MetaFilter posts tagged with oklahoma

Sen. Lamb is confident that the bill will be upheld, calling it "common-sense legislation"

cereselle — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:31:08 -0800

On May 21, 2009, Oklahoma's governor signed the Statistical Reporting of Abortion Act (pdf). The act requires, as a condition of having the procedure done, that each woman fill out an "Individual Abortion Form" containing personal details, including age, county where abortion was performed, race, marital status, years of education, state of residence, number and result of previous pregnancies, and the reason for the abortion. This is not Oklahoma's first attempt to curb abortion rights. In 2008, an omnibus abortion bill required women seeking abortions to have an ultrasound, view it, and listen to a description of its attributes. Passed over the governor's veto, it was struck down last August on the grounds that it violated the Oklahoma state constitution, which requires that bills deal with only one subject. No ruling was given on substantive grounds. It looks like challenges to the current law will be made on the same grounds. The Individual Abortion Forms will be posted on the Oklahoma State Health Department website.

Dawkins Vs. OKlahoma

5imian — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:52:59 -0800

Richard Dawkins was recently invited to speak at the University of Oklahoma’s Darwin 2009 series of lectures on March 6th, 2009. The speech to be entitled "The Purpose of Purpose" quickly grew in popularity and even had to be moved to a larger venue to accommodate the quickly increasing crowd. Of course, word eventually reached Todd Thompson. Friction ensues. First Thompson proposes a resolution (RTF) attempting to ban Dawkins from speaking, condemning both Dawkins and the theory of evolution as "an unproven and unpopular theory" that did not reflect the opinions of most Oklahomans. Regardless, he lecture went as scheduled, even with Dawkins making a special point to address Rep. Thompson's resolution at the beginning of his lecture (YTL). Dawkins was warmly greeted by the audience and the lecture went on without a hitch (minus one very angry heckler in the crowd) .... and case closed right? Not yet. Now Oklahoma's legislature is launching a costly investigation over the speech. Here is the letter (pdf) requesting information about payment, university costs, negotiations and other financial information relating to Dawkins' talk. From Dawkin's site: "Now that we know this investigation is going on, many questions still need to be answered: What does the state legislature plan to do with this information? Does this mean that any time Richard Dawkins or other evolutionary scientists give speeches about evolution in Oklahoma, they too will be investigated? And perhaps most importantly: Doesn't the Oklahoma legislature have anything better to do?"

Cale/Jackson '08!

Navelgazer — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:57:56 -0800

This past Spring, Oklahoma State Representative Joe Dorman (D-Rush Springs) and State Senator John Ford (R-Bartlesville) joined together to put their bipartisan support behind House Concurrent Resolution 1047, a bill to designate the Official Rock Song of Oklahoma, as to be chosen by the people. As long as the song was written or recorded by an artist from Oklahoma, it would be eligible. The lengthy list of nominees has now been pared down to ten, and the voting has opened online. The finalists vary from Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" (written by Okie Mae Boren Axton) to "Do You Realize," by The Flaming Lips, and my personal pick, Three Dog Night's "Never Been to Spain." The official designation is set to coincide with the opening of Another Hot Oklahoma Night, a major exhibit detailing the history of Rock and Roll in Oklahoma, in 2009.

The amazing comic book adventure of Brent Rinehart

Dirjy — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:05:29 -0800

Meet Brent Rinehart: Conservative Republican. Active Christian. Roads Scholar. NOT a homosexual pedifile. [PDF] The controversial mix of comics and politics are back in the news this week. So are Oklahoma's homophobic politicians, with the amazing comic book adventure of Brent Rinehart. Brent Rinehart is an Oklahoma County Commissioner in a tough reelection campaign. He is facing felony campaign finance charges, with the trial starting in September. Now Rinehart wants the world know his side through a self-written comic book. What's the REAL story? Rinehart is a victim of a vast conspiracy, consisting of the state attorney general, homosexuals, liberal good ol' boy politicians, homosexual scout leaders, a greedy sheriff, toga-clad homosexuals and (of course) Satan himself. The full comic -- which I highly recommend -- can be downloaded here [PDF].

Go OKC!

parmanparman — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:58:00 -0800

Goodbye Seattle! Hello Oklahoma! Get ready for the NBA's newest team, the Oklahoma City SuperSonics! Whither Seattle basketball? Methinks not.

The Biggest Threat to Our Nation

sneakin — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:17:21 -0800

An anti-gay rant for the ages. By an American state rep. In 2008. Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern told fellow republicans at a private audience that the homosexual agenda is destroying the nation and that gay people are a bigger threat to our national than terrorism. And that no society that has embraced gay culture has survived. And much more. Well, doggone if these things don't get leaked and find themselves online. Have a few links to the videos and coverage. There are some rumors that Kern has a gay son, but who knows? For her part, Kern says that her remarks were misconstrued and that she is "not going to apologize for standing up for God's word."

Hunting Rebel Gold

stupidsexyFlanders — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:35:22 -0800

A man seeking Confederate gold and his own family's hidden history uncovers a cryptic trail that may stretch back to a secret society and Jesse James.

Pouring from the annals of government design

chlorus — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:48:56 -0800

Remember the new, inscrutable license plate put out by the state of Oklahoma commemorating 9/11? Well, apparently the CIA can design logos pretty well too. Presenting the Terrorist Buster.

There never was a state like Sequoyah.

salishsea — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:35:00 -0800

Between 1902 and 1905 representatives of five tribes in the Indian Territory of the southern United States lobbied for statehood. The tribes proposed creating a tribal state called Sequoyah (hi res image here). At the constiutional conference in 1905 a constitution was drafted and later forwarded to the federal Congress and President, but despite a successful ratification campaign, the effort died on the vine. The Indian Territory and Oklahoma were instead admitted to the Union two years later as one state.

The Centennial Project

Ufez Jones — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 22:00:09 -0800

The Centennial Project. During the 100th Anniversary of Oklahoma's statehood, MeFi'er Brittanie is serializing two personal first-person accounts of her family's journey into the Sooner State, including both her great-great-grandfather's efforts to make the 1891 Land Run and another relative's meticulous biographical history which extends as far back as the Civil War. [via mefi projects]

New MG sports cars to be built in Oklahoma

punkfloyd — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 07:25:21 -0800

Is this the best way to revive the legendary British marque?

bette, orson, charles and company

grumblebee — Sun, 21 May 2006 19:38:06 -0800

This evening, I entertained myself with these clips from YouTube and Google Video. Come inside if you like Bette Davis, Charles Laughton, Kubrick, Frankenstein, Shakespeare, and company...

How big a boy are 'ya?

bigmusic — Thu, 11 May 2006 17:25:00 -0800

Roy D. Mercer asks Bill Goldberg if he's ready for an ass whoopin.[more inside]

OKC: Ten years ago today

airguitar — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 05:56:29 -0800

9:02 AM CST 4/19 1995. Ten years ago today. Do you remember where you were when the federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed? It was then the biggest act of mass murder in U.S. history. Shocking to a people unaccustomed to domestic terrorism. What followed was an outpouring of volunteer support and grief for the victims, a manhunt for suspects presumed to be Arabic, and calls for a 'war against terrorism'. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were eventually arrested for, and convicted of the crime, but since McVeigh was put to death in 2001, a steady stream of new evidence has called into question both the government's handling of the investigation and the official version of events. Survivors and victims' family members gather today to remember and to reaffirm demands for truth.

Tulsa Race Riots of 1921 & The reparations Question Revisited

y2karl — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:47:24 -0800

Otis Granville Clark is a wonder. At 102, the former butler of Joan Crawford - who served Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin - still drives, lives on his own and twice a week attends church in his home city of Tulsa, Oklahoma... Today his blue eyes have gone milky but they still sparkle, his wiry frame remains agile, and his most painful memories are still fresh - even after 83 years. Coiled on the edge of an understuffed sofa, Clark leans back and screws his eyes tight to summon up "that day". It remains the most vivid of his life... Historians call the firestorm that convulsed Tulsa from the evening of May 31 into the afternoon of June 1 the single worst event in the history of American race relations. To most Tulsans it is simply "the riot". But the carnage had nothing in common with the mass protests of Chicago, Detroit and Newark in the 1960s or the urban violence that laid siege to Los Angeles in 1992 after the white police officers who assaulted Rodney King were acquitted. The 1921 Tulsa race riot owes its name to an older American tradition, to the days when white mobs, with the consent of local authorities, dared to rid themselves of their black neighbours. The endeavour was an opportunity "to run the Negro out of Tulsa". Burnt Offerings
.See also The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 or the tale of the lost city or another The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. See also Frequently Asked Questions from the Tulsa Reparations Coalition. Previous post by allaboutgeorge re: Tulsa Race Riot Reparations on March 1, 2001 .

XQUZYPHYR — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 12:32:53 -0800

Coming Out for One of Their Own. How an Oklahoma town overcame anti-gay bigotry... to help overcome anti-gay bigotry. (WashPost, login req. Via Pandagon)

True Oklahoma stories

drezdn — Tue, 26 Oct 2004 18:56:03 -0800

Why is there a tiny video camera inside my intestines... Jeffrey Rowland, creator of WIGU, has a new comic telling "true" stories from his life.

Here comes the Judge

thatothrgirl — Thu, 24 Jun 2004 11:59:04 -0800

The justice system at work. A sitting Judge in Oklahoma has been removed from the bench for using a male enhancement pump, pleasuring himself and oiling his nether regions during court proceedings - including an August 2003 murder trial. At least he was awake during the proceedings, unlike other judges.

The Great Mirror

homunculus — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 10:55:17 -0800

The Great Mirror. "A collection of about five thousand photographs taken over the last 30 years by Bret Wallach, a geography professor at the University of Oklahoma. With few exceptions, the photos show cultural rather than physical landscapes and are intended to illuminate the people who have shaped these landscapes and are reflected in it." [Via wood s lot.]

U.S. to defend Muslim girl wearing scarf in school

poopy — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 05:09:59 -0800

U.S. to defend Muslim girl wearing scarf in school. In its complaint, the government said the school district violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which it said bars states from applying dress codes in a discriminatory manner.

Evacuation Plans

swift — Fri, 22 Aug 2003 07:58:02 -0800

Writing a story is a felony violation in Oklahoma. High school student who wrote a story about armed invasion of his school faces jail time. Prosectors admit the law is Orwellian, but need a test-case. The story itself is derived from sample text included with an Adobe Pagemaker tutorial, describing hurrican evacuation instructions.

Meanwhile in the Surreal

RobbieFal — Tue, 13 May 2003 14:05:47 -0800

Texas Rangers are facing a unique task. They have been sent to arrest over 50 Democrats and drag them back to Austin, TX. The problem: They've fled Texas to 'hide' in Oklahoma. The reason why they left the state? To stop a quorum on Congressional Redistricting.

Napkins, get your napkins

RobbieFal — Mon, 10 Feb 2003 08:16:01 -0800

Oklahoma's state senator has made a prolific move for all of humanity He wants to require Oklahoma barbacue restaurants to offer napkins. Yes, seriously.

No confirmation if he was paid off by the napkin lobby.

HIV/AIDS information portal in OK

sheauga — Sun, 01 Dec 2002 09:04:22 -0800

CHAIN: Oklahoma's Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Information Network. A prototype web portal, designed to provide one-stop access to AIDS information for a state with a lower HIV infection rate. Funded by the National Library of Medicine. The concept is that people in small towns or rural areas can access information and contacts without leaving home. Web designers and MetaFiltrans - does the concept work? Seen anything similar in your community?

Postroad — Wed, 23 Oct 2002 11:41:44 -0800

Iraqis linked to Oklahoma atrocity This rumor has been arond for some time now, and the Bush group certainly might like to see a connection to Iraq, though the official version seems to deny such a connection. Is this a political move to make legitimate a war against Iraq or an attempt to re-open what might have been a botched detective job originally, or just plain utter nonsense?