Mmmm... Fresh

Way better than preserved pig GI components, in my own experience...

Christmas-- and year-round-- miracles

A kid I'm lucky to know and love was riding along to the store with his mom this week. He started saying how lucky they are to have food, a good home, and a "good car" (a ~10 yo mini-van). Then he decided to spend the $10 he had on toys for "kids whose parents can't afford Christmas gifts."

But wait.... there's more.

Next day, his mom drove him to the homeless shelter and sent him in with his presents. He comes out. Did you find the front desk okay? Yes. Silence. And you found the right person to give them to? "Yes. My book buddy was there."
Silence.

At his school, each kid his age is assigned a 1st grader to read to/with every week: his "book buddy". He had no idea.

Don't just count your blessings. Share them. Merry Christmas.

2011 CHF: Tech Knowledge

Fully geeked out on this year's Chicago Humanities Festival, centered around the interplay of tech and very human experiences-- from identity to food to social justice and beyond.

Bought tickets to my "must see" events... all 15 of them. Particularly can't wait for Sondheim, Common, and the Oscars music night, but it's really hard to pick highlights here. This is the prioritized list from the original 23 I really want to see...

Sunday, October, 16
NOSHIR CONTRACTOR: TRACES IN A TANGLED WEB
#104: 3:30 - 4:30 PM, McCormick Auditorium, Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL

Sunday, October, 23
JUDITH NADLER: JOE AND RIKA MANSUETO LIBRARY
#202: 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Mandel Hall, 1131 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL
THE COMPUTATIONAL ARTIST: JASON SALAVON IN CONVERSATION WITH HAMZA WALKER
#207: 2:30 - 3:30 PM, Kent Chemical Laboratory, 1020 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL

Friday, November, 4
YURI LANE: METUBE
#302: 7:30 - 8:30 PM, Francis W. Parker School - Diane and David B Heller Auditorium, 2233 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL

Saturday, November, 5 @ UIC Forum, 725 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL
ILANA GERSHON: ILANA GERSHON: THE BREAKUP 2.0
#404: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Main Hall C
GRAND PURSUIT—A CONVERSATION WITH SYLVIA NASAR
#408: 1:00 - 2:00 PM, Main Hall AB
OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US—SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
#413: 3:00 - 4:30 PM, Main Hall AB
COMMON: HISTORY OF HIP HOP
#414: 6:00 - 7:00 PM, Main Hall AB

Sunday, November, 6
STEPHEN SONDHEIM: 2011 CHICAGO TRIBUNE LITERARY PRIZE: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
#500: 10:00 - 11:00 AM, Symphony Center - Armour Stage, 220 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
VIRGINIA EUBANKS: A JANE ADDAMS FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
#510: 3:30 - 4:30 PM, Harold Washington Library Center - Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, 400 South State Street, Chicago, IL

Monday, November, 7
A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS: THE WILLIAM AND GRETA WILEY FLORY CONCERT
#600: 6:00 - 10:30 PM, Francis W. Parker School - Diane and David B Heller Auditorium, 2233 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL

Friday, November, 11
SHERRY TURKLE: ALONE TOGETHER
#605: 6:00 - 7:00 PM, Francis W. Parker School - Diane and David B Heller Auditorium, 2233 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL

Saturday, November, 12
SERIOUS PLAY
#701: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Harold Washington Library Center - Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, 400 South State Street, Chicago, IL
ETHAN ZUCKERMAN: GEEKS AND TWEETS: TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD
#706: 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Northwestern University School of Law, Thorne Auditorium, 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL

Sunday, November, 13
DANIEL SINKER: TWITTERATURE & @MAYOREMANUEL
#503: 3:30 - 4:30 PM, Harold Washington Library Center - Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, 400 South State Street, Chicago, IL

Locks of Love

My gracious host, Susan, shared her favorite Montevideo spot with me: a fountain adorned with padlocks and a plaque that reads, “The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked.”

The Freshmaker, South American edition

In honor of my friend and Mentos fanatic, Scott Fiddelke, I search out new, weird and wonderful Mentos wherever I go. So far this trip...

From Brazil:

Strawberry yogurt Mentos


Watermelon Mentos

From Paraguay:


Red fruits


"Magic" Mentos... time to check the ingredients label!


And a Mentos truck... which was funny and tiny (compare to car next to it)

And from Uruguay:

Grape and pineapple Mentos combo pack

I wonder what I'll find in Argentina...

Quaint

Asuncion airport: the biggest airport in Paraguay.

Four gates.

Road trip!

Julia Heitz and I took a 4 hour bus ride to Asuncion (standing the whole way) with Julia's dog Mo, rented a car, drove 5 hours to Encarnacion, picked up two extra Peace Corps volunteers on the way, and going to see the Jesuit ruins nearby! As with any good road trip we have tunes (a $0.75 CD purchased along the way with 100 random songs... from reggaeton to house) and junk food (dulce de leche [DDL], apples, cheese puffs, cookies...). Now onto Paraguay's (only) tourist site!