Category Archives: mainstream media

Immigrants vs. the new Know Nothings

Posted on August 1, 2026 by oddmanout215

My ne’er-do-well neighbor Swamp Rabbit was annoyed. “Give it a rest, Odd Man. You just wrote about the disappearing immigrants last week. Get off your soapbox for a while.” We were discussing an article about the MAGA mindset on immigration. … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, immigration, mainstream media, Nativism, Philadelphia, Politics | Tagged Dakotas, Donald Trump, Guinea, Know Nothings, MAGA REpublicans, Potato famine, Withholding of Removal | 2 Comments

The media could help unmask ICE agents

Posted on July 27, 2026 by oddmanout215

“They wear masks, carry guns and show no identification. They grab people off the streets and whisk them away in unmarked SUVs. They stage raids on private homes and workplaces, make arrests without warrants, shoot and kill with impunity. Who … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, immigration, mainstream media, police state | Tagged Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump, ICE agents, U.S. Border Patrol, White House Correspondents' Dinner | Leave a comment

Update: A sneaky makeover of slavery exhibit

Posted on July 19, 2026 by oddmanout215

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. — George Orwell “No way those Park Service goons would do their dirty work in broad daylight, in front of angry protesters and puzzled tourists. No … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media, Philadelphia, police state | Tagged Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, George Orwell, Independence National Historical Park, Mayor Cherelle Parker, President's House, Slavery exhibit, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping | Leave a comment

Bastille Day was not like the 4th of July

Posted on July 16, 2026 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit raised a toast to his TV screen during a news feature about Bastille Day celebrations in France. “The Frenchies are really whooping it up,” he said. “This is their version of the Fourth of July.” “Not exactly,” I … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged American Revolution, Bastille Day, French Revolution, Independence Day | Leave a comment

Don’t like your history? Scrub, rinse, repeat.

Posted on July 11, 2026 by oddmanout215

At high noon I rushed over to Swamp Rabbit’s shack to read aloud from an essay in the NY Review of Books by the always insightful Fintan O’Toole: National vanity is arguably dependent on the absence of national pride. To … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, pop music | Tagged Bill of Rights, Fintan O'Toole, George Washington, Independence Hall, MAGA, President's House, slavery, Thomas Jefferson | Leave a comment

Oops, I got my mad kings mixed up

Posted on July 6, 2026 by oddmanout215

It was too hot to exercise, so I nodded out with NPR on the radio. When I woke, the network’s hosts and reporters were reading from a list of grievances: He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media, Philadelphia, police state | Tagged Declaration of Independence, Donald Trump, King George III, NPR, Terry Gross, Thomas Jefferson | Leave a comment

Quit whining, it’s only 102 degrees

Posted on July 3, 2026 by oddmanout215

The sleet sounded like beaded curtains brushed aside by a fleeing intruder. I lingered in bed, tensing up every time the ice pellets danced across my windows. My favorite blanket — the one with the embroidered dinosaur images — was … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, environmentalism, humor, mainstream media | Tagged climate change, doom loop, global warming, Independence Day Parade, Philadelphia, Queen Latifah | 2 Comments

Green is the new orange

Posted on June 27, 2026 by oddmanout215

NYT columnist Maureen Dowd tweaked the title of an old monster movie for a recent headline: “The creature from the green lagoon.” Could there be a more apt way to describe the shiny beast who polluted the Reflecting Pool at … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media | Tagged creature from the green lagoon, Donald Trump, Maureen Dowd, New York Times, Orange Is the New Black, Reflective Pool, White House | 2 Comments

Soundtrack for the solstice

Posted on June 23, 2026 by oddmanout215

The sun was directly overhead on the longest day of the year. No shadows. I pushed a button on my phone. My neighbor Swamp Rabbit leaned back in his broken rocking chair, waiting to hear some songs that would blot … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, humor, mainstream media, pop music | Tagged "Hot Fun in the Summertime", "Summertime Blues", "Sunny Afternoon", solstice, The Kinks, Under the Boardwalk | Leave a comment

Court OKs sanitized slavery exhibit in Philly

Posted on June 22, 2026 by oddmanout215

Irony is a bitch. Last week, just in time for Juneteenth, an appeals court reversed a previous judge’s decision and ruled that Trump and his minions can replace the exhibit panels at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia. This means … Continue reading →

Posted in history, humor, mainstream media, Nativism, Philadelphia | Tagged 1984, Doug Burgum, George Washington, Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, Juneteenth, National Park Service, President's House, Slavery exhibit | 2 Comments