Whimsy

On those occasional days when I feel depressed but fear I’d get a busy signal if I called a crisis hotline, I pick up the Friday Wall Street Journal supplement, “Mansion.”

I’m suddenly reassured that God’s in His Heaven and all’s weird with the world.

In Wednesday’s column, we reported on the planned closure of AMC Cinemas throughout the country because the company, which is the largest owner of movie theaters on Earth, says it has no money left in its coffers. Why people with bronchial problems should have been lending AMC money is an issue for another column.

I thought I’d be sadder when I read last month that AMC Entertainment was in such a cash crunch it may be out of dough by early next year, if not sooner. This is the biggest movie theater company on the planet—but even after reopening more than 80 percent of its cinemas, it experienced a staggering 85 percent drop in attendance since the previous year.

The Wall Street Journal gob smacked me the other week by running a special supplement called “The Future of Everything.” The dominant theme was what’s next for computer hacking.

Saturday is Halloween—or whatever county health officers will still allow— and I have to tell you, the less the better.

As a kid, I looked forward to what I now see as an annual door-to-door beggarama with even less enthusiasm than I now muster for similar events put on by public radio, public TV and high-haired televangelists.

Binge-watching some episodes of TV’s “Columbo” recently, I was struck by something the great Peter Falk did repeatedly, as the eponymous LAPD lieutenant. He shook the hand of almost everyone he met—including the special guest murderer he was closing in on.

How are you enjoying today’s column so far? I’ll be sending you a questionnaire. You needn’t sign it but of course I’ll know who sent it.

—Okay, here’s what prompted this. On one recent day, all of the following occurred: