Happy Centennial, Oklahoma!It's the 100th birthday of my home state today! Flist, on behalf of all Oklahomans, you're welcome for The Flaming Lips and Christian Kane. I've already apologized for Color Me Badd and Toby Keith - I can't control everything.
In honor of the 47th state, I've been Googling Oklahoma a bit today, and discovered that, as 1/16 Cherokee and a buttload of mutt + German, I'm pretty much the textbook census ethnic make-up of Oklahoma. Sweet. Besides the waving wheat (it sure smells sweet) and the fact that we're the 2nd largest producer of Natural Gas, we're also a very pretty state -- giving the country (and dare I say the world?) five Miss Americas, in addition to Brad Pitt, Alfre Woodard, Kristen Chenoweth and James "Cyclops" Marsden. I'm not sayin' we're like, Texas, or sumpthin', but we're doing our part.
10 REASONS OKLAHOMA KICKS ASSThe world record for largest pecan pie is held by Okmulgee, Oklahoma. I like pie.The electric guitar was invented in Oklahoma in 1935. Brits, you're welcome.Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state, allowing Vanilla Ice to have a houseboat on Lake Texhoma. O_oWhile opening for Guns'n'Roses in Oklahoma City in the early 90s, Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan interrupted his set to sneer at the crowd, "How does it feel to be standing on stolen Indian land?" Ah, yes, Mr. Corgan, how I remember my anthropology studies regarding your native Illinois and those fascinating western European tribes of Illinois: the Iroquois and the Potawatomi. And secondly, I believe you meant stolen Native American land.Republican Senator Jim Inhofe "represents" Oklahoma and has provided The Daily Show with endless fodder from suggesting that Global Warming fervor was the fault of the Weather Channel to violating Godwin's law in comparing environmentalists to Nazis to that "No one in my family is gay!" spiel, complete with his family reunion photo-op visual aid.Belle Star is buried in a pasture grave just outside of my hometown of Porum, Oklahoma. I never poured out a 40 in memory of her, but I do remember accidentally dropping a can of Milwaukee's Best as I shimmied over the fence outside her burial site. It's like Oklahoma's answer to Père Lachaise.They filmed Twister here, adding to Bill Paxton's "that guy!" cred.Fan favorite Supernatural episode "Simon Said" (Andy!) is set in Guthrie, Oklahoma (and I can't tell you how often I've visited Guthrie and marveled at its "similarity" to Vancouver. *g*) Jared and Jensen's least favorite episode, "Bugs," is set in the fictional town of Oasis Plains, Oklahoma. (Incidentally, Oklahoma's power company is Oklahoma Gas & Electric, not Oklahoma Gas & Power. It is, however, totally believable that representatives of our power company would be named "Travis" and "Dustin.")The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art of Tulsa preserves the largest collection of Jewish art in the southwestern United States. It's easy to find - it's right across Lewis Avenue from Oral Roberts' 900 Foot Jesus. (Kidding! I kid. The 900 foot Jesus was just a vision. And the 900 foot highway cross that freaked
ladycat777 out is actually in Edmond, Oklahoma.)Oklahoma's state song is Oklahoma! from, oddly enough, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma! Which makes us the sparkliest, most gay-friendly state in all of the red states. (I provided a dl link for the song; sorry, it's not the Hugh Jackman version.)I take pride in my state, but Oklahoma continues to struggle beyond a solely agrarian-based identity and find its place in an increasingly technological world -- and, you know, being more than just the Joads of
The Grapes of Wrath or that place where Timothy McVeigh tried to blow-up the outside world. Despite standing in the shadow of the "eyes of Texas are upon us"
(my suggested Oklahoma travel slogan? "Oklahoma - just like Texas, but without all that Longhorn crap!" Go Sooners!) and Jim Inhofe's consistently cringe worthy sound bites, Oklahoma's a state of surprising diversity, artistry and native culture. It's not all just rodeos and cow chip throwing contests, you know. I mean, *I'm* from here and aren't the first words you associate with me "diverse and cultured?" Right? And, erm, did I mention The Flaming Lips are from Oklahoma? Er...Tulsan S.E. Hinton wrote "The Outsiders" here, allowing you to read something cool in your 9th grade English class? Uh...race you to the pig calling contest! Can I get a "Yee-haw!"?
Happy Oklahoma Day, y'all.
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:03 pm (UTC)From:Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou. *blasts "Race for the Prize" in Oklahoma's honour*
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:10 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:23 pm (UTC)From:watercrowds... I'm pretty sure he can raise the dead too. :-)no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:33 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:04 pm (UTC)From:*mwah*
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:11 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:04 pm (UTC)From:Hihihibaby!
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:13 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:32 pm (UTC)From:But, like, only if we all want.
(SIXWEEKSOMGSIXWEEKSICANMAKETHATRIGHT?)
I am so glad he never got around to that because really, that would. Well. You're not moving, but man, that'd make it weird. (do they just not get the whole idol-worship thing? I know it's not all Christians, not at all, but some of them are just crazy with the praying to statues thing)
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:38 pm (UTC)From:Oral Roberts boggles the mind of even the holy of the holy rollers. My Granny used to send him part of her SS check every month, though. *sigh*
SIX WEEKS!
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:09 pm (UTC)From:Yay for Oklahoma!
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:14 pm (UTC)From:Oh, the farmer and the cowman can be friends! Seriously - like songs like the most pervasive earworm ever!
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:20 pm (UTC)From:(Was unaware of any such comment. Am now glum. Rats.)
BUT YAY FOR OKLAHOMA!!
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:30 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:34 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:27 pm (UTC)From:And you forgot my personal favorite reason why Oklahoma kicks ass: Gay rodeo! Which inspired
*snuggles you*
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:31 pm (UTC)From:*hugs you hard, dosey-do's*
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Date: 2007-11-16 11:14 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 07:43 pm (UTC)From:The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art of Tulsa preserves the largest collection of Jewish art in the southwestern United States.
Unfortunately, that comes to 18 pieces of "art" including a preserved potato pancake that's shaped like a driedel and a cocktail napkin from the Steinman's Bat Mitzvah.
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Date: 2007-11-16 07:50 pm (UTC)From:Andrea and I are going there when she's here in December (I have only been to one museum in Tulsa, and it was rocks in interesting formations. I believe one was shaped like Elvis, so I'm thinkin' you're probably not far off on the Miller Museum) so I'll let you know how extensive the collection is. It can't be thinner than the National Western Heritage and Cowboy Hall of Fame museum here in the city which, despite having a 10-foot Ronald Reagan in full cowboy gear black marble statue and a ton of Remingtons is mostly portraits of Wrangler jean wrapped butts of rodeo champions. I kid you not.)
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Date: 2007-11-16 11:26 pm (UTC)From:If you ever in the greatest city in the world (that'd be NYC, of course), there is a really amazing Jewish museum. Actually NYC pretty much as an amazing museum no matter what you're into.
Why are my comments always so long?
Date: 2007-11-16 08:04 pm (UTC)From:As a matter of fact, the only non-gasoline, leg-stretching, OMG!I'm-so-thirsty pit stop I made on my move to California was in Clinton, OK. I gave myself an hour to sitesee at the Route 66 museum. I picked up a souvenir refrigerator magnet and a cool keychain that says Oklahoma/Route 66 on it.
I've wanted to visit Tulsa for a few years now (to attend the Red River fest and see the Greenwood district), but I've been through OKC. I got lost after a pit stop and a nice man watering his lawn gave me directions back to the highway.
Yay for Alfre Woodard and Kristen Chenoweth! As well as Invisible Man author Ralph Ellison. BTW, tell Billy Corgan to suck it! We're all on stolen indigena land. If he ain't doing anything to correct the injustice, he needs to shut his bald ass up.
Would you hate me if I told you that I don't know who the Flaming Lips are? ::ducks::
Re: Why are my comments always so long?
Date: 2007-11-16 08:24 pm (UTC)From:Tulsa is very, very cool. Everything from actual cool cred music festivals to Oklahoma barbecue and western swing. I forgot Ralph Ellison! I was also surprised to find out that Jeane Kirkpatrick is an Oklahoman. Who knew?
The Flaming Lips?? *hides horror* Just the coolest band EVER. The Lips are the cool band that other cool bands wish they were in. Experimental, transcendent, incandescent and...robots! And they're still based out of Oklahoma, not LA. Impressive. They're probably most mainstream known for their mid-90s hit She Don't Use Jelly and YouTube didn't have my favorite Lips song ("Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell") but here are a couple of favorites:
Be My Head
Race for the Prize.
A couple of other fun ones are:
Flaming Lips with The White Stripes
Flaming Lips covering Elvis' Suspicious Minds. They're just...awesome. And so unlike Oklahoma's typical musical contributions such as Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood...
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Date: 2007-11-16 08:15 pm (UTC)From:Go Sooners!!! And Braums! And Jimmy's Egg! And Charleston's (which apparently exists in TX, but since I've never had it here you can claim it). And PIE. (note how that degenerated into food themed praise) *steals Christian Kane from OK*
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Date: 2007-11-16 08:27 pm (UTC)From:Hee! Jimmy's Egg!!! And Charlestons! Did you see that we're going to Tulsa when y'all are here next? That means sausage and kraut at the Hoffbrauer! Woot!
You also stole Troy Aikman and one of them members of Brooks & Dunn (I can never remember which.)
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Date: 2007-11-16 09:31 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 08:48 pm (UTC)From:Miss Crazy Diamond Sue
I'd write you a poem if I had the time
But alas, I can't think up a single rhyme
About fields of wheat resembling waves on an ocean
When the warm wind blows to set it in motion
And that's about as patriotic as I can get today
For my neighboring state of Okay El A H-O-M-A
xxxxx
Have a nice weekend, darlin'.
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Date: 2007-11-17 04:06 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 09:09 pm (UTC)From:But I just had to mention that I don't care who James Marsden is.
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Date: 2007-11-17 04:07 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 11:25 pm (UTC)From:*
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Date: 2007-11-16 11:27 pm (UTC)From:*
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Date: 2007-11-16 11:32 pm (UTC)From:*
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Date: 2007-11-17 04:10 am (UTC)From:THat's so cool - I knew JM went to PC North (North is the only direction!) 'cause he graduated with a friend of mine, but that's even better about Kristen being friends with your drama teacher. I can't wait to see your Emmy/Oscar acceptance speech!
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Date: 2007-11-19 05:12 pm (UTC)From:*
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Date: 2007-11-17 04:08 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-17 03:57 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-17 04:11 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-17 04:26 am (UTC)From:I've been listening to 'Mountainside' a whole bunch lately. And I saw them a little over a month ago when they came to Cleveland (http://vichan.livejournal.com/193736.html). BEST DAMN SHOW OF THE YEAR. :-D
LIPS.
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Date: 2007-11-17 08:07 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-17 05:02 pm (UTC)From:Hee! I had a friend who lived near Lake Texhoma and she would tell me many amusing stories of Vanilla Ice sightings. Yeah. That's definitely one for the con column, but it amuses me so!
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Date: 2007-11-17 11:26 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 12:02 am (UTC)From: