Is Christopher Nolan working on the live-action 'Akira' movie?

It's the movie project that will not die.



NOOOOOOOOO. No. Noooo. It's the movie project that will not die. Warner Brothers is determined to make the live-action Akira movie happen. The latest unsubstantiated rumor is that none other than Christopher Nolan is in talks to direct a possible film trilogy based on Katsuhiro Otomo's sci-fi manga classic.

Christopher Nolan Finds Himself At the Center of the Biggest Akira Movie Rumor Yet

According to a source close to Warner Brothers, the studio is planning to make a trilogy of films based on Akira, and Christopher Nolan, director Inception, Interstellar and The Dark Night trilogy, recently met with a previously attached filmmaker to talk about the project.

Keep in mind that at this point, this is just a sliver of a guy-who-told-another-guy kind of rumor, in a town full of such rumors. Maybe he's directing it. Maybe he's a producer. I don't actually care. The main takeaway here is that this thing is still on, and my money says they're probably still play on whitewashing the hell out of it.

'The Mikado' in Yellowface Is Coming to The Skirball Center of the Performing Arts and We Should Talk About It

By Leah Nanako Winkler



I'm biracial. Which means that people from two opposite cultures (Japan and America in my case) have freely been talking to me about race in two languages with no filter before I knew what the words meant. So before you dismiss these thoughts as "angry" or a product of a creepy "PC Culture" know that it's an impetuous sense of comfort that drives me to talk and write about these issues in my daily life as they come up because, well, race has been a part of my daily life since I was born. So when this flyer for The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players production of The Mikado at the NYU Skirball Center For The Performing Arts was delivered to my office on a peaceful Monday morning, I felt totally comfortable calling them directly to ask questions.

Hate crime charges added to beating of Sikh man

Inderjit Mukker was repeatedly punched in the face and called "terrorist" and "Bin Laden"



In Illinois, the DuPage County State's Attorney announced Tuesday that the teen who beat a Sikh man in the face in Darien last week, calling him "terrorist" and "Bin Laden," has been charged with a hate crime, in addition to the previous charges of felony aggravated battery. Turns out, it wasn't just a "road rage incident."

Hate crime added to charges in beating of Sikh man in Darien

Last week in the Chicago suburb of Darien, 53-year-old Inderjit Singh Mukker, who wears a turban and a beard in observance of his Sikh faith, was viciously beaten in his car after being called "terrorist" and "Bin Laden" and told to "go back to your country." He was repeatedly punched in the face and lost consciousness.

State's Attorney Robert B. Berlin announced that his office has filed an amended juvenile petition to include one count of hate crime, a Class 4 felony, in addition to the five counts of aggravated battery. The decision was made after further investigation and the discovery of additional evidence in what was previously described as a "traffic altercation." Public outcry over the missing hate crime charge probably didn't hurt either.

CAUSE Civic Engagement Leadership Fellowship 2015-16

Now accepting applications for CAUSE's leadership development fellowship for graduate students.



Hey graduate students! If you're in Southern California, interested in public affairs, studying in the fields of political science, public policy or public administration, and looking for an opportunity to actively engage with the APA immigrant community, here's a great fellowship opportunity for you.

The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment is now accepting applications for the CAUSE Civic Engagement Leadership Fellowship (CELF), a leadership development fellowship program geared towards graduate students interested in becoming greater civic leaders for the benefit of the APA community.

Here are some more details about the fellowship:

New Music: "3am Apologies" by Mark Redito

R.I.P. Spazzkid



Spazzkid is no more. Los Angeles producer Mark Redito, who's been making awesome music under the moniker of Spazzkid for a minute, recently announced that he's now simply going by his given name.

Mark explained that part of the decision to transition his stage name was the consideration of "spaz" as a derogatory term, as well as changes in the general creative direction of his work.

Special needs student found dead inside school bus

19-year-old Paul Lee, who had a severe form of autism, was left inside a hot bus for several hours.



This is awful news out of Southern California... On Friday afternoon in Whittier, a special needs student was found dead inside a school bus. While the cause of death is still under investigation, it is believed he was on the hot bus for several hours while temperatures soared.

Autopsy Underway for Special-Needs Student Found Dead on Whittier School Bus

19-year-old Hun-Joon Lee, also known as Paul, boarded the bus on Friday morning. That afternoon, police found himfound lying dead in the aisleway of the bus, which was parked in the school district parking lot. The substitute bus driver apparently forgot Paul was onboard.

The Lee family questions how Paul, who had a severe form of autism, stood 5-foot-11 and weighed almost 300 pounds, could have been overlooked. They believe he was the on the bus and forgotten for almost nine hours.

Ken Jeong promises there won't be any dog jokes on 'Dr. Ken'

Watch PaleyFest's panel with the stars of 'Dr. Ken.'



Over the weekend in Los Angeles, the Paley Center for Media hosted a screening and panel discussion for the upcoming ABC sitcom Dr. Ken as part of the PaleyFest Fall TV Previews. Audience members were treated to a screening of the pilot episode and a discussion with the stars of the show.

I had the honor and privilege of moderating the panel, which included executive producer/star Ken Jeong, Suzy Nakamura, Krista Marie Yu, Albert Tsai, Dave Foley, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Jonathan Slavin, Kate Simses and executive producer/showrunner Mike Sikowitz. They're an awesome cast and it was a ton of fun.

Jeong, who is very much the captain of this ship, talked about how the show has found its creative groove ("We are so on fleek right now"); what kind of Asian jokes they will not be making ("There won't be a goddamn dog joke in the fucking show"); and the awesomeness of kid actor Albert Tsai (He's "a national treasure").

The panel was streamed live on Yahoo, and is archived here. Check it out:

Awesome photo of "Umbrella Dad" goes viral

Father's soaked shirt is giving folks the feels.



This awesome photo of a dad shielding his kid from the rain is my favorite thing on the internet today. They're calling him "Umbrella Dad." The photo, taken in Flushing (other commenters have been claiming it's Vancouver), was posted online three days ago and went viral on Reddit after folks got the feels from seeing a combination of the dad's totally soaked shirt, the kid's cool lion backpack, a juicebox in his hand and a spring in his step. Thanks, Dad.


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Jeremy Lin had to convince a Hornets security guard that he plays for Charlotte

"Went to the Hornets arena for 1st time and tried convincing security im a player. She said, 'what team?!?'"



After bouncing around to several NBA teams over the last three years, I imagine that newly signed Hornets guard Jeremy Lin is arriving in Charlotte with a few things to prove. But first, he'll have to prove that he belongs on the team. No, really -- he'll have to prove that to the Hornets' security in order to get into the team arena.

Jeremy Lin says Hornets security didn't believe he was NBA player

Over the weekend, Jeremy went to Time Warner Cable Arena, where the Hornets play, for the first time and apparently had a little bit of trouble at the door convincing arena security that he's a player. Not a fan. Not a trainer. A player. With a two-year $4.4 million contract to play for the Charlotte Hornets.

Jeremy tweeted about the incident with a good-natured "lollll":

No hate crime charges in attack on Sikh man

Inderjit Mukker was repeatedly punched in the face and called "terrorist" and "Bin Laden"



In Illinois, charges have filed against the teenager who brutally beat a 53-year-old Sikh man last week, calling him "terrorist" and yelling "Go back to your country, Bin Laden!" However, inexplicably, the assailant is not being charged with a hate crime. Prosecutors are calling the incident a "traffic altercation." The hell?

Charges filed against Willowbrook teen in Darien beating

The 17-year-old assailant, who was not named by the state's attorney's office, is charged with five counts of aggravated battery for the "traffic altercation," in which he punched Inderjit Mukker multiple times in the face last Tuesday evening in the Chicago suburb of Darien.

Mr. Mukker, who wears a turban and beard in observance of his Sikh faith, was on his way to the grocery store when another driver began yelling at him, calling him a "terrorist" and "Bin Laden." After repeatedly cutting off Mukker's vehicle, they pulled over to the side of the road. The other driver got out of his car and repeatedly beat Mukker in the face, knocking him unconscious.

How is this not a hate crime?

Read These Blogs

The Collected Poems of YFC: "This blog is authored by a group of Asian North American writers who are responding critically to Hudson's exploitation of an Asian American identity. We support the demand that Hudson stop using the name of Yi-Fen Chou."

* * *
When White Poets Pretend to Be Asian: By now, you may have heard about the racefakery of Michael Derrick Hudson, who took up the pen name "Yi-Fen Chou." This is not a new thing. When it comes to literary hoaxes, it seems somehow easier to fake Asia, a land still distant and inscrutable to many Americans.

* * *
They Pretend To Be Us While Pretending We Don't Exist: White poet Michael Derrick Hudson's use of the Chinese pen name Yi-Fen Chou was an act of yellowface that is part of a long tradition of white voices drowning out those of color in the literary world. Jenny Zhang writes a powerful essay talking about the struggles of being a woman writer of color.

* * *
Why A White Poet Posed As Asian To Get Published, And What's Wrong With That: Ken Chen, executive director of the Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York, comments on Michael Derrick Hudson, the segregated labor market, and coming up with a #WhitePenName.

* * *
Two Phenomenal Asian American Poets Published in Best American Poetry 2015: Let's forget about Michael Derrick Hudson and talk about Jane Wong and Monica Youn, whose poems appear in Best American Poetry 2015.

CAAMFest San Jose Artist Spotlight: Greg Pak

A conversation with the acclaimed comic book writer and filmmaker, September 20 at Camera 3



If you're in the Bay Area, head out to the South Bay and don't miss your chance to hang out and hear from award-winning comic book writer and filmmaker Greg Pak. CAAMFest San Jose invites you to a special conversation with Greg on his remarkable work and career, moderated by acclaimed writer and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang. It's happening Sunday, September 20 at Camera 3 in San Jose.

Here are some more details about the event:

New 'Fresh Off The Boat' poster parodies "Nighthawks"

Season two's key art is a Taiwanese American take on Edward Hopper's modern masterpiece.



It looks like the Huangs have taken over another classic piece of Americana. ABC just dropped the poster for season two of Fresh Off The Boat, and it's pretty friggin' great. Inspired by another iconic painting -- last season's poster was a fun spin on Grant Wood's American Gothic -- season two's key art is a clever Taiwanese American take on Edward Hopper's oft-parodied modern masterpiece Nighthawks.

Here's the full poster:

U.S. drops charges against scientist accused of spying

The Justice Department has moved to drop the espionage case against physicist Xiaoxing Xi.



On Friday, the Justice Department abruptly dropped criminal charges against a scientist who was accused of sharing sensitive technology with China. Why? In a federal court filing, prosecutors stated that "additional information came to the attention of the government." In other words, they f*cked up. A lot.

U.S. Drops Charges That Professor Shared Technology With China

Last May, the Justice Department arrested 57-year-old Xiaoxing Xi, the former chairman of Temple University's physics department and a globally recognized expert in the field of superconductivity. Mr. Xi, a naturalized American citizen, was accused of sending sensitive information to scientists in China. Federal agents, guns drawn, raided his home and took him away in handcuffs.

The most damning piece of evidence appeared to be schematics for a piece of semiconductor research equipment known as a pocket heater. Prosecutors say Xi sent the schematics, which he had sworn to keep secret, to scientists in China. Unfortunately, neither the FBI nor the Justice Department bothered to put in the research to figure out the embarrassing truth: the schematics were not for a pocket heater.

Angry Reader of the Week: Sheng Wang

"Grateful. Silly. Son of Taiwanese immigrants. Considerate party guest."



What's up, good people of the internet. It is time, once 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 Sheng Wang.

Finding love the old fashioned Indian way in 'Meet the Patels'

Ravi Patel and Geeta Patel's romantic comedy documentary is now playing in theaters.



We're all Patels, on some level. The feature documentary Meet the Patels, directedy by brother-and-sister team Ravi and Geeta Patel, is a real-life romantic comedy about one man's quest to find love the old-school Indian way. The film opens in limited release this weekend in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. It's marvelous.

The film begins with Ravi reeling from a breakup with his white girlfriend Audrey. Though they dated for two years, he never told his parents about her. Ravi's parents expect their son will marry a nice Indian girl -- preferably a Patel, from their hometown province of Gujarat -- and bless them with a brood of grandchildren.

Ravi's head and heart are still spinning, but he's struck with the overwhelmingly happy marriages of his Patel family. Especially his parents, Vasant and Champa, the model couple for old-fashioned Indian marital bliss, who got matched and married after meeting for ten minutes. Ravi is American as it gets, but if Indian matchmaking worked for them, and so many other people, could it help him find love too?

Missing woman found safe after staging her disappearance

Moua Vang made it look like she had been abducted so she could leave her family.



In Washington state, a flower vendor who had been missing since Tuesday has been found safe after admitting to staging her own disappearance to look like an abduction so she could leave her family.

Police: Missing Lakewood woman found safe, admitted to staging her disappearance

Moua Vang went missing from the Lakewood Farmer's Market on Tuesday night. Her van and belongings were found in disarray, and police said the scene looked like she possibly went missing under suspicious circumstances. But it turns out that Vang staged it all to look like she had been kidnapped.

Vang apparently traveled out of town, but changed her mind about leaving and decided to come home. While boarding the flight back to Seattle, she was flagged by homeland security, which notified police in Lakewood. She was met at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by detectives working the case.

Plate by Plate San Francisco, September 19

Project by Project's 6th Annual Tasting Benefit



San Francisco, are you ready to get your eat on? Project by Project SF presents its sixth annual Plate by Plate, a tasting benefit featuring over 40 acclaimed restaurants and beverage purveyors. In addition to the food and beverages, the evening includes a silent auction, live music, photobooth, hashtag competitions and an afterparty. It's happening Saturday, September 19 at The Village in San Francisco.

Here are some more details about the event:

regarding the yellowface poet

By Franny Choi



[ Poem in response to m.d.h., white poet who used a Chinese pseudonym to get published in Best American Poetry. ]

Police suspect foul play in flower vendor's disappearance

31-year-old Moua Vang was last seen at the Lakewood Farmer's Market.



In Washington state, authorities and loved ones are asking for the public's help finding a flower vendor who has been missing since Tuesday. Police say that her disappearance is suspicious, and suspect foul play.

Police suspect 'foul play' in flower vendor's disappearance

31-year-old Moua Vang was last seen Tuesday afternoon selling flowers at the Lakewood Farmer's Market. Her family last heard from her at about 4:30pm, and police found her abandoned van in the area a few hours later.

The van's doors were left open and her belongings, including her keys and cell phone, were still inside the vehicle. Police say it looks like something might have gone wrong suddenly, perhaps as Vang was packing up her flower stand. She may have been abducted.