Tomorrow, Saturday July 11th, starting at 8am EST, President Barack Obama will be giving a historic address from Ghana. For the first time in a US presidential address, you can participate in a global conversation with other people from around the world using SMS text messaging, Twitter (using the hashtag "obamaghana"), and from with the…
Wall Street Journal video on Frankie Manning and lindy hop! (video)
Fellow lindy hopper Elva prepared this really neat video blog "They're Still Doing the Lindy Hop" on the Wall Street Journal site about the lindy hop renaissance. I get a couple of quotes in there about lindy hop and the future of this great dance. Elva also got some really dope swing footage in there!
Rebirth Brass Band funks it up tonight at B.B. Kings! (video)
I just got home from catching the legendary Rebirth Brass Band of New Orleans just tearing it up at B.B. Kings in Times Square tonight. The ensemble filled the packed club with their unique, funked up style. I was right up on the stage, so got blasted by the amplified sound of seven horn players…
I Dig Zambia starts today!
More details soon…
My 2nd Birthday Jam at Frim Fram! (video)
Here's a video of my second birthday jam, taking place this time at our weekly Frim Fram Jam dance last Thursday at Club 412. This was a super fun jam, dancing with almost as many followers as my birthday (40)! Thanks for all the dancers who came in my jam! And as always, thanks for…
African Arts Parade & Festival in Brooklyn (pics, video)
I happened to hear the sounds of a marching band from my apartment and rushed down to see a parade for the International African Arts Festival rolling past my building up Fulton Avenue. Those dancers are so cute! African Arts Festival goers will discover live music, dance, spoken word performances, African marketplace, showcase performances, fashion,…
The Hair Fair in Second Life: virtual hair raises real dollars for Locks of Love this weekend!
This is the last weekend of the "Hair Fair" in Second Life, an innovative fundraiser for the "Locks of Love" charity. Locks of Love, for those that don't know, is a nonprofit that provides hair for kids who have undergone chemotherapy or other medical procedure that causes them to lose their hair. For the last…
Thoughts on Four Decades of Being Rik
Today marks my 40th year on this planet. I wish I had some grand epiphany to share at this point in my life. But being a Quaker, I know that revelations don’t necessarily work on a schedule. People have been asking me what it feels like to turn 40. On the one hand, not much…
Teen-created machinima dramatizes child sex trafficking
Today our 15 teen machinimatographers in Global Kids' Virtual Video Project publicly premiered their film "Discovered" before an audience of their peers, parents, teachers, and supporters at the Sony Wonder Theater in Manhattan. It was great seeing their work on the big screen and then watching them explain to the audience their process from conception…
Knoshing tour of Chinatown and the Lower Eastside
Tomorrow the gang in the Online Leadership Program at Global Kids is holding our annual retreat, and Barry and I are in charge of the foodie tour of Chinatown and the Lower Eastside. Our entire staff is almost to a person major foodies, so it's kind of a daunting task. Here's a Google map of…