…so great was the cruelty of Heaven and, perhaps, also that of man, that from March to July of the same year…more than one hundred thousand human beings are believed to have lost their lives for certain inside the city walls of Florence… Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron The Black Death of the 14th century is estimated to have killed at least 1/4th, and perhaps 1/3rd or more, of the population of Europe.  Recent scholarship has tended to produce even-higher estimates.  Elsewhere in the Old World, where record-keeping was even spottier, what little information we have hints that the toll was … Continue reading Now THAT Was a Pandemic

True confessions: I have no idea what day it is. Other than that, I’m doing great. And so begins my update from coronaquarantine land. After my last piece ran a couple of weeks ago, things changed rapidly (as I expected). Our schools were initially closed for an extra two weeks after last week’s spring break; some states have closed schools for the remainder of the school year and as of this week, our schools plan to open at the end of April. Many businesses and stores have shuttered for the time being. Churches are closed indefinitely. Restaurants can only be … Continue reading Coronavirus update, March 26

A guest article from my son Ethan, who works for a software company in Upstate South Carolina. Well said.  Initially published at his Linked In account. – Ken Gough ___________________________________________________ This is a rare occurrence for me. I don’t take to social media often, and I believe this is my very first LinkedIn Article. But these are extraordinary times for my company and the businesses that support it. Covid-19 has rocked our world, and left us reeling. Many of us who work in or service the Hospitality industry are trying to make sense of the current situation. For a group … Continue reading Guest Article – Covid 19: A Call to Action

The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!  Wait, what?  It isn’t falling?……..Never mind. First, a little math.  Let’s assume (and it’s a pretty reasonable assumption) that each person with Covid 19 becomes infectious after 1 week, and then infects 6 more people.  Assuming we don’t modify behavior, here’s what happens: Week   New Infections   Total Infections 0                1                          1 1                6                          7 2               36                        43 3              216                      259 4             1,296                   1,555 5             7,776                   9,331 6            46,656                 55,987 7           279,936               335,923 8          1,679,616           2,015,539 9         10,077,696         12,093,235 10       60,466,176         72,466,176 11      362,797,056       435,356,467 It’s an exponential progression, which even to … Continue reading Cliff Jumping and Chicken Littles

Who knew March was the birth month of so many talented composers and songwriters, including the composer of “Happy Birthday To You” and the greatest of composer of all time?  (Opinions on that may vary, of course, but it’s not Dee Snider.)  Happy birthday to: Frederic Chopin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6b3swbnWg  Dimitri Mitropoulos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opxVAz7aLwI  Glenn Miller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CI-0E_jses  Alan Thicke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd_3jziC0HY  Bedrich Friedrich Smetana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4NKzmfC-Q  Kurt J Weill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPr4F7XqASA&list=RDdPr4F7XqASA&start_radio=1  Larry Carlton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iQzIznn3fw  Federico Moreno Torroba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi3E9fLP4bk  Antonio Vivaldi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA  Heitor Villa-Lobos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUrugDn2g6s  Andy Gibb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZxA3FVUwvk  John “Wes” Montgomery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4U4_2wVrSc  Walter Trout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2935ckkxiJg  Maurice Ravel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-nm2OIEzM  Townes Van Zandt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaP8NGML_QE  Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i4KVoJbAvQ … Continue reading Happy Birthday To You!

Please note: The facts, statistics and changes related to COVID-19 are evolving rapidly. Information in this article is accurate at the time of publication but could change as the days pass. Somewhere between a lassiez-faire attitude and unbridled panic, there must be a happy-medium way to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. With one confirmed case in our region now, the virus (officially called COVID-19) has officially hit home. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic, a couple of weeks after the State Department predicted a pandemic within the month. The economy is bracing for a big hit … Continue reading Let’s talk about the coronavirus…

See the following article at National Review Online about an attempt to reform Tennessee’s Drug Free School Zone laws.  What do you think? Tennessee, do the right things and reform your harmful drug free school zone laws – Ken Gough     Continue reading Drug Free School Zone Reform

Well, Super Tuesday wasn’t a disaster for Operation Chaos, Part 2, but it didn’t do it any favors, either.  Sleepy/Creepy Uncle Joe Biden did much better than expected, no doubt aided by Mayor Pete and “Minnesota Nice” Amy dropping out and endorsing him.  But good for Joe.  Left for dead a week ago, he’s now the picture of beaming political health.  Mini Mike got the message and took his billions and went home.  So did Tom Steyer, who did so poorly that no one bothered to give him a nickname.  The Democratic establishment is circling the wagons and desperately trying … Continue reading All In For Bernie! Takes a Hit

All In For Bernie! Operation Chaos, Second Edition, is off to a great start.  With Bernie Sanders’ strong showing in Nevada – about half the vote as of this writing – he is well-positioned to take the Democratic Party’s nomination.  Well, if that’s what the Democrats want, let’s give it to them – good and hard. A few days ago, I was approached by 2 ladies running to be Trump delegates at the Republican convention this summer.  When I said that I would be unable to vote for them because I’m voting for Bernie in the primary, looks of confusion … Continue reading The Plan Is Working To Perfection

If it’s Saturday, this must be Elizabethton.   Oh, the life of a candidate for state-wide office!  Dr. Manny Sethi, who is running for the Senate seat held by the retiring Lamar Alexander, made a brief stop in Elizabethton today and spoke to a near-capacity crowd of about 60 at Carter County Republican headquarters.  Rusty Crowe, running for Phil Roe’s seat in the House of Representatives, also made an appearance.  Your humble correspondent was able to speak to each briefly. Dr. Manny is running on his family’s inspiring life story, strong support for President Trump and his agenda, and his position … Continue reading Campaign News – Dr. Manny and Rusty Crowe