“Each time they shared this small moment of camaraderie, it felt as if they were defying the world, holding onto some fragile semblance of hope.” — This is Chapter 5 of “Noir Night & Shattered Glass.” You can catch up here if you want. The morning sun was slicing through the smoky haze that clung to the city’s underbelly while Ben’s car idled by the curb, its engine humming like a restless predator. …

“What if I drove you to and from work every day? Outside of the app, so none of our money goes to those fat cats in San Francisco.” — This is Chapter 4 of “Noir Night & Shattered Glass.” You can catch up here if you want. Morning light filtered through the cracked blinds, casting jagged shadows across Lila’s sweat-slicked body. …

“As she continued her sensual display for the old man, Lila’s thoughts turned back to Ben and the impossibility of their meeting again.” — This is Chapter 3 of “Noir Night & Shattered Glass.” You will find Chapter 1 here: Noir Nights and Shattered Glass: Two Souls Two strangers meet in the gritty underbelly of a sinful city where vice and corruption are the only way to survive.medium.com …and Chapter 2 here:

As the day wore on, the memory of last night’s ride home with Ben surfaced in Lila’s mind. — Chapter 1 of “Noir Nights & Shattered Glass” is available here: Noir Nights and Shattered Glass: Two Souls Two strangers meet in the gritty underbelly of a sinful city where vice and corruption are the only way to survive.medium.com Chapter 2: Lila Lila Morgan stood like a beacon of beauty amidst the swirling grit and grime of the city that threatened to consume her. Her raven hair cascaded down her slim back, glistening in the dim light of the streetlamp above…

Two strangers meet in the gritty underbelly of a sinful city where vice and corruption are the only way to survive. — In the gritty underbelly of a city where winning means bending the rules, a chance encounter between an Uber driver and a retail worker leads to a desperate alliance for survival that forces them into a world of vice and corruption, where they must navigate the treacherous path between poverty…

In decadent South Beach, a young woman victim of assault helps an old man find meaning in life while he helps her face a harsh reality. — The sultry heat of South Beach clung to the air even as twilight descended, casting a warm glow on the streets. Party-goers emerged from their lairs like nocturnal creatures, their bodies adorned with shimmering fabrics and intoxicating perfumes that mingled with the salty ocean breeze. …

Ashamed of the past Doomed in the future

After hundreds of years of political evolution, humans are back to “kings and serfs,” except that the kings are called oligarchs — In an interview I saw recently on France 5, a French business analyst asked an American financial expert what he thought of oligarchs. The American said that he was sorry but that he did not really know all that much about Russia. …

Why is YouTube Music such a bad app? Stop reading all the ‘YouTube Music Reviews.’ This is why you don’t want it. — If you google ‘YouTube Music Reviews’ or ‘YouTube Music vs Spotify’, you will find long lists of pros and cons. Start reading. Or don’t! The thing is… YouTube Music is as much a music app as I am the pope. Just forget about it. Stop wasting your time! This morning…