December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse

This video was shot in New Jersey. No wonder the planes have been stuck.


December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

EDIA: Make the Call

By Paul Overton at Every Day Is Awesome:

Somebody needs you to call them today, or email, or facebook, or tweet. Somebody's name popped into your head today, maybe even someone you haven't seen in a while, and you may not know why, but it's important that you get in touch and you don't wait.

Mary Zimmerman's Arabian Nights

Just saw Mary Zimmerman's "Arabian Nights" at Berkeley Rep. If you're in the Bay Area I highly recommend doing whatever you need to do to see it before the show closes at the end of the month.

12 Gays of Christmas

Best. Xmas Dance. Ever.

News: Man Cured of HIV

For the first time, a man has been declared officially cured of HIV.

Read the full story at Gizmodo

Love Sounds Stupid

Paul over at Every Day Is Awesome continues to poke at life and I love it.

I was having this conversation the other day with a friend of mine about the idea of loving yourself and the fact that if you don’t like yourself, let alone love yourself, your capacity for loving others is greatly diminished. In the middle of the conversation we took a detour into why it is so hard to even utter the words “self love” and how we always feel like hippie stereotypes who are living outside the “real world” when we say it.
I’ve heard many other people say the same thing about feeling stupid when they talk about love, and especially love that is directed toward themselves. But if we can’t do it, look at the price we pay. If I can’t escape the feeling of being mired in self-criticism, I can spend whole days flogging myself for my imaginary crimes, leaving little time for anything that might actually matter. What good is that?

Read the whole post: Love Sounds Stupid

Dopamine Makes You Addicted to Seeking Information

Interesting, perhaps especially for those of us who are constantly looking for new things online:

The myth — You may have heard that dopamine controls the “pleasure” systems of the brain: that dopamine makes you feel enjoyment, pleasure, and therefore motivates you to seek out certain behaviors, such as food, sex, and drugs.
It’s all about seeking — The latest research, though is changing this view. Instead of dopamine causing us to experience pleasure, the latest research shows that dopamine causes seeking behavior. Dopamine causes us to want, desire, seek out, and search. It increases our general level of arousal and our goal-directed behavior. (From an evolutionary stand-point this is critical. The dopamine seeking system keeps us motivated to move through our world, learn, and survive). It’s not just about physical needs such as food, or sex, but also about abstract concepts. Dopamine makes us curious about ideas and fuels our searching for information. The latest research shows that it is the opioid system (separate from dopamine) that makes us feel pleasure.

Read the full article here. 

Miracles Club - "Church Song"

This goes out to all my dancer friends. We have some new moves to learn.
Also: What's with the goat?

MIRACLES CLUB - "CHURCH SONG" from Mexican Summer on Vimeo.

Beauty Academy of Kabul (Documentary)

Finally saw The Beauty Academy of Kabul. Highly recommended, especially if all you know about Afghanistan is guns and devastation. A great story about people.

Minimalist Muppets by Eric Slager

Kinda in love with these:


by Eric Slager

Drunk History: Oney Judge's story as told by Jen Kirkman

This is my favorite episode of Drunk History so far:

Out of the mouths of babes: Poetry

Beatboxing Flute "Peter and the Wolf"

As a kid I nearly wore out our LP of "Peter and the Wolf." Here it is beautifully re-imagined by Greg Patillo.

Grandma's Superhero Therapy

Sacha Goldberger's 91-year-old grandmother was feeling depressed. To cheer her up, he suggested that they dress her up and take a series of outrageous photographs. The results are fantastic.
I'm absolutely in love.

From original post in My Modern Met.

Dear Nerd Girls: A Young Nerd Girl Needs Your Support

Please read this story from Topless Robot and then write to support this young nerd girl. She's cool.

Andy Hobsbawm's call to use Great Creativity to effect change

Andy Hobsbawm puts out a call for all of us to use Great Creativity.

The Way We Get By (Documentary)

Today I share with you a documentary about gratitude, love, community, and veterans:
The Way We Get By by Aron Gaudet

Brene Brown on embracing vulnerability & feeling worthy of being loved

This is a fantastic talk that everyone should hear. A research-based explanation of the work that I am now doing. It's about examining shame, embracing vulnerability, the power of being fully seen, and believing we're each worthy of being loved.



I also highly recommend her books, The Gifts of Imperfection (especially for anyone who feels the need to get things "Right") and I Thought It Was Just Me - But It Isn't (written for women and useful to all).

Gender Subversion Kit

Just plain true.
From CrimethInc

Banksy Halloween costume.

George Schnakenberg's Halloween costume was amazing.

Megachurch Pastor Comes Out to Support LGBT Teens

Wow. Megachurch pastor comes out after learning about the bullying and teen suicides.

"To think about saving a teenager, yeah, I'll risk my reputation for that."

Watch live streaming video from bishopjimswilley at livestream.com

Literally - The Oatmeal

Another great & hilarious post from The Oatmeal: What it means when you say "literally."

President Obama: It Gets Better

It makes me so happy that our President recorded a message to say: It Gets Better.

Google Employees say: It Gets Better

The Fringe Benefits of Failure

JK Rowling's commencement speech at Harvard is a great touchstone.

"We touch other people's lives simply by existing." 

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Read the transcript here.

Stumbling on Happiness by Dan Gilbert

"Stumbling on Happiness" is the funniest psychology book I've ever read. It's also dang smart and thought provoking.

Councilman Joel Burns says: It Gets Better

Thank you, Joel Burns. Having this speech as a matter of public record in Texas is stunning. I, a Californian, am humbled.

The True Size of Africa

This is excellent. Do you think (despite a lifetime of seeing Northern-Hemisphere-favoring maps) you can visualize how big Africa is? Really?

via Good

Cheap Meat is Too Costly

Ugh. Photo of "mechanically separated meat" via the Huffington Post.

City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story (Documentary)

I absolutely love City Lax - it's a surprising story with great characters and wonderfully directed.



Full disclosure: My sister-in-law is the Director. Of course, I gain nothing but loss of reputation and risk losing your trust if I give a review I don't believe in. And I'm not the only one praising this film.

Savage Love Letter of the Day: Almost Sorry

Dan Savage captures perfectly the rage and frustration so many I know feel - and the reasoning.

This is What Global Warming Looks Like

A friend of mine made this video. It makes me think that the earth's immune system is trying to rid itself of a dangerous parasite. I'm hoping we can get into a more benevolent relationship with our host planet.

Martin Seligman on Positive Psychology

Psychology has been disease-focused. Martin Seligman lays out a different possibility for psychology's future.

IDEO: The Future of the Book

There IDEO goes again, making my dreams come true...


The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.

Wheel Number

mesmerizing and gorgeous


wheel number from E and M-P on Vimeo.

Stephen King: On Writing

This is the first Stephen King book I've read. And I'm loving it. Really nuts-and-bolts advice for writers interwoven with an interesting autobiography.

On Amazon.

First-Ever Double Backflip in a Wheelchair

wow wow wow.
also: yikes!

Cute Girl Has A Catchy Dance

Good one.
Off to dance now.

Cleary & Harding: We No Speak Americano

watch. love. repeat.

Mesa family grows food in swimming pool

A greenhouse with a tilapia pond, hydroponic garden & chicken coop? Impressive conversion of an old swimming pool.



Read the whole article.

Asian Ken Doll

uh...what?

via Disgrasian

Muslims and Islam Were Part of Twin Towers' Life

You, my friends, know that my archnemesis is Either/Or. This NY Times article gives us further ammunition in the fight for inclusion and understanding.

Campus Battleground (Documentary)

I am forever thankful that I worked on Campus Battleground. What I learned from the thoughtful students and teachers that we interviewed stays with me to this day, particularly affecting how I understand the emotions and rhetoric that have been everpresent since Sept 11, 2001. I urge you to see it and I welcome your conversation about it.

 

Gottlieb Jazz Photos

Hey jazz fans: Check out this fabulous collection of photos from the Library of Congress - all copyright free and available on Flickr!

Secrets of Good Dancing Uncovered

A study was just published: "Male dance moves that catch a woman's eye"

Make sure your torso, head & neck movements show variability, flexibility, and creativity. "In animals, the male has to be in good physical quality to carry out these movements. We think the same is happening in humans."

The "good" dancer:


The "bad" dancer:


via BBC

News: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Ruled Unconstitutional!

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ruled unconstitutional by a Federal judge!

read article

Lego Fireflies: Owl City

Two kids (ages 11 & 13) made this without any help and surprised their dad with it. Astonishing! Let's hear it for fostering creativity!

Canon 7D vs. Barbie Video Girl

Can you be entranced by a camera comparison video? I think that just happened to me.


Canon 7D vs. Barbie Video Girl from Brandon Bloch on Vimeo.

Art by Andrea Dorfman

This goes out to all artists and the artistically inclined - a sweet ditty fo those times we doubt if it's worth it or doubt we can do what we're called to do.

How to Be Alone

I love this video's style and the message. As someone who's been through cycles of along-ness it's a great practice. And this video is a wonderful reminder of why it's worth it. So fun that's it's a little how-to on being with yourself.

News: Prop 8 Ruling Final Text

The full text of the Prop 8 ruling has been posted on Scribd. Conclution:

Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Elderly Couple of 62 Years Play Piano at Mayo Clinic

Want to grin like crazy? Watch this. He's 90. They've been married for 62 years. And they did a spontaneous show when they spotted a piano in the lobby of the Mayo Clinic.

Tic Tac Micha

I love Tic Tac Micha!

Psycho Killer - by Durham Ukelele Orchestra

Hey ukelele fans - check out DUO (Durham Ukelele Orchestra). Fun!

Women at Work in the 1940s

Bored Panda shared a great series of photos of women at work in the 1940s.

Ridiculously Romantic Wedding Ring

Check out this Ridiculously Romantic Wedding Ring on DudeCraft.
just: wow. I love this.
also check out the "talking ring" he created to propose - a ring etched with his proposal on the outside to be played through a tiny record player.

Ready, Set, Bag! (Documentary)

If you haven't yet seen Ready, Set, Bag! make a plan to find it. I absolutely loved this documentary. It's  a story about being proud of whatever it is that you've chosen to do - and that's something we can all relate to.

'Not a word' is not an argument

Hysterical and fabulous post from Sentence first: An Irishman's blog about the English language.

"History and sense are rarely allowed to interfere with peeving."

"...automatic deference to dubious pseudo-rules is associated with substandard prose and a penchant for dogma."

"Repressive lexi-quibbling overlooks the fact that language is fiercely playful and productive. It invites our creativity."

I'm in love.

 

 

Thomas Hawk's "$2 Portraits Project"

"The goal of the [$2 Portrait] project is to increase human interaction."

Thank you, Thomas Hawk, for a wonderful idea that has changed my experience of being asked for money and which has improved my world.

See the Flickr Pool

The Creativity Crisis

This article in Newsweek talks about the decline of American creativity. Time to get creative about encouraging creativity!

We Got That B Roll!!

This goes out to all my filmmaker friends: We Got That B Roll!!

The last person out of the closet? The bisexual male

Amazing to see this article on CNN on bisexual men, particularly with the level of distinctions that they're making here. I'm so happy to have this in such a mainstream outlet.

The Big Picture: Caught in the oil

ugh. I missed these photos of the Gulf Oil Spill when they came out a couple weeks ago. As the oil hits land it's even easier to see the effects.

Ryan Montbleau Band: Stretch

Thankful for being introduced to this band. And very much connecting with this song.

Pachelbel Rant by Rob Paravonian

A former cellist was deeply scarred by Pachelbel's Canon and takes it out in comedy.

CANON de PAgagNINI

This Pachelbel's Canon in D is hilarious! (Never thought I'd say that)
Now I really want to see Pagagnini in "concert"

Rock A Hula Baby

So proud of my HulaLindy sisters - and totally delighted by their super-fun number at the Na Lei Hulu fundraiser!
(also: I want one of those dresses now. With petticoat and wig, of course)

The LXD at TED

LXD at TED. Amazing.

People: the Philippines' best export

So when I say that "the Philippines' biggest export is people" I'm not joking. Eleven percent of the economy is remittances.

Read the article in The Economist.

News: Obama declares King Kamehameha Day

June 10, 2010, has been declared King Kamehameha Day. Read the Presidential Proclamation.

State Dept. Changes Passport Policy to Allow Gender Change

Very exciting & major progress for transgender rights! The State Department has changed its policy to allow transgendered passport applicants to get a new passport that accurately reflects their gender - without requiring that they be post-surgery.
Read the press release from the U.S. State Department.

On the Dangers of Social Dancing, c. 1921

In 1921, Dr. R. A. Adams wrote The Social Dance, addressing the dangers of dance. He warned women against an early death should they choose to continue on their paths of destruction on the dance floors.

Visit the dancing woman the day "after the ball is over;" hear her weak voice, and look into her listless eyes; note her general lassitude, observe that she has scarcely any life left in her, and you will get some idea of the effects of the dance.

Read more in the original article from the Orlando Examiner.

Hellzapoppin, Then and Now

One of the top highlights from Frankie95 was the recreation of the Helzapoppin routine. This video captures that performance beautifully, with a great mashup of the original. The only thing it doesn't show is how insanely the crowd reacted at the time - or how it brought tears to my eyes seeing it again just now.

Life 2.0 (Documentary)

I saw Life 2.0 at SFIFF and definitely recommend it. It is, at minimum, a glimpse into a particular time and (virtual) place. It's also a tale of longing and belonging (or not).

Emancipator

My favorite music from the weekend: Emancipator

Artist: Gregorio de Masi

LIB invited artists to paint live throughout the weekend. I loved Gregorio de Masi's work and ideas.

Perspectives of Poverty

Duncan McNicholl over at Water Wellness is doing a really interesting project about "spin" and portrayals of African poverty.

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

We should all be able to say a list like this with equal enthusiasm & sincerity, yes?

ArcAttack!

Visualize a man in a metal mesh suit playing with electricity from giant Tesla coils which are used as musical instruments. That's ArcAttack!

Tiny Sparks Design - prints on wood

Another artist I really liked at MakerFaire: Bradley Boggie of Tiny Sparks Design. He's screenprinting onto finely sanded wood - beautiful pieces with a slightly raised texture.

WoodBuddy

Completely fell for the delightful and impressive dry-needle-felted WoolBuddy creations of Jackie Huang. No stitching!

Just wonderful.

Stuart Breidenstein

Saw Stuart Breidenstein's work for the first time this weekend. Love it.

Caution: Jazz Hands

Can someone make this sign for me for real please?

originally on Flickr

CRUDE Fight for the First Amendment

CRUDE's legal battle has hugely wide-reaching implications for investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking. Read the article on Kickstarter.

Silent Beats by Jon M Chu

Love this short by Jon M Chu.
Great visual storytelling.

Flash Mob birthday

Now this is an awesome birthday present! Happy birthday, Mukhtar!

Recommended: "Girlfriend" at Berkeley Rep

Tonight I saw Girlfriend at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and highly recommend it. You'll come away singing and filled with that warm first-love glow.

Read up on this wonderful musical based on Matthew Sweet's influential album.

The 52 Project by Anna Marie Padillo

Week 19: Ode to San Francisco, part 2
From the 52 Project by Anna Marie Padillo (aka homesliced)
It's just so awesome, I had to share it!

by homesliced