April 2011

4.30.2011

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

what you probably already knew: alleged "webcam killer" is a sick weirdo

out of the mouths of babes

ten angry years. so we're celebrating.

serial rapist still targeting asian women in flushing

research study on experiences of lgbq asian/pacific islander/americans

seven arrested in sword fight at sikh temple

two teens arrested in chinese food delivery attack

video: "after vincent chin: a new civil rights movement" - a talk by frank h. wu

music video: "that thang" by jen kwok & danakadan

angry reader of the week: davis jung

Crazy Saturday. Hope to see you all tonight at our 10th Anniversary Party with the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Tickets are still available at the door. If you're free, please roll through and celebrate with me.

4.29.2011

feast for the east, may 4

Check it. If you're in Southern California, APA@NBCUniversal invites to a night of food, community and fundraising in honor of APA Heritage Month: Feast for the East. The evening will be packed with celebrity guests, auction items, and a crapload of good stuff to eat. Proceeds from the event will go to the American Red Cross for disaster relief in Japan. It's happening Wednesday, May 4 at Gonpachi Beverly Hills. Here are some more details:

man arrested for singing "kung fu fighting"

I read this headline and thought it was a joke, like something out of The Onion... but it's apparently true. Last weekend in England, a singer was reportedly arrested on "racism charges" after a man of Chinese descent complained about his performance of the song "Kung Fu Fighting": Man arrested for singing 'Kung Fu Fighting.'

The Chinese man, who happened to be passing by the bar when the band was playing the 1970s hit, apparently took offense. The whole thing sparked some kind of altercation, in which the Asian guy "hurled an expletive and made an obscene hand gesture at the performers":

Okay. I don't know about you, but when I come across a link that says "Sword fight at Sikh temple," it's just one of those things -- I have to click on it. Generally speaking, "sword fight" usually gets my attention. I'm afraid I'm just wired that way.

This week in New York, seven people were arrested on riot and assault charges after a brawl involving swords and cricket bats broke out at a Sikh temple: Sword fight erupts at NYC Sikh temple; 7 charged.

I present to you the video:

Caught, suckas! In New York, police have arrested two of the four teens caught on tape beating and attempting to rob a Chinese food delivery man last Friday in Manhattan: Two Arrested in Attack on Deliveryman Caught on Tape.

Police announced Wednesday that they had arrested 16-year-old Charles Codrington of the Bronx and a 15-year-old boy whose name was not released. The two were part of a group who placed a Chinese food order and lured the delivery man to a sixth-floor apartment in Morningside Heights. Fortunately, the victim wasn't seriously hurt.

Both suspects charged with burglary and robbery:

holla for japan, april 30

New York! A bunch of friends are getting together this weekend to put on a relief concert for Japan: Holla For Japan: A Benefit Concert. Join Magnetic North, Taiyo Na, Vudoo Soul, Sam Kang, Alfa and host Sheng Wang for an evening of music, community and charity. It's happening this Saturday, April 30 at The Bitter End. Here are some more details about the show:

2011 robert matsui writing competition

The Asian Pacific American Bar Education Fund is currently seeking submissions for the 2011 Robert Matsui Writing Competition, which seeks to encourage legal scholarship on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American legal community. The winner will receive a monetary award of $1,500, and the winning entry will be published by UCLA School of Law's Asian Pacific American Law Journal. Here are some more details about the competition:

Spotlighting a few of the many great films screening at the 2011 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festial, running April 28 through May 7... Vicky Shen and Zoe Bui's indie feature Adultolescence is about an artist suffering from post-college career ennui, who returns home to live with her parents. The film deals with familial disconnection, post-grad adulthood and today's media generation, with a dash of Tiger Mother drama thrown in. From the LAAPFF website:

Just wanted to throw a spotlight on a few of the many amazing films screening at 2011 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festial, running April 28 through May 7... One Kine Day, the debut feature from director Chuck Mitsui, is a coming-of-age story set in the world of a Hawaii slacker-skater who sees his relatively carefree world fade away when he learns his girlfriend is pregnant. Here's more from the LAAPFF catalog:

Here's an interesting New York Times article on the publicly prickly relationship between New York City comptroller John C. Liu and mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: Many Clashes, Few Kind Words Between Mayor and Comptroller.

The two politicians have made it pretty clear to everyone that they do not care much for each other -- professionally, personally, and every way in between.

Paperdoll, one of our favorite bands, just released the music video for their brand new single "You Can't Stop It." I am digging the song. And seriously, lead singer Teresa Lee kicks all kinds of ass. You actually can't measure how much ass she kicks. It's just that much. Take a look:

It's a crazy week, so we're doing this a little early... It's 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 Davis Jung.

Who are you?
I am Davis Charlesfield Jung. Ok, that middle name isn't real, but it's pretty damn cool, right?

What are you?
I'm a working graduate student, and full-blooded Korean-American. But also a padawan. Wizard-wannabe. Constantly disavowing my muggle status. I took a class in Ancient Greek Magic in college (yes... Brown would be a college that offers Ancient Greek Magic...) in a desperate attempt to learn some spells. Instead, I learned the theory and theology behind sacrificing a goat. I think that pretty much sums up my life.

In New York, police have released surveillance video of a Chinese food deliveryman getting brutally attacked by a group of teens trying in Manhattan. The attempted robbery happened Friday afternoon at an apartment building in Morningside Heights: Video released in deliveryman attempted robbery.

All of the suspects are described as black males between the ages of 15 and 19. The video is fairly clear for a surveillance camera, and authorities are hoping someone will come forward to identify the attackers. Here's a local news report with the video:

circle x theatre company presents the chinese massacre (annotated)

Forgot to mention this before it opened last weekend, but if you're in Southern California and want to check out some theater, Circle X Theatre Co. presents The Chinese Massacre (Annotated) by Tom Jacobson, a historical drama based on the true story of Los Angeles' first race riot in 1871. Here are some more details about the show:

take a public opinion survey. that is all.

EDIT: I originally had a bunch of information about the whys and whos behind this survey, but I'm told that the extra explanation might skew the results. So all I'm saying now is that you can support a friend by taking this online public opinion survey.

This survey is being conducted by Charlton McIlwain, Professor of Media, Culture & Communication at New York University and Stephen Maynard Caliendo, Professor of Political Science at North Central College.

takashi miike's 13 assassins in theaters friday

Just a quick reminder for films fans who love their samurai action big, bad and epic... Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins opens in limited theatrical release this Friday in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, with more cities to follow in coming weeks. (It's also available On Demand right now.)

Here's also a recent Los Angeles Times piece on Miike's foray into the samurai movie tradition: Takashi Miike picks up a genre's sword for '13 Assassins.'

Think of it as a super-sized slash-tastic samurai flick that just won't quit. For more information about the movie, including the trailer, photos and the theatrical release schedule, go to Magnet Releasing's 13 Assassins website here.

arnold schwarzenegger + justin lin = new terminator movie? it could happen.

He will be back. Before his recent stint as the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was once the biggest movie star in the world. And according to Deadline.com, he is attached to star in the latest iteration of Terminator, reprising the signature role that pretty much defined his film career.

To top it all off, rumors continue to persist that Fast Five director Justin Lin, who has a lot of heat right now, is attached to take the reins of Universal's reboot of the iconic franchise -- if they first get over the property's financial hurdles: 'Terminator' Back With Arnold To Star: Schwarzenegger In Package Shopping Now; 'Fast Five's Justin Lin To Direct.

Much love to our buddy Raymond J. Lee (a former Angry Reader of the Week) who is currently doing his thing as John in the cast of Roundabout Theatre Company's hit Broadway revival of Anything Goes.

Ray recently contributed an epic photo slideshow to Playbill.com, taking us on a candid backstage look at what goes into putting on the show. My favorite part? Check out what blog Ray reveals he regularly checks out as part of his pre-show rituals:

montreal employer accused of workplace discrimination

It was all over a dirty workplace. In Canada, the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal ordered a company to pay fifteen employees $10,000 each in moral and punitive damages, ruling that a boss who yelled a group of immigrant workers -- all from China -- was guilty of discrimination. The case is now being appealed: Montreal employer to appeal decision in human-rights case.

It started in 2006 at Calego International Inc., a bag and knapsack company in Montreal. Executive Stephen Rapps was apparently mad about the state of the facilities' kitchen and bathrooms, and gathered all the Chinese-born workers -- with an interpreter, to be clear -- to lecture them about personal hygiene and cleanliness:

This is super cool. Indie comics publisher Drawn & Quarterly and artist Adrian Tomine have teamed up to offer an exclusive set of prints to raise funds for disaster relief and recovery in Japan. 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund: Tomine/D+Q Japan Fundraiser.

Here's a follow up on a story from last month... but unfortunately, it's not a good follow-up. In New York, police are asking for the public's help in catching an alleged rapist who has attacked four women in Queens since late last year: Police Seeking Sexual Assault Suspect In Queens.

All the reported incidents have taken place in the 109 Precinct, based in Flushing, and all of the victims have been Asian women. The most recent incident happened last Tuesday evening at 11:40pm on Colden Street. The victim was an Asian woman in her early twenties.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his thirties standing five-foot-five, 140 pounds with black hair. Police have released the above sketch and two videos that apparently show the alleged attacker:

asian heritage street celebration artist preview show, april 30

If you're in San Francisco, get ready for the 7th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration coming in May. In the meantime, get a sneak peek of some the AHSC's amazing Asian American talent at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration Artist Preview Show and Mixer, happening this Saturday, April 30 at 111 Minna Gallery. Here are some more details:

Ryan Higa, who has the most subscribed channel on YouTube, makes videos for the people. But what happens when you put his videos under the scrutiny of the true critics? I'm talking about the kids! Check out this latest edition of "Kids React," where we get a group of kids' honest reaction to NigaHiga, the number one YouTube personality:

research study on experiences of lgbq asian/pacific islander/americans

I recently heard from Jennifer Chang, a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She's working on a study exploring the experiences of LGBQ Asian/Pacific Islander/Americans, and she's asking folks to participate by filling out an online survey. Here are some more details about the study and who she's looking for:

The Museum of Chinese in America recently hosted a dialogue with Frank H. Wu, Chancellor and Dean of University of California Hastings College of Law and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White, on the future of civil rights and civic engagement in multiracial America.

For those of us who missed it, MoCA has posted a video of the hour-long talk, which was introduced and moderated by Judge Denny Chin: "After Vincent Chin: A New Civil Rights Movement" A Talk by Frank H. Wu.

Awwwww yeah. Jen Kwok and DanAKADan are coming at you with this hot new collaboration, ready to get down and do That Thang -- and they're not messing around! But what exactly is "that thang"? No, seriously -- what are we talking about? I'm not sure Jen or Dan even know. But they seem to really mean it. Check it out:

Are you an Asian American whose fiction, nonfiction or poetry book published in 2010? The Asian American Writers' Workshop has announced that submission for the Fourteenth Annual Asian American Literary Awards are now open.

Thinking about winning? You'd be in good company. Past winners of the award include Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, National Book Award winner Ha Jin, Booker Prize Finalist Amitav Ghosh and Guggenheim Fellow Arthur Sze.

Pop star. Pro skateboarder. Master chef. Entrepreneur. Philathropist. What do they have in common? All of these different Asian American "tastemakers" and more are profiled in the second season of East of Main Street, HBO's On Demand documentary mini-series commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, begins next weekend. Take a look at the teaser trailer:

As people try to make sense of the shocking murder of exchange student Quian 'Necole' Liu in Toronto -- an attack that was witnessed by her horrified boyfriend in China via webcam -- some disturbing details have begun to emerge about accused killer Brian Scott Dickson, who apparently lived in the same building as Liu: Accused in Liu murder allegedly posted about drugs and porn.

Dickson allegedly authored a series of posts about drugs and pornography on a web forum devoted to urban Canada. He also apparently wrote a bunch of messages promoting incest and pedophilia on a forum for nudists. And surprise, surprise -- all of Dickson's favorite porn stars just happen to be Asian:

I've been so busy, I almost forgot to write a proper post about this... As some of you might know, this year marks the ten-year anniversary of this blog. To celebrate this milestone, I'm doing it big and throwing an official 10th Anniversary Party with the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. It's happening Saturday, April 30, 10:00pm at Siren Studios (Orange) in Hollywood.

The evening will feature a special performance by The Shanghai Restoration Project, guest DJ O-Dub on the ones and twos, complimentary drinks from Jinro, and cookies generously provided by The Sweeter Things Co. Special shout out to our sponsor Mnet. Here are some more details:

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

do college admissions hold asian american applicants to higher standards?

christian bale starring in new nanjing massacre drama

suspect arrested in exchange student murder witnessed over webcam

emerson college film student falls to his death

angry reader of the week: julie zhan

weird-ass craigslist posting, part 267: puzzled disabled lady

win free tickets to the 2011 laapff: saigon electric, among b-boys and bangkok knockout

video: "super mario fingers" by hok of quest crew

video: adam warrock performing at kollaboration atlanta

thousand hearts japan relief benefit concert, april 23

Yo, if you're in Southern California, I'm throwing an official 10th Anniversary Party with the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. It's happening Saturday, April 30 at Siren Studios in Hollywood. Hope to see you there!

4.22.2011

disorient asian american film festival of oregon 2011

Oregon! Make some plans to come out to the movies... the sixth annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon is happening next weekend, April 29 through may 1 at Bijou Art Cinemas in Eugene. Here's a brief trailer featuring this year's films:

Uh. Whoa. What the heck did I just watch? This is the music video for "Gentleman's Kool-Aid" by iLL-Literacy. It features an impressive collection of action figures and Barbie dolls convening to party one crazy disco diorama. At one point, Lego-head space explorers discover a Red Vine tree. Or something. Also, you might be drunk. Take a look:

apply to the asian american student advocacy project

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation's only pan-Asian children's advocacy organization, is currently recruiting high school students of Asian descent to apply for the 2011-2012 cohort of its youth leadership group, the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP). Read on for further details:

Some interesting news out of Southern California... On Monday, April 25, the Venice Japanese Memorial Marker Committee will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a marker commemorating the 69th anniversary of the forced relocation of Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II.

The memorial marker will be located on the northwest corner of Venice and Lincoln Boulevards near the former "Civil Control Station" where in April of 1942, local residents from Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu assembled and then boarded buses to the Manzanar War Relocation Authority Camp and would spend the next three years of their lives.

Here's an excerpt from the VJAMM press release:

What's up, people? It is time again to meet 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 Julie Zhan, self-described dreamer and doer.

Who are you?
1 part dreamer, 2 parts doer, a splash of creativity, and a boatload of passion. 99% of the time, I let feeling trump rationalizing. I laugh often and loud - wall-piercingly-loud. Oh yeah, and I've got a soft spot for old people and chubby kids.

This is good stuff. Check out Hokuto "Hok" Konishi, whose slick moves you know and love from Quest Crew, doing a crazy little solo thing in this video: Super Mario Fingers. And he never even stands up! Just a lot of funny looks and frantic fingers. Fun stuff. Take a look:

weird-ass craigslist posting, part 267: puzzled disabled lady

Hey! Let's look at another odd item posted on Craigslist. A woman in Alhambra, California, who apparently has a fairly clear schedule and a great deal of time on her hands, is looking for someone to give her "a crash course on Chinese people." And for your time, she'll buy you dinner: puzzled disabled lady. I kid you not:

All right, good people of Los Angeles. The countdown to the 2011 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is on. Running April 28 through May 7, they've got an absolutely packed scheduled of films, parties, panels and other events to satisfy your cinema-lovin' self. There's something for everybody!

Want to be part of the festivities? I think you do. This blog is a proud media sponsor and community co-presenter of LAAPFF, and I'm giving away some free passes to several films: Saigon Electric, Among B-Boys and Bangkok Knockout. Read on for details...

we are one island: japan relief concert and auction, april 23

If you're in the Bay Area, just wanted to help spread the word about a benefit event happening this weekend for disaster relief: We Are One Island: Japan Relief Concert and Auction. The evening will feature a silent auction and performances from Asian Crisis, Colin "Senbei" Ehara, Dirty Boots, Maze Daiko, Michael Sasaki and more. It's happening Saturday, April 23 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Here are some more details:

research survey: asians' communication strategy for responding to racial discrimination

This was passed along to me last week... I hope it's still valid. Jungmi Jun, a doctoral student at George Mason University, is conducting research about Asian and Asian Americans' strategic communication responses to racial discrimination. You can help by completing an online survey: Asians' Communication Strategy for Responding to Racial Discrimination.

Wow. For their latest video, The Jubilee Porject partnered with TOMS Shoes for their annual One Day Without Shoes 2011. Basically, the video follows a number of people who basically went shoeless for entire day. It sounds simple enough, but could you do it? Millions have to do it every day. Watch the video to see how it went:

call for submissions: 2011 toronto reel asian international film festival

Hey filmmakers! The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is currently seeking submissions for the 15th annual edition of Canada's premier pan-Asian film festival, happening this fall.

Reel Asian welcomes new film and video submissions by and/or about East/Southeast Asians from around the world, including North America.

The early deadline has passed, but you still have time to make it under the final deadline on June 1. Here are some more details:

Uh... what kind of awesomeness is this? Saw this project on io9, and was kind of stunned at how cool it looks: A conspiracy movie about Gundam-style mechs and cloning set in a dystopian future.

The Last Cause is described as "a conspiracy story set in a dark future with Gundam-style mechs," written and directed by Linh Mai. The project is currently seeking to raise $50,000 to produce a proof-of-concept reel for what will eventually become a full-length feature.

Think The Matrix, Blade Runner and all those mecha-inspired anime series you know and love. They've got something special going here, if they can just raise enough scratch. Check out the Kickstarter pitch video:

This news is from a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't want to miss the chance to share it... In Philadelphia, 19-year-old Duong Nghe Ly, a senior at South Philadelphia High School, was recently awarded the Princeton Prize in Race Relations from Princeton University: Asian student from S. Phila High wins Princeton award.

Ly won the prize for his working in co-founding the Asian Student Association of Philadelphia and for "exceptional leadership" in exploring solutions to racial violence at his school and across the city. This is the second straight year an Asian student at South Philadelphia High as received the award:

devin setoguchi's game-winning overtime goal

Can we take a moment to praise Devin Setoguchi's amazing game-winning overtime goal that put the San Jose Sharks 6-5 over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night? The Sharks took a 2-1 series lead in what had to be one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to win it 6-5. Yeah, that was awesome.

suspect arrested in exchange student murder witnessed over webcam

This is a crazy story, like something out of a horror movie. In Toronto, an exchange student, 23-year-old Qian Liu, was attacked and killed in her apartment last week while her boyfriend in China watched in horror via webcam: Exchange student slain after frantic friend watches webcam attack.

This week, Toronto police arrested and charged 29-year-old Brian Dickson with Liu's murder. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday morning: Police: arrest in case of dead Chinese student.

Liu, a student at York University, was talking to her boyfriend friend when a man allegedly knocked on her door, asking to use her phone. The online witness apparently saw her and the assailant struggle before the attacker turned off the laptop. After her boyfriend notified authorities, Liu was dead in her apartment a few hours later:

kollaboration live at atlantic times square

Kollaboration has taken the show on the road! Or, um, Monterey Park. If you're in Southern California, you're invited to check out a series of free concerts they're producing to spread the Kollaboration talent show movement to wider audiences: Kollab Live at Atlantic Times Square.

The shows are happening under the LCD Pavilion at Atlantic Times Square in Monterey Park, starting April 22 and running through June 4. The first two shows are this weekend, and will feature the likes of Megan Le, Oak & Gorski, Iris Leonardo, Mike Isberto and more. Here are some more details:

nursing home owner sentenced for medicaid fraud

Asians behaving badly... Medicaid fraud edition! In Totawa, New Jersey, Victor Napenas, the former owner of Valley Rest Nursing Home, has been sentenced to a month in jail after pleading guilty in 2010 to Medicaid fraud: Nursing home owner sentenced to jail time with heavy fines.

Napenas was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail and three years' probation, and must pay nearly $380,000 to federal and state governments. A state investigation revealed that he billed the Medicaid program for hundreds of thousands of dollars... and let's just say he did not use the money wisely. Or legally:

Suck it, Avatar. Grossing HK 2.63 million on its opening day in Hong Kong, James Cameron's massive sci-fi action film held the single day box office record... until last week, when the record fell to a new film: 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy. Yes, it is what you think. Here's the (SFW) trailer:

Dharun Ravi, the Rutgers University student who used a hidden camera to film his roommate's sexual encounter with another man and live-streamed the video online, has been indicted on privacy and bias charges. His roommate, freshman Tyler Clementi, killed himself over the incident: Roommate indicted in Rutgers University suicide case.

On Wednesday, a grand jury handed down a fifteen-count indictment against Ravi, including invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, tampering with physical evidence, witness tampering, and hindering apprehension or prosecution:

Comic book heads, remember Xombi? He was a Korean American superhero, created by John Rozum and Denys Cowan, that was part of DC's people-of-color-friendly Milestone Comics line back in 1990s.

While the cult-favorite series, about a scientist-turned-undead, nanotechnology-enhanced supernatural being, was relatively short-lived, it was one of the few Asian American comic book superheroes I remember ever headlining his own book back in my own comic book shop-dwelling days.

So I was pleased to hear that DC recently relaunched Xombi, with original co-creator John Rozum at the helm, and immortal series hero David Kim front and center, back battling more supernatural/science oddities.

casting call: "very stereotypical horrible asian driver"

Oh boy. Got this casting call sent my way for a television pilot entitled Crooked Cop, looking for a "very stereotypical" Asian Man. That's a quote. It specifically states they're looking for a "very stereotypical timid (and horrible) Asian driver." I have no idea what this is about, but it does not look good:

So everybody's kind of up in arms about this whole Akira adaptation casting debacle, in which the studio is seriously considering white actors to play the classic manga/anime's principal characters. Pretty typical.

But what might that actually look like? Artist Ken Taya (aka Enfu) has come up with his own cleverly illustrated vision of the blond, Hollywood-ized Kaneda. Here's also a hi-res version of the image where you can insert your own snarky caption in the word bubble:

Some awful news about a senseless murder out of St. Louis... Police are investigating the death of 72-year-old Hoang D. Nguyen, who was killed when he and his wife were attacked and beaten while walking home from the market: Killing of immigrant in St. Louis stuns family, police.

The most infuriating part? According to police, Nguyen was beaten to death by a group of young people as part of the "Knock-out Game," which involves "unprovoked attacks on innocent bystanders."

According to court records, 18-year-old Elex Levell Murphy has been charged with one count each of first degree murder and first degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action. He is currently being held without bail:

paperdoll's eastcoast/westcoast tour

Our friends in the kickass New York-based band Paperdoll are heading out on tour -- including a few rare west coast dates -- and they're inviting you to come out and enjoy a good old-fashioned indie rock show. Hey San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, D.C. -- a good-ass time is on your way. Here's the tour schedule:

Our friend Taz passes along this cool youth opportunity... This July South Asian American teenagers from across the San Francisco Bay Area will convene for the first ever Bay Area Solidarity Summmer, a four-day leadership camp for youth of South Asian heritage to learn about progressive issues, gain organizing skills, connect with other activists, and develop themselves into leaders.

Organized by the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, the all-inclusive camp will provide space for young people to learn skills on how to be a social activist, as well as learn about issues affecting the South Asian community both locally and globally. It's happening July 22-26 at the CTWO Training/Retreat Center in Oakland. Here are some more details:

Straight outta Northridge... I'm digging this new video of up-and-coming Southern California-based indie band Feats in Inches performing their original song "Broken Parts" in a seriously cool rock out session. The video is fairly bland, but I love their sound. Check it out:

think the gulf oil spill sucked? try dealing with the claims process.

A year after the devastatating Gulf Coast oil spill that affected the livelihood of an entire region, tens of thousands of residents who filed claims with BP have yet to see a dime. Frustrated by the process, man have actively sought legal help to cover loss of income or property damage: Many Hit by Spill Now Feel Caught in Claim Process.

Not surprisingly, somewhere along the way, things have gotten overly complicated. Many residents have turned to local lawyers, who in turn refer their clients to larger law firms with the experience and resources to battle big corporations. With this many entities involved, one could easily lose track of who is representing who:

Out Magazine recently released is fifth annual Power 50 list, naming the most powerful and influential LGBT individuals in America. Just observation: where the hell are all the people of color? Seriously, with the exception of Perez Hilton, this list is bright white.

What, not even going to throw a bone to our elder statesman George Takei? I'm not sure what factors determined who made the list, but intentional or not, the disheartening point has been made: it really sucks to be a minority within a minority. (Thanks, Marq.)

eeoc files three huge labor trafficking lawsuits

This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed three lawsuits against labor traffickers -- a labor broker in California, farms in Hawaii and Washington, and a marine services company in Mississippi and Texas -- that subjected foreign workers to severe abuse and discrimination: EEOC Combats Labor Trafficking, Severe Abuse and Discrimination in Lawsuits Filed Today.

The EEOC's Los Angeles district office filed suit in Hawaii against Global Horizons, the labor broker, and six farms there, for trafficking violations against Thai workers. In a separate suit, the EEOC's Birmingham, AL office filed suit in Mississippi charging that Signal International, a marine services company with facilities along the Gulf Coast, subjected at least 500 Indian welders to intolerable conditions and labor violations:

Check this awesome Bruce Lee portrait by recycle artist and painter Juan Carlos Pinto, whose art is made largely from salvaged materials and found objects. This Bruce piece is made entirely of discarded Metro cards! To see more of Juan Carlos Pinto's art, go to his website here. (Thanks, Yulree.)

kdwb apologizes for hmong song. again.

Dave Ryan, radio host of the KDWB's morning show in Minnesota -- you know, the crew responsible for that racist song mocking Hmong people -- has issued yet another on-air "apology" for airing the parody last month: Dave Ryan apologizes for KDWB Hmong parody song AGAIN.

The station's first two apologies were really just non-apologies, taking the tried-and-true sorry-if-you-were-offended route. Any real apology needs to take responsibility and acknowledge wrongdoing, instead of putting it back on the listener. Is this more of the same? Here's their statement. You can also listen to it here.

thousand hearts japan relief benefit concert, april 23

Speaking of helping Japan... if you're in Southern California, just want to make sure you know about the Thousand Hearts Benefit Concert, an evening dedicated to helping the people of Japan recover and rebuild their lives. 100% of net proceeds will go directly to the hardest-hit prefectures of Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi through a 501(c)(3) fund with no administrative fees or holds. It's happening Saturday, April 23 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Here are some more details:

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4.18.2011

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