StormWatch '05: The makings of a blizzard struck Alabama Monday night. Up to zero people were killed, with a record-number zero schools closed. Let’s go to the video (click on “The Mountains enjoy snow” on the link) — actual still pictures of snow! Good thing this isn’t televised or such.
• Snow falls on northeast Alabama [WAFF (Huntsville)]

Send back the tempest-tost: Alabama has 23 new state troopers on duty to find and arrest illegal aliens. Almost 150 such arrest have been made since 2003 — and we’re guessing most were Hispanics. Gov. Riley called them “a second line of defense” in the war on terrorism. Hmm, I forget, how many of the 9/11 hijackers were from Mexico and points south? The Pilgrims had the right papers, yes?
• Number of Alabama troopers on immigration duty increases [Associated Press]

Subdivision of shame: Omar Santos-Cruz was paralyzed while working on a new home in the swanky part of Hoover known as Greystone. A court has ruled him eligible for workers compensation and medical care. The twist: He’s an illegal alien from Mexico. If only the troopers had gotten to him first …
• Alabama judge rules illegal immigrant due workers comp for life [Associated Press]

Also:

• Co-workers shun SEC betting pool champ
• Holiday carjackings starting earlier to beat seasonal rush
• Wal-Mart pits Birmingham against suburbs in fight to the death

• • •

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Phone plan seems skimpy
Not enough minutes per month
How much over am I?!?

Bag hag: Everyone’s favorite gay racist pedophile has made it on the outside. We’re talking T-Bag, the misunderstood con who just wants to run free on Fox’s “Prison Break.” Actor Robert Knepper explains, “I love the fact that he comes from Alabama. Normally what I would have done, years ago, is call Alabama, call some filling station or a bank and talk to someone to get the talk. I still do that sometimes.” Hard to believe people still worry about the state’s image.
• Talking with T-Bag [Chicago Tribune]

Drowning in bills: Electric bills are climbing. So are gas bills. Starting in 2006, look for a jump in your water bill. The 8.75 percent increase means a family that pays $50 a month for water/sewer service can expect to pay an additional $52.50 by year’s end. Time to go back to weekly showers …
• Water rates to climb as board OKs 2006 budget [Birmingham News]

Beware of the dig: We’re always a little wary of surveys that rank cities based on this or that. Morgan Quitno Press, a research and publishing firm in Lawrence, Kan., ranked the most dangerous cities based on FBI crime data from 2004. Birmingham came in at No. 10. At least we now have something cool to tattoo besides “T-Bag 4-ever” …
• Birmingham Ranked No. 10 on List of ‘Most Dangerous’ Cities [NBC 13]

Also:

• Atlanta roadtrip delayed by roommate who ‘can’t get his s— together’
• Turkey pardoned by governor shoots five in killing spree
• McCain survives trip to Alabama with only bugs, cash donations

• • •

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Chased by dark figure
No escape from history
Except to wake up.

Nose runs at trouble.
Nagging cough, fevered forehead.
Time to stay in bed.

The Alabama Ballet can make the impossible look easy onstage, though we know hard work and determination went into the performance. So why not go behind the scenes to see how dancers interpret a classic for today’s audiences?

Such is the premise behind Alabama Public Television’s latest documentary, “Alabama Ballet: The Making of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ “ While the hourlong film shows fleeting glimpses into the some of the labor in putting on a performance, viewers will gain little insight into what makes this company or this performance unique.

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Teen mob sees late show
Unchecked by prying parents.
Please don’t steal my ride.

Stripe for the pickin’: Ye Olde Iron Bowl takes place Saturday in Auburn (2:30 p.m. CST on your CBS station). One ref makes his prediction for the big Alabama-Auburn game and shares some amusing on-the-field yarns. Then, he gets his (body part) stuck up his (other body part).
• Iron Bowl prediction [(Talladega) Daily Home]

Encyclopaedia titannica: If you need to bone up on, say, every Iron Bowl ever played, look no further than Wikipedia. It includes this bizarre dissection of the heated tradition:

“Like many intrastate rivalries between public universities in the United States, much of the animosity between the two schools stems from sociological differences between each school’s fan base (alumni and other supporters). Many of the more heated in-state rivalries involve a state’s perceived ‘flagship university’ and a land-grant university. Traditionally, flagship universities educated the more urbanized and economically upscale portions of their state’s population. Land-grant schools, which were specifically established to provide education in agriculture, engineering, and military science, drew heavily from rural and small-town dwellers.

“Although this is a gross oversimplification, and there are numerous exceptions to this rule on both sides, there is a core of truth to this divide. In the Iron Bowl, Alabama is the ‘flagship’ school and Auburn the land-grant school.”

All we can say is, “Good for Gary, good for Gary Hogeboom.”
• Iron Bowl (entry) [Wikipedia]

Failing upwards: Gore Vidal said, “It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” Or was it Ken Jennings? Anyway, the winner of the Iron Bowl will need LSU to lose at least one of its two last games to make it into the SEC Championship Game. To face off against “Jeopardy!” god Jennings.
• Surging Tigers, Struggling Tide Meet In Iron Bowl [Associated Press]

Shakeups and wakeups: ESPN columnist Pat Forde ranks the Iron Bowl as this week’s most important rivalry: “This game could have a pronounced ripple effect through the bowl picture: An Alabama win might be enough to propel the Crimson Tide into the BCS. That, in turn, would leave the SEC with at least one fewer bowl-eligible team than bowl commitments … If Auburn wins, the trickle-down scenario leads Tennessee to the Music City Bowl … and Florida to the Independence Bowl …” And you thought it didn’t mean anything.
• Iron Bowl tops the week’s rivalry games [ESPN]

Hooked on fanatics: Finally, something is being done about the sorry joke that is state public education. Introducing a set of DVDs to teach infants about Alabama and Auburn pride. Greg Scheinman, creator of Team Baby Entertainment, said, “The company is set to raise the next generation of fan. It is set up to teach kids about traditions and introduce them to different sports, marching bands and mascots.” Next up: Baby Beer Bong and Lil’ Tyke Sports Betting Palace.
• DVDs get baby on board Tide, Tiger bandwagons [Birmingham News]

Also:

• Sudden cold brings hunters out of hibernation
• Fan discovers either “Alabama” or “Auburn” could work in football-themed punchline
• Mountain Brook to create “maze within a maze” in updated street layout plan

• • •

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“Knock, knock.” “Who’s there?” “Me.”
“Me who?” “Methinks this could be
some lousy punchline.”

Relax, don’t do it.
Come now, did Frankie ever
get to Hollywood?

And now, a special message to our patriotic shoppers at home and abroad.

While out pre-Kwanzaa shopping this week, I noticed one shopping center along U.S. 280 had seasonal banners up in the parking lot. Not unusual, except for the mixed message.

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Better cram for that urine test: You don’t have chlamydia, right? Think again. Our pal Holly Lang reported that chlamydia rates in Alabama dropped in 2004 — because the tests were inaccurate. New, more accurate tests show that the rate is already climbing, along with rates for gonorrhea and syphilis. “Edward Hook, a UAB professor and director of the STD Control Program for the Jefferson County Department of Health, said the current campaign for more accurate testing and better awareness will eventually pay off, much like it did for national gonorrhea control efforts started in the 1960s.” Yep, we’re just itching for a solution.
• Unreliable Alabama testing led to low chlamydia rates in 2004 [Associated Press]

Who cares about child care?: Holly has another good story about the child care conundrum. More state regulations on licensed child care facilities are driving up prices — and driving away low-income parents. Meanwhile, unlicensed facilities (like the one we run in the basement) are exempt from the regs. “DHR announced Thursday that 2,000 additional children currently on a subsidy waiting list will now receive vouchers for child care. There are approximately 12,500 still on the list.” When your colleague, boss or underling is scrambling to find a sitter, you’ll know why.
• Group says Alabama rules put child care cost out of reach of many [Associated Press]

Hot flash: Birmingham is No. 3 among mid-size cities in Entrepreneur.com’s Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs list. Alabama is No. 5 among states, and Auburn-Opelika is No. 1. among small cities. One expert says in order for the state to remain on top, citizens must demand better public education to turn out a smarter workforce.
• Secret’s out: State is great for new biz [Birmingham Business Journal]

Also:

• Talk radio host screens callers for like-minded sentiments
• Cell phone service along interstate corridor upgraded from spotty to statick-y
• Shopping frenzy erupts over same-day Hanukkah/Christmas mix-up

• • •

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Piles of paperwork
all ready to be ignored.
Sweep away this junk.

The Galleria 10 shut down Sunday after more than 15 years showing movies in Hoover. Two fond memories spring to mind, one mine, one someone else’s.

My fondest memory is also my absolute perfect moviegoing experience. About a year ago, I showed up for an afternoon matinee, shoulder bag loaded with a can of Coke and a box with a half-dozen Krispy Kremes. I don’t even remember what movie it was.

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Nickel Creek, the bluegrass trio from Southern California, rocked, plucked and harmonized its way into listeners’ hearts again. The group graced the Alabama Theatre Friday night.

This was my third time to see the band (once before at the Alabama, and also at Samford University) — and the performance is better each time.

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