Category Archives: Online

UPDATE: A petition supporting area food trucks appears

Food Truck. Courtesy of Operation New Birmingham

See updates below | It’s been a long time since anyone’s talked about the issue of food trucks here in Birmingham, AL – relatively speaking. It’s been nearly two years since an episode that eventually led to ONB announcing and then changing its stance on them.

It’s not hard to find folks supportive of their existence based on the crowds that gathered for two different events built around them in the metro area held on the same day back on May 12. If nothing else, folks are more aware of just how many options they have.

Some residents are wanting to make sure that members of Birmingham’s City Council are aware of how many people enjoy the options currently available to folks who work, live, and visit our fair city. They’ve already garnered about 75 virtual signatures as of 10 a.m. this morning on a Change.org petition asking our municipal legislative body to establish policies that support them when possible (and they’ll probably reach their goal of 100 well before lunchtime).

Early Wednesday evening, July 11, the owner of Spoonfed Grill shared an update from a Birmingham City Council meeting where new regulations were being discussed.

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/SpoonFedGrill/status/223184528913596416″]

It’s been interesting to look at the conversation taking place on the petition’s page, particularly when you look at what some who aren’t signing the petition are saying about whether or not other issues facing the area need the same level of opinion.

UPDATE 3 p.m.: According to a post this afternoon on Magic City Post, the total number of signatures being sought has been raised to 500 – and its nearly reached that goal as well.

UPDATE 5:27 p.m.: The Birmingham News is now reporting that the new goal for Naomi Anderegg’s effort  is 1,000; it’s currently at 617.

UPDATE 7/15, 8:50 a.m.: A quick check of the petition currently shows the new goal as being 1,500 signatures with more than 1,160 already collected.

Time to celebrate the drive-in

Google Doodle drivein stillAccording to today’s Google Doodle, it’s been 79 years since the first drive-in theater opened in Camden, New Jersey (only weeks after the patent was issued to Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr). The video accompanying it’s pretty cool.

There were a bunch of them here in Alabama – the list includes current and classic drive-in locations in the state – but the numbers have gotten down to twelve. While it’s probably going to be a little tough to find a copy of the 1932 British comedy Wives Beware (the 1st film ever shown in Camden) playing in Argo & Harpersville, you’ve got a chance to enjoy some recent releases this weekend locally – Madagascar 3 &/or Men in Black 3 (depending on the location). Yes, there’s probably a theme here.

The price has gone up a little bit too – from 25¢ for the car and an additional 25¢ for each person in the car in 1933 Camden to $5 for adults and $2 for children at metro Birmingham’s two current venues. Hopefully the rain will hold off for those of you wanting to check them out.

Visited the new Birmingham City Council site yet?

Birmingham City Council's new websiteIt’s been a little more than a month since the Birmingham City Council launched its own website – one that was determined to make it easier for residents with digital access to be better informed about what was happening on the third floor of City Hall.

While there is still not a link to the new site from the city’s main website as of this post going live, the new online home for all things involving the City of Birmingham (a product of  CivicPlus) is also introducing us to additional ways to connect with the Council. These include a fan page on Facebook and a Twitter account, CC_Birmingham. There was activity on all of these platforms through April 18, though it seemed to have temporarily stopped since then. They’ve also provided a link to a landing page for video archives of council meetings (ones currently posted are from February).

Time will tell how this resource will be used by the council and the people they represent…

Alabamians seem to like their USA Today

forbes-interactive-media-mapThe first edition of Forbes Magazine‘s interactive media map shows that Alabama – and the rest of the southeastern United States – seems to be most influenced online by news reports from USA Today. That finding might surprise some of you out there. It won’t after a quick explanation of the methodology.

The map, scheduled to be updated monthly, takes a look at those links shared using website URL shortener bit.ly at a higher average rate than the rest of the country. While it doesn’t seem to take into consideration that some news organizations use their own shorteners – or even a different service – it does help folks get a better idea at exactly what’s influencing where while backing up some long held beliefs.

We’ll see how the map changes in the coming months (provided it’s a habit that wants to be changed by area residents).

A lot of the web is on strike. Here’s why

sopastrike landing pageUPDATE: It looks like today’s efforts have been effective, if not successful, according to The New York Times‘ website this afternoon.

Some of you may have already attempted to access sites like Wikipedia or Craigslist this morning and noticed it’s not quite business as usual. They are a couple of the major sites that have chosen to participate in today’s Internet Blackout Day to protest the upcoming vote on Senate Bill 968: The Protect IP Act (known online as PIPA). Incidentally, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales happens to be an Alabama native (Huntsville to be exact).

If you’re visiting our site today, you’ll notice a black ribbon in the upper-right hand corner that will take you to a site that helps explain why this is all happening.

UPDATE: The folks at mental_floss did a great job of laying out what’s going on too.

You may want to take a moment and actually read the bills in question for yourself – both PIPA and SOPA (they’re in PDF format).

Take a look at how some of the more prominent voices (including Wales and Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg) in the ongoing debate over the bill said as part of a collection of op-eds published today on the BBC’s website. You may also take a look at ProPublica’s analysis showing where our local delegation stands on this issue.

For the record, in the Senate Sessions is supporting SOPA while Shelby is undecided. None of the members of Alabama’s House delegation have made their intentions known as of this time.

There is an alternative that is supported by many of the folks participating in the blackout today – the OPEN Act.

Know when the Hot Light goes on from your desk

the Krispy Kreme hot lightIt’s that time of the holiday season that finds you spending hours on the road as you go to the last of those holiday parties or as you head out to visit family. Part of that tradition for many includes hunting for the almost elusive Krispy Kreme “Hot Now” sign (the company calls it the “Hot Light”) for a glazed treat (or two) to help give you the energy to get to your final destination.

The folks at the popular donut chain have made that search just a little bit easier now with the launch of their new Hot Light apps for the desktop and your iOS or Android smartphone. The apps allow you to select the location closest to your home while also letting you know where the closest location to you with an activated “Hot Light” is when you’re out and about.

Yep, this may explain mass exoduses from offices for many in the coming days…

Get ready for Hey Octane Boy posts from Homewood

Updated below | Octane-Boy-screenshotThere have been rumblings since November (long proven true) that Atlanta’s Octane Coffee would be opening its first location out of state (and third overall) here in Alabama – specifically in Homewood. It’ll be next to the first location for parent company Fresh Hospitality‘s new fast casual restaurant Little Donkey. They’re currently scheduled to open this spring along Central Avenue.

They’ll be using beans roasted by Primavera Coffee Roasters, a locally owned favorite among area coffee drinkers (it was first written about back in October) with the long-time Cahaba Heights resident moving its operation into Octane’s space OTM.

The addition of the new restaurants to the local scene may also lead to us seeing photos of the shop’s male employees shared for all to see via the Hey, Octane Boy site on Tumblr. The chain had already received some attention earlier this year thanks to the “hipster barista” meme and now this relatively new fan boy site (eerily similar to one called Feminist Ryan Gosling and Hey girl, I heart NPR) has been recognized as the Eater.com website of the day and given a shout out on Foodista.

Can a Hey, Urban Standard boy site be far behind?

UPDATE (8/18/2012): It appears as though the building permit’s been issued for construction of the new space (thanks to Landon Howell)…