World Book Night 2012: A Raging Success

April 23rd is the day Shakespeare was born, and the day he died.  Cervantes also died on April 23rd, and UNESCO marks it as World Book Day.  This year, volunteers in the UK, Ireland, the US, and Germany spent the day giving books away.  I don't know how others fared, but Becky and I had a hell of a time.

In the United States, 53% of males and 39% of females are re-incarcerated after they're released from prison.  The recidivism rate for inmates who read in prison drops to 20% (couple that with a GED, and only 4-5% of inmates return, but our fucked up prison system is a post for another time).  So Becky decided to drop a box of Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle at a women's detention center in downtown Miami.  

It was all razor wire and defeat, smaller and dingier than it looks from the highway (you drive past it all the time on I-95), but that's no reason not to deliver books with a smile.

Coconut Grove: Racist

Visiting the Grove on Boxing Day after the 29th annual King Mango Strut parade, I spotted a new cigar shop next to The Cheesecake Factory called Coco Cigar.  Touristy knick-knacky crap has been replaced by my best friend, the cigar store Indian.  

He's patriotic.

 Then we lunched at Mr. Moe's.  What are wooden logs from North Carolina, Colorado river rock, and Nova Scotia slate without a nice carving of an Indian head on the wall?

Psst, buddy... try the blue cheese burger.

Apparently, I missed the big one.  No matter how you present demeaning Indian Kitsch, it's fine as long as you use the respectful term of "Native American".

Happy New Year!