The sad truth about politics and people in America. — “Beware of false prophets, which comes to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they’re ravening wolves.” Mathew 7:15 Donald Trump isn’t particularly worried about this election. He should be, but he isn’t. He’s done the job he set out to do. There were glitches, and people saying he was a…

Where else can you go when John Fogerty tells you to take a hike? — “They’ve got everything for you men to enjoy…” The Village People (YMCA) President Donald Trump doesn’t pay much attention to lyrics. His favourite song “Is That All There Is?” sung by Peggy Lee, describes watching a house burn down and turning to drink. Why does Trump like it? “It’s a…

Baste your bird, don’t debase it, for crying out loud. — “My cooking was so bad, my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor.” Phyllis Diller As history describes it, turkeys were first introduced to the Thanksgiving dinner table way back in the early 1600s. No record explains exactly why the Pilgrims chose turkey for this historic feast. They weren’t…

Talking is what we know and what makes us feel safe. — “Everybody’s talking at once in a hypnotic, hyper din: the cocktail party from hell.” Maureen Dowd “Reading is 4 chumps, brotha,” Mew16 wrote on reddit, an opinion shared by many in the discussion group — and not just brothas. As one woman explained, “Maybe it was being forced to read…

And he did. — “More modern poetry is written than read.” P.J. O’Rourke Philip Rollins was a poet, and I knew him and I remember the night he read his poem “I Don’t Want My Dog to Outlive Me.” The whole idea of the dog “watching over him when he died” and him not…

A short story by Robert Cormack. — There were monsters of every shape and design Some walked on four legs, some on nine Monsters that grew, monsters that slew Monsters I wish I never knew I was living in this old rooming house, a big rambling place with three floors and a smell that reminded me of…

Is fashion today one big girdle? — “You can do side bends or sit ups, but please don’t lose that butt.” Sir Mix-a-Lot I shouldn’t be passing judgement here, not having ever worn a girdle, or planning to any time in the future. I remember author, Susan Orleans, describing girdles as “stuffing a sleeping bag into a…

Is “Succession” explaining Russia’s leader better than the media? — “In modern war, you will die like a dog for no good reason.” Ernest Hemingway It’s been another week of Putin intrigue, between ordering the bombing of Dnipro — killing 40 in one apartment building alone — to shuffling his generals like they’re marked cards, and probably are, in a…

Has the world gone crazy, or are we having daddy issues? — “The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.” Buckminster Fuller It’s hard to imagine anyone having a clear, civilized thought these days. At least in pre-pandemic times, some sense of order and decency still existed. Now there’s so much political malfeasance, it’s hard to know who’s…