Linked Up

I am a wee bit scattered and relaxed so I thought some links might be nice today. For instance, I spent a few hours yesterday and today finishing a book by Ann Packer, Songs Without Words. She wrote The Dive From Clausen's Pier, which is one of my favorites. This is not, I think, quite up to that but it was well worth time spent lying in the rumpled sheets taking it in.

My friend Leon has started a new site, The Edible Torah, which passes along the lessons he and his community have been teaching each other for years. Good recipes and good questions that I think will keep you hungry, in a good way, for quite some time.

Jen Carlson over at Gothamist makes a nice case for us to celebrate Independence for a whole week instead of one measly day. Did you know the 4th was just one of the days in the middle when some states signed? Similar to some of the bull that's going on in NY State currently NY was the last state to ratify, they were nervous, didn't know what to do. Ah, dithering politicians, it seems history does indeed repeat itself.

My friend Rick's friend Margaret passed away and he posted a very funny Christmas poem she wrote. It's not Christmas but I think you'll enjoy it anyway.

Over at Feministing Samhita asks, "why is racial discrimination only considered an offense when it is women or people of color being biased against whites?" in regard to an overturned ruling about an employment test and the employees who passed it in a Connecticut fire department.

This OK Rep, Sally Kern, and her "moral crisis" foolishness needs to be nipped in the bud. On the other hand I thank her for reminding me that not only do people still think that way but they are able to muster enough fellow feeling to be elected to office. Beware, my friends, beware. But I'm sure you are, you're all smarter than I.

A little while back Mihow did an informal survey of what her readers were paying for health insurance. Most of her responses came from NY and CA interestingly enough. The comments are interesting reading, as long as you equate interesting with petrifying. I wished that more people, myself included, had been as specific about co-pays and in-network requirements as they were about monthly premiums. Share over there or over here if you like, I think this is another case of knowledge being power.

What are you reading this weekend?