First, Funny Ha-Ha re-emerges from its hibernation for your delight at the Hideout from 6:30-8. I hope to see you there. All the details are in this poster.

Second: I published a lot of pieces this week. Here are some:

Fast Company: The (Hectic, Messy, Sometimes Annoying) Truth About Working From Home. Don't get me wrong: quitting my dayjob and writing full time has been very fulfilling both in terms of work and parenting (it really blows when you know the kids are at their sweetest in the morning and you can't see them because if you don't leave the house by 7 your commute will double.) And having Steve here to understand all the lessons and frustrations and stresses that go along with being your own boss has been priceless. That said, there are unexpected challenges. Lots more people are telecommuting these days so I explored the challenges and how to alleviate them (if possible) for this story.

Chicago Magazine: Former Tribune Reporter on Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: "I Was More of a Chicken". Kim Barker is a New York Times reporter who used to be the Chicago Tribune's foreign correspondent. She wrote a book based on her experiences called The Taliban Shuffle that is being released as the Tina Fey movie "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" next week. I am always wowed by what I think of as "real" reporters. Sometimes I get mad because I have to send emails after dinnertime. Meanwhile she was at Benazir Bhutto's funeral, trying to work while getting her rear end pinched. Not exactly the same.

University of Chicago Urban Research Review: End Transmission: A UChicago Doctor's Simple, But Monumental Goal. John Schneider is at doctor at the University of Chicago who has one goal--to end new transmissions of HIV on Chicago's South Side. One of his tools? Social media. It was really cool to speak with someone who has such an ambitious, clear-cut goal.

University of Chicago Urban Research Review: The Long View: Understanding Children's Development in Context. Micere Keels studies Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago. How is your neighborhood school? Not so good? You'd be surprised at how far the implications of a negative school experience can extend.

Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management: Start Me Up: Emile Cambry Jr. '08. Cambry's Chicago company BLUE1647 provides a co-working space for  tech startups and hosted a learning lab with affordable rates for underserved communities. Now it's expanding to St. Louis--and beyond.