What a dumb ass

People has a quote from Cyrus at the Oscars ...

"She's beautiful, and I love her, and she can like, adopt me if she wants to."
– Miley Cyrus, on Best Actress nominee Angelina Jolie, to E! host Ryan Seacrest

Why? So she can make fun of Jolie's two Asian kids?

Korean-American actors on TV

I caught Sung Kang on "Monk" last Friday in the "Mr. Monk on wheels" episode. Just a small part ... of a Japanese guy. Sigh.

I've also been watching "The Mentalist," which ripped off the show idea from "Psych" (one of my favorite shows, hilarious '80s references). I noticed that Korean-American actor Tim Kang, who plays agent Kendall Cho and is a native of San Francisco, has really bulked up. Saw him in a recent episode wearing a short-sleeved shirt and thought, Wow! You may have noticed him in Cingular commercials if you live in the Bay Area.

Can't a girl take a few pictures?

Pictures of her dad's big day? Geesh!

Malia Obama: First Daughter Is Picture-Perfect

Malia could probably write better than the writer of this article: "Would she write a forward?"

Hello!? Foreword!

Asians in the White House

OK, well, perhaps not living in the White House, but I'm assuming they'll be visiting frequently ...



Nice to see President (yeah, that's right) Barack Obama's sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, her husband Konrad Ng and daughter Suhaila at the inaugural celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Sunday, January 18.

Michelle Obama wears gown by Asian designer

Designer Had No Idea Michelle Obama Would Wear His Inaugural Gown

Well, wouldn't say he had no idea since he was asked to provide a gown for her consideration. But good to see an Asian designer being recognized.

Which one is not like the others?

A site to behold ...

Obama has lunch with 4 presidents


Now picture the Obama with the past 43 presidents, or just take a look at this image.

ACLU sues over adoption restrictions

ACLU of Arkansas sues over adoption restrictions

"More than a dozen families filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new Arkansas law banning unmarried couples living together from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

"The Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of the families in Pulaski County Circuit Court seeking to overturn Act 1, which was approved by voters in last month's general election."

2009: Dual citizenship for Korean adoptees?

Ministry paves way to allow dual citizenship

"In reporting its 2009 plans to President Lee Myung-bak yesterday, the ministry said it wants to allow dual citizenship for foreign-born ethnic Koreans or Koreans who were adopted by foreign families at a young age."

However ...

"Male applicants would need to complete the two-year mandatory military service that is required of all Korean men."

Berlusconi the buffoon

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ...

"Berlusconi faces race row as he calls America's first black president 'suntanned'"

"Italian leader: Obama 'handsome and even tanned'"

Election 2008

Kick their asses!

I hope the Spanish team gets their asses kicked at the Olympics ...

"Spain basketball team pictured in controversial pose"

Way to show your true colors on the international scene, boys.

And whoever approved this pose and photo oughta be bitch slapped.


Updated 8/13/08:

More on the Spanish team's photo ...

"Spanish player defends controversial photo"

Point guard Jose Manuel Calderon said the team was responding to a request from the photographer.

"We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture," Calderon, who plays for NBA's Toronto Raptors, wrote on his ElMundo.es blog."

"The Spanish women's basketball team also posed for photo doing the same thing, and four members of Argentina's women's Olympic football team were shown making similar faces in a photograph published last week."

You can see the photo of the women's team here (and check out the black player in the center, smiling as big as the rest of them).

The basketball federation had just signed a four-year contract extension with Chinese clothing brand Li Ning shortly after arriving in the Chinese capital for the games.

"We have great respect for the far East and its people, some of my best friends in Toronto are originally Chinese, including one of our sponsors, the brand Li Ning," Calderon wrote. "Whoever wants to interpret it differently is completely confusing it."

Frank Zhang, Li Ning's director of government and public affairs, played down the incident.

"We don't think this is an insulting gesture to the Chinese," Zhang said. "In fact, the gesture shows that the Spanish team is so humorous, relaxing and cute. They sat around a dragon pattern, which we think showed respect to the Chinese.

Cute?! No. Ignorant, insensitive, and racist? Yes.

I'm glad to see the AP covering this story, and my local TV station mentioned this photo in its late-night broadcast last night. But nothing will probably happen as a result. You can bet that if the team had made some racist comment about African-American players or other black athletes, we'd be hearing more. Instead, we hear how "cute" and "humorous" the team is. The ones who are confused are these ignorant, clueless assholes.

And what is up with Zhang's comments? Guess the company would rather be insulted than lose a lucrative contract. Oh, that's right, it doesn't think the gesture was offensive.

Do the Chinese not find this as offensive as Asian Americans? Probably not since they didn't grow up in white communities with other kids taunting and teasing them with that gesture.

Chinese artist's sculpture vandalized in St. Paul

"Hate-inspired vandalism inspires healing ceremony"

"The graffiti includes profanity, swastikas, KKK, and a derogatory term for east Asians."

See the vandalized sculpture here

And another lovely article ...

"Some white supremacists believe election of Obama would set off backlash they long for"

Jeff Yang on Obama

SF Gate columnist Jeff Yang on Barack Obama ...

"Asian Pop: Could Obama be the first Asian American president?"



Also seen on today's SF Gate home page ...

"Cooking in Common: Chilling out with noodles"

"Naengmyun is a popular Korean summer dish and one of the many cold noodle dishes favored in East Asia at this time of year. But it doesn't take a trip to the Far East to get a taste of them. Many Asian restaurants in the Bay Area offer cold noodle dishes, most of which can also be made at home.

Naengmyun literally means cold noodles in Korean. It's generally served in either of two versions - one, immersed in a cold beef broth (mool naengmyun); the other, mixed with a spicy-sweet red chile sauce (bibim naengmyun)."


Mul naengmyun from my home district of Mapo-gu in Seoul.

Santa really IS coming early

"Former Jayhawks members reunite for album"

Their first record in more than 10 years is slated for a September release!

I wanna hear samples NOW!

Santa came early

Yay! My 2008 AP Stylebook has arrived!

Now, I know you are all envious of my new spiral-bound style guide, but you can get one of your very own at apstylebook.com.

An interesting change in the 2008 version:

"Orient, Oriental Do not use when referring to East Asian nations at their peoples. Asian is the acceptable term for an inhabitant of those regions."

The 2007 entry just stated that Orient and Oriental should be capitalized when referring to the Far East nations of Asia and nearby islands, and that Asian was the preferred term for an inhabitant of these regions.

And, of course, the AP still gives the example of "Oriental rug" as standard usage of the term.

The era of the copy editor is gone

Or is it?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061902920.html

Unfortunately, most people won't realize this article has numerous errors until they get to the end.

My favorite error is "No longer can we say that the editor's penis mightier than the sword."

I also noted the following Google ad appearing at the top of the page:

Need a Copy Editor?
For College Papers & Work Documents Contact Us Today for An Estimate!
www.PageByPageProofreading.com

Sigh.

I went to the Web site and found this copy:

"We can provide you with a brand new resume, a paper or document that is mistake free and flows perfectly, a polished novel that is sure to get the attention of publishing houses, perfect presentations that will wow your peers, and much, much more. Here at Page by Page Proofreading, if it can be written, it can be proofread."

Proofreading? I think copy editing is needed.

Tragic

I first read about this family the other day on StarTribune.com and, as always when reading about this kind of news stories, was saddened to learn about what happened to this family.

Today, there's more information available -- and a family photo.

"Autopsy reports indicate Iowa City family members were beaten to death"

The Chicago Tribune has more information about the father: "Dad apologized before killings"

I find myself even more horrified.

Don't get me wrong -- I thought it was tragic when I I first learned about what happened, and my heart goes out to all their families and friends. But at the same time, I can't help but think about these children's birth families, who probably placed their child for adoption so he or she would have a better life.

Will these families one day search for their children and discover the horrible way in which they died from the hands of their adoptive father? And blame themselves because of their decision?

NY Philharmonic plays in North Korea

"The New York Philharmonic's unprecedented concert could herald warmer ties between North Korea and the West. After three encores, some musicians left the stage in tears as the audience waved fondly."

"Musical Diplomacy, and Tears, in NKorea"

WTF?!

An article from the Seattle Times Web site but looks like it's from the Chicago Tribune ...

"Adoptees find last chance on ranch"

No one appears to keep data on adoption disruption. While a statistically rare occurrence among the approximately 20,000 foreign-born children adopted by Americans each year, such relinquishment is happening with increasing frequency, experts said.

One Ohio adoption agency reports receiving up to five calls a day from parents about disruptions, up from one or two a month a few years ago.

"No one knew the magnitude of the problem," said Sterkel, 60. "The horror stories just keep on coming." While dissolutions of domestic adoptions are not unheard of, it is among the international population where experts are seeing a most troubling spike.

Why is this happening?

Moreover, many parents were unprepared for the challenges, either because they were so eager to be Mom and Dad or because agencies glossed over their charges' complex medical histories — or omitted them.

While some people may have undertaken parenthood with unrealistic expectations, more typically they are deeply committed but ill-equipped to cope with profoundly damaged children. Either due to fetal alcohol syndrome, mental illness, attachment disorders — or a combination of all three — the youngsters can't function in a family, though they show no outward signs of disability.

Exactly.

U.K. adopted twins separated at birth marry

"Separated-at-birth twins get married"

"LONDON (AFP) - Twins who were separated at birth and adopted by different sets of parents later married each other without realising they were brother and sister, a peer has told the House of Lords."

Updated 1/15/08:

"Separated twins marry, forced to break up in UK"