Things and Stuff by crazyDonna

For the love of Shy, vote for Exorcists Local 667 @ NexTV

2010-08-18T19:20:00.007-05:00

In a previous blog entry, I talked up the brilliant, hilarious, and handsome YouTube auteur Shy Theerakulstit. If you've watched any of Shy's videos and wondered (as I do) why he isn't famous--well, here's your chance to do something about it.
Shy explains it all in his recent FaceBook post:

"I'm the lead in my friends' webseries called Exorcists Local 667. Please take a moment to go and vote for it in NexTV's Web Series Competition.

Here is how to vote:
1. Go to NexTVentertainment.com/web/
2. Click on the big blue tab at the bottom left of the page that says, "Shortcut to the Finals"
3. Type in "Exorcists Local 667" in the search bar on the right just above the list...... of submissions (or just scroll down until you find it).
4. Click on WATCH.
5. Then click on VOTE.

We appreciate your support!"

http://www.nextventertainment.com/web/

WATCH.
DECIDE.
VOTE.

DO EEEEET!

If nobody likes me, I'll die?!

2010-08-11T23:16:00.007-05:00

Social isolation—the unrecognized killer: Consumer Reports Health Blog

Whoa. It's like they know me or something.

Two things I find amusing, in a not-really-funny kind of way, about this article. One, the old "correlation is not causation" trope: people who are determined to be socially isolated by researchers have shorter life spans. OK. But is there some other unidentified factor at work? Like, oh let's say, depression?
Second, the suggestion that if you're socially isolated, then the obvious solution is to... um... not be socially isolated anymore! That's on the order of helpfulness of telling the obese to lose weight, or the chronically depressed to cheer up. Except it's even better, because the socially isolated need other people to cooperate in un-isolating them. So telling me to go out and make friends only prompts me to answer, "Oh, if only it were that easy."

So, hey, all of you un-isolated people out there! Yes, you with the healthy support system--family, friends, all that jazz. You know that weird person? The one who makes you kind of uncomfortable and isn't really fun to be around? Yes, the one without any friends. How about you run right out and be friends with them? You might just save their life!
Yep, you do that.
Thanks.

If Inception were real, Shy would be famous

2010-08-08T16:46:00.004-05:00

There's plenty of Inception memes going around right now. The "If dream inception were real, I would..." meme allows me to segue into another new ~~obsession~~ interest of mine: the brilliant, hilarious, and handsome YouTube film-maker Shyaporn*.
Please, if you've never watched any of Shy's videos, do yourself a favor. Take a few minutes and watched a couple. In fact, take the whole day and watch them all.
Then ask yourself, why isn't this guy famous?** Why isn't he in movies or on Saturday Night Live or the star of his own TV series or something? He's an absolute riot! He's got a unique dry, intelligent wit joined to a willingness to indulge in absolute silliness. He's got a great voice, a fantastic bod, and his hair is perfect.

Anyway, if Inception were real, I'd plant the idea in the mind of a few good film-makers and Hollywood PTBs to hire Shy and give him the national audience he deserves.

__________
*Yes, Shyaporn's his actual first name. It's Thai. His last name is Theerakulstit. It's not pronounced the way it's spelled. Or, more accurately, the transliteration doesn't equate to the way the pronunciation of the name would usually be spelled in English. Oh, fer cryin' out loud, Shy explains it all here.

**You don't suppose it could be because he's Asian, do you?!? Because that would be crazy.

Mind Blowing Paper City

2010-08-03T15:59:00.001-05:00

Holy smokes. Take a look at these pics.

Mind Blowing Paper City

Jaw dropping.

If you feel annoyed at being humbled by the product of painstaking genius--and who doesn't sometimes?--then maybe this video will cheer you up. It's in Japanese and only partly sub-titled, but that shouldn't be a problem. It's mainly visual anyway.

Spoiler (highlight to read): The Japanese Tradition is a series of dryly satirical spoofs of Japanese instructional films by the Japanese comedy team known (in English) as the Rahmens. Check out their other videos. They're all funny.

The Japanese Tradition - Origami

From non-crazyDonna: Support Judge Edward Chen's Nomination

2010-08-03T12:30:00.009-05:00

Something not crazy. Again. What do I think I'm doing?

Anyway. Click. Read. Decide. Maybe sign the petition. Maybe get yourself on somebody's Watch List!

Support Judge Edward Chen's Nomination: Asian American Justice Center

From the AAJC:

President Obama nominated Magistrate Judge Edward M. Chen to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in August 2009. Judge Chen has been waiting to be voted on by the full Senate longer than any other nominee this Congress despite broad support. With the upcoming August recess fast approaching, however, it's possible that Judge Chen might have to wait even longer for a vote.

Magistrate Judge Edward M. Chen has a reputation as a balanced, fair, and unbiased jurist based on his nine year record as a judge and enjoys broad support from the judiciary, the litigation bar and legal community, and law enforcement. Judge Chen was rated "Unanimously Well Qualified" by the American Bar Association.

Judge Chen would be the first Asian Pacific American Article III judge in the history of San Francisco. This is especially significant given that some of the most infamous cases affecting Asian Pacific Americans - including United States v. Korematsu, Yick Wo v. Hopkins, and Lau v. Nichols - were first decided by the federal district court in San Francisco. Further, the absence of an Asian Pacific American Article III judge in San Francisco is particularly shocking given that approximately 35% of the population in San Francisco is Asian Pacific American.

A judge unanimously considered well qualified? With broad support? Don't we kinda need judges like that in our country?

More from Phil Date: World's Cutest Couple?

2010-08-02T21:34:00.006-05:00

Looking at pics over at iStockPhoto for a new J & D story, I discovered two things.
One, most of the pics used in "The Courtship of Jan and Diane" are by Phil Date Photography of Singapore.
http://www.phildate.com.sg/index.html

So propz to PDP for bringing Ken and Donny (and Ferrrrnando) before the eyes of an admiring world.

Second, while browsing the Phil Date portfolio at iStockPhoto, I came upon what is, quite possibly

the Cutest Couple in the World.

Awwww. Look at them! Isn't there something about their eyes and their smiles that just seems sweet and happy and innocent and carefree and wholesome? Or is it just me?

Samurai Zack: The Japanese katana is not a play thing children!

2010-07-30T13:56:00.004-05:00

If you're at all interested in the history of the samurai, or if you simply realize that Katanas Are Just Better, then check out this young man's blog post:

Samurai Zack: The Japanese katana is not a play thing, children!

He's not talking just about safety, but also from the perspective that the katana was a weapon revered by the samurai and treasured by the Japanese even today. So, testing one by trying to slice a metal folding chair (!) with it or by standing on it (!!) is disrespectful, plain and simple. Not to mention stupid.

Truth stranger than fanfiction: Andrew Hsu: 2010 Chicago Single

2010-07-28T18:49:00.007-05:00

On Monday I came across the July issue of Chicago magazine in the doctor's office. One of the cover articles was "Chicago's top 20 most eligible singles." I'm neither single nor eligible,* nor am I one of Chicago's top 20 anythings. But, hey, I had time to kill.
As you'd expect, the article was fluffy and shallow. At least there were a few non-Caucasians included. (It being a new millennium and all.)
So I checked out the bio on the lone Asian-American dude. That's when the strangeness of reality unveiled itself.
Go ahead and read it.

Andrew Hsu: 2010 Chicago Single

Think about this for a minute. Andrew is a "resident physician in orthopedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center and part-time model." A surgeon and a model. Srsly?
I can't testify as to his medical credentials. But take a look at this.

I'd say he's got the necessary credentials for modeling, wouldn't you?

Note I saw this article the day after I put up the Ken and Donny fanfic. I would have been almost embarrassed to describe one of them as a frickin' surgeon by day and male model by night.
OK, I wouldn't. But it's still kinda over the top.

I hereby decree that, henceforth, an Asian Marty or Gary Stu will be known as an Andy Hsu.

* If you are single and eligible, and would like to contact Andrew, Chicago mag thoughtfully ~~panders~~ provides an e-mail address:
andrewhchicago@gmail.com
If anything comes of this, no need to invite me to the wedding. I do request, however, that you name one of the kids after me.

Mawwiage! Twue wuv!

2010-07-26T00:39:00.017-05:00

What you are about to read is fanfiction. Based on a blog post. About a pair of fictional alter-egos. Of the two famous bloggers, Jen and Diana, of Disgrasian.com.
Not the craziest thing I've ever done. But getting up there.
-----
Jan and Diane are BFFs who have awesome lives and are basically perfect. Yet even for them, finding their Mr. Rights wasn't easy. Busy professionals making oodles of money don't have time to meet guys! So Jan and Diane turned to modern technology to help them out. Yes, they used... the Internet!

Jan: Online dating is perfectly fine nowadays.
Diane: Everyone's doing it.

So Jan and Diane posted a personal ad (together, like they do everything else!).

Diane: At e"CharmMoney".com!
Jan: Oh, you! [giggles]

At first, the results were disappointing.

Jan: I mean, the guys were cute.
Both: Of course!
Diane: But they had issues. Like, you absolutely could not touch Giorgio's hair, or he would freak.
Jan: And why was Carl always looking for phone booths, anyway?

Diane: Then there were those two guys who said they were in LXD.
Jan: As if!

Diane: Although they were very limber.
[Both giggle]

Jan: And Rico?
Diane: Ugh! He was so not a Rico. More of a Little Richard, if you know what I mean.
Jan [gasps]: Oh, naughty!
Diane: I'm kidding!

Diane: And Rico's friend, Wally?
Jan: Oh, yeah, "Wacky" Wally.
Diane: Remember? 'Heeeerrrre's Wally!'
Jan [shudders]

Our stalwart pair were beginning to get a bit discouraged. Would Jan and Diane ever find true love?

Diane: There was that one week in Barbados.
Jan: Oooo, Paoloooo.
Diane: And Ferrrrrnando.
Jan: The ones you don't take home to Mother.
Both: Mmm-mmm-mmm.

Still searching for true love, they rewrote their personal ad and tried again.
And by an amazing coincidence--or was it fate?--that very day looking at the online dating site for the very first time were a pair of successful young businessmen named Ken and Donny.

Just like Jan and Diane, Ken and Donny were busy professionals making oodles of money. Just like Jan and Diane, Ken and Donny didn't have time to meet girls. Just like Jan and Diane, Ken and Donny did everything together. Even "surfing" the "Web"!

Imagine their reaction when they saw Jan and Diane's personal ad. They had so much in common! It was a perfect match.

Even though they were handsome, successful young businessmen, they were still a teensy bit nervous the first time they called Jan and Diane.

But soon they realized it was true love!

Diane: Donny's so much fun. He's got his own sense of style, as you can see! And he's in great shape. He loves soccer.
Jan: Really loves soccer. Really.
Diane: In fact, his goal is to start his own sporting goods company some day.
Jan: I hope he has better luck with that "goal" than he does on the soccer field.
Diane: ...What?

Jan: Ken's more serious. He's focused on keeping up with emerging business trends and all the latest financials.
Diane: Very focused.
Jan: And, no, he is not a Web addict!
Diane: Just don't try to come between him and his laptop.

After a whirlwind courtship, and with the blessing of their families, Ken and Jan and Donny and Diane got married in a lavish yet tasteful ceremony.

Ahem. A tasteful ceremony.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Basically.

Diane: No more Fernandos.
Both: [sigh]
Jan: On the other hand, no more Wallies.
Diane: True dat.
Jan: ...What?

-----
With apologies to Jen and Diana of Disgrasian.com, and to all the photographers and models seen in this post--especially Rico and Wally (I'm sure you're really very nice people).