It was 1988. The year both the Lakers and Dodgers won their respective league’s World Championship. The cherry on top was when I found out the Lakers were dropping their first ever LP. Excited, I forgone lunch for three days to accrue enough money to purchase the album (a strategy I applied often as a kid in order to buy stuff). Expecting pandemonium on its release date, I woke up extra early and headed out to my nearest Music Plus store. Surprisingly, there was no one else in sight. When the workers arrived they gave me funny looks as they opened up shop. I didn’t care because at that moment I knew I’d be the first person in the world to purchase the “first ever” LP released by the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Just Say What?
Astronaut Didn’t Change His Underwear For A Month In Space
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata returned to earth today on the space shuttle Endeavour after spending 4 ½ months living in an orbiting space station. One of the experiments he conducted during his stay in space was to wear the same underwear for a whole month.
It was all part of a study to see how the J-Wear brand of Japanese underwear held up under such extreme conditions. It’s a new line of underwear (as well as shirts, pants and socks) that is “anti-bacterial, water-absorbent, odor-eliminating” and designed specifically for long space voyages where it would be impractical to pack a lot of clothing.
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If you could live for 1 year in any period in history, any place, when/where would you pick?
I’ll grant you immunity – you can go to the most dangerous place ever, and you won’t get hurt. You’re welcome! so feel free to pick an exciting, risky time.
aww yeah
Krazy Karaoke
Asians acting like fools during karaoke is an internet mainstay. For some reason, schoolgirls, fey dudes from Korea or Chinese Backstreet Boys pretty much take the cake in this department.
I guess it’s the William Hung-ification of bad singing and weird dance techniques, but I find this following clip from Japan pretty hilarious.
Asians acting like fools during karaoke is an internet mainstay. For some reason, schoolgirls, fey dudes who love Mariah Carey (both from Korea), or Chinese Backstreet Boys pretty much take the cake in this department.
I guess it’s the William Hung-ification of bad singing and weird dance techniques, but I find this following clip from Japan pretty hilarious. 
Japanese comedians are truly a unique bunch. This duo is known as Tetsu and Tomo. They are an owarai duo, and Japan has a rich comedy tradition. It’s broad and slapsticky but… sooo Japanese.
Confessions Of A Thrifty Ice Cream Ho
When I hang out with my fellow Offenders, our social interactions always usually revolve around food. Most of us will pretty much eat anything and in mass quantities because we’re slobs pigs passionate about the things that make life worth living. I say this because I want to make it clear that I’m not one of those guys who only eat salads and oatmeal and protein bars and my fellow Offenders will back me up on that. If I feel like eating a large pizza with everything on it, then, damn it, that’s exactly what I’ll eat with no apologies and guilt.
But there is one thing I try to resist as much as I can. And this is it:
How to Survive An Attack By An Asian Vampire
If you’re like me, you may be suffering Hollywood vampire overload with recent projects like Twilight, True Blood and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Now, our Asian brethren have also gotten into the act. Just this month alone, we’ve seen the vampire-themed films Blood: The Last Vampire and Thirst (opening in select theaters tomorrow). So while vampire consciousness pervades our culture, this is a prime teachable moment and a good opportunity for me to once again offer practical advice that could save your life. This time–about what you should do in the event you are attacked by an Asian vampire.
Where is Long Duk Dong?
Every Asian American male growing up in the 80′s have a Long Duk Dong story to share. Now that it’s been 25 years since his introduction to the world courtesy of Mr. John Hughes, I’m just curious of his whereabout.
18 MMW Wants You To Bow Down To Your Asian Masters
Ok, too lazy indifferent busy to do a proper blog entry today, but wanted to plug an upcoming show from the dudes at 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, the self-described “most psychotic Asian American theatrical comedy group.” For those in L.A., their new sketch comedy show entitled Bow Down To Your Asian Masters opens this Friday and runs until August 23 at the Complex Theater in Hollywood. For complete info, check out their website http://www.18mmw.com/
What I’ve always dug about the 18 MMW is that they are not afraid to offend and have a “fuck you all” attitude, which is refreshing when so much Asian American theater is p.c. and dull. If you’ve never seen them, check out these sketches:
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Pig: A wonderful, magical animal
Homer: Are you saying you’re never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal.
Homer: Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
As I also share Homer Simpson’s love affair with the pig, here’s a shortlist of my favorite establishments where I pay homage to this wonderful, magical animal.
Dragon Mark (Monterey Park): It’s all about the fried potstickers. Just the right amount of pork, just the right amount of wrapping – charred with a smoky wok seared finish. http://www.yelp.com/biz/dragon-mark-san-gabriel
Which right wing pundit would you do?
With right wing pundits getting feisty over Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee and resorting to prime time placement of honey pots to grab some eyeballs, I have to ask the question “who would you do?”
Michelle Malkin or Ann Coulter?
Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh?
Women I Dislike But Would Still Totally Do: Michelle Malkin
Conservative author Michelle Malkin appeared last night on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show to plug her new book Culture of Corruption: Obama And His Team Of Tax Cheats, Crooks, And Cronies. The title pretty much says everything you need to know about the book’s content. Malkin has courted her fair share of controversy for her viewpoints in the past. In 2004, her book In Defense Of Internment: The Case For ‘Racial Profiling’ In World War II And The War On Terror triggered outrage in the Asian American community. Malkin, who is Asian American herself, argued that the internment of Japanese Americans was justified and the same procedures could be used against Muslims and Arab Americans.
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Recession
A friend is going through a rough time. I’m worried. I try to cheer him up.
A friend of mine is going through a rough time. I’m worried. I try to cheer him up.
Stop Making Crap
I made my yearly pilgrimage to San Diego Comicon this past weekend and followed my usual strategy of dodging the mind-numbingly, magnetic pull of the PR machine. I avoided lines to see movie trailers that I could download online from a more resourceful blogger, lines to snag branded tchotchkes handcrafted in a factory in China, and more lines to see celebrities ala Gerard Way in his Clockwork Orange by way of Hot Topic glory, shine their light on rabid fans. Instead, I wandered off the beaten path to seek some kind of expression that didn’t involved spandex, tights, martial arts, or a mash-up of movie genres in hopes of a big Hollywood sale. Thanks to a healthy niche of small print and independent publishers who continue to pursue comics with a curator’s taste and passion, there were some gems to be found. My top two favorites of the ‘Con are, STOP MAKING CRAP: THERE’S ENOUGH IN THE WORLD ALREADY by Hafjak Diviz and ASTERIOS POLYP by David Mazzucchelli.
TRAILER for a film a few of us here worked on.
Don’t like to promote our work on this site but were so proud of this one. Hope you enjoy.
fast and furious
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2-D Love: Men Who Love Pillows
Check out this piece from yesterday’s New York Times Magazine. It’s about men in Japan who have relationships with body pillows depicting female characters from mangas, anime and video games. You heard it right—there are dudes who are “dating” pillow cases that feature drawings of 10-year-old anime girls on them.
Dubbed 2-D Love, there’s supposedly a rising subculture pioneered by the movement’s guru, Toru Honda, a 40-year-old man who has written half a dozen books on the virtues of 2-D Love.
Here’s an excerpt from the article focusing on a 37-year-old man named Nisan who is in a “relationship” with pillows that sport images of Nemutan, a character from an adult video game/visual novel entitled Da Capo:
Maybe Bernie Madoff should be transferred to the Philippines
I love the RP (Republic of the Philippines, as I am told, as it is usually referred to). Filipinos know how to sing and dance, in whatever situation. That prison in Cebu is back with their most recent ditty, another MJ dance off to “Dangerous” (Thanks to Disgrasian for posting this). Formerly known as the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, the warden uses dance to rehabilitate the prison population, comprised mostly of rapists, murderers and drug traffickers. The brainchild of Warden Byron Garcia, this mode of “dance exercises” has become in Internet phenomenon.
Anyway, here’s their latest video, with some Smooth Criminal sprinkled in: 
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Happy Birthday, Mick Jagger!
Yes, Mick Jagger, best known as the frontman for the Rolling Stones, turns 66 today which makes him older than my parents. Yikes! Here’s a toast to Mr. Jagger on this special day. For better or worse, I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the music of the Stones. To me, they were truly the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world and influenced everything I did. I only regret I was too young to see them in their prime but here’s a little taste of what they were like in their ‘70s heydey. The song is “Star Star (Starfucker).” When I first heard this, I realized that not only could you say the word “fuck” in a song, but you could say it over and over again. This rockin’ tribute to their groupies who perform “tricks with fruit” embodies everything they stood for—sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. Here from a live 1976 performance (with “fifth Beatle” Billy Preston guesting on keyboards), Mick and the boys:
Anatomy Of A Scene: The Godfather
It’s difficult to pick the best scene from the 1972 classic The Godfather—Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo’s masterpiece is filled with one iconic moment after another. But an argument can be made for the restaurant scene where young Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) kills rival gangster Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and corrupt police captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden). Today, I’ll look at this scene and talk about why I think it works in my humble opinion, specifically focusing on the use of sound and music.
Mmmm.. What you saaaay…..
My ipod is my saving grace, especially for long, pan-pacific flights. I have playlists that last for hours and from time to time, I’ll doze off and wake up to song #106 in my queue of 500 from playlist-on-the-go #14. Anyway, I did just that and woke up to the tail end of Imogen Heap’s Hide & Seek. A pretty good song, no doubt, but then I was quickly reminded of Saturday Night Live’s Dear Sister parody. It was a digital short that was broadcasted 2 years ago featuring Shia Lebouf, which was a spoof of the last scene from the second season finale of The OC, a year before that. Classic tropes of cool, haunting song with slow mo, death and puzzled faces of young starlets in dire situations. Perfect spoofing material. If you don’t remember, here’s the original clip from The OC: 
For some reason, NBC has taken off all official versions of their spoof offline, but here’s a link.
CHECKING THE OIL?
Cleaning out my garage today, came across a high school yearbook. I totally forget my freshmen year I was on the wrestling team. I wasn’t that good, as a matter of fact I was the worst on the team. I didn’t even last the whole season because of the oil checks. What is a “oil check”?
It’s an illegal wrestling move … The move is one where the wrestler jams his finger up the rear of the other wrestler. The intent is to actually pierce the clothing or singlet. Not very sportsman like.
