The Earthquake In Japan

If you don't already know, there's been a huge earthquake in Japan spawning a tsunami in the Pacific which even has the West Coast scrambling - and I'm just hoping that if you have friends or family in the area that everyone is doing okay.

More later when I'm back at a computer.

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, We Are, And Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc

Got this sent in my way and wanted to make sure and post it up.

Three years ago, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre made history when they presented their Vietnam Project, featuring the first professional production to be performed in Vietnamese on a New York stage. This spring, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre will continue their pioneering tradition of presenting bilingual productions with Vietnam Project II: Past and Present at the West End Theatre (263 W. 86th Street between Broadway & West End Avenue in the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 2nd floor). The second edition series launches with its first of two plays from Vietnamese-American playwrights, WE ARE. Written and directed by Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, WE ARE is a bilingual production performed in Vietnamese and English, incorporating the traditions of Vietnam’s rich cultural past.

WE ARE plays March 28th – 26th. Featuring an international cast from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and North America, WE ARE fuses Vietnamese legend and traditional theatrical techniques such as Cai Luong (southern style of opera), and movement. WE ARE introduces five powerful female characters in five chapters that explore the historical legacy of Vietnamese women who marry or work abroad. WE ARE features Lê Khanh, Thái-Hòa Lê, Ngoc Dang, Leon Le, Nguyen thi Minh Ngọc, Chantal Thuy and Tienne Vu. The scenic design is by Kim Tran; costume design by Bao Tron Chi; and lighting design by Ji-youn Chang. The music by Trịnh Cong Son is performed by singer Kim Minh and guitarist Duc Tri. The translation is by Ian Bui.

Get more down at their site.

DVD Release: The People I've Slept With

You know it. You loved. And now you can have it on DVD (well - you actually have to wait until March 22nd).

The 3/22 Nationwide Release will kick off
At the 3/19 DVD Release Party in Los Angeles at Gallery Aryai
And the 3/22 DVD Signing at Gallery Nucleus

March 8. 2011—Maya Entertainment is proud to announce the nationwide DVD and VOD release of The People I’ve Slept With, directed by Quentin Lee (Ethan Mao, Shopping for Fangs) and written by Koji Steven Sakai. The film will be available on home video everywhere from Amazon.com to Walmart. Watch the official trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUI2YKJpLr0

“We’re delighted to count The People I’ve Slept With as one of our most exciting titles this New Year. Quentin has done an amazing job with pushing the boundaries of sex, romance, and comedy,” said Tonantzin Esparza, Director of Acquisitions of Maya Entertainment, a Los Angeles production and distribution company that deals exclusively in multi-cultural and Latino-themed projects. Maya was founded in 2008 by award winning filmmaker and entrepreneur Moctesuma Esparza, whose motion picture credits include Walkout for HBO (2006), Gods and Generals (2003), Selena (1997) and The Milagro Beanfield War (1988).

The People I’ve Slept With is a sexy, romantic story about Angela (Karin Anna Cheung of Better Luck Tomorrow), a young woman with a zealously active sex life, who after every sexual conquest, makes keepsake “baseball cards” of each of her male conquests. One day, Angela finds out she is pregnant and begins a quest to find the identity of the father. Together with her gay best friend Gabriel (Wilson Cruz of He’s Just Not That Into You, My So-Called Life), the two go on a comical and raunchy hunt through her past hook-ups to find her “baby daddy.” But as Angela peels back the layers of her frisky past, she begins to realize that the answers she is looking for reveal themselves in surprising ways. Featuring a sparkling and daring performance by Karin Anna Cheung (Better Luck Tommorow), The People I’ve Slept With co-stars Archie Kao (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), Lynn Chen (Lakeview Terrace, Saving Face) and screen legend James Shigeta (Flower Drum Song, The Crimson Kimono).

This month, People will also be available on Comcast’s Cinema Asian America, a groundbreaking new video-on demand offering, which features Asian American films and videos. For the first time, millions of viewers across the nation are able to watch a monthly-curated series of Asian American and Asian films, which will collect together award-winning films fresh from the film festival circuit and classics which beg to be revisited. These films include both short and feature-length works and the genres range from documentary to narrative to experimental.

“People is a major accomplishment. Smart, sexy and conscious, it is the new wave of American independent cinema, where a very broad appeal and commercial potential go hand in hand with Asian American storytelling. Lee has assembled an incredible cast that speaks to the past and the future, and crafted a film that adds an exclamation point to his already celebrated body of films,” said Chi-hui Yang, curator of Comcast’s Cinema Asian America. Mr. Yang was formerly the Festival Director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

On Saturday March 19 from 8—10pm, come mingle with the cast and filmmakers of People at the DVD Release Kick-off Party hosted by internationally renowned photographer Sia Aryai at his own Gallery Aryai (http://www.galleryaryai.com) in West Hollywood: 8457 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069, (213) 393-2071.

New original artworks by Aryai featuring actress Karin Anna Cheung will be unveiled in celebration of People’s home video release.
RSVP for party: http://tinyurl.com/peopledvdparty

In Pics: Yoshiki + Asia Girls

Just in case you were wondering, X Japan is recording their first-ever for release in North America with the album's first single "Jade" set to release on March 15th.

Gary Locke + Obama = Happiness

From the White House Media Affairs Office to my inbox and now on to you.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN ANNOUNCING SECRETARY GARY LOCKE
AS THE NEW AMBASSADOR TO CHINA

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. As many people know, our current Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, has decided to step down from his current job. During his tenure, Jon has been an outstanding advocate for this administration and for this country. He made a real sacrifice in moving his family out of the state that they loved and has helped to strengthen our critical relationship with the Chinese government and the Chinese people. And so I am very grateful for his service.

In replacing Ambassador Huntsman, I can think of nobody who is more qualified than Gary Locke. More than 100 years ago, Gary’s grandfather left China on a steamship bound for America, where he worked as a domestic servant in Washington State. A century later, his grandson will return to China as America’s top diplomat.

In the years between these milestones, Gary has distinguished himself as one of our nation’s most respected and admired public servants. As our country’s first Chinese-American governor, he worked tirelessly to attract jobs and businesses to Washington State, and he doubled exports to China.

Two years ago, I asked Gary to continue this work as Commerce Secretary. I wanted him to advocate for America’s businesses and American exports all around the world, make progress on our relationship with China, and use the management skills he developed as governor to reform a complex and sprawling agency.

He has done all that and more. He’s been a point person for my National Export Initiative, and last year, Gary’s department led an historic number of trade missions that helped promote American businesses and support American jobs. He’s overseen an increase in American exports, and particularly exports to China, a country we recently signed trade deals with that will support 235,000 American jobs.

As Commerce Secretary, Gary oversaw a Census process that ended on time and under budget, returning $2 billion to American taxpayers. He’s earned the trust of business leaders across America by listening to their concerns, making it easier for them to export their goods abroad, and dramatically reducing the time it takes to get a patent. When he’s in Beijing, I know that American companies will be able to count on him to represent their interests in front of China’s top leaders.

As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, our relationship with China is one of the most critical of the 21st century. Over the last two years we worked hard to build a relationship that serves our national interest -– addressing global security issues and expanding opportunities for American companies and American workers. Continued cooperation between our countries will be good for America, it will be good for China, and it will be good for the world.

As the grandson of a Chinese immigrant who went on to live the American Dream, Gary is the right person to continue this cooperation. I know he will bring the same skills and experience that he brought to Commerce Secretary to this new position that he’s about to embark on.

I want to thank him and I also want to thank his gorgeous and extraordinary family, who’s standing here -- Mona, Emily, Dylan, and Maddy. It’s always tough to move families. Maddy just turned 14 today, so I was commiserating --

SECRETARY LOCKE: Emily.

THE PRESIDENT: Emily just turned 14 today, so I was commiserating with her as somebody who moved around a lot when I was a kid as well. I assured her it would be great 10 years from now. (Laughter.) Right now it’s probably a drag. But I'm absolutely confident that this is -- we could not have better representative of the United States of America in this critical relationship than we're going to get from the Locke family.

And, Gary, I wish you all the best of luck in Beijing. Thank you so much.

SECRETARY LOCKE: Thank you, Mr. President. Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. And I'm deeply humbled and honored to be chosen as your next ambassador to China.

It was a little over a century ago that my grandfather first came to America to work as a houseboy for a family in the state of Washington in exchange for English lessons. And he went back to China, had a family, and so my father was also born in China, and came over as a teenager a few years later. He then enlisted in the United States Army just before the outbreak of World War II, became part of that “greatest generation,” and saw action on the beaches of Normandy and on the march to Berlin, and then came back to Seattle to raise a family and start a small business.

My father never imagined that one of his children could ever serve as the Secretary of Commerce in the United States of America. And he was beaming with pride, Mr. President, the day you presided over my swearing-in ceremony. Sadly, Dad passed away this past January. But I know that if he were still alive, it would be one of his proudest moments to see his son named as the United States ambassador to his ancestral homeland.

I'm going back to the birthplace of my grandfather, my father, my mom and her side of the family, and I'll be doing so as a devoted and passionate advocate for America, the country where I was born and raised.

As Commerce Secretary, I’ve helped open up foreign markets for American businesses so they can create more jobs right here in America. And I’m eager to continue that work in China and to help you, Mr. President, manage one of America’s most critical and complex diplomatic, economic, and strategic relationships.

I’m excited to take on this new challenge, as is my wife and our children -- to varying degrees among the kids. (Laughter.) And we’ll be leaving Washington, D.C., with great memories and many new friends.

Being Commerce Secretary has been one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, thanks to the immensely talented and dedicated men and women within the Department of Commerce, in the White House, and within the Cabinet. And I’m proud of the work that we’ve done at the Commerce Department, delivering services faster, serving the needs of U.S. businesses and workers, saving taxpayers billions of dollars by being more efficient in everything that we do. And I’m confident that these accomplishments will stand the test of time.

Mr. President, I’m eager to assume this new position. And it’s a privilege and a solemn responsibility to serve you and the American people as the next United States ambassador to China. Thank you for the confidence and the trust that you’ve placed in me. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you so much.

International Women's Day: 100th Anniversary

All the presidents of the U.S. have been men. In Egypt they're staging a million woman march to make sure a new Egypt doesn't get built without women's voices - in Mexico they hope the day draws light to "femicides" - and I still post on the Strip Club which at times can be a place that degrades, oppresses, and adds to the disparity of power.

Guess we all still have some work to do.

Or at least think about.

CHAT: In Wonderland

Diddy Dirty Money Skylar Grey - Coming Home - Acoustic Cover/Remix - RYC Dineen Laurel + More

Eric Espiritu, Atomic Tom, And Don't You Want Me Baby?

Yes...I did say "Damn you Ralph Macchio. Damn You."

Just Because I Can



More...

Thia Megia You've Made It Into The American Idol Baker's Dozen

I clapped.

Because I voted.

And now I'm just wondering what the hell happened to Clint, our Fil Am singing machine.

Damn quotas.

The Clippers Fuck Up Black History Month

Don't get me wrong - this is a sad statement - but it's also kind of funny.

Black History Month has been celebrated in the United States since 1976, and entire generations of Americans have grown up knowing that Black History Month falls every year in February. Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling doesn't appear to either know this, or he doesn't appear to care. Either way, he's celebrating Black History Month in March this year.

Yay For People That Love Hitler (AKA We Love To Watch Houses Fall)!

That's just sad.

And pathetic.

The only reason I'm posting this is because even though we seem to be coming a long way in the fashion industry, apparently there's still people like that (John Galliano) to deal with.

P.S.

I don't really know how long this video will be up as it's getting taken down left and right.

Which I have no idea about.

Retro Trailer Love: Infernal Affairs

Just thought I'd take this moment to pay a little respect to one of the best movies ever made.

And here's the Miramax trailer (just in case you wanted that one too).

Jacob Lusk Really Does Make Me Weep Because He's Just That Good

You might have thought I was kidding but it's true. I actually do sob after hearing him sing. It's not a sad, sob-ridden, un-joyous occasion, but more of therapeutic, somehow it just echos throughout my whole body and just makes me feel good kind of cry.

I don't really know what it is, but it moves me.

God Bless The Child



A House Is Not A Home

"Vincent Who?" screening April 3

In case you missed it - here's your second chance.

April 3, 2-4 p.m.
Screening of “Vincent Who?” with writer/producer Curtis Chin

Hennepin County Library
Ridgedale, 12601 Ridgedale Dr.,
Minnetonka, MN 55305

Sweet.

My Random Thoughts On The ECAASU Military Thing

First, I should just let you know that I have never actually been to an ECAASU conference in my life and I really don't have any connection to them whatsoever with exception to the fact that I was asked to submit a proposal for a workshop -- and even though I said no at the time I really did think about it and told myself that if I was asked again that I would certainly take part. Because it's a great thing they're doing - what they're trying to accomplish. To hear how it's grown, looking at the people who've spoken and put on workshops - the only reason I really said no was because who the hell would want to see a workshop from me? It would just be porn videos with me rambling about how a dog once licked some peanut butter of this guy I knew back in the day and me trying to correlate it somehow to the APIA community - and in these economic times (and yes I did just use that phrase) people should expect more for their money.

But I digress.

I Give You Links Given To Me

Here are some links that were sent in my way so you can get caught up.

• http://www.ecaasu.org/site/?p=1852
• http://thefuckingloudestazns.tumblr.com/post/3455980211/imperialism-has-staked-a-claim-on-our-children-in
• http://thesocietypages.org/colorline/2011/02/22/ecaasu-2011-lessons-in-misunderstanding-different-levels-of-analysis/
• http://apimovement.com/ecaasu/ecasuecaasu-military-and-apa-student-conferences
• http://thenewmiss.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-open-letter-to-ecaasu-advisors.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
• http://internationalsensasians.com/2011/02/27/im-tired-of-this-ecaasu-bullshit-im-speaking/

And Another Response

This response/link was sent in to me by Gordon Siu.

All I Have To Say Is That It's MF Awesome

Isn't this what conferences are for? Shouldn't we always expect this type of incredible dialogue and controversy?

Can I hope for the same thing next year except complete with flaming cars and hoola hoops?

I just think everyone should congratulate themselves:

The ECAASU for putting on an event that caused the dialogue and controversy (because that's always good and apparently they didn't go broke doing it). Lai Wa Wu and Vijay Prashad for standing up and being loud for what they believed in. And the people who've been putting out their voices on this since it happened and adding to the already colorful commentary.

I mean c'mon - if you can't get some controversy at a student conference for Asian Americans I don't know where you're supposed to get it outside of a church orgy where the weekly potluck turns into a blessed Roman Shower where instead of communion they're giving out anal beads.

It's just the way it's supposed to be.

You're On Mogwee: Shali Nguyen

Paul Lee Who?

I'll tell you who.

Apparently he's the former Managing Director and Group Head of the digital ventures group.

For Playboy.

And he was a Senior Vice President for the Peacock Equity Fund which even though might sound kind of funny is actually the venture arm of NBC.

And now he's going on to some place called Lightbank.

People can achieve great things if they try.

Me?

I just hope to not wet myself on a daily basis.

Is It Just Me Or Is Clint Jun Gamboa A Singing Machine?

There's not a lot to say except that I'm really getting sucked into this year's American Idol.

Get More Clint.

Hustlers And Grinders