I was standing in line at the Chinese takeout place a few blocks from my house. A guy I guessed to be in his early sixties, dressed in brown corduroy trousers, burgundy shirt and tweed jacket, entered the building and took a place next to me. He looked like an academic to me. “This place has the best Chinese food around,” he said. “Yes, it does,” I replied.  “And the prices are good, too. I come here often for takeout.” “So do I,” he said. “I get food here about every ten days or so. It sure beats the sub shop on Union. The price of their small sub has gone up from five dollars to seven dollars. You get more for your money here. I just can’t believe how much prices are going up.” “Well,” I said, “I guess considering the economy, we can expect inflation.” He raised an eyebrow that seemed an exclamation point of condescension. But I scolded myself for...(Read Full Article)