Unpopped Collar

Peninsula Creamery, ftw!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:01:05 -0500

One of my favorite sites in the world: flying into SFO at night...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:49:59 -0500

One of my favorite sites in the world: flying into SFO at night with the Bay Area all lit up below.

Dulles installed their new tram system, but let’s be...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:04:09 -0500

Dulles installed their new tram system, but let’s be honest: I’m going to miss those 1970’s-tastic “mobile lounges.” Who wants to buy one and cruise the Beltway in it with me?

where was the indian restaurant in gtown? i ate at heritage india on wisconsin today and it was excellent!!

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:13:50 -0500

We ate at Aditi restaurant on M Street. Once I got over the fact that in India this summer I bought samosas for $0.20US, while in Georgetown they were $3.00 each, it was quite good. They have all of the standards as well as regional favorites from around India (though sadly nothing from my “home” state of Gujarat).

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After three months in India, and six months back in the US, I...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:05:02 -0500

After three months in India, and six months back in the US, I finally broke my “no Indian food ‘til 2010” rule with our “Summer in India” reunion dinner.

Fact: Indian food in Georgetown is much more expensive than Indian food in India.

I’m excited that tomorrow I’ll be interviewing Leila...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:23:21 -0500

I’m excited that tomorrow I’ll be interviewing Leila Janah, the founder of Samasource, for the podcast. Samasource is “Microwork for the next billion,” delivering dignified, computer-based work to women, youth, and refugees living in poverty. Check out this video of her at TEDxSV explaining her inspiration, and look out for the podcast at the end of this month!

"If what you’re reading isn’t pissing you off everyday then you’re not reading the..."

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:06:36 -0500

““If what you’re reading isn’t pissing you off everyday then you’re not reading the right things.””

- Tom Foreman of CNN came to my Politics & Media class today to give a guest lecture. In it he talked about the importance of getting news from multiple sources and his worry that people are only consuming news from sources with which they already agree. He is definitely an “old school” journalist in the truest, most positive, sense of the term — though I wish he would more readily embrace new media and all of the potential it holds. In all, though, it was a great talk and a good discussion.

Change.org features the AshokaTECH Podcast

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:01:56 -0500

Change.org features the AshokaTECH Podcast:

Thanks to Change.org for letting me write a guest post about the AshokaTECH Podcast! Written on their Social Entrepreneurship blog, I discuss how lessons from Change.org’s use of new web technologies can inspire others at the intersection of technology and social change. Go check it out!

Sunset on the Potomac, crossing the Key Bridge

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:26:16 -0500

Sunset on the Potomac, crossing the Key Bridge

Happy Hour Last Friday...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:58:56 -0500

Girl: "Yeah, I'm pretty much a blue collar worker."
Me: "Umm...you said you work at a law firm..."
Girl: "Well yeah, but I mean I'm poor."
Me: "Yeah, that's not quite correct."

Our semi-annual Jews at Georgetown photo.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:13:09 -0500

Our semi-annual Jews at Georgetown photo.

Tammy visits DC

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:53:11 -0500

Tammy visits DC

Photos of Madeline Albright and NATO Secretary General Anders...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:29:08 -0500

Photos of Madeline Albright and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaking at Georgetown this week. The most interesting aspect of the talk to me is that NATO is opening up its strategic plan to public comment and input for the first time ever. Open source security policy? Not quite, but a great gesture!

Episode 8 of the AshokaTECH Podcast: Interview with Change.org Founder Ben Rattray

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:01:53 -0500

On this week’s episode of the AshokaTECH Podcast, host Alex Budak interviews Ben Rattray, the founder of Change.org.

Founded in 2005, Change.org seeks to be the central platform informing and empowering movements for social change around the most important issues of our time. From homelessness to genocide, health care to human trafficking, global warming, and more, Change.org leverages technology and social media to connect people with one another and organizations to advance their common causes.

Alex gets Ben’s take on how technology is changing the game for non-profits, strategies for striking a balance between being a competitive organization while not being motivated solely by profits, and what his experience suggests to counter critiques of so-called online “slacktivism.”

Check out the podcast in iTunes to subscribe and automatically download episodes as they’re released.

To listen to the online-stream or download the .mp3 directly, please visit the official site of the AshokaTECH Podcast

"How Millennial Are You?" Quiz

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:08 -0500

"How Millennial Are You?" Quiz:

The Pew Center released a report today that is the most comprehensive look at my generation — the Millennials — ever produced. The findings reconfirm the confidence I have in my generation to do great things: especially notable is the extent to which we value doing good for others over becoming wealthy/famous, and our ubiquitous use of technology.

You should also check out their “How Millennial Are You?” Quiz. Though I’m a huge fan of Pew — in fact the data for my thesis come from their Internet and American Life Project — I do take slight exception with the balance of the questions: too many focus on media consumption and tattoos, with not enough attention paid to our changing views of employer-employee relations, volunteering ethic, or our increasingly global world-view. That said, give it a try and see how you fare!

According to myself, I’m 100% millennial; according to Pew I’m 78%. How about you?

After 18 months in DC, I finally made it out to the Kennedy...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:47:56 -0500

After 18 months in DC, I finally made it out to the Kennedy Center. The Hall of Nations.

Georgetown vs. Syracuse tip-off as seen from my way-high-up...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:01:56 -0500

Georgetown vs. Syracuse tip-off as seen from my way-high-up seats.

The Capitol Building, as seen from the Canadian Embassy.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:47:58 -0500

The Capitol Building, as seen from the Canadian Embassy.

On Sunday night, friends and I went to the Canadian embassy for...

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:01:56 -0500

The Canadian Ambassador

The countdown clock switched to count-up

On Sunday night, friends and I went to the Canadian embassy for the USA-Canada hockey game. The embassy was filled with friendly Canadians, a lot of hors-d’oeuvres with cheese, and of course only one beer was served: Molson’s Canadian. Though I didn’t win Canadian mittens in the raffle, the Ambassador came and spoke, and it was a great event! Some photo highlights:

Photo

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:59:26 -0500