Many folks are posting that 2018 was one of the worst years ever. But as the Buddhist saying goes, “Wisdom is like rainwater. It gathers in low places.”
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) December 31, 2018
I will look back on 2018 as the moment we began to take back our country. We rejected Trumpism and our values were reaffirmed.
George Takei On 2018...
Monday, December 31, 2018Well...2018 Was All About Being Okay With Some Things...12 Years?
Monday, December 31, 2018I kind of knew I wouldn't make 300 posts this year - but - I am making a small run and that's good enough for me (^_^).
You do what you can in and for your communities - and yourself.
Next year I'll bring more words...hopefully xD.
At the same time if my thought was that I should have had at least 1 per day on average - or close +/- 30/40 - if I average it all up in total - it's still there.
Now that I think about it too - damn - this blog has spanned 12 years.
I never actually did think about that when I started it - where I would take it, how long would it last, and what would it mean to me, no matter what else I was doing.
Hmmm....2019...I think you'll be a good year for everyone.
From Senator Mazie Hirono Before The New Year
Monday, December 31, 2018Obviously nothing is too low or cruel for you.
— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) December 30, 2018
A collective New Year’s wish: For the sake of our country, you can stop now. https://t.co/HEPGeutli2
Representative Judy Chu On #Tornillo
Monday, December 31, 2018The child prison camp at #Tornillo is a national tragedy. It must be shut down today. I'm proud that @SenJeffMerkley & I have introduced legislation to do just that. Children should be with loved ones, not treated as inmates https://t.co/dWiDkYjgL3
— Judy Chu (@RepJudyChu) December 20, 2018
Retro MISIA - 逢いたくていま 23rd Single + 2018 What The Karaoke
Monday, December 31, 2018
And then hear the slaying of the karaoke version.
WTK indeed.
And yes - I feel like there are some wet sandbags there but let them be wet sandbags and let the rejoicing begin.
Retro Hyuna. Lip & Hip (AKA Game Recognize Game Mode)
Monday, December 31, 2018
Not everything's a hit.
But not everything will be.
And you still have to recognize artistry and a POV.
Someone who takes chances.
Honestly There's Just Too Much. But I Can't Help It
Monday, December 31, 2018
This was one of my favorite medleys this year...I can't not post on it.
It's not his fault there's just soooo much.
2018 In Review: Because It Just Must Be. Classic Karaoke Songs Medley ft. Jessica Sanchez, Ylona Garcia, & AJ Rafael
Monday, December 31, 2018
It's just a time to listen.
I'm Still Feeling Christmassy: Ultimate LIVE Christmas Medley with Tori Kelly | AJ Rafael
Monday, December 31, 2018Historical: Rock Springs Massacre
Monday, December 31, 2018The Rock Springs massacre, also known as the Rock Springs Riot, occurred on September 2, 1885, in the present-day United States city of Rock Springs in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The riot, and resulting massacre of immigrant Chinese miners by white immigrant miners, was the result of racial prejudice toward the Chinese miners, who were perceived to be taking jobs from the white miners. The Union Pacific Coal Department found it economically beneficial to give preference in hiring to Chinese miners, who were willing to work for lower wages than their white counterparts, angering the white miners. When the rioting ended, at least 28 Chinese miners were dead and 15 were injured. Rioters burned 78 Chinese homes, resulting in approximately US$150,000 in property damage[1][2][3] ($4.09 million in present-day terms[4]).
Tension between whites and Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century American West was particularly high, especially in the decade preceding the violence. The massacre in Rock Springs was one among several instances of violence culminating from years of anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act suspended Chinese immigration for ten years, but not before thousands of immigrants came to the American West. Most Chinese immigrants to Wyoming Territory took jobs with the railroad at first, but many ended up employed in coal mines owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. As Chinese immigration increased, so did anti-Chinese sentiment on the part of whites. The Knights of Labor, one of the foremost voices against Chinese immigrant labor, formed a chapter in Rock Springs in 1883, and most rioters were members of that organization. However, no direct connection was ever established linking the riot to the national Knights of Labor organization.[1]
In the immediate aftermath of the riot, federal troops were deployed in Rock Springs. They escorted the surviving Chinese miners, most of whom had fled to Evanston, Wyoming, back to Rock Springs a week after the riot. Reaction came swiftly from the era's publications. In Rock Springs, the local newspaper endorsed the outcome of the riot, while in other Wyoming newspapers, support for the riot was limited to sympathy for the causes of the white miners.[2] The massacre in Rock Springs touched off a wave of anti-Chinese violence, especially in the Puget Sound area of Washington Territory.
WIKIPEDIA
2018 In Review: William Yu
Monday, December 31, 2018Of course, Asian August didn’t come out of nowhere. Asians and Asian Americans across the country and globe have been working tirelessly for years to ensure greater representation on screen. One such individual is William Yu, the Korean-American digital strategist and mastermind behind the internet phenomena known as #StarringJohnCho and #SeeAsAmStar.
Yu followed his viral campaign up this past May with #SeeAsAmStar, a collection of video clips that use controversial Deepfake technology to feature Asian-American actors John Cho, Constance Wu (star of Crazy Rich Asians), Arden Cho and Steven Yeun in popular Hollywood movies, from Captain America to Hunger Games, to deconstruct the definition of a Hollywood movie star and once again show that Asian Americans can play these roles.
FOLLOW-->.
Labels: 2018InReview
B419 Ketchup #18: Julie J. Park, And "Test prep is a rite of passage for many Asian-Americans"
Monday, December 31, 2018As a researcher who specializes in the study of Asian-Americans and higher education, I see three factors that help explain this trend around test scores.
1. Many Asian-American students are socialized into test prep
As I document in my book, "Race on Campus," many Asian-American students get frequent messages from an early age about the importance of doing well on tests. Test prep businesses may post an "honor roll" that features local youth and their elite college destinations. Relatives may stress that good test scores matter.
These messages are powerful, as explained in the book "The Asian American Achievement Paradox." They set up high expectations for Asian-American students. Test prep becomes a way of meeting those expectations.
In many ways, these messages reflect the influence of East Asia, where college admission is decided on a single high-stakes test – such as China's gaokao or South Korea's suneung – and where intense test prep is a regular feature of teenage life. For that reason, many Asian immigrant parents see the SAT or ACT as the equivalent of Asia's admissions tests. As a result, many conclude that test prep is a worthy investment.
https://phys.org/news/2018-11-prep-rite-passage-asian-americans.html
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B419 Ketchup #17: The Atlantic + 'Stereotypes of “worker bees” and “dragon ladies” are holding Asian Americans back in STEM careers'
Monday, December 31, 2018Everyone knows it.
Well - some of us xD.
Asian Americans also face bias stemming from assumptions not just about how they do act, but about how they should act. At work, white men generally have more leeway in their behavior: They can shout and scream when they’re angry; they can brag when they’ve accomplished something. For women and people of color, a narrower range of behavior is often accepted. Just as white women are, Asian Americans of all genders who behave in dominant ways tend to be disliked, according to a study by Jennifer Berdahl and Ji-A Min. As The Atlantic’s Olga Khazan writes:
The most notorious double standard is that women can’t break into important jobs unless they advocate for themselves and command respect. But they’re also reviled unless they act like chipper and self-deprecating team players, forever passing the credit along to others. Laurie Rudman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University, said the “poster woman” for this predicament is Hillary Clinton, who, according to surveys, was more popular when in office than when she was vying for office.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/asian-americans-science-math-bias/551903/
Labels: B419 Ketchup
B419 Ketchup #16: Be Educated. Courses In ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES + UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN–MADISON
Monday, December 31, 2018http://guide.wisc.edu/courses/asian_am/
ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES (ASIAN AM)
ASIAN AM 101 — INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
3 credits.
Introduction to the historical, sociological, anthropological, political, and cultural study of Americans of Asian ancestry. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/AFROAMER/AMER IND/CHICLA/FOLKLORE 102 — INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE US ETHNIC AND AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES
3 credits.
Introduction to comparative ethnic studies, examining race, ethnicity, and indigeneity within the United States. Includes perspectives from African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Chican@ and Latin@ studies. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/DANCE 121 — ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT
3 credits.
Techniques of exercises and movement forms derived from several Asian cultures as taught in the United States. Studied in the context of the construction and expression of ethnic and cultural identity. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/ENGL 150 — LITERATURE & CULTURE OF ASIAN AMERICA
3 credits.
Since the 19th century, "America" has often been defined by its relationship with "Asia," through cultural influence, immigration, imperialism, and war. Traces the role of Asia and Asians in American literature and culture, from the Chinese and Japanese cultural influences that helped shape literary modernism to the rise of a distinctive culture produced by Asian immigrants to America and their descendants. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM 152 — ASIAN AMERICAN LITERARY AND POPULAR CULTURE: RACE, FANTASY, FUTURES
3 credits.
Explores fantasy as a conduit of political meaning in Asian American fiction, graphic novels, anime, and art. Analyzes race as it circulates in visual mediums and literary texts. Engages issues such as stereotyping, caricature, and microaggressions; whitewashing, yellowface, and passing; race fetishism; cultural appropriation; multiracialism; kawaii or cute style; techno- orientalism and virtual Asians. Foregrounding fantasies of bodilessness, the course examines race as it is grafted onto nonhuman forms-objects, digital avatars, robots-at the borders of science and fiction. Examines how projections of the future reflect cultural anxieties about race, immigration, and Asian Americans. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/HISTORY 160 — ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY: MOVEMENT AND DISLOCATION
3-4 credits.
Examines the impact of colonialism, war, and capitalism on the movement of Asians to the U.S. Considers how racial, gendered, class, sexual, and national formations within the U.S. structured Asian immigration to North America. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/HISTORY 161 — ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY: SETTLEMENT AND NATIONAL BELONGING
3-4 credits.
Examines the social, cultural, and political citizenship of Asians in the U.S. with particular emphasis on diaspora, transnationality, and place. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM 170 — HMONG AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN THE UNITED STATES
3 credits.
Explores how Hmong's participation in the Secret War that the U.S. waged in Laos shaped their experiences in the U.S., heightening the importance of Hmong Americans' social, cultural, and political self-definition and in making known their contributions to the advancement of U.S. society. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/SOC 220 — ETHNIC MOVEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
3-4 credits.
Sociological analysis of historical and recent ethnic/racial conflict and movements in the U.S., including the relations between European Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, with additional material on other groups and relations. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM 240 — TOPICS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
3 credits.
An examination of specific themes in Asian American life and culture. Topics may include comparative analyses of Asian American communities, Asian American experience and history, and the specific concerns and histories of Asian groups in the U.S., such as Korean, Hmong, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Japanese. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/HISTORY/LCA 246 — SOUTHEAST ASIAN REFUGEES OF THE "COLD" WAR
4 credits.
In-depth study of the peoples, conflicts, and wars in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, with emphasis on the Cold War ear (1945-1990) and on the resulting migration and resettlement of over one million Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese in the United States. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/ENGL 270 — A SURVEY OF ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE
3 credits.
Survey of Asian American literature from 1880 to present. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/E A STDS/HISTORY 276 — CHINESE MIGRATIONS SINCE 1500
3-4 credits.
Introduces the comparative history of Chinese migrations to the U.S. and world. Examines patterns of movement; imagined communities through cultural identity, citizenship, queerness, heritage tourism, studying abroad, and transnational adoption; as well as sites of cultural production such as food, literature, architecture, and cinema. Enroll Info: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
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ASIAN AM/COM ARTS 420 — ASIAN AMERICANS AND MEDIA
3 credits.
Examines representations of Asian American in American media using historical, analytical, and critical approaches. Issues of cultural production, identity, race, politics, and gender are linked to examinations of specific media forms. Enroll Info: COM ARTS/CHICLA 347 or So st
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ASIAN AM 440 — SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM
3 credits.
Topics vary for this course. Please see Asian American website for description for the semester you are taking the course. Topics will have some content about Asian Americans of different ethnic groups (e.g, Hmong, Southeast Asian, East Asian Americans -Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, etc.). THIS COURSE DOES NOT PROVIDE ETHNIC STUDIES CREDIT. THIS COURSE MAY INCLUDE SERVICE LEARNING OR COMMUNITY BASED FIELD STUDIES ACTIVITIES. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/AFROAMER 443 — MUTUAL PERCEPTIONS OF RACIAL MINORITIES
3 credits.
Survey course on the mutual perceptions of primarily people of African and Asian ancestry. It focuses on how these groups evaluate perceive and interact with one another and others such as Native Americans, whites and Hispanics. Social psychological perspectives are highlighted as is an international overview. Enroll Info: Afro-Amer 151 or 673
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ASIAN AM/ENGL 462 — TOPIC IN ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE
3 credits.
Topics will vary. All topics will emphasize the following learning outcomes: awareness of history's impact on the present, ability to recognize and question assumptions, development of critical thinking skills, awareness of relations between self and others, and effective participation in a multicultural society. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/ENGL/GEN&WS 463 — RACE AND SEXUALITY IN AMERICAN LITERATURE
3 credits.
Explores the intersection between race and sexuality in American literature with an emphasis on sex/gender difference, feminism, transgenderism, and nationalism. Focuses on the nature of literature as advocacy, with an emphasis on Asian-American issues. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/ENGL/GEN&WS 464 — ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN WRITERS
3 credits.
Major texts by Asian American women writers. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/ENGL 465 — ASIAN AMERICAN POETRY
3 credits.
Throughout the history of Asian America, poetry has been a vehicle for the creation and exploration of an Asian American voice; in poetry we can see the continuing struggle over what form Asian American expression will take. Will it follow Asian or European models? Will it employ traditional forms, or experiment in search of new styles? Will it be individual or collective, introspective or political? We will explore these questions through a study of a wide range of Asian American poets from a variety of historical periods and ethnicities, including Janice Mirikitani, Lawson Fusao Inada, Li-Young Lee, John Yau, Myung Mi Kim, and Linh Dinh. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM 540 — SPECIAL TOPICS
3 credits.
Themes in Asian American Studies. Topics may include activism, public policy, history, poverty, family, law, immigration, diaspora, refugeeism, gender, sexuality. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM 560 — HUMANITIES TOPICS
3 credits.
Topics in the arts and humanities that illuminate the Asian American experience. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM/JOURN 662 — MASS MEDIA AND MINORITIES
4 credits.
Representations of minority groups in U.S. news and entertainment mass media. Historical, social, political, economic, and other factors influencing the mass mediated depictions of minorities. Enroll Info: None
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ASIAN AM 699 — INDEPENDENT STUDY: DIRECTED READINGS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
1-4 credits.
An independent studies course to allow students at an advanced level to pursue individual projects/subjects. Enroll Info: 9 cr in Asian American studies
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B419 Ketchup #15: BuzzFeed Eating A 3-Course Meal At 7-Eleven
Monday, December 31, 2018Labels: B419 Ketchup
B419 Ketchup #14: More. 빅 포니 Big Phony - "All Bets Are Off (OST Version)"
Monday, December 31, 2018Labels: B419 Ketchup
B419 Ketchup #13: 빅 포니 Big Phony - "Ready Or Not (FYKE Remix)"'
Monday, December 31, 2018
One of my favorite tracks off the album.
Labels: B419 Ketchup
2018 In Review: Always Be My Maybe (AKA Looking Forward?)
Monday, December 31, 2018
You might be thinking that this should be in a 2019 (Year) In Review post, but that would be impossible because that hasn't happened yet, and even if it weren't impossible, it still wouldn't be the right answer.
Because it was filmed in 2018...
Teased in 2018...
Without 2018 - there would be no Ali Wong and Randall Park or DDK and Keanu to look forward to in 2019.
And I'm absolutely looking forward to this.
Labels: 2018InReview
B419 Ketchup #12: More Representative Mark Takano
Monday, December 31, 2018We can ensure that every veteran can access their benefits and get the quality care they need by:
— Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) September 25, 2018
✔️ Fighting against VA privatization
✔️ Holding predatory for-profit colleges accountable
✔️ Filling VA employee vacancies
✔️ Creating a VA that works for every veteran pic.twitter.com/570jqMchCJ
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B419 Ketchup #10: Representative Mark Takano On The Deaths Of Children In Immigration Detention Centers
Monday, December 31, 20182 children died at our border while in immigration detention. Their deaths should be investigated and proper procedures should be put in place to prevent this from ever happening again.
— Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) December 29, 2018
Enough with the vile statements. These are people’s lives we’re talking about.
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B419 Ketchup #9: diaCRITICS Review Of Vietgone
Sunday, December 30, 2018I went to Denver in late August for Vietgone, a play by Qui Nguyen, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, invited by my niece Valérie Thérèse Bart, the show’s costume designer and only Vietnamese in the production team. I went with Valérie’s mother, my sister Marie. What I gained from the experience was more than I had expected I would.
To ensure that her mother and aunt could follow the play’s storyline, Valerie made us watch the show twice: one preview (dress rehearsal) and again on opening night. She was concerned the story’s fast pace might confuse us, and also wanted us to get answers to any questions we might have beforehand.
Vietgone had its world premiere in late 2015 at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has since been produced by various groups around the country, receiving much praise. The Denver-based Vietgone production touched me deeply, despite the unfamiliar-to-my-ears rap music (with several words escaping my slowly aging hearing), and the equally unfamiliar profanity (to an elderly Vietnamese of moderate background) peppered throughout the play’s dialogue.
--http://diacritics.org/2018/12/vietgone-a-review/
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2018 In Review: The Asian Bachelorette 2
Sunday, December 30, 2018
I just feel like this should be a yearly occurrence because it brings joy to everyone and I feel like the cameos can just get better and better every year.
Love.This.Series.
Labels: 2018InReview
B419 Ketchup #8: Spoiler Killing Eve Mashup Music Video One Way Or Another
Sunday, December 30, 2018Labels: B419 Ketchup
B419 Ketchup #7: Sandra Oh On Shooting Killing Eve From An Actor POV
Sunday, December 30, 2018
It's a little weird as the interviewer isn't spectacular - but definitely worth the watch.
Labels: B419 Ketchup
2018 In Review: #MeToo + Julie Chen
Sunday, December 30, 2018
I'm not saying the above screen capture has anything to do with anything - but I think about it. It doesn't mean I can't have compassion - or that I don't. It just means when you think about #MeToo in 2018, you think about Julie Chen standing behind Leslie Moonves. How she has to leave shows she's on, because she's standing in solidarity with her husband - a White Man who's been accused of 12-14 infractions of sexual misconduct - abusing his power as a White Male.
Shows btw, that she worked hard to get to.
That she got eye surgery for - and you can take the attitude that it's just a little surgery no big deal everyone does it --- or the complete opposite.
Is she someone who should be applauded because she did what she needed to do to get APIA representation on TV (regardless of her own perspective on it)?
Or is it internalized racism?
Maybe a mix?
Fair or not - it can be seen as an Asian American woman who got eye surgery to look more Western, who erased some of her Asian features, standing behind her White Man, who abused his power as a White Male.
Some might argue the image alone contributes to inequities.
True or not.
Real or perceived.
No matter what though, when you think of #MeToo in 2018 you have to think of Julie Chen, and maybe in some dynamics - on both sides.
B419 Ketchup #6: The ROCK + TITAN GAMES
Sunday, December 30, 2018View this post on InstagramA post shared by therock (@therock) on
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B419 Ketchup #5: Random Gina Darling "PC Build. I’m Streaming Video Games Now!"
Sunday, December 30, 2018
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B419 Ketchup #4: Random Lucy Liu Tweet
Sunday, December 30, 2018Show some ❤️❤️❤️for art education. Tag an art teacher or mentor who inspires you for #TeacherAppreciationWeek! #ThankATeacher @LIFEWTR #AD pic.twitter.com/qrv1htOC9k
— Lucy Liu (@LucyLiu) May 8, 2018
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B419 Ketchup #3: Better Now (Post Malone) - Sam Tsui & Macy Kate Cover
Sunday, December 30, 2018Labels: B419 Ketchup
B419 Ketchup #2: Sam Tsui + "Shine" Acoustic Performance Surprise
Sunday, December 30, 2018Labels: B419 Ketchup
B419 Ketchup #1: Kina Grannis - For Now (Reimagined) - Official Lyric Video
Sunday, December 30, 2018Labels: B419 Ketchup
2018 In Review: "Searching" + John Cho Should Get A Best Actor Nod
Sunday, December 30, 2018
The first post looking back at 2018, as well as the start of hopefully a run of posts up until the end of the year - this one just feels right.
I absolutely loved "Searching" with John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Sara Sohn, Alex Jayne Go, and Michelle La - and although I did think the weakest link while watching the movie was Debra Messing - it kind of made sense at the end of the film and maybe that was exactly the way she needed to be - although with the strong performance of John Cho, who anchored and made that film believable (along with a really strong performance by Joseph Lee) - her performance didn't need to be great - just believable.
Written by Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian, and directed by Aneesh Chaganty - it did keep you on the edge of your seat and I thought the vehicles they used to show the main parts of the film - like using the YouTube channel of a news agency - were incredibly innovative and kept you guessing not just about the plot, but how the story was going to be unfolded from a completely operational view.
Generating around $75 million at the box office (off a reported $1 million budget) not counting revenue from On-Demand or other services - and having 90%+ ratings on a number of different review platforms - it's just more proof that an Asian American Lead can anchor an innovative film that people want to watch, and that's hugely profitable as well.
I DO THINK THOUGH...
I'll be honest though too in that I think Cho's performance will be overlooked and that if he was a non-Asian actor - and a White actor - he'd probably get more accolades for the film. His acting when you compare it to other films this year, it was undeniably a great performance that deserves recognition.
Labels: 2018InReview
Bryan Thao Worra Is The Inaugural Lao Minnesotan Poet Laureate
Tuesday, December 11, 2018And in other Lao news from a few weeks back:
St. Paul, Minn. (Oct. 24, 2018) — The Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota has announced that Bryan Thao Worra is the inaugural Lao Minnesotan Poet Laureate as the Lao community prepares for the 45th anniversary of their diaspora in the United States. This honorary literary designation recognized his 20 years of service to the Lao community in Minnesota as an artist, educator and community builder.
The Lao Assistance Center is the first and oldest non-profit organization established in Minnesota to assist the Lao refugee community reconstruction in the aftermath of the war for Laos that ended in 1975. Over the decades, among their numerous projects have been art and cultural programming, including their work bringing the Lao American Writers Summit and the Legacies of War: Refugee Nation Twin Cities exhibition to Minneapolis, as well as convening the Lao American Storytellers Festival and the Before We Remember We Dream exhibit. They’ve regularly convened the Lao New Year’s Festival and supported traditional music and dance education with several programs throughout the years. Thao Worra has collaborated with them regularly in various roles since 2008.
During his tenure as the Lao Minnesotan Poet Laureate, his duties will include giving public readings in urban and rural locations across Minnesota and the US, educating civic and state leaders about the value of Lao American poetry and creative expression, and undertaking a significant cultural project, with one of its goals being to bring Lao American poetry to those who might otherwise have little opportunity to be exposed.
http://aapress.com/arts/lao-minnesotan-poet-laureate-announced/
Don't Hate Me Because I Married A Strong, Beautiful, And Smart Asian American Woman
Tuesday, December 11, 2018I've always said it - love is love, get it on with whoever you want too.
Absolutely.
Don't let anyone ever tell you who you can and can't be with, indulge in, or choose to live your life with.
At the same time - and these two aren't mutually exclusive but I'm writing this in some ways as they are - sometimes I feel like I can't always talk about choosing and wanting to be with, specifically, someone who was Asian American.
I'm not saying I don't, because sometimes it can go without saying, or doesn't need too - but sometimes, for some people, it can feel like you might be making a statement on their relationships because of how you look at yours.
Like someone who talks about their new Jaguar they get every year, and you're keeping your Prius until it dies, it might make you think about what you don't have.
But maybe you like your Prius too. You think that Prius is a Jaguar.
In that way it's really the perception of the Jaguar owner, so that's on them.
But what if, secretly, the person who had the Prius, really wanted the Jaguar.
And then their friend keeps on talking about how much they love their Jaguar.
And maybe the person who has the Prius can afford the Jaguar, but they still have a lease, maybe don't want to go through the trouble to upgrade (and I don't mean any offense by that, but this might offend some other people, so maybe it doesn't matter, but I'm just talking figuratively in regard to real world costs) - that's on them.
I chose to make a baby with someone who was Asian American. While I dated a lot of different types of people, in the end, I didn't want to be with someone who wasn't Asian for the rest of my life.
And I think it can be different for a couple who is Asian and Black or LatinX, or Indigenous - because of shared experiences specific to p.o.c. and immigrant descents -
-- versus what has been the dominant culture and pairing.
And in those cases, or where there's been learning and education from a progressive standpoint, maybe where someone jokes like "Yeah, I wish I was with someone who was Asian, but somehow I got stuck with this lumpy White Guy" - there's a difference.
Love who you love, be with who you want too, but it's also okay to say Asian on Asian love is okay.
I get it, from an overall perspective, but at the same time, because of power dynamics, it's not always the same.
And it's true - it does work itself out. Whatever is comfortable will be comfortable, and same with other people around you as well.
Should you question someone else's allegiance to the APIA community because they aren't married to someone who is Asian?
No, absolutely not.
But has anyone put a "but" there in different situations and scenarios, right or wrong, even if never said out loud?
Maybe.
At the same time, I still married a Korean American woman.
Did I betray my Southeast Asian Vietnamese American side?
Was I a traitor?
Do Viet people everywhere get to roll their eyes if I say Viet women are the best and most amazing women in the world, because if that's true, than why didn't I marry Viet?
Maybe.
...
But do I say that?
Not like that.
Is what works for one person different than another?
Absolutely.
...
That's Cool: Kaysone Syonesa Day In Minnesota
Tuesday, December 11, 2018Apparently this happened a couple months ago while I was sleeping.
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 28, 2018) — The office of the Mayor of the city of Minneapolis recently presented a proclamation recognizing October 10, 2018 as Kaysone Syonesa Day in recognition of the 40th birthday of the Lao Minnesotan artist who has long-standing roots in North Minneapolis since her family resettled in the United States after the Laotian Civil War, including the 5th Ward.
The request was made by the members of the Southeast Asian Literature Interdisciplinary Theater Arts Center, (SEALIT) which recently received funding from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to convene the 20-year retrospective exhibition and workshop series Laomagination in North Minneapolis. Community members cited Syonesa as “a positive mentor and friend of students and families of diverse backgrounds and helped them pursue their dreams; and someone who “has encouraged good character, lifelong pursuit of art, education and civic engagement through personal and professional example...Minnesota has the third largest Lao refugee population in the US, with an estimated 13,000 community members in the state, many in Minneapolis and the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area.”
Sweet.
http://aapress.com/arts/city-of-minneapolis-recognizes-lao-minnesotan-artist-kaysone-syonesa/
Michigan Professor Tsu-Yin Wu Gets $3 Million Grant To Improve Health Of Underserved Asian Americans
Tuesday, December 11, 2018Nice work if you can get it.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded nearly $3 million to an Eastern Michigan University educator to lead an effort to improve the health of underserved Asian-American populations in Wayne and Kent counties.
Professor Tsu-Yin Wu will serve as principal investigator on a cooperative agreement with the CDC, the university said. Wu teaches nursing in Eastern Michigan's College of Health and Human Services.
The team will develop, implement and evaluate interventions to address risk behaviors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition and physical inactivity among Asian-Americans with heightened risks for diabetes and other chronic conditions.
The grant is for more than $590,000 per year for five years. The CDC has committed funds for the first year. Subsequent funding will be based on the team's progress.
Especially since it helps our people.
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education/emu-professor-awarded-3-million-grant-improve-health-asian-americans
@thegretalee
Tuesday, December 11, 2018Everyone’s ready to watch @thegretalee, and the actress is feeling the pressure of being seen. Read our December cover story by @mmaggeler https://t.co/6aE6gOSVBw pic.twitter.com/PaDnmC7QUS
— The Cut (@TheCut) December 3, 2018
We Knew That: Asians Stream YouTube
Tuesday, December 11, 2018https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2018121154449/asian-americans-leading-changing-tv-viewing-habits.html#axzz5ZNPXM4Ee
3 year-old's stream their shows.
About Andy Ngo (?) + The Stranger
Tuesday, December 11, 2018I don't really know that much about Andy Ngo.
Here's some of the interview (?)
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/12/07/36874512/anti-racist-protesters-harass-gay-asian-american-journalist
KH: Are you a fascist?
AN: No. Just because I'm not on-board with the socialist or leftist political agenda does not then mean that I support the extreme right. This is reductive and reactionary thinking.
Are you a racist?
No. I am critical of the so-called racial justice movement and its various offshoots because I generally find them divisive, authoritarian, and hypocritical.
Are you a Nazi?
I wish I could find this offensive but unfortunately this term has been appropriated from its historical context to become a meaningless slur.
So are you a Nazi?
No.
Are you conservative?
I am described this way by others but my political identity is a bit more complicated. I certainly don't identify with any party.
Are you a Trump supporter?
I am neither a Trump hater or supporter. As an American citizen, I believe it is my duty to respect the office of the presidency and the electoral process.
Why do you cover the left behaving badly?
The problems with the right and far-right are well-known and documented extensively in mainstream media. However, the opposite cannot be said. Living in Portland, I witness what happens when the excesses of the far-left go unchallenged. It leads to people mobbing their neighbors and feeling righteous for doing it. I want accountability to happen on both sides. If the local media won't do it, I will.
Asian American Projects 2018 A.CRA (AKA Pre Crazy Rich Asians)
Tuesday, December 11, 2018An Asian-American screenwriter I recently met mentioned she'd sold a screenplay whose lead characters are Asian, and the storyline was inspired by a holiday in Taiwan. She'd finished it earlier in the year, but her manager advised her not to take it out to the studios until after the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians in August. If the movie did well, studios would be way more interested. If the movie tanked, no one would want her script anyway, and they'd have to wait (presumably until the fumes of Crazy Rich Asians' failure faded) before taking it out.
CRA did gangbusters at the box office, and she sold her screenplay that month to a major studio.
I've since heard from network development executives and writers that multiple Asian-centric TV and film projects have been bought or are being developed in the wake of CRA's success, from Jessica Gao's Lazy Rich Asians at ABC to Lillian Yu's feature script Singles Day at New Line. All because CRA did what the industry long thought was impossible: get mainstream audiences to show up (and pay good money) for a movie about ... Asians.
Asian Santa In Pics (Well...One...Pic)
Tuesday, December 11, 2018Shoplifters, Killing Eve, The Globes
Tuesday, December 11, 2018Other nominations went to Mirai (best animated film) and Shoplifters (best foreign language film), both from Japan; Darren Criss (best performance by an actor in a limited series or film made for television) for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: An American Crime Story; and Sandra Oh (best performance by an actress in a television drama series) for Killing Eve.
Yes And True: OAAB
Tuesday, December 11, 2018https://www.yomyomf.com/the-good-place-renewed-for-season-4/
I've been slowly getting into this more.
To The Asian Guy In Michael Jackson's "Bad" Video
Tuesday, December 11, 201899 Tropes, E.J. Gong, Nov. 24.-Dec. 23, At Seattle's 12th Avenue Arts
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
"We don’t just need one movie with an all-Asian cast. Or one play with an Asian American man as the lead. We need lots of them. We need plays and TV shows that more accurately reflect all the diverse faces of our country. We need to move beyond stereotypes of Asians, Blacks, Latinos, women and LGBTQ people so we can be seen as we are: diverse, complicated and varied in our personalities and our opinions.
One of my good friends is a successful Hollywood writer. Since I couldn’t find a play I liked with an Asian American lead, I asked him to write one. We’re putting the show on in Capitol Hill starting this week. The play, 99 Tropes, is an entertaining comedy about a Hollywood writer’s room. I play C. Chan, a writer whose pilot gets picked up by a major TV network. But when the ratings tank, Chan dreams up a wild new direction for the show — with a shocking twist."
Read more about the show at crosscut.com
Read It + Nugs: I Love America. That’s Why I Have to Tell the Truth About It By Viet Thanh Nguyen
Tuesday, November 27, 2018If you didn't get the chance to read the Thanksgiving article (2018's) by Viet Thanh Nguyen in TIME - definitely get a chance to read it - make some time - because it has a lot of great things to say.
Some nuggets of words I really like:
"An American veteran of the war, an enlisted man, wrote me in rage after reading an essay of mine on the scars that Vietnamese refugees carried. Americans had sacrificed themselves for my country, my family, me, he said. I should be grateful. When I wrote him back and said he was the only one hurt by his rage, he wrote back with an even angrier letter."
"The country in which I am writing these words is France, which is not my country but which colonized Vietnam, where I was born, for two-thirds of a century. French rule ended only 17 years before my birth. My parents and their parents never knew anything but French colonialism. Perhaps because of this history, part of me loves France, a love that is due, in some measure, to having been mentally colonized by France. Aware of my colonization, I do not love France the way many Americans love France, the ones who dream of the Eiffel Tower, of sipping coffee at Les Deux Magots, of eating a fine meal in Provence. This is a romantic love, set to accordion music or Édith Piaf, which I feel only fleetingly. I cannot help but see colonialism’s legacies, visible throughout Paris if one wishes to see them: the people of African and Arab origins who are here because France was there in their countries of birth. Romanticizing their existence, oftentimes at the margins of French society, would be difficult, which is why Americans rarely talk about them as part of the fantasy of Paris."
"And yet, when I was growing up, some Vietnamese Americans would tell me I was not really Vietnamese because I did not speak perfect Vietnamese. Such a statement is a cousin of “love it or leave it.” But there should be many ways of being Vietnamese, just as there are many ways of being French, many ways of being American. For me, as long as I feel Vietnamese, as long as Vietnamese things move me, I am still Vietnamese. That is how I feel the love of country for Vietnam, which is one of my countries, and that is how I feel my Vietnamese self."
Read it in full here.
Dear (sic) Missississipi
Tuesday, November 27, 2018Dear Missississipi,
I've spelled you wrong.
I don't care.
You're the one state in the US I've never wanted to visit for the same reasons you've just elected Cindy Hyde-Smith.
I'll be at the front row of your hanging.
I'm Gonna Need To Do A Run Of About 250 More Posts This Year
Monday, November 12, 2018Apparently this will be the first year, at my current rate, where I don't average about 1 post per day for a year.
I get it--but you know--I feel like I should at least keep that stat even in my shitty days.
So I think that's gonna happen.
Organically though this time...
And maybe I'll bring back some BEST OF stuff this for this year.
Or just gibberish....whichever.
Cause I just care about stats?
Well...you know.
I'm Big And Sexy And Smell Nice. Asian Man Scent #1049283
Monday, November 12, 2018Honestly, I'm probably not that huge, but I am pushing the scale a little--and that's okay.
I recently quit smoking--and while whatever--you are who you are--those smoke companies do target the shit out of the motherlands and I'm kinda like--enough chucking my money away so I can die a horrible death at the hands of a lung machine.
So you know...a little snack here and there...try to chew gum...but those sour candies keep calling my name...
And nachos...damn you nachos!
And leftover super spicy chicken from the Thai place down the road.
And 2 Whoppers for $6?
You know we like deals!!!!
So if I'm Asian, sexy, and maybe a little stockier--that's okay.
Asian Man Non-Smoker Scent #1049283.
Nice work if you can get it (and if you can get it from me...you need to twerk it 'cause you don't want me to squeeze the breadth out of you when my arms go out cause I've been pumping and jumping for the last hour--cause you know--I have more lung capacity--but my arms can only take so much....).
And on that note....
Watch For Free At CHOPSO
Monday, November 12, 2018
You can check out the free viewings they have @ https://chopso.vhx.tv/watch-for-free and then if you like what you see along with their other catalog, you can check out their service for $4.95 a month.
I do think it goes a long way to have a more options for free viewing--look at other services who started out with ad services--but when you think about other services like this, there aren't that many....or any...out there specific to AAPI.
Live long and prosper.
Is John Cho's "Searching" With $70 Million Worldwide (#65 Worldwide) Even More Of A Message To Hollywood Than Crazy Rich Asians?
Monday, November 12, 2018
What's interesting about this statistic is that while domestically it did about $26 million, the international release is around $43 million.
So while domestically it didn't do a $100 million dollar opening--while the numbers aren't available for the production budget, you know it wasn't as much for Crazy Rich Asians.
It had to be fairly profitable and I'm guessing with a lot less from a set/logistics standpoint (at least thinking in regard to something like CRA).
If you look at the movies in a $10 million range +/- of what "Searching" did--it gives an even more interesting view of the landscape ($dollar amounts are total, domestic, and then international).
57 Den of Thieves STX $80.5 $44.9 55.8% $35.6 44.2%
58 Alpha Studio 8 $80.1 $35.8 44.7% $44.3 55.3%
59 Hereditary A24 $79.3 $44.1 55.5% $35.3 44.5%
60 Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018) Uni. $78.7 $66.0 83.9% $12.7 16.1%
61 Tag WB (NL) $77.9 $54.5 70.0% $23.4 30.0%
62 The Spy Who Dumped Me LGF $75.0 $33.6 44.7% $41.4 55.3%
63 Sicario: Day of the Soldado Sony $74.0 $50.1 67.7% $23.9 32.3%
64 Sanju FIP $71.5 $7.9 11.1% $63.6 88.9%
65 Searching SGem $69.7 $26.0 37.3% $43.7 62.7%
66 Book Club Par. $68.6 $68.6 100.0% n/a 0.0%
67 12 Strong WB $67.1 $45.5 67.8% $21.6 32.2%
68 Love, Simon Fox $66.3 $40.8 61.6% $25.5 38.4%
69 Mile 22 STX $65.8 $36.1 54.9% $29.7 45.1%
70 Life of the Party WB (NL) $65.7 $52.9 80.5% $12.8 19.5%
71 Isle Of Dogs FoxS $64.2 $32.0 49.8% $32.2 50.2%
72 The 15:17 to Paris WB $57.1 $36.3 63.5% $20.8 36.5%
73 Adrift STX $57.0 $31.4 55.1% $25.6 44.9%
74 Early Man LGF $54.1 $8.3 15.3% $45.8 84.7%
75 Teen Titans Go! To The Movies WB $51.9 $29.6 57.0% $22.3 43.0%
76 Slender Man SGem $51.7 $30.6 59.2% $21.1 40.8%
77 Breaking In (2018) Uni. $51.1 $46.5 91.1% $4.5 8.9%
Good company to be in and if this didn't do well internationally because of John Cho--hog tie me naked in Sriracha until I pee myself.
And yes - also because of the good story, acting, and direction...
But you get my point.
Yes?
R.I.P: Minority Militant + BigWOWO Podcast
Monday, November 12, 2018I was looking through some files and I had an mp3 file "MinorityMilitant_on_bigWOWO.mp3".
Hadn't listened to that in a while....so tonight I find myself listening to it.
I want to remix it with some music...
Get the original and post http://www.bigwowo.com/2008/11/bigwowo-interviews-the-minority-militant/ AND http://www.bigwowo.com/podcasts/MinorityMilitant_on_bigWOWO.mp3
Damn....
APIA Vote: All You Wanted To Know About The Midterm Election Results
Thursday, November 08, 2018What? DAEWON SONG Leaves Almost...
Friday, November 02, 2018http://theberrics.com/daewon-song-leaves-almost/
One of the most influential skaters and co-founder of Almost skateboards--he's leaving the company he helped found (and I have to wonder what the terms of the agreement were, how much $$ does he get--I am always curious on the financials):
Daewon Song, a pro skater who is known as much for his sponsor loyalty as for his continually progressive clips, has left Almost Skateboards. He made the announcement this morning via Instagram.
Song cofounded Almost in 2003 with Rodney Mullen, and somehow he has managed to be at the top of his game throughout his tenure as a founding pro. Having appeared in the company's two full-lengths—Round Three (a play on Song's game-changing parts in World Industries' Round One and Round 2) and 5-Incher—Song is perhaps more closely associated with the 2006 promo Cheese & Crackers. The video features Chris Haslam (who also left Almost last year) and Song essentially one-upping each other on a mini-ramp, utilizing anything and everything that they could find. The video signaled an era of inventive skateboarding and its influence is still felt in videos 12 years later.
More recently, Song has become established as arguably the most reliable skate instagram account. Much like Cheese & Crackers, there is never a dull moment on Song's Insta. Having perfected the art of selfie video clips, Song is a shining example of the DIY ethic in skating.
Here's the IG post.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Daewon Song (@daewon1song) on
P.S. Random Sad Hot Girls: Lilly Singh + Awkwafina
Thursday, November 01, 2018
Maybe you've seen these, maybe you have not.
Either way - I did not - but I did just watch them and they were funny to watch.
While I'm out of the dating market (or even the right generation) - I am glad I was never one of those dates...or people.
Asian American PSA: Constance Wu And Jimmy O. Yang Want You To Vote!
Thursday, November 01, 2018
Also - just in case you were wondering (like myself) - apparently the organization in partnership does subtitles for everyone, because at first I was like "What? Why do they have subtitles here--they speak English MFs!"...no worries - AG.
P.S. Awkwafina Is Taking Over It All (Or At Least Google Assistants)
Thursday, October 25, 2018I May Binge This....The People's Queen (AKA Fil Ams This Is For You)
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Beauty Queens are not born, they are made.
If you have been one of those dreamers wanting to become a beauty queen or if you're just simply obsessed with the glamour and even the drama behind the making of a beauty queen, this new show is for you. The People's Queen is also a good binge-watch for anyone who are fascinated by beauty and character transformations.
The girl with the wooden legs nails a walk that slays the stage. The bullied Blasian girl rises from her bruised past. The 'Wasted Beauty' is recycling all her confidence back to win a crown. The girl with a blank personality digs deep to reveal her real aura that shines brightly as a jeweled crown. And the clueless valley girl is the most 'woke' beauty queen in the mansion.
Beauty Pageant experts Cece Asuncion and Voltaire Tayag will wow you with how they transform ordinary Filipinas to extraordinary beauty queens.
Join 5 Filipinas (Katarina Rodriguez, Katrina Dimaranan, Nikita Elroy, Michelle Thorlund, and Jennifer Levy) in their Journey to becoming beauty queens. Behind all the glitz and glam, you'll witness all the tears, hard work and even some drama.
I Put My Money On ONE CHAMPIONSHIP (Versus UFC)
Monday, October 22, 2018Eddie Alvarez signed with ONE Championship last week. That deal came just months after ONE signed WBC Super Flyweight boxing champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Alvarez turned down offers to return to both the UFC and Bellator and instead chose to chase a title with ONE. It was a major win for the Singapore-based martial arts promotion that has grown immensely since its inception seven years ago. ONE is now the largest sports media property in Asia, but it's not settling.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/find-your-true-calling-live-dreams-chatri-sityodtong
Today, I am blessed with the precious opportunity to live my dreams. Through our real-life superheroes at ONE Championship, we have the awesome power to ignite hope, create dreams, inspire nations, and change the world. Angela Lee is a great example of one of our female superheroes who will help to inspire women to do more, achieve more, and be more in life. Another wonderful inspirational superhero is Bibiano Fernandes; he grew up on the Amazon river in extreme poverty in Brazil without daily food and today he is one of the greatest World Champions in history. Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and his remarkable life story is also yet another a living testament that poverty is something that can be conquered through work ethic, sacrifice, dedication, and humility. Amir Khan is yet another example of greatness unleashed; he was born with Tourette's Syndrome, but still managed to rise against all odds to become one of Singapore's greatest fighters in history. I am truly inspired by the countless examples of real-life superheroes in ONE Championship. In many ways, my life has come full circle since that night I saw my mother crying alone helplessly.
ONE Championship is more than just a startup to me. It is my IKIGAI.
Chatri Sityodtong is a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong martial artist from Thailand. His rags-to-riches life story has inspired millions around the world on BBC News, CNN, Financial Times, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Channel NewsAsia, Harvard Business School, Sports Illustrated, and many other major media. He is currently the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of ONE Championship, Asia's largest sports media property in history with a global broadcast to over 1 billion potential viewers across 118 countries around the world. Sityodtong was recently named "Asia's King of Martial Arts" by the Financial Times, and the “Most Powerful Person in Asian MMA” by Forbes, Yahoo! Sports, and International Business Times. He is also an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at INSEAD, Europe's top business school. Sityodtong holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Tufts University.
Retro Old White People Clips (AKA When Jimmy Fallon Made Blake Shelton Try Sushi) AKA EXOTIC ORIENTAL FISH!! WTF!
Friday, October 19, 2018
I mean I just had to view it to see how bad it was going to be - I mean if you've never tried sushi before - at that age...
And no - not calling it racist - just - well - you know - well - actually - I might call it racist after all.
The exotic ORIENTAL SUSHI...
And while we all love us some Big Mac - c'mon...You've earned it?
Because you ate the EXOTIC ORIENTAL SUSHI?
I mean why not have some EXOTIC ORIENTAL "LADIES" there too while they were at it?
And then I wonder if after the EXOTIC ORIENTAL MASSAGE, Jimmy Fallon would have a Blond White Woman Come Out Of A Cake?
Because they earned it? And while getting an EXOTIC ORIENTAL MASSAGE is great - everyone would rather have a Big Ma...Blond White Woman?
Okay - Just sayin'.....