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This news is pertinent to the 8Asians community because it involves an Asian baby, and as we all know, Asian babies are the cutest babies on Earth.
However, our highly-sought status from creating the world’s most cuddly sentient creatures is now at stake with this new baby from China who was BORN WITH 8 TOES ON EACH FOOT.
Yeah. I said it. EIGHT TOES. Plus, five fingers on each hand BUT NO THUMBS.
Guys, we need to do something about this baby. S/he may be threatening the one positive thing we’ve got going for our younger generation (aside from high SAT scores). Someone needs to fix this baby’s feet or hide her (him?) from the public. Can we bring back foot binding? Or someone needs to give birth to the most adorable Asian baby like NOW to steal the spotlight. Do we have a new Michelin Baby for 2008 yet?
Okay, I’m kidding. You can’t even see what this little tot looks like, anyway, but I’m sure s/he is beautiful. But still. WOW.
6 Comments | Posted in: WTF
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This lesson is courtesy of chinaSMACK.com:
“Shanzhai” (山寨) = shan1 zhai4 = literally “mountain stronghold” in reference to historical warlord holdouts that were outside of government control. A “shanzhai” edition product thus refers to products outside of government regulations that are widely reflected in the numerous fake and knockoff electronics/commodities made in China today. The term “shanzhai” can also refer to things that are improvised or home-made and are generally crude in both form and function (the closest English equivalent would be “ghetto”).
In other words: KNOCK OFFS. Like when you buy IVIKE vs NIKE or SQNY vs SONY! Did you know there was a name for them aside from “FAKE?!”
There are a bunch of good examples at chinaSMACK’s post, so check it out!
No Comments | Posted in: Current Events, Observations, WTF
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No comment needed, although I like how he does the “point in the air” thing at random times throughout the song. Or how he touches his body at the 1 minute, 58 second mark. Because, you know, that’s the name of the song, and he’s being all literal and shit.
My personal highlight from this song is, of course, the 37 second mark: “cuz if you onion munya breaka bagel seeka tunday boo, i will hunt you down. [points to camera]” Indeed, friend. In-fucking-deed. (Link from my co-worker Derrick)
11 Comments | Posted in: Movies, WTF
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The irony was not lost on any of us when the initiative measure known as Proposition 8, which fundamentally alters the California state constitution, would be titled the “California Marriage Protection Act” (emphasis my own). It might have been titled the “Marriage Definition Act,” as the initiative seeks to define what is and is not “marriage.” “Marriage Protection,” however, no matter where one stands on the issue, makes no sense.
Marriage is an institution. It is an establishment, an organization of behavior or relationships charged by social and cultural models. Social and cultural models change with time, with the changes relative to the demographics of the people in that society or culture. Thus, institutions change. They change because people reach little epiphanies along the way about what “fair and justice” or “equality” means.
Please, by all means let us argue and debate over what “marriage” means. Discourse is good. Where civil rights may be involved, though, it becomes imperative that we first find common ground. So let’s say “marriage” at its very basic definition, means the formal ratification of a human union or relationship. Marriage is the institution that governs that formal ratification process. This denominator protects the most people. That’s what our purpose here is, right? To protect people, namely our neighbors, who we love; because when God said love thy neighbor, the implication there is that we ought to protect them. That’s part of what it means to love.
A “Marriage Protection Act” should therefore protect all human unions or relationships that seek to be formally ratified. Then, the details of the governance would be worked out through the democratic ways we Americans have been trying to preserve with our War on Terrorism. A provision that reads “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California” (which is word for word how Article 1, Section 7.5 of California’s Constitution will read if Prop 8 is passed) is not a protection of the institution of marriage, but rather is explicit discrimination within the institution of marriage.
Before we go any further, I would like to revise Section 1 of Proposition 8 so that our laws utilize language more precisely. It is the “Marriage Definition Act” at its nicest and “Marriage Discrimination Act” at its most accurate. I would be okay with any of those two titles. I am not okay with the misleading title “Marriage Protection.”
As a social conservative, I am voting NO on Prop 8 because marriage is sacred to me, and I oppose any law that might pervert the sanctity of marriage.
Even if equal protection is irrelevant to me (as a minority in this country, equal protection should NEVER be irrelevant to us), I still care about the economy. Passage of Prop 8 means significant revenue loss, mainly in sales taxes, to state and local governments. This could mean a loss of tens of millions of dollars in just the next few years. That kind of money does not sound negligible to me, and I’m sure a public school district receiving that money for rehabilitation wouldn’t consider it negligible, nor would any other group or institution receiving those “excess” funds.
Finally, if we really want to pass Prop 8, then we must also rethink the Pledge of Allegiance. “With Liberty and Justice for All”? We should amend it with a measure called “Justice for All Protection Act” and include an asterisk with a list of exceptions by the word “All.”
Oh, and no, I won’t bother tying this into Asian Americanism to validate this post’s place at 8Asians.com. As people who have historically been excluded from what “All” means in this country, it would be shameful for any of us to support any form of inequality.
[Editors note: Although the blog post was written by akrypti, the title was conceived by Ernie. Flickr photo credit: brenbot.]
6 Comments | Posted in: Discrimination, Family, LGBT, Lifestyles, Politics, WTF
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Zhenghao Shen, a Chinese college student in Australia, stabbed a friend in the head after an argument broke out while they were playing World of Warcraft (of course).
It was told the victim asked Zhenghao to turn down the volume on his computer several times then challenged him to a fight.
Zhenghao allegedly then stabbed the victim in the head with a chef’s knife.
Wow. I mean, was it really that hard to turn your speakers down? Do you really have to succumb to the stereotype of nerdy Asian boys who incessantly play video games and sometimes take things a little too far?
Shen, I’m very disappointed in you. But at least you didn’t pull out a samurai sword. THAT would have been a little too much.
9 Comments | Posted in: Video Games, WTF
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Former SF supervisor Ed Jew (from fogcityjournal.com)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Over a year after he was accused of extorting people who wanted to open Quickly Tapioca branches in the Sunset District in San Francisco, Ed Jew has now pleaded guilty to all federal charges against him, including mail fraud, extortion and soliciting a bribe.
Soon after these allegations came to light, a state investigation was launched where Jew was accused of actually living in Burlingame, a suburb south of San Francisco, instead of actually living in the Sunset. On top of the long federal prison sentence he already faces, he could face even more jail time after the state is done with its investigation.
According to SFGate.com, his lawyer came up with this explanation: Jew’s attorney said his client believed his actions were legal because that’s how he learned to behave in politics.
No wonder there weren’t any supporters waiting for him this time after he pleaded guilty today.
If anything, this embarrassment has led to a huge increase in Asian American candidates running for supervisory positions in SF, including my new home district: the Richmond; and they’re finally not focused on just the Sunset.
1 Comment | Posted in: Current Events, Politics, WTF
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At the United Nations Association 50th anniversary gala last week the United Nation’s Secretary general Ban Ki Moon showed off his rapping skills, probably out of inspiration from one of the guests of honor, Jay-Z, who was there to be honored for his work with Water for Life.
It is pretty impressive knowing that English is not the Secretary’s native language and he manage to pull this lame trick off without embarrassing himself. Even though politicians and delegates tend to NOT mix well with rapping, I think the Secretary General is somewhere in the middle ground if by absolute disaster is personified Karl “MC” Rove and actually being enjoyable to listen to would be Philadelphia’s mayor Michael “The Rapper’s Delight” Nutter.
Dont Quit your day job Ban Ki Moon…
No Comments | Posted in: Current Events, WTF
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That’s right, a Thai politician (not to be confused with the infamous fighting Taiwanese politicians) kicked and punched a TV journalist on-air during an interview for asking confrontational questions.
Known as Thailand’s King of Sex, Chuwit Kamolvisit (also reported as Chuvit Kamolvisit) was once the country’s biggest massage parlor owner who went on form his own political party to run for office.
[He] later apologised for losing his temper and assaulting host Visarn Dilokwanich after the interview.
“I admit I did it. I couldn’t stand it when he humiliated me on air,” said Chuvit, a stocky former bodybuilder who owned a strip of girly bars before entering politics a few years ago.
“What I did was a petty crime and I am happy to pay the fine for elbowing him and kicking him,” Chuvit said at his campaign headquarters next to a park he built and gave to the public. [full story]
He ended up losing the election, admitting that the assault might have negatively affected the outcome.
h/t: Bamboo Nation; Photo courtesy: Sry85
4 Comments | Posted in: Current Events, Politics, WTF
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“Sol Food” sounds like a place that I want...
