I had to stop cooking pork last summer because my dining companion and I couldn't agree on how to cook it. To my mind, she liked it cooked beyond hope; to hers, I liked mine still disgustingly raw and trembling with the threat of trichinosis. [I take my hints on cooking meat-- like so much else-- from Mark Bittman and his biblical How To Cook Everything (the title is a misnomer, but the book is still unquestionably the most important cookbook for any starting cook to have).]

Apparently this is a trend. Frank Bruni reports on being offered medium-rare pork at Little Owl. The last time I checked there were vanishingly close to zero cases of trichinosis in America that came from anything other than wild boar, venison, or inexpensive raw ground pork, so I suppose the restaurant's lawyers must know what it is doing. I don't know if even I would be willing to order the medium-rare chicken Bruni describes, though.

There is independent life in the Ohio Constitution! The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today that the taking of several people's homes for a development complex violated the state's constitution. The Court also announced a heightened scrutiny standard going forward. I have yet to read the decision in full, but this is very good news. A summary and link to the decision is here. Background information on the case from IJ is here. Thanks to Carina for the pointer.

UPDATE: Howard Bashman has links to press coverage here.

[Full Disclosure: I worked for the victorious lawyers in this case last summer. All views are of course my own.]