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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Charles Biggs

Publisher

Tulsa Beacon

There’s no better place than the great state of Oklahoma

Tulsa Beacon

I was born in Tulsa on November 16, 1953 – exactly 46 years after Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907. I tell people I was born on statehood day but I am quick to point out that I was born on the anniversary of statehood, not in 1907. I love this state. I…

America owes a great debt to our military servicemen

Tulsa Beacon

November 11 is Veterans Day, an important day to remember for all Americans. Memorial Day is another public holiday that celebrates military service. Memorial Day is to remember those brave Americans who died in military service. Veterans Day is for all of those who served. Armed Forces Day in May honors those who currently serve….

‘Shotgun Sam, the pizza man and my horse’s name is Alice’

Tulsa Beacon

They tore down the old Shotgun Sam’s Pizza Parlor on Sheridan Road just north of 21st Street. That building hasn’t been Shotgun Sam’s for decades but it is etched in my childhood memories. You didn’t go to Shotgun Sam’s for the food – you went for the experience. I really did not eat there much…

Halloween used to be fun before everything got so weird

Tulsa Beacon

Back when I was growing up in the 1960s, Halloween was a fun time for kids. Now it’s bizarre and dangerous. When we dressed up like a ghost, we just cut a few eye holes in an old sheet and draped it over our heads. Occasionally, someone would have their mom use makeup so they…

Democrats haven’t gotten over losing the presidential race

Tulsa Beacon

The following is a previously published column. I was in Denver, Colorado, in 2000 when it was announced that George W. Bush was elected president over former Vice President Al Gore. I figured that Gore would raise a big stink and inspire bitterness in his followers but at least at that time, he was gracious….

Car adventure ends by our purchase of a Buick Encore

Tulsa Beacon

For almost a year, I have been shopping for a new car. We owned two cars, a 2014 Chevy Equinox (with only 65,000 miles) and a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser (with only 78,500 miles). We bought the PT Cruiser 10 years ago when the two cars we had then both had more than 160,000 miles…

My meager collection of coffee mugs each tell a story

Tulsa Beacon

I have a pretty good assortment of coffee cups from a wide variety of places. If I am a coffee cup collector, it’s more by accident than on purpose. The oldest cup I own is really a beer stein from Europe. When I was in college, my friends Marsha and Terri went to Europe during…

You have to listen very carefully to get all the lyrics right

Tulsa Beacon

Did you ever have a favorite song but there were some lyrics that were a little jumbled and you had no idea what they were? It happens all the time. In the song, I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew, one phrase is, “I Just died in your arms tonight, it must…

This is August and it is supposed to be hot in Oklahoma

Tulsa Beacon

I used to hate the summer heat. For the first 30 years of my professional life, I wore a coat and tie to work. In the late 1970s, former President Jimmy Carter tried to get professional men to dress less formally to save money on energy. (He also mandated a 55-mph speed limit and neither…

This is what I did to lose about 40 pounds in 5 months

Tulsa Beacon

I’ve lost about 40 pounds since March 1. Hurray! This is the most weight I have ever lost in one season. When I was 21, I lost 35 pounds at my summer job, which was delivering furniture for Manhattan Furniture. I wasn’t trying to lose weight that summer but it happened. About 10 years or…