Rocketfuel’s Weblog

Received this through email and it makes a whole lot of sense. While I can’t say I completely agree with the boycott since there are two Asian American actors casted (Aaron Yoo & Liza Lapira) …and that’s not fair to them. Plus, Jeff Ma makes a cameo…so it probably has his endorsement. I do agree that Hollywood should stop being a-holes and stick to the script….but Hollywood is about the money and dumbing down everything.

Hi SDAP,

You might be curious why as an organization we are boycotting the Movie “21″ which is based on MIT Students who mastered the art of Counting Cards and wreaked havoc on Vegas Casinos, sounds like a great plot and a lot of fun right? I thought so too, but then I dove deeper into the issue and realized that the Real-life Students that pulled this amazing plot/stunt were none other than Asian-Americans.

However Hollywood decided to pull out of the “Asian” casting and put in Non-Asians in a role tailor-written for Asians. From the Professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) to the Main Character (Jim Sturgess) all these actors were substituted for the actual Players in real life (John Chang and Jeff Ma). The Non-fiction Novel written even highlighted the fact that the students utilized the biases that Casinos had with Asians (and how they gambled with large amounts of cash) to get away with Counting Cards (Not an illegal activity). On the team there were even African-Americans who were top card counters as well. However stereotypes still reign in National Mainstream Media. This is completely reprehensible, and we need to take a stand as an ethnic minority organization.

As an Organization SDAP has decided to draw the line, no longer are “Asian” characters stereotyped to Martial Artists and “Geeks who can’t get with the Ladies”, but that we are full Three Dimensional Characters that should be showcased in the National Media.

You can read articles of rhetoric online to further learn about this issue out there. Knowledge will be the only way to accomplish what we yearn for, that is just awareness. Although this movie really does not represent all Asian-Americans, but where does it stop? Lets let our wallets do the talking and Boycott this movie, we need to bring awareness about this issue.

I am proposing that you inform and enlighten your friends/family about what I have brought up and only through Knowledge can we as a society change. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that if you are passionate about any issues that you come to our Board Meetings every Tuesday Night (USD Library) 9pm and express it as well. Lets share our information and discuss the issues!

Michael Nguyen
President/Chair of San Diego Asian Professionals

You know Hollywood, maybe next time you should make a movie about counting cards rather than base it on true events…then you wouldn’t look like a bunch of liars. Even Wired Magazine sniffed out the BS.

Wired Magazine: Hacking Las Vegas: “The MIT team thrived by choosing BPs [Big Players] who fit the casino mold of the young, foolish, and wealthy. Primarily nonwhite, either Asian or Middle Eastern, these were the kids the casinos were accustomed to seeing bet a thousand bucks a hand. Like many on the team, Kevin Lewis was part Asian, and could pass as the child of a rich Chinese or Japanese executive. “When you’re recruiting, you don’t recruit white kids. They look conspicuous. Asian kids, Greek kids, dark skin fits in better with lots of money in the casinos. White 20-year-olds with $2 million bankrolls stand out,” explains Andrew Tay, one of Lewis’ teammates. “A geeky Asian kid with $100,000 in his wallet didn’t raise any eyebrows.”

man…I love Itunes.

is getting ballsy..and good for them.

Seoul’s Patience ‘Running Out’ on N.Korean Nuke Issue

Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Wednesday said South Korea’s “time and patience are running out” over North Korea’s delay in declaring details of its nuclear weapons program. Yu’s remarks are the firmest public statement on the North Korean denuclearization issue yet made by South Korean government officials, especially coming from the man in overall charge of foreign and security policy.

Some observers say that Yu’s statement was a clear message at home and abroad that the new government will not rule out the use of sticks as well as carrots vis-à-vis the North.

In the same context, Gen. Kim Tae-young, the designated chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Wednesday, “What is the most important is to identify and hit enemy locations suspected of storing nuclear weapons.” Gen. Kim made the remarks when asked, “How would you react if North Korea develops small nuclear weapons and attacks South Korea with them?”

A South Korean government official said the minister “showed the government’s strong will on the North Korean nuclear issue.” Yu also clarified the new government’s changed principle toward humanitarian aid to the North. “We should give aid to the North if there is a great need to do that,” he said. “But giving the North large amounts of food aid every year definitely goes beyond the humanitarian level” — a hint that food aid will continue on a reduced scale.

(englishnews@chosun.com)

That’s much better. It looks like South Korea finally has a decent government for the first time in a long time…..

F*cking piece of $hit, if you’re going to commit suicide…blow your own damn head off.

By DAVID SCHOETZ
March 26, 2008

A desperate Iowa banker facing federal embezzlement and money laundering charges murdered his wife and four young children in their home before killing himself yesterday by slamming the family minivan into a concrete highway abutment, Iowa City police announced Tuesday evening.

Steven Sueppel, 42, who was accused of stealing more than a half million dollars, left apologetic messages for his former employer, brother and father, as well as on his own family’s answering machine late Sunday night and early Monday morning. He used the same phone from which he called police to direct them to his Iowa City home just minutes before crashing the family’s minivan, police said at a Tuesday press conference.

Inside the Sueppel home, police discovered five bodies scattered throughout the residence, including Sueppel’s wife, Sheryl, and their four adopted children, Ethan, 10; Seth, 7; Mirra, 5; and Eleanor, 3.

Police released preliminary autopsy results this morning finding that all five Sueppel family members died from “multiple blunt force trauma injuries to each of their upper torsos and heads,” according to a statement.

Lt. Jim Steffen, an Iowa City investigator, said Tuesday that Sheryl Sueppel likely was killed first. Police recovered two baseball bats from the crime scene. (ABC NEWS)

Steven Sueppel should not go to hell after he gets the chair….he should go to hell alive. It’s a good thing that he failed trying to commit suicide because if he has any humanity left inside him, his guilty conscious will film his disgusting crime in his head over and over again..(Retraction: he did succeed in killing himself.  I need to pay more attention….but if he did survive…..etc etc)

I actually think capital punishment should be a zoo for monsters. Keep each murderer, rapist, disgruntled student with a rifle, and child killer locked up in cages with kiosks explaining what kind of monster they are. Then the only food they’ll receive are from those pellet machines you see at petting zoos that cost 25 cents a handful. Since there will be a gap between the visitors and the monster, people sweet enough to care, will have to throw the food at them. The death penality is not enough for people like him…if they want to act like animals, treat them like one.

Actually, give me a bat and 5 minutes with him…and I’ll make sure he’ll still be alive enough to lick his wounds and play over and over again in his head…the beating from his dead family’s eyes.

Just randomly found out about her while browsing some random blog….just now.

Lee was a finalist in the popular talent contest Singapore Idol, where she was known for her high-energy performances and controversial “bad girl” image. Maia was voted Number 8 in FHM Singapore’s World’s Most Sexiest Women list, and the FHM Most Outspoken Babe 2005 award. Lee graced the May 2005 cover of the popular male lifestyle magazine FHM.

Lee is part of the local techno trio, The Usual Suspects, who have had three Number 1 hits on the local station WKRZ 91.3 FM, namely “China Girl”, “The Love You Promised”, and “Sunburn”. “The Love You Promised” has also been released in Japan and Europe, receiving airplay as far as Scandinavia. Famed German dance music prodigy, Cascada (’Miracle’, ‘Bad Boy‘), even picked the song up and recorded a remix released in December 2004. (wikipedia)

She’s like a cuter and shorter female version of Anthony Bourdain…and is pretty gutsy considering she labels herself as pansexual. Since Singapore is a homophobic society, it’s cool she doesn’t care.

She had quit secondary school at the age of 15, making a choice to learn through backpacking instead of sitting in front of ‘the dead-beat’ syllabuses. For a year, the then 15-year-old feisty teen went solo backpacking to countries like Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, immersing herself in local culture, gaining life experiences. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Maia sticks out like a white rose among the red - she comes across as an in-your-face Asian. (kpopwiki)

How is that not hot? I can’t say I know much about her music since I just learned about her….and I’m not sure if I want to, so I’ll just stick to thinking she’s one hot little momma.

Her Blog | A video with her

W00t! Americans have proven they have good taste. Despite an overall boring show, justice was served, especially to those on MTV’s mesage board where a bunch of ghetto chicken heads were throwing around bad racial humor to justify why Status Quo deserved to be there. However, I have to admit…because of this episode…Status Quo did prove they can dance. When they don’t focus on just doing stunts…they aren’t as annoying and I start to appreciate their style……..a little bit.

Actually, their “stunts” are what b-boys call routines (or showcase)…and the last episode, when they ended their performance..I knew exactly where they jacked their last stunt from. It was when two members balanced their weights out to form a T and Gamblerz crew did it during a BOTY event in 2005.

Unfortunately, the only highlight from episode 8 I still remember right now…is when Taeko kissed Yuri on the cheek and said “I love Kaba.” That was pretty……something something. There needs to be an actual battle…not a revisit to a bad dance movie where competing teams hold hands and dance.

I’m still happy about Jabba winning…they deserve it.

Watch the last episode here.

For crying out loud…where’s the violence?!??!?!

Kill it! kill it! BOOOOOOOOOO!