Five Points South...West, and Churches and Taxes

I'm confused. I tried to understand something Larry Langford said.

In talking about his proposed Five Points West project he said "It will take on the same flavor as Five Points South."

In the Birmingham News article that comes just after describing the improvements as having an Olympic grade swimming facility, an indoor track and an equestrain training center.

I drive through Five Points South almost every day and the closest thing to a swimming facility I see is the fountain. No sports facilities (billiards does not count).
An aside...
The Storyteller and picture from Bham Online.


Anyway, the mayor is right on one thing. An indoor track facility is needed if in fact an indoor track state meet was not even offered by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (as the article says) because they did not have a track at which they could host the event. But I remember going to indoor track events at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery years ago (college level) and the coliseum is still there and lists hosting sporting events as one of its offerings. Maybe what Steve Savarese, executive director of the High School Association, meant was he had not been diligent in securing a place for the event.

Ok I read about this on another blog, and would reference it if I could find it again...but I also saw it on CBS 42.


"Hello, thanks for calling, I am currently on a prison ministry assignment from God in Atlanta, Georgia for the next few months. This prison ministry assignment has been totally underwritten by the United States government in the form of a grant."

Those are the words of Rev. Gregory Clarke on his outgoing voice mail message.

So, intentional humor or not, we are to believe that this "assignment" was from God, that it was God's idea for him to break the law just so he could end up in federal prison. Nice. If that is not molding God to fit your own circumstances I don't know what is.

My personal opinion when I see "tax" anything and "church" in the same sentence is that churches should not have any tax exempt status. Period. Now I know this has nothing to do with Clarke's case, but still.

A snipet in the Birmingham News (from wire reports) says "The IRS is investigating the United Church of Christ over a speech Sen. Barack Obama gave at its national meeting last year...Obama belongs to the 1.2 million member protestant group. In a letter the denomination received Monday, the IRS said "resonable belief exists" that the circumstances surrouding the speech violated restrictions on political activity for tax-exempt organizations."

Haven't numerous candiates from both parties made speeches in churches within the last few months that violate those restrictions. Especially around the Martin Luther King holiday. I mean, the candidates would not have made those speeches if they had not been runnng for president would they? And they did make the speeches to try to persuade voters didn't they?

Oscars Part II, La Vie En Rose

Just a couple of more Oscar notes.


Ruby Dee is 83 years old. She looked marvelous and I just hope she will continue to perform. After all, production designer Robert Boyle received an Oscar Sunday night and he is 98 years old.


If you are not careful in trying to find information about Robert Boyle you find the philosopher and scientist of the same name. I did, and thought "Born in 1627, no wonder the man could hardly make it to the microphone" and then realized I had the wrong guy. The Boyle of old is known mostly for physics things, like Boyle's law which has to do with movement of sound through air and such. Really it is deeper than that, stating that volume of a gas increases as pressure decreases at a constant temperature.


Back to the Oscars. Yesterday I mentioned Marion Cotillard and how happy yet unbelieving she was when she won. Here is her acceptance. Have you ever been this happy?

Here is Edith Piaf, sometimes thought of as France's most poular pop singer of all time, in 1954 singing "La Vie En Rose" from which the movie takes its name.

And here is a little bit of Marion in the movie.


Something about Edith's troubled life juxtaposed with the sheer joy Marion showed makes me want to see the movie. Netflix?

Oscars...Gay after all

Back in business. Don't forget the Bessemer Neighborhood Associaiton meeting tonight at 7:00 at Food World.

This week is midterm week and last week was worse, as far as time was involved, so I was buried in books and meetings, but I can't resist commenting on the Oscars.

Some gays still aren’t over the loss of Best Picture two years ago when Crash beat out Brokeback Mountain. They feel they were robbed (but hey, can’t that happen anytime votes are cast?..2000?). Personally, I think Brokeback Mountain garnered so much positive hype that not winning the Oscar is not a big deal. Disappointment, yes.

But this is 2008, and a year that there was not expected to be a big gay component to the Oscars (as if the ceremony could take place without a “big gay component", but I digress). If you stayed up to the end of the show, however, you were not disappointed.

First, though, let me mention my favorite Oscar moments. I always love the surprise and joy exhibited by those who are not expected to win and do. Marion Cotillard, who won best actress for her performance of Edith Piaf in the French language film La Vie En Rose certainly did not disappoint. “…thank you life, thank you love, and it is true, there is some angels in this city. Thank you so, so much.” How can you argue with that for a magic moment, especially her joyful unbelieving walk off stage?

And while we are on the best performer categories (supporting actor), Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men (who brought his mother to the event), rattled of part of his acceptance speech in Spanish (how long before republicans introduce a bill that award ceremony speeches have to be given in English?). Yes, Bardem is a hunk, and yes he has played gay roles a couple of times (Second Skin, Before Night Falls) and he has answered the “are you gay” question…but Javi…bringing your mother to the Oscars does not help to dispel rumors.

Another favorite moment was Diablo Cody winning for original screenplay for Juno. She had to hold her dress closed because of the slit that might have exposed her um… well, no one was looking because all eyes were focused on the great tat on her arm of a woman in a bikini. And what a character…she drew on her own life for Juno (minus the pregnancy), her first effort at screenwriting.

Oscars three gay moments (oh there were more, I know).

John Stewart’s relaying of backstage humor when two winners wanted their Oscars to kiss and one remarked that they were both men and admitted well this is Hollywood or something to that effect. I don't have the transcript for this one.

But, not the first time two men have kissed backstage I am sure.

Shortly after that the Short Subject Documentary Freeheld, The Legacy of Laurel Hester, which is about a dying woman’s effort to get her pension awarded to her life partner. Here is part of director Cynthia Wade’s acceptance speech, “Thank you. It was Lieutenant Laurel Hester's dying wish that her fight for, against discrimination would make a difference for all the same sex couples across the country that face discrimination every day. Discrimination that I don't face as a married woman...”

Thank you Cynthia, both for telling this story, and for telling over 1 billion people (those watching last night) around the world about discrimination.

Finally, the Oscars ended with the best remark of the gay evening, producer Scott Rudin who along with Joel and Ethan Coen, won best picture for No Country for Old Men. Scott ended his acceptance speech and the evening with this, “This is also for my partner John Barlow. Without you, honey, this would be hardware. Thank you so much. Thank you.”

Being able to thank the one you love and who gives you support, priceless.

Bessemer This, Bessemer That and Raven!

On Monday February 25 at 7:00 the Bessemer Neighborhood Association will hold a meeting for city residents who are interested in the Bessemer Water Service, GUSC and the future of our water supply. The meeting is at Food World on 9th Avenue in their community room and all are encouraged to come. Care about your water rates?

On Saturday February 23 from 10 to 2 there will be a work day at Jonesboro Community Garden. This day is being sponsored by the Bessemer Rotary Club and the Bessemer Historical Homeowners Association. There will be planting of trees and shrubs and spreading of gravel in the parking area.

February 23 of each year commemorates the anniversary of Rotary International as Rotary World Understanding Day. 2008 marks the 103rd birthday of Rotary. Contributing to the Jonesboro Community Garden contributes to an outstanding effort in the Jonesboro community that includes residents, churches and the Jonesboro Elementary School. Thank you Rotary for your interest and contribution to this project.

The Garden is located at the corner of Owen Avenue and Wellington Street.

Many of you know Raven, the Goddess of Entertainment, who is well known in Atlanta but also performs frequently here in Birmingham. She graced Jonathon and Kyle's "Christmas at the Castle" party in Bessemer this year, with this performance. Who says we don't know how to party and have fun in Bessemer. Thanks for this video, Alex and thanks Jonathon and Kyle for bringing both style and entertainment to new heights in our community.



No doubt this is Bessemer: you can hear the train in the background during the performance.

Idol Worship and Bird Count Results

I knew that when John Katopodis became involved with Larry Langford's computer distribution program the name Ryan Idol would come up. Those of you who might barely remember this man let me tweak your memory with just two words: Idol Worship. OK, now you remember. If that doesn't ring a bell...forget it.

But let's not dwell there. The Great Backyard Bird Count has concluded and all the results are not in. But from the results as of now, it looks like more Bessemer residents participated than last year. So far 20 lists have been submitted, up from 12 last year, and 47 species reported, with 1,136 birds counted. The most common birds in Bessemer appear to be the red winged blackbird and common grackle, followed closely by the American goldfinch.

Birmingham jumped from 118 lists in 2007 to 193 this year, and Hoover and Vestavia both went from one list each to 7 and 5, respectively this year. Fultondale dropped from 171 lists to 27 this year. What happened there? Lipscomb dropped from one list to none this year. But remember, all the lists may not have been reported yet (hint hint). I may report on this one more time after the time for submitting lists is up.

My most unusual sightings for an urban area (not really unusual, but not everyday) were a red tailed hawk and a turkey vulture. Robins were common here, mostly I think because there is water (in the fountain and on the spa cover) that the robins congregate around. Those who have water know this. They will just sit in water and get "big" for minutes at a time, even when it is cold. Our fountain is three tiered and there will sometimes be two sitting in the top tier, three or four in the middle, and four or more around the edges of the deeper basin. Could robins be the intermediate between land birds and ducks? Just a thought (as MS says, "Just a thought"). And just kidding about the evolutionary link.

I give Michaelangelo Signorile credit for "just a thought" because I don't want to be accused of plagiarism like Obama was. My two cents? Obama's use of the phrases he used are no big deal. But I think others may think differently and it may cost him. We will just have to wait and see.

Biostats is calling.

Bush in Africa vs Obama's Roots in Africa

Today is the one year anniversary of Bessemer Opinions!!!

President Bush is in Africa, visiting a country that seems to like him. While he promotes PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) in Tanzania, republican strategists have other goals for his trip. Kenneth Walsh of U.S. News and World Report surmises that GOP leaders are hoping the trip will soften opposition to Bush among African Americans and help the GOP nominee (McCain) make “inroads into the black vote this fall.”

Well I am not African American but let’s just pretend for a moment. On the one hand we have the president, dilly dallying around the Continent continuing his commitment to spend millions of dollars fighting AIDS. On the other hand we have Barack Obama, who has actual roots in Kenya and realizes that Africa is more than just a photo op stop.

Well, sort of. A photo op doesn’t hurt. Here’s Obama in 2006 speaking at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Hear a little from his sister, Auma Obama, and Barack about their father and Obama’s views of Africa today (2006).



I don’t think there is any chance the GOP candidate would get more than a handful of black votes if Barack is the Dem’s candidate. Same for Clinton if she is the candidate, actually.

In Birmingham the City Council will begin voting electronically, but the real news out of this story is that there will be live web streaming of council meetings with time stamps added so the public can later watch particular agenda items, according to this article in the Bham News.

Can you imagine if the Bessemer Council acquired this type of system? The public could actually watch council meetings, either live or archived. And for only $96,000. That is what it cost Birmingham. Surely the council can find a hundred grand here or there to do this.

The News makes for a Good Weekend

This is a feel good weekend, and you can’t help but feel good after listening to this song. In fact, you can hardly resist standing up and dancing while it plays. This is how the nation (U.S.) will feel during the days between the election in November and the inauguration of our next president. The lyrics are posted below the video. this is Carbon/Silicon with "The News."




People started caring about what they eat
And people started smiling at everyone they meet
And people started looking for good instead of bad
Realize what they could lose in what they always had

People started growing, instead of being crushed
And people started slowing down instead of being rushed
And people started looking with very different eyes
And this information now comes as a surprise

Good morning here's the news and all of it is good
Good evening here's the news and all of it is good
And the weather's good!

People started calling those in power to account
And people started saying, "I want my voice to count"
And people started learning that they don't need to fight
And they control their future and try to make it right

And people started feeling that better's on the way
And people started feeling some peace and calm today
And people started liking the way that good life feels
And every precious moment becoming what is real

Good morning here's the news and all of it is good
Good evening here's the news and all of it is good
And the weather's good!

People started caring about what they eat
And people started smiling at everyone they meet
And people started looking for good instead of bad
Realize what they could lose in what they always had

People started growing, instead of being crushed
And people started slowing down instead of being rushed
And people started looking with very different eyes
And this information now comes as a surprise

Good morning here's the news and all of it is good
Good evening here's the news and all of it is good
And the weather's good!

Good morning here's the news and all of it is good
Good evening here's the news and all of it is good
And the weather's good!