-o- I visited old friends in Brooklyn! -o-

Okay, so that’s not news… but it was still very funny (and fun)… details in my travel post on Thursday!

-o- Peyton Manning in talks to sign with the Broncos -o-

The waiting looks to be over and lots of people are disappointed… perhaps especially San Francisco football fans, who saw a Super Bowl title in their future with Manning on board. The biggest losers? Tim Tebow and all the Tebowmaniacs  out there. But maybe that’s a good thing considering where Lin-sanity has landed.

Here’s the news from Reuters.

(Source: Sports Illustrated.com)

-o- In-vitro and arcane survivor benefit laws -o-

A new Supreme Court case seeks to decide if a child conceived after the death of the father is entitled to survivor benefits.

In this case, after the husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and facing sterilization from chemotherapy, the couple decided to freeze some sperm so their already living child could grow up with siblings. Sadly, the father passed away, but true to his dying wish, the mother impregnated herself through in vitro fertilization. Once the child was born, she applied for Social Security survivor benefits.

The Social Security Administration balked and (like a true American) she sued. The case is now before the Supreme Court.

-o- Online Matchmaking:  Success?-o-

Jonah Leher of the WSJ offers an interesting piece on the nuances of online dating sites. About 20% of love birds now meet online with eharmony alone accounting for 5% of new wedding bells. (People are still unsure of where drunk in Vegas ranks.)

Despite the growth and popularity of the concept, Leher poignantly points out the many pitfalls of being matched by a computer algorithm.

What do you think? Personally, I think online dating seems like a way to meet people, if nothing else, and that is getting harder in today’s world of smaller yet ever more interconnected spheres.

-o- Spiders flee Australian flood – in pictures -o-

There were torrential rains in eastern Australia earlier this month, and large parts of New South Wales flooded. Daniel Munoz, a Reuters photographer, found an area swathed in spiderwebs. Why? How? Read the story to find out!

This is AMAZING: Gallery and story from The Atlantic.

(Source: Daniel Munoz, The Atlantic)

-o- Recipe of the Week: Goat-Cheese Stuffed Chicken Meatballs -o-

A new feature to conclude my Monday post… this week, Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Meatballs from Inspired Taste. Made this with my friend Amanda this weekend and will be making them with my man this week. Enjoy!

(Source: Inspired Taste)