Academy of Villains is one of the ill-est hip-hop troupes on the West Coast, hell, in the United States. Here they are tearing up the stage at Body Rock 2012 in San Diego last month. I love the Disneyland Haunted House inspired theme, the perfect music choices, and the ridiculous dancing. But nothing beats…
Visiting the Berkeley Friends Church and Christ-loving Quakers
Today I went to my first "programmed" Quaker Meeting for Worship, at the Berkeley Friends Church. There are many strains of Quakerism, only some fraction of which I am familiar with. One of the largest divisions among Quakers are between the "programmed" and "unprogrammed" Meetings for Worship. "Programmed" for Quakers refers to the kind of…
Baby Ostrich Chasing its “Mother” Tim at the Cal Academy
Here's your daily adorable-ness. A baby ostrich on its first exercise run outdoors chases Tim Steinmetz, resident ostrich (ratite) expert at the California Academy of Sciences. As their first and main caretaker, Tim functions as a mother figure for the ostriches, who are under the Academy's care for a short spell, as part of…
Support SF Gypsy Jazz Band Gaucho’s New CD “Part-Time Sweetheart” (UPDATED)
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…
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.