Just when you thought the Occupy meme was going to fade away in 2012, Avondale Brewing Company is inviting folks to join them in their invasion of 41^st Street South (a.k.a. the Avondale commercial business district served by Main Street Birmingham).

Occupy Avondale is an opportunity for a new or existing business to move in directly across the street from the brewery – and including six months free rent in the completely renovated space located at 200 41^st St. S. The winner will be chosen from five finalists and occupy either 1,800 or 2,400 square feet of space on the ground floor of the building.

Folks interested in the opportunity may apply using the Google docs form through January 31. The winner is scheduled to be announced at an event at the brewery in March.

A recent entry on MSB’s on-site blog goes over some of the criteria being considered among the judges. You also probably wouldn’t want to enter without looking over the contest rules (it’s a PDF).

By the way – if you want to learn a little bit more about memes, check out this site (don’t worry, it’s taking part in today’s blackout too).

There’s an online protest taking place today (January 18, 2012) of epic proportions. Here’s some information about why so many tech folks are up in arms about SOPA and PIPA, including links to some information from both sides of the debate.

Some of us who lived here in 2010 remember the Dale Peterson ad that went viral and spoofs it inspired. Well, we’re most likely going to get another dose of spoofs as his wife Kathy’s two-minute video for her campaign to be Public Service Commission president starts its ascent up the Internet awareness chart.

The long-term outlook for the county provides the perfect testing opportunity to see if Birmingham, AL is ready for pay and display meters. A recent ruling associated with the county’s bankruptcy filing means we’ll get a good sample pool for some time to come.

Format changes in local radio are inevitable – and Birmingham is probably about to go through another round of them. The first station to see a change, WZRR, will now play Top 40. Hey, we can always stream though, can’t we?

It’s time to help Birmingham, AL be called “The South’s Tastiest Town” – and a chance to say thank you to those who’ve supported this site for so long.

Folks who live over on Birmingham’s east side who drive along the edge of Avondale Park will have one more reason to slow down and take notice – with one more reason still slated to arrive soon…