Op-ed: How to Respond to Rick Perry and ‘The Response’
New York Times – Aug. 6
(Paul Horwitz, a professor of law at the University of Alabama, is the author of “The Agnostic Age: Law, Religion and the Constitution.”)
…Some people think we would be better off without religion in public life. In the long run, however, we would lose much more than we gain. Our debates may be more contentious if we allow religion in, but they will also be more committed and honest. Just as the Constitution allows Mr. Perry to stake his political future on “The Response,” it allows the rest of us to answer back.
Many local investors concerned about stock market’s nosedive
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 9
…Robert McLeod, a finance professor at the University of Alabama, characterized the stock sell-off as a panic. “If you are not out of the market now, I wouldn’t panic,” he said…“S&P added fuel to the fire,” McLeod said. “People who don’t even know what S&P is know the difference between a triple A rating and a double A rating.”…Investors are speculating that gold prices could go higher. McLeod said that is likely but that gold is shaping up as the next investment “bubble” whose price will be pushed up until it bursts. “I think you could see gold go to $2,000 an ounce but at some point it will have to adjust and come down,” he said… McLeod said he remembers the advice of Warren Buffett, a self-made billionaire and investment guru: “Buffett said be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.”
Dr. James Cover of UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration discusses the downgrade of the U.S. Credit Rating and what it means to people in Tuscaloosa
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 8
UA economists downgrade the state’s growth projections
WAKA (Montgomery) – Aug. 5
According to the Birmingham Business Journal, economists at the University of Alabama have downgraded the state’s growth projections for this year, saying Alabama’s gross domestic product would increase 2.8 per cent instead of the 3 per cent they had forecast.
Downtown Birmingham auto shop fixes your car, but you bring your own parts
Birmingham News – Aug. 6
… Jim Cashman, a University of Alabama professor of management who studies the auto industry, said parts typically account for 30 to 40 percent of a total repair bill. By eliminating the parts markup, which is a significant portion of revenue at most shops, BYOP could lower customers’ bills by around 20 percent, he said. “I’ve had my nose in this business since the early ‘80s, and I’ve never heard of this before,” Cashman said. “This is indeed a unique proposition.” There are some concerns, Cashman said. Customers who don’t buy the right parts might risk nullifying a warranty, and some of the shop’s business likely will return to dealerships and other independent mechanics when the economy rebounds. But overall, he said, it’s a business model with promise. “These guys could have something good going,” he said.
UA professor of psychiatry discusses SIDS
MSNBC – Aug. 7
…Dr. Mark Feldman is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Alabama. “We have to understand a few things about sudden infant death syndrome. One is that there is typically no warning sign.”
OLLI Ito kick off fall classes with open house, reception
Gadsden Times – Aug. 8
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Alabama Gadsden Center will kick off its fall semester of classes with a reception and open house from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the center located at 121 N. First St…He said one of the most popular classes is “Armchair Travel,” which features a series of lectures on different countries including Germany and Morocco. Another course that has grown popular is “Profiles in Courage,” which features local veterans of World War II and the Korean War discussing their military experiences…
Dr. Ed Williams discusses upcoming theater season
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 8
University of Alabama students are heading back to the Capstone for fall semester. And they’re bringing an awful lot of talent back with them. Joining me now is a man who knows a little something about talent, Dr. Ed Williams, the founding chairman of the University of Alabama’s department of theatre and dance.
Local girl may be Subway’s new star of the Southeast
Walton Sun (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.) – Aug. 8
A local young woman has been tapped to tape a commercial for Subway. Caroline Coker of Seagrove was in the Urban Outfitters store while shopping at The Summit mall in Birmingham on July 16. As she shopped she noticed a man looking around and eventually he approached her about making a Subway commercial…They then continued on their way to Bama Bound orientation at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She followed her mother’s advice, but on July 19, Coker received a call saying she had been chosen to make the 15-second spot commercial…Coker graduated in May from South Walton High School. She was torn between mom’s LSU and dad’s Alabama roots, but UA had the four-year nursing program she needed…Coker leaves Aug. 12 for rush and moves into her dorm Aug. 13 at Capstone School of Nursing…
Childhood friends collaborated to bring bestselling ‘The Help’ to film
Birmingham News – Aug. 9
…After graduating from the University of Mississippi, Taylor eventually moved to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming a filmmaker. Meanwhile, Stockett, who studied English and creative writing at the University of Alabama, was living in New York City, working at being a writer…
Montgomery actress Octavia Spencer may become a star with ‘The Help’
Montgomery Advertiser – Aug. 8
Photo: Montgomery’s Octavia Spencer, who plays Minny Jackson in “The Help,” says her family won’t be able to attend the Hollywood premiere of the movie. “My sister is getting her doctorate from the University of Alabama, so I figured that’s more important,” she says.