When the hstories are written, the 90s will not end, as I thought they would, with the end of the Big Dog's (Clinton) Administration. Just as the 60s went from Kennedy's inauguration through Watergate, and the 80s started with the Reagan assassination attempt (or whatever), I think the 90s will end with the scandal du jour. The Chandra Levy -- Gary Condit mess is the pefect combination of the two greatest stories of the Tabloid decade -- OJ and Monica. Its the grand finale of the fin de siecle.

When did the 90s start? I hear you asking (or maybe it's just the voices.) It started, believe it or not, with poor Paul Rubens. Pee Wee's excellent misadventur has all the hallmarks of the 90s -- the snickering press with its hypocritical sanctimoniousness about sex, wall-to-wall coverage, the feeding frenzy of tabloids, talk shows, and tv news. Not to mention the fact that the whole thing was just plain stupid.

Maybe that's what the 90s was about -- stupidity, 24/7.

God, I'll miss it.