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It’s someone’s job to name new medications. Drug Company A approaches Marketing Company B and says, “Hey, we’ve got this new drug. It makes people happy in the short run, but they’ll still have to deal with all their baggage in the long run. And, boy, does it have a ton of side effects!”

Marketing Company B comes back with “Litotes: the medicine that makes your baggage feel lighter. May cause ironic understatements that convey affirmations by negating their opposites. Use as directed.”

Do I wish people paid me to come up with new medication names? Yes, I do. Did I just introduce today’s English language topic through a funny hypothetical situation? Also yes.

You...

As spring turns to summer, I love taking leisurely laps around my house to see what’s in bloom. Nearly every day, I find a new flower opening its doors for business to bees and butterflies.

Whether it’s the brilliant orange monarch butterfly larval host plant butterfly weed or the hummingbird magnet, rich ruby red royal catchfly, I can’t help but find my mouth agape at nature’s color wheel revealing itself day by day. I’m currently in awe of the pulchritudinous purple blooms of my current favorite native plant, wild lupine; they provide nectar and vital nutrients for bees, insects and hummingbirds alike.

Sorry to get so gushy about flowers, but native perennials are kind of...

Dear Editor,

A news source recently reported views expressed by the McKinley County Commission and staff regarding Battered Families Services, Inc.   It would be preferable, of course, for any misunderstandings or conflicting issues to be resolved in private before public statements are made, but BFS has now been publicly criticized, and so I would like to set the record straight regarding the status and financial health of BFS.

First of all, BFS was accused of fiscal irresponsibility and inadequate sharing of information.  In the past three years, BFS has not only cleaned up all past inherited financial issues but currently has a totally clean audit, as our external auditors will...

Retirement planning can be an overwhelming undertaking, especially for women. Women face unique retirement challenges, such as caretaking responsibilities and lower average savings rates than men. However, with proactive planning, women can make retirement a time of financial security and well-being. Let’s look at women’s obstacles in retirement planning and discuss strategies to help them prepare for retirement.

OBSTACLES WOMEN MAY FACE IN RETIREMENT PLANNING

Women may face several obstacles in their retirement planning journey. One of these is taking on caretaking responsibilities that can make it challenging to save for retirement or even continue to work in general. In...