Author Archives: oddmanout215

Lumet’s gone, but ‘Network’ is forever

Posted on April 10, 2011 by oddmanout215

Reading of Sidney Lumet’s death, I thought of Al Pacino chanting “Attica! Attica!” to rouse the rabble in Dog Day Afternoon; of Henry Fonda, with Obama-like cool, shrugging off Lee J. Cobb’s bully tactics in Twelve Angry Men; of Jerry … Continue reading →

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

How to negotiate like Neville Chamberlain

Posted on April 9, 2011 by oddmanout215

John Boehner’s target was $40 million in budget cuts. He got $38.5 million. And yet talking heads on MSNBC will almost surely try to spin the budget deal as some sort of victory for Democrats and working people, just as … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, economic collapse, Great Recession, mainstream media, Obama, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How do Paul Ryan do that voodoo he do?

Posted on April 8, 2011 by oddmanout215

I vote “yes” on Robert Reich’s call for higher taxes on the rich: …Remarkably, taxes on the top have plummeted. From the 1940s until 1980, the top tax income tax rate on the highest earners in America was at least … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, mainstream media, New York Times, Obama, Politics, taxes, unemployment, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Obama trap is closing on progressives

Posted on April 6, 2011 by oddmanout215

From the Animals: My little girl you’re so young and pretty/And one thing I know is true/You’ll be dead before your time is due/Yes you will. From Michael Gerson in The Washington Post: Obama now has Republicans cornered in budget … Continue reading →

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On the road to Johnny Brenda’s w/ Nicos Gun

Posted on April 5, 2011 by oddmanout215

You’re achy and pissed when you pull into Roadkill, AL, or wherever, and sick of looking at each other, of the smell of each other in that RV you’re rattling around in. But South by Southwest in Austin was sweet … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, Philadelphia, pop music | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

To NY Times, economic rut is recovery

Posted on April 4, 2011 by oddmanout215

The lead paragraphs and headline — “Job Growth Suggests Resilience of U.S. Recovery” — of a recent New York Times article suggests, Herbert Hoover-style, that prosperity is just around the corner. The real story is buried deep in the text: … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, Iraq war, mainstream media, New York Times, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Snooki hits back at critic of her Rutgers gig

Posted on April 3, 2011 by oddmanout215

From nj.com: What’s worth more? A commencement speech by a Nobel-winning novelist? Or a pair of Q&A sessions with one of reality television’s biggest stars? At Rutgers University, Snooki edges out Toni Morrison by a couple thousand dollars. Last month, … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, NJ | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

This weekend — the Phillies or ‘The Loser’

Posted on April 2, 2011 by oddmanout215

From the late Austrian Thomas Bernhard’s novel The Loser, in which a fictional version of Glenn Gould has studied piano with two would-be virtuosos, Wertheimer and the narrator, who have both quit playing because they were psychologically damaged by the … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, autobiography, fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Correction, DN — Corbett wields the chainsaw

Posted on April 1, 2011 by oddmanout215

Here’s Josh Cornfield of the Philadelphia Daily News following up on reaction to the newspaper’s cheesy, Photoshopped front page photo on March 31: The Philadelphia School District apparently loved the Daily News’ cover yesterday as much as district parents and … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Recession, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, taxes, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fox News VP: Sure, I lied about Obama

Posted on April 1, 2011 by oddmanout215

In case you wondered why Roger Ailes and his motley crew are barred from Canadian TV outlets, here’s this from Media Matters: In newly uncovered audio, a Fox News executive boasts that he lied repeatedly during the closing days of … Continue reading →

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