Yearly Archives: 2023

SVAPFF 2023: ‘A Great Divide’ – Q&A and Review (Spoilers)

Posted on November 8, 2023 by John

A few weeks ago, I attended my first screening at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest (SVAPFF), the 9th and most recent edition of the festival. I was eager to see the independent film A Great Divide, as I had … Continue reading →

Posted in 8mm Film Review, 8Series, Discrimination, Entertainment, Local, Movies, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Asian American Commercial Watch: Ronny Chieng & Old Spice’s “The Expert”

Posted on November 6, 2023 by John

This Old Spice commercial has been on YouTube for four months now, but I only recently saw it as an online commercial. I was blown away! It made me wonder if the commercial was airing on TV as well, and … Continue reading →

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Asian American Medical Hazard: Lung Cancers for Female Asian Non-Smokers (FANS)

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Jeff

When a family fried recently was diagnosed with lung cancer, we were all puzzled because she and her husband did not smoke. She wasn’t the first Asian American we knew that happened to, and according to this article, it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American Medical Hazard, Health, Health and Beauty, Lifestyles | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Asian Americans in Pop Music History: Norma Tanega

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Jeff

Most people have probably only encountered the work of Norma Tanega through her song “You’re Dead” which is used as the theme song for both the movie of “What we Do in the Shadows” and the ongoing TV series of … Continue reading →

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Asian American Medical Hazard: PFAS “Forever Chemical” Levels

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Jeff

A recent paper concludes that Asian Americans have higher levels of PFAS relative to other groups in the US population.  PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known as “forever chemicals” because they break down very slowly in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American Medical Hazard | Tagged | 2 Comments

Asian American Books that have been Banned in the Past Few Years

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Jeff

Asian America for Advancing Justice (AAJC) has published a list of Asian American books that have been banned over the past few years. Some are children books that I found hard to find any real problem, such as Grace Lin‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Current Events, Discrimination, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mill Valley Film Festival: ‘Invisible Nation’ [Taiwan] – Intro, Q&A & Review

Posted on October 17, 2023 by John

I’m not sure how I became aware of the independent documentary Invisible Nation, screening at the Mill Valley Film Festival, but I am glad I did. I was able to make the second, Saturday morning screening a few weekends ago … Continue reading →

Posted in 8mm Film Review, 8Series, Entertainment, Local, Movies, Reviews, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Asian American Commercial Watch: Getting Help is Simple

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Jeff

If you subscribe to the ad-supported Hulu streaming service like I do, you will sometimes see ads for forhims.com, which sells products and services dealing with issues affecting men, such as hair loss, mental health, and erectile dysfunction. When I … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Asian American Commercial Watch | Tagged | 2 Comments

8Books Review: The Last Election by Andrew Yang

Posted on September 21, 2023 by John

I met the former presidential candidate and founder/co-chair of the Forward Party back in July at a political event, and one of the first things he did was hand me this book, The Last Election – a political thriller he … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Politics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

“$110 Million” CEO Kiwi Camara leaves his Company CS Disco

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Jeff

Filipino American Kiwi Camara made the news earlier this summer for being one of 10 US CEOs receiving a pay package valued at than $110 million in 2022. The latest news is that he has suddenly left his company CS … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Discrimination | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Asian Americans Malls Thriving Despite General Shopping Mall Decline

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Jeff

There are have been a number of stories about the decline in US shopping malls, but Asian malls seem to be defying that trend.  After reading that story and thinking about the malls and shopping areas here in Silicon Valley where … Continue reading →

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Steely Dan’s “Do it Again” performed on the Korean Gayageum

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Jeff

“Asian American” implies a fusion between Asian and American, and this performance by Luna Lee of the Steely Dan classic Do it Again, is definitely a cross-cultural fusion. She plays the song on the Korean gayageum.  I am reminded of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments