Blogs, blogs everywhere

1. The vegan extravaganza that was Is My Blog Burning? #19 is now complete. (You will recall that my contribution was a split pea soup.) The summaries at B&P are very nicely presented, divided into first, main, and dessert courses. My favorite, though, was the anti-vegan entry by ToastPoint.

2. Julie & Julia, a book about writing a blog about a book, is the subject of an ongoing critical back and forth at Tingle Alley. Here's a tidbit:

what we've gotten is a book that the promotional copy tells us has "the humor of Bridget Jones and the vitality of Augusten Burroughs." My head nearly explodes trying to imagine this combination.

Why not the vitality of BJ and the humor of AB? I think that would be my preference. (The author now has a new blog which is about promoting a book about writing a blog about a book. And she's coming to my town next week, and I might just check it out and tell you all about it: if it comes to pass, it will be a blog entry about a reading of a book about a blog about a book. How tedious.)

3. Tigers & Strawberries has so far not one, not two, but three posts about thirty-five chemical additives to foods "that the USDA is thinking of permanently allowing in processed food labeled 'USDA Certified Organic.'" (And T&S promises more installments yet--she's going in alphabetical order and has only made it to the N's.) These entries demonstrate that not all additives are necessarily bad. Indeed many, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), are clearly beneficial to consumers. This project is turning into an excellent reference, a commendable public service. See, blogs are a force for good.