That’s nice of him

Mayor: Won’t ask city for a Cadillac Escalade EXT – Breaking News from The Birmingham News – al.com

He says that he already has an Escalade. I guess the question is why he needs a mammoth gas-guzzler.

Caesar: Render onto God the way I tell you

Langford criticizes ministers for lax support of prayer rallies- al.com

Crazy Larry is upset that more ministers didn’t make their parishoners take part in his absurd sackcloth and ashes rally in April. There were, of course, many reasons not to, including that it was insane and that he doesn’t get the point of sackcloth and ashes.

He also criticized them for preaching a “prosperity gospel” instead of “repentance”:

“People are preaching that God wants you all rich. That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. The Bible says the poor will be with you always.”

Personally, I find that sort of preaching offensive. However, “the poor will be with you always” is not the sort of thing a political official tasked with improving his constituents’ lot in life should be saying, is it?

Isn’t that convenient?

Alabama Supreme Court delays execution of Thomas Arthur; state can’t find rape kit evidence- al.com

They lost potentially exculpatory evidence. Just lost it. Funny how that happens.

It never ceases to amaze me how (mostly conservative) prosecutors are so opposed to the idea of actually checking evidence to see if people are actually guilty. I mean, “Troy King” is a bloodthirsty lunatic, but you would think most people would prefer that, if we’re going to kill people, that we kill the right ones. But I guess not.

This is gonna suck! (Again)

Shaye, Lynne on for ‘Foundation’

So, the people who used to run New Line Films are unemployed and want to start up a new production house. Since New Line’s biggest hits were the Lord of the Rings films, they think, “Huh, trilogy, beloved by millions,” and come up with Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books. Which are great, but hardly filmic, since they mostly consist of talking while all the action is offscreen.

A few years ago, someone else was working on a Foundation movie, and I said that was gonna suck too. Never happened, thankfully. The idiots who were making that were concerned that Asimov was, gasp, “intellectual”.

Sharks of north Alabama!

Or not:

Alabama conservation official says dead shark definitely planted’ in Lake Guntersville- al.com

Well, that’s too bad. It does seem unlikely that a shark could travel upriver, past numerous dams, all the way to Lake Guntersville, which is on the Tennessee, which runs into the Ohio, which runs into the Mississippi. But it would be cool if it did. It would certainly liven up the waterskiing.

I have no idea whether this is a good idea

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford suggests leasing vehicles to update aging fleet- al.com

It seems like a sensible enough proposal, but like Langford’s archenemy Valerie Abbott, I wonder why he couldn’t have mentioned this during the budget season.

This parking lot is clearly a danger to people who are falling-down drunk!

Councilman Joel Montgomery sues lot owner over 2007 fall- al.com

Birmingham City Councilman Joel Montgomery has sued the owner of a parking lot where he said he fell last year, resulting in a broken nose, a fractured vertebra and a public intoxication arrest.

Montgomery’s suit said he was injured on April 7, 2007, when he was walking in Five Points South, did not see a wall and fell 3 feet to the pavement in a parking lot.

The suit contends J.H. Berry and Co., owner of the lot at 14th Avenue South and 20th Street, should have warned people about the danger.

Montgomery, of course, now says that he wasn’t drunk, he just “had a few drinks”. Yeah, that’s what they all say.

Who cares? Kill him anyway!

Convicted murderer serving life says he, not Thomas Arthur, killed Troy Wicker Jr. in 1982- al.com

Oddly, Troy King doesn’t have anything to say, but one of his assistant AGs — I don’t know if this is one of the unqualified ones or not — says that this guy “lacks credibility”. Now, seeing as he’s a murderer (killed another inmate over a carton of cigarettes), I would have to say that he does, indeed, lack credibility. However, that is not to say that he’s necessarily lying, and to accuse Arthur’s attorneys of feeding him information is way over the line. Let’s add that the AG’s office has also refused to cooperate in allowing DNA testing to confirm Arthur’s guilt, because it’s much more important to execute someone than to actually make sure that you’re doing justice. Arthur’s surely guilty of something.

Somebody do something, please

Jeffco heading for default on $3.2 billion sewer payment- al.com

So, here is the situation. They do not have the money. Collins and the two Democrats want to raise the money through taxes and fees. The other two Republicans favor what Republicans usually do in a crisis, figuring out a way for someone to profit. In this case, it’s those wonderful folks at the Retirement Systems of Alabama; they want to declare the sewer system bankrupt and let RSA buy it at a discount. Why the state pension fund is going to buy a county sewer system is anyone’s guess; I never do understand why RSA does anything other than they think it would be neat, and sewers definitely aren’t neat unless they were built by the Romans or something.

Nobody else will say it so I will

AG King boosts top aides salaries- al.com

Troy gave a high-paid job to his boyfriend, who is even more unqualified than Troy is.