cpaf's 31st anniversary garden party

The Center for Pacific Asian Family, a domestic violence shelter specializing in serving the API population, invites you to its 31st Anniversary celebration this Friday, September 25 at The Historic Adobe Gilmore in Los Angeles. It's a garden party!

Due to the safety needs of the women and children they reach out to, most of the Center's work is kept under wraps. But this annual celebration is an opportunity for the organization to gain more visibility in the community and get the word out about the help that's available. Some details:

Join us for CPAF's 31st Anniversary Garden Party!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
6:00 PM
At the Historic Gilmore Adobe in West Hollywood
(Across from the Farmer's Market at The Grove)

Don't miss this inspirational evening celebrating CPAF's 31 years of supporting and empowering survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Over 200 local businesses, community leaders and guests attend this one of a kind event on the beautiful grounds of the Gilmore Adobe. Spend a Friday evening after work, enjoying wonderful cuisine, entertainment, silent auction and special moments.

All proceeds from this event support many CPAF services, such as our multilingual, 24 hour crisis hotline, emergency and transitional housing shelters, advocacy, counseling services, child and youth programs, and violence prevention workshops.

Purchase your ticket or sponsorship online by clicking CPAF's weblink: www.cpaf.info and then press the "REGISTER" button. You may also download a registration form and mail your payment, either by check or credit card.

For more information, visit CPAF's website www.cpaf.info or contact Harkmore Lee at (323) 653-4045, ext. 210; e-mail: harkmorel@cpaf.info

It's all happening this Friday at the Gilmore Adobe. Tamlyn Tomita will be serving as the evening's emcee; there will be a short program and silent auction for various goodies. They've also commandeered LA's famous Kogi truck for the evening as a featured caterer. And it's all for an excellent cause. For more information about CPAF's 31st Anniversary Garden Party, visit their website here.

call for submissions: thymos book project

What does it mean to be Asian American in the twenty-first century? The Thymos Book project is an anthology out of Portland compiling the experiences of Asian Americans.

The goal is to get people to "tell their stories in their own words; communicate perspectives that challenge or transcend mainstream stereotypes; or simply relate something uniquely personal as an Asian American." They're currently seeking submissions:

What: The Thymos organization of Portland, Oregon is seeking submissions for its anthology of work by Asian Americans.

When: The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2009.

How: Submissions can be sent either by e-mail or postal mail:

E-mail: Thymosbook@gmail.com

Postal mail:

Thymos
P.O. Box 1912
Beaverton, OR 97075

Submission Guidelines:

1. Writer should identify as an Asian American and be affiliated with Oregon. Participation in activism, civic/volunteer work, or general membership in the Asian American community is preferred but not required.

2. Submissions can involve written work of any type including personal essays, analytical articles, fiction, or poetry. Submissions can be also visual in nature such as photographs, drawings, etc. All photos should be in black and white.

3. Written submissions should be no longer than 20 pages typed, 12-point font, and double spaced.

Questions: Contact Larry Yu or Valerie Katagiri at ThymosBook@gmail.com

Sounds like a great opportunity for aspiring Asian American writers to get their stories out there in published form. The deadline to submit is October 31 (I'm told that this is a soft deadline, so you can probably get away with submitting past the date). For more information about the project, and how to contribute, go here.

jim yong kim inaugurated as dartmouth president

Yesterday, Dartmouth College formally inaugurated Jim Yong Kim as the school's 17th president. In his inaugural address at a formal ceremony on the Dartmouth Green, President Kim challenged students to "aspire to change the world": Dartmouth College Inaugurates Dr. Jim Yong Kim as 17th President.

Kim, a former director of the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS department, took over the Dartmouth presidency from James Wright in July. Born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Muscatine, Iowa, Dr. Kim is the first Asian-American to be appointed president of an Ivy League school.

The Dartmouth has extensive coverage of Dr. Kim's inauguration, including video footage of his address, here. One of his first orders of business, among other matters, will be a focus on improving the public perception of the College's Greek system: Kim to focus on Greek system's public image.

dr. sanjay gets the swine flu

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta went to Afghanistan to cover the war, only find himself battling a high fever, sinus congestion and a severe hacking cough. It got bad enough to prompt a visit to a battlefield hospital -- not as reporters, but as patients. Somewhere along the way, he had contract H1N1, aka "swine flu" as it is commonly (and mistakenly called): I went to Afghanistan and all I got was H1N1.

It started as a cough. It wasn't the kind of cough where something is temporarily stuck in your throat. It wasn't the kind of cough where simply clearing your throat would've been adequate. This was the kind of cough that hurts when you do it. A stinging pain that makes you wince and guard and hope that you don't have to cough again any time soon. I thought I might have a fever, but of course, I was in the middle of covering a war in Afghanistan, and the conditions were… well, hot. So, maybe it was that. Problem was, the next day I wasn't feeling any better – in fact, I was worse. I woke up in my dusty desert tent and tried to step out of my sleeping bag. Two steps later, I almost hit the deck. Incoming. Except this wasn't due to any sirens going off, this was due to my own body simply being unable to hold myself up. I was lightheaded and freezing cold – even though it was over 100 degrees outside at that early hour of the morning.

I was nauseated and my entire body hurt. I tried to explain away my symptoms with lots of different excuses. You don't sleep much while covering a war. My bulletproof jacket didn't fit perfectly and was very heavy. There was a lot of dust and dirt, and maybe I had what the Marines referred to as the Kandahar Krud. It turned out to be none of those things.

Oh, the ironies. No worries, though. Dr. Sanjay is expected to make a full recovery. With plenty of rest and fluids, he says he went pretty much back to normal. H1N1 is kind of like... the flu -- with a different name.

mark dacascos dances to "kung fu fighting"

This is a video clip of Mark Dacascos and his partner dancing the cha cha cha this week on Dancing With The Stars. Longtime readers know that I can't stand the song "Kung Fu Fighting" -- and I loathe any movie trailer, scene or commercial that features the song. I wish it would just go away.

I won't say much about this particular routine's use of the song and the ridiculous martial arts theme they've got going on... except that it made me really really sad. Granted, it's Dancing With The Stars -- the cheese factor is already dialed up to eleven. But really? Did it have to be "Kung Fu Fighting"? (Thanks, Corinne.)

advancing justice conference, october 29-30

Heads up. Mark your calendars for the Advancing Justice Conference, an inaugural national civil rights and social justice conference happening October 29-30 at The Center at Cathedral Plaza in Los Angeles.

The conference aims to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders in one place to address a broad range of issues facing the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. It serves as a unique forum where researchers, advocates, direct service providers and other leaders can meet face-to-face, talk about their common challenges and find ways to work collaboratively. Some basic info:

Advancing Justice Conference

October 29-30, 2009

The Center at Cathedral Plaza
555 W. Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA. 90012-2707

The Advancing Justice Conference aims to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders in one place to address a broad range of issues facing the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Taking place over two days, the conference covers a variety of issues including: immigration reform and enforcement, immigrant integration, human rights, civil rights and national security, health care, Census 2010, redistricting, low-wage workers, hate crimes, and LGBT rights. It also includes presentations on corporate and foundation fundraising, new media, community organizing, board and commission participation, capacity building, and intergroup collaboration.

Early bird registration has been extended to Friday, October 2, 2009.

For more information, including schedule, registration and travel information, visit the conference website here. The Advancing Justice Conference is a joint project by the Asian American Institute (Chicago), Asian American Justice Center (Washington, D.C.), Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco) and Asian Pacific American Legal Center (Los Angeles).

If you're planning on attending the conference, I'll be taking part in one of the panel discussions, Don't be Left Behind: Get the Buzz on Integrating New Media Techniques into Your Work, with Ted Fang, Keith Kamisugi and moderator Peter Swing. Hope to see you there.

protect the profits of insurance companies

Spotted Heroes star Masi Oka among the many famous faces who pop up in this hilarious Funny or Die video speaking out to "protect" insurance company profits from the evils of health care reform. Because they need that money to pay for their backyard mini-zoos. "OBAMA WHY?"

Of course, it ends with a call to action, asking people to call their congressmen and tell them we need a strong public option. More here: Protect Insurance Companies PSA: Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm Speak Out Against The Public Option.

the best colleges and universities for aapi students: loyola marymount

This month, to kick off the school year, I'm partnering with Asian Pacific Americans for Progress to bring you a very special list of The Best Colleges and Universities for AAPI Students. Last week and this week, we're profiling the top ten best schools for AAPI student activism (in no particular order). Today's campus is...

Loyola Marymount University
Private University
Location: Los Angeles, California
Founded: 1911
Enrollment: 5,500
API population: 12%
Interesting fact: In 2006, LMU hosted the National APA Women's Forum 10th Anniversary Gathering "Advancing APA Women's Rights: A Decade of Building Power, Justice & Community." AAPI student leaders at LMU worked with NAPAWF to convene over 300 AAPI feminist activists and allies from across the nation to discuss and discuss and formulate strategic action to address issues like human trafficking, reproductive justice, immigrant rights, and ending violence against women.

"I want you to know that my involvement in AAPI student organizations at LMU has been made of not only numerous events and programs, but also friendships and dialogues with so many amazing people, students and faculty alike. I love love love being an LMU student because I love being part of the AAPI community here." - A Nominator

Grounded in its Jesuit institutional mission of social justice, LMU offers the space and resources for AAPI students to develop critical consciousness and leadership skills as activists. From dynamic staff (Dr. Michelle Ko) and student fellows at the Asian Pacific Student Services (APSS) office to the Asian American Studies program, which is the largest among Jesuit Catholic colleges, AAPI students are encouraged to become engaged community members and leaders through several visible programs and events.

Once a month, the APSS team coordinates Third Tuesdays, which brings AAPI musicians, artists, activists, and cultural figures to campus for a night of education and entertainment. Headliners at Third Tuesdays bring cultural/social/political awareness to campus with their appearances. Another APSS program is the Power Trip, which is an empowering series of field trips for students to visit ethnic enclaves throughout Southern California with a focus on dialogue and reflection about the histories and current realities of these communities.

In the 1990s, LMUs AAPI numbers experienced a 50% drop. In response, the AAPI community worked to get the University to hire an undergraduate admissions liaison for AAPI recruitment. Also, students, staff, and faculty have worked collectively to coordinate outreach programs including Preview Days and Overnights for prospective AAPI students. Efforts have also aimed to diversify the ethnic representation of AAPI students at LMU. The successes of these efforts have resulted in increasingly diverse AAPI students on campus and the emergence of many more AAPI student organizations.

AAPI students have also organized voter registration efforts and even phone banked last year against Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. Way to fight for equality even in the context of a Catholic college, where LGBT rights are not exactly supported!

LMU is a wonderful environment to develop transformational leaders within the API community. With the backing of a university mission that encourages social justice, students are constantly encouraged to engage. And they do, which is why they're in the top ten! To see the rest of the Best Colleges and Universities for AAPI Students, go here.

the webseries premiere of megabot

Remember the trailer for the webseries MegaBot I posted a few months back? The first episode, presented by 5432 Films, is up and running now at Atom.com, and it's some damn funny stuff. It's sort of like Voltron or Power Rangers gone really really really wrong:

Seven years ago, five attractive, multi-ethnic students from Anytown High discovered mystical PowerSleeves. United, the PowerSleeves control MegaBot, a colossal crime-fighting robot, designed by Lord Galgon, who must defend Earth from BioBorg invasion, week after week...

MegaBot is directed by Nathan Kitada and Aaron T. Umetani, and produced by Chris Nguyen and Ryan Kim of Cherry Sky Films. It also stars Randall Park as (of course) Yellow. Side note: I'm fairly certain I went to college with Heather Anne Campbell, who plays Pink.

Episodes 2-5 will drop every Wednesday exclusively on Atom.com. You can also enjoy additional content at the MegaBot website, as well as the 5432 Films YouTube channel. And get yourself a MegaBot t-shirt here.

sam yoon's mayoral run cut short

Big bummer in Boston. Thomas M. Menino, the city's longest-serving mayor, won a preliminary election yesterday, beating out City Councilor Sam Yoon to retain his seat: Boston Mayor Wins a Round.

Under the rules of the election, the top two vote-getters will now face each other in a general election on November 3. Menino will be opposed by Michael Flaherty, the president of the City Council.

Menino received slightly more than 50 percent of the vote. Flaherty drew just under 24 percent. Yoon came in third with 21 percent of the vote, taking him out of the running. View the full election results here.

It was a hard-fought battle, and Yoon's supporters -- many of us not even in Boston voters -- really believed he was was the right candidate to take Boston into the future. Alas, we will not be seeing Boston's first Asian American mayor. Not yet, that is.

live webcast with jennifer chung on fra

Check it out YouTube music fans... The lovely and talented Jennifer Chung will be appearing tomorrow night on FRA (Future Rockstars of America) to perform a few songs along with a live interview. Tune in to the live webcast tomorrow night, September 23 at 7:00pm PST and find out why she has over 85,656 subscribers (I'm one of them).

apply to manaa's 2009 media scholarship

MANAA, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, is offering a $1000 scholarship for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers as filmmakers and in television production (but not broadcast journalism -- I guess we have enough of you out there).

Scholarship recipients will be selected on the basis of their academic and personal merit, desire to uplift the image of Asian Americans in film and television as demonstrated in their essay, potential as demonstrated in their work sample, and financial need. Here are some guidelines:

STUDENTS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

1. A copy of all official transcripts.
2. Two letters of recommendation, one that evaluates academic and artistic aptitude and another that speaks to the student’s interest and involvement in the community.
3. A double-spaced essay consisting of no more than 1,000 words addressing the following items: Describe your involvement in the Asian/Pacific Islander Community. How does this involvement influence your creative work? How do you see how your creative work will influence the API community or how it is perceived in the next five to ten years?
4. A work sample consisting of a short film or screenplay. Materials will not be returned.
5. A statement of special financial need or hardship.
6. A resume of both your work history and your community involvement.

The deadline for submission is Friday, October 30, 2009. Send all completed applications to MANAA Scholarship, P.O. Box 11105, Burbank, CA 91510. Please do not send applications via certified or registered mail.

They're looking to award students who have a strong desire to advance a positive and enlightened understanding of the Asian American experience in the mainstream media. Hey, it has to start somewhere, right? So get those applications in! For more information, visit the MANAA website here.

watch the killing of a chinese cookie on snagfilms

Thought you should know that Derek Shimoda's informative and entertaining documentary, The Killing of a Chinese Cookie, is now available for viewing online (for free!) at SnagFilms.

The film explores the not-so-Chinese origins of the fortune cookie, and how it has become a part of American popular culture. View it here, or purchase the DVD at Amazon.com. And to learn about the movie, go here.

justin lin to direct highlander remake

This is oddest movie news of the day... Summit Entertainment has announced that Justin Lin will direct a remake ("re-imagination") of Highlander. Yes, you read that right. Highlander. There can only be one: Fast & Furious Director To Remake Highlander.

Justin Lin is the director behind such films as Fast & Furious, Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Annapolis, Finishing the Game, and of course, Better Luck Tomorrow. He's teaming with Iron Man screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway for a new take on the Highlander mythology. Here's the press release:

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT HARNESSES FILMMAKING TEAM BEHIND FAST & FURIOUS FOR THE STUDIO'S RE-IMAGINATION OF HIGHLANDER
Acclaimed Action Director Justin Lin and Producer Neal H. Moritz Join IRON MAN Screenwriters Marcum and Holloway, Original HIGHLANDER Producer Peter Davis on Board

Los Angeles, CA September 22, 2009 - Summit Entertainment announced today that it has tapped the filmmaking team behind this spring's hit film FAST & FURIOUS – director Justin Lin and producer Neal H. Moritz – to direct and produce respectively the studio's re-imagination of the cult film HIGHLANDER. Summit's HIGHLANDER is being written by IRON MAN screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. Peter Davis, long time producer of HIGHLANDER, will also produce the film. Summit acquired the rights to remake the cult classic from Davis - Panzer Productions, Inc. in May of 2008.

Summit's film will expand on the original HIGHLANDER's core mythology of immortals battling amongst us, hunting each other through the ages by tapping its newly minted creative team to take its re-imagination to new heights. Plans call for the re-imagination to spur a new franchise for the studio.

"We are privileged to have this amazing opportunity to reinvent one of the great franchises," said Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairman of Summit Entertainment. "Neal and Justin have proven more than once that they can deliver an entertaining and exciting blockbuster."

Added Peter Davis of Davis-Panzer Productions, "Justin and Neal are an exciting directing/producing team and I am confident that they will deliver a truly dynamic film while being totally respectful of HIGHLANDER Legend."

In HIGHLANDER, after centuries of dueling to survive against others like him, Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his kind, a murderously brutal barbarian, who lusts for the fabled Prize.

Justin Lin most recently directed the hit action film FAST & FURIOUS, the fourth film of the FAST & FURIOUS franchise. He also directed THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, and BETTER LUCK TOMORROW.

In addition to FAST & FURIOUS, Neal Moritz and his Original Film banner have produced a myriad of action films including the upcoming FLASH GORDON and THE GREEN HORNET as well as I AM LEGEND, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS, and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

Lin and Moritz are represented by CAA.

The original 1986 Highlander tells the tale of Connor Macleod, an immortal Scottish swordsman battling other immortals across time... until there is only one. Okay, it sounds dumb, but it was a fairly cool movie for its time that spawned several godawful sequels and TV series.

Could this work? Yes. While the original Highlander was cool, with a kickass premise, let's face it -- the movie hasn't aged very well. The story could use an update. Hell, they need to take an eraser to the entire franchise after the original movie. I'm on board for this. The only question remains -- will they retain any of that badass Queen soundtrack?

luckyfortune iphone app: ching chong in your pocket

Saw this over on Jennifer 8. Lee's Fortune Coookie Chronicles blog: Now You Can Get Fortune Cookies on Your iPhone with a Ching Chong voice. She's talking about a new iPhone app some idiot thought up, where you can shake your phone and the fortune cookie rolls around and breaks the sound of (you guess it) a gong.

But it gets worse! Then you hear the voice of some fool faking a wonton accent, who reads your fortune. As Jennifer points out, "It definitely doesn't sound like a native Chinese speaker, just what someone who thinks a native Chinese speaker would sound like in English."

Yeah, we like to call that ching chong around here. All of this, of course, would not be complete without that idiotic ching chong tune we all know and loathe. Thanks, LuckyFortune. That's racist! More here, including video of the app in action: iPhone Gets First Racially Offensive App.

federal dropped against hmong leader vang pao

Last week federal prosecutors dropped charges against Vang Pao, the exiled Hmong general accused two years ago of plotting with a band expatriates to overthrow the communist regime in their homeland of Laos: Federal charges dropped against Hmong leader Vang Pao.

Vang had been singled out as the alleged ringleader of the bizarre scheme to launch a coup -- reputedly with mercenaries armed with AK-47 assault rifles and Stinger missiles -- in the summer of 2007. But on Friday, prosecutors filed motions abandoning charges against the general.

However, they maintained the counts against a dozen of his alleged comrades and added new ones. U.S. Atty. Lawrence Brown of Sacramento offered no explanation for why the charges were dropped against Vang Pao but not the others, who face the possibility of life in prison.

The general is respected and revered as a leading influential figure among the many Hmong refugees who resettled in the United States after the Vietnam War. News of the dropped charges reverberated throughout the Hmong American community. More here: Charges dropped against Laotian hero in Calif. And here: Gen. Vang Pao's Release Momentous for Young Hmong Americans.

boston can't wait another four years

For those of you in Boston, the preliminary election is today, so please remember to vote for what you want, not what you think you can get. Vote Sam Yoon for Mayor. Like he says in this video, Boston can't wait another four more years. The time is now.

the best colleges and universities for aapi students: uiuc

This month, to kick off the school year, I'm partnering with Asian Pacific Americans for Progress to bring you a very special list of The Best Colleges and Universities for AAPI Students. Last week and this week, we're profiling the top ten best schools for AAPI student activism (in no particular order). Today's campus is...

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Public University
Location: Urbana and Champaign, Illinois
Founded: 1867
Enrollment: 31,000
API population: 12.8%
Interesting fact: Famous Asian American alumni include YouTube founders Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, author Iris Chang, filmmaker Ang Lee, spoken word performers Kelly Tsai and members of (I Was Born With) Two Tongues, interfaith community organizer and author Eboo Patel, Chinese American Studies scholar Betty Lee Sung, and legendary journalist K.W. Lee.

"Even though we’re centered amidst the cornfields of Central Illinois, we're home to a vibrant AAPI population." - A Nominator

Yes, indeed, in the middle of the Midwestern cornfields is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which has been a place for Asian American activism since the 1970s. UIUC offers a strong Asian American Studies program and Asian American Cultural Center, which were both created out of community organizing and activism. These spaces offer a multitude of opportunities for students to learn about AAPI issues and to grow as community leaders.

In 2004, the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC) won their campaign for a building to house the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC), which opened in 2005 with 6,800 square feet!

The AACC now hosts conferences, workshops, performances, organizational meetings, etc. And ever week, the AAC hosts "Food for Thought," a program geared towards educating students on AAPI-related issues. The lunch and lecture series has featured more than 100 different topics and speakers over the last 4 years of its existence. Lecturers from the past include: Helen Zia, Vincent Who? producer Curtis Chin, George Takei, Ang Lee, Secret Identities book tour, and the cast of N*gger, Wetb*ck, Ch*nk. And this semester, MIT's Jeff Ma will be visiting the campus.

With the AACC as a home base, APAC organizes an annual conference, "UnSEEN, UnHEARD" to empower API students to define their identities and to fight against apathy among AAPIs. On top of their very hectic ongoing activities, UIUC students are now working to get the University to disaggregate ethnic data on AAPI enrollment.

UIUC landed in the top ten with some high praise from actor Parry Shen, who said, "I've spoken at close to 100 different colleges/high schools and this school is by far the best school for AAPIs with the best resources and with innovative programming week after week, year after year and they should be recognized for it so that other schools can hopefully adopt this model that Urbana-Champaign has set in place." That’s some major props! To see the rest of the Best Colleges and Universities for AAPI Students, go here.

far east movement joins the party rock tour

Can't say I'm a huge fan of LMFAO, but the good news is that they've invited our boys, the Far East Movement to join them on the Party Rock Tour with The Paradiso Girls and Space Cowboy, with shows all over the United States. They'll be rocking the show in places where no Asian has gone before. Here's the complete list of tour stops:

11/05/09 Reno, NV @ Pearl at Grand Sierra
11/06/09 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
11/07/09 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
11/09/09 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
11/10/09 Vancouver, Canada @ Gossip
11/12/09 Seattle, WA @ Showbox at The Market
11/14/09 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
11/17/09 Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/18/09 Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
11/19/09 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
11/20/09 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
11/21/09 Party Rock Tour @ The Rave
11/22/09 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
11/24/09 Des Moines, IA @ People’s Court
11/27/09 Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargos
11/28/09 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
11/29/09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel
11/30/09 State College, PA @ The Cell Block
12/01/09 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
12/03/09 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
12/04/09 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
12/06/09 Farmingdale, NY @ Crazy Donkey
12/08/09 Richmond, VA @ The National
12/09/09 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
12/10/09 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
12/11/09 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
12/14/09 Orlando, FL @ Firestone
12/17/09 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
12/18/09 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
12/19/09 San Antonio, TX @ The White Rabbit
12/20/09 McAllen, TX @ Las Palmas Event Center

Are you ready, Des Moines? Myrtle Beach? Norfolks? Far East Movement is coming to your city! Come out and support some of the hardest working guys in hip hop. For further details, go to the FM website here. And buy your tickets here.

man arrested in rape of 70-year-old woman

Read this news and it made me sick... What the hell is wrong with people? One guy is particuar. Last week in Hawthorne, California, police officers interrupted a man in the act of brutally beating and raping a 70-year-old woman: Police catch suspect in brutal Hawthorne beating-rape; victim in critical condition.

The victim was so badly beaten, officers could not recognize her facial features. She suffered severe head injuries, and was initially described as an Asian woman, 50 to 55 years old. She was later identified when her son reported her missing and then saw television coverage of the crime.

The suspect, Gary Devaughn Labon, tried to run from officers, but was subdued in a struggle when officers shot him with a Taser stun gun. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and rape. Labon previously served a prison term in Pennsylvania for sexual assault.

The victim is still unconscious in the hospital: 70-year-old is ID'd as victim of Hawthorne rape. As for Labon, that guy needs to rot in a dark, dirty cell for the rest of his life. More here: Hawthorne rape suspect has a criminal past.