Author Archives: oddmanout215

It’s Rapture time. Do you know where your dog is?

Posted on May 19, 2011 by oddmanout215

Holy eschatology, the end is near. Worthy folks across the land are wrapping up their earthly business and getting ready to be summoned, or assumed, or maybe just whooshed into heaven at 6 p.m. Saturday. There has been much debate … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, livable cities | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The hole where Borders was, and the dummies who dug it

Posted on May 17, 2011 by oddmanout215

Writers hate the idea of slush piles, where agents and editors dump unpublished works. On the last weekend of business at Borders in Philadelphia, I saw the equivalent of a slush pile for published works. It wasn’t a pretty sight. … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, Great Recession, livable cities, Philadelphia, unemployment, Wall Street | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Low-stoop’ fiction writer seeks agent, brand

Posted on May 16, 2011 by oddmanout215

Citations from an article about the importance of tireless self-promotion in trying to establish a brand for your work: For artists, the great problem to solve is how to get oneself noticed. — Honore de Balzac, Lost Illusions Great success … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Again, Bernie plays the Obama we thought we elected

Posted on May 12, 2011 by oddmanout215

This from Bernie Sanders, who stands out from most of his fellow U.S. senators like a St. Bernard in a pack of toy poodles: The United States is the only major nation in the industrialized world that does not guarantee … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, globalization, Great Recession, health care, Obama, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What does ‘killing evil’ mean, Maureen?

Posted on May 9, 2011 by oddmanout215

Here’s the Beltway sage Maureen Dowd, defending those who danced in the streets and shouted “USA!” at the news that Osama bin Laden had been killed by the U.S. military: I don’t want closure. There is no closure after tragedy. … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq war, mainstream media, New York Times, New York Times op-ed, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Osama, we hardly knew ye!

Posted on May 2, 2011 by oddmanout215

Put on your waders, here comes the presidential bullshit: Tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness … Continue reading →

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A Python-esque rite in South Philly

Posted on April 28, 2011 by oddmanout215

Ah, the rites of spring in the `hood! You know — palm weaving, the Easter Parade on South Street, race riots in Grays Ferry. Here’s one that was new to me — the Good Friday re-enactment of the crucifixion of … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, globalization, Great Recession, immigration, livable cities, mainstream media, NJ, Philadelphia, Politics, Wall Street, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brooks, the Earnest Weasel, nips at Obama

Posted on April 18, 2011 by oddmanout215

This because it’s been a long while since my last installment of the Weasel Watch: President Obama and Paul Ryan are two of the smartest, most admirable and most genial men in Washington. It is sad, although not strange, that … Continue reading →

Posted in David Brooks, economic collapse, Great Recession, mainstream media, Obama, Politics, taxes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the neighborhood, in spring

Posted on April 15, 2011 by oddmanout215

What’s he building in there?/What the hell is he building/In there?/He has subscriptions to those/Magazines… He never/Waves when he goes by/He’s hiding something from/The rest of us… He’s all/To himself… I think I know/Why… — Tom Waits Overheard while running … Continue reading →

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A plague on Republicrats!

Posted on April 13, 2011 by oddmanout215

Will Barack Obama keep the promise he made today and oppose extending the Bush tax cuts next time? Will it even matter when the Republicans are finished screwing around with the tax code? The ugly truth is that Obama and … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, finance reform bill, globalization, Great Recession, Iraq war, mainstream media, Politics, taxes, unemployment, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment