Pine needles, stray bow,
wrapping shards, gift receipts, tubs
of leftovers, peace.

• • •

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Merry Christmas from Birmingham!
Peace on Earth, good will toward y’all.

Video stocking stuffers …

Jack Bauer interrogates Santa Claus

“The Little Drummer Boy,”
Michael Franti and the Blind Boys of Alabama

Plus, a favorite of mine every Christmas.

The Lord is come! Let
Earth receive her king. And hea-
ven and nature sing.

• • •

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If for one day the
world’s people can become good,
let it never end.

• • •

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As you settle for Christmas, enjoy this holiday treat, David Sedaris’ “The Santaland Diaries” …

The story is available in his collection, “Holidays on Ice” (affiliate link).

A look back at all things and people and events 2009 …

Video: “Chains of Love,” Los Lobos. The band will play
an acoustic concert on Jan. 22
at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.

March 3 | Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival moves forward with plans to hire a new executive director, as featured in this Wade on Birmingham exclusive. The leader of the state’s largest film festival will need organizational and fund-raising skills, but not necessarily deep cinematic knowledge.

March 11 | The Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center was still months away from the end of its 2008-09 season when we broke the news on the lineup for the 2009-10 season, including Los Lobos (see video above), Savion Glover and the Peking Acrobats coming in early 2010.

March 15 | The way the ball bounces: A sad post-season for Alabama college basketball squads, as Alabama State didn’t even make it past Morehead State in the men’s play-in game, while No. 2 seed Auburn won its first-round game, only to lose to Rutgers next in the women’s tournament.

March 23 | Wade on Birmingham branches out into another company and blog, the Birmingham Blogging Academy. Businesses interested in all forms of social media have a new resource here in town.

March 29 | City Stages announces its headliners, the all-too-familiar mix of oldies but oldies, including the Doobie Brothers, Styx, 38 Special and REO Speedwagon. Birmingham yawns.

“Survivor” at a glance | March 5: Debbie and J.T. go toe to toe in shouldering the most weight, and J.T. survives Tribal Council … March 12: J.T. breaks a tooth in a losing battle, Debbie schemes with Coach … March 25: clip show! with more scenes from Debbie and J.T.

See all of our March coverage.

• • •

Haiku flashback

grandma said (March 15)

Kind words go further
than angry ones. Mind that you
keep plenty in stock.

• • •

365 days of Birmingham’s best and worst: Wade on 2009

Mon ami, what a
disappointment you’ve been. And
how dreadful your frown.

• • •

Read more haiku.

The Birmingham Business Alliance has announced the first of four scheduled debates between mayoral runoff candidates William Bell and Patrick Cooper. The debate, which will focus on business and economic development, will be broadcast live on television and radio.

Mayoral candidate debate

• Focus: business and economic development issues, such as the dome, the Northern Beltline, regional mass transportation, U.S. 280, charter schools and the expansion of the airport.
• Panelists: Joey Kennedy, The Birmingham News; Deidra Lloyd, YP Roundtable; Tanya Ott, WBHM; and Kevyn Stewart, ABC 33/40. Pam Huff of ABC 33/40 will serve as moderator.
• When: 6 p.m. Jan. 10
• Where: Sirote Theatre, Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center,  1200 10th Ave. S., Southside [map]
• Television/radio: live on ABC 33/40 and WBHM (90.3 FM)
• For more information: Contact the Business Alliance.

The runoff election takes place Jan. 19.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

After 4 years of legal battles, McWane Inc. pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act. The McWane Cast Iron Pipe facility had polluted Avondale Creek.

The pipe maker had been convicted in 2005 and fined $8 million, but that case was overturned. McWane pleaded guilty Friday in Huntsville federal court to nine felony violations and agreed to pay $4 million in fines and for the construction of a city park.

In April, McWane was fined $8 million for safety and environmental violations at its New Jersey plant. That case showed the company’s pattern of lying to regulators. In 2006, the company paid $3 million in fines for rigging air pollution tests and using equipment out of compliance at a Utah subsidiary.

PBS’ “Frontline” has investigated the company for years for its criminal activities, leading to injuries and deaths among its workers. Watch “A Dangerous Business” from 2003 and “A Dangerous Business Revisited” from 2008.

A look back at all things and people and events 2009 …

Video: Excerpt from “In Broad Daylight/Fight Club,”
featuring Birmingham homicide detectives in “The First 48”

Feb. 4 | Wade on Birmingham goes microblogging via Twitter with @WadeOnTweets, changing the way news tips come into this site and breaking news and other features are announced. And in less than a year, close to 1,600 followers are keeping up with the latest headlines in real time.

Feb. 5 | Crime pays, sort of, as Birmingham’s finest appear in new episodes of reality docudrama, “The First 48.” The A&E show followed homicide detectives as they pursued leads and suspects in one of America’s deadliest cities. Check it out in the video above.

Feb. 11 | Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival starts anew, beginning with the firing of executive director Catherine Pfitzer. If it happened at Sidewalk, Wade on Birmingham brought it to you first throughout 2009.

Feb. 17 | Birmingham begins the slow march into digital television, starting with Alabama Public Television, CW21 and My 68. The remaining local stations would follow suit some 4 months later.

Feb. 26 | Jason Mraz becomes the first performer announced for May’s Schaeffer Crawfish Boil, a Wade on Birmingham exclusive. It would become a year of success for the boil, but disastrous for other longtime Birmingham music festivals.

“Survivor” at a glance | Feb. 12: J.T. and Debbie start out in opposing tribes, and J.T. survives first Tribal Council … Feb. 19: J.T. forms a game-changing alliance with Stephen; Debbie survives her first Tribal Council  … Feb. 26: J.T. keeps his tribe full with fresh fish; Debbie survives another Tribal Council.

See all of our February coverage.

• • •

Haiku flashback

in a field of dirt (Feb. 11)

Out there, somewhere, is
a vegetable garden just
before it pokes up.

• • •

365 days of Birmingham’s best and worst: Wade on 2009

Winter arrives on
time, with the shortest days filled
with the longest lists.

• • •

Read more haiku.

A look back at all things and people and events 2009 …

Video: 2009 Sugar Bowl recap: Utah vs. Alabama

Jan. 2 | Alabama ends season in the Sugar Bowl losing to Utah. It was coach Nick Saban’s first bowl trip with the Tide, and also the first, and last, time Alabama would lose this year. Relive the magic of the entire game in compact video form, or just watch the highlights above.

Jan. 15 | First exclusive of the year: Two Alabamians were see compete in “Survivor: Tocantins – the Brazilian Highlands.” (Check out our first looks at J.T. and Debbie!) The only reality show we recapped this year, save for the Birmingham elections from August through …

Jan. 22 | A little self-promotion never hurts: My first interview in 2009 with the Birmingham Business Journal. The article focuses on making the most of an involuntary career change.

Jan. 30 | The saga of a country farmer from Holly Pond who became governor but then fell from grace came to an end. Guy Hunt, dead at 75. It seems as though politics and corruption would be a recurring theme this year.

See all of our January coverage.

• • •

Haiku flashback

neck-row-philia (Jan. 20)

Snazzy scarf becomes
wrapped up in knotty neck, a
tangled, tussled heap.

• • •

365 days of Birmingham’s best and worst: Wade on 2009

Man was meant to hit
lots of home runs and bench press
700 pounds.

• • •

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The day you forget
makeup is the day you see
friends at the movies.

• • •

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Zip disks, notebooks, pens,
souvenir cups, CDs, a
melted candy cane.

• • •

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