Alpha Asian

I used to read a lot of science fiction as a kid. Although most people associate sci fi with mainstream stuff like Star Wars and Star Trek (both of which I enjoy as well), there are other sci fi movies that also incorporate a lot meaning, mythology and social commentary. Most "sci fi" films are just crappy action/horror films with horrible special effects masquerading as science fiction films. Here are 10 films (other than Star Wars, Star Trek and the Matrix) that show a lot of depth and complexity, as well as kick ass. The first 5 films involve future cops and/or a lot of action. The latter 5 films are much truer to the spirit of science fiction, which involves social commentary through the writer's imagined but fully realized universe. 1) Minority Report- Of all the Phillip K. Dick movie adaptations (Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck), Minority Report is the best. Although Blade Runner is a notable runner up and Total Recall is a complex and entertaining...

When it comes to pinnacle events in the history of the Asian American male in the last 50 years, three come to mind: Bruce Lee, Yul Kwon and "Vanishing Son." That's right, I said it, Vanishing Son. Seriously, what other guilty cinematic pleasure has a handsome Asian dude kick ass and make love to hot chicks in between those sessions of kicking ass? Granted, I winced every time I watched the kung fu choreography on that show, but COME ON! Russell Wong was doing the Noxzema girl in one episode, and then doing Tamlyn Tomita the next episode. As far as guilty pleasure for the Asian American male, Vanishing Son is the creme de la creme of guilty pleasures, baked to perfection!

Big WoWo has a post on Being Effective, Not Popular . I've never been one to follow convention. I like doing things my way, and I don't give a crap on whether or not it's normal or if I'm doing it the way it's supposed to be done. All I care about is: 1) Do I like doing it? 2) Is it effective and productive? When it comes to blogging or any other endeavor you undertake, if you are effective, then the popularity will come. People recognize talent, and they recognize B.S. If you are dishonest with yourself, then your readers will smell it. Most bloggers try to define success by the number of readers they have. They stress quantity over quality. But it is much better to redefine success by the quality of readers as opposed to quantity. Who cares if you have a 100,000 readers a day if most of them never care to visit your blog again? If that's the case, then what you said obviously didn't make an impression on them. The key to writing a su...

Embedded video from CNN Video I totally agree with their method: if you don't find media content that you can relate to, then make your own. But I got to be honest: I've never liked their videos and their underlying messages. Their video "Yellow Fever" definitely touched a nerve in the Asian American community, but it was too self-deprecating for my tastes. It showed Asian dudes as pathetic whiney losers. You got to give people hope (I saw the movie "Milk" not too long ago BTW). And that video didn't do it. If there are a million Asian American kids who are fans of that and are lacking in self-confidence, then our community has got a long way to go to get any respect.

Here's an interview I did with Randall Park, the actor and comedian you've seen in a lot of places, such as the KY Intense commercial, AZN TV's XBytes and the movie American Fusion , which was a great movie BTW. It was a very relaxed interview, and we discussed how he got into acting and comedy and the status of Asian Americans in Hollywood. What I like about Randall is that he doesn't just wait for Hollywood to give him work. He uses the Internet to make stuff happen and put out creative and hilarious pieces which showcase his talent as an actor. The interview is about 30 minutes long.

A lot of people say they should write a book or screenplay, but really, who among us ever follows through? Everybody’s got some lofty dreams of getting a book deal or movie deal, but very few of us actually write and write consistently. Take a look at the blogosphere, and you will see countless blogs that have been abandoned. Writing is a lot harder than it looks. I do freelance work for bodybuilding magazines, and I’ve self-published a few books that you can find on Amazon. I only write part-time, however, because I have a full-time job and a personal life. So how do I find the time to write? When it comes down to it, everybody is busy. If you only have a half hour to an hour to write everyday, then that’s all the time you’ve got. The key is to use that time as efficiently as possible. Here are some tips to help you overcome writer’s block and consistently create material: 1) Use a stream of consciousness approach. This is one I learned in high school expository w...

I got this Anthony Robbins video off of the Big WoWo blog. We'll be doing a "blog carnival." I don't know what the hell that means, but Big WoWo and I and perhaps other bloggers will be posting on some psychology and ways to be a confident and more productive person. Everyone should be the best version of themselves they can possibly be. I'm sure you've noticed that I tend to write a lot of psychology posts. I've always been fascinated by how people self-actualize and tap into their full potential. On the flip side, I always wondered why so many people who are clearly talented or smart NEVER fully tap into their potential. Fact is, there are very few self-actualized people running around. Most of us are the proverbial icebergs with only the tip above water. Why is that? How can someone who is smart and talented not accomplish anything? Many times, people don't succeed in accomplishing anything, because THEY DON'T FOCUS. They don't h...

I would have said, "Too little, too late dad!" What the hell is Tim Horton's coffee anyway?

Scare the hell out of your husbands and boyfriends, ladies! The Kate Gosselin wig, just in time for Halloween! Well, I saw the new episode of Jon and Kate last night. As soon as Kate snapped at Jon ("WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM JON?") and bossed him around in that condescending tone in front of other people, every viewer watching remembered why Jon left Kate. Jon has always been a good father. He's just a reckless dater, and I think people get those 2 things mixed up. Anyway, here's a comment I put on the Big WoWo blog some time ago about Jon and Kate: "I know a lot of people are poo-pooing on Jon right now, but I say let him live his life. For the longest while, he let things happen to him. Kate was running the show and the relationship and the family and hence ruining, I mean, running his life. "After they had the birth of their twins, Katie wanted more kids. Oprah asked Jon if he also wanted to have more kids and he really didn’t want to. But h...