AL.com
- Anniston Kmart hostage safe, armed man ...
Incident last more than 3 hours at a Kmart store
An Anniston hostage incident is ending with the hostage safe and a suspect in custody, the Anniston Star reports.
The incident at a Kmart store lasted more than three hours. It apparently began with a failed robbery in the story by an armed man who took at least one hostage about 9:30 a.m. The store was evacuated and talks began with the gunman, according to the newspaper.
- Birmingham firefighters respond to fire...
Firefighters report smoke and fire showing. Authorities are diverting traffic off 8th Avenue North.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue and Birmingham Police Department respond to a fire inside the parking structure beside the Boutwell Auditorium in downtown Birmingham, Ala., on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010. (The Birmingham News/Michelle Campbell)
Birmingham firefighters are responding to a fire in the parking deck at Boutwell Auditorium.
Firefighters report smoke and fire showing.
Authorities are diverting traffic off 8th Avenue North.
No other information was immediately available.
- Anniston police negotiating with armed ...
Store evacuated; police report situation under control
Anniston police are negotiating with an armed man holding a hostage at a Kmart store in Anniston, the Anniston Star reports.
The incident appears to have started with a failed robbery at the store about 9:30 a.m. Police have evacuated the store and say they have the situation under control, according to the newspaper.
FBI agents from Birmingham have been sent to the scene.
- Kmart store evacuated in Anniston after...
FBI agents headed for scene
Customers have been evacuated from a Kmart store in Anniston after a possible failed armed robbery leading to a hostage incident, the Anniston Star reports.
One person has been taken from the store on a stretcher but apparently was uninjured. An armed man is in the store with a hostage. Police currently are in the store negotiating with the man, according to the newspaper.
FBI agents from Birmingham are reported enroute to the scene.
- Alabama news links: Attalla man charged...
Jacksonville State reports record enrollment; Birmingham firm awarded project for Talladega County jail expansion
Links to news from and about Alabama:Attalla man charged with sexual abuse of three children -- (Gadsden Times)Elderly DeKalb County man dies when his tractor overturns in pond -- (Gadsden Times)Jacksonville State University officials report record enrollment of 9,504 students -- (Anniston Star)Talladega County Commission awards Birmingham contractor $12.5 million job of expanding county jail by more than 300 beds -- (Talladega Daily Home)
- How to recycle your cell phone battery
The increasingly prevalent rechargeable batteries that power cell phones and other electronics aren't supposed to go in the waste basket; they need to be recycled, according to Call2Recycle, a free battery collection program sponsored by manufacturers.
ASKED & ANSWERED
Q. My cell phone battery died. How should I dispose of it?
A. The increasingly prevalent rechargeable batteries that power cell phones and other electronics aren't supposed to go in the waste basket; they need to be recycled, according to Call2Recycle, a free battery collection program sponsored by manufacturers.
The company, which has collection agreements with national retail chains, tracks battery recycling nationwide. According to their most recent data, battery recycling is taking off in the South.
So far this year, recycling of rechargeable batteries in Alabama is up 7.7 percent.
But Birmingham is lagging behind, having only increased its recycling .8 percent this year.
The people of Birmingham have recycled 2,970 pounds of batteries through Call2Recycle, which represents only 12.5 percent of the total pounds of batteries collected in Alabama during the first eight months of 2010.
There are more than 35 active collection sites in the city of Birmingham where people can take their rechargeable batteries for recycling, including the DeWALT Factory Service Center on Valley Ave., which holds the record for the most batteries collected in Alabama; Home Depot; RadioShack; Lowe's, and Allcomm Wireless.
Wondering about something you saw? E-mail AskTheNews@bhamnews.com.
- Jefferson County man shot during robber...
The victim was shot in the stomach.
A northeast Jefferson County man was shot Thursday night when he struggled with a would-be robber. The 42-year-old victim was unlocking the door to his apartment on Charter East Circle about 11:30 p.m. when a man came up behind him, put a gun to his side and forced him into the apartment. Once inside, said Chief Deputy Randy Christian, the two began to fight for control of the gun. The struggle continued into the dining room and down the hallway where the gun discharged. The victim was shot in the stomach. The attacker dropped the gun and fled the apartment. The victim was taken to UAB Hospital. Christian said the injuries aren't believed to be life-threatening.
- United Way of Central Alabama meets $8....
Fall drive now under way
United Way of Central Alabama raised $8.4 million
this year in its summer Pacesetter Campaign, an achievement leaders hope
will set the stage for reaching a goal of $37,270,908 by Dec. 9.
The agency that sustains programs in Jefferson, Shelby, Walker, St.
Clair and Blount counties launched its fall campaign Thursday during a
luncheon at the Birmingham Sheraton. Drew Langloh, president
and CEO of UWCA, said meeting the goal for the summer campaign is good
news, but it does not guarantee success in the fall campaign. "Our hope is that we can exceed our goal, but we realize the economy is a challenge," Langloh said.
Thirty-two businesses and nonprofits participated
in the summer campaign, each with a mission of raising more than the
previous year, said Samuetta Nesbitt, spokeswoman for the UWCA. "This
gives us momentum going into the fall," she said.
Already UWCA has recruited 50 people to serve as
loaned executives who will meet with companies and organizations to help
plan and implement their campaigns. Also, the agency will have 600
volunteers who will review funding requests from the more than 80
agencies supported by the United Way.
The kickoff celebration began around 7:30 a.m.
Saturday when volunteers and loaned executives built four playgrounds at
Jefferson County daycares associated with the Success By 6 United Way
Initiative.
Success by 6 wants to develop opportunities for
children to have safe play spaces and is building a total of 40 new
playgrounds in Jefferson County in the next 18 months, Nesbitt said.
On Thursday, the playgrounds were built at
Sunnyside Up Childcare in East Lake, Church at Fairview Child
Development Center in West End, Kidz 2 Child Development Center Ensley,
and Kollege for Tots Child Care in Roebuck Construction of the
playgrounds is being made possible through funding from a grant
awarded to the Health Action Partnership.
Through the efforts of Hands on Birmingham,
another United Way program, more than 50 volunteers will assist in
constructing the prefabricated playgrounds. Most of the playgrounds,
which are constructed in one day, are erected to replace outdated
playground equipment.
- Metro Birmingham forecast: Hot day foll...
Nightly temperatures could be in 50s
It was 70 degrees at 6 a.m. in Birmingham as central Alabama prepared
for a final hot day before a cooler but sunny Labor Day weekend,
according to the National Weather Service.
Today's high should be near 93 degrees under partly cloudy skies , according to the forecast.
There is also about a 20 percent chance of rain in the afternoon before
cooling begins tonight with a possible low of 59 degrees.
Saturday
is expected to be sunny with a high of only 83 degrees and the low
could hit 53 degrees. Sunday will see more of the same with a high in
the upper 80s under sunny skies. The overnight low should be about 55
degrees.
A small warming for Monday will push the daytime high to near 90s degrees with plenty of sunshine.Keep up with weather developments in the al.com Weather Center.
- Thieves raid Bessemer historical sites ...
Men found with a section of a riveted steel bridge loaded on the trailer.
Several men were found with a section of a U.S. Steel-owned, rivetted steel bridge loaded on the trailer of a four-wheel drive truck. Several sections of the bridge had been cut out and other structures related to iron-ore mines in the area, including a water tower and a wheel house, have been damaged. (The Birmingham News / Joe Songer) Bessemer police arrested one man and are seeking another who has been raiding historical industrial sites on Red Mountain and carting away the metal for scrap. According to Bessemer Police Detective Perry Hurst, the men were found with a section of a U.S. Steel-owned, riveted steel bridge loaded on the trailer of a four-wheel drive truck. Several sections of the bridge had been cut out, and other structures related to iron ore mines in the area, including a water tower and a wheel house, have been damaged. Wendy Jackson, executive director of the Freshwater Land Trust, said the theft was not just an assault on an important piece of industrial history, the bridge and the rail right-of-way leading to it were being considered for inclusion in a greenway plan. They could be part of a system linking western communities to Red Mountain Park, and damage done by scrap thieves may be irreparable, Jackson said. "It's just a real loss," she said. The incident was reminiscent of the burning of a massive railroad trestle in Brookwood that spanned a deep gorge and was to have been included in the Five Mile Creek greenway. Trails are not expensive, but the bridge links can be tremendously expensive, Jackson said. "These structures they are tearing up tell the story of Birmingham and Jefferson County and are an important part of our industrial heritage," she said. Hurst declined to release the name of the man arrested because charges have not been filed against him. Bessemer police are seeking the other man. Hurst said the arrested man told police he and the other man had been out to the Red Mountain site on four occasions and were selling the metal they harvested for scrap. The men got $200 on a load, according to reports. The resulting damage will cost many thousands of dollars to fix, if it can be repaired at all. The bridge was on the TCI rail line that connected the Muscoda mines in Bessemer to the highline railroad that once carried iron ore to its steel mills, according to U.S. Steel. The bridge crossed over an L&N railroad line that served a Sloss Company mine. It was about 80 feet long and was 24 feet above the L&N track. Alabama Labor Commissioner Jim Bennett, who is a member of the Red Mountain Park Commission and is the vice-chairman of the Alabama Historic Ironworks Commission, said this is not an isolated incident. He said the state should consider making it a more serious crime to destroy historic artifacts, a misdemeanor that now carries a maximum fine of $1,000. "It is particularly reprehensible when someone would steal our history and deny it to future generations," he said. "This is especially the case at a time when renewed efforts are being made to save artifacts and structures from our industrial beginnings like the ore mines on Red Mountain."Join the conversation by clicking to comment or e-mail Spencer at tspencer@bhamnews.com
MyFoxAL.com
- Hostage situation in Anniston confirmed... A hostage situation in Anniston has been confirmed to be over...
- Ala. Supreme Court opens door for Victo... Associated Press - September 3, 2010 1:54 PM ET MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Supreme Court has refused to reconsider its decision that cleared the way for the Governor's Task Force on...
- Troy King showing support for Arizona i... Alabama Attorney General Troy King is filing a court brief supporting the Arizona immigration law...
- Firefighters investigating fire in Bout... Firefighters are on the scene at Boutwell Auditorium in downtown Birmingham...
- Etowah County deputies arrest man whose... The Etowah County Sheriff's Department says they have arrested a man to whom they were trying to a warrant when they became involved in a shooting...
- Latest Gulf oil rig problem differs fro... Stark differences exist between the oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico and the blast that led to the massive BP spill. Most notably, no one was killed and no crude was gushing into the water, but the distinctions...
- Jeffco Sheriff's office makes case for ... The Jefferson County Sheriff's office makes its case to keep deputies running their jails...
- Club Zen to remain closed by judge's order Birmingham's Club Zen will remain closed under a judge's order...
- Two robbery suspects arrested in Birmin... The Birmingham Police Department says they have made two arrests in connection to robberies in the area...
- Earl weakens but still powerful as it s... The last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 105 mph winds Thursday on North Carolina's dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and perhaps most...
NBC13.com
- UPDATE: Police activity at Anniston K-M... A standoff is over between a man in an Anniston Kmart and police officers.
- Crews prepare to raise failed blowout p... The blowout preventer is a key piece of evidence in the Gulf oil spill investigation.
- Alabama troops to return from Afghanist... About 70 members of the Alabama Army National Guard scheduled to be back in Birmingham Friday.
- Helicopter crashes on busy CA highway
A helicopter has crashed on a busy California highway in Salinas, sending its pilot to the hospital and snarling traffic.
- Walker County capital murder suspect ca... A man wanted for Capital Murder in Walker County is now on his way back to Alabama, after being captured in Georgia.
- No signs of oil spill at second rig exp... The Coast Guard says a cutter that's been patrolling the area around yesterday's oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico is not reporting any signs of leaks.
- September 3, 2010 630am newscast
The top stories from the 630am newscast for September 3, 2010.
- National unemployment rate rises in Aug... The unemployment rate rose in August for the first time in four months.
- NC teams move out to survey damage from... First light reveals some flooding on the narrow vacation islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks after Hurricane Earl passed in the night.
- Most of Miami Airport evacuated, due to... A government official says a scientist has been detained in Miami after screeners found a metal canister in his luggage that looked like a pipe bomb.
CBS42.com
- Hostage situation reported at Anniston,...
ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — Police in Anniston say they're negotiating with an armed man they say has taken a hostage inside a Kmart store.The Anniston Star says the store was evacuated Friday morning and a police special response team went in shortly after 9:30 a.m.An Anniston EMS crew brought one woman out of the store on a stretcher. Anniston police Sgt. Fred Forsythe says the woman was not injured. The newspaper says a second stretcher was taken into the building just before 10 a.m.Police say they have the situation under control.___Information from: The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/ ©2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
- Money left on the table. Want some?
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama has $1.8 million remaining from the federal stimulus program for rebates for consumers who buy new energy-efficient appliances.The director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Doni Ingram, says Alabama residents can receive rebates of $25 for room air conditioners, $50 for freezers, $75 for dishwashers, $100 for clothes washers and $150 for standard-size refrigerators. But the appliances must have the Energy Star label and be purchased on or after April 19.The rebates had all been reserved by Alabama consumers after the program began in April. But Ingram said the $1.8 million became available because some residents reserved a rebate but failed to make a purchase or mail in the required documentation.Alabama residents can reserve a rebate by visiting http://www.alrebates.com or calling toll-free (877) 856-6645. ©2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
- University of Alabama Flash Mob
University of Alabama PR and Advertising majors are celebrating a seventy-five thousand dollar grant with a dance. Forty to fifty students broke out into choreographed steps in the university's Ferguson Center today to generate a little buzz about a new student organization against binge drinking. Students say they decided to participate in what's known as a flash mob to make students curious and hopefully send them on to the organization's website or Twitter page. The Less Than You Think organization was a concept created by the Alabama's Ad Team at a national competition last year. While UA's Ad Team came in second place, the judging panel was so impressed by the presentation that they offered the Less Than You Think group a grant to assist with starting the organization on campus, and potentially eventually, nationally.To learn more about Less Than You Think, visit them on twitter at LTYthink or on their website at lessthanyouthink.org
- Copper Thefts in Trussville
TRUSSVILLE, AL (WIAT-TV) - Trussville investigators are looking for suspects in two bold copper thefts at a strip mall near Highway 11.The thefts happened in the late night hours of August 23rd and 27th. Shop owners say they spent the next day trying to help customers without any air conditioning in their stores, salons and clinics. Danny Buchanan is one of the owners of the property. He says it will cost between $50,000 and $60,000 for the repairs. But he says there are plans in the works to keep something like this from happening again.Trussville Police Chief Dan Sivley says there are some suspects they're looking at, and they hope to announce an arrest sometime next week.
- Fight Brewing Over the Cahaba River
One of Alabama's most treasured rivers is the center of controversy. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service wants to expand conservation on the Cahaba, neighbors are furious!Hundreds of neighbors crammed into a standing room only auditorium to learn about the Cahaba River Refuge and Conservation proposal. More than 80 people requested to speak, most of the passionately against the proposal like Dale Peterson. "No matter what these people say in here, I don't feel the love," Peterson says. "You can bet your sweet bibby, there is something behind what they're saying not up front I mean behind."Refuge manager Steve Miller says generational land owners should not be concerned. "Within the boundary we do have the option for fee title purchase and then the federal government would own the land, but for the conservation area we're only asking to buy the development rights from those people," Miller says.The draft is lengthy, encompassing 300,000 acres in five Alabama counties. "The federal government does have the right for imminent domain and condemnation but we will not use that right under this proposal." The conservation committee wants landowners to know protecting the Cahaba is the main goal. Landowners say they're not backing down, regardless of the reasons. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until December 6th. Then the committee will either draft a new proposal or move forward with the conservation and preservation plan in place. The draft covers a lot of information and if you would like to learn more about the proposal go to http://www.fws.gov/cahabariver/Willing landowners that's one of the things the committee kept emphasizing, however hundreds of people say they're not buying it. "No, I don't, I don't I think when the bottom line comes up and if they want it they're going to take it," Kollete Lauters says.
- Fans Get "Blazered Up"
Click on the video to the right to hear from some UAB fans who are pumped for tonight's season opener against Florida Atlantic!
- Authorities seize 400 lbs. of marijuana
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Authorities have seized more than 400 lbs. of marijuana and charged a woman who they say was impersonating a U.S. Army recruiter.Authorities have charged 31-year-old Jeri Shonte Lacy, of Dallas, Texas, with trafficking in cannabis after a traffic stop along Interstate 20/59 Tuesday.Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton says authorities stopped the woman after noticing that the U.S. government tags on the front and rear of the GMC Yukon she was driving didn't match.Authorities searched the vehicle after smelling marijuana and found 403 lbs. of marijuana wrapped in clear plastic and bundled into 20 bales. Police say each pound was worth around $1,000.___Information from: The Tuscaloosa News, http://www.tuscaloosanews.com ©2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
- AP: Oil Rig Explodes in the Gulf
GRAND ISLE, La. (AP) — An offshore oil rig has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, west of the site of the April blast that caused the massive oil spill.Coast Guard Petty Officer Casey Ranel says the blast was reported by a commercial helicopter company about 9:30 a.m. CDT Thursday. Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats are en route to the site, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.Ranel says it hasn't been determined whether the structure is a production platform or a drilling rig or whether workers were aboard. Ranel says smoke was reported but it is unclear whether the rig is still burning.
- Taking Control with Dr. Josh: Managing ...
UAB psychologist Dr. Josh Klapow discusses simple strategies to manage your stress level at work.
- New and Improved Scams
CLANTON, AL (WIAT-TV) - Things are tough all over. And now, some of the most desparate and vulnerable among us are falling victim to brand new scams.Smaller towns and cities seem to be the most likely victims. Investigators in Clanton say that's because smaller law enforcement agencies don't have the money or the manpower to track down suspects, that in many cases, are not only out of state but out of the country.One of the newest scams out there takes aim at cell phones. Clanton Police Chief Brian Stillwell says they've had a couple of complaints about scam cell phone text messages. He says victims recieve a text telling them they won a gift card. But when they call the number listed in the text, that person demands personal and financial information before they'll award the prize. Luckily, Stillwell says no one has come forward about being taken by this new scam.
Birmingham Business Journal
- Tuskegee hosting economic development s... Tuskegee University's Cooperative Extension Program is preparing to host the Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit.
- Delta traffic up again in July August marked the third month in a row Delta Air Lines Inc. posted higher traffic. (DAL)
- Homebuyer tax credits totaled $256M in ... Alabama benefited from $256 million in homebuyer tax credits, a Government Accountability Office report said.
- OSHA cites Phenix Lumber Proposed penalties totaling $439,400 have been levied against MDLG Inc., which does business as Phenix Lumber Co., by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration following the death of one worker and the critical injury of a second at its Phenix City facility.
- U.S. sheds 54,000 jobs in August, but p... U.S. payrolls shed 54,000 jobs in August, but private businesses added 67,000 workers, and the nation's unemployment rate rose slightly to 9.6 percent for the month as half a million Americans resumed their search for work, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday.
- Mercedes taps North American On-Site fo... Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. has chosen North American On-Site LLC to manage temporary employment services at its Tuscaloosa facilities.
- US Airways offers grand slam for freque... US Airways Group Inc. is going for its third grand slam with a promotion that allows frequent fliers to score up to 100,000 bonus miles. (LCC)
- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: BCRX)... BioCryst Pharmaceuticals outpaced other local stocks with a 6 percent gain in Thursday trading. (VMC) (HLC) (RF)
- Alabama Power named one of top utilitie... Alabama Power Co. was named to an annual list of top utilities in economic development by Site Selection magazine. (SO)
- Mortgage rates fall again Mortgage rates dropped again this week, with both 30 and 15-year mortgages remaining at the lowest levels since Freddie Mac began keeping track.
BhamWeekly.com
- The rite to work Last year, I jested about the fact that people going to Tannehill State Park for the annual Labor Day fest would be more likely to see a Moon Pie than a union parade, and I received quite the tart rejoinder from gentlemen of the brotherhood,...
- No brotherhood in the neighborhood Ordinarily, history pushes us along in a steady current toward the future, but once in a while it creates a vicious undertow that threatens to pull us under and away.
- Showdown @okcorral.com Monday, professional gloomy-gus Nouriel Roubini, who lectures on economics at NYU, tweeted the chance of another recession at 40%. That was actually a little more optimistic than fellow number crunchers David Rosenberg and Robert Shiller, who last week charted the double-dip chances at fifty-fifty.
- Past times Photographs are much on my mind of late. It started while I was researching a birthday commemoration for a local radio personality of considerable repute; delving that pulled me, as though in an undertow, back into the golden age of rock and roll hereabouts.
- We have countered no insurgency And still you do not care about Afghanistan. I know what you mean. Even typing the word is a chore; the peak of the A descending into the mire of FGH before shaking itself off and plodding off across the trackless wastes of ANISTAN.
- When the chords are out Rick Kurtz is almost embarrassed that so many people want to help him out. “I am very humbled by it,” he stipulates. “Almost to the point of embarrassment.”
The ace musician that songwriter Mike Duke once described as “Birmingham’s go-to guitar guy” has been off the frets since April, when a stroke took him down and laid him up in Nashville’s Skyline Medical Center for about a month.
Kurtz is taking time off from his convalescence Sunday, August 8, to be feted by his friends during a very special benefit concert at Keith Harrelson’s Moonlight on the Mountain listening room.
- A matter of chatter I love the little Limbaughs. I love the way they fill the silences between potholes on my sundry commutes with an earnest blend of fervor and glee to which ordinarily only rookie Mormons are privy.
- Youth will be served I’m sure I learned something valuable at Edgewood Elemntary School, but the primary sense memory I retain from those formative years is of yeast rolls, sturdy yet light, with an unmistakable aroma that filled the lunchroom and wafts through the dimly lit corridors of my recollection even now.
- The pecking order in Homewood I rise to the defense of chickens. Last week, in The Huntsinghamobile News, William Singleton reported the tragic story of one Virginia Murdoch, persecuted by the city of Homewood for sequestering seven American Dominique hens in her back yard. The chickens, a gift from her husband, apparently violated a city law that mandates birds produce no noise, no odor, no pollution and be kept 300 feet from another residence. Mrs. Murdoch might have skated on the environmental issues, but Homewood is a squished-in community where it’s often hard to find thirty feet between residences, let alone 300. Therefore, the chickens have been obliged to fly the coop.
- All those tourists covered with oil Ordinarily Bob Riley and I have little in common, save the love of a good used car sale, but I was delighted to discover last week our shared disdain for Ticketmaster.
Some well-meaning, well-weary individuals decided to put on a big show down on the beach in Gulf Shores to inveigle vacationers into ignoring the tarballs and just having a ball there instead. Perhaps, during a planning session in the vicinity of a bottle of Cuervo, someone remembered one of the old locals and said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could get Jimmy Buffett?”
AlabamaWx.com
- Earl Demoted to Category One! BULLETIN HURRICANE EARL ADVISORY NUMBER 37 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072010 1100 AM EDT FRI SEP 03 2010 …A LARGE BUT WEAKER HURRICANE EARL HEADING FOR SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND… SUMMARY OF 1100 AM EDT…1500 UTC…INFORMATION ———————————————– LOCATION…36.8N 73.1W ABOUT 175 MI…280 KM NE OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA ABOUT 350 MI…565 KM SSW [...]
- Coastal & Offshore Reports You can tell from these reports that Earl is not as dangerous as a day or so ago. However, he can still cause a lot of problems: …..Washington, DC…cloudy, wind NE 8 …..Norfolk, light rain, wind north gusts 25 …..Ocean City, Md., cloudy, wind north gusts 29 …..Cape Hatteras, N.C., steady, moderate rain, wind NW [...]
- My Tiny Corner of the World Let me say quickly that I will not make a habit of posting Molly adventures on this blog. After all, it is a weather blog and I probably should not post it at all on a “hurricane day.” However, I have received numerous queries (15-20) in just the last week, mostly via email, and some [...]
- A Breath Of Fresh Air For The Weekend An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player below. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here. COLD FRONT ARRIVES TONIGHT: We warm into the low 90s today with a partly sunny sky, and we will still mention some risk of a [...]
- 3 AM Earl Update Hurricane Earl is now a Category Two storm with winds sustained around 105 MPH in the eye wall, but hurricane force winds (74 MPH and higher) extend out about 70 miles from the center. Tropical storm force winds are out 205 miles from the center (39 MPH or higher). At 3 AM Central, the strongest [...]
- Earl Passing East Of The Outer Banks 000 WTNT32 KNHC 030238 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE EARL ADVISORY NUMBER 35 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072010 1100 PM EDT THU SEP 02 2010 …CENTER OF EARL PASSING JUST EAST OF THE OUTER BANKS…NEW TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ISSUED FOR NEW ENGLAND… SUMMARY OF 1100 PM EDT…0300 UTC…INFORMATION ———————————————– LOCATION…33.8N 74.4W ABOUT 115 MI…185 KM [...]
- Looking At Earl Sure looks like there is now some eastward component of motion. While Earl is mainly moving north, it sure looks like the center will stay a little east of the Outer Banks later tonight, which is great news. With this path and the recent weakening trend, things look better for the North Carolina coast. There [...]
- Spot Reports From Earl Country These are some spot reports along coastal sections of the Mid Atlantic states as well as some offshore reports; …..Cape Hatteras, light rain, wind NE 17, gusts 29 …..Beaufort, N.C., light rain, wind north 24, gusts 36 …..Norfolk, cloudy east 9 mph …..Buoy 64 miles east of Virginia Beach, 11 foot waves at 12 second [...]
- Earl Down to Category Two BULLETIN HURRICANE EARL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 34A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072010 800 PM EDT THU SEP 02 2010 …HURRICANE EARL CONTINUES NORTHWARD…RAINBANDS MOVING ONTO THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA… SUMMARY OF 800 PM EDT…0000 UTC…INFORMATION ———————————————- LOCATION…33.0N 74.7W ABOUT 160 MI…260 KM SSE OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA ABOUT 625 MI…1005 KM [...]
- Coastal and Offshore Reports …..Diamond Shoals, N.C., wind east, gusts 35, 17 foot waves each 15 seconds …..Frying Pan Shoals, wind NNE, gusts 38, 14-foot waves …..Onshore at Kill Devil Hills, N.C., cloudy, wind NE 17 …..Cape Hatteras, cloudy, wind NE, gusts 22 …..Data buoy 150 miles east of Hatteras, sea surface temperature 82, wind ESE gusts 36, with [...]
WadeOnBirmingham.com
- Kickoff! The 2010 state college footbal... With the 2010 college football season under way as of Thursday night, it’s time to focus on the home teams. (Although UAB started with a home opener loss Thursday to Florida Atlantic, 32-31.) Check out the full schedules for Alabama’s Division I-A teams … [Note: Bold - home game; * - conference game] Alabama [detailed [...]
- unexpect the expected haiku for 9/3/10
- the new anxiety haiku for 9/2/10
- sighs of indecision haiku for 9/1/10
- Birmingham’s Best Eats: Cook-off! The... Jason Horn: A home cookoff between America's greatest chef and Birmingham's award-winning chef.
- the world is really beautiful haiku for 8/31/10
- Birmingham’s Best Eats: Gulf shrimp b... Brian Heptinstall: Greek Salad with Gulf Shrimp is a simple, yet perfectly matched summer salad that takes a cue from Birmingham's rich Greek culture.
- bad romance haiku for 8/30/10
- Birmingham’s Best Eats: Trattoria Cen... Glenny Brock and Brad Daly: Pizza topped with an egg? The result is nearly a religious experience
- the anonymous few haiku for 8/29/10
HeaviestCorner.org
- Beltline to Nowhere Local politicians and businessmen are all hot and bothered about kicking the Nothern Beltline into high gear. Their enthusiasm for the project seems to revolve around three claims:
1) economic development
2) ease congestion
3) everyone else is doing it, so we should too (the parental admonishment about “if everyone jumped off a bridge” leaps to mind)
Let’s take [...]
- Hybrid Architecture I recently spotted this eclectic building West of I-65 at 2nd Ave. North and 9th Street while on an urban ramble.
It looks like a cross-pollination between Mountain Brook Village and a vintage service station.
I assume the top half of the structure predated the bottom half. If anyone knows the history of this novel building, please [...]
- Green Cup Evicted: Libricide A veritable holocaust of books has been in front of Green Cup Books for at least three days now. I don’t usually post about the multitudes of trash, offal and generally unnameable refuse to be found on Birmingham’s streets, but as a bibliophile I couldn’t let this one go. Green Cup Books shuttered its doors [...]
- Death by water I know I lambaste everyone else for visionary, harebrained ideas, but I couldn’t resist this one. This scintillating gem of an idea came to me as I was working on a fictional scene set on the Rainbow Viaduct in which our hapless hero contemplates jumping onto the tracks below. He wants to imitate Quentin Compson’s [...]
- Student of irony
A CAP billboard at the corner of 16th St. North and 19th Ave. North. Not only is the sign barricaded behind a fence, but it is also completely out of scale for a pedestrian context.
Somehow this message is just affronting, given the context.
Sited just west of I-65 on 8th Ave. North in the West End, [...]
- Westin Hotel With the understanding that I am probably developing a reputation as a kvetching naysayer of new development (which is primarily a rhetorical strategy to provoke people into considering the other side of the proverbial coin), I’d like to question the Westin Hotel proposed by National Ventures Group of Atlanta, Georgia.
Atlanta’s Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. This [...]
- Bike City USA
Biddle-Warren Bicycle Company, located on 4th Ave N. circa 1912
When the League of American Bicyclists ranked states according to bicycle friendliness, Alabama scored dead last. Birmingham in particular was listed as one of the worst cities for cycling by Bicyclist Magazine. Similarly, Birmingham fails to even show up on the radar of a list of [...]
- Baseball Boondoggle I was recently dismayed to read in the Birmingham Business Journal that Birmingham still has not recovered from its “dome neurosis.”
As someone who played baseball for seven years, I do not flippantly bemoan the fact that developers are apparently considering a baseball stadium west of 14th street in the general vicinity of the Railroad Park. [...]
- Notice to the Public I go off the radar for a month or so and look what happens. Chik-fil-a, then the Fire Station, and a whole lot of press about both. There’s been plenty of great coverage by B’ham Architect and others, so I won’t rehash either story. Anyone who’s lived in an urban place (people in jones valley, [...]
- Pizitz I’m not telling how I got in.
Ground floor escalators.
The basement budget store was rank. They seemed to be pumping water out of the basement and into the back alley. Black mold in the sewers.
Just for contrast.
Presentations.
The Amenities. Sorry for the camera flash. LEED certification!
Stairs leading to the second floor balcony [...]
SecondFront
- Two victories in two days It's been a good couple of days for The Second Front and it's you, the readers, who've made it that way. In two days The Second Front has won two victories.
First, the Hannah's Hope Fund won a Pepsi Refresh Grant for $250,000 to help find a cure for Giant Axonal Neuropathy. If you read the blog post last weekend, you already know how the story started, but now it has a happy ending.
[caption id="attachment_817" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Your support helped The Second Front win Birmingham\'s... Read more..
- ‘Hope’ is for the children UPDATE: I have to admit that at first I didn't think this was going to work, but after weeks of tweeting, texting and voting, the Hannah's Hope Fund is an unofficial finalist for a Pepsi Grant. The results will be confirmed in a couple of weeks. The last few hours before midnight were chaotic, with the results flip-flopping back and forth, and when the voting closed, it looked as though we might have lost. But when the sun came up and the unofficial tallies posted, Hannah's Hope was in second place, just past the line. (First and second place finishers receive $250,000 eac... Read more..
- With government accounting, red is the ... If it takes three examples to make a trend, get ready for the hottest new fashion in local government: accounting software that can't do math.
Never mind, that until 30 years ago governments were able to keep good records with pencils, pens and paper. You might as well chisel arithmetic into stone tablets. Today, to keep good financial records, you need good software. And the first thing you need to know about good software is that the software you have is never quite good enough. Computer-based accounting systems are like than the clothes in your closet — if you own it already, chances... Read more..
- JeffCo approves occupational tax settle... A two-year old lawsuit over Jefferson County's occupational tax has been settled after the county commission voted unanimously Tuesday morning to approve the agreement with plaintiffs' lawyers.
Plaintiffs' lawyers have been fighting the commission in court over $50 million of occupational taxes that has been held in escrow. The plaintiffs have argued that the county collected those funds when it had no authority to do so.
Read more..
- Bowman retreats on convention trip Jefferson County Commissioner George Bowman said Tuesday that he and his staff would pay their own way to an Orange Beach convention later this month.
[caption id="attachment_710" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Com. George Bowman"][/caption]
Last week Read more..
- With opening moves, Bowman blunders Last month, voters gave George Bowman a second chance to make a first impression.
And he’s blowing this one even worse than the first.
[caption id="attachment_700" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Jefferson County Commissioner George Bowman"][/caption]
As you’ll recall, Gov. Bob Riley appointed Bowman to the Jefferson County... Read more..
- Council approves fire fighter pay adjus... The Birmingham City Council today authorized Mayor William Bell to reset fire fighters' pay to levels set before 2008. The decision rolls back an unauthorized pay increase for fire fighters under former Mayor Larry Langford.
[caption id="attachment_692" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Fire fighters and family protested in July outside City Hall. "] Read more..
- BSC tax records show years of red ink As a private institution, Birmingham-Southern College is not subject to the kinds of open records and open meetings laws that city, county and state governments must abide by. Administrators can meet behind closed doors. The college need not show its budget to anyone it doesn’t want to see it. It’s records belong to it and it alone.
[caption id="attachment_676" align="alignright" width="150" caption="IRS tax records show numerous deficits before BSC says it discovered financial woes. "] Read more..
- More blood on the floor at BSC Financially stricken Birmingham-Southern College announced another round of cuts and employee layoffs today, eliminating faculty positions and entire majors from the liberal arts college.
[caption id="attachment_623" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Birmingham-Southern College has reduced its budget by nearly 20 percent, cutting more than 60 faculty and staff from its payroll. "] Read more..
- Design Review more receptive of new Chi... Anyone who thought the 5-Points Chick-fil-A proposal dead was being naive. A new plan, proposed by the chain's attorneys and architects, found a better reception today at a Birmingham Design Review sub-committee meeting.
[caption id="attachment_613" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Proposed 5-Points Chick-fil-A site plan. "][/caption]
"T... Read more..
BhamTerminal.com
- Rickwood Field turns 100 The 100th anniversary of Rickwood Field in Birmingham, AL didn't bring former Major League Baseball greats or a formal visit from the Hall of Fame. It did draw several former Negro League players and hundreds of locals and fanatics who realize the importance of the oldest ballpark in the world to Alabama's Magic City. It also got us a letter from the Chicago White Sox, read in the accompanying video by Art Clarkson.
- Why BAAM? Sharrif answers that, other q... The Terminal launches its new video series "It's Nice to Have You in Birmingham" by sitting down with Birmingham Arts And Music Festival founder Sharrif Simmons.
The videos will be uploaded on a regular basis to our Dear Birmingham section with a special dedicated section launching this weekend.
- Our first blogging awards explained The Terminal formally launched its first ever blogging awards in mid-August using only Twitter and Facebook to help get the word out. We're hoping that this post will help explain the contest to those of you who don't follow us via those networks on a regular basis (and help us feed our new blog aggregator).
- Operation New Birmingham changes food t... It looks like Operation New Birmingham has changed its tune in relation to the issue of food trucks on city streets. The issue came to a head last week because of what happened with the only food truck operating within the city's limits, Spoonfed Grill.
- Proposed Five Points Chick-Fil-A now ha... Residents and merchants in Birmingham's Five Points South community are probably celebrating this evening as Chick-Fil-A announced that they would move forward with seeking approval of a new location in the commercial district without a drive-through.
- One iPad per Councilor – the remix The city of Birmingham is investigating ways to reduce the amount of paper generated for City Council and committee meetings via a purchase of iPads. The weird thing is, they've already looked at this once before, and provided a solution in the form of netbooks. Wonder where they are?
- On the agenda: WiFi and vacation (of al... The Birmingham City Council takes up the issue of providing WiFi access citywide as well as looking at two proposed vacations of alleys to allow for expansion and new construction during this morning's City Council meeting.
iloveuab.com
- iloveuab.com’s Voice of the Students! iloveuab.com's First ever voice of the students! iloveuab.com's annual pulse check to see what's on your mind, where you like to go and what YOU like to do!
- Season Opener Preview A preview for Thursday night's season opener against FAU at Legion Field.
- iloveuab.com Sits Down with President C... iloveuab.com sits down with UAB President Carol Garrison and discusses housing, student pride, what makes UAB great and the on campus football stadium!
- UAB SAS Blazer Toss Cornhole Tournament The UAB SAS steps up their game this semester and brings a student Cornhole Competition to the Green September 17th
- Free Movie: Shrek Forever After What's big, green, and completely FREE? Shrek Forever After!
- September Sports Preview The entire month of September sports preview. Shows information and schedule of the home games of football, men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's volleyball. Shows insight into the teams with players to watch out for during the season.
- iloveuab.com Sits Down with Coach Calla... iloveuab.com sits down with UAB Head Football Coach Neil Callaway for a quick Q&A!
- Free Movie: Prince of Persia You don't wanna miss this FREE MOVIE! Not even the Sand of Time would let you help you then...
- School’s Back! Looking to get Involved? School is back and you're wanting to broaden your horizons. Check out iloveuab.com's list of student organizations to get out, meet new friends and have a great time!
- Damn Good Deals Around Town! iloveuab dives into some of the hottest deals around Birmingham! Get it!
EatBHM.com
- Chez Fonfon These guys know what they’re doing, so you’re in good hands.
- Lunch with strangers Share a meal with someone you've never met this week. They may be the person that challenges your journey & changes everything.
- Food is Love I often say “food is love.” When you love someone, you prepare food for them. In an expression of acceptance, you eat the food that they have prepared. This, in time, builds a relationship. After 55 years of marriage, that relationship is simply part of the fabric of your existence. With my grandparents, in the middle of a Mississippi August, those three words took on a life that I only dream of. In those two weeks, I watched her say goodbye to her true love.
- Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe When Keith and Amy Richards landed in Greece in 1998, their vacation turned into a lifestyle. Inspired by the region's fresh flavors and healthy ingredients, when the pair returned to Birmingham they opened their first restaurant.
- Saigon Noodle Me and @eatbhm will need a full report. RT @jacobpigott: I'm at Saigon Noodle House (4606 Hwy 280, Birmingham). http://4sq.com/cX8mOY
- Marta's Bakery “That is the best thing that I have ever tasted.” …and that, my friends, is music to a hostess gift givers ears. I win! …every time.
- Dreamcakes “Everything is fresh and intentional about our buttercream. We love what we do. Making these yummy little cakes it so much fun. ...but let’s be honest, those little cakes are just vehicles to get our amazing buttercream into your mouth. Then you are hooked.” She giggled. “Cupcakes might just be the perfect food.”
- Maki Fresh A few thoughts before we get down to work. I get around. Any information that originally came to me over coffee with friends or through casual conversation, I try to do basic fact checking. Some even say that I am in the “know.” I like to think that I just pay attention. More than anything, [...]
- 10 Days In 10 days in and you guys are amazing. I look forward to sharing my food experiences with you. In the south, food is love! I food y’all! Reviews in the hopper: Maki Fresh Bettola Bongiorno Eclipse Coffee (when traveling out of town) Cafe de Paris The idea here is to eat local. Don’t forget, if [...]
- Primavera Coffee Roasters Please know that the experience is about coffee. So don’t go there if you need a pastry or biscotti. Go there if you want the very best cup of coffee in Birmingham and maybe the world.
Bham.fm
- BAAM DAAY THREEE Day 3 of BAAM was not quite as frantic as Friday night, or rocking as Saturday. But it still held its own charm. Stop 1 was Metro Bistro to see Omari/Sharrif, featuring the festival organizer Sharrif Simmons and his son. I wasn’t the only one coming to see them at Metro Bistro- Mayor William Bell [...]
- BAAM Night 2: Skybucket Showcase I wanna refer this post and all it encompasses as “GOIN’ ROGUE”. Just puttin’ a lil’ ill-fated politico humor in there for ya. Saturday was a whirlwind to mimick well, only Friday-like proportions at BAAM’s inaugural Arts + Music Fest that spanned venues citywide. Rogue Tavern on 2nd Avenue isn’t traditionally known for being a [...]
- Seen at BAAM: Baby rocks headphones We’ll have more later on night 2 of BAAM fest. It was a good time. This kind of sums it up- this baby is rocking out with noise canceling headphones. Thanks to Hannah and Greg Slamen for making such a beautiful baby! share bham.fm via:
- BAAM Night Out- Friday How many bars can one go to in 4 hours and soak in some sweet BAAM action? I decided to see what kind of damage I could do and get a sense of the festival. Stop 1. I enter Bottletree at 9:45 to catch the very end of Gum Creek Killers/Grey Haven. Sounded good- wish [...]
- Best place to get your BAAM on: Skybuck... Birmingham has a wild and crazy 12 venue wide music fest this weekend- BAAM. Too many shows to list here, including bham.fm favorites The Dirty Lungs and Duquette Johnson. Check out their site for the long, long list. But the show to see is 4 acts at Rogue Tavern on Saturday night- The Skybucket Showcase [...]
- query? whois: jon_black (update: Jon’s last show of his residency was quite good. here are some pics from the show) There is one criticism that is impossible to levy at Birmingham’s Jon Black- that you just don’t hear from him that often. Now in the middle of making 5 EPs, a podcast, and a series of free live [...]
- Metal Phil’s Metal Review Roundup (Pa... (Sure, my phantasmagorical foray into writing full-time had ended, but my street cred as a no-holds-barred metal reviewer was still pulling strings. After my abrupt retirement, CDs kept arriving in the mail, and, sadly, I never had time to review them. In two columns, I will pay my debts and give these bands the opportunity [...]
- American Refugees What is your first instinct upon approaching a homeless person in 5 Points South? Do you reach for spare change? Lower your head and quicken your pace? Pretend to have no money or make an excuse like “I only have my credit card”? Become irate because there’s no way in Hell you’re giving your hard-earned [...]
- Jon Black Summer Residency @ Bottletree... Jon Black is doing a show each Tuesday for 4 weeks (starting yesterday) at Bottletree. I went down and checked out the first of these free shows and even took some pictures. Friend of bham.fm Duquette Johnson and the Rebel Kings opened up for Jon. Look for an interview with Jon coming up where I’ll [...]
- OLD FARTS OF BIRMINGHAM, UNITE! "I’ve decided my return to the writing world will be a call to the other old farts in Birmingham. Seriously, my fellow old dudes, if you’re into music, where the hell have you been? The next generation of Birmingham music gourmands is working their fannies off to bring fresh, interesting music to our town. And we’re seriously letting them down. We complained all during the 90s about no music and no clubs, yet here we are disappearing like vapors whenever an awesome band rolls through town."
LeftInAlabama.com
- AL-05 Mo Books Thinks We Should Be Mor... AL-05 Congressional candidates Mo Brooks and Steve Raby met in Huntsville yesterday to "debate" issues and a sorry spectacle it was. According to the Huntsville Times article by Challen Stephens (and Mooncat's eyewitness account), the men spent more time agreeing than debating. However, this tidbit from Brooks about business regulation really stood out:"Another thing we can do is have faith in the free enterprise system," Brooks said. In answer to a question on business taxes, he argued that businesses in China have an advantage because of fewer regulations on air pollution, water pollution and waste disposal. "We need to level the playing field," he said.Let's consider what "leveling the playing field" might mean for health and safety regulations in the United States. Hey, we wouldn't have to import dangerous products from China! We can make them right here at home! Our businesses can kill American workers too. Those damn regulators are responsible for a dangerous "safety gap" that makes it hard for our businesses to compete with third world countries. Take a minute to scan these headlines from the past few years and insert the word "American" or "United States" in place of "Chinese" or "China." China Admits Tainted Pet Food Link - April 26, 2007Toys Just One Danger Imported From China - 8/18/2007 17 Killed in China Mine Explosion - May 10, 2010Dozens Killed in Chinese Mine Explosion -June 21, 201030 Killed, 13 Trapped in Separate Chinese Mine Accidents - July 18, 2010Chinese Mine Accidents Multiply - 28 dead, 192 Missing - April 2, 2010Chemical Spill in China Poisons Water Supply. Brings Danger and Coverup - November 26, 2005 China's Rivers - Frontlines for Chemical Waste - Feb. 23, 2006Chinese Air Pollution Deadliest In World - July 9, 2007 Child Labor on the Rise in China - March 7, 2001 (A school exploded when teachers forced students to assemble fireworks instead of learning reading and writing....) Oh, and let's not forget the Chinese baby formula scandal where businesses sold tainted formula that killed babies and injured more than 6,000, leaving them with serious conditions like kidney failure.Yes campers! By all means, let's "level the playing field" and become more like China. We may not be able to work without injury, eat safe food, drink clean water, breathe clean air, or have our children grow into adulthood, but BY GOD corporations will fatten their bottom lines.It's the American GOP way! Update - here's the video clip of Mo Brook's desire to "get government out of the way" and be more like China.-- mooncat
- Krugman: The Economy Needs a Shot in th... Paul Krugman, Nobel Laureate in economic sciences, obviously understands a thing or two about politics as well.Next week, President Obama is scheduled to propose new measures to boost the economy. I hope they’re bold and substantive, since the Republicans will oppose him regardless — if he came out for motherhood, the G.O.P. would declare motherhood un-American. So he should put them on the spot for standing in the way of real action.Obama should go big and do something that will work, because even if he goes small -- heck, even if he adopts their plan -- Republicans will fight him tooth and nail. Republicans aren't about what's good for the country, they're about being Obama's political opposition, and they will find an excuse to oppose him no matter what he proposes.Read the whole op-ed. Krugman goes on to explain why the folks who said the original stimulus was too small were right and the critics who wrung their hands and cried "too big, too big" now have egg on their faces. But they're still crying "too much stimulus" because it's politically expedient, not because it's correct.
- AL-Senate - Bill Barnes Won't Vote to R... Democratic candidate for Senate, Bill Barnes, scoffs at the GOP's contention that people without health insurance "can just go to the emergency room" and stresses his opposition to the repeal of health insurance reform in this interview with Left in Alabama. Barnes is running against Richard Shelby who's against pretty much everything - extension of unemployment benefits, Lilly Ledbetter, economic stimulus, health reform, and any type of government spending outside his state.Here's a partial transcript of Barnes' statement and the video (about 3 1/2 minutes) is on the flip:I would not support repeal of health care legislation.Let me just back up a moment.... The initial efforts to effect national health legislation goes way back to 1946 - President Truman - and it' never been passed and has come up time after time over the years. President Obama campaigned on health reform and the idea of affordable health care for all individuals and he was elected to the presidency based on that being a major part of his platform. The people spoke. I think itwould be an injustice to the American people to repeal what was passed.We should have affordable health care for everyone! If we have someone who's unemployed and drawing nothing more than unemployment benefit, how can they afford to go to the doctor? If you go to one of the local clinics, it costs you $100 just to walk in the door and see the doctor. And then there's the medications on top of that.Now, how can anyone that has lost their job and has a sick child or spouse meet that type of burden?I've done bankruptcies in my practice for people and one of the things that I've found is that a majority of them - about 60% - have to declare bankruptcy because of the lack of health insurance. A medical situation has caused a catastrophe in their lives because they can't meet the expense.The Republicans will say that "all they had to do was go to the emergency room" and that is nonsense. The law says that all the emergency room has to do is stabilize them - stop the bleeding and turn them loose. That's all they're obligated to do.And that's not the way American should be. We take care of one another.In Bill Barnes' America, "we take care of one another." In Big Dick Shelby's America, "we take care of our campaign contributors."Which America appeals more to you? Donate to the campaign and volunteer to help elect Bill Barnes to the US Senate.
- On Avoiding Blame, Part One, Or, Hear N... I am one of those people who will actually watch those boring, boring, hearings on C-SPAN that most of us flip right on past while watching TV, and this past week I've been watching one of the longer events the channel broadcasts...but it's been far from boring.
The Coast Guard and what used to be the MMS were in Houston looking into what caused the Gulf oil spill and they're taking testimony from representatives of the involved parties...and let me tell you, this is more than just an accident inquiry-it's also a warm-up for the lawsuits that are surely going to follow.
We've had dozens of trial attorneys basically conducting a deposition process, witnesses who can teach a master course in "plausible unawareability"?, BP employees who have taken the Fifth and refused to testify at all, and, overseeing the entire process, a retired Federal District Court Judge and a Coast Guard Captain who might very well be on the way to trading his eagles for stars one day soon.
Do you really believe all those "we'll make it right" BP commercials?
If you watch this hearing, that impression may well change. When I talk on the stage, people often have the impression that I make up things as I go along. That isn't true. I know a lot of things I want to say, I'm just not sure exactly when I'll say them.
--From Lenny Bruce's book "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People"
So if we're going to keep this story under any kind of control, we'll have to compress a lot of detail into some rather broad and sweeping statements, otherwise we'll be at 3000 words before we know it.
Here's the scene: a nondescript conference room in Houston is set with a table for the several Board members, who are drawn from across the Federal Government, including the old and exceptionally dysfunctional MMS (the Minerals Management Service), which has sort of morphed into the brand-new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (the BOEM) and the Coast Guard.
In front of them is another table for the witness and their attorney, and right behind them are three very, very, long tables that are set up for the possibly four dozen attorneys that represent all the "parties of interest" who are involved in the hearing and require a bit of desk space (among that group are lawyers for BP, Transocean, Halliburton, certain individuals involved in the incident, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where the now sunken vessel was "flagged"; that Nation is conducting their own investigation). Behind that are rows of "gallery seats" for the interested public.
(You can see the entire thing by visiting the C-SPAN site...but do grab a beverage and some snacks first.)
The way this all works is that the Board begins the process of eliciting information by questioning the witness themselves. Next up is the attorney for the Marshall Islands; the witnesses' attorney and employer's attorney then "cross examine", and then every other lawyer in the room gets a crack at the witness, should they so desire.
"Wrangling" all of this from his Co-Chair seat is retired Federal Judge Wayne Andersen; the Coast Guard has a "good cop/bad cop" team on the Board (the Board's Recorder, Lieutenant Robert Butts, and Co-Chair Captain Hung Nguyen, respectively). Mssrs. David Dykes (the other co-chair) and Jason Matthews, who are representing BOEM on the Board, are among the technical and regulatory experts who are also asking some very pointed questions.
Since many witnesses also represent Halliburton, BP, and Transocean, there is very much a "trial of the century" atmosphere in the air...and everyone is trying to protect their own interests at the expense of the others.
As is common in these situations, the witnesses are busily playing "duck and cover"...and I have been privileged to watch what has essentially been the construction of the "pyramid of denial" by a team of master craftsmen.
Now these folks don't deny like you or I would deny, instead, they have far more sophisticated techniques of obfuscation that they employ.
The first method: imagine a group of people, sitting in a circle, each pointing a finger at the person to their left.
Later, we saw a new approach: imagine a group of people, sitting in a circle, pointing both fingers at the people sitting to either side of themselves.
Even later, it became a three-dimensional game, as some of those in the circle began pointing either upward or downward...and the most sophisticated of all had personal attorneys available at the witness table to do some of that pointing for them.
Another effective tactic is to never be the person actually in charge of whatever it is someone wants to know about...and if your company operates worldwide, there are lots of places to move from, and to, along with lots of potential "shifting responsibilities"; sure enough, there are witnesses here who seem to be "Johnny-not-on-the-spot" over and over and over again.
The Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination can also provide a shield that'll keep you out of the witness chair; that's why BP engineers Mark Hafle and Brian Morel and Deepwater Horizon's BP day shift manager Robert Kaluza have not given testimony to the Board.
Now this is not something your normal "mom and pop" denier can typically pull off, and that's why it appears that at least some of these companies require an entire corps of specialists who don't actually know anything at all, just so they can appear before courts and investigative boards such as this one, where they either "don't recall", or they spend an astonishing amount of time not looking into this "casualty", as it's described by those involved in the investigation.
One example that leaps to mind is a certain BP executive who, even though he's in charge of the "drilling and completions" operations on various BP owned and leased oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, reports he has never read any information regarding this accident that BP might have developed since the April 20th event, and has never spoken to a BP investigator to enquire as to whether any "lessons learned" exist that he can apply to the operations he oversees.
There's so much more to talk about-and apparently we'll need a Part Two to make that happen-but for today what we need to know is that there has been another week of hearings, that if you watch those hearings you'll have seen basically a 1/12th scale model of the lawsuits that are already piling up in Louisiana, Texas, and Federal Courts, and that if you watch certain portions of the hearings you can see bombast, tough questions...and the kind of elbow bending and finger pointing that can only lead to severe arthritis later on in life.
Next time, we'll be talking about "command and control" on the Deepwater Horizon (did you know an oil rig is actually a ship?), about what actually happens down a well, and about why things like "centralizers" and "channeling" matter-a lot.
In the meantime, if you want to get your homework on, all the hearings, in more or less backwards order, can, as we said before, be found at the C-SPAN site...which is why we appreciate them very much.
So either get deeply buried in what will become the legal soap opera of the decade...or run away, quickly, depending on your needs...and when we meet again, we'll have quite a bit more story to tell.
- What do you want? Social Security or T... From Ezra Klein, the ultimate budgetary choice: Should we preserve Social Security, which benefits everyone, especially the least of these, or preserve the Bush tax cuts for the ultra-rich. The pot of money is the same. How should we spend it?What would Jesus do? You know the answer -- it's in your heart, not your pocketbook.
- Rock you like a hurricane. (open climat... I just realized that I have never started a climate diary here at LiA. And I'm the one that talks about it the most. I think it's important because climate change affects just about everything. The economy, immigration, food, water, disease and of course, the weather. I have been keeping up with tropical weather over the past few years. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ And the predictions that they will become stronger are happening. As are all the other predictions associated with climate change. As of 2009, AGW was killing 300,000 people per year. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30998907/ Yet you still hear people make the claim that Obama is wrong for pushing cap & trade. The ice is melting. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/ Disease is on the rise. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/04/AR2006050401931.html Yet there are people that don't want to take the first step to curb climate change. Are you one of these people? If so, please explain why you think NOAA, The WMO, NASA, The Snow & Ice Data Center. (long list) have it all wrong. Those of you that know I'm right, please contact your elected officials and tell them that time is running out. We only have 5-6 years left to reach a worldwide agreement to reduce carbon emissions. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Earth2100/story?id=7697237&page=1 If you are a Republican that just doesn't like Al Gore because he's a Democrat, then that's fine. After all it was not Gore that discovered the greenhouse effect. It was French scientist Joseph Fourier that figured it all out, way back in the 1820s. But if you really think AGW is not real, please explain why. LATE EDIT: The best view to watch small, natural storms become large, unnatural monsters. http://www.goes.noaa.gov/HURRLOOPS/huirloop.html
- Bad News for Alabama Repubs. Former Democrat now Republican Jim Preuitt is dropping out of the Senate District 11 race. Preuitt switched parties to run as a Republican this year. He announced late Tuesday that “his heart is not in the race,” according the Associated Press.Preuitt is the retired incumbent and his switch last spring (just as qualifying closed) was touted by Republicans as a harbringer of great things to come for the GOP this election cycle. This has to hurt if you're the AL-GOP.Democrat Jerry Fielding is looking good to be the next State Senator from district 11.
- Open Thread, Crude Justice Edition This year's Alliance for Justice First Monday Film is Crude Justice, about the about the search for justice among victims of the BP Oil Spill. Here's the trailer. Sign up to host a screening of Crude Justice. Beginning this fall, activists in local communities and campus leaders will use this film as a centerpiece for discussions, forums, debates and other events. The film will be released in early October and will be available online, and in DVD format.
- Jim Spearman at the AFDW Dinner The Alabama Federation of Democratic Women hosted a great event Saturday night -- the 90th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote Celebration. Great crowd, great venue and the best political event food I've had in years. Every detail was perfect. They even seated Nancy Worley in the corner -- deserved since she has single handedly managed to block an SDEC Bylaws Amendment that would give the AFDW President a seat on the State Democratic Executive Board.There was another perfect thing about Saturday's celebration: Jim Spearman's speech. Spearman is the Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party and I think of him as more of a behind the scenes operator than a "give them hell" speechmaker, but he gave voice to things a great many of us are feeling about the ADP right now. "90 years later, we see that women are the backbone of the Democratic Party. ... Alabama has not always been ... leading in social issues. ... Unfortunately we have some today that want to fight progress in this state, and in our party, too. They know who they are and they know they're going to lose in the end. ... The AFDW has proposed a bylaws change before the SDEC that would allow the AFDW a seat on the Executive Board. Unfortunately, it's met opposition and it's been tabled. It needs to be passed and it needs to be passed because it's the right thing to do ... and it's what the Democratic Party stands for." I'm not sure who yelled "Nancy Worley?" when Jim was talking about great Alabama women -- was that you Louis Baxley? Afterwards Jim was being thanked and congratulated by many people at the dinner. He indicated that he doesn't voice these concerns lightly and, but there are things that needed to be said. He had an opportunity and he took it.Thanks, Jim!
- Think about it; meditate; daven: it is ... Think about it; meditate; daven: it is plain and simple. Support Steve Raby for the Fifth in Alabama. I will vote for him and I will campaign for him. I will campaign for him with enthusiasm, for I have seen the Rottweiler in the other party and he is apparently an abused pit bull sick and disturbed.The Republican Party base works to expel moderates and conservatives. Yeah, you read me correctly, “expel moderates and conservatives.” Those groups on the right you and they may spuriously call conservative are not. They are a mix of racists, neo conservatives (war mongers and imperialists), social conservatives (majorities over rights), religious zealots (they talk to god and she answers), war mongers (repeated so you remember) all guided by corporatists who make profit from folk whose atavistic human impulses they manipulate. In the Democratic Party we have folk right and left, and many more graduated between. We don’t kick out our progressives. We don’t kick out our moderates. We don’t kick out our conservatives. We have a seemingly disorganized big pueblo but one clear value unites us. We value people. We value the individual, and only the true libertarians on the right share that with us. Only there are four of them on the right and they are journalists or columnists, save one in the House. None in the Senate. We realize what the founders knew and put in the - I admit, defective at first - Constitution, that we had to unite to untie the individual from the ancient bigotries of Europe. We value the individual. Democrats value people, the person, the individual who works, plays, and loves. Who wants to live, let live, and work to increase his and help other individuals increase theirs. The Republican Party used to live like that at one time, but they marginalize and ignore anyone who is not pure just No! No with helper lies to win power. We have a left wing and a right wing and a moderate middle. We have many subtle ideological stances between these. My pappy used this trope, a plane has a left wing and a right wing with a fuselage between so it can fly. We still have conservatives. We still have moderates. We still have liberals. Some ideas from the right are right and some ideas from the left are right. AND some ideas from the left and right need moderation. The Democratic Party does this, though clumsily sometimes. Steve Raby may disagree with some progressive ideas. We may disagree with some of his, but we share the belief in the individual who helps other individuals in order to help herself. That is central to Democrats. We do not prey on our brother or sister. We do not send them to fight elective wars to make profits for corporations. We do not ignore their suffering when disaster strikes. We do not threaten the existence of the best from the New Deal. Hell, Senator John Sparkman was a New Deal supporter. It helped thousands in Alabama. We do not threaten the lives of Americans whether we are left, middle, or right Democrats. We are Democrats. We should be proud to say I’m a liberal Democrat, moderate Democrat, or conservative Democrat: I value people. I have heard hints around here that I should not threaten folk, intimidate, or bully. That’s my temperament though. If you don’t enthusiastically support Steve Raby, vote for him, and encourage others to vote for him, I will say daily, I told you so until your eyes bleed. Steve Raby is a Democrat, the important distinction, and he needs your enthusiasm and support. We progressives can have a civil conversation with him.
FreeThinkBham.com
- Homosexuality, Bigotry, and False Victi... Bigotry will not survive in the marketplace of ideas, friends.
- Praying for Oil to Touchdown Jesus: Cou... According to a recent article at CNN.com, Louisiana lawmakers are proposing a day of prayer to stop the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. State Senator Robert Adley had this to say:
“Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail. It [...]
- Political Primaries 2010 : Who Is Your ... It’s that time again, folks : the political primaries will be coming to you on June 1, 2010. Sadly, we were long ago forced to abandon the idea of simply trusting our politicians, because they often tell us only what they think we want to hear. We have the ultimate responsibility of choosing the candidate [...]
- What Will Save Birmingham? Pride As I’ve mentioned before, I’m moving to New Orleans in a couple of months. I still own a place in Birmingham, though, so I’m sure I’ll be back. But recently, I went down there to look for a place to live. As you know, a few years ago, a lot of the city was destroyed [...]
- Freethinkers Unite!!! — Plans First of all, we would like to submit thanks for the outpouring of love, support, and ideas given and discussed not only on our page, but also on others. Members of alabama-moms.com , Aldeer.com , and tiderinsider.com have shown an outpouring of love, support, and solidarity with the family of Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. during this [...]
- Friday, May 7th: An Evening with E.O. W... That’s right, E.O. Wilson will be in Birmingham on May 7th, 2010, to give a presentation at the McWane Science Center. $50 will get you into the presentation and an autographed copy of his new book, Anthill. I highly recommend going if you can. You’ll love all the analogies he can make between ants and [...]
- Freethinkers Unite!!! All of you have probably heard of the Westboro Baptist Church and their outrageous demonstrations and antics. Fred Phelps and members of his family have appeared in several news stories spewing their unrestrained, self-righteous hatred and vitriol to all who will listen or watch. They even teach their children to sing “God Hates America, land [...]
- Langford gets Justice… or Lynch Mob? I'm not sure how much of this Langford trial and sentencing is actual justice and how much is typical lynch-mob mentality Southern politics making an example out of someone. The fact that in recent years this has only happened to a black mayor and a Democrat governor in Alabama kind-of seems a little suspicious.
- Alabama Legislature Sells Out to the AEA As progressives, readers of freeThinkBirmingham are probably sympathetic to teachers' unions and may be suspicious of the charter school movement.
However, what recently happened to Alabama public education should rile all Alabama citizens, regardless of political affiliation.
Recently, a law was introduced that would legalize charter schools in Alabama.
Due to the stipulations of President [...]
- Progressive Wining Hey everyone, my name is Andrew, and Progressive Wining is my little sideshow for all you fellow FreeThinkers.
In our Big Red state of Alabama, I’ve heard progressives referred to as “wine-sipping elitists” more than a few times, but all too often people who want to learn more about wine have no clue where to begin [...]
MagicCityManifesto.com
- friday photo Looking up from a walk along Vulcan Trail…some of the best views of the City can be found here. Tagged: friday photo
- a sad day for birmingham = a sad day fo... What I’m about to say will most likely offend some readers. Out of respect for the very issue that concerns me, I’ll keep this brief. For the past few days, I’ve picked up The Birmingham News and have read story after story after editorial about the state Democratic Executive Committee’s recent nomination of Elisabeth French for [...]
- of paper and things Given it’s Wednesday and the sun in shining, I suggest you take a break from whatever task is at hand. Steal a moment for yourself and allow your left brain to rest a while. Now, get that right brain out for some much-needed exercise! Let me make this easy for you… Recently I met Monica Carmichael, Director of [...]
- and now let us break bread When it comes to yeast, I get excited. The more the merrier, in my opinion. Lawd yes, child, just hear me out… In my house we eat bread. We eat a lot of bread. Any preparation. Any time of day. Any variety. I am a bread enthusiast, willing and eager to welcome any loaf [...]
- weekend wisdom Concerning culture as a process, one would say that it means learning a great many things and then forgetting them; and the forgetting is as necessary as the learning. Albert J. Nock Tagged: weekend wisdom
- friday photo Tagged: farmers market, friday photo
- …and speaking of green… To Elena Todd White, being “green” is the only thing she’s ever known. Having been raised on her grandfather’s farm (where there were cows, catfish, a winery, syrup-making, and bountiful vegetable garden), Elena now possesses those intrinsic values that so many of us are clamoring to learn more about. In an age where “green” is [...]
- the focus is on birmingham If time was on my side, I’d be offering you a generous post full of highlights and details about this week’s Green Building Focus to take place right here in Birmingham. It’s wildly important that you understand the tremendous presence this conference brings, not to mention that superstar (sustainability-focused) power that will embark on the [...]
- two things to watch (on alabama public ... Fact: We have not a television in our home. No, it’s not like that. I’m just married to an electronics kind a’ guy who wants only the best setup and won’t settle for what once was my standard: a 17″ hand-me-down t.v. set with aluminum-wrapped “rabbit ears”. Since moving in to the house, other projects have taken [...]
- weekend wisdom Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times. Niccolo Machiavelli Tagged: weekend wisdom
BirminghamMommy.com
- Piggy Herb Garden Here’s a little craft you can do with the kiddos that will actually benefit you, if you like fresh herbs.
Here’s what you will need for this craft:
3 Large Eggs
Bowl
Egg Carton
Waterproof Markers
Potting Soil
Herb Seeds
Start by making a hole in the top of your eggs, about the size of a quarter. Empty the eggs into your [...]
- Rockin’ Moms! Meet our Nominees Thank you again to everyone that nominated your friends and loved ones for our Birmingham Moms Rock Event. We received so many wonderful submissions our task of narrowing it down to only ten was very difficult. We received pages of heartfelt stories about everyone and the short profile we put together below does not even [...]
- Droolicious Cuisine at BirminghamMommy:... This recipe is all about comfort. Let’s face it, we live in the south, “comfort-food” is our middle name. This month we’re letting MommaDrool tempt us with this yummy recipe of Chicken and Dumplings. If you’re counting calories, just substitute the Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Celery and Cream of Chicken for the original. You [...]
- 52 New Things – Week 34 Trish -
My new thing this week was a money challenge. I budgeted a very slim week to try to save a little moola. It sucked. But I did it and it’s a nice reminder of how grateful I should be for being able to buy that extra little stuff here and there.
Angie -
This week I’ve [...]
- Throwing the Ultimate Baby Shower What’s the coolest baby shower you’ve been to?
As women in our prime child-bearing years, it seems as though:
A. Everyone we know is trying to get pregnant, getting pregnant, or having a baby
B. Everyone we know is trying to get pregnant with their 2nd/3rd/4th baby, getting pregnant with their 2nd/3rd/4th baby, or having their 2nd/3rd/4th baby
There are [...]
- Weekly Events Calendar – August 30th ...
Is it just wishful thinking or is fall really getting closer? Football season is here so our weekends will automatically be packed with gameday preparations, parties and tailgating, but what other activities are going on around the city?
The Barons are home this week, take advantage of these cooler (it’s all relative) evenings and take in [...]
- Mom Picks – August Summer is almost over…. almost. Stores are throwing fall clothes in your face, but if you’re like me the thought of buying a sweater while it’s still 95 degrees is hard to manage. So what you need to get buy is something more transitional while you wait for those cooler temps. Here are a few [...]
- Tailgating. The Kid Friendly Way. Contrary to popular belief the words “Tailgate” and “Kids” can co-exist. No, not like the good ole’ days of old with the keg stands, or the 3 beer challenge from the tailgate spot to the stadium. The days of sneaking liquor in in zip lock bags taped to your leg are most likely a thing [...]
- Celebrate Birmingham Moms that Rock! We are so excited and overwhelmed with the nominations we received for this Birmingham Moms Rock event. We will be announcing the nominees very soon but in the meantime, if you haven’t marked your calendar for this event, shame on you! Call your friends and line up the sitter, we’ve got a great night planned.
Thursday [...]
- BirminghamMommy Event of the Week: The ... Kicking off football season with a tailgating event sure to cause Fandemonium! Visit tents for Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas and many of your other favorite teams.
The Bell Center Tailgate Challenge provides a fun and profitable way for Bell Center supporters to celebrate and anticipate the upcoming college football season. Event goers will [...]
Beermingham
- Good things going on at Good People
Bruce Andrews works on re-creating the
Good People logo on the brewery's new home.
It's well known that Good People is producing good beer at their new facility. Perhaps not as well known are some things going on around their new home.
The most obvious is the new sign now gracing the front of the brewery. Musician and artist Bruce Andrews of Andrews Art has been hard at work during some of
- What we're drinking tonight: Mountain S... This may well be one the most complex beers we've ever tasted. Odell Brewing Co. unfairly categorizes Mountain Standard Reserve as a brown ale. The taste of this beer has nothing in common with New Castle or Lazy Magnolia's Pecan. The brewer describes it as "... more than a limited edition offering. It's an enigma in liquid form."
In fact, it has more in common with Bertie Botts Beans than beer.
- HiPS ends rewards card, intros draft si...
Just weeks after introducing their rewards card for draft buyers, HiPS is ending program. Jimmy tells us the program was quite popular with customers, not so popular with ABC. Alabama law doesn't allow businesses to offer discounts on alcoholic products unless the discount is available to everyone.
A rewards program open to everyone sort of straddles the legality line. While everyone is
- Beer news in brief: More draft to go, r... Here are a few things we think you'll find interesting.
1. Western Supermarket on Highland Ave. has joined the draft to go club. They're a little late to the game, but they're wasting no time catching up to the other guys. Not only do they have two Good People offerings, but they already have custom-printed glass growlers available for $4. That means their growlers are cheaper but so is their
- What we're drinking tonight: SNAKE HAND...
If we had a poet on staff, this would be written in flowing verse. Sadly, it just wasn't in the budget. But we're betting you don't care much about poetry anyway. Especially when the legendary Snake Handler is back in town. We picked up some at Dee's for the daily office party (no, we're not hiring)and the jug is quickly going empty. It was kegged just two days ago, so you know it's nice and
- Good People has taps, Snake handled
We knew GP was working on new tap handles, and now they're ready to show em off. They should start showing up in bars statewide soon.
And while we were visiting the brewery a few minutes ago, we were told Snakehandler was kegged and sent out yesterday.
In the tanks is a big batch of Hippie IPA. Well, as Jason Malone said, "The beer formerly known as Hippie." it seems someone else thought of
- Sam Adams' Beer Lovers Choice We made it to On Tap in Lakeview for the Sam Adams' Beer Lover's Choice. And if you didn't you should have.
We got to taste the American Rye Ale and the Belgian Style IPA.
We expected the rye to win us over, but in our opinion, the IPA was the clear winner. It was plenty hoppy without being overbearing. It had a similar color to Sam Adams' lager, but is a definite step above.
Anyone else
- Check out Sam Adam's Beer Lover's Choic...
Head over to On Tap in Lakeview tonight (July 13, 2010) to help Sam Adams decide what beer to produce next. Attendees will get to taste a Belgian style IPA and an American Rye Ale then vote for their favorite. The event is going on nationwide, and the beer with the most votes will go into production. You can check out Sam Adams' website here for the event, but despite Birmingham not being
- What we're drinking right now: Great Di...
we owe Birmingham Craft Beer Examiner for this one. He did a post last week alerting us to two upcoming casks at J. Clyde. One was a Lazy Magnolia Strawberry Summer, the other was this hugely tasty Great Divide.
This caramel-colored double IPA starts with sweet malt but taste buds are quickly overcome by massive bitter hops. That's when the 10% ABV kicks in and bitter turns to burn. But it's
- Good news from Good People
Good People is brewing again!
Good beer is flowing out of Good People's tanks once again! Hallelujah! We spoke with Jason Malone Thursday afternoon and he told us the brewery has finally cut through all the red tape from the health department as well as the city. And the first official batches of Snakehandler, Brown and IPA are in the tanks and should be out the door soon.
And there's even
RedMountainView
- Citizen Architect at BMA On Thursday, the Birmingham Museum of Art will be screening Citizen Architect, a documentary about the late Sambo Mockbee and the Rural Studio, an innovative design- build program which he founded in Hale County Alabama in 1992. Mockbee, who passed away in late 2001, conceived of the studio as a means of immersing architecture students directly in the act of building, but more importantly to engage them in one of the poorest communities in the country. The program revealed the need for architecture well outside of the typical client base, challenging our notions of professional responsibility, as well as the potential richness in an architecture that is the result of responsible thought and community activism.Information about filmmaker Sam Wainwright Douglass hereThe event is free, information heremore about the rural studio heredonations to rural studio here
- Jones Valley Urban Farm Whofarm bus at JVUF (whofarm.org)Alabama weighs in at number 2 on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national obesity rankings (thank you Mississippi), with over 30% of Alabamians weighing in above what they should. As a result, the state ranks 4th in the nation for diabetes and 2nd in the nation for hypertension.(more here). Alabama's collective gut comes at a huge cost, with healtchare costs 'related to obesity' in the state topping $1billion in anually. The Omnivore's Dilemma author Michael Pollan says is the culprit is the American industrialized food production system, which is designed to provide cheap calories through massive monocultural crops and huge federal subsidy. The result of this system is an unbalanced ratio of energy in to calories out, and a proliferation of junk foods who's primary ingredients are corn and/or soy. The growth of America's waistline is a representation of the manifold deployments of de-constructed Zea mays.Pollan cites obesity research which shows that a dollar will buy more calories in the center aisles of the grocery (processed foods) than around the perimeter (fresh produce, meats and dairy); for example, a dollar will by 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips, but only 250 calories in carrots (also that dollar bought 875 calories in soda and only 170 calories of orange juice) The point of the story is that good nutrition is a luxury; one which the poor to lower middle class cannot generally afford.(See Pollan's 'You are what you eat" from the New York Times for more) Our society currently is not built to provide nutritious food to the poor, or to provide the care due in its absence.Recent counter-cultural food movements include everything from a revolt against fast food, to the rapid growth of 'organic' food industry, 'slow food' and the proliferation of farmer's markets. Unfortunately, it is primarily those in the middle class or above who are able to participate, the poor are still left with few options. Having studied the subject while in the northeast, I was stunned to discover upon my return to Birmingham, that Jones Valley Urban Farm was confronting the issue head-on.Jones Valley Urban Farm was founded in 2001 by Page Allison and Edwin Marty in an effort to provide low cost (and free) vegetables to low income families, to teach nutrition and sustainable farming and gardening techniques and to build a community centered around farming and good food. After about 5 years of farming on 3 separate downtown lots, JVUF created its flagship farm, the Gardens of Park Place. This 3.5 acre plot has become home base for the farm's operations; and it includes thirty community garden plots, a good-faith farm stand, and a somewhat regular schedule of events, dinners, and parties. Dinners feature farm-grown seasonal produce, prepared by the areas premiere chefs, set in the glow of that amazing Birmingham twilight with the city as backdrop.The working farm produces vegetables that are harvested and sold at local farmers markets (including their own farm stand M-F, the Pepper Place Market on Saturday, and the Mount Laurel farm stand and market), involves bus-loads of area school kids in farming and food education, teaches a number of gardening and food classes, and offers free vegetable boxes to those in need at local subsidized housing.Visit the farms website (link here) for more information and to see the calendar of events; or better yet, visit the farm during operating hours for a bit of urban respite, or for some fresh veggies, and drop by their tent at the Pepper Place market on Saturdays. Also check out Matthew Graves' excellent short documentary about the farm (below)Feeding the Soul at Jones Valley Urban Farm from Matthew Graves on Vimeo.Michael Pollans links page here
- Signs of Life John Hand building, 1st Avenue North
- Railroad Park Progress Here is a link to the website of Tom Leader Studio, designer of the Railroad Park, set to open July 4th 2010. See also the 'East gate' renderings and the 'Bivuoac baby' in the menu on the left.
- birmingham cycling Due to a woeful lack of bike lanes in and around the gridiron and a halo of sprawl encircling the city, Birmingham did not fare well in Bicycling magazine's rating of best cycling cities (as reported here in BBJ); however, from my perch on Arlington Avenue I can tesifyify that there is a regular stream of commuters making their way over the mountain, a strong and committed cycling community online and a wealth of web resources for finding a great ride or event.Whether you prefer to ride on the road or trail, the foothills of the Appalacians offers a wealth of beautiful and challenging rides and below is a list of links and web resources for the Birmingham area bicycler.on the road Birmingham Bicycle Club is the largest of its kind in the state. This is an enthusiastic and active group who is committed to elevating cycling in Birmingham. The website offers a full calendar of group rides and races, maps of well-traveled area rides, and links to area and national cycling resources and advocacy groups. The group organizes a regular Wednesday and Saturday ride.Bici coop works to create 'easy and equal access' to cycling by providing affordable bicycle maintenance, services and education to members, or at a very low cost. There is a Thursday night bike shop (with mechanic and parts) to help you get your ride in order, fairly regular bike repair classes and an enthisiastic and committed community in support. (a cool jersey too)freewheelin' blog is the local paper's cycling blog; covering local events, developments and issues facing the birmingham bicycler.alabike- website of the alabama bicycling coalition, an advocacy group for cycling in the state. The site broadcasts news and resources for alabama cyclists.alabama cycling news is (obviously) news, about cycling... in alabama. The site also has a statewide event calendar, classifieds a list of cycling laws, links and a listing of statewide clubs.on the trailBUMP has been building, preserving, maintaining and riding area mountianbiking trails since 1994, including the 17 mile red trail at Oak Mountian State Park. Their website includes links to a few maps of area trails, a message board for organizing rides and events, and a regular Thursday night ride at Oak Mountain.alabama mountain biking - has a good list list of trails with directions to and sometimes maps of several central and north alabama mountianbike friendly trails.trails.com - has a collection of around 25 mountianbike trails within 200 miles of the city. Descriptions and rough directions are available for free. Maps and detailed info are available with subscription.oak mountain state park is the largest alabama state park and it is very close to Birmingham. the 17 mile Red Trail loop is currently open for mountainbikers, and BUMP is currently working toward an expansion. map here mountanbike review- has a listing of several alabama mountainbike trails with reviews by riders and directions.bike shopscahaba cyclesbob's bikes - homewood, there is a link to a weekly ride on the left menu, and scroll down to the 'map my ride' ride finder birmingham bicycle company - in a blog format with posts about upcoming cycling events and a FULLY LOADED cycling calendar.other linksbike skirtCCR racerstria cyclingred mountain wheelmenmap my ride
- Signs of Life palimpsest
- Paint The Town Red this weekend Paint the Town Red, a benefit for the Birmingham chapter of the American Red Cross, will take place this weekend on April 17th in the Loft district downtown. The event, which features digital 'graffiti' (projected images and animations on downtown buildings), music (bands and djs), food and drink (among other things). Read more about it at the event's website here:http://paintthetownredbham.com/So, go out downtown Saturday night, the event will be fun, and the American Cross does very good things...
- Dystopos Birmingham Photostream photos from Dystopos photostreamCheck out Dystopos terriffic Birmingham Photostream on Flickr, but be careful, there are over 1000 great shots that are cataloged under the Birmingham heading alone... if you get sucked in (as I have) to Dystopos other photostreams and beyond that to the Magic City Pool and beyond that to Bhamwiki, you could very well eat up alot of valuable time that could otherwise be spent checking out all of the great places he documented... enjoy
- A Tale of Types: Highlands Condominums During the enormous speculative housing development of the past 2 decades, Birmingham (and most cities) saw the production a slew of condo units, many of which remain vacant today. The financial implosion of 2008 was like a brick wall for an out-of-control development machine fueled by a financial engine seemingly relieved from the burden of risk. On a positive note, this period saw the re-emergence of good design in multi-family housing in the US as it did in Birmingham, extending the housing choices well beyond the established types of the traditional condo and loft. This was the era that brought about Soho Square in Homewood which showcased for the region the potential vitality of mixed use housing, The Apartments at Park Place stand as a testament to the ability of design to create community through the intelligent assembly of housing, street and park into a neighborhood fabric, CCR's Liv on 5th leverages the power of a simple gesture (green paint) to completely change our perception, at Pullman Flats, Alex Krumdeick produced one of the most interesting housing partis in the city and Erdriech Architecture's Southside Townhouse pushed the boundaries of a traditional (and locally underappreciated) urban type. These are exceptional projects for Birmingham, and each of them responds to their context in a way that is fundamentally urban. The madness of the housing boom has stopped for now, but the market for more housing will return and the model for your average urban residential development will be large projects. As a reflection on the norm, rather than the exceptions (those listed above), recent residential development on and around Highland Avenue frames for us some of the fundamental qualities of neighborhood friendly residential buildings. These buildings are purely residential, not mixed-use like Soho or more recent downtown Birmingham developments, therefore the issues are simplified and are made more apparent.While there are several successful post war residential buildings along Highland, there are dozens of small-scale apartments that are dominated by their parking and have no positive relationship to the street. These two-story apartments have without a doubt damaged the quality of the neighborhood. Today's larger development model has the potential, through greater consolidation of parking, frontage on more than one street and through sheer scale, to do much more harm to the existing neighborhood. Greater care must be taken with larger buildings to assure their alignment with the goals of neighborhood continuity. The recent development of 2 large projects in the Highland Park neighborhood frame the discussion of neighborhood friendly residential development in Birmingham: The Capri on Caldwell and 2600 Highland Condominium. The neighborhoods surrounding Highland Avenue, constructed by the Elyton Land Company in the 1880's, are some of the most distinctive and dense in the city. This was not fortuitous; the original developer went to great lengths to create a desirable address by delivering a picturesque and unified community, tied together by scale, materiality, setback, picturesque landscaping and neighborhood amenities. The potential value of the individual development was intimately linked to quality of the whole. Over time, the goal of developers remained the same: to contribute to the quality of the whole while offering residents a connection to that beautiful neighborhood amenity. The necessity for preserving and enhancing the neighborhood’s quality was the responsibility of each project; the betterment of the neighborhood (and the developer's profits) relied on the developer's commitment to the quality of the neighborhood. In contrast to earlier times, care for the context is not high on the list of things which the average developer considers to be his or her responsibility (or a major selling point, for that matter); more often than not, the developer's program consists of little more than a target number of units, a list of amenities to be marketed, plentiful parking and perhaps a more sophisticated brand imagery (ref links to Capri website, above). Contrary to popular belief, architectural style and building scale are not the primary offenders in the degradation of neighborhoods by construction, even though style and scale are the qualities that initially provoke the ire of local critics. Far more harmful to a neighborhood fabric is building design which has a poor relationship of the building to the street. To make a neighborhood friendly building the designer must pay attention to all 4 sides of the building to make sure that the building does what it can to preserve to the sense of community on its surrounding streets. This is done by: suppressing the parking and traffic flow so that it does not interfere with the pedestrian life of the neighborhood, matching existing setbacks so that street widths have the uniformity needed for there to be a sense of space and thoughtfully locating entries and windows to limit large uninterrupted expanses of walls on the street. Good design in a neighborhood context gets windows (potential eyes) on the street and connects its resident's via the front door directly onto a neighborhood sidewalk. Successful buildings are often the result of a combination good building and landscape design. The most offensive buildings around Highland are among the post war 2 storey apartments.A walk along Highland Avenue presents several large apartment buildings which reside, relatively quietly among the original set of Highlands homes, apartments and condominiums. However you may feel about concrete as a finish material (I happen to like it), the Knightsridge building between Caldwell and Rhodes Park is a good neighbor. This has nothing to do with its size or materiality. At Knightsridge, the entry is on the sidewalk and the building is oriented so that its short end addresses the street, creating a surprisingly intimate stoop for such a large residential building. Parking at Knightsridge is moved away from the street, and is almost completely invisible to the pedestrian on Highland. This is the calculated result of building placement, topography and landscaping. Both of these moves work to enhance the pedestrian experience of Highland by preventing his or her confrontation with cars and preventing a long blank and uninteresting façade like the one next door at Park Tower. Along the sidewalk at Park Tower, there are 2 very long windowless faces, one facing north and one facing east. This is the result of the placement of structured parking and utility spaces underneath. This stretch of sidewalk, uninfluenced by the activity possible at the building face, is one of the most deadend experiences of Highland Avenue. Despite the very well-designed drop-off and lobby, Park Tower's basic disposition, alongside the Knightsridge building's diminuitive stoop is a contrast which reveals very clear lesson about neighborly buildings. Public space needs to be defined, as both Knightsridge and Park Tower do, and it needs to be activated.At the Capri on Caldwell, none of the three street frontages are positively addressed. Grade parking dominates the entry façade and structured parking looms over the other two. The west side of the block is more than half curb cut, a proportion that is not allowed anywhere else in Birmingham. Setbacks are larger than those of adjacent buildings, destroying the sense of pedestrian space along the street. The building entry is buried under the elevator tower, completely detached from from sidewalks and the building placement on the site creates a bowl effect which further enhances the building's distance from its neighbors. This is a very bad urban building, and neither the architectural styling nor building's height have created the problem. As bad as the first floor at Park Tower appears, the building holds a strong street edge which reinforces the continuity of the street space. At the Capri, no effort was made to connect the residents to this neighborhood, or to create a sense of continuity with neighboring buildings.One of the first things that I remember hearing about the Capri is that it looked like a beach condo, transplanted from Destin. The main reason that it looks like a beach condo is that it IS a beach condo. The goal of this building is to sell a view that exists on one side of the building (normally the ocean)... that's it. In this case the view is downtown, a place that is to be viewed safely, from a distance. There is much more that could be said about the design of this building, but its nearly obsessive separation from the neighborhood is offensive. 2600 Highland is an altogether different building. In this case, no matter how you feel about the bland semi-historical styling, you can see that this building makes an effort. It holds the very important corner of Highland and Niazuma and it maintains a consistent setback. In addition to distant views, the building gives its residents a front yard and perches them over it so that parents can watch their children play below. The entry is prominent, is well located at the corner and effort was made to suppress the parking, so that the residents can walk out the front door and directly onto the sidewalk. Perhaps this connection would be stronger if the wall surrounding the front terrace were more transparent, but overall, the design effort for this building clearly went into making a building that strengthened its context, and connected its residents to the neighborhood. Neither of these buildings are outstanding pieces of architecture, but they do represent many of the qualities that are to be expected from much of the future residential condo building in this area: 1. large, 2. multiple frontages and 3. structured parking. The contrast between these two buildings reveals the need for some objective criteria against which proposed developments are compared, along with what the minimum standards for those buildings ought to be. It is not fair to existing homeowners or to developers for any district to operate without such a criteria; the results of bad design are too harmful to the properties of existing homeowners, and the knowledge or taste of review boards too varied to be fair to the developer. The recent presentation of the Highland Park Neighborhood plan is an important step toward an objective, form-based code which aims to preserve the qualities that make the neighborhood a desirable place to live. Such an ordinance should build on the existing neighborhood strengths by solidifying neighborhood structure through landscaping, setbacks and building disposition, and this plan does that. While many of the General Building Form Standards within the plan are positive, objective and meaningful criteria for crafting neighborhood friendly buildings, several of the regulations are superficial. There is a difference between 'form based' regulation (making sure that the buildings perform in a way that does not do harm to the sense of public space that makes the neighborhood desirable) and 'character based' regulation (which aims to create buildings which look similar). This document does both without distinction. The vertical alignment of windows on the façade has nothing to do with the effect of a building on the quality of the neighborhood; it is a merely a matter of taste. The ‘discernable base, middle and cap’ is stylistic residue which has no place in a form based regulation. Building setbacks should be based on maintaining the consistency of building edges along the street (in this case they are existing streets), not defined as in this document by building type. Maximum building heights are somewhat arbitrary, and are probably too low to serve the needs of future residential developments, and the ziggurat-like terracing requirements are a completely misapplied regurgitation of the 1916 New York city zoning resolution which will lead to the most mediocre (if not downright ugly) buildings yet built in the area. The document is a step in the right direction, but it lacks specific attention to and a clarity of focus on those relationships that really make a building neighborhood friendly.
- Jonathan Purvis at Boutwell Studios The Birmingham Art Collective website is featuring an upcoming show of the work of Jonathan Purvis at Boutwell Studios, link here. This is the first that I've seen of Purvis' work, and I look forward to seeing this show. The artwork is based in photographic imagery, often in a layered melange that reminds me of the Michael Meister photos in the REM Document album cover or the Warhol screenprints. The result is somehow very southern and fresh.Purvis Website (here) features photographic and works on paper that are well worth the a perusal. Check out all of the work filed under 'art', the 'polaroids' section, along with the photography, especially the very good photos under the bands section which features some great day shots of Wilco at Sloss Furnace and other bands at or around the Bottletree.The show opens at 5 Friday night at Boutwell Studios in Homewood. More info on the link above.
the35212.com
- Woodlawn United Joins Purpose Built Com... A non-profit organization has been created to foster community development in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Woodlawn United represents a collaboration of organizations committed to the area, including the Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation, Main Street Birmingham, Cornerstone School, Christ Health Center, The…
- Help DISCO Reach Their Kickstarter Goal! Desert Island Supply Co.’s Kickstarter project deadline is 11:59 p.m. this Friday, August 6. DISCO currently needs an additional $5,000 to reach its goal of 20k. If the full amount isn’t raised by the end of the day Friday, DISCO will…
- Opening Reception: Paul Wilm’s Black ...
the35212 and The Birmingham Art Collective are thrilled to present Paul Wilm’s latest work at Crestwood Coffee. Join us on Saturday, July 10 at 4:00 p.m. for the opening reception.
- Crestwood Community Yard Sale
Girls Inc. of Central Alabama is coordinating a neighborhood yard sale scheduled for July 10. So far they have ten neighbors signed up to participate, but would like to recruit several more to make coming to our neighborhood very appealing…
- our35212: Lyndsey Robinson Lyndsey Robinson runs Crestwood Yoga & Massage, one of the many great local businesses in the Crestwood Shopping Center. I recently asked Lyndsey five questions.
How did you get involved with yoga?I started practicing yoga in college, around 2001, after injuring my…
- (Update) Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody ... Update: The Woodlawn Cleanup has been cancelled. So you can sleep in and enjoy a relaxing morning without feeling guilty. Then you can shake it to Crestwood Coffee at 11:oo a. m. to meet up with the Crestwood North group…
- Woodlawn Business Association The Woodlawn Business Association is currently recruiting members and collecting 2010 dues. Membership dues will be used to sponsor community events in Woodlawn and to purchase 25 banners for the area. All businesses, organizations, artists, freelancers, and supporters of the…
- Sol Garden is Now Urban Cottage
the35212 is excited to join Katherine Bear in announcing the new name of her home and gift shop. “Urban Cottage” more accurately reflects its role as a “go to” source for everything from home decor and outdoor living accents to…
- Upcoming Woodlawn & Crestwood Events We have a lot going on in our community. Here are some events that will be taking place in the near future:
March 31 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Color Your Birmingham at Woodrow Hall
YPBirmingham’s first party for 2010 benefiting Magic City…
- A Common Thread: Collective Coffee Show...
Please join the35212 and The Birmingham Art Collective at Crestwood Coffee on April 1, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for an opening reception for Dréa Zacharenko’s latest work, A Common Thread. This illustration series explores the connections between objects and memories…
BhamArchitect
- Turning Inwards Coming out of the 3-day Green Building Focus conference last week, I thought I’d post a few images of our local convention center, the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, located just north of the I-20/I-59 connector from the CBD. An example of … Continue reading →
- Greening Birmingham We’re at the Green Building Focus conference in Birmingham–come check out our booth! The vendor hall is free and open to the public at in the North Exhibition Hall of the BJCC starting 8:30 AM Wednesday and continuing Thursday. In … Continue reading →
- Abroad (2) Regular posts will start again shortly now that we’ve returned from a trip abroad. In the interim a pic of the East London (Westferry) view we had from our friend’s apartment–great, medium-to-high density neighborhood with a mix of older and … Continue reading →
- Abroad These luxury loft condos are but one example of new construction that has popped up everywhere, along with vacant storefronts and repair shops converted to ultra-hip lounges and restaurants. The lonely, sparse sidewalks were literally choked this evening with hipsters, … Continue reading →
- Donut fix Dunkin’ Donuts, the fabled donut purveyor based in Canton, MA, serves over 3 million customers a day in 31 countries worldwide. It has recently started a push into the deep south–where Krispy Kreme has long reigned supreme–and the second (“flagship” … Continue reading →
- Art and the City At Design Review this morning, KPS Group presented a design for a new outdoor seating balcony for the Birmingham Museum of Art‘s restaurant, Oscar’s. While it’s exciting that this newly branded restaurant is opening up to the outdoors (facing the … Continue reading →
- Dead customers can’t buy a lot of chi... At yesterday’s working session of a subcommittee of the Design Review Committee, Chick-Fil-A came back once again with a revised proposal for the heavily trafficked NE corner of Highland Avenue and 20th Street South in the heart of Historic Five … Continue reading →
- Design Review Alert The Design Review Sub-Committee will hold another “working session” with representatives of Chick-Fil-A to “review Chick-Fil-A’s latest design proposals” for a new restaurant on the corner of Highland Avenue and 20th Street South in the heart of the Five Points … Continue reading →
- Details, details A lot of our time recently has been spent on big issues: form based code, new urbanism, corporate footprints within historic neighborhoods, major public greenspace. It can be equally useful to examine the myriad small details that go into our … Continue reading →
- The bulldozers are coming Over in one of our alternative papers, Black and White, associate editor David Pelfry has an editorial exploring the relationship of developers, municipalities, and citizens—and the large imbalance often inherent in this relationship which can lead to the loss of green … Continue reading →
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