THE BLOG IS BACK, PART 2

loogies can kill

Yeah, so like...being away for 10 days: I don't even want to think about the mail I have to sort through though thankfully, having internet access in Shanghai meant that I didn't have 1,000 pieces of spam email waiting for me. On the other hand, Bloglines tells me I have at least 340+ blog updates waiting to be waded through.

What I've learned in the process is a reminder that the online community does an amazing job of staying on top of both important, pertinent social issues as well as providing entertaining and enlightening criticsm/anecdotes. Making my way through all this is a labor but you gotta love it. Let's begin:

J. Hopper on SXSW. Sometimes, you read stuff and it makes you giddy like sunshine. A few extra carat sparkles among the gems:

-"Networking in the ladies room with women who have been drinking for 9 hours, their under-face muscles slack like maternity sweatpants."
-"It's not possible to say "Murder Dog" without laughing. "
-"We missed the Record Collection showcase where there was a 5 foot tall (?) erection pinata, and Har Mar Sean beat someone about the head with a microphone, after the dude hit him really hard with the cock-pinata and then refused to play anymore because the dude had ruined the party vibe."

We're not worthy. But can I just say that after Pete Rock flaked out on a gig in S.F. where I was supposed to open for him, reading this almost makes me like him again:

"We stumbled upon Pete Rock spinning at 4 am in a Mexican resturant, going all VH1 Storytellers style, monologue between cuts "I made this.... when I was a younger, happier man, when I was 23.... when I was... a different man.... YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE?! ( pleading, serious) When the whole world is telling you ... "you are the greatest"? You know what kind of fucking... weight that is to carry around?!" and then would throw the fader over to some track that I barely knew but was so so fresh, so from 1988 with love. he did this between every song, would stop songs early, discussed the death of his father, Jam Master J, apologized for being drunk, talking about stealing from his mom at age 10 to buy albums, and I think verged on tears. Every song he played was one of his, and it was genius. He did this in front of me, Julianne, Partymanica and 11 other headz and the people working the bar."

And one more J-Ho-ism, just because she's cool like that. Hopper on the new N.E.R.D. album: "It's like Joe Jackson without any gayness, or sex, or hooks. It's like mimes on a bike, waving." Please Hopper, don't hurt 'em!

My bro over at Angry Asian Man is a non-stop roll these days. His worthwhile postings are too extensive to summarize but here are five highlights:

1) MSNBC looks at issues arising from transracial Chinese adoption by white, American parents. You think this topic is big now? Wait 10 years, when a lot of these kids come of age. Hell, even Sex and the City alluded to Chinese adoption. Very vogue, no doubt, but if the experiences of Korean adoptees (who are a generation ahead of the Chinese) are any indication, the kind of social issues to be raised by these children becoming adults will be sizable (not all negative certainly but definitely interesting).
2) Chud.com details several Asian cinema cult hits being remade for American audiences. Yes folks, The Ring is only the beginning.
3) Blender comes with an unexpectedly thorough story about the Chinatown shooting that involved Chinese American rapper Jin. I reported on this months ago but no one seemed to follow up and all of the sudden, Blender comes through with a comprehensive story about it. Kudos.
4) 2000 Census data on gay/lesbian APIs come out.
5) And oh yeah, a host of stuff about the Details Magazine, "Gay or Asian?" debacle.

Air America Radio, the first liberal talk-show network kicks off today at noon. Surprisingly, no San Franicsco station currently carries it. In NY however, there is some controversy since the station that's hosting Air America, WLIB, has been a historically African American community station and it's being displaced to make room for a largely white staff. Hmm...is that progress per se? Read what J-Smooth has to say about that.
(noted at Best Week Ever)

Speaking of Hiphopmusic.com's J-Smooth, he's been consistently excellent with his news and commentary. Among his highlights:

1) Ghostface vs. Email Spam: who comes with the iller slanguistics?
2) NY's Power 105 DJ Raqiyah Mays fired for sparking off about interracial Black/White relationships.
3) Chuck D. on Kanye West.

Lowculture.com lampoons Scooby Doo 2. Ouchie!

Hua pointed this out to me: the new album cover for Dead Prez's Revolutionary But Gangsta is pretty hot:

Slate has an online journal about Girls Gone Wild. It's like watching a car crash - you shouldn't look but it's hard not to.

Joey Pinkey over at Intellectual Hip-Hop Commentary has been posting up a series of entries about hip-hop in Asia, all worth reading:

1) Starts here with a post about Def Jam Japan.
2) Then more on blackface in Asia.
3) Even more on hip-hop in Japan