August 2, 2022

Hollywood

by Suzanne Joe Kai

Janet Yang has been elected President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences by its Board of Governors!

This is an epic, historic moment recognizing the first Asian American to become President of the Academy in its 95 year history.

She is only the second person of color and the fourth female elected as the Academy's President. 

Ms. Yang began her first term as president August 2, 2022, and continues in her second term as a Govenor-at-Large of the Academy.

From Oscars.org is this statement by Academy CEO Bill Kramer: 

“Janet is a tremendously dedicated and strategic leader who has an incredible record of service at the Academy. 

She has been instrumental in launching and elevating several Academy initiatives on membership recruitment, governance, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.”  

“I am thrilled that she is taking on the esteemed role of Academy President and look forward to working closely with her on our shared vision to serve our membership, celebrate the collaborative arts and sciences of motion pictures, and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.”

The Year of Sheltering Dangerously

By Ben Fong-Torres

Well, hasn’t THIS been a fun 365?

As we approached the anniversary of the shelter-in-place orders for the San Francisco Bay Area, on March 16, I thought of some of the changes we’ve been through. 

In February, our calendar was packed with restaurant dinners and a large, loud gathering at Harbor Villa, saluting our friend, the civil rights attorney Dale Minami.

And there was my 24th time as co-anchor of the Chinese New Year Parade, on KTVU. The Year of the  Rat. Indeed. 

Early in March, we had more restaurant get-togethers, including dinner at the House of Prime Rib (almost as hard to get into as Hamilton) and a family luncheon for Chinese New Year at the stellar dim sum restaurant, Yank Sing. One evening, I went to the dive bar, El Rio, for the monthly jam staged by Los Train Wreck, and did my usual, a parody of a Dylan classic, “Rainy Day Women 12+35,” with lyrics I ripped from the headlines:

They’ll stone you when you come to see the band

And make mistakes, like shaking people’s hands

Los Train Wreck’s easy going, and all they ask: 

Is when you’re talking with them, use a mask

And you will not feel so all alone 

Everybody must get stoned!

On March 13th, I went to the Record Plant, the fabled studio in Sausalito, to be interviewed for a documentary about the Plant.  

Gangneung, South Korea

February 17, 2018

18 year old American figure skater Nathan Chen from Salt Lake City, Utah came to the Winter Olympics to win a medal.

He didn't, but instead he wowed audiences worldwide by making history as the first person in Olympic competition to perform six unprecedented quad jumps.

Nathan's historic performance of six quads, included five clean quad jumps, and on the third quad his hand touched the ground.

Despite his extraordinary talents and record as the only international skater who was undefeated on the Grand Prix circuit this season, at the 2018 Winter Olympics Nathan came in 17th in a short program, and in the team event short program, another dismal score.

"I already fell so many times, I might as well just go out, throw everything down, and see what happens," Chen told the press.

On his third day of competition, in men's free skate, Nathan skated as the star that he is, and rose from 17th to 5th place. 

Reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu from Japan won the gold, becoming the first back-to-back gold medalist in the event since 1952 when American figure skater Dick Button won the gold.

Chen, the son of Chinese immigrants, began taking skating lessons at the age of three. By the time he was ten, he was competing in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He is expected to compete in March for the 2018 World Figure Skating Championships.