‘9 Edge First’

An ode to the punch card

THIS past month of obsessing over chads and dimples has been a trial tor the candidates, an endurance test for political commentators (“What’s left to say?” they moan to each other in the hallways), and a vexation for many citizens. For us old mainframe-heads, though, it has been a feast of nostalgia. Punched cards! I thought I had seen my last punched card 15 years ago. Then, suddenly, they were all over my TV news. As Verlaine whimpered, “Souvenir, souvenir, que me veux-tu?”

About the Author

John Derbyshire

Mr. Derbyshire is a former contributing editor of National Review.

Featured Tags

An ode to the punch card

THIS past month of obsessing over chads and dimples has been a trial tor the candidates, an endurance test for political commentators (“What’s left to say?” they moan to each other in the hallways), and a vexation for many citizens. For us old mainframe-heads, though, it has been a feast of nostalgia. Punched cards! I thought I had seen my last punched card 15 years ago. Then, suddenly, they were all over my TV news. As Verlaine whimpered, “Souvenir, souvenir, que me veux-tu?”