Category Archives: Philadelphia

Don’t worry, it’s only a movie

Posted on May 8, 2020 by oddmanout215

Here they come, a squad of chubby Sandinistas wearing black surgical masks. Better cross the street. Oh no! A tall, skinny diva walking her tall, skinny dog. All I can see are her eyes, and they’re glaring at me. Better … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, mainstream media, Philadelphia, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Emotional weather report for April

Posted on May 6, 2018 by oddmanout215

…High tonight, low tomorrow, precipitation is expected. – Tom Waits Nature was at war with itself last month – solitary balmy days sandwiched by cold snaps with gusty winds, the sky still bright at 7:30 pm, but with temps in … Continue reading →

Posted in apocalypse, down and out, humor, life in the big city, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

‘Your people I do not understand’

Posted on February 6, 2018 by oddmanout215

On Sunday night the Eagles won their first Super Bowl and there was joy in Mudville, a.k.a. South Philly. I could hear the revelers from my bedroom window, hooting and honking car horns, breaking glass, rejoicing. Reminding the world that … Continue reading →

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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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The DNC celebrity fest, from a distance

Posted on July 28, 2016 by oddmanout215

This year’s Democratic National Convention is at the Wells Fargo Center –the same building that hosted the RNC in 2000, but with another corporate name. It’s one of several sports venues on Philly’s southern fringe, far removed from any actual street life. You … Continue reading →

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

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

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

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

Porn flick about Comcast would be called ‘Insatiable’

Posted on February 14, 2014 by oddmanout215

Swamp Rabbit and I were reading that Comcast, the nation’s No. 1 cable services provider, has bought out Time Warner Cable, the No. 2 provider. I wondered aloud what’s become of the Federal Communications Commission, the outfit that is supposed … Continue reading →

Posted in campaign finance reform, City Paper, humor, life in the big city, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments