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I'm proud of the work we did to put together this video announcing our newest class of fellows.  These people are amazing and it's always a challenge to effectively communicate their stories through social media.  This year, I think we nailed it.

This month was so busy, I almost forgot that I had purchased two tickets to the Dark was the Night concert at Radio City last night.  Luckily, Chelsea had it in her calendar and we were able to re-print the tickets at a friend's house yesterday.

This show featured The Dirty Projectors, David Byrne, My Brightest Diamond, Bon Iver, Feist, The National, and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.  It was pretty amazing.  I was super impressed with The Dirty Projectors, but my favorite song was an instrumental/collaborative version of Bon Iver's Flume.

Brooklyn Vegan has a comprehensive review and great photos of the show.




Bon Iver -- Flume

Chelsea and I are engaged!  It happened this weekend in Brooklyn, and I thought I'd upload the special engagement playlist... optimistically titled, "Yes."

 

Yes

 

I saw this brilliant video yesterday (hat tip to silicon alley insider), and it finally hit me why it is that after more than a year of periodic tweeting, I'm still not getting the hang of it.  Sure, I have Twinkle on my iPhone, tweetdeck and twirl on my desktop, and I have the twitter stream connected to my blog and facebook... but, when it comes down to it, I'm still afraid that my own commentary on my life will be of no interest or utility to people.

It's novel to be able to hear the inane commentary of celebrities, thought leaders, and politicians... and it's brilliant for blasting out live alerts in emergencies, conducting straw poles, and searching through real-time sentiment, but for me, I think twitter is more about listening than talking.  For those of you who know me, this probably comes as no surprise.

Now, on to the hilarious video:

 


Twouble with Twitters

Check out the coolness:



This is a sweet mashup of haiku's learning environment with another web 2.0 software, Noteflight.  Noteflight is based in Cambridge, MA and is dedicated to writing and sharing music online with an elegant little flash app. 

This could be dynamite for music education and learning.  I'm sure I would have been a lot more dedicated to my "You the composer" assignments with tools like this.

I saw my first show of tap dance last night at The Joyce theater in Manhattan.  We saw Savion Glover mix it up with Flamenco music and rhythms.  Thanks to Chelsea for buying the tickets!

We sat in the front row and Chelsea made friends with a 10-year-old boy sitting next to us.  At the end of the show, she asked the kid if the show was good.  He responded with indignation, "No, it was superb!"  I thought that was hilarious.

Here's a youtube clip of a different performance... it gives you the general idea.



Flamenco & Tap José Greco & Savion Glover

The New York Times did a great little web slideshow yesterday based on a two-week visit to New York from photographer, James Hill.  I love the part where he talks about the light of the city.



Hat tip: mom

It's a little depressing to see my hometown exhibited as the most economically depressed region in the country.  But on the other hand, it's kind of awesome that Elkhart was Obama's destination on his first field trip.

Here are the opening remarks:

President Obama's Remarks at Townhall Meeting in Elkhart, Indiana PT1

I thought this was brilliant.

Chelsea and I just got back from our long weekend in North Carolina. We had a great time visiting friends and touring around… and a really great time eating.  Here are the top five restaurant experiences from the trip:

1. Magnolia Grill – Durham, NC (http://www.magnoliagrill.net/)

   Magnolia was recommended by everyone we talked to. For good reason! It's the "finest" dining we did during the trip, but was still a bargain by nyc standards. We were seated in the elevated bar area which gave us a great view of the open kitchen.

   We split the winter greens salad and the cheese grits soufflé as a first course. The soufflé was unique concoction of grits in a form with a mushroom sauce that was pretty spectacular. We ordered the scallops and pork for our entrees and both were deliciously prepared with southern twists. Dessert, unfortunately, would have been impossible.

   

2. Allen & Son – Chapel Hill, NC (http://www.yelp.com/biz/allen-and-son-pit-cooked-bar-b-q-chapel-hill)

   Allen and Son Pit Cooked Bar-B-Q offers an inconvenient location, brisk (but competent) service, and an unremarkable interior setting. It's a good thing they serve unbelievably delicious BBQ. The place was bustling for lunch on Friday at 2pm. The pulled pork sandwiches were really really terrific (as was the peanut butter pie). The fried okra and baked beans were simply adequate as a sideshow to the BBQ main event.

   

    

   

    

   

    

3. Taqueria la Vaquita – Durham, NC (http://www.lavaquitanc.com)

   This little taqueria was hard to find, but worth the trip. It's a tiny place with a plastic cow on the roof. It's carry out only, and it was freeeezing outside, so we had to eat in the car. We sampled a taco w/ Barbacoa, burrito w/ carnitas, and a cheese quesadilla. The highlight here is the handmade tortillas, succulent meats, and fresh veggies. So, in essence, it's all pretty amazing.

   

    

   

    

   

4. Vin Rouge – Durham, NC (http://www.ghgrestaurants.com/vinrouge/vinrouge.html)
   
   We didn't really give Vin Rouge a proper go, but we did stop by for a cheese plate and wine on our first night in town. The triple-cream brie was delicious and our server Theo was excellent. He gave us lot's of tips on foodie culture in the triangle… and took our picture!
   
   
   
5. Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe – Chapel Hill, NC (http://www.yelp.com/biz/ye-olde-waffle-shoppe-chapel-hill)

   
   This place was our only breakfast outing that included real southern biscuits... I'm just not sure I understand the appeal.  The spicy breakfast sausage, however, elevated the otherwise standard diner fare.

   

   

6. Honorable Mentions:
   1. Duck Rabbit Milk Stout Beer – From The Federal
   2. Bratwurst from Milltown
   3. Bar Food from Spotted Dog
   4. Falafel from Jasmine Mediterranean Bistro
   5. Breakfast at Weaver Street Market