EZ Reads 2/22/11: Could You Survive on $1,000?

This challenge (by a charity site) is really something: PlaySpent. What would you do if all you had was $1,000? Try the challenge. Sadly, the various difficulties that arise are all too familiar and true: From bank fees to insurance to any wrench thrown in your plans and its spillover effect on everything else. It's scary to think about, and it's scarier to realize that there's really no good answer. But it ultimately helps you prepare for the future by understanding what you need to focus on now.

Some other worthwhile links to start your day with...

• The community-wide hesped for R' N.W. Dessler in Cleveland will take place Thursday evening at 7:45pm at the Yavne campus on Green Road. Audio of all the hespedim from his levaya and burial are available online here; numerous articles which are all worth reading if only for the various stories from his life which are so telling have been compiled by the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland on their website here.
• Via JonB, the effectiveness of GroupOn. I'd say it's about what I'd have expected, which is to say pretty good for most and not so much for a significant group of others. 
• R' Natan Slifkin with an obviously ironic post, discussing WikiLeaks' contrast to many even democratic people and the Rambam's views that there are subjects which are not meant for the general public. One close relative said exactly that to me upon hearing another relative give a Science & Torah shiur during the Shabbos of my aufruf, noting that "everything he said is true, but it doesn't mean it should be said [because they can't understand it]."
• On the Main Line with an interesting historical view on the line about how the Jewish people were healthy until Rabbis became doctors.
• Elder of Ziyon shows just how crazy this world is, with people honestly believing - at least according to their tweets - that Israeli F-16s are dropping bombs on Libyans, or that Israel trained African Jews to shoot people. Nice.