7 MAY 08: BADDER OR BETTER?

The e-mail was short, to the point, and puzzled me at first:

Are we sure Bad Company is coming? See http://www.badcompany.com

I realized some people are skeptical about the new Kia plant, but really....

But no, this was about something else. A rock band called Bad Company is scheduled to perform 17 May at the Phenix City Amphitheater. But if you click on that link above, you'll find a large statement declaring: "Bad Company is not touring." Of course, the copyright on the home page is 2004 - so maybe they've held surprise reunion concerts in small nightclubs since then.

The web site warns of "cover bands attempting to pass off as Bad Company." See, that's how you can spot the legitimate rock band. The sentence left a word out - "themselves."

The Bad Company web site also promises to take legal action against anyone misusing the band's name - including "musicians, promoters, agents and sponsors." That's why you should notice carefully what the Phenix City Parks Department's web site has done. That misspelling of "Bad Comany" must be an intentional legal defensive measure.

The Phenix City Parks web site tries to put an important distinction on who's performing in mid-May. It's "Bad Company featuring Brian Howe." Howe was not an original band member, but he claims on his web site he was the lead singer for ten years. Isn't that long enough to escape the statute of limitations?

Rebecca Harris with the Phenix City Parks Department certainly knows what she's getting in ten days. Harris admitted to me Tuesday there are plenty of bands with similar names. And she knew the original lead singer of Bad Company now performs mostly in Europe. Except Paul Rodgers is performing 17 May at Miami's main sports stadium -- and probably for more than ten dollars a ticket.

But Rebecca Harris defended the booking of Brian Howe, saying Phenix City still is getting a quality concert. In other words: she got something "Bad," and she thinks that's good....

The Phenix City Parks Department promotes Brian Howe as a rock singer who performs sold-out shows around the world. Sure enough -- one recent entry in Howe's online diary indicates he plans to move to Guatemala. That gives a completely new meaning to "Southern rock."

(Scroll down in Brian Howe's diary, and you'll discover he speaks openly against President Bush during concerts. The Third Brigade is coming home at a perfectly wrong time for him....)

Brian Howe's online calendar doesn't mention the Phenix City concert. But his diary says he's coming, to join "my Radio pal Chris Chaos." Chaos's blog at the WVRK-FM "Rock 103" web site doesn't seem to mention "Bad Company" - but his blog is so filled with pictures of nearly-nude women that I was a bit distracted.

In fact, none of the three FM radio stations welcoming the Brian Howe concert list it online as a coming event. Are they all scared of a possible lawsuit? Do they fear being known by the "Company" they keep?

I neglected to ask how ticket sales are going for the Brian Howe concert. But if he's really bringing an old-style rock band to Phenix City, I'll make a prediction right now. Plenty of fans will sit along the Columbus Riverwalk -- where they can smoke, drink and hear the loud music for free.

So to answer our original question, is Bad Company coming - the answer seems to be "yes and no." The Phenix City Parks staff should bring in The Original Drifters and the Coasters as well, so we can play a mass pop-music version of "To Tell the Truth."

By the way, is the Phenix City Parks Department missing on a good marketing opportunity? With so many concerts planned at the Amphitheater this year, the staff should sell the venue's name to Amp energy drinks.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Sunday's look at the campaign qualifiers in Columbus brought a comment about a race for judge....

Don't forget that Judge Turner no only pulled a gun on the highway,but he also left the bench while sentencing some of the School of the Americas protestors and sat with them in the courtroom gallery.

And looking back at those cases, how many Fort Benning supporters wish Haywood Turner had pulled out his gun THAT day?

Richard Hyatt's web site reminded me that Judge Haywood Turner made his second political switch during qualifying week. He first ran for judge as a Republican, then ran as a Democrat - and this year he's a Republican again. This is one creative way of illustrating a balanced judiciary.

Speaking of the campaign, it appears State Rep. Calvin Smyre in Columbus will face a challenger in November after all. Zeph Baker plans to announce his campaign next week, apparently as an independent. Baker says he's a "proven community leader" in his church. Now will he please name his pastor, so we can review all those sermons?

Now for another local issue, and a reader who's still not satisfied:

Mr. Burkard:

I was wondering if you have any follow up on the recycling program in Columbus.

I have been out of town and have sort of followed along and would like to commend you on what you had found [24 Apr] but it still seems incomplete.

As you stated there should have been about $150,000 paid from Goodwill to the city government some time in 2006. This of course is only one year and does not explain why we do not collect cardboard (which Benning sells for large amounts of revenue) or other plastics etc... according to the personnel at the Landfill tires, and most metal are not sold either.

Pam Hodge, Ron Smith, and Columbus 311 did not answer my or some other people's questions and Mr. Davis, Mr Barnes, Mr Allen, Mrs. Woodson, Mr. Mcdaniels, or Mr. Hugley were not available by phone.

+We are already spending money for collection, and Goodwill is selling the items. Why can +we not collect additional items to sell?

+Where is the money from the sales and what is it spent on?

+Why do we collect twice a week in such high gas price times?

+Busy work for prisons is not good enough we can be more efficient than a Pre-K teacher's answer for nap time.

+This would help the landfill, help the environment, and raise revenue.

+So what is the counter argument I really would like to know.

Goodwill is not repairing and becoming picky, what? [1 May] I thought the old saying of beggars can't be choosers stood for them. (I donate all of my use stuff, no yard sales, or trash I donate)

How much did Goodwill spend on Butterflies, seriously that makes me think twice about donating to them anymore. A company like goodwill I would expect to be frugal, and practical like my 91 year old depression era Grandmother. So why would they spend money on something like that? There are other things they could have used to be symbolic of creating jobs and training. Obviously they have too much money and good times, maybe they have extra from recycle sales kickbacks?

John

John may be able to get some answers, as Columbus Council goes through its budget review. Three public hearings on a "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" are planned in early June. And three new hearings on the proposed one-percent "streets and safety" sales tax are coming in two weeks. But even then, some questions might not be answered. Bill Madison with the NAACP has come to expect that.

But hold on -- John wants the city to collect more recyclable items, but do the collections less often? This could risk an additional expense he might not have considered. Extra repeated lifting could injure some inmates.

How much should Goodwill Industries spend on 2,035 butterflies? The Ledger-Enquirer beat me to this punch line last month, when it reported on an Oxbow Meadows program. Of course, butterflies should be free....

But we checked the web site of a northwest Georgia "butterfly farm" Tuesday night, and found you can buy 2,000 low-priced "painted lady" butterflies at a regular price of $5,900. Goodwill Industries used a Florida company, so its price might be lower - or perhaps it was a barter deal, for three racks of dress shirts.

We thank all of you who take time to write. Now let's write a little bit about Tuesday's top stories....

+ Columbus Council finally approved a resolution, to put the one-percent sales tax proposal on the 15 July ballot. This might lead to some unusual ticket-splitting. Voters could in effect mark a NO ballot against Mayor Pro-Tem Evelyn Turner Pugh - then turn around and vote her husband Reginald into the State Senate.

+ City Manager Isaiah Hugley proposed creating a "night court" for youth offenders, which would meet two evenings a month. Apparently the original night court isn't completely working - the court used for midnight basketball.

+ Smiths Station advanced in the Alabama high school softball playoffs, mauling Montgomery Jefferson Davis by a combined two-game score of 35-2. If it wasn't for "mercy rules" ending games early, a second Jefferson Davis might have unconditionally surrendered.

+ Instant Message to WRBL: Misspelling the Key Elementary School Principal's title as "Principle" is one thing. But showing on the screen "funeral arraignments" for those two drowned boys - four times?! Do you want the father and grandmother arrested, too?

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