Ongoing coverage of Birmingham mayor Larry Langford on trial in Tuscaloosa for bribery.

Opening statements: Federal prosecutor George Martin calls Langford a wheeling and dealing politician, one who took bribes, including a $12,000 Rolex watch. Defense attorney Michael Rasmussen countered with maybe a less? more? flattering description of Langford as a “shopaholic,” one taken in by Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount.

Highlights: Langford appointee and City of Birmingham finance director Steve Sayler testified that Langford understood bond swaps, the complex financial transactions that led Jefferson County into billions of dollars of sewer debt and virtual bankruptcy.

Remon’s owner Remon Danforah said that Langford was a regular customer, running up a tab as high as $14,000. Total bill? $54,400 in clothing. He also said that Langford’s first trip to the store included Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre.

Quote of the day: “Everyone in the room seems to be wearing clothes by Remon. Except for us print guys, of course.” — Birmingham News columnist John Archibald

Homework: “High Stakes and Cheapstakes,” from Birmingham Weekly writer Kyle Whitmire:

Cupidity is a word that has all but vanished from our language. It is lust and materialism wrapped into one, and like the best poisons, it is lethal in small doses.

Next: Sayler resumes testimony Wednesday.

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Complete coverage: The trial of Larry Langford.

Subscribe to the RSS feed for daily coverage of Larry Langford’s trial from Wade on Birmingham.

Luggage comes spilling
out from the steel belly, glad
to be home at last.

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Ongoing coverage of Birmingham mayor Larry Langford on trial in Tuscaloosa for bribery.

Day 1 of the federal trial of Larry Langford has ended in Tuscaloosa, with a 12-member, 2-alternate jury seated and opening statements scheduled for Tuesday.

Birmingham’s mayor was arrested in December 2008 and charged with conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns alongside Bill Blount and Al LaPierre. The two have since pleaded guilty and are expected to testify in the coming days.

To help tame the information beast of trial coverage, we’ve put together some tools to help you follow along in real time.

1. Widget: media updates

This widget can be embedded on your own site by clicking on “Get Widget” at the bottom.

2. Twitter list

Second, we’ve created a new-fangled Twitter list called LLTrial. You must be signed into Twitter to see and follow it.

3. Media Twitterers

Even if you don’t have an account, you can follow the media Twitterers individually:

• @BhamWeekly
• @CBS42
• @JohnArchibald (Birmingham News columnist)
• @Langford_trial (Birmingham News)
• @LangfordCourt (Fox 6)
• @LangfordTrial (NBC 13’s Jon Paepcke)

4. Widget: media updates

See the real-time tweets mentioning “Langford” within 200 miles of Birmingham.

Bonus: Here’s what the Facebook crowd says about Langford.

We’ll work on fine-tuning these tools and adding our own coverage in the coming days. Your feedback is welcome below.

• • •

Complete coverage: The trial of Larry Langford.

Subscribe to the RSS feed for daily coverage of Larry Langford’s trial from Wade on Birmingham.

Learning to reach out,
then finding a dark hole to
climb in and recharge.

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The standing army
of one-armed bandits take cash
as muted beggars.

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Only connect the
prose and the passion, and both
will be exalted.

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The grand poet took
up his quill with a flourish
but came up short

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Hangers dangle on
the rod, in a sad closet
without her effects.

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Stomach a’quiver.
Unable to sit or stand
still. Peace of mind gone.

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Where is the dislike
button? That’s what she said. I’m-
ma let you finish.

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All it takes is a
look from you, a thoughtful gaze,
a playful hug … (swoon).

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Eyes of triangles,
crooked nose, and a toothy
sad grin carved by hand.

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A pumpkin for each
table, a dancer for each
stage. Cue the frolic.

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Thank you to our fans and readers who nominated Wade on Birmingham in the Birmingham News’ “Birmingham’s Best 2009” reader survey.

It’s especially flattering, given that we celebrated our fourth anniversary earlier this week and we actively seek no recognition other than your continued readership and feedback.

(And given our propensity to mock such media-sponsored popularity contests, it’s perhaps nothing short of a small miracle.)

This site was nominated for Local Web Site, along with …

• AL.com
• ABC 33/40 Weather Blog
• NBC13.com
• The Terminal

Congratulations to our fellow nominees!

So which site should you vote for by Oct. 19?

First, let us point out that “Web site” is so broad in this day and age to be meaningless. Birmingham has a rich community of homegrown blogs and talented folks using the Internet to inform, entertain and connect residents and outsiders.

Second, three of the sites are corporate media. Nothing wrong with corporate media (it’s how this blogger spent most of his career), but we find it rather discouraging that generic template sites pass for the best available in the metro area.

(And we again say: AL.com should remove itself from consideration as it is the ballot’s host site. No restaurant finalist would ever be allowed to serve as the sole polling place for its category.)

Third, our friend and Birmingham Blogging Academy colleague André Natta runs The Terminal. He is by far one of the most dedicated and passionate bloggers around and deserves a medal just for the herculean accomplishments he has made for this city. So extra kudos for him!

Lastly, this site. We would happily trade any vote cast for this site (or others) for your vote at the real ballot box. A scant 15,302 voters participated in city election runoffs this week, with a couple of races settled by 98 votes and 63 votes. While you’re happily snuffing out your free time on Facebook quizzes and voting on Web-based popularity contests, this city burns.

Thus ends the sermon.

But let us again say thank you to our readers. Without you, such recognition would not be possible. If you vote, vote for the truly outstanding that Birmingham has to offer, not just based on friendships and passing familiarity. Demand excellence, then celebrate it.

Later turns into
next week, which becomes sometime
eventually.

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