The HVAC guys who have been maintaining the central air conditioning in my apartment here in Cambridge came over today. I had called them on Friday to see when they could show up. For the last ten years the answer has been “we’re flat out; maybe in three weeks.” This year it turned out to be “next business day”. Business is very slow, according to the technician. People aren’t installing new systems and are deferring maintenance. An air conditioner that broke in August, and would formerly have been fixed immediately, won’t be fixed until May.