re: Since Tom is a no-show
LOL, alcaray...
Not bad, but you forgot to invoke the spectre of "collectivism", or use the phrase "gun to their heads" in the paragraph about minimum wage.
;-)
To be honest, I miss Tom. He can actually be caught thinking once in a while, and knows the difference between 'persuasive argument' and 'shouting match', even if he doesn't always practice it.