Tom Purcell

The economy is in tatters and folks are sour. Thank goodness there’s always one thing to cheer us up: male bashing.

A butler opens the door of the large Sesame Street brownstone and guides me to the parlor. Big Bird is sitting on a large couch, wearing a silk smoking jacket, holding a bourbon and enjoying a drag on what appears to be an unfiltered Camel cigarette.

The balance between the police and the policed is getting way out of whack -- and we better restore it now.

I speak of a spate of new technologies -- high-tech cameras, satellites and now, drones being flown over U.S. soil -- that are giving police and government way too much power over the average Joe.

A week ago, Los Angeles Times editors asked readers if New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has the look of a president.

"Is America ready for a president who, frankly, doesn't look healthy?" they asked.

Sheesh! You'd think corpulent Americans might catch a break in these sensitive times.

Boy, are accountants going through a rough patch now -- even rougher than we taxpayers are.

Despite software that has greatly simplified tax preparation, American accountants suffer a host of daily aggravations.