preserving punta gorda
Sunday, May 11th, 2008The fishing village
shows itself in bold murals
crumpled by past storms.
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Archive for May, 2008
clewiston by the lake
Saturday, May 10th, 2008Shallow waters grow
more shallow. Walking trail skirts
shrinking surfaces.
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Heads up: A country Throw-Down
Friday, May 9th, 2008Music in May continues Saturday with a first fest from WZZK (104.7 FM). The station will hold its Downtown Throw-Down from 4 to 10:30 p.m. The five country acts are:
- Whiskey Falls
- Bucky Covington
- Kellie Pickler
- Blake Shelton
- Sara Evans, aka the soon-to-be Mrs. Jay Barker
Like last weekend’s Crawfish Boil, the event takes place next to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex [satellite view]. Tickets are $15 in advance (meaning today) and probably more at the gate.
• Official site
Video previews, after the jump …
athens of the west and southeast
Friday, May 9th, 2008short of reelfoot
Thursday, May 8th, 2008Heads up: Cars attacks
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
How bad is traffic in the Birmingham metro area? Forbes magazine says we have the worst commute among small cities, costing us 33 hours a year. Some 37 percent make it to work in less than 20 minutes.
The city ranked as having the best commute among small cities is Corpus Christi, Texas.
What’s being done to save us? Well, Mayor Langford proposed free rides on MAX buses to help combat rising gas costs, but both the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority and the city council have balked. So far, City Hall hasn’t provided promised cash to actually pay for the free rides. Not that the transit system hasn’t been broken for years.
Perhaps a more innovative solution comes from CommuteSmart Birmingham, which will pay you $2 a day (up to $120 in three months) for switching from driving alone to an alternate method: bike, walk, carpool, telecommute or even ride the bus.
Does Birmingham have what it takes to fix the transportation situation? Or are we all doomed to spend more time stuck in our cars and more money at the pump?
• Forbes: In Depth: Best And Worst Commutes In Small Cities
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lily mountainside
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008outside myrtle beach
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008In the land of links,
the only true hazard is
roads and trees and such.
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traditions of the absurd
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008compelled
Sunday, May 4th, 2008Drawn back to the coast,
drawn back to the need for me,
drawn back to service.
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The makeshift casino
Sunday, May 4th, 2008Upstanding players
swarm blackjack table with cards
dealt by bored dealer.
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Heads up: May’s market and music mix
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
May means more more more when it comes to fun events and fresh air.
If you’re going to eat local, this weekend’s a good time to start.
The ninth annual Pepper Place Saturday Market starts its five-month run on Saturday. Local crops, local flowers, local music and demonstrations by local chefs fill the mornings from 7 a.m. to noon.
And don’t forget: Tonight and Saturday, check out the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil with Fergie, T-Pain, Gavin DeGraw, Flo Rida and 3 Doors Down. See and hear the lineup.
Will you be heading out to these local events this weekend? Tell us.
• Official site
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lunch bunch
Friday, May 2nd, 2008Green (Eyeshade) with envy
Thursday, May 1st, 2008Or, Awards you’ve never heard of for a site you sometimes read
We’re pleased to announce that Wade on Birmingham is a finalist for the 58th annual Green Eyeshade Excellence in Journalism Awards, specifically in the Humorous Commentary category in the Online Division.
The annual competition, held by the Society of Professional Journalists, includes entries from 11 states across the Southeast.
The articles selected were “Wade’s 101: Nick Saban’s To-Do List” and “The Other Crucial Vote.” (See, mocking football coaches and daily newspapers can pay off …) (Though we’re not 100 percent sure if we picked these entries or other articles. Oh, well.)
Competing in the same category is columnist Brian Hicks of the (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier. He has written four books and won numerous South Carolina Press Association Awards, including 1998’s Journalist of the Year. (One time in high school, we won honorable mention in a drag queen contest.)
Birmingham’s only other finalist, WBHM (90.3 FM), earned a spot in the Public Affairs Reporting category in the Radio Division for its “Searching for Safetown” series.
Organizers will announce the winners in June.
Also:
- The complete list of finalists
the eight-hour day
Thursday, May 1st, 2008Coffee, gossip, check
e-mail, lunch hour, filing,
surf Web, pack up, leave.
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