Author Archives: oddmanout215

Cost of Bush’s wars? At least $12K per American

Posted on August 17, 2011 by oddmanout215

The U.S. in Afghanistan is looking a lot like the U.S.S.R. in Afghanistan. The cost of the war there and in Iraq, our other quagmire, is one of the two main causes of our record deficit, the other being lowered … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, humor, Iraq war, Politics, taxes, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

More songs about buildings and bikes

Posted on August 17, 2011 by oddmanout215

I was watching a sunburned woman with red hair in a thick braid. In the corner of my eye, a bike rider zoomed past and disappeared behind a bus. I stepped into the street for another look, but the rider … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, enviromentalism, Great Recession, humor, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Low wages = no recovery. Suck on that, Perry.

Posted on August 16, 2011 by oddmanout215

He walks tall, he talks tall, he sucks a mean corn dog in Iowa but, as Paul Krugman notes, Rick Perry is merely another well-groomed Republican liar when he promises to speed the country’s economic recovery: In June 2011, the … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, enviromentalism, God Squad, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, New York Times, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Philly’s tax mess — no wonder we’re going broke

Posted on August 15, 2011 by oddmanout215

I write from Philadelphia, one of the most stupidly governed major cities in the nation. If you doubt that, take a look at the Inquirer story about our delinquent-property-tax-collection system. For years our various mayors and City Council members have … Continue reading →

Posted in casinos, City Hall, economic collapse, enviromentalism, Great Recession, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, taxes | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A ‘post-idea’ world? I don’t know what to make of that.

Posted on August 14, 2011 by oddmanout215

Read Neal Gabler’s essay in the Sunday New York Times before you jump on Facebook to tell friends what your cat had for dinner and how much you hate Mondays: … If information was once grist for ideas, over the … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, mainstream media, New York Times, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Four more years of being punked? No thanks

Posted on August 14, 2011 by oddmanout215

So I saw this piece in The Hill with the headline “Al Gore for president” and I thought hmm, not my favorite choice but a smart guy with good ideas. Not exactly brave but certainly ballsier than Obama, although who … Continue reading →

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Her fame was fleeting, but Jones’s songs endure

Posted on August 13, 2011 by oddmanout215

Mojo has been a better music magazine than Rolling Stone for a long time, and forget that there isn’t much good music to write about these days, that’s another story. The July Mojo profiled singer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, who debuted … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, mainstream media, pop music | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

God, Super PACs on Perry’s side

Posted on August 13, 2011 by oddmanout215

At last, a real man in the presidential race — the God-fearing Texan with the designer cowboy boots and permanent wave who likes to be photographed holding guns to prove he’s virile, I guess because he suspects voters have their … Continue reading →

Posted in God Squad, Great Recession, humor, Politics, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

If you prick corporations, do they not bleed?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by oddmanout215

“Corporations are people, my friend,” says Mitt Romney, who looks like a middle-aged Ken doll and acts like he has an industrial coolant coursing through his veins. Or maybe I’m just prejudiced against soulless enemies of the poor and jobless, … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, globalization, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, Politics, unemployment, Wall Street, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

London looters bypass bookstores… Sign o’ the times?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by oddmanout215

Looter A: Listen, mate, two quid will get you ten boxes of the latest Franzen, in hardcover. Looter B: Bollocks! What about the new Xbox 360 games? Cutbacks in social services for the poor helped trigger riots this week in … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, economic collapse, globalization, Great Recession, humor, livable cities, mainstream media, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment