Sometimes I wonder why I spend any time at all in Second Life. I get all the weirdness, crazy mash-ups, and multi-cultural mixing that I want just wandering around New York City. Yesterday in Central Park was a good example. Paolo Lanna is the organizer of Central Park Swings, an irregular swing dance in front…
Beautiful NYC subway station cufflinks by Jen Pringle
My multi-talented friend Jen Pringle just presented to me a custom pair of cufflinks with subway stations on them that she made just for me! They came in a handsome tin that you can see here. The stations I had Jen mount were two of my favorite subway stops: the Canal Street stop in Chinatown…
War Child’s online peace march in Habbo Hotel today (video)
I dropped in on the "largest ever" online peace march organized by Warchild International in the teen virtual world of Habbo Hotel. Here’s some video I shot there. To call it a "march" was kind of a misnomer — it was basically 50-some avatars standing around and shouting "Peace" in the open chat. It was…
Sprinting through the Web2.0 Expo
I got a last minute opportunity (thanks, In Kenzo!) to check out the exhibition area of the Web2.0 Expo at the Javitz Center today. Very nerdy, very cool. I got to see this neat demo of the Microsoft Surface interface, which is really impressive up close. I ran into several friends including my colleague Rhiannon…
Decreasing Second Life’s Carbon Footprint: IBM launches “Virtual Green Data Center”
One of the debates surrounding virtual worlds is whether or not they decrease people’s "carbon footprint" or environmental impact. On the one hand, some argue that virtual worlds are greener ways for people to meet and collaborate, versus having to travel physically to each other using planes or cars. On the other hand, virtual worlds…
War Child International to organize “largest online protest ever” in Habbo Hotel
I just saw this on the War Child website: War Child and Habbo are teaming up for what promises to be the largest online protest ever. On 21st September, UN International Day of Peace, teens will gather in Habbo hotel to raise awareness about the effects of war. Habbo is a virtual community of millions…
The importance of getting your bike fitted for your body
I have been biking pretty heavily all summer — back and forth from Brooklyn to Manhattan, about 5.5 miles from my apartment in Fort Greene to my office in Curry Hill. Sometimes twice in the same day, if I have a class or dance that evening. It’s been a great workout that I enjoy, but…
Web 2.0 tools that I use (how you like them apples, Aliza?)
Modified version of awesome CC-licensed image by Stabilo-Boss This is in response to Aliza Sherman’s excellent blog post on Web2.0 tools that she uses in her daily life. Here is my list of Web2.0 tools I use on nearly a daily basis: Typepad.com: That’s the engine that drives this blog. Twitter: Micro-blogging FTW! I tend…
State Dept & Youtube join forces to spur citizen videos on democracy
The United States State Department, YouTube and a host of non-profits, educational institutions and media companies are collaborating on an interesting civic engagement project entitled "Democracy: Your Voice. Your Video." The project challenges amateur videographers from around the world to submit three-minute videos answering the question "Democracy is…" Lots of interesting aspects to this project. …
My friend Veronica in the METRO newspaper today!
There’s a very cute picture of my friend Veronica dancing on Governor’s Island yesterday in the NY edition of the METRO newspaper. She’s such a ham, so it’s no wonder they used her pic. Congrats, girl! I’m kicking myself that I had to miss the second day of swinging on Governor’s Island yesterday. My friends…