SaltShaker

 When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press [...]

 …born in a mansion and died in a shack…”
- from A Fierce Green Fire by Marybeth Lorbiecki
Buenos Aires – I’ve been to the barrio of Barracas (literally “shacks”) before, but always with a particular destination in mind. A friend suggested we take a real wander through the neighborhood – perhaps over time more than one, [...]

 One could argue that these [today's] ‘plagues’ are fundamentally different than the ones in the Passover story because they can be seen as humankind’s own creations and not sent by God.
- Dan Weiss, Only 10 plagues? Early Egyptians had it easy
Buenos Aires – Most Jewish kids I knew when I was growing up dreaded Passover. [...]

 The government of Swaziland, one of Africa’s poorest and most Aids-ridden countries, has defended plans to spend nearly $2,5-million on celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of independence. Opposition deputies have called for the celebrations, which will also mark King Mswati III’s 40th birthday, to be scrapped or scaled down given that most of the [...]

 The whole country is filled with adventures, but there is adventure just in the visual landscape alone. There is always something familiar, but if it looks too familiar, you just have to look a little farther for the oddity.”
- Chris Patterson
Buenos Aires – Oddiites, curiosities, serendipities… A trio of restaurants that I’ve found myself in [...]

 Summer sausage is the general term for any sausage that can be kept without the need of refrigeration. Summer sausage is usually a mixture of pork and other meat such as beef and venison. Summer sausage can be either dried or smoked, and curing ingredients can vary significantly, although some sort of curing salt is [...]

 Songkran, the most vigorous of Thailand’s festivals, was the official Thai New Year until 1941. Formerly tied to the movement of the sun, modern Songkran takes place from 13-15th April. Songkran began as a ceremonial bathing of Buddha images as part of a new year’s spring cleaning ritual. However, it has degenerated over the years [...]

 I can’t just take someone’s word for it. I am a skeptic. I am also skeptical about crop circles, alien abductions, Nostradamus, and psychic surgery. I haven’t believed in a six day creation in a very long time. But it is tough to be a skeptic these days.”
- Margaret C. Douma, Surfing for Skeptics
Buenos Aires [...]