March 16, 2017 The
ruling in this Maine labor dispute hinged on the omission of an Oxford comma
by Travis M. Andrews “For want of a comma, we have this case.” Those words open First Circuit Court of
Appeals Judge David Barron’s opinion on a labor dispute between a dairy company
and its delivery drivers. The ruling
from the First Circuit Court of Appeals, in favor of the drivers, hinged on the
omission of an Oxford comma, also known as the “serial” comma, the “final comma
in a list of things,” as Grammarly’s blog explains. The drivers for Oakhurst Dairy disputed which
actions were eligible for overtime pay. Maine’s
“wage and hour law” states that employees who work more than 40 hours must
receive overtime, 1½ times the regularly hourly rate for each additional hour
worked. However, there are exceptions,
as set forth in “Exemption F,” on which the clash centered: The canning, processing, preserving,
freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: (1) Agricultural produce; (2) Meat and fish
products; and (3) Perishable foods. Essentially,
what we have here is a list of tasks for which the employer does not have to
pay overtime. It’s obvious that canning,
processing, preserving and everything up to the word “packing” is part of that
list and thus exempt. Had there been a
comma between “shipment” and “or distribution” these activities would have
simply been a continuation of the list, each a separate activity exempt from
overtime. In the absence of the comma,
the drivers argued that the exemption did not extend to “distribution” and that
they were entitled to overtime for distribution. The company claimed “distribution” was just
one of the exempt activities on the list for which overtime was not required,
never mind the absence of a comma. The
Appeals Court sided with the drivers, saying the absence of a comma created
ambiguity and that when there is ambiguity, the court is bound to go with the
purpose of the law, which was to make sure that employers were fair in the
payment of overtime. Read more at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/16/the-ruling-in-this-maine-labor-dispute-hinged-on-the-omission-of-an-oxford-comma/?utm_term=.e2703c792956
Soy sauce is
one of the world's oldest condiments and has been used in China for more than
2,500 years. It is made from fermenting
a mixture of mashed soybeans, salt, and enzymes. It is also made artificially through a
chemical process known as acid hydrolysis.
The prehistoric people of Asia preserved meat and fish by packing them
in salt. The liquid byproducts that
leeched from meat preserved in this way were commonly used as liquid seasonings
for other foods. In the sixth century,
as Buddhism became
more widely practiced, new vegetarian dietary restrictions came into
fashion. These restrictions lead to the
replacement of meat seasonings with vegetarian alternatives. One such substitute was a salty paste of
fermented grains, an early precursor of modern soy sauce. A Japanese
Zen priest
came across this seasoning while studying in China and brought the idea back to
Japan, where he made his own improvements on the recipe. One major change the priest made was to make
the paste from a blend of grains, specifically wheat and soy in equal
parts. This change provided a more
mellow flavor which enhanced the taste of other foods without overpowering
them. By the seventeenth century this
recipe had evolved into something very similar to the soy sauce we know
today. In 1929, Henry Ford constructed a
research laboratory in Greenfield Village and hired Robert Boyer to oversee
experimentation related to farm crops.
Ford hired additional scientists to investigate the industrial uses of
many agricultural commodities, including vegetables such as carrots. The greatest success was in soybean
experimentation. The researchers
developed soy-based plastics and made parts for automobiles out of the
products. The scientists manufactured
ink made from soy oil, and produced soy-based whipped topping. Many of these processes and products remain
in use. Ford promoted agricultural
production of soybeans through an exhibit in a barn at the Chicago
"Century of Progress" World Exposition in 1933. He hosted a meal which included a variety of
soybean items and supported the publication of recipe booklets full of
soybean-based recipes. Henry Ford wished
to see farmers to produce soybeans on their farms and process them for
industrial purposes. Though his vision
was not realized, the importance of soybeans in American agriculture came to
fruition. Soybeans are one of most
important crops raised in America, and provide American farmers millions of
dollars in income. Read more and see
graphics at http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Soy-Sauce.html
March 16, 2017 Donald
Trump's plan to tear up NAFTA could hit U.S. jobs, Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau warned in an exclusive interview with NBC News. The president has begun moves to renegotiate what
he called the "worst trade deal ever approved in this country." However, Trudeau said the Clinton-era
agreement had "led to a lot of great jobs for a whole lot of people on
both sides of the border." Trudeau
spoke to NBC News' Tom Brokaw at the New York launch of "Come From
Away," a Broadway musical about international friendships and the
cross-border impact of 9/11. It tells
the story of the 38 international flights forced to land in Gander,
Newfoundland, when U.S. airspace was closed following the attacks by al Qaeda
in 2001. The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce says the United States conducts more than $3.2 billion
worth of trade with its North
American neighbors every day. NAFTA
brings export revenue worth $36,000 for each and every American factory worker,
it says. A study
published by the Center for Automotive Research in January suggested the withdrawal from NAFTA or
the implementation of punitive tariffs could result in the loss of 31,000 U.S.
jobs. Alastair Jamieson Read more and see pictures at http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/justin-trudeau-warns-trump-about-nafta-plan-says-it-s-n734231
13 facts you probably don't know about the patron
saint of Ireland St
Patrick was actually born in Scotland, in the year 387. His parents Calpurnius and Conchessa were
Romans, living in Britain. Read the rest
of the story at http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/st-patricks-day-13-facts-8754057
Jiggs' dinner
is a staple of outport (rural) Newfoundland cuisine. It is also called boiled, cooked or Sunday
dinner, as it is usually served on Sunday. A large portion of Jiggs was also meant to
yield plenty of leftovers, which is commonly called “hash.” It is mixed together and fried in a pan with
whatever can be found in the fridge. “Jiggs”
is a reference to the protagonist of George McManus's comic strip Bringing Up Father. Jiggs was an Irish immigrant living
in America who regularly ate corned beef and cabbage, a precursor to the
Newfoundland dish. Much of the
settlement in Newfoundland came from Irish immigration, so it is not surprising that so much
of the food and culture has Celtic ancestry.
Like New England boiled dinner, Jiggs is a colloquial twist on traditional
Irish cuisine. Jiggs is distinguished by
its use of salt meat, typically trimmed naval beef or short ribs (not to be
confused with spare ribs or riblets, which come from pork. A roasted turkey is often served with Jiggs,
but it isn't necessary. Pickled beets
and sweet mustard pickles are traditional Jiggs condiments. Gravy is considered modern, and Pease pudding
is a popular side dish. Figgy duff
(molasses steamed pudding) and dumplings are also used. Find recipe for Jiggs Dinner and Pease Pudding
at http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jiggs-dinner/
The astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins on Monday,
March 20, 2017 and will end on Wednesday, June 21. The spring (vernal) equinox in the Northern
Hemisphere is also known as the March equinox. The March equinox marks the moment the Sun
crosses the celestial equator--the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s
equator--from south to north. This
happens on March 19, 20 or 21 every year. Cameron Macphail and Rozina Sabur Read more at
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com Issue 1679
March 17, 2017 On this date in
1777, Roger B. Taney, American politician and jurist, 5th Chief Justice
of the United States, was born.
On this date in 1941, in Washington, D.C., the National Gallery
of Art was officially
opened by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Word of the Day
shillelagh noun (Ireland) (1) A wooden (especially oaken) club ending with a large knob. (2) Any cudgel, whether or not of Irish origin.
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