What to do in Oklahoma on July 4
Fireworks explode at Edmond’s LibertyFest 2008. (Photo by Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
Happy birthday, America! It’s the Fourth of July, and communities across Oklahoma are offering festivities featuring live music, family activities and fireworks display.
My colleagues George Lang, Nathan Poppe and April Choi painstakingly assembled a list of many of these big events. Check it out by clicking here.
For still more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Happy Fourth of July
Celebrate, be safe, have fun.
July 4 Today’s Prayer
Lord, thank You for the strength of our nation and the freedom we enjoy. May we not take for granted the cost of such liberty. Amen.Happy Birthday, Geraldo Rivera
July 4, 2009 — Gerald Michael
Riviera, who played himself on the final episode of “Seinfeld” (1998), turns 66 today.
He hosted “At Large With Geraldo Rivera” from 2006-08.
His first TV appearance was as a New York Correspondent on “Eyewitness News” (1968). He was 25.
Best wishes to Geraldo and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Geraldo Rivera, recipient of the award for “Outstanding Correspondent or Anchor of a National News Program,” poses for photographers at the sixth annual American Latino Media Arts Awards on Sunday, April 22, 2001, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Weeks)
Pets Get Blame for Thousands of Injuries
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that pets are responisible for 87,000 fall-related injuries per year. As a dog and cat owner, I can admit that I too have taken a spill due to my furry friends. I’m sure some - or most - of it was due to my own clumsiness.
Other highlights in the report include the fact that about 11.7 percent of injuries in relation to cats occurred while people were chasing cats. My solution: stop chasing cats. Females were 2.1 percent more likely to be injured as well, the report states. The most frequently reported injuries were fractures, contusions and abrasions.
The report also makes some recommendations for prevention:
- increasing public awareness of pets as hazards for falling. (Bet you never thought of your pet as a hazard.)
- increased obedience training for dogs. (Notice it didn’t say anything about obedience training for cats.)
Best of luck. And don’t trip over your pets as you enjoy the holiday weekend together!
- Staff Writer Dawn Marks
Happy Fourth of July!
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Happy Independence Day!
Be safe, and best wishes to everyone celebrating the American Dream today.
Here’s a pretty good Independence Day quote from Captain America himself in Captain America 250, written by Roger Stern:
“We must all live in the real world…and sometimes that world can be pretty grim. But it is the Dream…the hope…that makes the reality worth living.”
(Image from Captain America 250 via Fantastic Fangirls.)
Viesturs clip on ‘Colbert Report’
This stuff is priceless. A clip from last night’s “Colbert Report” with high altitude mountaineer Ed Viesturs. Check it out, and enjoy the moment when Ed breaks out the Colbert Nation flag!
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Ed Viesturs | ||||
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The fall of the Blazers…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s an interesting topic. What led to the fall of the Blazers franchise? I’ma take a swing at it in Saturday’s paper. I’m sure some won’t agree with me, and that’s OK. I was truly writing what I felt from what I’ve gathered and observed.
To me, there were three big reasons: 1. The Oklahoma City Thunder; 2. The state of the economy; 3. The city out-growing the CHL.
I have a strong feeling there will be much debate about reason No. 3. There is probably some hurt feelings among Blazer die-hard fans when it comes to something like that.
But devoted readers of this blog aren’t (well, for the most part) part of the No. 3 reason.
However, on NewsOK right now, we’re running a poll about what fans will prefer. And right now (as of 6 p.m.) it is 77 percent for the AHL and 22 percent for the CHL.
The dedicated, passionate Blazer fan has never been a question. I know some of you would come to a game in a middle of a snow storm. That’s never been the problem.
But I’m not sure the fanbase was growing anymore. The Thunder is the toast of the town right now.
There is a lot of backlash from some readers saying “oh, just wait five years when the team still stinks and nobody shows up.”
We’ll see. Maybe that’s true or maybe Sam Presti is on the road to building a solid, competitive team that is led by one of the NBA’s future stars in Kevin Durant. Time will tell on all accounts.
There is also a lot of sentiment of “the city turned its back on the team that carried OKC for years.” Mayor Mick Cornett certainly doesn’t believe that is the case.
“Baseless.”
That’s what he said about those type of accusations about the Thunder running the Blazers
I haven’t been around the game and the Oklahoma City area long enough to give an accurate account on something like that. All I can say is that I did my best to give the Blazers the best coverage I could give because the fans, the players, the staff deserve that type of commitment.
I’ve asked former beat writer Bob Hersom to weigh in on things and the feedback is still rollin’ in from readers. I say let it roll.
Scott Ellis has been the most frequent commenter, so I was a little shocked that it took to Friday afternoon:
Though I am sad to see this incarnation of the OKC Blazers fade away, we
as hockey fans should look toward the 2010-11 AHL season with a renewed
spirit. To the City, Media (expect for Mr. Przybylo and Bob Hersom ):
This is A Hockey Town, even before the dreams of an NBA franchise here.
The Blazers or Stars’ made Oklahoma City an unusual place for hockey.
But you forgot about them, treated them like the forgotten step child of
this town. Or even give them a front page article on your newspaper,
until they decided to close up shop. Now you (as the media) want to jump
on the ship sailing for a new territory.
***
Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July. Boneman is headed to the RedHawks game. Back either Sunday or Monday. Keep updating with more Blazer thoughts but a lot of attention will now be toward the prospects of an AHL team in Oklahoma City.
Palin’s resignation has people buzzing
The early consensus on Sarah Palin’s resignation as Alaska governor is there’s no consensus. Palin announced Friday she’ll step down July 25, and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will take over. One view is that Palin is sick of politics, especially the personal attacks on herself and her family since she was picked as John McCain’s running mate last year. Another is that Palin, who would have been up for re-election next year, wants to be free of her official duties in Alaska so she can better establish herself on the national stage for a presidential run in 2012.
The Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol is of the latter view, writing that Palin probably figures she’s done all she could do as Alaska’s governor and wants to be able to get around the lower 48, improve her depth on the issues and the like. If so, it’s a gamble, because Republican rivals and Democratic opponents both will call her a quitter for leaving before her term is up. Then again, that’s pretty mild compared to some of the stuff she’s faced from media pundits, late-night comics and others.
One other point. Palin is 45. She could “retire” from politics for a couple of presidential cycles and make a comeback and still be younger than Hillary Clinton was when she sought the presidency in 2008.