Category Archives: livable cities

Did the Earth move for you, too, baby?

Posted on August 23, 2011 by oddmanout215

At Front and Lombard, a woman with a British accent approached me and said “Did you feel the earth shake?” or “Did you feel an earthquake?” There was passion in her voice. I wondered if she’d mistaken me for someone … Continue reading →

Posted in livable cities, Philadelphia, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Some ‘Rain’ to keep us sane in Philly

Posted on August 20, 2011 by oddmanout215

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

A jobs-led recovery — what a concept!

Posted on August 18, 2011 by oddmanout215

A report written by Rutgers law and economics professor Philip Harvey pushes for a jobs-led recovery in place of the jobless recovery over which Barack Obama has chosen to preside up to now. Harvey’s plan involves quick creation of a … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, livable cities, mainstream media, Obama, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

More songs about buildings and bikes

Posted on August 17, 2011 by oddmanout215

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

London looters bypass bookstores… Sign o’ the times?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by oddmanout215

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

Philly’s turf war against flash mobs

Posted on August 9, 2011 by oddmanout215

I had to laugh when I saw the Agence France-Presse story about the “flash mob curfew” now in effect in my obscenely humid hometown: The measure was the latest effort to secure a city famous as the site of the … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, economic collapse, Great Recession, humor, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Debt bill destroys America. Who’s next for a swim?

Posted on August 4, 2011 by oddmanout215

I’m on the home stretch with my novel-in-progress Good Sal/Bad Sal, set in casino-era Atlantic City. One of the final chapters starts with Good Sal asking: Have you ever let the cold surf creep between your toes and thought what’s … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, Great Recession, livable cities, NJ, Philadelphia, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bikeless in Philadelphia — again

Posted on July 28, 2011 by oddmanout215

I rarely blog about myself. I prefer the veneer of fiction when it comes to personal matters, so when my bicycle was stolen Monday, I blogged about the thieves in business and government who prosper at the expense of the … Continue reading →

Posted in bicycling, economic collapse, fiction, Goldman Sachs, Great Recession, livable cities, Philadelphia, The New Depression | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Record heat is a hoax, Limbaugh says

Posted on July 23, 2011 by oddmanout215

My house was so hot this morning, I didn’t even have to kill any ants. They usually run across the drainboard when I try to make breakfast, but today they must have loaded up on sugar and bagel crumbs and … Continue reading →

Posted in enviromentalism, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Rapture time. Do you know where your dog is?

Posted on May 19, 2011 by oddmanout215

Holy eschatology, the end is near. Worthy folks across the land are wrapping up their earthly business and getting ready to be summoned, or assumed, or maybe just whooshed into heaven at 6 p.m. Saturday. There has been much debate … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, Great Recession, livable cities | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments