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More Asians Rockin' America

New York Fashion Week September 2011: Click photos to see larger versions.
Also, I realize this week is the big Spring 2012 reveal; autumn is upon us, however, so I'll be posting Fall 2011 collections as well
ENJOY! NYFW


Donate: March 2011 Tohoku or Great East Japan Earthquake
(9.0 magnitude, one of the 5 most powerful earthquakes in the world, triggered a tsunami of waves reaching up to 40 meters/133ft;
Japanese Police agency confirmed 16,000 deaths, 6,000 injured, and more than 4,100 missing)

Pakistan monsoons July 2010, China earthquake April 15, 2010, Haiti earthquake Jan 12, 2010




The buzz on
Famous Asians,
Famous Filipinos
,
and exactly who is Asian
in the American spotlight
(some big surprises!)

News, Events
Music, Concerts
TV/Film Premieres,
Red Carpet,
short Bios

Special thanks to those who participated and gave input on the layout, design, and naming. Your ideas and feedback were a great help. Thank you.

Enjoy!

Feel free to email or
ask me a question





News Proposed Legislation:
Lunar New Year
as school holiday!


NY Fashion Week:
Naomi Campbell
organizes star studded
benefit catwalk for Haiti
How is Naomi Asian?




Most Viewed Patrick Gallagher

Vanessa Hudgens


Victoria's Secret Revealed


Tiger's Slow Jam Remix Hilarity

Tiger's short bio

John Cho, People's Sexiest 2009



Artistic Noise
program empowering juvenile youth through art & entrepreneurship
From: I can't do this,
I'm not an artist
To: Wow! I can't believe
I did this! That was amazing!





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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
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A foxy reason to watch NBCs acapella competition Sing Off: Nicole Scherzinger

Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger is a panel judge on NBC’s acapella competition, Sing Off, along with musician Ben Folds and Boys II Men’s Shawn Stockman.  (Scroll for more pics of Nicole, updates, remaining contestants)



Watching this last night, I looked forward not only to the talent of each acapella group, but also to each “cut to Nicole” scene.  Her features are mesmerizing.

The competition is only 4 nights, so tune in!
NBC, Dec 14-16, Finale on Dec 21, 8-10pm ET.
Info on the 8 contestants here



Other quick show facts:

  • No back up instrumentals, just natural voices (including beat boxing-woot!)
  • The talent is pretty amazing
  • The viewers decide who wins the $100,000 grand prize
  • Nick Lachey is hosting

UPDATE (as of December 21, 2009, 7pm)

Who’s been eliminated?

  • Dec 14: Solo and Face
  • Dec 15: Noteworthy
  • Dec 16: Maxx Factor, SoCals
  • Remaining: Beelzebubs, Nota, Voices of Lee

Monday’s Finale: Bobby McFerrin, Natasha Bedingfield and Smokey Robinson will perform. Nicole and Ben will join the contestants for a performance and Shawn will return to the stage with Boys II Men.

Enjoy my fave pics of Nicole below.  What a fox!











She’s part Asian! Check it out


Sources:
Wiki, NBC, Zap2It, About.com
Photos
: Gold top, Blender, Egyptian ensemble, purple dress, NBC, TVGuide
Other Keywords:  SoCal, Solo, Beelzebubs, Maxx Factor, Voices of Lee, Solo, Noteworthy, NOta, Face, acapella competition, famous asians, famous asian, famous filipinos, famous filipino

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Philippines’ Mayon Volcano erupts, thousands evacuated


(Charism Sayat/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
Lava flowed from the crater of the Mayon volcano in Legazpi, Albay province, southeast of Manila on Tuesday.

From the NYTimes, December 14, 2009, filed 10:22pmET

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Authorities moved thousands of villagers from harm’s way near the Philippines’ most active volcano Tuesday after it oozed lava and shot plumes of ash, and said they probably will spend a bleak Christmas in an evacuation center.

State volcanologists raised the alert level on the cone-shaped, 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) Mayon volcano overnight to two steps below eruption after ash explosions and dark orange lava fragments glowing in the dark trickled down the mountain slope.

Nearly 50,000 people live in a five-mile (eight-kilometer) radius around the mountain, and authorities began moving thousands of them in case it erupts, Albay provincial Gov. Joey Salceda said.

The first of 20 vehicles, including army trucks, were sent to villages to take residents to schools and other temporary housing, provincial emergency management official Jukes Nunez said.

”It’s 10 days before Christmas. Most likely people will be in evacuation centers, and if Mayon’s activity won’t ease down we will not allow them to return to their homes,” Nunez said. ”It’s difficult and sad, especially for children.”

Magma had been rising at the volcano over the past two weeks and began to ooze out of its crater Monday night, but it could get worse in coming days, said Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

”Now lava is trickling down, but if the ascent of magma is sustained there will be laval flows,” Solidum told The Associated Press. ”There is also the possibility of an explosion.”

Residents in the central province of Albay are used to moving away from Mayon, which spewed ash last month and prompted the evacuation of some villages.

About 30,000 people were moved when it last erupted in 2006. Typhoon-triggered mudslides near the mountain later that year buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.

Mayon’s most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79 people.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific ”Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. About 22 out of 37 volcanos in the archipelago are active.



Keywords
: Mayon volcano, Manila Philippines, thousands evacuated

Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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Fast Company Names Pharell Williams in Top 100 Most Creative People In Biz

(#36)
Pharrell Williams’ recent achievement: Limelight, an updated version of Fame that he created with film director McG, was picked up by ABC (loosely based on Williams’ performing-arts experience in high school)


Other Fast Company mag highlights:

  • Co-owner of production company, Neptunes (Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Madonna are some clients)
  • Fronts the funk-rock band N.E.R.D.
  • Produces a Billionaire Boys Club  clothing line
  • Sells a line of shoes under the Ice Cream Footwear brand
  • Designed sunglasses and jewelry for Louis Vuitton


[Todd Selby | Corbis Outline]

How is he Asian?



Keywords:  African American, Black, Asian, Asians, Filipino, Famous Filipinos, Music, Hip Hop, Funk, Rock, Producer, Businessman, Rap, NERD, N.E.R.D., Blasians, blasian
Source: Fast Company

Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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Naeem Khan

designed the stunning dress that First Lady Michelle Obama wore to the Administration’s first White House state dinner on November 24, 2009.  The one-of-a-kind handmade gold strapless gown adorned with sterling silver-plated appliqués took more than four weeks to make and more than 40 people to make it, according to Khan in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. 

That the event celebrated the relationship between the United States and India, where Khan was born, made the honor even more poignant for Khan.

“Why it was so important, apart from it being our First Lady, was the coming together of India and America, which is me…I was so happy I was here with my kids and my wife. It was an amazing moment to share. My heart was leaping.”



Born May 21, 1958 Khan “cultivated his knowledge of textiles growing up under the watchful eyes of his father and grandfather, both well known throughout the country for designing luxurious and intricate clothing worn by the royal families and other social notables.”  Khan moved to the United States at 20 years old and apprenticed with the legendary fashion house, Halston. 

Khan launched his eponymous collection “consisting of impeccably tailored cocktail suits, embroidered caftans and glamorous dresses.  His gowns are often embellished with beading, mirrors, and other specialy treatments that are distinctive to the label.  The designer’s loyal fanbase ranges from megastars such as Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce to socialites and royalty like Queen Noor of Jordan.”  Khan is available in 100 stores worldwide including Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus. 


Khan Spring 2010



Other Keywords:
Michelle Obama first state dinner dress designer, famous asian fashion designers
Other Sources: WSJ, Wiki, Naeem Khan website
PhotosKhan portraits, State Dinner

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Nikki Soohoo

is an Asian American actress (specific ethnicity unconfirmed) who most recently appears in the film based on Alice Sebold’s novel, The Lovely Bones, in theaters this Friday, December 11th.


“It is the story of a teenage girl [Susie] who, after being brutally raped and murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends go on with their lives, while she herself comes to terms with her own death.”

Oscar nominated (at 13yo for Atonement) Saoirse Ronan plays Susie, while Soohoo plays her best friend Holly.  The film also stars Susan Sarandon, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, and Michael Imperioli.  (With Lord of the Rings’ Peter Jackson directing an awesome cast, an intriguing plot, and my lust for vintage costume design…I’m looking forward to seeing this.)


Saoirse and Soohoo in a Lovely scene.


Soohoo
, who started out in television and crossed over to film, is most likely best known for playing gymnast Wei Wei in the 2006 Disney movie, Stick It, and for playing one of the main three cheerleaders in the 5th installment of the Bring It On series, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish.  Soohoo was born August 20, 1988 and is currently attending UCLA in California.

Can you guess which Asian actress was in the 1st Bring It OnClickit
Also, here’s an actor who shares the same last name who starred with Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder

Soohoo and scenes from Stick It on the right



Photos
: Top-1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Mid; Mosaic-1, 2, 3, 4
Keywords: Asian girl in the lovely bones, holly in the lovely bones, asian girl in bring it on 5, famous asians, famous asian, ethnicity nikki soohoo

Monday, December 7, 2009
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Glee cast on their obsessions [via]  More posts on Glee.


Keywords: Glee video clip, Glee cast video, Gleeks, Gleek, Gleeky, Famous Asians, Famous Asian, Jenna Ushkowitz, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Lea Michelle, Chris Colfer, Dianna Agron, Mark Salling, Corey Monteith
Source

Sunday, December 6, 2009
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Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton makes boxing history with her 2nd World Championship Title!



On Friday, December 4, 2009, Ana “the Hurricane” Julaton won the World Boxing Organization super-bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Donna Biggers in front of a crowd of 3,943 at the HP Pavilion in Silicon Valley.   Julaton improved to 6-1-1 with the 10-round victory and won her second world title in just eight career bouts.

The Filipina makes boxing History to become the 1st ever WBO 122lbs World Champion. 

See her comments after the fight in the short video clip below (jump to 0:21 to skip the intro)




Other related posts: Other Famous Filipinos, Asians in Sports News, Asians in Sports
Keywords
: WBO championship december, female boxers, asian boxers, asian female boxers, asian athletes, filipino athletes, filipino champions, famous asians, famous asian, female athletes, female boxers, asian female athletes, Ana Julaton video, Julaton interview, Julaton post-fight video, filipino female athletes
Sources: 1, 2

Friday, December 4, 2009
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Awesome promo of Dollhouse: “Dooblay Your Pleasure”


Dollhouse and Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles combined promo (old, but classic graphics, and hey…it’s funny)

Summer Glau guest stars as “Bennett” on the two hour return of Dollhouse tonight!  Fox, 8pmET. Also see actual promo and pics of back to back return premiere. 


Note: Aussie Tibetan beauty Dichen Lachman plays Sierra in the series.
Related links: Posts on Dollhouse, Firefly, BSG homage to Firefly, Scoop on Asian Dollhouse writer
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