http://bhamweekly.com/birmingham/ UPDATE: Read War on Dumb in the March 29 issue of the Birmingham Weekly. This morning The Birmingham News reported that Birmingham City Councilor Valerie Abbott is considering running for mayor. At C]]> News comes from the Alabama Democratic Party this morning that Bill Clinton is coming back to Bama, again! According to the news release this morning: “Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham an]]> Ever been jamming with your garage band and thought you’d make it big if only you had your own recording studio? Are you a budding filmmaker in search of Alabama’s largest soundstage? In the market fo]]> From the Equal Time Department, word comes from our nation's capital today that Vice President Dick Cheney will be in Birmingham April 2 to help Sen. Jeff Sessions raise campaign cash. And just 24 hou]]> The Birmingham News Co. can’t demolish its historic former home just yet.Two weeks ago, the Birmingham Design Review Committee (BDRC) said it could no longer deny the News a demolition permit because,]]> Following a federal investigation can be a lot like tracking a submarine, always beneath the surface except for periodic moments when a periscope peeks at its target. It seems the government has Comm]]> Google’s Aura, the online giant’s “hardware accelerated window manager,” remains a mystery to most of the outside world, even according to Geek bloggers. Aura is described by Google as a user interface that will enable much richer visuals than the Chrome browser delivers today.]]> But he does not want stereotypes of what ballet should be to hold it back. He choreographed the new ballet himself. But the new ballet is the story of the beginnings of ballet in Birmingham, when Figueroa, a dancer from the ghetto in Harlem, teamed up with Virginia Simpson, an heiress and patron of the arts.]]> GEAR Google's Aura, the online giant's "hardware accelerated window manager," remains a mystery to most of the outside world, even according to Geek bloggers.  Aura is described by Google ]]> On April 28th, cyclists took to the roads around Birmingham to raise awareness about prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.]]> In December, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda declared that “a cold shutdown” had been achieved and that the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was now over. “The reactors are stable, which should resolve one big cause of concern for us all,” Noda told the Japanese people in a televised address.]]> David Kelton has seen a lot since he started keeping bees forty years ago – bacterial plagues, colony collapse, even mites from Asia that can decimate honey bee colonies. But lately he has noticed a new phenomenon: more beekeepers.]]> Birmingham’s Great Century Road Ride It's April again, and for many cycling enthusiasts in the Birmingham area, that means it's time to gear up for the Tour de Blue. On April 28th, cyclists will take to the roads around Birmingham ]]> There I was in church, all focused on my Lord and Savior when Anonymous slipped in next to me on the pew and suggested we try Dyron’s Low Country Sunday Brunch after the service. Wouldn’t you just know it....a Southern girl depriving herself during Lent of culinary delights in pursuit of deeper spirituality gets a good offer on Sunday.]]> Blooming azaleas, dogwoods, green stuff sprouting all over my front and back yard...and the pollen that goes with all of the above. Makes me think I must be looking at life through greenish yellow lenses, not those rose colored ones I am used to.]]> Like most men born and raised in the Deep South, Fred Shuttlesworth knew and loved good food. And although he credited his successful weight management on the fact that most of his life he ate only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, he wasted no time or food at mealtime.]]> Saturday before taxes were due, many would-be badauds and flaneurs in search of lagniappes found a great way to procrastinate--by pretending to be Cajuns. Some of the teams at the Cajun Cook-off for Girls Inc. in Avondale actually did bring in some ringers, though.]]> The former head of the Jefferson County environmental services department, Jack Swann, this afternoon was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison and fined $250,000 for his role in a widespread ]]> You don´t usually come across a personal stylist and esthetician (that´s Greek for skin care treatment specialist) who happens to be a youth pastor on the days she´s not on set for TV serving as a hair and makeup artist. You don´t find that person often and not usually in Birmingham.]]> Memories of Belonging in Birmingham Every time that I drive into the city limits of Birmingham my heart literally picks up a pace and I start remembering. As I think back on growing up in the "Magic City"ť I realize just how magical my childhood was in a city that I just took for granted.]]> The son of a school teacher and bank cashier, he was the oldest of three red-headed boys. Cuba was the perfect place for adventure, exploring and experiencing life in an oldfashioned way.]]> Richard Scrushy’s probation officer wants the former HealthSouth CEO to wear a LoJack on his ankle after Scrushy went AWOL in south Florida. Scrushy was on vacation with his family to Disney World whe]]> One ‘Invisible Primary’ deserves another — or maybe 20. Tonight is the first reporting deadline for presidential candidates — a barometer the punditry calls the “Invisible Primary.” Candidates are do]]> You don´t usually come across a personal stylist and esthetician (that´s Greek for skin care treatment specialist) who happens to be a youth pastor on the days she´s not on set for TV serving as a hair and makeup artist. You don´t find that person often and not usually in Birmingham.]]> Memories of Belonging in Birmingham Every time that I drive into the city limits of Birmingham my heart literally picks up a pace and I start remembering. As I think back on growing up in the "Magic City"ť I realize just how magical my childhood was in a city that I just took for granted.]]> The son of a school teacher and bank cashier, he was the oldest of three red-headed boys. Cuba was the perfect place for adventure, exploring and experiencing life in an oldfashioned way.]]> At some point in all our lives, if we live long enough, we come to a point where we realize we are not ourselves. That we are living a life that falls squarely on the path that we thought we were supposed to be traveling. One that well-meaning parents and five (or more or less) years of college and the desire for more and more stuff paved for us.]]> Wednesday, March 28th, two friends and I convened at the Spring Street Fire House in Avondale for the much anticipated Bomb the Music Industry! concert. We expected an excellent show, and were by no means disappointed. However, the opening band, Wisdom Teeth, was a highlight of the night.]]> We’d like to welcome you to the first exhibition of the Avondale Bricks Gallery, EN CADA BARRIO REVOLUCIĂ“N. The Birmingham Weekly sponsors all exhibitions at the gallery. The first exhibition is a collection of Cuban art brought back by Stephen Humphreys from his friends in the country over the course of 15 years.]]> The Birmingham Weekly once again settles the question whether anyone can be a master or slave to fashion. Shlomi Dadon even transformed our publisher from a picture of doggerel verse to eglantine refinement, and everyone remembers that picture of shirtless savagery from the last makeover.]]> This curious southern ritual, while oddly entertaining, has always baffled me inasmuch as southerners seem to know quite well , at any given time, the intimate goings on of one another's personal affairs, and one is left to wonder just what remains to be discussed over the roast quail.]]> Saturday Night Show at Boutwell On Saturday, March 17th, Birmingham welcomes back one of its favorite bands, The Avett Brothers. If you have never seen them live before, this is your chance to experience an incredible, high-energy p]]> By the time you read this, if you weren't lucky enough to be there, you may have already missed it. Sorry about the timing. It was good for spontaneous people who were ready to take their jobs at the Gallerias and Harbert Centers and shove them and head on over to join the revolution in Avondale.]]> One must always listen carefully to a southern woman, because even the most stinging insults are served up with so much honey that an unfortunate non-native, such as Scarlet, can be caught completely off guard. Like a snake bite, the gracious southern woman swiftly renders her victim paralyzed and defenseless.]]> Spring has arrived in the Magic City Longer languid days, wisteria, and barbeques herald in once again the beginning of one of the most curiously intriguing and oddly entertaining of southern phenomenons: dating in the south. No one rivals a southern woman in her expertise in the hunt, capture, and inevitable destruction of her prey, as evidenced by the steadily increasing pile of wedding invitations on Scarlet's desk.]]> Elvis Costello said, "Every day I write the book." Little did he know, every four years his book is one page longer than he expected. I'm talking about Leap Day! Leap Day was last week. February 29, to be exact. Leap Day is an extra day added during a Leap Year, making the year 366 days long instead of 365 days long, like a normal year.]]> The right to vote, equality in the work place, political power, wearing pants without being scolded...the achievements of women over the last century are innumerable.]]> For anyone who has ever eaten a chicken McNugget and remains oblivious as to what it looks like before the McWeird-piece-of-chicken takes shape and finds its way into your mouth, you should know one thing: chickens don't have McNuggets.]]> On March 8, Birmingham Weekly's Avondale Bricks Gallery will unveil its first show, EN CADA BARRIO,REVOLUCIÓN. The title comes from an authentic propaganda poster I pulled down off a wall in Old Havana and brought back from Cuba. You can see it on the cover of the Birmingham Weekly.]]> April 13 dinner of the late Reverend's favorite soul food dishes Like most men born and raised in the Deep South, Fred Shuttlesworth knew and loved good food. And although he credited his successful weight management on the fact that most of his life he ate only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, he wasted no time or food at mealtime.]]> I did have the pleasure of grabbing a quick interview on the run with Birmingham author Gin Phillips between relieving babysitters and running off on a book tour, and I promise a thoughtful review of her book, Come in and Cover Me, that just came out, as soon as I have time.]]> Forever Wild is a state program that preserves land for recreation, hunting, hiking and other public use. To pay for the land it uses 10 percent of the revenue from the Alabama Trust Fund, the annual earnings from royalties from offshore drilling for oil and natural gas.]]> I'll take it to goes¦how often have you said that? Chances are, you weren't referring to your wine. But if you're as persnickety about what you're drinking as I am, then you DON'T want to leave home without it! So what do we need when we travel with wine.]]> I grew up in Peloponnese, the prefecture of Arcadia. It is on the east coast of Peloponnese. In the lower slopes of Mount Parnon was my village. It was a plateau of about a hundred acres, from which, in a ten minute walk, you could look down to the Aegean Sea.]]> ABC, CBS, NBC and other news stations are proudly welcoming our soldiers home from Iraq with a "Thanks for your service." It is great and refreshing to hear good news on the TV. Many families are thrilled and filled with gratitude to have their loved ones coming home.]]> When I was eleven, my family moved to Pamplona, Spain for two years. A life changing event in many ways... all the children in my family are more or less bi-lingual, and another may be what we do when we get sick... Last week I felt a cold coming on.]]> So how can a column on food memories not honor that importance... for the commercials, the half-time show, the tail gate parties, and especially the parties all over the country? And a lot of them will be serving chili in some form or another so I figured I might as well weigh in with my version.]]> North Georgia has a thriving little wine industry, in fact. Most wineries are around the old gold-mining mountain town of Dahlonega. There's one near the faux Alpine village of Helen-or Hel[o]n Earth as I call it. There is one next door in Towns County, and one working winery still in Rabun County.]]> Birmingham-based photographer Caleb Chancey discovered two vital elements for the songs that would eventually make up his musical project, War Jacket. The first was the collaborations and friendships he had made through Grey Haven Community, a local music collective that he helped found back in 2008.]]> Since Anonymous was out town this week, even Bunny got a break and I was glad because he seems to just wear her out with so much dining. She needs three or four of herself just to keep up with him and his insatiable appetite.]]> I "I'm a man without a shadow / in a room without walls" is a song lyric that could easily describe Hunter Bell's existentialist self-concept. The lyric is from Omni-Morphist's first EP, "We may be a joke. But it's a joke you can believe in." Hunter Bell and Aaron Slaughter formed Omni-Morphist when a sound check resulted in a 28-minute song.]]> I like to talk. I love to talk. Since I also do stand-up comedy, I'd better damn well like to talk. You might say I'm talking right now with this article. Except I'm talking with my fingers. That sounds like sign language so I guess it's not like that at all.]]> I also like A Beautiful Mind and not just because of Jennifer Connelly or because they filmed it on my college campus--that's where I walked to class! Right where Russell Crowe is! He only seemed to have lost his mind right in front of Whig-Clio Hall at Princeton.]]> As part of a series that I am working on I thought it would be cool to take the time to sort of get to know some of the state's conservation groups. I have had the good fortune to get to work with a good many of them in the past year, but there was one that I had not: The Black Warrior River-keeper's.]]> Darlings, you all know how I love nothing more than dinner and the theatre, (except for a good laugh, of course, and this show has that, too!) and I am thrilled beyond belief to tell you about a wonderful show that is running at Terrific New Theatre, and you simply do NOT want to miss it!.]]> In the story, based loosely on Russian and German folk tales, Odette is an enchanted princess under a spell of the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart; she has been transformed into a swan by day and can only regain her human form at night.]]> Hello my darlings! Bunny's back, and I come bearing gifts. Easy there, greedy... I don't have any diamonds or fancy clothes for you this week, but what I do have might be worth as much if you're hungry.]]> A few years ago, walking in the lower plains of Kilimanjaro, I met my first Tanzanian coffee plants. I saw the small huts of the coffee planters, the children chasing any mechanical device that came trough the plantation. I saw the small banana trees grown among the coffee plants.]]> For your main course, you can't find a more elegant, textured and lovely red than the La Posta "Cocina" Malbec from Argentina. Pair with a great cut of lamb, and get swept up in its sanguine aromas and meaty flavors which entice you again and again to take another sip of the wine.]]> For your main course, you can't find a more elegant, textured and lovely red than the La Posta "Cocina" Malbec from Argentina. Pair with a great cut of lamb, and get swept up in its sanguine aromas and meaty flavors which entice you again and again to take another sip of the wine.]]> If you are remotely familiar with the Birmingham music scene, then you know the huge impact that Scott "Reg" Register has had on it. Last month marked the 15th anniversary of his iconic radio show, Reg's Coffeehouse. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., listeners are presented with Reg's signature blend of local, independent, and alternative music.]]> There's something about going into a locally owned restaurant serving locally grown food. Sure it feels good and tastes good, but more importantly it makes a whole lot of sense without even thinking hard about it. And I don't like thinking hard about things.]]> I am afraid to say I kept quiet for too long. I have been harboring a secret right by our office in Avondale that I have been dying to spring. There was a little hole in the wall restaurant that I could not wait to let you know about. But I did for too long.]]> He had just seen it and wondered if I knew about it. I am glad he called because no one else did, and the library never told me about it. You can never assume what people know, even about themselves or their own family. Sometimes they are the last to know.]]> I remember watching in awe as my mother and the other grown-ups took communion while I stood with my finger pressed to my lips as Father Hayes blessed me. I so desperately wanted to be a part of what I was being taught was a miraculous version of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, my savior.]]> I'm starting to wonder if it's ever going to stop raining. Every week there is a new deluge. Every week I get pushed further and further back from the start of the guide season. But then I remember that we really need the rain to bring the water table up.]]> I had the pleasure of popping into the studio with my friend John Lytle Wilson, an artist with an international exhibition record. Strewn about the floor and wall are in-process pieces from past shows and shows to come. His style, like his personality, is unpretentious and easygoing.]]> The photographs, paintings, and video images show torturers especially evil for delighting in cruelty. It shows good people afraid to do the right thing. It shows crass betrayals. It also shows people who took the risk and reached out to help. They are stories of survival that in the end prove that life is more than that.]]> But one of the contenders running to be the Republican presidential nominee did just that in a recent GOP debate on January 16th.]]> The holiday festivities are over, the crimson velvet mailbox bows have been put away, and now-like a feeding frenzy at a hen house-the well heeled ladies of Birmingham are eagerly disseminating this years listť of the years marital fatalities.]]> As general rule, it isn't a terrible idea to pair lighter foods like fish with white wine. But plenty of seafood dishes work better with red wine. If your fish is meaty or charred – or served with tomatoes, mushrooms, or a fruity sauce – it'll likely be complimented best by a delicate red like Pinot Noir.]]> Augustine "Og" Mandino said, "Consider a painting by Rembrandt or a bronze by Degas or a violin by Stradivarius or a play by Shakespeare. They have great value for two reasons: their creators were masters and they are few in number.]]> I remember as a young girl hearing my father talk about family outings to the Calcis lodge. For reasons unknown to me now I thought the lodge, rather than the town in Shelby County, was called Calcis. Throughout my life I envisioned a beautiful retreat where Dad and his family and friends vacationed in the summer.]]> On March 8, Birmingham Weekly's Avondale Bricks Gallery will unveil its first show, EN CADA BARRIO,REVOLUCIÓN. The title comes from an authentic propaganda poster I pulled down off a wall in Old Havana and brought back from Cuba. You can see it on the cover of the Birmingham Weekly.]]> Lent is upon us, or at least upon Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians. It's more of a Christian thing, but I guess anyone is welcome to do it. Lent is the time before Easter that the Christian Church devotes to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ's fasting in the wilderness.]]> In regard to the article written by Lori Hamilton, let me state that I am no fan of Newt Gingrich, although my dispute with him may differ from Ms. Hamilton's. Her categorization of Speaker Gingrich's assessment of helping poor people out as racist is, quite frankly, unwarranted.]]> Like the outdoors? Most of us from the state of Alabama have a lot to choose from when it comes to hunting, fishing or hiking. Lets face it, everyone who is interested in the outdoors is linked in some way, shape, or form. With this in mind, we can see why we should all pay attention to the other two.]]> Dragons and Lotus Blossoms: Vietnamese Ceramics from the Birmingham Museum of Art..]]> Breaking laces is a threepiece rock band out of Brooklyn, New York and their current tour led them all the way down to Birmingham to play at The Nick last Tuesday. I'd like to say that it wasn't a waste of gas, but gas is pretty pricey these days and a stellar crowd of nine people won't get you a half tank.]]> I know that some of you were not born yet before my friend Yvonne was blinded by Thomas Dolby´s science in highs school in the '80s. Dolby started in London´s punk scene that was raging at the time--with authentic, not fake like some current bands we will not name, appropriated punk ethic.]]> Indie-folk duo, Dead Fingers, consists of local songwriters Taylor Hollingsworth and Kate Taylor. Through complex,driving acoustic guitar figures, lyrical wordplay, and vocal harmonies blending two individual styles, Dead Fingers presents a captivating first record.]]> I had a great time talking to the Mountain Brook Art and Music Club on the subject of Cuban art that will be in the first exhibition sponsored by the Birmingham Weekly at the Avondale Bricks Gallery. When we looked at various paintings I told Mrs.]]> I recently traveled to Austin for wine business, and being somewhat of a connoisseur of wine bars, decided to see how Texas' capital city wine aligned in comparison to other culinary cities. I was surprised to learn that Austin is the 14th most populous city in the U.S.]]> This Thursday March 1, Josh DeLoach, the chef from the Hook & Ladder Winery, will be at MetroPrime for a wine dinner organized by International Wines.]]> Isn't Advent the lead-up to Christmas presents? And isn't Lent the uncomfortable prologue to gorging yourself on Easter candy? So how do the two go together? Yes, I can tell by your holiday descriptions that you are too into selfindulgence to submit yourself to any Lenten deprivations.]]> In a celebration of India with its roots in the old Festival of Arts at Boutwell Auditorium that, like the Alabama School of Fine Arts, was originally orchestrated by Mrs. Edwin A. "Bill"ť Rose, Supervisor of Speech Arts of the Birmingham Public Schools, the religion of India was highlighted at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Pelham.]]> One of the speakers at last week´s Lenten Lunches sponsored by the Cathedral Church of the Advent had a surprising theme. The Reverend Canon Kendall Harmon, canon theologian of the diocese of South Carolina and editor of the Anglican Digest, was criticizing conservatives for their lack of civility in debating issues.]]> You may have heard of the most horrid person I ever met, otherwise known as the country girl. Funny, she first revealed herself in church, when it was time to go forward for communion she was afraid to leave her purse in the pew. I guess she feared that one of the doctors or stockbrokers at Cathedral Church of the Advent would steal it.]]> Elvis Costello said, "Every day I write the book." Little did he know, every four years his book is one page longer than he expected. I'm talking about Leap Day! Leap Day was last week. February 29, to be exact. Leap Day is an extra day added during a Leap Year, making the year 366 days long instead of 365 days long, like a normal year.]]> The Only Poem First having read the book of myths, and loaded the camera, and checked the edge of the knife-blade, I put on the body-armor of black rubber the absurd flippers the grave and awkward mask. I am having]]> At some point in all our lives, if we live long enough, we come to a point where we realize we are not ourselves. That we are living a life that falls squarely on the path that we thought we were supp]]> I always seem to have a lot of people telling me what I should do. The country girl, for example, would shine a light in my face at a quarter to three in the morning with her marching orders. Scarlet counsels against springtime urges of the blood, though not particularly appealing to reason.]]> CNN, FOX, and MSNBC can't get enough of politics. In fact many of their reporters refer to themselves as political junkies. At the end of the day, a junkie is a junkie. Junkies will do whatever they have to do to get that next fix. They don't care what it is and where it comes from as long as they can get high.]]> Photos by Stephen Humphreys The Birmingham Weekly once again settles the question whether anyone can be a master or slave to fashion. Shlomi Dadon even transformed our publisher from a picture of doggerel verse to eglantine refinement, and everyone remembers that picture of shirtless savagery from the last makeover.]]> We'd like to welcome you to the first exhibition of the Avondale Bricks Gallery. The Birmingham Weekly sponsors all exhibitions at the gallery. The first exhibition is a collection of Cuban art brought back by Stephen Humphreys from his friends in the country over the course of 15 years.]]> Asia Chicken, Pork, Shrimp and Vegetarian Dim Sum served in steamer baskets with sauces to include: sweet & sour sauce, sesame soy dipping sauce and spicy sambal Assorted Sushi served with Soy Sauce, Wasabi & Pickled Ginger tuna rolls, cucumber...]]> There I was in church, all focused on my Lord and Savior when Anonymous slipped in next to me on the pew and suggested we try Dyron's Low Country Sunday Brunch after the service. Wouldn't you just know it....a Southern girl depriving herself during Lent of culinary delights in pursuit of deeper spirituality gets a good offer on Sunday.]]> Why Would You Buy? It's iPad Simple As expected, the "new iPad" (as termed by the good folks at Apple, instead of continuing their previous numbering pattern from 2 to 3) hit stores with a boom!]]> Black Warrior Riverkeeper Programming Director wins Alabama Rivers Alliance Award for Service Jenn Patterson, Program Director for Black Warrior Riverkeeper won the James Lowery Service Award on March 17, 2012.   The Alabama Rivers Alliance selects one James Lowery Service Award winn]]>