CHANGE Birmingham – Vote for Mayor on Tuesday
In honor of Birmingham electing a new Mayor on Tuesday, I’d like to repost three commercials we developed at TechBirmingham a couple of years ago. This was far in advance of President Obama’s Change and Hope campaigns. Regardless of who the next Mayor ends up being, I hope that he will consider that change comes through action.
The technology community in Birmingham has been engaged in the past and should be re-engaged to further a positive movement we can all get behind!
CHANGE your future
CHANGE your mind
CHANGE your lifestyle
Looking for a job? You’re not alone… according to Employment data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and compiled by INDEED.COM, the Birmingham region ranks #36 out of the 50 largest metro areas. The data is a bit ‘dated’ in that the most recent data is from September 2009, but there is only one job posting for roughly every six unemployed persons. That’s pretty disturbing, until you look further down the list at regions like Riverside CA (1:9), Miami FL (1:12), and Detroit MI (1:18).
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).
- 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!
- The Past
- Vulcan and a long shot of Sloss Furnaces — sets the stage for our region’s industrial roots
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:
- One 2-liter Diet Coke per person
- Seven Mentos candies
- 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!
Musings on Birmingham 