Amelia, Hazel, and Katherine.

Hazel Ying Lee

I had the chance to see Amelia this week. Let me just say that any screen presentation of an admired and sensationalized pioneering women aviator, such as Amelia Earhart, is tricky business. You can’t please everyone. I personally loved it. I’ll watch it again. I do wish there was more about the intricacy of a pilot’s life and less on the painful romance with Richard Gere. Their kisses were as awkward as Luke and Leia’s smooches. But those strained moments may have been director Mira Nair’s way to communicate Earhart’s reluctance toward marriage.

I was expecting, or at least faithfully hoping, to see POCs in the movie. None. Maybe I missed it, but didn’t see one yellow or brown face in the movie. I knew they would not splurge for a supporting character of color. I would have settled for a background pilot.

I wanted to bring up some early Chinese American aviation accomplishments during Earhart’s era. My knowledge is limited to Chinese American contributions:

Anna Low: In 1918, became the first Chinese American women aviator.

Hazel Ying Lee: The first Chinese American women in Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP.)

Katherine Cheung: First Chinese American women licensed pilot in 1931. One of the original member of Ninety-Nines. You know the women pilot organization Earhart served as the first president. There's a short video of Katherine's granddaughter talking about her inspirations.

Leah Hing: Joined the Civil Air Patrol during WWII.

Wong Tsu: The Boeing Company’s first engineer in 1916.

Thanks for opening the sky. Hats (or headsets) off to you!

Funky Shiitake Mushrooms

My good friend over at Big Trendy posted about the Funky Shiitake Mushrooms.

I have to admit, I felt a little weird loving these guys. Stereotypical Asian nerd kids. Do we really need to dig deeper into our dreaded Long Duk Dong grave? But damn it, I don't care. They won freakin' robotics contests! They built their own remote controlled hybrid airships.

I have to remind myself that these five are not the lone AA outcast in a midwestern school, who bond together and fend off teasing from the white kids. Hailing from Mission San Jose High School in Fremont California, the school population is 75% AA.

FSM, you are officially rock stars to me. Come on over to dinner. I just shopped Costco today. Plenty of food for you over here. Love to have you five nerd out and play video games here.

Louisianna Justice of Peace Refuse to Marry Interacial Couple

Keith Bardwell denied marriage license to an interracial couple.

"I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

If he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

Bardwell said he is not a racist. Keith, I'd like to invite you over for dinner at my house. Hang out with my hapa kids. We can read Goodnight Moon and sip hot chocolate by the fireplace. Let's chat. I know you mean well, but other people's family planning is not your decision. It's 2009. Two thousand freaking nine, people! We're suppose to have robot butlers and eye-tronic chips by now. Not wasting our time shutting down interracial relationships.

He may be racist, but I gotta say the man is consistent.

If I take a vacation . . .

This could be ME!

There are many reasons I want to visit the Bay Area. Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Alkatraz, the Camera Obscura and Holographic Gallery, Angel Island. But the truth is, I'm most excited about taking a Zeppelin ride offered by Airship Ventures. I can even be an airship pilot for a day! Only $2950!

Kissy Kissy

Saw this over at Disgrasian. Ya Ying-Ching, Taiwanese music student and artist living in Paris. She's kissing 100 men around town and blogging pictures of the smooches. Call me a slut if you want, but she is totally my new hero!

You can question her morals or value, but you can't deny that those are some great pictures. Most of them are very romantic. I like her sometimes whimsical composition mix with the use of shadows and reflections. Plus she goes around with a cute little dog. My sixteen year old inner self just put on a set of big dreamy eyes.

Although you can totally tell that some douche bags were trying to cop a feel or slip in some unwelcome tongue. Thanks dudes...