Top 8: Asian Books EVR!

The Yellowmenace shares with you the 8 greatest Asian books of all time.

1) The Illustrated I Ching

       translator - R. L. Wing

HAIKU Book Review: Illustrated I Ching

Shake 3 coins, 6 times
64 future outcomes
straight or broken lines

   My spiritual advisor regarding major life decisions for the past 15 years. I've tried several other versions of the I Ching, but this is the best. Eloquently concise the translation reverberates with subtext. Each hexagram is complimented with an ancient ink paintings which adds further depth & insight to each reading.

"An easily accessible yet powerfully enlightening tool that will help readers understand the I Ching's way of knowledge and grasp the principles behind the world's most ancient book."

   I placed this book at #1 because of length of time it has been in my life & the impact it has continually had upon my journey. This isn't a book that sits on the shelf gathering dust, the I Ching is an advisor, my spiritual compass in times of turmoil or indecision.

2) Dance, Dance, Dance
       author - Haruki Murakami

HAIKU Book Review: Dance, Dance, Dance

Motel room Sheep Man
Our past spins us like laundry
Don't forget to dance

   I bought an English translation in Japan, read it every morning in a Korean park near my home with coffee & donuts while off from work. This was only my second Murakami, after Hardboiled Wonderland & Dance (x3) remains my favorite despite reading 3 more Murakami's.

VID: Yuki Togashi (富樫勇樹) is ALMOST in the NBA!

Yuki Togashi (富樫勇樹) is ALMOST in the NBA!

   Japanese point guard, Yuki Togashi (167cm) impressed fans & coaches by playing big for the Dallas Mavericks summer league team, but he didn't quite make the cut.

   Well, he didn't, then he did, then he didn't. 

   Togashi was signed to the Mavs on Oct 15 & then waived on Oct 21 :( He did not get to play in a preseason game. 

   I don't think we've seen the last of him, tho. The Mavs will most likely sign him to their D-league team, Texas Legends & call him up if their guards get injured or don't perform up to expectation. 

William Jones Cup Highlights 2014 - Check out his killer floater

   NBA Summer League 2014 - Vegas Fan Favorite
   Keep in mind, Jeremy Lin made a splash on the Warriors summer league team & then later got cut after seeing very little action

VID: Asians Making Fun of whitey

Jenny Yang: If AZNs said the stuff whitey says

   5.5 mil views & counting, 70K likes, 11K comments in less then 2 months. It's safe to say this video has gone Viral w/ a capital Oh My Buddha!

   If U enjoy 'white whine' (TM) check out the comments section. I fortunately, have become allergic to 'white whine'. It was the result of living in Asia for the past 15 years & hearing the mumbles, moans, & mewls of whitey experiencing discrimination for the first time. I now must avoid whitey at all cost because hearing about FWP (Fapping White Problems) gives me a severe rash & migraines.

YM's Fav YT comment:

"White tears... my favorite drink!"
- Chelsy Thenigrette

   & yes, I've experienced most of these multiple times, especially the:
W: But where R U REALLY from?
YM: Canada.
W: Ok, but where was your father born?
YM: Canada ..& my grandfather was born here too.
W: Wow, ur English is really good.

   Jenny Yang is a Los Angeles-based writer and stand up comedian who produces the first-ever (mostly) female, Asian American standup comedy tour, Dis/orient/ed Comedy. She is the regular co-host of AngryAsianMan.com Phil Yu's "Angry Asian America" talk show on ISAtv.

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ARTIST: Kim Joon (김준) - Tattooed Torsos

Kim Joon (김준): Tattooed Torsos
curated by Yellowmenace (27+ images)

   The internet has a short memory. I know these works were all over the net 3-4 years ago & Kim Joon is one of the most famous modern Asian artists, but I had them sitting on my computer since 07, so I thought they were worth displaying again.

---

HAIKU Art Review: Kim Joon

Lean labeled limbs

Glorifying consumption?

Empty hands grasp at...

---

   Kim Joon (김준) was born in Seoul, Korea in 1966.

ARTIST: Formento+Formento - Japan Diaries

Formento + Formento - Japan Diaries
Web   -   Behance   -   Facebook

Current Exhibition: JapanDiaries @ Fahey/Klein Gallery

148 North La Brea, Los Angeles, CA
between First Street and Beverly Boulevard

Phone: (323) 934-2250 

July 24 - August 31, 2104

Haiku Art Review: Japan Diaries by Yellowmenace

Passive AZNettes
Pretty package tied w/ rope
Slanted eyes = soul less

   Richeille Formento, a former graphic designer, styles and art directs the pictures, while her husband BJ Formento lights and photographs them.

   Everything begins with BJ's photography, in the frozen instant that will never return; and ends in Richeille's creative direction, in her slow, reflective, patient composition.

   BJ moved to NYC 1999 and assisted Richard Avedon, Mary Ellen Mark, Annie Leibovitz and studied under Eugene Richards and Arnold Newman. Since 2001, he has set out on his own and has shot for numerous magazines and advertising clients as well as continued to mature in his personal work.

   Richeille worked as an art director and designer within the fashion industry, working for a large umbrella company responsible for visually communicating new season looks on all graphic works and brands like Calvin Klein, Diesel, DKNY and various other independent fashion labels.

Worst AZN EVR! - Stephen Colbert

Worst AZN EVR! - Stephen Colbert

   I know this is waaay late, but I had to include Ching Chong Ding Dong on the Worst AZN EVR list.

   I've been a Colbertian since '06. He's the only comedy I watch, so I wasn't offended by Ching Chong bc I understood his intent.

   That said, I think he may have pushed it too far with the Ching Chong foundation.

Last Ching Chong appearance

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

   Imagine something similar done w/ a black character, making fun of the fact that the stereotype even existed w/ that very character some kind of Uncle Tom. I guess Uncle Ruckus on the Boondocks is this type of character.

   It can B done, but it's a very thin & high tightrope to walk, especially without a safety net. Tarantino managed this ever so skillfully w/ Django Unchained, which could have gone horribly wrong.

   The CancelColbert movement scared the shit out of him & I don't think we'll see Ching Chong evr again.

1st Ching Chong appearance - Hot tea!

The Colbert Report
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook

YALA Ching Chong Ding Dong

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ARTIST: Andrew Archer - AZN Style

Andrew Archer
Web  -  Facebook  -  Tumblr  -  Behance

Buy Andrew's prints @ Inprint

   Andrew Archer is a New Zealand born illustrator currently living in Melbourne, Australia. He's been working as an illustrator since 2007.

The Beach

I did eat crayons which quite possibly is where my off-beat colour palettes come from.

PK

I’m greatly inspired by...wood block prints, edo period art, cartoons, ideograms, characterization, travel and Asia.

The Reaper

This is part of my Whitey Goes AZN series. 

ART: Sarah Gonzales - All About Noodles

Sarah Gonzales: Ramen Series
Behance   -  Tumblr

"Here is ramen: where it came from, where it’s going and everything in between."

Haiku Art Review: Sarah Gonzales by Yellowmenace

Must eat w/ chopsticks
Slurping makes it taste better
Hot long thin Yellow

   Ramen - So much of the experience of food - especially ramen - is in it’s presentation, and this exhibition aims to explore the history and cultural context of this Asian noodle dish.

   From cup ramen, ramen restaurants, home cooked ramen, haughty celebrity chef ramen, even just ramen blogs, have all fed into my love for this unique food.

   As a cultural phenomenon, ramen has sparked tens of thousands of restaurants worldwide & provided affordable comfort to millions of destitute college students across the globe.

ART: Erik Jones - The Iris On

Erik Jones
Web   -   Facebook   -   DeviantArt   -   Tumblr

Erik Jones - Debut Solo Show @ Hashimoto Contemporary

July 5 - 26, 2014

804 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California 94109 | 

Contact Megan at hashimotocontemporary@gmail.com

415-655-9265 to buy art

Haiku Art Review: Erik Jones by Yellowmenace

Women wrapped in hue
Defined by geometry
Color dominates

Neon Genesis 

"..the forms are consuming the figure. Not in an aggressive or obtrusive way but more like wearing clothes that are alive. Clothes that revere you, they breathe with you.”

  - Erik Jones interviewed by Zach Tutor of SuperSonicArt

   I'm pretty sure Erik has been watching Kill la Kill in his spare time ;)

VID: The Only 9 Asians Who Played in the NBA

FungBrosComedy

YouTube   -   Official   -   Tumblr   -   FB

    Surprising (Wat Misaka's my new hero) , well researched vid w/ clips or photos of all the players in action (what little action they saw in most cases).

The 9 Asian NBA Players, so far! ...Who got next?

9. Sun Yue
8. Yuta Tabuse
7. Ha Seung-Jin
6. Wat Misaka
5. Mengke Bateer
4. Wang Zhi Zhi
3. Yi Jianlian
2. Jeremy Lin
1. Yao Ming

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ART: Minjae Lee aka Greno

Minjae Lee aka Greno

Web  -  Deviant Art  - Tumblr  -  Facebook

- Professional Artist | Traditional Art – markers & ink

- Born Jan 11, 1989 in Jinhae, South Korea

- Lives and works in Seoul, South Korea

The Dream

   Probably MJ's most famous work, I came across this on Deviant Art around 2009 & I was an instant fan. The level of intricate detail draws ur eye & holds ur gaze as U continue to examine the figure.

   I love the abstraction & accent of color in the hand capturing motion or another angle, giving a subtle 'shout out' back at Picasso & Cubism.

Devon Aoki

This is one of MJ's more recent works & I wonder if Ms. Aoki has seen this & if so, what was her reaction.

Commission

   We've heard countless lovers, poets & songwriters describe the feeling of being lost or absorbed by physical beauty. What MJ does so successfully is make this notion concrete via the painstaking & thoughtful detail laid upon these women's bodies. We are invited to look, look for a long time, & look closely.

   Lots more drawings below!

THAI: Actress Ploy Chermarn (พลอย-เฌอมาลย์ บุญยศักดิ์)

Lemonade Magazine: ฉบับที่ 72 วันที่ 5 มี.ค 2557 

 Web - FB - YouTube

Cover : พลอย-เฌอมาลย์ บุญยศักดิ์

Lemonade photoshoot - Behind the scenes
w/ Thai actress/model "Ploy" Chermarn Boonyasak

Name: Chermarn/Laila Boonyasak (เฌอมาลย์ บุญยศักดิ์)
Nickname: Ploy/พลอย
Profession: Actress/Model
Date of birth: September 15, 1982
Sibling: older sister Sinitha Boonyasak

 Ploy is one of the biggest stars in Thailand. She is the national spokesperson for numerous international brands & stars in about 2 Lakorns (nightitme TV dramas) & 1 film/year.

Need more Ploy? Choose below :)

   Bikini Shoot  -  Real Ploy  -  Teacher's Diary

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FILM: Wolf of Wall St. – All About Chester Ming

Wolf of Wall Street

OFFICIAL   -    WATCH

Haiku Movie Review: Wolf of Wall St.

Fast times on Wall St.
Ultimate depiction of
80s avarice

Chester Ming played by Kenneth Choi

Born: October 20, 1971 in Chicago, Illinois, USA

   Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Choi desperately dreamed of becoming an actor. Against his family's wishes, Choi left Purdue college to pursue his dream. He literally ran away from home for 5 years to train and study before moving to Los Angeles. Once in L.A., Choi hit the ground running. He was cast in an independent film during his first week and finished the year with appearances in 6 television series.  

Source: IMDB

 “Sell me this pen.” 

   Chester Ming is an outstanding Asian-American character more because of what he isn’t.

ART: Hiroyuki Takahashi (タカハシヒロユキ)

HiroyukiTakahashi (タカハシヒロユキ)
 Website - PixIV - FB

Hiroyuki Takahashi (タカハシヒロユキ)is a Japanese designer/ artist. She creates primarily w/ Illustrator.

“Her designs remind me of a playful, cheerier Shintaro Kago. They're bursting at the seams w/ colorful details referencing pop culture like the irrepressible dreams in Satoshi Kon's 'Paprika'."
- YM

Top 8 Tees - May

1
Course I like the badass demonic samurai, but the colors R fun & pop. DBH has tons of good stuff

3
U've got 2 C this Shiroi Neko shirt up close to appreciate all the processing & foil work. Plus, I'm a sucker 4 anything with crows on it.

5
I'm a big PaleHorse fan & will feature more of his work in the coming months.

7
Obvious, but fun & well executed. :)

2
There R 2 Pokemon shirts on the list. I'm not a fan, haven't seen an ep., but I like the traditional woodblock print, ukiyo-e ref.

4
Emperor Eternity wear is very similar 2 Shiroi Neko in the detailing & full area printing. They're both big in Thailand & available on BlueBaldur.com

6
The other Pokemon, sometimes visual mash-ups seem like they were meant 2 B like lost Lego pieces. This suits the iconic Banksy perfectly down 2 the pose & overspray accents

8
Nothing incredible design-wise w/ this tee, but they got the Silence of the Lambs font down & I find myself recalling this line @ random times during the day.

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Sexbot Prototype = Asobi Seksu-669

Stay calm fellow Yellows, our brothers in Japan R working furiously to make sexbots a reality.

No longer will U have to deal with awkwardness & embarrassment of making conversation or being interested in anything women say. Not to mention all that mess & hair & body heat & the annoying thump thump of another human heart beating...
Behold the prototype Asobi Seksu-669

AmalgaMATE 4.5 by *MichaelO on deviantART

PSY Anti-American Lyrics

- PSY Rap:

“Kill those fucking Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives 

Kill those fucking Yankees who ordered them to torture 

Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers 

Kill them all slowly and painfully” 

              - Matthew Salesses from PSY THE CLOWN VS. PSY THE “ANTI-AMERICAN”

The Asian Male Stereotype

"I could also feel the way people wanted me to fit into an idea of the type of Asian male they were comfortable with. Both sides made it hard to be myself. I was often described as quiet, studious, easygoing, book-smart but not street-smart, and some of these descriptions stuck in a self-fulfilling way."

- Matthew Salesses from PSY THE CLOWN VS. PSY THE “ANTI-AMERICAN”

PSY's Popularity Based on Expected Asian Stereotype?

"PSY fits right into the mainstream-friendly role of Asian male jester, offering goofy laughs for all and, thanks to PSY’s decidedly non-pop star looks, in a very non-threatening package."

- Racialicous (reprinted from init_music): “PSY and the Acceptable Asian Man.”