A general sense of gloom had pervaded the office over the past few weeks that none of us could shake. It wasn’t just at The Journal either. It seemed the entire town had been overcome with malaise. It wasn’t as though the weather had been bad or anything depressing had happened—we were all just in a state of lull.

The only new element in town was Popescu and his incessant fire and brimstone lectures, which most of the town ignored. He was off putting and, while plenty ...