My article on Asian American Female Immigrant musicians has been published! Please look for it at your local Borders, Barnes and Nobles, etc.

Random Ninjas = GROUND (music video)

FUZAKENNA!

kubernites

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CYBSYSTH.html

APA Musicians From the Trenches by Tina Tsai

Shojo with Attitude by Tina Tsai

Hotel Tomo (Asian Week article)

During Japantown AnimeFaire 2005 and 2006, I stayed with the Random Ninjas here at the Best Western Miyako which is now apparently known as Hotel Tomo after a thorough renovation that has made it J-Pop anime style. I have some mixed feelings about this renovation. On the one hand, I really think it's a good idea that will attract the growing J-fan crowd here in the US and abroad. On the other hand, I don't know how relaxed I could be in this sort of environment with these colors. This is definitely a step up from the old drab version of the hotel, but I'm not one to want to sleep in the high energy ambiance of an anime fan environment. However, I guess if you're there planning to stay up all night and talk and play anime, j-pop, j-rock, and video games (much like a con), then this would be perfect for you.

In any case, I hope this means more anime events in Japantown that Random Ninjas can be a part of because aside from the fun shows, I really enjoy SF's Japantwon and my favorite destination is always the Tea Garden of the Golden Gate Park.

Kirei no Hinata

Sasuke and Hinata by Hastezone

Although I'm not a fan of the Sasuke x Hinata pairing (NaruHina all the way!), this is the most beautiful portrayal of Hinata I've ever seen. Check out Hastezone on deviantArt!

Cylon Salute - Grace Park on Cover of 13minutes Magazine

Magazine Cover Picture from www.13minutesmag.com

What can I say? Boomer rocks!



I'm rather sad the writers of the current battlestar don't do their science homework though. All that great sci-fi potential gone to waste. Boomer could've been so much more...T__T



*sigh for the days of star trek next generation...*

Teacher of the Year

Photo Courtesy of Full Metal Ninja

I've always wondered how they pick teacher of the year? This year's teacher of the year, Andrea Peterson, is a music teacher, which I'm really happy about because music and the arts are taking a blow from the such policies as No Child Left Behind (Ironic how Bush presented award to her...). Ask any neurologist and cognitive psychologist and chances are they'll tell you how much music benefits the brain and overall cognition. Recently I listened to the audiobook Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing Your Brain's Potential by Richard Restack, M.D., and he mentions music and musicians multiple times throughout the book both as examples of extraordinary cognition and as ways to improve the performance of the brain.



On a side note, I found what Andrea Peterson was quoted to say on CNN really unsettling..."A talented student is a teacher's ultimate reward..."

If a student is all ready talented, then the teacher doesn't have to do too much to help them excel...right? I'm sure there are exceptions to that rule for sure, but I would think that teachers would find a special feeling of success when they've helped an 'untalented' student achieve.

Text messaging harms written language

cell phones in Akihabara, Japan (Photo by tina tsai)

A CNN article reported that text-messaging is "harming" written language. The evidence of this was from a report done by the State Examination Commission in Ireland.

I think a main issue here is we're not addressing the different genres of writing people are engaging in. Text messages are necessarily truncated and more phonetic in spelling to accomplish efficient and effective communication. If kids are writing essays like a text message, then educators and other adults have not made it clear that different genres and audiences require different styles of writing.

Has anyone studied how conventional essays have "harmed" text messaging? Being able to keep up with the new e-languages of your peers can severely limit a young person's networking capabilities.

Advice on how to fly

photo by tina tsai

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of flying. There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
p. 363
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide
by Douglas Adams