Video: Be Easy (Koi Naa) - Nivla Featuring P. Oberoi

Thursday, January 31, 2008

While we're going to have to wait to see who won, if you haven't seen the video for Be Easy (Koi Naa) by Nivla Featuring P. Oberoi - check it out - ton o' Asians with a slick beat.

Don't call me Canadian

Thursday, January 31, 2008

It's just amazing how many different terms racists have for people that they don't like - and while I could go into a long list of all the different terms - everyone already knows them - but something I've never heard of until now is white people using the word Canadian in a racist way against black people:

Here's some background from CBCNEWS:

The trigger point occurred over the weekend on the popular American website The Huffington Post, quoting a brief Canadian newspaper story that revealed that the term "Canadian" is being used in parts of the U.S. as a euphemism — as code — for a racist characterization of black people.

A journalist in Houston last week uncovered a widely circulated e-mail from a local assistant district attorney who used the word "Canadians" to describe blacks on a jury in a pejorative way. The e-mail was written in 2003 but was revealed only recently as part of an unrelated controversy.
Apparently - at least according to some sources the article sites - this has apparently been going around for sometime. Here's another quote from a post referenced in the article:

"Ten years ago I was a hostess at a restaurant located in, let's say, a Southern city and the wait staff would often instruct me not to seat them any 'Canadians.' Once I stopped being on the lookout for hockey jerseys and vocabularies peppered with 'eh?' and 'quite,' I made a point of slamming those waiters with all the 'Canadians' I could find."
At least now I know that if someone looks at me and calls me a Canadian, I'll have to take a second to process it and see what they really mean, because maybe somewhere along the way during a secret meeting of white racists there may have been a vote to just use it as a blanket term for all people of color in a racist way.

Read more here down at CBCNEWS.

Rudy Giuliani: Say bye bye now

Thursday, January 31, 2008



Not really a surprise that he dropped out of the race especially since he was so caught up in believing his own hype, he thought he could even hire on some racists to help him win the White House.

Dance War, Carrie Ann Inaba, Please Shoot Me

Thursday, January 31, 2008



When you take the "most opinionated judges" from Dancing With The Stars, throw in a Lachey brother, and give not just one or two but twelve people who can't sing or dance their own reality television series complete with a fog machine, you get exactly what you asked for - a slow painful embarrasing smegma filled enima of a show, where if I was forced to watch more than an hour of it, I really would probably chop my own dick off so I could at least drown out the sound with the screams of my impending death.

Which Asian nation will get Google's Money?

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

You have to wonder how much Google's people get wined and dined when they're looking to build a new datacenter and what really goes on behind closed doors - especially when you have nations competing against each other to ensure that they'll be the ones who finally get the Google dollars:


The Prime Minister of Malaysia has announced that Google (GOOG) is interested in building a data center in Malaysia. The announcement comes just days after the economic minister in Taiwan said Google is "leaning toward" developing a major data center in Taiwan. Various other reports suggest Google has also scouted locations in Japan, South Korea, India and even Vietnam (which just announced its first data center).
Round and round it goes, where it lands, nobody knows. Read more here.

Don Cheadle and Crash come to Television

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

While it was panned in some circles as being too simplistic, yet still won an Oscar for its look at race and racism, the movie Crash is now being turned into a 13 episode television series produced by LionsGate (as well as Starz) with Don Cheadle and Paul Haggis working behind the camera. The new series will look to focus on new characters and storylines versus reprising any major characters for the movie (however Cheadle may reprise his role).

Read more here.

Joyce Lee: Indie Rocker

Tuesday, January 29, 2008



If you're in the mood for some new music and like singers Meg and Dia, you'll also want to check out Asian American indie rocker Joyce Lee at her MySpace page - and if you want to see some live music, Lee will also be playing a show this Friday down at the Amsterdam Cafe in North Hollywood at 7:00 PM.

Benjamin Ryan Tillman: Why is there even any question about what to do with his statue?

Monday, January 28, 2008

If you don't know who Benjamin Ryan Tillman is here's a quick recap:

He was Governor of South Carolina from 1890-1894, and then served as a U.S. Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918 (belonging to the Democratic Party). A son of slave owners, one of his main goals was to disenfranchise the black population in the state and use them as a scapegoat for the state's economic woes, appealing specifically to the farming population (taking over the South Carolina Farmers Alliance).

Here are a couple of quotes from Tillman:

"We have done our level best [to prevent blacks from voting]...we have scratched our heads to find out how we could eliminate the last one of them. We stuffed ballot boxes. We shot them. We are not ashamed of it."

"We of the South have never recognized the right of the Negro to govern white men and never will."
J. Todd Rutherford, a member of the South Carolina House has a brought a bill to local legislators to have his statue removed, while Joe Neal, another state representative will be introducing legislation to add a plaque to Tillman's statue which is more apropos of his racist ideals when alive versus his current inscription, allowing him to be known as "a friend and leader of the common people" who "taught them their political power and made possible the education of their sons and daughters."

To me there's no question here about what should be done - Tillman was a racist and bigot who openly lauded the killings of America's black population and doesn't deserve to have his likeness in bronze on the State House lawn.

While I understand wanting to preserve history and heritage, and Southern history and heritage - because it is steeped in tradition, and there are Southerners who have helped make great strides - Tillman isn't one of them - and until his statue is taken down (along with others of his ilk), the cloud of racism and bigotry will still hang above, much like the ghosts from the South's past.

Who cares if you're profitable?

Monday, January 28, 2008

As a country you hold debt. As Americans and individuals we hold debt. Depending upon what sector you work in (you do work don't you?), your raises may not even balance out the standard cost of living increases.

So while only 1 in 10 Korean movies last year didn't even earn a profit (about 13 out of the 112 released) - does it really matter? Should that stop Korean filmmakers from putting out some of the most distinct romantic comedies that turn into dramas about halfway through the film (because in order to laugh you have to cry)?

I hope it doesn't because even though I can't see them all - I like knowing they're around just in case I need them.

Koda Kumi: Kingdom

Monday, January 28, 2008



January 30th is almost here, and if you're a die hard Koda Kumi fan, waiting for the official release of Kingdom has probably been more than you could stand, and while you've probably already heard the rumors that it would get leaked early - and it apparently did over the weekend - you know you're still going to shell out for the CD+2DVD (Limited Edition) which is going to be the best of the 3 version releases.

I just wanted to remind you to breathe slowly and not to panic - just two more days left.

Monday Morning Utada

Monday, January 28, 2008

Some Monday morning music to get you ready for the week from Utada, with her '06 #1 hit Keep Tryin.

Wing Young Huie: Looking For Asian America

Sunday, January 27, 2008



The book Looking For Asian America by Wing Young Huie, along with Anita Gonzalez, and Tara Simpson Huie, just got nominated for their regional MN Book Awards, and while I haven't picked up the book myself yet, I am familiar with photographer Wing Yung Huie and his work featuring Asian Americans.

Here's a quick snippet from an Amazon Review:

In search of contemporary Asian America, celebrated photographer Wing Young Huie—the only member of his family not born in China—traveled with his wife Tara through nearly forty states to explore and document the funny, touching, and sometimes strange intersection of Asian American and American cultures. Looking for Asian America illustrates their rich and surprising journey across the United States.

Through Huie’s eyes, keenly aware of his own Midwestern roots and perspective, we witness such images as a Vietnamese Elvis, Miss Congeniality on her cell phone in San Francisco’s Chinatown, a Hmong street sign in rural North Carolina, a meditating Falun Gong protestor in Washington, D.C., a bubble tea Valley Girl, and a Chinese theme park in Orlando. Huie’s camera captures ABCs (American-born Chinese), FOAs (Fresh Off the Airplane), and a self-described “redneck” Chinese restaurant owner near the Okefenokee Swamp. Taken together the photographs reveal a complex portrait of the U.S. cultural landscape, and their dignified elegance invites a closer, deeper look.

Accompanied by the personal reflections of both Wing and Tara Huie, the nearly one hundred spectacular photos tell a story that both mirrors and contradicts stereotypes of Asian Americans, ultimately questioning what it means to be ethnic and American in the twenty-first century.
For more info on photographer Wing Young Huie, check out his site.

Boston, Vietnamese, and looking for burial plots

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Boston.com has an interesting, and somewhat sad article on some of the Vietnamese population there who are looking to gain access and get proper burial plots where they can be buried with others who've had the same shared experiences, but because of financial constraints are having a hard time:

Statistics show that 46 percent of Vietnamese in Massachusetts are living on low incomes, says the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass-Boston.

Nguyen says he receives a senior benefits check of $578.46 a month. Even if he could afford to have his body shipped back to Vietnam and buried there - a package that some peg in the $10,000 range - Nguyen says he would not do it.

He does not want to burden his three children who live here now with such a long trip to visit his grave. Besides, he says, "I'm US citizen."

Having already reached other markers in their new home, such as learning English and registering to vote, many Vietnamese seniors are anxious to account for their final touchstone: getting buried here.
Read more from the article here.

Race Roundup

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Some quick news and information from around the way:

Racist remarks? Say stop!

When a relative recently made a disparaging remark about blacks to Arica Prejean in the presence of her children, Prejean immediately repudiated it. "There was no hesitation," said the 28-year-old, who is white and lives in Lafayette, La. She considers speaking out against racism part of her job as a parent.
New wave of pop culture humor turns tables on racists

But what happens when the target of jest is not the race, but the racist? We're finding out with a surge of ironic pop culture race humor that runs the gamut from television's 30 Rock and the Harold & Kumar movies to a handy little book bearing the loaded title A Practical Guide to Racism.
West High School freshman arrested

A West High School student was arrested by Tracy Police on Friday morning after he admitted to making "fear-provoking" and "racially charged" phone calls to the home of a local African-American family, police said. The 14-year-old freshman, whose name wasn't released because of his age, made upward of 11 prank phone calls late Thursday night and early Friday morning, including threatening to kill the family and burn a cross on their yard, Tracy police Detective Nate Cogburn said.

AAJA RespondsTo AZN Television Shutting Down

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Here's the AAJA's response to Comcast pulling the plug on AZN Television:

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) today expressed disappointment at the decision by Comcast to shut down AZN Television in April this year, calling it a big loss of yet another important venue through which the American public can learn more about Asians and Pacific Islanders through community-specific news and entertainment.

While understanding that this was primarily a business decision, AAJA lamented the fact that the demise of AZN is the second big blow to the AAPI community in less than six months. In October last year, KQED in San Francisco discontinued its nationally syndicated public radio program, "Pacific Time," developed to provide news about Asia, Asian American communities and connections across the Pacific Ocean. Like "Pacific Time," AZN offered broad education through broadcast and online media.

In many ways, "AZN is to the Asian American community just like Univision is to the Latino and BET is to the African American communities, respectively," said Rene Astudillo, AAJA executive director. He added that AAJA "has partnered with AZN in many ways to ensure that more Asian Americans are given the opportunity to use their journalism and new media skills to enhance the delivery of news and information to the American public." AAJA's most recent partnership with AZN involved internship opportunities for students to post journalism-style news and editorial commentary on the network's Web site.

Astudillo said that AAJA is happy and ready to offer its resources to Comcast and other broadcast networks to develop major programming specifically addressing issues and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. "At the same time, we urge advertisers to step up to support such programming, because studies and surveys have consistently pointed to a significant marketing potential in the Asian American community which is the fastest growing population in the U.S., next to the Latino community," he said.
While I don't think AZN Television ever caught on like BET or Univision - because it never really got the chance - it's good to see the AAJA putting this out.

Mirai Nagasu: U.S. Figure Skating Winner

Sunday, January 27, 2008



While we're many smackdowns away from the "golden years" of figure skating with Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, and the sport has since seen a steady decline as it's looked for the next Michelle Kwan - maybe there's hope yet in 14 year-old Japanese American Mirai Nagasu who just won the U.S. Figure Skating title, and who is also the second youngest to win the award.

Born in California, and holding dual citizenship here in the U.S. as well as Japan - which has increased her popularity there - apparently Nagasu was a relative unknown up until 2007 where she won the 2007 Nationals and has since started taking the skating world by storm.

At the same time, while Mirai Nagasu won first place, Chinese American skater Caroline Zhang who is also 14, rallied from seventh place to take fourth place overall in the competition.

Read more down at the NY Times and Chicago Tribune.

Yao: Your 2008 Western Conference All Star Center

Saturday, January 26, 2008



With his 1,709,180 fan votes, Yao Ming will be representing the Houston Rockets in the NBA 2008 All-Star Game as the Western Conference Starting Center alongside Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Tim Duncan.

While Yao had a high enough vote total this year to make him the starting center, his numbers weren't huge as in the past. The top NBA player for All-Star votes this year was Kevin Garnett (Eastern Conference) with 2,399,148, who edged out Lebron James with 2,108,831 (also from the Eastern Conference).

Hopefully this year's All-Star game will be be a little better than last - and while I hope this every year and it never happens - it still would be great to see some star players - like Yao, Lebron, or KG - compete in the dunk contest.

Notorious MSG: New Track and Free Download

Saturday, January 26, 2008



Notorious MSG "The Original Chinatown Bad Boys" have a new song and video down at their MySpace page. The track Traditional Roughnecks is available as a free download, and the video is the live version of the song.

Go to their MySpace page to get the new song and view the video.

More on AZN Television closing, Outspoken, and the AZN Website

Friday, January 25, 2008



I put out an e-mail to AZN Television's Media Contact, and here's some more information:

Official Statement

AZN Television’s last day of broadcasting will be April 9, 2008. The decision was made after considerable review of the network’s financial situation. Comcast, the network’s parent company, will continue to broadcast additional Asian programming through the International Networks and other independent providers and remains committed to supporting the Asian American community through programming, civic and cultural events.
I also asked the question of what will be happening with their website as well as Outspoken, their new blog focused on Asian American issues, and their Communications Director had this to share:

The date to terminate the site has not yet been set but the plan is to keep it up as long as the television channel is on the air. And, we do plan to continue the Outspoken blog. We’ve just selected 4 new students to contribute to the blog.

We are scheduled to have new submissions up starting the first week of February.

In addition, Comcast will continue its support of the 2008 Asian Excellence Awards which will be held in April in Los Angeles.

Breaking News: Comcast is pulling the plug on AZN Television

Friday, January 25, 2008


*I'll be posting more on AZN Television and some commentary on the cable channel later, but I wanted to make sure to get this out into blogosphere as I heard the news*

As sad as I am to hear the news from CNN that Comcast is pulling AZN Television "The Network For Asian America" as of April 9th 2008 - in some ways I'm not surprised by Comcast pulling the cable channel either - but I do wonder if it still is premature even with a lower than expected 13.9 million viewers and lower than realized advertising for the channel (and the one bit of good news out of all of this is that at least the Asian Excellence Awards will move to the E! Entertainment Television network where it will get a broader audience).

At the same time I wonder if AZN Television can still be saved somehow by an infusion of cash or a grassroots campaign from the Asian American community to "Save AZN Television" - if Jericho can be saved, can AZN Television? Should anyone even try?

South Asian portal Desi Hits gets another round of funding to the tune of 5 million

Friday, January 25, 2008



How's this for cool news?

Already backed by some tech and VC industry heavyweights, the South Asian portal Desi Hits has just gotten another infusion into the company - about $5 million dollars to be exact - to help ensure their brand keeps going and making the total investment into the company a cool $6 million.

With a huge selection of content including blogs, podcasts, online radio, and free downloads, the South Asian portal is already getting a ton of exposure receiving about 10 million hits a month, and as DFJ's Ravi Belani says - "It's a fantastic time in the world to be Desi."

Go to Desi Hits.

Glad You're Not Asian: Rick Murphy

Friday, January 25, 2008



Originally posted on by NiaOnline and then picked up by DiversityInc, the racism and sexism - under the guise of journalistic freedom and "satire" - just can't seem to help itself from seeping it's dumbass out into the open in this election (but then again - should I really be surprised?).

Here's a couple of snippets from the "article" penned out by Rick Murphy (Editor-in-Chief) - writing as "Yo Mama Bin Barack" for The Independent - which caters to rich white folks:

We be, you know, sick of whitey supressin' and congestin' so, you know, we won't denigrate or sophisticate but emulate and populate, you know, the system is, like, broken, y'all [...]

Ultimately, if [Hillary Clinton] gets too close, one of my New York advisors has advised me to, 'Bitch slap that ho.' White women, I am told, like that.
I feel like I've gotten a front row seat to a Klan meeting.

Get the full article down at NiaOnline as well as read the conversations back and forth between Rick Murphy about the "column" (which has since been taken down only after NiaOnline went after them) - and feel free to e-mail Ricky Murphy and The Independent to see if you too can get invited to one of their whites only secret parties.

Lyrics Born: New Single This Sunday

Friday, January 25, 2008



Lyrics Born will dropping a new single this Sunday getting its debut on Soundcheck with Aaron Axelsen. Check out the info from Lyrics Born's bulletin:

The first commercial radio single, “I LIKE IT, I LOVE IT”, was brought to several key stations nationwide, and apparently they’re feelin’ it hard. I was just at Live 105 here in SF where I played it for my man, music director AARON AXELSEN, the very same cat that helped break “Callin’ Out”, and “I’m Just Raw”. After one listen, he gave me a pound and told me he would give it it’s WORLDWIDE DEBUT on his show, SOUNDCHECK, this SUNDAY, JANUARY 27th, from 7-10pm PST.

That’s SOUNDCHECK with AARON AXELSEN, this SUNDAY, JANUARY 27th, from 7-10PM Pacific Standard Time.

The frequency is 105.3 here in the Bay Area, but YOU CAN LISTEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD at www.live105.com, and hitting “LISTEN ONLINE”.

Y’all know the drill. I can’t do this alone, and I need y’all to be EVERYWHERE AT ONCE. Just because this industry’s failing doesn’t mean WE can’t win. I need everybody that can read this to make a move wit’ me, and SHOW COMMERCIAL RADIO WE HAVE AN AUDIENCE.

When Aaron debuts it, I NEED ALL MY PEOPLES TO CALL IN AND SHOW THEIR SUPPORT. BLOW UP THE REQUEST LINES at: 415-478-LIVE, or toll free at 1-800-696-1053. You can also text them by sending messages to FM105 (that’s 36105) or #105 from your Sprint phone. You can also show support by sending Aaron an email, aaron@LIVE105.com, and let him know what it do. Sheee!t, DO ALL THREE, FAM! I’M COUNTING ON Y’ALL AND I LOVE Y’ALL FOR IT!

Radio Brenda Xu

Friday, January 25, 2008


Cool.
If you have the time and can get a listen, Asian American rocker Brenda Xu will be getting a song of hers (TBD) on the radio down at 102.1 KPRI this Saturday night.

Dropping Trow in South Korea

Friday, January 25, 2008

This is a funny story coming out of South Korea surrounding crooner Na Hoon-a who was rumored to have his genitals cut off by a gangster for having a fling with one of the gangsters favorite actresses - which Na Hoon-a denied - and to show he was telling the truth decided to get up on live television and start pulling down his pants:

Saying he was ready to prove he had not been damaged "down there", he jumped on a table, slightly lowered his pants and was revealing his underwear when the live TV broadcast cut away, with surprised reporters heard shrieking in the background.
Reminds me of the movie Love Actually minus the Yakuza. For more check out the Reuters article.

Review: Cashmere Mafia

Friday, January 25, 2008



While I've known about Lucy Liu and the new show Cashmere Mafia on ABC, and other bloggers have given it a mention, I haven't really posted anything on it. When I saw 8Asians though talking about the latest episode and the fact that they had a male lead who was Asian American, and then AAM made a post on "the kiss" later on after that post - it finally sparked me to sit down and wade through all the episodes at ABC's site and catch up on the show (which btw - I just have to say I love ABC for being one of the first networks to have episodes in full length - and their service has only gotten better with time).

This Kiss and the Male AA Lead

While the kiss and the fact that they had a male Asian American romantic lead was cool - I wasn't as hyped as maybe I should have been about it. It's not that it doesn't matter - because it does - and don't get me wrong - it is cool. But I have seen Asian American couples on television before who do kiss and canoodle, so it wasn't as if this was a first to me (but I am glad to see another Asian American male on television, especially as a love interest).

On that part of the episode, what I found more interesting was the storyline between Lucy Liu's character Mia, and character Jason Chun (played by Jack Yang) and when the character Jason said that he "Didn't do Chinese" because of the push from his mother to settle down with a nice Chinese girl. For me, putting that piece of dialogue in the episode (because they didn't have too) was acknowledging that having another Asian American face in a show isn't good enough - you also have to give that character some depth, even in a subtle way.

The Show and the Diversity

After sitting down and watching the episodes in succession, I was surprised at how much I actually liked Cashmere Mafia, and that it wasn't just a copycat of Sex in the City, but really a different show with characters and storylines Sex in the City could never have done, because the characters in that show were just in a different place.

At the same time the show has a lot more diversity than I thought it would. While in some ways it could be considered a vehicle for Lucy Liu - it really is an ensemble show with a wide range of characters and stories, and I've seen more characters of color than I thought I would outside of Liu's and her latest Asian American male lead - which is great to see - and I hope the show continues to keep its cast diverse on all fronts.

YouTube opens Korean site, but has competition

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Will YouTube and Google prevail over the current dominant local players who already have a hold on the market? Maybe. Either way though it will be a good fight and offer more options for Korean video addicts.

It is a belated arrival for YouTube in Korea, considering it is already operating localized services in 18 other nations. Google, which owns YouTube, has been cautious about expanding in Korea knowing that many other globally popular Web services of YouTube's caliber have failed to win over the Korean market.

Since the early days of the Internet boom in the late 1990s, Korean Internet users have shown a strong favor for locally grown sites. For example, Google and Yahoo respectively have less than 5 percent of the search-engine market share, while Korean search engines Naver, Daum, and Nate continue to prosper. Social-networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have even weaker presences here though the latter hopes to open a Korean site in the first half of the year.
Read more down at The Korea Times.

TIME's 5 Best Asian Acts To Watch in 2008

Thursday, January 24, 2008

TIME listed out their five best Asian bands to watch in 2008 including the following:

The Analog Girl



If Tricky's Dark and Brooding Maxinquaye album was launched into outer space on a rocket ship commanded by Björk, it might sound something like the Analog Girl. A 34-year-old Singaporean, Mei Wong has come far since she recorded her first melody on a cassette tape at age 7.
Cornelius



His current Sensuous Synchronized Show is a hypnotic, hallucinogenic synthesis of sound and light, with lavish visuals created by friend and video artist Koichiro Tsujikawa. The seamless combination of music, color, avant-garde projections and live sound sampling tends to leave audiences grasping for adjectives.
P.K. 14



P.K. 14's thrashing chords, dark bass lines and frenetic beats resonate with echoes of Sonic Youth, the Pixies, Fugazi and the New York Dolls. But the Beijing band's charismatic vocalist, Yang Haisong, 34, says he takes his lead from songwriters such as "Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and a whole generation of protest musicians."
The Out of Body Special



Those are sentiments that have been expressed countless times in an industry where practically every new entrant claims to be offering something new, but with OBS' compelling fusion of genres (rock, deep funk, soul, R&B, jazz and latin) to back him up, it appears Magno's boast might have a ring of truth — at least in the otherwise predictable world of Asian hip-hop.
Goodnight Electric



Taking their cue from '80s synth-pop acts like Devo and the Human League, Goodnight Electric aim to make "danceable music," explains Henry Foundation, 30. He started the band as a solo project in 2003 before enlisting the help of his art-school friends Oomleo, 29, and Bondi Goodboy, 30. By all accounts, their aim is being fulfilled.
Read the TIME article for more info and to learn about some cool new bands if you haven't heard about them already, or even if you have, to get TIME's take on your favorites.

World Supermodel: Kang Seung-hyun of Korea

Thursday, January 24, 2008


Nice.
Just wanted to put a shout out and congratulations to Kang Seung-hyun of Korea (aka Hyoni) as being the first Asian Ford Supermodel of the World for the 2008 contest who as the winner - in addition to fame and glory - won the coveted $250,000 modeling contract with the Ford modeling agency.

2008 ASPIRE Award

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Got this sent down via Jenny Chow from ASPIRE out in Boston:

I represent ASPIRE (http://www.girlsaspire.org/), a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Asian American high school and college girls with career development and leadership skills through shared experiences and mentoring. We are pleased to announce the first annual ASPIRE Outstanding Woman of the Year Award, a celebrating outstanding Asian American women making a difference in their communities. The Winner will be recognized at the 2008 AAWIL (Asian American Women in Leadership) conference, to be held on April 26, 2008 in Boston, MA.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a trip to Boston to attend the 2008 AAWIL Conference, an engagement with a mentor from the ASPIRE professional network, a profile in an upcoming issue of Audrey Magazine, as well as a chance to meet our Conference keynote speaker, Ms. Suchin Pak, the MTV News correspondent.

For more information, please see the attached statement issued by NiwaPR. Or visit us at http://www.girlsaspire.org/award.

Join us in acknowledging, encouraging, and empowering young Asian American women today! Please forward this email and/or nominate someone you know that fits the bill. Anyone can nominate!
If you know of anyone who you think would be great for the award check out the site and give them a nod.

Rex Lee and GLAAD

Thursday, January 24, 2008



Entourage actor and Asian American Rex Lee is putting his fame and stardom to good use by working with GLAAD in a new public service announcement for its ongoing campaign to encourage viewers to treat others with dignity and respect regardless of gender identity/expression or sexual orientation.
The new PSA will be airing today down on ImaginAsian TV (iaTV) and AZN Television in honor of the Chinese New Year.
For more information go to the article down at the Miami Herald.

LAPD appoints first Asian deputy chief

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Check out the article on the Los Angeles Police Department's first Asian American deputy:

For the first time in the department's history, an Asian-American officer will serve as a deputy chief in the Los Angeles Police Department, Chief William Bratton has announced. Cmdr. Terry Hara, currently in charge of the LAPD's Employee Relations division, is being promoted to deputy chief and will be the commanding officer of West Bureau.

Licking Sweaty Harvard Ball Juice and How To Be Asian American

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I've been meaning to write this guide for sometime now after reading this Washington Post article (which other bloggers have commented on earlier in the month) because it seems some of the Harvard kids need a lesson or two on how to be Asian - so I thought I'd share some Slanty wisdom with them, because you know - that's what I'm here for.

At the same time, I just wanted to remind people that while Harvard is a good school - students and grads alike still have the same sweaty balls and woo-hoos as the rest of us (and for those that attended Harvard and have neither, I just wanted to say that you have my condolences).

With that being out of the way, let's get started - and as an extra, I've also included another guide after this.

Guide #1 - How To Be Asian American

1. Eating And Cooking: This is pretty easy, but at the same time I know it can get confusing because you're like "chopsticks, no chopsticks, spoon, fork, should the spoon be in the left or the right hand, do I use fish sauce, should I go with hotpot, what about kimchi, how much oil do I use" - I mean I get it - but don't worry, it's simple.

Just follow these steps:

First, find some food you like - and don't skip that step either because it's an important one. Second, unless it should be served cold, heat it up to the desired temperature. Third, choose some utensils to get the food into your mouth -- your hands count.

And finally - don't worry, this is the last step - grab the food with the utensils, slowly bring the food up to your mouth, and then insert the food. But don't try to put the food in before your mouth is open - that's key - if you go against that last step, you won't actually be eating like an Asian American.

Now this does require some hand-eye coordination - I won't lie - so it may take a few tries, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly.

2. Driving: I think the hardest thing here is just not to masturbate while you drive. I know it's tempting and everything - but save it for later when you get back home where you can get out the lube, pop in a DVD - you know - make a day of it.

Bottom line here is that you just want to be safe.

3. Having Sex: Now this is different for both men and women, so pay attention and don't get confused, and don't worry - these rules apply whether or not you like men or women so you'll be good to go either way.

If you're a women the basic thing here is pretty simple -- spread your coochie. You cannot have sex if you're locked at the knees and there's no muff to dive into - the muff - or at least the ass - needs to be visible. If there's no hole there's no sex.

Men - you have an even simpler job to do. Just don't cum before you put it in. Don't touch yourself, don't tweak your nipples, don't do anything until you at least get one stroke in, because if you don't get in at least one good stroke you're not having sex - and while masturbating yourself into oblivion is great at times - remember - the goal here is to have sex like an Asian American.

Other than that it's pretty easy. A little lick, a little suck, get out some nipple clamps - you'll be fine.

Guide #2 - How To Be As White As You Wanna Be

I hate to use words like impossible, but unfortunately if your desire is to be white, it really is impossible. I don't mean to get you down or anything, and I'd give you a hug if I could, but just look in the mirror.

You're Asian. Everything you do is Asian.

No matter what anyone tells you - from your friends, to the food you like, to the music that's your favorite, there is no such thing as "acting white" or "being white", or "acting black" (and really - it's a little racist).

The bottom line is that you are who you are and there's no getting around it, so don't let other people tell you any different - just be yourself because that's what being Asian American is really all about.

Coming Soon: Kollaboration 8 - Empowerment Through Entertainment

Wednesday, January 23, 2008



The time is getting near for the next KOLLABORATION event to be held and seats are going fast, so if you plan to go, you may want to get your tickets sooner rather than later by picking them up at the site's store.

Special guest judges that will be at the event

  • David Bernal "ELSEWHERE", World Famous Breakdancer
  • Michael Kang , Film Director - West 32nd Street, The Motel
  • James Kyson Lee , Actor - NBC's Heroes
  • Ken Mok , TV Producer - America's Next Top Model, Pussycat Dolls
  • Erin Pak, CEO of KHEIR - Korean Health Education Information & Research
  • Janet Yang, Film Producer - The Joy Luck Club, Dark Matter, American Soul
The Finalists
  • Caroline Kang - Vocalist
  • Justis Kao - Vocalist
  • Geunjin - Vocalist on Guitar
  • Connie Lim Band - Band
  • Stone Forest Ensemble - Fusion Band
  • Wembley - Band
  • tier2 - Rap
  • Million Dollar Babies - Rap
  • One2Swing Jitterbugs - Swing Dance
  • Junior & Emily - Salsa Dance
  • Quest - Dance
Guest performer Roscoe Umali will also be there as well as guest comedians Edwin San Juan, and Yoshi.

Check out the Kollaboration site for more information.

Fact Check: Lindsay Price

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

A quick look at Lindsay Price, one of the stars in the upcoming and anticipated new shows Lipstick Jungle.

Born: December 6, 1976

Asianness: Mother is Korean, Father is German-Irish.

Shows you might recognize her from: All My Children, The Bold and the Beautiful, Beverly Hills 90210, How I Met Your Mother, Frasier.

Shows you may not: C-16: FBI, Life Goes On, Plymouth

Campus: Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Her favorite body part: Her collarbone

Claim to fame as a kid: Toys-R-Us television commercial

Total IMDB Film and T.V. credits: 46

For more info check out her IMDB and Wikipedia profile.

Celebration of New Asian American Poetry

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Here's some info on an upcoming event called the "Celebration of New Asian American Poetry" from the MaARTe!

A Celebration of New Asian American Poetry

In recent years, there’s been a palpable increase in books published by Asian American poets. A flight of fancy? A movement? Has our time finally come? One thing is certain: Asian American poetry is thriving with a panoply of enigmatic individual voices. The participants will read from their respective collections published in 2007 and forthcoming in 2008. Authors include Kazim Ali, Rick Barot, Jennifer Chang, Lisa Chen , Oliver de la Paz, Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, Joseph O. Legaspi, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and Jon Pineda.

Date: Fri • 1 Feb 2008
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (with reception)

Location:
New York University
19 University Place
The Great Room (101)
New York, NY 10003

Free and open to the public.
RSVP at: http://www.apa.nyu.edu/

Co-sponsored by: This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. Supported by Kundiman and the Asian American Writers‘ Workshop.

Viet Kieu, Deportation, and Real Estate

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

If you're Viet Kieu, along with the new visa exemptions that came out last year, you can now also own your own home in Vietnam easier according to a recent government decree on owning land in the country, which like the recent U.S. economic stimulus package being thrown around, is being offered to counter the relatively low (130) new house purchases since 2006 by Viet Kieu who number about 3.2 million.

At the same time, in a somewhat more complicated and controversial matter, the U.S. has signed a new agreement with Vietnam to send Vietnamese back to the country if they have U.S. deportation orders, which previously was not able to be done because of Vietnam's refusal of acceptance and the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam.

Here's a quote from Rep. Zoe Lofgren from a recent Orange County Register article addressing the impact that the new agreement may have on Vietnamese who left the country for political reasons:

Absolutely people who will be returned can expect to face very harsh treatment from the communists. I think it is unbelievable the administration would do this. The people who escape from Cuba – we don't send them to Castro. This is insane.
Read more here on the pact from the Orange County Register as well as the NY Times.

Jieho Lee's "The Air I Breathe" gets a wider release this January 25th

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

While it showed up at the Tribeca Film Festival last April, The Air I Breathe, directed by Korean American Jieho Lee, and starring Forest Whitaker, Kevin Bacon, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar and a slew of other actors is getting a wider release this month on the 25th in select cities.

View the trailer



Movie Synopsis

Four short fables in which characters collide with fate – and each other – comprise THE AIR I BREATHE, an ambitious and absorbing drama from debuting director/writer Jieho Lee. Boasting a brilliant ensemble cast, the film is inspired by a Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four key emotions – Happiness, Sorrow, Pleasure, and Love – and each vignette is built around a character who embodies one of these key emotions.

In “Happiness,” 2006 Best Actor Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker stars as a timid banker who impulsively bets every cent he has, and then some, on a supposedly “sure thing.” In “Sorrow,” Sarah Michelle Gellar is a rising pop star whose contract falls under the control of a ruthless crime boss (Oscar-nominee Andy Garcia), and his corrupt nephew (Emile Hirsch).

In “Pleasure,” Brendan Fraser stars as a man who can see into the future of everyone he meets, but is totally blind when it comes to his own; and in “Love,” Kevin Bacon plays a doctor who pines for a woman he can never possess (Julie Delpy), only to find that he suddenly holds her life in his hands. Though each of the characters believes that his or her life is governed by hazard and chance, their unbridled emotions, impulsive choices, and reckless moves all prove one universal truth: character is destiny, and each of us makes our own fate.


Release Dates

Here are the cities and venues currently getting the release (from the film's official site) and it might not be a bad idea to check your local listings as well just in case more releases are happening not listed here:

CALIFORNIA - JAN 25

1) In LA: Laemmle Sunset 5 Theater
2) In Burbank: AMC Burbank 16
3) In Pasadena: Laemmle One Colorado
4) In Orange: AMC 30 at The Block
5) In Irvine: Regal/Edwards Westpark

NYC - JAN 25

1) AMC Empire 25 Theater (Midtown)
2) AMC Village 7 Theater (Downtown)

REST OF THE COUNTRY - FEB 8

1) PORTLAND: The Regal Fox Tower
2) SAN DIEGO: AMC Fashion Valley 20
3) SAN FRANCISCO: Sundance Kabuki Theater
4) SEATTLE: Regal Meridan 16
5) CHICAGO: AMC Piper’s Alley 4
6) AUSTIN and other cities will be added as well but are currently in negotiations.

Spotlight: DJ Baby Yu

Tuesday, January 22, 2008



If you're looking for North American Asians who represent Hip Hop and the club scene and you don't already know his name - you'll want to get familiar with DJ Baby Yu (aka. The Remix Kid).

With a long list of accomplishments like hosting shows on XM and Sirius, opening up for Sean Paul and Snoop Dogg, winning awards like Club DJ of the Year in '07 (Toronto and Canada), as well as touring around the world - DJ Baby Yu isn't just making a name for himself, but he's also helping to pave the way for more Asians in the industry as well.

For more info visit BabyYu.com as well as his MySpace page.

Hot Track: Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Korogaru Iwa, Kimi ni Asa ga Furu

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Check out the MV for the slick new song by Asian Kung-Fu Generation which will be released on February 6th for fans to pick up.

Apple and iTunes: Supporting Musicians Who Molest Asian Kids

Monday, January 21, 2008



While Cuba denied him residency, Cambodia kicked him out of the country, Vietnam imprisoned him, and even the Spice Girls cut his sorry ass out of their movie - Apple and iTunes have decided to keep on bucking the trend - just like Walmart and Best Buy - and support Asian child molester Gary Glitter who recently had a heart attack in a Vietnamese prison.

Now I know Apple's stock took a dive after Steve Jobs released that incredible overpriced MacBook Air, but do they really need cash so bad that they have to hawk 28 molester songs available for download like "Do You Want To Touch Me", "Be My Baby", and "It Takes All Night Long"?



Or do they just not care that they're lining the pockets of a sexual abuser?

Is it the fact that the kids are Asian?

Do iTunes, Walmart, and Best Buy despise Asian kids so much, that instead of losing a few bucks in their billion dollar empires, they'd rather support a child molester like Gary Glitter, so he can continue abusing Asian kids as young as 11 years old when he gets out of prison?

The fact that they still have Glitter's music available for purchase on their sites, and at their stores, is a resounding yes.

Reward: More on the Dallas Korean business owners being targeted

Monday, January 21, 2008

Here's an update and some more in depth coverage of the Dallas Korean business owners talked about in a previous post - and give it up to Paul Chong, who's making sure that his voice gets heard, putting himself at risk, so that more people know what's going on about the criminals targeting Korean Americans and their businesses:

According to the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce, more than 20 Korean business owners at the Big T Plaza, the Mo-Town Mini Mall and other bazaars in the area have been robbed since December. "Some were handcuffed. Some were threatened and some, of course, some had cash stolen and jewelry," said Gal Jumao-as from the Chamber. Apparently, all of the victims have been followed from their shops in Dallas and then attacked in other cities throughout the region.
To read more from the article go to the WFAA.com site, and if you know anything that can help lead to catching these perps - contact The Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce which is giving out a 10,000 reward for any information leading to their arrest.

Huckabee Loses and the Confederate Flag isn't the draw it used to be

Monday, January 21, 2008



Go figure. Huckabee loses to McCain in South Carolina this weekend even though he was grasping at strings campaigning feverishly on the platform of the confederate flag and how it should be a state's issue, hoping to appeal to those voters who just want to "preserve some American heritage".

Here's a pointer for Hucky.

If he really wants to get his message across to those who want to "preserve American Heritage", instead of saying things like "You don't like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag" and "In fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell 'em what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do." - he just needs to say it in plain, easy to understand language, that his constituency can understand:

"Hi, my name's Hucky, and like you, I can't stand those ch**nks, sp*cs, and n***ers, and want to let them know they aint welcome here in these parts by allowing you, true Americans, to wave our beloved confederate flag, because nothin' other than a good lynching tells those dirty foreigners and mongrels better, that Americans, true Americans, still care about this God given land and we're not about to let any of those bastards have it because America should be pure - beautiful, snow white pure."

I mean let's face it - if you want to reach your target audience, you've got to speak the truth.

Martin Luther King Day

Monday, January 21, 2008



Many of the ugly pages of American history have been obscured and forgotten....America owes a debt of justice which it has only begun to pay. If it loses the will to finish or slackens in its determination, history will recall its crimes and the country that would be great will lack the most indispensable element of greatness--justice.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.

Ninjas, God, and the Amazing Race finale

Sunday, January 20, 2008

This is why I don't actually gamble outside of blackjack, slots, and the occasional game of poker.

While father and daughter team Ron and Christina firmly had the lead in grasp looking to take the one million home, they got edged out by winners TK and Rachel - who for all intensive purposes should have been out of the race in this final leg because of what seemed to be a massive 25 minute lead by Christina and her dad.

But if this season finale proved anything, it was this: two degrees from Duke and Princeton along with multiple shouts of "Please God Please" doesn't necessarily help you decide if you need a donkey or a pair of stilts for the final task at hand.

At the same time, while I did have a soft spot for the team of Rachel and TK before, I can't help but be turned off now because of TK deciding to compare Ron to running like a ninja.

C'mon - a ninja?

So when you see a bunch of really fast Asian American people in something like the Boston Marathon, you don't really see fast runners, but instead see ninjas?

Do they have throwing stars too?

I wonder if when TK sees a bunch of Asian women walking down the street he doesn't really see just a group of women, but rather sees a bunch of comfort women who are there to fulfill his needs? I wonder if when he sees Asian Americans applying for jobs, does he see well deserved applicants, or foreigners who take away from real Americans?

And yes - I know I'm taking some liberties and that TK may not actually think all of those things when he sees Asian people - but since he said what he did - I get to ask the question and make the point that I am.

Naughty Asian Puppet Shows

Saturday, January 19, 2008



With puppets like Lucy the Slut and the Bad Idea Bears who try and lead puppet hero Princeton astray, Minglie Chen and Avenue Q (2004 Tony Award winners) apparently put on quite a show for its adult audience:

The Tony Award for Best Musical of 2004 honored a show that puts humans shoulder-to- shoulder at the service of giant puppets. The humans give voice and facial expression to a cast of wide-eyed puppets, led by Princeton.

As a recent college graduate, Princeton (Robert McClure) is as susceptible to the wiles of Lucy the Slut (played to varnished, trampy perfection by Kelli Sawyer) as to the wholesome charms of the kindergarten teaching assistant, Kate Monster (played with schizophrenic ease by Sawyer). Princeton agreeably falls prey to the suggestions of the two Bad Idea Bears (David Benoit and Minglie Chen), who pop up to cheerfully deliver suggestions that lead Princeton astray. Upstairs in the row of crummy New York apartments lives Trekkie Monster (David Benoit), a curmudgeon whose appetite is for porn, not cookies.


Definitely sounds like a great show to attend, and if you're down in Ohio, it runs through January 27, 2008 at the Palace Theater in Cleveland, where it will then continue on for its national tour.

For more from the article check out Ohio.com, and for more about Avenue Q, check out their site here.

Sundance Film Festival: Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung

Friday, January 18, 2008



Artist Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung is going to have two short films being played down at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival including Gas Zappers and Because Washington Is Hollywood For Ugly People. Here's some information on the shorts from his site:

Gas Zappers (2007)
Directed by Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung
Music by Noah Vawter



Gas Zappers is a short animation about climate change. The main character, the ironically overappropriated and fuzzy polar bear, abruptly finds itself in a position to save its home living environment through dextrous maneuvers in an Al-e Gore-ical world. The idiom of the video game is exploited to challenge and illuminate the simplistic notion of quick fixes to environmental issues. Aesthetically, graphical and musical styles from the glory days of video games conjure the triumph and delight of virtual success. As the bear progresses with celebrity companions through different climate change scenarios such as Venice underwater, confrontations with bulldozers, and anthropomorphized killer oil derricks, it narrowly succeeds each time thanks to its renewable energy defenses. A narrative unfolds that, like the artists’ previous works, waggishly interrogates the spectacular mode of ecological policy.

Because Washington Is Hollywood For Ugly People (2007)
Directed by Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung
Narration written and performed by MC Paul Barman
Music by John Blue

Because Washington Is Hollywood For Ugly People is a video/ animation that employs images from popular culture, political figures and imagery found in the internet. The piece adopts the form of viral advertising in a reduction of contemporary events to a cartoon like mythology while touching on issues such as identity politics, U.S. foreign policy, sexuality and power.

A quick rundown of Hung from his Sundance Bio:

Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung is a new media artist based in New York City. He works in various media including Internet art, interactive installation, video animation and performance. His works have been exhibited at venues including New Museum (New York, U.S.A.), Yerba Buena Center Of The Arts (San Francisco, U.S.A.), Postmasters Gallery (New York, U.S.A.) and Cartwrighthall Art Gallery (Bradford, United Kingdom), to name a few. He won the "VIPER International Award- Internet" in Switzerland and was given an "Honorary Mention- Net Excellence" in the 2002 Prix Ars Electronica. In 2007, Hung received the Media Arts fellowships from Renew Media to develop an online game about Global Warming.

You can check out more about Tin-Kin Hung at the Sundance Festival Shorts Page, as well as his site.

FM: Iteration 2.0

Friday, January 18, 2008



Just a quick post that FM has a new web site up and running, and it's looking pretty clean with some nice content and videos. Check it out here.

AHSC and KSW Poster Contest

Friday, January 18, 2008

The Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC) and Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) will be holding their annual poster competition for the 4th annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration on Saturday May 17, 2008. The deadline for entries to the competition is February 29, 2008:

Organizers are looking for innovative artists to create an exciting and unique image. The winning artwork will become part of the personality for this year's event. Top prize earns a $500 grand prize, and the design will be featured in AsianWeek and used as part of the AHSC Community Outreach campaign in both Asian media and citywide media. Other select entries will also be published in AsianWeek.

All entries will be posted at http://www.asianfairsf.com/

Check out the press release for more information.

Film: Summer Palace

Friday, January 18, 2008



The NY Times has a good review on the Lou Ye movie Summer Palace coinciding with its Manhattan release this Friday (first shown at Cannes in 2006) :

Toward the end of Lou Ye’s "Summer Palace," Yu Hong (Lei Hao) reflects that her college years were the “most confused” time in her life. A lot of us might feel similarly, but Yu Hong, the beautiful and passionate heroine of this beautiful and passionate film, is something of a special case.
View the trailer

Race Roundup

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Some news about race and racism from around the way:

Speaker at Stock Show event apologizes for racist remark

William R. Farr was pretending to read telegrams congratulating this year's award recipient, University of Colorado President Hank Brown, when he pulled out a piece of paper and said, "I have a telegram from the White House." Then he added, "they're going to have to change the name of that building if Obama's elected." Witnesses said they could hear people gasp in the ballroom of the Adams Mark Hotel. "I gasped," said Gov. Bill Ritter, who was sitting at the table with Farr.
Asian stabbed for 'being a terrorist'

WOMAN stabbed an Asian man in an unprovoked attack, telling him "you're all terrorists", a court heard yesterday. Mary McKay, 32, walked up to Tarik Husan and Sarbaz Kamil, in a Glasgow street and knifed Mr Husan repeatedly in the chest and arm. As Mr Husan, who cannot speak English, broke away, bleeding heavily, she told them: "You're all terrorists."
Is Boston a racist city?

The day after last week's New Hampshire primary, Chris Matthews, speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe, reintroduced the perception that New England and especially Boston have yet to shed their racist pedigree.
For new voters, Democrats find race is not the issue

The front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination realized something in the past week: Talking clumsily about race in America is the quickest way to turn off new voters and silence the buzz generated in the early weeks of the campaign.
O'Ree had vision as NHL pioneer

Willie O'Ree knows it. If eye examinations were required to pass a physical, he would never have been the first black player to appear in a National Hockey League game. As it turned out, breaking the color barrier wasn't nearly as challenging as trying to find the puck on the left wing when he couldn't see a thing out of his right eye.
Pitts: Tiger, Sharpton both wrong on 'lynching' joke

Woods has called the incident a ''nonissue.'' The Rev. Al Sharpton issued a statement calling for Tilghman to be fired. From where I sit, they're both wrong. Woods, for one, has long struck me as distressingly obtuse on issues of race in particular and human rights in general.

Jamosa: Missin' U

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Here's the MV for the new single Missin' U by Jamosa which was just officially released this month.

Final Wrap-up

Thursday, January 17, 2008



Isn't it 2008 now?

Seeing as it's the second half of January, it's about time to wrap up the 2007 year in review - so here are some links in no special order to past posts which help round out some of the other events and people that helped shape '07:


* I'll be leaving "The Year In Review" links on the sidebar up where they are for a bit, for easy access.

Renaldo Lapuz: You're Pimpalicious

Thursday, January 17, 2008



Dear Renaldo,

I just had to give you a big ass shout to say how motherfucking pimpalicious you truly are. While I often lament the dearth of characters for Asian Americans in mainstream media - I love real characters - and you my friend are as real as they come, and that damn tune of yours We're Brothers Forever is catchy as a mofo - even if it is the same four lines over and over - but I guarantee that shit's going gold.

At the same time I want to warn you - there're going to be some dumbass people who say some dumbass things about you like "He's the reason why Asian Americans aren't taken seriously in the music business and by the general public".

Don't listen to these whiny cry baby little f**cks Renaldo, because it's not your fault that great Asian American musicians aren't taken seriously by record producers, or that some people don't think Asian Americans will have enough of an appeal to the general public - that's not your issue.

THAT issue lies with people who decide to stereotype Asian Americans into a box - people who think that one white hot furry Filipino with slick big daddy pimp style on American Idol is the way all Asian Americans are - you savvy?



And sure, you don't quite fit the bill to go on the road with Snacky Chan or do a duet with Kawehi, but really - we know that - and I think you know that too.

But are you ready to take the next great leap into not quite good enough but bitchin' enough to sell more records than William Hung status because of your pimpalicious so bad it's good style where you got everyone out of their seat including Paula look at me do sign language on crack Abdul?

Oh yeah.

---

Check out the original audition here, a lip synch by a fan, and the modern dance rendition.

Jennifer Aniston has Racist Bodyguards?

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

A snippet from a story coming out from Vancouver on Jennifer Aniston's bodyguards concerning an Asian Canadian photographer and his Thai girlfriend:

Mr. Fedyck says he was trying to drive away from the hotel where the shoot is taking place when the staffer stepped in front of his car and later followed him as he drove circles through the downtown area. When Mr. Fedyck returned alone to try to get a shot of Ms. Aniston, he alleges the same man approached him, called him names and asked him, "Where's your chink girlfriend?" Mr. Fedyck alleges the staffer repeated the epithet 15 to 20 times. Mr. Fedyck says he was rattled by the exchange and, yesterday morning, drove from his home in White Rock to a Vancouver police station to file a complaint.

Check out another link to it down at MapleJuice.

PFP: Are you worthy to be in the Hamlet Kung Fu sequel?

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

For all of you would be thespians out there who want a crack at being in a live stage show, the Pork Filled Players are having auditions for their sequel to Hamlet titled Living Dead in Denmark:

The Pork Filled Players are auditioning folks for our next show, Living Dead in Denmark, the unauthorized sequel to Hamlet, a play written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Lisa Anne Glomb, January 27 and 28, at the Prima Vera Arts Center (112 5th Avenue North, 2nd Floor, Seattle). (Note: you MUST make an appointment to audition!)

We are looking for actors with movement training (like dance, stage combat or martial arts). You need to present a short classical monologue and be prepared to move. Some parts require singing, so a song would not be out of place. We are looking at Caucasian, African American, Native American and (of course) Asian American actors (we ARE an Asian American theatre, after all).

Living Dead is Blazing Kung fu action(tm)! The Living Dead! The immortal Bard! All stuffed into a blender and set to puree! Characters roam a post apocalyptic Denmark in the face of an impending zombie invasion! Only Lady Macbeth, Juliet and a really pissed off Ophelia have a chance at staving off this threat but will they do or die (and maybe die again for good measure)?

To schedule an audition or for more information, contact Roger Tang at oink@porkfilled.com

Azn Girl: You've got mad skills

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

While I know it's wrong - on occasion I've liked to laugh at the "bitchin'" inline skater who like "totally rocks" when they get "massive air" and grabs their feet, because really, they might as well just grab their crotch and call it a day.

That being said, the video of this little Asian girl from a few months ago who completely beats this course down gives me a new found appreciation for the skill that some inline skating can demand.

Check it out