This is the last weekend of the "Hair Fair" in Second Life, an innovative fundraiser for the "Locks of Love" charity. Locks of Love, for those that don't know, is a nonprofit that provides hair for kids who have undergone chemotherapy or other medical procedure that causes them to lose their hair. For the last…
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Thoughts on Four Decades of Being Rik
Today marks my 40th year on this planet. I wish I had some grand epiphany to share at this point in my life. But being a Quaker, I know that revelations don’t necessarily work on a schedule. People have been asking me what it feels like to turn 40. On the one hand, not much…
Teen-created machinima dramatizes child sex trafficking
Today our 15 teen machinimatographers in Global Kids' Virtual Video Project publicly premiered their film "Discovered" before an audience of their peers, parents, teachers, and supporters at the Sony Wonder Theater in Manhattan. It was great seeing their work on the big screen and then watching them explain to the audience their process from conception…
Knoshing tour of Chinatown and the Lower Eastside
Tomorrow the gang in the Online Leadership Program at Global Kids is holding our annual retreat, and Barry and I are in charge of the foodie tour of Chinatown and the Lower Eastside. Our entire staff is almost to a person major foodies, so it's kind of a daunting task. Here's a Google map of…
My Metaplace World: Now embeddable!
Here's my first world I created in Metaplace that I can now embed here (or anywhere on the web)! This is a pretty revolutionary way to move virtual worlds from "walled gardens" to places situated in the wider social web. Embedding can increase traffic to your world, let you more easily hang out with friends,…
Reminder: Global Kids Teens Premiering SL Machinima “Discovered” Tomorrow in NYC!
Just a reminder that tomorrow, July 1st, fifteen New York City public high school students will premiere their film Discovered –a digital "machinima" film produced in Second Life that explores the powerful issue of child sex trafficking through the fictional story of one Mexican teenager. Discovered is the final product of a year-long, intensive digital…
My first visit to the High Line today (pics)
Today I got a chance to visit the recently-opened the High Line in lower Manhattan, which was a nice treat. Running for about 20 blocks from Gansevort Street in the West Village up the westside of Manhattan, the High Line park rises a couple of stories above the city streets, built upon elevated train tracks…
My “Funky 40th” birthday jam last night! (video)
Here's a video of my birthday jam during my "Funky 40th Soul Party" last night at Club 412. So much fun dancing and partying with some of my closest friends from swing, hip-hop, Quaker and Global Kids communities. Yes, I really am 40. I don't really believe it myself sometimes. Thanks for taking this video,…
Teens show off their digital media chops at first NYC Youth Tech Fest at New School
Congrats to the 100-some teens from all over New York City who participated in the first NYC Youth Digital Media & Technology Festival at the New School. The daylong festival spotlighted the growing movement among teenagers in New York and nationally to design video games, films and other digital tools to advance social causes in…
The Winners of “So You Think You Can Dance”: Where are they now?
I was bored and decided to do some research to find out what the winners of past seasons of "So You Think You Can Dance" are doing now. Here's what I found out: Season One: Nick LazzariniCurrent Work: Founding member of the Evolution Dance Company in California. No further info available, not even a website…