Category Archives: arts

Where have all the protest songs gone?

Posted on January 31, 2026 by oddmanout215

I was telling my neighbor Swamp Rabbit that Bruce Springsteen’s new song about the DHS murders in Minneapolis is heartfelt and timely. Too bad the melody is dreary, the vocal overwrought and the likelihood of the song changing the beliefs … Continue reading →

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Insurrection? I don’t remember that.

Posted on January 19, 2026 by oddmanout215

From The New York Times, another reminder that being a dictator means having the power to replace the historical record with self-serving propaganda: The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery removed wall text that referred to President Trump’s two impeachments — language … Continue reading →

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Get with it, clean energy fans. Hire influencers.

Posted on January 1, 2026 by oddmanout215

Lately I’ve been either jogging or writing, and my newsy neighbor Swamp Rabbit wants to know what’s up. “How come you spendin’ so much time in Bog Water Homes?’ he said, naming the swampy development where we live. “You get … Continue reading →

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Songs for a cool Yule and beyond

Posted on December 26, 2025 by oddmanout215

I was putting together this year’s Christmas playlist with help from my neighbor Swamp Rabbit, who has strong opinions about holiday music. “No more ‘Jingle Bells!’” he shouted. “There are two thousand versions out there and they all suck.” He … Continue reading →

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I do believe in spooks!

Posted on October 31, 2025 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit was concerned about my mental health. He had decorated the front of his shack with jack-‘o-lanterns and plastic tombstones and so on, and he was wondering why my shack looked so dark and uninviting. “You need some skeletons … Continue reading →

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Satire is no match for a mad king and his minions

Posted on October 6, 2025 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit and I were debating the usefulness of satire in a country whose democratic traditions are being subverted by authoritarian forces. Will poking fun at those forces help? Can satirists wake sane Americans to the fact that the norms … Continue reading →

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Snarky Bill Maher can’t take a joke

Posted on April 28, 2025 by oddmanout215

Bill Maher can dish it out, but he can’t take it. The aging king of snark is still whining about “My Dinner with Adolph,” a satiric op-ed by Larry David that indirectly mocked Maher for dining with Donald Trump and … Continue reading →

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What is this thing called love?

Posted on February 14, 2025 by oddmanout215

My friend Swamp Rabbit took a look my Valentine’s Day playlist — almost the same list I used a few years ago — and began naming all the songs I should have included: “Little Walter’s ‘Just Your Fool,’ the Kinks’ … Continue reading →

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Ruling class loves ‘subversive’ Kendrick Lamar

Posted on February 12, 2025 by oddmanout215

The reviews came gushing in on Monday: “…the Most Hip-Hop Halftime Show in Super Bowl History” (Billboard); “Kendrick Lamar’s performance was as Black and subversive as all get-out” (Washington Post); “The best word to describe the rapper’s halftime show is … Continue reading →

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Jingle this: the 2023 alt-Xmas playlist

Posted on December 26, 2023 by oddmanout215

My neighbor Swamp Rabbit looked puzzled when he checked out my Christmas playlist. “What’s up, Odd Man? I ain’t never heard most of them tunes.” “That’s because you only get to hear the standards, and most of them suck, ” … Continue reading →

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