1.31.2011

usc casa's 12th annual culture show: legacy, february 20



If you're in Los Angeles, here's a cool cultural event coming up that you might want to check out... USC CASA invites you to its 12th annual culture show Legacy, a large-scale student-produced event boasting over fifty cast and crew members, promoting Chinese history and heritage. It's happening Sunday, February 20 at Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California. Here are some more details:

kickstarter: every day is a holiday by theresa loong


I recently heard from some of the people working on the upcoming documentary Every Day Is a Holiday. Directed by Theresa Loong, the film tells the extraordinary story of her own father's journey from his native Malaysia to a World War II Japanese War Camp, and finally into the United States.

The project is currently in need of completion funds and is raising money through a Kickstarter campaign. Here's some more information about the film:

what I'm listening to: poor peoples planet by mandeep sethi


I recently got my hands on Poor Peoples Planet, the third album from Bay Area Sikh hip hop artist Mandeep Sethi. Produced by X9 of Xitanos Matematikos, it's a gypsy-influenced concept album sampling heavily on quotes and concepts of the spiritual speaker Jiddu Krishnamurthi. Don't understand what that means? Just take a listen:

family reunited with long lost sister... through facebook

This is a crazy, amazing Los Angeles Times story about a family that was reunited with their missing, long-lost daughter after 37 years -- through a Facebook posting: For Korean American family, an ache 37 years long.

It all started when a Steven Inman resolved to find out what had happened to his older sister, who he believed had been abducted in South Korea decades ago, before he was born. So started with a Facebook profile:

music video: "rocketeer" (la dreamer short film) by far east movement


Check out Far East Movement's cool new music video for "Rocketeer" (LA Dreamer Short Film), featuring a stripped-down, more intimate live remix to their hit single. Filmed on the street of Los Angeles, it's described as a cinematic portrait of "the different dreamers that make up L.A." -- the artists, the lovers, the rebels... and even Snoop Dogg. Love it. Take a look for yourself:

a bold and the beautiful fan who really hates asians

I recently heard from actress Stephanie Y. Wang, who has had a recurring role as "Madison" on The Bold and the Beautiful for the last five years. I'm not much of a soap opera watcher, so I wasn't aware of her work, but she did pass along a very interesting message...

Last week, she received this ridiculously racist bit of hate mail from a B&B fan named Rumar who appears to be really unhappy with what Stephanie's character ("people of your type and other foreigners") is up to on the show:

asian supermom in nissan quest commercial


Asians! In commercials! Just saw this Nissan Quest "Errands" commercial prominently featuring one of those do-it-all supermoms balancing it all, including her taekwondo-kicking daughter, soccer-playing son... and the stinky-breath dog. Oh, and she just happens to be Asian. Check it out:

california celebrates first ever fred korematsu day

Yesterday, Californians observed the first official statewide day set aside to honor civil rights icon Fred Korematsu, who fought the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II when he was arrested for refusing to enter an internment camp: A civil rights hero gets his day.

Last year, state lawmakers voted unanimously to designate January 30 (Korematu's birthday) as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, a measure that encourages Californians to recognize the importance of preserving civil liberties.

1.28.2011

prutehi hao! protect yourself! hiv prevention campaign


Prutehi Hao! Protect Yourself, an HIV prevention campaign sponsored by Guam Public Health, recently launched an innovate new media campaign targeting Asian Pacific Islander youth, combining spoken word, rap, and dance. The spoken word poets range from ages 16-25 and the campaign includes a spoken word segment in Chamorro, the native language of the Mariana islands. Check out the spots:

beware the red glove bandit

Asian behaving badly... Red Glove Bandit edition! Police in Elk Grove, California are looking for a woman wearing red gloves -- and yup, it appears that she's Asian -- who is suspected of holding up a sandwich shop and attempting to rob a supermarket earlier this month: Elk Grove PD hunting for red-glove bandit.

First, she held up a Subway. Then that same weekend, Ms. Thief tried to a rob a Safeway supermarket, but reportedly ran into a bit of a snag in her brilliant heist when the clerk couldn't understand the wording on her holdup note:

npr and the new media makers: ryan higa and wong fu


Check out this great NPR piece on online stars Ryan Higa -- the most subscribe personality on YouTube -- and Wong Fu Productions, and the runaway success of their action comedy mini-feature Agents of Secret Stuff, which has received over eight million views in the past two months: In A Small Corner Of YouTube, A Web Star Is Born.

texas sniper pleads guilty to targeting asians and hispanics

Unbelievable. This week in Texas, 24-year-old Thai-An Huu Nguyen pleaded guilty to three charges of aggravated assault and three charges of deadly conduct after admitting to targeting and shooting at motorists because they were Asian or Hispanic: Sniper pleads guilty on day of trial after saying he deliberately targeted Asians, Hispanics.

Nguyen shot at motorists in Richardson, Garland, Plano and Mesquite over three days in 2008. Fortunately, he wasn't a very good shot, and missed most of the time, but two men were shot, and two children narrowly escaped injury. The guy apparently had a pretty big chip on his shoulder:

npr song of the day: "bohemian rhapsody" by jake shimabukuro


Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro was recently featured on NPR's Song of the Day, for his amazing rendition of Queen's quasi-operatic, hard-rocking power ballad "Bohemian Rhapsody": Jake Shimabukuro: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' On The Ukulele.

7th annual asian heritage street celebration: open call for performers

Calling all performers! The AsianWeek Foundation is looking for talented up-and-coming artists to be a part of the festivities at the 7th annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration, happening Saturday, May 21 in San Francisco. Musicians, vocalists, dance groups and other entertainers are encouraged to apply.

Previous performers have included Far East Movement, Lyrics Born, Jin the Emcee, Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Jasmine Trias, Jose "Sway" Penala, Native Elements, San Francisco Taiko Dojo and more. You could be the next big star to take the AHSC stage. Here's some more information:

best-selling women's nfl jersey: troy polamalu


Who do the ladies love? Or at least, whose football jeresey do they want to wear? Troy Polamalu, apparently. According to sales figures from NFLShop.com, the best-selling women's jersey is that of the mighty-maned Pittsburgh Steelers safety: The ladies love Troy Polamalu's jersey.

gran torino actor talks about racism on the set

Remember Grand Torino? In the 2008 drama, Clint Eastwood stars as a crust, racist, old-but-still-badass war vet who befriends the Hmong family next door and protects them from neighborhood thugs. I wasn't a huge fan of the film for a lot of reasons, but I did appreciate that it attempted to put a spotlight on Hmong American characters.

One of those characters was played by Bee Vang. Here's a really interesting article the actor, who recently visited the Multicultural Center at UC Santa Barbara and discussed the truth of what happened behind the scenes of Gran Torino. And it doesn't sound like it was all that great: Gran Torino Actor Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Racism.

boycott that f#@king idiot rush limbaugh


The rumble is brewing in the wake of Rush Limbaugh's dumbass on-air mocking of the Chinese language. California state Senator Leland Yee is leading the charge in demand an apology from the controversial radio talk show host for his derogatory remarks: Asian-American lawmakers demand Limbaugh apology.

Yee is rallying a number of civil rights groups, including Chinese for Affirmative Action, Japanese American Citizens League and the California National Organization for Women, in a boycott of companies like Pro Flowers, Sleep Train and Domino's Pizza that advertise on Limbaugh's national talk show:

angry reader of the week: lynn chen


Hey! It's time to meet another 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 our pal Lynn Chen.

1.27.2011

south bay first thursdays: hiv in santa clara county, february 3


If you're in the Bay Area -- specifically, the South Bay -- then First Thursdays invites you to its first monthly dinner/forum event of 2011. February's event will be a discussion on how HIV is still making an impact on our communities locally and abroad. It's happening Thursday, February 3 at AACI in San Jose. Here are some more details:

apply to the hbs4a's scholarship for nonprofit leaders

Here's a cool opportunity for Asian American leaders in nonprofit... Each year, Harvard Business School hosts a highly-regarded Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management program for individuals working in or interested in non-profit/public management. Cool, right?

What's even cooler is that is that each year, for the last six years, the HBS Asian American Alumni Association provides an annual scholarship to enable folks to attend this excellent opportunity. Last year, they sent Lee Ann Kim, Executive Director of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation:

givenchy's japanese-inspired hate couture collection


This week in Paris, Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci introduced his Japanese-influenced Spring/Summer 2011 Haute Couture collection -- using exclusively Asian models: Givenchy Uses Only Asian Models At Haute Couture Show.

According to Givenchy's press release, the collection draws its primary inspiration from Japan, including Butoh dancers, cranes, and even Gundam fighters. Lots more photos from collection over at Huffington Post.

Maybe it's just me, but those hats kind of remind me of Galactus, the planet devourer. Comic book geeks, are you with me? (Thanks, Tamlyn.)

oliver wang on filipino mobile djs of the bay area

Oliver Wang has a great guest blog post for The Atlantic looking at the Bay Area's Filipino American mobile DJ culture of the 1980s. If that sounds oddly specific, it doesn't make it any less fascinating. These Filipino crews have been the subject of Oliver's dissertation-now-book-research for the better part of a decade: Unlimited Creations: Filipino Mobile DJs of the Bay Area.

chinese what women want remake to open in u.s. theaters


A little while back, I mentioned the upcoming Mandarin-language remake of What Women Want, directed by Chen Daming, and starring Andy Lau and Gong Li. According to film distributor China Lion, the romantic comedy will open at select North American theaters on the same day of its China premiere on February 3, the first day of the Lunar Near Year: China's 'What Women Want' Remake to Get Day-and-Date U.S. Release.

comedian sheng wang on comedy central, january 28


Comedy fans, make sure you tune in or set your DVRs for Comedy Central's Friday Night Stand Up tomorrow night, January 28 for comedian Sheng Wang in his very own half-hour stand-up special. Straight out of Texas! Complete with that Taiwanese American Texan drawl, he's a very funny guy. Here's a clip of his act:

diversity and the oscars: maybe next year

Just wanted to share this CNN article -- I think I'm quoted somewhere in it -- on the glaring lack of diversity in this year's Academy Award nominations, which were announced this week. Considering some of last year's landmark wins, the awards appear to have reverted back to the status quo, with no actors of color or women directors nominated: Where's the diversity at the Oscars?.

video: indian robot action insanity


Been seeing this amazing video clip passed around left and right... A little while back, I posted the trailer for the Tamil sci-fi action flick Endhiran, which has been touted as the most expensive Indian film ever made. If you thought that was wild, take a look at this insane-ass 9-minute clip:

state senator leland yee receives racist death threats over limbaugh remarks

More Rush Limbaugh-related bullshit... California State Senator Leland Yee has reportedly received racist death threats after demanding an apology from Limbaugh for his recent on-air mocking of the Chinese language: Rush Limbaugh Supporter Sends Leland Yee Death Threats.

According to his staffers, Yee received threatening faxes at both his Capitol and San Francisco offices. The messages contained racial slurs, violent threats against black and Asian people, and even an illustration depicting a pickup truck dragging a noose:

battle hymn of the tiger mother... the movie?!


Oh hell no. It looks like they've found a way to make Joy Luck Club 2. Well, not exactly, but they're definitely tapping the same vein. Fresh off her appearance on The Colbert Report, we get the groan-worthy news that Amy Chua's controversial book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, could possibly get adapted into a movie: 'Joy Luck Club' Producers See Movie Promise in Tiger Mom Controversy.

Are you ready for the Hollywood take on Tiger Mother? Eager to go back to the well-worn themes of Chinese American mother-daughter relationships, two of the producers of The Joy Luck Club have reportedly expressed a strong interest in adapting Chua's book for the big screen:

1.26.2011

cacf action council's holiday hangover happy hour 2, january 27


Kind of last minute, but if you're in New York, just wanted to make sure you're aware of the Holiday Hangover Happy Hour 2, hosted by the Coalition for Asian American Children & Families' Action Council. It's happening Thursday, January 27 at Professor Thorn's Loft. Here are some more details:

interested in performing at tuesday night cafe in 2011?

This is for all of you artists and performers in the Los Angeles area... The Tuesday Night Project, dedicated to providing a space for multi-disciplinary APIA artists, just launched a submission process for artists interested in performing at the 1st & 3rd Tuesday Night Cafe series in 2011.

the cambodian donut shop: one family's story



Found this here the other day... Ever wonder why so many donut shops in Southern California are owned by Cambodians? This video was uploaded several years ago, but I don't think I've ever seen it before: Donuts Anyone?

It's a 10-minute documentary looking the fascinating story behind one Cambodian family's donut shop, tracing back from their escape from the killing fields of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge to their struggles as new immigrants in the United States. Definitely worth taking a look.

mobilization at mcgill university: how did 'too asian' affect you?

Asian students at McGill University are not quite done talking about that lame "Too Asian?" article that ran in Maclean's back in November. They're starting up a mobilization campaign to keep the dialogue going about the article and other racialized representations of Asians in the media: How did 'Too Asian' affect you?

steven ho, a sword, a watermelon, and conan o'brien


Hollywood stuntman Steven Ho was back kicking Conan O'Brien's ass the other night. While he made several appearances doing crazy fight/stunt demonstrations during Conan's criminally short-lived stint on The Tonight Show, this was his first guest stint since the redheaded host's move to TBS. Highly entertaining segment involving a watermelon, a sword and a blindfold:

sikh man denied prison guard job because of his beard

This week, California Attorney General Kamala Harris argued in a Sacramento County Superior Court filing that religious beliefs aren't enough to trump corrections department regulations --a Sikh prison guard cannot be properly fitted for a gas mask if he keeps the facial hair required by his faith: Bearded man can't be prison guard, Calif. says.

Trilochan Oberoi, a former commander in the Indian navy, is suing the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for failing to let him become a prison guard unless he shaved his beard. Rights groups say the CDCR is violating Mr. Oberoi's civil rights, while the Attorney General is asking that the lawsuit be dismissed:

"premake" trailer: up re-imagined as a 1960s live-action disney movie


A live-action remake of Pixar's Up? Not quite. But check out this clever "premake" trailer for Up, assembled with footage from a handful of different films and re-imagined as a 1960s-era Walt Disney live-action adventure starring Spencer Tracy as Carl Frederickson, Kirk Douglas as Charles Muntz and some random Asian kid as Russell. Take a look:

2010 asian pacific american media coalition report card on television diversity

For the tenth consecutive year, the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition has released its Report Card on Television Diversity, looking at the inclusion of Asian Pacific Americans in front of, and behind, the camera on network television: 2010 APAMC Report Card on Television Diversity.

For those of you keeping score, there were 37 APA actors cast in regular prime time roles for the 2009-2010 season, an increase of four from the previous season. That's more than I realized (and I watch a lot of television). Here's an overall breakdown of how the major broadcast networks are doing, ranked by letter grade:

steven chu's state of the union snooze


Hmmm. Was Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, sleeping last night during President Obama's State of the Union address? If he was indeed having a little snooze time, cut him some slack! Hey, it ain't easy being the Secretary of Saving the Planet. Guy's gotta catch a few Zs wherever/whenever can.

By the way, today at 12:45pm EST, Secretary Chu will host the Department of Energy's inaugural Energy Matters online town hall to discuss President Obama's clean energy and innovation agenda as a follow-up to the State of the Union. Log on and get your energy questions answered.

You can view the chat here. And for more on the Secretary of Energy, you can go to Steven Chu's Facebook page here. And if you really like Steven Chu, you can purchase Martin Hsu's kickass "Think Alternative" shirt here.

reminder: banana 2 ticket giveaway

Just wanted to throw out another quick reminder about the ticket giveaway for the Banana 2 APIA blogger conference, happening Saturday, February 26 in Los Angeles. Regular admission is $20, and student admission is $15. But if you'd like to attend for free, I'm giving away two promotional passes to the conference.

To enter for your chance to win, go here and submit your name and contact information. Two winners will be drawn at random. The entry deadline is January 27 (extended). The passes are just for the conference admission and do not include travel or lodging.

For more information about the conference, including registration, participant details and the full schedule of events, go to the BANANA 2 website here.

1.25.2011

retrofit republic trunk sale + video look book launch, january 28


I recently heard from Julia Rhee, one of the co-founders of Retrofit Republic, an online "sustainable vintage store with a social impact." It's just starting out, but a portion of the store's sales will be donated to organizations that serve a social/environmental mission for underrepresented communities. Very cool stuff. Their new 2011 spring look book just launched here.

job announcement: associate artistic director, san diego asian film foundation

Our friends at the San Diego Asian Film Foundation are looking for qualified individual to fill the position of Associate Artistic Director.

The Associate Artistic Director is responsible for overseeing the planning, selection, and presentation of high quality programming of the annual San Diego Asian Film Festival, Spring Showcase, and other year-round programs. Qualifications and responsibilities include:

casting call: millions web series


The Toronto-based web series Millions, which I've mentioned here before, recently put out a casting call for actors in the Toronto area to fill a number of non-union roles. I'm told that they've actually had a hard time finding interested Asian males... but maybe you're the guy they're looking for. Here's the series synopsis:

connecting china's students with their futures

The Huffington Post is profiling the Young Global Leaders attending the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Meet Calvin Chin, founder of Qifang, a nonprofit organization that utilizes social networking to help Chinese college students find a way to pay for higher education expenses: Investing In China's Future One Student At A Time.

For instance, take Winnie, a senior at Guanzhou University who couldn't afford paying two semesters' tuition due to an unfortunate turn in her family circumstances. Raising money on her own wasn't enough, but she was able to receive education loans from Qifang:

video cover: "the scientist" by jennifer chung



Enjoying this nice little cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist" by Jennifer Chung. For my fellow Wildcats at Northwestern University, Jennifer will be performing at Celebrasia 2011 (alongside acts like Poreotics and Shanghai Restoration Project) happening this Saturday, January 29 at Ryan Auditorium. Represent.

apalc demands apology for rush limbaugh's ching chongery

Still more reactions to Rush Limbaugh's racist "chong chong" gibberish tirade on his radio show last week. Here's the Asian Pacific American Legal Center's response, demanding an apology to the Asian American community from the controversial talk show host: APALC DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM RUSH LIMBAUGH FOR MOCKING CHINESE PRESIDENT AND CULTURE.

forever 21: a fashion empire... by any means necessary


BusinessWeek has a really interesting, lengthy profile on the insanely successful cheap-chic clothing chain Forever 21, and the Changs, the Korean American family behind the $3 billion, 477-store (and counting) apparel empire: Forever 21's Fast (and Loose) Fashion Empire. If it seems like their stores are popping up everywhere, it's because they are:

83rd annual academy award nominations: pretty darn white!


Nominations for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning. No huge surprises or outrageous snubs. The King's Speech -- great film, but quite possibly the Caucasianest movie of the year -- leads the pack with twelve nods. The rest of the major categories are equally quite white. Business as usual, I guess. But daaaaamn! Barely even a token speck of color.

But if we're counting (and you know I am) it's worth noting that 14-year-old newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in her breakout role as Mattie Ross in True Grit, is actually of Filipino descent, somewhere in there on her mother's side, apparently: Rising Fil-Am Hollywood Star Hailee Steinfeld.

voltron boxer shorts: form blazing sword!


Wow, that's subtle. Is that what the kids are calling it these days? These "Form Blazing Sword!" boxer shorts are available at the official Voltron online store. I don't really know what to say. But I will never quite look at those old Voltron adventures the same way.

high school student and trauma surgeon among first lady's guests at state of the union address

As you might be aware, tonight is President Obama's annual State of the Union address to Congress. 6:00pm Pacific/9:00pm Eastern. According to political thinkers, he'll likely be focusing on jobs, innovation and cooperation.

I mention it here because it's worth nothing that First Lady Michelle Obama will be hosting several special guests in her box during the address: Guest List for the First Lady's Box at the State of the Union Address.

The guests include 16-year-old Amy Chyao, a high school junior from Richardson, Texas, and Dr. Peter Rhee, the trauma surgeon who oversaw the medical care associated with the shooting tragedy in Tuscon. Here's more on info them, according to the White House press release:

1.24.2011

fourth annual dale minami boalt alumni fellowship dinner, january 28


This Friday, Holly Fujie will be honored with the Boalt Alumni of the Year Award at the Four Annual Dale Minami Boalt Alumni Fellowship Dinner, celebrating milestones in the journey toward full inclusion of the Asian Pacific American community in the justice system. It's happening January 28 at Far East Cafe in San Francisco.

The Dale Minami Public Interest Fellowship is a non-profit organization started by Berkeley Law APALSA members, providing annual fellowship awards to outstanding Boalt alumni who commit to serving the public interest and working with the Asian American Islander community. Here are some more details about the dinner:

chinese sports brand li-ning tries to break into u.s. market

Here's an interesting Associated Press article on Chinese sports brand Li-Ning, which is making an attempt to break into the highly competitive, super-saturated U.S. market: China sports brand tries to break into US market.

Since there's no use in trying to "out-Nike" Nike, the Chinese shoemaker is trying something a little different in low-budget viral marketing with an irreverent YouTube video (featuring comedian Gerry Bednob) poking fun at the brand's Chinese origins. Check it out:

commercial: bayer and the helpful korean flight attendant



Spotted this odd Bayer commercial the other day, featuring a guy in need of some pain relief while traveling on an airplane, and gets a little help from a Korean flight attendant who -- surprise! -- also speaks perfect English.

I'm not quite sure what was the point of setting the commercial aboard a Korean airline, outside the opportunity to throw a little splash of foreign dialogue, or to feature a pretty Asian flight attendant. Is there something about flying on a Korean airline that is inherently headache-inducing?

ed lee calls rush limbaugh "childish, immature and backward"

Fear the 'stache. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee responded Rush Limbaugh's on-air "chong chong" mocking of the Chinese language with some choice words for the right-wing agitator, calling him "childish, immature and backward": Mayor Ed Lee says Rush Limbaugh is "childish, immature and backward".

kung fu cinema's new favorite folk hero


Who's more badass than Bruce Lee? Perhaps... the guy who taught Bruce Lee? The New York Times has a cool article on "the most popular kung fu screen hero of the moment," Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man -- mentor to none other than Bruce Lee, and the subject of several recent martial arts dramas: Enter the Teacher to the Dragon of Martial Arts Films.

There's Wilson Yip's kickass kung fu flick Ip Man, starring Donnie Yen in the title role, and its sequel Ip Man 2, which opens Friday in New York and Los Angeles. But there's also Herman Yau's younger Ip Man biopic The Legend is Born - Ip Man, and auteur Wong Kar-wai's long-awaited The Grandmasters:

smugglers arrested for illegally importing exotic turtles

Asians behaving badly... exotic animal smuggling edition! Earlier this month at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities two Japanese men for attempting to smuggle more than 50 live rare turtles packed in cracker and cookie boxes: Exotic turtles seized at LAX in smuggling arrest.

Atsushi Yamagami and Norihide Ushirozako were charged in a two-count criminal complaint alleging that they illegally imported wildlife into the United States, and one count of violating the Endangered Species Act:

take it slowly. this book is dangerous.


Well, we all have our special hidden talents. Check out this highly amusing video of a young woman named Xin Yan demonstrating her impressive ability to read aloud Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss -- really, really fast. Those who are familiar with the book know just how tongue-twisty it is, but you really have to watch the video to fully grasp Xin Yan's super-crazy speed-reading skillz:

aaja response to rush limbaugh's on-air ching chongs

Here's the Asian American Journalists Association's official response to Rush Limbaugh's racist ching chong tirade on his radio show last week. Like you, me, and pretty much everyone else with half a brain here in the 21st century, AAJA was bewildered by Limbaugh's on-air idiocy:

not gonna let this die: "tiger mom rap" by jen kwok


OH snap! It's the Tiger Mom Rap! I'm waaaay tired of this whole Amy Chua situation, and have purposely refrained from posting any more Tiger Mother-related stuff... but comedian/musician Jen Kwok's hip hop ode to extreme Asian parenting (according to Chua) is pretty damn funny, and I have to share. Here are the lyrics:

asian nerd alert: casting call for fun size

Got this casting call passed along to me, for an upcoming Paramount Pictures feature film called Fun Size. It's for an Asian character named "Peng," a "Debate Team nerd" who "talks twice his size, and sports thick glasses that darken automatically in sunlight." That raises a few red flags. Is this another Long Duk Dong waiting to happen? Here's the character breakdown:

1.21.2011

children of invention streaming free on hulu


All right, film fans. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I'm a huge fan of Tze Chun's independent drama Children of Invention. I saw the film at its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and I've been a fan ever since. Now, you can be too, because it's streaming free on Hulu right now. Heck, I've embedded the video so you can watch it right here:

eight arrested in major bay area sex slave ring bust

This week in the Bay Area, authorities busted up a major sex slave ring that exploited dozens of Asian women and operated several brothels in Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties: Eight Arrested In Major Bay Area Sex Slave Ring Bust.

In an operation that involved more than a hundred law enforcement officers, eight people were arrested and ten women were taken into protective custody. The women are believed to have been trafficked from Taiwan and China and forced into prostitution:

video: rear view of flying arrow


This is an amazing video, presumably shot in South Korea, of someone shooting a traditional Korean arrow. Oh, and they strapped a small camera to the back of the arrow. Pretty damn cool:

job announcement: community capacity program manager, asian & pacific islander american health forum

Passing along another job announcement, this time from the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum in San Francisco. APIAHF is a national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting policy, program, and research efforts to improve the health and well-being of our community. And they're looking for a Community Capacity Program Manager. Read on for more details:

student wears same pair of jeans for 15 months: stinky, but safe


Some people do some dirty-ass things in the name of science... or something. Josh Le, a student at the University of Alberta, wore the same pair of skin-tight jeans for 15 month without washing them. GROSS. But apparently not as unsanitary as you might think: No harmful bacteria found in Alberta student's jeans not washed for 15 months.

The idea was to break in the raw, untreated, unwashed denim so the fabric would hug the contours of his body, leaving district wear lines and creases. But just how dirty did the jeans get during the fifteen months? Le got the jeans tested for bacteria before he washed them for the first time. Turns out, the bacteria count remained relatively safe:

music video: "how the wicked live" by the slants


Check out the official music video for "How the Wicked Live" by Portland-based "Chinatown Dance-Rock" band The Slants. If you're wondering what's up with the crazy Japanese video girl intro and all the people killing each other, be aware that the video is an homage to the controversial Japanese manga/film Battle Royale. Take a look:

sfiaaff best fest shirt contest

Are you supporter of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival? Can you design a kickass t-shirt? Then you should enter the Center for Asian American Media and SFIAAFF's Best Fest Shirt Contest.

They're putting the call out for the coolest, most creative design to be the official festival shirt. The winning design will be printed up and sold at the 29th SFIAAFF, happening March 10-20. Here's how to win:

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