Author Archives: Admin

Go fishing for free June 2-3

Staff Report

Oklahoma anglers can fish for free during Free Fishing Days June 2-3 – good timing considering the weekly fishing report from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation indicates fishing season is in full swing.

During free fishing days, a state fishing license will not be required for anglers to go fishing in Oklahoma, whereas in most other cases a license is required.

The Wildlife Department’s free weekly state fishing report is a great starting point to find just the right place to go. Every week the fishing report provides a listing of lakes and the current state of angling success at that location. The reports are compiled by Wildlife Department employees and volunteers and cover lakes and other waters throughout every region in the state.

This week’s report says channel catfish fishing is excellent in the mornings and crappie fishing is fair to good at four to 10 feet at Lake Arcadia. At Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, the elevation is normal and fishing good for fish like largemouth bass, white bass, striped bass, walleye, sunfish and channel and blue catfish. Full details on lakes across the state are available in the report, including which baits are being used to catch fish successfully. Anglers can log on to http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/weekly_news.htm and sign up to receive the weekly fishing report by e-mail.

Oklahoma offers fishing in lakes and rivers, but also in urban waters designated by the Wildlife Department as "Close to Home Fishing" locations. Although state fishing licenses are not required during Free Fishing Days, anglers should note that certain city permits may still apply to specific fishing areas.

Additionally, anglers fishing Lake Texoma should be aware that Free Fishing Days applies for all of the lake on June 2 but only on Oklahoma portions of the lake on June 3.

Oklahoma was the first state in the nation to offer free fishing days about 30 years ago and has since been followed by dozens of other states that have established similar days.

The Wildlife Department is encouraging anglers to take a short video clip of someone catching their first fish and send it to Department through Facebook. The Wildlife Department’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/wildlifedepartment.

For more information about fishing in Oklahoma, log on to the Wildlife Department’s website at wildlifedepartment.com. 

King family did not march for same sex marriage

Dr. Alveda King

The 21st century homosexual lobby likes to point to the professional relationship between my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin, his openly homosexual staffer who left the movement at the height of the campaign. Rustin attempted to convince Uncle M. L. that homosexual rights were equal with civil rights. Uncle M. L. did not agree, and would not attach the homosexual agenda to the 20th century civil rights struggles. So Rustin resigned.

Rustin was a brilliant strategist and was hired by Uncle M. L. not because he was gay, but because he was a capable strategist. He also was not fired, he chose to resign.

My uncle was not a bigot, and he didn’t judge people for the color of
their skin nor their sexual orientation. Neither do I. As compassionate
Christians who won’t be forced to sit on the back of the bus as far as
our spiritual commitments are concerned, we can be compassionate without
endorsing sin.

As to the relationship between Mrs. Coretta Scott King and the homosexual lobby, Mrs. King was a very compassionate woman. She and I shared conversations regarding misplaced compassion. When her daughter, my cousin Elder Bernice King marched in favor of traditional marriage a few years ago, the homosexual lobby demanded that Mrs. King publicly rebuke her daughter for her stance. Mrs. King did not rebuke her daughter. The issue here is compassion, and how to show compassion in the face of controversy.

On Wednesday, May 9, 2012, President Barack Hussein Obama, known by many as the first “Black” President of the United States of America, also became the first Black President to endorse homosexual marriage. This startling decision came as no surprise to some who already knew him as the “most abortion minded president in the history of America.” A few days after President Obama’s announcement, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People also endorsed homosexual marriage.

Amid the controversy of these seemingly contemporary 21st century policies, the question repeatedly arises: How can we show compassion to those who believe that homosexuality and abortion are civil rights? My now deceased and beloved Aunt Coretta Scott King supported both the homosexual agenda and the abortion agenda. She even accepted the 1966 Planned Parenthood “Maggie” award in her husband’s stead. Uncle M. L. was prolife. Aunt Coretta was the first to ask me the compassion question in the mid-1980’s. Many have since posed the compassion question to me.

As one who is unabashedly unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I must admit that when the question first came to me, I sought for a humanly wise response. I struggled and groped in my finite mind for something my Daddy A. D. King might say; or my uncle M. L. King, or my Granddaddy King. At first, I didn’t even remember their sermons, just thought about what their answers might be from a civil rights perspective. After all, I knew that they all preached the Bible, and like David, did their best to obey God in spite of their human frailties. I knew that they were pro-life and believed in procreative marriage. After all, I’m the one who coined the now popular slogan: “I have a dream, it’s in my genes.”

I wanted to express to the world that my great-grandfather, Dr. A. D. Williams, a Baptist preacher was an original NAACP founder. I wanted to express that my Granddaddy, also a Baptist preacher, was an early NAACP leader. Following in their footsteps, my Daddy A. D. King and Uncle M. L. King founded the 20th century Civil Rights Movement in the Name of Jesus.

Thank goodness my good friend Day Gardner helped me to get back on track quickly. In a joint press release from the African American prolife community regarding President Obama’s decision, Day wrote: “The NAACP was founded by Blacks who had an understanding and strong faith in God . They were people – pastors and congregations who knew that the Bible, God’s final Word – was very clear on the immorality and wages of homosexuality and abortion. It is appalling that this one time super hero ‘civil rights’ organization supports the breakdown of traditional marriage and the ruthless killing of our unborn children as a civil right. In its decision to please the world, the NAACP has turned its back on the things of GOD and in doing so it has become irrelevant. We must encourage those who know the truth to speak out – to stand firmly on the solid rock – to not look to the right or to the left. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Our lives began to end the day we become silent about things that matter.””

Day’s thoughts lead me to the answer to the compassion question. How can we show compassion for people who want to legitimize sin?  If we love them, shouldn’t we try not to hurt their feelings by pointing out that things like abortion and homosexuality are against the Word of God?  No matter how many new Bible translations that people come up with, God’s Word isn’t going to change.

My answer came not from what would Daddy do, or Uncle M. L. do, or Granddaddy do? The answer will always be “what would Jesus do?” Living on the edge of a 21st century Babylon with the stench of Sodom and Gomorrah stinging our nostrils, we need to know that the question is relevant and the answer is imperative. Not only what would Jesus do, but what did Jesus do when confronted with sinners? Jesus extended compassion in the form of “ye shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Right now the anti-procreative marriage community is in league with the anti-life community, and together with the NAACP and other sympathizers, they are seeking a world where homosexual marriage and abortion will supposedly set the captives free. To the contrary, it is the Word of God on these and all human issues that sets people free. As Christians, we must have the compassion of Jesus Christ and tell the truth and shame the devil. We must not allow false compassion to force truth to take a seat on the back of the bus.

As a young woman, sitting in the pews of the congregations of my elders, I must admit that I questioned God and the Bible, seeking inconsistencies in the Word. I wanted to enjoy sin, and was looking for loopholes. My Daddy and Uncle M. L. had similar experiences before they were “transformed” by God’s light and love through Jesus Christ.

I guess the best example of the transformation or born again experiences in my family would be my Uncle M. L.’s conversion testimony which came to him in 1956. As was previously stated, Uncle M. L. belongs to a long line of preachers, and during his early years, he depended on the faith of his fathers. Then, in 1956, King experienced his first personal encounter with God.

On page 59 of BEARING THE CROSS (Garrow), there is an account of the experience. At around midnight on Jan. 27, 1956, at the height of the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala. Uncle M. L. was discouraged by death threats, exhaustion, and the heavy burdens of organizing the community. He also feared for his wife and babies. He was praying at his kitchen table, "It seemed at that moment," he later told an interviewer, "that I could hear an inner voice saying to me, ‘Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo I will be with you….’ I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on."

The link between Christian faith and the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement was genuine and indistinguishable, in that you could not have one without the other. It was the vision and reality of Christian love that strengthened the Christian warriors. Uncle M. L. had a love for all humanity, that one race of people created by God. Agape love is not easily attained, but Uncle M. L., my Daddy A. D., Daddy King, our hold family legacy has always embraced Agape. God is Love. The Bible teaches us to walk in love, even as my Uncle M. L. was taught. The Bible was Martin Luther King Jr.’s best textbook, always.

Not long after his conversion, Uncle M. L. wrote the following to a youth seeking advice:

From 1950’s Ebony Advice Column

QUESTION: My problem is different from the ones most people have. I am a boy, but I feel about boys the way I ought to feel about girls. I don’t want my parents to know about me. What can I do?

MLK: Your problem is not at all an uncommon one. However, it does require careful attention. The type of feeling that you have toward boys is probably not an innate tendency, but something that has been culturally acquired. … You are already on the right road toward a solution, since you honestly recognize the problem and have a desire to solve it.

Question: About two years ago, I was going with a young lady who became pregnant. I refused to marry her. As a result, I was directly responsible for a crime. It was not until a month later that I realized the awful thing I had done. I begged her to forgive me, to come back , but she has not answered my letters. The thing stays on my mind. What can I do? I have prayed for forgiveness.

MLK: You have made a mistake. … One can never rectify a mistake until he admits that a mistake has been made. Now that you have prayed for forgiveness and acknowledged your mistake, you must turn your vision to the future. … Now that you have repented, don’t concentrate on what you failed to do in the past, but what you are determined to do in the future.

Uncle M. L. showed the compassion and love of Jesus in his letter to this youth. He didn’t help the young man embrace a position contrary to God’s Word, rather he extended God’s loving compassion in his response. We have a sure example of this type of compassion from Jesus Himself:

In the case of “the woman caught in the act,” Jesus said to her accusers: “Ye who are without sin, cast the first stone.” As one by one her accusers dropped their stones, and walked away, Jesus wrote in the dirt. He then asked Mary Magdalene, “woman, where are your accusers?” She realized that her accusers had dispersed. Then, Jesus spoke the startling words of liberation to the woman who would become his first female disciple. “Neither do I accuse you. Go and sin no more.”

Yes friends, Jesus acknowledged the woman’s sins, and he still loved her. He set her free, not just from those who would stone her, but from the behavior that bound her. Loving someone who is bound by sin, dismissing their sanctimonious judges and then setting the captives free by showing them a way out of sin is the answer to the compassion question. Show compassion by showing people the liberty and love of This Same Jesus Christ: yesterday, today and forever.

To do this, we must be transparent, admit to and repent of our own sins first, and then be the examples traveling the road of repentance and redemption. There is love, mercy, compassion and grace in what we have to offer. We just have to be bold enough and strong enough to love.

Dr. Alveda King is the founder of King for America and the Pastoral Associate for Priests for Life and Director of African American Outreach. For more information on her work, click here.

Tulsa Shock, again, less than 5-points

Rich Lohman, Tulsa Today

WASHINGTON, D.C.–  Once again, less than 5-points were the factor in a loss by the Tulsa Shock.  A late 14-0 run Saturday night was not enough to push head coach Gary Kloppenburg’s team to their first win of the 2012 season.  Down by as many 16 in the second half, the Shock opened the fourth quarter on a 14-2 to cut the Mystics’ double-digit lead to just one, 58-57, after Ivory Latta made one of two free throws with with 3:49 left in the game. A Glory Johnson layup with 1:14 left cut the Mystics lead to 63-61 but the Shock were unable to capitalize on consecutive possessions that could have tied the game.

We’ve been digging our self into a hole in the third quarter and we did it again," Head Coach Gary Kloppenburg said. "It just seems like we go through a scoring drought and obviously we are offensively challenged at times. We got ourselves in a hole and I’m proud of the way they fought out of it but when you are trying to dig out, everything has to go perfectly."

After consecutive turnovers by both teams, Crystal Langhorne made one-of-two free throws to the extend the Mystics lead to 64-61 with 3.9 seconds left to play but the Shock were unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded and Washington prevailed for its first victory of the season.

It’s very frustrating. It’s like we are one shot away, or one pass off," Latta said. "It’s very frustrating but at the same time we have to go to LA and we have to get ready. We have to learn from this and step up."

Tulsa’s Ivory Latta lead all scorers with 16 points and Temeka Johnson had 9 points and 5 rebounds.  Monique Currie led the Mystics scoring efforts with 15 points.  

The Shock move on to Los Angeles for a game with the Sparks on Tuesday night.at 9:30pm Tulsa time in the Staples Center.  From there, they’ll head to Key Arena for a matchup with the Storm on Friday, June 1.  Stops in Phoenix and San Antonio qill round out Tulsa’s longest road trip of the season before they return to the BOK Center for their first meeting with the Minnesota Lynx on June 9th.

Follow the Shock online at wnba.com/shock where you can sign up for WNBA Live Access and watch their games streamed to your computer.  Tickets for the remaining Tullsa Shock home games can be purchased at the BOK Center or by calling 918-599-WNBA.

Rocklahoma 2012, the final day

John Hall, Tulsa Today

PRYOR, Okla. – Fans that braved the heat for the entire weekend were rewarded on the final night of the hard-hitting, in your face rock-n-roll festival Sunday as the six annual Rocklahoma festival enjoyed a bit of bonus mild weather for the third day.  Televised live on HDNet worldwide, thousands of music fans showed up on the grounds to support their favorite bands as the legend of Rocklahoma continues to grow. 

Rains kicked the evening off on the Hard Rock stage with a short set, leading into Black Stone Cherry. The Edmonton, Kentucky group then fired up the main stage with an energizing performance that quickly drew the attention of the ever-growing crowd.

Drummer John Fred Young played with purpose, beating the skins like they owed him money while his bandmates banged their heads and moved around the stage freely, jumping onto monitors and singing along with the crowd. Black Stone Cherry’s set, while short, was heavy and proved that this is a band on the rise. They included hits “White Trash Millionaire,” and “Blame it on the Boom Boom” before finishing with “Lonely Train.”

Baltimore’s Charm City Devils followed on the Hard Rock stage with an entertaining set that included an amped-up version of “Man of Constant Sorrow.” Oklahoma City’s Aranda also played the Hard Rock stage, supporting their hometown NBA team as lead singer Dameon Aranda led the group while wearing an Oklahoma City Thunder t-shirt. Their set included “Undone,” and “Satisfied.”

Sandwiched in between the two was Kansas City’s Puddle of Mudd on the main stage. Front-man Wes Scantlin belted out several of the band’s hits, pouring everything he had into each song. Opening with “Control,” the crowd quickly filled in the area around the stage while heads banged, fists reached into the air and a few bras came off. The band included hits “Blurry,” “Psycho,” “Famous,” and “She Hates Me” to the crowd’s approval.

Jesse James Dupree and Jackyl then literally took over the main stage with one of the most entertaining sets of the weekend. The Southern fried group from Georgia opened with “My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine’s Ass” and never looked back. Included in the set was their hit “Down on Me,” as well as a few others with titles that we can’t mention here.

Dupree loves the stage, and it was easy for anyone to see as he continually “testified” to the crowd, playfully told promoters that the band would play as long as they wanted and ultimately ended their set by mooning the HDNet camera. The highlight, though, was “The Lumberjack” during which Dupree played a chainsaw before pulling Rocklahoma host Eddie Trunk from backstage before the pair carved up a wooden barstool.

The tough task of following Jackyl’s explosive set fell to Art of Dying at the Hard Rock stage. The Canadian band held their own, entertaining the crowd with a set that included their hits “Sorry,” and “Die Trying.” Queensryche then took over the main stage, powering through an entertaining set that included memorable hits “Silent Lucidity,” “I Don’t Believe in Love,” “Jet City Woman,” and “Empire” before ending with “Eyes of a Stranger.”

The evening’s two main events, made up of two super groups, followed. Hellyeah, led on drums by Pantera’s Vinnie Paul, took over the Hard Rock stage with a vengeance, drawing what seemed to be that stage’s largest crowd of the weekend. A large portion of fans flocked to the Hard Rock stage early and began chanting “Hellyeah, Hellyeah, Hellyeah,” as Queensryche continued to play on the main stage. The crowd then exploded with cheers as they took the stage and powered through a heavy, aggressive set.

Rocklahoma Day 3 Slideshow.

{gallery}entertainment/2012/rocklahoma/day3/gallery{/gallery}

Photos by: Kevin Pyle

Chickenfoot, made up of Sammy Hagar, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Kenny Aronoff (filling in for Chad Smith who is on tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers), and guitar legend Joe Satriani headlined the main stage to close out the three-day festival. Hagar’s vocals were superb and Satriani was phenomenal as he played along. Chickenfoot also delivered an incredible light show as they ran through a very entertaining show.

And then, almost as quickly as it started, the weekend party was over. It goes without saying that Rocklahoma 2012 was a success. Look for organizers to pick up where they left off when Rocklahoma 2013 kicks off next Memorial day weekend.

Homeland Security keywords released

Staff Report

The Department of Homeland Security has been forced to release a list of keywords and phrases it uses to monitor social networking sites and online media for signs of terrorist or other threats against the U.S.  The intriguing the list includes obvious choices such as ‘attack’, ‘Al Qaeda’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘dirty bomb’ alongside dozens of seemingly innocent words like ‘pork’, ‘cloud’, ‘team’ and ‘Mexico’ and first came to light in a story by The Daily Mail. 

Released under a freedom of information request, the information sheds new light on how government analysts are instructed to patrol the internet searching for domestic and external threats.

The words are included in the department’s 2011 ‘Analyst’s Desktop Binder’ used by workers at their National Operations Center which instructs workers to identify ‘media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities’.
Department chiefs were forced to release the manual following a House hearing over documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit which revealed how analysts monitor social networks and media organisations for comments that ‘reflect adversely’ on the government.

However they insisted the practice was aimed not at policing the internet for disparaging remarks about the government and signs of general dissent, but to provide awareness of any potential threats.

Click here to read more from The Daily Mail.