Category Archives: history

Long-anticipated coup attempt fails. Game over?

Posted on January 8, 2021 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit was stretched out on the bare ground near his shack, looking like he’d just survived an ordeal that tested his limits. “Feels like I got chased 20 miles by a pack of bloodhounds,” he told me. Actually, he’d … Continue reading →

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The year of ‘You can’t make this stuff up’

Posted on January 2, 2021 by oddmanout215

Asked to summarize 2020 in one phrase, humorist Dave Barry wrote “Four Seasons Total Landscaping.” Perfect. Donald Trump’s wacko coup attempt, along with the Covid-19 plague, dominated the news late in the year, and nowhere was the Trump legal team’s … Continue reading →

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Anti-boomer demands recount of 2,020 greatest songs

Posted on December 19, 2020 by oddmanout215

“I bet they ain’t got none of my favorites,” my neighbor Swamp Rabbit said when WXPN in Philadelphia started playing the 2,020 all-time greatest songs, an end-of-year list based on votes cast by the station’s listeners. “You might be surprised,” … Continue reading →

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Is this progress? A show of hands, please

Posted on December 15, 2020 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit whistled to summon the birds and beasts of the ponds, mudflats and woodlands. “Listen up, critters,” he shouted. “Here’s what’s happening.” He read aloud from a list of calamities that have made 2020 a landmark year: Twin plagues … Continue reading →

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‘Reaching across the aisle’ into the void

Posted on December 5, 2020 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit was happy for our former president. “That new book he wrote is a bestseller. Most of them critics like it, too.” I shrugged. “It’s a doorstopper that lists for forty-five dollars. I read an excerpt. I like Barack … Continue reading →

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Call rewrite, the Constitution is a mess

Posted on November 26, 2020 by oddmanout215

“What are you laughing at this time, Swamp Rabbit?” He was bent over his antique laptop, drinking Wild Turkey and reading an opinion piece in which a historian explained why “the Founders” didn’t anticipate some future president who might refuse … Continue reading →

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Post-election reality check

Posted on November 17, 2020 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit had passed out next to the frog pond and it took me a few minutes to wake him. “Stop celebrating, Election Day’s been over for two weeks.” He stood up and looked at the denuded trees and the … Continue reading →

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Yes, bad things happen (to Trump) in Philly

Posted on November 7, 2020 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit’s parole officer Victor Cortez called me today with a joke about the Electoral College: “The only way for Donald Trump to get to 270 is if he loses fifty pounds.” I said, “You’re right, it’s impossible.” I was … Continue reading →

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Mom, apple pie, voter suppression and poor healthcare

Posted on October 18, 2020 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit basked in the autumn sunshine and snapped open a beer. “”What’s up, Odd Man, you look even more bummed out than usual.” I told him last week’s Judiciary Committee hearings were still making me sick. Republican senators rushed … Continue reading →

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The drama queen on the balcony, on steroids

Posted on October 8, 2020 by oddmanout215

So what happens when the would-be dictator not only denies the Covid-19 but turns the White House into a virus hot spot? “Beats the hell out of me,” Swamp Rabbit said. “I’m still wondering why them so-called doctors would let … Continue reading →

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