- Considering that it happened 43 years ago, a look around the Internet will astonish many readers with just how firmly James Earl “Jimmy” Carter’s presidency remains in Your Mileage May Vary territory. Conservatives declare that his watch was a mess, while liberals assert that he inherited a mess (Why does that sound familiar?): the huge Vietnam War deficit, an economy that for the first time ever suffered rampant inflation while stagnating, and a national post-Vietnam, post-Watergate funk which was described as a “malaise” – a word that is hung around his neck by conservative commentators (and The Simpsons) to this day, though Carter himself never actually used it. “Stagflation” was exacerbated by the 1979 oil crisis; long gas lines and high energy costs contributed to the national unhappiness. In an attempt to lead by example, the President lowered the thermostats in the White House and donned sweaters to keep warm instead – which became for many a hated symbol of the lifestyle sacrifices which they believed his policies had made necessary.
- Metal Ages (Wikipedia)
The Metal Ages is a term for the period of human civilization beginning around 6,000 years ago in which metallurgy rapidly advanced and human populations started using metals such as copper, tin, bronze and finally iron, to make tools and weapons. By heating and shaping metals in hot furnaces, people also learned to use precious metals such as gold and silver to make intricate jewellery.