My buddy Rafi posts on his new blog Empathetics a very insightful commentary on how different branches of the Israeli government are using social media during this latest Gaza conflagration. In short, the Israeli military is employing the old "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" approach versus the Israeli diplomatic corps more…
Learning to love and accept “Quatheists” (Nontheist Friends) at Powell House
For three days I have been at the beautiful Powell House Quaker retreat center, up in Old Chatham, New York. I have been attending a workshop on “nontheist Quakers” led by Robin Alpern and Zach Alexander with about 16 other Quakers from around the northeast area. I arrived with a good dose of skepticism about…
Reading List: Star Trek comics, Quaker mystics, b-girls, and small town drama
I've been trying to get caught up on my reading list. Here's some of the great stuff that's on my bookshelf: The Greatest Man in Cedar Hole by Stephanie Doyon A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly Star Trek New Frontier by Peter David We B*girlz by Martha Cooper and Nika Kramer More about each…
Global Kids 2008 Year End Review
I just finished drafting the 2008 Global Kids Year End Review, with a lot of help from my colleagues. It's remarkable listing all of the cool stuff that we did over the past twelve months with our scrappy little team of geeks and educators. Some of my personal favs: An AIDS orphan in Ugandan exchanges…
George Gee’s “Sleigh Bells Swing” at Edison Ballroom (video)
Here's a clip of lindy hoppers Maggie Moon, Jennifer Jones, Eden Atencio, Mike Jaeger, Dave Graybill and Roddy Caravella performing in the "Sleigh Bells Swing" musical revue. Choreography by Evita Arce. I had a wonderful night at "Sleigh Bells Swing" with a bunch of friends at the elegant Edison Ballroom in Times Square. The evening…
52nd Swifty self-portrait!
My roommate and friend Swifty just posted his 52nd and final self-portrait as part of the "52 Weeks" Flickr group. Check out all of Swifty's self-portraits here. Some of my favorites: Swifty as a monster for Halloween The Epcot Tour On the throne Fall edition of International Male catalog Mermaid Swifty Swifty in the rain…
“When the Levees Broke”: the harrowing, inspiring stories of Katrina’s victims
I finally got around to seeing "When the Levees Broke" Spike Lee's epic four-hour documentary about Hurricane Katrina and the incredible stories of ordinary New Orleanians who lived through the flood. It's perhaps Lee's finest piece of work, because for most of the film he simply turns on the camera, zooms in tight, and let's…
Learning about “nontheist Quakers” this weekend at Powell House
I'm going on a somewhat last minute trip up to the Quaker retreat center Powell House in Old Chatham, NY. I've been wanting to head up to Powell House for the past few months. Danielle from Brooklyn Meeting offered to get a car and drive up, so I jumped at the opportunity. The occasion is…
Year One at Global Kids Wrap-up
December 19, 2007 started off super-crappy but ended super-awesome. That morning, I updated my status on the micro-blog Twitter as "jobless." A few minutes later, I got a text message from Barry Joseph : “Sorry to hear the news. Please call when u can.” Barry is a guy I had known for about a year…
Katy Perry video features LA lindy hoppers
I don't know a thing about singer Katy Perry. But her recent video for her song "Thinking of You" features a number of LA-based lindy hoppers, including Minn Vo, Shesha Marvin, Nick Williams, and several others. Gotta love Katy's period costumes and the general vintage look of the video. And that's a real jazz band…