3X (Watch It Again): BoA

Friday, August 31, 2012

Dance Version



Drama Version



Subtitle It



Clara C - "esc" Album Preview

Friday, August 31, 2012

Live at the Troubadour + DFD + She Don't Care

Friday, August 31, 2012

Covers: @JRAquino

Friday, August 31, 2012

A Little Friday Night G-Dragon

Friday, August 31, 2012

Baiyu On The CW's "The Next"

Friday, August 31, 2012

Almost Perfect LA Opening

Friday, August 31, 2012



Opening in Los Angeles on September 21st
@ AMC Santa Anita 16
400 Baldwin Ave Arcadia, CA 91007

SYNOPSIS:

When you need a ride from the airport, you call Vanessa (Kelly Hu). When your boyfriend leaves, you call Vanessa. When you need someone to take over the family business, you call Vanessa -- and she’ll never, ever say no. At 34, she’s still her large and boisterous family’s go-to girl, with a threadbare excuse of a life of her own. Suddenly, she runs into an old friend (Ivan Shaw), the almost perfect guy who just might be perfect for her. But, as those sparks fly, her family starts to go up in flames. Her high-maintenance fashion designer sister (Christina Chang) is on the brink; her surf bum brother (Edison Chen) has gone AWOL; and her over-analyzing, over-intellectual mother (Tina Chen) has barred her father (Roger Rees) from their home, sending him into his own mid-life crisis. They all need Vanessa, all the time, to fix all the problems. Trapped in the eye of the storm, Vanessa has to find her way back to love. In the process, she discovers that the only person she really has to save is -- herself!

GENRE:

Romantic comedy

STUDIO:

Eleven Arts

WRITER/DIRECTOR:

Bertha Bay-Sa Pan

CAST:

Kelly Hu, Ivan Shaw, Christina Chang, Tina Chen, with Edison Chen, and Roger Rees

Set Your Calendars: Kollaboration DC 3 - Sept. 22nd

Wednesday, August 29, 2012



Info

For over a decade, Kollaboration has endeavored to empower talented Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists to pursue their creative dreams and now, with production teams all across the US and Canada consisting of API professional and student volunteers, Kollaboration has grown into one of the largest grassroots movements within the API community.

Kollaboration DC will present a lineup of some of the best in emerging talents from greater Washington DC’s API community. The competitors for Kollaboration DC, in no particular order, are: LascaJacaKhan, Christopher L. Santa Ana, Robert Park, GU Jawani, Robyn Kim, Jin Shin, Rocka, George Yamazawa, Jr., Mighty Morphing Boogie Rangers, and Jonathan C. Chen. The show will also feature special guest performances by electronic duo Atoms Apart, hip-hop group SNRG, rapper/MC Manifest along with singer Amanda Lee, singer-songwriter Lumi Bustamante, and headliner/Japanese pop icon SALIA.

COMPETITOR BIOS

Christopher Santa Ana

His name is Christopher Santa Ana and is a musician. Born and raised in Virginia his whole life with nothing but music to drive him to where he is today. He sings along with the accompaniment of his guitar. A Kollaboration DC 2010 alum and now competing in the Kollaboration DC 2012 competition. He sings with the styles of R&B, pop, funk, jazz and blues and is heavily influenced by Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, John Legend, Craig David, Musiq Soulchild and many other great artists.

George Yamazawa Jr.

At only 21 years old, G Yamazawa is widely considered one of the top young spoken word artists in the country. Born in Durham, NC and raised in a Buddhist household, G is a two-time Southern Fried Champion, National Poetry Slam Finalist, and ranked 5th in the nation at the 2010 International World Poetry Slam. He has featured in venues across the nation, including the Sundance Film Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival, and the historic Nuyoricans Poets’ Cafe. His favorite food is fried chicken and he hates sushi.

GU Jawani

GU Jawani is Georgetown University's premier South Asian dance troupe, made up entirely of undergraduate students. Our fundatmental mission is to perform modern and traditional bhangra, and spread Punjabi and South Asian culture in the DC Metro area. GU Jawani performs at some of DC's most prestigious venues and events, including recent performances at the Embassy of India and the Embassy of Pakistan as well as campus events and intercollegiate competitions. We are very excited to be a part of Kollaboration DC and hope everyone enjoys a piece of our culture and passion for dance.

Jin Shin

Jin Shin is a Korean-American singer and musician. Born in Korea, she moved to the States at the age of seven and was exposed to R&B, Soul, and Pop music. At a young age, she began to sing and entering local competitions. Jin was only 15 when she entered the Korean reality show/competition called “Superstar Survival” (Korean version of “X-Factor”). Out of 8,000 contestants, Jin successfully placed Top 5. She has traveled and performed in many different cities in Korea, Thailand, and at local events in DC. She also plays the piano, violin, clarinet, and the guitar. Her musical influences are: Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, and Keyshia Cole

Jonathan C. Chen

Jonathan C. Chen started playing violin in second grade, and hasn't put the instrument down since. When he realized that he could play most of the songs he heard on the radio by ear, he started doing cover songs. The first recording he ever made was during the summer of 2010, when Taio Cruz released Dynamite. Having grown up listening to oldies like Rod Stewart's rendition of Have I Told You Lately, delving into different genre's like hip hop to electronica is fun, but usually in the end, he stays with the tried and true love songs of singers like Taylor Swift and Michael Bublé.

LacsaJacaKhan

Vincent Lacsamana is a Filipino-American singer/songwriter that was born in DC’s very own Howard University Hospital. Tim Jaca is a Filipino multiinstrumentalist from Dubai. At only 9 years old he went up to the drum set of a church band and displayed his inclination for music in front of everyone. Anik “K-Prime” Khan is from Bangladesh and was raised in Queens, New York. He’s a musicians’ musician, growing up listening to jazz, soul, oldies, blues, and hip hop. So what do you get when you mix 3 individuals with 3 different ethnic and musical backgrounds? LacsaJacaKhan - when adobo meets curry and brings you culture.

Mighty Morphing Boogie Rangers

Made up of members from DC’s Culture Shock movement, the Mighty Morphing Boogie Rangers was formed in order to keep peace and balance in the world. Each Ranger was called from all over the DMV (DC, MD, VA) area because of their unique love and views of dance. Through their diverse styles and unique humor, they dance to keep mankind out of the clutches of evil. The Mighty Morphing Boogie Rangers are: Perry Fabi Jr., AJ Magalong, Matee Kowl, Trung Luu, Putra Surya, and Brandon Tenggara.

Robert Park

Robert Park was born and raised in PGC, MD, but currently residing in NOVA. Coming from a broken home, writing quickly became the vehicle of release, expression, and escape. He was 12 years old when he first started writing, and back then, he thought he wanted to be a rapper. But he quickly discovered that what he had to say could not be squeezed into consistent rhythm and beats. He started rapping a cappella, which then shaped and molded his own style of delivery, rhyme scheme, and rhythm. Robert has been writing and performing Spoken Word poetry ever since.

Robyn Kim

Born in Queens, NY, 26 year old Robyn Kim is currently a server at an upscale restaurant in Northern Virginia, but her true passion in life is singing. Robyn fell
in love with music at a very young age after hearing a song being played on a piano at church. The song moved and inspired her to want to become a singer. To Robyn, music is what connects her to the world, it challenges defines all the moments in her life, good and bad. Kollaboration DC 3 will mark the first time Robyn will be performing on a major stage and she is excited for her debut.

Rocka

Rocka was born in the Island of Trinidad and Tobago, the origins of Steel Pan and Calypso music, and moved to America to pursue his dreams and a better life. He considers his style of music “RockaLypso”- a fusion of Pop, Reggae and Soca, which is drawn from his varied musical influences. Rocka has performed at the Apollo Theater in New York, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Florida.

Kickstarter + Sounds Like Love + Oak And Gorski (Aka The Ken Oak Band)

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Love the sound of the cello rock - and if you do too - help make the next EP a reality.

From FB:

Hello Friends!

We've recorded a new EP that we are really excited to share with you but we need YOUR help to manufacture it. As independent musicians without major label backing we rely heavily on the generosity and support of our fans. Two years ago you guys successfully funded the release of our Love Destroyer EP. After such an amazing experience of direct support from you, we've decided to try... again. =)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1257159019/sounds-like-love-ep-release

These songs really mean a lot to us and they've been a long time comin'. Most of all, we are just excited to share them with you and hope that you enjoy them as much as we do.

Please take a moment to click over to our kickstarter page and show your support for CELLO ROCK by pledging on one of the awesome reward packages! At the very least watch the stupid/awesome video and have yourself a laugh! We have until September 10th to raise our goal of $7,000 and we are 25% there already!!!!

THANK YOU for your unwavering support and really, really, ridiculously good looks. Seriously, you're a 10.

Cello Love,

Ken and Ed

Jason Chu + Presidential RACE (The Other Color)

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

If You Can't Handle A Panel Of All Black Judges On American Idol Just Don't Watch (And Then Run Outside Naked And Proclaim Yourself To Be The Racist MF You Are)

Monday, August 27, 2012

Some shit never ceases to amaze me.

TMZ, while breaking the story that flamboyant rapper Nicki Minaj might be about to join the show and that Carey just might have a bit of a problem with her addition to the panel, also noted on Tuesday that sources close to show said that producers are worried about the line-up's impact on "middle America" should the three-person panel include Carey, Minaj, and Jackson.

And in case you were wondering why they should be naked, it's just so when they get their ass kicked it'll hurt that much more.

P.S.

I don't condone violence.

But it is nice to think about it?

Must Read: Gabrielle Douglas On Racism And Bullying And Almost Not Taking The Gold

Monday, August 27, 2012

I think the title of the post says it all.

Definitely a must read.

"I was getting racist jokes. I was being isolated from the group. I’d come home at night and cry my eyes out because what did I do to deserve this? One of my teammates was like, ‘Can you scrape the bar?’ And they were like, ‘Well, why doesn’t Gabby do it? She’s our slave."

Read it in full down at s2 magazine.

Megan Lochte Apologizes For Her Racist Skit Video

Monday, August 27, 2012

A couple of things.

1. Digital Spy Magazine: Why on earth would you put Racist in quotes in your headline? It's not racist? It's a perception? It's open to opinion calling Chinese people chinks?

2. Does someone actually apologize because they want to, because they want to learn more and educate themselves, or are they just bowing to public pressure?

Don't know - but at least it's out there.

For whatever it's worth.

Government + Vy Nguyen: You Could Be A First

Monday, August 27, 2012

In case you didn't know, consider yourself now in the know that Vy Nguyen who's running for the State Representative of House District 26 could in fact be a first:

Nguyen was born outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania whose family immigrated to the United States after the Fall of Saigon City. She is proud to be part of a U.S. Military family. Nguyen obtained her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Houston. She then attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree with Honors.

Nguyen strongly believes that her extensive background as a lawyer, adjunct professor, woman small business owner, and a working mom will enable her to be a strong voice for her constituents. Nguyen stands for proper funding for public education, better access to higher education for all students, healthcare for all groups, and interests of small business owners.

Nguyen has received significant endorsements from respected community leaders from US Congress, Texas Senate, and Texas House of Representatives. The Honorable Gordon Quan serves as her Campaign Treasurer.

Read it in full here.

Mortal Instruments + Breaking Ground?

Monday, August 27, 2012

Saw this interesting article down at thinkprogress.org and wanted to post a little bit of it up.

About a month ago, I wrote about young adult author Cassandra Clare’s insistence that a character in her The Mortal Instruments series, Magnus Bane, whose Asianness is a major part of his identity be played by an Asian or Asian-American actor. Now that Taiwanese-Canadian model Godfrey Gao’s been cast in the role, actor Edward Zo’s made a video about the significance of the casting (the key parts run from about 1:10 to 7:00)...

Here's the video below

From Across The Pond: Send Racist Tweets, Get Arrested

Monday, August 27, 2012

More countries, counties, states, and anything in-between should learn from this:

The 22-year-old used Twitter to send West Ham United striker Carlton Cole, who is of African decent, a pair of disparaging messages including a racist term following West Ham’s 3-0 loss to Swansea City on Saturday. Police soon arrested him for a “racially aggravated public order offence,” a police spokeswoman told Reuters. Reuters also reported that Cole had retweeted the hateful comments, but they no longer show up on his timeline. Monday, the man was released on bail of an unspecified amount.

Read it in full here.

Long-Exposure Photo Exhibit + Korean American Photographer Atta Kim + NBMAA

Monday, August 27, 2012



Definitely sounds like an interesting exhibit if you can make it.

Change is the only constant in life. That philosophy drives the work of Korean-American photographer Atta Kim, both in his cityscapes and his depictions of human interactions. His artist's statement declares "Disappearance is the reality of all existence. Reality is not clear to us; it must be interpreted to be revealed."

A new exhibit of long-exposure photographs by Kim at the New Britain Museum of American Art, six photos in all, emphasize this transitory nature of human existence, a key feature in Buddhist philosophy, which Kim studies.

Freddie W: Army of Two - Cartel Takedown

Monday, August 27, 2012

Asian Voices + Huffington Post?

Monday, August 27, 2012

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this petition, but I at least wanted to post up a link to it if you are so inclined.

http://www.change.org/petitions/hey-huffington-post-add-an-asian-voices-page

Joseph Vincent Ft. Toestah: As Long As You Love Me

Monday, August 27, 2012

J-Reyes + Gamble: Work Hard Play Hard Cover

Monday, August 27, 2012

DANakaDAN Ft. Megan Lee: B.o.B ft. Taylor Swift Cover - Both of Us (Cover)

Monday, August 27, 2012

Kollaboration New York 2012: Cher Lloyd + Jackson 5 + I Want You Back (Cover)

Monday, August 27, 2012

YOMYOMF: KevJumba Takes on Competitive Eating w/ Justin Chon

Monday, August 27, 2012

Note To Self When On Airplane (Aka Could Have Been Worse)

Friday, August 24, 2012

When playing music from tablet, make sure not to use iPhone headphones because they don't plug in all the way apparently even though it looks like it - and while the flight attendant was really nice about saying how they could hear the music 5-6 rows up, and a piece of me can't help smile as unintentionally I filled the plane with the sounds of Bambu, Geologic, and Kiwi, from A Song For Ourselves, I can only imagine how I would have felt if instead I was blasting some retro Mandy Moore or general sappy love songs into the front seats showing my penchant for...well...sappy love songs......or even worse...if my fingers accidentally hit the secret porn key and instead of my music tastes being exposed, it was my fetish for ticklish gnomes who giggle loudly.

What? I Just Helped Publish A Book? And It Has A New York Times Best Selling Author In It? Neat.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012



Amazon Book Description

Through fourteen chapters, the authors of Parenting As Adoptees give readers a glimpse into a pivotal phase in life that touches the experiences of many domestic and international adoptees – that of parenting. The authors, who are all adoptees from various walks of life, intertwine their personal narratives and professional experiences, and the results of their efforts are insightful, emotive, and powerful. As Melanie Chung-Sherman, LCSW, LCPAA, PLLC, notes:

“Rarely has the experience of parenting as an adopted person been laid to bare so candidly and vividly. The authors provide a provocative, touching and, at times visceral and unyielding, invitation into their lives as they unearth and piece together the magnitude of parenting when it is interwoven with their adoption narrative. It is a prolific piece that encapsulates the rawness that adoption can bring from unknown histories, abandonment, grief, and identity reconciliation which ultimately reveals the power of resiliency and self-determination as a universal hallmark in parenting.”

Moreover, despite its topical focus, the book will interest individuals within and outside of the adoption community who are not parents. “Parenting As Adoptees,” writes Dr. Indigo Willing, “contributes and sits strongly alongside books by non-adoptees that look at issues to do with ‘the family’, race, ethnicity and migration. As such, this book should appeal to a broad audience interested in these various fields of inquiry.”

A Few Reviews Of The Book

"Parenting As Adoptees" is a seminal work. It's a literate, thoughtful, challenging collection of essays that candidly describes how parenting impacts the reality of being adopted, and how being adopted impacts the reality of parenting. However we become parents, the responsibility of being a parent is oh so complex, exhilarating, daunting, and fulfilling. As an adoptive parent, I've watched the way adoption has affected my children. I'm now a grandmother to the most beautiful and talented grandchild ever, who now at almost 6 years old is beginning to sort out what it means that her mother, aunt, and uncles were adopted, and that Grandma has no biological connection to her but oh we love each other fiercely. Reading "Parenting As Adoptees" has brought me new insights about adoption, parenting, racism, joy, and courage. I highly recommend it for adopted persons whether parents yet and for those currently parenting. I also highly recommend it for grandparents, siblings, partners, spouses, and friends of anyone adopted.

Additionally, because of the groundbreaking and valuable nature of this book, it should be required reading for all social work schools, therapy programs, all adoption agencies, all post-adoption providers (as few as they are, as many as they ought to be), all adoptive parent groups, and more. The voices of these authors are insightful and real. It's about time we all listened. Well done.

The book "Parenting as Adoptees" centers the voices of transnational and transracial adoptees in order to shed light on what individual experiences, structural barriers and research exist in the lives of adoptees that are also parents. Adoptees boldly address both the benefits and struggles of being adopted, refusing to shy away from the lived realities and how embodiment of this multifaceted identity affects their parenting. Nouns like holes, conflict, loss, and separation arise but so do verbs such as erasing, inventing, healing and growing. Personal stories are utilized to illustrate how societal realities such as the privilege of conformity, colorblindness, the salience of race and the importance of naming are played out in the lives of these adoptees, their families and communities. "Parenting as Adoptees" also resists the allure of a single story that represents all adoptions; instead stories range from parents with abusive backgrounds to parents who were loving but unsure to parents that worked to identify systemic inequities with their children from an early age.

Editor Adam Chau concisely shares his hope that centering the voice of adult adoptees will reverse the trend of ignoring an entire population of adults whose knowledge is essential for the survival and thriving of future generations of adoptees. Editor Kevin Ost-Vollmers shares the experiences of returning to Korea with his young son only to find a buried resentment arises which once recognized, leads to a tenderness between father, mother and son. Jennifer Lauck's chapter tells a story of changing from a mother in "adoption denial" to healing and connectedness through the support of her son, a shaman and an optometrist. Bert Ballard's story is simultaneously humorous and heartbreaking as he recognizes that his love for his children, both adopted and biological, is powerfully different, not in volume but in dimension. Sandy White Hawk's "I Chose This Life" tells of her own experiences being removed from her tribe, what it cost her as a child, a woman and a parent and how her children have grown both because of, and in spite of her experiences. In "Returning to the Begats", Mary Martin Mason captures how many of those interested parties is adoption (such as birth families, adopting families, adoptees and adoption abolitionists) can slam into each other in ways that reverberate through the life of adoptees. Robert O'Connor shares how his own medical and educational history is reflected in his children while his birth family's remains hidden from him. Susan Branco Alvardo weaves her personal stories within clinical perspectives in order to highlight the survivor brain that adoptees develop. Shannon Gibney's "Sixth Finger" rejects the unmarked and normative in order to practice self-preservation, which as Audre Lourde points out, "is an act of political warfare". In "Ally Parenting for Social Justice" John Raible translates his own experiences in "Whitesville" in order to support parents on developing as allies for their adopted children moving from theory to concrete strategies. Lorial Crowder traces her geographic routes that have taken her from suburban Connecticut to New York in order to foster connections for and with her Filipino, German and Italian son. Jae Ran Kim shares research and experiences that reflect her efforts to nurture her children's racial and cultural identities so they can question what is considered normal in society and voice where they fit in. Mark Hagland uses his background of social isolation as a Korean adopted person in Milwaukee as a launch pad to support both his daughter's personal growth as well as Korean adoptees. In Astrid Dabbeni's "Becoming Maya's Mama" she shares how adoption and language loss and acquisition impacts her entire family. "Beautiful" by Stephanie Cooper-Lewter and her daughter Courtney Cooper-Lewter share the ways adoption leaves voids in our history and how a journey back to India did not eliminate it but changed the scope and feel of that void for them both. Finally, Hei Kyong Kim's chapter traces her individual evolution to reject, then wholly embrace and finally adapt one version of Korean parenting in order to recognize the individual spirit of each of her six children within the collective.

Adoptees' experiences inform identities in "Adoptees as Parents" and the book reflects the paradoxes that exist as an adoptee. Adoption is both beautiful and terrible and there is honesty about this multidimensional, life-long process. Even for an adoptee who is not a parent, this book resonated with me. I whole heartedly agree with Maureen McCauley Evans that it should be read by all those whose lives have been touched by adoption, those who work in adoption and those who are interested in broader conversations of racial identity development, privilege and oppression.

Not bad for someone who's illiterate.

Check it out if you're so inclined.

Katie Hae Leo: The Origin(s) Project: THE REMOUNT & Kickstarter

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

October 25 at 7:30pm until November 3 at 7:30pm
We're back! After our sold-out run in June, Sun Mee Chomet and Katie Hae Leo are remounting The Origin(s) Project: Memoirs in Motion for a two-weekend run.

The Origin(s) Project is an evening-length pairing of two one-woman shows. Comprised of Leo's "N/A" and Chomet's "How to Be a Korean Woman," this groundbreaking show explores the adoptee experience from an adult adoptee perspective.

We've created a super fun and poignant Kickstarter video as an intro to the show for those folks who haven't seen it yet (featuring Twin Cities' community members). :)

Please join us in whatever capacity you're able...whether you're simply forwarding this info to loved ones near and far or posting our Kickstarter link on Facebook or your blog or donating $1 or $1,000...this is a community event and this show is FOR YOU.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/847389448/the-origins-project-the-remount

Shows are Thursday-Saturday, October 24-27 and November 1-3 at 7:30 p.m. with additional shows on Saturdays, October 27 and November 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets officially go on sale September 15. Call Dreamland Arts at 651-645-5506 or visit www.dreamlandarts.com for details.

The Blacklava 20th Anniversary Celebration!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Saturday, September 29, 2012
6:00pm until 12:00am in PDT
***PLEASE INVITE OTHERS WHO ENJOY AN ASIAN AMERICAN STATE OF MIND***
blacklava is turning 20! let's celebrate the legacy of this groundbreaking Asian American institution AND all the wonderful friends who made blacklava what it is today!

RSVP HERE AND DROP A LINE ABOUT WHAT blacklava MEANS TO YOU or POST A PHOTO OF YOU IN blacklava GEAR!

SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, September 29th, 2012
6pm - 12am
Hatakeyama Gallery
905 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
http://www.hatakeyamagallery.com/
Light Refreshments and Cash Bar

FEATURING
* A special exhibit of original works by community artists and writers inspired by blacklava.
* Children's activities - so bring the family!
* Music and beats from our favorite DJs!
* A blacklava photo shoot!
* and more to be announced...

6PM -8PM Light Refreshments
6-7:30PM Kids Activities
6-11PM Blacklava photo shoot
8-8:30 Presentation

East West Players + Encounter

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Thursday, September 6, 2012
East West Players
in association with
Navarasa Dance Theatre presents

ENCOUNTER

By Aparna Sindhoor, S.M. Raju and Anil Natyaveda
Music by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally
Directed & Choreographed by Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda
Inspired by a short story by Mahasweta Devi

September 6-October 7, 2012

ENCOUNTER explores different confrontations - with the Divine, the Self, Bob Marley, Love and the Military. In assocation with Navarasa Dance Theater in Massachusetts, ENCOUNTER mesmerized audiences during the National Asian American Theater Festival. It is now brought in its full version, continuing to expand EWP's boundaries to include South Asian voices and multi-disciplinary forms such as Indian dance.

In association with South Asian Network and UCLA Department of World Arts and Culture/Dance.

Tickets are now available for purchase at https://eastwestplayers.secure.force.com/ticket. For more information, visit www.eastwestplayers.org.

Preview Performances Thursday, September 06 - Sunday, September 09, 2012
Opening Night Wednesday, Septeber 12, 2012, $60 all seats. Includes pre-show hosted bar & post-show reception with cast and crew.

Performance Run:
Wed-Thurs at 8pm Balcony $26/Orchestra $31
Fri-Sat at 8pm Balcony $31/Orchestra $36
Sun at 2pm Balcony $31/Orchestra $36
*$4 per ticket handling fee on all regular ticket purchases.

Student and Senior Discounts $5 off regular ticket price.
Special Group Rates available for ten (10) or more. Call (213) 625-7000 x 20 for details.

Save the Dates:
Pay-What-You-Can Performance Thursday, September 13, 2012, at 8pm.
Post Show Discussion Sunday, September 23, 2012. A chat with the artists after the show.
Southern California Edison Community Night Wednesday, September 19, 2012.
Wine Down Fridays Complimentary glasses of red or white wine before the show, during the regular performance run. (Must be 21+ years of age.)

David So: PSY - GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V BYUNTAE STYLE! (PARODY)

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

V3Con This Friday And Saturday!

Monday, August 20, 2012

If you can't get excited about this, I don't know what will get you excited.

And just so you can't say you didn't know check out all the great people that will be down at the conference:

Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed, Gil Asakawa, Lloyd Y. Asato, Evan Bailyn, Diane Belli, Kim Bui, Frank Buckley, Clara C, Garick Chan, Cathy Chaplin, Christine Chen, Lynn Chen, Andrew Figueroa Chiang, Curtis Chin, Chiwan Choi, David Choi, Keith Chow, Kelly Cook, Denise Dador, Jennifer de la Fuente, Elyse Dinh-McCrillis, Sheila Bernus Dowd, Stephen Dypiangco, Dr. Michi Fu, Henry Fuhrmann, Kun Gao, Colin Guh and Yen Yen Woo, Alden E. Habacon, Erika Hayasaki, Naomi Hirahara, Susan Hirasuna, Ren Hsieh, LiAnn Ishizuka, G.W. Kimura, Abe Kwok, Calvin Lee, Lela Lee, Lisa Lee, Melanie Lee, Tommy Lei, Lisa Ling, Jane Lui, Richard Lui, Eileen Ma, Eric Nakagawa, Ted Nguyen, David Ono, Sonali Pathak, Jackie Perdue, Ipo Pharr, Koji Steven Sakai, Lac Su, Debra Suh, Angela Sun, Gordon Tokumatsu, Nguyen Tran, Jen Wang, Joz Wang, Bill Wong, Jeff Yang, Donald H. Yee, Erin Yoshimura, Phil Yu, and Teddy Zee.

http://www.v3con.com/

Kero One + Kickstarter + In All the Wrong Places

Friday, August 17, 2012

From the PR:

First off, thanks to everyone who supported Kero One's last kickstarter campaign for Color Theory! We received over $10k in pledges with your support!

Now Kero One wants to take a look back in his career and devote some attention to the song he is probably most known for, In All the Wrong Places, originally released in 2006.

Breaking away from the traditional avenues of funding/releasing music videos, once again Kero One is using Kickstarter.com to help fund his latest project. Help make the vision of In All the Wrong Places a reality!

For this project to succeed, Kero One is looking to raise $5,000 in less than 28 days. Every pledge to help achieve this goal will not go unnoticed. There will be rewards given for different pledge amounts, such as: New Color Theory hard cover books, CD's, T-shirts, records, and much more. Check out Kero One’s new vision and help him make the amazing music video that "In All the Wrong Places" deserves, using the link below:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kero/kero-ones-animated-music-video-in-all-the-wrong-pl

or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmGCDh8b1OI

Alfa's BlogTV Music Jam

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Thursday
7:30pm in PDT
BlogTV

So it's kind of like a live show, but with the help of the Internet. :)
New songs, old songs, covers, requests...all fair game in what I'm casually calling my BlogTV Music Jam.

Stop in and say hello while you do your Facebook stalkin-err, surfing..

Thurs., August 16
7:30pm PST (10:30pm EST) until...whenever.
SHOWTIME LINK: www.blogtv.com/people/AlfaGarcia

www.alfa-music.com

Alfa's BlogTV Music Jam

Kero One: To The Top Ft. Jane Lui (Color Theory 2012)

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Mike Relm: The Joker

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Dumbfoundead: KNOCKSTUDY - Fall Session 2012

Tuesday, August 14, 2012



Applications are available at www.knockstudy.org

- Fall Session starting Aug. 20th
- FREE!
- First time to offer workshops for middle school students!
- We're offering MC Writing and Music Production
- MC Writing will be every Monday and Wednesday from 5-6
- Music Production will be every Monday and Wednesday from 6-7
- We received tons of new equipment thanks to Bresee and will have a music lab available to students from 5-7 every Tues and Thurs. Students are welcome to stop by afterschool and jam out with EOM.

ALL CLASSES WILL BE HELD AT:

Bresee Community Center
184 Bimini Place
Los Angeles, CA
90004-5903

That's A Lot Of Briefs

Monday, August 13, 2012

Like I said...that's a lot.

WASHINGTON – The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice ("Advancing Justice")—the Asian American Institute ("AAI") in Chicago, the Asian American Justice Center ("AAJC") in Washington, the Asian Law Caucus ("ALC") in San Francisco, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center ("APALC") in Los Angeles—and over 70 Asian American and Pacific Islander ("AAPI") organizations, will file an amicus curiae brief later today with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of race-conscious admissions in higher education. The organizations have long histories of representing the interests of a wide swath of AAPI communities on a diverse range of issues. In October, the Court will hear arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin to determine whether the University of Texas-Austin's use of race as one of many factors in its consideration of 25 percent of its total admissions pool is constitutional.

"Allowing colleges to consider racial diversity as one of many factors in a small number of admissions will promote equal opportunity and ensure that qualified but socioeconomically disadvantaged students of color, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, have access to higher education and are not left behind," said Stewart Kwoh, executive director at APALC. "Flagship universities like UT Austin have a mission and obligation to train the leaders of tomorrow and promote and provide a diverse learning environment."

Equal opportunity in higher education was also before the Court in 2003. Ruling in two University of Michigan cases (Gratz v. Bollinger & Grutter v. Bollinger), the Court upheld as constitutional universities' consideration of race as one of many factors in order to achieve educational benefits only gained through a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body.

"We stand by the promise of integrated and equal public education set out in Brown v. Board of Education," said Hyeon-Ju Ro, executive director at ALC. "Race-conscious programs have desegregated our colleges and universities and are still needed to address racial inequalities in our education system today. We must combat the model minority stereotype and better understand the diversity of the Asian American community and the racial discrimination our communities suffer. We must not pit Asian Americans against other communities of color."

Advancing Justice's brief places the experience of Asian Americans and race-conscious admissions programs in context, describing how the programs have opened up higher education for AAPIs and other minorities and how AAPIs have benefited from race-conscious programs in employment, business, and government contracting.

"Voting and polling trends consistently show that a majority of Asian Americans support race-conscious admissions programs," said Mee Moua, executive director of AAJC. "Asian American voters in California, Michigan, Washington, and other states have opposed referenda to eliminate race-conscious programs, and national opinion polls consistently show that a majority of Asian Americans support race-conscious programs. The breadth of our coalition is proof of just how much Asian Americans recognize that policies that promote diversity and equal opportunity strengthen our society and benefit us all."

Advancing Justice supports UT Austin's admissions program and disputes that the program harms Asian Americans. The amicus brief demonstrates how all students, including Asian Americans, benefit from race-conscious admissions programs that increase campus diversity, promote cross-racial interaction and cultural understanding, and prepare all students to be effective leaders in our multi-cultural society. The brief also challenges the overemphasis on test scores in admissions in light of studies and data showing that test scores are an inaccurate and incomplete measure of merit and achievement, and that Asian American admissions rates do not suffer when other factors are taken into account.

"We believe that Asian Americans should not be used as a wedge group to curtail opportunities for racial minorities," said Tuyet Le, executive director of AAI. "Asian Americans and other communities of color have struggled together against racial discrimination and have fought for greater civil rights, protections, justice, and equality in this country."

The over 70 groups who joined Advancing Justice's brief include national organizations, local community based groups, advocacy organizations, bar associations, business associations, academic institutions, and student organizations. These organizations reflect the broad diversity of the AAPI community, including Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander American organizations.

To download a copy of the amicus brief or to see the full list of supporting organizations go to www.advancingjustice.org.



# # #

List of organizations filing the brief

American Citizens for Justice, Inc./Asian American Center for Justice (ACJ)
Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA)
Asian American Business Roundtable (AABR)
Asian-American Resource Center (AARC)
Asian Law Alliance (ALA)
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County (APABA)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance - Los Angeles Chapter (APALA)
Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC)
Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (APAWLA)
Asian Pacific Americans for Progress (APAP)
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Asian Pacific Islander Equality - Los Angeles (API Equality - LA)
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (API Legal Outreach)
Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON)
Asian Services in Action, Inc. (ASIA)
Association of Asian Pacific Community
Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
Austin Asian American Bar Association (AAABA)
The Cambodian Family
Council of Korean Americans (CKA)
East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU)
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ)
Filipino American Service Group Inc. (FASGI)
Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC)
Japanese American Bar Association (JABA)
Kizuna
Korean American Bar Association of Southern California (KABA)
Korean American Coalition - Los Angeles (KAC)
Korean Resource Center (KRC)
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA)
Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC)
K.W. Lee Center for Leadership
Laotian American National Alliance, Inc. (LANA)
Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP)
National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA)
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)
National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP)
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR)
OCA
Orange County Asian & Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)
Philippine American Bar Association (PABA)
Pilipino Workers' Center (PWC)
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA)
Self-Help for the Elderly
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
South Asian Bar Association of Northern California (SABA-NC)
South Asian Bar Association of Southern California (SABA-SC)
South Asian Network (SAN)
Southeast Asian Community Alliance (SEACA)
Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL)
Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC)
TOFA (To'utupu'o e'Otu Felenite Association) Inc.
UC Berkeley, Asian American Studies program of the Ethnic Studies Department
UC Berkeley School of Law, Asian American Law Journal (AALJ)
UC Berkeley School of Law, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)
UC Berkeley School of Law, Pilipino Association of Law Students (PALS)
UC Hastings College of the Law, Asian/Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
UC Irvine, Asian Pacific Student Association (APSA)
UCLA, Asian American Studies Center (UCLA AASC)
UCLA, Samahang Pilipino
UCLA, Vietnamese Student Union (VSU)
UCLA School of Law, Asian Pacific Islander Law Students Association (APILSA)
UCLA School of Law, South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA)
UC San Diego, Kaibigang Pilipino (KP)
United Cambodian Community (UCC)
University of Illinois at Chicago, Asian American Studies Program (ASAM Program at UIC)
University of Southern California, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
USC Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS)
Yale University, Asian American Cultural Center (AACC)
Yale University, Asian American Students Alliance (AASA)


The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (www.advancingjustice.org) is comprised of the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, DC (www.advancingequality.org), the Asian American Institute in Chicago (www.aaichicago.org), the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco (www.asianlawcaucus.org) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles (www.apalc.org). The mission of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice is to promote a fair and equitable society for all by working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities

Dress Yourself With Holly Ann-AeRee

Friday, August 10, 2012



From her YouTube channel (which has gotten 43 million + views):

I am 100% Korean (adopted. born in Seoul, Korea. Lived in the US since I was 3 months old.)

"i'm no beauty queen, i'm just beautiful me. YOU'VE GOT EVERY RIGHT, TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE. ♡ ...i wouldn't wanna be anybody else."

I am grateful, thankful but not indebted.

- Holly

Young Adult Novels Go Blackface! Yay!

Friday, August 10, 2012



It doesn't always get better with the younger generations.

Chinese Olympic Athletes Have Emotions?

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Watching women's platform diving...

Me: Every Olympics they always say the Chinese Athletes have no emotions.

SY: Yeah.

Me: But every Olympics the Chinese athletes always show emotions.

SY: Yeah. Let's get Dilly Bars.

Make Believe: Baiyu ft. Paul Kim

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Random Clara C

Thursday, August 09, 2012

ft. David Choi - DARLING IT'S YOU



Fish

Random Thursday Night Cover

Thursday, August 09, 2012

And Vietnam Possibly One Ups Almost All The States In The U.S.

Thursday, August 09, 2012

How you may ask?

Like this.

...the Vietnamese government announced that it may change its position and recognize same-sex marriages as legal unions. On Sunday, more than a hundred activists biked through Vietnam's capital, trailing rainbow-colored streamers and shouting, "Equal rights for gays and lesbians," the Associated Press reported.

KAFFLA 2012

Thursday, August 09, 2012

A little late in posting this up - but the festival runs through Saturday, so yes, you still have time.

For the first time ever, KAFFNY is proud to sponsor its first LOS ANGELES film festival (KAFFLA) from August 9-11 at the Korean Cultural Center. Some of the best films screened in NY will be brought to LA. KAFFLA this year is special in that this is the 20th Anniversary of the LA Riots. Our centerpiece films include projects from 5 Korean American directors, each with a unique perspective on the riots. In remembrance of 4.29, we envision this festival articulating the voices of a new generation of Koreans and Korean Americans while recognizing the period that sparked a move to create a strong Korean American awareness. We hope that through this festival, an ethnically diverse audience will participate and create a dialogue within their communities about the dangers of racial tension, the continued existence of cultural divisions, and ways to sponsor understanding.

THURSDAY 8/9 @ KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER

06:30pm Opening Night Reception @ KCC 3rd Fl. Lobby
07:00pm Wedding Palace Behind-The-Scenes - Short
Should’ve Kissed – Feature

FRIDAY 8/10 @ KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER

02:00pm Helena’s FLushing – Short
Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words – Feature

04:30pm KAFFLA Incubator Program
(Q&A w/ filmmakers)

07:30pm Shorts Program - Korean School Rejects, Blue, City, Recorder Exam, Saeng-Il, The Problem of Gravity, Hooked, Dol
(Q&A w/ filmmakers)

SATURDAY 8/11 @ KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER

02:00pm Magic and Loss - Feature

04:00pm LA Riots 2012 Program - LA Riots: Reflections On Our Future, Clash of Colors, Pokdong, LAR20, I Got My Mind Made Up
(Q&A w/ filmmakers)

7:30pm Ultimate Christian Wrestling - Feature

Kollaboration SF 2012 Promo: I'm Glad You're Close to Saving the World

Thursday, August 09, 2012



Kollaboration San Francisco 3
09.08.12 at Zellerbach Auditorium, UC Berkeley
Come out and enjoy the show!

Tickets on Sale now!
* $15 Pre-sale through 8/15
* $40 Meet N' Greet + General

Purchase tickets here : http://bit.ly/kollabsftickets

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT!

Website: http://kollaborationsf.org/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kollab.sf
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kollabsf

Jason Chu + I'm Sorry (Sikh Temple/Chick-Fil-A response)

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Random Things I Like To Do When I'm Naked

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

For some odd reason I felt like posting about random things I like to do when I'm naked, and just in case you might think these are strange just remember the title of the post says "Things I Like To Do"...not you, so do whatever you want when you're naked and let me be my naked happy self.

  • Run around the block to see if anyone will notice.
  • Watch Tia & Tamera on the Style Network while making a BLT.
  • Tickle myself and giggle.
  • Put on my thinking cap to see if I can come up with a way to free Pussy Riot from the shackles of Putin.
  • Quietly thank my big guy that he's not standing at attention as I'm looking at pictures from the NASA rover because I don't know if there's even a definition for that type of fetish.
  • Wonder what would happen if I had skin pockets and what type of sound it would make if I jumped up and down with change in them.

NBC Keeps On Their WTF Are They Doing To Ann Curry Train Ride

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

From Forbes:

During Ann Curry’s painful goodbye as co-anchor of Today on June 28th, viewers were promised she would still cover the London Olympics. Twelve days into the Games, there hasn’t been a single Curry sighting...Will Matt Lauer deign to have the woman he tossed overboard without a life jacket stand beside him, or will he insist she be kept isolated and only report through pre-taped packages?

And From Radar Online:

"Ann was promised a much bigger role in covering the Olympics when she was demoted from being a co-host of the TODAY show a few months ago. The plan had been for Ann to cover the opening ceremony on the ground with Matt Lauer & Meredith Viera," a source close to the situation tells us.

"However, for reasons not revealed to Ann, she was told shortly before the Olympics that her role covering the games was going to be scaled back, drastically. Ann was extremely disappointed because she had been looking forward to the games for a very long time..."

If I was Ann, I would say....well...you know what I would say and it probably wouldn't be able to be said on network television.

Yes. We Are Taking Over Congress (Or At Least Trying)

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Check the factoids:

Including Pacific Islanders, 30 Asian-Americans launched campaigns for Congress this year, compared with 10 in 2010 and eight in 2008, according to the Asian Pacific Institute of Congressional Studies (APICS).

A nonpartisan political group, APICS tracks the political engagement of Asian Pacific Americans, now the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, but long considered a non-player in the political arena.

"It's extremely exciting," says Gloria Chan, APICS president and CEO. "We could really stand to gain seats and affect the balance of power in Congress."

It was a sentiment widely shared at the OCA Asian Pacific American national convention that ended Sunday at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

"We have become more politically savvy," said Chan, a panelist in one of the convention workshops. "The community is more engaged and we have more role models in the federal and state levels."

I like that last part I put in italics.

Definitely says a lot.

You Might Be Racist If...

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

You write things like the following on people's houses.

We can not coexist with third world scum

Elaine Chao + Mitt Romney = Okay. I Guess It's At Least Something For Some Of You

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

I still don't get certain things (but that's in part because I've been told I have a small brain which doesn't always work, and sometimes I have to take that into consideration), but I still don't always get POC and the GOP. Sure, we can say we're more than just our color and other things override that, but again, sometimes I still don't get it:

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday announced that former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao would be national chair of his Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Romney community.

Chao, who is married to Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, became the first Asian American woman in the Cabinet as secretary of labor under the administration of George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. She has also served as chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, deputy secretary of transportation, president and CEO of United Way of America, and director of the Peace Corps.

“I am honored that Gov. Mitt Romney asked me to serve as the national chair of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Romney,” said Chao. “Having worked in previous presidential administrations, I know Gov. Mitt Romney has the experience and the character to tackle the problems that are facing our nation. Americans are suffering, and it will take new leadership to put this country on a path to prosperity and full employment.”

But for those people that do - I guess it's something.

I'd Rather Watch Ipartment

Tuesday, August 07, 2012



At least they look similar to me.

And You're Getting Life Paul Ray Castillo

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

I don't go around wishing prison on many people - because that would be a hard life - and if you can be rehabilitated, you should be rehabilitated, but in this case - well - he got what he deserved.

Paul Ray Castillo will spend the rest of his life in prison for a savage, 10-day run of crimes last year that ended with the random kidnapping of a prominent Vietnamese-American woman whom he shot dead at close range.

Castillo pleaded guilty Tuesday to the murder of Cindy Nguyen -- a 60-year-old mother of three, real estate agent and popular talk-show host on a Vietnamese radio station -- whose death stunned city leaders and the Vietnamese-American community.

Read it in full.

Be An Intern At The Asian American Writers’ Workshop

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

If internships are your thing, definitely check it out:

Searching for something that you can’t encounter on a college walk? Stir crazy in your office cube? Reassessing your career path post-layoff? Contribute 15 hours a week to the Asian American Writers’ Workshop this fall: meet new friends, build your portfolio of clips, and learn about Asian American literature and arts non-profit management.

Go.

Joseph Vincent, Covers, And The Roxy

Tuesday, August 07, 2012



On Wednesday August 29th, 2012, acoustic singer songwriter, Joseph Vincent, will be headlining the Roxy Theatre to preview his debut album, Blue Skies. Blue Skies is Joseph’s first, full-length album that will be released this fall.

The show at the Roxy Theatre will kick off Joseph’s “Blue Skies Tour,” which will take place this November. Attached is the official press release regarding the show. Opening for Joseph will be Andrew Garcia and Nate Westerfeld. If you see fit, we would greatly appreciate if you could help us promote this concert by sharing it on Slant Eye for the Round Eye.

For tickets and more information, please go to Ticket Web or www.josephvincentmusic.com.

You've Won The Audience Choice And Best Feature At AAIFF: Model Minority

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Yes.

That would be you Model Minority.

Congratulations.

Jamie Chung + SAF Seeking...(The Morning Afterglow)

Monday, August 06, 2012

Gold + Kyla Ross

Monday, August 06, 2012

Like many, I've been being a couch potato and watching the Olympics, and yes, I did see the women's team take gold earlier (and than those nasty face plants during the individual vault - damn).

And yes - just in case you didn't already know:

On the winning team is 15-year-old Kyla Ross, the youngest member of the U-S women’s gymnastics team. Born in Hawaii to a Filipino-Puerto Rican mother and African American-Japanese father, Ross moved to Aliso Viejo, California.Gym Max has become her training grounds. Many of the gymnasts here have known her since 2007. Many of the awards that decorate the gym are a result of Ross’ hard work. ”She really deserves it because she works really hard and is probably the hardest worker out of all of us,” said Stacie Webb, who is Ross’ friend at the gym.

Nothing on You/Boyfriend: Random Covers By Arden Cho

Monday, August 06, 2012

David So + Hip Hop Is Dead

Monday, August 06, 2012

You Can Still Make It: ALFA & KAWEHI at Bar Lubitsch

Monday, August 06, 2012

Today
8:00pm in PDT
UPDATE 7/30: A NEW mash-up video from Kawehi & Alfa! Check it out: http://vimeo.com/46619261

Howdy everyone!

We are live at Bar Lubitsch on Monday, Aug. 6th.
Alfa's on her guitar and keys and kazoo.
Kawehi's looping like there's no tomorrow.

Would we love to see you? OF COURSE!
Join us for good music and maybe a Moscow Mule. :)


Love
A & K

Starts 8:00 pm at Bar Lubitsch, Aug. 6, 2012
7702 Santa Monica Boulevard, Wes Hollywood, CA
$8 cover | 21+


2012 72 Hour Shootout Winner: RiLL Films "Distance"

Monday, August 06, 2012



In case you didn't already know...now you do.

From the team down at RiLL films:

[O]n behalf of RiLL Films, James Z. Feng, Nick Louie, and James Y. Shih would like to thank the Asian American Film Lab for a great competition this year. This year's 72 hour shootout was both a great challenge and an incredibly rewarding experience for the team. The project gave the crew some incredible filmmaking moments, such as guerilla filmmaking in public locations and avoiding the authorities at the airport"..."[T]hank you all for a great festival and for supporting the Asian American voice in film.

When White People Fuck It Up + Sikhs Are Not Muslims

Monday, August 06, 2012

Sure, we can't know for sure the intent of Wade Michael Page who we now know was the gunman who killed six people in the tragic shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin - but we do know he was a "frustrated neo-Nazi" and while he probably didn't care about the differences between Sikh and Muslim, or maybe got them confused, or just wanted to kill some brown people he thought was ruining his country - the topic has been brought up in the news, and I wanted to post up a few different viewpoints and news in the aftermath of the shooting.

Sikh temple president died "protecting our church"

The president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, one of the six victims in Sunday's mass shooting, tried to tackle the assailant, but was shot and killed in the process. Simran Kaleka told CBS Milwaukee affiliate WDJT-TV that her uncle, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was "an amazing man. When we found out what he did we weren't surprised. "Because we knew that's exactly what he would do," Kaleka told WDJT-TV. "He left this world protecting our church, protecting our loved ones, protecting our families. And now we're just trying to find a way to protect our hearts through this tough time."

The Difference Between Muslims and Sikhs.. Misses the Point

As Jian Ghomeshi tweeted: "It's both interesting and disturbing that CNN keeps feeling the need to point out that Sikhs are not Muslims." Even some Sikh commentators found a need to make it clear that that they are peaceful people, which had a disturbing undertone of differentiating themselves from the bad, warring Muslims. This is a good learning moment for the American people of all religions, and especially for the American media. Yes, Sikhs are not Muslims and Sikhs are not Hindus, but jumping to clarify difference leaves the unfortunate, if unintentional, perception that there is something wrong with those "others."

Gunman's tattoos lead officials to deem Sikh shooting terrorism

Wikipedia (Sikh)

Sikhism believes in one supreme being which is real and imminent and only experienceable in this creation; technically there is nothing in this creation which is devoid of it and distinct of it. It teaches that the God is omnipresent, transcendent, omnipotent, and omniscient. It also revolves around the belief in reincarnation. Emphasis is on ethics, morality, and values; the Sikh faith does not accept miracles. The Sikh school of thought believes in a form of reincarnation similar to Karma. The concept of hell and heaven in Sikhism is metaphorical and is said to be experienced by those who chose (or not) to live in the Five Thieves. Sikhism also believes in an omnipresent Onkar, the one constant in the Universe.

Sikhs recommend five prayers in the morning between 1 and 6 am (the five prayers can be said in succession within one hour for the well-versed): Japji, Anand Sahib, Jaap Sahib, Tav-Prasad Savaiye, Chaupai and Ardas; one prayer in the evening from 5 to 7 pm: Rehras and Ardas; and one before sleeping, around 8 to 10 pm: Kirtan Sohila and Ardas. Sikh scriptures teach the concept of moderation. Sikhism teaches a person to remove the Five Evils: kaam or kam (lust), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (attachment), and ahankar (pride) [32].

Guru Nanak Dev Ji sought to improve the status of women by spreading this message: "From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad when she gives rise to nobility? From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman." (page (Ang) 473). In so doing, he promoted women's rights and equality, a remarkable stance in the 15th century which was actually put into practice by Guru Nanak and the following 9 Gurus.

Today In History: Hiroshima

Monday, August 06, 2012

When days like today come up, for some reason I always think the same thing - that everyone felt it was fine to use the bomb on us Asian folks, but no one wanted to use it on the White People. Sure, no one should use it period, and like always, say what you will, but I say if it was good enough for us, it's good enough for anyone.

Where did that week go?

Monday, August 06, 2012

Oh yeah...it was my birthday week...and you know what they say about that...well maybe not....memories get lost...somewhere....maybe I'll find them again...