DeGraw says this CD is a little more rock than his last. I'm a big fan of this young, soulful singer and really enjoyed his Chariot CD. It contains many great songs, my favorites being "I Don't Want To Be" and "Belief." Wait, I think I like all the songs on it; that's rare. A fun, lesser known song on it is "Chemical Party." "Chemical party, lover down... It's not the walls, it's not this town. You're just too high to see the point, You think your name is 'pass the joint'." Speaking of chemicals...

In the News: Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann passed away this week at the age of 102. Flash back to 1938, when Hofmann invented LSD. He believed in the medicinal effects of the hallucinogenic drug and tested it himself. He was appalled that the drug was hijacked by 'those damn hippies in the 60's' and that the establishment unfairly demonized his discovery. Hofmann also studied 'magic' mushrooms and other plants used by aborigines.

Just thinking out loud here…but don't you think all plants and animals are on this earth for a reason? For reference, watch the 1992 movie Medicine Man starring Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco. It's about a scientist working on the cure for cancer, doing research in the Amazon jungle, as bulldozers approach the area.

Local News: Another gang on gang shooting occurred in town last week. One of the gunshot victims told police he had gone to confront a man when another man hit him from behind and knocked him down. The victim said he got back up and began to fight when a bright yellow, older-model car pulled up, and from which several shots were fired. The man told police he was hit in the leg by gunfire, and then got up and began to run. The man he was fighting with was shot in the face and arm. He said when he tried to run to a house, several bullets flew by him. He ducked and raised his arm up to cover his head when a bullet hit him in the right arm. He told police he recognized the shooter and furnished them with a name, according to the report.

This happened one block from a family member’s home. Yes, the same neighborhood as the Spice Girl robbery. My husband drove past the aftermath on his way home from work and snapped a couple of photos of the police, CSI and media.

I guess these guys didn’t care that there might be "Chlidren at Play" in the area. Note to city road sign crew: w-rest the wacky weed while writing.

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Racing News: Danica Patrick finally wins an Indy Car race on her 50th try. Patrick becomes the first woman in history to win an Indy race! She took the checkered flag in the Japan 300 finishing 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves.
''It's a long time coming. Finally,'' Patrick said. ''It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio, and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous."
I am so proud and happy for her. Oh and about that crying thing in Victory Lane, let me remind you of Jeff Gordon after the Coca-Cola 600 in 1994 sobbing like a baby.
Danica will be appearing on the Rachael Ray show on Wednesday, showing her how to drive a stick. Rachael in turn will show Danica how to cook a pork tenderloin. Sounds fun!

More Girl Power: ESPN Pit Reporter Jamie Little won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, becoming only the second woman to win the event in its 32 year history. She held off Craftsman Truck Champion Mike Skinner to take the checkered flag in the charity event.
"You go into the event with everyone out here wanting to help raise money for charity and have fun," said Little, "But when the race starts, the competitive juices take over and everyone wants to win."
The last-lap duel between Little and Skinner brought the crowd to its feet. As Skinner made contact with Little coming out of the treacherous hairpin turn on the 1.97-mile street circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach to pull side-by-side, Little was able to get back on the gas and pull in front of Skinner as the two came to the finish line.
"That was fun!," exclaimed Skinner. "Knocked a little paint off my car and had a blast!"
Toyota donates $5,000 to "Racing for Kids" in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winner's charity of choice. Racing for Kids is a non-profit program benefiting children's hospitals in Southern California. Little’s winnings will be donated for spinal cord injury research.
Little beat out fellow celebrities drivers like Drew Lachey, Wilmer Walderrama, Nancy Lieberman, John Salley, Eric Dickerson, and Daniel Goddard who plays the character of Cane on The Young and the Restless.

Party On: Today’s most popular NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., opened his own bar this past week in Charlotte, NC. Whisky River is described by the Observer as "a perfect melding of country and rock 'n' roll -- from the cowhide-backed bar stools and a belt-buckle-trimmed bar to the giant lava lamps hanging from the black exposed ceilings and Bon Jovi coming from the speakers."

And let’s not forget about the mechanical bull, three bars and a huge stage. Personally, I think it would be a blast to watch Jr. drive to victory lane on a big screen TV while hanging out in his orange colored club.

On Broadway: Patrick Stewart is receiving rave reviews for his leading role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth now playing at the Lyceum Theatre. This modern, updated production is set in a subterranean kitchen that serves as a military hospital in a timeless and nameless country. The single set contains a supernatural freight elevator, video projections, and a sink for Lady Macbeth to wash the gore. The Three Witches even rap. This is a role Stewart was born to play, having memorized all the soliloquies when he was fourteen, because he thought they were great.
Stewart earned his acting chops early on; spending fourteen years in the Royal Shakespeare Company. Of course, we all know his most famous role was playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek The Next Generation.

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Monkism: What will our Monk do without his beloved shrink? Actor Stanley Kamel, age 65, was found dead in his home in LA on Tuesday. Kamel's last role was playing Dr. Charles Kroger on the popular USA Network show Monk.

Kamel also acted in Murder One, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Cagney & Lacey, Hunter, Hill Street Blues, and Days of Our Lives; to name only of few from the hundreds of shows he has appeared in. He was even in one episode of Star Trek: TNG, Where No One Has Gone Before playing Kosinski.

He once said he was most proud of his work on LA Law were he played Mark Gilliam, one of the first characters on television to have AIDS. He said Tom Hanks and Jonathan Demme studied those episodes long before they started making the movie Philadelphia.

TV/Movies: The NRA has lost their most vocal representative and past president, Mr. Charlton Heston. Some of my favorite Heston quotes: "The law-abiding citizen is entitled to own a rifle, pistol, or shotgun. The right, put simply, shall not be infringed." "From my cold, dead hands!"€And let's not forget: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"

We all have our favorite Heston movie scenes that will stick with us forever, like the reaction to the Statue of Liberty on the beach. I wrote about one of my favorites Heston movies, Naked Jungle. Not one of his most popular, but I like it. Rest in peace, Mr. C.

Racing News: Mark Martin was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame on April 2, 2008. "It's really a great honor to be recognized for what we have been able to achieve at Texas," said Martin. "I've always enjoyed going there."

The Hall of Fame ceremony benefits Happy Hill Farm Academy, a working farm that helps children with a broad range of behavioral and academic issues sometimes as a result of abuse and neglect. You may have heard Dr. Phil talk about it.

In other racing news: Chrissy Wallace daughter of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, recently made her racing debut, driving to a 18th place finish in Martinsville in the Craftsman Truck Series. She stayed on the lead lap and maneuvered around several wrecks. You, go girl!

Local Celebrity: Ft. Sill Commanding General MG Peter Vangjel and his wife Joanne pictured here with Miranda Lambert before her recent concert.

Food Find: Oreo Cakesters. Do not buy these; they are too delicious for words. Similar to a Little Debbie's product but with that rich Oreo chocolate. I had been fighting the urge to try these ever since I saw it on the Walgreens check out aisle. Excellent product placement, by the way, for the impulse shopper lurking inside us all.

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Local News: Two females started a food fight at the local Furr’s restaurant this week. When one of the women knocked over a man’s walker, his son asked them to stop. This resulted in the man and his 72 year old father being assaulted. The son ended up with a loose tooth and the father suffered a broken nose in the brawl. Police are searching for a 37-year-old black female, about 5 feet, 6 inches weighing 260 pounds, and a 20-year-old black female, about 5 feet, 7 inches weighing 110 pounds. They fled the scene in a four door gray Chevy Malibu with missing hubcaps.

Monkisms: Barbicide, the blue liquid that barbers have soaked their combs and scissors in for years, is coming out with wet wipes. The new owners of the company hope the public’s fear of germs will give the product new life.

Cute Picture: Cover of this week’s Family Circle magazine - these adorable dog face cupcakes. Their little noses are all made with marshmallows. Directions inside magazine.

Food Find: Musselman’s Fruit Spread Apple - Cherry - Peach. Low sugar, no fat, great flavor. Tastes like apple butter, only better. Good with peanut butter. You do know that apple butter makes a great hot grilled sandwich, don’t you?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Now go drink yourself a green beer.

Funny Cartoon:

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TV/Movie: Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig of Star Trek fame, was arrested earlier this year for stepping in front of a Rose Parade float while holding up a sign that said Free Burma. The younger Koenig is best known for his role as Richard Stabone aka. “Boner” in the television show Growing Pains. He also appeared in a Star Trek DS9 episode titled Sanctuary; playing the character of Tumak. I never put this Boner/Koenig connection together.

There is also a sister Danielle Koenig, who is a actress, writer, and comedian. She is married to comedian Jimmy Pardo.

Walter Koenig is married to Judy Leavitt, also an actress. They both appeared in the Babylon 5 episode A Race Through Dark Places, where she played a Psi Cop.

All four of the Koenigs appear in "InAlienable" a downloadable movie written and produced by Walter; also starring Marina Sirtis, Alan Ruck, and Richard Hatch. (The actor, not the Survivor winner)

In The News: A group of twenty-nine middle school students in Readington Township, NJ upset by their shortened lunch period paid for their $2 meals with pennies on Thursday. School Superintendent Schiff gave them two-day detentions for slowing down the lunch line and disrespecting cafeteria workers. On Friday the students ‘brown bagged” it and gave the lunch ladies apology cards. Sunday, Schiff rescinded the after-school detentions. In his e-mail, he said the students described their actions as a prank and that news reports inaccurately called it a protest. Several parents had complained the punishment was too harsh, but though some thought it too lenient.

Are you kidding me? I love that the kids took a stand; I hope it was a protest. Remember the Boston Tea Party? This is American History in action. Do they still teach history in school these days? Surely their parents or grandparents remember the Sit-Ins of the 60’s. These kids joined together and counted to 200; they didn’t show up with guns! Lighten up people; leave these youngsters alone.

This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since last week when six year-old Bryan Ruda was expelled from school in Parma, OH because he sports a mohawk. Bryan went on to change schools, not his hair. Rock on little Bryan-ster.

Local Celebrity: Monday, March 3, 2008 marked the first day of Delta Airline flights between our city airport and the metropolis of Atlanta. The jets will leave the airport at 6 a.m. and 12:25 a.m., and arrive from Atlanta at 12:05 p.m. and 9:03 p.m. Vice Mayor Randy Warren, thanking Delta for bringing regional jet service to the city, said the community got behind the idea of bringing Delta to Lawton and now residents will “get behind (the idea of) keeping you here.”

When Worlds Collide: Novelist Stephen King has written the script for “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” with music by singer John Mellencamp. The play will open at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre in April 2009, with the object of getting it ready for a Broadway run. It is described as a ‘sultry Southern gothic mystery with a blues score.’

Sounds dark. Well as least now you can get to Atlanta from here.

I spend a couple of weeks in Atlanta. A tornado touched down less than a block from where I was staying and all the power at my hotel went out. Always travel with a flashlight, people.

While there, I visited the World of Coca-Cola and Underground Atlanta, the downtown shopping mall. This historic area was home to speakeasys and juke joints in the early 20’s.

In the plaza between these two attractions, you can relax by a fountain and admire the wall of whales painted by famed muralist Robert Wyland. Wyland was influenced to study whales and care for the environment by someone I also admire, Captain Jacques Cousteau.

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Real Monk: You can’t keep an obsessive compulsive disorder suffering detective down. USA Network has ordered a seventh season of Monk. “You might say we were ‘obsessed’ with making this deal,” EVP of Original Programming Jeff Wachtel said in a statement. “Let’s face it; It’s not easy to ‘wash your hands’ of a show like Monk. We have high hopes that this summer it will once again ‘clean up’ in the ratings.” (Thanks, Shecky, you’re funny!)

Television News: ABC Daytime has entered into a multi-show product integration partnership with Campbell Soup Co. to promote the company's support of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement, which raises awareness of heart disease in women.

This is why they are annoying me with all those awkward product placements in the middle of the show; and also why they made the character Nurse Epiphany suffer a heart attack on GH. Boo…hiss…two thumbs down ABC.

Movies on TV: "Music and Lyrics" is a cute Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant flick. "Man of the Year" is a funny (and serious) Robin Williams, Laura Linney election movie. Both worth watching. I tried to watch another movie, but I hated it two minutes into it, "Stranger Than Fiction" starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson. I absolutely hate narration...and this is what the movie is about; a man hearing narration in his head. I had no idea! I couldn't watch it.

Local Celebrity: State Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields apologized for his actions Tuesday, three days after being taken to a detox center from a party where he allegedly tried to take a rodeo cowboy’s guitar. At least three people were taken to detox centers after the party that followed a bull riding event. Professional Bull Riders spokeswoman Jodie Edmonds said, “A couple of guys who work for us took him to the ground.”

“I acknowledge an incident occurred last Saturday night,” Fields said. “However, it was simply a misunderstanding of a practical joke among friends gone bad. I am embarrassed about the incident and take full responsibility. I apologize for my actions and ask forgiveness.”

Only in OK: To celebrate national FFA week, tractors of all sizes rolled into the parking lot of Waurika High School Friday morning for "Drive Your Tractor to School Day.” Ag Instructor and FFA Advisor Chris Kidd says he loves helping students prepare for their agricultural careers after high school, but he also wants to make it something they enjoy too. FFA Motto: Learning To Do, Doing To Learn, Earning To Live, Living To Serve.

Food Find: Being that I’m kind of cheap frugal, I picked up a box of cereal the other day for $1 at my local grocery store. I also liked the fact that the box was only about 7 or 8 ounces in size; I get annoyed when I have to throw out stale cereal. I’m the only one in my house that eats cereal so it’s hard to finish one of those large boxes. The cereal, Marshmallow Mateys, was supposed to be comparable to another brand. Well, it was really good; I couldn‘t tell any difference! I also recommend Honey Nut Scooters. They are both produced by Malt-O-Meal and actually have comparable or more ‘good’ ingredients in them than their counterparts. Oh, yeah, and they only cost a dollar a box. (End of awkward product placement.)

Funny Cartoon:

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New SciFi Series: The animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will debut on Cartoon Network in the fall. The TV series will follow a theatrical release for "Clone Wars" on Aug. 15.

"I felt there were a lot more 'Star Wars' stories left to tell," says creator George Lucas, who's executive producing the animated series. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward." The CG-animated "Clone Wars" will be set in the time between Episodes II and III of the movie franchise and follow Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala in their struggle to keep the galaxy free.

Does anyone else think these characters look scary, as do a lot of cartoons these days?

I freaked out when I first saw that show Zoboomafoo on PBS. Its got a flying, talking lemur puppet thing. It's part live-action, part claymation, and part mind-tripping weirdness.

More TV New: Both “Chuck” and “Life” have been picked up by NBC for a second season. Imagine two shows I watch not being cancelled, that’s so rare.

In Memorium: Ron Leavitt, a veteran television writer and producer best known for co-creating Married with Children, has died of lung cancer at the age of 60. He also worked on The Jeffersons and Silver Spoons. On creating the dysfunctional Bundy family, Leavitt said the show was his "adolescent rebellion against all those shows where everyone sat together at the dinner table and got along . . . and solved the world's problems in 22 minutes." He called it the anti-Cosby show.

"He created that show to make people laugh and show life isn't perfect," said the model and actress Jessica Hahn, with whom he had a relationship. You remember Hahn, the former church secretary, best known for her sex scandal with televangelist Jim Baker.

In the News: Remember all those UFO sightings back in January around Stephenville, Texas? One of the witnesses is now being harassed by military aircraft flying over his property both day and night. Low flying helicopters are disturbing his livestock and his sleep. Why would they do this if not to shut him up?

Maybe it’s all part of that secret military mission to shoot down the spy satellite that is currently hurling towards Earth.

Funny photo: My father in-law emailed me this picture titled Fox Hunt. I got a good laugh from it and it’s sound wisdom: “When you are in deep shit, look straight ahead, keep your mouth shut and say nothing.”

 

Top Dog: Uno, a 3-year-old beagle made history at the Westminster Kennel Club show, becoming the first of his breed ever to win the top prize. He was clearly the fan favorite and got a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. Handler Aaron Wilkerson called Uno a "people's dog" and a "merry little hound."

Monkisms: Watching woman cough into her hand at the Korean buffet line and then reach for the serving tongs. (We were all taught to cover our mouths, weren’t we? People, the new school of thinking is, cough into your arm or shoulder.)

Someone pointed out to me that my opening of doors with my elbow, with my purse or with my hand pulled up into the sleeve of my jacket was unusual, to say the least. (You mean everybody doesn’t do this?)

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New TV show: Eli Stone is enjoyable but it’s a familiar plot if you watch General Hospital. It’s the Nikolas Cassadine story line about a guy who has something in his brain that makes him hallucinate. I was glad to see George Michael employed again. He was in the first episode. Eli’s assistant is the divine Loretta Devine. Her character on “Boston Public” used to tell the principal, “Smell my shoe.” Alias dad Victor Garber is Eli’s boss at the law firm. James Saito plays Dr. Chen, an acupuncturist. He was in several episode of MASH, where he played the South Korean.

Guilty pleasure: American Idol – that crazy brit Simon’s ego trip cracks me up.

Funny clip on TV: From VH1’s Best Week Ever - Carol Channing at her bank when it was robbed. They impersonated her declaring, “I was Whawwwbed. They Whawwwbed us!

In the news: Max Baer, Jr’s live-in girlfriend committed suicide. Max played Jethro Bodine on Beverly Hillbillies. He is currently trying to build a casino that would include a signature oil derrick. “We-l-l doggies!

Comparison: Max Baer, Jr. and Wayne Newton’s new face. Do they have the same Nevada surgeon?

New CD: Taylor Dayne, “Satisfied.” This is her first CD in about ten years. Sultry and soulful. Just beautiful. She sings the Red Hot Chili Peppers hit song Under The Bridge and The Rolling Stones' song Fool To Cry.

Local celebrity: Councilman Warren had a half page commentary in last Saturday’s newspaper. Subject – Cost of County Jail. Friday night he was interviewed on the local news. Subject – Shooting at City Council meeting in MO.

Monkisms: Cringing when snotty nosed husband handed me the remote. Turning the door knob to enter snotty nosed husband’s office.

Urgent message to Stoners in Florida: The Highway Patrol found the 60 pounds of marijuana plants that you stuffed into two large garbage bags. To claim, phone 1-800-UBU-STED