I’ve been helping coordinate a national campaign to get people to buy this amazing autobiography of a pioneering swing dancer entitled Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop on May 26 from Amazon.com. Saturday May 26 is Frankie Manning’s 93rd birthday, believe it or not. To celebrate, we are asking FoF (Friends of Frankie) everywhere to…
Grassroots net radio saved from going dark by Sound Exchange today
Finally some good news on the net radio front. Just when it seemed like hundreds of net radio stations around the country were about to go dark after July 15, the music industry group Sound Exchange has agreed to stave off execution for a bit. RAIN reports that this morning that Sound Exchange, in response…
Amy Wilson’s real paintings of virtual vistas
Bryan Campen sent me news about this fun art book Postcards from Second Life, created by Amy Wilson. Amy has created a series of lovely watercolors chronicling her travels in the virtual world. I love how her broad strokes and washes lend a dream-like quality to the fantastic vistas one sees everyday in SL. And…
Oh it’s come to this: I’m counting food points
A couple of weeks ago my doctor dropped the bombshell on me that I was on the verge of getting diabetes. On his advice, I’ve slowly been trying to modify my diet to reduce my sugar and starch intake and increase my vegetable intake. My sister works at Weight Watchers, so she recommended I try…
“Baghdad Streets” virtual exhibit — a maze of shell-shocked lives
I stopped in briefly to check out the powerful new interactive exhibit "Baghdad Streets" organized by PT Witte on Better World Island (teleport SLURL). "Baghdad Streets" is an extension of the PT’s real-life-work "bringing the truth of life in the killing zone of Baghdad" to the awareness of as many people as possible. Walking through…
Diplo Foundation launches Diplomacy Island
Chatting with Cobi Laval (left), an advisor for Diplo and an old friend from my WSIS days. The Diplo Foundation announces that they have launched a new Diplomacy Island in Second Life (teleport SLURL) to "explore new possibilities for diplomatic representation and interaction." I have known Diplo for years for their impressive work at the…
Dance circles and letting myself shine
I got a small revelation at Quaker meeting this morning, thinking about the Dance Parade yesterday. I was replaying in my mind the spontaneous dance circles that formed all over Washington Square Park as more and more dancers and spectators started pouring into the square after the end of the parade. Walking around the park…
I’m in the New York Times, sorta
The New York Times has a nice write-up of the Dance Parade that I participated in yesterday. I even get a brief mention. Not by name, but I was definitely the "zoot-suited lindy hopper" being talked about: Some spectators were even moved to join in. Stephen Murray, 47, a financial adviser, came with his wife,…
Dance Parade was fun!
Just got home after a crazy fun time at the first annual Dance Parade in New York. Lots of really amazing and strange folks dancing up a storm. Our group of swing dancers numbered around 20, following Mr. Swank’s beautiful PT Cruiser, which was pumping out swingin’ jazz for the dancers. The lovely and talented…
Interview w Cynthia Millman, co-author of Ambassador of Lindy Hop
KattenPejst from Sweden did a cool interview with my friend Cynthia Millman, co-author of the amazing autobiography Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. You can find it on KattenPejst’s cool blog "Swing, Jazz and Blues." The autobiography is now available on Amazon and other bookstores soon. Clearly a labor of love, Cynthia has devoted more…