Columns

Here’s a flash history of the origins of pandemics. At 50,000 years ago, a pandemic would have been the fault of a hapless tribal shaman; 5,000 years ago, it would have been the act of a god; 500 years ago, it would have been an act of Satan; 50 years ago, it would have been African-American music.

Social distancing causes one huge problem for me. Forgetting people’s names. Especially for people who were once important in your life.

It turns out that the quarantine in China caused a sudden splash of divorces after the lockdown was over.  One of the reasons was probably Chinese camera withdrawal. With nothing to photograph, they all went nuts.

Here’s an updated report on the Mexican peso’s continuing spiral. The report has not been reviewed by anyone who knows anything about the Mexican economy, although a friend who once owned a butcher shop in New Jersey read it, and he said he agreed with a lot of it.

Social distancing. Lockdown. This is a painful treatment, even for somebody who is an introvert.

The “Roaring Twenties” are the only decade in American history with a nickname. They started in 1920 until the roar ended in 1929. While we try to reconcile our distrust of 2020, let’s look at some of the history-making 1920 events that deserve a centennial celebration this year.