Author Archives: oddmanout215

Update: A sneaky makeover of slavery exhibit

Posted on July 19, 2026 by oddmanout215

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. — George Orwell “No way those Park Service goons would do their dirty work in broad daylight, in front of angry protesters and puzzled tourists. No … Continue reading →

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Bastille Day was not like the 4th of July

Posted on July 16, 2026 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit raised a toast to his TV screen during a news feature about Bastille Day celebrations in France. “The Frenchies are really whooping it up,” he said. “This is their version of the Fourth of July.” “Not exactly,” I … Continue reading →

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Don’t like your history? Scrub, rinse, repeat.

Posted on July 11, 2026 by oddmanout215

At high noon I rushed over to Swamp Rabbit’s shack to read aloud from an essay in the NY Review of Books by the always insightful Fintan O’Toole: National vanity is arguably dependent on the absence of national pride. To … Continue reading →

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Oops, I got my mad kings mixed up

Posted on July 6, 2026 by oddmanout215

It was too hot to exercise, so I nodded out with NPR on the radio. When I woke, the network’s hosts and reporters were reading from a list of grievances: He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for … Continue reading →

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Quit whining, it’s only 102 degrees

Posted on July 3, 2026 by oddmanout215

The sleet sounded like beaded curtains brushed aside by a fleeing intruder. I lingered in bed, tensing up every time the ice pellets danced across my windows. My favorite blanket — the one with the embroidered dinosaur images — was … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, environmentalism, humor, mainstream media | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Green is the new orange

Posted on June 27, 2026 by oddmanout215

NYT columnist Maureen Dowd tweaked the title of an old monster movie for a recent headline: “The creature from the green lagoon.” Could there be a more apt way to describe the shiny beast who polluted the Reflecting Pool at … Continue reading →

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Soundtrack for the solstice

Posted on June 23, 2026 by oddmanout215

The sun was directly overhead on the longest day of the year. No shadows. I pushed a button on my phone. My neighbor Swamp Rabbit leaned back in his broken rocking chair, waiting to hear some songs that would blot … Continue reading →

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Court OKs sanitized slavery exhibit in Philly

Posted on June 22, 2026 by oddmanout215

Irony is a bitch. Last week, just in time for Juneteenth, an appeals court reversed a previous judge’s decision and ruled that Trump and his minions can replace the exhibit panels at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia. This means … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media, Nativism, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Trump’s VP is making (up) history

Posted on June 17, 2026 by oddmanout215

Years before becoming Donald Trump’s vice president, JD Vance suggested that Trump might be “America’s Hitler.” That may have been his last truthful moment. Now he’s one of Dear Leader’s most prolific liars, and most of his lies tend to … Continue reading →

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Matching Trump’s flunkies with Hitler’s

Posted on June 11, 2026 by oddmanout215

We were discussing yes-men last week when I raised a question: How do Donald Trump’s sycophants match up with Adolph Hitler’s? I mentioned Rudolph Hess, the longtime Hitler comrade who flew solo to Scotland with the idea of persuading the … Continue reading →

Posted in apocalypse, Congress, history, humor, immigration, mainstream media | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment