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Bankruptcy For States Hurts, But May Help Workers

In a recent radio interview, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that instead of federal bailouts to help fund states’ employee pensions — which are even more stressed than usual due to the economic damage wrought by COVID-19 — Congress should give states the option of declaring bankruptcy. It’s a hardline stance, and bankruptcy is not something to take lightly. Still, we shouldn’t dismiss the idea offhand as merely an alternative to bailouts, or as some kind of punishment for fiscal troublemakers. In some specific cases, it may open the door for reforms that ...

Stay-At-Homers Care So Much, It Hurts — Others

Almost by the minute, data and research are pouring in confirming that government — at the local, state, and federal levels — has disastrously overreacted to the coronavirus. Let us count the ways: ¯ A cavernous part of those infected with the virus do not experience any symptoms. ¯ Prevalence in the total population is likely dramatically wider than initially thought — and thus, the COVID-19 case fatality rate is much lower than originally advertised. ¯ Not a senior citizen? Slender — or at least, not obese? Enjoy solid respiratory health? Wash your hands often? Avoid ...

The Lighter Side Of Virus Lockdown

There is certainly nothing humorous about the coronavirus pandemic. We mourn the loss of life and livliehoods. We miss our families, our sports, our jobs, and the carefree days of just eight weeks ago. But life has gone on, albeit inside our homes, and the requisite problems of home life haven’t gone away. Some of the stories are just plain funny and others will have you feeling grateful you don’t share the same predicaments. There’s the family that was in the middle of having their only bathroom remodeled when the stay at home orders were called. They show a picture of their ...

Honey, Nature’s Sweetener, Good For Allergies, Baking

Last week I mentioned canning with honey. We were beekeepers for years. One night after we returned from a family wedding my husband found a swarm of bees out in the pasture. He came home and told us about it. He and his father figured that we needed to capture it. Grandma and I worked on “bee proof” outfits for the men. You did have to watch out for bee stings when you worked with bees. They fashioned a type of smoker to take with them to calm the bees down. Grandpa put together a box for the swarm once they captured it. Lace curtains turned out to be the perfect head covering ...

These Mothers Are For The Birds

The bird fights to emerge from the egg. It is his world. He who would be born must destroy a world. —Hermann Hesse Who can guess whether the brooding bird is surprised by the first sensation of soft, wriggling life beneath her? It’s known that the young can begin peeping when they’re still in the egg, ofttimes as soon as two days before the hatching. The older bird replies to the egg. Some believe this might even arouse the feeding instincts in the parents. I read that rails have been seen trying to feed their egg. Once they hatch the eggs the real work begins for ...

All I Am, I Owe To My Mother

I’m a crossword puzzle fanatic, loving the challenge of completing the trifecta of The Post-Journal’s Jumble, Cryptoquip, and daily crossword puzzle, hoping I can get every circle, code, and box filled in before filing the page in our paper recycle bin. One crossword puzzle clue often used asks for a three, sometimes a four letter word given as “May Honoree.” The answer they are looking for is mom/moms, which brings us to their day of honor which we’ll celebrate tomorrow. The title above, from George Washington, pretty much says it all, when it comes to our mothers, ...