Pandemic Journal Entry 21: Pandemic Journal has been acquired by Berkshire Hathaway; publisher to retire with a nice farmer and his wife somewhere in the country

I founded Pandemic Journal nearly a century ago or so it seems, and in those early, hungry years of March I never imagined handing over the reins to another owner, much less a soulless corporation captained by a man who gets his breakfast from a McDonald’s drive through every damn day of the work week. … Read more

Pandemic Journal Entry 20: Our organization’s moral and ethical rot has only one cure: Killing the messenger

Friends, I’ve called this extraordinary session to share the results of an internal audit that examined the values and governance of our organization after concerns arose in connection with recent events. What I have to tell you isn’t easy, but I’ll temper this news with foreshadowing of a plan to take swift and decisive corrective … Read more

Pandemic Journal Entry 18: Our sheepdog is blind because dog groomers are not considered essential workers

Despite my ever-more-frequent pleas to the governor, state legislators and president of the American Canine Optometric College, dog groomers are not considered essential and must remain at home where they are unable to restore my sheepdog, Ben’s, eyesight. Ben’s vision failed as Hemingway might describe: Slowly, then all at once. I blame the government, and … Read more

Pandemic Journal Entry 17: I’m ready to return to simpler times when we could all focus on just punching Nazis

The allure of looking to the past can be irresistible, but there’s danger in nurturing the belief that we can return to simpler times when we should be flexible and willing to embrace the “new normal.” Nonetheless, I struggle with changing social mores and practices, and nowhere is this more real than during my weekly … Read more

Pandemic Journal Entry 16: I’ve got some bad news but you’ll have to subscribe to my Patreon to hear it

Friends tell me there’s enough bad news in the world but I think they’re focused only on quantity and are missing the bigger picture. Yes, there is bad news everywhere we turn: COVID-19, unemployment, corruption, murder hornets, etcetera. But what’s missing is a handcrafted, curated approach to bad news. As a lifelong connoisseur of bad … Read more

Pandemic Journal Entry 13: An Objective Comparison of the Pandemic Journal and Economist, Two Seemingly Identical Publications

A survey of Pandemic Journal readers discovered that when the print edition of Economist is unavailable, Pandemic Journal is overwhelmingly the preferred substitute. This is both confusing and a cause for happiness, and because emotions are running high among our writing staff we’re choosing to see our sample size of one as statistically significant. When … Read more

Pandemic Journal, Entry 10: A Public Service Announcement from Harrison Ford

Oh, hello. I’m Harrison Ford. American cinema icon, Ripon College alumnus, former carpenter, star of Cowboys and Aliens, Academy Award nominee and aviator. I am often mistaken for an archaeologist.  Though the invisible threat of COVID-19 lurks outside all our homes, we have responded as Americans always have. With dignity. With resolve. Practicing social distancing … Read more

Pandemic Journal, Entry 9: Rejected Ideas from the Pandemic Journal Writers’ Room

Not every one the Pandemic Journal writing staff’s ideas makes it to Facebook. The ideation, vetting, creation, legal clearance and publishing of content is a rigorous, painstaking process. Most ideas that make it out of the room intact fail to survive first contact with senior management. Here’s a sampling of ideas that seemed good in … Read more