Strumming up business
The Norman Transcript
By Andrew W. Griffin
For the Transcript
Posted: June 24, 2007
Wess McMichael loves music.
So do the dozens of teachers and hundreds of students learning various instruments at his Norman-based business, McMichael Music, 1005 N. Flood Ave. Suite 100.
Since 2000 the guitarist-businessman has operated a business in Norman, McMichael Music, and in that time, other music-lovers have come to learn under McMichael and his growing roster of music teachers.
In fact, McMichael said, his music classes, including private lessons and group clinics, has garnered a positive reputation resulting in more and more students signing up to take music lessons in percussion, woodwinds, guitar, piano, bass, violin and voice.
It was simply getting too crowded for his students and teachers at the original McMichael Music in the Elite Plaza shopping center.
“I was having trouble finding places for people to practice and play,” McMichael said. So, McMichael found an available space — a former daycare center — across the Elite Plaza parking lot, and was able to build and expand his business.For McMichael and his students and teachers, the expansion was music to their ears.
“We’re a third bigger now,” McMichael said, adding there are 16 teaching rooms.
On a recent afternoon, McMichael was sitting in the new break room with several of his teachers. All spoke highly of McMichael and the fact that the expanding business is exciting and how they all love working at McMichael Music.
“I have students who range in age from 8 to 70,” said guitar teacher Terry Ware, a seasoned musician who used to tour with Texas musician Ray Wylie Hubbard. “We have every skill level imaginable.” Ware jokingly said in his many years on the road, he’s learned a lot and thinks someone at McMichael Music needs to offer “road and music business advice” to these up-and-coming musicians who may be naïve about the realities of touring and the music business.
McMichael heard this and nodded in agreement, saying that down the road offering such legal advice might be a possibility. One teacher, Chris Wray, has his own jazz group, the Christopher Wray Quartet, and said he was once a student under McMichael and is excited to be working for his former teacher.“I’ve grown musically in this place,” Wray said. “We all really like our jobs.”
In fact, Wray talked about how McMichael hires well-trained teachers and allows them to teach in a style that works best for them.
As the teachers talked, several brought up the fact that they will go the extra mile with their students by offering to show up at local music stores or pawn shops in order to help students pick out an appropriate instrument.
“We help them by showing them what to get and what not to get,” Ware said.
Two guitar teachers, Thomas Anderson and James Spake, offer a rock clinic to students interested in forming rock bands. The teaching duo instructs students on how to do everything from developing a stage presence to maintaining eye contact with a crowd. The latest rock clinic session will conclude in late July with a rock show featuring the new bands at Andrews Park July 29.“There will be eight bands playing three songs each,” Spake said.
Interestingly, members of more established bands are teachers as well, including Norman-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Mike Hosty and Alan Orebaugh, lead guitarist of local Red Dirt rock band Mama Sweet. On this particular afternoon, Orebaugh was giving a guitar lesson to 17-year-old Justin Suman. He has been playing guitar for a couple of years.
“I’ve learned a lot (from Orebaugh) than I’ve ever learned on my own.”
This brings a smile to Orebaugh’s face as he sits across from his student, cradling an electric guitar. Adds Suman: “I’d like to be able to make a living playing guitar or teaching guitar.”
For more information, go online to www.mcmichaelmusic.com or call 360-1199.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Norman company completes rocket test firing
Norman company completes rocket test firing
The Norman Transcript
By Andrew W. Griffin
For The Transcript
Posted: June 17, 2007
Norman may not be known as a hotbed of aerospace innovation, but one small firm in the city is beginning to change that perception as they develop and promote economical sub-orbital rockets that could be used in a variety of ways.
TGV Rockets Inc., a 10-year-old Norman-based company, recently completed critical and successful test firings of a rocket engine at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi, according to TGV Rocket’s founder and CEO Pat Bahn.
Bahn showed The Transcript a video of the TGV demonstration recently filmed at Stennis which showed the company’s 30,000 pound engine, using JP-8 military-grade jet fuel.
Bahn said the first test was a success, which is unusual in the rocket business.Bahn said that the company hopes in the near future, they will be able to provide clients with affordable rockets that will be able to launch, go to the edge of space, perform thier duties and return to earth via a soft landing near the launch site.
This would be done using a low-operational cost.
“When we started the firm, our interest was very broadly focused, but as we developed the ideas, we realized we could replace a multi-billion dollar imaging satellite with a $10 million-class rocketship.”
Bahn said his company is hoping to tap into a new, $800 million U.S. Air Force project that deals with the kind of rocket technology that his company specializes in. Landing that could be a real boon for TGV.
And while the military is an obvious client for TGV Rockets, Bahn said he hopes to get the attention of industrial farming operations looking to lower production costs by showing them that TGV Rockets’ cameras can take high-speed photos of a large agricultural area at the edge of space.
This, he said, could then be used to show the agricultural outfit areas where chemicals are needed or not needed, thereby lessening spray costs among other issues.
“We basically want to create a low-cost way to produce satellite photography better, cheaper and faster,” Bahn said. As for future clients, Bahn’s lips are sealed. He said it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal any names before anything actually got off the ground. Bahn is hoping the state’s Department of Transportation will begin supporting his company and future tests at the spaceport site at the former Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base near Burns Flat.
He was disappointed the state didn’t seek him out regarding his rocket engine tests and that state officials seem more interested in rubbing shoulders with NASA officials and watching shuttle launches in Florida.“One million dollars was spent in Mississippi,” Bahn said of his successful engine test. “I’m sorry that money couldn’t have been spent here.”
In the meantime, Bahn is talking with state and federal agencies hoping to get some increased attention for TGV Rockets.“We’re trying to take the science out of rocket science,” Bahn said, adding, “and taking it from being a science project to a transportation mode.”
More information on TGV Rockets is available at www.tgv-rockets.com.
The Norman Transcript
By Andrew W. Griffin
For The Transcript
Posted: June 17, 2007
Norman may not be known as a hotbed of aerospace innovation, but one small firm in the city is beginning to change that perception as they develop and promote economical sub-orbital rockets that could be used in a variety of ways.
TGV Rockets Inc., a 10-year-old Norman-based company, recently completed critical and successful test firings of a rocket engine at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi, according to TGV Rocket’s founder and CEO Pat Bahn.
Bahn showed The Transcript a video of the TGV demonstration recently filmed at Stennis which showed the company’s 30,000 pound engine, using JP-8 military-grade jet fuel.
Bahn said the first test was a success, which is unusual in the rocket business.Bahn said that the company hopes in the near future, they will be able to provide clients with affordable rockets that will be able to launch, go to the edge of space, perform thier duties and return to earth via a soft landing near the launch site.
This would be done using a low-operational cost.
“When we started the firm, our interest was very broadly focused, but as we developed the ideas, we realized we could replace a multi-billion dollar imaging satellite with a $10 million-class rocketship.”
Bahn said his company is hoping to tap into a new, $800 million U.S. Air Force project that deals with the kind of rocket technology that his company specializes in. Landing that could be a real boon for TGV.
And while the military is an obvious client for TGV Rockets, Bahn said he hopes to get the attention of industrial farming operations looking to lower production costs by showing them that TGV Rockets’ cameras can take high-speed photos of a large agricultural area at the edge of space.
This, he said, could then be used to show the agricultural outfit areas where chemicals are needed or not needed, thereby lessening spray costs among other issues.
“We basically want to create a low-cost way to produce satellite photography better, cheaper and faster,” Bahn said. As for future clients, Bahn’s lips are sealed. He said it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal any names before anything actually got off the ground. Bahn is hoping the state’s Department of Transportation will begin supporting his company and future tests at the spaceport site at the former Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base near Burns Flat.
He was disappointed the state didn’t seek him out regarding his rocket engine tests and that state officials seem more interested in rubbing shoulders with NASA officials and watching shuttle launches in Florida.“One million dollars was spent in Mississippi,” Bahn said of his successful engine test. “I’m sorry that money couldn’t have been spent here.”
In the meantime, Bahn is talking with state and federal agencies hoping to get some increased attention for TGV Rockets.“We’re trying to take the science out of rocket science,” Bahn said, adding, “and taking it from being a science project to a transportation mode.”
More information on TGV Rockets is available at www.tgv-rockets.com.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Review of Toby Keith's "Big Dog Daddy"
He's not only a country music superstar, he's also runs a record label (Show Dog Nashville) is a restauranteur, a developer, an actor and more. I'm talking about Norman resident Toby Keith and he's got a great new album out called "Big Dog Daddy." Check out my review that ran in The Norman Transcript today ...
By Andrew W. Griffin
Pop Writer
Pop Writer
The Norman Transcript
Posted: June 22, 2007
Listening to Toby Keith’s latest album, “Big Dog Daddy,” I’m reminded why I’ve always enjoyed this shrewd, cornball Cleveland County resident for so many years.
First, he’s got charisma. He knows what his listeners like and he keeps on giving it to them. He’s got a wicked sense of humor as well as a golden ear when it comes to writing and performing. Remember last year’s “A Little Too Late”? That was one of the best country-pop tunes I’ve heard in years.
Another reason I’ve admired this Oklahoma native is that he’s a man of serious convictions. In fact, that aspect of his personality plays a major role in one of “Big Dog Daddy”’s strongest tracks; “Love Me If You Can.”
Not one to beat around the bush, Keith kicks off the song, framed as a country ballad in the vein of “My List,” with this:
“Sometimes think that war is necessary / Every night I pray peace on Earth / I hand out my dollars to the homeless / But believe that every able soul should work.”
Continuing, into the chorus, he sings:
“I’m a man of my convictions / Call me wrong, call me right / But I bring my better angels to every fight / You may not like where I’m goin’ / But you sure know where I stand / Hate me if you want to, Love me if you can.”
So, Keith, vilified on the left for his patriotic, outspoken nature and stance on the military response to 9/11 is also bugged by the right for not totally towing the GOP line. Keith wants to send the message that when it comes to taking a stand, he won’t be sticking his finger in the wind to see which way it’s blowin’.
He still knows a good country ballad when he sees it, as is evidenced in the Keith and Scotty Emerick-penned track “I Know She Hung the Moon.” A strong contender for a radio single, if you ask me.
One of Keith’s best performances on the new album is his cover of “White Rose,” written by Canadian alt-country singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith.
With it’s melancholy, train song feel, “White Rose” is about a filling station in a small town that falls prey to time, the elements and that tricky thing known as “progress.” Keith really sinks his teeth into this tune and shows listeners that he is capable of singing songs that fans of alt-country and Americana music can appreciate.
Everyone from big-money oilmen to self-proclaimed “oil-field trash” such as Keith himself are bound to dig the insanely catchy and almost child-like track “Pump Jack.”
Sure, there are plenty of hook-laden-yet-lightweight country-pop fare here. “High Maintenance Woman” will stay in your ear for days on end, while “Get My Drink On” is “Get Drunk and Be Somebody” Pt. II. And then there’s the silly title track, with the 1977-era female backup singers. I thought I was listening to Jerry Reed or something.
All in all, “Big Dog Daddy” is pretty consistent and musically appealing. It seems as though Toby Keith, who produced the album, is getting comfortable in his new role leading a record label (Show Dog Nashville), running a restaurant chain ( I Love This Bar & Grill) and acting in movies on the side (“Broken Bridges”). The man is amazing and still manages to make great music. Here’s to hoping he brings himself and the band to the Ford Center for a proper concert before the end of the year.
B+
Listening to Toby Keith’s latest album, “Big Dog Daddy,” I’m reminded why I’ve always enjoyed this shrewd, cornball Cleveland County resident for so many years.
First, he’s got charisma. He knows what his listeners like and he keeps on giving it to them. He’s got a wicked sense of humor as well as a golden ear when it comes to writing and performing. Remember last year’s “A Little Too Late”? That was one of the best country-pop tunes I’ve heard in years.
Another reason I’ve admired this Oklahoma native is that he’s a man of serious convictions. In fact, that aspect of his personality plays a major role in one of “Big Dog Daddy”’s strongest tracks; “Love Me If You Can.”
Not one to beat around the bush, Keith kicks off the song, framed as a country ballad in the vein of “My List,” with this:
“Sometimes think that war is necessary / Every night I pray peace on Earth / I hand out my dollars to the homeless / But believe that every able soul should work.”
Continuing, into the chorus, he sings:
“I’m a man of my convictions / Call me wrong, call me right / But I bring my better angels to every fight / You may not like where I’m goin’ / But you sure know where I stand / Hate me if you want to, Love me if you can.”
So, Keith, vilified on the left for his patriotic, outspoken nature and stance on the military response to 9/11 is also bugged by the right for not totally towing the GOP line. Keith wants to send the message that when it comes to taking a stand, he won’t be sticking his finger in the wind to see which way it’s blowin’.
He still knows a good country ballad when he sees it, as is evidenced in the Keith and Scotty Emerick-penned track “I Know She Hung the Moon.” A strong contender for a radio single, if you ask me.
One of Keith’s best performances on the new album is his cover of “White Rose,” written by Canadian alt-country singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith.
With it’s melancholy, train song feel, “White Rose” is about a filling station in a small town that falls prey to time, the elements and that tricky thing known as “progress.” Keith really sinks his teeth into this tune and shows listeners that he is capable of singing songs that fans of alt-country and Americana music can appreciate.
Everyone from big-money oilmen to self-proclaimed “oil-field trash” such as Keith himself are bound to dig the insanely catchy and almost child-like track “Pump Jack.”
Sure, there are plenty of hook-laden-yet-lightweight country-pop fare here. “High Maintenance Woman” will stay in your ear for days on end, while “Get My Drink On” is “Get Drunk and Be Somebody” Pt. II. And then there’s the silly title track, with the 1977-era female backup singers. I thought I was listening to Jerry Reed or something.
All in all, “Big Dog Daddy” is pretty consistent and musically appealing. It seems as though Toby Keith, who produced the album, is getting comfortable in his new role leading a record label (Show Dog Nashville), running a restaurant chain ( I Love This Bar & Grill) and acting in movies on the side (“Broken Bridges”). The man is amazing and still manages to make great music. Here’s to hoping he brings himself and the band to the Ford Center for a proper concert before the end of the year.
B+
Thursday, June 21, 2007
NAFTA Superhighway to come through Oklahoma?
It appears that globalist interests (i.e. Cintra/Zachry, etc.) are looking forward to bring their monstrous superhighway through the Sooner State, sooner rather than later, according to a new article by WorldNetDaily reporter Jerome Corsi.
Of course there are those who pooh-pooh the whole idea that the United States is about to be subjected to a globalist plan where our sovereignty is abolished, our borders disappear and our way of life goes the way of the snows of Kilimanjaro.
Notes Adam Rott, of OklahomaCorridorWatch.com:
Earlier this year in May the Oklahoma Department of Transportation released the "Draft Public Participation Plan," which is a portion of the Statewide Inter-modal Transportation Plan; they are asking the public for their thoughts and opinions on the Public Participation Plan, and it will only be open to public commentary for another 10 days, until June 30th, 2007.
You might want to send your thoughts to ODOT, and ask them how they plan to deal with ideas or opinions once they have been received. I got an email with a letter that a gentlemen, a Mr. Edwin Kessler, sent to ODOT saying just this...here is part of it:
"My comment, in part, is that the PPP seems to me to be a very inclusive plan. While I am not at all an authority on the various ways and means for soliciting public input, I can hardly imagine what might be omitted in the PPP as your office has presented it.
However, there is a vital dimension to this beyond the solicitation and receipt of public views. This dimension is the treatment of those views after they are received. This must pose a difficult problem, because some opinions are grossly uninformed or misdirected, and yet a concerned citizen who posts his opinions and concerns in good faith should not be ignored nor otherwise made to feel that he/she is of a lower class. And recognition of the resultant problem is not alone enough for achievement of a solution to it, though recognition of the problem is clearly the beginning of a solution. Another part is existence of funds and appropriately sensitive and knowledgeable staff to enable proper response to citizen input. And, of course, this represents an important political problem whose resolution lies with all of us."
This guy has raised an excellent point that we need to get a clear answer from ODOT on...because if we turn our attention to Texas for a while, one of the chief complaints from the Texans about TxDOT has been that, even though TxDOT is going around holding these meetings to get the input of the people, they don't care what the people are unanimously saying: we don't want toll roads, and we don't want the TTC-35. The period for public commentary on the PPP is drawing to a close, write a letter to ODOT simply expressing a concern about what will happen with the opinions once received by the the PPP.
--END--
Is it me or have our public servants taken on a role where they think they are our masters? They are increasingly arrogant and condescending when it comes to dealing with We the People. It's very troubling and appears to be a growing trend. On the other hand, people are beginning to wake up to the reality of what is going on. Just listen to any talk radio show and they are up-in-arms over our representatives' behavior regarding the illegal aliens amnesty bill. And with this proposed superhighway, it's guaranteed that more illegals will flood across our once sovereign border. It sickens me to see America being destroyed by design.
Of course there are those who pooh-pooh the whole idea that the United States is about to be subjected to a globalist plan where our sovereignty is abolished, our borders disappear and our way of life goes the way of the snows of Kilimanjaro.
Notes Adam Rott, of OklahomaCorridorWatch.com:
Earlier this year in May the Oklahoma Department of Transportation released the "Draft Public Participation Plan," which is a portion of the Statewide Inter-modal Transportation Plan; they are asking the public for their thoughts and opinions on the Public Participation Plan, and it will only be open to public commentary for another 10 days, until June 30th, 2007.
You might want to send your thoughts to ODOT, and ask them how they plan to deal with ideas or opinions once they have been received. I got an email with a letter that a gentlemen, a Mr. Edwin Kessler, sent to ODOT saying just this...here is part of it:
"My comment, in part, is that the PPP seems to me to be a very inclusive plan. While I am not at all an authority on the various ways and means for soliciting public input, I can hardly imagine what might be omitted in the PPP as your office has presented it.
However, there is a vital dimension to this beyond the solicitation and receipt of public views. This dimension is the treatment of those views after they are received. This must pose a difficult problem, because some opinions are grossly uninformed or misdirected, and yet a concerned citizen who posts his opinions and concerns in good faith should not be ignored nor otherwise made to feel that he/she is of a lower class. And recognition of the resultant problem is not alone enough for achievement of a solution to it, though recognition of the problem is clearly the beginning of a solution. Another part is existence of funds and appropriately sensitive and knowledgeable staff to enable proper response to citizen input. And, of course, this represents an important political problem whose resolution lies with all of us."
This guy has raised an excellent point that we need to get a clear answer from ODOT on...because if we turn our attention to Texas for a while, one of the chief complaints from the Texans about TxDOT has been that, even though TxDOT is going around holding these meetings to get the input of the people, they don't care what the people are unanimously saying: we don't want toll roads, and we don't want the TTC-35. The period for public commentary on the PPP is drawing to a close, write a letter to ODOT simply expressing a concern about what will happen with the opinions once received by the the PPP.
--END--
Is it me or have our public servants taken on a role where they think they are our masters? They are increasingly arrogant and condescending when it comes to dealing with We the People. It's very troubling and appears to be a growing trend. On the other hand, people are beginning to wake up to the reality of what is going on. Just listen to any talk radio show and they are up-in-arms over our representatives' behavior regarding the illegal aliens amnesty bill. And with this proposed superhighway, it's guaranteed that more illegals will flood across our once sovereign border. It sickens me to see America being destroyed by design.
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert release new albums
Thought I'd include a write-up I did in the Transcript on the new albums from Oklahoma native Blake Shelton and his gal pal Miranda Lambert, a Texan.
By Andrew W. Griffin
Pop Writer
The Norman Transcript
Posted: June 15, 2007
I’m not sure if it was coincidental or not but two of the best new country albums to be released in the past month or so happen to be by artists that also happen to be going steady.
The two stars I’m talking about Ada native Blake Shelton and Lindale, Texas singer Miranda Lambert. And yes, it’s official. They are a couple, according to a number of reports I’ve come across. Good for them. I happen to be big fan of both of these young stars.
So, I’m checking the Billboard country charts and for the past five weeks that their albums – Shelton’s “Pure BS” and Lambert’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” respectively – have been riding high with Lambert sitting pretty at #9 and Shelton looking sharp at #12. Not too shabby. I wonder how many couples (well, maybe Faith Hill and Tim McGraw) have had Top 20 albums at the same time.
And listening to the two discs, I have to say that they’re both solid, tuneful and even exciting recordings. That’s always refreshing.
Let’s start with Blake Shelton first. His previous album, 2004’s “Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill,” Shelton was on top of his game with a varied and cool collection of country music. Now, with “Pure BS,” we get Shelton continuing that tradition, but it seems slightly more heartfelt. There are very emotional songs mixed with a few where Shelton is sticking his tongue firmly in cheek, which is fine with this fan.
Always a solid balladeer, Shelton strikes pure, country-pop gold with “Don’t Make Me.” The rollicking “The More I Drink,” is a honky-tonker with a chorus that sticks in your head for at least an hour or so.
The album closer, “The Last Country Song,” is a real winner, with brief cameos from John Anderson and George Jones.
The song I happen to prefer over all others on “Pure BS” is the opening track, “Can’t Be Good.” This is reminiscent of his prison breakout tune “Ol’ Red.” Shelton’s still got it, that’s for darn sure.
Meanwhile, Shelton’s gal pal, Miranda Lambert is hot on the heels of her smokin’ debut from 2005, “Kerosene,” with the slightly less fiery “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
And while the album may not spark as much interest as her debut, there are still some terrific songs here. First, she kicks off the disc with the “Goodbye Earl”-esque “Gunpowder & Lead,” ingredients, Lambert says, that “little girls are made of.” Whoa! Better watch it, fellas! That includes you, Blake Shelton.
The two “town” songs – the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings-penned “Dry Town” and Lambert’s own “Famous In a Small Town” - are both solid efforts from the feisty Texan. And then there’s the bluesy folk-rocker “Down.” You can almost feel the humidity increasing as storm clouds gather out over the Gulf.
Much of the material, framed largely with a classy, Americana vibe, has Lambert addressing subjects relating to love won and lost. From the melancholy “Desperation” to Patty Griffin’s “Getting Ready.” The listener senses that Ms. Lambert is thinking a lot about the subject.
Can’t blame her.
--END--
If you've heard any good music lately, send me a note. Am always wanting to hear something new, exciting or just plain interesting.
By Andrew W. Griffin
Pop Writer
The Norman Transcript
Posted: June 15, 2007
I’m not sure if it was coincidental or not but two of the best new country albums to be released in the past month or so happen to be by artists that also happen to be going steady.
The two stars I’m talking about Ada native Blake Shelton and Lindale, Texas singer Miranda Lambert. And yes, it’s official. They are a couple, according to a number of reports I’ve come across. Good for them. I happen to be big fan of both of these young stars.
So, I’m checking the Billboard country charts and for the past five weeks that their albums – Shelton’s “Pure BS” and Lambert’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” respectively – have been riding high with Lambert sitting pretty at #9 and Shelton looking sharp at #12. Not too shabby. I wonder how many couples (well, maybe Faith Hill and Tim McGraw) have had Top 20 albums at the same time.
And listening to the two discs, I have to say that they’re both solid, tuneful and even exciting recordings. That’s always refreshing.
Let’s start with Blake Shelton first. His previous album, 2004’s “Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill,” Shelton was on top of his game with a varied and cool collection of country music. Now, with “Pure BS,” we get Shelton continuing that tradition, but it seems slightly more heartfelt. There are very emotional songs mixed with a few where Shelton is sticking his tongue firmly in cheek, which is fine with this fan.
Always a solid balladeer, Shelton strikes pure, country-pop gold with “Don’t Make Me.” The rollicking “The More I Drink,” is a honky-tonker with a chorus that sticks in your head for at least an hour or so.
The album closer, “The Last Country Song,” is a real winner, with brief cameos from John Anderson and George Jones.
The song I happen to prefer over all others on “Pure BS” is the opening track, “Can’t Be Good.” This is reminiscent of his prison breakout tune “Ol’ Red.” Shelton’s still got it, that’s for darn sure.
Meanwhile, Shelton’s gal pal, Miranda Lambert is hot on the heels of her smokin’ debut from 2005, “Kerosene,” with the slightly less fiery “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
And while the album may not spark as much interest as her debut, there are still some terrific songs here. First, she kicks off the disc with the “Goodbye Earl”-esque “Gunpowder & Lead,” ingredients, Lambert says, that “little girls are made of.” Whoa! Better watch it, fellas! That includes you, Blake Shelton.
The two “town” songs – the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings-penned “Dry Town” and Lambert’s own “Famous In a Small Town” - are both solid efforts from the feisty Texan. And then there’s the bluesy folk-rocker “Down.” You can almost feel the humidity increasing as storm clouds gather out over the Gulf.
Much of the material, framed largely with a classy, Americana vibe, has Lambert addressing subjects relating to love won and lost. From the melancholy “Desperation” to Patty Griffin’s “Getting Ready.” The listener senses that Ms. Lambert is thinking a lot about the subject.
Can’t blame her.
--END--
If you've heard any good music lately, send me a note. Am always wanting to hear something new, exciting or just plain interesting.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Thirty years since Camp Scott Girl Scouts murders
Until last year, I had never heard of the Oklahoma 1977 'Girl Scout camp murders.' But after coming across an eerie site on the web (which I can no longer find) detailing this horrific and disturbing tale of how three Girl Scouts were murdered in their tents 30 years ago this week at the now-abandoned Camp Scott near the Mayes County town of Locust Grove.
Well, the Oklahoman's Ron Jackson just did a front-page story on this case for today's edition, mostly focusing on the family of victim Lori Lee Farmer, whose folks still live in Tulsa.
Read the Oklahoman story here.
And see the images from the overgrown and abandoned camp site along with Jackson's commentary here.
It gives me a creepy, 'Blair Witch Project' sort of feeling when I read or think about it. And to think that it's never been solved ...
Well, the Oklahoman's Ron Jackson just did a front-page story on this case for today's edition, mostly focusing on the family of victim Lori Lee Farmer, whose folks still live in Tulsa.
Read the Oklahoman story here.
And see the images from the overgrown and abandoned camp site along with Jackson's commentary here.
It gives me a creepy, 'Blair Witch Project' sort of feeling when I read or think about it. And to think that it's never been solved ...
Saturday, June 9, 2007
'UFOs' in downtown OKC
The deadCENTER film festival has been going on since mid-week and I didn't catch as many films as I had hoped. I did catch one at the Harkins called "Strictly Background" which was about seven different film extras trying to get work in Hollywood. It was actually pretty clever and fun to watch.
But the highlight of the festival was the outdoor screening of "UFOs At the Zoo," a concert video of The Flaming Lips' show filmed at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater last September.
I've got to say that the film was actually pretty good. I loved the UFO descending at the beginning of the show and the guys coming out of it, and Wayne Coyne doing his bubble man walk over the crowd.
The only distraction was when the filmmakers blurred out logos and even faces like the mid-90's rap videos where sports team logos and such were blurred out, making it seem less realistic.
But the music was tops! And Wayne Coyne was actually there tonight, introducing the film which he hadn't even seen yet. Of course during the screening Wayne was busy shooting confetti out of a hand-held cannon. That was pretty nifty.
Dean, who was with me, said he had seen the Lips up in Stillwater back in '86 and said they were more of a thrash band back then. I remember that they used to play in Wichita in my high school days. It's amazing that they're still cranking out simply amazing music. And I love that they filmed the concert show in Oklahoma City. Good choice.
But the highlight of the festival was the outdoor screening of "UFOs At the Zoo," a concert video of The Flaming Lips' show filmed at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater last September.
I've got to say that the film was actually pretty good. I loved the UFO descending at the beginning of the show and the guys coming out of it, and Wayne Coyne doing his bubble man walk over the crowd.
The only distraction was when the filmmakers blurred out logos and even faces like the mid-90's rap videos where sports team logos and such were blurred out, making it seem less realistic.
But the music was tops! And Wayne Coyne was actually there tonight, introducing the film which he hadn't even seen yet. Of course during the screening Wayne was busy shooting confetti out of a hand-held cannon. That was pretty nifty.
Dean, who was with me, said he had seen the Lips up in Stillwater back in '86 and said they were more of a thrash band back then. I remember that they used to play in Wichita in my high school days. It's amazing that they're still cranking out simply amazing music. And I love that they filmed the concert show in Oklahoma City. Good choice.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Globalists ratcheting up plans for North American superhighway and integrated economies
This Trans-Texas Corridor/North American Super-Corridor Coalition is something we here at the Red Dirt Reporter are keeping a close eye on. We are fortunate to have Adam Rott keeping tabs and reporting on this via his Oklahoma Corridor Watch site. Thanks Adam for keeping us posted. Below is his latest dispatch:
Oklahoma Corridor Watch Weekly Update
By Adam Rott
Posted: June 5, 2007
This week has been very interesting, as the North American Super-Corridor Coalition (NASCO) held their annual meeting in Ft. Worth, which I had the opportunity to attend. It was very enlightening as to what the true goals and aims of NASCO are. Earlier this year NASCO Executive Directory Tiffany Melvin had a meeting with a couple of Oklahoma legislators, (we have the audio of that meeting on our website) and she stated multiple times that the goal of NASCO is not the creation of a new highways, nor the merger of the three nations, but rather the improvement of existing infrastructure and closer collaboration amongst the nations for improved trade and transportation. However this position as exposed this past week, as much of the second day of the conference was devoted to the "integration of Mexico, Canada, and the US."
The first day was primarily about the necessity of developing the Public-Private Partnerships to create economic development, and cited as an example was the Alliance Group 17,000 acre development project. Many of the speakers made it clear that without the public sector partnering with the private sector, North America and our regions will not be able to compete in the global marketplace. What must be kept in mind regarding Public Private Partnerships (PPP) is that it is the merging of the two areas, and, interestingly enough, Benito Mussolini said that fascism is the marriage of the corporation and the state. An excellent example of PPP in action is the Trans-Texas Corridor and the Alliance Inter-modal facility in Ft. Worth. For a very interesting explanation about Public-Private Partnerships, written by Steven Yates of Freedom21 Santa Cruz.
Among one of the more notable speakers on the second day was Michael Gallis of Charlotte, NC; he gave a presentation (which hopefully will be put on-line in the near future) wherein he stressed the absolute necessity of creating a "trading bloc" like the European Union, in order to maintain competitiveness with China and the other trading blocs across the world. He stressed that without the integration of North America, the US will fall behind China in just four years, according to projections.
Even more blatant was the how he compared North America to Europe, in that he said that Germans, English, French, etc, don't think of themselves as German, French or English, but rather as Europeans...as a part of a greater whole. This, Gallis said, is what we lack in North America...Canadian still view themselves as Canadians, and not North Americans, and this nationalist reality represents a "trade barrier" for North America, and we must work to eliminate it. The reception these ideas received was not horror or outrage, but complete affirmation, by attendees from all areas.
The integration of North America into a trading bloc was the general tenor, and as pointed out above, the actual thesis of some speakers, at the NASCO conference. This represents a clear and present danger to the sovereignty of the United States and Oklahoma, the "integration of North America" into a North American Union (NAU) could not be expressed in clearer terms. Yet, even now, you can find people who insist that the NAU is just an elaborate conspiracy theory of lone Internet wackos; newspapers who publish op-eds insisting that there is no NAFTA Superhighway, and that it is only existing infrastructure. That this is deception is revealed in the fact that the I-35 Trade Corridor Study, performed by Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and other DOTs (all members of NASCO), explicitly says that there needs to be new lanes and infrastructure built to handle the NAFTA traffic...10 lanes in the Oklahoma City urban area.
Over the next week or so, we'll be adding articles specific to the areas that the conference addressed, so check back soon.
To reach Adam Rott, email him at:
adam@oklahomacorridorwatch.com
Oklahoma Corridor Watch Weekly Update
By Adam Rott
Posted: June 5, 2007
This week has been very interesting, as the North American Super-Corridor Coalition (NASCO) held their annual meeting in Ft. Worth, which I had the opportunity to attend. It was very enlightening as to what the true goals and aims of NASCO are. Earlier this year NASCO Executive Directory Tiffany Melvin had a meeting with a couple of Oklahoma legislators, (we have the audio of that meeting on our website) and she stated multiple times that the goal of NASCO is not the creation of a new highways, nor the merger of the three nations, but rather the improvement of existing infrastructure and closer collaboration amongst the nations for improved trade and transportation. However this position as exposed this past week, as much of the second day of the conference was devoted to the "integration of Mexico, Canada, and the US."
The first day was primarily about the necessity of developing the Public-Private Partnerships to create economic development, and cited as an example was the Alliance Group 17,000 acre development project. Many of the speakers made it clear that without the public sector partnering with the private sector, North America and our regions will not be able to compete in the global marketplace. What must be kept in mind regarding Public Private Partnerships (PPP) is that it is the merging of the two areas, and, interestingly enough, Benito Mussolini said that fascism is the marriage of the corporation and the state. An excellent example of PPP in action is the Trans-Texas Corridor and the Alliance Inter-modal facility in Ft. Worth. For a very interesting explanation about Public-Private Partnerships, written by Steven Yates of Freedom21 Santa Cruz.
Among one of the more notable speakers on the second day was Michael Gallis of Charlotte, NC; he gave a presentation (which hopefully will be put on-line in the near future) wherein he stressed the absolute necessity of creating a "trading bloc" like the European Union, in order to maintain competitiveness with China and the other trading blocs across the world. He stressed that without the integration of North America, the US will fall behind China in just four years, according to projections.
Even more blatant was the how he compared North America to Europe, in that he said that Germans, English, French, etc, don't think of themselves as German, French or English, but rather as Europeans...as a part of a greater whole. This, Gallis said, is what we lack in North America...Canadian still view themselves as Canadians, and not North Americans, and this nationalist reality represents a "trade barrier" for North America, and we must work to eliminate it. The reception these ideas received was not horror or outrage, but complete affirmation, by attendees from all areas.
The integration of North America into a trading bloc was the general tenor, and as pointed out above, the actual thesis of some speakers, at the NASCO conference. This represents a clear and present danger to the sovereignty of the United States and Oklahoma, the "integration of North America" into a North American Union (NAU) could not be expressed in clearer terms. Yet, even now, you can find people who insist that the NAU is just an elaborate conspiracy theory of lone Internet wackos; newspapers who publish op-eds insisting that there is no NAFTA Superhighway, and that it is only existing infrastructure. That this is deception is revealed in the fact that the I-35 Trade Corridor Study, performed by Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and other DOTs (all members of NASCO), explicitly says that there needs to be new lanes and infrastructure built to handle the NAFTA traffic...10 lanes in the Oklahoma City urban area.
Over the next week or so, we'll be adding articles specific to the areas that the conference addressed, so check back soon.
To reach Adam Rott, email him at:
adam@oklahomacorridorwatch.com
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