My group the Social Science Research Council just announced a call for applications for a number of small grants we are offering to fund research on media policy and advocacy. The goal of the grants is to encourage collaborations between media activists and media researchers on research relevant to public policy. The first round will…
Media Justice position available at MEP
My colleague Saskia Fischer at the Media Empowerment Project recently announced that she is leaving as program manager of the MEP to move back to Europe. The MEP is currently search for a replacement. Here’s the description: Project Manager, The Media Empowerment Project of the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc…
Pictures of bella Italia
Here’s some of my pictures of Italy, from Florence to Positano to Pompeii to Rome. I’ll spare you most of the boring tourist shots that everyone has and focus on what I think are the more interesting ones. Of course, I had to take the one of Cindy and I at the Trevi fountain, which…
The future of tour guide technology, Part I
I’m back from a lovely trip to Italy with my girl Cindy. It was a fantastic trip, from the magnificent art of Florence to fun and sun on the Amalfi Coast to the rich history and vibrant present of Rome. Visiting the ancient city of Pompeii a couple of days ago, it was obvious that…
The Simple Pleasures of Positano
Cindy and I are spending a few days away from the hubbub of urban Italy hanging out in the resort town of Positano, on the Amalfi Coast. Called the most photographed fishing village in the world, Positano is dominated by steep cliffs on which 4,000-ish Positanesi have built these pastel-colored homes leaning out dramatically into…
Young kittens in love
My cat Mole and Cindy’s cat Vespa have become inseperable these past weeks, as they have become comfortable around each other. I caught Mole licking Vespa’s face the other day, and they love to chase each other all over the house. Now we have to worry about what is going to happen when Cindy returns…
Ciao, Belli (Off to Italy)
I will be travelling in Italy for the next week with my girl Cindy. Cin is already there studying Italian in Florence, already near fluent I’m sure. Read her blog if you want to hear about skeevy Italian men and embarassing American students abroad. Don’t know how much internet access I will have. But I…
Chinese hyper-nationalism in virtual worlds
Global Voices Online highlighted today a fascinating controversy in China that arose out of the image of a rising sun appearing in the Chinese multi-player online game “The Fantasy of the Journey West”. Appearing in the Blog East South North West, the blogger reports that there was a mob scene of cursing players at the…
World Cup 06: Second Life armchair athletes unite!
Cool dude Nobody Fugazi offered up his house in Second Life to hang out and chat during the 2006 World Cup match today. Not as good as watching in a crowded bar of football fans, but better than watching alone. Unfortunately no one got the rights to re-broadcast the World Cup in-world, like the simultaneous…
My birthday jam (video)
Here is a brief video of my birthday jam at a swing dance on July 6. Birthday jams are a tradition of various social dance communities, including salsa, West Coast Swing and lindy hop. It’s a very sweet way of celebrating someone’s birthday where a bunch of people line up to dance with the birthday…