Ten things I’m looking forward to in 2021:

1. The pandemic will be handled like a public health crisis rather than a political conspiracy. The logistics of the vaccine roll-out will be managed by people with experience in large-scale vaccination programs. The CDC will be run by epidemiologists. Our president will tell us honestly how bad the situation is and what we need to do about it.
2. People coming to our borders fleeing violence or disasters will be greeted with compassion.
3. Our finest scientists will be provided with every resource necessary to determine how we can turn back the doomsday clock that is our planet’s atmosphere and oceans. …

Billy Crystal once observed, “Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.”

If he were on this platform now, he’d issue a retraction for that quip. It seems we are approaching equity, with many modern women feeling just as randy, just as free as men to scratch their itches.

Part of me says, good for them. It’s high time we laid to rest the double standards that shame women and applaud men for the very same behavior.

As long as it’s consensual, sex is good for every body. We are social animals — we need touching…

A scene from my unpublished novel, Brother Man.

Amy looked up when the shrink walked in. Dr. Willikins was far from young, but her eyes held what appeared to be compassion as she looked down at poor stupid Amy.

“I’m Dr. Willikins,” she said, extending a hand. “I’m a psychiatrist.”

“Hello, Dr. Willikins. I’m Amy Bain. I’m a nut job.”

The TV was already muted, but Amy touched a button on her console to turn it off. Dr. Willikins brought a visitors’ chair up to the bed so they could see each other easily. The doctor looked like she was…

Poor Man. Poor genus Homo.

When survival tools and tricks were being handed out to la familia mammalia, “Hom” must have been last in line. Tusks, teeth, armor, claws, hi-res senses, blinding speed, size and strength and even camo coloration — all those bins were empty by the time he got his turn.

And the ones who got those nifty options all were out there waiting for him, bibs tied, ketchup out.

The Accessorizer had but two things left to offer, and unfortunately, neither one was plug-and-play.

One was thumbs. Opposable. Handy for such tasks as making tools, though it…

You know I'm leery of rhyming stuff--don't even like most of my earlier efforts because the rhymes were too predictable--but nothing here feels forced, and the concept and the sentiment are well expressed. Love the final strophe. I might substitute "with" for "using" in line 9, but that's getting pretty picayune. Good beginning, nice cadence, and a great sustaining metaphor.

My number one objection to the Tinder culture is the way it turns us all into commodities, boxes on the Good-Time aisle in the worldwide Wally Web.

Like my brand? Swipe right, say hey. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t interested.

Friends first? Ok boomer lol ttfn.

Fair enough. I am a boomer. That’s why you won’t find me on that shelf, or even shopping at that market. I’d really rather make a friend before exploring whether dating might become a good idea.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not judging anybody just because they’d rather hit and run. Sex…

It is a well-known principle in all negotiations that the one who cares the most is in the weak position. The one who’s ready to walk away dictates the terms.

Mitch McConnell knows that principle. He prides himself on saying no to everything until he gets exactly what he wants. One might think, as Majority Leader of the US Senate, he would want to save Americans from death, starvation, homelessness, and other consequences of COVID-45. …

In my youth, I knew her better than I wanted to.
I wished I could despise her
for the way she had no time
for anyone with empty pockets,
at least until the tourists went to bed. …