Gaucho is one of my favorite bands, period. Playing in the gypsy jazz tradition, Gaucho puts out an inspired, Django-esque groove that has been entertaining San Franciscans for years. Some of my favorite nights of dancing has been to Gaucho, who perform every Wednesday at Amnesia Bar in the Mission. Gaucho has a new CD…
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Newt Crossing! First Visit to Mount Tamalpais
Yesterday, I and a colleague did a quick trip up to Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California, to scout out the site of a bio-blitz we are organizing for a group of students later in the month. We were fortunate to come across a couple of what we think were rough-skinned newts just hanging out…
Learning about The Cal Academy’s Amazing Expedition to the Philippines
Tonight I got around to watching "Reefs to Rainforests," the documentary about the 2011 scientific expedition to the Philippines organized by the California Academy of Sciences. It's a really amazing story about the largest expedition ever organized by the Academy in its 158 years of existence, with about 100 participants from the Academy and…
Turntable Cake by My Cousin Raf
Check out this hella dope cake created by my cousin Rafael Martin. The occasion was the opening of the offices of Verducci Entertainment in Berkeley, whose working spaces Raf also did the interior design for. Verducci specializes in providing DJs for all sorts of private and public affairs, so the turntable cake was the perfect…
Felicia Day Dances “The Swing” **DOUBLE FACEPALM**
Like millions of other geeks, I have a huge nerd-crush on Felicia Day, actress / gamer / ubergeek. Miss Day apparently has a new video blog where she goes out and tries all sorts of different skills, from blacksmithing to crocheting. In this episode, Felicia goes out and learns how to "swing dance." There's so many…
Why It Took Me 13 Years to Learn “The Big Apple” Dance
The "Big Apple" circle dance is one of those lindy hop traditions that I never got on the bandwagon about, despite seeing it performed countless times in my 13 years of lindy hopping. Last night, I finally got the wherewithal to learn the full choreography and performed it with twenty or so others at…
Adorable Ostrich Chicks Are Adorable
At the California Academy of Sciences. Where cute animals and solid science education come together.
Why is the Cal Academy Putting Baby Ostriches in an Earthquake Exhibit?
Hint: It's not just because they are super cute! ABC news has a sweet story about one of the California Academy of Science's newest additions to the public floor: baby ostriches. The cute little guys are there to help illustrate a story about the earth's evolution, and how tectonic movement has contributed to biodiversity over…
My First Maker Faire: Geeking Out at the Mecca of Makers and Hackers
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of experiencing my first Maker Faire , an annual gathering of 10,000+ DIY enthusiasts, hackers, crafters, artists, cosplayers, and citizen scientists at a huge fairground pavilion in San Mateo. Described as a "festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement," Maker Faire is a…
RIP Chuck Brown (1936-2012)
Chuck Brown, the King of Go-Go, has died at the age of 75. I was lucky enough to catch him performing a rare concert in NYC in 2008. Here's a short clip. More about Chuck Brown, and many more clips on BoingBoing.