This blog doesn’t really talk about pop culture, for the most part. But it must be mentioned that director John Hughes recently died of a heart attack. For much of America, Hughes was best known for his movies about the White Teenage Angst experience during the Reagan Era, such as The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
But for not a few Asian Americans, he was also known for something more notorious….
Have you ever secretly wanted to see your name in print?
Do you lie in bed late at night thinking to yourself, “My life is so interesting, the world must hear my story”!?
Do you harbor a burning desire to write the great Asian American novel?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, here is the perfect opportunity for you!
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.
