People who live in
houses of fear amuse and
frighten me no end.

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McPheever vs. the Soul Patrol. It’s the final showdown on “American Idol,” with Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks against Los Angeles’ Katharine McPhee. Each picked two favorites from earlier rounds, then sang new singles. Who won the hearts and minds of the audience in the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood … and more importantly, the audience across America?

Recap after the jump …

Updated with audio, video.

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The latest on City Stages 2006 …

The name game: Two stages still need sponsors for City Stages, Children’s Festival and Dance Depot. The three-day downtown music festival, taking place June 16-18, needs cash to continue to pay down its half-million-dollar debt. For up to $35,000, you get your name on a stage and a chance to help push tickets. And for an extra five grand, you can be another title sponsor of the Waldrep, Stewart & Kendrick City Stages Presented by Lanny Vines & Associates. Whew, we get tired just saying it.
• Corporations can make or break City Stages [Birmingham Business Journal]

Sloss stages: The Strokes plays tonight at Sloss Furnaces for a benefit for City Stages. Tickets are $30. The show starts at 8 with opening act, Apples in Stereo. The group’s latest album is 2006’s "First Impressions of Earth."
• ‘First Impressions of Earth’ and the aftermath of hype [Birmingham Weekly]

Fo’ shizzle, Birmingizzle: Rapper/peewee football coach Snoop Dogg is headlining on the Miller Lite Stage on Saturday, June 17. He replaces reggae musician Sean Paul, who reportedly broke his leg. Snoop’s latest release is 2005’s "The Best of Snoop Dogg." We’ll bring the gin, y’all bring the juice.
• Bow wow: Snoop Dogg to replace Sean Paul [Birmingham News]

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Complete City Stages 2006 coverage.

• • •

Also:

• City residents to leave urban quiet for noisy speedboats at lake retreats
• You can never put too much water in a water treatment facility
• Study: Lack of ozone makes us cranky

• • •

Send us your news tips.

What’s all this about
allergy season running
rampant? Achoo! Dang.

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The doctor is out: More details are out about alleged problems at Summit Medical Center on Southside. Several patients said no doctor was present during their examination or treatment at the abortion clinic. Also, three women have talked with the Birmingham News about their medical complications after having abortions at Summit. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates have opened 87 express clinics in several states, including Alabama, since 2004. The clinics do not perform abortions but do provide emergency contraception.
• Abortion clinic violations detailed [Birmingham News]

Sons of the Times Gay Talese, who attended the University of Alabama and covered the civil rights clashes in Selma for the New York Times, returns for a book signing at 6 tonight at the Alabama Booksmith. His latest, "A Writer’s Life," covers those journeys and more. (Read the first chapter.) So meticulous is his writing style that he’s not unlike his immigrant father, a tailor by trade.

Another Timesman, who also went to college in Alabama and also wrote for our favorite newspaper, the Birmingham Post-Herald, also has a new book out. Howell Raines was in town last week for a signing for "The One that Got Away," another trip down memory lane, though much rockier. The Birmingham native also discusses getting back to writing and fishing.
• ‘A Writer’s Life,’ by Gay Talese [New York Times]

The Ugly idol: And for those of you who don’t like reality TV, more reality TV … Kassie Miller, a Cullman native who skipped to Nashville to become a singer, won “The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search.” Based on the bar and movie of the same name, the show had female contestants compete in singing, dancing and bartending. The finale repeats at 9 tonight on CMT.
• Antioch resident wins reality show [(Nashville) Tennessean]

Also:

• Some parents put baby in a corner
• Nonvoters rush to not register to not vote
• Transit fight threatens to destroy false unity

• • •

Send us your news tips.

It’s the final showdown on “American Idol.” If you want to join fans of Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks, you have a few options for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Updated with important info on Wednesday’s BJCC party.

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View of cityscape
shows breadth of beautiful home
tucked in a valley.

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Taylor Hicks will compete on “American Idol” for the last time Tuesday night. But during months of competition, the Birmingham native has stood out for more than just his singing voice.

We present the Top 10 Taylor Hicks moments from this season.

(Sorry for the downtime, but a bonus video is on the jump.)

Back up on GoFish.com.

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(buzz) (pop) (static) “what?”
New cell phone, service: bad sound.
Ninety dollars, please.

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Katharine McPhee took time Friday to talk with reporters via teleconference from Hollywood during the final week of “American Idol.” The 22-year-old Los Angeles native faces off for the crown in the reality TV competition Tuesday night against Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks. Hicks praised his competitor as a “great friend” and a “very talented girl.”

A few highlights from her interview:

• Plans for her first CD

I definitely want to do a pop kind of an album, with bluesy sounds to it, soulful stuff along the lines of Joss Stone. And I love Norah Jones. It could be a collaboration of those things, a jazzy feel that’s also bluesy and contemporary, something that could be in the Top 40.

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Even when weary,
the call of pen and paper
too strong to resist.

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Perfect weather brings
revelers to drink and dance
and celebrate spring.

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You may have heard about a movie based on a best-selling book about a religious mystery that spans the globe and brings new understanding to humanity and the world beyond.

Well, it’s not coming to Birmingham.

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Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks took time today to talk with reporters via teleconference from Hollywood during the final week of “American Idol.” His competitor, Katharine McPhee, spoke earlier to the media. A few highlights:

• The next album

I would like it to be a really good representation of who I am as an artist. There’s gonna be some things I want to do creatively that I’ve never been able to get to do before “American Idol.” Possibly a little bit cutting edge — there are some things in my mind that would be cutting-edge music.

I just want really good songs. If I can feel it, it doesn’t matter if I wrote it or somebody else.

There’s a couple of albums that I’ve done before “American Idol” that I’m very proud of. I would like to re-release on a bigger scale, possibly re-record.

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Four bars on cell phone
means nothing when you’re shouting
“hello?” “what?” “hello?”

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