blog
Archived entries for the blog will be placed here, so that you can refer back to old entries!
3-25-08
A new article written by story editor Lina Peng has been added under online content! Here is an excerpt from the article, entitled "Dalai Lama Delusion."
"Anyone who follows the news (myself included) has recently been bombarded with minute by minute updates of the situation in Tibet. A quick summary of events thus far: On March 10th, some Buddhist monks demonstrated in Lhasa (the capital of Tibet). This has sparked off ongoing anti-Chinese rioting in Lhasa and surrounding provinces by ethnic Tibetans. So far, some 20 people have been killed and many more injured. Unkind words have been said by both sides with the Chinese accusing of the Dalai Lama of trying to ruin the Olympic Games, the Dalai Lama saying 'cultural genocide' has occurred. And as always, the West tip toes haphazardly in between."
Read more here!
posted by Elaine
3-20-08
We recently got a new blog here at hardboiled. But you don't know that. It's okay. It's how we like to do things: smooth and under the radar. But when things that hurt us all go undetected, we get loud and turn into OPTIMUS PRIME. We transform from smooth operator, and we get down and dirty with the issues.
America has been in economic turmoil since the 1970s. Yet from the statistics, we would have never known it. All of us have gotten richer (not equally of course) and goods have gotten much cheaper. But as our incomes increased, so did inequality, and with that economic insecurity. Almost silently, our housing and health care expenses have grown to a point where it surpasses our income. Retirement has become a luxury, and we constantly live in fear each day knowing that at any second, the jobs we went to 4 years of college to get could be shipped away to a country that could do it for cheaper. It began with calling centers, but now has moved to x-ray technicians, and even contract lawyers. Who knows what's next?
As we continue to live with these increasing insecurities, we are constantly seeking out the best deals on goods that we can find, never realizing that the more money we save, the less someone else is making. But when the roles are reversed, and we become the wage earners, we constantly complain that people are taking away from profit that was supposed to go toward your mortgage payment or your son's medical bill. As wealth becomes more concentrated to fewer people, we find ourselves shopping at Wal-Mart not because we want to, but because we need to. We all become caught up in a vicious cycle that we cannot escape from.
And so, with that said, there is no surprise that these troubling times have made me cynical about America. Although we here at hardboiled focus on Asian American issues, I want to state for the record, that this issue affects all Americans, not just Asian Americans.
Sen. Barack Obama speaks a lot about bringing "change" to American during his campaign speeches. I hope that for all of our sakes, this is what he means.
posted by Matt
3-15-08
the awesomely brilliant issue 11.4 is now online!
posted by Wendy
I figure now is a good time to start blogging for hardboiled for a variety of reasons.
- 1) I just had my wisdom teeth pulled out so there'’s not much I can do except lie around
- 2) I've watched too many episodes of Grey's Anatomy to the point that I can't stop saying, "Seriously."
- 3) Our first issue of the semester doesnÂ’t come out until March 2008 and by then people will have forgotten about this...…
I have to give my props to the Asian American Association (AAA). They do a damn good job of flyering, posting, and tabling. Even if you didn'’t want to notice them on campus, you can'’t help yourself because they are just too damn vigilant. Anyway, down to the nitty gritty. Having been at Cal since 2004, I am never surprised when AAA has their first general meeting of the semester where they make a spoof out of some movie or TV show.
But, this time, I was caught off guard: "TRANSFORMERS:– Asians in Disguise!"” Excuse me if I just donÂ't get it, especially when I see a figure of a Transformer next to a guy, who presumably is supposed to be some kind of Asian, with a rickshaw. To top it off, he'’s wearing one of those rice field straw hats.
Thanks to Facebook, IÂ've got the JPEG of that flyer for you, as I am sure a picture is worth a thousand words.
Now, what's wrong with this picture? What does "Asians in disguise" really mean? Why did they use this graphic of a man in a rickshaw to equate “Asian?” Why is my blood pressure slowly escalating?
I've heard around town that the AAA Issues Committee is actually not that bad. So I'’m wondering two things: Do I not get the joke or does the Issues Committee really suck? Considering that AAA has a past history of making spoofs on pop culture icons, I'm not too surprised. If this is supposed to be funny, I'’m missing the point and I imagine so are a lot of other people that are and arenÂ’t Asian American. People, if you want to be ironic or make a spoof of something, at least try to make it funny on paper.
Now, I have yet to see this actual skit since it's not happening until Monday. I'll let you know how that goes...…*fingers crossed*
posted by Pauline
Take the hardboiled decal this semester if you want to write articles, design the newsmagazine, or update the website for units. The first staff meeting will be next Wednesday, January 30th at 6 pm in 206 Dwinelle. Come to learn about hb and eat cookies!
posted by Wendy
Check out the new website y'all!
posted by Wendy