As a holiday treat, we present the Top 10 versions of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Why that song?
10. Ok Go
Holiday fun, minus the treadmills.
“Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say throw cares away …”
Join the Alabama Symphony Orchestra for a free holiday concert at 7 tonight. Christopher Confessore conducts.
The event takes place at the Guiding Light Church, 1800 John Rogers Drive [map | directions].
A quick update: We’re leaving in a week, and we’re doing OK on fund-raising and supplies, but …
For those just joining us, a team of 11 Birmingham residents will be traveling to Biloxi and New Orleans for a weeklong volunteer trip in November as part of the Magic City Mission. So far, we’ve raised $950 (half of our goal) and received a fair amount of supplies and gift cards.
We’re especially grateful to Southern Progress Corporation, which generously donated $500 to sponsor the trip.
All of it, cash and goods, will go directly to the nonprofit agencies along the Gulf Coast:
The Wish List is bulging with new needs, including toys and tools for Biloxi. You might have the item we need just lying around your house.
How can you help? Help us donate cash or send supplies before Thursday, Nov. 1!
If you have questions, let me know.
Magic City Mission: Make it your mission to help the Gulf Coast.
We’re just about ready to go.
A dozen volunteers will drive to the Gulf Coast for the next Magic City Mission to help rebuild. These are your friends and neighbors working with Hands on Birmingham to let folks in Biloxi and New Orleans know they haven’t been forgotten.
But we still need your help.
We’re going to raise $2,000 in the next two weeks to go to our partner agencies: Hands on Gulf Coast (Biloxi), St. Bernard Project and Camp Hope (both in New Orleans). Your tax-deductible gifts will help pay for our food, shelter and other program costs during our volunteer week Nov. 4-11.
Every additional dollar will go straight to these programs.
Also, we’re loading our trucks, vans and SUVs with needed supplies for the agencies and the residents. You can help by donating tools, Home Depot gift cards, gas cards and more.
You can donate by check or credit card, or drop off supplies today. Here’s how:
Our pal Arik has helped put together a fund-raiser for the Prichard family, in the wake of Michael Prichard’s death in September. I worked with Chris, Michael’s wife, for many years — she shot the beautiful city skyline you see from time to time at the top of this page.
Stop by Rojo tonight to help out a small, but personal, cause.
Local filmmakers pay tribute to colleague, raise funds for family
The Birmingham filmmaking community will gather Thursday to pay tribute to a fallen comrade, Michael Prichard. In addition, the group is raising money to help Michael’s family pay for expenses that continue to mount.
Michael worked as a trusted grip, audio operator, and camera operator for over 10 years. He died at age 40 on Sept. 14 leaving behind his wife and two children.
To help raise money, Southside restaurant Rojo will host “Things That Mike P. Would Have Liked,” a photography exhibit with photos exclusively provided by members of the local filmmaking community. Art and prints may be donated up until the day of the show. All proceeds from the sale of these works will go to Michael’s family.
The tribute and show kickoff begins at 6 tonight, at Rojo, 2921 Highland Ave. S. [map]. Admission is free and open to the public. The show will remain on display until Nov. 9, available during restaurant hours.
For more information, please contact Arik Sokol at 324-3900 or ariks@vazda.com, or Ned Boggan at dembyfilms@hotmail.com.
Birmingham has a new mayor, and surprisingly, without a runoff.
Unofficial results show that Jefferson County commissioner Larry Langford beat nine other candidates, including incumbent Bernard Kincaid, to win today’s election outright by a hair. Langford earned 26,227 votes, for 50.33 percent — a 172 vote margin of victory. His closest competitor was attorney Patrick Cooper, who won 15,392 votes, for 29.54 percent of the vote.
Kincaid, who served for two terms, placed third with 4,234 votes, or 8.12 percent.
With 52,111 votes cast in the mayor’s race, the turnout was around 45 percent.
Cooper hasn’t conceded, saying during a TV interview that he would consider asking for a recount, given the very tight margin. Another factor to consider would be any uncounted absentee ballots.
Langford ran on the slogan “Let’s Do Something,” pitching a one-point plan to fight crime: putting criminals in jail. He claimed it would take a “crazy man” to lead Birmingham, and that he was just such a man. During a TV interview, he promised a whirlwind of activity in the first 100 days in office, mentioning that a domed stadium would show outsiders that the city could move forward on a major project.
This run marked his second try for the top office in Birmingham, after a failed run in 1979.
The day was marked by low voter turnout, somewhat hampered by confusion over polling places. City officials claimed mailed sample ballots provided correct locations, but up to 100 voters were turned away from one station due to confusion or miscommunication.
What should the new mayor tackle first? And should Cooper contest the results?
• • •
Complete Vote 2007 coverage.
Polls are open: It’s time to pick a mayor in Birmingham.
Ten candidates are vying for the title, including the incumbent, Bernard Kincaid. Surprisingly, 10 is a far smaller field than past years: 1999 had 14 candidates, and 2003 had 18(!) memorable names, like That Guy, and That Other Guy.
The Birmingham News’ poll indicates that Larry Langford (right) and Patrick Cooper (left) are headed for the runoff, while the other eight candidates, including two-termer Kincaid, have no chance.
With 18 percent undecided and a 4.9 percentage point margin of error, should we trust the results?
(more…)
Another whirlwind weekend of music, movies and parties known as Sidewalk has zipped by. Remember: You can still win swag from the film fest by entering our haiku contest by noon today.
But before we wrap the ninth Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, a few more capsule reviews of hits and misses …
Update: “The Devil Came on Horseback” and “Darius Goes West” added.
With such a wide field of nominees, how will Birmingham voters decide how to cast such an important vote?
The mayoral election? Nah, the Birmingham News’ annual Readers’ Choice Awards, which closes at 11 tonight. More than 500 nominated their faves in 80-plus categories. Now, you can vote among five contenders in each category in the online ballot, broken into three sections: City Life, Food and Drink and Leisure and Entertainment.
But this isn’t about the best of the city.
This is about mocking the regrettable list of candidates (and thereby indirectly mocking the nominating readers and the selection process). How will they stack up against the 2006 winners? Did our pal Matt at Alabama Live make the right call with his picks?
Our catty contenders, after the jump …
Wanna see a movie this weekend? How about 150 of them?
The ninth annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival starts tonight, with the biblical comedic romp, “The Ten.” Tickets for tonight’s 8 p.m. opener are $13 at the door.
It’s $30 for Saturday and Sunday, or $7 per film ($17 for three films). More info on the official site.
So what’s the story on this year’s festival? More previews, more interviews, plus you could win free Sidewalk stuff …
A dish best served cold | Check out “Lunch,” a funny short by first-time filmmaker and Birmingham resident James Brown. His lunch was stolen from the office fridge — now, he wants revenge. But don’t take my word for it as a hired publicist, hear James on WBHM’s “Tapestry” [MP3] from Thursday. And watch this trailer:
Contributing writer Stacy Vance reviewed “Row Hard No Excuses” by director Luke Wolbach:
Two people, 3,000 miles, 100 days at sea.
I love a good adventure story. Man attempts to conquer nature. Nature takes the lead. Man becomes one with nature. Or does he?
In the documentary “Row Hard No Excuses,” John Zeigler and Tom Mailhot set out to travel the open seas in a trans-Atlantic rowing race from the Canary Islands to Barbados.
The film screens Sunday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.
Last chance! We need more volunteers to make the trip from Birmingham to Biloxi and New Orleans. So far, 16 good citizens have stepped forward for the Magic City Mission, a weeklong volunteer trip in November.
We’re going to have all kinds of fun helping residents rebuild their cities. The weather will be just right, and you’ll be able to say you made a difference.
It’s as easy as can be. Check your schedule, pick your city, and contact me to sign up. No special skills needed — just a willingness to jump in and work hard.
Signup deadline is Friday!
If you have questions, let me know.
Magic City Mission: Make it your mission to help the Gulf Coast.
Contributing writer Stacy Vance reviewed “Overflow” by Birmingham director Jana Harris:
For those of us who miss the guilty pleasure of the ABC after-school special, “Overflow” gives a respectable shot at resurrecting the teenage drama, complete with the valuable lesson to take away.
The film screens Sunday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.
Craving something serious in bite-size pieces? Try this block of shorts from Alabama filmmakers at this weekend’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.
But be warned: It’s heavy slogging through these dainty dramas.
Chance Shirley, co-director of “Hide and Creep” and co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, caught a screening of “The Ten” in New York and offers this review.
“The Ten” will be of special interest to fans of “The State,” the MTV sketch comedy show that launched the careers of a group of actors, writers and directors who would go on to work on a variety of television shows and movies, including “Stella,” “Wet Hot American Summer” and “Reno 911!”
The film will open next week’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.
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