Category Archives: humor

My dinner with Barack

Posted on September 29, 2011 by oddmanout215

I received another dispatch from Barack Obama a few days ago, and this time the subject line made me blush: David, can we meet for dinner? The room whirled and I thought for a moment I might need my jacquard … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Goldman Sachs, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, Obama, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment, Wall Street | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Adios, summer girl. Or is it ‘sun-eyed’ girl?

Posted on September 22, 2011 by oddmanout215

Summer’s gone and good riddance, I’d rather any weather than a heat wave in Philly. But I still like the idea of summer, which I associate with old memories of hitchhiking, seashore towns, and chasing girls who enjoyed being caught. … Continue reading →

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

When serfs fight back, GOP cries ‘Class warfare!’

Posted on September 19, 2011 by oddmanout215

This week’s winner of the chutzpah award is libertarian con man Paul Ryan, for accusing the Democratic Party of “class warfare.” Ryan is a disciple of Ayn Rand, the Benzedrine-addled academic who wrote two door-stopper novels that celebrated “the morality … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, Congress, economic collapse, fiction, globalization, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, Obama, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are e-books tomorrow, or just the end of time?

Posted on September 18, 2011 by oddmanout215

Check out this from The Economist in case you’re still wondering about the future of mass-produced paper books: To see how profoundly the book business is changing, watch the shelves. Next month IKEA will introduce a new, deeper version of … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, enviromentalism, humor, mainstream media, movies, pop music | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bush speaks on 9/10, supersizes lies

Posted on September 11, 2011 by oddmanout215

Yesterday on the Atlantic City Expressway, at the sprawling Frank S. Farley rest stop, I remembered how quickly 9/11 became a device for generating hatred while at the same time lulling Americans into swallowing lies about costly, undeclared wars. All … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, economic collapse, food, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, Politics, taxes, The New Depression, unemployment, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Your hometown flooded? Come to Ocean City!

Posted on September 3, 2011 by oddmanout215

Interesting Philadelphia Inquirer front-page advertorial on behalf of the Ocean City, NJ, tourism industry. The reporter noted that O.C. lost a lot of potential tourist dollars last week when coastal areas were evacuated as Hurricane Irene approached. The story had … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, NJ, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Liberal pundit’s advice: Give ’em heck, Dems

Posted on September 1, 2011 by oddmanout215

Leonard Pitts Jr.’s column was headlined “Democrats need to stand up to tea party.” I couldn’t agree more, but his semi-apologetic tone left me wondering what Pitts meant by “stand up.” He started by praising Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters for … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, Obama, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s the end of the world…! Well, not quite

Posted on August 28, 2011 by oddmanout215

Disaster stories are crowd pleasers, partly because oblivion can seem an appealing alternative to everyday problems that have no solution. At the very least, such stories disrupt the monotony of our insulated, digitized environments and force us to imagine other … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, humor, livable cities, movies, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Quake-damaged phallic landmark needs TLC

Posted on August 27, 2011 by oddmanout215

Soon after the recent earthquake, a talking head joked that the Washington Monument had been damaged, but no one was sure yet if it was leaning left or right. Turns out there really are cracks in this symbol of American … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, livable cities | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Drug corners’ story makes a sobering point

Posted on August 25, 2011 by oddmanout215

I know a talk radio host who has a passion for esoteric list-making — best NFL defensive linemen who are also convicted felons, best rockabilly guitarists who married their first cousins — that sort of thing. He invites listeners to … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Recession, humor, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments