Should Jinh Yu Frey Have Won Against Jodie Esquibel at Invicta FC 8?

Posted on October 9, 2014 by tinabot

Jodie Esquibel vs. Jinh Yu Frey
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I was thrilled when the Invicta FC 8 date was announced, but I was especially excited to be able to support some the Asian American women that were on the card, among them the headliner Waterson and the newly Invicta-signed Jinh Yu Frey. This whole event was really great, and such a deal with the UFC Fight Pass.

It was cool to see that Frey would be fighting Jodie Esquibel, who is actually coming out of Jackson’s MMA, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jackson’s is not just one of the top MMA gyms in the world, it is also currently one of the meccas of women’s MMA, with the likes of Michelle Waterson, Julie Kedzie, and Holly Holm. I had high expectations for both fighters and really looked forward to a great fight.

The fight was definitely exciting, and I enjoyed the chance to really see both women in action in a full fight. The two of them looked absolutely gorgeous, and by gorgeous, I mean their arms look like chiseled works of art.

To cut to the chase, Esquibel won the bout by a split decision between the judges, and not being too perceptive, I just wrung my hands, happy for Esquibel but disappointed for Frey. However, a comment from a fellow MMA fan made me think that the split decision may not have been a well-called one. Split decisions are always tricky and controversial, and the fight was definitely a close call, but I really started questioning the results and am now leaning toward the verdict that Frey probably should have won that one. Here’s why.

Jodie Esquibel vs. Jinh Yu Frey
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Jeremy Lin’s Focus made him turn down millions in Linsanity Endorsements

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Jeff

While he jokes about possible endorsements in the above video, Jeremy Lin revealed in a recent interview that he turned down millions in endorsements during Linsanity.  The reason?  He wanted to focus on basketball.  You might think “no big deal,” but he says that the endorsement money would have been bigger than his salary, including his upcoming $14 million dollar season.

Lin says in that interview that he has been given a talent by God, and that he should concentrate on developing it.  Completely separate from his views of God, I think an excellent point can be learned from this about focus and opportunity.  The window to play professional basketball is not very large, and later in life, he might regret being distracted by overdoing off-court activities like endorsement activities and not giving basketball his best possible effort.   If the opportunity of a lifetime comes up, seize it with both hands, as reaching for other things might let it slip from one’s grasp.  That’s a great lesson not just about basketball but for life in general.

It’s hard to feel sorry for Lin, who has gotten a large contract (some say too large) and done endorsements like Volvo and recently signed with Adidas.   He doesn’t seem the type to squander his money like Alan Iverson, and he is unselfish enough to  have set up a charitable foundation.  He does seem to indulge in videos, vines, and other social media, but some of these efforts seem to also business oriented.  His YouTube channel with 400,000 subscribers recently joined the Whistle Sports Network.   One would think that his years at Harvard would have trained him to manage his time well.

It could be that life in LA might prove to be a distraction, but it looks like Lin understands this and even jokes about it.   The upcoming 2014-2015 season will show whether his focus pays off.

 

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Ro Khanna Debates Congressman Mike Honda for California’s 17th Congressional Seat

Posted on October 7, 2014 by John

Part 1/3

I had the privilege to attend the only debate (at least in the press pool at NBC Bay Area) this fall between candidate Ro Khanna and Congressman Mike Honda, who is running for re-election for California’s 17th Congressional District in November. Due to California’s new open primary season, these two Democrats are facing each other after the June primary. For those into Democratic politics, this is the debate that politicos are watching. The San Francisco Chronicle nicely summarized my thoughts on the debate:

“Honda, who was often on defense, didn’t deliver the kind of crisp, practiced answers that Khanna frequently recited by rote during the televised debate — many of them the same lines he uses on the campaign stump. Unlike Khanna, who looked into the camera and often was on the attack during the debate in a TV studio in San Jose, Honda sometimes lapsed into political speak. But Honda strongly and repeatedly defended his record as one of delivering millions of dollars in projects — like BART to San Jose, a matter he repeatedly referenced — and his assists on issues like the founding of a patent office in San Jose. Khanna was careful to avoid personal attacks on Honda, whom he repeatedly praised as a good man and lawmaker. But he slammed the congressman’s record and even his attendance in the House.”

Overall, I thought Khanna was clearly a more energetic, better speaker and debater that also likes to be wonkish and is comfortable in front of the camera.

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#UmbrellaRevolution

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Lily

UmbrellaRevolution

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy revolution is characterized by this powerful hashtag. I’m not a big fan of hashtags, but this one is different. And this post is long overdue. Some catch-up if you’ve been ignoring the news, and some musings after the jump.

With a name derived from the umbrellas used to protect protesters from tear gas and pepper spray on September 28 and storms on days since, this revolution is a fight for the right to elect their leader. And it is being led by students and joined by Occupy Central for Peace and Love and the people of Hong Kong. They are asking China to make good on a promise they made to the SAR (Special Administrative Region) that Hong Kong could have free elections in 2017, that they could have a “high degree of autonomy” in the first fifty years after the handover from Great Britain in 1997.

The protesters are asking to democratically choose their next elected leader in 2017, rather than elect one from a pre-selected pile of candidates that Beijing approves of. They are asking for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down. They are NOT looking for complete sovereignty from Beijing, nor asking for more than what had been agreed on at earlier stages in this long and complex play between the mainland and Hong Kong.

Post by South China Morning Post SCMP.

And they are finding their voice. Thousands more joined protests last Monday after the police used tear gas and pepper spray, feeling that this violence was not a part of our Hong Kong. Peacefully and continually, protesters have blocked key roads, taken over Admiralty on Hong Kong Island and Mong Kok on Kowloon side. And people around the world are showing their solidarity for the protest, physically, digitally, mentally, internationally. International news media outlets keep honing in on how the protesters are even picking up their trash, a seemingly unheard of phenomenon. Meanwhile, mainland Chinese outlets are disparaging or keeping quiet. Instagram was shut down in China the night of the tear gas-enabled police crowd control.
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Film Review: ‘A Picture of You’

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Mitchell K. Dwyer

A Picture of You (2014)
Jo Mei, Andrew Pang, Teyonah Parris, Lucas Dixon, Jodi Long. Directed by J.P. Chan. Written by J.P. Chan and Jo Mei.

APOY_STILL_03Kyle and Jen have just lost their mother, and now they are in her rural Pennsylvania house to pack away her things. It says something that neither calls the other by name through the first half of the film, both opting for, “Hey,” which is also the extent of most of their early conversations. They clearly do not get along, and so the grieving process, stoked by the act of going through their mother’s belongings, is a lonely experience for both.

Add to this the fact that one of the siblings took care of their ill mother in the time leading to her death, while the other stayed away out of fear, and the resentment and guilt Kyle and Jen must sift through are as layered as the belongings they pull out of drawers and off shelves.

APOY_STILL_02It probably sounds like several films you’ve seen or novels you’ve read, especially when the siblings discover something surprising in their mother’s computer. But this isn’t a movie about uncovering the secrets of a family’s past, though the characters do find themselves chasing down information and details in an almost screwball sequence in the final act. What makes A Picture of You worth its eighty-two minutes is that it spends its time first keeping its characters kind of mysterious, and then slowly getting us to care about them and their relationship with each other. When two of Jen’s friends show up at the house to help with the cleanup, I expected them to be a distraction from the good Kyle-Jen stuff, but they actually help it along, bringing an element of humor that had mostly been absent.

I laughed aloud multiple times, mostly at awkward interactions and silly-but-fitting conversations. There were a couple of moments where I thought, “Oh, no. Not this tired plot device,” but even this film’s direction down overly trodden movie territory is pretty enjoyable. I normally hate marijuana-as-bonding moments in movies, yet here I thought the scene was fun and effective.
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Traveling Taiwan: Alishan Old Train Station (Part 20D of 24)

Posted on October 6, 2014 by tinabot

Taiwan Alishan

When Taiwan was handed over to Japan by China, the Japanese found lots of desirable wood on Alishan mountain and promptly began to build railroads to support the logging industry they established here. Luckily, the logging fell out of economic favor over time and tourism became the top priority, which meant that this little train station has been preserved, and visitors can experience the train station and the little boom town village around it with a nice historic ambiance. Think something between Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away all in one place.

Taiwan Alishan

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8$: Boston Asian American Film Festival

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Lily

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:

Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community.

baaff_logo_banner2013

WHAT: Indiegogo project: Boston Asian American Film Festival 2014

From October 23 to 26, the Boston Asian American Film Festival will screen over 25 films, including 9-Man, To Be Takei, and Revenge of the Green Dragons.

Every year, we strive to be better than the last, and we intend to make BAAFF 2014 one of the best experiences possible. With your help, we can make this festival a memorable event for both general attendees and special guests. The funds raised through this campaign will go towards bringing filmmakers and actors to Boston to share with festival-goers their vision and experiences.

WHEN: Deadline to contribute is Tuesday, October 21, 2014 (7:27am PDT).

WHY:

Our interest resides in the passion to bring Asian American films to the public and to educate them on the experiences that Asian Americans face in society. There are many issues in our society that are not being recognized such as gentrification and discrimination; and we are here to help raise awareness to these concerns. Bringing filmmakers to Boston and supporting Asian American filmmakers will ensure we deepen the conversations that take place.

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America’s Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson Defeated Japan’s Yasuko Tamada

Posted on October 4, 2014 by tinabot

Michelle Waterson (black trunks) vs. Yasuko Tamada
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The last fight Michelle Waterson had was at Invicta FC 5 in April of 2013, when she won the Atomweight Championship belt from Jessica Penne. Nearly a year and a half later, she was finally able to defend her belt against Yasuko Tamada from Japan.

What was vividly clear to everyone right away at the weigh-ins and the moment Waterson stepped into the cage was that within the time she had been out of that cage, she had forged herself into a sword. Gone was the scrappy yet determined challenger who had pulled the belt right out from under her opponent with a surprising turnaround and totally unexpected submission win.

As she took on Tamada’s challenge, Waterson did what fans of combat sports refer to as “fighting like a champ”. She stood tall and proud, like a noble knight, and carefully picked apart her opponent with surgical strikes. She took no unnecessary risks and kept the whole fight standing, to her advantage. Each knee to the head and body, fist to the face, round house kick to the temple or ribs, and, yes, even a spinning back kick to ice off that flawless victory cake, was done with such poise and precision, it was quite a performance to watch. And yet, it was also hard to watch, because clearly Tamada was simply overwhelmed by Waterson’s presence and power. You can see at one point in the highlight video below that Tamada tried to hold Waterson against the cage, but the American fighter simple pushed Tamada around as if she were a feather caught up in a storm.

At the end, when the referee just had to stop the fight, Tamada’s coach, the legendary Japanese female MMA fighter Mega Megumi, looked really pained as she hugged a badly bruised up Tamada. Gotta hand it to Tamada for having a serious iron chin. Waterson went at her like a train bearing down on a hapless deer, and Tamada just kept on coming back and stayed standing even up until the last second. It was clear that if the ref hadn’t called it, Tamada would have gone the distance, Rocky style.

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NPR: In ‘Selfie,’ John Cho Gets An Unlikely Shot As A Romantic Lead

Posted on October 3, 2014 by John

If you haven’t heard, actor John Cho is starring in a new show this Fall on ABC titled ‘Selfie’ and NPR highlighted Cho’s unique position on being a romantic lead for the show:

“John Cho wasn’t supposed to star in the My Fair Lady-like ABC sitcom Selfie. (The pilot, which premieres Sept. 30, is much better than its not-very-good name, sort of like the ’90s Welsh band Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci.) The producers of the show were looking for someone more in the traditional Henry Higgins mold, namely British and oldish. Cho is neither, but as creator Emily Kapnek has said, the further they got into their search, the less the older and British parts mattered. Eventually, she said, “We just need a brilliant actor — and John’s name came up.” … Still, it’s not lost on Cho that his casting — as a somewhat-possibly-romantically interesting lead opposite a white woman on a major network show — really does mean something. … What Selfie does well, at least in the pilot, is not to make an issue of Henry and Eliza’s respective races. Henry is a brilliant marketer, who happens to be Korean-American. Eliza is a self-absorbed social media addict, who happens to be white. This is how it should be. … Sure, in a perfect world, there have been so many Asian-American male romantic leads that this casting choice is hardly worth noting as unusual or counter-intuitive, but as Cho himself acknowledges we don’t live in that world. There’s a reason we still have to call it “colorblind casting” instead of just “casting.””

ABC had made the first episode available online and through other channels (I watched it via Comcast-on-Demand) prior to its broadcast debut. Overall, I think the show still needs some work. I do like Cho and his character, but it’ll be interesting to see what plotlines can be developed in this sitcom, and how a potential romance between Cho’s character Henry and his counterpart, Eliza, can work.

A new sitcom pilot I did thoroughly enjoy was Blackish. But I really can’t wait to see coming early 2015 is the new Asian American comedy, Fresh Off the Boat.

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Anime Review: The Irregular at Magic High School

Posted on October 2, 2014 by tinabot

Tatsuya and his sister Shiba enter into the Private Magic University Affiliated High School where they will train to utilize and maximize their magic powers using technological enhancements and tools. Upon entrance, though, they have to take an examination that sorts into the Honor Students and Irregulars, or as the students call them, Blooms and Weeds. The categories create classist social system at the school, and the conflict that comes with that along with the intrigue of Tatsuya’s past drives the story forward.

Aside from the anti-standardized testing message that I love, the martial arts action animation in this is surprisingly good for a story based on magic. The use of technology to control and enhance magic is relatively unorthodox take on it, and it really comes off as more sci-fi mystery than the sort of fantasy hocus pocus you would expect from a story centered around magic. Great for those who are interested in a more cerebral mood, but there is some annoying fan service and weird hints at incest. My American sensibilities still aren’t okay with any of that even after years of exposure to Japanese anime.

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Governor Nikki Haley, Running for Re-Election in South Carolina

Posted on October 1, 2014 by John

http://youtu.be/4wp9bokc9xk

As I have mentioned lately, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and often am not aware of other political races going on in the country. I was reviewing the latest email I received from the Republican National Committee and noticed a recent ad by Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley and just realized that she is running for re-election.

Wow, has it been four years already? It hasn’t seemed to be four years and only yesterday (more like 2 years ago), that Haley was on The Colbert Report plugging her book, Can’t Is Not an Option. I was re-reading Haley’s Wikipedia entry, and it is pretty impressive:

HFG“Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina. At the age of 42, Haley is the youngest current governor in the United States. She is one of two sitting Indian American governors in the United States, the other being fellow Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. She is also the third person who is not Euro-American to have been elected as governor of a Southern state, after Virginia‘s L. Douglas Wilder and Louisiana’s Jindal.”

I really don’t know if Haley has been an effective governor or not, but since I only found out that she’s running for re-election, she certainly hasn’t been in the news for any scandals either. I’m assuming no news is good news, and that as an incumbent in a fairly “red state,” Haley should easily get re-elected in November. Otherwise, I am sure I’ll hear more if and when she is defeated.

 

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Traveling Taiwan: Alishan Sunrise (Part 20C of 24)

Posted on September 30, 2014 by tinabot

Taiwan Trip 2013 Monday Tuesday 300

I’m more of a night owl than a morning person, but there are definitely things in this world worth getting up before dawn for, and the Alishan Sunrise experience would have to be one of those.

We were pretty bummed that the train up to Alishan was out of commission due to typhoon damage repairs, but the ride on train up to the Alishan sunrise look out point made up for that a bit.

Taiwan Trip 2013 Monday Tuesday 292
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