For Christmas Eve, the family decided to stop by "Bob's World" in Pleasanton, the home of Bob Stanley, longtime Pleasanton resident who has been creating ever-more elaborate holiday decorations outside his home for the past 20 years. What impresses you most about Bob's World is in the sheer AMOUNT of lighted Santas, reindeer, snowmen, cascading…
Christmas Giving 2010: Supporting Peace and Justice in Brooklyn, DC, and around the World
In these times, contributing to charities and causes is more difficult for many people, who often are struggling to make ends meet and worrying about the future. I'm more fortunate than many, in that I don't have to worry about how the rent is getting paid, putting food on the table or healthcare. (Well, at…
Kinky Ballgag Godzilla Attacks Christmas!
I don't usually catch these references, but come on, this Godzilla is totally into BDSM. Hopefully I'm not scarring for life the little kid I'm giving this to. Right now, I'm at home with my mom, doing last minute shopping, wrapping presents, grabbing burgers at In n'Out, making pumpkin bread pudding, and watching "Law and…
“Life 2.0” : A Flawed Documentary about the Seemier Side of the Metaverse
The documentary “Life 2.0” tells the stories of five people who find themselves drawn to the virtual world of Second Life for various reasons. All of their stories are compelling in their own ways, but as a whole piece I found “Life 2.0” to be somewhat formless and at worse lurid in its depictions of…
Dancing on the Nostalgia Subway Train Part II (video, pics)
On Sunday, 80-some lindy hoppers gathered for a "lindy bomb" of the Nostalgia Subway Train that runs during the holidays on the F Train line. It was an incredible day of dancing, great music, and random New York weirdness. At about 12:30, a bunch of us lindy hoppers were gathered at the 2nd Avenue Subway…
CNN: Global Kids Teen Leader Addresses the Security Council (video)
Here's a neat video from CNN of a group of young people from around the world who got to attend the UN Security Council during a special session. More than 100 Global Kids teen leaders were among the youth who were at the session, called for US Ambassador Susan Rice. A highlight for us was…
Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program is Hiring a Program Associate
The Online Leadership Program at Global Kids is looking for another program associate to add to our crack squad of educators and technologists. If you think you have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of marginalized teens using cutting edge tech and innovative pedagogical techniques, than you should apply. Global Kids…
Appeal from Our Teens to Support Global Kids
Here's some of our rockstar teen leaders urging folks to support my organization Global Kids. Please give whatever you are able to support our teens to be community activists, successful students and future leaders in the world. Thanks! [Link: Global Kids contribute page.]
Louis Armstrong Museum Launches Online Catalog of Satchmo’s Photos, Letters and More
The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona Queens this weekend announced that they have begun releasing online some of the thousands of digitized archives about Louis Armstrong that they are the caretakers for. The online catalog will provide the public access to some of the "5,000 sound recordings, 15,000 photographs, 30 films, 100 scrapbooks, 20…
“Tron Legacy”: Eye-popping Effects, Glorious Soundscape, and Olivia Wilde
I saw the much anticipated "Tron Legacy" last night with several friends, in 3D IMAX. To get it out of the way, yes the plot is a lot of portentious, illogical, convoluted hoo-hah. Don't let it distract you. "Tron Legacy" is about ridiculously cool light cycle fights, hyper-animated disc combat, and the most beautiful program…