8 Asians

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Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s no surprise that I see television commercials for Pacific Gas & Electric (commonly known as PG&E). So it was nice to see this ad highlighting a San Francisco native, Sandy Locke, talk about her role at PG&E as a gas distribution central design supervisor. No doubt, PG&E is trying to improve it’s image, given the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion it was responsible for, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in the resulting explosion and fire. Of course, PG&E is most famously portrayed in the movie, Erin Brockovich.

Still, I am sure Locke is sincere in the commercial about safety. She does highlight that she was born and raised in San Francisco and still lives in the city with her entire family. It is in her best self interest to make sure that PG&E gas pipelines are safe.

In 2011, when news struck of the quake and tsunami, I remember watching in horror as video footage began broadcasting on NHK. As it turned out, the quake was just a precursor to more horrific disasters to come. The tsunami wiped out countless lives and cities. Then the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant nuclear reactor incident(s) escalated to be a Level 7 crisis rating– the highest since Chernobyl.

Beyond the headlines and coverage, racist Tweets emerged online, comparing the death tolls of the quake and Pearl Harbor. Stories about the lack of Japanese looters– no wait, there were looters– also came to light. The theory of “no looters” were published alongside stories which theorized that the Japanese respect for authority possibly prevented thousands of needless deaths.

One the one year anniversary of the quake, it was clear that the recovery was far from over.

Now, after three years, check out this video directed by Mina T. Son & Sara Newens being shared as a Facebook Story about how the city of Rikuzentakata is faring:

In April 2013, a small boat washed ashore in Crescent City, Calif., and was soon found to be a piece of debris from the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Humboldt State University professor Lori Dengler, a tsunami expert, learned that the boat might have belonged to Takata High School in Rikuzentakata, so she sent a message to the city’s Facebook Page, which she had been following since her own visit to the area for research. Someone quickly replied and was able to find a teacher who recognized the boat as the school’s.
The boat had traveled about 5,000 miles over two years before it landed in Crescent City, a town that also experienced a tsunami that same day in 2011. A group of Del Norte High School students were struck by the many similarities between Crescent City and Rikuzentakata, so they volunteered to clean up the boat and return it to Takata High School. Last month, the city of Rikuzentakata and Takata High hosted the Del Norte students in Japan and thanked them for their friendship and for providing a reminder that their struggle has not been forgotten.

To make your own connection to Rikuzentakata and to follow the city’s recovery, visit facebook.com/RikuzentakataCity

Taiwan has many levels of convenient public transportation: Taiwan High Speed Rail, Taiwan Railway, and the Metro systems in all the major cities (e.g. Taipei MRT). All this on top of Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s Taiwan Tour Bus and ubiquitous taxis really make it possible to get pretty much anywhere on the main island. The video above is of the Taipei MRT, and as you can hear, they announce every stop in Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese (minan), Hakkanese, and English.

Here are some of my experiences on various levels of Taiwan’s available transportation. I must warn you, though, that I love trains.

Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR)

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Image courtesy: mikehonda.com

Silicon Valley, CA – Yesterday, Congressman Mike Honda received the sole endorsement of the California Democratic Party (CDP) for his re-election in California’s 17th Congressional District. The endorsement follows an overwhelming show of support for Honda at last month’s Pre-Endorsement Caucus, where 92% of Democrats from the 17th District voted for him.

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Dear Shannon Knapp,

First and foremost, thank you for Invicta. It’s an understatement to say that it has been a blessing to women’s MMA and women’s combat sports.

I check Invicta news every day, and I noticed that in the recent flurry of signings, Invicta signed Rachael Ostovich of Jesus is Lord MMA Gym in Hawaii.

Ostovich had fought her first pro-MMA fight with one of my favorite fighter athletes, Jenny Liou of Ace Jiu-Jitsu and Subfighter MMA, who was also in her debut pro-MMA fight.

Liou won that fight against Ostovich by TKO (knee to the Body and Punches) at Destinay MMA – Na Koa 4 on January 25, 2014.

Further, Liou has just won her second pro-MMA fight against Jilian Lybarger by unanimous decision on February 22, 2014 at KOTC Radar Lock.

The video above is Liou’s most recent amateur fight on December 6, 2013, and Liou not only won against Ariel Beck with a split decision but also won Fight of the Night at Fight Force – Butte Brawl 15.

Liou has a foundation in ground game, but her recent wins by TKO and decisions show that she has definitely been stocking up her arsenal.

These facts have been bothering me because although Ostovich is a great fighter, too, Liou seems more than qualified to join the prestigious ranks of Invicta FC. Thus, as an ardent fan of Invicta FC and of women’s MMA, I earnestly urge Invicta to sign Jenny Liou.

I am very much looking forward to the six Invicta events planned for this year. Schedule permitting, I hope I can fly out from Los Angeles and see one in person.

Thank you again for showing the world that nothing is more awesome than “fighting like a girl”!

Invicta FC Fan,

Tina @ 8Asians

One of the biggest stories of the day today is that Newsweek’s Leah McGrath Goodman revealed the alleged true identity of the supposed founder of Bitcoin, which had been credited to “Satoshi Nakamoto.”

In the detailed investigative report, the article alleges that the Bitcoin founder is a Japanese American man living in Southern California named Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto. Along with other personal and background information– including that the 64 year-old man is living with his mother and recently had troubles with cancer and a stroke– the article also published a photograph of the man, a photo of his car (with license plate showing) in the driveway of his house, as well as identifying the city of his residence. Within hours, the location of his home was identified and a media storm descended upon his home. Online, reaction swiftly condemned the journalist for revealing the home address of this man and possibly putting his life at risk (the Bitcoin founder is worth at least $400m in Bitcoin, as of now).

Although Dorian Nakamoto denies being the founder of Bitcoin, it didn’t stop reporters from chasing him across town, according to the Los Angeles Times. Nakamoto said he would speak to only one reporter and then accepted a invitation to a free lunch with an AP reporter while other reporters followed and camped outside. It was covered as the “Bitcoin chase” live via social media and the Los Angeles Times.

So, is Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto the founder of Bitcoin? Well, the jury is still out on that, but one AP reporter certainly will be getting the scoop of his life for the cost of a sushi lunch. More to come, I’m sure.

UPDATE 3/6/2014: The “chosen” AP reporter was Ryan Nakashima whose exclusive article was published at 9:45pm Pacific Time: MAN SAID TO CREATE BITCOIN DENIES IT. Also, the original Satoshi Nakamoto P2P Foundation account owner replied to a very old post with a message: “I am not Dorian Nakamoto.“

Visit Asian America. Asian America is not just an identity or an idea, it’s a place as well. It is America, and certain parts of America distinctly embody the Asian American homeland. Join us as we highlight different Asian American destinations that you can add to your next travel itinerary.

Martial Arts History Museum is a center that educates the public about martial arts and provides a space for cultural and artistic experiences with martial arts, which includes learning about the many different countries known for their martial arts traditions.

Location

2319 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506

(cross streets: Magnolia & Buena Vista)

Hours

Thursday through Sunday, 11am to 6pm.

Admission

$8 for adults, $4 for kids (6-12 years old)

Events

Gaming, workshops, demonstrations, and festivals.

Contact

Phone: (818) 478-1722
email: [email protected]

So apparently, some totally obsessed fan made a tribute game to the anime and manga series Attack on Titan. I totally understand how this fan feels. It’s simply terrible sitting around waiting for the next season to be made and released. However, though this game is not exactly visually striking, it strikes paralyzing terror in me every time one of those titans opens its mouth to bite someone. In watching the group game play video above, I found myself squealing loudly in fright as one of the Titans chomped down on one of the players. I’m not sure if people who haven’t seen the anime or read the manga would have the same sort of pre-programmed reaction to it, but I definitely feel like my imagination runs away with me and I start reliving the horrors of a Titan attack. Remember, I have Attack on Titan PTSD.

Years ago when  I saw a policeman on the TV news restrain a protester using an Aikido sankyo grip, I thought to myself, “where did the cop learn that technique?”  Only after reading an obituary did I found out.   Johnny has talked about jeet kune do and kajukenbo as uniquely Asian American martial arts, and I would add the Koga System to that list, a martial arts system that got its start in the Topaz internment camp in Utah.

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The old adage that half the fun is getting there couldn’t be more true. When we booked the flight with the popular Taiwanese airline EVA Air, we didn’t think the one we got was going to be one of the airline’s Hello Kitty flights. It wasn’t indicated as such on our reservation, although when we got our luggage checked in and our boarding passes, it got our hopes up.

We watched with unexpected delight when our plane rolled in like so. Everyone in the waiting area got up to take pictures.

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Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez accept the Oscar® for the category Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original Song) for “Let It Go” during the live ABC Telecast of The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA Sunday, March 2, 2014. (Photo credit: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

Robert Lopez made history when he won the Oscar® for Music (Original Song) at the 86th Academy Awards® for writing the music and lyrics of “Let It Go” from “Frozen” (along with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez).

Robert is only the twelfth person who has achieved an “EGOT” (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award) and he completed this achievement faster than anyone has previously done: in only ten years. He is also the youngest person to EGOT in competitive categories at the age of 39.

Robert is also Filipino American and thus, is the first Filipino American (and first Asian American) to achieve EGOT.

During his backstage interview, he was asked about his Filipino background:

Q. So, Robert, not only did you make history by joining a group of people who have won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony but in the Philippines you just made history by being the first Philippine[sic] American to win an Oscar. So, your thoughts please.

A. (Robert Lopez) Filipino pride. I’m so excited. I’m just sending love to the Philippines. I know they’ve had a tough year and I just send out my feelings to them.

It must be pretty chaotic for the press that is working backstage, but I have comment about the question itself.

First, Robert Lopez made history everywhere (not just in the Philippines). Second, it’s “Filipino American” (and not Philippine American). Nitpicking aside, I’m glad that Robert acknowledges not only his Filipino background, but also that the Philippines have been hit hard in the past couple of years by terrible disasters. Kristen followed up, saying that they’ll be doing a benefit concert for the Philippines on March 12th, in New York City.

Congrats to Robert and Kristen for their Oscars®. (Cutest husband-wife acceptance speech/song ever!)

8$ is a series which occasionally highlights interesting crowdfunding projects. Every day, the 8Asians team is inundated by many worthy pitches. We are unable to highlight every one that comes our way, or even the ones we might individually support. The projects selected for 8$ are not endorsements by 8Asians. (To be considered for 8$, we highly suggest you not harass the writers or the editors of 8Asians.)

WHO: The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA) envisions a strong and sustainable Asian American Theater community that is an integral presence in national culture—evocative of our past, declarative of our present, and innovative towards our future.

WHAT: Indiegogo project: CAATA Fund Drive

In 2006 the BIG BANG Conference in Los Angeles launched a national Asian American theater movement. The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA) was born and we have organized two festivals in New York City, a conference in Minneapolis, and the first Conference/Festival (ConFest) in Los Angeles in 2011.

Preparations are currently underway for the next ConFest, the 4th National Asian American Theater Conference and Festival, which will take place in Philadelphia in October 2014.

CAATA is a volunteer-driven organization that exists to support the vibrant, growing, and changing field of Asian American Theater across the country and the globe. As a member of this community we are asking you to support CAATA in order to keep this movement going.

WHEN: Deadline to contribute is Sunday, March 16, 2014 (11:59pm PT).

WHY:
About the Indiegogo, from CAATA:

Upcoming ConFest
Over 4 1/2 days, the 2014 ConFest will bring to Philadelphia approximately four Asian American theater productions, twenty panel discussions and three plenary sessions by established and emerging leaders in the community including a keynote address. In addition, curated open-mic events, ongoing video demos with artists sharing work-in-progress, neighborhood artist/open studio tours, new play readings, workshops, special events and open space gatherings round out the program.

The 2014 ConFest is currently entitled “Home: Here…There… Where?”. Through the lens of the Asian American experience of migration and the search for a sense of “place” and equity on personal, community, and global levels, the ConFest will examine Asian Americans’ relationship to broad definitions and meanings of home.

What Your Help Can Do
Your support goes to support the ConFest and beyond. CAATA’s programming is expanding to meet the needs of our community and we need your help to sustain our efforts. Your donation today could help cover:

• $75 for a one-way train ticket for a ConFest panelist or keynote speaker
• $100 for 2 months service with Constant Contact to keep the community informed
• $500 one-month office rental to establish NYC residency to be eligible for grants
• $1,000 web page update or cost of travel for two artists
• $10,000 for performance and conference venue rentals for the Philadelphia ConFest
• $100,000 40% of ConFest Expenses including housing and travel for artists from across the country

CAATA’s Board Steps Up!
Our goal was to raise $30,000 from our national network of supporters and collaborators. CAATA’s Board has jumpstarted this campaign by donating the first $5,000 and we ask you to help us raise the remaining $25,000.