If Anthony Bordain came to Birmingham…

I’ll gladly admit that one of my recent guilty pleasures has been catching up with seasons upon seasons of Anthony Bordain: No Reservations on the travel channel.  Thank goodness for a DVR, because these episodes are often during the day (I’ve seen one on the TV while eating lunch at Pappa’s in Vestavia Hills) or late nights (when I’m up working on my ‘day job’ issues that are better handled overnight).

So, I was thinking the other day while watching his recent episode about San Francisco that wouldn’t it be great if he came to Birmingham to shoot an episode?  What would make a great sequence of places for him to visit??  Here are my ideas/suggestions (in case he’s listening).

1. The Famous Chef
   • Anything by Frank Stitt (Bottega, Highlands, etc.) – the only way to start an Anthony Bordain visit would be to interview our resident famous chef, talking about his signature restaurants, his most recent book, and other endeavors!
2. The Past
   • Vulcan and a long shot of Sloss Furnaces — sets the stage for our region’s industrial roots
   • The Club — those t0-die-for orange rolls, great view of downtown, recently refurbished but retains its old charm (and neon sign), arrogance of “the” with a hard e, and the “dance floor” that inspired the disco floor in Saturday Night Fever… perhaps dinner with members of the Junior Board at The View extolling the virtues of being young and upwardly mobile in this region
   • Civil Rights District — feel-good food at Green Acres on 4th Avenue North (no fire hose shots, please), finalist for the best fried chicken restaurant in the country (according to Steve Harvey’s Hoodie Awards 2009… they won the award in 2007).  Should also include a tour of the theatre district… I recommend Elias Hendricks to tell the story about his experiences at the Lyric Theatre (I heard his story a few years ago at a Catalyst event/tour and it’s a great one!)
   • Hot Dogs — a quick cut to something lighter with George running Gus’, Gus running Pete’s, and the Lyric’s own hot dog joint… these are those wonderful hole-in-the-wall (sometimes literally) hot dog stores in downtown, which rumor says whose profits are all it takes to support the property taxes on the vacant buildings they inhabit.  The video could also capture Birmingham’s finest (police and meter maids) on their seemingly endless breaks.
3. The Present
   • Pepper Place Saturday Market — the most enjoyable melting pot of cultures on a Saturday morning anywhere in Birmingham… interview its founder , of the family Sloss.
   • WorkPlay — run by the Hunter brothers, the most famous of which is Alan Hunter of MTV VJ fame… would be great if he did the shoot when some otherwise recognizable performer(s) that the international audience might recognize (e.g. Taylor Hicks performance in September).  Alan could also talk about his founding of “Hip to be Civic” Catalyst and its impact on young professionals across the region.
   • The J. Clyde — the host loves his beer and there isn’t a better place to get beers on draft in town and the cobble stones outside would add to the shot.  I recommend an interview with Danner Kline to discuss the recent success with Free the Hopps and its future plans to address other blue laws still on the books

What did I miss?

I think this would fill up the hour show.  I’ve got “no reservations” about encouraging him to come to Birmingham.

A Fizzing End to Summer – Guinness World Record attempt on August 8th

The Vestavia Hills High School Band has high ambitions.  This coming New Years, they will be marching the Mayor’s parade in London, England.  To pay for the trip, they have come up with a stunt that could also land them on the list of Guinness World Records.

Recipe:

1. One 2-liter Diet Coke per person
2. Seven Mentos candies
3. Several thousand friends and neighbors

Result:

“Cascading cola geyser of incredible proportions” – the resulting geyser will spray as high as 20 feet into the air for about 10 seconds

Limited parking will be available in the high school parking lots with free shuttle parking available nearby. Look for signs along Highway 31 directing you to the shuttle locations. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. with the big “splash” at 9. Arrive early to make sure you won’t miss out on a second of this record-setting experience. Event proceeds benefit VHHS Band.

The date: Saturday August 8, 2009 (rain or shine)
The time: 9 AM (promptly)
The place: Vestavia Hills High School football stadium
Who – EVERYONE is invited
Cost – $5 per person. Includes all supplies. Pay at the gate (cash, please)

For more information on how your group can be a part of this event, contact Millie Whitacre (205-516-8889).

Car Bomb in Birmingham (yes, Ala. – not UK)

This just in, as reported by FOX6:

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) – A Walker County man was sitting in his vehicle on Wednesday, when a bomb exploded. The victim is now in serious condition at UAB Hospital.

Agents with the ATF and FBI have been called in to assist police to find out who planted the explosive device.

This all happened around 6:00 pm at a home on Crest Avenue in the Walker County community of Parrish.

Walker County’s Sheriff says it is unknown what type of explosive device it was or how it was detonated. He did say the explosion was confined to the inside of the truck.

Sheriff John Mark Tirey says this incident is shocking.

Yes, indeed!

“Green Building Focus” Expo in July + Ed Begley, Jr. comes to town

This just in from Catalyst, the “hip to be civic” crowd:

The Green Building Focus Expo is July 28, 29 and 30 at the BJCC starting at 7:30 each morning. It is a forum that has been done in South Africa and worldwide and seeks to create Birmingham as a “green hub” for sustainable building products and services. Speakers such as Ed Begley, Jr., Charles Kibert, Karan Grover, Dominic Sims and many other thought leaders and experts will provide information on the increasing movement for green building. By attending the event you will have the opportunity to take the “Learning to LEED” class and have the opportunity to become LEED certified. With the many resources surrounding Birmingham’s 100 mile radius, we are an ideal location for this event as well as being the forefront for the future green building movement.

Catalyst will be supporting this event by promoting and providing volunteers. Volunteers will gain full access to the event and speakers. We are looking for 10-25 people who would either like to work in registration, ushers, on-site recycling program or event information.

Check out the website greenbuildingfocus.com for a schedule of events and for more information on this event contact Todd Sims at tsims@greenbuildingfocus.com or Melisa McGregor at mmcgregor@greenbuildingfocus.com. Contact Gail Harper Yeilding if you would like to volunteer, ghyeilding@yahoo.com.

Ed Begley, Jr. will speak on the opening day, July 28th:

“I am honored to have the opportunity to speak to design and construction professionals from across the Southeast. These professionals have the opportunity to affect real change through sustainable building practices, and their interest in doing so is critical to the future of our nation,” said Begley.

Good news for Alabama… a silver shovel for our effort

Jimmy DeButts at the Birmingham Business Journal just announced that the State of Alabama is one of 11 states to earn a “Silver Shovel” award for its economic development capabilities.

The award was given after [Area Development] magazine reviewed data from each state’s top 10 job creation and investment projects in 2008. Only those projects that “broke ground,” began an expansion or started hiring were considered.

Our neighbor to the north, Tennessee, got the “Gold Shovel” award.  According to the magazine, “Silver Shovel Awards go the ‘runner-up’ states, which were ranked according to three population categories (greater than 10 million, 5–10 million, and less than 5 million).“ Alabama is in the under 5 million category.  Georgia also received a Silver Shovel, but in the 5-10 million category.