What Does It Mean To Be Hispanic-American in 2024?

Few people think of me as Hispanic. I don’t have a “typical” Hispanic look in the United States, I don’t speak English with a Spanish accent, and I don’t even speak Spanish. Yet my father was born in Mexico, was a naturalized American citizen, and certainly raised me to feel Hispanic – but only privately. […]

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Taylor Swiftkirchen World Tour: Vota Edition

taylor swiftkirchen germany

Germany doesn’t matter. My third direct circumnavigation of the earth doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters to my daughters is Taylor Swift. I’ve come to that conclusion as I walk the streets of Swiftkirchen – the town of Gelsenkirchen temporarily renamed in honor of Ms. Swift – while my family waits in line at […]

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Elephant Epic Mountain Biking: Lusaka to Zambezi

elephant epic zambia

The Elephant Epic is a 75-kilometer perineum-punishing mountain bike ride from Lusaka to the Zambezi River in Zambia. Over 180 people rode it yesterday – an annual human migration that many Zambians we passed think is mad. I think they may have a point. The racecourse is mostly downhill, which matters greatly when you’re on […]

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Hire Me! ISO: A New Job in October

I’m proud to announce that USAID/Zambia is hiring a Zambian Digital Development Advisor to replace me. This is an awesome development. It shows the Mission is committed to digital development for the long term, and they will have a staff person able to dive into the minutia of ICT4D on a daily basis. A clear […]

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My Experience: One Million Miler Status on United Airlines

one million miles united airlines

What happens when you fly one million miles on United Airlines? This is my experience reaching lifetime Star Alliance Gold status. Before 1 Million Miles: Nothing I’ve been tracking the One Million Miler goal on United Airlines Mileage Plus program for a few years now. I was close back in 2019 when I reached 85 […]

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