Any idiot can blog. Don’t believe me? See for yourself at next week’s panel.

As part of its monthly meeting, the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America will sponsor “To Blog or Not to Blog?” a discussion of whether corporations should blog.

The panelists:

• John Archibald writes a thrice-weekly column for the Birmingham News, which can be found in the Metro section and on his blog. For example, he exposed Mayor Langford’s election payoff of local media personalities to attack other candidates and the newspaper.

• André Natta founded the Terminal, an online publication about Birmingham and the surrounding area. He also writes on his personal site, Dre’s Ramblings.

• And me.

(Hint: I’ll be the one without the beard.)

The moderator:

• Carl Carter, of Carter-Harwell Public Relations, writes on his business blog Over Coffee and his personal site, the Carter Family Workbench.

The event, $14 at the door, takes place at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Alabama Power Metro Auditorium, 1313 Sixth Ave. N. To reserve your spot, fill out the form. The deadline is noon Friday.

The blogosphere has spoken.

Bell wins Jefferson County Commission seat

Mike Huckabee has won the Republican primary in Alabama. He has 41 percent of the votes with 99 percent of the boxes counted. CNN says that he’ll win 14 delegates, while John McCain (at 37 percent) will win 13 delegates.

Barack Obama has won the state’s Democratic primary. He has 56 percent of the votes with 99 percent of the boxes counted. CNN projects that he’ll earn 20 delegates, while Hillary Clinton, with 42 percent of the vote, will earn 21(!) delegates.

Also, Birmingham city council member William Bell has won Place 1 on the Jefferson County Commission.

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

Polls are open in Alabama, now until 7 tonight. Go vote.

• If you don’t know your polling place, you can find it through this online form. Or call Jefferson County, 325-5550; Jefferson County (Bessemer only), 481-4105; or Shelby County, 669-3913.
• If you have problems at your polling place:
  • Notify a poll worker immediately.
  • Obtain a complaint/evaluation form (or download jpgs of page 1 and 2). Print it, fill it out, copy and mail it.
  • Call the state attorney general at 1-800-831-8814 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday or fill out this online form.
  • And notify the probate court for Jefferson County (325-5203) or Shelby County (669-3713).

We’ll have the results as they’re available tonight and Wednesday.

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

Super Duper Tuesday is almost here, your chance to pick a President. Are you ready to hit the polls?

Q: Where do I vote?

A: Don’t just guess the location: Make the call today to find out. Jefferson County: 325-5550, Jefferson County (Bessemer only): 481-4105, Shelby County: 669-3913.

Q: What can I expect to see on the ballots?

A: Check out the sample ballots (PDF) by congressional district [map] and party …

• Democratic Party: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
• Republican Party: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

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Four campaigns visit in next three days

Get ready for the last-minute push, Alabama, from the would-be POTUSes.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will stop by Birmingham on Monday, or in religious circles, Super Duper Tuesday Eve. Details to follow.

Bill Clinton, stumping for Hillary, added a Birmingham stop on Saturday at Knox-Windham Gym on the Miles College campus [map]. The free event takes place at 12:30 p.m.

As previously reported, Mike Huckabee returns to Alabama on Saturday, with a stop at noon in Tuscaloosa. And John McCain will be in Birmingham at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sheraton. Both events are free.

A reminder: Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday. Because the rest of us vote on Tuesday.

Have you made up your mind yet? Who’s your pick for prez?

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

Clinton (the other one), Huckabee to visit state

You know Alabama has hit the big time when not one but two former Arkansas governors come a’callin’ …

Former President Bill Clinton will attend a Hillary fund-raiser in Huntsville starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and $1,000 a head. To attend, call (256) 536-0770. He’ll also be at a public rally, but details have not been announced.

And candidate Mike Huckabee returns after a seven-day absence, hitting Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Shelby County, Montgomery and Dothan on Saturday (though not all at once, we assume). Times and locations have not been finalized. He previously visited Samford last Saturday.

Remember: Absentee voter registration ends today.

We vote on Tuesday.

Update: No Shelby County for Huck. The Tuscaloosa site will be noon at Open Door Baptist Church, 1761 McFarland Blvd. N.

Will you be rallying for Clinton (the other, other one), Huckabee or John McCain this weekend?

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

McCain coming to town; Edwards dropping out

Breaking: CNN.com reports that John Edwards plans to quit the presidential race this afternoon, meaning no trip to Birmingham on Saturday.

Arizona Senator John McCain, fresh from his victory in the Florida primary, will join the parade of presidential candidates courting Birmingham voters.

His free public event will take place 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton by the BJCC. [map]

Alabama votes Tuesday with 23 other states to select party nominees. Also, absentee voter registration closes Thursday.

Will the state pick McCain or Mike Huckabee for the Republicans?

The videos that McCain doesn’t want you to see, after the jump …

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Edwards to visit Birmingham Saturday, drops Huntsville

Use extreme caution: John Edwards (the former Senator from North Carolina, not the fake psychic) is coming to Birmingham on Saturday. He had originally planned to stop in Huntsville on Wednesday, but canceled for a jaunt to New Orleans.

Not only does he want to shake your hand, he wants to control your country.

Details remain sketchy at this point, but we’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.

The state’s presidential primary is Feb. 5.

Update: Edwards will visit Huntsville on Thursday. We call this a flip-flop.

Anyone for Edwards? Anyone?

The video that Edwards doesn’t want you to see, after the jump …

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Birmingham author shares global journey in ‘Trail of Crumbs’

She had planned on entering the Southern Living Cook-Off and wound up writing for the magazine. And she had planned on assembling a cookbook and wound up writing her memoir.

But Kim Sunée has grown accustomed to the winding path, one that leads her from place to place in search of home. She details this journey in her first book, “Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home.”

The Birmingham author and magazine editor signs copies tonight and Tuesday at local bookstores.
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Video highlights from this weekend’s visits by presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama …

Huckabee and Obama on Fox 6:

More after the jump …

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Huckabee, Obama barnstorm Birmingham

Today in politics … Dennis Kucinich dropped out of the presidential race … voter registration in Alabama closed for the primary.

And coming up this weekend, a heaping helping of handshakes and stump speeches.

First, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will speak at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Samford University’s Brock Hall [Google map | campus map]. This will be the first visit to Alabama for the Republican candidate. The event is free and open to the public.

Second, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama will hold a town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday at UAB’s Bartow Arena [map]. This represents the Democratic contender’s third visit to the state. The event is free and open to the public — however, attendees must pick up tickets by 9 tonight from the campaign office at 1813 Fourth Ave. N. to be admitted.

The state’s presidential primary is Feb. 5.

Are you going to see Mike or Barack this weekend?

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

You have until Friday to name the new mascot at Vulcan Park (though we’re not quite sure why he isn’t named … Vulcan).

From the park’s site:

Vulcan Park and Museum’s new mascot needs a name!

All entries must include the following:

• Contact name, phone, address and e-mail (if applicable)
• Name suggestion
• Meaning of the name (if applicable)

The winner will receive a Family Membership to Vulcan Park and Museum ($50 value), a behind-the-scenes tour for four individuals, a Vulcan BobbleBun Doll and will be recognized at Vulcan’s Annual Birthday Bash in June!

Send your submission to info@visitvulcan.com or Vulcan Park and Museum, Attn: Vulcan Naming Contest, 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. The winner will be announced on the Vulcan Park and Museum Web site on Feb. 4.

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You can also volunteer to wear the costume(!), but you must be 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-0 and weigh 180 to 200 pounds, a BMI of 27.1 or “overweight.” Great, fat mascot. Look, a new nickname already.

Our suggested monikers after the jump …

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Thompson ends presidential run

Fred Thompson, actor and Republican contender, dropped his bid for the presidency today. The Sheffield native had been in the race barely five months and a handful of primaries/caucuses before bowing out.

He previously served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee for eight years before taking a role on the NBC drama, “Law and Order.” (Insert chung-chung sound effect.) His fund-raising and campaign stops included a $1,000-per-couple shindig in Mountain Brook in July, before he even announced his run.

Alabama, which holds its presidential primary in two weeks, has never had a native serve as President or Vice President. Two American Idols, but no Commanders-in-Chief.

Were you a Fredhead? Who will you support now?

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

Looking for something to do on your day off Monday? Check out the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, volunteering with Hands on Birmingham. Sign up at the site, and choose from a wide variety of projects, including cleaning up the Cahaba River, painting offices at First Light and fixing up Hill Elementary School.

It’s really easy. Just ask these volunteers …

Alabama’s presidential primary is less than three weeks away. But which candidate do you support? Do you even know his or her agenda?

On Feb. 5 (the sadly named Super Duper Tuesday), voters in this state will have a fresh opportunity to pick Democratic and Republican nominees, rather than let earlier states winnow down the field arbitrarily.

In our Vote 2008 coverage, we’ll bring you the issues that matter most to Alabamians, and how candidates stack up in key positions. Start by checking out the official Web sites for their platforms.

Then, try out Select a Candidate below, by filling out your choices on top issues and finding out which presidential hopeful matches up best. Tell us in the comments about your match, your actual vote-getter and why.

(You can also try glassbooth or the MyFox Candidate Matchmaker for alternate matches.)

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Complete Vote 2008 coverage.