With the economy struggling, I have been feeling that I should be doing my bit by patronizing local businesses. But so many have already closed down for the duration. Let’s just hope that they are able to spring up again afterwards.
Ducks in a Row?
I’m sure I’m not the first to notice that some aspects of the times we’re living in are easier to adjust to than others. These Shelter-in-Place and Safer-at-Home orders certainly take some getting used to. I just don’t think they’ve thought of us single people.
A Staple Diet
In these times of great stress, I thought it was probably about time that I brought you up to date with the important matters going on in the world. So I bring you news from my bunker somewhere deep beneath the fifth floor of my apartment building.
Flagging
I am currently staying at a highly eclectic hotel in Quechee, Vermont, where the food is nothing short of fantastic. The crispy duck I had on my first night here was, quite possibly, the best thing I’ve eaten since moving to the US in 2005.
The Case of the Gutless Senators
Throughout much of today, large numbers of Americans have been watching the televised coverage of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate conduct hearings featuring Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager.
Royalty, Respect, and the NFL
Royalty and the NFL: two topics that you would not, perhaps, expect to find mentioned in the same sentence, let alone a blog post. And yet here they are.
They have, of course, both been in the news over the past few days.
Try Reading, Not Special Pleading
A recent decision of the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Hively v. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, has been widely reported as holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Tax and Tyranny
In popular culture, the American Revolution against the autocracy of the British monarchy can be summarized in one slogan: “No taxation without representation!”
That quote is commonly attributed to James Otis, although there doesn’t seem to be definitive proof that he actually uttered those words.
French Food for Thought
France has some of the most employee-friendly employment laws in the western world. Among the most significant is the 35-hour week, which means that hours worked above that number are considered overtime and paid accordingly. There is also an upper limit on the number of hours of overtime that most employees can be expected to work.