Free "aka Dan" Watch In Full + Podcast With Dan Mathews

Wednesday, November 26, 2014



Definitely head on down and catch the EW article where you can watch aka Dan for free (for about the next two weeks) as well as check out the podcast with Dan Mathews on Gazillion Voices Radio (a partnership with KFAI Radio).

Nice.

Video + Photos + Thoughts: Taking Back The Streets, Seeing A Driver Run Their Car Into Minneapolis Protesters During Peaceful Protests, And The Symbolism Of It All

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Last night like others, I was protesting and marching against the Ferguson decision, in Minneapolis, and it was great to see everyone come out in numbers using their voices and exercising their right to assemble, being a part of a collective of thousands of people in the Twin Cities and across the country who are calling for change. Thank you to the organizers from multiple generations and communities who helped make this happen.

Because it was the way it should be.

We were taking back the streets in an organized and peaceful way with onlooking by law enforcement who did not impede the protest.

We were exercising our right to assemble.

The right to have our voices heard in a public manner and forum in our cities without a militarized law enforcement looking to hurt, versus protect.

We were engaged.

Together.

Standing next to one another in hope for change.



But early on in the protest and rally, a driver decided to instead of back up, or going around, or trying to have someone make a path - anything - decided to run their car into protesters. As I was documenting what was going on around me I saw it through my phone and it both surprised and angered me. Here's a link to the video of it.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1191876

Why do that?

What is wrong with you?

It wasn't a mob. No one was threatening. And it was clear to see that the street was being blocked off. There was more than enough warning and time to either find another route, or just wait us out.

But no.

They felt the right to close on up and see if they could go right through everyone.

And it's a symbol of why we can't always have a true dialogue in our country on race.

Because some people find it inconvenient.

For them, instead of wanting to hear what we have to say, or at the very least, just acknowledging that we are here and have something to say - they can't do that.

They won't do that.

They think so little of us and what we have to say about the injustices we see and what we have to put up with - and how change is needed - that they literally will run us over.

Selfie Postings: A Fistful of Soundtracks Guest Post And Thank You Hulu!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014



A couple of Selfie related news items:

1. Check out the blog A Fistful of Soundtracks as well as a guest post with Jimmy Aquino who runs AFOS on what we'll miss about Selfie.

2. The post was planned before the great news about Hulu picking up those episodes, and while I can hope they might actually pick it up in full...#1 is still relevant.

I just get a few more episodes (six to be exact) to miss them even more.

Patsy Mink Receives Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom Award

Monday, November 24, 2014

While our President Barack Obama was handing out Presidential Medal of Freedom awards, America’s highest civilian honor for trailblazers in the arts, sports and politics, to people we love and that made a difference, it was great to see that Pasty Mink also received a posthumous award.

#TBT Kristine Sa 2006: Consequence

Thursday, November 20, 2014



All I needed was a reason to post this.

Yeu.

Awkwafina "Daydreaming" (AKA Chris Christie + Sinbad + Kevin Bacon Get It On...Paper Plates)

Wednesday, November 19, 2014



I don't think I've ever seen special effects like this.

Ever.

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders + The AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force + #AAPIstrong

Wednesday, November 19, 2014



From The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (With Love)

More than one-quarter of students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported being bullied at school during the 2010-11 school year — nearly 7 million students. Some Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students face bullying and harassment based on their immigration status, such as Micronesian students whose families have recently immigrated to the continent and Hawaii. Others are bullied for the way they look, such as turbaned Sikh youth, or for their English language skills.

Students who are bullied don’t feel safe, and students who don’t feel safe can’t learn. Students involved in bullying are more likely to have challenges in school, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to have physical and mental health issues. Being bullied endangers students’ academic achievement and ultimately their college and career readiness. And in some areas, bullying of AAPI students is rampant. For example, one 2014 study found that over two-thirds of turbaned Sikh youth in Fresno, California reported experiencing bullying and harassment. And another recent study found that half of the 163 Asian American New York City public school students reported experiencing some kind of bias-based harassment in a 2012 survey, compared with only 27 percent in 2009.

When children are singled out because of a shared characteristic — such as race, sexual orientation, or religion — or a perceived shared characteristic, the issue not only affects that individual but the entire community. Policymakers believe that AAPI students who are bullied face unique challenges, including religious, cultural, and language barriers. In addition, there has been a spike of racial hostility following the September 11 attacks against children perceived to be Muslim. The classroom should be the safest place for youth, but for some AAPI students, it can be a very dangerous environment.

Unfortunately, this issue of AAPI harassment is nothing new. In 1982, Vincent Chin became a household name in AAPI homes when he was attacked and killed because he was mistakenly perceived to be Japanese. To facilitate a conversation on this issue, in 2011, under the leadership of Amardeep Singh, former member of the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) hosted a Bullying Prevention Summit in New York City.

However, more work needs to be done. Earlier this month, on the fifth anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the White House announced several efforts to address hate crimes, including a new Interagency Initiative on Hate Crimes. As a part of these efforts, WHIAAPI, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is launching the AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force to proactively address bullying in the AAPI community. In the wake of increasing concerns about the high rates of bullying among Sikh youth and incidents such as the attacks on as many as 30 Asian American students at South Philadelphia High School in December 2009, the AAPI Task Force will help ensure that the AAPI community is aware of federal resources and remedies available to them.

The AAPI Task Force brings together federal experts in civil rights, language access, education, community relations, public health, mental health, and data to find creative solutions to help the AAPI community. These experts will coordinate the efforts of their federal agencies to work closely together with stakeholders to better understand the impediments to seeking relief and support, analyze data regarding the prevalence of bullying in the AAPI community, improve outreach, develop training and toolkits for schools, students, and parents, and explore and recommend policies to address the AAPI community’s growing concerns about bullying of AAPI youth.

Building upon previous efforts and working closely with federal representatives and community leaders, I look forward to seeing the AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force make much needed progress on this very important issue in the AAPI community and furthering our commitment to improving the quality of life of AAPIs.

Join the conversation on AAPI bullying prevention on Twitter using hashtag #AAPIstrong.

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

My Wednesday Soft Covers Playlist

Wednesday, November 19, 2014



A little old a little new.

Write It In The Sky - Kina Grannis (Official Lyric Video)

Kina Grannis - "My Dear" (Official Music Video / My Wedding Video)

Story Of My Life" - One Direction (New Heights + Abraham Lim)

KERO ONE - On Bended Knee ft. Sam Ock (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Drake - Hold On We're Going Home (New Heights Cover feat Ally Maki)

April Chase - Time Won't Tell (Live Performance)

Big Phony - Words That Define [Official Music Video]

New Heights (ft. Cathy Nguyen) - Someday (Original)

EMILY ft LK - Nơi Cuối Cùng [ OFFICIAL MV ]

From Leroy Chiao With Love On The Philae's Comet Landing

Monday, November 17, 2014



If you are in the mood for a good science article:

It has been an eventful few weeks for space news. First came the launch failure of an unmanned Orbital Sciences rocket and cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station, which started a conversation in the media about the wisdom of relying on commercial carriers for transporting cargo (and later, crew) to the space station. Days later came the fatal crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo during a flight test. The media discussion expanded to include the question of whether it would be ethical to launch members of the general public to space in the future, as nonprofessionals seeking the experience.

Check out more down at CNN and also Leroy's Twitter feed.

Kickstart It: The Unbidden + Quentin Lee + Tamlyn Tomita + Karin Anna Cheung + NaRhee Ahn + Amy Hill + Elizabeth Sung + A Whole Lot More

Monday, November 17, 2014



This sounds like a great project from start to finish:

The genesis of The Unbidden began when I attended James Shigeta’s funeral earlier this year. I directed the beloved James as Karin Anna Cheung’s dad in The People I’ve Slept With. When I saw Julia Nickson (Ethan Mao) and Nancy Kwan at the reception, I thought wouldn’t it be nice to design a movie for more veteran Asian American actresses.

Women have been the core characters and audience for psychological thrillers and horror films. It’s sort of the tradition. There are so many talented Asian American actresses around, so why not make something genre with my favorite Asian American actresses?

I completely agree.



Go now and help this film become real @ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/quentinlee/the-unbidden-an-asian-american-horror-psycho-thril

Ferguson + Crackers + Racist "Reverse Racism" + Yeah...This Isn't Racist (Because It's From A POC)

Monday, November 17, 2014

I was reading this article about a teacher who was fired for her "racist tweet" that she resigned over and I'm just going on record again that POC can't be racist - prejudiced, bigoted, nationalistic and xenophobic sure - but not racist.

And calling someone a Cracker isn't racist. To give credence to a mythical absurdity that epithets like n****r and ch**k are the same undermines all of the work that's been done to help overcome institutional racism (and it's not like we're out of the woods on that one yet).

Should you call someone a Cracker at your workplace?

Probably not (at least I would steer away from that).

But should you be fired for using it on your personal twitter account in response to what you feel are racist and threatening attacks?

I don't think so.

Here's a little more from the story:

In the statement, Hedgewood said her tweet was a reaction to "a series of threatening and racist attacks" made toward her on the social media site during a debate over the Fergusion controversy involving the shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson.

"My reaction in no way reflects the standards to which I have held myself and my students for the last 20 years of teaching," she wrote. "I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I regret the embarrassment that it has caused the school district."

The tweet was written Friday, Nov. 7 and sent from her personal Twitter account.

"Who the [expletive] made you dumb duck ass crackers think I give a squat [expletive] about your opinions about my opinions RE: Ferguson? Kill yourselves," the tweet read.

I can't speak to any of the previous tweets, but this story, as well as the headlines, just reeks of racist "reverse racism".

To the victor go the spoils?

*Sigh*

Telly Leung + #OUT100 + George Takei

Friday, November 14, 2014


Known to many fans for his musical theater roles on Broadway (or those times he appeared on Glee as a Warbler), Telly Leung took a new direction in 2014 as the producer of his latest project, Grind: The Movie, a musical short film about what it’s like dating in today’s online hookup culture.
@RIF

Things I Like That I'm Sometimes Ashamed Of #345: Frasier

Friday, November 14, 2014



Sure. It's been over for years but it has a warm spot in my heart.

Flawed characters, funny dialogue, it had that right mix of comedy and drama, lowbrow and highbrow.

It was just a good show.

But the APIA representation...?

Nil.

Niles.

Representation either in the form of Yoshi the gardener or spoken to as sex with Martin Crane reliving his days back from the war (albeit in some ways the audience seeing his absurdity).

As a POC, it's a white show - not in a bad way - but it's also not George Lopez or My Wife and Kids.

A good show that could have been a little bit better.

Film It: Brahmin Bulls, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, And Asian Cinevision

Friday, November 14, 2014



Opens Friday, Nov 14, AMC Empire 25, New York.
Primetime screening: 6:55pm

Director Mahesh Pailoor, actor Sendhil Ramamurthy, co-producer and co-writer Anu Pradhan and producer Yoshinobu Tsuji attending the 6:55pm screening on Nov. 14.


When Ashok makes a surprise visit to Los Angeles to visit his estranged son, the two begin a journey to mend their relationship until Sid discovers that his father has actually come in search of an old flame. Starring Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Academy Award winner Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha, and Academy Award nominated Michael Lerner, BRAHMIN BULLS is a heartfelt and humorous exploration of the ever-evolving relationship between a father and son, the women in their lives, and the powerful secrets they keep.

Trailer

Young Asian Professional Mentorship Program

Friday, November 14, 2014

Nov. 30 Deadline

Opportunities to meet with this year’s Martell ICONS, Stephen Liu and Chris Tashima and be inspired by their success stories, and gain access to a wider network in your aspiring industry

· Networking reception events in Los Angeles and you will find yourself in the presence of many influential community and business leaders

· Grand Finale Event at a major venue in Las Vegas where you will get to meet and mingle with the ICONS, other key influencers and fellow professionals

· Complimentary trip to Paris and Southeastern France for a Martell Cognac tour

· Itinerary includes: over-night stay in Paris for fabulous meals and sightseeing, staying at Martell’s own chateau in an idyllic Cognac region of France to explore the area and experience an exquisite Cognac tour to learn about Martell, the oldest Cognac house that has been making Cognac history since 1715.
Get more @ http://apex.org/martellicons/

Sahra Nguyen + Jeff Chang On Hip Hop, Street Art, And Racial Justice in America

Friday, November 14, 2014



From the article down at NBC:

Asian Americans are dead center. Asian Americans are the least segregated group. Our relatively small numbers don’t explain it by itself. It’s the fact that we tend to be in these spaces where we’re the minority group on the come up or the minority group on the bottom. And so what that tells me is that in terms of alignment, the question is really crucial. How are we gonna align? Are we gonna align with anti-black, anti-brown notions of whiteness, or are we gonna align with a society that’s gonna be seeking racial justice for everybody?

P.S.: I'm Sucking At Emails And Stuff...

Thursday, November 13, 2014

But I peeked...

Just a little.

At emails and stuff.

Okay.

Let's end this with some 50Cent.



Everybody loves fitty!

AJ Rafael - Brand New (ft. Jenn Im)

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Because Neil deGrasse Tyson Is Awesome

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

DramaFever Watch: M (엠)

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Love this.

Never mind writer's block: novelist Min Woo (Kang Dong Won) can't be bothered to work on his much anticipated novel, due to torturous hallucinations that blur reality and fantasy, including mysterious photos that materialize out of nowhere. Trapped in an eerie space between fact and fiction — and pursued by an unknown force — the increasingly paranoid author meets a strange woman named Mimi (Lee Yeon Hee), who just may be the key to revealing what may be either a shrouded past or total insanity.

Watch it and be surreal.

Sad Day Selfie: It's Not Just Me + Hollywood Life + Fans Freak Out Over Cult Comedy’s Cancellation + Just Change The Time Slot?

Monday, November 10, 2014



I'm not the only one: ‘Selfie': Fans Freak Out Over Cult Comedy’s Cancellation.

Say what you might, but I thought it was hitting its stride. The back-to-back episodes had everyone laughing in my house--which also includes the teenage girl demographic--and I thought they had focused in on the right set of characters (and if you don't like David Harewood as Sam Saperstein I don't think you have a soul).

And yeah...I do root for a show with an Asian American male like John Cho.

Because it was something different and a far cry from some of the one dimensional caricatures we've had to endure on t.v (and the numbers didn't seem to be too bad: averaged 4.7 million viewers and 1.5 rating among adults 18-49).

Maybe it just needs a time change?

Another sad day in t.v. land...

Unless there's a reversal...

Can I cross my fingers and just hope?

Okay.

I'll do that.

Racey Links: Brad Paisley, Ben Stein, Cornell Students, And Principals

Friday, November 07, 2014

Brooklyn Principal Sorry About That Racist Comment

A Brooklyn principal is in hot water this week after making a racist comment about Spanish-speakers in front of prospective parents, claiming, "If you don’t speak Spanish, you’re going to clean your own house." She has since apologized, so there's that.

Paisley CMA joke wasn't racist: Column

As an African-American Southerner, let me assure singer Brad Paisley that I'm not among those who were offended by his joke at the Country Music Association Awards. Not only was it not racist, it was actually a smart poke at the perception of country music as an all-white conclave of artists and fans. For those who missed the joke, here's what Paisley said: "If you were looking for Black-ish tonight, yeah, this ain't it. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy White-ish." Black-ish is the new ABC hit show that normally is broadcast on Wednesday nights. It's about an upper-middle-class African-American family and stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. The fact that Paisley, who co-hosted the CMAs with Carrie Underwood, told the joke before Darius Rucker, an African-American country star, took the stage may have amped up the Twitter controversy that ensued.

Ben Stein says Obama is 'the most racist president' ever in America

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" actor Ben Stein offered some harsh criticism of President Barack Obama before Tuesday's Election Day. The 69-year-old political commentator and economist told Fox News on Sunday that the White House is trying to "racialize all politics," making Obama "the most racist president there has ever been in America." He claimed POTUS and Democrats like Hillary Clinton are allegedly trying to convince African-American voters that "Republicans have policies against black people."

Cornell student group gets racist comments for weeklong event

A student group’s weeklong event aimed to bring people together, but instead some have made racist comments about it on social media [...] A few took to social media app Yik Yak and posted anonymously they felt Privilege Week was an effort to give white males a guilt trip. Comments went downhill from there. “Why can black people just get scholarships for just being black from school?” BACO member Brenda Mejia read from the app. “Why can there be all black colleges, but not all white? It would be considered racist if black people didn’t get in and they’d complain.”

Thursday Morning I'm Bringing Back Summer With This XO Cover By AJ Rafael & Adinah

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Asian American Voting Reports And News Links

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Asian American Voters Show Strong Support for Democratic Candidates in Midterm Elections

Asian American voters in 11 states and Washington DC largely supported Democratic candidates in the 2014 midterm elections, according to preliminary results of an exit poll released today by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). The multilingual exit poll of over 4,200 Asian American voters was conducted by AALDEF in collaboration with 65 national and local community groups, the largest survey of its kind in the nation.

New national battleground: The Asian vote

Spurred by President Barack Obama’s landslide victory among Asian-American voters in 2012 and new government data showing Asians outstripping Latinos as the fastest-growing immigrant population, prominent elected officials on both sides of the aisle have called for a stepped-up focus on Americans of Asian descent.

First Asian-American Elected To Oklahoma Legislature

The winner of the State Senate District 40 seat made history Tuesday night. Ervin Yen is believed to be the first Asian-American in the Oklahoma state legislature. Yen, a Republican won the open seat with 54% of the vote.

Republicans Courted Asians, and It Paid Off

National exit polling of voters in House races last night found that almost half of Asian-Americans -- 49 percent -- supported the Republican candidate. This is about twice the share who supported Mitt Romney in exit polling conducted after the 2012 presidential election. It also reverses a trend that began roughly during the 1990s, of increasing Asian-American support for Democratic candidates (starting with Bill Clinton).

Video It: Pussy Kills + Rocky Rivera

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Kollaboration Star 2014

Thursday, November 06, 2014



Six artists. LA. Grand prize of $10,000.



Get info and tix.

Decades Later: Chris Cate

Thursday, November 06, 2014

From NBC San Diego:

San Diego has elected its first Asian-American to the city council in nearly 50 years. City Councilmember-Elect Chris Cate won the District 6 seat with 55 percent of the vote. The Republican beat challenger Democrat Carol Kim, also Asian-American [...] Many Asian-Americans in District 6 told NBC 7 they’re optimistic they will have more say in city government with a councilman they believe will represent not only their interests but also that of the surrounding community.

Re: Film List Guest Post

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

If you are interested in some films from 2014 that I wanted to see check out my guest post down at yomyomf called "To See And Be Seen: Twenty-Six Asian Films Of 2014".

Watch It On Amazon Instant Video: A Picture Of You

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Do it now!

It's free!

Cancel your date!

http://www.amazon.com/Picture-You-Jo-Mei/dp/B00OYWTLXM/

Random Thoughts: Whitney, Xtina, Elmo

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Sometimes those conversation just happen.

You know...I can't help it.

Like Xtina.

Who doesn't love a little Christmas circa 1999?



Right?

But you know...sometimes in earshot...hmmmm..."How come you like the White Girls so much huh?"

Damn.

"But..It's Christina...It's Christmas...?"

"Uh huh"

"I got Whitney too. Mariah. Alicia on the mix...with Elmo..."

Fake Off Episode #1 + Harry Shum Jr. + truTV

Monday, November 03, 2014



From The Hollywood Reporter

Fake Off is the first of several new shows that, beginning Oct. 27, will come to define truTV and its new tagline: "Way More Fun." It's a far cry from its origins as Court TV, and later, as a network devoted to crime shows that devolved into a mishmash of reality programing. But with its rebrand, truTV's parent company Turner Broadcasting is hoping to create a channel (currently reaching more than 93 million homes — 79 percent of the TV audience) that attracts "funseekers." Fake Off is a strong start. Its setup feels like a broadcast competition series, which makes sense since the show is a pastiche of many successful forebears. As on American Idol and its copycats, there are three judges: visual concept designer Michael Curry (Broadway's The Lion King), Grammy winner and former TLC chanteuse Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, and actor-dancer-choreographer Harry Shum Jr., most recently seen on the Fox series Glee. Each judge awards the performances a score from 1 to 10, which are added up and then combined with the audience's score (which is weighted like a fourth judge, a la Dancing With the Stars). The ultimate prize for the winning team (one is eliminated each week starting in the second round) is $100,000.