July 2011

7.30.2011

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

filipino grandma reads go the f**ck to sleep

the most racist independence day float in maine

the dancing "hey ya" kids

crappy commercial alert: directv's "the whale"

ansel adams' manzanar book: born free and equal

man kills five in roller rink shooting rampage

beware the ex-boyfriend who watches too many cop shows

angry reader of the week: momo chang

former yankees pitcher hideki irabu found dead

congressman david wu to resign over sexual misconduct

Man, it's been a long week! Have a great weekend, everyone.

7.29.2011

pow! whiz! bam! animation mini-film festival, august 6

Animation fans! If you're in the Los Angeles area next weekend, Visual Communications invites you to POW! WHIZ! BAM!, an animation mini-film festival featuring short films by local animators, the Los Angeles premiere of Makoto Kobayashi's Ice and a special screening of Trigun: Badlands Rumble.

It's happening Saturday, August 6 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo. Here are some more details about the festival, including the full lineup:

Hell yes. Seattle hip hop luminaries Blue Scholars have teamed up with Los Angeles rapper Bambu to announced their first national headlining tour, aptly titled Finally, the Blue Scholars and Bambu Tour. The tour kicks off September 14 in Vancouver, with 30 dates across the United States and Canada. Here's the schedule:

Check out this kickass wallet design by equally kickass illustrator/cartoonist Hellen Jo, author of Jin & Jam and other rad things. She's teamed up with Poketo for their Female Comic Book Artist Wallet Series, and this is the result. You could say it packs a punch. Here's full view of the inside and outside:

Passing along word about a petition and action that could use your support, involving migrant teachers in the D.C. area... In Maryland, Prince George's County Public Schools were determined to be a "willfull violator" of labor laws because they let 1,000 international teachers -- the majority of whom come from the Philippines -- shoulder fees that should have been the schools'.

The Department of Labor penalized them by demanding they pay these teachers back. However, they were also debarred from hiring foreign teachers for the next two years. Now many of the teachers are at a risk of deportation because Prince George's County Public Schools refuse to renew their visas and process their green cards due to the settlement with the Department of Labor.

An online petition has been launched in support of the Prince George's County Public School Systems' migrant teachers. The final decision could come anytime in the next week, so there is an immediate need to put pressure on the Department of Labor. Organizers are hoping to get 5000 signatures by August 5. Here's some more information about the petition:

What's up, fancy people? I would like you 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 Momo Chang.

Who are you?
Someone who appreciates and values life in all its struggles and (immense) joy.

What are you?
A mom of two exuberant kids who's trying raise 'em healthy in a world that makes little sense. (As a homemaker, I also play the role of chef, housekeeper, poopy-diaper-changer, nutritionist, driver, mediator, meditator...). I am also a journalist.

first trailer for the legend of korra

More geeky cool news out of Comic-Con... It's short, but fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender got a look at the first trailer for The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra, the upcoming spinoff of the phenomenally popular Nickelodeon animated series. Set 70 years after the reign of Aang, the show stars the new Avatar, the fierce warrior Korra, a member of the Southern Water Tribe. Check it out:

little tokyo nightclub shooting victim dies

This is a crazy, senseless story out of Los Angeles... Last weekend, a man wearing a ski mask opened fire into a crowd of people outside a Little Tokyo night club, hitting two men. 29-year-old Jackie Hoang, who was smoking outside the Vault XXI Boutique Lounge when he was shot, died of his wounds at the hospital: Little Tokyo Nightclub Shooting Victim Dies.

As the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks apporaches, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is hosting a community hearing tomorrow to discuss and learn about the impact of the past decade on the South Asian community in New Jersey.

It's happening Saturday, July 30 at Saint Peter's College in Jersey City. Here are some more details:

Real quick, here's a recent Cinemablend article in which director Justin Lin, red-hot off the massive global success of Fast Five ($603 million in worldwide ticket sales ain't too shabby), who drops a little bit of information about what he'd like to do with the Terminator sequel he's attached to, as well as the next installment of the Fast series: Justin Lin Talks Terminator, Fast Six.

Calling all playwrights. East West Players, the nation's largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, announces its playwriting competition Face of the Future.

Cast prizes will be awarded to the top three plays, including $5,000 for the first place winner, $2,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third place. All winners will be considered for workshop and/or production at East West Players.

This year, the focus is on the exploration of the reality of multicultural America from an Asian American perspective. For instance, subject matter might include, but not limited to, biracial or multiracial identity, clashes or collaborations between cultures, or international/transnational storylines.

Happy 4th of July! Okay, that was nearly a month ago, but this little bit of holiday ignorance is worth sharing. The good people of Vinalhaven, Maine celebrated Independence Day in style, with a parade that included this wonderful little China-themed float. Fortunately, someone snapped some photos and shares them on Facebook for all to see. Here are a couple more:

Damn. Former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead yesterday at his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Police are investigating his death as a sucide. He was 42: Hideki Irabu found dead in California.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's didn't release too many details, other than that Ibaru was "found dead by an apparent suicide." Ibaru, a former pitching star in Japan before struggling through a short, turbulent career in the Major Leagues, had had a couple of run-ins with the law over the last few years:

Yesterday, the Senate unanimously confirmed outgoing Commerce Secretary and former Washington governor Gary Locke as the next U.S. ambassador to China: Gary Locke confirmed as U.S. ambassador to China.

Locke, who is already a pioneer in politics, is the first Chinese American to serve as ambassador to Beijing. He replaces Republican Jon Huntsman, who left the position to enter the 2012 presidential race. I can't think of a more qualified public servant to take up the post.

international secret agents concert tour: seattle, july 31

Awwwww yeah. The International Secret Agents Concert Tour is kicking off this weekend Seattle, featuring Far East Movement, America's Best Dance Crew champions i.aM.mE Crew, David Choi, Victor Kim and Wong Fu Productions, among others. With hosts Cathy Nguyen, KevJumba and Ryan Higa. It's happening Saturday, July 31 at The Showbox SoDo. Here's an announcement about the show:

We've known for a while that the next Wolverine movie will be set in Japan, where your favorite adamantium-clawed mutant gets himself in "a forbidden romance with a Japanese woman whose hand in marriage is promised to another man."

Oh, brother. This probably comes as no surprise to comic book fans, but Hugh Jackman recently confirmed during a surprise appearance at Comic-Con that the main villain of The Wolverine will be the Silver Samurai, a Japanese mutant with the power to charge anything -- say, a katana blade -- with mutant energy.

teen charged in fatal cop shooting

In Georgia, a teenager is charged in the killing of a 25-year veteran sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop. 17-year-old Jonathan Bun, who was wanted on armed robbery and assault charges, fatally shot 25-year Clayton County sheriff's deputy Rick Daly when fugitive squad officers pulled over his car: Teen charged in Clayton officer's death denied bond in robbery.

Sita Sings the Blues, an animated modern take on the Hindu religious epic "The Ramayana," has been on the festival circuit for several years, screening at hundreds of locations around the world and picking up numerous awards.

But only recently, the film has run into some controversy -- in one of the most diverse communities in the world, Queens -- over a screening event that was originally intended to promote religious unity: Film Screening to Foster Ethnic Unity Stirs Trouble Instead.

Check it out. Three of the season two profiles -- apl.de.ap, Anita Lo and Willy Santos -- from HBO's documentary miniseries East of Main Street, which were only available On Demand during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, are now online for everyone to watch. Take a look:

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, is holding a webinar on how to file complaints for bullying and harassment in schools.

It's happening Thursday, July 28 at 3:00pm EST, and you can join in from anywhere. Here are some more details on the call and how to participate:

Several people have sent this my way... Originally published in 1944, legendary photographer Ansel Adams' book Born Free and Equal is a collection of photographs taken at the Manzanar Relocation Center, authorized by the War Relocation Authority. It was out of print for nearly fifty years, but was reissued Spotted Dog Press in 2002. The entire book is also available free online viewing from the Library of Congress. Here are a few more photos:

I come across a lot of news stories that have me shaking my head, saying "What is wrong with people?" This one's got to be in the hall of fame... Here's a crazy-ass New York Times story on a woman who spent seven months in jail after a vengeful ex-boyfriend framed her for robbery: A Revenge Plot So Intricate, the Prosecutors Were Pawns.

After getting her cop show-obsessed ex-boyfriend Jerry Ramrattan arrested for rape, restaurateur Seemona Sumasar suddenly found herself arrested and accused of carrying out a series of armed robberies, in what prosecutors now call one of the most elaborate framing plots they'd ever seen:

apia spoken word and poetry summit, august 6

Poets and poetry appreciators. Are you going to the 2011 Asian Pacific Islander American Spoken Word Poetry Summit? Two years in the making, the Summit is an inspiring gathering of Asian Pacific Islander American community artists and activists coming together for exploration, dialogue and performance. It's happening August 4-7 in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Here are some more details:

portland teen fatally shot while driving

Crazy news out of Portland, where 18-year-old Larry Ma, a recent high school graduate, was fatally shot while driving his car. He managed to drive several blocks crashing into a house: David Douglas graduate Larry Ma shot driving his sports car in Southeast Portland.

Talk about covering all of your bases.... Meet the members of Blush, a new multicultural pop group representing girls from all over Asia: Victoria (China), Natsuko (Japan), Angeli (Philippines), Ji Hae (Korea) and Alisha (India). Though each girl hails from different countries, they've come together like a pop music Voltron. Here's the official music video for their new single "Undivided" featuring none other than Snoop Dogg:

Pick your favorite country! I'm told that the group came together through Asia's top reality show Project Lotus, where the girls were selected based on their complimentary styles (and potential cultural appeal, no doubt). Here's a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the music video. Please excuse Snoop's lame bowing.

I'm told that the single has been doing pretty well on the iTunes dance charts. Well, good for them. I do hope it occurs to someone in the all-Asian girl group to maybe put some Asian dudes in their next video. For more information on Blush, check out their YouTube channel here, and their official website here.

man recovers $400,000 swindled by former foster parents

This story is freaking crazy. It involves shady-ass foster parents exploiting a kid, and the poor kid being swindled of a lot of money. Thankfully, the story has a happy ending: Feds recover $410,000 owed to man defrauded by foster parents.

In 2004, Markus Min Ho Kim's foster parents defrauded him out of $400,000 -- money he received as the beneficiary of his murdered mother's life insurance policy. They apparently convinced him to put the money into CDs, then took off and effectively left him in the lurch:

Over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, the cast and crew of AMC's The Walking Dead -- including actor Steven Yeun -- were out in full force to answer questions and drop a few hints about the highly anticipated second season of the hit zombie horror drama. And of course, they had to share some new footage. Here's the season two trailer they premiered at the panel:

Sooner or later, the controversy was going to be too much. Scandalized Oregon Congressman David Wu has announced that he is resigning amid allegations that he had an unwanted sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman: Rep. David Wu announces he will resign after accusations of sexual misconduct.

When the accusations went public last week, a defiant Rep. Wu initially refused to step down, but announced that he would not seek re-election in 2012. But it looks like public pressure and calls for an ethics investigation from Democratic leaders have finally pushed him to resign. Here's his statement of resignation:

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach is a children's book that is most definitely not intended for children, but perfectly captures many a parent's frustration over that kid who just will not go the f*ck to sleep.

If you've read the book -- or heard audio of Samuel L. Jackson's awesome reading of it -- it's pretty hilarious, in that I-feel-your-pain kind of way. But you know what's even funnier? This video of a Filipino grandmother reading the book aloud:

Today, Governor Jerry Brown nominated U.C. Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu to the California Supreme Court, giving the state high court a fourth Asian justice and a liberal with strong record of support for civil rights: Jerry Brown nominates Goodwin Liu to Supreme Court.

I was pretty angry that Liu, President Obama's controversial pick for a seat on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, was ultimately blocked by Senate Republican shenanigans. But it looks like the good professor will be a judge after all. Here's the press release from Governor Brown's office:

asia pacific arts presents "a celebration of asian american soul," july 29

If you're in Los Angeles this Friday, our friends at Asia Pacific Arts invite you a super cool, soulful evening of music: A Celebration of Asian American Soul, featuring singers Judith Hill and Dawen, and DJ O-Dub. It's happening July 29 at Far Bar Lounge in Little Tokyo. Here are some more details:

Real quick. One last reminder for all you young filmmakers... This is your last chance to get in on this. If you were thinking about applying to Visual Communications' Armed With a Camera Fellowship, do note that the deadline has been extended to Friday, August 5, 5:00pm.

For the past ten years, the fellowship has helped nearly 70 up-and-coming filmmakers to launch careers and express the perspectives of their Asian Pacific American communities. The program offers funding, training, resources and an elite presentation venue – the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

If you're looking to hone your vision, sharpen your skills and get in with a really great community of media artists, this is an awesome opportunity. Don't miss out! For more information about the Armed With a Camera Fellowship, including eligibility, project criteria and how to apply, go to the Visual Communications website here.

NOH8: raymond j. lee, ann harada, anne fraser thomas & j. elaine marcos

Our friend Raymond Lee, who is currently appearing in the musical Anything Goes on Broadway, passes along these fab photos of performers Anna Harada, Anne Fraser Thomas, J. Elaine Marcos and himself looking hot for the NOH8 campaign. Check 'em out:

state cancels jose antonio vargas' driver's license

Award-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who recently made headlines after publicly coming out as an undocumented immigrant, has lost his license. The state of Washington has canceled his driver's license: State DOL cancels driver's license of reporter in country illegally.

But it's not why you think. It's actually legal for undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license in Washington. However, according to licensing officials, the state canceled Vargas' driver's license because he couln't prove that he lived in the state when he obtained it, as required by law:

So I've had a lot of people telling me about this regrettable DirecTV commercial, but I haven't actually caught it airing on television. But I guess that's what the internet is for... and now I rather regret seeing it. The 30-second spot features comedian Dat Phan as a small-but-rich Asian guy, aka "The Whale," with a giant pet panda. And other stuff. See for yourself:

Crazy sad news out of Texas, where over the weekend a man opened fire at a roller skating rink during a birthday party for one of his children, killing his estranged wife and four of her family members before turning the gun on himself: Police: Father opens fire at roller rink during child's birthday party.

According to witnesses, 35-year-old Tan Do pulled out a gun -- just after the party had sang "Happy Birthday" -- and ushered the children out of the way before firing on 29-year-old Trini Do and her family. Five people died and four others were wounded before Do shot and killed himself.

I cannot explain this video, except that these two boys take their dancing very seriously. Those moves! Especially the kid on the right -- he's all business. The kid on the left is a little less disciplined... but he's having a blast. Together, they are a dynamic dancing duo! Just watch:

Embattled Oregon congressman David Wu, who has seen his share of controversy lately, is now accused of having had an "unwanted sexual encounter" with the teenage daughter of a close friend: Sources: Young woman accuses Oregon Rep. David Wu of aggressive, unwanted sexual encounter.

In the face of considerable lobbying and calls for an ethics investigation from his own party, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Wu has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2012. However, he insists that he will not step down from office: Defiant Wu will not resign.

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

f@#king facebook idiots: women's world cup edition

america's most mathematical dance crew

man charged in beach beating death

how to snag a beijing billionaire

deng! the wrath of wendi

angry reader of the week: michelle woo

the face of forgiveness

job opportunity: writer, mtv k

warren furutani is running for los angeles city council

fund this: rachael yamagata's new album

I am currently surivivng the craziness known as San Diego Comic-Con. If you're here too, hope to see you at our panel on Sunday. See ya.

7.22.2011

34th asian american international film festival, august 10-14

Check it, New York film fans. The 34th Asian American International Film Festival, the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to films by and about Asians and Asian Americans, has announced its full schedule.

Running August 10-14, don't miss the festival's Opening Night presentation of John Sayle's Philippine-American War drama Amigo, the Centerpiece Presentation of Stephane Gauger's Vietnamese b-boy drama Saigon Electric and the Closing Night presentation of Christine Yoo's romantic comedy Wedding Palace.

Here's the festival trailer:

call for submissions: tomo: japan stories to help and heal

Tomo: Japan Stories to Help and Heal, edited by Holly Thompson and published by Stone Bridge Press, is a forthcoming English-language benefit anthology of short fiction set in or related to Japan for readers ages 12 and up.

The publication of Tomo will coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, and proceeds from the sales will go to organizations supporting teens in affected areas of Japan.

Stone Bridge Press is currently seeking short fiction submissions set in or strongly related to Japan for readers age 12 and up, by authors connected to Japan by heritage or experience. Here are some more details on what they're looking for:

Just got the announcement from the people at Asian American cable channel MYX TV that they've partnered up with Bart Kwan and Joe Jo, the guys behind the popular online sketch comedy collective JustKiddingFilms, to air an original show. Here's the press release: MYX TV PARTNERS WITH JustKiddingFilms... SERIOUSLY.

And here's the TV commercial that makes it official:

man arrested for running on tarmac at newark airport

Uh, what the hell. Earlier this week at Newark Liberty National Airport, a guy wielding a knife was arrested after he was caught running onto the tarmac: Xiang Xun Shao: NYC Man Accused Of Running On Tarmac At NJ Airport.

According to authorities, 39-year-old Xiang Xun Shao vaulted over a mechanical barrier and gained access to the "aeronautical area of operations," aka where the airplanes go, aka where crazy guys with knives are not supposed to go. He was quickly tackled and arrested by Port Authority police:

Kyopo Project is a series of over 200 standardized full-body portraits of kyopo (people of Korean descent that reside outside of the Korean Peninsula) from around the world, by artist CYJO (Cindy Hwang). It's sort of like a giant yearbook of the Korean diaspora, recently published by Umbrage. Here's a really cool video composite of all the portraits in 21 seconds:

For those headed to the movie theater this weekend, do note that actor Kenneth Choi is in the big screen movie adaptation of Marvel Comics' star-spangled shield slinger, Captain America: The First Avenger. He plays Nisei soldier Jim Morita, one of the members of the elite American fighting squad, the Howling Commandos.

We first noted that he had briefly made it into the trailer earlier this year. It doesn't look like a very big part, but I've heard he does get a couple of great lines. I'm just glad a big budget comic book movie like this saw fit to include a tip of the hat to World War II's Japanese American heroes, even with just one character.

programmer accused of stealing proprietary software

Asians behaving badly... source code stealing edition! This is from a couple of weeks ago. Earlier this month in Chicago, a software engineer was arrested by the FBI and charged with stealing proprietary source code: Futures exchange software programmer in dramatic FBI arrest.

49-year-old Chunlai Yang is accused of planning to steal proprietary software from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to sell to a Chinese startup that he ran. But he got caught, like the thievin' sucka that he is:

Hey everybody! It's time 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 writer/blogger Michelle Woo.

jake shimabukuro on the sunny side up show

This is pretty amusing. I've never seen the PBS children's show The Sunny Side Up Show -- I am not quite the target demographic -- but it has to be one cool program if they've got none other than Hawaii's ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro as a featured guest. Check out Jake doing his thing on the "jumping flea":

fake army unit puts legit reserve groups under scrutiny

This sucks. Remember from earlier this year, that guy who was busted for creating a fake U.S. Army unit as a front for an immigration scam? Unfortunately, the scandal that erupted over Yupeng Deng's bogus military unit put a lot of San Gabriel Valley's legitimate volunteer reserve associations under scrutiny. From the Los Angeles Times: Phony Army unit tarnished reputations of reserve associations.

Firefly fans, you will surely like this. Our friend Eugene Ahn, aka nerdcore indie rapper Adam WarRock is teasing a new mixtape he's dropping with kHill of The ThoughtCriminals in the fall, The Browncoats Mixtape, an entire album dedicated to Joss Whedon's fan-favorite, gone-too-soon sci-fi western TV series and using only Firefly/Serenity score samples for the beats. Here's the teaser video:

three arrested in cambridge prostitution ring

Oh snap! Asian gangs and prostitution in Cambridge? Earlier this month in Massachusetts, three men -- Wei X. Chen, Yue Q. He, and Xiaohong Xue -- were arrested and indicted on charges of "conspiring to induce travel to engage in prostitution": Man Accused of Operating Cambridge Brothels.

Chen is accused of operating three brothels in Cambridge that were frequented by alleged members of an illegal gambling business and drug-trafficking conspiracy. And yes, according to the FBI, the brothels were staffed primarily by Asian prostitutes.

Check out this guy Jin Yo getting his geek on and doing the classic Star Trek cosplay thing in this Super Fan video profile from Yahoo! Movies. The amusing 4-minute piece is actually about his girlfriend, Victoria Schmidt, a costume enthusiast who takes Comic-Con very seriously. I consider myself a geek... but compared to these two I am but a novice fanboy:

In case you hadn't heard... After starring a decade on Law and Order: SVU, actor B.D. will not be reprising his role as forensic psychiatrist Dr. George Huang next season. In a recent tweet, the veteran actor revealed that he wouldn't be returning for the 13th season of the long-running crime drama: B.D. Wong Reveals His SVU Fate.

But do not fret. You will not miss him on the tube for long. Fans can catch him next on NBC's upcoming midseason drama Awake, about a police detective, Michael Britten, who survives a car crash to find out he exists in two parallel realities. Whaaa? Here's some more information about the show, which sounds pretty cool:

It's official. Ken Jeong is everywhere this summer -- The Hangover Part II. Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Host of the Billboard Music Awards. He's even the voice of a snake in Zookeeper. And now, he's jumped into the pages of GQ, conspicuously (and rather lewdly) photo-bombing this super-hot shoot with model Kate Upton: Just the Two of Us (and Ken Jeong).

This is a crazy story out the San Diego area about the mysterious death of Rebecca Nalepa, who was found hanged at her boyfriend's mansion in Coronado. Investigators are trying to determine whether she was murdered or committed suicide: Fifteen detectives probe woman's death at Coronado mansion.

The circumstances around Nalepa's death are made more mysterious by the accidental death of 6-year-old Max Shacknai, the son of the mansion's owner. Just days before Nalepa was found dead, the boy fell down a set of stairs and died. But the two deaths apparently have no connection, and are being investigated separately:

terry chen on abc's combat hospital

Have you been watching ABC's Combat Hospital? The medical drama goes into the lives of a military hospital's resident doctors and nurses and the craziness of working in the war zone of Southern Afghanistan. Think Grey's Anatomy with bullets and shrapnel... without so much of the Grey's Anatomy-ness. You know what I'm talking about.

I haven't had a chance to watch a full episode, but the show's cast includes actor Terry Chen as Captain Bobby Trang, who is thrown into the deep end as a Trauma Team Leader upon his arrival to the unit. Here's his character bio from the ABC website:

Hey, students! Specifically college-bound seniors in the Chicago area... Need some cash for college? OCA-Greater Chicago is offering six different types of scholarships for APA high school seniors. Each scholarship is valued at $2,500 and a total of ten scholarships will be awarded.

In order to be eligible, applicants must be a resident of the Chicagoland metropolitan area, a current high school senior who identifies as Asian Pacific American entering college or university in fall 2011, demonstrate financial need, be a permanent resident or US citizen, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above, and have a strong history of community service.

The six types of scholarships are:

This came my way several weeks ago, but I only recently had a chance to look at it. Check out this cool music video for "Chnam Oun 16" by Bay Area Cambodian American indie musician Bochan Huy, featuring Raashan Ahamd of the Crown City Rockers. Nicely produced, and blending language, culture and history on top of a hot beat, she's taking Khmer music into the 21st century. See for yourself:

Girls rock! This week, a trio of girls swept the top prizes at the Google Science Fair, a global competition for teenagers spanning sciences as diverse as computer engineering, space exploration and medical technology: First-Place Sweep by American Girls at First Google Science Fair.

More than 10,000 students from 91 countries entered the science fair. The entries, submitted over the web, were narrowed down to 60 semifinalists and then 15 finalists who presented their findings to judges at Google headquarters.

The winners included Shree Bose of Fort Worth, Texas and Naomi Shah of Portland, Oregon. Shree's research, which won the 17-18 age category and best of show overall, tackled ovarian cancer:

For those who were rejoicing over rumors that the live action adaptation of Akira was finished... not so fast. Last week, Warner Brothers announced that it is indeed moving ahead with the project with a lower revised budget and Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra at the helm: Warner Bros. taps 'Unknown' director for 'Akira.'

We've been following the crazy saga behind the making of this film for years. We collectively groaned when we learned that the script re-set the movie in "New Mahattan." We screamed "hell no" when it was reported they were looking to fill the cast with a bunch of white dudes. Then I breathed a sigh of relief when word got out the project was presumed dead. But it looks like it's still on:

The Asian American Writers' Workshop, the nation's preeminent literary arts organization dedicated to excellent Asian American writing, is asking for the community's help in submitting nominations for consideration to the prestigious Asian American Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a literary figure who has made a substantial contribution to Asian American or literary culture. Here are some more details describing who they're looking for:

It's been many months since we've seen anything new from AMC's zombie survivor drama The Walking Dead. But fans heading to San Diego Comic-Con this weekend will get a sneak peek at the upcoming season. Here's a funny video with actor Steven Yeun, who promises that there will be awesome things to see:

7.30.2011

7.29.2011

7.28.2011

7.27.2011

7.26.2011

7.25.2011

7.23.2011

7.22.2011

7.21.2011

7.20.2011

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