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I took part in Media of Birmingham's panel disussion about Birmingham media's future in the digital era. The panelists were myself, Joe O'Donnell of b-metro and Ty West of Birmingham Business Journal.  The panel was moderated by Birmingham View's Vickii Howell.  Read more...

The hour-long drama that romanced the world five seasons ago, has beaten me down, lifted me up, tricked me and confused me so many times that I have now entered into a complete and pitiful numbness.

Because of my background in marketing and writing, I watch television with a keen awareness of story lines, plot twists, suspense builders and commercial placement. (Yeah I know it's totally lame, but I can't help it, okay!)  Watching Lost is like watching all of those story elements strung out on heroine.  The exploitation and manipulation of emotions that ABC puts into this show is the most obvious display of cheap that I have ever witnessed.  The reason this show has such amazing ratings is because the writers and producers have learned how to manipulate and exploit the human psyche.  The system worked successfully for a while, but eventually weakened when the writers started running out of ideas. Read more...

In addition to being a writer and editor, I am a songwriter.  I have two bands that are currently active:  Teen Getaway and Delicate Cutters.  I have been writing songs since I was about ten.  I had my first garage band when I was fourteen, my first band that actually played shows and recorded albums at fifteen.  I have found that wherever I am in life, music has been what keeps me sane. 

I guess, in keeping with the theme of this issue, that I could sort of describe music as my sanctuary, huh?  I mean, I never feel more MYSELF than when I am playing a show.  That is a very deep and abstract self.  I am connected to myself through writing, learning, walking, baking, and being with my loved ones, but that ineffible, abstract self that is constant and singular is performer Janet.  Read more...

My favorite yogic breathing exercise is breathing in for 1-2-3-4, holding it in for 1-2-3-4 and breathing out for 1-2-3-4.  It forces you to pay attention.  It keeps you accountable for every second of breath and it helps achieve what is so difficult to achieve in meditation, stillness.

I first attempted meditation in high school.  I'd read some book that offered a beginners meditation practice in which the meditator focuses on the flame of a candle in a dark room.  So I lit a candle, turned the lights off and I sat down in a half lotus position determined to master this meditation thing.

I did not master that meditation thing. Read more...

Last night, as a much needed break from deadline day, I attended ASO's Devolution: Concerto for Orchestra and DJ.  Because I was a music major and grew up in classical piano training, normally when I attend a symphony the repertoire is familiar and I'm the youngest person in the crowd.   (Although, less so I suppose, as each year passes.)  The January 13th performance was an exception to every rule of my experience.  The audience was a wide spectrum of ages, colors, and classes.  I felt that all of us were enthralled in our collective exposure to something new. Read more...

that for the past few days we've been releasing articles in a Pavo series called Labors of Love.  Doing the research for these articles has been surprising and heart warming.  So far we've covered Birmingham Art Music Alliance, Studio by the Tracks, Alabama Dance Council, The Seasoned Performers, and Sidewalk Film Festival (Paint the Town Red--a digital art festival--will be up tomorrow).  Each one of these organizations helps the community in some way and shines a pretty light on Birmingham, but what's truly astounding is that all of them rely not on federal grants or personal endowments, but on VOLUNTEERS...on people just working their hearts out for the sake of giving to the community. Read more...

When Deidre Lloyd asked candidates to name three, in bullet points, "Do NOT explain," she pleaded the long-winded candidates, THREE things they loved about Birmingham, well...  not only did they no honor her request to not explain their choices (oh, the rambling) but they didn't make it to three!  Bell said the people and UAB, and Cooper eagerly agreed how much he loved UAB and took his entire 30 seconds doing so. 

Um, let's see... The Civil Rights Institute, Carver Theatre, Birmingham Museum of Art, great restaurants and culinary traditions, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, the symphony, Sloss Furnaces, the MYRIAD of art galleries and artists in town, the zeal of the non-profit sector, parks and green spaces galore, Birmingham Children's Theatre, Rickwood Fields (Will someone please help them?)... I could really go on forever.  Couldn't You? Read more...

A packed gallery is a great thing at an art opening.  It means that publicity has gone well, the curator has chosen wisely and there is plenty of food and wine.  Today, Edge of Winter, curated by Kate Merritt Davis and featuring fourteen Birmingham artists, opened to the public at 4 p.m.  By 4:10, the gallery was filling.  At 5:00 when I arrived, it was full.  At 8:15 when I was leaving, it was brimming.  Read more...

Pavo launched on September 15, 2009, as many of you readers know.  However, we started way, way before that.  We were an idea in September of 2008. We gave the idea a name several weeks later.  Another baby step -- we participated in a zine fair that November.  We put the zine together in a matter of a couple of days, xeroxed a peacock feather at Kinko's, tied each zine together with string... 

In the weeks between actions, we spent long periods in discernment.  What would our magazine be?  What voice was speaking most loudly?  We became an LLC.  Who would read our magazine?  We listened closely to our friends when they talked about Birmingham.  We drove around our city and looked closely.  We watched as ideas took shape and faithfully followed them through darkness into the light.  It took courage and faith.  It also took time.  Read more...

My first confession:

I have journal upon journal on my bookshelves, all about one-tenth full of journal entries.  You will see that pages have been torn out of each one.  Most of the time, it's because I've used the paper to make a list. 

I have attempted over the last year to make each journal intentional - one for poetry, one for wine & food, one for meditation practices, one for dreams...  It still doesn't stick as well as I'd like.

For most of my life, I've been a list maker.  I love lists.  It's what I do instead of journaling, in a way.  If there were a forum for it, it would be more natural for me to blog lists than blog about my life and thoughts.  Frankly, I get can get bored with the one-sided monologue that is blogging.   I prefer conversations - emails back and forth - commenting, even, above this practice that feels more like I'm talking to myself.

My second confession: Read more...