The heat and AC,
the escalators, leaky
ceilings, sewage flow.

• • •

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A look at Birmingham in videos …

Vlogging from Ghost Train Brewing Company in Lakeview. From MeduNerd.

•

UAB-based dance team Birmingham’s Blazin’ Bhangra performs. Members: Mayank Patel, Karan Patel, Clay Freeman, Mohit Limdi and Jacob Rozycki. From Karan Patel.

•

Birmingham police transport the body of Sgt. Wytasha Carter to the coroner’s office. Carter was shot in the line of duty earlier this month outside of 4 Seasons Bar and Grill in Smithfield. From P Johnson.

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Birmingham comedian Mrs. V (a k a Valencia Johnson) performs in December at New Birth Family Church in Killbough Springs. From Edward Johnson.

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Atlanta band Momentum performs in December at the Thomas Jefferson Tower downtown. From Teddybear Entertainment and Music Services.

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How to get to BJCC events downtown while I-20/59 is under construction. From the BJCC.

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Volunteers tend Shadow Lawn Memorial Gardens, a historically black cemetery in Mason City. From Dee Jackson.

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TV One’s Roland Martin on the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s rescinding of its award to activist Angela Davis (at 47:00). From Roland S. Martin.

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Bernard Nomberg of the Nomberg Law Firm talks with Richard A. Rice of the Rice Firm about workers’ compensation. From the Nomberg Law Firm.

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Promo for Shuttlesworth Law Firm in Green Springs, Homewood. From Shuttlesworth Law Firm LLC.

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Wake Forest’s Spirit of the Old Gold and Black marching band having fun at December’s Birmingham Bowl. From Anthony Tang.

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Highlights from the Monster Jam Triple Threat Series earlier this month at Legacy Arena downtown. From Monster Jam.

More highlights, including EarthShaker. From Santa Nuhfo Vanchy.

•

Birmingham singers Big Ro Williams and Mose Stovall perform “Born Alabama” in December at Boutwell Auditorium downtown. From Trellsgirl01.

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Giving a tour of a UAB dorm room. From Sydney Burrows.

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Train near downtown. From Birmingham-Rail Productions.

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Mobile’s WKRG-5 report on Via Airlines new nonstop flights between Birmingham and Mobile. From WKRG.

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The Grand Atrium at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. From VerticalMars1.

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Following the Birmingham chapter of the Nation of Islam. From OTTV25 DA8TV.

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WIAT-42 report on the death of former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford. From CBS 42.

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Imogene Powell of Brasfield and Gorrie inducted into the Alabama Construction Hall of Fame. From Alabama AGC.

Duane Watson of WatsonBruhn General Contractors inducted. From Alabama AGC.

Marzette Fisher of ArchitectureWorks inducted. From Alabama AGC.

•

“Elf” or “Home Alone”? From 45 Inc. Birmingham.

And favorite Christmas tradition? From 45 Inc. Birmingham.

•

Elevator at Hampton Inn in Leeds. From TJ Elevator Fan.

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Montgomery rock band Barrens performs in June at Brennan’s Irish Pub in Five Points South. From Barrens Music.

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Driver stuck on I-65 downtown films traffic jam (our vertical video of the week). From K Hawk.

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Ohio mathcore band From a Second Story Window performs in 2003 at Cave 9 on Southside. From Nicks2319.

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Performing “Your Favorite Rapper.” From ĀJŌ.

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Da Hood Preacher performs at Kelly Ingram Park downtown (our other vertical video of the week). From Da Hood Preacher a k a Rev. Dr. Jerry Hunter, Jr.

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Drone footage of Liberty Park. From Bill Watters Photography.

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The 2015 Magic City Classic at Legion Field. From Alex Hines.

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Highlights from December’s Digi.City Connects Birmingham roundtable earlier this month at Innovation Depot downtown. From Digi.City.

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Smiles at Miami Fusion Cafe downtown. From Arielbriana.

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Kimy Kennedy previews a Mountain Brook estate sale. From Birmingham Estate Sales.

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A race at the CrossPlex in Five Points West. From Anthony_ king793.

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An anti-abortion march earlier this month on Southside. From Frederick Pogorzelski.

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Hockey: Birmingham Bulls at Knoxville Ice Bears earlier this month, with an overtime finish. From Kyle Knell.

Macon’s WMAZ-13 report on the Bulls at Macon Mayhem earlier this month. From 13WMAZ.

•

Walking through the Birmingham Zoo. From VerticalMars1.

• • •

Send us links to your videos. | More videos on the Birmingham channel.

A place to store junk.
A place to pick up bought junk.
A place to junk junk.

• • •

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Trudge in a circle
around empty milk cartons
while shaking textbooks.

• • •

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Holding a kitten.
Finishing a marathon.
And eating ice cream.

• • •

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Photo: Htomari (CC)

My picks for #sundayread for January 27, 2019:

• First time to review “The Federalist Papers” since high school — never hurts to brush up on the Constitution and how our government should work
• As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants
  By @GabrielDance, Michael @LaForgia_ and @NickConfessore
• Poised for Power: Grassroots Media at the Threshold
  By Jordan Flaherty
  [PDF] https://buff.ly/2QYwmcY (via @grcmc)
• Flashback: Five years ago, Winter Storm Leon freezes Alabama: newspaper front pages
  #alwx
• Why Does Sweden Have So Many Start-Ups?
  By @AlanaSemuels
  (RT @kikiochieng)
• John Boehner @SpeakerBoehner Unchained
  By @TimAlberta
• Flashback: Hanging out in the virtual peanut gallery
• Outback Bowl director Jim McVay gets $1m to stage a single, 2nd-tier bowl featuring 3rd-place teams relegated to ESPN2
  By @TheWillHobson
  (RT @RedditCFB)
• Interview with “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris @funnyblackdude, headed to Netflix with $100m deal
  By @LaceyVRose
• Flashback: 10 years ago, presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama campaign in #Bham
  #alpolitics
• Oral history of “Office Space” on its 20th anniversary
  Compiled by Stacey Wilson Hunt @GalinHollywood
• The Last Fire and the Next One: The landscape of disaster is changing.
  By @LaurenMarkham_
• A $21,000 Cosmetology School Debt, and a $9-an-Hour Job
  By Meredith Kolodner @merkolodner and Sarah Butrymowicz @sarahbutro
  (via @Gregbsmithnyc)
• The Bully who became a Buddhist
  By @EricSteuer

More posts from Wade this week:

• The Birmingham channel: Steering and cheering

More #sundayread:

• All tweets for January 27 #sundayread
• The latest #sundayread tweets
• More #sundayread recommendations from me

We fail to reckon
what we put in motion with
choices, abstentions.

• • •

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A remarkable
city teeming with magic
and nothing to lose.

• • •

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Turf gives way to mush
as rainy season brings a
never ending soak.

• • •

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No victims but me.
No truth but my talking heads.
No vengeance but mine.

• • •

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Every candy has
a set of improbable
flavors to stump tongues.

• • •

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They shut the highways
down to rebuild. If only
hovercars swooped in …

• • •

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A look at Birmingham in videos …

A 400m dash at the CrossPlex in Five Points West. From Aiden Opore.

And a 200m dash. From Derrill Davis.

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WIAT-42 sports reporter Chris Renkel in December at the Orange Bowl in Miami. From CBK Media Management.

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Driving on the new ramp from I-65 to 17th Street (our vertical video of the week). From Erick Hernandez.

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Youth hockey: Ice Bandits vs. Birmingham Bulls in Nashville. From Bandits.

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Alien Invasion competes in the wheelie contest at the Monster Jam Triple Threat Series earlier this month at Legacy Arena downtown. From Daniel.

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Atlanta hairstylists Jamie Joseph and a colleague visit October’s Premiere Birmingham beauty trade show at the BJCC Exhibition Halls downtown. From a Chick Name Jamie.

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Drone footage of downtown. From Morgan Grace Films.

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Celebrating the Balinese holiday, Galungan. From Bali Viral.

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Officials for new pro football team Birmingham Iron hold a January media conference at the Negro League Southern Museum downtown. From Alabama NewsCenter.

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An emotional trip to Birmingham. From Aziza.

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Lights in the sky (our other vertical video of the week). From McKenzie Ridgway.

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Youth football: Birmingham at Atlanta in December. From the Sportz Channel.

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Parking lot resurfacing. From Fusian 59.

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Inspecting a sewer at an apartment complex. From Sterling Home Inspection LLC.

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Atlanta coach Steve Strother invites parents to compete with children at Showdown at the CrossPlex held earlier this month. From Steve Strother Photo and Video.

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Birmingham protesters in December outside the Montgomery house of state Attorney General Steve Marshall. He had taken over investigations on the Hoover Police shooting of Emantic Bradford Jr. on Thanksgiving. From Hoover Toob.

Montgomery police officers respond to noise complaints. From Hoover Toob.

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Driving I-20/59 through downtown. From 540 Mudstain.

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Asheville singer Scott Stetson performs “Birmingham” (our other other vertical video of the week). From Scott Stetson.

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Chasing trains in December, including Irondale, downtown and Thomas. From TjtrainzCSX.

Trains in Birmingham and Argo. From 21st Century Railfan Productions.

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Atlanta electronic hip-hop artist Daily Bread performs “A Cloudy Day” in December at Zydeco on Southside. From Anthony Leach.

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Allanté Jowers talks about working in IT at UAB. From Mary Gould.

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Sewer problem in Five Points West. From Missz Brooklyn Lewis.

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Sydney Unruh and Andrew Petrovics, owners of the Pointz app, make their pitch for the Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition. From Sydney Unruh.

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Looking back at 2018 at Rock City Church in Forestdale. From iRockTV.

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Driving from Auburn to Birmingham and back. From India Hart.

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Dashcam footage of I-65 from Clanton north to Dodge City. From Ryan the Dictator.

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Michelle Langdon, private events manager for Iron City, on wedding budgeting tips. From Iron City Weddings.

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Driving in a virtual truck from Birmingham to Mobile in “Euro Truck Simulator 2.” From Zman Trucker.

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New Year’s Eve gunfire (our other other other vertical video of the week). From J 90.

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Fun weekend in Birmingham. From Kenzz and Mollzz.

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Kimy Kennedy previews a Tuscaloosa estate sale. From Birmingham Estate Sales.

• • •

Send us links to your videos. | More videos on the Birmingham channel.

Video: “Drunk History”: Gwendolyn Sanders leads
the Birmingham Children’s Crusade.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Here’s a triple feature from Comedy Central’s “Drunk History,” all with Martin Luther King Jr.

Video: “Drunk History”: Nichelle Nichols lives boldly.

Video: “Drunk History”: Martin Luther King Jr. vs. J. Edgar Hoover

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1. synaptic revolution
   The voice inside my
   head shouts at me (and others):
   “Fight, goddammit, fight!”
2. the twilight of america
   Where once all (white) men
   were created equal, now
   they’re the master race.
3. the best jazz comes from montana
   The best jazz comes from
   Montana, where the beats drop
   all around the clock.
4. 400 characters or 4,000
   Just how long should a
   password be when companies
   get hacked anyway?
5. voters of a certain age
   Young people don’t vote.
   Old people do. And make bad
   picks. Old people win.
6. a holly jolly halloween
   Front yards aglow with
   inflatable ghosts and troupes
   of dancing pumpkins.
7. and the shiny goes to
   All awards are trite
   and egoistic except
   for the ones I win.
8. dressed to thrall
   A great costume sparks
   envy and awe among those
   stuck in basse couture.
9. within one’s means
   The problem with a
   budget is window shopping
   becomes obsession.
10. out of zany, one
    As long as we keep
    the old, the infirm, the odd
    out of sight, we’ll cope.
11. the deep satisfaction of a cake maker
    Turning out layer
    after layer of golden
    baking perfection.
12. a call to disarm
    Why fight when we can?
    Why fight when we can talk? Why
    fight when we can love?
13. 4k 2bad
    Formats are higher
    in resolution but boast
    exact same plot holes.
14. pumpkin spice infestation
    It seeps into your
    pores, turning you into a
    bright wack-o’-lantern.
15. a dog when someone rings the doorbell
    Alert! Alert! A
    stranger is coming in. Let
    me sniff him and pounce.
16. the loner at the patio bar
    The long drawn face tied
    to slumping shoulders. How life
    has beaten him down.
17. at the corner of fourth and 18th
    No better way to
    meet people than at the scene
    of a big car crash.
18. disguise discovery
    This mask we wear comes
    off but once a year to show
    the world our true selves.
19. cuter looters
    At the door are quite
    a few short weirdos looking
    for candy to snatch.
20. squiggles and sticks
    Each punctuation
    mark has a name. Who knows what
    they are period.
21. retail ghost town
    The empty storefronts
    interrupted by a vape
    shop and boutique gym.
22. the paycheck-to-paycheck stranglehold
    Ignore bill, ignore
    bill, pay a little, do with
    less, then start again.
23. no campaigning within 30 feet
    With eager waves and
    greetings, they make a last-ditch
    effort to win votes.
24. from all sides
    Tribalism takes
    its hold on the extremes and
    squeezes the middle.
25. either/or
    A few hours of
    voting can transform the world
    for better or worse.
26. all according to plan
    The frustration of
    being in control while not
    controlling a thing.
27. down and out
    A broken man waits
    on the street for a wish that
    is never granted.
28. a podcast a day
    History, local
    stuff, serial killers fill
    the ears and the minds.
29. broken pen pals
    Accumulation
    on one side of messages,
    postcards and letters.
30. veterans on parade
    Riding the floats and
    waving to throngs of grateful,
    proud Americans.
31. hobo king
    He rules the rails with
    dignity, compassion for
    all who seek jobs, jaunts.
32. the group text
    A thread of catty
    remarks and blackmail pics to
    keep everyone sane.
33. first heard
    Voices. All distinct.
    The light above. Faint footsteps.
    Blood pumps in the ears.
34. the text of undoing
    His motivation
    revealed itself in a few
    poorly chosen words.
35. my other super power
    Picking the item
    at McDonald’s that they’re out
    of today only.
36. the universe in its infinite diversity
    On other planets,
    do they see us? Do they want
    to talk? Or hide out?
37. deep fried turkey
    The only thing deep-
    fried on Thanksgiving was the
    chef’s unlucky leg.
38. back to shells and disks
    The chip is maybe
    secure except when thieves scan
    it in your wallet.
39. the cycle of resistance
    Every day is a
    new fight. Can’t back down. Every
    day is a new fight.
40. the airing of blessings
    Look for the people
    who make your life better to
    express gratitude.
41. a guide to thanksgiving dinner
    Break bread and tell tales
    round the table. Share wisdom
    and promote world peace.
42. 17 rhymes
    Cats hats rats bats tats
    mats gnats fats pats stats lats vats
    slats gats flats brats prats.
43. quantify everything
    Count all the oaks, fish,
    gulls, rocks, cups, stars, cars, peaks, caves,
    kites, dawns, dunes, breaths, souls.
44. a cost of free speech
    A hidden army
    vets obscene and bloody pics
    for our social play.
45. cartoon obsession
    So much joy from a
    set of squiggly lines and a
    troupe of strong voices.
46. beauty and wonder
    To gaze at the blue
    sky with an armada of
    clouds shaped like tacos.
47. scribbling towards ecstasy
    It takes a little
    bit of practice each day to
    become a writer.
48. radical acceptance
    This is our moment.
    Circumstances don’t matter.
    It is what it is.
49. the coming frost
    Soon, the harvested
    fields make way for death, decay
    and the coming frost.
50. climate charge
    Snowflakes in autumn.
    Has winter solstice become
    too commercialized?
51. death at our own hands
    More see the only
    way out is through suicide.
    Hope has gone away.
52. tinder, but for swingin’ kringles
    Those dying malls can’t
    support Santa’s gigs, but an
    app can summon him.
53. everywhere but inside of the eyelids
    Tired, exhausted, worn
    out, run down, sleepy, tuckered
    out, zombified, dead.
54. the holiday rush
    … three smashed cars, two wreck-
    er jobs and a traffic jam
    on the interstate.
55. the surly server
    Her feet ache, her shifts
    go forever and her damn
    diners forget tips.
56. rabble with a cause
    A protest is not
    to reach consensus, but to
    speak truth to power.
57. the perks of being a working stiff
    Sleep comes easily
    to exhausted souls trying
    to remain afloat.
58. space opera
    A musical on
    changing interstellar trade
    policy and droids.
59. the baby says hi
    He toddles up to
    strangers to welcome them with
    no guise but kindness.
60. the monsoon
    Whoever is still
    praying for rain, please stop else
    we drown on our land.
61. choose patience
    The hurry-up-and-
    go method gives way to a
    moment for breathing.
62. youtube radicalization
    Watch a video,
    then three more, then parrot back
    hateful talking points.
63. songs and sweets
    A time for candy
    canes and mistletoe, thoughtful
    gifts and caroling.
64. ai is my co-pilot
    The long road to self-
    driving cars will be littered
    with bodies and wrecks.
65. forget hell
    I had a better
    verse in mind, but I didn’t
    write it down in time.
66. held up at the north pole port of entry
    Santa may delay
    his journey to sort out some
    weird tariff issues.
67. they’ve even infected this stanza
    The Russians spared no
    expense in bringing chaos
    to other nations.
68. the gentleman in front of western
    A looping voice box
    lures busy shoppers to the
    wheelchair bodega.
69. my bully
    You can’t damage me.
    In every aspect, I am
    my own worst bully.
70. the touch of winter
    Dark days, darker nights,
    a biting cold coupled with
    peaceful lifelessness.
71. the heart of contempt
    The fragile white male
    ego, a foul entity
    to behold, to know.
72. sugar cookies and crocheted stockings
    The best thing about
    holiday traditions is
    making up new ones.
73. showtime from the apollo
    They looked back upon
    the earth in awe at the small
    blue marble called home.
74. bundle of hope
    A package, neatly
    wrapped, beneath the twinkling lights
    waiting for a child.
75. brick and mortal
    No more bargain hunts.
    No more long return lines. Just
    click, wait, knock, it’s done.
76. art as a commodity
    What color palette?
    What themes? Which artist’s style? What’s
    your spending limit?
77. maybe next year
    Catch up on some sleep.
    Finish clearing the garage.
    Learn a new language.
78. missing sense
    My dog has no nose!
    — Oh heavens, how does he smell?
    (A pause.) Just awful.
79. unable to escape
    Who designed such a
    fiendish trap that would keep me
    so paralyzed? … … Me.
80. in closing
    All good things must come
    to an end. Fortunately,
    all bad things as well.
81. the beginning
    The road ahead is
    long, maybe dangerous and
    ready to traverse.
82. home for the holi-half-day
    She drove night and day
    across states to be with her
    kids for 12 hours.
83. a little rain
    A light breeze became
    a little rain. That never
    stopped. The world flooded.
84. malodorous realm
    I bet the worst thing
    about eternity in
    hell is the odor.
85. a year for setbacks and setforwards
    She delighted in
    her many resolutions,
    kept and otherwise.
86. rah deal
    Students stopped going
    to games and settled for score
    updates on their phones.
87. found in the mail
    The box of goods wound
    its way across the country
    by way of Japan.
88. ballad of the porch pirate
    Before, burglars had
    to break inside. Now, they just
    swipe our packages.
89. comparison is the thief of joy
    Cupcakes are fancy
    muffins. Hotels are taller
    motels. All is lost.
90. where ideas come from
    A hidden part of
    the lizard brain that defies
    logic and reason.
91. the moral lesson
    Not one to absorb
    but to put into practice
    over and over.
92. everyone is overqualified
    We are good drivers,
    with above-average brains
    and perfect manners.
93. the perfect crime
    Don’t cry because it’s
    over. Smile because you got
    away with something.
94. calibration dish
    If they can’t make a
    good cashew chicken, then they
    won’t see me again.
95. modern civics
    Grab all you can get.
    The ends justify the means.
    And also meanness.
96. to-done list
    It can be somewhat
    satisfying to cross off
    items from ’16.
97. conversations in the air
    Ambling down the street,
    chatting with distant friends through
    hidden earpieces.
98. the heap down the street
    We all end up like
    so much junk on the curb, sent
    to oblivion.
99. the new new fandom
    Love what you love, but
    not to the detriment of
    others’ enjoyment.
100. writing a hit song
     Catchy tune with a
     memorable chorus, plus
     lots of tambourine.
101. winter emergency survival kit
     Light the fire. Pour
     the wine. Stay inside. Cuddle
     under the blankets.

• • •

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