Only in Oklahoma...

[Dingfod]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

To hell with "Old Dave" from Athens, TX and his 1904 World's Fair hamburgers, which supposedly date back to the late 1880s.



The hamburger sandwich was invented in Oklahoma by Oscar Weber. [/I]

Poor Oscar Weber, Wisconsin is trying to take his claim to fame.

[Dingfod]

The Rise and Fall of the Head Cheese

A top-heavy cheese dryer fell on Ada, Oklahoma's Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese Factory manager, Sarah "Cheese Whiz" DeVasto injuring her spine. At first she had no feeling in her lower extremities, but has regained some. Doctors are hopeful for a full recovery when the swelling goes down.

Ms. DeVasto was moving the piece of equipment that fell on her in violation of workplace safety rule that require at least two people to move it due to how heavy and top-heavy it is. Haystack Mountain is obligated to pay DeVasto workman's comp during her convalescence.


Cheeses Cripes!

[Dingfod]

What does 900 pounds of meatballs, 800 pounds of Italian sausage, 600 pounds of spaghetti, 240 gallons of spicy sauce, and a mountain of freshly-baked bread mean?

It's Italian Festival time in Krebs, Oklahoma again this weekend. The food will be served from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday and Sunday or until the comestibles run out. At 11:00 PM Saturday they will crown Re and Regina. A spaghetti-eating contest will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday.


I figure the champion spaghetti eaters should be "Re and Regina".

[Dingfod]

Yes, Virginia, there ARE atheists in Oklahoma.

OK, one, maybe two or three.

[Angakuk]

If I had to live in Oklahoma I might question the existence of God. I would certainly question God's benevolence.

[Dingfod]

Some think this is God's Country. Lord knows why.

[Dingfod]

Oklahoma events coming up this weekend:

• Drumright Wine Festival in Drumright, Oklahoma, where you can win a wine cooler donated by a mortuary. Do they know something I don't?
• Old West Fest in Comanche, OK
• Great Western Trail Drive near Vici (Vie-sigh), OK.

Doesn't get much better than this. No, really, it doesn't.

[Angakuk]

Hey, I cry foul. I thought Iowa had a copyright on "The Field of Dreams". Not to mention that the Oklahoma Free Wheel Bicycle ride is a blatant rip-off of Iowa's RAGBRAI. Ripping off Iowa for ideas, man that is desperate.

As for the Great Western Trail Drive, do they think they can really manage a herd of 100 long horns with a mere 250 cowhands?

[Dingfod]

It'll be rough, I'm sure.

[inland wave]

Speaking of Okiehomie...On my way home today there was some commotion going on at an exit. Seems that two propellers of sorts were being hauled and needing to leave the muskogee turnpike. They were huge. First off, I thought of the windmills in New Mexico and Texas. Then I let my imagination run wild of huge boats, big planes, no, no, it has to be windmills......Cool though...

[inland wave]

They will be opening up the time capsule on June 15th. It didn't dawn on me until last night why the street was blocked off and the excavating equipment was located on Boulder. They are getting ready to dig it up and pull out the car and other items that were buried 50 years ago. It will be interesting to see if the car rusted out? It is a Plymouth Belvedere Sport Coupe from 1957...

[Dingfod]

The 1957 Plymouth time capsule is buried by City Hall, over by 6th and Denver.

[inland wave]

Oh, sorry...then again there is so much construction and such going on downtown it is hard to keep up with it all.

[Dingfod]

The commute has become a maze of construction barricades. Boulder Avenue is down to one lane at 4th Street, Denver down to one lane each direction from 3rd to 1st streets, 2nd Street is even more whacked out, with a streetlight out for more than a month now and barricades taking the street from four lanes down to one from Cheyenne to Denver. I'm sure Denver will be blocked off completely for the unearthing the Plymouth circus next Friday. Getting to and from work is an adventure every day.

[Dingfod]

Diaperman strikes again.

Police say this is the fourth time the "diaper flasher" has struck, entering a convenience store restroom and exiting wearing only a diaper, then driving away in a silver Ford Ranger. Police say this guy is a serious sex offender because the suspect has exposed himself twice and some exhibitionists go on to commit rape and lewd molestation. Police are upset because most people are laughing this off, including one woman who captured pictures of the guy on her cellphone camera, but hasn't come forward to share them with police.


That nappy-butted Homer.

[inland wave]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

The commute has become a maze of construction barricades. Boulder Avenue is down to one lane at 4th Street, Denver down to one lane each direction from 3rd to 1st streets, 2nd Street is even more whacked out, with a streetlight out for more than a month now and barricades taking the street from four lanes down to one from Cheyenne to Denver. I'm sure Denver will be blocked off completely for the unearthing the Plymouth circus next Friday. Getting to and from work is an adventure every day.

One news stations says the vault was full of nasty water another says there is about 3 feet of water in the vault....I finally saw video and it does look to be around three feet of water in the vault. They are hoping all the protective coverings surrounding the car will have kept it from being a rust bucket. I guess we will know friday.

[Deadlokd]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

Diaperman strikes again.

Police say this is the fourth time the "diaper flasher" has struck, entering a convenience store restroom and exiting wearing only a diaper, then driving away in a silver Ford Ranger. Police say this guy is a serious sex offender because the suspect has exposed himself twice and some exhibitionists go on to commit rape and lewd molestation. Police are upset because most people are laughing this off, including one woman who captured pictures of the guy on her cellphone camera, but hasn't come forward to share them with police.


That nappy-butted Homer.

"Baby done a boom-boom."

[Dingfod]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

Brand spanking new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere to be unveiled next June 15th.

When it was unearthed, the 1957 Plymouth Belvedere was found sitting in about 2-1/2 feet of rust-colored water, with signs on the walls of the concrete vault that it had been completely submersed at some time or another. The car was covered in what looked like Oklahoma red mud. Boyd Coddington of American Hot Rod TV show fame said it was like it had been at the bottom of a lake for 50 years. That may turn out to be its salvation. There possibly could be less rust and general corrosion if completely submersed than if only partially submersed. There were actually people here that thought the car would be able to be started up and driven after being unearthed. That was not to be, and may never be.

When Tulsa unearths a time capsule buried in 1957, they hope to find a well-preserved 1957 Plymouth, along with the following:
* 10 gallons of gasoline and 5 quarts of oil (who, in 1957 knew we'd still be using oil and gasoline by 2007?)
* A Douglas Aircraft Co. aerial map of airport facilities and legend (a little outdated)
* Statement from Tulsa council of Churches – and prayer for greatest good next 50 years a recently completed history of churches in Tulsa and a directory of the present churches (not outdated at all, with the exception of the Oral Roberts Tomorrowland Park)
* Statement from board of education – historical data related to 50 years of education in Tulsa and copies of "School Life" all-high school publication issued by Tulsa high schools each month (Dead and gone like Buddy Holly)
* Statements from Mayor and Chamber of Commerce officials (Who, in 1957, would've thought we'd still have politicians by now?)
* Flags which have been flown over the national capitol, state capitol and in the county and city
* Other aerial photos of the area
* Statement from Tulsa Trades and Labor Council
* Statements from all former mayors of the city – their record of service and civic accomplishments in the city, state and nationally

There was also a case of rusty cans of Schlitz beer found throughout the car. The case had been placed in the trunk by a Tulsa area jazz musician. The gasoline and oil were inside glass containers sitting in galvanized tubs and appeared to be intact. The woman's purse was found inside the car, covered in muck. Most all the other items of interest were inside of the "time capsule", a sealed metal can, and were dry and amazingly intact.

All in all it was interesting, even if a bit of a letdown after all the hype.

[Dingfod]

Raymond E. Humbertson's winning 1957 guess as to Tulsa's 2007 population was a mere 2,286 off the official population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. Unfortunately, Mr. Humbertson passed away in 1979 and his wife had died in 1968. They had no children. Tulsa officials are tracking down two elderly sisters in Maryland to give them the "vintage" 1957 Plymouth Belvedere and the $100 savings bond.

[Dingfod]

Dying man put out of his misery by the state.

Jimmy Dale Bland was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months ago, given just six months to live. The state of Oklahoma put him to death by lethal injection instead. Bland was on Death Row for killing a man while an escapee from jail, serving time for manslaughter. Bland's family asked for clemency when the terminal cancer was discovered, but that request was denied. After he expired, his brother, unidentified by prison officials, hugged his mother and whispered, "He's in heaven."


Heaven? Oh, well.

Wait a minute, the murder took place in 1975, but he wasn't put to death until 2007. Isn't that like 32 years? Holy moley, it takes a long time to put someone to death in Oklahoma.

[Watser?]

Was this a late execution or was it an early euthanasia?

[Dingfod]

Both? They waited until he was dying of cancer before executing him. Whether or not that was on purpose, I don't know, but waiting more than 30 years to carry out the sentence would make it suspect, in my opinion.

[Dingfod]

The Cimarron River north of Cushing, Oklahoma

[Dingfod]

2 Kids Kidnap Kid, Demand $200,000 ransom.

A pair of sisters, 10 and 11 years old, are accused of breaking into a neighbor's house and kidnapping a baby boy, leaving a ransom note demanding $200,000 signed "The Kidnappers". The mother of the suspects recognized the baby with her daughters as belonging to a neighbor. The girls said they found him on the corner. Evidently there is evidence that they are the ones that kidnapped the baby, they've been charged with first-degree burglary and kidnapping for extortion.


Inquiring minds want to know, where was the baby's mother during this escapade?

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

Inquiring minds want to know, where was the baby's mother during this escapade?

She was holding up the local toyshop at gunpoint.