Category Archives: life in the big city

Starbucks helps widen the great divide

Posted on April 22, 2018 by oddmanout215

Headline from an opinion piece by a lifelong black resident of Philadelphia: “Starbucks wasn’t created for black folks, it was made to push us out.” The piece appeared this week in response to the widely reported arrest of two young … Continue reading →

Posted in life in the big city, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Killing dissent softly at the DNC

Posted on July 30, 2016 by oddmanout215

I like to run the streets to calm the demons in my head before bedtime. It’s like meditation or prayer, except you need good shoes and plenty of water, especially during heat waves like the one we endured while the … Continue reading →

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Friday the 13th begets Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2015 by oddmanout215

The early morning sun glared through leafless trees and into my shack, urging me to action. “Go out and slay dragons,” Swamp Rabbit said. He was hungry and out of bourbon, and not getting along with his girlfriend. At such times, … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, fiction, Great Recession, humor, life in the big city, mainstream media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A ‘fiery sex scandal’ for a slow news day

Posted on January 30, 2015 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit and I were arguing again. The primary goal of mainstream news organizations is to scare people, he said. Fear sells. Just look at the huge response to news coverage in PA, NJ and NY of the “monster snowstorm” … Continue reading →

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Apocalypse now, or just another dumb forecast?

Posted on January 27, 2015 by oddmanout215

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate,” I told Swamp Rabbit, quoting from an old movie but referring to Philly-based John Bolaris, one of the shiny happy people paid by the media machine to communicate weather forecasts. Bolaris … Continue reading →

Posted in apocalypse, humor, life in the big city, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

New tickets to paradise from PA Lottery

Posted on January 26, 2015 by oddmanout215

Nothing says “lower-class desperation” more clearly than state-sponsored lotteries: A new Pennsylvania Lottery game debuts Tuesday, while other longtime drawings are getting new names. The new game is called PICK 2, a twice-daily drawing that allows players to bet on … Continue reading →

Posted in casinos, economic collapse, humor, life in the big city, mainstream media, taxes, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ivan Klima covers the NFL playoffs

Posted on January 12, 2015 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit and I were hungry, so we took a two-day job — strictly commission, unfortunately — peddling magical electricity in a suburban mall. There were flat-screen TVs and football fans all over the place. We caught some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, humor, life in the big city, Philadelphia, sports, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Outlaw bikers with badges and benefits, aka NYPD

Posted on January 7, 2015 by oddmanout215

Is it possible to be paranoid and arrogant as hell at the same time? Sure it is, if you’re a cop. Swamp Rabbit asked me how I could say such a thing. I told him to check out the NYPD … Continue reading →

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‘Abundance without attachment’ is right-wing doubletalk

Posted on December 17, 2014 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit and I huddled next to the wood stove and pored over a cheery Christmas article by economist Arthur C. Brooks, who wants people to make an attitude adjustment regarding possessions. He urges readers to “collect experiences, not things,” … Continue reading →

Posted in apocalypse, down and out, economic collapse, food, globalization, Great Recession, humor, liar, life in the big city, mainstream media, philosophy, unemployment, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Corbett pins hopes on deadbeat Democrats

Posted on October 30, 2014 by oddmanout215

I was telling Swamp Rabbit that the key to re-election of unpopular Republican incumbents such as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is to keep down the turnout among registered Democrats. That’s why the Republican Party, with help from the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, life in the big city, mid-term elections, Philadelphia, unemployment, voter suppression | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment