Wade on Birmingham

The Birmingham channel: Hotter by the day

Saturday, June 12, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

A May rally at Linn Park supporting Palestine. From Empat Lebah.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: The man who walked a city

Friday, June 4, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Montreal visitor walks from downtown to Vulcan. From Jayson 2020.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

Happy Memorial Day

Monday, May 31, 2021 by Wade Kwon

Video: the Harlem Hellfighters

Happy Memorial Day!

Spend a few minutes of your holiday learning about the 369th U.S Army Regiment, or the Harlem Hellfighters, sent in 1918 to France during World War I. This all-Black unit won plaudits abroad while virtually ignored back in the States.

The Birmingham channel: Flooding and fire

Friday, May 28, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Los Angeles rock band Steel Panther performs “17 Girls in a Row” earlier this month at Avondale Brewing Company. From Frostbyte.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: Strange encounters

Saturday, May 22, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Riding into the gym. From TrapFlix TV.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: May days

Friday, May 14, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Commercial for Birmingham Oddities downtown. From Matt Weber.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: Big mettle

Saturday, May 8, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Handing out the 2021 American Advertising Awards at AAF Birmingham. From AAF Birmingham.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: Under the wire

Friday, April 30, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Promo for Burrito Punx in Irondale. From Codey Richards.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: Only non-fans

Thursday, April 22, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

C-SPAN’s “Book TV” talks with Jake Reiss of the Alabama Booksmith in 2011 in Homewood. From Retox44.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: The storm that struck Shelby

Friday, April 16, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Ministry in Linn Park downtown. From LEM Media.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: A sprung spring

Friday, April 9, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Rugby: Birmingham Vulcans at New Orleans in March. From Norse Archaelogist Does Things.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 56

Thursday, April 8, 2021 by Wade Kwon

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  1. banned words, 2020 edition
    Pandemic, lockdown,
    social distancing, face mask,
    coronavirus.
  2. the fights long since forgotten
    An apology
    sheepish and belated still
    merits acceptance.
  3. almost midnight
    If you’ve read this far:
    Congratulations, you sur-
    vived 2020.
  4. 2021 and bust
    Never have we been
    so grateful to see the dawn
    of another year.
  5. more and more winter
    It is frostier,
    outside and inside, spreading
    shivers, slowing time.
  6. easiest resolution ever
    Join the gym and get
    fit. Once pandemic ends and
    it’s safe again. (wink!)
  7. the need for work
    It’s tough to make an
    honest living when good jobs
    can hardly be found.
  8. american exceptionalism
    Don’t worry: Other
    countries have safety nets. The
    U.S. has women.
  9. revenge of mr. privilege
    Don’t mess with me. I
    can have you fired with the
    slightest of complaints.
  10. community won’t
    A quaint notion, that
    “common good,” the unfounded
    trust in decency.
  11. a friendship on pause
    Uncomfortable
    silence sprinkled with regrets
    and mild annoyance.
  12. the trust
    By the time she found
    out about it, most of the
    money was long gone.
  13. save the drama from your mama
    Family intrigue
    draws some closer together
    to push others out.
  14. anything for a buck store
    Weed that flourishes
    in the unkempt neighborhoods,
    choking out the rest.
  15. silent menace
    The white walls steepen
    overnight. No way out but
    through. Dig and dig deep.
  16. the undiscovered circuitry
    A new gadget brings
    the joy of figuring it
    out, making it work.
  17. lessons of 2020
    How to beat COVID.
    How to steal an election.
    And Black Lives Matter.
  18. acceptance? radical
    Pain? Mandatory.
    Suffering? Entirely
    optional to you.
  19. jab, jab, knockout
    The first shot and a
    little arm soreness. The next
    shot: immunity.
  20. the digital everlasting gobstopper
    Browse for underwear.
    See ads for underwear in
    every site, page, dream.
  21. the volunteer spirit
    We give what we can.
    We give away and make things.
    We spend time and cash.
  22. mismatched deathbed confessions
    “We thought it was a
    hoax, and we were wrong.” “We still
    think it’s a damn hoax.”
  23. impeachment was just the beginning
    Indict the former
    president. Hold him account-
    able for his crimes.
  24. the listicle is life
    The 50 greatest
    years of my life, ranked by joy,
    wins and shock value.
  25. the gig’s up
    Swipe right for soulmates,
    cab drivers, dog walkers and
    food deliverers.
  26. celestial indicators
    Somewhere is a live
    dashboard tracking your every
    good deed and bad thought.
  27. a pileup of words
    Read or cook dinner.
    Read or binge-watch. Read or take
    a nap. Read or skim.
  28. invasion of the moths
    Corner by corner,
    room by room, they stake claims on
    our territory.
  29. youtopiatube
    Five hundred thousand
    channels to wile away the
    idle days of youth.
  30. the disposable army
    The most menial
    of tasks for the least pay for
    the richest tyrants.
  31. pandemic paradox
    The worse the sickness,
    the more we gather without
    any precautions.
  32. raise the clotilda
    A slave ship returns
    to the Bama port after
    a lengthy detour.
  33. beyond open mic night
    Comedians who
    goof on TikTok, tweet trendy
    jokes and live next door.
  34. chocolate chip champion
    Her prowess with a
    mixer and batter grew with
    every batch she baked.
  35. the nature of hobbies
    An element of
    frustration becoming its
    own perverse pleasure.
  36. six more months of covid
    Fauci pops out of
    quarantine and spots shadows
    of anti-maskers.
  37. it came from craigslist
    Zones where barterers
    can meet without getting mugged
    or shot in the face.
  38. gamestart
    A reality
    show pitting hedge funds against
    day trading neckbeards.
  39. virtual laggard
    A bot filled in for
    me for a bit. No one had
    noticed or minded.
  40. the battle of january 6
    Marauders hell-bent
    on toppling democracy
    and hanging its reps.
  41. the donald j. trump presidential library
    The pee tape and the
    “Access Hollywood” tape, found
    inside Cell Block D.
  42. a new job in the pandemic
    Please report to your
    manager in the kitchen
    via your laptop.
  43. weaponizing bullshit
    An empire of
    media and hucksters with
    greedy intentions.
  44. transactional family
    Quid pro quo, scratching
    of backs, greasing of palms, an
    incestuous trade.
  45. the first lesson of black history month
    Those who cannot re-
    member the Black past are con-
    demned to repeat it.
  46. techwar
    Fighting spam, malware.
    Computers were supposed to
    make lives easier.
  47. catch me inside how bout dah
    We think we have the
    virus figured out. It then
    rolls out new guises.
  48. cupid as warden
    Raise a glass to the
    relationships that endured
    12 months of lockdown.
  49. minimum wage leads to
    Minimum food, health,
    gas, clothing, stability
    and maximum stress.
  50. two clichés and the truth
    Being precise means
    steamrolling all distractions
    to thread the needle.
  51. ol’ reliable
    The steady belief
    that everything will last as
    long as hope’s alive.
  52. the rotting underbelly
    Beneath the veneer,
    a soul badly in need of
    deep understanding.
  53. the doctor on duty
    Healer risks it all
    to save lungs from the global
    menace behind masks.
  54. do-si-dont’s
    Even the smallest
    ingredient shows proof of
    exploited children.
  55. rip moms and pops
    Who lent a hand to
    the struggling small business when
    the pandemic struck?
  56. binge spectating
    The secret joy of
    reading about TV is
    skipping those clunkers.
  57. a perfectly cromulent verse
    Using slang can be
    dangerous since it’s always
    boodling the watchet.
  58. the wanderer
    She found it easy
    to pick up and move, swanning
    to untouched locales.
  59. the data detective
    Where had it gone off
    course, this trail of zeroes and
    ones landing afield?
  60. temporal madness
    To not sleep, to push
    and push through hours and days
    with no set schedule.
  61. that one driver
    Cut someone off in
    traffic, watch them tail you till
    home to cuss you out.
  62. a not-so-simple delivery
    Hunting for common
    items but unable to
    fill the shopping cart.
  63. goin’ off the deep end
    Friday night is here.
    Time to plan all the great ways
    to spend a weekend!
  64. a muse bushed
    Creative writer
    seeks inspiration for the
    next set of verses.
  65. a walk through the woods in winter
    Bundle up and brave
    the cold. Head for the trails to
    commune with nature.
  66. rumble in the cubicle
    Not even the grumps
    at the office can keep me
    from smiling at life.
  67. 1 zzzzz
    She passed out before
    counting, so the sheep snuck off
    very quietly.
  68. two-thirds awake
    A third of our lives
    in bed. A third of our time
    shrouded in slumber.
  69. you’re gonna need a bigger bed
    To be cuddled by
    a pack of warm furry friends
    is to know comfort.
  70. nocturnal visions
    A surreal melange
    of made-up memories and
    dreamy wanderings.
  71. the 140-hour workweek
    So refreshing was
    the long winter’s nap that she
    slept for two more days.
  72. a miracle in a vial
    We can destroy a
    tiny bug by shooting up
    folks with a vaccine.
  73. discommunication
    Email, Slack, phones, fax,
    texts, voicemails … and yet colleagues
    can’t seem to connect.
  74. wires crossed
    Don’t give in to the
    IT desk. Turn off, turn on,
    defenestrate it.
  75. natural neglect
    Weeds and rodents have
    claimed this fertile ground. Can this
    garden rise again?
  76. probably apple and peach
    Anyone could tell
    that the translucent bag had
    a mess of fried pies.
  77. kids, covid and contagion in education
    The physical toll
    on those in classrooms, mental
    toll on those at home.
  78. out and prodigal
    Never too old to
    run away from home, but to
    return is tougher.
  79. at least the billionaires are thriving
    The people are stuck
    with no income, and the jobs
    may never come back.
  80. and you’ll like it
    They celebrated
    their hard-working staff with some
    cake and empty praise.
  81. caucasoid cachet
    A diverse group of
    employees politely clapped
    for white promotions.
  82. the two seasons
    It’s spring, nope it’s still
    winter. It’s spring! Nah, winter.
    Please let it be spring.
  83. somewhat after the fact
    How many times in
    life do you get to bequeath
    your stuff? Oh, right … none.
  84. mired in greatness
    Is the challenge of
    diversity recruitment?
    Or bold ideas?
  85. pledge to our selves
    We make time for the
    things that are important to
    us, no matter what.
  86. forget the gas pump
    Nowhere to be, no
    one to meet, a driveway with
    an abandoned car.
  87. a zoom to remember
    It is lovely to
    spend the night getting older
    with virtual friends.
  88. native advertising
    I’m at my best when
    serving others. I have a
    lot of love to give.
  89. the online introvert
    He could take the chit
    chat for only so long. He
    logged off in a huff.
  90. frugal milestones
    She celebrated
    her newfound wealth by paying
    off her auto loan.
  91. my own postal route
    I get plenty of
    exercise taking others’
    mail to their houses.
  92. so long, suckers
    They would turn their backs
    on nonbelievers, as their
    community shrank.
  93. cleverness masked as decorum
    A sharper wit can
    allow you to speak ill of
    the dead with a smirk.
  94. the joke’s on all of us
    Fake news, voter fraud,
    QAnon, alt-right, Fox News,
    vaccines, Russian tweets.
  95. needling around
    Get a third shot to
    be extra safe and extra
    autistic. JK!!!!
  96. the asian in asian american
    A minority
    modeled on racial divides
    and no acceptance.
  97. sunday starting over
    The promise of a
    rebirth for all, a fresh start
    from our sinful pasts.
  98. asian persuasion
    Not every person
    of color gets asked “Where are
    you from?” Lucky us.
  99. the creepy uncle
    They took down an old
    predator, but it took great
    courage and candor.
  100. self care 2021
    Taking off work clothes
    (pajamas) and slipping in-
    to a nice coma.
  101. the persistent undercurrent
    His mellow moods were
    betrayed by a beautiful
    depression deep down.

• • •

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The Birmingham channel: Faces come and faces go

Friday, April 2, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Reading chapter 4 of Christopher Paul Curtis’ “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.” From Benjamin Price.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: The last gasp of winter

Friday, March 26, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Dashcam footage of a neighborhood (our vertical video of the week). From ZPierre509.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »

The Birmingham channel: Heartbreak, kids

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 by Wade Kwon

A look at Birmingham in videos …

Preparing for an estate sale earlier this month in Sylacauga (our vertical video of the week). From Birmingham Estate Sales.

More videos, after the jump …

Continued »