Here are a small handful of technology events upcoming in the next couple weeks.  I’ll be at TECH cocktail, see you there!

Saper Law Open Source Symposium
When: 8:30am-5:00pm, Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Where: DePaul Center, 8th Floor, 1 E. Jackson Blvd.
Cost: $145
Register: http://saperlawopensourcesymposium.eventbrite.com/

This all day conference brings together members of the open source community for an in depth discussion of the business and legal ramifications of using or producing open source software. The panel of speakers will range from independent software developers, to CTOs of established businesses, to representatives of software giants like Microsoft. In addition, Saper Law attorneys will delve into licensing and intellectual property issues while university professors will lend the policy reasons behind the open source movement. New software that assists businesses and their attorneys with open source licensing compliance will also be debuted at the event.

TECH cocktail 10
When: Thursday, February 19, 2009
Where: John Barleycorn, Wrigleyville
RSVP: EventBrite

The largest technology industry networking event in Chicago.  Join 700+ others in the technology industry in Chicago for drinks and networking at John Barleycorn.  This event is not to be missed!  See you thee!

E.Factor: Building Your Business on Social Networks
When: Thursday, February 26, 2009, 6-9pm
Where: Mid-America Club, Aon Center, 200 E. Randolph, 80th Floor
Cost: Free to Premium Members, $80 for basic members and guests
RSVP: E.Factor

Does the word Social Media and Web 2.0 make you nervous?  It shouldn’t.  Join E.Factor and its panel of experts to learn about how you can tap into the online world without feeling overwhelmed.

Speakers include:

• Howard Greenstein, President, Harbrooke Group (www.harbrooke.com) - social media expert
• Charles Fellingham, Founder, QAlias (www.qalias.com) - entrepreneur and personal branding expert
• Ted Greene, CEO, SkatingCircle.com - Chicago serial entrepreneur
• Blagica Bottigliero, Founder, CondoPerks.com and Senior Account Supervisor for Consumer Brands and Social Media, Edelman - Chicago entrepreneur and web marketing expert

Moderator: Cd Vann, Founder, Sohobiztube.com (www.sohobiztube.com) - entrepreneur, networking and social media expert

Tonight I’ve put some thought into how I can eat better, thanks to the inspiration and knowledge gained from my chiropractor, Dr. Matt Milonas’s nutrition seminars.  Since I had Chipotle today, I went in search of whether or not they used hydrogenated ‘trans’ fats.  The first search result yielded ChipotleFan.com’s interactive nutrition label generator.  Part fun and part educational, I learned about what I ate through the site.  I’m happy to report that my order has no trans fats.

Currently, I’m ordering the 3 Soft Tacos with chicken, tomato salsa (with a dash of hot), cheese, and lettuce.  Being a huge fan of chips and salsa, I almost never order Chipotle without the chips.  Mmmmm!  For fun, I compare the difference in my order with chips and without.  Wow what a difference!  Chips add 570 calories and 27 grams of fat.  I’m surprised, however, that the chips only add 17% more sodium.  With a sodium intake of 2130mg (89% of the FDA’s recommended daily intake) already coming from the tacos, what’s another 433 grams?

Here are the orders, side by side:

Admittedly, I go a bit ‘light.’  Most people add sour cream and guacamole.  I’ve never liked sour cream, and I’m just warming to guacamole.  Not for the flavor, but I try to cut additional fat (even if it’s a good fat, a practice I should change).  The total damage spikes when you add these two.  Add both tack on an additional 23g of fat (35% RDA) to a total of 74g or 113% RDA for fat intake. Add just Guacamole and you add 13g of fat (20% RDA) to a total of 64g of fat (98% RDA). Wow!

As yummy as Chipotle is, it’s easy to get lulled into thinking this food is healthier for us than it is. While a world better than myriad other fast food joints, if the meals came with about half the quantity of food, that would be perfect.  We tend not to think of the quantity we’re consuming until we measure it.

What’s your Chipotle order? Build yours here.