As a swing dancer and a hip-hop dancer I'm ambivalent about how hip-hop music is used in West Coast Swing. On the one hand, I'm impressed with the difficulty in the choreography and cleverness of the moves. But on the other hand, I find the "up"-ness of WCS and the smoothness of the movement…
Pics from My Trip to Ukraine
I finished uploading most of my pictures from my short trip to Kiev and Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. Kiev and Ivano-Frankivsk are lovely Eastern European cities with beautiful architecture, full of cafes and parks and city life. Really grateful I got the opportunity to visit both places! Check out the full set of pics here.
They Set Us Up the Bomb: Police Repression, Bomb Threats, & Digital Democracy in Ukraine
Today was so strange I don’t even know where to start. I’m in Ivano-Frankivsk, a small city in Western Ukraine, where I was brought by the US Embassy to lead some trainings in digital media for local NGOs. I’ve done a few of these technology trainings for civil society organizations around the world, and had…
“Built for Speed” Exhibit at the Cal Academy Opens Tomorrow!
What marine animals swim the fastest? How many bones does an orca have? What does a squid and an F-16 plane have in common? Find out at the new "Built for Speed" exhibit at the Cal Academy! Today is the member's preview of the new "Built for Speed" exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. I…
“Making” as a Learning Methodology: Flow States and Risk
I'm participating in a MOOC (Massively Open Online Course) put on by Mozilla called "Teach the Web" for the next couple of months. It seems like a good way to get exposed to new tools and new approaches to teaching digital literacies to our youth at the Academy and beyond. This week's assignment is to…
Ruby Jewel’s Dark Chocolate Cookie, Mint Ice Cream Sandwich
Yesterday I sampled one of Ruby Jewel's ice cream sandwiches, which my local Andronico's happens to carry: organic mint ice cream and two dark chocolate cookies. In the notes on the packaging, I learned that Portland, Oregon based Ruby Jewel tries to be a responsible small business: We source our ingredients from as many local,…
“Star Trek: Enterprise” : Sexy Vulcans, Space Marines, and a Hit-or-Miss Run
As a Trekkie, I have long had on my list to catch up on the "Star Trek: Enterprise" TV series that ran from 2001-2005. This week I finally finished going through most of the four-season run of the show, and I have to say I'm both glad to be finished and a bit sad that…
Cal Academy Teens Launch Environmental Social Media Campaign: “Put A Cap on Plastic Use”
I'm happy to share the news that yesterday a group of teens, as a result of their participation in a California Academy of Sciences program, launched a social media campaign to educate the public about plastic waste. Called "Put a Cap on Plastic Use," their campaign focuses on three social media tools: An Instagram Photo Challenge…
First Impressions of the New Exploratorium: Bigger, Brighter, Geekier
Today I got my first chance to check out the new Exploratorium museum located on Pier 15 on the Embarcadero. I was there for a digital learning symposium with fifty other researchers, developers and educators in the field. We were lucky enough to get a guided tour of the new Exploratorium facilities, barely open for…
Lindy Hop, Hip Hop and More in Capital Cities Music Vid
Happy Saturday! Check out this fun music video featuring a number of lindy hoppers, as well as hip-hop, ballroom, disco skaters and more. The band is LA-based alt-dance duoCapital Cities, performing their song "Safe and Sound." According to Capt Morgan, dancers include Mikey Pedroza, Nikki Marvin, Marshall Watson, Minn Vo, Nick Williams, Stefanie Klausmann, and Lou…