Pratt City, Alabama - Photos from Tornado Aftermath - Surreal

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Saturday April 30, 2011 · 7:46 PM PDT

2011/04/30 · 19:46

I spent several hours today with my wife and some friends volunteering in the Pratt City area. One of the friend's church, in the heart of this community, was serving as a relief center. This is a community in Birmingham that was hit extremely hard by Wednesday's violent storms. In fact this very area was near the center of a similar storm in 1998.

Perhaps the most surreal experience of my life. If pictures are generally worth a 1,000 words then these are perhaps worth 10,000. I cannot put exactly what I felt into anything other than a stream of what I saw.

I will say that it was heart warming to see folks coming together to help neighbors, friends and strangers. Disclaimer - these are photos I took off my phone and my wife's I phone. So if they are blurry, I apologize in advance.

alpolitics

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Thursday April 28, 2011 · 12:15 PM PDT

2011/04/28 · 12:15

Over 160 fatalities have been reported in my State today as a result of yesterday's ravaging storms. Update at 4:58 central 193 reported dead (pictured above Tornado touches down in Tuscaloosa). Numbers keep rising as I've been writing this diary over the past two hours. Personally, I'm thankful that none of my family and friends were hurt.
However, nearly all I've talked to throughout the State know someone that was seriously injured or their entire house has been destroyed.

Pictures from arial views show just how devastating the wrath of yesterday's events were. I remember many great storms in Alabama over the years, like one in 1999, but the widespread effect surely has never been greater.

Update of new pics below the thread of a friend's street

alpolitics

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Sunday April 17, 2011 · 4:30 PM PDT

2011/04/17 · 16:30

Philadelphia, Mississippi is known to many as the city where three civil rights workers named Cheney, Goodman and Schwerner were murdered in the sweltering summer of 1964. Not less than 20 years later, Ronald Reagan officially opened his campaign after becoming the Republican nominee with a speech in Philadelphia with an emphasis on the Southern Strategy of "states rights". Fast forward to 1981, where the world of college football surprisingly convened upon Philadelphia for the fierce recruiting battle of the number one national prospect Marcus Dupree.

The Courting of Marcus Dupree paints a picture of how Philadelphia and Neshoba County comes together to celebrate Dupree during his senior season. This is a surprisingly complex tale that does a great job of exploring a number of issues including the civil rights movement, college football recruiting, the journey home for a Southerner, the relationship between man and his dog and friendships. Willie Morris wrote a gem that I would highly recommend for anyone interested in any of these subjects.

Poll

45 votes Show Results

Are you familiar with the story of Marcus Dupree

45 votes Vote Now!

Are you familiar with the story of Marcus Dupree

yes

43 votes

2 votes

pie

0 votes

Alabama Senate Senator on Immigration: Empty the Clip and Do What Has to be Done

alpolitics

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Monday February 07, 2011 · 2:25 PM PST

2011/02/07 · 14:25

As we endured the violent rhetoric of health care last year, it appears we could enter the same atmosphere with the immigration debate. Yes, Alabama State Senator Scott Beason really said

“

The illegals are always praised for sending money back home, ‘they are so great’, ‘such family people’,” he said. “But why is it right for them to send billions of dollars home, before they even try to buy some health insurance here that you and I pay for— it doesn’t make them sound so wonderful does it? They’re basically saying, no we’re going to keep the money and you’re going to pay for what I need.”

Beason ended his speech by advising Republicans to “empty the clip, and do what has to be done”.

alpolitics

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Wednesday January 19, 2011 · 7:53 PM PST

2011/01/19 · 19:53

Freshly inaugurated Alabama Governor Robert Bentley created a firestorm with his remarks at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on Monday. Bentley said that only Christians were his brothers and sisters. These remarks made national news late yesterday and my mailbox was flooded with comments from friends across the country this morning. Concerns centered around whether Bentley could be fair to non-Christians and also addressed whether acceptance and tolerance of Judaism and Islam had been setback in the deep south.

Religion and politics in the deep south seem to be eternally intertwined. Roy Moore and his Ten Commandments monument is perhaps the most obvious and memorable example of the last decade. Campaigns often begin and end in the church pulpit. Bentley's comments are just one more glaring example of the evangelical influence in southern Politics.

alpolitics

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Tuesday January 04, 2011 · 5:44 PM PST

2011/01/04 · 17:44

College bowl season is well underway. Right now we have Ryan Mallet and the Razorbacks against the Ohio State Buckeyes. I'm SEC do or die, ride for life, through and through so I"m yelling Pig Soooeeeeeey all night.

Ohio State has been a regular in BCS games while Arkansas makes their first BCS game appearance.

Poll

37 votes Show Results

Arkansas or Ohio State

37 votes Vote Now!

Arkansas or Ohio State

Pig Sooeey

11 votes

The Ohio State University

15 votes

What's a sugar bowl?

5 votes

On Wisconsin

6 votes

Thank You Alan Grayson (FL-08)

alpolitics

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Tuesday November 02, 2010 · 5:52 PM PDT

2010/11/02 · 17:52

Alan Grayson has been defeated in FL-08.

Looks like he's going to be defeated by a large margin.

Let's give Alan a round of applause. I heard him say many times something to the effect of he wasn't going to bite his tongue just to win reelection.

alpolitics

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Monday October 25, 2010 · 7:01 PM PDT

2010/10/25 · 19:01

When are football coaches going to learn that you just don't compare anything having to do with War to Football?

Before you call Derek Dooley just another idiot football coach - this isn't a dumb guy - he has an undergrad degree from UVA and a Law degree from the University of Georgia.

My University of Alabama Crimson Tide embarrassed Derek's Tennessee Volunteer football team this past Sat.

Right now we're like the Germans in World War II. Here comes the boats, they're coming. You have the binoculars, and it's like, 'Oh, my God, the invasion is coming.'

You will go cross eyed and cross eared listening to this fool. - h/t to @DennisDoddCbs

alpolitics

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Friday October 22, 2010 · 7:21 PM PDT

2010/10/22 · 19:21

Update - How rich is it that A Rod was the final out to end the series? A strikeout at that.

Maybe a bit preemptive as the Chuck Norris Texas Rangers lead the I Loath New York Yankees 5-1 in the 6th.

As my friend @FBIHOP just tweeted

Nothing unites the country like the evil empire losing.

As a fan of the Braves, I am qualified to judge when a team is done and the Yankees are done. Stick a fork in them.

Remember this guy from the other night - well he ain't cheering like that anymore this year

alpolitics

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Wednesday October 20, 2010 · 6:40 PM PDT

2010/10/20 · 18:40

He can but he won't is the impression I'm getting.

Earlier tonight we learned that the 9th Circuit temporarily stayed DADT

So once again we are left in that no man's land area of legal uncertainty.

Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is that the President could end this once and for all with an Executive Order. Meantime our LGBT troops and those wanting to reenlist sit in limbo.

alpolitics

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Monday September 13, 2010 · 7:21 PM PDT

2010/09/13 · 19:21

BTW - The Libertarian on the ballot will not move out of the way for Lisa Murkowski so the only option would be for her to wage a write-in campaign. See also front page at DKOS.

The good news is that Scott McAdams is already going up with his first radio ad.

alpolitics

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Friday September 10, 2010 · 3:59 PM PDT

2010/09/10 · 15:59

h/t to A Girl From Homer

Tickets run from $75-$200 and supposedly some of the money is going to Charity after a public outcry

Yada Yada Yada. Another Glenn Beck Diary. Not so fast my friend. This is a Friday Five Dollar for Scott McAdams Diary

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Pratt City, Alabama - Photos from Tornado Aftermath - Surreal

Update: 193 confirmed fatalities in Alabama with New Photos

Book Review: The Courting of Marcus Dupree by Willie Morris

Alabama Senate Senator on Immigration: Empty the Clip and Do What Has to be Done

Thoughts on Gov Bentley's (AL) Brothers and Sisters Comments

Sugar Bowl Open Thread - Razorbacks or Buckeyes

Thank You Alan Grayson (FL-08)

Tenn Vols football players like Germans during WWII according to coach

UPDATE: A Rod Finally Gets Rangers to WS

Why Can't Obama Just End DADT?

It's Not Joe Miller, It's Job Killer (AK-Sen)

$arah, Glenn and Joe - 9/11 in Anchorage