Angry Reader of the Week: Euny Hong

"I feel at home nowhere."


Photo: Y. Kate Hong

All right, everybody. You know what's up. I would like to introduce you to the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Euny Hong.

Giveaway: Win a copy of Ed Lin's 'Ghost Month'

Latest mystery from the author of 'Waylaid' and 'This is a Bust'



Ed Lin's new novel Ghost Month, now on shelves from Soho Crime, is a mystery set in Taiwan. The book follows a young man named Jing-nan who runs a food stand in a Taipei night market, but becomes an unlikely sleuth when he learns his ex-girlfriend from high school has been murdered. If you're a fan of of Ed's previous books in the Robert Chow mystery series, you'll probably dig Ghost Month.

So... anyone want to win a copy of the book? Yes, you do! I'm giving away three copies of Ghost Month to lucky readers, courtesy of author Ed Lin himself. Here's how to enter for your chance to win:

Read the first chapter of Jeremy Arambulo's 'A Challenge'

New comic tells the story of three young friends in 1964 San Francisco Chinatown



This is awesome. Artist Jeremy Arambulo just dropped the first chapter of his new comic, A Challenge.

Set in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1964, the comic centers on three young friends whose lives are changed after they meet a martial artist named Bruce Lee. Jeremy says the comic was inspired by the true story of Lee's most famous fight with rival Wong Jack Man. 'A Challenge' will be serialized bimonthly in eight parts, with a new chapter every two months.

Here are the first couple of pages of the comic:

First Cambodian American judge elected in Georgia

Meng H. Lim elected Superior Court judge for the Tallapoosa District



Last week in Georgia, voters in Polk and Haralson County made history, electing Meng H. Lim as Superior Court judge for the Tallapoosa district. The win makes Lim the first Cambodian American -- ethnically Chinese Cambodian, actually -- and the first Asian Pacific American ever elected to a Superior Court judgeship in Georgia.

Polk, Haralson voters choose Lim for Superior Court Judge

Lim was in first place but didn't win a clear majority for the seat in the May 20 election. In last week's runoff, he took a majority of the vote in Polk County -- 1,812 votes to 1,544 for Polk County attorney Chuck Morris. In his home county of Haralson, voters turned out 2,174 to 927 in favor of Lim.

Lim's family immigrated to the United States from Cambodia when he was 9. Here's a little more background on the newly elected judge, according to his campaign's Facebook page:

Harry Shum Jr. joins 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' sequel

Martial arts drama also stars Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen



Harry Shum Jr., whose moves (and abs) you know and love from Glee, has been cast as one of the leads in the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which started production this week.

'Glee's' Harry Shum Jr. Joins 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' Sequel

Yes, there is Crouching Tiger sequel in the works. Directed by master action choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping, the movie is set twenty years after the events of Ang Lee's award-winning martial arts drama. The sequel's cast includes Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role Yu Shu-lien.

Houston psychiatrist charged in human trafficking scheme

Four men are accused of luring dancers from India and forcing them into prostitution

A Houston psychiatrist and three men in New York are accused of human trafficking after luring several dancers from India with the promise of legal jobs, then forcing them into the sex trade once they arrived.

Houston doctor accused of luring Indian dancers to US in sex trafficking scheme

Riyaz Mazcuri, Rashmikant "Sam" Patel, Sabja Khimani and Mehmood Hassanali Dhanani were charged with forfeiture (forced labor conspiracy), visa fraud conspiracy and fraud in procuring foreign labor.

According to a federal indictment, the men hired female dancers in India and brought them to the United States under the false pretense that they would perform Indian cultural programs. Instead, when they arrived, the women were forced to dance in night clubs in Houston and New York for 12 to 14 hours per night, seven nights a week, and some were pressured into prostitution.

Jeremy Lin Goes Hollywood

Phil Wang, AJ Rafael and Harry Shum Jr. sing, dance and read mean tweets to cheer up Jeremy Lin



So we all know Jeremy Lin has joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Who knew that mean he'd be getting into the Hollywood game so quickly? In this video, your favorite Asian American point guard is joined by Phil Wang, AJ Rafael and Harry Shum Jr. for a little bit of supportive edification that quickly turns into a singing, dancing, musical extravaganza. Plus, some beautiful piano playing by number 17 himself.

Just watch:

Two men charged in fatal attack on UNC professor

59-year-old Feng Liu was robbed and fatally beaten in broad daylight



In North Carolina, two men have been arrested and charged with first degree murder and armed robbery in the fatal attack on a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

2 charged with murder in UNC prof's death

59-year-old Feng Liu, a research professor in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at UNC, was walking near campus Wednesday afternoon when he was robbed and beaten by two suspects. Liu was struck in the head with a landscaping stone and died at the hospital the next day.

23-year-old Derick Davis II and 27-year-old Troy Arrington Jr. were arrested and charged in the attack.

Showtime 2014: AADAP's 42nd Anniversary Benefit

Saturday, August 2 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre



Since 1972, the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) has been providing prevention education, substance abuse treatment, and job skills and economic development programs for men, women, and children. To celebrate its 42nd year, AADAP is holding a benefit concert. Showtime 2014 is happening on Saturday, August 2 in L.A.'s Little Tokyo and includes a silent auction and live performances.

Here's more info:

'Ghost Month' by Ed Lin

Latest mystery from the author of 'Waylaid' and 'This is a Bust'



Here's one for your reading list. I'm excited to pick up Ghost Month, the latest novel from Ed Lin, now on shelves from Soho Crime. I'm a big fan of Ed's previous books, which include the coming-of-age novel Waylaid and the Robert Chow mystery series This is a Bust, Snakes Can't Run and One Red Bastard, which followed the exploits of a Chinese American detective through the dark corners of New York City's Chinatown.

Ed's newest mystery changes gears and goes international, taking the action to Taiwan during the titular superstitious "Ghost Month." We follow a young man named Jing-nan who runs a food stand in a Taipei night market, but becomes an unlikely sleuth when he learns his ex-girlfriend from high school has been murdered.

Here's a trailer for the novel that gives some deeper background on the book:

Fan Bingbing in talks to star in Anna May Wong biopic

Based on the life and career of the first Chinese American movie star



Some interesting movie news... Chinese actress/singer Fan Bingbing, most recently seen as the mutant Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past, is reportedly in talks to star in a biopic about legendary screen icon Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American movie star.

Anna May Wong Biopic Planned at Fundamental Films

According to Variety, Shanghai-based Fundamental Films is developing Dragon Lady, based on the life and career of the Asian American silent era star. Jonathan Keasey and Brant Boivin are writing the script, which will recall Wong's poverty-stricken upbringing in downtown Los Angeles and her rise to fame in Hollywood.

YouTube star surprises parents by paying off mortgage

Rapper/comedian Timothy DeLaGhetto presents mom and dad with $210,000 check



Wow. This week's number one son: Timothy DeLaGhetto. On Monday, the YouTube star posted a video in which he presented his parents with a check of $210,000 to pay off their mortgage.

YouTube celebrity thanks parents by paying off their mortgage

Tim, a rapper and comedian whose YouTube channel has more than 2.4 million subscribers, dropped out of college five years ago to pursue a career in entertainment. This probably wasn't Mr. and Mrs. Chantarangsu's preferred plan for their son, but he reassured them that he would make it big and pay off the house.

Looks like he made good on that promise:

Four suspects arrested in deadly assault of USC student

24-year-old Xinran Ji was struck in the head with a baseball bat



In Los Angeles, four teen suspects have been arrested in connection with the deadly assault and robbery of a USC graduate student whose body was found in his apartment near campus last week.

USC student fatally beaten with baseball bat; 4 teens arrested in case

Four were arrested on suspicion of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, while one was also faces a charge of robbery. The suspects included two adults and two juveniles, including a 16-year-old female.

24-year-old Xinran Ji, a second-year electrical engineering graduate student from China, was walking home from a study group a few blocks from campus when he was attacked and struck with a baseball bat. He managed to walk back to his apartment where he died of a head injury.

Pioneering actor James Shigeta dies at 85

Leading man in such films as The Crimson Kimono, Flower Drum Song and Bridge to the Sun



Sad news. Pioneering Asian American actor James Shigeta, who was a leading man in such films as The Crimson Kimono, Flower Drum Song and Bridge to the Sun, died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 85.

James Shigeta, Top Asian-American Actor of Early '60s and 'Die Hard' Co-Star, Dies at 81

Handsome and charming, Shigeta was one of the first prominent Asian American actors. He made his film debut in 1959 starring as a detective caught up in a love triangle in Samuel Fuller's The Crimson Kimono, kicking off a solid two-year run of film roles, including Walk Like a Dragon (1960), Cry for Happy (1961) and Bridge to the Sun (1961). He won a Golden Globe Award in 1960 for "Most Promising Male Newcomer."

Tindog Tacloban II featuring AJ Rafael, Tim Atlas, Melvin

Friday, August 1 at Sol Collective in Sacramento



Sacramento! Two sisters in your 'hood have put together a benefit concert to help raise funds towards education equipment for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan: Tindog Tacloban II.

The next one is happening on Friday, August 1 at Sol Collective, and will feature AJ Rafael (who, we have been told, will go on an indefinite hiatus soon), Tim Atlas, Melvin Sings, and more.

Here are some more details about the benefit:

Couple arrested for leaving 3-year-old in hot car

Daughter left unattended in 104-degree van outside shopping mall



Lots of folks passing along this news out of Southern California, where a couple faces child endangerment charges after allegedly leaving their 3-year-old daughter inside a hot parked car outside an Orange County shopping mall.

Orange County Parents Accused of Leaving 3-Year-Old in Hot Car

Police were called when witnesses spotted a small child alone inside a locked vehicle parked outside the Brea Mall on Sunday afternoon. Officers showed the girl how to unlock the doors. According to police, the outside temperature was 91 degrees, while the temperature inside the van was 104 degrees. Thankfully, she was okay.

The parents, 33-year-old Ho Kim and 35-year-old Tae Kim, were arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment.

Hari Kondabolu is the A/P/A Institute at NYU Artist-in-Residence

Kickoff event planned for October 15



This is some pretty awesome news. The Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University recently announced comedian Hari Kondabolu as its 2014-15 Artist-in-Residence. Hari, who is based in Brooklyn, has had one hell of a year, between appearances on NPR's Fresh Air, Conan, Late Show with David Letterman, the release of his debut album Waiting for 2042, and now hooking up with NYU.

But what does it actually mean? Each year, New York University hosts an artist to hold residency with its Asian/Pacific/American Institute. Artists-in-Residence are invited to bring their notoriety, artistic work, and history of involvement with the APA community to NYU. The Artist-in-Residence uses his or her time at A/P/A to create important new work, artistic retrospectives, forums, or conferences.

Hari is A/P/A Institute's first Comedian-in-Residence. Here's his statement:

Glenn is still alive in 'The Walking Dead' Season Five Trailer

New season premieres October 12 on AMC



For fans of The Walking Dead... In case you missed it, AMC recently posted Comic-Con trailer for the upcoming fifth season. When we last left our zombie apocalypse survivors, after spending the last half-season scattered by the Governor's prison attack, the group found themselves mostly reunited but held captive by the inhabitants of Terminus. If you haven't been following the show, and none of that makes sense to you, it's okay.

All you need to know is that Glenn is still alive.

Here's the season five trailer:

File Under Badass: Gas station clerk thwarts robbery with mixed martial arts

These thieves picked the wrong gas station. The one with a MMA fighter working behind the counter.



Crime doesn't pay. In fact, sometimes it hurts like a kick in the face. Some would-be thieves in Houston learned that the hard way when they tried to rob a gas station employee... and got their asses kicked by a convenience store clerk who also happens to be a muthaeffin' mixed martial arts fighter.

Gas station clerk with MMA training surprises thieves

Mayura Dissanyake was working behind the counter at Fuel Depot when he saw two men outside jump out of an SUV and attack his co-worker, who was returning to the store after a run to the bank. Dissanyake, who is trained in mixed martial arts and apparently was a champion in Sri Lanka, sprung into action.

"The first guy I saw, I just kicked him in the face. Then I punched the other guy."

An effective strategy. Let's go to the tape:

Congressman mistakes U.S. officials for Indian nationals

"I am familiar with your country. I love your country."



If you missed this embarrassingly awkward moment from last week, here you go. It's simultaneously awful and amazing... During a House hearing on Friday, Rep. Curt Clawson, a freshman Republican congressman from Florida, mistook two senior U.S. officials for representatives of the Indian government. Oops.

Freshman Congressman Mistakes Senior Government Officials for Foreigners

You have to give a tiny bit of credit to Clawson. He seemed eager to show that he's a fan of India and its culture. He told Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar as much: "I am familiar with your country. I love your country."

But you see, that's the thing, Rep. Clawson. Their country is your country -- the United States, of which Biswal and Kumar are citizens and hold high-ranking positions in the State and Commerce Department, respectively.

Here's video of the ass-awkward moment:

Read These Blogs

Jeremy Lin Introductory Press Conference: In case you missed it, here's video of last week's conference with Jeremy Lin, introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

When It's Okay to Use Ethnic Slurs: A Guide: Is it ever acceptable to say "Chinamen"? Writer Eric Liu, author of A Chinaman's Chance, lays out some rules about when it's appropriate to use ethnic slurs.

We need Asian-American superheroes: "The fact is, the only way to really make the superhero universe look like America (and by extension, the world) is to create fresh, new heroes who represent us in all our vibrant diversity, with origin stories that are authentic to their identities."

It's time to stop using "exoticism" as an excuse for opera's racism: From context to staging to casting, how theater houses can improve on equating exoticism with tradition in productions such as The Mikado.

I have "A Little List" too -- buckle up. Actress/writer Erin Quill lays down the smack with an epic take down of the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society's ridiculous yellowface staging of The Mikado.



It Was Not Nothing: Jenny Yang shares about a traumatic moment from her young life to tell you, as a big sister, "I see what happened to you. I know exactly how you feel. It was not your fault. I believe you."

This One Time At Band Camp: Actor/blogger Lynn Chen opens up and shares an embarrassing true story about puberty and childhood crushes, one summer at a New England band camp.

When Defending Your Writing Becomes Defending Yourself: Author Michael Salesses talks about his and others' experiences in academic programs for creative writers of color and the common racist comments and expectations they receive.

Why Mixed with White isn't White: Sharon H. Chang reflects on how she will talk to her multiracial Asian son about identity and shifting these conversations away from descriptions that are "centered on whiteness."

ABCD: Who Are You Calling Confused?: Kishwer Vikaas looks back into the history and use of the term "American Born Confused Desi," and contemplates its future among South Asian American millennials.



A Delhi artist re-imagines American superheroes as Indian characters: Meet Flash, the dabbawallah, and Spiderman, the Punjabi. Artist Raj Kamal's digital art series "Superheroes in India" re-imagines classic American comic book superheroes as Indians.

Inside Sun Noodle, the Secret Weapon of America's Best Ramen Shops: Hidehito Uki founded Sun Noodle in 1981, helping to change the popularity of ramen in America from microwaveable Cup O' Noodles to the steaming bowl of fresh-made noodles fueling America's ramen craze.

Mr. Tran's Messy Life and Legacy: After Truong Dinh Tran died in 2012, leaving behind a fortune valued at $100 million, details of his complicated and messy life began to emerge -- and get contested by those who have or want a hand in the pot.

Passing of a Video Store and a Downtown Aesthetic: The closing of the last Kim's Video & Music store, on First Avenue in the East Village, marks the end of New York neighborhood cultural institution.

American TV shows might look more diverse, but their writers aren't: While many of the faces of television have become more diverse, the writers' rooms remain filled with white men.



Comic-Con: How Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park Became 'Star Wars' Icons for THR's Preview Issue (Video) Battlestar Galactica stars Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park re-created a classic shot from Star Wars for The Hollywood Reporter's graphic novel-inspired "Titans of Comic-Con" feature.

'Walking Dead' Star Steven Yeun Is Writing and Producing His Own Projects to Create Better Roles For Asian Actors: Despite his role as Glen on The Walking Dead, Steven Yeun admits that the roles offered to him aren't so great. So now he is writing and producing better roles for Asian actors to help change that.

Daniel Dae Kim on Asian-American civil rights heroes: CBS News asked figures in arts, business, and politics about their experience in today's civil rights movement, or about figures who inspired them in their own activism. Actor Daniel Dae Kim's list is pretty badass.

Kumail Nanjiani and Jonah Ray Talk The Meltdown: Two of my favorite comedians, Kumail Nanjiani and Jonah Ray have a new show on Comedy Central, The Meltdown, based on their popular live LA show.

Gumship Radio Ep 17: Gumship Radio talks to actress Annie Q, who can be seen on the HBO series The Leftovers, about growing up in New York, dealing with rejection and dropping out of college to pursue acting.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Ice cream customer told to "go back to China"

2. Clothing store receipt calls Asian customer "Yoko Ono"?

3. Fund This: recess

4. Angry Reader of the Week: Keiko Agena

5. Christina Chong joins the cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

6. USC graduate student found dead after attack

7. Kristina Wong has launched a Kickstarter to marry Jeremy Lin

8. Jim Lee is giving away 50 sketches at Comic-Con

9. 'The Walking Dead' Prison Glenn Pop! Vinyl Figure

10. The Electronic Sriracha Festival is happening.

Stay Angry, my friends.