3X: 2 Girls | 1 Asian + Midseason Episodes

Wednesday, December 30, 2015



Been a while since I posted up on the Webisodes of 2 Girls | 1 Asian and wanted to make sure and post up a few of their latest episodes with two new ones for this month.

2 Girls | 1 Asian Midseason, Episode 1: My Bloody Valentine!




2 Girls | 1 Asian Midseason, Episode 2: Freaky Friday!



2 Girls | 1 Asian Midseason, Episode 3: Orphan's Christmas!

Netflix's Marco Polo Adds Michelle Yeoh

Monday, December 28, 2015

Speaking of Michelle Yeoh...she joins the cast of Marco Polo.

Slants Get Overturn Of USPTO On Their Name

Monday, December 28, 2015

If you've been frolicking during the holidays like I have with all the elves and re-watches of CTHD (because we all love Michelle Yeoh) you may have missed this tidbit of news where the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned USPTO's decision to allow the The Slants to trademark their name.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) denied The Slants a trademark registration under an old section of trademark law that denies trademark registration to marks that the US Patent and Trademark Office considers disparaging. Now, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, sitting en banc, has struck down not just the USPTO decision about The Slants, but the entire section of the Lanham Act that bars "disparaging" trademarks. The decision is sure to have repercussions for other owners of controversial trademarks—most notably, the Washington Redskins, a team that was stripped of its trademark rights but is continuing its fight at the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

"Courts have been slow to appreciate the expressive power of trademarks," wrote US Circuit Judge Kimberly Moore in the majority opinion (PDF). "Words—even a single word—can be powerful. Mr. Simon Shiao Tam named his band THE SLANTS to make a statement about racial and cultural issues in this country.... Many of the marks rejected as disparaging convey hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities. But the First Amendment protects even hurtful speech."

Tam, the front man for the dance-rock band, has said he chose the mark to "own" the stereotype and has said that reaction from the Asian community has been "very positive."
Some more thoughts and info on this in a later post.

End Of An Era: LA Times + KoreAm Journal

Monday, December 28, 2015

There's a good article down at the LA Times on James Ryu and KoreAm Journal. I like how Ryu has talked about the magazine archiving the Korean American experience - because it's not just telling something through articles and essays, but that archival of what was happening when and where (at least through the lens of the editors) - and it's been a magazine I've known many people to either read religiously or at the very least know about (and which printed it's last issue this month).

When he started the publication, Ryu was creating something his younger self would have wanted while growing up in remote parts of Ohio and Oregon, where there were few Asian or Korean Americans. At the end of its first year, Ryu wrote to readers that KoreAm was "serving the needs of our community by communicating between the Korean- and English-speaking Korean Americans." It was only in hindsight, going through the trove of past issues to put together the last, retrospective edition, that he realized KoreAm's role was "archiving the history" of the Korean American experience, Ryu said.
Read it in full.

Are You Kidding Me? #istandwithrosalindbrewer #rosalindbrewerisnotracist #shopatsamsclubifyouwant

Wednesday, December 23, 2015



Here's some excerpts from the Washington Post (originally from CNN) which caused all this controversy:

“My executive team is very diverse, and I make that a priority,” she told Harlow. “I demand it of my team and within the structure. And then, every now and then, you have to nudge your partners, and you have to speak up and speak out. And I try to use my platform for that. … I try to set an example. I try to mentor many women inside my company and outside the company because I think it’s important.

“And I talk to my suppliers about it. Just today we met with a supplier, and the entire other side of the table was all Caucasian males. That was interesting. I decided not to talk about it directly with [the supplier’s] folks in the room because there were actually no females, like, levels down. So I’m going to place a call to him.”
And who are the ones complaining and shouting racism?

You know it.

Shitty White Dudes who feel the world is slipping away (aka - they still want an all white world).

Did she say anything prejudiced?

Not even close.

She's just calling for diversity.

Get a clue shitty White Dudes.

Get a clue.

Because you're the ones who are racist calling this out as being racist.

Irony huh?

Music For The Holidays #3: Cynthia Lin + River (Joni Mitchell)

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Music For The Holidays #2: The Reason This Season (original) by Jennifer Chung & The Fu

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Music For The Holidays: Big Phony + Christmas Abroad

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Don't Hate...It Wasn't Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach's Fault + Miss USA Seemed Nice Too + Of Course We Feel Bad For Columbia + What Is Germany Doing?

Tuesday, December 22, 2015



All I'm saying is that regardless of what you think about the Miss Universe Pageant, Pia Alonzo from the Philippines did win it, and it was an awkward bad moment for everyone which stole all the glory from - well - everyone. Throw the hate if you want, but it will be of no use and misdirected.

Dang though - they let Columbia get really far into the waving, looking at the audience, hanging out with the crown - I mean - they almost closed the show I think...gotta feel bad for her.

But I wouldn't have wanted to be the winner either because that didn't look so good. No matter how you cut it - at least at that moment - the optics are someone was a winner, and then they were not, and then someone else became the winner while the other one, who was not a winner, cried.

All we can do is blame the MU folks for something crazy and youtube worthy (because I didn't actually watch it) and just hope that opportunity is there for everyone.

Except Miss Germany.

I feel like she maybe had some bad sauerkraut.

Okay

Perez Hilton said that Pia deserved to win and apparently all the judges were unanimous in picking her.

I may disagree with him thinking one will have a longer career than the other, but he was there, I was not, his words speak for - well - him.

Ishy Tina Fey AKA When White Women Go Bad AKA You Can't Opt Out If You're Not White

Monday, December 21, 2015

Ish. From the interview of Tina Fey:

IF YOU DON’T GET THE JOKE, THAT’S YOUR PROBLEM “Steer clear of the internet and you’ll live forever. We did an Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt episode and the internet was in a whirlwind, calling it ‘racist’, but my new goal is not to explain jokes. I feel like we put so much effort into writing and crafting everything, they need to speak for themselves. There’s a real culture of demanding apologies, and I’m opting out of that.”
We already know I have issues with the show's character/plot for Asian Americans (although I don't fault anyone for taking a job) - especially when you hold it up to shows like Fresh Off The Boat and Dr. Ken.

But Fey's latest quote - well - I don't need to explain myself that much either because I regularly opt out of explaining things to the dumbass white people - it just reeks of being an old ass minded white woman who takes her privilege seriously and who apparently can't really deduce between internet trolls and actual criticism which may have to do with race.

P.S.

I'm sure putting on blackface and making chinky jokes took some effort too.

Christian And Jewish Songs Are Okay But Ramadan-themed "Allahu Akbar" Isn't? AKA This Is Why No One From The City Moves To Blaine

Friday, December 18, 2015

Just like any state, we have the cities and we have the suburbs and we have the outer 'who really wants to go there places'.

Blaine and Coon Rapids (and yes, I've had many a conversation about the city name Coon Rapids) are the latter.

And remember - Coon Rapids is where apparently you can't speak another language while dining or you'll get some crazy woman assaulting you (and btw, I really do feel like Anoka County shouldn't be a part of the MSP/STPL metro - because they suck).

It doesn't surprise me then that some folks in adjoining Blaine decided to get outraged when the song "Allahu Akbar" was added to the song list:

Some parents in the Anoka-Hennepin School District are questioning a choir teacher’s decision to use a song about Ramadan performed in Arabic at a holiday concert [...]

Another parent, who didn’t want to be identified, told WCCO phone that considering the recent events in Paris and San Bernardino, singing a song about Allah would be “insensitive.”
Apparently kids can opt out of the song if they don't want to sing it and it won't affect their grade.

I wonder if kids can opt out of "Away in the Manger" because their parents feel it would be insensitive with all of the sexual abuse and cover up that's transpired in the Christian church.

Get a clue.

IndieGoGo It: Aviatrix: The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story

Wednesday, December 16, 2015



Sounds like a cool project. Indiegogo it now.

About

Aviatrix is a documentary film about Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, who was one of the first Chinese women to earn a pilots license in the United States during the Golden Age of Aviation. Read her story in Vogue: http://www.vogue.com/13256458/katherine-sui-fun-cheung-aviatrix
Watch for our upcoming news segment about Katherine on MSNBC's Her Story airing soon. Take the MSNBC quiz to learn more about women in aviation: http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/herstory-quiz-how-much-do-you-know-about-women-aviation

The Bad And Good About Rajon Rondo, Bill Kennedy, Being Gay, And The National Basketball Association

Wednesday, December 16, 2015



I was reading this article down @ ESPN on Rajon Rondo who slurred NBA referee Bill Kennedy and I couldn't help but think a few things:

1. Bill Kennedy can be Bill Kennedy and fuck anyone else.

2. Damn Rondo, how far ye has fallen.

3. I didn't really care for all of the apology, but I am glad that he had to make an apology and was suspended without pay for one game.

4. Adam Silver should run the NFL:

"I wholeheartedly support Bill's decision to live his life proudly and openly," Silver said. "Throughout his 18-year career with the league, Bill has excelled as a referee because of his passion, dedication and courage. Those qualities will continue to serve him well both as a game official and as a positive influence for others. While our league has made great progress, our work continues to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity."

In Kennedy's own words:
"I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man," Kennedy told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday. "I am following in the footsteps of others who have self-identified in the hopes that will send a message to young men and women in sports that you must allow no one to make you feel ashamed of who you are."

Run On America Is Great AKA An Open Letter To GOP Candidates Who Say America Doesn't Win (And What Was That Vietnam Comment About?)

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Dear Crazy MF's,

If America doesn't win how did you all do what you do and build what you have? Correct me if I'm wrong - but I don't think you can do that in an environment that loses. I'm not saying we're always winners - because some days we just suck (and yes, that's my technical term) - but aren't we still the #1 country in regard to the most powerful countries in the world?

(That would be a yes btw).

All I'm saying because I'm too tired to beat this one down - America doesn't suck and I get tired of hearing from these GOP candidates that it does (if I was The Hill I might start combating that a little with America is great - leave the gloom and doom behind).

P.S.

What was that comment about Vietnam eating our lunch?

Great.

Now they're bringing back Vietnam.

Asian American Poverty + Mashable

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

I know Mashable is (and has) changed, however I do find it interesting to see the article "The 'model minority' myth: Why Asian-American poverty goes unseen" down at what I still kind of consider (even though wrong) a tech site (because it's not just that anymore).

Good deal because we still need more articles to beat this topic down until everyone gets it.

Because not everyone does.

Some APA & Asian Goodness In YouTube Rewind: Now Watch Me 2015

Friday, December 11, 2015



While there can be more - a decent amount in the video including Lilly Singh, Jen Chae, Yuka Kinoshita, Hajime, ssin, Jenn Im, Timothy DeLaGhetto, Wassabi Productions, LaurDIY, Eugene Lee Yang (The Try Guys), Anna Akana, and possibly a couple more I may have missed.

Nice.

My No Review Reviews: Forest Of Death VS The Forest VS Sea Of Trees

Thursday, December 10, 2015

First I will admit that I've had a Shu Qi crush for...well - many many years now and I will fully admit that I can, and sometimes am, biased.

And I will also admit that trees in Japan are different than trees in Hong Kong.

And I'll admit that I love the Pang Brothers (more so than the Cohen brothers - but I like them too - and yes, they have nothing to do with any of these films).

And I'm not saying that all 3 movies, with The Forest coming out in 2016, are all based on each other. Because you can have trees, and trees in forests where people die or commit suicide and it's not like Aokigahara isn't a real place where people actually commit suicide (so technically you could say The Forest and the Sea Of Trees deal with the same subject matter, albeit one won't get booed at Cannes).

I guess what I'm saying is just that there are a lot of movies about forests where people die but none of them have Shu Qi in it or Ekin Cheng believing that trees can actually be witnesses to murder. And since I haven't seen Sea of Trees (and it did get booed), and The Forest hasn't come out yet (so I haven't seen that either) - I think the clear winner here is Forest of Death.

If I were to choose a winner.

Which I'm not though.

See?

True to my post title.

Here's the trailer for Forest of Death and The Forest if you are so inclined to watch them.



Donate To Visual Communications And They Get Double Through December 31st

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Got this in the email and wanted to make sure and pass it along.

Emphasis by me.

Can you believe that the end of 2015 is already upon us? Join Visual Communications as we celebrate the accomplishments this year. From the 31st edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, to year-round exhibitions and events, and the 13th cycle of the Armed With a Camera Fellowship and Digital Histories, your support has been an integral part of impacting our communities throughout the year.  
As we move towards to our 50th anniversary, we not only celebrate our accomplishments together for the past 45 years, we also look forward to many more with you. Whether you became a new member, renewed your membership, or attended an event, please know that we value your commitment to supporting our vision. 
During this holiday season, we ask you to consider making a donation, no matter how small or large.  100% of your contribution to the organization is tax-deductible. 
As a commitment to you, VC's Board of Directors will be matching each dollar raised during the holiday seasonHelp make sure that AAPI stories continue to be valued, shared, and preserved. 
Donate online at support.vconline.org before December 31st.

Because Xmas Still Lives So I Give You A Silent Night Rendition With Marie Digby, Ana Free, and Jason Chen

Wednesday, December 09, 2015



While I absolutely respect inclusion of all holidays and cultures (obviously), I'm also on the side that if I like some Xmas stuff and want to sing some Xmas carols (because inclusion doesn't have to be exclusion), that shouldn't offend anyone either.

Unless I'm naked.

I get that.

Please feel free to be very offended if I'm singing Xmas carols naked and knocking on your door because I too would be very offended and possibly frightened.

Unless I'm looking good that day though...

Because then naked me is good for everyone!

Well probably not everyone...but you know what I'm saying.

Random Profile: Len de Gracia, Senior Environment Artist

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

I was down at metacritic checking out games - with one of them on everyone's list being The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - and playing the video about the game, stumbled on Len De Gracia who is a Senior Environment Artist @ CD Projekt Red and while some may say I'm a stalker - I just call it Google.

Which led me to to her site.

Cool.

And yes - that is all, because now you're making me feel like a stalker...

Net Neutrality And A Free Internet For The AAPI Communities

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Diatribe:

Net neutrality and a free, fair internet and communications backbone affects so many communities of color, immigrant communities, and poor communities that are financially volatile. Without a free and fair internet, the digital divide will grow larger, and access to information, communication networks, and educational tools - all helping to add to the foundations of a brighter future can be in jeopardy. It's not sexy or media headline grabbing (and I mean that in a respectful way but also that I don't think we need to focus on a few radicals day in and day out because of xenophobia - and in turn have to react to that versus just covering mainly the victims and talking about policies like gun control) - but it's extremely important. Access to information and the right to access that information in the same way for everyone - specifically built on the networks of government and educational institutions and not private industry (albeit they have furthered some of the infrastructure, however still within the confines of federal and government oversight) -- it's our right to use and access w/o private companies making the decisions.

Some Michelle Bu On The Stripe Open Source Retreat

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

While they already chose developers to work on their projects from their SF office I thought I haven't posted a ton of tech news lately - so here's a link to the Stripe blog. And just in case you were wondering from a free internet perspective you want to like Stripe.

Girls' Generation Brings Me Holiday Cheer (Dear Santa English Version)

Tuesday, December 08, 2015



Now I feel like running around in snow...

Wait...I don't want to do that.

Here's the K-version if you would like it as well.

Damn PSY That's Just A Crazy Video (Daddy Featuring CL)

Tuesday, December 08, 2015



Little PSY kind of freaks me out...although big daddy freaks me out just as much...

Random Trailer: Jasmine + Jason Tobin

Tuesday, December 08, 2015



Call me crazy but if Jason Tobin approached me in the back of an alley screaming at me - even just holding a flower - it just might be a little spooky (but then again, I still can't quite shake his serial killer-ness from my mind).

You're A First: Judge Lynn R. Nakamoto

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

One day I dream of getting a JD and waving my big gavel while donned in a black robe...

Sure that may sound like the start of something more perverse but it's really not (get your mind out of the gutter thank you very much).

Anyway...I'm glad somone like Judge Lynn R. Nakamoto will get to do this on the Oregon Supreme Court and wave around her big gavel:

Oregon Court of Appeals Judge Lynn R. Nakamoto has been appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court by Gov. Kate Brown. Nakamoto is replacing Justice Virginia L. Linder, who has retired.

Nakamoto is the first Asian Pacific American to sit on the state's highest bench. Judge Roger J. DeHoog, a Deschutes County Circuit Court judge, will fill Nakamoto's vacancy at the court of appeals.
Yes.

Trump Wants To Intern Everyone Just Like FDR

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

All we need to know is this:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump defended his call to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the United States by comparing it to former President Roosevelt's 1942 executive order that authorized the internment of 110,000 American citizens of Japanese descent.

Apparently the furor has spoken.

And no - FDR wasn't the best President of the US.

Empowerment And Inspiration: You Want A Dream Big Friends Yuna Doll Too

Friday, December 04, 2015



From the Kickstarter page:

Yuna and the Dream Big Friends doll line was inspired by our own children's interactions with mass market toys. We took note of how these toys are marketed and merchandised at retail, and in turn, how they influence, inspire, and leave impressions upon kids everywhere.

Instead of creating an "anti-fashion doll", we set out to focus on imaginative play, which is what toys are really there for, and create something we would feel really good about giving to our kids.

High grade materials and super attention to quality and design were important factors when creating Yuna from the ground up. Yuna is a 10-inch, fully articulated doll with real fabric clothing and accessories. We put our all into making her the best doll possible.
Awesome.

David Henry Hwang Doing Well After Getting Slashed In The Neck

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Just one of those WTF moments.

A Tony award-winning playwright was slashed in the neck in an apparently random attack near his Brooklyn home, police said Wednesday.

David Henry Hwang, who brought home the trophy for his 1988 play “M. Butterfly,” was walking on S. Oxford Ave. near Lafayette Ave. in Fort Greene when an unknown attacker slashed his neck from behind around 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, police said.

The 57-year-old writer told police he felt pain and then noticed he was bleeding before walking to a hospital. He was treated and released.

“Thanks to the excellent work of the doctors at Brooklyn Hospital and Mount Sinai, I'm now home and expected to make a full recovery,” Hwanh told the Daily News.

Glad to hear he is doing well and I hope they find the perp that did this.

Here's to a speedy recovery (physically and mentally).

Be Part Of The Kollab SF Staff For 2016

Thursday, December 03, 2015

All the info here.

IISuperwomanII Doesn't Live in an Igloo, OKAY!? | SSN2 Ep 1 | TAWK w/ AWKWAFINA

Thursday, December 03, 2015



I'll have to catch up and watch this when I can.

Good Article On Wealth In The Atlantic But Where Are The Asian Americans In It? Do We Not Exist?

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

From the article in the Atlantic:

A seminal study published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives on wealth accumulation estimates that as much as 20 percent of wealth can be attributed to formal and informal gifts from family members, especially parents. And it starts early. In college, black and Hispanic Millennials are more likely to have to work one or two jobs to get through, missing out on opportunities to connect with classmates who have time to tinker around in dorm rooms and go on to found multibillion-dollar companies together. Many of them take on higher levels of student debt than their white peers, often to pay for routine expenses, such as textbooks, that their parents are less likely to subsidize.

“Student debt is the biggest millstone around Millennials, period, and an even larger and heavier one around the necks of black Millennials,” said Tom Shapiro, the director of the Institute on Assets and Social Policy. “It really hits those doing the right thing. [They’re] going through all the hoops.” He explained that, unlike in previous decades when college tuition was drastically lower, the risks of educational costs are now passed down to the individual.

Again, I really like this article in terms of talking about what makes wealth from the perspective of informal gifts and familial subsidies and responsibilities.

But where are we in all of this?

Don't we as Asian Americans have some of the same types of issues when looking to truly gain wealth?

Yes - we do.

So why are we kept out of the conversation?

Oh yeah...that's right...