I help Wikipedia raise tens of millions of dollars.

Exploration that I enjoy: rooftops, tunnels, forests, software tricks, whatever.

I (tried to) cho(o)se the name Persian Excursion because it speaks to my heritage and my love of adventure. Unfortunately, OkCupid had other plans and thanks to their character limit, my username looks like an aim handle circa 2001. Oh well.

I'm tremendously excited about my new gig: data analysis and knowledge hacking with Wikipedia.

A few things I've been up to recently: Co-founding and running a startup in New Haven. Protecting people from wrongful evictions with a kickass housing justice group in Boston. Exploring the world of religious hipsters in Springfield, MO. Staff meetings and conferences in Denver, San Francisco, and Austin.

I want to use my skills to make the world a better place.

rabble rousing.
computers.
inspiration.

I skip to interesting questions early in conversations. Small talk sucks.

Books and authors:
(Also see below.)
Paradise Lost. Rick Perlstein. Plato's Symposium, Apology, and Euthryphro. The Aeneid. Terry Pratchett. Mercedes Lackey. Chris Hayes. Tamora Pierce. Waiting for the Midnight Hour. Javier Marias.

Film and TV:
I like to devour television shows seasons at a time.

I'm currently digging Slings and Arrows & Parks and Recreation. The Wire will always remain first in my heart. Other favorites include Samurai Champloo, Bob's Burgers, Battlestar Galactica, Arrested Development, Archer, Luther, Community, and Hercule Poirot.

I love watching classic Noir with my friends.

Music:
I listen to what was the cutting edge of hipster music in 2010.
I also have a soft spot in my heart for 90's alt-rock, all sorts of baroque music, and anything you might hear on Soul Train.

Here's my last.fm: http://www.last.fm/user/Hario

Food:
The two most delicious drinks are red wine and vanilla milkshakes. But not at the same time!
The two most delicious foods are Israeli-style salad and snitzel (chicken fingers).

Cooking is fun.

I am not vegetarian, but honestly I should be: I believe it's the moral thing to do for many reasons.

These are the books that changed my life, and why:

Your Place Tomorrow by Javier Marias.
This book, simply put, explains humanity. The main character is a sort of spy: he watches people during negotiations, and reports back what he guesses about their hidden thoughts. This is a terrific lens to pursue the actual point of the book - a modern, readable Proustian tour of the human condition itself.

Which Side Are You On? by Thomas Geoghegan.
This book explains the heartbreak, the promise, and the maddening failures of the labor movement. It's the book that made me first understand the meaning of human dignity and the real need for solidarity in all of us. If you see this it means you're actually reading this carefully. Good! Mention the word "avocado" in a message to me and get a surprise.

Wild Magic, by Tamora Pierce. (Really, all her books)
It took me years to realize that I was reading "girls' books" that feature strong female heroines. I didn't mind - these books are great! I learned feminism from Tamora Pierce, as well as what treating people with respect looks like in practice.

Morning dew.
That giant climbable tree in Lilac Park.
Gleefully downloading books to my nook.
Train tickets.
Keeping my nails trimmed.
Striking up conversations with bemused strangers.

Honestly, I think about all sorts of things. Don't you?

How to be a good ally/feminist. Theology. What is the good life? What's the best way to keep up friendships when people physically move apart? Does this shirt make me look fat?

Last Friday I was finishing up a conference in Austin, TX and watching the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. (Oh Mr. Darcy!).

The Friday before that I had just landed in San Francisco and was wandering around Chinatown.

The Friday before that I took a friend of mine to a restaurant in Springfield MO, the chef recognized me, and made me an experimental dish he was trying.

There's no pattern there. "Typical Fridays" really aren't my thing.

I ran away from school once.

Forgive me! I was young, and reckless.

Here's the story

It was 2nd grade. I won a meaningless competition; won the right to lead the milk line into the cafeteria. Little did I suspect that line of children would become a line of betrayal.

Noon. We form up. I move to the front. Teacher ushers me aside. Lisa will head the line today.

Shock.

Betrayal.

Anger. I storm out of the room, and out of the building. It took a couple of hours for the police to find me.

Don't worry, I had the last laugh. My parents were furious that it took so long to realize I had left. They transfered the whole family out of the school.

you're vaguely attracted to rooftops.