Wade on Birmingham

Archive for October, 2005

Halloween in the ‘Ham

Monday, October 31st, 2005

It’s been a long weekend of partying and posing during this Halloween / Daylight Saving four-day fest. And while the spooky stuff ends tonight, another scary holiday is just around the corner: the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (Nov. 12).

Oooooohhhhh…

But before we stick a hatchet in Halloween, let’s highlight the costumes of 2005.

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all hollow eve

Monday, October 31st, 2005

Candy-grubbing brats
at my doorstep all night long.
Trick or treat indeed.

comfy chair

Monday, October 31st, 2005

Race you to the chair
So comfy and inviting
Let’s sit for a spell.

narrowing daylight

Saturday, October 29th, 2005

Clocks need a break, too,
One hour to rest tiny hands.
Spring forward, fall back.

Publisher at large

Friday, October 28th, 2005

My colleague Elaine fielded some tough questions the other night about Birmingham and the state of journalism. She handled the questions admirably, with thoughtful well-reasoned answers.

But we are not about thoughtful here.

I’ve never been shy about my hometown and my industry, so let us tackle a few of the nagging questions out there.

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oh, shoot

Friday, October 28th, 2005

Almost hunting time,
Guns, insults at the ready.
We are all fair game.

The war at home

Friday, October 28th, 2005

Alabama has always distinguished itself in ways both humbling and humiliating. But its service record has always been above reproach, volunteering in high numbers for guard duty.

That patriotism carries a high cost.

On Oct. 22, the military death toll in the Iraq war reached a milestone. George T. Alexander, Jr., of Clanton, died in a Texas hospital after being injured five days earlier in Samarra, Iraq. He was the 2,000th soldier killed in the ongoing war.

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nu-clear channel

Thursday, October 27th, 2005

Radio active!
Creed song repeats endlessly.
Hope it stays broken.

Battle of red, battle of white

Thursday, October 27th, 2005

I hate our national pastime.

No, not celebrity gossip. Baseball.

But I enjoy a good yarn. And some decent drama.

Last year, I even managed to watch the Red Sox streak through the playoffs and World Series to make history. (It helped that I was surrounded by jaded journalists who love underdogs.)

So kudos to columnist Jayson Stark at ESPN for his game wrapup, "South Side redemption." It’s a compelling read, well written and well reported. It even plays up the Chicago White Sox’s triumph in near-obscurity.

He even mentioned Birmingham’s key contribution to the game, via les Barons.

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national past time

Wednesday, October 26th, 2005

World Series trudges on,
Some team versus another.
Wake me for hockey.

Blown away

Wednesday, October 26th, 2005

Who says airlines aren’t sensitive to the plight of millions of victims of natural disasters?

Take JetBlue, for instance, which recently had its own near-fatal disaster. Fortunately, passengers could watch their brush with death and/or the runway live on TV from the comfort of their seats.

Now, Song one-ups its competitors in the daring stunts department.

[Thanks to BJ for the screencap, after the jump.]

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Tricks for treats

Tuesday, October 25th, 2005

Our spy tells us that Zoe’s in Forest Park was filled yesterday with young women on the prowl for last-minute costume ideas.

Nothing scarier than going out on Halloween with ye olde kitty cat costume again.

As a public service, we present a few ideas of our own for those still without a stitch to wear for this weekend’s many Halloween parties.

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'Dega comes and we wanna go home

Tuesday, October 25th, 2005

Talladega is becoming the Hollywood of the Southeast, right behind Savannah, Memphis and Wilmington. Don’t believe me?

OK, I don’t believe me either.

But as mentioned previously, “The Amazing Race” took a swing through Huntsville, then Anniston and then the NASCAR-loving, checkered-flag-waving, track-circling town of Talladega.

[photos and exclusive insider notes from the Talladega leg on the jump]

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pet frenzy

Tuesday, October 25th, 2005

Cat and dog skitter
in game of room-to-room tag.
You’re it! No, you’re it!

desk conversation starter

Monday, October 24th, 2005

“I didn’t hear you.”
“I move on little cat feet.”
(“Don’t scare me like that.”)