Golfer Kim Makes Winning His New Habit: After initially making a name for himself as a bit of a cocky, underachieving party animal, rookie golfer Anthony Kim is now the winner of PGA Tour events and coming off a kickass performance for the United States Ryder Cup team.
Rachel Yamagata's mood-altering music: At long last, singer Rachel Yamagata is releasing her follow-up to 2004's Happenstance, the double-disc sophomore album Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart
. It's out on October 7, and I can't wait to hear it.Mariners malcontent centering on Suzuki: While Ichiro Suzuki might be having another great season on the field, things apparently aren't going so well behind-the-scenes in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse, according to an "insider" who claims a number of players really dislike him.
Memories are vivid for Coast Guard retiree, 101: Here's a neat story on Emil deOcampo, who at 101 years old, is the oldest living retired enlistee of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard honored him last month for his 25 years of service (and 101 years of living).
At 80, Long a Teacher of the Philosophy of Tea: for more than forty years, Hisashi Yamada, a certified tea master, he has devoted his life to the discipline and teaching of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, "seeking to convey to Americans the sublime peace that can come from the study of tea."
Equal-rights gains have local roots: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the little-known but landmark equal rights decision by the Supreme Court that allowed a Japanese American family, the Oyamas, to keep their farm when the state tried to take it away during World War II.
The National Book Foundation's "5 Under 35" Fiction Selections for 2008: Nam Le, author of the critically-acclaimed short story collection The Boat
, has been named one of the National Book Foundation's "5 Under 35," recognized as someone whose work is among the best of a new generation of writers."Harold & Kumar" writers line up next feature: We already know that there will be a third Harold and Kumar movie, but it looks like writer/directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg will be busy with another project for the time being and won't be getting to it quite just yet.
Los Angeles' Little Tokyo to finally get its gym: This week, the Los Angeles City Council approved a long-awaited gymnasium project in Little Tokyo, which many are hoping will help preserve the area's cultural identity and bring the scattered Japanese American community back to the Little Tokyo.
Lost scoop: Is Jin alive? And finally, we already know this, but at the Emmys last weekend, Lost star Daniel Dae Kim assured fans that indeed, we have not seen the last of Jin on the show... even though he was seemingly blown to smithereens in last season's finale. He'll be back.
