Odds and Ends

[giandujakiss]

News of the White House seder never fails to make me a little verklempt, but this anecdote was a real gem:

Then came what is now remembered as the Macaroon Security Standoff. At 6:30, with the Seder about to start, Neil Cohen, the husband of Michelle Obama’s friend and adviser Susan Sher, was stuck at the gate bearing flourless cookies he had brought from Chicago. They were kosher for Passover, but not kosher with the Secret Service, which does not allow food into the building.

Offering to help, the president walked to the North Portico and peered out the door, startling tourists. He volunteered to go all the way to the gates, but advisers stopped him, fearing that would cause a ruckus. Everyone seemed momentarily befuddled. Could the commander in chief not summon a plate of cookies to his table? Finally, Mr. Love ran outside to clear them.

Also, I cannot tell you how much joy I get from the image of Malia and Sasha stealing the afikoman.

You can find a useful summary of the contents of new health care law here. One benefit they left out - the new law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender. Formerly, it was common practice in many states for insurers to charge higher prices to women (pdf) - even for plans that did not cover aspects of women-only care, such as pregnancy.

Finally, this had me laughing for a full five minutes: