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 ...
Sunday, June 10, 2007
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
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
'Fearless Freaks' screened in Norman
By Andrew W. Griffin
Pop writer
The Norman Transcript
Posted: May 11, 2007
The sun had already set by the time folks began gathering behind the Dreamer Concept Studio and Foundation at 324 E. Main St., last Friday night. This was in anticipation of Norman’s first screening of “Fearless Freaks,” a documentary about Oklahoma art-rockers The Flaming Lips, a band with ties to Norman.
Amber Clour, founder and executive director of Dreamer, was busy talking to guests who were looking at the eclectic art hanging from the walls of her studio. Nearby, a blonde-headed moppet sold “Fearless Freaks” T-shirts and copies of “Okie Noodling,” another documentary by “Fearless Freaks” creator and Cleveland County native Bradley Beesley.
Asked about the decision to show “Fearless Freaks” during the Downtown Art Walk, Clour said she is a longtime resident of Norman and over the years had come to know Beesley and members of the Flaming Lips. When she approached Beesley to allow her to screen the movie as part of a new series of art and documentary film screenings, Beesley accepted.
“Right now Norman has a great opportunity to grow its arts community,” Clour said. “And I chose to show this film because it was a good opportunity to showcase an Oklahoma filmmaker and a successful band from this area.”
The weather was cooperating this particular night and people began unfolding lawn chairs or finding choice spots to place their blankets in the alley/parking area. Others stood, talking, sharing a beer or simply taking in the entire scene.
Beesley, meanwhile, took the opportunity to show up for the screening of his unique film about the life of the Lips, guys who have become good friends with him over the years, allowing him full access into their homes and lives.
Looking at the dirty tarp acting as a screen hanging from the brick wall near Dreamer’s rear entrance, Beesley smiled and said, “It fits the Flaming Lips aesthetic. It’s definitely appropriate.”
Beesley, who was an art media student at OU said he first met the Lips “about two blocks from here” back in 1990. Befriending the quirky, unclassifiable rock act, Beesley began filming their music videos and by the time of the recording of “Clouds Taste Metallic” in 1994, he was asking documentary-styled questions and doing video not unlike the Beatles’ famous “Let It Be” sessions from 1969.
“At the time I didn’t know I was doing a documentary,” Beesley said. “But filming them that way got me more interested in documentary-style filmmaking.”
Throughout the 1990’s and into the 2000’s, Beesley began amassing plenty of Flaming Lips footage, 400 hours worth.
“It was kind of overwhelming,” Beesley said, talking about the project that would be “Fearless Freaks.” “Wayne (Coyne, the lead singer) is just so open, open to me,he free in front of the camera and will talk about anything possible.”
In 2002, he said, he got funding to put together a documentary feature, cutting down the film from 400 hours of footage to a tight and tidy two hours. And when it was finally released in 2005, it received critical acclaim at film festivals both domestically and internationally.
“We’ve sold about 28,000 DVD’s in the past year. I’ve screened it in about 15 different countries,” Beesley said.
Talking about the night’s screening, Beesley said this isn’t the first request he’s had.
“I probably get one email a week asking for permission to show it her or in Denmark … and knowing we’d never screened it here in Norman, thought it would be cool.”
Asked about the sorts of questions he receives from viewers, particularly in Europe, he said they often ask about Wayne Coyne’s time working at the old Long John Silver’s at 30th and Classen in Oklahoma City. Oh, and the other one? The brutally real scene of multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd shooting up heroin.
“In fact, Steven (who has since kicked his heroin habit) has gotten so many accolades from people and guys in bands like The Strokes, who’ve said they never knew he was a heroin addict and are glad he’s over it. Steven’s really happy that he got that across.”
Beesley’s labor of love is quite a rollercoaster ride of inside dirt about The Flaming Lips. From the Coyne brothers early 1970’s gang-like football club called the Fearless Freaks, to the creation of the Flaming Lips and their crazy ride to stardom and critical acclaim.
When asked about his thoughts about covering this Grammy-winning band, Beesley said he has no perspective. He simply knows Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd and Michael Ivins as his friends who happen to play music – creatively.
And where were Wayne and the guys? Well, the word was that Wayne would be there, but this reporter never caught a glimpse of the white-suit-wearing rocker.
As for Beesley, he said his latest project is a live DVD of the Lips’ 2006 show the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater. He is also working on various TV shows and documentaries including a second installment of his popular “Okie Noodling” documentary.
The film was well-received by the crowd and they had a chance to ask Beesley questions afterward.
“I think it’s great that Brad Beesley came to Norman to show his film and connect with young artists,” said Lisa Morales of Norman.
“I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have any expectations since we’d never done anything like this,” Clour said. “Question and answer session was awesome.”
As for future showings at the Dreamer gallery, Clour said on June 1, she will be screening Ken Cole’s storm chaser documentary called “Tornado Glory.” Dreamer 4 art opening will also be featured that day, featuring four new artists. This will begin at 7 p.m.
For more information go online to www.dreamerconcepts.org or call 701-0048.
Pop writer
The Norman Transcript
Posted: May 11, 2007
The sun had already set by the time folks began gathering behind the Dreamer Concept Studio and Foundation at 324 E. Main St., last Friday night. This was in anticipation of Norman’s first screening of “Fearless Freaks,” a documentary about Oklahoma art-rockers The Flaming Lips, a band with ties to Norman.
Amber Clour, founder and executive director of Dreamer, was busy talking to guests who were looking at the eclectic art hanging from the walls of her studio. Nearby, a blonde-headed moppet sold “Fearless Freaks” T-shirts and copies of “Okie Noodling,” another documentary by “Fearless Freaks” creator and Cleveland County native Bradley Beesley.
Asked about the decision to show “Fearless Freaks” during the Downtown Art Walk, Clour said she is a longtime resident of Norman and over the years had come to know Beesley and members of the Flaming Lips. When she approached Beesley to allow her to screen the movie as part of a new series of art and documentary film screenings, Beesley accepted.
“Right now Norman has a great opportunity to grow its arts community,” Clour said. “And I chose to show this film because it was a good opportunity to showcase an Oklahoma filmmaker and a successful band from this area.”
The weather was cooperating this particular night and people began unfolding lawn chairs or finding choice spots to place their blankets in the alley/parking area. Others stood, talking, sharing a beer or simply taking in the entire scene.
Beesley, meanwhile, took the opportunity to show up for the screening of his unique film about the life of the Lips, guys who have become good friends with him over the years, allowing him full access into their homes and lives.
Looking at the dirty tarp acting as a screen hanging from the brick wall near Dreamer’s rear entrance, Beesley smiled and said, “It fits the Flaming Lips aesthetic. It’s definitely appropriate.”
Beesley, who was an art media student at OU said he first met the Lips “about two blocks from here” back in 1990. Befriending the quirky, unclassifiable rock act, Beesley began filming their music videos and by the time of the recording of “Clouds Taste Metallic” in 1994, he was asking documentary-styled questions and doing video not unlike the Beatles’ famous “Let It Be” sessions from 1969.
“At the time I didn’t know I was doing a documentary,” Beesley said. “But filming them that way got me more interested in documentary-style filmmaking.”
Throughout the 1990’s and into the 2000’s, Beesley began amassing plenty of Flaming Lips footage, 400 hours worth.
“It was kind of overwhelming,” Beesley said, talking about the project that would be “Fearless Freaks.” “Wayne (Coyne, the lead singer) is just so open, open to me,he free in front of the camera and will talk about anything possible.”
In 2002, he said, he got funding to put together a documentary feature, cutting down the film from 400 hours of footage to a tight and tidy two hours. And when it was finally released in 2005, it received critical acclaim at film festivals both domestically and internationally.
“We’ve sold about 28,000 DVD’s in the past year. I’ve screened it in about 15 different countries,” Beesley said.
Talking about the night’s screening, Beesley said this isn’t the first request he’s had.
“I probably get one email a week asking for permission to show it her or in Denmark … and knowing we’d never screened it here in Norman, thought it would be cool.”
Asked about the sorts of questions he receives from viewers, particularly in Europe, he said they often ask about Wayne Coyne’s time working at the old Long John Silver’s at 30th and Classen in Oklahoma City. Oh, and the other one? The brutally real scene of multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd shooting up heroin.
“In fact, Steven (who has since kicked his heroin habit) has gotten so many accolades from people and guys in bands like The Strokes, who’ve said they never knew he was a heroin addict and are glad he’s over it. Steven’s really happy that he got that across.”
Beesley’s labor of love is quite a rollercoaster ride of inside dirt about The Flaming Lips. From the Coyne brothers early 1970’s gang-like football club called the Fearless Freaks, to the creation of the Flaming Lips and their crazy ride to stardom and critical acclaim.
When asked about his thoughts about covering this Grammy-winning band, Beesley said he has no perspective. He simply knows Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd and Michael Ivins as his friends who happen to play music – creatively.
And where were Wayne and the guys? Well, the word was that Wayne would be there, but this reporter never caught a glimpse of the white-suit-wearing rocker.
As for Beesley, he said his latest project is a live DVD of the Lips’ 2006 show the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater. He is also working on various TV shows and documentaries including a second installment of his popular “Okie Noodling” documentary.
The film was well-received by the crowd and they had a chance to ask Beesley questions afterward.
“I think it’s great that Brad Beesley came to Norman to show his film and connect with young artists,” said Lisa Morales of Norman.
“I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have any expectations since we’d never done anything like this,” Clour said. “Question and answer session was awesome.”
As for future showings at the Dreamer gallery, Clour said on June 1, she will be screening Ken Cole’s storm chaser documentary called “Tornado Glory.” Dreamer 4 art opening will also be featured that day, featuring four new artists. This will begin at 7 p.m.
For more information go online to www.dreamerconcepts.org or call 701-0048.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Gov't accused of engaging in post-OKC bombing cover-up
I applaud Salt Lake City, Utah lawyer Jesse Trentadue for pressing on with his investigation of his brother Kenneth Trentadue, whom he believes was killed while in federal custody following the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building here in Oklahoma City.
Reports Deseret News reporter Geoffrey Fatah from Denver: A Salt Lake City attorney's quest to prove his brother was murdered while in federal custody received a boost from judges in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, who expressed serious concern over an alleged government cover-up of the case.
"This is a terrible case," said 10th Circuit Judge Robert Henry during oral arguments Wednesday. "The federal government doesn't look well for it."
--END--
But in the end, will anyone face any reprimands, firings, trials or consequences of any sort? With the government's track record these days, don't bet on it. I mean they redact, black out and cover up all sorts of damning information, just check out this nugget midway through the story:
Justice Department attorney Peter Maier said that report (regarding Trentadue's complaint) was part of the council's deliberative process and should not be made public. Maier said government officials need protection from the public domain in order to allow them to be candid. Making such information public would only discourage the free flow of
information.
If that isn't Orwellian, I don't know what is. And we're asked to TRUST our government.
Reports Deseret News reporter Geoffrey Fatah from Denver: A Salt Lake City attorney's quest to prove his brother was murdered while in federal custody received a boost from judges in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, who expressed serious concern over an alleged government cover-up of the case.
"This is a terrible case," said 10th Circuit Judge Robert Henry during oral arguments Wednesday. "The federal government doesn't look well for it."
--END--
But in the end, will anyone face any reprimands, firings, trials or consequences of any sort? With the government's track record these days, don't bet on it. I mean they redact, black out and cover up all sorts of damning information, just check out this nugget midway through the story:
Justice Department attorney Peter Maier said that report (regarding Trentadue's complaint) was part of the council's deliberative process and should not be made public. Maier said government officials need protection from the public domain in order to allow them to be candid. Making such information public would only discourage the free flow of
information.
If that isn't Orwellian, I don't know what is. And we're asked to TRUST our government.
White lines
I don't know how many of you were able to make it to Oklahoma City's Festival of the Arts. I certainly did and had a terrific time. And while the weather was perfect (it's been cloudy and rainy here for days), I couldn't help but notice the jet trails crisscrossing the skies.
Of course these "jet trails" are better known as chemtrails, rather than the innocuous contrails of yore. These new lines-in-the-sky typically start out with these thin lines with little nodule-shaped poofs coming on the edges and within the hour have billowed out and spread across the sky, often merging with other, similar trails.
I've noticed these things across the country and have tried to get meteorologists to talk to me about why they are different from normal contrails which dissipate after 20 minutes or so. These trails have become so prevalent that Disney/Pixar films feature them in animated features like "Cars" and "Over the Hedge." Why would they do that, unless there is a concerted effort to keep the people in the dark about these high altitude aerosol activities.
If you have some pictures in your area you'd like to send to me, email me at: aw_griffin@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Recycle bins and feel-good propositions
While I initially wanted to vote "yes" on the curbside recycling proposition on the ballot here in Norman, I was convinced, by the time I reached the voting booth, that the $3 fee added to resident's water bills would be unfair. I mean, there are a number of places to go around town where folks can rid themselves of recyclables.
As noted in The Oklahoman, "more than 71 percent of voters said yes to adding" the fee while low-income residents will pay $2.40 a month.
Where's the freedom of choice, city of Norman? This was simply a push by eco activists playing on the fears of folks who believe that global warming is a manmade crisis.
As noted in The Oklahoman, "more than 71 percent of voters said yes to adding" the fee while low-income residents will pay $2.40 a month.
Where's the freedom of choice, city of Norman? This was simply a push by eco activists playing on the fears of folks who believe that global warming is a manmade crisis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)