“Twilight Saga: New Moon” actress Rachelle Lefevre campaigning for animal adoption
Rachelle Lefevre (Associated Press photo)
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” actress Rachelle Lefevre and her friend, Johnny, a rescue dog, will be urging people to “Adopt Don’t’ Shop” in a series of public service announcements for Best Friends Animal Society debuting Dec. 1 in New York’s Times Square on the jumbo video billboard, Geoffrey Tron.
Lefevre, who plays vampire villainess in the movie “Twilight,” as well as its soon-to-be-released sequel, “New Moon,” is the star of 30-second and 60-second spots that will be distributed to television and radio stations across the country. She will also serve as national spokesperson for Best Friends’ “Puppies Aren’t Products” campaign, which draws attention to the fact that pet shops around the country are selling puppies that come from large commercial breeding operations known as “puppy mills” with deplorable conditions.
“I’m delighted to help speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves,” Lefevre said in a news release. ”Ever since I rescued my own dog I have wanted to encourage people to do the same. Working with Best Friends is the perfect way to do this and I’m excited and proud to be working with an organization so dedicated to animal kindness.”
The PSAs will be distributed to about 1,400 television and cable stations, plus another 1,250 radio stations. Best Friends Animal Society is known for its leading initiatives and community programs in animal welfare, as well as operating the largest companion animal sanctuary in the United States.
“Puppy mills are directly linked to pet overpopulation in the United States, which contributes to the fact that approximately 4,000 dogs are put down in shelters every day,” Lefevre said in the release. “We hope that our message of ‘adopt don’t shop’ resonates with the general public so we can bring that number down substantially.”
The goal of the “Puppies Aren’t Products” campaign is to reduce the number of homeless animals by fighting against puppy mills and irresponsible breeding.
“We are so fortunate to have Rachelle giving a voice to the animals as our national spokesperson,” said Vicki Kilmer-Rinker, director of marketing for Best Friends Animal Society, in the release. “Our goal is to increase awareness of where pet store puppies come from, especially as we approach the holiday season when so many families think about adding a family pet.”
Lefevre, who has a wide range of credits in movies and television, moved to Los Angeles when she landed the female lead in the Fox comedy series “Life on a Stick.” She went on to appear in multiple episodes of acclaimed series “Boston Legal” and “Swingtown.” On the big screen, she appeared in a diverse range of roles including opposite Stephen Dillane in the Holocaust era drama “Fugitive Pieces” based on the international best-selling novel by Anne Michaels and comedy “The Pool Boys” opposite Tom Arnold and Matthew Lillard.
Lefevre will be seen next in “Casino Jack,” opposite Kevin Spacey and “Barney’s Version” opposite Paul Giamatti. But she will not reprise her role as Victoria in the third “Twilight” film “Eclipse”; Summit Entertainment created a bit of a furor earlier this fall when it replaced Lefevre with Bryce Dallas Howard due to scheduling conflicts
In addition to working with Best Friends Animal Society, Lefevre is involved with the literacy organization “School on Wheels” and is an “Ambassador for the Cure” with The Susan G. Komen Foundation.
I’m just returning from Los Angeles, where I participated in interviews with many of the cast and crew of “New Moon,” though Lefevre wasn’t among them for obvious reasons. Look for several posts from those interviews as Nov. 20, the opening date for “New Moon,” draws nearer.
-BAM
SMQ: El Reno vs. Duncan
Duncan and El Reno met Friday night for the 5A-1 championship. El Reno came away with the win thanks to some heady play by their defense, which has been one of the best in their class all season. Here’s a look back on the way they were……
El Reno
What went right: Its defense held Duncan in check for most of the night, save one drive when the Demons took advantage of a turnover and powered the ball down the field for their only score of the night. El Reno limited Duncan to just 10 yards passing in the first half and 158 on the ground for the game. They also forced a turnover of their own. Overall, it was a night where the Indians defense took over and got the job done as their offense was held in check.
What went wrong: Jakeil Everheart came out swinging but took several ill advised sacks that helped snuff out second half drive. On one play he lost 14 yards and 8 on another. Both were on drop backs. He’ll need to tighten that up in the playoffs and perform better across the board. There wasn’t a lot that was impressive about El Reno’s offense Friday night, with the exception of the two plays Everheart scored on.
Duncan
What went right: Their defense gave them a heckuva chance to win the gam in the second half by shutting El Reno out completely. Everheart had just a handful of passing yards in the second half. The Demons used several misdireection and gadget plays to get their touchdown.
What went wrong: The offense didn’t answer the bell consistently enough, and the defense gave up two big plays in the first half that ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. Still, the defensive effort was more than enough to win.
Tickets to Bon Jovi Tulsa show go on sale Nov. 16
Rockers Bon Jovi have announced that their 2010-2011 “The Circle World Tour,” promoted by AEG Live, will stop April 13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16 and can be purchased at the BOK Center Box Office and all Tickets.com outlets, phone at (866) 7BOKCTR or online at www.bokcenter.com.
Ticket prices are $29.50, $59.50, $99.50 and $129.50. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges and event time and date are subject to change.
The GrammyAward-winning band will spend much of the next two years on the road, performing 135 shows in 30 countries.
With the grounds of New Meadowlands Stadium as their backdrop, the band’s Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres recently announced their two-year global trek with an exclusive performance for a group of more than 5,000 lucky contest winners, fan club members, and on-site construction workers currently building the venue. Following in the footsteps of their hugely successful “Lost Highway Tour” — Billboard’s No. 1 top-grossing tour of 2008 — Bon Jovi will draw fans around the world into “The Circle,” with a residency at London’s O2 Arena in June 2010 before returning to America in the fall for an additional nationwide leg, and further dates well into 2011.
The Nov. 10 release of the band’s new album, “The Circle,” and subsequent world tour, provides a powerful reassertion of Bon Jovi’s commitment to the rock ’n’ roll that has been the band’s indelible signature since it began more than 26 years ago.
For more information on the tour, go to www.bonjovi.com.
-BAM
Ladies’ Night Out at the Melting Pot
Hey, ladies, plan a night out.
The Melting Pot at 4 E Sheridan Ave. in Bricktown is hosting Ladies’ Night Out Nov. 16. Clothes and accessories from Kokopelli will be featured, so you can shop or browse.
Reservations are available, beginning at 5 p.m. Door prizes are planned.
The four-course fondue will be $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call (405) 235-1000 or go online to www.meltingpot.com for reservations.
Oklahoma Alert: Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood on TV talk shows Nov. 9-10
Country singers with Oklahoma ties are making appearances on TV talk shows this week.
Toby Keith (pictured above) will perform late Monday (Nov. 9) on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (actually airs at 12:06 a.m. early Tuesday morning on ABC). He was born in Clinton and raised in Moore.
Carrie Underwood (pictured below) will perform Tuesday (Nov. 10) on “Good Morning America” (7 a.m. on ABC). Also look for her in the ABC special “In The Spotlight with Robin Roberts: Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville” (9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, on ABC), as co-host of The 43rd Annual CMA Awards (7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, on ABC) and in the documentary “Biography: Carrie Underwood” (9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, on Biography Channel).
–Penny TV
For more on Carrie and Toby, check out Brandy McDonnell’s entertaining and informative posts at http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/
Pictured above: Toby Keith performs during rehearsals for the Academy of Country Music Awards, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Pictured below: Carrie Underwood performs in Lincoln Center during ABC’s “Good Morning America” television program Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 7, 2009
Today’s featured event:
TULSA — Listen to country star Alan Jackson and up-and-coming band Gloriana at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver.
For more information, call (866) 726-5287 or go to www.bokcenter.com
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Stories from the Wall
BERLIN — It’s Saturday and this city of 3.5 million people is poised for a big party Monday night. No, it’s not Hank Williams Jr.’s football party; it’s a bit bigger than that. It’s a party to celebrate freedom. It’s a party to celebrate unity.
It’s a party to celebrate the right to have parties.
Actually they had a pretty good one here Thursday night when U2 wowed 10,000 beneath the Brandenburg Gate. Want to see some of that? Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZfUAMehb24
Officially the Monday party is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall or, as the locals put it, 20 Jahre Mauerfall. The city is abuzz, and the party is being heralded everywhere. The city’s largest newspaper, Berliner Zeitung, carries a full-page front-page picture today of jubilant Berliners straddling the top of the Wall back on Nov. 9 & 10, 1989. The picture reminds you of the remake you’ve probably seen of the line of iron workers from the 1940s straddling the high-rise carcass of a skyscraper while dipping into their lunchpails for a sandwich.
Young people from all over the world crowd Pariser Platz near the Brandenburg Gate Friday as Monday’s big party approaches. A stage is under construction for world leaders and entertainers. U2 performed here Thursday night.
The Zeitung also carries a special 16-page section today called simply, “1989 – 2009,” featuring a large picture of East Berliners rushing to freedom on Bornhomerstrasse the night of Nov. 9, 1989. The headline reads, “Das Volk sind wir, und wir sind Millionen,” or “We are the people, and we are millions.”
It’s hard not to feel emotion over images like this.
I was talking with American George Glass, who is a senior U.S. Embassy official, Friday and he said the same exact thing. Reflecting on all the photos and videos of the that night, Glass said, “For me, the images live on. Last night when I looked out the embassy window and saw U2 performing to 10,000 Germans, and remembering what conditions were like here before the Wall came down, I could hardly believe it.”
Just down Unter den Linden, the main street running into Pariser Platz, I caught up with a veteran ZDF Television reporter who covered the fall of the Wall that night 20 years ago. He is Christhard Lapple, and he worked all night the night of the fall, having the privilege of interviewing the ecstatic East Berliners who were making their dash to freedom, streaming into West Berlin through the now-open gate.
“It was a special atmosphere,” Lapple said with a glowing smile that suggested the years had not dulled the memory nor the emotion. “These people … just to be able to decide for yourself that you can move and go where ever you want to go. That you can bring your sons to their grandparents for the first time!”
The German newspaper, Der Tagesspiegel, has been featuring Lapple’s remembrances of what some of those elated East Berliners had to say that night. Here is a sampling:
Christhard Lapple, a ZDF-TV reporter who covered the fall of the Wall, shows off a chunk of the "monster" he still keeps on his desk.
“We want to do our work, we want to travel, we want to live like everyone else!” a young woman beamed as she and her husband came past the Wall that had kept them from doing all three all their lives.
“Tear down the Wall! Let us tear it down at last! It has stood long enough,” another woman shouts happily. Most of those streaming through the main gate at Bornholmerstrasse are young; maybe 20 to 30.
Lapple wrote of his own feelings, “Now, streams of people pass through the Brandenburg Gate in both directions. The border troops with shouldered Kalashnikovs stand on the edge. Wait. Will they intervene? There is an unreal, happy and peaceful mood.”
A man with a huge mustache says: “It must remain in any case that you can go back and forth. This is the most important thing that we will not shut up again like all these years. “
Amid the elation there were also many questions both East and West Berliners had. How will the country subsidize all these people who have virtually nothing and whose basic needs have been taken care of by the communist state all these years? How will the economy absorb them? Some East Berliners, who knew nothing since World War II than communism, wondered if they really wanted to be capitalists or if they just wanted the freedom to move back and forth as they chose; to reunite with family members once again.
But the questions and concerns failed to dampen the spirit of that night. And the echoes of the hundreds of East Berliners who had died trying to make valiant escape attempts during the Wall’s 28 years of existence seemed to be loud and clear in what these fleeing East Berliners had to say on this 1989 November night.
A double row of cobblestones follows the path the Wall took through Berlin, separating East from West. Now Berliners stroll freely across that line, usually without even noticing it.
Ironically, since Germans put the day before the month when they communicate dates, they refer to this anniversary night of freedom as 9/11. It’s quite a different connotation than Americans have of that number sequence.
A few days ago I was visiting with two close friends in the eastern city of Magdeburg. Drs. Holger and Kristin Kersten both teach at the University of Magdeburg and, although they are from the western cities of Lubeck and Cologne, they moved to eastern Germany for Holger to take his position at the university where he now heads the Department of English Studies.
In moving east, however, the Kerstens are unusual among Germans because it is much more common for Germans raised in the East to move west. The reason? Inequities still remain in job opportunities and pay scales. Things are somewhat better in western Germany, although that gap is closing as George Glass noted in our Friday interview and as a story in Der Tagesspiegel on the “brain drain” in eastern Germany pointed out.
Kristin has thought a lot about the divisions between the East and West Germany over the years, and she is very happy that the Wall is down and East Germans are free. But she says there is still a feeling of superiority on the part of many West Germans when it comes to their counterparts from the East. But that, too, is probably fading with the passage of time.
Kristin says she remembers vacationing on the bay near the Baltic as a child and felt so sorry seeing the East German searchlights scan the bay for possible defectors.
“I felt so much sadness for the East Germans,” she said. “But in feeling pity, I think some West Germans feel East Germans aren’t as good as we are in the West, and I know that’s wrong to do that. Still, it’s one impression that a lot of former West Germans have of those who lived in the East.”
Kristen also sees how some East Germans (12 percent in a recent poll) long for the old days under communism because they feel their basic needs of food, shelter, and insurance were taken care of by the state. Now they have to go out and look for work, in a country of high unemployment (especially in the east), to cover those basic needs. Also, they didn’t have to confront some West Germans on a daily basis who might feel superior to them.
George Glass feels that psychological division between Germans has greatly diminished, however. “Now you hear virtually no references to ‘Ossis’ and ‘Wessis’ (Easterners and Westerners),” he says. “You don’t feel that distinction much any more.”
Holger Kersten grew up in Lubeck and sees the fall of the Wall through a prism of pain because he had family who lived in the East, and members of his family were prevented from seeing each other for many years.
“When I think of the Wall, I think of violence and anger and forced separation of family members, he said. To me, reunification is more a coming-together of family members and friends. Bringing back together those who should have always been together. So he can’t see how any in the East, who lived under that restrictive regime, would say the Wall should still be standing.”
Kristin and Holger Kersten both moved from western German cities to the eastern city of Magdeburg. Most Germans seem to go the other way, but that may be changing.
So Holger cannot see how anyone from the former East Germany who lived under that kind of fearsome, restrictive regime that caused famlies to be split apart, would ever want to go back to it.
My own impressions? To say I am a bit surprised by all the attention this anniversary is getting over here, is an understatement. I thought it would be more of a politically-staged celebration which everyday German citizens, caught up in the same kinds of nagging economic issues facing Americans, would push to the back of their minds. But I was wrong, and I think I was wrong because I come from a country that has come to take basic freedoms for granted.
By Chris Lapple’s count, some 4.5 million East Germans got out of East Germany when they could in the years following 1949. Clearly, that became impossible for most when the Wall went up in 1961, but it shows that when a people are confronted with being stripped of their freedoms, many will say no thanks. I’m headed West.
I can’t wait for the party Monday night that celebrates freedom and inspires the rest of the world to cherish it.
Happy Birthday, Jason London
Nov. 7, 2009 — Jason Paul London, who played Bobby on “Wildfire” (2005-07 on ABC Family), turns 37 today.
He played Randy Matsin on two episodes of “Saving Grace” (2007 on TNT).
His first acting role was as Cody Puckett in the 1991 TV movie “Blood Ties.” He was 19.
Best wishes to Jason, his twin brother Jeremy and everybody else who shares this special day with them.
–Penny TV
More from The Q&A: Brooke Burleson
The Oklahoma Victory Dolls are doing a benefit roller derby bout tonight to help out Tahirah Johnson, who was injured during a bout a couple years ago.
It’s also a great opportunity to ask Brooke Burleson all sorts of crazy roller-derby-related questions. Known on the track as Sally Strych9, she is one of the original members of the Victory Dolls and helped to form the league in which they play. Even though she is now one of the league’s top players, she didn’t start out so well.
She needed a donut after her first practice, in fact.
Jenni Carlson: Tell me how you got involved in this.
Brooke Burleson: My husband. He went to Austin and saw a roller derby bout. I was on vacation with my girl friends, and he went on vacation with his guy friends. I was in Puerto Vallarta, and he went to Austin. And they got drunk and went to a roller derby bout. He came back and was like, “I saw these girls on roller skates, and they were awesome, and you have to do this.” I was like, “OK, I’ll check into it.” Then, I became obsessed with the idea of playing roller derby. I didn’t know how to roller skate. I haven’t roller skated since I was a kid, and then, I was awful. And I’m a klutz. But I was talking to my friends, “Let’s start a roller derby league.” And I was not athletic at all. Never had been to a gym. I was trying to find somebody to start a league with me. Then … I found the Green Country Girls in Tulsa and they told me about a league starting here. One thing led to another, and I started skating, and I was awful. I was the worst one at practice. Our coach found me and was like, “I’m going to teach you how to roller skate.”
JC: It’s like you’re back in elementary school learning how to skate for the first time.
BB: I was terrified. There’s all these big, mean, scary looking girls. I had these skates that I bought at Academy for like $30, these white, Roller Derby brand skates, and they were these fake artistic skates. I was so embarrassed, and I was terrified. They all looked so mean. And I came out here and I broke my tailbone first practice.
JC: You did?
BB: First practice. I was so embarrassed. I was so scared of every single one of them, but they wound up being the nicest girls ever. I was like, “I can’t believe I was scared of you guys. Why was I scared of you?” I realized size has nothing to do with it. Looks have nothing to do with it. It doesn’t matter. That’s the great thing about roller derby. Everybody’s accepted no matter your size, your race, your sexual preference. We’ll take anybody. Old. Young. It doesn’t matter.
JC: I hope you haven’t had any more broken tailbones.
BB: No, but that took awhile to heal. I had the donut for awhile. They don’t make those in a non-obvious color. It’s like bright blue, carrying it around with me.
JC: So, your skate name is Sally Strych9, but what’s your favorite name on your team?
BB: I like Mount Crushmore. It’s all about her personality, too. She comes up with the best names. We’ve just decided that she should just name everybody coming in. She has come up with some of the best names. She named one girl Party Pants, which is pretty funny.
JC: Do you feel like certain names bring out certain personalities? Like with yours, did you feel like you had to play a certain way as Sally Strych9?
BB: Maybe in the beginning, but not really. I would be fine using my real name. Some people are going to that now. We’re trying to get taken seriously as a sport. In the beginning when roller derby was kind of coming back, it was kind of about the show of it, the fun and the campiness. But now the focus is really back on the sport. A lot of people are going back to their real names. I could go either way, so for me, I’m pretty much the same on the track as I am off the track. I could be Brooke Burleson. I would be fine. I would like to see it go that way eventually because I think we’d get taken a little more seriously.
JC: Do you think that respectability has gone up?
BB: For sure. A lot of leagues nationwide are finally starting to get coverage in the sport section. We’re finally starting to get coverage on ESPN. MavTV is starting to cover nationals. We’re a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, which is a national governing body. It took a lot of work for us to get accepted. There’s 400 leagues worldwide. There’s 78 leagues that are part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. It’s a pretty elite group of women. We’re the only league in Oklahoma City that competes on a national level. We’re the only nationally ranked team in Oklahoma City. We traveled all over the country to play. So, yes, I do think we’re getting taken seriously as a sport, not just nationwide but worldwide.
JC: What does it take to play with you guys?
BB: A lot of work.
JC: I’m thinking practice, cardio, weights.
BB: It’s a time commitment. It’s more than fun to us. It’s a lifestyle. We practice in our offseason now two to three times a week. We have to do on our own the other days a week training on our own. During on season, we are constantly training. We have to travel. We have an all-star team and a recreational team with a little less time commitment. That’s just for people that wanna have fun.
Rockets 105, Thunder 94
So you liked seven seconds or less in the Valley of the Sun, huh?
How about four seconds or less in Houston?
Against the Thunder on Friday night, the Rockets took Phoenix’s patented high-octane, fast-breaking offense and turned up the tempo even more in their 105-94 win over Oklahoma City at the Toyota Center. On the Thunder’s makes, misses and turnovers, Houston routinely ran up the court and had a shot up before five seconds had ticked off the shot clock.
The Thunder never looked interested in getting back and, even though OKC was well within striking distance of the Rockets’ five-point halftime lead, the writing was on the wall as the two teams headed for their locker rooms. By then it was clear that if the Thunder didn’t focus on getting back the contest would quickly turn into a blowout. And that’s about what happened — even if the scoreboard read the Thunder was within eight inside the final two minutes.
This game was not as close as even the final 11-point margin indicated.
A smaller, less athletic Rockets team bullied the flat-footed Thunder. In the paint (54-44 paint points) and in transition (22-10 fast break points). Houston, with a 6-foot-6 inch starting center in Chuck Hayes, even had more blocked shots (10) than the Thunder (eight). The Rockets’ 6-foot backup point guard Kyle Lowry was credited for four blocks.
Credit Lowry, and starter Aaron Brooks, for pushing the pace, too, and making things uncomfortable for the Thunder all night. Lowry had eight assists in 20 minutes off the bench. Brooks had six. The Thunder had just 15 as a team. Most of their dishes were the result of run outs or breakdowns in the Thunder’s defense in the halfcourt.
“They just played much tougher than we did tonight,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.
It’s not like the Thunder didn’t know what type of game Friday night’s would be. Oklahoma City got a sneak peak of this same Rockets squad in the third-to-last game of its preseason schedule. And Brooks knew full well what to expect after walking out of Houston the first time following a 20-point loss.
“We know they’re fast,” Brooks told me following Thursday’s practice. “After leaving that (preseason) game in Houston, I came away knowing that that’s a fast team that knows how to pass the basketball. And we have to do a better job of containing the ball and creating some difficult passing lanes for their little guards.”
The Thunder fell to 2-3, its third straight defeat, because it failed to adhere to the scouting report.
It didn’t help that the Thunder’s offensive rhythm was nearly as out of sync as its defensive principles. Only Russell Westbrook (game-high 33 points) and Kevin Durant (27 points) finished in double-digit scoring. Together, their 25 of 47 shooting helped the Thunder shoot a respectable 43.5 percent. The other three starters shot a combined 6-for-27.
The Thunder had as many assists (15) as turnovers, and over its past three games has now tallied 44 assists to 55 turnovers, a sign of just how much the team has struggled offensively of late.
“We’re about team basketball,” Brooks said. “We all have to play together as a team…We have to regroup and refocus our effort. Our identity is we have to defend. We have to score off of our defense and tonight we did not do that. We were taking the ball out of the basket throughout the game.”
