Saturday, June 12, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
A May rally at Linn Park supporting Palestine. From Empat Lebah.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Friday, June 4, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Montreal visitor walks from downtown to Vulcan. From Jayson 2020.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Monday, May 31, 2021 by Wade Kwon
VIDEO
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.
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Friday, May 28, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
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 »
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Saturday, May 22, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Riding into the gym. From TrapFlix TV.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Friday, May 14, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Commercial for Birmingham Oddities downtown. From Matt Weber.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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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 »
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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 »
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Thursday, April 22, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
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 »
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Friday, April 16, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Ministry in Linn Park downtown. From LEM Media.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Friday, April 9, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Rugby: Birmingham Vulcans at New Orleans in March. From Norse Archaelogist Does Things.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Thursday, April 8, 2021 by Wade Kwon
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banned words, 2020 edition
Pandemic, lockdown,
social distancing, face mask,
coronavirus.
the fights long since forgotten
An apology
sheepish and belated still
merits acceptance.
almost midnight
If you’ve read this far:
Congratulations, you sur-
vived 2020.
2021 and bust
Never have we been
so grateful to see the dawn
of another year.
more and more winter
It is frostier,
outside and inside, spreading
shivers, slowing time.
easiest resolution ever
Join the gym and get
fit. Once pandemic ends and
it’s safe again. (wink!)
the need for work
It’s tough to make an
honest living when good jobs
can hardly be found.
american exceptionalism
Don’t worry: Other
countries have safety nets. The
U.S. has women.
revenge of mr. privilege
Don’t mess with me. I
can have you fired with the
slightest of complaints.
community won’t
A quaint notion, that
“common good,” the unfounded
trust in decency.
a friendship on pause
Uncomfortable
silence sprinkled with regrets
and mild annoyance.
the trust
By the time she found
out about it, most of the
money was long gone.
save the drama from your mama
Family intrigue
draws some closer together
to push others out.
anything for a buck store
Weed that flourishes
in the unkempt neighborhoods,
choking out the rest.
silent menace
The white walls steepen
overnight. No way out but
through. Dig and dig deep.
the undiscovered circuitry
A new gadget brings
the joy of figuring it
out, making it work.
lessons of 2020
How to beat COVID.
How to steal an election.
And Black Lives Matter.
acceptance? radical
Pain? Mandatory.
Suffering? Entirely
optional to you.
jab, jab, knockout
The first shot and a
little arm soreness. The next
shot: immunity.
the digital everlasting gobstopper
Browse for underwear.
See ads for underwear in
every site, page, dream.
the volunteer spirit
We give what we can.
We give away and make things.
We spend time and cash.
mismatched deathbed confessions
“We thought it was a
hoax, and we were wrong.” “We still
think it’s a damn hoax.”
impeachment was just the beginning
Indict the former
president. Hold him account-
able for his crimes.
the listicle is life
The 50 greatest
years of my life, ranked by joy,
wins and shock value.
the gig’s up
Swipe right for soulmates,
cab drivers, dog walkers and
food deliverers.
celestial indicators
Somewhere is a live
dashboard tracking your every
good deed and bad thought.
a pileup of words
Read or cook dinner.
Read or binge-watch. Read or take
a nap. Read or skim.
invasion of the moths
Corner by corner,
room by room, they stake claims on
our territory.
youtopiatube
Five hundred thousand
channels to wile away the
idle days of youth.
the disposable army
The most menial
of tasks for the least pay for
the richest tyrants.
pandemic paradox
The worse the sickness,
the more we gather without
any precautions.
raise the clotilda
A slave ship returns
to the Bama port after
a lengthy detour.
beyond open mic night
Comedians who
goof on TikTok, tweet trendy
jokes and live next door.
chocolate chip champion
Her prowess with a
mixer and batter grew with
every batch she baked.
the nature of hobbies
An element of
frustration becoming its
own perverse pleasure.
six more months of covid
Fauci pops out of
quarantine and spots shadows
of anti-maskers.
it came from craigslist
Zones where barterers
can meet without getting mugged
or shot in the face.
gamestart
A reality
show pitting hedge funds against
day trading neckbeards.
virtual laggard
A bot filled in for
me for a bit. No one had
noticed or minded.
the battle of january 6
Marauders hell-bent
on toppling democracy
and hanging its reps.
the donald j. trump presidential library
The pee tape and the
“Access Hollywood” tape, found
inside Cell Block D.
a new job in the pandemic
Please report to your
manager in the kitchen
via your laptop.
weaponizing bullshit
An empire of
media and hucksters with
greedy intentions.
transactional family
Quid pro quo, scratching
of backs, greasing of palms, an
incestuous trade.
the first lesson of black history month
Those who cannot re-
member the Black past are con-
demned to repeat it.
techwar
Fighting spam, malware.
Computers were supposed to
make lives easier.
catch me inside how bout dah
We think we have the
virus figured out. It then
rolls out new guises.
cupid as warden
Raise a glass to the
relationships that endured
12 months of lockdown.
minimum wage leads to
Minimum food, health,
gas, clothing, stability
and maximum stress.
two clichés and the truth
Being precise means
steamrolling all distractions
to thread the needle.
ol’ reliable
The steady belief
that everything will last as
long as hope’s alive.
the rotting underbelly
Beneath the veneer,
a soul badly in need of
deep understanding.
the doctor on duty
Healer risks it all
to save lungs from the global
menace behind masks.
do-si-dont’s
Even the smallest
ingredient shows proof of
exploited children.
rip moms and pops
Who lent a hand to
the struggling small business when
the pandemic struck?
binge spectating
The secret joy of
reading about TV is
skipping those clunkers.
a perfectly cromulent verse
Using slang can be
dangerous since it’s always
boodling the watchet.
the wanderer
She found it easy
to pick up and move, swanning
to untouched locales.
the data detective
Where had it gone off
course, this trail of zeroes and
ones landing afield?
temporal madness
To not sleep, to push
and push through hours and days
with no set schedule.
that one driver
Cut someone off in
traffic, watch them tail you till
home to cuss you out.
a not-so-simple delivery
Hunting for common
items but unable to
fill the shopping cart.
goin’ off the deep end
Friday night is here.
Time to plan all the great ways
to spend a weekend!
a muse bushed
Creative writer
seeks inspiration for the
next set of verses.
a walk through the woods in winter
Bundle up and brave
the cold. Head for the trails to
commune with nature.
rumble in the cubicle
Not even the grumps
at the office can keep me
from smiling at life.
1 zzzzz
She passed out before
counting, so the sheep snuck off
very quietly.
two-thirds awake
A third of our lives
in bed. A third of our time
shrouded in slumber.
you’re gonna need a bigger bed
To be cuddled by
a pack of warm furry friends
is to know comfort.
nocturnal visions
A surreal melange
of made-up memories and
dreamy wanderings.
the 140-hour workweek
So refreshing was
the long winter’s nap that she
slept for two more days.
a miracle in a vial
We can destroy a
tiny bug by shooting up
folks with a vaccine.
discommunication
Email, Slack, phones, fax,
texts, voicemails … and yet colleagues
can’t seem to connect.
wires crossed
Don’t give in to the
IT desk. Turn off, turn on,
defenestrate it.
natural neglect
Weeds and rodents have
claimed this fertile ground. Can this
garden rise again?
probably apple and peach
Anyone could tell
that the translucent bag had
a mess of fried pies.
kids, covid and contagion in education
The physical toll
on those in classrooms, mental
toll on those at home.
out and prodigal
Never too old to
run away from home, but to
return is tougher.
at least the billionaires are thriving
The people are stuck
with no income, and the jobs
may never come back.
and you’ll like it
They celebrated
their hard-working staff with some
cake and empty praise.
caucasoid cachet
A diverse group of
employees politely clapped
for white promotions.
the two seasons
It’s spring, nope it’s still
winter. It’s spring! Nah, winter.
Please let it be spring.
somewhat after the fact
How many times in
life do you get to bequeath
your stuff? Oh, right … none.
mired in greatness
Is the challenge of
diversity recruitment?
Or bold ideas?
pledge to our selves
We make time for the
things that are important to
us, no matter what.
forget the gas pump
Nowhere to be, no
one to meet, a driveway with
an abandoned car.
a zoom to remember
It is lovely to
spend the night getting older
with virtual friends.
native advertising
I’m at my best when
serving others. I have a
lot of love to give.
the online introvert
He could take the chit
chat for only so long. He
logged off in a huff.
frugal milestones
She celebrated
her newfound wealth by paying
off her auto loan.
my own postal route
I get plenty of
exercise taking others’
mail to their houses.
so long, suckers
They would turn their backs
on nonbelievers, as their
community shrank.
cleverness masked as decorum
A sharper wit can
allow you to speak ill of
the dead with a smirk.
the joke’s on all of us
Fake news, voter fraud,
QAnon, alt-right, Fox News,
vaccines, Russian tweets.
needling around
Get a third shot to
be extra safe and extra
autistic. JK!!!!
the asian in asian american
A minority
modeled on racial divides
and no acceptance.
sunday starting over
The promise of a
rebirth for all, a fresh start
from our sinful pasts.
asian persuasion
Not every person
of color gets asked “Where are
you from?” Lucky us.
the creepy uncle
They took down an old
predator, but it took great
courage and candor.
self care 2021
Taking off work clothes
(pajamas) and slipping in-
to a nice coma.
the persistent undercurrent
His mellow moods were
betrayed by a beautiful
depression deep down.
• • •
Read more Wade’s 101 .
Read more poetry at Wade’s Daily Haiku .
Subscribe via RSS to Wade’s Daily Haiku.
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Friday, April 2, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Reading chapter 4 of Christopher Paul Curtis’ “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.” From Benjamin Price.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Friday, March 26, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
Dashcam footage of a neighborhood (our vertical video of the week). From ZPierre509.
More videos, after the jump …
Continued »
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Wednesday, March 17, 2021 by Wade Kwon
A look at Birmingham in videos …
VIDEO
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 »
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