Ryan Greenberg

Decorating with Children's Books and a Phone Camera

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 14:36:20 GMT

Writing pull requests your coworkers might enjoy reading

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:00:00 GMT

Programmers like writing code but few love reviewing it. Although code review is mandatory at many companies, enjoying it is not. Here are some tips I've accumulated for getting people to review your code.

Thoughts on one year as a parent

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Here's an assorted collection of observations and advice from someone who just finished his first trip around the sun as a parent.

Ways to communicate with me that are more effective than leaving a voicemail

Wed, 07 May 2014 03:15:31 GMT

Arrangement in Hefeweizen No. 1

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:49:38 GMT

Yesterday afternoon I was out with some friends, having a beer at Jupiter. As I took a drink, I saw a beautiful colorscape at the bottom of my glass.

The most dangerous part of flying

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:05:48 GMT

Pilots will tell you that the most dangerous part of flying is takeoff and landing. This is correct, though it's most dangerous for people who aren't busy flying the plane.

There and back again

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:37:19 GMT

This is the story of how I stole my bike.

3.0 kilotweets

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:17:35 GMT

FBI seizes MegaUpload, loses opportunity

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:24:17 GMT

The significance of a website seized by law enforcement is heightened in light of the controversial SOPA and PIPA legislation currently being considered in Congress. Given the high stakes--the open exchange of information in a free society, government interference with the Internet--I feel compelled to let the people at the FBI know what I think.

Seen through the lens

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:11:20 GMT

I took this photo of a red panda at the San Diego zoo last month. Notice anything funny about it?

Best of Chile

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:07:52 GMT

Whenever I hear about someone visiting Chile I want to dispense all of the peculiar observations and advice that I accumulated in the years that I was there, so I thought I might as well collect those links in one place.

"Unboxing the iPad Data," Deconstructed

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:11:25 GMT

John Gruber linked to an infographic "Unboxing the iPad Data" In terms of graphic design it's visually pleasing but it falls short in a few areas and highlights common challenges in designing infographics. These are problems that you find all the time in visualizations, so let's see what we can learn from this example.

Greasemonkey & jQuery

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:13:42 GMT

Tips for using jQuery with the Greasemonkey Firefox extension.

Sather Tower × 4

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:34:20 GMT

Sather Tower is at the center of UC Berkeley's campus, right across from South Hall where I spent most of my time. These are four pictures of the tower over a two-week period.

Conversation with an Anthropomorphized Twiki

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:08:26 GMT

Twiki is an adequate piece of software, but it has some rough edges. I got frustrated trying to upload some images to my assignment, and I somehow thought that it would be a better use of my time to write a dialogue of my interaction with Twiki.

Is Online First-come, First-served Fair?

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:28:45 GMT

One way to ration scarse resources is to use first-come, first-served rationing. FCFS is pretty well understood in the physical world, but it is different online.

A Nook of My Own

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:47:29 GMT

I'm using my Barnes & Noble nook to conduct a semester long experiment, where I use it for as much of my reading as possible.

Hello World! from Arduino

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:54:13 GMT

Once I finished fumbling with my breadboard and resistors, my light started blinking automatically without me doing any programming at all. I decided that a better start would be to have my light blink "Hello world" in Morse code.

What is bad design?

Thu, 21 May 2009 15:10:25 GMT

Bad design is ugly, it is inconvenient, it is frustrating, it is not well considered, but above all bad design wastes time.

Live Blogging the I School Masters Presentations

Thu, 14 May 2009 20:05:01 GMT

As a culmination of two years of study at the School of Information, masters students present final projects that represent a significant work based on learning in the classroom. Next year I'll be giving one of these presentations, but this year I'm just along for the ride.

Missing Tweets

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:41:52 GMT

While looking at my Twitter homepage a week ago I noticed that tweets were missing from my user timeline. I built this tool to help people check if they are missing any updates.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:44:02 GMT

Notwithstanding the incident where someone stole my bike and I found the thief and stole it back , it has lead a provincial life. But this weekend, Caitlin and I decided to try out our wheels in the big city.

Copyright, Fair Use, and The Far Side

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:58:17 GMT

In June 2007 I wrote a blog entry where I reproduced the June 21 page from my Far Side day calendar. Four months later, I received an email from FarWorks, a company claiming responsibility for licensing Far Side cartoons.

Single Serving Sites

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:48:36 GMT

I thought it might be interesting to write about single serving sites, a phenomenon that I read about on Kottke. Long story short, I came home this evening to find that 2,000 people have visited the website I created for my paper.

My favorite magazine

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:25:21 GMT

After reading one issue I was hooked. The covers, the articles, the cartoons--it was like falling in love with a periodical.

Election Day 2008

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:01:30 GMT

I watched the election on campus with classmates. When I left to go home I ran into an impromptu gathering of hundreds of students in the street celebrating.

Southwest Survey Fail

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:29:41 GMT

This is simply a dishonest way to solicit information from your customers.

A Picture Worth 140,000 Words

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:01:47 GMT

Some classmates introduced me to Wordle this week, a site that creates amazing displays of words based on their frequency. I decided to give it a whirl, but with my entire website.

I got a new look

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:08:30 GMT

I created this website in 2000 and it was little more than my signature and a copy of an old website. I got a new look and it feels good.

Wifi Courtesy Cards

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:38:30 GMT

How to handle visitors? My solution is wifi courtesy cards: business cards that you make available in your house to help guests connect to your network.

Hell is AT&T

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:42:10 GMT

Twenty-seven days after I ordered my service and 20 days after I was told my service would be activated, I still have no Internet access. During this time I spent over 580 minutes on the phone with 26 representatives.

Muchos toquis, pocos indios

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:29:53 GMT

When we combine the elements, the saying is "too many chiefs, not enough workers," a riff on too many cooks spoil the broth.

Crowd-sourcing wedding photography

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:05:42 GMT

I tried an active approach: a few weeks ago I went to my friends Maureen and Matías's wedding and I brought a laptop to the reception where I asked guests with digital cameras to let me download their photos to put on a CD for the bride and groom.

Feng shui my apartment

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:46:31 GMT

That got me wondering about how long it would take to make an interactive version of my apartment layout. The end product was nifty enough that I think it's worth sharing: come feng shui my apartment.

Walkable Me

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:56:05 GMT

One of the things I miss most about Chile is the ability to walk and take public transportation almost anywhere. In one of those ironic twists, I realized shortly after I got back to my car that I didn't want it.

Notre Dame to Berkeley

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:48:10 GMT

A number of people have asked me how I got from a place like Notre Dame to a place like Berkeley. The answer is simple.

Batman's High-Tech Pickup

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:13:23 GMT

The Batmobile, Batman's armor, and his other gadgets may be from a time in the future, but his Skyhook liftoff is over 40 years old.

Give Your Pen a Workout

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:14:33 GMT

Writing is like exercise: if you don't do it regularly, your ability atrophies and it becomes painful to get started again.

Things I learned in Belize

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:02:29 GMT

Sea turtles have amazing jaws. In general you don't hear much underwater, but I could hear crunching as I watched a turtle devour lobsters. If you turn up your speakers, you can too.

Best Picture Nominees and Ratings

Sat, 31 May 2008 17:39:50 GMT

I was talking with a co-worker at the hospital earlier this week who mentioned that he doesn't watch R-rated movies. Living in Utah, this isn't surprising; many practicing Mormons shun R-rated movies.

Memories from Chile: Black Rain

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:08:02 GMT

Hundreds of ants--maybe thousands?--were behaving like someone had dumped a truckload of Pixie sticks on the concrete. The sight whisked me back to Chile, to my first year living there when I had to contend with the Summer of Ants.

Rainbow over I-80

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:29:03 GMT

I remember seeing this double rainbow over I-80 when my dad and I were driving back to college before my senior year. While I was organizing some old digital photos I found this shot and I was surprised by how vibrant the color was.

Absolut memories

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:05:02 GMT

I have always liked Absolut vodka advertisements. Last week I was traveling in Southern Utah and I saw something that sparked my memory.

Life in Ogden, Utah and New York City

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:18:44 GMT

It struck me as a funny juxtaposition between Small Town America and Big City, U.S.A.

My song chart addiction

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:07:51 GMT

A few weeks ago a new phenomenon was launched by a single chart produced in Microsoft Excel. Now there's a Flickr group dedicated to graphs and charts representing songs.

Graffiti in Chile

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:46:20 GMT

One of my favorite parts of walking through Chilean cities was the eclectic street art and graffiti. Some of the specimins I found were so entirely whimsical or strange that it was hard not to be charmed by them.

Strange scholarship criteria

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:02:35 GMT

I'm sure I'll be able to pay for school, but I can't shake the feelings that I'd be in a better place if I were a 6'4" transgendered feminist vegetarian triplet from a mobile home park in a small town farming community who was affected by September 11.

Big money, small backpacks

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:16:11 GMT

When I was backpacking in Torres del Paine last year I noticed that hikers were divided into a few tiered groups. Big rollers in the park traveled with tiny packs and rented what they needed at waypoints, everything from tents to stoves.

So much stuff

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:29:12 GMT

Fast-forward two years: I get home, open my closet, and I'm shocked by how much clothing I have. I made a quick count of T-shirt in my room and I found 51. After getting by with just six, having eight times that just seems ridiculous.

Thoughts on predictive text

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:09:48 GMT

One of the consequences of this system is that occasionally there are multiple words that match a certain number combination. As I cycled through words the other day I got to wondering what key combinations had the most overlapping words, so I threw together a little script.

Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:45:39 GMT

Joseph Keenan's _Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish_ is the work of a great teacher. It has been the most useful book I have had in speaking better Spanish. (★★★★★ of 5)

Chile's Greatest Hits

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:04:01 GMT

Last year Tom and I talked about making a compilation of the best Chilean folklore songs from our favorite groups. Here's a little story and a 30-second samples for each song.

Where to from here?

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:52:52 GMT

My writing affair with my one-time, long, thin home is over. So where to from here?

818

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:26:46 GMT

There used to be a little counter on this site that kept track of the days I'd been gone. It has stopped at 818 days because after more than two years outside the U.S., I finally made my way home yesterday.

Adventures in Bolivia

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:45:55 GMT

Bolivia is home to a unique brand of craziness: Bolivian taxi drivers make New York cabbies look relaxed; you can buy llama fetuses at kiosks along the street; and there is a fusion of populism and political participation that sometimes gets explosive.

Lost city: found

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 03:15:22 GMT

Alarm goes off at 4:30am.

The land of Inca

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:21:00 GMT

Peruvians have leveraged the name Inca for all it's worth. They stamp it on everything. It's like Disney World where you can't buy cotton candy unless it's Disney® Cinderella Cotton Candy.

Arriving in Cusco

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:37:19 GMT

It's the rainy season, but the frequent drizzles and fog seem to wrap the city in a mythical myst. It fits: we're in the heart of the Incan Empire.

The big goodbyes

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:01:10 GMT

Since the Associate program is coming to the end of the current chapter, our goodbyes also involved a somewhat different twist. Instead of just leaving our house, we had to close it.

The socks on my feet

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:21:51 GMT

When I was packing to leave home I put two unopened 8-packs of Hanes socks in my suitcase. I planned on rationing them out over the years. That turned out to be a stroke of genius because after several dozen handwashings socks start to feel less like cotton and more like paper towels. This past weekend I put on the last new pair.

Scenes from Sept. 18

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:00:08 GMT

The signs went up in the Lider supermarket: The 18th is here at last! The Chilean national holiday centered on September 18 was in the air. The only peculiar detail was the date. It was August 18, not September.

Chile is for lovers

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:22:40 GMT

Forget Virginia: Chile is for lovers. Let me break down the reasons for you.

The GRE, mice, and Spanish

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:47:10 GMT

I just started studying to take the GRE later this year. For the last two years my preparation has consisted of sytematically eliminating my English vocabulary and replacing it with Spanish. I can't count the number of times lately that I've had an English word on the tip of my tongue only to find out that it isn't, in fact, English. So I'm a little preocupado.

My guatero con uña

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:26:53 GMT

A _guatero_ is a hot water bottle, and pretty much any Chilean who's not (a) rich or (b) dead uses one in the winter. Like just about any word in Chile, _guatero_ can be shaped to have a double meaning.

Happy New Year!

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 21:55:51 GMT

The most recognized new year celebration is January 1, but for a select group in Chile the year begins on September 1. The cold Chilean winter reaches its peak in August. It's a dark month in nursing homes and senior citizen groups because August is when most elderly die.

Helpin' a brother out

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:55:50 GMT

At least twice a week I find myself working in a pretty remarkable place: the kitchen. Specifically, the parish kitchen. That's ground zero for Br. Donald Kutchenmeister's meals-on-wheels-style program, known here as Comida Sobre Ruedas.

Fortune teller handbills

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:07:23 GMT

I got off the subway at Plaza Egaña a couple months ago and dodged a handful of people passing out fliers. Despite my best efforts, I ended up with one.

Marks of the coup

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:42:33 GMT

In 1973 the Chilean military overthrew the democratically-elected president Salvador Allende in the September 11 coup. If you visit downtown Santiago, you can still see some marks of that historic day.

Snow??? In Santiago??

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 16:12:24 GMT

"It hasn't snowed like this in 30 years!" "It hasn't stayed on the ground in Plaza Italia in 50!" Could it be? Snow in Santiago?

My geography class

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:17:05 GMT

I think I could teach a geography class based solely on shocking people. I'd call my series Geo 203: It's Not Where You Think It Is. Cue the slides.

A roof with a view

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:51:56 GMT

Every time it rains in Santiago it gets cold and overcast, the streets flood, and it stays generally miserable for as long as the water falls. The reward is the clear, smog-free view of the snow-covered Andes when the clouds clear.

What do you do?

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:48:04 GMT

Simple questions can have complicated answers. That said, there's no worse time for complicated answers than when the police are asking the questions.

More English in Chile

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:08:39 GMT

Last week I wrote about pervasive English in Chilean Spanish. Here are a few more comical examples.

Spanish lesson #4361

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Gender agreement in Spanish is a giant pain in the butt.

Hey! Get your own words

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT

In 20 years, I swear Chile will be speaking English. To be honest, I'm not sure that they have that far to go.

Alcohol in South America

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT

In the U.S. would you ever see a 12-year-old buy a bottle of wine for his mother at the corner store?

QVC on the go

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:28:03 GMT

When you get on a bus in Chile, you're not just going for a ride; you're going shopping.

Lose something?

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:25:29 GMT

In any event, NASA can relinquish the most-stunning-loss title for now; moon-walk video tapes aren't the only thing missing.

The most depicted man in Chile

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:53:19 GMT

There are so many pictures of the man on the subway that I occasionally envision him as a kind of transit Big Brother, monitoring my every move. Jorge, however, is not the most depicted man in Chile.

Hemispherist humor

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:06:04 GMT

I have been enjoying the cartoons pretty much every day that I remember to change the calendar. That is until this morning, when I learned that Gary Larson and his calendar are party to the all-too-prevalent hemispherism infecting our world today.

Oh the places Flickr goes

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:31:37 GMT

Once you put something on the Internet, you really can't predict who will see it or what will happen to it.

Check out these carrots

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:20:59 GMT

Last year Tom and I spent some time dreaming up slogans for the country of Chile that poked fun at some of the quirks we had noticed in our time here. A fave of mine that Tom came up with was "Chile: Our carrots dwarf yours."

The politics of being "American"

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:39:22 GMT

A different language and a different culture can make even the simplest of things difficult. In Chile saying where you're from isn't a simple matter. In English, I'm American. In Spanish, saying _soy americano_ is as likely as not to upset someone.

Winter's first snow

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:14:51 GMT

Here in Chile we're gearing up for winter. That means that, instead of complaining about the heat, they now complain about the cold. I am trying to fit into the culture here so I complain about the cold too. You know, just to fit in.

You flatter me

Tue, 29 May 2007 14:27:24 GMT

Email spam is bad, but blog spam is even worse. In the last three years I have received 191 legitimate comments. In the last seven days I have received 1,141 spam comments.

Take a seat

Sat, 26 May 2007 12:00:00 GMT

The other day I saw one guy pull some running, flying, WWF elbow-drop on this grandma, though it turned out he was just trying to get on during rush hour. But at least people are waiting and letting others off before they pull their tricks.

Pirates in Chile

Thu, 24 May 2007 19:04:46 GMT

Today is the world premiere of _Pirates of the Caribbean 3_ and as our community event for the week we're going to see it. Check out these posters from all the Santiago subway stations.

Triple window at the Casa Royale

Mon, 14 May 2007 21:20:04 GMT

I'm no stranged to Chile's beloved triple-window system in stores, but until last week I had only experienced my slow-lane, countryside version of the triple window. Last week I got a taste of the big-city version when I did some electronics shopping in downtown Santiago.

My first day at Contigo

Wed, 09 May 2007 21:37:35 GMT

I began work this week with an NGO called Fundación Contigo. Contigo, which means "with you" in Spanish, is an organization that works with microcredit and job training to improve people's quality of life.

The many moons of Alex Huber

Tue, 01 May 2007 22:56:16 GMT

At many postcard stands in Chile you can find cards from Alex Huber. The first time I saw one I was all but certain that it had been Photoshopped. I thought the moon in this photo had been added.

Turn, turn, turn

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:30:10 GMT

I knew it was undeniably fall in Chile when leaves kept dropping into my laundry. The seasons are changing, and so is my program. Monday ended a decade of volunteers living in my house.

Spanish lesson #3989

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:28:17 GMT

A single slip of the tongue, one misplaced letter, and you are back in Dumbsville.

Nintendo8 and Zwok

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:02:02 GMT

The internet has always been a top-notch place to while your time away. Here are a couple new sites that I found out about recently. Visit at your own risk.

Old friends on a new continent

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 19:49:13 GMT

Two weeks ago I was busy catching up with Percival and Kate, two friends from college who I hadn't seen since graduation day. When arrived, we had to squeeze as much as possible into seven days.

Run like the wind

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:03:04 GMT

Caitlin ran the Santiago half marathon yesterday, so we turned out to cheer for her. I don't know much about being a marathon spectator, but Emily is a seasoned pro so we teamed up and hit the course at 8:00am.

And the Chicago Tribune...

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:15:35 GMT

Who knew I was at the head of such a journalistic fad? Shortly after I wrote about Torres del Paine National Park, an article showed up in the _New York Times_; now the Chicago Tribune has written about it as well.

Scooping the New York Times

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:47:05 GMT

It's not every day that I can say I covered something before the _New York Times_, but that might be today. Just two weeks after I finished writing my series on Torres del Paine National Park, Edward Wong's article "Patagonia in a New Light" ran in the _Times_.

Ice cream summer

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT

When the Chilean summer sun shines on you, if you pay attention, you can actually feel your skin burning. It feels like each photon carries its own personal flame thrower to torch your body.

A book is born

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:20:15 GMT

I went to my first book launch last Friday in my 1,000-person town of Pocuro. The small location makes sense once you know the title of the book: _An Oral History of Pocuro_.

Torres del Paine National Park series

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 21:10:50 GMT

A week ago I finished writing about my trip to Torres del Paine National Park. For those reading at a more relaxed pace, or anyone who missed it the first time around, this is a list of the articles in this now-archived special feature.

Day 6: My checklist

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

The next day we returned to Punta Arenas and caught our plane back to Santiago, leaving the ruggedness of Patagonia behind us. On the flight I started thinking about checklists, of all things.

Day 5: At the end of the world

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Our last day of hiking would be our longest. We had 12 miles to cover. If you believed the map, it would take us six hours to do it. I woke up with legs as stiff as boards.

Day 4: Surprise from the skies

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

The rain was sometimes a blessing. This morning, for example, the rain gave us an excuse to sleep late. We started our day so late, in fact, that we skipped breakfast and went straight to the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Day 3: A walk by the lake

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

At 10:30 we left camp. Our route for the day was ten miles long, practically all of which followed the northern shoreline of Lake Nordenskjöld.

Day 2: The Torres of Torres del Paine

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

As planned, my alarm went off at 3:55am. It was not a pleasant sound. Not according to plan, however, was the torrential downpour pounding our tent, as it had been doing since midnight.

Day 1: Arrival

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:00:01 GMT

By the time we unloaded our backpacks from the van at Hostería Las Torres, our adrenaline was pumping in anticipation. It was 6:00pm. We had left my house for the airport exactly 24 hours earlier. We were ready to take the first steps of our adventure.

Day 0: The Email

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:00:01 GMT

Like many dangerous plans, ours began with a series of emails. My longtime friend Amanda had already booked a flight to Chile, and through messages back-and-forth we were trying to decide on an itinerary for her visit.

My trusty Gorilla

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:01:28 GMT

For some time I wanted a mini-tripod for my camera. Then I found it, the object of my camera-stabalization desire.

Torres del Paine rotating images

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:56:49 GMT

There are six images that rotate through the display. They are all posted here so you don't have to reload the page several times to see each one.

Torres del Paine coming soon...

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:14:22 GMT

Amanda and I made it back from Torres del Paine National Park alive. It was incredible. I'm preparing a series of articles to recount the trip day-by-day.

It's the end of the world as I know it

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:34:52 GMT

Upon arriving in Puerto Natales we booked our next bus to Torres del Paine, rented our stove, bought some last-minute food items, and ate lunch. At 2:30pm we hit the road again, There's no updates from here on out, but if you want you can look up information about the park and imagine us doing the W-trek over the next several days.

Off to Patagonia!

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:31:20 GMT

Take out your map and look for the southernmost city in the world--Punta Arenas--and that's where Amanda and I will be.

Layover in Castro

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:15:54 GMT

I was in Castro for two hours, but here you can see it in six photos.

Missions in Chiloé

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:35:33 GMT

This January I spent 10 days in Agony, but it was actually quite pleasant. On Jan. 2, I took a bus south with 100 high school students from Saint George on their annual missions trip.

Pinochet in La Nacion

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 21:14:19 GMT

This is the front page of _La Nacion_, a local newspaper on the day of Pinochet's death.

Name business

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 13:00:00 GMT

I am running my white flag up the mast. I am placing my hands on my head and stepping away from the car. I am crying uncle. I am cutting and I am running. Let it be known in no uncertain terms that, when it comes to my name, I am giving up.

Off-shore, off-line, off-grid

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:34:49 GMT

This evening we're taking our night bus 20 hours south to Chiloé for the summer missions trip with Saint George.

An Associate Christmas

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 22:21:46 GMT

After 10pm Mass next door in the Pocuro chapel, we sat down for our Christmas Eve dinner at 11:30. It was shockingly perfect.

Merry Christmas from Chile

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 05:00:01 GMT

This Christmas tree stands in downtown Santiago's Plaza de Armas just in front of the city cathedral. Merry Christmas!

My countryside highway

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:52:37 GMT

The small road in front of my house is a peculiar one. Or more accurately, it guides peculiar traffic. During the summer months, I'm as likely to hear the clip-clop of horses' hooves pulling carts as the noise of a passing car. Just the other day I saw it again: something that caught me completely off-guard.

Photos from Pinochet rally

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:51:38 GMT

Here are some photos of Pinochet supporters gathering at Escuela Militar, where Pinochet lie in wake earlier this week.

The death of a general

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:15:07 GMT

At 2:15pm yesterday, Augusto Pinochet, the military dictator of Chile for 17 years died. Every year the Sept. 11 anniversary of the coup d'état that brought him to power sparks riots in the streets of Santiago. His death had a similar effect.

And then there were four...

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 18:34:25 GMT

After living a year together in Chile we brought Maureen, Meg, and Tom to the airport on Saturday to send them home

A different line-guage

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:30:00 GMT

Sharpen your No. 2 and read closely: You have selected a product to purchase in a drugstore and you approach the cashier who is behind the counter.

A gift from me to you

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 19:29:59 GMT

Thanksgiving is behind us, Advent wreaths are lit, and Christmas is around the corner. For many people that means shopping and selecting gifts.

Riding in the country

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:37:06 GMT

For one of our last weekends together before Meg, Maureen, and Tom go back to the U.S, Emily had the idea to plan a horseback riding trip

Thankgiving in Chile

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 20:12:30 GMT

This year in Chile we were celebrated with an amazing dinner prepared for us at Saint George, the Holy Cross school in Santiago.

I will learn you English

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:00:00 GMT

It takes confidence to speak a foreign language and more confidence still to paint it on a sign.

The parents keep coming

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 21:57:22 GMT

My mom and Dave arrived last week to spend some time in the world's thinest country.

Google solves my problem

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 23:51:49 GMT

Spelling my last name has always been somewhat problematic, not so much for me, but for other people.

Understanding Illapu's "Lejos del amor"

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 18:15:00 GMT

In September I went to a concert in Santiago where the Chilean folklore group Illapu played my favorite song, "Lejos del amor." When I told people about the concert, I also wanted to explain the Spanish lyrics. The only real obstacle was that I didn't understand them.

Spanish lesson #3103

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:57:02 GMT

I may never master Spanish.

A lesson from Memo

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 23:42:24 GMT

Every now and then, I get a glimpse of what I imagine parenthood must be like. I had one this past Saturday, and it came courtesy of my dog, Memo.

Dulce o travesura?

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:03:41 GMT

Tuesday night, Maureen and I were at home reading when we heard a bunch of kids outside. She went to check on the situation and came back with the report: trick-or-treaters.

Wolves in Valdivia

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:47:13 GMT

When I visited Valdivia, I was anxious to see a sight my housemate Emily told me about. Shortly after arriving, I saw my first wild sea wolf.

The marshal of the field

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:15:17 GMT

Though I check ESPN's post-game summary after all of Notre Dame's games, I haven't seen a football game in over a year. Last night I turned on the TV in our hotel. ESPN Latin America was showing Monday Night Football. I watched the last two quarters of the Cowboys vs. the Giants fascinated.

I can name that sign in 3 words!

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 22:44:48 GMT

Here's a broad generalization that I have little support for: It takes more words to say some things in Spanish than in English.

We're jammin

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 19:09:02 GMT

For our community night, Emily decided that we would make jam. Strawberries are in season, so she bought a good looking quart.

Take a trip with Google Earth

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 11:00:00 GMT

It took me some time to locate the associate houses in Google Earth. After becoming familiar with the area, I searched for Los Andes, the nearby city, and then traced the bus route visually until I arrived at our house next to the chapel. With Caitlin's help to navigate the Santiago street plan, we did the same to find the associate house in Peñalolén.

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 11:00:00 GMT

The unstated thesis of June Casagrande's _Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies_ is that two wrong _do_ make a right. (★ of 5)

Spanish lesson #2972

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:06:43 GMT

A grammar lesson from a girl's dresser.

At the beach

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 12:15:00 GMT

El Quisco is a small town southwest of Santiago that sits on the Chilean coast.

How close is too close?

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 21:10:42 GMT

At the school where I work Alejandra and I trade translations. One of my favorite things is swapping sayings because the ideas cross cultures, but the way of expressing them differs.

Working the system

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:08:56 GMT

Just a month ago, I very nearly destroyed my back when I cut the grass with a pair of hedge shears. You can imagine my discontent when the grass continued to grow. But yesterday, I had what I modestly call the best idea that I have had in the last couple of months.

Retail Chile

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 03:37:13 GMT

If you buy things in Chile, you're likely to encounter the infamous multiple-window system. Its motto should be, "No, you pick it out here, pay for it there, and pick it up over there."

The day my music died

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:01:50 GMT

"Give me your hand. Look me in the eyes." Satisfied that my wallet and camera were wedged tightly in my front pants pocket, I tried to humor the lady--anything to get rid of her. "Two people want to hurt you," she told me. "They don't want to kill you, just hurt you badly. I can do something about that, though."

The Dieciocho

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:29:58 GMT

The spirit of September in Chile is defined by September 18, the _dieciocho_. This is the month when Chile becomes extra Chile.

Some days

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 21:30:19 GMT

There are some rumors around our community about the gringos who come to Chile just to have a good time for a couple of years. It's frustrating to hear about. If I had the chance, I would ask these people a question.

September 11 in Chile

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:24:42 GMT

For decades before September 11 was a day in infamy in the United States, it was in Chile for a different reason.

Saturday night concert

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 18:50:39 GMT

Saturday night I went to a concert put on by the University of Santiago, Chile. I placed all my hopes for the evening on hearing my favorite song by Illapu, "Lejos del amor."

What are you teaching them?

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:03:52 GMT

At Pascual Baburizza today, I didn't have to help with the afternoon class. The reason is that my seniors are attending a workshop on sexuality.

New kids on the block

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:03:59 GMT

Last week we hosted the new Chile associates, Katie, Michelle, Natalie, and Patrick. As my group did last year, they visited Chile for a week to see the job sites and people before heading to Bolivia for language school.

I'm just a lawn machine

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:48:00 GMT

We don't have a lawn mower, and it turns out that nobody around here seems to have one either. It's typical to use hedge shears to cut the grass. Laugh all you want. In the end, I got the grass cut.

365 days in 365 words

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Here is a manageable account of my past year in South America at the rate of one word per day.

Spring blooms

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 23:48:34 GMT

The almond tree in our yard bloomed last week. I think it may have been fooled.

Not moonstruck

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:50:42 GMT

NASA can't find the original tape of men walking on the moon. That doesn't surprise some people.

Adage algebra

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 12:30:00 GMT

I enjoy comparing sayings between English and Spanish. The other day I heard an adage that seemed like an invitation to a more literal comparison.

Not tasty, Delicious

Sat, 12 Aug 2006 11:55:00 GMT

I only recently got into Delicious, even though it's been around for a couple years. Now you can see my bookmark list on their site.

Celebrating Nuestra Señora

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:36:45 GMT

People took to the streets for a procession through ten different stations at community members' houses for various prayer intentions. The parish priests lead the procession. In the rear, Chilean _huasos_ dressed in traditional garb followed.

Freakonomics

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:59:00 GMT

Part of _Freakonomics_'s appeal is the sheer randomness of the topics it tackles. To name a few: cheating in sumo wrestling, dealing crack cocaine, whether guns or swimming pools are more dangerous, infiltrating the KKK, and good parenting. (★★★★ of 5)

My great theory

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 18:09:57 GMT

To figure out the number of combinations of items, you just multiply them all together. In the Chilean winter, however, I have recently realized something that just may revolutionize combination theory. If I were John Forbes Nash, this would be my great idea that will win me a Nobel Prize.

Let it ... snow?

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 20:55:11 GMT

I said, for example, that it was 40°F, you would probably say, "40°--that's nothing! Why in (your preferred cold place) we routinely hit 20 below zero!" In response, I pose this question: is it the same temperature inside your house as outside?

Money money

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:57:58 GMT

In Chile, money is a whole order of magnitude different. This can give you a good scare when you arrive: $100 for an ice cream cone, $200 for the city bus, $1,500 for lunch, and $20,000 for a pair of pants?

How to make a pisco sour

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 11:00:00 GMT

For many Chileans, picso was made for one cocktail alone: the pisco sour. A well made one is almost reason enough to visit the thinnest country in the world.

It's hard to say

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:45:00 GMT

Give yourself a little test. Pronounce the following words aloud.

The Road to Peru recap

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 22:00:00 GMT

On June 27 at 8:30pm, I asked for $500 to help with fundraising for our trip to Peru. On July 6 at 10:30am, we reached our goal.

Valpo, Chile

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 19:28:14 GMT

Chileans call Valparaíso a national treasure that belongs to the world. Technically, they are correct.

Sideways stories from Pascual

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:00:00 GMT

There are plenty of interesting and humorous happenings within the mundane if you look out for them. Here are couple of my gems.

The Road to Peru

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:23:10 GMT

Normally when I write here, I am happy just to have visiting readers. This time I need your help.

Creative Chilean Spanish

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:55:00 GMT

Chileans are wildly creative with their language. I am continually surprised by clever Chileanisms.

Spanish lesson #1835

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 19:51:36 GMT

Listen to what the kids are saying.

The Elqui Valley

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 20:41:25 GMT

I dial the tour agency with a singular goal: to get information on visiting the Islas Damas, where I have read that there are penguins to be seen. Ricardo answers, but penguins aren't in the cards.

A city with 29 churches

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:26:22 GMT

I recently visited La Serena, the capital of Chile's fourth region.

Revolution in high schools

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 19:17:50 GMT

In Chile high school students are striking or taking over schools and refusing to attend classes.

The madness begins

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:45:26 GMT

Today when I walked into the cafeteria at Pascual Baburizza, I noticed immediately that something was different.

As summer turns to fall...

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:25:00 GMT

The local weather during April and May was somewhat unusual for the area. Instead of falling temperatures and heavy rains, we had, well, not falling temperatures and rains.

Stories lining up

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 15:05:56 GMT

Over the last few days I've had a chance to see a few parts of Chile outside of my usual routine.

Mooove along

Sun, 28 May 2006 17:07:25 GMT

These are the kind of things you don't see just anywhere. I think someone should warn the poor sap about the dangers of that kind of activity.

From blog to reality

Thu, 25 May 2006 21:00:03 GMT

Sometimes words can only convey so much, so I'm lucky this week to be able to show my first visitor Elizabeth some of the realities of day-to-day life in person.

Arriving on a jet plane

Mon, 22 May 2006 11:00:00 GMT

I'm at the Arturo Merino Benitez International airport in Santiago. For the first time in this airport, I'm not going anywhere.

Work Week ends

Sat, 20 May 2006 20:24:36 GMT

This week I did a whirlwind tour of some of the different places where I work in Chile. For those of you who blinked, here's a summary.

Wednesday, but better

Fri, 19 May 2006 12:59:00 GMT

Old folks

Thu, 18 May 2006 17:58:00 GMT

After working with eight-year-olds girls on Tuesday, I swing to the other end of the spectrum on Thursday. At 2:00pm, I arrive at the _hogar de ancianos_.

Pascual Baburizza

Wed, 17 May 2006 13:00:00 GMT

I start Wednesday morning on my bicycle, riding to the high school where I help with English classes.

Sagrada Familia

Tue, 16 May 2006 20:30:00 GMT

I ring the doorbell at Sagrada Familia and appreciate a few last quiet moments on the outside. Then the door opens and I'm in. And my time at the hogar begins.

Three women and me

Tue, 16 May 2006 15:00:00 GMT

I work Tuesdays at the _comedor_ in Calle Larga. After I arrive, I greet the trio of boisterous women who run the operation, Adela, Terecita, and Graciella.

Welcome to Work Week

Mon, 15 May 2006 15:35:00 GMT

Despite the fact that readers are probably most interested in what I do here I have written very little about that. That ends this week.

Tales from Africa

Sat, 13 May 2006 20:34:56 GMT

Last August we met people on their way to a mind-boggling number of different countries. I've been following Ted and Mona's blog from Zambia, Africa.

Thank you, Steven Spielberg

Wed, 10 May 2006 21:30:00 GMT

Sometimes I get frustrated because people here can't say my name. Of course I shouldn't.

Mt. Memo

Mon, 08 May 2006 00:10:20 GMT

We made it to the top and saw that Memo was proudly guarding the summit.

How do you measure, measure a year?

Sat, 06 May 2006 11:50:00 GMT

In papers, in word counts, in total pages written. Or at least I used to.

Got any new anglo stuff?

Tue, 02 May 2006 19:15:36 GMT

We hung out at a typically overpriced mall CD store. The expense aside, the store had some intriguing categories for its music.

Keep on reading

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 12:30:00 GMT

You can't satisfy everyone: I write too much for some people to keep up and not enough for others. For the first group, I don't have any good solutions; for the second, I do.

Wanna talk?

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:35:48 GMT

I have lots of conversations, but there are only about six topics. When new ones come up, it's a welcome change of pace, though that presents its own problems.

Hot hot hot

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:55:00 GMT

We don't have is a traditional water heater. What we do have is a clever thing called a _calefón_.

Quasimodo Sunday

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 02:30:05 GMT

Today in the Catholic Church is Quasimodo Sunday . As a Catholic, I must admit that I had no idea.

In the kitchen

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:05:47 GMT

Three fundamental human needs are air, water, and food. I am generally good at satisfying two of those three.

Rostkowskis in town

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 19:50:25 GMT

After a trans-America journey, Emily's parents arrived last Friday to visit and spend the Easter celebration in Chile.

Where I live, part one

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:25:26 GMT

If you ask me where I live, you're like to hear any one of three answers: Pocuro, Calle Larga, or Los Andes. Let me explain.

New home

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 22:20:55 GMT

I have had a rather unexplainably large amount of trouble with my hosting company over the past week and a half. So I picked up all of ryangreenberg.com and moved it elsewhere.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 01:00:22 GMT

Truss's bone-dry British and fun examples give a book that entertains, though not without some faults. (★★★ of 5)

Lost in translation

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 12:15:00 GMT

I completely identify with the title of that Oscar-contender movie from a couple years ago, _Lost in Translation_. Not the movie itself, mind you--I don't think I understood it.

Spanish lesson #1409

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:20:00 GMT

Today's topic: say año, not ano.

Strange timing

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 19:40:00 GMT

A month ago, Chile was two hours ahead of eastern time. Three weeks ago, Chile was one hour ahead. Now Chile and the East Coast are on the same time, which is where they will stay until October rolls around.

Website down

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 19:25:00 GMT

Due to some technical problems with my hosting provider, this site was unavailable yesterday and part of today.

Hey, that's mine!

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 13:10:25 GMT

Countries down here are always fighting about who invented what and what comes from where. These arguments, however, have reached all new levels of silliness.

And now for the weather

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 22:33:36 GMT

Today I introduced a new sidebar item, the weather near me, which is powered by Yahoo's developer tools.

That dog

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:15:55 GMT

Dog blood comes out of clothes with hydrogen peroxide, just like human blood. I know this because of Memo.

Mission "Accomplished"

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 23:15:06 GMT

We recycle in our house. All of this cardboard goes outside in a storage bag until we can take it to the recycling center. That is my job, and the recycling center isn't next door--it's in Santiago.

A wild Saturday night

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 18:52:38 GMT

You only get one each week, so you have to put it to good use. How to do that while sticking to simple living and participating in the local community can be tricky.

St. Patrick's Day!

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 05:00:01 GMT

I'm offering this photo as my online celebration of March 17 this year. _Sláinte!_

Viva la presidenta!

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:45:02 GMT

Just two months ago, Michelle Bachelet was elected president of Chile. This past weekend was inauguration weekend and it was filled with festivities.

Our media empire

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:19:00 GMT

Thanks to blogs and Flickr, the Holy Cross Associates in Chile have pretty much created a media company with diversified holdings that rivals other industry players like Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Here comes the work again

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 23:39:48 GMT

We've been waiting a long time to _do_ something. I may come to regret those words, but for now, let the work begin!

Suds it up

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 20:50:40 GMT

Laundry is one of those never-ending chores. In Pocuro it's complicated by one additional factor: as my housemate Maureen explained, "You are the machine."

Puerto Montt harbor

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 13:10:00 GMT

Some views you can't capture very well with a single shot, which is why it's nice that digital cameras make it so easy to take panoramic pictures. The scene is sunset over the harbor at Puerto Montt, where we visited a few days ago.

Detour completed

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 21:00:00 GMT

When we finished working with Habitat for Humanity in Temuco last Friday, we found the buses back to Santiago booked full. That left us with a four-day gap to fill.

Habitat goes photographic

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 19:15:35 GMT

I just posted a batch of photos from Habitat on Flickr to browse. In some of the pictures we even try to look like we know what we're doing on a construction site.

Habitat finishes

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 18:15:00 GMT

Yesterday afternoon we ended our week with Habitat for Humanity in Temuco. Our sum total of finished houses was zero. Now I understand more about how the program works and the number doesn't bother me.

Habitat update

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:21:00 GMT

For the last three days we have been working with Habitat for Humanity here in Temuco. It has been much different than I expected.

On the road to Temuco

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 00:32:41 GMT

Tonight at 10:30 we're boarding a bus for southern Chile. Yes, again. The reason: we're building a house with Habitat for Humanity.

Take this heart...

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 20:22:22 GMT

At first listen, I didn't think much of U2's latest CD, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Almost 18 months later, I can say the album has matured in my mind; I especially love the closing song, "Yahweh."

Associates' Best Friend

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 21:55:23 GMT

Through the years that associates have come and left out house in Pocuro there has been one constant: Memo, our enduring house dog. And what a dog he is.

At the feria

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 13:25:00 GMT

One of my chores this week was doing our fresh foods shopping at the local market. So Monday and Friday morning, I saddled up one of our bikes and make the 10-minute ride to the market.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 20:54:50 GMT

If you're retelling one of the best-known stories in the world, you need to have something special to make reading worthwhile. Fortunately, Christopher Moore does that in Lamb. (★★★★ of 5)

Bookin' it

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 20:30:00 GMT

I have been reading more since I came to South America. Instead of letting all the books blend together in the past, I decided to write short reviews of selected titles.

That's a gas

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 12:10:00 GMT

The price of gas is always a conversation item back home. Right now a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. costs $2.35. Here's a little international perspective.

Summer in Chile

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 21:42:38 GMT

As I walked through the supermarket the other day I noticed a back-to-school display. I'm used to seeing those things in August, not February, but you can't deny the signs of the times: it is summer in Chile.

CEVA Ends

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:13:09 GMT

With cuts, scrapes, a sunburn, and general exhaustion, I finished my first CEVA last Saturday after a week of long days with kids. It was great to be working with all the kids. Even through some bumps, they were a good bunch.

Flaming sky

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 02:00:00 GMT

As the sun set on my birthday, the sky lit up with a spectacular array of color and light.

Birthday #23

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 20:10:00 GMT

It's not every year that the entire town turns out to celebrate your birthday, but that's exactly what happened this year. If today was any indication, year 23 looks promising.

Scenes from CEVA

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:43:52 GMT

We're halfway done with our week-long summer camp. We're also pretty much all the way done with our energy. Playing with kids all day long isn't exactly rocket science, but bring me five rocket scientists who can play for nine hours a day with 40 kids in 95F sun for six days and then I'll be really impressed.

CEVA starts

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:25:00 GMT

Today marks the first day our CEVA, a week-long day camp for kids around Chile. We're greeting 40 children this morning, ranging in age from four to twelve. I'm a leader of the thirteen nine- and ten-year-olds.

Missions in photos

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:17:31 GMT

More about Missions

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:31:17 GMT

Missions are something very common in Chile and uncommon in the U.S., so I should explain. During summer vacation (December, January, February) high school students go to towns throughout Chile on mission trips. The philosophy behind the trips is called "re-evangelization."

That's not funny

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:06:58 GMT

Humor in another language and culture isn't easy. I don't think I'll be mastering it in Spanish anytime soon.

Back from Missions

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:52:21 GMT

Today I got back from my missions trip with Saint George to Southern Chile. There's a lot to say and I can't write it all until I take a shower, my clothes out of my backpack, and some time to think.

Dinosaur tracks

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 13:32:42 GMT

When we Sucre back in December, Emily said there was just one thing she really wanted to do: see dinosaur tracks. Fortunately Sucre is just the place to do that.

Christmas & gingerbread houses

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 13:02:36 GMT

With our professor Teresita, Roy and I went back to Hogar Nuestra Casa in December to decorate gingerbread houses.

To the south!

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 17:22:53 GMT

Starting early in the morning today, Emily, Caitlin, Roy, and I are headed 12 hours south with high school students from St. George. We're going on a missions trip and we'll be back January 13.

Welcome 2006!

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 22:40:28 GMT

Strangely, as midnight drew closer, more people disappeared to their bedrooms to sleep. Little did I know... At around 2:00am, I began to really understand the difference between the typical Chilean New Year's celebration and the typical U.S. celebration.

Christmas in Chile

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:05:05 GMT

This year I celebrated my first Christmas away from home and family in Chile. I am now the proud owner of a pair of giant female bear slippers.

Moving in

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:37:56 GMT

We left Cochabamba, Bolivia on Sunday afternoon. After making our way through Paraguay and Argentina, we finally arrived in Santiago, Chile Monday morning.

Welcome to Sucre

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 21:10:25 GMT

The Casa de las monedas

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 21:00:11 GMT

Llama in Potosí

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:28:07 GMT

While we were driving in Potisí I saw my first Bolivian llamas. They were everything that I had hoped they would be.

The mines of Potosí

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 15:11:46 GMT

Silver and mining are a significant part of Potosí's history so we decided to take a tour of the mines. Here's a sneak peek at the highlights: silver, dynamite, toxic chemicals, and the black lung.

One man's junk...

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 12:13:00 GMT

Caitlin brought an article about people who live off the garbage dumpsters to our conversation class. It provides some provocative details, so I tried to translate the article to English.

Playing hooky

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 18:39:13 GMT

Starting tonight we're skipping classes and leaving the town for a little sight-seeing. We're boarding a bus tonight to visit Potosi and Sucre.

These postmarks they are a'changin

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 17:12:07 GMT

I have come to the stunning conclusion that the U.S. Postal Service is changing its postmarks. Who would have guessed that, despite being 3000 miles away, I would have my finger on the pulse of such important changes in the U.S.?

Just another day

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:44:41 GMT

Show me a city with 1,000,000 people where cows graze in the streets and I'll show you a city that's not in the U.S.

100 days

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 12:13:28 GMT

Today marks my one hundredth day here in South America. In recognition of that I'm celebrating the non-event of passing from two-digit days to three-digit days.

I want a new look

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 12:04:03 GMT

For the past few weeks I've made a few little improvements to my site. I'm releasing the changes today. An overview follows for those who are interested.

Mmm...tasty?

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 01:33:10 GMT

This afternoon I met up with Kimberly at the Salomón Klein orphanage. I arrived at 4:00pm, which is one of the times that they feed the babies. Since I was around, I thought I would lend an inexperienced hand.

Go Irish!

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 18:35:58 GMT

Yesterday Notre Dame beat Stanford on the road to finish the regular season 9-2. I posted this 5-second timelapse video of Carroll Hall's GO IRISH! banner to celebrate the season.

Tut tut, it looked like rain

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 03:20:40 GMT

We faced a torrential downpour Saturday here in Cochabamba. Many streets became rivers. The normally tranquill canal that runs down my street raged.

Thanksgiving in Bolivia

Fri, 25 Nov 2005 03:00:49 GMT

I went to class today because, believe it or not, Thanksgiving isn't a national holiday in Bolivia. When it comes to traditions, though, what you do is more important than where you do it. This year some of the U.S. students at the Institute decided to have a potluck style Thanksgiving.

Politics, Bolivia, and the NY Times

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 21:31:21 GMT

National, prefectural, and local elections are just around the corner here in Bolivia. Evo Morales is the candidate for MAS, one of the socialist parties here. There is a lengthy article about him and MAS in the New York Times.

Jackpot!

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 15:03:36 GMT

Here in Bolivia every letter you get is exciting. Today we received a package that shattered any previous postal expectations we might have had.

Volleyball tournament ends

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 22:18:13 GMT

Today ended the Institute's volleyball tournament that started just a couple weeks after I arrived. Our team fared moderately well. In the end, I think we came in second place, though it's tough to tell.

Well that's embarrassing

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:55:26 GMT

I'm making fewer mistakes, though they still rear their ugly head from time to time. If there's anything that will make you feel better about your own mistakes, it's hearing about worse ones from other people. On that note, here are three Spanish faux pas related to me by my professors.

Cochabamba countryside

Sat, 12 Nov 2005 22:05:47 GMT

On a daytrip with the Maryknoll Institute today we visited some smaller towns around Cochabamba. It was a nice chance to see pueblo variety and its interesting twists. How often do you see a church with a neon sign behind the altar?

Macho macho ant

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 20:20:53 GMT

My friend Ryan Brown emailed me and asked, "What is it like there? Do you see things like leaf cutter ants?" Strictly speaking, no. But yes.

There and back again

Sat, 05 Nov 2005 20:27:19 GMT

Friday Roy suggested that we climb one of the nearby mountains. I said it sounded like a good idea. Caitlin suggested that we start at 6:00am. That sounded less like a good idea, but I was still onboard.

Field trip to Nuestra Casa

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 18:54:31 GMT

Today, instead of class, we went on field trips in small groups. I visited Hogar Nuestra Casa, a new foster home for girls who have been raped or sexually abused by their families.

El día de los difuntos

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 22:38:04 GMT

Wednesday here was the Day of the Dead. It is a mix between Halloween and Memorial Day infused with religion and local traditions. I was fortunate enough to be in the thick of the celebration.

Smelled 'em

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 15:35:15 GMT

Cliche lovers say you should stop and smell the roses. I'm on board with that.

Patrick in Peru

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 13:10:13 GMT

Patrick Fairbanks, a Jesuit priest from the U.S., is one of the many people I met here at the Maryknoll Institute. Patrick writes in his blog, "I am gawking at hawkers when all of a sudden I am confronted by a young man wearing a ski mask."

A few power lines

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 14:00:43 GMT

I am, without a doubt, the most intrigued person in Bolivia when it comes to power lines. It's like Spiderman flew through the city shooting power lines instead of web fluid.

Another day at Salomón Klein

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 15:13:33 GMT

Another Saturday meant another morning at Salomón Klein, the orphanage by my house. Playing with 45 five-year-olds for about 3 hours isn't exactly exactly what you might call tough work, but when noon comes, I'm always exhausted.

Cathedral in Concepción

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 22:58:04 GMT

This past week in the Flickr churches group, my photo of this cathedral in Concepción, Bolivia won the "church of the week" award. No, it doesn't really mean much, but it's something fun.

The things I see

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 15:30:50 GMT

First the obvious: life here in Bolivia is different than in the U.S. The United States is among the wealthiest countries in the world; Bolivia wrestles with Peru for the title of the poorest in Latin America. As a result, you see things here that you won't see in the U.S.

Blogs, blogs, blogs

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 21:12:18 GMT

An article in Time magazine reports on military blogs that let you read stories from soldiers on the ground in Iraq.

Of dogs and amoebas

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:35:55 GMT

Roy got bit by a dog; Caitlin got bit by amoebas.

A problem I don't understand

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 21:41:23 GMT

A week ago I realized I have the exact opposite problem in South America that I had in college: I have time to read, but no books.

Irish abroad

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 21:19:17 GMT

The excitment and anticipation of the #1 USC vs. #9 Notre Dame football game extended to the southern hemisphere, so we decided to have a game "listen" party Saturday.

The last of Chiquitania

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 20:12:55 GMT

When we visited the workshop where Juan Vaca restores the decaying sheets of music, we also saw a woodworking school where men were studying the art. Of course, I took pictures.

That makes sense

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:15:48 GMT

Traffic here is Cochabamba is exciting. Not infrequently, I see cars driving down the wrong side of the road for no apparent reason. My question is _why do people drive on the wrong side of the road?_

Let's try this again

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:04:09 GMT

At the request of several visitors, I am re-enabling the ability to post comments to entries.

Peer pressure prevails

Mon, 10 Oct 2005 16:59:02 GMT

Roy finally succumbed to peer pressure and signed up for a blog. Now, if want to read more about the experiences of a Holy Cross Associate, you can also visit his new site.

Juan Vaca and his job

Sun, 09 Oct 2005 22:08:41 GMT

A few decades ago, someone unearthed some decaying, bug-infested sheets of music. These sheets now total more than 5,000 and Juan Vaca is the only man who cleans them.

See monkey

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:17:20 GMT

Earlier I wrote about toucans in my post about the unusual sights of Chiquitania, but this monkey was so interesting it merits its own mention.

The Jesuit Missions

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 18:38:59 GMT

In the decades and centuries following Columbus's "discovery" of America, conquistadors invaded and destroyed various Latin American empires. While most people know about these conquests, few know about the Jesuit Reductions missions that took place roughly at the same time.

Sights galore

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 00:05:22 GMT

We returned today from our five day trip to Santa Cruz and the Jesuit missions in Eastern Bolivia. Our visit was filled with all sorts of unusual images and experiences.

So long and thanks for all the hits

Sat, 01 Oct 2005 12:50:16 GMT

When you write something, there's nothing better than knowing that people are actually reading it. My traffic logs for the month of September say I had more visitors than ever before this month.

A glimpse of family life

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:13:06 GMT

This past Sunday my Bolivian dad Nestor spent the afternoon sewing new curtains for the living room. The living room is looking good now.

Master of smooth talking

Wed, 28 Sep 2005 21:00:33 GMT

As of late, I have peppered my stories with tales of my Spanish successes. Lest you think I am having delusions of adequacy, it's fair to tell some failures too.

Fool me twice

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 21:33:13 GMT

If you arrive at 10:45am for the 11:00am Mass, no matter where you sit, that woman is going to find you and ask you to read. Now, if you had the good sense God gave potatoes, you remember what happened last time and arrive at 11:15am or 11:30am like everyone else.

Sometimes I can talk to people

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 11:13:23 GMT

As I was walking home the other day, I was stopped by a small boy sitting on the sidewalk in front of a closed gate. Our conversation wasn't terrible.

Cochabamba Cityscape

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 20:54:09 GMT

With help from my stepbrother Jon, I was able to piece together this panorama of the city of Cochabamba. This is the view from my Bolivian family's living room.

Words, words, words

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 19:34:37 GMT

I'm no artist, but I found that it's easier for me to learn words if I draw a picture with which to associate the word. Here are a few snapshots from my miniature word notebook.

And the classes played on...

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 19:49:21 GMT

Here at the Maryknoll Institute classes operate on a two week rotation. Each new rotation brings a new schedule with a new classroom and new teachers.

My first visit to the orphanage

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 22:26:51 GMT

This morning I went with Caitlin and Emily to an orphanage just around the corner from my family's apartment. We arrived, I saw the basic setup of the place, and then we jumped into the fray.

A minor victory

Sat, 17 Sep 2005 21:53:21 GMT

Yesterday I took another baby step in language acquisition: I walked up to a store, asked if they had a specific product, how much it cost, and then bought it and thanked the saleslady.

First impressions can be deceiving

Fri, 16 Sep 2005 21:12:09 GMT

Yesterday was something of a rollercoaster. If I was writing this yesterday afternoon, I would write about what a sad and difficult day it had been. But instead I'll start with the ending and say that the day turned out pretty good.

Mocochinche = Culture Shock

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:42:37 GMT

What would you do if someone gave this to you to drink? What if you knew that they eat gerbils and hamsters here?

An overcast day

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:46:10 GMT

In the afternoon, though, as I was walking home, I saw that the statue of Cristo de la Concordia was illuminated in the distance. It makes for a nice picture, though it looked better in person.

Stupid is as stupid does

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:14:23 GMT

As is to be expected, I have been making my fair share of Spanish mistakes. Here are a few of my recent best.

Chilean scenery

Sun, 11 Sep 2005 22:38:20 GMT

As time goes by, I have been able to upload more of my digital pictures to Flickr. I organized some of them so you can view a slideshow of some of the gorgeous scenery in Chile.

One week down, and I'm still OK

Sun, 11 Sep 2005 22:34:39 GMT

The results are in: after my first week of language class, I am still alive. Granted, several nights I have been so tired that I went to bed at 10:00pm and slept for 11 hours, but that's to be expected, right?

My home in Bolivia

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 22:09:55 GMT

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so get ready for a few thousand. Here are a few snapshots of my home in Cochabamba.

My first day of school

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 00:59:37 GMT

Today was my first day at the Maryknoll Language Institute. We had a brief orientation this morning, followed by my afternoon classes.

What did I say?

Sun, 04 Sep 2005 16:30:56 GMT

And so, as if I didn't stick out enough as a six-foot-tall gringo, I became the six-foot-tall gringo who read the second reading very slowly and with an American accent.

Good start to season, morning

Sun, 04 Sep 2005 13:43:29 GMT

It was hard to surpress a smile when I saw, on the front page, "Irish rip Pitt 42-21."

My Bolivian family

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 22:34:57 GMT

I arrived at the Cochabamba airport yesterday where I was greeted by a large sign that said RYAN and my host mom and dad, Juana and Nestor.

The first of many

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 22:28:39 GMT

In summary, it went something like this: "Thanks be to God". Then I said, "You're welcome."

On the move again

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 21:28:48 GMT

What is it about 4:00am? When we left the U.S., we woke up at 4:00am to drive to Chicago. The next day, we arrived in Santiago at 4:00am. This morning we woke up to go to the airport again at, of course, 4:00am. At least we have some consistency in our lives.

Of email and spam

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 21:22:43 GMT

When I called home yesterday I got a helpful tip from my family. People reading my blog may want to contact me, but my email address doesn't appear anywhere on this site.

At the hogar in Pocuro

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 20:04:17 GMT

On Monday afternoon we visited two hogars. Hogars are something like group homes for children who can't live with their families or who don't have families.

Visiting Pocuro

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 19:59:56 GMT

It has been raining pretty hard for the last three days. It's cold, the roads are muddy, and the irrigation streams that run along the streets are flowing fast. All the rain has brought the town more or less to a halt.

Seeing Chile

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 01:33:54 GMT

I have been keeping busy these last few days. On Thursday, Meg took us into downtown Santiago. Friday evening we took a micro to the city bus station and caught a bus to Calle Larga.

My story? Our story.

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 20:20:15 GMT

Some of the people I'm traveling with are blogging too. If you want to read more about our travels, check out some of these sites.

Estamos aqui! (We are here)

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 19:27:24 GMT

Emily, Caitlin, Roy, and I arrived in the Santiago airport at 4:36am today. Our flights through Miami and Bogota were uneventful, and all our bags arrived here!

Adios America! ... ¡Hola America!

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 07:52:22 GMT

It's hard to believe, but today's the day. Let the adventure begin....

An Attempted Homicide Averted

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 01:40:05 GMT

I got quite the shock this afternoon while I was editing my website. In the online file manager, with the click of a single button, I vaporized the entire site.

You Better Appreciate This!

Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:28:30 GMT

Roy and I put together a short list of things to make sure we appreciate this weekend because we won't have them for a long time. Some of the things are pretty obvious, others not.

Los amigos de Chile

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 20:01:52 GMT

I thought you might be interested in seeing the people I'm going to be traveling with and living with for the next little while. From left to right, there is Roy, Caitlin, Emily, and me.

Saturday in the Park

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 03:39:08 GMT

Today we got a break. Roy, Emily, Caitlin, and I, along with Christina who is going to Ghana with Catholic Relief Services, took a day trip to Chicago.

Orientation ends...and starts

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 02:37:34 GMT

Last Friday ended our orientation with all the Holy Cross Associates, domestic and international. During the next two weeks, we'll be attending more seminars and doing activities geared specifically towards people involved with international service.

No news is good news?

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 07:07:25 GMT

I got a taste of things to come this week when I got an email from my friend Chris. He had just ordered a new Mighty Mouse. What surprised me was not that Chris ordered one, but that I didn't have any idea what he was talking about.

Orientation Update

Thu, 04 Aug 2005 05:36:38 GMT

We've been hard at work here at orientation for Holy Cross Associates. Often we go to sleep at 1:00am and breakfast is served at 7:30am.

Digital Scavenger Hunt

Thu, 04 Aug 2005 05:15:42 GMT

Each house went on a digital picture scavenger hunt across campus. For 90 minutes, Caitlin, Roy, Emily, and I ran back and forth trying to take 20 specific pictures. Here's the scavenger hunt list and a glimpse at our digital film roll.

Got with the program

Sun, 31 Jul 2005 20:03:56 GMT

I was looking for a way to store photos online while I'm away on Chile when I found Flickr. It's a community photo sharing site when you can upload photos to share with friends and archive forever. Bingo.

It begins

Sun, 31 Jul 2005 02:43:17 GMT

I woke up at 5:45 this morning. Dad, Erin, Michael, and I went to the Salt Lake airport where I checked 76lbs. We said our goodbyes and then I was on my way.

Opening Thanks

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 07:34:29 GMT

Each associate with Holy Cross is asked to raise $2500 to help defray the cost of travel, language school, and living expenses. I'd like to thank all of these people who have helped me so far.

The Great Mileage Experiment Ends

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 02:29:49 GMT

I Can See Clearly Now

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:06:36 GMT

This morning I rolled over and read my alarm clock clearly. Normally I can't do that. But this morning I woke up and read the clock clearly because I have 20/20 vision.

I'm Puzzled

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 18:08:59 GMT

In the past week I have joined the sudoku craze. Sudoku is a puzzle, something like a numeric crossword. Earlier this year, sudoku became popular in the U.K. Now it's hitting the U.S.

My Guide to LASIK

Sun, 26 Jun 2005 12:25:19 GMT

I'm considering having LASIK eye surgery towards the end of the summer. The only real remaining obstacle to having the procedure done is to make sure the timing will work out. Many of my readers (well, both of them) may be interested in my reasoning for having corrective eye surgery, so I put together a little guide.

A Few Less Lakes To See

Sun, 19 Jun 2005 16:06:26 GMT

Ah, Summer...

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 15:05:38 GMT

That's advice?

Mon, 30 May 2005 16:54:37 GMT

If you look out your window...

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:30:21 GMT

My mom booked my ticket back to Notre Dame and specifically requested the window seat on the left side of the plane for my connection through Cincinnati. From this seat, you can look out your window as you approach Notre Dame and see the campus. I took a couple of exciting aerial pictures during the airport approach.

My Last Class

Thu, 21 Apr 2005 21:47:52 GMT

Today, like most weekdays, I woke up to go to class. But unlike most days, today felt melancholy. As of 12:15pm, when I left Evolutionary Medicine with Prof. McKenna's, I'm done with class.

My Kung Fu Will Suffice

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 16:21:10 GMT

I Have Something To Do!

Thu, 20 Jan 2005 23:33:38 GMT

Yesterday I got a call from Holy Cross Associates, which would have been more eventful if I had been around to receive it. Instead, I got a voice mail asking me to call them back. That meant one of two things: either they wanted to ask follow-up questions, or they had an answer for me.

Day at Snowbasin

Sun, 09 Jan 2005 18:34:07 GMT

Finals Around the Corner

Sun, 12 Dec 2004 20:45:30 GMT

The end of the semester has been packed with activities.

Rest? For the weary?

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:58:23 GMT

The short answer is no.

Fatigue Detective Work

Fri, 12 Nov 2004 06:55:47 GMT

Rather than just talk about how tired I've been this week at school, I thought I'd give a little demonstration.

A Tree-Killing Week

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 20:40:36 GMT

I'm not sure how many sheets of paper are in a tree, but I took down about 20 pages this week.

Fall Break Approaching

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 06:55:42 GMT

Bold Frontiers of Spam

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 06:50:41 GMT

Half-Day Weekends

Sun, 26 Sep 2004 15:33:02 GMT

This past weekend started the wonderful procrastinatory tradition at Notre Dame of home football weekends.

What are you doing?

Sat, 31 Jul 2004 05:37:28 GMT

The CFHOS Test

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 21:33:07 GMT

I'm developing a new mini self test of what's going on in the world. These are the rules...

I (Can) Drive All Night

Sat, 19 Jun 2004 19:47:47 GMT

You Can Call Me Great

Thu, 27 May 2004 16:37:23 GMT

Work and Play

Sun, 09 May 2004 17:13:13 GMT

Vwalla?

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 03:42:34 GMT

South Bend: How Do I Love Thee?

Sun, 21 Mar 2004 17:24:58 GMT

To answer the question raised in the subject: not in thy weather, for sure.

Spring Break!

Sat, 06 Mar 2004 14:55:00 GMT

Disturbing, Yet Funny

Fri, 13 Feb 2004 02:20:09 GMT

Evil, Inc.

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 17:05:14 GMT

On that note, if you have aspirations of world domination (and really, who doesn't?), then I have found the website for you.

"Defending Carroll Hall"

Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:11:33 GMT

Crazy Squirrels

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 08:51:37 GMT

Those at Notre Dame and any other place where you find crazy squirrels would appreciate the opinion piece in this week's edition of The Onion: "I Have To Admit: I Love The Nuts," written by Danny the Squirrel.

You can take it with you

Mon, 20 Oct 2003 14:03:25 GMT

Now, if you look to your left...

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 19:08:34 GMT

My first corporate sponsorship

Thu, 21 Aug 2003 03:25:02 GMT

Since I decided to take Thursday and Friday off before I leave for Europe on Saturday, today was my last day at Riester~Robb. You really couldn't ask for a much better end to a summer job.

Saving time-the long way

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 23:27:31 GMT

Since Apocalypse Now is based on Heart of Darkness, and that movie is set in Vietnam, I recommended she just watch Forrest Gump and pay extra attention to the parts where Forrest is making his way through the Vietnam jungle. Problem solved--that'll save lots of time.

13 down. 9,987 to go...

Thu, 14 Aug 2003 04:07:00 GMT

Camping was the most memorable for reasons that I can sum up in one sentence: you have never camped until you have camped on an uninhabited island with a gas-powered weed whacker.

Signing Off...

Tue, 05 Aug 2003 04:49:59 GMT

Move over, Tiger

Mon, 04 Aug 2003 04:26:39 GMT

I should be a professional golfer. If I can get prizes anything like the ones I won at the company tournament Friday, I am quitting school now.

What, me, golf?

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 05:30:29 GMT

I don't golf. That said, for some crazy reason I decided to fill in for someone who can't make it to the company golf tournament tomorrow.

You're On The Air

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 03:01:56 GMT

A More Civilized Time

Tue, 29 Jul 2003 16:31:14 GMT

I generally tend to believe that the government doesn't need to regulate everything. However, there is currently one woefully under-regulated area in the U.S.: popcorn popping.

From the ashes...

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 13:30:31 GMT

Here's the latest in the online music saga: Roxio will be introducing Napster v2.0 around the time of the Christmas season.

I Got A New Attitude

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 05:14:17 GMT

Nifty Dictionary Bookmarklet

Fri, 25 Jul 2003 04:12:55 GMT

For those unfamiliar with the concept, a bookmarklet is like a normal web browser bookmark (or "Favorite"), but it runs a miniature JavaScript program. Before, bookmarks were just placeholders for frequently used locations. Now, they can also be shortcuts for frequently used tasks. This bookmarklet takes any word you have selected on a current web page and defines it on Merriam-Webster's site.

Information overload

Fri, 25 Jul 2003 03:56:30 GMT

My dad is moving to a new house, so I spent a couple hours this evening shifting books from his shelf to dozens of boxes. While I packed, I came to one conclusion: there's just too many.

Did you rip that off?

Tue, 22 Jul 2003 21:07:30 GMT

OK, I have to admit it: I'm angry. It's one thing to copy and innovate; it's another to just plain rip off. Today buy.com announced their new buymusic.com store. It's no more than Apple's iTunes Music Store for Windows. And what does buy add? Almost nothing.

Reading Europe

Mon, 21 Jul 2003 06:18:31 GMT

Right now I'm brainstorming how I can track my travel online with this system. Ideally, it would involve satellite telephones, GPS locators, and digital photography. Ultimately, it will probably involve text. We'll see.

MovableType Online

Wed, 16 Jul 2003 15:58:04 GMT

Today I finally went live with my new blogging system, provided by the folks at MovableType. Blogger is old news. It was getting difficult to use without paying for their service because I don't have convenient access to an SFTP server. But enough of that. Here's some real info...

Regret Something

Sun, 06 Jul 2003 23:10:32 GMT

A New Spammy Low

Tue, 13 May 2003 06:21:13 GMT

Great Mercy and "No."

Sat, 10 May 2003 01:48:01 GMT

It's been a wild ride, but I'm done. Today had its victories and defeats.

The Halfway End

Thu, 08 May 2003 04:57:56 GMT

In all likelyhood the next time I write will be 53 economics questions and 6 pages of philosophical writing later. And then I'm done. Halfway.

Easter Spades

Tue, 22 Apr 2003 03:57:58 GMT

Chris helped me break my Lenten video gaming fast by playing several hands on Yahoo! Spades.

Sink This

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 03:02:20 GMT

What I am about to relate (quickly) to you is a series of events that is sure to go down as legend.

I Hate You, Weather.com

Mon, 07 Apr 2003 12:01:09 GMT

A Camera Named Desire

Wed, 02 Apr 2003 23:27:22 GMT

Long Time, No Post

Sun, 30 Mar 2003 23:34:06 GMT

Stalkers: Bring It On

Tue, 04 Mar 2003 23:20:00 GMT

I Am Buddy Holly

Mon, 03 Mar 2003 04:07:59 GMT

I classifiy this weekend under the title "Eliminate Residual Stress From Previous Week."

That Color Purple

Thu, 27 Feb 2003 03:23:30 GMT

Transcendence & Sleep

Mon, 24 Feb 2003 01:03:45 GMT

The white chocolate raspberry cheesecake at the Olive Garden was a transcendent experience (it was unanimous).

Zoolander Anonymous

Mon, 17 Feb 2003 04:10:59 GMT

My roommate Chris and I have formed Z.A — Zoolander Anonymous — with the stated goal of gaining control over our unfortunate tendancies of using Zoolander phrases too much, appling Zoolander inflections to our speech, and flashing Blue Steel and Magnun far too frequently. Now that we have accountability partners, we should make some progress.

Not So Clear And Distinct

Sat, 15 Feb 2003 00:02:46 GMT

B. Franky

Thu, 13 Feb 2003 04:44:16 GMT

It seems I forgot how long it takes me to read Descartes: about 5 pages an hour.

Sheer Charisma

Tue, 11 Feb 2003 01:08:58 GMT

I went to a luncheon with Joe Garden, a writer from The Onion today. In his words: "I hope my sheer charisma is enough to carry me through this speech, because, as I mentioned, I only got 2 hours of sleep last night."

Teddy Bear "Skillz"

Sat, 08 Feb 2003 04:55:00 GMT

So This Is Blog

Fri, 07 Feb 2003 02:00:03 GMT