south bay first thursdays presents "deconstructing the asian american melting pot," september 6

What's up, San Jose. South Bay First Thursdays is a non-profit that hosts dialogues about important issues or work in the API community.

This Thursday, September 6, SBFT will be hosting a discussion titled "Deconstructing the Asian American Melting Pot," focusing particularly on the model minority myth. More information, including who's going to be on the panel:

aaww presents do the write thing: a fiction writing workshop with ed lin

This is for all you writerly folks in New York: Do The Write Thing: A Fiction Writing Workshop.

The Asian American Writers' Workshop invites you to a fiction writing workshop with author Ed Lin. Want to learn a little something about character, plot, point of view, dialogue and all that good stuff?

Ed, author of This is a Bust, Snakes Can't Run and One Red Bastard, is here for you. Six sessions, happening Monday nights, September 10 to October 15 at the Asian American Writers' Workshop.

Here are some more details:

how to get your swaddle on

And now, a weird little moment of serenity, courtesy of Reddit user dchoe.

The swaddled dad and six-day old infant kid are doing pretty good impressions of human burritos. Mmmm. Now I want a burrito: Swaddled Dad And Baby Are The Most Precious Burrito Family.

mysterious new aids-like disease affects asians

My fellow Asians, in case you've run out of things to fear, there's this... Researchers have identified a mysterious new disease that causes AIDS-like symptoms. It's not contagious and so far, it has only affected people of Asian descent: Scientists identify AIDS-like disease in Asians.

Like AIDS, the disease affects patients' immune systems. But it doesn't spread person-to-person the way AIDS does through a virus. It occurs in adults, around age 50 on average, but it doesn't appear to be inherited. Cases date back to 2004, with most of them occurring in Thailand and Taiwan.

The disease was identified in a study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine:

angry reader of the week: yumi sakugawa

Hey, everybody! Gather 'round and 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 Yumi Sakugawa -- in illustrated form!

jessica sanchez signs with interscope records

This week on a New York City tour stop, American Idol season eleven runner-up Jessica Sanchez officially announced that she's signed a deal with Interscope Records: 'American Idol' runner up Jessica Sanchez announces she's signed to Interscope, performs new song 'Fairytale.'

slow motion stunt poetry

This video was first uploaded almost a year ago, but I just happened to stumble upon it on YouTube the other day: Stunt Poetry in HD. Directed by Rishi Kaneria, it features stuntman Dante Ha doing some pretty darn amazing kickass flips and stuff, beautifully enhanced by slow motion effects. Take a look:

uw-madison student dies in accidental drowning

Aw man. Some tragic news out of Wisconsin, where a UW-Madison student drowned while swimming in Lake Mendota: UW-Madison student who drowned in Lake Mendota identified.

19-year-old John "Vietnam" Nguyen, a sophomore marketing student and up-and-coming hip hop artist hailing from Chicago, was swimming with friends when he went underwater and failed to come back up. His death is being called an accidental drowning:

the supply cup, october 5

Heads up. This sounds pretty fun... If you're in Southern California, YouTube star Kevin Wu, aka KevJumba, invites you to the first-ever Supply Cup, a charity soccer tournament benefiting The Supply.

Kevin will face off against teams led by Justin Chon, AJ Rafael, and Phil Wang of Wong Fu Productions, along with other special guests. It's going to be a battle. It's happening Friday, October 5 at the LA Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance. Here are some more details about The Supply Cup:

short film casting call: hypebeasts

Got this casting call passed along to me for a short film shooting in New York called Hypebeasts. It's about a sneakerhead who gets into some trouble when he'll do anything for the latest pair of coveted Air Jordans.

The story sounds kind of cool, and they're looking for a diverse cast of characters, including several lead roles for young Asian American actors. Here's the breakdown with more details:

preview clara c's new album esc

For those eagerly awaiting Clara C's sophomore album esc -- now available for pre-order -- you're going to have to wait just a little while longer until the release date, September 24. But to tide you over, you can view/hear an extended album preview. Check it out:

boyfriend almost suffocates while mailing himself in a box

And now from the stupid files... A guy thought it would be a fun surprise to put himself in a box and mail it to his girlfriend. Funny, right? Yeah, except he almost died: Barmy boyfriend almost dies in botched birthday stunt.

Hu Seng nearly suffocated in a sealed cardboard box when the parcel got lost, delaying delivery for hours. When the package finally arrived at his girlfriend's office, she unwrapped the box to find him passed out and in need of medical attention.

"osu haters" exposes ohio state's racist tweets

This Tumblr has been around for several months, but only recently and suddenly went viral, as these things do... OSU Haters compiles and exposes hateful and racially intolerant tweets from students at Ohio State University.

Scrolling through the tweets -- some are aggressive, some are just oh-so-casually racist -- there's plenty to get angry about, though nothing particularly surprising. What's really astounding is how stupidly public some of them are.

they're making a video game called whore of the orient

All right. As I've stated before, I'm not really into video games. But when news of a new game called Whore of the Orient comes my way, I have to sit up and have a WTF moment: Here's the First Look at Whore of the Orient, the Next Game from the Makers of L.A. Noire.

Whore of the Orient is the next game from Team Bondi, the makers of L.A. Noire. The name alone sets off a thousand red flags. And what little I've heard so far doesn't assuage my concerns either. The game is a crime tale set is 1936 Shanghai. Here's the official synopsis:

watch an exclusive clip from bangkok revenge

Hey, movie fans. Looking for your next action flick fix? You might want to try Bangkok Revenge, the latest asskicking effort out of Thailand. The movie stars Jon Foo as a dude who is unable to experience human emotions, but he sure knows how to lay down the hurt -- and he's got a lot of people to hurt.

If that interests you, check out this exclusive clip from Bangkok Revenge, in which Mr. Foo delivers a hearty Elevator Asskicking to two guys:

Sound and Fury Podcast Episode 5: Jeff Yang

Hello, angry podcast listeners! Sound and Fury: The Angry Asian Podcast took a bit of an unintended summer hiatus, lost some momentum, but we're back. Trying to get this show on a regular schedule, and it's coming along.

Big thanks to everyone who downloaded and listened to our first few episodes. To recap our previous editions: 001, 002, 003 and 004. This has been really fun so far, so thank you for all your encouragement. Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already.

So check it out. This episode features a great conversation with a friend, fellow writer and pioneer in the Asian American media space, Jeff Yang:

john cho, kal penn and the rocky mountain rumble

Let's get ready to rummbbbble! Last week, Obama For America, with the help of none other than John Cho and Kal Penn, launched the Rocky Mountain Rumble, a special competition between CSU and CU students to see who can register more voters and get young people involved in the campaign: Rocky Mountain Rumble: Kal Penn and John Cho Pick Their Sides.

aaldef's deferred acton for childhood arrival pro bono training, september 5

This is attorneys in the New York area... As you know, the Department of Homeland Security is now accepting applications for Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which gives eligible undocumented youth a two-year pause from the threat of deportation and an opportunity to secure a work permit.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is seeking pro bono counsel to represent eligible young people applying for DACA. No prior legal experience is required. These cases will help support the work of AALDEF's youth group for undocumented Asian Americans.

No prior legal experience is required, but pro bono counsel will be required to attend a training prior to taking a case. If you're interested in taking a DACA case through AALDEF, join the training on September 5:

give up tomorrow premieres on pbs october 4

Heads up. Mark your calendars for the upcoming PBS premiere of Give Up Tomorrow. Directed by Michael Collins and produced by Marty Syjuco, it's a powerful, award-winning human rights documentary that examines a high profile criminal case out of Cebu. The film will have its broadcast premiere on October 4. Here's the trailer:

music video: "taking me over" by j. lately feat. deuce eclipse & alex carbonel

Some new music for you... Here's the music video for "Taking Me Over" by Bay Area rapper J. Lately featuring Deuce Eclipse and Alex Carbonel, from his new mixtape Rise & Shine. I'm not too familiar with this artist, but I'm digging his style and I like the hook. Check it out:

the bat man of shanghai

Holy smokes. This is cool. For the Batman fan who's ever wondered: What if The Dark Knight Rises took place in 1930s Shanghai?

Check out this rad animated short, Bat Man of Shanghai, featuring Batman re-imagined as a vigilante crimefighter in 1930s Shanghai. You've got Batman, Catwoman and Bane battling over a scroll, Chinese-style. The short is part of Cartoon Network's DC Nation animation block. Take a look:

park chan-wook to direct the brigands of rattleborge

Hell yes. Park Chan-wook, the guy behind Oldboy and Thirst, who recently wrapped his English-language debut Stoker, is reportedly in talks to direct the violent western The Brigands of Rattleborge for Red Granite Pictures and Mythology Entertainment: 'Oldboy' helmer saddles up for 'Brigands.'

Interesting to note that Brigands was once considered one of Hollywood's best unproduced scripts, unable to get off the ground because of its violent content. I'm guessing somebody in charge got around to watching Park's Vengeance Trilogy and thought, yo, maybe this Korean guy handle it.

Bruce Lee Remix: Be Water My Friend!

See Bruce punch, kick and philosophize in this rad video remix.



Thirty-nine years ago today, Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee premiered at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It was and is an awesome movie. To commemorate the occasion, I share this rad video tribute by Melodysheep, created from various clips of Bruce punching, kicking and philosophizing.

Enjoy.

grace meng's opponent calls her "sympathetic to china"

Things are getting nasty in New York's 6th congressional district, where Republican City Councilman and Congressional candidate Dan Halloran has been blasting his Democratic opponent, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, accusing her of having dual citizenship and being "sympathetic to China": Queens Congress race gets nasty - and racial.

Yup. Straight out of the dirty political playbook everyone's so fond of lately. When all else fails, invoke the ominous threat of China, and do or say everything possible to suggest that your opponent is kissing China's ass. And of course, if your opponent happens to be Chinese American, it makes the slander so much easier:

kollaboration new york, september 21

Hey New York! Kollaboration is back. The world-famous Asian American talent show movement returns for the seventh annual Kollaboration NY. Hosted by comedian Jen Kwok, the show will feature performances by Gabe Bondoc, Mitchell Grey and Wanted Ashiqz.

Seven talented performing acts, ranging from singers to dance crews, will compete for the chance to win $1000 grand prize, a chance to perform at the Kollaboration Global show in Los Angeles, and get featured as opening act for David Choi and Clara C's New York tour stop.

It's happening Saturday, September 21 at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at NYU. Here's a promo video for the show:

fund this: costs of living

The new musical Costs of Living tells the story of two immigrant cab drivers who take opposite shifts off the same medallion. Its unlikely source material is the shocking true story of two Asian immigrants, a yellow cab, and a bloody attack with meat cleaver. Whaaaaat. True story.

I don't know how you hear about this story and think singing! But Timothy Huang has somehow turned this tale into a musical, and needs some help getting it to the stage. Check out this video with some background:

music video: "never got over you" by legaci

The smooth dudes of Bay Area R&B singing group Legaci, best known for performing backup vocal duties for none other than Justin Bieber, just dropped the official music video for their single, "Never Got Over You." Check it out:

not missing: asian tourist joins search party... for herself

This is funny story out of Iceland, about a woman who participated in a search for a missing tourist... only to realize that she was the person everybody was looking for: Woman Takes Part In Search For Herself.

On Saturday, a woman described as "Asian, about 160cm, in dark clothing and speaks English well" was declared missing from a tour bus in the vicinity of Eldgjá, launching an intense police search. Turns out, it was all mix up over her clothing. Change your sweater, apparently, and no one will recognize you:

watch the mindy project pilot episode

Mindy Kaling, writer/producer/castmember on NBC's The Office, stars in her very own new show, The Mindy Project, this fall on Fox.

The single-camera comedy follows Mindy Lahiri, a romantic comedy-obsessed 31-year-old OB/GYN doctor balancing her personal and professional life, with hilarious results. Think like a Desi Bridget Jones.

Sound good? You can watch the full pilot episode right now on Hulu:

the real bodies manifesto

Our fashionable friends at the amazing style collective Retrofit Republic just launched the Lookbook Video for The Real Bodies Manifesto, their collaboration with our other good friends at Thick Dumpling Skin. Their goal was to show real people with real bodies, and expand meaningful representations for our community. Check it out:

"no indians or asians please."

Well, you have to at least hand to them for just coming out and saying it: 'No Indians, Asians' job advertisement causes outrage.

This shameless little bit of racism comes to us from Australia, where someone posted an online job ad seeking cleaners for a Coles Supermarket. But they made it very clear that Asians need not apply: "no indians or asians please. MUST SPEAK ENGLISH." Well, at least it said "please."

Coles claims the ad was placed by a sub-contractor:

estranged boyfriend charged in toronto body parts murder

Grisly news out of Canada... This week, an estranged boyfriend was arrested in the gruesome murder of Guang Hua Liu, whose body parts were found strewn across the Greater Toronto Area: Body parts case: Estranged boyfriend charged with murder in death of Guang Hua Liu.

40-year-old Chun Qi Jiang, who had been in a relationship with Liu for about for years, is charged with second-degree murder. Police are calling the killing a "domestic-related homicide." Outside of that, as the investigation sorts things out, details are still coming together about what actually happened.

aj rafael's play. live. breathe. music tour

Red Roses fans take note. Popular acoustic pop/rock musician AJ Rafael is hitting the road this fall with the Play. Live. Breathe. Music Tour, showcasing songs from his chart-topping debut album.

He'll be joined by husband/wife duo Carissa and Michael Alvarado, aka Us, and other guests, bringing some of that live music love and positive AJ energy to a city near you. Here are the tour dates:

internship opportunity: korematsu institute fall/winter 2012-2013

Our friends at the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education in San Francisco are currently looking for fall/winter 2012-2013 interns. This is an awesome organization doing amazing work in the community. So of course, they need some awesome, amazing people to help out.

This is a hands-on internship where students or recent graduates have the opportunity to help the Korematsu Institute with its Asian American curriculum distribution as well as planning for Fred Korematsu Day events throughout the country.

Here are some more details about the internship:

fog city nights sesson 1

Holla, Bay Areaaaaa. I've already posted a couple of trailers for Fog City Nights, a web series by Pat La Rock that documents b-boys and b-girls dancing in the streets of San Francisco. If you were looking forward to seeing it, the wait is over. The first episode of the series just dropped, and it features some pretty damn talented dancers. Check it out:

angry poetry corner: "how to tell if a korean woman loves you" by christy namee eriksen

We're getting poetic up here. It's time for another installment of Angry Poetry Corner, a regular weekly spotlight on the work of API poets -- not necessarily angry -- curated by Cara, our Angry Asian Intern. Because you could use a little more poetry in your life.

In the corner this week, a poem by Christy NaMee Eriksen:

the fung brothers mess with texas

Check it out. I recently got caught up with The Fung Brothers Mess with Texas, the recently launched web series from YouTube channel Hungry, starring David and Andrew Fung. Best known for being comic ambassadors of 626 cool, the guys are challenged to explore food and adventures in Texas, busting some of their pre-conceived notions of the Lone Star State along the way.

Here are the first two episodes:

k-town producers casting asian americans for three new reality shows

So you've been watching K-Town. Don't lie, you've been watching it. No, shut up. I know you've seen it. So... maybe you're not Korean American, but you've been watching and wondering what it would be like to star in your very own reality show about young Asian Americans partying it up. Well...

The producers of K-Town have posted a casting call for three new reality shows. They're looking for "colorful, attractive and lively" individuals for shows set in the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Filipino communities within the greater Los Angeles area. Want to get in on this? Read on:

jeremy needs a bone marrow match

Jeremy Kong is a 2-year-old Chinese American kid from the San Francisco Bay Area who is suffering from acute myeloid leukemia, and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. A preliminary search of bone marrow donor databases hasn't come up with a suitable match. But maybe the match is you.

To find a match, Jeremy's family and friends have partnered up with the Asian American Donor Program to help him find a suitable donor. They've organized several donor registration drives in San Francisco over the next couple of weeks. Help spread the word -- and register! Here are the drive details:

15-year-old lydia ko becomes youngest lpga tour winner

News from the world of golf! On Sunday at the Canadian Women's Open, 15-year-old Lydia Ko became the youngest-ever winner in LPGA Tour history: 15-year-old Ko becomes youngest LPGA Tour winner.

Currently the world's top-ranked female amateur, the young South Korean-born New Zealander closed with a 5-under 67 for a three-stroke victory over Inbee Park. Whipping the competition as an amateur and just 15 years old? Dang.

read these blogs

K-TOWN STYLE!: So you've seen "Gangnam Style." So you know the flood of parodies was inevitable. I am particularly fond of this one, featuring several friends of the blog, led by our man PK.

Beyond the Horse Dance: Viral Vid 'Gangnam Style' Critiques Korea's Extreme Inequality: By now you've witnessed the neon, snow-faced, horse-moves phenomenon that is the music video for PSY's "Gangnam Style." Here's a closer look into what Gangnam is, exactly, and how the video just may be a social critique on wealth disparities in South Korea.

Silence after Sikh shooting is deafening: Sharon Pian Chan has noticed that in the coverage of the Wisconsin shooting, the conversation is around defining Sikhism rather than asking questions about the killer or gun reform.

Wilson Tang: Don't Dismiss My Chinese Restaurant Because I Have White Customers: Wilson Tang is the owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York's Chinatown. He has something to say to the recent crop of Yelp reviewers who seek "authenticity."

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

• "me love you long time" comedian gets punched on stage


• meet ryan lochte's sister, racist dumbass


• victoria's secret's "sexy little geisha." seriously.


• new book claims richard aoki was fbi informant


• bank of canada apologizes for $100 bill race redesign


• samurai at the sphinx


• 83-year-old man guilty of killing hospital roommate


• unshuffled cards pay off big for atlantic city gamblers


• ken watanabe to star in samurai remake of unforgiven


• flying while brown: delta delays south asian passenger over a t-shirt

See you today at the V3 Digital Media Conference. Stay Angry.

angry reader of the week: ruby veridiano

Once again, my friends, it's 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 Ruby Veridiano.

Meet Ryan Lochte's Sister, Racist Dumbass

Megan Lochte wins a gold medal in racist ignorance.



Seriously, how many times can you say "chink" in one interview?

Okay, so this clip is four years old, and I'm sure it wouldn't be on anyone's radar if not for the fact that the person in question is Megan Lochte, sister of Olympic swimming gold medalist Ryan Lochte. And dude, it turns out Ryan Lochte's Sister Is a Raging Racist Douchebag.

In 2008, after attending the Olympic Games in Beijing, Megan Lochte appeared on a Maryland late night comedy talk show called Closing Time. In this four and a half minute clip, she cannot stop saying "chink" while telling a truckload of anecdotes that demonstrate her phenomenal ignorance:

read these blogs: richard aoki edition

Man who armed Black Panthers was FBI informant, records show: First, the story by Seth Rosenfeld, author of the newly published Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals, and Reagan's Rise to Power, who dropped the bombshell claim that radical activist Richard Aoki was secretly an informant for the FBI.

Fred Ho refutes the claim that Richard Aoki was an FBI informant: Fred Ho, who had a close relationship with Richard Aoki, offers a fierce, point-by-point rebuttal to Rosenfeld and FBI agent Wes Swearingen's claims that Richard Aoki was an informant.

Where's the evidence Aoki was FBI informant? Op-ed piece by Diane C. Fujino, auhor of the Richard Aoki biography Samurai Among Panthers, who says Rosenfeld's conclusions are based on inconclusive evidence.

Statement Regarding Allegations that Richard Aoki Was An FBI Informant by Mike Cheng & Ben Wang: Mike Cheng and Ben Wang, the filmmakers behind the Richard Aoki documentary Aoki, also call Rosenfeld's claims and insufficient evidence into question.

Was Bay Area Radical, Black Panther Arms Supplier Richard Aoki an Informant for the FBI? Democracy Now hosts a conversation on these allegations, with both Seth Rosenfeld and Diane C. Fujino.

Why Richard Aoki Is Still A Symbol Of Solidarity: "Whatever turns out to be the truth, the next generation of Asian Americans who have been inspired by Richard Aoki already exist. And we’ve already been working in multiracial movements, engaging in radical activism, and breaking down those “model minority” myths. So in any case, his life has been and always will be a great legacy for us, and that can’t be questioned."

kollaboration sf, september 8

Heads up, San Francisco. Kollaboration is back! The world-famous Asian American talent competition returns to the Bay Area. Hosted by Kollaboration founder and former executive director Paul "PK" Kim, it's happening Saturday, September 8 at the Zellerbach Auditorium in UC Berkeley.

This year's performer lineup includes Seattle-based band New Heights and acoustic singer/songwriter Joseph Vincent, along with standup comedian KT Tatara, hip hop dance group VIP San Jose and the winner of last year's Kollaboration SF competition, ANAK. Here's a promo video featuring the show's competitors:

fund this: say you heard my echo

If you're in New York, you ought to check out the world premiere of our friend Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai's spoken word theater project, Say You Heard My Echo, running six performances (September 12-16) as part of Asian American Arts Alliance's Locating the Sacred Festival. Watch a video about the show and their fundraising campaign:

obligatory "gangnam style" post

There is a song/music video called "Gangnam Style" by Korean pop artist Psy. It's very popular. I have seen it. I am aware of its existence. Chances are, by now, you've seen it too. If you haven't seen it, here it is:

flying while brown: delta delays south asian passenger over a t-shirt

I travel a lot. And when you find yourself at the airport as much as I do, you develop a routine that attempts to minimize the number of headaches induced by the inconveniences of air travel. I'll admit, when it comes to the TSA's ridiculous security hoops, I have become compliant.

But I'm not Flying While Brown.

Reading over this account by Arijit Guha, about his recent run-in with Delta officials, the TSA, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority -- over the possible security risk posed by his t-shirt -- you can't help but feel aggravated over the stubborn stupidity of it all: Arijit Vs. Delta.

the potstickers: a funny web series about high school

All right, this has been out for a while, but I just binged and watched all the episodes of The Potstickers. Written and directed by Zac Wong, it's a comedy web series about a group of teenagers trying to survive high school.

It's a little rough, and some of it's just plain awkward, but there are some laugh-out-loud moments and gem performances (the guy who plays Broyce is particularly hilarious) that make it worth a look.

Here are all four episodes of the first season:

martin hsu's "dragon boy" time-lapse painting

Our friend artist Martin Hsu shares this cool time-lapse video, shot by Jason Mongue, of him working a Dragon Boy painting from starting to finish at his new studio in San Francisco. It's just fun (and super-speedy) glimpse of the artist at work. Check it out: