Heads and tales: Underwhelming oversight

Utility we stand: The Birmingham city council formed an oversight committee to review complaints about utilities: water, power, gas, cable and phone. Hmm. We’ve complained consistently in the past about our cable company. Nothing. And what of it? Cable’s a monopoly in this town unless you switch to dish (not an option for everyone). Same with water, gas and cable. Even the phone company — in the face of unprecendented competition — has done little to win customers over. But now, tremble before the power of a … committee.
• Official: Water panel will answer critics [Birmingham News]

Phrase your ignorance in the form of a question: The Jeopardy! brain bus will be in town Tuesday at McWane Center. The first 1,000 visitors can take a 10-question qualifying test for a shot at a contestant audition. I tried out for the college version once, and let’s just say my only hope would’ve been phrasing my answers in the form of $100 bills. At least someone from around here done good.
• Jeopardy! Brain Bus in Birmingham (press release) [Jeopardy!]

Flying high: Florida band Lynyrd Skynyrd has achieved what every crazy rocker has ever dared dream: to be worshipped by Cleveland. The group, along with Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols and Miles Davis(!), will be the next inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Skynyrd — what’s left of it — is best known for the bored audience punchline “Free Bird” and the obligatory-every-visiting-band-must-play “Sweet Home Alabama,” a song which still inspires a surprising amount of controversy (see the comments for full effect).
• Sex Pistols, Skynyrd finally in rock hall of fame [Reuters]

Also:

• Passing storms cause outage of lower right corner of TV picture
• Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
• And they’ve been known to pick a song or two

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Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2005, 12:46 am, in Headlines.
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