Special Celebrity Sighting

I come back from lunch and guess who I see in front of my office building?

That's right... it's fucken Borat, bitches! Thank god I had my camera with me as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sasha Baron Cohen and should have asked to take a picture with him but he was surrounded by his crew... and I was timid around his majestic presence.

Here's a picture of Borat's ass... I like!

I missed the first 1/2 of racist Survivor

... so I have yet to develop a sociological analysis of the most controversial show of the year! And I will assume that a group of bickering, backstabbing Latinos (that's all I saw during the 2nd half of the show) does not reflect the scope and importance of the show.

Here is an analysis from columnist Joel Stein. He cracks me up... and he's rooting for the Asian team. WERD.

Finally, Some Prime-Time Racism

Battle of the races on 'Survivor' places discussion of stereotypes where it belongs -- in the mainstream. -- September 19, 2006

I'VE NEVER BEEN interested in "Survivor," but the new, racist "Survivor" — that, I was psyched about. If "Battle of the Network Stars" made good TV, weekly competitions between poorly fed "tribes" of African Americans, whites, Asians and Latinos were going to be awesome. So, last Thursday night, I got some brie and water crackers, put on a J. Crew sweater vest and settled down on the settee to root for whitey.

None of my white friends wanted to watch with me because — although it was fine for the other races — they felt it was unbecoming for Caucasian Americans to root for their own kind. I found that condescending. Cheering for the whites is no different from rooting for my college football team, for U.S. Olympic teams or for men to finish before women in porn scenes. The latter, unlike the men's Olympic basketball team, never let me down.

But it turns out lots of people got freaked out about this. As soon as CBS announced this season's theme, leaders of the New York City Council demanded that the network abandon the idea, and GM, Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup, Johnson & Johnson and Febreze ended their advertising on the series. You know you've stumbled into a huge pile of it when even Febreze walks away.

No one got upset in past seasons when the show used gender and age to divide people. But we've somehow decided that racial issues can only be discussed in books, college lectures, NPR and other mediums that are so boring people can't get riled up. Songs by Coldplay are probably largely about race.

Unlike 30 years ago, when "All in the Family" and "Chico and the Man" made cutting jokes about race, we've set so many rules about talking about skin color that we rarely do it at all. "Survivor: Cook Islands" isn't trivializing race — it's just not avoiding it like the rest of us. If there really were a group of people stranded on a deserted island, this is exactly how things would go down. Just like in jail.

So I was pumped for some serious racial tension as soon as the contestants pulled up to the island. The giant old ship conjured different images depending on which team was on camera: a slave ship, a makeshift raft from the Dominican Republic, a boat full of Vietnamese or an afternoon sailing cruise to Nantucket. My team was going to rock.

Not only, to my delight, was my team the best looking, but the whiteys seemed to have a really fun attitude, joking and bonding and having a great time. A few minutes into the show, however — long before any contests or voting anyone off — something weird started to happen. I started to turn on my own people.

These white people were a little too preppy, too frat-boy, too happy with themselves. While other teams were fighting over hut building, the white folks were making toasts to each other over little bits of coconut milk and lying down to sleep half-naked and spooning en masse, thrilled with their total super awesomeness. It turns out I kind of hate white people.

The black team wasn't doing it for me either, with its sexism, infighting and talk about representing and feeling each other's vibes. They loved themselves almost as much as white people do.

The Latinos were kind of likable and hardworking if quiet, but those Asians — they were terrific. In fact, better yet, they were like me. They were laid-back and self-effacing. There was a journalist, a lawyer, a management consultant — just like my friends. One of them even went to Stanford four years after I did. And they won the first contest handily, even though their chicken was stolen by the white people. White people who probably didn't even eat the feet or eyeballs.

I don't know if my feelings are because of the fact that this is a particularly nice group of Asians, or if Jews are culturally more akin to Asians than other white people, or because Asians are a completely superior race destined to rule the planet. All I know is that the show is allowing me to make these kinds of racist comments in public.

And I think that's good. Not just because, as CBS argues, getting to know these contestants will help dispel stereotypes. It also will allow us to see which stereotypes are true and discuss which differences make us uncomfortable. Maybe if we admit that race is a factor — just like gender and age — we'll be a little more honest with each other. And maybe we'll also realize that, if we're going to survive, we really need to band together against the yellow people.

South America is the Shit

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called President Bush "the devil" at the U.N. General Assembly today.

"The devil came here yesterday," Chavez said, referring to Bush's address on Tuesday and making the sign of the cross. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world."

Chavez, who has joined Iran in opposing U.S. influence, accused Washington of "domination, exploitation and pillage of peoples of the world."

Hugo Chavez is my hero. Him and Gandhi.

Other exciting news is happening in Porto Nacional, Brazil. Farmers are being contracted by the government and some major corporations to grow castor beans, soybeans, palm oil and other crops for the purpose of developing biodiesel. Derived from animal fats or vegetable oils, this substitute for petroleum diesel is generating ten of millions of dollars from investors.

No country has been more successful at displacing fossil fuels with green energy than Brazil. Hammered by the oil shocks of the 1970s, the nation committed itself to developing a domestic ethanol industry to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum.

Will other countries follow Brazil's lead? Let's hope...

How I commemorated 9/11

Let's see. In the morning, I turned off NPR because all the topics revolved around the anniversary of 9/11. Yeah, it was a quiet morning.

When I perused the paper, I skipped all the headlines about 9/11. So I had a quick read.

As I searched the internet, I grew so tired of banal images intended to put people in hysteria:


Thankfully, by the evening, I was saved. The Los Angeles and Valley area campaign for a Department of Peace and Nonviolence hosted a screening of the 1982 film classic, Gandhi, in celebration of 100 years of non-violence and the birth of the non-violence movement in 1906. When I learned about the screening through the LA Weekly, I really felt it was appropos to attend... and I am really glad I went. Gandhi is my new hero.
If you haven't seen this movie yet, you must. Put it on your Netflicks queue. Buy and own it.

The movie was long, like 3 1/2 hours, and even had an actual intermission, but the story was so captivating that my ADD brain didn't mind. The movie fortunately helped fill in many blanks of my limited knowledge of the Indian Independence Movement and the subsequent partition of India and Pakistan.

The performers were excellent, and so was the art direction/cinematography. The scenes of non-violent civil disobedience were so powerful. Gandhi was right when he said non-violent resistance is not passive.

“You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”

Dude, I can go on and on why I love this movie. But most importantly, I learned more about Gandhi. This man is awesome!

After the screening, I felt so inspired. The belief that one person can make a difference rekindled in me. Considering humankind's barbaric history and current hyperactive culture toward violence, it seems impossible, almost mythical, that a movement of non-violence gained Indian independence from the almighty British Empire. It's crazy.

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems”


In addition to Mahatma Gandhi's acute strategic and organizing skills, as well as being a saavy lawyer, I admire him for his commitment to live his life the way he thought was right. It's so hard to do. It really is. I struggled for many years to live in a way that was more aligned with my politics and beliefs (particulary with regards to consumerism), but found myself defeated each time.

“The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles”

Gandhi chose to live a simple, self-sustaining life and practiced for many years to make himself into the person he wanted to be. I'm sure he failed at times, because he's human. Just the fact he made an effort everyday of his adult life to live consciously and deliberately resonates deep value within me.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

I think DYY is ready for her own personal transformation. Don't laugh, I'm serious. In fact, the first thing I did when I got home was purchase The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of his Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas over Amazon. I guess I want Gandhi to continue to inspire and motivate me as I revive my long-abandoned pursuits to live life consciously and deliberately.

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.”

What I've been listening to on my ipod

That's right, bitches, I have been listening to Stevie-fucken-B! He brings me back, way back. I'm talking junior high, folks. Oh yeah.

I think he is best known among my peers from immigrant communities... especially from Chinese, Filipino and Latino populations. We all love him. Some may deny their love, but deep down, there is true love.

Here's a his bio:
A native of South Florida, he worked a variety of dead-end jobs ranging from car-wash attendant to fast-food server before scoring his debut hit with 1987's "Party Your Body," which grew from a regional success to national club smash; it was also the title track of his 1988 debut LP, which went gold. With 1989's In My Eyes, Stevie B. launched his first Top 40 hit, "I Wanna Be the One"; its follow-up, "Love Me for Life," soon cracked the Top 40 as well.

With 1990's "Because I Love You," he reached the pinnacle of his success, with the single's accompanying album Love & Emotion also generating a pair of Top 20 hits, "I'll Be by Your Side" and the title cut. However, with the subsequent rise of alternative rock, Stevie B.'s light dance-pop sound lost much of its mainstream appeal, and he never again recaptured his previous success, with records including 1992's Healing and 1996's Waiting for Your Love appearing to little notice. The Best of Stevie B. followed in 1998.

Here's his picture.
Yummy, huh?

Borat is my hero

Joe and I had a lengthy conversation about Borat while we dined at Uzbekistan Restaurant in Hollywood. Uzbekistan borders Kazakhstan, and since Borat is from Kazakhstan, it was a natural topic in our conversation.

We found some great Borat footage on YouTube. Enjoy!

FYI: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (the movie) is coming out on November 3, 2006!

Asians and the immigration debate

Many have wondered and discussed the role of Asians and Asian Americans on issues regarding immigration policy and reform. Unfortunately, the voices of our community have been widely ignored or subordinated, despite that most, if not all, Asians and Asian Americans in the United States are immigrants, come from immigrant backgrounds, or have close ties with an immigrant community. Additionally, it is a fact that decisions ultimately made in Congress as well as whatever happens on the streets by wacko xenophobic vigilante groups, like the Minute Men, shall undoubtedly have an impact on the Asian community. You may not see many of our faces during protests and rallies, but it's a complex issue that affects us and our families everyday.

The LA Times recently published an article that I thought was a pretty good introduction to the dialouge of Asians and the immigration issue. I also just read a really interesting article in the lastest New Yorker regarding "snakeheads" -- individuals in the Chinese community who make a lucrative career out of illegally smuggling undocumented Chinese natives into the United States. Despite the wretched and inhuman conditions of their transport, the enormous debt they owe, and the risks of detainment and deportation and death, it seems that many of the Chinese are not regretful, even the ones who didn't make it. Rather, they are extremely grateful to the snakeheads.

It makes you remember how fortunate we Americans are.

**Long live Sister Peng, the greatest snakehead of all time! (By the way, she's Fukinese, for my two Fukinese friends out there... I think she kicks ass. She can be your role model!)

Alvin Ailey Knows Love

The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this past week. It's my fourth time watching this group, and they simply lift my spirit each time. LA Times staff writer Lewis Segal wrote a negative review of the dance company in last Friday's paper, calling the new material an "overkill".

Lewis is so so wrong. What he describes as "...a blur of lighting and costume changes, as well as hard-sell dance riffs galore, that no concept or theme survived..." is what I consider a successful integration of modern and contemporary urban dance. I was so excited to see classic ballet techinques infuse with everyday dance club moves, making normal dance steps seem so stunningly unique and, conversely, making professional modern dance techniques seem accessible.

Lewis continues to describe the performance as "...an aggressive fusillade of technique, often right in the audience's teeth, Broadway style. And all that love stuff coming out of the loudspeakers soon seemed a self-righteous, manipulative pretext for hot but empty showpiece dancing." But isn't love an aggressive fusillade of techniques, right-in-your teeth, Broadway style? Far from empty, that's how I like my lovin'.

In celebration of African American hertiage month, the dance troupe dedicated their week's performances to Coretta Scott King.

Bring back Jimmy!

Former President Carter's eulogy for Coretta Scott King included a serious criticism of Bush, who also attended the service : "It was difficult for them [Martin Luther & Coretta Scott King] personally — with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretapping, other surveillance, and as you know, harassment from the FBI." Right on, man. Go with your bad self.

News pundits criticized Jimmy for his "inappropriateness" during the service, but I don't agree - I think Mrs. King would have done the same thing if given the opportunity. And Jimmy wasn't the only one. Rev. Joseph Lowery, a King protege and longtime Bush critic, said, "Coretta deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew, and we knew, that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war, billions more, but no more for the poor."

Most of you think Jimmy is a pussy. He's a peace activist, you fucken war mongers. I love this man. Let's bring him back to office!

The War on T-shirts

Cindy Sheehan (that soccer mom/anti-war activist who stalks Bush) was arrested and dragged out of the House chambers right before Bush's State of the Union speech last Tuesday... because she wore a t-shirt that said: "2245 Dead. How many more?" I've been reading various reports about it, but I found her own story to be most compelling. You should read it, cuz it almost made me cry.

I feel deep consternation for obvious reasons... violation of the first amendment... threatened freedom of speech... yes, all of that and a bag of chips. But now I must ask myself, "Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I wore this t-shirt today?", and that really sucks.

I happen to be a proprietor of several provocative (and, I would like to think, subversive) t-shirts, and I intend to purchase and/or make more.

Shortly after 9/11, my girl Retu warned me not to wear this shirt to the airport. I responded, "They ain't profiling me." I felt if I could make a statement and still be safe, I should. But times have changed... if they're going to tackle some housewife for her rather innocuous shirt, they would shoot me for wearing this. "Intifada" means "Uprising" in Arabic.

My pal KimCheeFarmer got me this shirt during the Presidential elections in 2004. I wore it to each Kerry/Bush debate party that my nerdy friends and I held... even to the Edwards/Cheney debate. Can you believe I am admitting this?

I wear this shirt to all the anti-war rallies and protests, at least ones I used to go to...

There is nothing particularly striking about this shirt but whenever I wear it, people notice. And they always ask, "Is that you?" I usually respond, "Yes." Suckas.

This shirt is a recent acquisition. I think it's HILarious... and witty.

When I first saw this shirt, I knew I must have it... but was concerned that people wouldn't get it. It turns out, many didn't, not even folks who knew and understood me! For them, I am disappointed. But the ones who did get it, LOVES IT. And that makes the $13.99 plus some uncertain stares and snickers... priceless.

I have a dream...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968
Happy Birthday, Doc. Thanks for making the world a better place.

I Heart Vince

My co-workers announced at lunch today that Vincent Gallo died. I was surprised, then bummed. The first time I heard of Vincent Gallo was during Thanksgiving weekend when we rented BUFFALO 66, which I thought was excellent. Since then, the movie has popped up in my thoughts from time-to-time.

I emailed the group of folks I saw the movie with and relayed the sad news. Jane responded that she couldn't find any details on the web. Harkim said our friend has a friend who has a friend who parties with Vince, so he'll find out. In the meantime, I searched the web and found Vince's official website, maintained by Vince himself. Dude... Vince is fuckin crazy cool. I had no idea. The shit on his website is brilliant. He has a merchandise section in which he sells his old crappy possessions, and people buy it! I love it.

I began doing more research on him and delightfully discovered that he's funny too. Funny in an arrogant insecure neurotic way, like his character in Buffalo 66. Super irreverant. Quite racist and homophobic... but c'mon... he's a fuckin Italian from Buffalo! You might think that comment's harsh (or racist), but I know Vince would appreciate it. Anyway, I decided I'm going to write him a letter... if he's still alive, that is.

Harkim was on the same tip. He forwarded to us this essay Vince wrote for Dutch Magazine. After I read it, I was hooked.

DYY formally declares herself a fan of Vincent Gallo.

Brown Bunny, anybody?