Back from the Dead...Postville Workers Find New Jobs

With the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa long shuttered, the Palauans who traveled to work at the cursed factory have had to find new jobs. About 20 of them have found work in Long Prairie, Minnesota, at a beef processing plant (who knew we Palauans had this innate meat-processing skill?). They've apparently settled in well and even found a place to get betelnut, all while making far above Palau's minimum wage of $2.50.

Speaking of Palau's minimum wage, the OEK did nothing with a bill that would have raised it to $3.00 per hour. The bill would have redefined who received minimum wage, as most non-resident workers in Palau aren't even eligible to receive it now. Slave class anyone?

The Talk Left blog says the U.S. should lower its drinking age from 21, saying it's the highest drinking age in the world, shared with just three countries: Indonesia, Mongolia, and—you guessed it—Palau. Just like abstinence-only sex education, the age limit never stops teenagers from getting what they want—they just get it surreptitiously and more dangerously.

Finally, we check in with Ashley, one of many missionaries teaching (and blogging) in Palau. Ashley had an excellent time spear fishing and caught 21 fish, gutted and scaled them, and ate (and loved) sashimi. I'm impressed. I only ever scaled the fish—my brother always cut the guts out. Oh, and I never caught them either. Nice work Ashley!