Curse of the Colonel Sanders finally broken
Randy Bass, Oklahoma State Senator District 32
Oklahoma State Senator Randy Bass actually does look a little like the Colonel…
but the KFC bust was the only likeness of a westerner some avid Japanese baseball fans had handy in 1985. Now that the original colonel has been found, the Curse of the Colonel may have finally been lifted.
By Justin McCurry in Tokyo
They call it the curse of Colonel Sanders – not, as you might think, the potentially unpleasant side effects of wolfing down a KFC, but a reference to one of the great sagas of Japan’s national obsession, baseball.
In 1985, the last year the Hanshin Tigers, Osaka’s fanatically supported but perennially unsuccessful baseball team, won the league and Japan Series double, delirious fans celebrated by leaping from a bridge into the filthy Dotonbori river.
Amid the frenzy, a few well-refreshed supporters uprooted a statue of colonel from outside the nearest Kentucky Fried Chicken and hurled him into the water where he remained, despite several rescue attempts, for almost a quarter of a century.
The KFC emblem had been chosen for his resemblance to the team’s star player that year, the bearded, portly American slugger, Randy Bass.
But a record streak of last-place finishes, and failure to win a single Japan Series since, convinced superstitious fans that the colonel had placed a curse on their team.
Many hope the curse may now be lifted after divers carrying out construction work brought the statue back to the surface, covered in grey sludge, minus his left hand and trademark black-rimmed spectacles.
His appearance was greeted with cheers from workers and a large contingent of reporters sent to witness the recovery operation.
“It’s only a statue, but I felt as if I was rescuing someone,” one worker said.
Yoshio Yoshida, the Tigers’ manager in 1985, summed up the mood in Osaka, a once great merchant city that has had precious little to celebrate on the baseball field.
“When I heard the statue had been found, I felt that a chapter in history had been closed,” he told the Asahi newspaper.
Today, the colonel was in protective custody, but plans are reportedly being hatched to place him in harm’s way again with a move to the Tigers’ Koshien stadium home.
While the Hanshin faithful are convinced that a Japan Series awaits this year, fans of all teams have a vested interest in a Tigers victory. Their triumph 24 years ago was followed by huge stock market gains and the start of the economic bubble.
Right on cue, the Nikkei benchmark index leapt 4.6% in Tokyo, its biggest gain since the end of January.
Ben Stein to host Beer Wars
On Thursday, April 16th, 7 p.m. CT, BEER WARS LIVE — an exclusive one-night only event, will take audiences nationwide inside the billion dollar brewing business and reveal the truth behind the labels of your favorite beer! This special event will take place in more than 430 movie theatres nationwide, including 3 local Oklahoma City area theatres (listed below).
The evening will kick-off with the premiere of the groundbreaking documentary, “BEER WARS,” by filmmaker Anat Baron — followed by a LIVE panel discussion (simulcast from Royce Hall in Los Angeles) with independent brewers and beer industry experts hosted by pundit, economist and actor Ben Stein.
Beer Wars is a true “David and Goliath story” – small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers as they challenge the corporate brewery behemoths. The story follows two of these intrepid entrepreneurs – Sam Calagione and Rhonda Kallman – battling the might and tactics of corporate America. Witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.
Tickets for this special one-night event are available at presenting theater box offices and at www.FathomEvents.com.
This one-night-only in-theatre NCM Fathom event will be showing at the following theatres in our area:
Quail Springs 24 2501 W MEMORIAL RD OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73134
Tinseltown USA 6001 N MARTIN LUTHER KING AVE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73111
Spotlight 14 1100 N Interstate Drive Norman OK 73072
St. Patty’s Day cocktails
You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate these delicious cocktails and though they may not be green but after you take a sip, I doubt you’ll care. I found these on www.fineliving.com .
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
Irish Coffee
When San Francisco restaurateur Jack Koeppler introduced the classic Irish Coffee to America in 1952, the concoction was described as “coffee strong as a friendly hand, cream rich as an Irish brogue, sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue and Irish whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land.”
This recipe has two variations from the original ingredients: it’s topped with cinnamon for extra kick and it uses refined instead of brown sugar.
Baileys Irish Martini
This Baileys and Bushmill recipe puts a martini twist on the classic Irish Coffee. Instead of hot coffee and heavy cream, try a shot of strong, cold coffee and garnish with chocolate sprinkles.
Wild Irish Rose
This classic St. Patrick’s Day cocktail is best when made with Irish whiskey. For a sweeter variation, substitute hand-squeezed juice from a blood orange for the lemon juice.
Frozen Irish Banana
Baileys Cream puts the Celtic kick in this Caribbean-inspired drink, which also has banana and cream of coconut blended with rum.
I tried one of these babies in St. Croix during my Virgin Islands Honeymoon. YUM, mon.
Michael Jackson announces London shows
LONDON (AP) — Michael Jackson returned to the stage Thursday after eight years marked by more scandal than music-making and told a crowd of screaming fans that he would play a series of London concerts before retiring from public performance.
Wearing his trademark sunglasses and a silver-embroidered black military-style jacket, he said the series of shows in July will be his “final curtain call.”
Jackson appeared at the 02 Arena — where the concerts will be staged — to announce the gigs.
“This is it. This is it,” Jackson said, as the fans screamed. “These will be my final shows, performances, in London. This is it. And when I say this is it, I mean this is it.
“This is really it. This is the final curtain call, OK? See you in July.”
Jackson didn’t specify how many shows he’ll play, though posters have shown he’s booked for 10 dates.
Tickets are expected to sell quickly for the shows, despite concerns the 50-year-old star may not be up for a return to the spotlight.
The King of Pop has been plagued by financial, legal, and medical woes for years and has not performed a major concert since 2001. His last studio album was released the same year.
A previous attempt to relaunch Jackson’s career collapsed amid reports of ill health and court action.
The wedding of the century!!
Those of you who have been reading my columns in The Oklahoman know that I have been feverishly planning my wedding which took place Feb. 22. Well, the great news is that the wedding went off without a hitch, mostly. I did cut my finger pretty badly while decorating the venue and later bled on my dress a little, but otherwise, the food was great, the flowers beautiful, the wine and beer flowed freely, people danced to the wonderful music provided by some of our great friends, the photos turned out incredible and everyone seemed to have a fantastic time. Here are a few photos from the wedding, all taken by Chris Landsberger.
The ceremony was beautiful. My daughter, Amber, cried her eyes out throughout the entire ceremony. Tears of joy, tears of relief that the whole thing is actually happening. She really loves her new stepdad.
After Andy kissed the bride, it was time for the reception, and party, to begin.
The cupcake cake was a huge hit. Every time I looked up I saw an adorable child walking by clutching a delicious cupcake with a look of sheer anticipation in her eyes. 
The slideshow full of photos of Andy’s and my family and childhood was really neat and the band, which started out as just Chris and Rob from The Sugarfree Allstars rocked. Andy got up and played some drums (he was the original drummer for the Allstars) and then, Gordon Lazama and Matt Blagg joined the crew adding their horns to the mix. Andy’s dad, David Moore got up and shredded on the electric guitar, one of the groomsmen, Ty, joined in with his guitar stylings and I was even convinced to sing a tune. I chose “At Last.” I know, cheesy, especially since I sing it almost every weekend at someone else’s wedding but it was all I could think of in the moment and I figured, why not? At least this time, I was singing about my own love coming along:)
The UCO Jazz Lab was a great venue… The tables and chairs were perfect and ready to be decorated easily. The stage was just the right size. The big windows overlooking 5th Street in Edmond were lovely and the stage lighting made the room glow warm colors. I loved the venue.
I even got my baby brother, Scott Hill, out on the dance floor for a few minutes.
Desperately Seeking Rebellious Oklahoma Teens!
Attention: rebellious teens. Are you sick of your strict parents and their rules and restrictions? Ever wish for different parents or just a break from yours? If so, the producers “Supernanny” and “The Real Housewives of NYC” want to meet you.
Casting directors from a brand new reality show, “The World’s Strictest Parents” will be in Tulsa between March 5 and 13 looking for adventurous teens up for a challenge. The team is looking for teenagers (with parental approval) from every type of background who are ready to participate in a social experiement exploring the world of the 21st century teenager matched against contemporary parenting styles. The producers are looking for teens with unique interests, technically savvy teens, hippies, urbanites, slobs, surfers, affluent teens, liberals, defiant teens and teens who have ordinary or extraordinary circumstances. To apply, go online to www.theworldsstrictestparents.com, call 888-41-TEENS (1-888-418-3367) or email teens@shedmediaus.com.
