email from alex:
Does anyone want to have a celebration for April 20th, 2006?
Emily, will you be our ganja blossom queen?
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Sunday, April 16, 2006
damn, i thought i kicked the jetlag in one day, but here i am at 5:30 am, and i have been awake since 4 am. i am drinking water and contemplating eating toast.
today ali hu had a bbq, and i was probably the only one there who had not realized it was her birthday bbq until today. i always forget what sf native style is, but so many people were wearing north face jackets, hooded sweatshirts, knit caps, and timberland boots that i asked ali, "did you guys all just get back from snowboarding or something?"
i took the surrogate mister, sexy alexi (according to his dixie cup, courtesy of ali - a high school joke), who said "since when are there djs at backyard bbqs?" oh yeah, there were djs in the garage. and we were sitting right next to the speakers which were way too loud for just 20 people, so of course alex was chatting with his booming voice, and each time there was a break in the music, whatever alex was saying would echo through the entire garage. hilarious. i giggled over my fruit and salad (can't eat anything larger than that yet, still on my asia diet).
ok i made toast. with mascarpone cheese. try it. delicious.
i've got some pics from the PI and som thoughts from hk, to come tomorrow.
today ali hu had a bbq, and i was probably the only one there who had not realized it was her birthday bbq until today. i always forget what sf native style is, but so many people were wearing north face jackets, hooded sweatshirts, knit caps, and timberland boots that i asked ali, "did you guys all just get back from snowboarding or something?"
i took the surrogate mister, sexy alexi (according to his dixie cup, courtesy of ali - a high school joke), who said "since when are there djs at backyard bbqs?" oh yeah, there were djs in the garage. and we were sitting right next to the speakers which were way too loud for just 20 people, so of course alex was chatting with his booming voice, and each time there was a break in the music, whatever alex was saying would echo through the entire garage. hilarious. i giggled over my fruit and salad (can't eat anything larger than that yet, still on my asia diet).
ok i made toast. with mascarpone cheese. try it. delicious.
i've got some pics from the PI and som thoughts from hk, to come tomorrow.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
le tigre covers the pointer sisters' "i'm so excited"
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the new republic takes on my only reason to wake up on thursday mornings, the thursday styles:
i don't entirely agree with this seeming calling out of thustyles, but i do agree that i am probably one of those ambivalent bobos who feels "a twinge of shame about their aggressive acquisitiveness."
and i see myself here, too:
i actually enjoy reading the critical shopper, and i feel like she understands the conflicted nature of conspicuous consumption that more and more people are now able to participate in. i like her self-conscious asides at the shock of price tags and the reality checks. i too would like to say on my deathbed that i read pushkin in original russian (or anything in original russian), but i'm not going to be ashamed about being gold-collar either.
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the new republic takes on my only reason to wake up on thursday mornings, the thursday styles:
But it's one thing for a bunch of glorified ad vehicles--or even the rampantly capitalist Wall Street Journal--to be hawking designer duffel bags and skin cream priced higher than Jack Abramoff's legal team. After all, these publications unabashedly promote--and generally cater to readers who share--a Trump-esque mine-is-bigger-than-yours attitude toward wealth and consumption. It's quite another matter, however, for the venerable Times to lend its imprimatur to a genre so awkwardly at odds with its own high-minded liberal sensibility and intellectual pretensions. This, after all, is the same paper that, last year, ran an eleven-part series on class in America, in which it described economic mobility as "the promise that lies at the heart of the American dream" and exhaustively pondered its apparent decline. Social consciousness for The Wall Street Journal may mean crushing the welfare state, but, for the Times, it means earnest editorials packed with noblesse oblige. (Classic snippet from last Thanksgiving: "There is no shame in the poverty Americans suffer today. The shame adheres to those who do nothing to change it.") Wretched consumer excess may be the American way, but is it really the paper of record's business to lend it respectability?
i don't entirely agree with this seeming calling out of thustyles, but i do agree that i am probably one of those ambivalent bobos who feels "a twinge of shame about their aggressive acquisitiveness."
"Thursday Styles," by contrast, is seeking new converts, reassuring its more skeptical readers that there's really nothing wrong with showing off their good fortune. This is delicate work considering that even many ultra-affluent Times readers belong to the ambivalently wealthy ranks of the "Bourgeois Bohemians" profiled so piquantly in now-Timesman David Brooks's 2000 classic, Bobos in Paradise. A new breed of elites deeply conflicted about their material success, Bobos are morally appalled by any gaudy display that could make them look like "the vulgar Yuppies they despise." Writes Brooks: "Maybe off in Vegas there are still some rich peasants trying to conspicuously consume, buying big limousines, powerboats, and sports franchises and piling up possessions to demonstrate their net worth. But the Bobo renounces accumulation and embraces cultivation. He must show, in the way he spends his money, that he is conscientious and not crass." Unlike the typical in-your-face luxury porn, "Thursday Styles" grasps the conflicted code of the Bobo.
and i see myself here, too:
Similarly, complaining about the drive out to a mall well north of the city, she once quipped, "On my deathbed, I would like to be able to say I read Pushkin in the original Russian, not that I spent 12,458 hours in the pursuit of shopping." It's fine to spend absurd amounts of time and money acquiring absurd stuff, Kuczynski is assuring us, so long as you recognize the absurdity. Because the real vulgarity isn't greed, but rather a lack of self-awareness.
i actually enjoy reading the critical shopper, and i feel like she understands the conflicted nature of conspicuous consumption that more and more people are now able to participate in. i like her self-conscious asides at the shock of price tags and the reality checks. i too would like to say on my deathbed that i read pushkin in original russian (or anything in original russian), but i'm not going to be ashamed about being gold-collar either.
insomnia
while my body is still on hong kong time, there are lots of things rattling around the attic at 2 am. i liked what rj wrote recently:
potent images from new york, dc, london, berkeley ebbing and flowing in my dramamine addled head. it all seemed so long ago, a totally different world. i have been blessed and cursed with a bad memory that i have worked hard to achieve over the years with drugs and more alcohol than i would like to admit and a little bit of will. i stumbled in five inch heels three weeks ago in an empty dive bar with a pool table in the back off polk street. i got drenched in rain on bush near the stockton tunnel and had fernet and soggy cigarettes at a dark round table. i shivered in shorts in a windswept smoking area in front of circolo and passed along parliaments and gossip.
but how does that compare to hennessy goldschlager 151 tequila captain kamikaze shots on the ground floor of dream, dancing and smoking next to minnie and margot, buying lin a liquid cocaine and not teling him what it was, watching alice puke behind a couch at a club on H street, seeing that couple go upstairs into rj's room, telling the twins i really don't want to do another shot, not being sure if you are sweating alcohol or sweat, getting jaime some water, hey your friend is cute, hitting a foil pipe that margot made, buying from my SGM hairdresser, was my skirt this short when i left the house?, doesn't clarence look exactly like arthur?, i think he likes you, the power of suggestion, let's call him while he's on his date, she's not even that cute!, not the beer bong again, not those annoying guys again, oh my god let's do a shot. but isn't margot in the shower? she doesn't mind doing shots by herself. what is she doing in the shower at 11 pm while there is a party downstairs?
or later, stumbling through chinatown in head to toe crushing marc jacobs, thinking only of soup dumplings, and how many excrutiating steps it will take to get there, having a few drinks in the lower east side and zipping home across the bridge in a taxi in ten minutes, eating my first deviled egg and hearing minnie drunkenly scream at a bitchy looking asian girl for saying shit about wellesley, hearing a white guy do a perfect karaoke of shaggy's "angel", feeling like alice in wonderland at the dove bar, laughing in rite aid with minnie and bot about a random guy saying that caramel candy was not so good, seeing bear heads in the snow in philly.
dear lord, it's 3 am.
while my body is still on hong kong time, there are lots of things rattling around the attic at 2 am. i liked what rj wrote recently:
i've been in california for about 8 months now. i haven't really danced since i left michigan. sometimes i worry whether or not i am still capable of doing everything i used to do, all those things i was known for. the thing with personas is that they aren't fictional representations, false identities that one might play on television, then shed like dead skin when the cameras stopped rolling. they're more like different sides of the same die, numbers that turn up when the conditions are just right; they are the shards of our ideal selves, made real and public if only for a moment. when they are gone, it is as if a portion of our soul has disappeared beneath the currents of time, leaving us with the bittersweet taste of nostalgia on our tongues. not even the wine of california's napa valley can mask its flavor.
potent images from new york, dc, london, berkeley ebbing and flowing in my dramamine addled head. it all seemed so long ago, a totally different world. i have been blessed and cursed with a bad memory that i have worked hard to achieve over the years with drugs and more alcohol than i would like to admit and a little bit of will. i stumbled in five inch heels three weeks ago in an empty dive bar with a pool table in the back off polk street. i got drenched in rain on bush near the stockton tunnel and had fernet and soggy cigarettes at a dark round table. i shivered in shorts in a windswept smoking area in front of circolo and passed along parliaments and gossip.
but how does that compare to hennessy goldschlager 151 tequila captain kamikaze shots on the ground floor of dream, dancing and smoking next to minnie and margot, buying lin a liquid cocaine and not teling him what it was, watching alice puke behind a couch at a club on H street, seeing that couple go upstairs into rj's room, telling the twins i really don't want to do another shot, not being sure if you are sweating alcohol or sweat, getting jaime some water, hey your friend is cute, hitting a foil pipe that margot made, buying from my SGM hairdresser, was my skirt this short when i left the house?, doesn't clarence look exactly like arthur?, i think he likes you, the power of suggestion, let's call him while he's on his date, she's not even that cute!, not the beer bong again, not those annoying guys again, oh my god let's do a shot. but isn't margot in the shower? she doesn't mind doing shots by herself. what is she doing in the shower at 11 pm while there is a party downstairs?
or later, stumbling through chinatown in head to toe crushing marc jacobs, thinking only of soup dumplings, and how many excrutiating steps it will take to get there, having a few drinks in the lower east side and zipping home across the bridge in a taxi in ten minutes, eating my first deviled egg and hearing minnie drunkenly scream at a bitchy looking asian girl for saying shit about wellesley, hearing a white guy do a perfect karaoke of shaggy's "angel", feeling like alice in wonderland at the dove bar, laughing in rite aid with minnie and bot about a random guy saying that caramel candy was not so good, seeing bear heads in the snow in philly.
dear lord, it's 3 am.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
asian american film lives!
so, i think most of you know how big a hater i am on asian american film. saving face? snooze. the debut? eh. charlotte sometimes? right. i just don't think i should have to lower my standards just because they're asian american films. i hold them to the same standards as any film. to me, there is no affirmative action program for asian american film, or music for that matter.
i always go into these heavily hyped films (see examples above) with high expectations - this WILL be the film that redeems my faith in asian americans' ability to make good films, to have interesting stories, and good acting. after being so disappointed so many times, i pretty much avoid all asian american film unless it's GUARANTEED to be good. which is impossible to guarantee, i know. but that is kind of the way i approach all movies i see - i want them to be in the 98th percentile of films. or have really hot guys in them.
which is why this year when 500 people asked me if i was going to the film festival, i said "(hell) no(!)" i guess it's a tribute to how popular the festival has become that so many people are asking me about it. but i was still so wary of the quality of the films. and after hearing from various folks who had seen movies at the fest. this year, i was ever more skeptical.
so i almost didn't go see the short film collection mystery arcade last night. but alex bought tickets, and i figured it would be good to do something asian american scenester-y because i haven't done much of that since the bot went british.
the first few films were total conceptual films that were trying way too hard to be art house. people, narrative is your friend. hiro was cute and interesting. steve brought up a good point during the films - what makes a film "asian american." some of these films felt more "asian" than "american" especially with all the english subtitles. which is fine, but i wonder what the criteria is. one film was made by an asian american, but featured no asian actors or plot elements. is brokeback mountain an asian american film?
but the best one by far was a canadian short called astronaut. it's a mockumentary that's not immediately apparent it's not a documentary. think of it in the same vein as the office. which is amazing in and of itself - an asian american office. crazy!! it's about three "typical" asian american young men who manage to come off as both pathetic and sympathetic at the same time (like david brent). you want to cringe but then you also want to laugh. the acting is so perfect, you almost can't believe the characters aren't real. the film is also throughly asian american (whatever that means), dealing with issues of alienation from family, acclimation to the united states, disillusionment with the american dream.
this is what asian american film should be doing - exploring new territories, really pushing the envelope to see what can be done, not merely retreading the same things that have been done before in hollywood 10,000 times. true, mockumentaries are no new thing (christopher guest). but it was so refreshing to see asian america(n males) portrayed in all their uh....glory. that was a cheap shot at all the apa dudes who play video games for weeks in a row (have fun while you can, right?), but i meant in all their complexity. apa males always have complexes about their media portrayals and masculinity, so they feel they are practically entitled to positive portrayals that boost their egos or show how lovable they are. BARF. what's should be happening is a push for more accurate portrayals of apa males (and apas in general) - that means the good (their struggles to make ends meet, to find companionship, to make human connections) and the bad (their need to control women, to be the hero, the inability to see women as more than objects that have to be taken care of and given material things). this movie showed men as they are - you want them to succeed and be happy, but then at times they're just so ridiculous.
so, i think most of you know how big a hater i am on asian american film. saving face? snooze. the debut? eh. charlotte sometimes? right. i just don't think i should have to lower my standards just because they're asian american films. i hold them to the same standards as any film. to me, there is no affirmative action program for asian american film, or music for that matter.
i always go into these heavily hyped films (see examples above) with high expectations - this WILL be the film that redeems my faith in asian americans' ability to make good films, to have interesting stories, and good acting. after being so disappointed so many times, i pretty much avoid all asian american film unless it's GUARANTEED to be good. which is impossible to guarantee, i know. but that is kind of the way i approach all movies i see - i want them to be in the 98th percentile of films. or have really hot guys in them.
which is why this year when 500 people asked me if i was going to the film festival, i said "(hell) no(!)" i guess it's a tribute to how popular the festival has become that so many people are asking me about it. but i was still so wary of the quality of the films. and after hearing from various folks who had seen movies at the fest. this year, i was ever more skeptical.
so i almost didn't go see the short film collection mystery arcade last night. but alex bought tickets, and i figured it would be good to do something asian american scenester-y because i haven't done much of that since the bot went british.
the first few films were total conceptual films that were trying way too hard to be art house. people, narrative is your friend. hiro was cute and interesting. steve brought up a good point during the films - what makes a film "asian american." some of these films felt more "asian" than "american" especially with all the english subtitles. which is fine, but i wonder what the criteria is. one film was made by an asian american, but featured no asian actors or plot elements. is brokeback mountain an asian american film?
but the best one by far was a canadian short called astronaut. it's a mockumentary that's not immediately apparent it's not a documentary. think of it in the same vein as the office. which is amazing in and of itself - an asian american office. crazy!! it's about three "typical" asian american young men who manage to come off as both pathetic and sympathetic at the same time (like david brent). you want to cringe but then you also want to laugh. the acting is so perfect, you almost can't believe the characters aren't real. the film is also throughly asian american (whatever that means), dealing with issues of alienation from family, acclimation to the united states, disillusionment with the american dream.
this is what asian american film should be doing - exploring new territories, really pushing the envelope to see what can be done, not merely retreading the same things that have been done before in hollywood 10,000 times. true, mockumentaries are no new thing (christopher guest). but it was so refreshing to see asian america(n males) portrayed in all their uh....glory. that was a cheap shot at all the apa dudes who play video games for weeks in a row (have fun while you can, right?), but i meant in all their complexity. apa males always have complexes about their media portrayals and masculinity, so they feel they are practically entitled to positive portrayals that boost their egos or show how lovable they are. BARF. what's should be happening is a push for more accurate portrayals of apa males (and apas in general) - that means the good (their struggles to make ends meet, to find companionship, to make human connections) and the bad (their need to control women, to be the hero, the inability to see women as more than objects that have to be taken care of and given material things). this movie showed men as they are - you want them to succeed and be happy, but then at times they're just so ridiculous.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
why republicans are better in the bedroom...why liberals are (written by my co-intern at MJ!)
from the GQ one:
from the GQ one:
10. NIGHTSTAND READING
You will never hear a Republican say, “Let’s just cuddle and read The New Yorker tonight.” They understand you do not want reading materials in bed. You want a man.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
Thursday, March 16, 2006
new job. yes, it's true.
i'm going to start to blog what i eat for lunch. just to gloat. and, yes, it's all free!
yesterday: halibut, salad, asparagus, brussel sprouts, chickpea pattie (what?)
today: crab and spicy ahi tuna poke inari (delish!), mango and pineapple smoothie
i'm going to start to blog what i eat for lunch. just to gloat. and, yes, it's all free!
yesterday: halibut, salad, asparagus, brussel sprouts, chickpea pattie (what?)
today: crab and spicy ahi tuna poke inari (delish!), mango and pineapple smoothie
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
new asianweek piece:
Woman Miscarries Twins After Attempts to Deport Her in Philadelphia
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FINALLY
GAWKER STALKER MAPS
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Alex: ask Steve about "masturbating to the Marshall Plan"
Woman Miscarries Twins After Attempts to Deport Her in Philadelphia
---
FINALLY
GAWKER STALKER MAPS
---
Alex: ask Steve about "masturbating to the Marshall Plan"
Friday, March 10, 2006
Thursday, March 09, 2006
itinerary:
this weekend: l.a. for la's future-in-laws' engagement party
march 24-26: buffalo for FIND conference
april 1-14: hong kong and the philippines family vaycay
may 19-21 (and longer): england for all tomorrow's parties
may 26 weekend: cabo for bachelorette party
jetsetter yeaaaaaaah! BUT i haven't been on a vacation in two years. so there.
this weekend: l.a. for la's future-in-laws' engagement party
march 24-26: buffalo for FIND conference
april 1-14: hong kong and the philippines family vaycay
may 19-21 (and longer): england for all tomorrow's parties
may 26 weekend: cabo for bachelorette party
jetsetter yeaaaaaaah! BUT i haven't been on a vacation in two years. so there.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Thursday, March 02, 2006
minnie won this freakin awesome project barbie contest. check it out. when she told me about it, i said, perhaps a little too excitedly, "is cyndi lauper really going to be there?"
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it's a motherfuckin' forehead-off
good call, goldenfiddle:
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things you didn't learn in journalism school, part 1
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i'm going to be doing a session at the FIND conference on march 24-26 in buffalo. anyone care to join? PLEASE? OH COME ON!!!!!!!
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unemployment = dvd time
this past week i saw infernal affairs (decent) and oldboy (sick). asian movie week continues with tae guk gi and ocean's 12 (what?). recommendations welcome, as long as they are old enough to be checked out from the library.
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sheeps get their grooves on
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it's a motherfuckin' forehead-off
good call, goldenfiddle:
---
things you didn't learn in journalism school, part 1
[In Touch writer] Baer said she resorts to novel methods in her attempts to subvert the humiliating celebrity-journalist dynamic. "When I do phone interviews from the comfort of my own home, sometimes I put porn on in the background on mute for my own enjoyment, especially when artistes like Julianne Moore prattle on and on about their craft."
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i'm going to be doing a session at the FIND conference on march 24-26 in buffalo. anyone care to join? PLEASE? OH COME ON!!!!!!!
---
unemployment = dvd time
this past week i saw infernal affairs (decent) and oldboy (sick). asian movie week continues with tae guk gi and ocean's 12 (what?). recommendations welcome, as long as they are old enough to be checked out from the library.
---
sheeps get their grooves on
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
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