Read These Blogs

Sonya Thomas upset by Miki Sudo in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest: In case you missed the big news over the holiday weekend, Miki Sudo ate 34 hot dogs in 10 minutes to defeat reigning champ Sonya Thomas in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, making her the first new winner in the women's division since women started competing separately in 2011.

Whole Foods investigates apparently racist incident at New York store: Two Whole Food employees are accused of using a racially charged slur to describe a Chinese American customer.

Is It Racist to Ask People Where They're From?: Is it really offensive to ask where someone is from? The Atlantic finds that it depends on the context.

'Columbusing': The Art Of Discovering Something That Is Not New: When is cultural appropriation a healthy byproduct of globalization and when is it a problem?

Asian Americans and the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Mapping Out the Next 50 Years: On the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Mee Moua asks where Asian Americans figure in the national racial picture, and what stake they have in the shifting dynamics of the civil rights arena.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Australian woman's racist train rant caught on video

2. How to Put On Pants Without Using Your Hands

3. Get your racist head charm necklace at Topshop!

4. The Rockets only want one Number 7. And it's not Jeremy Lin.

5. Judge accepts teen's insanity plea in murder of mother

6. Happy Canada Day from Tess Paras

7. Sim Bhullar signs with the Sacramento Kings

8. Freddie Wong and Matt Arnold show their stuff on 'Conan'

9. Angry Reader of the Week: Chris Lu

10. Images from A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America

Stay Angry, my friends.

Angry Reader of the Week: Chris Lu

"I believe passionately in the importance of public service..."



Hey, everybody! Take a moment out of your day 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 Chris Lu.

Images from A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America

The first crowdsourced gallery of the Asian Pacific American experience as lived on one day: May 10, 2014



Happy Independence Day, whatever it may mean to you. Just in time for the Fourth of July, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has launched A Day in the Life of Asian Pacfic America, an incredible, illuminating photo exhibition celebrating the breadth and diversity of our community.

On May 10, 2014 more than 500 people captured over 2,000 photos and videos throughout the course of a single day. From the submissions, curators put together this gorgeous online exhibition -- the first crowdsourced gallery of the Asian Pacific American experience around the world as lived on one day.

Here are some sample photos from the exhibition:

Job Opportunity: Executive Director, Visual Communications

Looking for an exceptional individual to lead one of the nation's premier APA media arts centers



Check it. Know an awesome, amazing arts administrator looking for a job?

We are looking for an Executive Director to lead a nationally recognized, Asian Pacific American media arts organization located in Los Angeles. Visual Communications, a 44-year-old organization, is the presenter of the annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the C3: Conference for Creative Content, and is one of the leading media arts centers in the country serving Asian American creative media professionals.

Here are the position's primary responsibilities and required qualifications:

Australian woman's racist train rant caught on video

"What's wrong with Hong Kong? Why did you come to this country? This is our country."



This one comes to us from Australia... Tell us how you really feel, lady. In Sydney, a woman on a train was caught on camera unleashing a tirade of slurs and racist abuse at an Asian passenger and her children.

Woman launches racist tirade on packed train

55-year-old Sue Wilkins was caught on cell phone camera video calling an Asian woman a "gook," mocking her accent, pulling her eyes back -- the international symbol for "chink"! -- and questioning why the woman came to "our country." The incident was apparently set off when Wilkins couldn't find a seat on the train, and she insisted a group of children give up their seats for her.

Things got real racist, real fast when a man started filming Wilkins as she phoned police to complain about the children not offering her their seats. As you can see in the video, she goes off:

Get your racist head charm necklace at Topshop!

Oh no, it's not racist -- it's "vintage style"



What the fuuuuuuugs... Got this passed along to me via Twitter, and had to roll my eyes at yet another example of bold, blatant racist bullshit trying to get passed off as hipster cool. This grotesquely racist necklace was recently spotted by Twitter user @summoningesther for sale on the rack at a Topshop store.

The necklace is part of Topshop's "Freedom Found" collection, which apparently has an aesthetic emphasis on "faraway lands" and vintage shit like Chinese mask charms. When confronted about the item, the manager said it was "acceptable because it was vintage style and not racist." Ah yes, that excuses everything.

The Rockets only want one Number 7. And it's not Jeremy Lin.

Houston tries to woo Carmelo Anthony with an image of Melo in a Rockets jersey -- Jeremy Lin's jersey



So... the Rockets are hosting Carmelo Anthony today in an attempt to woo the free agent to Houston. The Toyota Center's video marquee was illuminated with a Photoshopped image envisioning Carmelo in a Rockets uniform. The problem: Carmelo the Hypothetical Rocket is wearing a No. 7 jersey -- Jeremy Lin's number.

Sorry Jeremy Lin, if Carmelo Anthony signs with the Rockets, you're giving up your number

It's the number Carmelo wore for the Knicks. But in Houston, that number currently belongs to Jeremy Lin, who is actually on the Rockets roster. In my opinion, the gesture is a big middle finger to our favorite Asian American point guard, whose future with the team has been a major subject of recent trade rumors.

It's no small secret that the Rockets would likely to have shed Jeremy Lin to make space for Carmelo Anthony's contract. The rumors put Jeremy in an awkward spot, but today's stunt sends the message, loud and clear.

Happy Canada Day from Tess Paras

Music video parody mocks Avril Lavigne's "Hello Kitty"



The music video for "Hello Kitty" was allegedly pop star Avril Lavigne's homage to Japanese pop culture. It was a special kind of awful. As I noted, Gwen Stefani was doing this shit like ten years ago.

Many agreed. Actress Tess Paras, the mastermind behind that brilliant Hollywood-skewering "Royals" parody "Typecast," was inspired to write her own musical homage to Avril Lavigne's home country of Canada -- its celebrities, hobbies, foods, and of course, the national animal, The Beaver.

What better way for us Americans to celebrate July 1 -- Canada Day? Take a look:

Sim Bhullar signs with the Sacramento Kings

At 7'5" and 360 pounds, he would be the NBA's biggest player -- and the first of Indian descent



Who's the biggest guy in basketball? New Mexico State University center Sim Bhullar wasn't selected in the 2014 NBA Draft, but he has signed a contract with the Sacramento Kings. Should he make the team's roster, at 7-foot-5 and 360 pounds, he would be the biggest player in the NBA, and the first player ever of Indian descent.

Sim Bhullar Signed by Kings: Latest News, Reaction and Analysis

Bhullar, who became infamous in college basketball circles because of his enormous size, left after his sophomore season at New Mexico State to enter the NBA Draft. He wasn't selected -- honestly, it was a bit of a longshot -- but the 21-year-old center was invited to play for Sacramento in the Summer League and reportedly signed with the Kings on Friday:

37th Asian American International Film Festival

July 24 - August 2 in New York City



New York film fans! Here's what's up. Mark your calendars, because the 37th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision, will soon be upon us. AAIFF is the nation's longest running festival of its kind and the premier showcase for the best in independent Asian and Asian American cinema. This year's lineup includes a total of 18 features and 33 shorts, ranging over 21 countries and regions.

The festivities kick off on July 24 with the Opening Night Gala screening of the documentary Sold at Asia Society, and continues through August 2 at venues throughout New York City. Here's a sampling of some of the festival's spotlight presentations:

Fund This: 'Dandekar Makes a Sandwich'

Dramedy short written and directed by Leena Pendharkar, stars Brian George



I recently heard about this film project that could some crowdfunding assistance... Dandekar Makes a Sandwich, written and directed by Leena Pendharkar, is a short, comedic film about a man who goes to the grocery store to gather the ingredients for the perfect sandwich, and makes an unlikely connection. The film stars Brian George, who Seinfeld fans might recognize as the Pakistani restaurateur Babu.

Here's the pitch video with some more information:

How to Put On Pants Without Using Your Hands

An epic 44-second spectacle of hands-free ass-wriggling proves it can be done



Clearly, I have been investing my time in the wrong skills. Watch as this incredibly nimble young man puts on a pair of pants without the use of his hands. It's an epic 44-second spectacle of hands-free ass-wriggling set to the tune of "The Final Countdown." Yet another blessed reminder of why the internet was invented:

Judge accepts teen's insanity plea in murder of mother

19-year-old Isabella Guzman is accused of fatally stabbing her mother over 150 times



A follow-up on this horrifying case out of Colorado, where a 19-year-old woman, charged with first-degree murder after stabbing her mother over 150 times, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge accepts Isabella Guzman's insanity plea; accused of stabbing mother 151 times

Isabella Guzman, who was 18 at the time, used a knife to stab her mother Yun-Mi Hoy in the face, neck, arms and torso in the bathroom of their home on August 28, 2013. According to police, 151 individual stab wounds were discovered on Hoy's body. She was also beaten with a baseball bat.

Guzman, who was arrested and charged with murder, was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Based on evidence, the district attorney determined that Guzman did not know right from wrong.

Read These Blogs

Veteran returns home to fixed-up surprise: After more than two decades of serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, retired marine Jack Bernardo returned home to find -- surprise! -- his fixer-upper house had been fixed up. Tears.

A SWAT team blew a hole in my 2-year-old son: Alecia Phonesavanh recounts the tragic events that unfolded when police officers raided her family's home in the middle of the night, kicking down the door, throwing a flashbang grenade into her sleeping son's crib and blowing a hole in his chest.

Why We Need to Keep Yuri's Legacy Alive: Christopher Punongbayan, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, on why Yuri Kochiyama's legacy matters.

Remembering Civil Rights Leader Yuri Kochiyama: KQED's Forum invited Professor Diane C. Fujino and Akemi Kochiyama, granddaughter of Yuri Kochiyama, to talk about her life and legacy as a civil rights leader.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. I graded the AP World History exam and all I got was this lousy racist t-shirt

2. Student gets stuck in giant stone vagina

3. Wisconsin man charged in sword attack

4. North Korea calls 'The Interview' an "act of war"

5. Michelle Wie wins U.S. Women's Open

6. ETS and College Board "deeply apologetic" for racist t-shirt

7. 89-year-old finally walks at his high school graduation

8. Angry Asian America Ep. 6: The End of Asians on YouTube?

9. Fund This: 'Welcome to Unity'

10. Arden Cho joins new season of 'Teen Wolf' as series regular

May your weekend be full of nurtured ideas and safe spaces. Stay Angry.

Disoriented Comedy Los Angeles 2nd Anniversary Show

Saturday, July 12 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre



My people in Los Angeles, are you ready to get your comedy on? Dis/orient/ed Comedy, is bringing their first-ever all female (mostly), Asian American stand up comedy tour back home to Los Angeles for their two-year anniversary show, happening Saturday, July 12 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre in Little Tokyo.

The evening's lineup includes Liliana Cervantes, Mona Concepcion, Kyle Mizono, D'Lo, Atsuko Okatsuka and Jenny Yang. All proceeds will benefit Tuesday Night Project. Want discount tickets? Of course you do. Use the promotional code STAYANGRY to get five bucks off your ticket.

Here are some more details about the show:

Angry Reader of the Week: Naomi Ko

"Minneapolis, Minnesota, born and raised. -40° never hurt no one."



Hello, my friends. Allow me to introduce you to the latest 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 Naomi Ko.

Jose Antonio Vargas' 'Documented' premieres Sunday on CNN

Documentary chronicles award-winning journalist's experience as a undocumented immigrant



In June 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning Filipino America journalist Jose Antonio Vargas publicly revealed his status as undocumented immigrant in a New York Times Magazine essay, "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant" -- which thrust him into the national conversation on immigration reform.

Jose's documentary Documented chronicles his experience as an undocumented immigrant and an activist for immigration reform. If you missed its short theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles, Documented makes its national television broadcast premiere CNN on Sunday, June 29 at 9:00pm and 11:00pm ET, and will air again on Saturday, July 5. Make plans, set your DVRs.

Here's the trailer:

ETS and College Board "deeply apologetic" for racist t-shirt

Joint statement addresses "culturally offensive actions" at AP World History Reading



So you may have heard about some of that racist bullsh*t that went down at the Educational Testing Service's annual AP World History Reading earlier this month in Salt Lake City. Some participants reported that, among other culturally insensitive behaviors, organizers printed up t-shirt designs featuring racist caricatures "inspired" by one of the exam questions. You can see images of the shirt here.

ETS and the College Board has issued a statement denouncing "culturally offensive actions" at the reading, apologizing for the distribution of the shirts and calling on ETS to discipline the individuals responsible:

Angry Asian America Ep. 6: The End of Asians on YouTube?

With co-host Jenny Yang and special guests AJ Rafael, Lana McKissack and Aaron Takahashi



Hey, everybody! I am pleased to present the latest episode of Angry Asian America, my YouTube talk show on ISAtv. In this episode, co-host Jenny Yang and I are joined by special guests AJ Rafael, Lana McKissack and Aaron Takahashi. We talk about AJ's recent letter detailing his struggles as an independent musician, as well as recent changes to YouTube -- once a great place for Asian American artists to find an audience -- that have made it a more difficult environment for up-and-coming content creators to thrive.

Check it out:

Boston Korean Adoptees Anniversary Conference

BKA14: August 14-17 in Boston



Attention, Korean adoptees around the country. What's (y)our story? Boston Korean Adoptees invites you to its 10th Anniversary Conference, a gathering of adoptees from around the world. There will be speakers, film screenings, panel discussions and an opportunity to participate in the BKA14 Digital Story Collection project. It's happening August 14-17 at the Omni Parker Hotel in Boston.

Here are some more details about the conference:

Tim Lincecum throws second career no-hitter

"The Freak" no-hits the San Diego Padres. Again.



Awwwww yeah. As a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants, I gotta show some love for pitcher Tim Lincecum, who threw a no-hitter today against the San Diego Padres. Again. Stay classy, San Diego.

Tim Lincecum tosses second no-hitter against Padres

In his second career no-hitter in less than a year -- only the 16th in franchise history -- the 30-year-old veteran held the Padres to just a walk and struck out six, leading the Giants to a 4-0 victory at AT&T Park.

Lincecum becomes just the second major league pitcher, and the first in more than a hundred years, to no-hit the same team twice in his career. He's also the just the fourth active pitcher with multiple no-hitters.

While he's had his share of struggles, Lincecum dominated the Padres -- granted, the weakest-hitting team in the majors -- with 113 pitches. for the superfan, here's a video supercut of all 27 outs:

North Korea calls 'The Interview' an "act of war"

Turns out, North Korea is not okay with a movie about a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un



A few weeks ago, the internet dropped the first teaser trailer for The Interview, the upcoming comedy starring James Franco and Seth Rogen as journalists who score the interview of a lifetime with Kim Jong-Un, only to be enlisted by the CIA to carry out a plot to assassinate the North Korean dictator.

Well, we can confirm that the real North Korea has seen the trailer, and they are not happy about it.

North Korea's take on new US movie: "Act of war"

The release of The Interview would apparently equate an "act of war." According a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry, if the U.S. government doesn't stop the movie's release, it will face "stern" and "merciless" retaliation. Turns out, North Korea does not have a good sense of humor about this kind of thing.

Fund This: 'Welcome to Unity'

Documentary follows a high school football team made up almost entirely of foreign exchange students



Here's an interesting film project that could use your crowdfunding support... Welcome to Unity is a documentary about a small town high school, a group of exchange students, and a football dream.

I remember first hearing about this back in 2009, when NPR aired a story about the Burnt River Bulls, an eight-man high school football team from Unity, Oregon, made up almost entirely of foreign exchange students from Kyrgyzstan, Taiwan, Serbia, South Korea, Germany and China. Most of the kids had never even played the game before, and frankly, they weren't very good. But they were a team.

Filmmaker Katharine Mahalic heard the story too, loved it, and felt compelled to make a documentary about the team, the students, and the town of Unity (population: 100). Watch this video for more information:

89-year-old finally walks at his high school graduation

Don Miyada was sent to an interment camp one month before his high school graduation



It took over 70 years, but Don Miyada finally got to graduate from high school.

In 1942, at age 17, he was pulled out of class at Newport Harbor High School and sent to an internment camp in Arizona, along with his family and thousands of other Japanese Americans, just a month shy of graduation. A teacher later mailed him his diploma. But you know, it's never too late to party like a senior.

Former student interned in World War II gets high school honors

This month, Miyada was invited to participate in the rite of passage he was unjustly denied 72 years ago. The 89-year-old retired university professor donned a cap and gown alongside 560 high school seniors and accepted his diploma with Newport Harbor High's class of 2014.

Kollaboration DC 5, June 28

Asian American Talent Showcase at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre in Arlington



Heads up, D.C.! You are invited to the 5th annual Kollaboration D.C. talent showcase and competition. Six finalists will compete to see who gets to go the finals in L.A. The night will be hosted by former D.C. champ and spoken word artist G. Yamazawa, Jr., and includes a guest performance from DanAKADan. It's happening on Saturday, June 28 at the Spectrum Theater. Here's more info:

Call for Submissions: APAture 2014

Kearny Street Workshop seeks works for its 13th annual multidisciplinary arts festival



Bay Area artists! Kearny Street Workshop, the nation's oldest Asian Pacific American multidisciplinary arts organization, is now seeking submissions for the 13th annual APAture, a multidisciplinary arts festival presenting and examining the work of emerging APA artists living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Here are some more details about the call for submissions:

Fight the good fight with Overeasy and these third graders

"Schoolhouse Remix" samples sights and sounds from an elementary school classroom



Edgar Camago is a San Francisco-based musician and educator who makes music as Overeasy. Check out this super-fun audio/video remix featuring infectious beats and melodies made from samples by the kids in his third grade classroom. It's crazy cute and pretty darn catchy:

Wisconsin man charged in sword attack

29-year-old Young Choi is accused of fatally stabbing his neighbor



What the... Some disturbing news out of Wisconsin, where police say a man stabbed his neighbor to death and injured another man with a long sword. Yes, that is a photo of the suspect, above. I've got nothing.

Watertown police make arrest in sword stabbing death

29-year-old Young Choi was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Dustin Vanderheyden, his neighbor at the boarding house in Watertown where they both lived.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called after Choi was seen with a sword attacking Vanderheyden, who later died in surgery. When a witness yelled at him to stop, Choi turned around and swung the sword at him, cutting him in the hand. After a brief standoff, Choi eventually surrendered to police.

Student gets stuck in giant stone vagina

German firefighters were called to rescue an American student from a six-foot vagina sculpture



So... this happened. Last week in Germany, more than twenty rescue workers were called to rescue an American exchange student who had gotten himself stuck in a bit of a tight spot. Ahem.

American Student Ends Up Trapped in Giant Vagina Sculpture

It seems that the student, in an apparent attempt to get creative with his photo-taking, got himself trapped inside a giant vagina sculpture. Can you imagine having to make that 911 call?

The young stuck American is only being identified as an "exchange student." Given the nature of his emergency, I can understand the desire to remain anonymous. That said, here's the guy in his gloriously ridiculous state of stuck-ness:

Arden Cho joins new season of 'Teen Wolf' as series regular

Fourth season of supernatural teen drama premieres tonight on MTV



Teen Wolf fans surely already know this, but I just wanted to remind you that season four of MTV's mega-popular supernatural drama premieres tonight, featuring our friend (and former Angry Reader of the Week) Arden Cho in her newly-minted, official series regular status as Kira Yukimura.

The show's new opening credit sequence includes Arden as the newest member of the pack:

I graded the AP World History exam and all I got was this lousy racist t-shirt

"Rampant cultural appropriation, cultural insensitivity, and straight up racism" at annual exam reading



Every year, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) -- yes, the folks behind the SAT -- invites over a thousand high school and college educators to Salt Lake City to read and score essays from the AP World History exam. Somebody's gotta do it, right? But I've heard from several attendees who say this year's gathering was marred by "rampant cultural appropriation, cultural insensitivity, and straight up racism."

One of this year's essay questions asked students to discuss Chinese Communism. This apparently became an excuse for organizers to run wild with a week filled with all sorts of culturally insensitive jokes and anti-Asian imagery, from inappropriate comments by the Chief Reader to a t-shirt emblazoned with racist caricatures.

The Chief Reader, who supervised the event, reportedly made jokes about the Tiananmen Square Massacre "Tank Man" ("You don't want to be that guy.") while wearing a Red Guard cap of the Cultural Revolution. He was reportedly one of many people wearing such a cap that week.

To top it all off, each year, the leadership produces souvenir t-shirt to commemorate the reading. It's available for purchase to participants, and the design usually reflects the subject matter of one of the essay questions. You can probably guess how that turned out for this year's reading. Here are the designs for this year's shirt.

Michelle Wie wins U.S. Women's Open

Claims her first major championship with a two-shot victory over Stacy Lewis



That's what I'm talking about. Over the weekend, Michelle Wie won the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. The 24-year-old from Hawaii finished with a two-shot victory over Stacy Lewis to claim her first major title.

Michelle Wie wins U.S. Open

It was a long time coming. Wie first made the cut at the 2003 U.S. Women's Open when she was 13 years old, amidst everyone trumpeting the young phenom as Golf's Next Big Thing. It's been a bit of a rocky road since then, but on Sunday at Pinehurst No. 2, Wie made good on that hype.

Here's the official trophy selfie:

Read These Blogs

We Are Vincent Chin: Thirty-two years ago this week, Vincent Chin died at the hands of two white men who beat him to death with a baseball bat. This Tumblr is one way our community can remember him. Vincent Chin could have been you. He could have been me. We are all Vincent Chin.

Workers At Kum Gang San Allegedly Forced To "Volunteer" As Farm Laborers & Beg For Forgiveness: Servers and bussers at Kum Gang San filed a lawsuit against the popular Manhattan Korean restaurant, accusing the restaurant for all sorts of labor exploitation and humiliation.

Parents of Elliot Rodger's 3 stabbing victims express frustration amid a search for answers: The families of Isla Vista killer Elliot Rodger's first three victims search for answers the police aren't giving, and wonder why media is more interested in the killer than in their sons.

The Problem With a Culture of Excellence: "Saying that Asian Americans, as a whole, do better in school than black Americans is technically correct. But stopping there -- or even opting for simplistic explanations like ‘Asians are hard-working' -- is extremely dangerous."

Here Lies Progress: Asian Actors Fill the Playbill: After decades of inching toward center stage, Asian American theater actors are facing something that they've rarely enjoyed in New York: demand.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Jeremy Lin reads "Mean Tweets" on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

2. What Jubilee might have looked like in the latest 'X-Men' movie

3. Father fatally struck by car in drunk driveway accident

4. This Guy is Officially the Most Excited Player at the World Cup

5. Comedian Hari Kondabolu performs on 'Conan'

6. Seattle man arrested for threatening to kill women

7. Suspects arrested in San Jose road rage killing

8. Wealthy couple sued for holding domestic workers as slaves

9. San Marino Mayor resigns over dog poo incident

10. Meet the 11-year-old golfer playing at the U.S. Women's Open

Thanks to all who have chipped in with a donation. Your support is appreciated! Stay Angry.

Angry Reader of the Week: Yasmine Gomez

All right, folks. It's about time we do this thing we call 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 Yasmine Gomez.

'To Be Takei' to debut on DirecTV

Feature documentary on George Takei will premiere on July 3, followed by a theatrical release



Mark your calendars. The feature film To Be Takei, director Jennifer M. Kroot's documentary about the love, life and career of actor/activist/icon George Takei, will premiere July 3 on DirecTV, where it will run exclusively through August 5. It will then be released theatrically and on all major video on demand outlets on August 22.

George Takei documentary 'To Be Takei' coming to DirecTV before theaters

Whether you're a fan of Uncle George's career-defining role as Hikaru Sulu on Star Trek, a supporter of his outspoken activism for LGBT rights, or just enjoy his newfound fame as an internet personality, To Be Takei is an entertaining, insightful look into the life of a bonafide icon.

This kid just got a planet named after him

MIT's Lincoln Laboratory honors teen scientist Michael Shao



People of planet Earth! You can now look up into night skies (probably through a super high-powered telescope) and see the planet named for a really smart teenage scientist named Michael Shao.

Planet named after Detroit Country Day School student

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory has named a minor planet after Michael Shao, a junior at Detroit Country Day School in Michigan, in recognition of his achievements at the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest high school science research competition.

Shao's project, winner in the Animal Sciences category, analyzed a worm's simple nervous system:

Meet the 11-year-old golfer playing at the U.S. Women's Open

Lucy Li tees off, steals the show as the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women's Open history



11-year-old golfer Lucy Li made history Thursday by becoming the youngest qualifier ever to play at the U.S. Women's Open. She was, hands down, the star of the tournament. And finished the day with some ice cream.

Lucy Li, 11, Tops a 78 With Ice Cream at the U.S. Women’s Open

All eyes were on Lucy, as the sixth grader shot an 8-over 78 in the first round of the tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. Her score left her way behind the leader, two-time major winner and top-ranked Stacy Lewis, but Lucy reportedly played with poise, pigtails and all. She played like a pro.

And a lot of people were watching:

New York Asian Film Festival Poster Art Show

June 27 - July 10 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center



If you're in New York City, check out this awesome exhibition, the New York Asian Film Festival Poster Art Show, presented by Epic Proportions and Subway Cinema, happening June 27 through July 10 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, during the 13th annual New York Asian Film Festival.

Curated by artist/designer Jerry Ma, the show will feature original artwork inspired by new and classic Asian films from the lineups of this year's New York Asian Film Festival and the Old School Kung Fu Fest. Participating comic book artists and illustrators include Larry Hama, Bernard Chang, Ken Knudtsen, SooJ Lee & Jef Castro, Glenn Urieta and John Jennings.

The show kicks off with an opening reception on Saturday, June 28. Here are some details:

San Marino Mayor resigns over dog poo incident

Mayor Dennis Kneier was caught on video throwing a bag of shit on Philip Lao's property



A dramatic development in "Poopgate"... The mayor of San Marino, California has officially resigned, bowing to public outcry after he was caught on video tossing a bag of dog waste onto his neighbor's property.

San Marino mayor resigns after being censured over dog poop incident

Mayor Dennis Kneier was caught on surveillance video throwing bag of crap onto the walkway of his neighbor, Philip Lao, earlier this month. Lao believes this was no accident -- it was dog shit retribution. He claims mayor was upset with him for placing a "NO POOP ZONE" sign outside of his home, as well as his opposition to a proposed dog park nearby. He shared the video publicly, and the footage went viral.

Ten days after the incident, Kneier resigned.

Star Wars... The Musical!?

Musical parody mashes up Disney songs and a galaxy far, far away



Have you ever watched the Star Wars movies -- the original trilogy, not the prequels, heretic -- got really excited with those awesome space battles, blasters and Jedi duels... but felt disappointed because there was just not enough singing in a galaxy far, far away? Then you'll probably get a kick out of Star Wars: The Musical.

Wealthy couple sued for holding domestic workers as slaves

Lured from Indonesia, victims seek damages for years of exploitation and abuse


This week in Los Angeles, three Indonesian women filed a lawsuit alleging that a wealthy businessman and his family fraudulently lured them to the United States to serve as domestic workers and then essentially held them for years as slaves, subjecting them to unlawful and inhumane working conditions and abuse.

Arrested for Human Trafficking, Wealthy Local Couple Sued for Holding Three Domestic Workers as Modern-Day Slaves

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that businessman Hendra Anwar and his wife Astati Halim forced the victims to perform grueling manual labor, denied them fair compensation, withheld their passports and used threats and other psychological abuse to prevent the women from escaping.

'American Revolutionary' opens Friday in Los Angeles

June 20-26 at the Laemmle Pasadena Playhouse 7



Good people of Los Angeles! Want to see an awesome documentary and help celebrate legendary activist Grace Lee Boggs' 99th birthday? American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, directed by Grace Lee, kicks off a theatrical run this Friday, June 20 at the Laemmle Pasadena Playhouse 7.

Twelve years in the making, the film is a moving, inspirational portrait of an incredible American life -- she really does turn 99 at the end of this month -- traversing the major U.S. social movements of the last century. Watch this movie, open your minds, and learn a few things about everything.

Here's the trailer again:

NPR Music and Red Baraat invite you to make some noise

Musicians invited to take part in massive world premiere of "100+ BPM," Saturday, June 21 in Brooklyn



Musicians of New York City! You are invited to take part in a big-ass jam this Saturday, right out on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library. For this year's edition of Make Music New York, NPR commissioned Sunny Jain, founder of Red Baraat, to write a new song that would kick off the season in massive, marching-band style.

The result: "100+ BPM." And they need you to help turn it up. They're inviting all wind, brass and percussionists -- individuals and ensembles, amateur, student or professional -- to join in the world-premiere performance. It's happening Saturday, June 21 at the Brooklyn Public Library.

Suspects arrested in San Jose road rage killing

Police have raised over $100,000 in donations for victim's family



In San Jose, police have arrested two suspects in connection with the road rage killing of 37-year-old family man Phuoc Hong Long Lam, who was fatally shot on the side of the road last month.

San Jose: Arrests made in notorious road-rage shooting that killed father of young sons

17-year-old Fidadelfo Silva Ortiz and 23-year-old Daniel Alejandro Reyes were arrested in California's Central Valley last month in connection with Lam's murder. It's not clear which suspect fired at Lam, but both were inside the car during the incident, which was sparked by a near-collision:

Comedian Hari Kondabolu performs on 'Conan'

Droppin' knowledge about colonialism, chess and talking snakes



In case you missed it, our old comedian pal Hari Kondabolu made a return visit as a guest on Conan last night, dropping a kickass set about colonialism. Yes, that's right. Colonialism. And Hari Kondabolu is, for my money, the best anti-colonialist comedian working today. Listen up as Hari shares why you should be able to back up your opinions with logic and evidence, rather than rhyming cliches:

Fund This: "Carnal Orient"

A short "music video" exploring the nightmarish undertones of Asian fetish



Photo: Erica Hsu

Check this. Were you pissed off by that godawful "Asian Girlz" video that circulated last year? These ladies were, and they decided to do something about it. "Carnal Orient" is a short music video project that seeks to explore and protest the objectification of Asian women as sexual objects for the male gaze. Basically, it's a big middle finger to bullshit like "Asian Girlz" and the longstanding history of sexist, racist media just like it.

Directed by Mila Zuo and Mira Lew, and produced by Camille Mana, with an original score by Angela Seo the band Xiu Xiu, the project is described "a David Lynch/Twin Peaks-inspired psychological inquiry into the nightmarish undertones of Asian fetish." Whoa. They're raising funds for the project through Kickstarter.

Watch this video for more info:

This Guy is Officially the Most Excited Player at the World Cup

Guest Post by @angryplus1



I don't know about you, but even though FIFA is super evil and there are tons of very legit reasons to feel that this soccer spectacle is all a big sham, our household is incredibly excited about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But do you know who's the most excited? 24-year-old Hiroki Sakai, a defender on the Japan National Team.

I mean, just look at his profile picture: