And jolly all over: The good folks at Black and White are feeling nostalgic as they share their childhood Christmas memories. Our fave? David Pelfrey writes about meeting the Santa stationed at Pizitz downtown: “This crook-nosed ‘Santa’ was a bit more swarthy than the rosy-cheeked fellow in the Coke ads. He reeked of pastrami-on-rye and bad cologne, and he had a strange accent. Plus he didn’t like me.”

Share your fave memories in the comments section — I’ll get us started.
• A ‘Black & White’ Christmas [Black and White]

Rich arts groups get richer: It’ll be a good Christmas for many arts groups. The Jefferson County Commission is giving close to $4 million through its Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham, though 87 percent is going to established organizations The Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Ballet, Birmingham Zoo and Birmingham Museum of Art will split close to $2 million in 2006. Other groups are receiving four- and five-figure grants. One group, the Birmingham International Festival, will receive $40,000. A Post-Herald investigation showed that the festival has an unusually high percentage of its budget set aside for executive salaries, while the program has withered into a school-based educational program and conferences of little public interest.

• Arts alliance pumps about $4 million into metro area economy [Birmingham Business Journal]

Way to go: The United Way of Central Alabama beat its goal again, raising more than $34 million during its annual fund-raising campaign — despite citizens’ earlier generosity during the Katrina crisis. Chances are, some group you know or work with is among the more than 70 area United Way agencies that will benefit.
• Even in year of the storms, area United Way exceeds goal [Birmingham Business Journal]

Also:

• Former Birmingham Fire linebacker tosses football with nephews
• Weekend forecast calls for rain, freezing temps, as Nostradamus predicted
• Galleria holiday temp: ‘You don’t really have to be this tall to ride carousel’

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Deck the halls with boughs
(Boughs? Does anyone say that?)
… (why halls? No alcoves?!)

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“The “Muckfuppet” shoot took 10 hours, 24 people, one diner and one award-winning script — all for a five-minute movie.”

I’ve been doing PR work for my friend’s movie, “Muckfuppet.” We shot the five-minute romantic short all day Sunday at a Southside diner, and I blogged about the behind-the scenes action on the movie’s blog site.

(Yes, I even cheat on my own blog. But it didn’t mean a thing, honest.)

The site for Kenn McCracken’s movie has the full script, a special mashup movie and the aforementioned blog.

Next up, developing the film, editing and all kinds of post-production fun. With a little luck, this Sidewalk award-winning script will be an entry at Sidewalk 2006.

Hacking Saks: Remember the glory days of Saks? Neither do we, but the retailer — sorta based in Birmingham — is having a bad year. The good news? The year’s almost over. The bad news? Next year means likely cuts in jobs, stores and inventory. But where will we go to snag that one-of-a-kind $2,000 ballgown? Guess there’s always eBay …
• Saks will reduce empire [Birmingham News]

Jesus and the chocolate factory: Combining the glory of His word with the sinful goodness of sugary confection, Scripture Candy is a homegrown success story. The business, which started out in an entrepreneurial incubator, is ready to move into its own new five-acre property in Adamsville. Meanwhile, the incubator is also growing, preparing to move into the old Sears building downtown with another incubator. Let’s hope the candy company doesn’t start slacking like the lazy gits at the fortune cookie factory, who actually stuffed this into our dessert: “You will live a long time, long enough to open many, many fortune cookies.”
• Scripture Candy’s sweet success owed to incubator [Birmingham News]

Block? Bling!: Downtown is in demand, and it’s gonna cost big. Fortunately, lots of businesses want to be there, especially if “there” is Five Points South or around the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Of course, the results are coming from a bunch of UAB students. Hmm …
• Half-block lot downtown: Write a check for $1.54M [Birmingham Business Journal]

Also:

• Desperate military recruiters asking promiscuous teens to “step it up”
• Hot holiday gifts: rifles, Xbox 360, various commandments
• Festivus carolers skip neighborhoods to hit Lakeview pubs, drown sorrows

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Echoes of shop talk
spill forth after a long day.
It’s all geek to me.

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Big mania on campus: Heavens to betsy, what will those collegians do next? It seems like just yesterday they would stuff themselves into phone booths for kicks … Nowadays, a weekly sex column in the University of Alabama student paper has drawn some fire from parents. A letter signed by 26 campus guides claims, “Many students and parents have no objection with this material being presented to a college audience, but some do. These families represent a significant portion of our prospective students, and to risk alienating them could prove costly in our recruiting efforts.” Yes, we wouldn’t want to besmirch a fine institution known for coaching sexcapades or ranking as the No. 1 party school.
• Senior’s sex column in UA campus paper draws notice, criticism [Tuscaloosa News]

Drug dealers: An expert says he knows why Southern Research Institute on Southside has come up with six of the top 26 cancer drugs: It stuck to an area of global significance even though it was being ignored by “Big Pharma.” Hey, yo pharma so big, she went to the movies and sat next to everyone. Oh, snap!
• Drug discovery expert lauds SRI success [Birmingham Business Journal]

Bice-a-Roni: “American Idol” runner-up and one-time Helena resident Bo Bice has finally released his debut disc Tuesday, barely in time for the holidays. What are critics saying about “The Real Thing”? Early reviews call it “a barrage of saccharine rock ballads” and “a total misfire, a bland, colorless collection of rote rock” that’s “utterly forgettable.” Just great … no “From Bo to Carrie” movie, either.
• “The Real Thing” by Bo Bice [Amazon.com]

Also:

• Area workforce decimated by colds, bronchitis, sudoku fever
• Birmingham Zoo penguins petition for “March of the Penguins” sequel to be shot here
• Your New Year’s Resolution? Simultaneously drive, talk on cell phone and 50 stomach crunches

• • •

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Blinding fluorescents
sting my weary eyes tonight.
Burger will soothe ache.

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Head barely stays up
Not enough shuteye for me.
Must   not   fall   asl–   zzzzz.

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1. “My Super Sweet 49”
2. Concept: A celebration of our groovy state’s ranking in education, health, jobs, etc.
3. “Everybody Hates Christmas”
4. Concept: In a world of grinches, one little boy lives by his wit and wits. Then grows up to be the messiah.
5. “Southern Exposure”
6. Concept: Yankee doctor moves to quirky rural Alabama town, is lynched.
7. “My Name Is Phil”
8. Concept: Oprah’s shrink discovers karma, makes a list of patients to heal/medicate.
9. “Survivor: Gardendale”
10. Concept: 16 nonbelievers compete to find liquor, whores in saintly suburb.

(more…)

Brake system failure
leads to vehicular splat.
So no slow mo? Whoa!

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Bananas attack.
Apples fight back; peaches flee.
It’s threat level orange.

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Comedic genius
and crazy motherfucker
always on fire.

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Office parties? Check.
Family gatherings? Check.
Time for fun? Uh-oh …

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With Christmas just three weeks away, you may be struggling to get your holiday shopping done. What to get for that “hard”-to-shop for DVD fan?

Well, if they liked "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Crazy in Alabama" and even "Crimson Tide," they’re sure to like this new man-tastic movie, “Alabama Takedown.”

[Warning: not safe for work!]

(more…)

No parking in sight.
Driving, looking and hoping.
Make up your own spot.

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