Author Archives: oddmanout215

Reagan’s wrecking crew

Posted on February 10, 2012 by oddmanout215

Where would America be without the two-term presidency of Ronald Reagan? Answering this question, Charles P. Pierce addressed the ghost of the Gipper on his 101st birthday: …You did more than anyone else to demolish the notion of a political … Continue reading →

Posted in campaign finance reform, economic collapse, Great Depression, liar, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

When he was good

Posted on February 8, 2012 by oddmanout215

From Rod Stewart’s first solo album (1969), released not long after he broke with the great guitarist Jeff Beck. This was before Stewart stopped singing songs about working-class misfits and turned into a Hollywood poof (“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”). … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, pop music | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Naomi Wolf’s Madonna crush

Posted on February 8, 2012 by oddmanout215

Madonna is “that forbidden thing, the Nietzschean creative woman.” I didn’t know this until I read journalist Naomi Wolf’s complaint about reporters who diss the Material Girl whenever she “steps out of her pretty-girl-pop-music bandwidth” to make a movie or … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, humor, pop music | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Half-truths about the job market

Posted on February 7, 2012 by oddmanout215

Last week, news outlets were buzzing with happy talk about a dip in the unemployment rate in November. The problem is, anyone living in the real world knows that good jobs — i.e., jobs that pay well, or at least … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, mainstream media, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Madonna exits, Mitt marches on

Posted on February 6, 2012 by oddmanout215

The concepts were unintentionally funny, the players about as exciting as assembly-line robots. I mean the Republican presidential debates, not the Super Bowl halftime show. Madonna and her minions were on stage for only a few minutes, but the GOP … Continue reading →

Posted in campaign finance reform, Congress, humor, mainstream media, Mitt Romney, pop music | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Crucifixion complex

Posted on February 5, 2012 by oddmanout215

One of my favorite movie moments occurs near the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Pod people from outer space may have replaced all the real people in a little California town except for Dr. Miles Bennell, played … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

‘Central Government for Dummies’

Posted on February 3, 2012 by oddmanout215

Last week I wrote that the Tea Party is a dead end, mainly because its members don’t seem to understand they’re serving the rich and powerful, and surrendering power in the process. They love the idea of a “maverick” Republican … Continue reading →

Posted in Mitt Romney, Nativism, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hope you don’t find no shadow…

Posted on February 2, 2012 by oddmanout215

Groundhog people with your groundhog ways I see you in the sun but you fly when the shadows get long This is an alternate version of the song that appeared on Clear, the third Spirit album (1969).

Posted in arts, humor, pop music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

And the big story is… Phil

Posted on February 2, 2012 by oddmanout215

From today’s Washington Post: At 7:25 a.m. this morning, amidst mostly cloudy skies, and temperatures in the low 30s, Groundhog Phil saw his shadow in the little town of Punxsutawney, Pa. According to folklore, Phil’s sighting of his own shadow … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Facebook bubble

Posted on February 2, 2012 by oddmanout215

A massive con job may be in progress in the form of the coming Facebook IPO, which will supposedly value the company somewhere in the vicinity of $75 billion to $100 billion. From DJ Pangburn of Death and Taxes: … … Continue reading →

Posted in Wall Street, world-wide economy | Tagged , , | 2 Comments