rikomatic's Profile

Chaka Khan's New Single "Like Sugar": Your Summer Jam Has Arrived!

Holy smokes, funk legend Chaka Khan has a new track out, and it's amazing. Could "Like Sugar" be funkier? Not possible. I look forward to the many dance videos featuring this track. Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You" was a... Continue reading

Posted Jul 6, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Feeling Both at Home and an Outsider: Why #BlackLindyHopMatters

Here's another reason why #blacklindyhopmatters. All this week I've been participating in the Get Free Hip-Hop Dance Festival, a week of urban dance classes, talks and competitions in San Francisco. Today, a panel of female artists were talking about feminism... Continue reading

Posted Jul 5, 2018 at Rikomatic

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The Fastest Fish: Mixing Risky Tech and Sea Science with Kids

I have on my desk a pile of plastic 3D-printed marine animal parts that I've kept for years. I've use it as a reminder of that: Technology can and often does behave in unexpected ways. Running a Digital Learning program involves a certain amount of risk and uncertainty. Plan accordingly.... Continue reading

Posted Jun 26, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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Marching in the 2018 SF Pride Parade with Cal Academy and #MuseumswithPRIDE

This weekend, I again had the privilege of marching in the San Francisco PRIDE Parade with the delegation from the California Academy of Sciences. We were part of the larger #MuseumswithPRIDE group, including folks from many local arts and cultural institutions, including SF MOMA, the DeYoung Art Museum, the Legion... Continue reading

Posted Jun 25, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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Competing (and Winning) a Lindy Hop Dance Contest in Singapore!

Photo Credit: Andrew Lin Yikai About a month ago I had a blast participating in a Jack&Jill dance contest in Singapore at their World Lindy Hop Day celebration. I finally got the video of the comp from local dancer Lionel... Continue reading

Posted Jun 21, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Fabulous Sisters of Japan: The Power and Drama of Waacking

I just can't get over how amazing this performance by the Fabulous Sisters of Japan was on the TV show "World of Dance." This is what blows me away about waacking when done at the highest level: the drama, the... Continue reading

Posted Jun 20, 2018 at Rikomatic

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On Cranky Visitors and Creating Positive Informal Science Experiences

This weekend I got to experience the wonders of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the finest aquariums in the world. We're so lucky to have this in Northern California. It was 100% a positive experience for me and my companion. Their exhibit spaces are incredibly well designed, showcasing some... Continue reading

Posted Jun 19, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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On Dining, Dancing and Infectious Happiness

Another fantastic weekend of fine music and dancing I was talking with Gilles on Saturday about what makes a superlative dining experience. It's more than just the food. It's the setting, the servers, the energy of the people eating there,... Continue reading

Posted Jun 18, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Changing Oil and Changing Frames

I got to practice changing my self-talk yesterday, after I picked up my scooter from the shop. When I arrived, what I thought was a $500 set of repairs and a tuneup turned out to be closer to $700. That... Continue reading

Posted Jun 16, 2018 at Rikomatic

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On the Perfect Pastry Cafe Experience

I had a small revelation this weekend about what makes a pleasurable pastry eating experience for me. I realized its much more than just the lamination of the dough, the kind of butter used, and the freshness of the fillings.... Continue reading

Posted Jun 11, 2018 at Rikomatic

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New Promo Video for Science Action Club

Check out the new promotional video about Science Action Club at the California Academy of Sciences. I think it tells the story of SAC really well! Continue reading

Posted Jun 8, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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Digital Civics Toolkit: Support the Next Generation of Digital Citizens

I'm quite excited about the new Digital Civics Toolkit, a suite of educational resources to "support youth to explore, recognize, and take seriously the civic potentials of digital life." A project that grew out of the MacArthur Research Network on Youth and Participatory Politics, the Digital Civics Toolkit is organized... Continue reading

Posted Jun 7, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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500 Queer Scientists: A Database of LGBTQ STEM Professionals

I love this new project 500 Queer Scientists, started by two scientists at the Cal Academy, to highlight the stories of LGBTQ science professionals. The goals of the project are to: Ensure the next STEM generation has LGBTQ+ role models; Help the current generation recognize they’re not alone; Create a... Continue reading

Posted Jun 5, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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Food Adventures in Singapore: Hawker Markets, Kaya Toast, Veggie Dim Sum, More Bougie Coffee

The second leg of my recent Asia tour was in the fabled city-state of Singapore. I've been to Singapore before, so I had some high expectations for the food scene, coming in. With some experience under my belt, and in... Continue reading

Posted May 30, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Food Adventures in Shanghai: Soup Dumplings, Street Eats and Bougie Coffee

I just got back from two weeks of travel in Shanghai and Singapore. A lot of that trip was spent going totally off diet and eating lots and lots of delicious food. Basically it was two weeks of cheat days.... Continue reading

Posted May 30, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Highlights from My Trip to Shanghai

Here are some of my favorite things that I encountered in Shanghai, in no particular order. Jianxifang A very touristy but still charming old neighborhood, centered around a tiny warren of narrow alleyways chock-a-block with shops and cafes. Some of... Continue reading

Posted May 27, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Talking (Awkwardly) about the Black Roots of Lindy Hop at WLHD Singapore

W This Saturday night, my friend Sing Lim and I were scheduled to give a presentation at the World Lindy Hop Day event in Singapore on "Frankie Manning and the Black Roots of Lindy Hop". There were about 75 dancers... Continue reading

Posted May 27, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Disneyland Shanghai: A Delightful Take on the House of the Mouse

Yesterday I had the most epic Disney adventure ever at Shanghai Disney Resort. This was the combination of a hairbrained idea I came up with in February ("What if I just flew to Shanghai to go to one of the... Continue reading

Posted May 18, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Climbing a V4 in a "Cave"

I'm really enjoying these bouldering problems in the "cave" section of my gym. It's neat trying to figure out how to scend these routes where I am basically on my back for most of the time. I'm no where close... Continue reading

Posted May 11, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Launch a Science Action Club Near You!

Designed for grades 5-8, Science Action Club makes it easy and fun to lead hands-on STEM in afterschool and summer camp—no experience necessary! Through games, projects, and exciting investigations, youth in Science Action Club explore nature, contribute to authentic science research, and design creative strategies to protect the planet. Each... Continue reading

Posted May 9, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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What to Do When T-Mobile Gives You Two Pet Bowties

I have a very tolerant kitty. Continue reading

Posted May 9, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Dancing to "Puttin on the Ritz" by Fred Astaire

I love this version of the song so much. Those drum breaks are awesome. I had fun improv-ing to this song this morning in Golden Gate Park. Continue reading

Posted May 5, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Off to Shanghai and Singapore Soon!

In a little under two weeks, I will be heading off on my next adventure: to Shanghai and Singapore! Singapore is one of my favorite cities in the world. It's like stepping into the future, full of pan-Asian awesomeness. I... Continue reading

Posted May 4, 2018 at Rikomatic

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#dancegoals: Bay Area Waackers in Lake Merritt

I love this video of a few of the amazing waackers in the Bay Area, shot around Lake Merritt, Oakland. Lots of my dance heroes in this video, including Alice, G-Funk, Karlita, MadGlad, Mikachu, Sabine, Shinobi Jaxx, and Tsunami the... Continue reading

Posted May 3, 2018 at Rikomatic

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Six Things “The Great British Bake Off” Taught Me about Leading “Scrummy” Youth Programs

I’ve been binge-watching the reality show “The Great British Bake Off” for the past couple of months. For those that haven’t watched it, “The Great British Bake Off” is a baking competition in the UK where amateur bakers compete in a weekly series of cooking challenges, set by two expert... Continue reading

Posted May 1, 2018 at Ranger Rik

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