Category Archives: humor

Some ‘Rain’ to keep us sane in Philly


At last the rain god intervened to clean the stinking streets — am I paraphrasing Travis Bickle? — after the hottest July on record in Philly. And now there’s a chance this will be the city’s wettest August on record. … Continue reading

Posted in arts, humor, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Cost of Bush’s wars? At least $12K per American


The U.S. in Afghanistan is looking a lot like the U.S.S.R. in Afghanistan. The cost of the war there and in Iraq, our other quagmire, is one of the two main causes of our record deficit, the other being lowered … Continue reading

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, humor, Iraq war, Politics, taxes, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

More songs about buildings and bikes


I was watching a sunburned woman with red hair in a thick braid. In the corner of my eye, a bike rider zoomed past and disappeared behind a bus. I stepped into the street for another look, but the rider … Continue reading

Posted in arts, enviromentalism, Great Recession, humor, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Low wages = no recovery. Suck on that, Perry.


He walks tall, he talks tall, he sucks a mean corn dog in Iowa but, as Paul Krugman notes, Rick Perry is merely another well-groomed Republican liar when he promises to speed the country’s economic recovery: In June 2011, the … Continue reading

Posted in economic collapse, enviromentalism, God Squad, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, New York Times, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A ‘post-idea’ world? I don’t know what to make of that.


Read Neal Gabler’s essay in the Sunday New York Times before you jump on Facebook to tell friends what your cat had for dinner and how much you hate Mondays: … If information was once grist for ideas, over the … Continue reading

Posted in humor, mainstream media, New York Times, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

God, Super PACs on Perry’s side


At last, a real man in the presidential race — the God-fearing Texan with the designer cowboy boots and permanent wave who likes to be photographed holding guns to prove he’s virile, I guess because he suspects voters have their … Continue reading

Posted in God Squad, Great Recession, humor, Politics, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

If you prick corporations, do they not bleed?


“Corporations are people, my friend,” says Mitt Romney, who looks like a middle-aged Ken doll and acts like he has an industrial coolant coursing through his veins. Or maybe I’m just prejudiced against soulless enemies of the poor and jobless, … Continue reading

Posted in economic collapse, globalization, Great Recession, humor, mainstream media, Politics, unemployment, Wall Street, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

London looters bypass bookstores… Sign o’ the times?


Looter A: Listen, mate, two quid will get you ten boxes of the latest Franzen, in hardcover. Looter B: Bollocks! What about the new Xbox 360 games? Cutbacks in social services for the poor helped trigger riots this week in … Continue reading

Posted in arts, economic collapse, globalization, Great Recession, humor, livable cities, mainstream media, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

One reason so many current movies suck


The leading men are either pumped up and dim or paunchy whiners who still live with their parents. Hollywood actors used to have more range. Even in the hippie era there was Robert Redford, who could do romantic comedy then … Continue reading

Posted in arts, humor, mainstream media, movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Sexist-crazed NOW leader rips Newsweek


It’s “sexist,” says National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill, in high dudgeon over Newsweek’s cover photo of crazy-eyed Michele Bachmann looking crazy-eyed. As if readers might look at the photo and suspect Bachmann is… you know, crazy. As if … Continue reading

Posted in humor, mainstream media, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment