media, museums & more

Is the blogging adventure over?

jsantascoy — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:05:52 +0000

My faithful gentle readers, I haven’t blogged here in a long time because I’m either going to repurpose this blog or dump it altogether. When I first started blogging, I was engaged in program/content design in the museum field, and since then I have moved to creating content strategy for social media & websites.

I know so much more about blogging than when I first started. Like, don’t start a blog unless you know your purpose and can outline it clearly. Write five blog entries before you start, to make sure your committed to the subject. And, are you blogging to make money, show off your skills, or what? One thing is for sure, blogging is hard work and it takes discipline.

I originally started a blog to improve my writing skills and show employers that I could write content. My blog helped me land jobs, because employers could see my writing, and I imagine a lot of my competition didn’t have such accessible writing samples.

In an interview I was asked what the goals were for this blog. I hadn’t defined them yet. My blog was too broad, covering media, migration, health, etc. You can see what I mean by reviewing my earlier posts. So, you want to know what your goals are, even if you’re blogging casually. I’m starting out by reading 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence on Mashable.

This might be my last blog entry. After all, a lot of the action is over on Facebook.

Thanks so much for reading!

Switch on the Starlight: The World Night

jsantascoy — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:38:04 +0000

There’s nothing like watching a movie under a starlit sky. Or being in a darkened theater. In my intro to media course years ago, the prof told us that celebrity watching (=star watching) has taken over as entertainment. As a society, we thrive on gazing upon celebrities’ lives, their whereabouts, clothes, and behavior. The ancients used to go outside and stargaze. I advocate a return to true stargazing, and for that, we need to defend our right to starlight so that we’ll be able to see the stars.

Tonight (April 20, 2010) is the World Night, and people all over the globe will be turning down their lights. So I hope you’ll turn down the lights with me and enjoy the starlight, tonight and every night.

Buffalo! To the Moon!

jsantascoy — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:26 +0000

Buffalo! To the Moon! from Orland Nutt on Vimeo.

Lunar Week is April 17-23, 2010. Enjoy this magical video and be on your way to the moon.

Erykah Badu-Barefoot & Brave

jsantascoy — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:44:29 +0000

Erykah jumped into the audience barefoot at the Fox Theater in Oakland. What’s the big deal about being barefoot? My spiritual mentor taught me that you can absorb the energy of a place if you are barefoot. So Erykah jumping into the crowd, barefoot, represented strength (knowing she could contain her energy) and vulnerability (knowing she could trust that the audience wouldn’t hurt her) to me. I was impressed by the way she let the crowd move her from one side of the audience to the other. This lady has courage, and WHAT a performer.

I wish my iPhone hadn’t panicked and deleted my videos from the concert before I had a chance to back them up. I’d be able to show you her toes close-up, because I was in the first row, pressed to the gate.

Erykah is tiny, dazzling, energetic, and I can’t wait for her new songs coming out on March 30, 2010. Check out her show if you can.

Peep Show Architecture

jsantascoy — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:28:43 +0000

How many hotels are designed to be peep show opps?! This wnyc video makes me look at the language of hotel architecture in a new way. Great music by Orquestra Popular de Paio Pires.

Haul Videos: Harmful or Helpful?

jsantascoy — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:12:23 +0000

A haul is a video where someone talks about what they buy, usually from a particular store. They can review the items or just talk about how cute the things they bought are with no advice as to whether the buy was worth the money. Lots of people are slamming hauler Blair AKA juicystar07 because they’re disgusted by her consumerism. I think she’s a teen with an interest in clothes, nothing horrible about that, and these videos may lead to gainful employment later. If you’ve ever tried to make a video where it’s just you and the camera, you know it’s not the easiest thing, and Blair could be getting good experience shooting herself. So is hauling a good or bad use of time?

Astronomy, you & me: Night Sky Network

jsantascoy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:05:49 +0000

I’m stoked about my new job at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific as the Outreach Coordinator. We run Night Sky Network a free online service where amateur astronomy clubs and the public can find out about astronomy events and connect with each other. My priority is to get more clubs to use site. I have a tight deadline.

So I’m working on a plan. I’m thinking of combining traditional outreach methods (calling, writing in mags, etc) with new media/social media. I’d love to hear your input and if you know of any organizations that I should know about who’ve done notable outreach campaigns, please cue me in.

The picture above is part of a bigger mural by Carlos Callejo. The warrior is outside of the library and he’s inviting people into the public library in El Paso that’s closest to the bridge to Juárez. The mural is a great way to do everyday outreach and reminds us of the connection between traditional and contemporary astronomy.

Rapper's Delight is tasty everyday & great for Fridays

jsantascoy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:45:10 +0000

I love big bad Hank.

Powers of 10 in San Francisco at GAFFTA

jsantascoy — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:20:33 +0000

I read about GAFFTA’s New Years Eve party called Powers of 10. I need more financial power before I can check out their bash.

thankful

jsantascoy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:51:02 +0000