
<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-28-papa-americano/6589000083_169b47bc86_t.jpg" alt="Papa Americano (thumbnail)" class="post-thumb"/>Over the past two years, a song by an Australian group, _Yolanda Be Cool_, called [_We No Speak Americano_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_No_Speak_Americano) (known colloquially as _Papa Americano_), has swept across Europe. Every so often a Spaniard who knows that I am both a United States citizen and a father, will think they are being clever and original by calling me "_Papa Americano_" and singing a bar or two of the hit song. I think it's cute, and I enjoy the song, so I decided to make it my ringtone. Over the course of the last few months, my daughter has fallen in love with my ringtone, often reminding me out of the blue, "Poppy, your phone says _papa americano_!!", adding, "Sometimes."  The song is an impressive example of what can be done today with computers by taking old music and resampling it to create an entirely new and exciting sound. The original song used is a 1956 swing/jazz Italian song – sung in Neapolitan – called _Tu Vuí² Fa' L'Americano_, which was made popular by a 1958 movie called [_Totí², Peppino e Le Fanatiche_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052309/). The original song is quite catchy and was a hit in its time.

Here's the original:

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/utHtDqwf5cQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's the remix by _Yolanda Be Cool_. The actual singing doesn't start until the 30 second mark. Just try not to tap your foot, I dare you!!

<iframe width="505" height="35" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PWlrQDUjL9Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

When my parents were here, and Nora began talking about my ringtone as she does sometimes, my father realized that, using his iPhone, he could call my phone using FaceTime for free over my wifi network and make my phone ring. Absolute hilarity ensued. We did this about 75 times that night. No, really, that's how many missed calls my phone had on it when I recovered it from Nora's grasp.

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VrZWsiarXTY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Papa Americano


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6583767979_b1c8b489ca_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Moonset">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6583767979_c5bf614b74_t.jpg" alt="Moonset"/>
</a>

The moon just after sunset today was really gorgeous, hanging there in the sky next to Venus. The new moon was on Christmas Eve night, so Rudolph's nose must have been extra important this year. After seeing the pretty Moon, up high in the sky, I told myself to go and look in an hour or two to see if I could catch it approach the horizon. Normally, I would never be capable of such a thing, but I actually did remember, and I caught it just as it was touching the horizon. Unfortunately, in the time it took me to set up my tripod, the tip of the moon went behind the hill on the horizon, but I still got nine shots in the time it took to set completely.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6582508733_8e6f6b5e59_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Moon and Venus">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6582508733_8e8c7abb2d_z.jpg" alt="Moon and Venus"/>
</a>

The Moon and Venus

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6583767979_b1c8b489ca_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Moonset">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6583767979_c5bf614b74.jpg" alt="Moonset"/>
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Touching the horizon over the motorway bridge I can see from my house.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6583824151_7b1113efd4_o_d.gif" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Moonset Animation">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-27-crescent-moonset-2/6583824151_7b1113efd4_o.gif" alt="Moonset Animation"/>
</a>

My nine shots in a timelapse animation.


Crescent Moonset 2


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574749393_d380bdbe17_o_d.png" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Olentzero - A Basque Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574749393_633bc460b9_t.jpg" alt="Olentzero - A Basque Christmas"/>
</a>

We spent Christmas in Mondragón, in the Basque Country, this year like we have every year for a while now. This year was a little more somber than most because of the recent death of the family patriarch, but I think we did a pretty good job of being respectful but not wallowing in our sorrow too much. The best part was catching a glimpse of the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of my two year old daughter.  The Basques have the Christmas legend of the _Olentzero_, a giant pipe-smoking beret-wearing coal miner (or charcoal burner, depending on who you ask) who lives in the Basque mountains and comes down on Christmas Eve night to leave presents for the good boys and girls, and coal – which his profession gives him easy access to – for the bad boys and girls. Some say he's the sole survivor of the _jentilak_, a race of giants that used to live side by side with the Basques. Apparently the _jentilak_ saw a cloud or star one day and decided it was an omen that Baby Jesus had been born and that they all had to die, so they marched into a dolmen and were never heard from again. _Olentzero_ was left behind to give the Basques the good (?) news. It seems he wasn't a very good communicator, though, since it took Christianity between 500 to 1200 years (depending on who you ask) to gain a foothold in the Basque Country. Most of the Christmas traditions surrounding the _Olentzero_ are fairly new and are clearly adapted from – and intended to compete directly with – Papa Noel (Santa Claus) and the Three Wise Men. They came back with special vigor in the last few decades after being brutally suppressed under Franco.

I have witnessed the festivities in Mondragón for several years. There is a parade through town with the jolly old _Olentzero_ tossing hard candy into the crowd. The parade ends in the main town square, where children dance, songs are sung, and the _Olentzero_ continues giving out candy to the crowds. Young people who have carried torches during the parade then light a big bonfire in the middle of the square. In some parts of the Basque Country, they actually burn an effigy of the _Olentzero_. From what I can tell, the bonfire is an old pagan solstice practice of rebirth.

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nHdd--9vspo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574513091_eefabc00d8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Wine and Beans">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574513091_bf2f6095bd.jpg" alt="Wine and Beans"/>
</a>

A little complimentary plate of beans, with blood sausage, to go with my Rioja.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574514461_0427e7bea7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Serving Sorbet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574514461_a71d6ca440.jpg" alt="Serving Sorbet"/>
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Nora and her Tí­a Marga serve a champagne sorbet that Tí­a Marga makes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574516877_ff9655780d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Proper Snifter Quantity">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574516877_9dafdb03b1.jpg" alt="Proper Snifter Quantity"/>
</a>

It looks like the party's gotten out of hand, but really it was just me demonstrating the proper amount of brandy to put in a snifter. It should just reach the lip of the glass when it's set on its side. Nora said, "Poppy's wine fell over!"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574518239_0cce925da7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Chocolates">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574518239_fdaf5b449c.jpg" alt="Chocolates"/>
</a>

Chocolates after dinner.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574524159_7b061202a2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ironing Board for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574524159_d70295f7b2.jpg" alt="Ironing Board for Christmas"/>
</a>

Nora was delighted to receive a toy ironing board and iron from the _Olentzero_ for Christmas.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574529755_f2f560a2a8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ironing Board for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574529755_f6b45f04c7.jpg" alt="Ironing Board for Christmas"/>
</a>

While I an generally against gender stereotyping and am 100% sure that there's no way this would've been the present if she were a boy, I cannot deny that she really and truly loves her ironing board.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574531027_d433207360_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ironing Board for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574531027_de92bea990.jpg" alt="Ironing Board for Christmas"/>
</a>

She kept asking people to give her some item of clothing that needed ironing.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574536831_40086501e0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sleeping Bag for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574536831_6856b98ed4.jpg" alt="Sleeping Bag for Christmas"/>
</a>

She also got a sleeping bag and some mittens.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574539079_d1fba5f9e5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Holiday Exhaustion">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574539079_60873845b8.jpg" alt="Holiday Exhaustion"/>
</a>

After going to bed at 2 AM on Christmas Eve and having an exciting Christmas morning of presents, Nora was exhausted.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574540163_0359ae8485_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hello Kitty Dollhouse for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574540163_a203514637.jpg" alt="Hello Kitty Dollhouse for Christmas"/>
</a>

Later we met up with the rest of the family for even more presents! Here she is opening a _Hello Kitty_ dollhouse.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574543177_98e658433c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hello Kitty Dollhouse for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574543177_4761b6c036.jpg" alt="Hello Kitty Dollhouse for Christmas"/>
</a>

Playing with her _Hello Kitty_ dollhouse.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574544833_18f9651892_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hello Kitty Dollhouse for Christmas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-a-basque-christmas/6574544833_26f91b41cf_z.jpg" alt="Hello Kitty Dollhouse for Christmas"/>
</a>

Life is not peaceful for _Hello Kitty_ in her house, as it is rocked by furniture-rearranging earthquakes every few minutes.

We had a great time eating, drinking and playing with our family in Mondragón.


A Basque Christmas


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263189_0ae06b3ea0_o_d.gif" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="NoRa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263189_6130487a9e_t.jpg" alt="NoRa"/>
</a>

This afternoon I was succumbing to a risky vice of mine, surfing the product pages over at ThinkGeek, when I came across [this t-shirt](http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/sciencemath/cc1f/) where they had used chemical symbols for elements to write a dirty word. Silly, yes, but also kind of fun as a tool to separate people who know a lot of science from those that don't, which seems to be the primary goal of the t-shirts at ThinkGeek. For instance, I always get a chuckle out of [the one](http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/frustrations/5aa9/) that says, "There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who don't." Is that kind of elitist behavior rude? Yes, but it's a social defense mechanism, creating an "us vs. them" mentality that is ubiquitous in our species.  Anyway, I got to thinking what all I could write with the fewest chemical symbols. My first name, Erbium-Iodine-Potassium sprung immediately to mind. Then I realized I could do my daughter's name in only two symbols (I can't believe this wasn't a [criterion in choosing her name](/2008/12/17/baby-name-shortlist-%e2%80%93-how-to-decide/)!), Nobelium-Radium. My wife's name can't be done, unfortunately, since there's no element with the symbol M or Ma.

After realizing that M was a showstopper, imagine my surprise when I figured out that I could write my last name, too! Radium-Samarium-Uranium-Sulfur-Selenium-Nitrogen!

At this point, I had come too far not to make little periodic table boxes with the atomic number and weight of each element to line up like Scrabble pieces. But what format to use? Periodic table boxes vary wildly, with different fonts, text alignment, and which values are included. [ptable.com](http://www.ptable.com/) has a very impressive dynamic HTML periodic table, with various facts as you hover. [periodictable.com](http://periodictable.com/) went with pictures of each element. _Pure substances are shiny!_

Eventually I found this list of [periodic table PDFs](http://www.sciencegeek.net/tables/tables.shtml) available for downloading and printing. The first one on that page is [the standard one](http://www.sciencegeek.net/tables/CA_CST.pdf) for the California Standardized Test. As soon as I saw it, I was immediately thrust back to my lab bench in Chemistry class calculating moles and reaction yields. I had my format!

So here we go…

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263433_84077f0c78_o_d.gif" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="ErIK">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263433_ecf48350d4.jpg" alt="ErIK"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263297_0ac9f552e5_o_d.gif" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="RaSmUSSeN">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263297_f4f5cff445.jpg" alt="RaSmUSSeN"/>
</a>

And finally, in her highly radioactive two element glory...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263189_0ae06b3ea0_o_d.gif" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="NoRa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-26-elementary-fun/6577263189_6130487a9e.jpg" alt="NoRa"/>
</a>

I might have to make some t-shirts of my own...


Elementary Fun


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559425213_dd9366e274_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Semana del Pincho 4">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559425213_d241c4301f_t.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4"/>
</a>

It's _pincho_ time again! Every year just before Christmas, bars and restaurants in the local town of Laredo hold a competition to create the best tapas (called _pinchos_). It's one of my favorite events of the year for reasons I described [here](/2009/12/22/semana-del-pincho-2-laredo/). Unfortunately, this year the weather has been absolutely terrible. Last weekend, when it started, we had steady downpours with heavy winds that kept us at home all weekend. Of the eighteen _pinchos_ competing, I was only able to sample six this year. For that, I apologize, dear readers. I'll try to do better next year.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559424515_af57820948_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559424515_7c79737cf0.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4"/>
</a>

The full brochure.

The first _pincho_ we tried was at [La Marina Company](http://www.lamarinacompany.es/). It was by far the most elaborate and special in a "you're not going to ever make this at home" sort of way.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559409207_ce66f0ef74_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Marina Company - Panacota de frambuesa con anchoas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559409207_a3f24c5906.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Marina Company - Panacota de frambuesa con anchoas"/>
</a>

**La Marina Company: _Panacota de frambuesa con anchoas_** - That's a [cooked cream](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panna_cotta) of raspberries with anchovies.

The presentation was gorgeous, but the combination of flavors was a little too bizarre for our philistine tastes. It came with a little dropper of Modena olive oil. There were too many flavors for my wife's expertise in anchovy quality to gain any purchase.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559412063_3df9e083e1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Marina Company - Panacota de frambuesa con anchoas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559412063_d7b95afd41.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Marina Company - Panacota de frambuesa con anchoas"/>
</a>

A close-up of La Marina Company's _pincho_. In general we were pretty displeased not only with the _pincho_, but also by the service. It took about ten minutes for the _pincho_ to make its way down from the upstairs kitchen. By that time, we'd almost finished our wines.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559414723_4b62859f69_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Casona - Suprema de buey">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559414723_6b55f0ee2e.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Casona - Suprema de buey"/>
</a>

**La Casona: _Suprema de buey_** - This "Ox Supreme" was described in the brochure as "Hamburger of ox meat with onion, egg and cheese". After La Marina Company, our eyes were immensely disappointed when the tiny little burger rolls were plopped down before us. But wow, had hour eyes deceived us! The first bite had us both moaning with pleasure. The grainy bread, the tender meat, the sweet caramelized onions and the cheese made an _excellent_ combination. Supreme, indeed!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559417103_002fa51e0d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Casona - Suprema de buey">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559417103_e8bd747469.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Casona - Suprema de buey"/>
</a>

It's really not much to look at, but I could happily eat a dozen of these little treats.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559418931_22b6e8bdb3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - Colón - Hamburguesa de potro a la barbacoa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559418931_1b67bfe53d.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - Colón - Hamburguesa de potro a la barbacoa"/>
</a>

**Cafeterí­a Colón: _Hamburguesa de potro a la barbacoa_** - "What's _potro_?", I asked my wife. "Baby horse", she replied. Whoa! Well, this is the place that had [kangaroo meat in 2009](/2009/12/22/semana-del-pincho-2-laredo/). The ingredients listed were: sweet roll, colt meat, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, parsley and barbecue sauce.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559420869_959fe79861_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - Colón - Hamburguesa de potro a la barbacoa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559420869_ccdbf955cf_z.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - Colón - Hamburguesa de potro a la barbacoa"/>
</a>

Like most foods with barbecue sauce, the sauce completely overwhelmed any other flavors, making this a very boring _pincho_ to eat. The potato chips on the side did little to make it any more special. I'd certainly never have guessed that it was foal meat. It was a big let down after the previous hamburger in La Casona.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559423809_e29e6bc531_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Abadí­a - Destinos Pejinos">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6559423809_e1c9a6a30b.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo - La Abadí­a - Destinos Pejinos"/>
</a>

**La Abadí­a: _Destinos Pejinos_** - Apparently _pejino_ is a local word meaning "a humble resident of coastal Cantabria", so the title translates to "humble Cantabrian destinations". Indeed, the primary ingredient was [_respigos_](/2009/03/13/respigos-colliding-gastronomic-cultures/), a local winter delicacy. The ingredients were listed as: pastry toast with cumin and _respigos_.

Visually, it looks like something your sick cat might leave on the carpet, but it was quite tasty in a humble, healthy sort of way. I didn't care much for the "pastry toast" on the bottom; it reminded me of a bland granola bar.

The second night, we went to El Concept, but they were out of _pinchos_, and had enough business so that they didn't really give a damn. Boo!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561592373_b646b60eb2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Somera - Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561592373_1134f194c5.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Somera - Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate"/>
</a>

**El Somera: _Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate_** - The name means "wild boar stew with chocolate", and sure enough, that's what it was. Unfortunately, for cost saving motives, there were a lot of potatoes, and very few chunks of boar meat. I must say, however, that I was impressed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561593689_61b482d5c5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Somera - Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561593689_3709e58b88.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Somera - Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate"/>
</a>

The little bowls were lovely. It definitely took second place away from La Albadí­a's _respigos_.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561594849_90296b32a7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Somera - Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561594849_ddc487bf8c.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Somera - Guiso de jabalí­ al chocolate"/>
</a>

A bore eating boar.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561595959_91066a35af_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Guti - Hamburguesita de ternera con sala de queso y su guarnición">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561595959_854abde863.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Guti - Hamburguesita de ternera con sala de queso y su guarnición"/>
</a>

**El Guti: _Hamburguesita de ternera con salsa de queso y su guarnición_** - The title means "Little beef hamburger with cheese sauce and garnish". The meat was fantastic, and the potatoes were fresh out of the frying pan.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561597523_5319a381d0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Guti - Hamburguesita de ternera con sala de queso y su guarnición">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-24-semana-del-pincho-4-laredo/6561597523_1d35ef8a3c_z.jpg" alt="Semana del Pincho 4 - El Guti - Hamburguesita de ternera con sala de queso y su guarnición"/>
</a>

The little burger looks insignificant, but the taste was powerful. I think it just barely edged out El Somera for second place.

## Conclusion

Of the six _pinchos_ we tried, I would rank them as follows:

1. La Casona - Definitely the best tasting _pincho_ of all, despite presentation.
2. El Guti - Excellent flavor, though simple presentation.
3. El Somera - Wonderfully warm stew, with a slightly sweet chocolate tone.
4. La Albadí­a - Very hearty and healthy, but nothing spectacular.
5. Cafeterí­a Colón - Too much sauce, but a decent snack.
6. La Marina Company - A lot of work put into preparation, but a very eccentric taste.

So concludes this year's _Pincho_ Week. I hope to do much better than a 33.3% sample size next year. _¡Hasta entonces!_ Until then!


Semana del Pincho 4 - Laredo


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548382437_8f5c20f76a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Little Shepherd Girl">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548382437_95d9aab071_t.jpg" alt="Little Shepherd Girl"/>
</a>

Today Nora's daycare had a special Christmas party in which one of the activities is dressing like shepherds and making the 200 meter trek from daycare to the town church where they have an amazing nativity scene set up, called a _belén_, which also means Bethlehem and is the name of my sister-in-law. I finally understand the enormous banner they put outside the church every Christmas saying "_¡Tu belén está aquí­!_" (Your Bethlehem is here!). It was amazing!  I have decided to respect the [Spanish law](http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_datos/Admin/lo1-1982.html) prohibiting the publication of photos of minors on this post. The other children do have faces, I've just blurred them.

[![La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548385039_f15aceb1ff.jpg "La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/6548385039 "View 'La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)' on Flickr.com")

The immense irony of the situation being that they are dressed as shepherds and need shepherding themselves.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548388029_a956914c0b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="La Cucaña Pastores">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548388029_3a128298a8.jpg" alt="La Cucaña Pastores"/>
</a>

It took me a while to spot my daughter. She's the one at the back with the grandma scarf on.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548386507_74108f83c0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="La Cucaña Pastores">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548386507_9db80ec890.jpg" alt="La Cucaña Pastores"/>
</a>

That one.

[![La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548391165_c55667d4f0.jpg "La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/6548391165 "View 'La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)' on Flickr.com")

The "everyone hold onto a rope with loops tied in it" trick is what makes such an excursion remotely feasible.

[![La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548393945_832c6c3f05.jpg "La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/6548393945 "View 'La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)' on Flickr.com")

My little old lady.

## The Nativity Scene

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548395607_cfa95ee521_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548395607_d90382d81c.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

I encourage you to check out the detail in [the large version](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/6548395607/sizes/o/).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548397659_0c5fe86b85_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548397659_aaf1653cf5.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

There was a "moon" in the sky. Also, sometimes there was lightning and thunder.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548399463_71020fd1bd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548399463_73d7e90596.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

Many of the characters were animatronic, the fires were flickering, the water flowed, the windmill spun, and one house had smoke emanating from the chimney.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548401103_dcf7c17fce_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548401103_07822f7319.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

The star of the show.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548402591_7ef4244ae9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548402591_c4bdc2f6bf.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

The magi arrive from the east, one on camel, one on an elephant, and one on a horse.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548404015_eea944d870_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548404015_22c2edf8b1.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

The house with the smoke had lamps inside, a kitty on the deck, and a sow nursing piglets in the yard. You can see the blurred windmill in the background.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548411371_7e88d683d8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548411371_c57959aec0.jpg" alt="Colindres Belén - Nativity Scene"/>
</a>

I struggle to imagine the number of hours of detailed work that went into this nativity scene. I was very impressed.

[![La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548406925_bf2948668e.jpg "La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/6548406925 "View 'La Cucaña Pastores (blurred)' on Flickr.com")

A group photo. Nora seemed content walking to the church with her friends, but as soon as she saw me, the balance of desires swung hard towards her needing to be with me holding my hand at all times. I was the only parent there, and she was the only child crying.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548382437_8f5c20f76a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Little Shepherd Girl">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-21-nativity-shepherds/6548382437_95d9aab071_b.jpg" alt="Little Shepherd Girl"/>
</a>


Nativity Shepherds


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6442103769_b95369e1fb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Park Monkey">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6442103769_7d48515749_t.jpg" alt="Park Monkey"/>
</a>

We've taken a bit of a slide backwards in our nocturnal potty training efforts this month. There was one week when we had to change wet bed sheets every single night of the week. Plus, with [my parents' visit](/2011/12/04/thanksgiving-2011-in-spain/) and the [loss of a family member](/2011/12/02/ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/) this month, we have gone back to having Nora wear diapers at night to avoid the hassle of midnight bed making. While disappointing, when one takes a step back and gains some perspective, this is really not that big of a deal. It took her seventeen months to walk (and longer to crawl), and her English was [slow to develop](/2011/01/13/lopsided-language-development/) at first, but is now staggeringly advanced. We've decided we're in no huge rush with the nocturnal bladder control.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6460916509_c665d4b1e9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="The Gambler">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6460916509_d23585965d_m.jpg" alt="The Gambler"/>
</a>

Nora has become very aware of her surroundings and has begun to orient herself a bit in town. She can name at least six different bars around town. _How many American two-year-olds can do that?_ Recently when I was pushing her down the sidewalk in the stroller, she asked, "Poppy, can we go in Willy's and have a coffee?" I don't know why we have a bar with such an "anglo" name. Pleased with her well formed petition and up for a beer myself, I agreed that yes, we should go in for a drink. I ordered her a _descafeinado de sobre_, which is a cup of hot milk with a packet of instant decaf coffee. I asked for the milk to be half hot and half cold so she wouldn't burn herself. I've never understood why someone would pay the same amount of money for instant coffee as real brewed decaf coffee out of the espresso machine, but it's a _very_ popular order in Spain. Also, it was nice for me to have fine control over her coffee-to-milk ratio (which I kept very low). She had a great time drinking her coffee, sitting at the bar like a grownup European.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6543993511_749371d745_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Drinking Coffee at the Bar">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6543993511_821bbec1a1.jpg" alt="Drinking Coffee at the Bar"/>
</a>

Drinkin' mah coffee.

My two year old loves bar hopping.

It's cute to watch her make bilingual mistakes. It's rare that she attempts a direct translation from one language to another, but when it happens sometimes it can go wrong. I remember when I learned Spanish, I had great difficulty with the words "_todaví­a_" (still) and "_ya_" (already), particularly as they were combined with "_no_" to form phrases: _ya no_ = not anymore; _todaví­a no_ = not yet. I know I'm not the only one who gets confused by this, because Spaniards make the same mistakes going the other way. Anyway… That was a long preface to tell you that the other day Nora said "already no" when she meant to say "not anymore", which I found cute.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6436266787_321b0969dd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Winter 2011 Fashion">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6436266787_46474538d3.jpg" alt="Winter 2011 Fashion"/>
</a>

One weekend this month the weather was really horrendous and we had no plans, so we spent most of Saturday and Sunday at home. At one point when we were bored and getting on each others' nerves a little, my wife suggested we play with the Wii, which, like most gaming consoles, sits dormant after the initial novelty wore off. The only game we thought Nora might have any shot at playing was Wii Bowling. We set up a "three person with two remotes" game, with me and Nora going first and third with one remote, and with her mother bowling second. We explained to Nora how she had to hold down the button, swing her arm, and then release the button at the end of the swing. It was pretty complicated holding her finger on the button, swinging her arm, and pulling her finger off the button to demonstrate. About her third turn, her mother said, "Why doesn't Nora use my remote instead?" I said, "No, that won't work since we set up the game for her player to use my remote." To which she repeated, "_Why doesn't Nora use my remote instead?"_ Aaaahh, yes! An excellent idea. So for the rest of the afternoon, we bowled with Nora swinging her mother's remote while I, seated on the sofa with my remote hanging out of sight, flicked my wrist in time with Nora's flailing. It worked perfectly. A little too perfectly, in fact, as Nora won almost every game. No matter what I did when playing for my character (Nora made me stand up and do it properly), I could never best the wrist flick that was controlling Nora's ball.

â€œPoppy, I stepped on you by accident. It\\'s okay, I forgive you.â€

Nora has begun a strange habit of asking for things with a negative question. For instance, rather than ask, "May I have a cookie?" she'll say, "I can't have a cookie, can I?" Rhetorically, it's a terrible way to achieve your objectives. "You won't hire me, will you?" isn't going to advance your career. Negated boolean questions are also annoying because no one is ever clear what "yes" and "no" mean in response to them. The social norm is for "yes" as a response to "I can't take my tricycle to the park, can I?" does not mean "That's correct", but it means, "That's not true; yes, you _can_ take your tricycle to the park." It's just confusing. Perhaps a case could be made that playing the poor "I never get what I want…" victim could be a potentially successful strategy, but it's certainly not something I'd want to encourage. I suspect it's just a phase, but it's a strange one. Here it is in action:

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sxubATSbzJE?cc_load_policy=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Several weeks ago, at a local bar, the bartender gave her some chocolate euros, disc-shaped chocolates wrapped in foil to look like big 1€ coins. With no subsequent mention of them at all, weeks afterwards, she had some coins – she asks for money before she pretends to "go to work" in "her office" so that she can bring back the coins afterwards having "earned money at work" – and she started prying at them saying, "Let's see what's inside!" It took me several minutes to realize that she was referencing the chocolate euro coins from weeks earlier.

My two year old loves bar hopping. Often, as mentioned above, she will suggest we go in a bar that we walk past. She likes them because there are stools to climb on, flashing slot machines to bang on, and the bartenders often give her a little piece of bread or candy or something. I don't need much of a push to enter a bar for a glass of wine, so she can be a dangerous influence on me. It sure is cute, though, when she says, "Let's go to another bar!"

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R8QuI52P_wQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I've been trying to get her to apologize when she does something bad by accident, but it's not going very well. She knows what to say when I prompt her, "What do you say?", but with no prompting, she never initiates the apology herself. Today she did for the first time, but said the wrong thing. She said, â€œPoppy, I stepped on you by accident. It\\'s okay, I forgive you.â€ Hmmm…

As we finish out 2011, the state of the offspring is strong!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6442103769_b95369e1fb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Park Monkey">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-20-state-of-the-offspring-address-december-2011/6442103769_7d48515749.jpg" alt="Park Monkey"/>
</a>


State of the Offspring Address - December 2011


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-19-civil-baptisms/2556399102_7c82281baa_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Water Drop With Bubbles">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-19-civil-baptisms/2556399102_0aea46f48a_t.jpg" alt="Water Drop With Bubbles"/>
</a>

I recently came across [this tidbit](http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=1040066) of local news. The conservative political party in my small town is up in arms because the ruling liberal political party is allowing the practice of "civil baptism". Of course they are not arguing the reasonable point that the term is self contradictory; they are more concerned that the practice is offensive to The Church. I don't think it's offensive so much as it's a reminder of the decline The Church is suffering in Spain.  It's easy to imagine how someone came up with the idea for a "civil baptism". Spanish baptisms are very much like Spanish weddings; they are huge parties with [lots of family and friends](/2009/05/21/noras-baptism-pictures/) and good food and wine. It's great and healthy to celebrate the good events in your life with family and friends.

It is becoming more and more popular for marriages in Spain to be "civil", done at the town hall, rather than religious, done in the church. Starting in 2009, the majority of Spanish weddings have been non-religious town hall ceremonies.

When you add these two things together, the fact that people are accustomed to and love to have parties to celebrate the birth of a child, and the fact that many people don't see what a celibate man in robes who actually thinks he can, and should, turn wine into blood by uttering magic words has to do with celebrating family events…you get somebody suggesting that a government official should say some inspiring words to a crowd of a newborn's family members.

I wonder if they use official government water? No I'm kidding. I looked it up. Apparently a civil baptism is a ceremony to celebrate a new Spaniard getting citizenship. The ceremony usually includes a reading of several articles of the [Convention on the Rights of the Child](http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm) adopted by the UN in November 1989:

> Article 6 – 1: States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.
> 
> Article 6 – 2: States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.
> 
> Article 12 – 1: States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.
> 
> Article 12 – 2: For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.
> 
> Article 27 – 1: States Parties recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.
> 
> Article 27 – 2: The parent(s) or others responsible for the child have the primary responsibility to secure, within their abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of living necessary for the child's development.
> 
> Article 27 – 3: States Parties, in accordance with national conditions and within their means, shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for the child to implement this right and shall in case of need provide material assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing.
> 
> Article 27 – 4: States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to secure the recovery of maintenance for the child from the parents or other persons having financial responsibility for the child, both within the State Party and from abroad. In particular, where the person having financial responsibility for the child lives in a State different from that of the child, States Parties shall promote the accession to international agreements or the conclusion of such agreements, as well as the making of other appropriate arrangements.

I remember the mountain of paperwork I had to fill out and drive to various government offices around my province after my daughter was born to get her "into the system" so she could suckle the socialist teat. It's a big hassle, one worthy of a glass of champagne upon completion.

To me, a civil baptism deciding what country a human has allegiance to, before he is able to think for himself, based solely on the geography where he escaped the womb and allegiances of his parents is just as immoral as deciding what religious beliefs he should hold based on the same criteria. But most people don't really put that much meaning into it. It's really just a party for a happy reason, which is something I can get behind.


Civil Baptisms


<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521623101_61991d8453_t.jpg" alt="Earth's Umbra" class="post-thumb"/>When I saw [yesterday's Astronomy Picture of the Day](http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111215.html), I was fascinated by just how big the Earth's shadow is on the Moon. When I made a comment to this effect on Facebook, my friend, Josh Grady, said, "It'd depend on the distance between the two, no?" Of course the size of a shadow depends on the distance to the object its cast upon, but I hadn't considered that the distance from the Earth to the Moon varies, due to its slightly elliptical orbit around the [Earth-Moon barycenter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_of_mass#Barycenter_in_astrophysics_and_astronomy), by 42,840 km, causing it to [appear 12% smaller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lunar_perigee_apogee.png) at its apogee than at its perigee. This raised the question: **What are the minimum and maximum sizes of the Earth's shadow on the Moon?**

_To the geometrymobile!_ [![Earth's Umbra](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6522298451_5db309b8f6.jpg)](http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111215.html "Earth's Umbra")

This is the composite photo, taken by Letian Wang in Beijing, China, on December 10, 2011, that originally sparked my interest. You can see that the radius of the Earth's shadow is slightly greater than the Moon's diameter.

First of all we need to define what we mean by "shadow".

[![Umbra](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/500px-Umbra01.svg.png)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbra)

For the purposes of this post and subsequent calculations, we will only be dealing with the **umbra**, the dark bit where no direct sunlight hits the moon. We will be ignoring the indirect sunlight that is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere during an eclipse, bathing the lunar surface in reddish hue.

Okay, let's do some math!

![Earth Shadow Diagram](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521597187_972a78d1b1_o.png)

Here we can see the relationship between the radius of the umbra to all the distances involved. Do I even have to mention that the diagram is not to scale?

If we draw two more lines, we get two congruent right triangles.

![Earth Shadow Diagram (with dotted lines)](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521597283_bcedfd1730_o.png)

Since we know they are congruent, we know their sides are proportional and can write the following equation:

![Earth Shadow Equation](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521794009_1613ab7040_o.gif)

…which we can solve for the radius of the umbra:

![Earth Moon Shadow Equation](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521809809_09d64a5749_o.gif)

When we plug in the values for the radii of the sun and Earth, we get:

![Radius of the Earth's shadow on the Moon](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521836725_4ae010de71_o.gif)

Over time, with the two elliptical orbits involved, both the numerator and the denominator of our distance ratio vary. The ratio of the distance from the Earth to the Moon (dmoon) to the distance from the sun to the Earth (dearth) is at its maximum when the Moon is at its apogee and the Earth is at its perigee (we are ignoring the likelihood of these two extremes coinciding, of course).

![Maximum orbital ratio of the moon to the earth](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521913651_88260be08f_o.gif)

The ratio is at its minimum when the Moon is at its perigee and the Earth is at its apogee.

![Minimum orbital ratio of the moon to the earth](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521933371_6230dc49b4_o.gif)

When we plug these back into our bigger equation, we discover that **the radius of the Earth's shadow at the distance of the moon varies from 4479 km to 4735 km**, or from 2.578 to 2.725 moon radii.

To visualize this, let's look at the minimum and maximum shadow sizes compared to the Moon.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6522077767_6e5f31e57b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Minimum and Maximum Earth Shadows On The Moon">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6522077767_f5e6a6637a.jpg" alt="Minimum and Maximum Earth Shadows On The Moon"/>
</a>

Not a very big difference, I think you'll agree. We did, however, answer our question.

At least now astrophotographer and artist [Laurent Laveder](http://www.pixheaven.net/galerie_us.php?id=22) will know the range of sizes for his hoops for his incredible lunar eclipse photography.

[![Earth's Umbra](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-16-how-big-is-the-earths-shadow-on-the-moon/6521622671_15240ac2b4.jpg "Earth's Umbra")](http://www.pixheaven.net/photo_us.php?nom=060907_1890_labeled "View 'Earth's Umbra' on Flickr.com")


How big is the Earth's shadow on the Moon?


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-14-noras-first-video/6511344049_f7aa246a06_o_d.png" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Nora's First Video (thumbnail)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-14-noras-first-video/6511344049_db54bc0281_t.jpg" alt="Nora's First Video (thumbnail)"/>
</a>

 by erikrasmussen, on Flickr")You know how annoying it is when you take your modern digital point-and-shoot camera or mobile phone to take a photograph and the darn thing is in "video" mode? If you're like me, you've taken countless one or two second videos when you thought you were taking a photograph. Well, it turns out that it's also annoying when you are a two year old with your father's mobile phone and you want to take a photograph of your father, the dinner he is preparing, and yourself.

I found the following video on my phone recently. I had no idea that she had shot it. 

<iframe width="505" height="412" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Nc7zH1SBNYY?cc_load_policy=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It's a pretty common practice lately for her to say something, and if I don't understand what she's said after about four times she's attempted it, and I ask, "What are you saying?", she'll look exasperated and say, "I don't know!" and leave the topic.

Now that I've seen the video, it's clear that she was asking "How do I get this thing into 'photo' mode so I can take a photo?" She'll figure it out soon enough.


Nora's First Video


[![Pickin' and Trimmin'](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-13-pickin-and-trimmin-a-barbershop-documentary/6489921551_267ed0985c_t.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/47381635@N02/6489921551/)In 2007, [Matt Morris](http://www.mattmorrisfilms.com/), an award-winning documentary filmmaker, directed a short film about a barber shop near where I grew up. One of the owners of the shop, David Shirley, the well spoken gentleman with the full head of white hair in the movie, is the father of one of my best friends and guitar mentor, Phil Shirley. The movie does an excellent job of capturing a dying southern American small town bluegrass culture.  It might have been the influence of my "yankee" born parents, but I never really felt at home in the deep southern culture. Something about it always annoyed me a little bit, although I can't quite put my finger on what. Perhaps it is my lack of deep roots that allowed me to move so far away. But I definitely do recognize and _know_ the culture depicted in the film, even if I never really felt a part of it.

I admit that sometimes I forget just how people talk back home and it's a shock when I visit. The manner of speaking in this film is a very authentic example of western North Carolina speech. If you have any interest whatsoever in bluegrass music and how it's really played in the Deep South, I urge you to spend nineteen minutes watching this film. You won't regret it.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31066145?color=ffffff" width="505" height="284" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

The music is absolutely fantastic. I particularly liked the pun-laden knickknacks. Here's [a list of all the awards](http://www.mattmorrisfilms.com/Site/Pickin.html) this movie has won.

In case you're curious of just how small the town is, you can have a look around on Google Street View. That's the barber shop with the white awning and the pickup truck. Give a 360Âº spin to really appreciate the locale.

<iframe width="505" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=drexel,+nc&amp;aq=&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=72.554938,79.013672&amp;vpsrc=0&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Drexel,+Burke,+North+Carolina&amp;t=h&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=35.75785,-81.604512&amp;panoid=gKCaebFJWFvYG9ZDqfa35g&amp;cbp=13,238.66,,0,7.24&amp;ll=35.749856,-81.604514&amp;spn=0.027863,0.043344&amp;z=14&amp;output=svembed"></iframe>

Unfortunately, two years ago, the head barber, Lawrence Anthony, the first person to talk in the film, passed away. His son intends to fulfill his father's wish to keep the shop open. Since then, the shop has sustained some water damage and is in need of repair. You can find a follow-up video and a link to donate to Lawrence Anthony's nonprofit _Barbershop Preservation Fund_ [here](http://www.mattmorrisfilms.com/Site/Save_The_Barbershop.html). I've just made a donation.

It would be a true shame to lose this culture. Thank you so much to Matt Morris for documenting it.

[![Barber Shop](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-13-pickin-and-trimmin-a-barbershop-documentary/6489928655_8ac63f5a37.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/47381635@N02/6489928655/)


Pickin' and Trimmin' - A Barbershop Documentary


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476643977_a4e939f76c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476643977_bacfb97535_t.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

In the United States, the existence of the Thanksgiving holiday does a pretty good job of preventing the Christmas celebration and capitalism from encroaching too far into November like it can do in other countries. Of course, like any pent up desire, when it's released, it's extreme, resulting in the consumerism orgy that is Black Friday. Aside from shopping, the weekend after Thanksgiving is when many Americans put up their Christmas tree and other yuletide decor. Since [my parents were visiting](/2011/12/04/thanksgiving-2011-in-spain/), I decided to partake in this tradition as well and put up our tree on Black Friday.  In Spain, most people do their decorations this week, taking advantage of the [double holidays](/2011/12/05/suspension-bridge-week/). Of course, in Spain, the tree must remain up until at least January 6th, the traditional gift giving day of the season, because if you take the star down from the top of the tree, how else will the wise men find you to give you your gifts? In the US, they never last that long. The folks that have had real firs dying in their houses since Black Friday usually have them out by the end of the year.

Another difference between the two cultures is that Spaniards don't put presents under the tree. The presents are all saved, hidden, until either Epiphany on January 6, or Christmas Day for families that have been influenced by foreign cultures. Personally, I think one of the best parts of Christmas is the anticipation and mystery involved in having to look at your gift for weeks before you get to open it. If that's not the whole point of wrapping paper, I don't know what is.

My two-year-old daughter, Nora, doesn't quite understand Christmas yet. The idea of waiting to receive and open presents, and certainly any threats of them being dependent on behavior don't sink in. But she did enjoy the novelty of setting up a plastic tree in the living room and decorating it with ornaments.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476634003_7c1822fc72_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476634003_ff6465c3ab.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

Every tree needs a good base. Wow, that's profound.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476635993_a594c67cee_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476635993_5b62efb4bc.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

Separating every sprig is the secret to making an artificial tree appear full.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476638841_5ed7838401_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476638841_364c1c9c5b.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

My apprentice observed my work very closely.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476640155_fb44d354be_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476640155_3fa979053b.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

Every year I'm surprised at just how tall our tree is. I always remember it as being tiny.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476641501_47e97062e0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476641501_9fb82f6bcd.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

First the lights!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476643057_460902dd03_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476643057_c9d1f5b136.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

All this tree preparation is exhausting!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476643977_a4e939f76c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2011">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-putting-up-the-christmas-tree-2011/6476643977_bacfb97535_z.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2011"/>
</a>

My little tree decorator.

It occurred to me the other day that families with toddlers who don't yet understand the lust of consumerism should just pair up and exchange toys between households rather than buy new plastic crap. In the face of novel toys, the kids probably won't even notice some of the old toys are missing.

May your solstice celebrations be jolly.


Putting Up The Christmas Tree - 2011


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-were-getting-wet/6477043717_776eb4b260_o_d.png" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Que nos mojamos (thumbnail)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-08-were-getting-wet/6477043717_2af8a11acc_t.jpg" alt="Que nos mojamos (thumbnail)"/>
</a>

 by erikrasmussen, on Flickr")I was going through some old photos and videos and discovered this gem that my mother-in-law recorded last Easter when she and my wife took Nora down to Extremadura and left me [_de Rodriguez_](/2011/04/21/spanish-lesson-estar-de-rodriguez/). It was a great example of her Spanish language skills at 25 months old. Now, however, after [the death of her great-grandfather](/2011/12/02/ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/), it's a poignant video of them playing together in at his house in Extremadura. They had a really great time playing together that week.  I'm not going to subtitle it, since it's very repetitive. She's primarily saying "_Está lloviendo_" and "_¡Que nos mojamos!_", which are "It's raining" and "We're getting wet!" respectively. Apparently there was a light drizzle at the time.

<iframe width="504" height="408" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rSoUg8a1vTY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The way she says "_que no' mojamo'_ " in an Extremaduran accent, in which the S's are dropped from the end of words, is particularly cute.


We're Getting Wet!


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466845437_b50c3afc1d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Angels on Colindres Church">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466845437_2e9923d6ae_t.jpg" alt="Angels on Colindres Church"/>
</a>

The church in Colindres is really not very attractive on the outside. It's a simple red brick structure that, if you didn't notice the iron cross at the top of the bell tower or the big banner of _El Papa_ hanging on the front, you wouldn't know it was a church. In fact, just the other day, as I was walking by it, a car pulled up to the curb and the driver said, "_¿Dónde está la iglesia?_" Giving possibly the best driving instructions ever, I reached out and touched the building to identify its location.  There are several locals who regularly post photos of Colindres on the [Colindres Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colindres-Cantabria-/105844440442). I consider them my friendly photography rivals. Recently, one of them posted [a photo](http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/62332554.jpg) of two angel statues. I immediately recognized them and wished I'd been observant enough to realize their potential as a photographic subject. So I decided to replicate that photo and give the external church decorations a closer look.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466845437_b50c3afc1d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Angels on Colindres Church">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466845437_2e9923d6ae.jpg" alt="Angels on Colindres Church"/>
</a>

They're _almost_ symmetrical.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466840521_fd567c3111_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Virgin Mary Statue - Colindres Church">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466840521_98f5d0f3b7_z.jpg" alt="Virgin Mary Statue - Colindres Church"/>
</a>

Their right hands are in almost the exact same position. Ancient Templar symbolism or a sculptor's shortcut?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466849081_695f19871b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Angels on Colindres Church">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466849081_b6d3c2135a_z.jpg" alt="Angels on Colindres Church"/>
</a>

The front of the church, showing the orientation and relative size of the previous two subjects.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466851365_49eb0d4540_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fray Pablo and Angels in Colindres">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466851365_102150f999.jpg" alt="Fray Pablo and Angels in Colindres"/>
</a>

This is a statue of Brother Pablo. I'll translate a bit from the _Great Cantabria Encyclopedia_.

> **Brother Pablo of Colindres** (Colindres, 1696 - Vienna, 1774): His real name was _Pedro Antonio de Oruña Calderon de la Barca_. He studied at Valladolid and Salamanca and became a professor of law at the latter university. Later he joined the [Order of Friars Minor Capuchin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Friars_Minor_Capuchin) and adopted the name that is generally known. It was during five years a missionary in Oran (Algeria). The king offered him the Bishopric of Barcelona, but he refused. In 1761 he was elected superior general of the Capuchin Order. In this capacity, he toured most of Europe, finally dying in Vienna in 1774. His funeral was attended by the [Empress Maria Theresa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Theresa). He acquired universal fame for his wisdom and virtue and is the author of numerous theological works. His brother was the [Bishop of Osma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Osma-Soria), Juan Antonio.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466855745_44271eb5ef_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fray Pablo Statue in Colindres">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-06-town-church/6466855745_dcf941da17_z.jpg" alt="Fray Pablo Statue in Colindres"/>
</a>

Luckily, the neon green penis someone spray painted on him four years ago has mostly faded.


Town Church


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-05-suspension-bridge-week/5241781987_66003947cf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="The Golden Gate Bridge">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-05-suspension-bridge-week/5241781987_699589cafe_t.jpg" alt="The Golden Gate Bridge"/>
</a>

In Spain, when a holiday falls on either Tuesday or Thursday, it's a regular custom to take the Monday or Friday off to create a four day weekend. This is called a _puente_ or bridge, since one is crossing over the fiery lava pit that is a day of honest labor to escape safely to the weekend. Of course any employee can take that as a vacation day, but the some corporations and government offices often will just shut down that day. The best equivalent in the United States is how most government, and some corporate, employees don't work on the day after Thanksgiving.  Every December, Spain has two holidays that fall two days apart, [Constitution Day](/2006/12/06/constitution-day/) on December 6, and the [Immaculate Conception](/2006/12/08/the-immaculate-conception/) on December 8. This year, they just so happen to fall on a Tuesday and a Thursday, thus creating two possible bridge days to the weekend on Monday and Friday, and even a possible bridge day between them on Wednesday. In other words, the Spanish work week this week looks something like this:

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-05-suspension-bridge-week/6459855163_69eb394f32_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Super Mario Bros - Three Lava Pits">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-05-suspension-bridge-week/6459855163_59a5e8d491.jpg" alt="Super Mario Bros - Three Lava Pits"/>
</a>

It brought to mind the image of a suspension bridge with two towering pillars holding up a span allowing people to cross from one weekend to the other.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-05-suspension-bridge-week/5241781987_66003947cf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="The Golden Gate Bridge">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-05-suspension-bridge-week/5241781987_699589cafe.jpg" alt="The Golden Gate Bridge"/>
</a>

Of course, I'm employed in the US, so I'm slogging through the lava like any other week.


Suspension Bridge Week

Thanksgiving 2011 in Spain


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Four years ago, probably as a result of [Nicholas Negroponte's TED Talk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ySOqtxhbw), I became fascinated by the [One Laptop Per Child](http://one.laptop.org/) (OLPC) program. I loved the idea of providing very cheap, easily networkable computers to third world children, since I know from personal experience how computers are so good for childhood learning. Before starting the project, they wanted to make a "one hundred dollar laptop", built entirely on open source software. Unfortunately, they could only get the price down to $199, which is still pretty impressive once you learn all the features of the device.  When they were initially released, they had a clever gimmick where you couldn't just buy one for yourself; you had to [buy two and donate one of them](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_One_Get_One). On December 27, 2007, I paid $399 for two laptops, one to be shipped to me and the other to be sent to a needy child in the third world. They were in such high demand at the time that it took three months to ship it to me.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-one-laptop-per-nora/6441008537_c1c94ab172_m.jpg" alt="OLPC XO with Blog"/>
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The laptop was very interesting, loaded with about twenty different apps, from drawing programs to reading programs to a programming app much like the original [Logo Turtle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_(programming_language)) that captivated many hours of my prepubescent youth. There's a front-facing video camera for video conferencing and a fully featured web browser. Another key feature is its durability. You can drop it off a table with no damage, and you can even use it in the rain. It won't work actually underwater, but how many laptops do you know of that work in the rain?

It's cool to play around with, and I'm glad I quenched my curiosity about it, but with a powerful Mac with a 30" screen in my office, the OLPC laptop doesn't get much attention. My secondary motivation for purchasing the laptop was to give it to my first born child as a first computer. But then her grandfather [gave her a freakin' iPad](/2010/05/17/ipad-for-a-13-month-old/), and she [loved it](/2010/07/13/ipad-baby-apps/), so I thought the OLPC laptop would be a lost cause.

When my parents were visiting last week, I set up an old MacBook Pro of mine for my parents to check their email when I was working in my office, and Nora became fascinated with the MacBook. When her pawing at it got a little too vigorous for my liking, I told her to leave it alone. She cried that she wanted a computer, and then I remembered the OLPC laptop. I pulled it out and plugged it in to charge it up. She absolutely loved having her own computer that didn't require a constant stream of Be Careful's from adults. She learned how to open it (it's not easy the first time you hold one) and turn it on. The trackpad and keyboard elude her capacity so far, but she loves _pretending_ to be a computer user like her old man. Her playhouse was designated as her "office" and she set up a chair and desk to work in there.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-one-laptop-per-nora/6440863001_37b8811d24.jpg" alt="Nora works in her pajamas just like her old man"/>
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My little entrepreneur in her office. She works in her pajamas, just like her old man!

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-one-laptop-per-nora/6440863859_2e4a6680fc.jpg" alt="Nora works in her pajamas just like her old man"/>
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The [Give One Get One](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child#Give_1_Get_1_program) program ended on December 31, 2008. Now you can only make selfless – though tax deductible – donations, but I'm sure you could probably find one on eBay. [Click here to donate](http://one.laptop.org/action/donate).


One Laptop Per Nora


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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/4708058437_15a8823a32_t.jpg" alt="Abuelo with Sparkler"/>
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My [third and final living grandfather](/2010/06/12/quirky-old-grandpa/) passed away today. He wasn't my grandfather by blood, but by marriage and an immense amount of mutual respect and love.  A month ago, he lost strength on one side of his body. It sounded like a stroke, but the doctors claimed it wasn't, yet didn't really know what had happened. He spent a few weeks in the hospital and was finally feeling well enough to go home. In an amazing demonstration of strength and spirit, he chose to make the 90 minute trip to our house last Saturday to see my parents who were visiting. He seemed sad and weak, but very appreciative of the gifts my parents gave him, including a lovely portrait of my daughter, Nora.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/6322627640_98f660fa9f.jpg" alt="Visiting Bisa in the hospital"/>
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On Monday morning, he didn't wake up. They took him to the hospital and he was said to be in a coma, although he was breathing on his own. My wife, Marga, drove to see him and whisper her goodbyes to her sleeping grandfather. On Tuesday, he briefly gained consciousness, and on Wednesday he was awake and lucid. Not only was he now conscious, but he had been semi-conscious for much of the time he was in the coma, able to recall who had visited him and what they had told him.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/6442278727_35242e5c14_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora, Bisabuelo and Marga">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/6442278727_d47ba2f8ce.jpg" alt="Nora, Bisabuelo and Marga"/>
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This is the last photo taken of Nora with her _bisabuelo_ (great-grandfather). It really makes my heart ache that Nora will most likely not remember him at all. Hopefully the constant exposure to my photos will help.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2011-12-02-ramon-hidalgo-caballero-1920-2011/189310533_b3754c0c9b.jpg" alt="Ramón and Erik"/>
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_Te quiero muchí­simo, Abuelo. Soy mejor por haberte conocido. Nunca jamás te olvidaré._


18 posts from December, 2011