Noted Asian American blogger BigWowo.com recently did a podcast with Boston mayoral candidate Sam Yoon and asked fellow bloggers to promote Yoon’s campaign.
Asian American unemployment jumped from 6.7% to 8.2% (not seasonally adjusted) from May to June. While Asian Americans in the last several years have had the lowest unemployment rates of all the racial groups, their unemployment rates are now approaching those of Whites, whose comparable June unemployment rate was 8.8%. For Blacks and Hispanics, the comparable June rates were 15.3% and 12.1%.
There have been some interesting events of import the past few months.
Here are a few of the more noteworthy items. As a popular political refrain goes, it’s a time of change….
In an important move for Keeping America Safe, the state of Virginia has banned the act of smiling …
Barack Obama recently reversed the decision to release photos of American torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. These pictures have been shown to members of the US Congress and have been described as a descent into “the wings of hell.”
But it’s only the tip of an iceberg that will most likely never be fully revealed.
One of the things that tops Barack Obama’s domestic political agenda is improving America’s educational system and giving US kids the schooling that they deserve.
Towards this end, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) added its own “unique” contribution to this noble endeavor….
“This is a farewell kiss, you dog. This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq.”
–Muntazer al-Zaidi
Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi was recently sentenced to 3 years in prison for the “crime” of throwing his shoes at George W. Bush during the US ruler’s Baghdad press conference in December 2008.
Add this prison sentence to the long list of outrages committed by the Anglo-American Coalition of the Killing in Iraq.
As mentioned previously on this blog, al-Zaidi’s actions were captured on video and quickly become a global internet sensation. As one website put it, this video of al-Zaidi’s shoe-throwing became one of the most viral internet events in history.
Al-Zaidi’s act has become a symbol of populist resistance to the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq–in the process, shredding America’s pretenses about “bringing democracy” to Iraq.
Indeed, after his arrest last year, al-Zaidi was beaten in custody by the USA-backed regime in Baghdad, suffering several injuries as a result.
So much for the rule of law.
The other day while surfing around Craigslist, I stumbled upon the following message that not only is a sign of the times but also related the heartbreaking story of one young family, whose pictures are above.
This past Monday, Japan and South Korea played in the championship finale of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international baseball tournament involving some of the best professional players from nations around the globe.
Though the competition was not widely appreciated by many fans in the USA, the finale itself was scintillating. It was a tense, closely contested struggle that Japan finally won 5-3 in 10 innings, with Ichiro Suzuki hitting the decisive 2-run single. The game was marked by very good pitching, a few clutch hits, outstanding defense, and several memorable moments.
Held in Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, the atmosphere for the finale was electric and reminiscent of a World Cup soccer match. Estimated at over 50,000 people, the crowd had a significant–if not majority–of Asian fans, particularly Korean and Japanese (Americans) rooting for their favorite team. The Korean fans were particularly colorful as they beat their noise-making ”Thunderstix” together and chanted “Dae Han Min Gook.”
Beyond all the festivities, however, there was perhaps a larger significance about the game that many Americans claim as their national pastime.
Here is a somewhat “different” solution for addressing the budget shortfall crises that state governments around the USA are facing.
