Author Archives: oddmanout215

Obama on the boob tube

Posted on October 28, 2010 by oddmanout215

2010 is like 1933, but without the good songs “Conspirators have a logic and a daring beyond our reach. All conspiracies are the same taut story of men who find coherence in some criminal act. Or maybe not.” — Don … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Depression, health care, mid-term elections, Obama, Uncategorized, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Nearly) fatal distraction

Posted on October 25, 2010 by oddmanout215

How can a poor man stand such teams and live? “These days people want beer with their circuses, not bread.” – A contemporary South Philly descendant of the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal. The beer flowed Wednesday night but the circus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Depression, mid-term elections, Philadelphia, sports, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Take away my rights, not my toys

Posted on October 4, 2010 by oddmanout215

Why FDR’s words wouldn’t resonate today “No country, however rich, can afford the waste of its human resources. Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest extravagance. Morally, it is the greatest menace to our social order.” In 1934, FDR’s … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Depression, mid-term elections, unemployment, Wall Street, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A new casino in this economy? Are you crazy?

Posted on September 29, 2010 by oddmanout215

The utilitarian gambling hall erected on North Delaware Avenue at the border of Fishtown and Northern Liberties puts 1,600 slot machines and 40 card tables within easy reach of neighborhoods across the city, many of them low-income. With the illusive … Continue reading →

Posted in casinos, economic collapse, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fashion-conscious thugs prefer the Bronx Bombers

Posted on September 21, 2010 by oddmanout215

But you don’t have to be a hood to love corporate logos From the Sept. 15 New York Times: A curious phenomenon has emerged at the intersection of fashion, sports and crime: dozens of men and women who have robbed, … Continue reading →

Posted in globalization, mainstream media, New York Times, sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sorry, nepotism on the bridge!

Posted on September 14, 2010 by oddmanout215

One of these years, DRPA will finish bike paths The mission: To get used to commuting by bicycle between Center City Philadelphia and Camden, NJ, using the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Peddling the mile-long stretch takes about 10 minutes, includes beautiful … Continue reading →

Posted in bicycling, Delaware River Port Authority, livable cities, NJ, Philadelphia, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Headless bodies and hapless Democrats

Posted on September 7, 2010 by oddmanout215

Think GOP’s morons can’t win midterms? Think again Keith Olbermann knows Republican candidates are funny. He airs clips of their boneheaded declarations so that we who lean left can laugh, in an incredulous way, at how grotesque the right wing … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, economic collapse, immigration, mid-term elections, Obama, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

You, sir, are no Lonesome Rhodes

Posted on September 1, 2010 by oddmanout215

Where are the fire-breathing, chest-beating demagogues of old? I saw clips of Glenn Beck exhorting the crowd to come back to Jesus during his “Restoring Honor” event in D.C. and I wondered, honestly, how this simpering buffoon rose from radio … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, mainstream media, Nativism, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ten signs you’ve slipped into the underclass

Posted on August 30, 2010 by oddmanout215

Here’s how to tell you’ve hit bottom Make a list that traces your downward mobility. This is the opposite of what you’d do if you were reading “Six signs that you’ve made it to the middle class,” a recent article … Continue reading →

Posted in Philadelphia, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can a daily biking regimen cause homicide?

Posted on August 28, 2010 by oddmanout215

Maybe not, but make sure you look both ways Exercise might “moderate” one’s anger level, according to a research study reported by the Phys Ed column in The New York Times. Hmm… In the study, scientists monitored the brain activity … Continue reading →

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