New York Times online piece, from 2012: "A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Table"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/a-vegetarian-thanksgiving-table/?smid=fb-share

Virginia Senator Mark Warner

Election Day, last week, was of course a dismal day, in many instances, for Democrats. Am very happy, though (as a former resident of Virginia), that Democratic Senator Mark Warner, a fine public servant, prevailed, in his extremely close race against Republican challenger Ed Gillespie. Mr. Gillespie conceded the race on Friday.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/ed-gillespie-concedes-senate-race/article_0419aa52-66f8-11e4-9015-001a4bcf6878.html

Tragedy, and Heroism, in Canada

From The New York Times:

http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/canada-honors-heroes-of-the-shootings-in-ottawa/?smid

Essay from Tablet magazine, about "Hamas' Liberal Apologists"

Another good essay (from 7/31/14), by Liel Leibovitz:

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/180947/liberals-who-oppose-israel?utm

Good essay in Tablet Magazine, about Hamas

The essay, by Liel Leibovitz, a senior writer for the Jewish-oriented online publication Tablet Magazine, concerns the "false narrative of moral equivalency," regarding Israel and Hamas.  It appeared on July 11th.

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/178820/america-stop-war-gaza?utm_source

"Hamas’s Human Shield War," from Commentary Magazine, July 10th

Years ago I was a subscriber to Commentary (the hard-copy edition). I now read some of the essays and blog posts on the magazine's website, though am not always an admirer--in particular, because of the frequent (and, I think, tiresome) animus, on the site, toward President Obama and his administration. Nonetheless, I liked the following piece by the magazine's Senior Online Editor, Jonathan Tobin:

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2014/07/10/hamas-human-shield-war-gaza-israel-missiles/

The Days of Remembrance: April 27-May 4

The Days of Remembrance--Holocaust remembrance week--began on April 27th, and continues until May 4th. The theme for this year's observance, as designated by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is "Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses."

http://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance

http://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance/2014-days-of-remembrance/2014-theme

Jewish Lights Publishing

Since the late 1990s, I've been reading books brought out by Jewish Lights Publishing, which is based in Vermont.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jewish-Lights-Publishing/115419215201

http://www.jewishlights.com/

I've read many fine books from the Jewish Lights catalogue.  Here are a few that I've enjoyed:

The Way Into Encountering God in Judaism, by Neil Gillman

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Into-Encountering-God-Judaism/dp/1580231993/

The Gentle Weapon: Prayers for Everyday and Not-so-Everyday Moments: Timeless Wisdom from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
 

http://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Weapon-Everyday-Not-so-Everyday-Timeless/dp/1580230229/

Wandering Stars: An Anthology of Jewish Fantasy and Science Fiction, edited by Jack Dann
 

http://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Stars-Anthology-Fantasy-Science/dp/1580230059/

God in Our Relationships: Spirituality Between People from the Teachings of Martin Buber, by Rabbi Dennis S. Ross

http://www.amazon.com/God-Our-Relationships-Spirituality-Teachings/dp/1580231470/

An essay, a year later, about the Boston Marathon catastrophe, by survivor Jeff Bauman

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/04/jeff_bauman_thank_you_boston

Lawrence Walsh, Iran-Contra Prosecutor, Dies at 102

 Mr. Walsh's obituary, in The New York Times, concludes with a compelling quote:

In his book, Mr. Walsh said that he had found a model for his time as independent counsel in the Iran-contra case in Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea,” in which a fisherman labors long and hard to catch a marlin. When he does, he lashes it to the side of his skiff, only to have sharks strip the flesh before he gets to shore.

“As the independent counsel, I sometimes felt like the old man,” he wrote. “More often I felt like the marlin.” 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/us/politics/lawrence-e-walsh-iran-contra-prosecutor-dies-at-102.html?ref=obituaries

“The Black-Eyed Blonde," By Benjamin Black

This new Philip Marlowe novel is by Benjamin Black (a/k/a John Banville).  I'm looking forward to reading it.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Eyed-Blonde-Philip-Marlowe-Novel/dp/0805098143/

Here is a New York Times review of the book, by Janet Maslin:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/books/philip-marlowe-returns-in-the-black-eyed-blonde.html?ref=books

Recent Article: "Try a Weekday Vegetarian Diet"

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/try-a-weekday-vegetarian-diet

Poet Maxine Kumin (1925-2014)

Ms. Kumin, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1973, died on Thursday.  Her body of work also included fiction, and non-fiction.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/books/maxine-kumin-pulitzer-winning-poet-dies-at-88.html?ref=obituaries&_r=0

Best Vegetarian Restaurants in America

A story from November:

http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/best-vegetarian-restaurants-in-the-u-s--183711993.html

Esther, a 375-pound "mini-pig"

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/375-pound-minipig-inspires-2-men-to-go-vegan?hpt=hp_bn18

Recommended Reading

The Book of Evidence, a 1989 novel by John Banville.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Evidence-John-Banville/dp/0375725237/

Franklin McCain, of the "Greensboro Four"

Mr. McCain--who took part in the famous sit-ins, in 1960, at a whites-only lunch counter in North Carolina--passed away this week, at the age of 73.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/11/us/franklin-mccain-who-fought-for-rights-at-all-white-lunch-counter-dies-at-73.html?ref=obituaries