For my holiday greeting this year, I decided to go all social media-y and create an animated reading of my winter poem "Gold." I've embedded the video above, but I recommend looking at it full screen in HD from the original YouTube version. I hope you like it! Created using the awesome Prezi presentation web…
Holiday Craft Fair & Todd Yannacone this Thursday at the Frim Fram Jam!
This Thursday, December 17, I'm excited to announce a very special holiday Frim Fram Jam, Yehoodi's regular Thursday night swing dance. First up, badass lindy hopper Todd Yannacone will be teaching an advanced dance lesson from 8-9pm and then DJing with Ryan Swift until 1am! As always, the lesson is from 8-9 pm, and still…
More fun footage of Vince Giordano and the Nighthawk’s: “Ain’t Misbehavin'” (video)
"Swingyoucats" has more fun footage from the Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks concert on Saturday in midtown Manhattan, including this vid of dancers enjoying the Nighthawks performance of "Ain't Misbehavin'". Such a fun song, and so deftly performed. Here's another one of WestieGrrl and I charlestoning to "When the Folks Up High Do that Mean…
Awesome Christmas sweater vest with five santas!
So for this Christmas, I decided that I wanted to find the ultimate Christmas sweater vest to wear to my family's holiday party. After some unsuccessful web searches and visits to various Goodwill and Salvation Army outposts in the city, I was about to despair. There are just too many ironic shoppers in the city,…
Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks doing “Royal Garden Blues” (video)
Here's some awesome footage of vintage swing big band Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks performing "Royal Garden Blues" at the "Holiday Tea at Three" in Manhattan yesterday. Taken by twentythreeskidoo, a wonderful young lindy hopper and swing jazz fanatic. I love how she captures all of the musicians doing their solos as well as the…
EnerCities: first Facebook “serious game” on sustainable urban development
Dylan Nagel of Paladin Studios sends out the news that the public beta version of EnerCities has been released, reportedly the first "serious game" to be hosted on Facebook. With support from the European Commission, the goal of our project is to raise energy awareness among young people around the world through the gameplay. I…
Global Kids’ Nisrin Elamin talks about her work for peace in Sudan on WNYC
Here's an awesome radio interview with my colleague Nisrin Elamin, a senior trainer and curriculum specialist at Global Kids, talking about her work with grassroots groups like Sisterhood for Peace and an underground radio station in Darfur. I and my colleagues have benefited so much from Nisrin's passionate and untiring work for peace in her…
Conscience Unconference Session on Games and Human Rights Education
On Saturday, December 5, I had the pleasure of joining about 30-40 other participants at the "Conscience Unconference" in Washington DC, sponsored by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Center for History and New Media. Having experienced a few unconferences before, I knew coming in that the quality of the experience would lie largely…
Me talking about youth video at Conscience Unconference
I had a great time at the Conscience Unconference at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC today. Lots of amazing museum professionals, activists, nonprofits, academics and tech developers talking about how to leverage social media for human rights and civic engagement. A perfect event for me. Here's a semi-coherent video of me talking about…
Awesome machinima about community in Second Life by Ill Clan Studios
Here's the latest in a series of machinima videos produced by Ill Clan Studios about the virtual world of Second Life. This one focuses on the community-aspects of Second Life, arguably it's strongest attribute versus other platforms out there. Great work as always, Ill Clan! I just wish my SL experience was as lag free…