Originally posted on Huffington Post on July 8, 2010.

This is a valentine to all you guys who aren’t afraid to hug each other. Because so many of you still are – except, of course, when you’ve just completed a 50-yard pass.

With the Big Guy in the White House reportedly embracing nine male staff members in one meeting, you’d think men would feel free to give each other a squeeze in places other than a football field.

A colleague of mine recently attended a wedding of two friends. It took place in a park, in the rain. The bride fretted.

“If the wedding isn’t perfect,” she said, “people will say, ‘Well, they were too young to get married.'”

A non-sequitur but please understand: The bride was 22, the groom, only a couple of years older. In the bride’s view, her friends, her parents, maybe even a nosy neighbor, would use any excuse to question her decision.

The fact is, many of us do look at couples who tie the knot before they’re--what, 26? 28? 30?--and think either 1) they’re super religious, 2) she must be pregnant, or 3) poor dears, they must not know any better.

This piece is cross-posted from The Huffington Post.

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Dear God. Single men (and a few women) are now paying strangers to find suitable dates for them online. According to a recent article in The Washington Post, they don't have the time -- or the will -- to do it themselves.

So add relationships to the list of things that can be outsourced, along with cleaning your condo, detailing your car and buying and delivering your groceries.

This piece is cross-posted from The Huffington Post.

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The title of the facebook post doesn't tell the whole story. But it says a lot:

"Standing Up To Idiots Who Think They Can Get Away With This"