This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. This 'Power Rangers' fan film will ruin your childhood
Director Joseph Kahn's crazy-ass re-imagining is definitely not for kids.

2. Tom Cross wins Oscar for Best Film Editing for 'Whiplash'
Film beats out heavy favorites at the 87th Annual Academy Awards

3. Do you turn red when you drink? There's a tonic for that.
Before Elixir claims to be a safe, natural and effective way to fight the flush.

4. Pet store arsonist sentenced to 5 to 14 years
Gloria Lee pleaded guilty to deliberately setting fire to her business with 27 dogs inside.

5. No, seriously. What is up with the yellow skin emoji?
Apple introduces new "racially diverse" emoji, including a gross shade of yellow.

6. Beware fake monks running the bracelet scam
In San Francisco, scammers dressed as monks are targeting unsuspecting folks for a "donation."

7. 'Fresh Off The Boat' Episode Guide (106-108)
Asian American family sitcom airs Tuesdays at 8:00pm on ABC

8. Jeremy Lin drops 25 points on the Boston Celtics
Jeremy came off the bench to lead the Lakers to a 118-111 victory in overtime.

9. Family man murdered in Louisville highway shooting
Christopher L. McCullum is accused of fatally shooting Mukhtar Ahmed on Interstate 71.

10. Watch the new trailer for 'Twinsters'
Feature documentary tells the true story of twins, separated at birth, and reunited through social media.

Stay Angry, my friends.

CAAM presents CAAMFest 2015

March 12-22 in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland



Bay Area film lovers! It's getting about time for one of my favorite events of the year. CAAMFest, formerly the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, returns with another exciting celebration of film, music, food and digital media from the world's most innovative Asian and Asian American artists.

CAAMFest 2015 will showcase the work of new Asian and Asian American artists, as well as pay tribute to the pioneers who have paved the way for Asian Americans in media and entertainment. It's all going down March 12-22 in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. This kick off Thursday, March 12 with Opening Night Gala presentation of writer/director Benson Lee's coming-of-age comedy Seoul Searching.

Here's a rundown of some of CAAMFest's programming highlights:

Angry Reader of the Week: Koji Steven Sakai

"I am now a self-anointed Hello Kitty expert -- go ahead, ask me a question."



What's up, good people? You know what time it is. Gather 'round 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 Koji Steven Sakai.

Nickelodeon picks up new K-pop-inspired series 'Make It Pop'

Musical comedy about three classmates who come together to start their own K-pop band.



What happens when Glee meets K-Pop by way of Nickelodeon? You get the new scripted series Make It Pop, a "comedic music-infused daily strip about three girls who come together to start their own K-Pop-inspired band." The show, produced by Nick Cannon, will feature original songs and performances in every episode.

Nick Cannon Gets Behind New Live-Action Musical Series, 'Make It Pop,' for Upcoming TV Season

Make It Pop stars Louriza Tronco as Jodi, Megan Lee as Sun Hi and Erika Tham as Corki. The show joins two other new scripted daily live action shows on Nickelodeon's line up, Talia's Kitchen and The W.I.T.s Academy. I am one hundred percent positive that I am not in the target demographic for these shows. But it's all good.

UPDATE: Here's a short promo video for the show:

Do you turn red when you drink? There's a tonic for that.

Before Elixir claims to be a safe, natural and effective way to fight the flush.



Are you a fellow alcohol drinker who suffers from the "Asian Glow"? Party people, you know what I'm talking about. For me, it only takes a few sips. When we drink, we turn red. It happens, and it's not particularly pretty.

Alcohol Flush Reaction, aka "Asian Glow," occurs in people who have a variant of the enzyme used to metabolize alcohol causing them to process alcohol up to a hundred faster than the average person. This creates a buildup of a toxin called acetaldehyde which causes flushing, headaches, pounding heartbeats and other uncomfortable feelings. This is what more or less happens to me when I drink.

But now there's apparently a way to fight the flush. Before Elixir is a new tonic that purports to prevent flushing during alcohol consumption. It claims be "safe, natural, and effective" way to slow down the metabolism of alcohol, and thus prevent flushing. Because somebody had to think of this sooner or later, right?

Family man murdered in Louisville highway shooting

Christopher L. McCullum is accused of fatally shooting Mukhtar Ahmed on Interstate 71.



Tragic news out of Kentucky... This week in Louisville, a 43-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a motorist while driving on Interstate 71.

Attorney identifies driver shot, killed on I-71

Christopher L. McCullum was charged with the murder of 41-year-old Mukhtar Ahmed, a husband and father of three, who was shot and killed in the southbound lanes of I-71 moments after dropping off his daughter at school. Ahmed was found dead in his SUV, which wound up in the highway median.

SF JACL presents 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors

Saturday, February 28 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center



The famed 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors sketch comedy troupe is celebrating its 20th anniversary season. If you're in the Bay this Saturday, February 28, you can catch a night of old and new sketches at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Here's more info:

Hey Korean American smokers! Science needs you.

University of Southern California seeks smokers for a public health research study.



Are you Korean American? Are you in the Los Angeles area? Do you smoke?

I recently heard from a researcher at the University of Southern California's Health, Emotion & Addiction Laboratory who is currently recruiting Korean American cigarette smokers and vapers, ages 18 years or older, for a public health research study. I don't have much more in the way of details, but you will be compensated for your time and participation (and I hear the pay is pretty decent).

Teacher arrested for sexual relationship with student

High school science teacher David Park allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old student in his classroom.



Come on! Get this guy the hell away from kids. In Southern California, a high school science teacher was arrested this week in connection with an alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student.

Los Altos Teacher Accused Of Having Affair With 15-Year-Old Student

37-year-old David Park, who taught biology and chemistry at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, was arrested Monday on a variety of sexual abuse charges. He is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student enrolled in one of his classes. According to sheriff's officials, acts were committed inside the classroom, after class and at his home between September and November of last year.

Watch the new trailer for 'Twinsters'

Feature documentary tells the true story of twins, separated at birth, and reunited through social media.



The feature documentary Twinsters tells the incredible true story of twin sisters Samantha Futerman and Anaïs Bordier -- two lives changed forever with just one click. Born in Korea, they were separated at birth and raised on two different continents with no knowledge of each other's existence, then reunited as adults through the power of the internet. The film follows Samantha and Anaïs as they meet in person for the very first time.

You may have heard about this story when the Sam and Anaïs were featured on Good Morning America, or during the release of their book, or perhaps during the much-publicized Kickstarter campaign for Twinsters. The film will finally have its world premiere next month, March 15, at South by Southwest.

Here's the newly released trailer for Twinsters:

NBC's 'Chicago PD' is looking for Asian American extras

You can play a gangster, or a sewing shop worker, or a dead body. It's The Chinatown Episode!



TV watchers know it well. Sooner or later, every cop show gets around to doing The Chinatown Episode, in which the show's respective law enforcement team must solve some sort of Asian-themed crime. (It is also known as The Koreatown Episode or The Little Saigon Episode.) And that week, a bunch of Asian Americans actors get some work as guest stars and background extras. It's a time-honored TV tradition.

(The exception is Hawaii Five-0. I'd argue that every episode of Hawaii Five-0 is The Chinatown Episode.)

So it looks like NBC's cop drama Chicago PD is the latest show to take on The Chinatown Episode. I got this casting call passed along to me, seeking Asian American extras in Chicago area for an upcoming shoot. It looks like they need folks to play gangsters, sewing shop workers, grieving mothers, dead bodies, and general background set dressing for Chinatown scenes. They even need a young girl to play a gunshot victim!

Here's the rundown:

Got $50,000? Original Silk/Spider-Man Comic Art for Sale.

Own Humberto Ramos' original artwork for the first appearance of Silk in 'Amazing Spider-Man' #4



Meet Cindy Moon, aka Silk, the newest webslinging spider-superhero from Marvel Comics. She is Asian American, powered by the same radioactive arachnid that gave Peter Parker his spider-abilities, and the star of her very own monthly comic book. Silk #1, by Robbie Thompson and Stacey Lee, hit shelves last week.

Silk has created quite a buzz since her first appearance last year in the pages Amazing Spider-Man #4. So check this. If you're a serious collector, the issue's original artwork by Humberto Ramos -- every page, signed -- is now for sale in its entirety on eBay. Awesome. But it will cost you $50,000. That's about $2500 a page.

Own The Complete Original Artwork For The First Appearance Of Silk In Amazing Spider-Man #4

Here are a few pages from the batch:

Beware fake monks running the bracelet scam

In San Francisco, scammers dressed as monks are targeting unsuspecting folks for a "donation."



Watch out for fake monks, San Francisco. Looks like street scammers are back at it, targeting unsuspecting folks with the good ol' "bracelet scam." This time, the latest wave of scammers are dressed up as monks.

Fake monks are using the bracelet scam in San Francisco

It works like this. A man or woman dressed as a monk approaches you on the street and puts a bracelet on your wrist with a big smile. Then they ask you to sign a "peace" petition or some shit, as well as a "donation." If you refuse, they'll become insistent and aggressive. If you don't give it up, they'll move on to another target.

The Kindred Foundation presents Family Has No Boundary

Inaugural Fundraiser on Tuesday, March 3 at The Sofitel Hotel Beverly Hills



Kindred: The Foundation for Adoption is an American foundation created by adoptees Samantha Futerman and Jenna Ushkowitz. Kindred's initiative is to provide international and domestic adoptees and their families (both adoptive and biological) with services such as travel, translation, and support for those who wish to reunite; easily accessible hotlines; introduction to art and encouragement of artistic expression; and programs set in native countries to aid orphans living within the foster care and government systems.

If you're in Los Angeles next week, you're invited to attend Family Has No Boundary, the inaugural event for The Kindred Foundation, raising funds to provide worldwide aid to adoptees and their families. The evening will include food, drinks, a silent auction, and special musical performances by Jenna Ushkowitz, Sarah Hyland and Alex Newell. It's happening Tuesday, March 3 at the Sofitel Hotel Beverly Hills.

Here are some more details about the event:

Bruce Lee x MSTR Limited Edition Racer Watch

Individually numbered to 500 pieces worldwide



Aaahhhh. You know I am a sucker for all things Bruce Lee. So you know I am mad coveting this dope limited edition Bruce Lee x MSTR Watch, a collaboration between Meister and Bruce Lee Enterprises. Featuring the iconic Bruce Lee yellow and Flying Man logo, each handsomely designed watch is individually numbered and limited to 500 pieces worldwirde. And it comes with a pair of replica Signature Sunglasses.

It'll set you back $280. Here are some more details:

New Music: "Fire" by Louie

New single from Southern California-based indie rock/soul artist



Some hot new music for you... Our friend Wendy turns us on to the music of Louie.

Hailing from Huntington Beach, California, she's a Chinese/Mexican American indie rock/pop/soul artist with a hell of a sexy cool sound. According to her bio, Louie has been a one-woman band since her late teens, creating songs on her eight track recorder, writing, singing and playing every instrument.

Her new single "Fire" featuring Pegasus Warning, was written and produced by Louie, Pegasus Warning, Wendy Wang (The Sweet Hurt), and Wynne Bennett (Twin Shadow).

Check it out:

Pet store arsonist sentenced to 5 to 14 years

Gloria Lee pleaded guilty to deliberately setting fire to her business with 27 dogs inside.



Asians behaving badly... pet store arson edition! In Las Vegas, a pet store owner who deliberately set fire to her business -- with 27 dogs inside -- to collect insurance money has been sentenced to 5 to 14 years in prison.

Gloria Lee ordered to serve 5 to 14 years in pet shop arson

Gloria Lee and her accomplice Kirk Blls were charged with 27 counts of animal cruelty, along with burglary and arson, for attempting to set fire to the Prince and Princess Pet Boutique last year. The flames were extinguished by the sprinkler system and the 25 puppies and 2 older dogs survived.

Lee apparently planned to frame the fire on her husband and collect a $100,000 insurance claim. However, she neglected to disable the store's video surveillance system.

Calling all AAPIs attending the Selma Jubilee Bridge Crossing

Sunday, March 8 in Selma, Alabama



Who's going to Selma? The Selma Jubilee, March 5-9, is the official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the historic voting rights demonstrations that took place in Selma, Alabama in 1965 (recently depicted in the feature film Selma). Did you know that there were Asian Americans activists who marched in Selma?

I recently heard from Craig Shimizu of the Japanese American Citizens League, who is attempting to connect AAPI individuals and organizations who are attending and participating in the Selma Jubilee, and perhaps organize groups to march together as one huge AAPI contingent on Sunday, March 8. It's a great idea.

It's time to answer the AAPI Roll Call. Here are some more details:

Watch the new trailer for the 'Ktown Cowboys' movie

"Bro-mantic dramedy" will have its world premiere on March 15 at SXSW



As fans know, the folks behind the hit comedy webseries KTown Cowboys have been hard at work on a feature film version, set to premiere next month at South By Southwest. The film, written by Danny Cho and directed by Daniel Park, is described as a "bro-mantic dramedy" about a group of ball-busting, hard-partying, life-long friends who are struggling with the transition into responsible adulthood."

Here is the newly released film festival red-band trailer, which gives you a glimpse into the hijinks:

No, seriously. What is up with the yellow skin emoji?

Apple introduces new "racially diverse" emoji, including a gross shade of yellow.


In a new beta version of its operating system, Apple recently revealed a new set of "racial diverse" emoji, featuring faces in a variety of skin tones. So I join the chorus and ask: what is up with that awful sickly shade of yellow? Is that supposed to be an Asian face? Because those faces do not look healthy.

These are Apple's new, diverse emoji

There's been a demand for more inclusive emoji that reflects the diversity of the world's skin tones. Or at least some options other than the limited set of lily-white icons currently featured in iOS. So I applaud the effort.

But dude. That yellow is gross.

Sim Bhullar throws down a triple double in the D-League

7-foot-5 center puts up career-high 26 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocks



Probably too early to call it "Simsanity"... but in case you missed this one out of the NBA D-League: Sim Bhullar, the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA team, had himself one hell of a game over the weekend.

Simsanity! Indian-Canadian Sim Bhullar explodes for one of D-League's greatest-ever performances

As the biggest player in professional basketball, the dude is kind of hard not to notice. But during Sunday's game between the Reno Bighorns and the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the 7-foot-5 center turned heads by putting up a career-high 26 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocks in 43 minutes, for his first career triple-double.

Check the highlights:

Family Reunion: A Storytelling Show

Presented by Disoriented Comedy, Thursday, February 26 at Echoes Under Sunset



This for all my good people in Los Angeles! It's time for the latest edition of Disoriented Comedy's Family Reunion. The monthly storytelling show, co-presented by Angry Asian Man, Tuesday Night Project, Mishthi Music and KAYA Press, features regular everyday folks talking story. No notes. Good times.

The theme of this month's show is "My First Time," and features storytellers Kathy Yamamoto, Brandon Ito, Lainie Dolalas, Oliver Hou, Josh Kamensky, Karthik Srinivasan, Liza Palmer, Allison Mannos, and host Atsuko Okatsuka. It's happening this Thursday, February 26 at Echoes Under Sunset.

Here are some more details about the evening:

This 'Power Rangers' fan film will ruin your childhood

Director Joseph Kahn's crazy-ass re-imagining is definitely not for kids.



Holy crap. Director Joseph Kahn and producer Adi Shankar have dropped a mind-blowing fan film "deboot" of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, of all things. Violent, bloody and most definitely rated R, Power/Rangers is a decidedly dark re-imagining of the squeaky clean 1990s kids sci-fi action series, with help from likes of James Van Der Beek, Katee Sackhoff and Will Yun Lee. This is not goofy rubber monster TV show you remember.

What happened to Power Rangers after they grew up and left their Zords behind? It's not pretty.

This is "not a pilot, not a series, not for profit, strictly for exhibition," says Kahn. He made it just becuz. Vimeo has taken down the super-bloody, super-nudity, NSFW version. But you get the idea:

Domestic Violence Survivor Faces Child Abduction Charges, Deportation | #StandWithNanHui

By Jenn Fang. Cross-posted from Reappropriate.



This is a terrible story of the American legal system getting it really wrong.

Nan-Hui Cho is a single mother of 6-year-old daughter Hwi. Cho is currently imprisoned in the Yolo County jail facing trumped up child abduction charges after she made the impossible decision to take her daughter home to South Korea, in hopes of escaping the physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon her by the child's father, Iraq war veteran Jesse Charlton.

For five years, Cho cared for Hwi in South Korea; for that same five years, Charlton sent over a hundred emails to Nan-Hui that ranged from concern to threats of hiring a bounty hunter. Unbeknownst to Cho, Charlton also filed charges against Nan-Hui for child abduction. When Cho -- a Korean national in the process of applying for permanent residency -- applied to travel to Hawaii to check out schools for the American-born Hwi, ICE was notified by the US embassy in Seoul and Cho was arrested and sent to Yolo County to stand trial on the child abduction charges. Meanwhile, Hwi was sent to live with Charlton -- a father she didn't know -- who has since denied Cho a chance to see her daughter.

Cho's first trial last December on the child abduction charges ended in a hung jury. Now, she faces retrial and, if she loses, will likely be deported without ever having a chance to see her daughter again.

National AAPI Community Google+ Hangout, February 25

Hosted by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders



Folks, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders invites you to join them for their second National AAPI Community Google+ Hangout, with speakers Konrad Ng, Kiran Ahuja and Aditi Hardikar. They'll discuss national priorities for the AAPI community and give an overview of the May 2015 White House Summit on AAPIs. It's happening Wednesday, February 25 at 3:00pm ET.

Here are some more details:

Honouliuli Internment Camp declared National Monument

"A monument to a painful part of our history so that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past."



Last week, President Obama announced the creation of three new National Monuments across the country, including the Honouliuli National Monument in Hawaii, where Japanese American citizens, resident immigrants, and prisoners of war were held captive during World War II.

President Obama announced the new designation along with the launch of the "Every Kid in a Park" initiative, providing all fourth grade students and their families with free admission to National Parks and other federal lands and waters for a full year. Honouliuli National Monument will help tell the difficult story of the internment camp's impact on the Japanese American community and the fragility of civil rights during times of conflict.

'Fresh Off The Boat' Episode Guide (106-108)

Asian American family sitcom airs Tuesdays at 8:00pm on ABC



Have you been watching Fresh Off The Boat? The very funny sitcom, featuring an Asian American family and inspired by the memoirs of renegade restaurateur/chef Eddie Huang, is a critical hit and has been decently kicking some ass in the ratings. The show airs Tuesday nights at 8:00pm on ABC.

Fresh Off The Boat stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery and Ian Chen as Evan. Eddie Huang provides the voice over narration.

If you haven't had a chance to tune in, full previously aired episodes are available for free streaming on the ABC website, as well as Hulu. You can also purchase episodes of Fresh Off The Boat from iTunes.

Here's a preview of the upcoming episodes:

Jeremy Lin drops 25 points on the Boston Celtics

Jeremy came off the bench to lead the Lakers to a 118-111 victory in overtime.



While I was watching the stunningly bad, super white Oscars show last night, I should have changed channels to see Jeremy Lin turn in an awesome performance to help the Lakers beat the Celtics in an overtime victory.

Lakers stop 7-game losing streak with OT win over Celtics

Jeremy came off the bench to score a season-high 25 points, with 6 assists, to lead Los Angeles to a 118-111 overtime victory against their old rivals from Boston, snapping a seven-game losing streak.

Here's a fun video with Jeremy's game highlights from Sunday night:

Tom Cross wins Oscar for Best Film Editing for 'Whiplash'

Film beats out heavy favorites at the 87th Annual Academy Awards



There's been plenty of commentary about the Academy Awards' stunning lack of diversity. I won't add to that, except to say that it's pretty sad to find yourself looking in the blurry background of crowd shots during the Oscars broadcast to catch anything remotely resembling an Asian face, and cheering when a movie about a friggin' cartoon Asian boy and his robot take home the award for Best Animated Feature. That's me.

So I was jolted out of my sad Asianspotting stupor last night when Tom Cross, who is Vietnamese American, took home the Academy Award for editing for his work on the feature film Whiplash -- the movie's third Oscar of the evening -- beating out the category's heavy favorites Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Here's Tom Cross backstage on the official Oscars "Thank You Cam":

Read These Blogs

Hollywood's diversity problem beyond 'Selma': Asian, Latino stories are missing: "The Oscar nominees this year and most years, and the movie industry they represent, fall woefully short when it comes to mirroring American society and, increasingly, the moviegoing audience. And that's especially true when it comes to the fastest-growing racial group in the nation, Asians, and the largest minority group, Latinos."

* * *
The day Japanese Americans lost their rights: Thursday marked the 73rd anniversary of the day Franklin Delano Roosvelt signed Executive Order 9066, forcibly removing Japanese Americans from their homes and into concentration camps. Esther Toshiko Hirabayashi Furugori remembers camp life, and her brother, Gordon Hirabayashi, who questioned the constitutionality of the order and took his case to the Supreme Court.

* * *
Transgender grandchild: Rep. Mike Honda says 8-year-old's gender change not a phase: Congressman Mike Honda revealed that he is the "proud grandpa" of a 8-year-old transgender child after she asked him to speak out in support of people like her.

* * *
Asian immigrants less likely to seek deportation protection, data show: The number of Asian immigrants who apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is far less than those eligible.

* * *
Ai-jen Poo, MacArthur Fellow and Author of 'The Age of Dignity' on Caring for Our Elders: An interview with Ai-jen Poo, activist, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, co-director of Caring Across Generations, and author of The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Bloom in a Changing America.

Angry Reader of the Week: Mona Concepcion

"I was very good at school but not so much at adulthood."



Hello, 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 Mona Concepcion.

Oh No! A turbaned, bearded Sikh dude is appearing across Facebook timelines talking about the Like feature. God save America!

Guest Post by Vishavjit Singh


https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=315051235363542
Having the first black president has not settled well with the digestive tracks of many a folks in this great union of ours. And now with the overlords at Facebook deciding to feature me, a turbaned and bearded American in one of its 30 second newsfeed tips spot, it is creating a rumble in the mental bowels of some folks across the social network. The ad first ran in November last year and now is doing expanded rounds of timelines across the U.S.

There is no instant cure for these maladies. Passage of time with repetitive dose of reality is the best prescriptive course.

I am taking the extra step to intervene with 20 of these fellow Americans who spoke their mind in response to my countenance.

May this serve as a mental balm to the sporadic outbreaks of visceral ailments.

I Am Being Threatened with an Angry Asian Lawsuit [UPDATED]

Thank you to all who have expressed support regarding this matter. This hasn't been easy for anyone involved. I'm trying to work out a way to resolve and de-escalate this dispute. In the meantime, I've taken down my original blog post as part of the resolution process. Frankly, I'm looking forward to getting back regular business.

Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

Join us for the "Fresh Off The Show" Online Post-Show

Tuesday, February 17 at 8:35pm PST after 'Fresh Off The Boat'



Hey, Fresh Off The Boat viewers! After you tune into Tuesday night's episode at 8:00pm on ABC, head over to the internets and join me and Jenny Yang for "Fresh Off The Show," the unofficial Fresh Off The Boat aftershow. We had so much fun last time, we're doing it again and making it a regular thing.

Join in on the conversation via Google Hangout, and use the hashtag #FreshOffTheShow, starting at 8:35pm Pacific Standard Time. You can hop on and watch us here right after the episode airs on the west coast:

This is how Forever 21 celebrates the Lunar New Year

Just add a rice paddy hat. Instant Oriental-ness!



Last week, we learned about the ill-conceived Lunar New Year-themed rice paddy hat display at the Bloomingdales at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. The store quickly removed the hats when somebody (or perhaps many somebodies) informed them that this was a bad idea. However, it seems that the rice paddy hat-wearing mannequin thing might be some kind of really unfortunate trend in Orange County.

Forever 21 at MainPlace Mall Rides the Rice Paddy Hat-Wearing Mannequin Trend

OC Weekly reports that the Forever 21 is the latest store to get down with the rice paddy hat trend. It's so hot right now. The above photo was snapped at the MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana. According to store employees, the hats were not their choice -- the display was apparently a decision from the corporate office.

Forever 21 is not known for its cultural sensitivity. Like I've said, what better way to celebrate the lunar new year than to dress up some mannequins with a handsome rice paddy hat? When you're just too lazy to bother with all the things, it serves as a convenient cultural shorthand. Instant Oriental-ness!

Happy Year of the Ram.

(Thanks, Gustavo.)

Hindu temple vandalized with hate graffiti

Swastika found spray-painted on the side of the Hindu Temple Cultural Center in Bothell, Washington.



What the hell, people? This is some upsetting news out of the Seattle area, where a local Hindu place of worship in Bothell was targeted and vandalized over the weekend with racist, threatening graffiti.

Hindu center vandalized with hate speech

One day before their celebration of the Great Night of Shiva, members of the Hindu Temple Cultural Center discovered a red swastika and the words "GET OUT" spray painted on the side of their building:

Read These Blogs

Off Color: What's A 'Good Asian' Like Jenny Yang Doing on Stage?: NBC's 'Off Color' series, which explores the intersection of race and comedy in Asian America, features our friend Jenny Yang, who left her upwardly mobile career as "a proper yuppie" to pursue standup comedy full-time.

* * *
What I Learned Trying to Write a Muslim-American Cop Show for HBO: Writer Wajahat Ali and Dave Eggers wanted to create a cop show about a three-dimensional, fully human character with an interesting job who just happened to be Muslim. Was television ready?

* * *
To the Mother of the Boy Who Bullied My Daughter: "I wonder if you know my truth? I wonder if you ever ponder my side, my daughter's side. I wonder if you know that I had contacted teachers, counselors, principles for six months before my eight-year-old daughter stood up in the middle of that class and told her peers she would no longer take it. Six months, before my daughter stopped playing the victim role handed her."

* * *
With no trademark, Sriracha name is showing up everywhere: David Tran, who operates his family-owned Huy Fong Foods out of a 650,000-square-foot facility in Irwindale, doesn't see his failure to secure a trademark for his Sriracha sauce as a missed opportunity. He says it's free advertising for a company that's never had a marketing budget.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. This is how Bloomingdale's celebrates the Lunar New Year.
What a convenient cultural shorthand.

2. Steven Yeun and Conan Go to the Korean Spa
A painfully hilarious adventure of sweating, touching and nudity.

3. Police altercation leaves grandfather partly paralyzed
His apparent crime: going for a walk. And being brown.

4. Meet the new Top Chef!
Mei Lin and Greg Gourdet cooked their ass off in the finale of Bravo's culinary competition.

5. Angry Reader of the Week: Vivek Murthy
"I love empowering and connecting people so they can create positive change."

6. Alabama cop fired for assault on Indian grandfather
Police officer Eric Parker faces assault charges for severely injuring 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel.

7. What happened to the dash cam video in this police shooting?
Three minutes of crucial squad car footage have (in)conveniently gone missing.

8. Fatal plane crash likely caused by pilot taking selfies
29-year-old pilot Amritpal Singh and a passenger were killed in a crash near Denver.

9. Join us for the "Fresh Off The Air" Online Post-Show
Tuesday, February 10 at 9:05pm PST after 'Fresh Off The Boat'

10. Say what's on your heart with #MuslimVDay cards.
For love in the time of a racialized, islamophobia-ridden America.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

Fourteen Angry Years

It's this blog's birthday.



Good readers, today officially marks the anniversary of Angry Asian Man.

Fourteen years ago today, I pulled some knobs and hit return to upload the very first version of this blog. I didn't even know what I was doing was referred to as "blogging." I wasn't sure anyone would read it, and I sure as hell didn't think I'd have a following. But here we are fourteen years later. I've been working on this thing longer than I've worked on anything in my entire life. I wouldn't be here without you, my awesome readers.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has contributed a helpful link or a tip, or has sent a note of encouragement, or even crappy message of hate. You've fueled the fire that has kept me busting my ass to make this happen, year after year. Thank you to true community, both online and off, and all of the incredible relationships I've been able to forge along the way -- you are the best part of this whole thing.

Thank you to all of you readers, listeners, viewers, contributors, donors, collaborators, sharers, likers, retweeters, high-fivers, huggers, gift-givers and lovers. Thank you to everyone who's bought me a drink or shared a meal. Thank you to all who have shown kindness and support when I needed it, and even a little butt-kicking when I needed that too. Thank you to my family, who have shown me endless patience.

Fourteen years. I keep thinking I've done the math wrong -- I say this every year -- but that's what we've got. There are some big plans and changes coming up. I hope you'll stick with me into year fifteen. Stay Angry.

Angry Reader of the Week: Vivek Murthy

"I love empowering and connecting people so they can create positive change."



Hey, everybody! It's that time again. 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 Dr. Vivek Murthy.

Alabama cop fired for assault on Indian grandfather

Police officer Eric Parker faces assault charges for severely injuring 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel.



In Alabama, the police officer responsible for severely injuring and putting an innocent man in the hospital, paralyzing him, has been fired from the Madison City Police Department and faces assault charges.

Alabama police fire, arrest the officer who badly injured Indian grandfather during sidewalk stop

Madison police officer Eric Parker was arrested for his use of force on 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel, who was visiting from India and staying with his son's family. Mr. Patel, who does not speak English, was on an afternoon walk when he was stopped by police responding to a call about a "suspicious person."

Parker and other officers tried talking to Mr. Patel, but he communicate with them. When the officers tried patting him down, Patel put his hands in his pockets and pulled away. A video released by police shows an officer throwing Mr. Patel to the ground:

Hari Kondabolu: Jokes and Conversations

With Sabrina Jalees, Aparna Nancherla and Ali Wong - Tuesday, February 17 at NYU Kimmel Center



This is going to be awesome. If you're in New York, don't miss the chance to hang out with comedian Hari Kondabolu, the A/P/A Institute at NYU Artist-in-Residence, sitting down to chat with friends and fellow comedians Sabrina Jalees, Aparna Nancherla and Ali Wong. It's happening Tuesday, February 17 at the NYU Kimmel Center. Like I said: awesome.

Here are some more details about the event:

Bloomingdale's apologizes for Lunar New Year "hat" display

"The use of hats was in no way intended to be disrespectful or insensitive to the Asian culture..."



The other day I posted a photo of some mannequins spotted at the Bloomingdale's at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. In celebration of the Lunar New Year, they were decked out in some questionable headwear.

Many of you were not cool with this display, and were quick to contact the folks at Bloomingdale's to let them know how you felt. The hats were reportedly removed from the display immediately.

In fact, I received this message from the store's public relations representatives, with an apology:

Meet the new Top Chef!

Mei Lin and Greg Gourdet cooked their ass off in the finale of Bravo's culinary competition.



Longtime readers know that I'm a huge fan of Top Chef. Last night, the latest season of Bravo's hit cooking competition came to close with a heated showdown in Mexico between two serious kitchen contenders, finalists Mei Lin and Greg Gourdet. The two chefs were the season's early frontrunners, and as they whittled away the field, it became clear that this was going to be one hell of a finale. Who walked away on top?

Steven Yeun and Conan Go to the Korean Spa

A painfully hilarious adventure of sweating, touching and nudity.



It was an adventure that could only happen in Koreatown. The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun recently accompanied Conan O'Brien to film a hilarious segment exploring the wondrous haven known as Wi Spa in Los Angeles. The Korean spa, baby! There was lots of sweating, lots of awkward touching, and lots of painful scouring of skin -- mostly while completely naked. Best of all, they made some new friends.

Take a look:

Connect A Kid's 2nd Annual Comedy Show Fundraiser

Saturday, February 21 at Busby's East



Hey, LA. Connect A Kid is a mentorship program for adopted children. They are throwing their second annual fundraiser, and this year it's a comedy show, featuring acts from Amy Anderson, Kevin Shea, and many more. It's all happening Saturday, February 21, at Busby's East in Los Angeles. Here's more info:

NYPD officer charged with manslaughter in fatal shooting

Peter Liang pleads not guilty to felony charges in the death of Akai Gurley.



On Wednesday, a rookie New York City police officer pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and other felony charges in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in the stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project last November.

Peter Liang, NYPD Officer Who Fatally Shot Akai Gurley, Charged With Manslaughter

27-year-old Peter Liang, the first New York City police officer indicted in more than two years in connection with a fatal on-duty encounter, was arraigned in the shooting of 28-year-old Akai Gurley.

The six-count indictment includes several felony charges, including second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment and two counts of official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Police altercation leaves grandfather partly paralyzed

His apparent crime: going for a walk. And being brown.



In Alabama, police officers are accused of using excessive force on an elderly man, leaving him temporarily paralyzed and hospitalized with a fused vertebrae. His apparent crime: going for a walk. And being brown.

Grandfather visiting Alabama from India stopped by police while taking walk, left partly paralyzed

On Friday, Madison Police responded to a call regarding a "suspicious person" in the neighborhood. That person turned out to be 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel, who was visiting from India and staying with his son's family. Patel, who does not speak English, was on an afternoon walk when he was stopped by police.

According to the police statement, there was a "communication barrier." I don't know how you go from saying "No English" to getting your face slammed into the sidewalk, but you could say things escalated.

ABC greenlights 'Dr. Ken' pilot starring Ken Jeong

Real-life doctor turned actor to star in multi-camera medical comedy.



Dr. Ken is a go. Looks like we could be seeing a few more Asian American faces on television in the near future. ABC has officially greenlit the pilot for the medical comedy Dr. Ken starring Ken Jeong.

Ken Jeong to Star in ABC Medical Comedy Pilot 'Dr. Ken'

Jeong -- a real-life physician turned actor -- will star, write and co-executive produce the multi-camera comedy. He'll play a frustrated doctor juggling his career, marriage and parenting, "but succeeding at none of them."

2015 Seattle Asian American Film Festival

February 12-15 at the Northwest Film Forum



Seattle film lovers! It is time. The 2015 Seattle Asian American Film Festival is happening this week, February 12-15, at the Northwest Film Forum in Capitol Hill. They've packed the program with an awesome selection of films by and about Asian Americans across North America. Will you be there?

The festivities kick off this Thursday with the Opening Night presentation of the acclaimed feature documentary To Be Takei, followed by the Macy's Opening Night party at Velocity Dance Center with musical performances by Hollis Wong-Wear and Prometheus Brown. Sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.

Here's the festival trailer:

Submit a nomination for the 2015 American Courage Awards

Deadline for submissions extended to Friday, February 13.



Do you know someone who has shown extraordinary courage or commitment to the cause of Asian American civil rights? Advancing Justice | AAJC is accepting nominations for the 2015 American Courage Award and Distinguished Service Award. The deadline for submissions has been extended to Friday, February 13.

Here are some more details about the award and the nomination process: