The Click Heard Round the World

Felicia Day Dances "The Swing" **DOUBLE FACEPALM**

Like millions of other geeks, I have a huge nerd-crush on Felicia Day, actress / gamer / ubergeek. Miss Day apparently has a new video blog where she goes out and tries all sorts of different skills, from blacksmithing to crocheting. In this episode, Felicia goes out and learns how to "swing dance."

There's so many things wrong with this dance lesson:

• Felicia isn't allowed to "play the man part"
• She is told that the man is "in control"
• The instructor tells her that "submission is a good thing." WTF?

And of course the steps and the choreography could not be dorkier.

This is made more frustrating for me by the fact that this was filmed in Los Angeles, where there must be boatloads of great lindy instructors who could have shown her all the things that make swing dancing awesome -- connection, pulse, explosive movement, joyful expression. Instead, she learned "The Swing."

Why It Took Me 13 Years to Learn "The Big Apple" Dance

 

The "Big Apple" circle dance is one of those lindy hop traditions that I never got on the bandwagon about, despite seeing it performed countless times in my 13 years of lindy hopping.  Last night, I finally got the wherewithal to learn the full choreography and performed it with twenty or so others at the 9:20 Special in San Francisco.  It was my little way of honoring the memory of Frankie Manning, the man who choreographed this version of the dance and did much for lindy hop in general, and whose birthday is on May 26.

The origin's of the dance are obscure. But popular opinion is that "The Big Apple" came, not from New York City, from the "Big Apple Dance Club" in South Carolina, a swingin' dance spot for African-Americans in the 1930s, that became popular with white students in the area.  The dance grew in popularity and then exploded when Frankie Manning choreographed a version of the "Big Apple" for his dance troupe "Whiteys Lindy Hoppers."  

Frankie's version of the "Big Apple" (shown above) is the one that is celebrated and performed regularly around the world.  Just two weeks ago I saw it performed in Seoul, Korea at a dance club called "The Big Apple"!

Adorable Ostrich Chicks Are Adorable

At the California Academy of Sciences.  Where cute animals and solid science education come together.

 

Why is the Cal Academy Putting Baby Ostriches in an Earthquake Exhibit?

Hint: It's not just because they are super cute!

ABC news has a sweet story about one of the California Academy of Science's newest additions to the public floor: baby ostriches.  The cute little guys are there to help illustrate a story about the earth's evolution, and how tectonic movement has contributed to biodiversity over the eons.

Ostriches are part of a group of birds called ratites, which includes other flightless fowl including emu, kiwi, the rhea and the moa. Millenia ago, an ancient ancestor of all ratites lived on the earth when it was one giant super-continent.

As tectonic movement spread apart the continents to the form they are today, the ancient bird evolved into the different species of ratites we know today. By studying ratites, both living and extinct, we learn more about the story of our own earth and how it has changed over time.

Which is why ostriches are one of the featured stars in our new exhibit on earthquakes, opening this weekend.

Head over to the Cal Academy website for more information and tickets. I recommend either the Nightlife Party on May 31 or the gala premiere party on Friday May 25.

My First Maker Faire: Geeking Out at the Mecca of Makers and Hackers

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of experiencing my first Maker Faire , an annual gathering of 10,000+ DIY enthusiasts, hackers, crafters, artists, cosplayers, and citizen scientists at a huge fairground pavilion in San Mateo. Described as a "festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement," Maker Faire is a multi-space, multi-event gathering where simply navigating the schedule of activities and demonstrations is intimidating!

I went in with an open mind and and willingness to play, with a few talks in my schedule, but otherwise just letting serendipity guide me.  I was not dissappointed.

Entering the fairgrounds area, you feel like you are being transported to an alternate reality, one where mainstream, top-down commercial culture has been replaced with one where every person is not a spectator or a "market" but a co-creator. A giant dragon car slithers around the plaza, followed by a fuzzy green butterfly bus, and then a sassy talking red Dalek robot. Steampunk adventurers , giant mecha-warriors, and faeriefolk meander amidst the crowd. Interactive sculptures and installations beckon you to touch, crawl on, and play with them.

RIP Chuck Brown (1936-2012)

 

Chuck Brown, the King of Go-Go, has died at the age of 75.

I was lucky enough to catch him performing a rare concert in NYC in 2008.  Here's a short clip.

More about Chuck Brown, and many more clips on BoingBoing.

"Somebody That I Used to Know" : Sick Choreography by Anthony Lee (video)

 

Here's some amazing, subtle dancing to Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know."  Choreographer: Anthony Lee. Dancers: Charles Nguyen, Josh EspinoSa, Lawrence Devera and Lawrence Kao.

I watch this again and again and keep finding little moments that just kill me.

(via Mamazilla.)

 

Taste Test: Tteokbokki Snack from Seoul 7-Eleven

Tteokbokki is one of the most popular street snacks in Seoul, often being vended by older women in street carts everywhere you go, particularly late at night.  Tteokbokki is essentially little cylindrical rice cakes that are cooked in a spicy red sauce, and served on plates with toothpicks for about $2-3.  I don't really care for them, personally -- too gummy and too spicy and not much else.

Pictured above is a tteokbokki-like snack sold in 7-Elevens all over Seoul, and presumably Korea.  They are sort of the cheap chip-equivalent of the already cheap spicy rice cakes.  

So how are they, you ask? They are surprisingly sweet upon first taste, with a nice crunchiness, like a Dorito.  After the second or third one, the heat catches up to the sweet and becomes the main aftertaste. While I don't like tteokbokki rice cakes, I do like the tteokbokki chips. Something about the sweet followed by the spicy just works for me.

If I drank beer, I bet they would go good with one.

Dancing and Eating My Way Through Seoul

I just got home from a fantastic quick trip to Seoul, Korea. Seoul has long been on my "bucket list" of places to visit in the world, but I admit I didn't have many preconceptions going into the trip. 

Here are the neatest things I experienced in the Korean capital.  (Sorry, I have been busy traveling, so this is one long post, instead of a bunch of shorter ones.)

The Magical Cheonggyecheon Riverwalk in Seoul

Walking back home after a lovely dinner with Juan of Global Kids and our new friend in Korea, Gabe, we stumbled upon this magical walk along the Cheonggyecheon creek in Seoul.  Surrounded by the hustle and traffic of downtown Seoul, the stream is a peaceful respite from the urban hustle.

By day Cheonggyecheon is very pleasant. But at night, it's extra charming with the lights of the city around you reflecting off the water.  Couples meander arm in arm amidst the tree-lined walkways.