"Orientalism in Big Trouble in Little China"

WWAC:

Before you read this: did you watch the Dr. Strange trailer? You should, because I’m going to compare it to Big Trouble in Little China, a movie thirty years its senior. “Why?” you ask. Because John Carpenter made BTLC with the understanding that Chinese-ness is context and not just culture, and that the mixture of cultures in America can be a strange and wonderful thing. On top of that, BTLC features Asian actors who have accents and no accents, mixed race Asians, a Muay Thai world champion, and the first Asian-American woman featured on the cover of Penthouse magazine. BTLC, made at the tail end of the exploitation film era, does a better job of exploring (specifically) Asian-American culture than any blockbusters made recently.

"Happy Hour" collection at Gallery 1988

Kristin Tercek's new show is available online now.

Link roundup

1. "Japan doesn't want the U.S. to apologize for bombing Hiroshima."

“Overemphasizing the inhuman nature of the nuclear weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki goes against what the current government of Japan has been working on so hard for decades — removing ‘allergic’ reaction against nuclear weapons and nuclear power."

2. "The U.S. ships hundreds of thousands of tons of scrap to China each year, much of it comprising the aluminum remains of broken-down vehicles that have been fed through industrial shredders. The scrap is so laden with coins, many of them battered beyond recognition, that a new industry has emerged to reclaim and repatriate them."

The program has paid out more than $100 million since 2009, the year customs officials in Los Angeles noted a sharp increase in large coin shipments from China. The uptick was so sharp that federal law-enforcement officials have come to believe some of the dimes, quarters and half dollars arriving from the Far East are fakes.

3. "The Doug Mirabelli Trade: An Oral History"

Our guys that year were big poker players on the plane. Mirabelli lost his meal money every single road trip. The guys were crushed Mirabelli was leaving, because he helped supplement their meal money on the road. We were no longer going to have him on the plane. They used to call it “Mirabelli Bucks.”

Link roundup

1. "A Los Angeles County judge on Friday strongly criticized the Long Beach Police Department's practice of conducting sting operations against gay men cruising for companionship, saying the department’s tactics were tantamount to discrimination."

Dhanidina also rejected prosecutors' arguments that Long Beach based its policing tactics on citizen complaints about lewd conduct, saying the agency provided little to no evidence of such complaints at men's public restrooms where the bulk of the stings took place.

2. "Cloud seeding returns to LA, but no one is sure if it works"

3. "Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery. Well, in that case Under Armour has just received its biggest compliment yet."

Recently, Chinese brand Uncle Martian launched their sportswear line with a logo and font almost identical to that of the Baltimore brand.

Lego Star Wars Space Slug Set

Via.

"Finally, a Bible just for boys!"

Amazon:

Finally, a Bible just for boys! As part of the 2:52 series for boys, the 2:52 Boys' Bible, NIV, is the 'ultimate manual' for boys ages 8 to 12. Based on Luke 2:52: 'And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,' this Bible helps boys become more like Jesus mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially-smarter, stronger, deeper, and cooler. The 2:52 Track takes boys through the Bible. Each reading highlights people, stories, and Scriptures that help boys grow toward maturity and manhood. Additional features include the following: Make It Stick: Special entry spaces for everything from fun doodles and sketches to quick responses to the text; Get a Load of This: Interesting and sometimes humorous info about Bible facts, Bible times, and Bible characters; and Gross!: Gross and gory facts in the Bible.

Link roundup

1. "How did 'Space Raptor Butt Invasion' by Chuck Tingle become a Hugo finalist?"

Pseudonymous erotica author Tingle, who is also responsible for titles such as "Taken by the Gay Unicorn Biker," responded quickly to the Hugo news with a new e-book, "Slammed in the Butt by My Hugo Award Nomination."

It seems clear that Day expected Tingle's nomination to outrage his critics, but it doesn't appear to have worked

2. How to stop harassing tweets and comments:

That seems to be a foundation for a legal argument, that when the employer makes social media — establishing a presence on Twitter, etc. — part of the job, there's a disparate impact on female employees and the employer should be held responsible for the sex discrimination.

3. New zine by Jim Rugg.