Thawing has begun.
Resume circulation of
blood and start warming.

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The latest in a series of tubes: The Birmingham News is awfully proud of its latest site changes on Alabama Live, the corporate template for all Newhouse newspapers. (See Nola.com and Oregon Live.) For example, the editor claims that Internet is “interactive” in nature. Crazy!

Of course, his column has no mechanism for reader comments, or even the social bookmarking tools infecting the rest of the site. Heck, you can’t even click on his e-mail address, jumbled into the last paragraph of every online column. (Ten points to anyone who can even find the mythic interactive peanut butter story cited as an example.) While the daily newspaper wants to create a sense of community, its welcome mat appears frayed around the edges.
• Giving a voice to readers [Birmingham News]

Web 0.0: You would think an alternative weekly cheeky enough to refer to the News as “the Evil Empire” would have a handle on this new media thing? Birmingham Weekly, which launched its overdue site design last week, was thoughtful enough to include a blog called Mixed Media (fun fact: blog is short for “weblog” … neat!). “What is ‘Mixed Media’? We’re still trying to figure that out. It’s a blog-type-thing. That much we know. We don’t yet want to call it a blog, because for now we’re not any good at blogging. We’re dead tree people. Reporters and editors.”

If that kind of brutal honesty doesn’t win over readers and advertisers, we give up, dammit.
• Mixed Media: What the hell? [Birmingham Weekly]

Scapegoats and sinners: And now, the rare plug for something close to home. If you’re in the media, advertising or PR, join us tonight for the monthly Media of Birmingham gathering. Nothing fancy, just drinks and networking and socializing and good-natured fun at Metro Bistro from 5:30 to 7:30. See, we’re building community via interactive media. Double neat!
• Hail to the MOB [Media of Birmingham]

Also:

• Martians purchase Birmingham-based bank, threaten 300 humans with layoffs
• BJCC to expand facilities, rednecks’ sense of wonder
• Domestic squabble erupts into nuisance homicide

• • •

Send us your news tips.

I have witnessed the
elite put on their pants one
pressed leg at a time.

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Believe in power
of love, or live without hope
of better planet.

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Short attention span
makes for cheap gag when– hey, what
happened over there?

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Toughest audience
weighs in every time I look
in any mirror.

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We’re on a mission.

In April, we need 50 Birminghamians with big hearts to travel to the Gulf Coast. These volunteer teams will spend a week in either Biloxi, Miss., or New Orleans, to help with the ongoing rebuilding process, a year and a half after Hurricane Katrina.

I’m working with Hands on Birmingham, a nonprofit volunteer service organization, to organize this trip. I spent a week in New Orleans last fall as a volunteer, and it changed my life.

Come with us. Show that Birmingham still cares deeply about our neighbors along the coast.

I have full details and updates on the Magic City Mission page. Free information meetings take place next week.

Bitter winds add to
misery of too much snow
in blitzing blizzard.

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Hearts, flowers, candy,
nothing but tokens on a
bad greeting card day.

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Ladies and gentlemen, the Rev. Al Green.

Plus, love notes from me to you, or from them to us, or from complete stranger to complete stranger.

And, the funniest site we’ve stumbled upon in recent memory.

Hoover vs. Homewood … Brittany vs. Mark … Brandon vs. Ross … Charlie vs. the English language. It’s a “Two-a-Days” showdown between these young foes.

Who will yell louder? Who will cave in? Who will slink away in defeat? And who will wear the T-shirt of Destiny? Let’s meet our pugilistic pairs. (more…)

Late at night, gunshots
pepper dreamscape with horrid
bursts of mad chatter.

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The place where I come
from is not far from the place
where I’ll return soon.

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1. I know that of which I speak.
2. Let’s face it: Tis better to have loved and won.
3. Now is the winter of our dysfunction.
4. If you love someone, set them… up?
5. I laugh in the face of commitment.
6. Some call me the gangster of love (and I’ve ordered a hit on Cupid).
7. Bad question: Who are you, and what are you doing in my bed?
8. Worse question: Who are you, and what are you doing in my pants?
9. I may be cheap, but I’m also easy.
10. Today’s mantra: shoulda seen it comin’, shoulda seen it comin’, shoulda seen it comin’…

(more…)

Her one-liner brings
easy laughter and sense of
possibility.

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