It’’s been more than a month since anyone in East Birmingham has heard from “the Snapple guy” and neither I nor the folks at the Dr. Pepper / Snapple group have any answers.

It started in mid-April when my local convenience store ran out of Snapple Apple, and Snapple Fruit Punch – my two favorite flavors. I asked the owner to order some for me and he said he”d be glad to… if the Snapple guy ever shows up. While normally a loyal shopper, I love my Snapple and set off to find some. Over the next few weeks I depleted the supply of every store in the Roebuck / Centerpoint area. Each time asking them to order more – and each time being told they would if the Snapple guy ever shows up.

And now it’’s almost June and still no sign of the Snapple guy. All the stores are still out, several with empty cooler racks waiting for restocking. I”ve twice contacted Snapple and received only form letters suggesting i ask for Snapple at my favorite stores, which of course I had been doing for weeks. Why is no one searching for this missing vendor? I contacted Snapple again and asked them for the contact information for the distributor in my area. They have not responded. meanwhile the Snapple guy has not been heard from and my thirst now goes unquenched.

What is Snapple hiding? Why won”t they tell me truth about what happened to the Snapple delivery driver? If he’’s not missing then I have to assume they just aren”t a good company. You have customers and retailers looking for your product in our area and we can”t get it! We haven”t even seen the Celebrity Apprentice charity flavors you”re advertising so heavily. Please Snapple, get in touch with me and let me know the Snapple guy is okay… and when I can expect to get some Snapple Fruit Punch again.

Tasty fried pork chops with mac & cheese impressed me; while my mother simply adored the smoked turkey and gravy.

A federal judge has denied former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford’s request to remain out of prison pending an appeal, and the Bureau of Prisons has assigned him to a prison in Ashland, Kentucky. With his designation set, Langford may be able to surrender himself to the prison itself; rather than to the Marshall’s Office in Birmingham. If so, this would allow him to quickly get settled into his new life – instead of being sent to the Jefferson County Jail to be housed until moved to Kentucky – generally via Atlanta or other prisons along the way.

Ashland Kentucky has two prisons located directly across from each other: A minimum-security camp-style prison without a fence; and a low security prison with a fence. Langford’s designation is currently set for the fenced facility, a common starting place for non-violent offenders with 10 years or more to serve. It is common for inmates such as Langford to serve a few years in low-security and then be moved to minimum if behavior and other factors align in his favor.

As prisons go, Ashland is not a bad place to serve time. It is a fairly open and secure institution with very little violence and plenty of recreational opportunities. Generally all inmates work jobs in the prison from eight in the morning until just before four in the evening. After a full standing count inmates have dinner and then are allowed several hours of open-compound activity time before they retire to their units.

The housing units at Ashland are a series of brick buildings with cubicle like cells generally shared by two inmates. Communal bath and shower facilities are available, as well as laundry equipment; game rooms and televisions. These units also have offices where inmates meet with their assigned staff members to discuss their goals and post-release plans. Guards are also on duty in each unit around the clock for the inmate’s safety.

Ashland features a large walking track surrounding a multi-purpose sports field as well as basketball and tennis courts. Workout equipment and other fitness items are available. On rainy days there is a small inside gymnasium. Also inside is a law and leisure library where inmates can work on appeals or check out a novel to read. These libraries are located in the education building, which also hosts classes that aim to help every inmate graduate high school before release.

Ashland offers inmates access to a commissary stocked with snacks, personal care items and leisure clothing for purchase either with funds earned through their jobs or sent from family. But the prison system also believes in financial responsibility, so inmates with unpaid fines and court costs may be required to surrender a portion of their earnings to help satisfy those debts. This is also why Ashland offers jobs in their prison industry where inmates can earn considerable more money ($1-$2 an hour as opposed to as little as 12cents an hour) to give inmates the opportunity to satisfy debts and begin to save money for their eventual release. In Ashland this industry is furniture building, which is then sold to government agencies providing taxpayers a savings while teaching the inmates a trade skill as well as good work ethic.

As far as visitation goes, Ashland allows family members to visit with inmates in person in a casual sitting area – no glass between you. Inmates can also stay connected to family via phone – with at least one phone available in every housing unit.

While certainly no vacation, Langford can expect a safe and healthy stay at ‘Club Fed’ where – if he behaves – he can do his time in relative peace. We wish him the best.

The Southern Museum of Flight, located in Birmingham, Alabama is dedicated to presenting civilian, military, experimental aircraft, and memorabilia from the earliest history of powered flight. The 68,000 square foot facility houses over seventy-five aircraft, as well as engines, models, artifacts, photographs, and paintings. In addition, the Southern Museum of Flight is home to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame with over sixty-five biographical plaques presenting Alabama aviation history through collective biography.

Notable aircraft on display include a Wright Flyer, a Curtis Pusher, a WWll Fokker D-Vll, an Alexander Eaglerock once owned by the first deaf pilot, WWll trainers, and F4 “Phantom” jet, Soviet built MIGs, an A12 “Blackbird” spy plane, the “Lake Murray” B-25 Bomber, and a vast array of experimental aircraft.

Featured on display at the Southern Museum of Flight is a diorama exhibit honoring Alabama’s famed Tuskegee Airmen. A state-of-the-art theater with surround sound, realistic flight simulators, tours, and a children’s “Little Pilots Room” are also available.

The Southern Museum of Flight truly has something for everyone! I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed my visit to the museum. It is a rare jewel that we have in Birmingham that is often over-looked; but should not be missed. On my visit, I saw every kind of plane from the earliest attempts of flight – to aircraft and choppers flown in Viet Nam- to the latest aircraft used for spying purposes. To be up close and personal with so many aircraft is something very special and everyone is sure to take away something new that they have learned.

Read the extended article with photos Here

By:  Christie Bohorfoush, Senior Staff Writer

Mixed Martial Arts has come to Moody, Alabama through the help of Peter Zahel, owner and founder of The Cage MMA and Fitness, Inc. Zahel is a Karate Instructor – USA National Karate Champion in 2008 (one gold and two silver metals) – European Euro Cup Champion – two time Czech Republic National Cup Champion – and has a professional sports background since 1987.

This writer, once a huge fan of the WWE, found Mixed Martial Arts about four years ago and was immediately hooked by the sport. While some may argue why a woman, or any sports fan for that matter, might enjoy what some consider to be a rather barbaric sport… Mixed Martial Arts is actually a very safe sport. While indeed the sport consists of besting your opponent at grappling, kicks, and punches; the fighters have tremendous respect for each other and never simply beat the heck out of one another. The sport is purely based on who has the most skill and knowledge in the field of martial arts. This is exactly why I lost interest in the WWE, after viewing several Mixed Martial Arts fights… staged fighting simply lost its appeal to the REAL sport of martial arts fighting.

What Peter Zahel is bringing to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is his own group of trained fighters from his The Cage MMA and Fitness, Inc. Club. As with any start-up club, he has fighters that are learning the skills of Mixed Martial Arts. How do they train? How do they know if they are growing in the sport? For those of you who do not all ready know that Mixed Martial Arts is the hottest and fastest growing sport, the best way to train and grow in the sport is by competing against other clubs. This is what Zahel is helping to bring to Moody and the state of Alabama.

On this particular evening, Zahel’s club played host to “Valentine’s Crush” (well, since it was February and all) pitting his Mixed Martial Arts fighters against others from varied clubs across Alabama. In fact, each club hosts an event… with the next event to be hosted at the Crossfit in Trussville, Alabama on March 6, 2010. This is the idea… each match helps the fighters to learn from their last fight and grow in the sport, bringing what they have just learned to the mat and helping them to master their skills.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening of eight Mixed Martial Arts matches at Peter Zahel’s The Cage MMA and Fitness, Inc Club. From my front row seat, it was easy for me to view the fighters as they brought their best to the cage. It is my intention to continue to follow Mixed Martial Arts in Moody, as well as throughout Alabama, and to help this sport continue to grow here. Let me add that if you are a true fan of Mixed Martial Arts, you will find great thrills and the ride of watching these fighters as they improve their skills and best each other in the cage and on the mat. In fact on this evening, many of the fighters who won their matches came out of The Crossfit Club in Trussville; and so, I look forward to the matches that are lined up for March 6^th.

Be sure to catch The Cage’s next event, at their gym in Moody on March 27^th. Visit www.thecagemmaandfitness.com for more information on their events; as well as classes and instructions in the art of MMA.

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Match One:  Justin Suggs of Ranburn, AL vs Shannon Whittle of Verbena, AL

Shannon Whittle dominated the match with his strikes to Sugg’s mid section most of the opening match. Whittle defeated Suggs, by forcing him to tap out, after getting Suggs in a arm lock.

Match Two:  Brad Collins of Parrish, AL vs Jason Ware of Clanton, AL

At 1:45 seconds in the first round, Brad Collins took Ware with a triangle leg hold that forced Ware to tap out. After the match, Collins exclaimed; “I wanted to win so damn bad!” From the moment that Collins entered the cage, his intensity for the sport and his skills never wavered.

Match Three:  Bradley Johnson from Brookwood, AL vs B.J. England from Verbena, AL

After an upward kick from B.J. that staggered Johnson, B.J. was able to take Johnson to the mat and lock-in a scissor hold around Johnson’s neck that forced him to tap out.

Match Four:  Joe Henry of Talledega, AL vs. Jason Rawlinson of Verbena, AL

After an opening kick to the side of Henry, Rawlinson slammed Henry to the mat. At 1:47 seconds into the first round, Rawlinson caught Henry in an arm lock that forced him to tap out.

Match Five:  Jeff Patton of Parrish, AL vs. Fred York from Trussville, AL

This was a hard fought match, with both fighters pretty evenly matched. At two minutes into the second round, however, York’s  skills out bested Patton’s and he won by tap out

Match Six:  Alek Miller of Pelham, AL vs. Reshan Kahn of Birmingham, AL

Kahn took a beating from Miller, after Miller full mounted Kahn and pummeled him with his fists. The Ref stopped the match, due to strikes, as Kahn was unable to defend himself.

Match Seven:  Nate Bordilon of Odenville, Al vs. Cody Southwood of Madison, AL

The match began with a back and forth barrage of flying fists. At one minute nineteen seconds in the first round, however, Cody Southwood full mounted Nate on the mat and pounded him with his fists. The ref stopped the match, due to strikes, as Nate was unable to defend himself against the fists of Southwood.

Match Eight – MAIN EVENT – Nick Collins of Parrish, AL vs. Caleb Machen of Moody, AL

This was a match between welter weights, weighing in at 135 pounds. Although small and thin, this is clear proof that even the smallest of people can learn to defend themselves through the skills they learn in Mixed Martial Arts.

The match began with both fighters exchanging kicks to the mid sections. Machen soon found himself, however, pinned to the mat and taking a barrage of fists from Collins; but managed to fend off the blows from the mat and make it to the second round.

In the opening of round two, and having taken a kick from Machen, Collins soon found his footing and the will to fight back and use his skills. Machen slammed Collins to the mat; and although Collins was on his back and on the mat, he used his knowledge of mixed martial arts skills to apply a triangle leg hold to Machen and forcing him to tap out.

On February 13th they will present The Cage Challenge 1 (Valentine Crush) showcasing local and up-and-coming fighters in The Cage’s twenty-four foot MMA fight cage. This event is open to the public with tickets starting at just $15.

Visit http://www.thecagemmaandfitness.com for more information

I was examined by a medical student, and then the Doctor. Both addressed my primary concern, but also touched on other issues that concerned them: My blood pressure and a psoriasis breakout I have been fighting for some time. They took the time to get to know all my needs and how they could help.

A very sweet and calming nurse treated my ear; and the Doctors laid out a treatment plan for my BP and skin problems. There wasn’t the feeling of being rushed that I have gotten from other medical centers as they answered my questions and worked with me to adjust the treatment plan based on my preferences and needs. I was a patient, not just a customer to be herded through.

I highly recommend MedHelp for both urgent care and general practice needs. Everyone treated me with respect and the utmost professionalism and I left feeling that my health-care was finally in good hands.

For more information on MedHelp visit their website: http://www.medhelpclinics.com/ where you can learn more about their practice and download the new patient forms to save time on your first visit.

Leave Already! You’ve got a spot close to the door, and you saw me pull up and turn my blinker on. Put your crap in the car and leave! Why must you check your hair, fiddle with the radio and update your Twitter status before backing out of the spot. I’m not trying to be impatient, but i can do my taxes faster than some of you can put the Hummer in gear!

Control your children! When did this become something I have to tell you? You’re staring at the hundred-calorie snack packs as if Howie Mandel just asked you to choose a briefcase; and your adorable offspring is reaching into my cart as he prefers my Pringles to your healthy choice. Meanwhile three other kids are screaming because their parents took them down the candy aisle and are now SHOCKED that they want something from said aisle. In the distance a glass bottle shatters and some random child’s name is yelled out, followed by no further words.

Move Along Please Twitter and Myspace are great social networks. Aisle seven is not! You and a friend pull up side-by-side, cart-to-cart like two police cars outside the Krispy Kreme completely blocking the aisle while you debate that potato salad Nancy brought to the put-luck that you are sure was store bought. People are backing up behind you like 280 at six o’clock, but you are oblivious to the world around you as you continue to insult your friends and neighbors, who are likely over in Aisle twelve doing the same to you. Single file ladies!

Can You Hear Me Now? Get off the damn phone. This applies almost everywhere, but never more so than when you are shouting into your Nokia because you only have one bar under this steel roof, so everyone in the housewares department can your conversation and can almost here the party on the other end of the line: Your husband who is in electronics!

Freezer Door Dominance There are a dozen flavors of Ben and Jerrys in front of you, and for each flavor there is a row of ten or more tubs. You can’t decide between Chubby Hubby or Cherry Garcia; so you stand there with the door open, blocking the section. I know what I want, Steven Colbert’s Americone Dream. I go to reach in beside you, and you not-so-subtly shift your body to block me. This is your case, and you aren’t done yet! There’s no shortage, plenty to go around, but no one will have ice cream until you do! I say, let me reach by – politely of course – not only would it be a kind gesture, but my selection may just give you a push in the right direction. Come on, it has chocolate-covered waffle cone pieces in it!

Fun With Money This is another one for the parents. Our educational system needs work, I agree, but the express checkout lane is not the place to teach money management. If you have five kids, just buy five pieces of candy. Don’t have each kid a dollar and tie up the lane for ten minutes while they each complete their own single-item transaction, including two returns as some of the children have now decided they want what Charlie got, not what they actually wanted. It’s cute at the dollar store, it’s fun at a toy store…. it;s infuriating at the Wal-Mart when I just want to pay for my stuff and get out!

Electronics Hell Okay, I lied. This one is directed at Wal-Mart. Must everything in the electronics department be locked behind bulletproof glass, secured by locks that can only be opened with one key which Wanda has – but she’s on break right now? I’m buying a DVD, not trying to steal the declaration of independence. And as if that wasn’t annoying enough, you have the nerve to get all pissy when I call you over to open a case so I can look at an item. “Do you want it or not?” It’s a laptop computer, not a vanilla ice cream cone, give me a second to look at the stats. After all, you did just get done telling me computers stats were “I have no idea.”

Eh, forget it. Do what you want, I’ll just go to Target. Sure the prices are higher, and you stand a better chance of finding a unicorn than someone to help you; but at least I can get out the door without some senile old lady scrutinizing my bags and papers like she works for the TSA.

Today, November 9, 2009, the Tea Party Express rolled into Birmingham, Alabama. I and my son felt that as Americans – and having it  been said that Americans have become lazy and spend their time sitting on our couches rather than standing up for what we believe I – we traveled to Kelly Ingram Park (the site of many civil rights rallies) to voice our opinion on the health care issue.

As my son and I arrived, my son with his sign that read HEALTH CARE NOW! and I with my sign that read YES, WE MUST HAVE A PUBLIC OPTION, we were immediately met with the Tea Party’s insults and out-and-out lies. I and my son were told that we were “Fat”… that we were “Nigger Lover’s”… that we do not have jobs or work… that we were unwilling to pay for health care… that we did not support our troops, etc. One very obnoxious woman even turned to me and said [and I quote] “I hope you die!” We were not shouting over the crowd, we were not attempting to debate the presenters; we merely stood there holding signs to show that the Tea Party was not representative of everyone in Birmingham.

Clearly, the Tea Party is out to incite others to their views and to preach intolerance and hatred. This was a crowd whose leaders stood on the stage this day and spoke of intolerance for gays and African Americans and who called President Obama a [quote] “Wuss and a sissy because he has not immediately sent more troops into Afghanistan or murdered Hasan (the man who shot our soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas) – even suggesting that Obama had “allowed it to happen.”

What was absent from the Tea Parties rally was any REAL conversation regarding health care. ALL they spoke of was getting a black man out of the White House. In fact, their battle cry was TAKE BACK AMERICA! In all of my years on this earth, I have never heard so much racism preached; or heard so much hatred for others who do not live what they consider to be a “Conservative Christian Lifestyle.” Well, this is not my idea of being a Christian. I doubt that Jesus would preach against blacks… condemn gays… or carry a banner promoting guns. No, this is NOT my idea of being a good Christian. The God I know wants us to have tolerance for each other and to love one another – period!

As I stood in this crowd of Tea Partiers, I heard nothing about an actual answer to the health care issue. And no, I am not an African American; but I was appalled at the racism that was presented on this day, as I stood in Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Alabama. People like this make me ashamed to be a white woman in this country. At one point, a woman actually turned to us and stated “You better leave here, before we sic the dogs on you.” How much more a racist statement could anyone make?

I thought that I lived in a country where the election of our first African American President, Obama, meant that we were finally making some headway on becoming one people – one American people – clearly I was mistaken. Granted, I voted for President Obama because I do believe that he is the first man (black or not) who has tried to make a real difference in America. Obama IS listening to we Americans and doing his best to give all Americans affordable health care… not rushing into war, without a clear exit plan… not preaching hatred for others with a different skin color or a different view from his own. I stand with our President and with affordable health care for every American!

The tea party crowd will tell you that these were the actions of a select few, and not representative of their movement. I believe otherwise, as the hatred was too wide spread; and the leaders on stage were urging them to raise their “cleaver” banners calling Obama everything from Hitler to Stalin – and of course, not an American citizen.

I urge all reasonable Americans to not trust their words, or mine. Go to one of these events and see it for yourself. Listen to them sing songs comparing our beloved country to the U.S.S.R. See them cheer at posters calling for someone to “Pull the plug” on Nancy Pelosi to save Grandma from the death panels. I support free speach and always will: but this kind of ignorance should not go unanswered

They are not debating the issues; they are not proposing solutions to our problems. They are enraging the so-called “base” through hatred and lie-based fear.

For once I agree with Glen Beck… If this is the future of our country: I fear for it too!