Election Day Billies: Poetry, Potatoes, and Spotlighting the Public Servant

You've got a lot on your plate today! Here are some Billies to meet you where you're at:

1. Holding Vigil by Alison Luterman. A tender reminder of why we need artists and metaphors and love, especially during times of uncertainty.

2. In 2012, on the night Barack Obama was re-elected President - a night which seemed so stressful then but now, ha! - an OG food blogger contemporary - one far more prolific and wide-reaching than myself, with impressive photography skills, a bit more bravery in the kitchen, and a lacerating wit - shared a recipe for what is essentially a Mutant Ninja Potato Pancake, which he calls a Rostï in his post: What to Eat on Election Night. I think I might eat it on Election Night twelve years on. It's about as comforting as comfort food gets. And who couldn't do with a heaping pile of salty comfort tonight?

3. I have spent the majority of my working life in public service. On occasion, I wish all citizens were required to spend a year or five invested in the endeavor of making public institutions run smoothly and equitably. It can be grueling and sad and thankless. It can be rewarding and exciting and mind-opening. No matter what, it's complicated, because humans and societies and progress and growth and diversity and equity and food production and justice and healthcare and education and urban planning and water management and space exploration... are complicated. Author Michael Lewis collaborated with a bunch of other writers to interview federal government employees and elucidate the essential services they provide. Find out more about these 20-minute videos at Who is Government? Start with a Rookie with the DOJ...