Interpretations: Far East Futura, Blowout Sale, Cambodian American, And Represent

I wanted to make sure and post up as many of the videos from the YOMYOMF Interpretations initiative supporting aspiring filmmakers because it's definitely a cool thing they're doing - so if you get a chance, check out the vids below.

Far East Futura
By Evan Jackson Leong featuring Far East Movement



Blowout Sale
By the filmmaking team of Timothy Kendall, Chris Marrs & Danny Pudi



Cambodian American
By Emmy Award-winner Spencer Nakasako



Represent
By Academy Award® nominated writer Iris Yamashita starring and choreographed by Phillip “PacMan” Chbeeb from So You Think You Can Dance

Because It's My Fourth Year Blogging I Give You Pictures Of Me (As A Bitchin' Toddler)

It seems like just yesterday I started up this rag of a thing I call a blog and while I could make a long post of reflections I figure I'll just give you pictures of me as a toddler in B & W because that's just somehow better (I also just took photos of photos from my iPhone so you get what you get).

Where It All Began



When I see this picture I just wonder what was on the left. Was it a giant cookie? Candy Stripers? Or maybe I was just peeing myself and I felt too embarrased to look directly into the camera. While I'm hoping it was #2, or at least #1 (or who know's maybe there was a big cookie and Candy Stripers) I'm thinking most likely I was in fact probably wetting myself.

That's Just Not Flattering



Where the hell is my right arm in this picture? What's up with those knee-highs? And why the fuck wasn't my drink filled? Apparently I had reasons not to be in a good mood at the time.

I'm Not Sure What Look I Was Going For On This One



I wonder about parents when they dress their kids because if you notice not only is my shit fucked up but the worse part of it all is that the platabearduck in the middle of my shirt is wearing a MF matching ensemble and somehow - that's just wrong (and I'm also a little surprised it doesn't have a matching platabearduck on its shirt too).

Apparently It All Worked Out Though



Snazzy.

Free Watch: HBO's East Of Main Street: Asians Aloud

Definitely worth the watch.

http://www.charter.net/tv/tvonline/play?vid=277730&vendor=hbo

h/t bitter.sweet.asian

Gary King + channelAPA.com

Glad to see the good folks down at channelAPA.com getting some screen time with Asian American filmmaker Gary King of What's Up Lovely, Dismal, and New York Lately (to name a few).

Getting Ready For Fall: Hawaii Five-O, Maggie Q, And Nikita

Hawaii Five-O



Nikita

Winner! Colleen Hanabusa

In a previous post I talked about the race involving Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and some of the resistence - or let's call it non-support - from the DCCC - but I guess when it comes down to it - you just need a little help from your friends.

Stunning the national political establishment, Colleen Hanabusa emerged as the top Hawai’i Democrat in a divisive special election for Congress. The AAA-Fund candidate’s dramatic finish makes her the odds-on favorite to win this Congressional seat in November.

“Some told us that we shouldn’t be in this race. They told us to sit on the sidelines. They thought that we were going to fail. But momentum has been on our side, and continues to build to our advantage,” said Colleen Hanabusa.

“Tonight, Colleen Hanabusa stood and delivered. Like Joe Sestak, she listened to the voters, and not to voices outside the state,” said Gautam Dutta, AAA Fund Executive Director. “We’ll continue to do our utmost to help her win this Democratic district in the September primary and November general election,” Dutta added.

Nice.

From You The Reader

I think the readers here are like me - total voyeurs - but I thought I'd post this email on up from long-time reader J (with her permission) because at the very least - it'll make you think.

You might be interested to know I discussed the incarceration of Japanese Americans with an Asian Woman who said she talked to detainees who said it wasn't so bad...she said you were with your families and you Japanese were all together and safe what was so bad with that?..shows how little she knew...NOTHING...she also said her husband had to suffer by wearing a sign around his neck proclaiming he wasn't Japanese...but Korean...so he apparently did not want what was happening to the West Coast Japanese..happen to him....She is a fool to speak without knowing the facts...She told me the camps were not concentration camps...but internment camps...look at theSupreme Court's Opinion written by Justice Black he called them Concentration Camps..the Japanese were fenced in with armed guards and people were shot and beaten up

The Japanese Americans lost all of their civil rights ...a lot lost all they owned...but what amazes me is how much of what the Japanese Americans history has been lost by other Asians..so sad....but History will repeat itself if one is not careful...soon all the Japanese Americans who were in the Concentration camps will pass on..I hope the History of shame of what America did to them because of their ancestry will not be forgotten....

23 Year-Old Woman Now On Life Support

I don't even know what to say about this story from last week that was sent in to me about a 23-year-old woman from China who recently immigrated on a student visa so she could study and who's now on life support.

On Sunday night, a 23-year-old woman walking home with her groceries on the 133 block of 41st Road in Flushing when she was struck on the head with a metal pipe, dragged into an alley and raped with the pipe [...]

The victim, who recently immigrated from China on a student visa and was living with an uncle, is in grave condition, with a "fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and trauma to the vagina." Assemblyman Grace Meng told the Daily News, "She was working in a nail salon, saving up money. She was going to start attending school. "She had good grades in China. That's why her parents wanted her to come and expand her horizons." Now Meng and Rep. Gary Ackerman are working to get an expedited visa for the victim's mother to come to the U.S.

Be safe and be aware of your surroundings.

Thank you Alice for sending this in so more people could be made aware of it.

MV: David Choi + That Girl

Episode 3: Ktown Cowboys

Asian Americans And Soul

Just in case you missed it.

African-American icons like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Mary J. Blige are often associated with soul music. Even some white artists have found success in this genre. But Asian-American soul artists have yet to break through into the mainstream. Host Allison Keyes talks with culture and music critic Oliver Wang about a number of soulful Asian singers who are trying to reverse that trend.

ALLISON KEYES, host:

Say you're bopping around on YouTube and you might come across this.

(Soundbite of song, "Trust You")

Ms. HEATHER PARK (R&B singer): (Singing) I can't trust you. You are too smooth. So smooth. I can't be with you. No.

KEYES: That's Heather Park. She's sexy. She's soulful. And she just happens to be Korean. She's the latest in the tradition of Asian-American soul singers who are trying - so far, unsuccessfully - to break into mainstream music. That's her new single "Trust You."

Here to tell us more about what Asian-American singers face in the music business is Oliver Wang. He's a cultural critic and a sociology professor at Cal State Long Beach. He joins us from member station KPCC in Pasadena.

Welcome, Oliver.

Professor OLIVER WANG (Sociology, California State University, Long Beach): Hey, good to be back.

KEYES: So tell us about this Heather Park and this sort of poppy reggae thing she has going. What kind of reception is she getting?

Check it on in full down at NPR.

Fine Glee. You Win For Now (But Just By A Little)

I won't deny the goodness that is Iqbal Theba - and I've mentioned him before - but when you also have someone billed as one of the stars - who stops stuttering - but doesn't get any real lines - I can't help it - I just have to post up on it and I have to question the people of Glee.

But apparently they've made me eat some of my words.

But just by a little.

Tina did get some more lines in the last episode and was actually semi-featured in an actual episode where we actually got to see her for more than an actual split second where we could actually see a facial expression - or sometimes two.

And she got to do a little dancing with Mike (albeit in the dark and they really didn't focus on them all the time).

But it still felt a little empty.

The episode was still more about Artie than Tina. She's still kind of a backdrop even when she's semi-featured and I'm hoping we just get to see her as something - well - more than what she is now.

I'm not sure what that more is, but Glee surprises me in most every other aspect and I want to be surprised with the characters that are Asian American too and right now - I'm just not as surprised as I think I should be.

In Pictures: That Guy Has Really Red Hair

See more Chin-Chin.

A PSA Brought To You By The White House (Shhh...It's About Sex)

From The White House Media Affairs Office To My Inbox And Now On To You.

Posted by Dr. Howard Koh on May 18, 2010 at 09:42 AM EDT

"Saving face can't make you safe. Talk about HIV" is the theme for tomorrow's sixth annual observance of National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I am an Asian American who has seen the stigma and silence around HIV in my community, so this theme and the day itself have particular meaning for me. On this important occasion, I want to acknowledge all the communities and organizations around the country working to break that silence and address the impact of HIV on the diverse set of people who make up our nation’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI communities.

The number of HIV/AIDS cases among AAPIs may be higher than reported because of underreporting or misclassification of Asian Americans and other Pacific Islanders. Many AAPIs in the United States experience cultural, economic and language barriers that contribute to discrimination and make HIV prevention, care, and treatment efforts even more challenging.

This is a time to acknowledge these challenges and expand the use of culturally appropriate solutions. As the lead organizer of National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the Banyan Tree Project as well as many other organizations have been working to create and share resources, plan local events and reduce HIV/AIDS-related discrimination and stigma in AAPI communities.

Another way we are addressing these challenges is by sharing our voices in the development of our National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Health care providers, advocacy groups, and people living with HIV/AIDS from the AAPI community answered the call and provided input on ways to improve HIV prevention, care, research, and treatment in our nation. The Office of National AIDS Policy has led the Administration’s commitment to developing the Strategy through an inclusive process with a broad range of perspectives and stakeholders, including AAPI communities, and will soon release the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

I encourage you to join me in taking action and ask yourself: When was the last time I talked about HIV with a family member, friend, or neighbor? CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested for HIV at least once as part of their routine health care. There are HIV testing sites around the country, many of which offer free or low-cost testing. Many of these locations also offer STD screenings and hepatitis vaccines.

To find out where to go in your area for an HIV test, visit www.HIVtest.org, send a text message with your ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948), or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636).

Learn more about AAPI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and how HIV/AIDS the AAPI community: National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Dr. Howard Koh is Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Remember.

You can still get a great blow job with a condom on.

I Agree With Rima Fakih: There's Nothing Wrong With Dancing. On A Stage. With A Pole. Fully Clothed (Okay, Maybe That Last Part I Have An Issue With)

Tell me what's wrong with this picture. You're the first Muslim American and Second Arab American to win Miss USA - a beauty pageant just in case you didn't know - but somehow it's wrong that you were on the stage looking hot as a MF?

I mean isn't that somehow just a little incongruous when a large portion of a beauty contest is to look - umm - hot as a MF?



Yes.

Yes it is.

Hilcrhyme: 大丈夫

Tuesday BENI And A Retro Cover

ユラユラ / ギミギミ♥



The Boy Is Mine With Tynisha Keli

Ryan Higa's My YouTube Story

One More Reason To Not Like The Lakers: That Would Be Phil Jackson And His Dumbass Comments

As you might be able to tell from the timing of this post I'm not watching the Lakers/Suns game right now - even though I should be rooting for the Suns I'm kind of superstitious that way and for some reason I figure by not watching - the Suns will win (although they need to get their ass in motion).

Yeah I know - it has no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of the game (unless they win).

But as I was checking out the score on ESPN I happened to catch this article on Phil Jackson and what he had to mumble on SB1070:

In comments made to ESPN.com's J.A. Adande on May 4 about state Senate Bill 1070, Jackson said, "Am I crazy, or am I the only one that heard [the legislature] say 'we just took the United States immigration law and adapted it to our state.'" [...]

And I think this one's still kind of coming out to balance as to how it's going to be favorably looked upon by our public. If I heard it right the American people are really for stronger immigration laws, if I'm not mistaken

PJ though "made it clear he didn't want to get involved in politics and initially said he didn't think teams should get involved in politics as the Suns did on May 5 when they wore jerseys that read 'Los Suns' in Game 2 of their playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs. Suns players and owner Robert Sarver have spoken out against the bill."

So if you're Phil Jackson and you want to speak out on the bill and how favorably it could still be looked at (because apparently the jury is still out on whether or not this is a racist law) it's fine as a MF. But if you're - I don't know - anybody else in the NBA not named Phil Jackson - apparently you shouldn't say anything about it whatsoever.

Let's Recap Shall We?

On The Lakers' Team: Pau WTF Did Those Chinky Bastards Get Upset About Gasol and Phil How The Fuck Did All These Colored People Who Can't Speak English Get Into My Country Jackson.

On The Celtics: Sweet Sweet Ray.

I think the choice is simple.

Machete, Alex Jones, Horray For Race Wars!!!! And Yes, I Do Think Maybe Danny Trejo Is The New Charles Manson

If the above makes any sense to you whatsoever where you start thinking to yourself "Hmmm....that kind of makes some sense and you know what? Maybe Robert Rodriguez is completely careless after all and now I'm going to be scared to see that movie and I don't even think I'm going to go out of my house the weekend it opens", I have one simple tiny, itty bitty thing to say to you.

It's just a film.

Now I'm not going to deny the importance of film, media, novels, the written word, or seeing images that you can compare yourself too - because all of them can start a movement, a revolution - they can even illicit responses from Presidents.

But the real person doing the instigating - actual damage affecting real lives - it's Jones himself.

What Jones is saying is that the Latino community - as well as all immigrants with brown skin and naturalization certificates - have no self control.

That we're animals who can be swayed into mass murder by one man and his movie and that we're everything this country has told us we were at one time or another no matter how much evidence there was to the contrary.

That we've deserved to be locked up and treated without any dignity whatsoever because we are less than human.

That's a lot more damaging than a film could ever be because that mindset - the one that Jones is perpetuating - it leads to hate crimes, racial profiling, glass ceilings, redlining, communities and individuals of color not getting the access they need to basic services, and the continued blanketing of culture and ethnicity.

Our color and our voice.

But Maybe I'm Wrong

Maybe once I actually see the film - because Danny Trejo's eyes pierce deep into my soul and all I need is a simple command to be set off - I mean - maybe I will start a race riot.

Maybe I'll become a killing machine who does in fact try to kill all the White People.

And by all the White People I mean everyone - because I'm betting that I'm also too dumb to distinguish between any types of people whatsoever and since I'll already be in a blood thirsty rage technically I won't care as long as I'm getting in some kill time.

Sweet sweet kill time.