Clips Ending August 1st

By Jorgio Castro

Bob Hope Passes Away at Century Mark

Hope met with every U.S president since he started his USO shows, here with President Bush Sr. Courtesy of www.cnn.com

Long time legendary performer Bob Hope passed away on Sunday, July 27th at his home in Toluca Lake, north of Hollywood. Considered to be the greatest entertainer in history by many, Hope starred in every form of mass media entertainment, from Vaudeville to radio to movies to television. For the last fifty years he became renowned and beloved by putting on USO shows for troops stationed overseas, starting in World War II. Hope saw his "tours of duty" take him to the Asia Pacific several times, for the Korean War and the Vietnam War as well. He performed his last USO show in 1991 in the Persian Gulf, and ended having entertained millions of servicemen and women through the years. Hope gave of himself time and time again to support his country, and was known as a very generous man, donating millions over his lifetime to charity. Bob Hope was 100.

There can be only one, but there's no same in taking a picture with the legend. Courtesy of News.yahoo.com

Kung Fu Legend Remembered

Sunday, July 20th marked the 30th anniversary of the death of legendary martial arts action star Bruce Lee. Dozens of old friends and devoted fans gathered at his burial site in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle to pay their respects and honor his memory. Lee broke onto the American entertainment scene as "Kato" in the 1960's TV series "The Green Hornet." His Hollywood screen debut, "Enter the Dragon," opened in 1973, one month after Lee passed away from cerebral edema (swelling of the brain). Lee's mistress, Taiwanese actress Betty Ting, was the only one with him when he died. She has said she plans to release a tell-all autobiography sometime in the future.

Lee was born in San Francisco in 1940, grew up in Hong Kong, and then later returned to the US at age 18, spending four and a half years in Seattle while at the University of Washington. His headstone reads "Your inspiration continues to guide us toward our personal liberation."

Hanks and Spielberg - Is there a limit on how many awards two men can get? Courtesy of News.yahoo.com

Hanks and Spielberg's New Project: Who Would've Guessed?

After the acclaimed success of the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," Tom Hanks and his Playtone producing partner-in-war Gary Goetzman are reuniting with - guess who - Steven Spielberg to produce a new World War II dramatic miniseries, this time set in the Pacific Theater. Tentatively dubbed "Untitled World War II Pacific Theater Project," the DreamWorks project will focus on a battalion of soldiers, following them through the island-to-island assault on the Japanese, which culminated in the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unlike "Band of Brothers," which was based on Stephen Ambrose's bestseller, which chronicled the 506th Airborne Regiment after their landing in France on D-Day, the trio's newest project will be an original work. Bruce McKenna, recipient of the Writers Guild of America award for work on several "Band" episodes, is reportedly the frontrunner to take charge of the writing team.

Because We Can't Get Enough Reality Television

The latest incarnation of "Big Brother," number four, has been on the air for a few weeks now. What separates this from past series of the show is the Korean pair who are living in the house. Jun Song, an investment manager from New York, and Jee Choe, a bookkeeper from Elmhurst, NY, were once together, but broke up and, in a shocking twist no one would have ever guessed, were reunited on the show. After learning that she would be living with her ex on the show, Jun said, "It made me sick and pissed me off." With 3 HouseGuests already voted off, Jee and Jun are still on the show, providing viewers with the never-ending hilarious happenings that are bound to occur when exes collide. Get your peeping-tom fix every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday night on CBS at 9:00 p.m.

Kababayan Festival At Marine World

The Filipino Family Day known as Kababayan took place on July 26th at Six Flags, Marine World in Vallejo, CA. The festival featured authentic Filipino food and entertainment, in addition to the rides and fun offered by the park itself. This second rendition of the celebration is part of a continued effort by the park to reach out to the surrounding communities, and to "honor the Filipino people and their culture." Groups which performed at the event included Native Elements, Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble, and other Bay Area talents, as well as exhibits and workshops put together in an effort to exchange information and entertain all.

Weekend Filipino Cultural Celebration in SF

The Pistahan Festival will showcase traditional Filipino culture in all its splendor. Courtesy of www.ybgf.org

On August 9th and 10th, Yerba Buena Gardens in Downtown San Francisco will be hosting Pistahan, a Filipino-American Arts Exhibition. The annual festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Esplanade Gardens and will feature displays, crafts, food, and entertainment in the tradition of Filipino culture and cuisine. This is a guaranteed perfect day at the park for families.

Director Woo Cashing In on New Movie

Acclaimed Academy Award-winning director John Woo is directing a new film, entitled "Paycheck." The flick will be based on the 1953 short story by Phillip K. Dick, which centers on a brilliant computer engineer named Michael Jennings, who has his memory erased after completing a top secret project. His paycheck is replaced with a collection of random objects, which serve as clues to not only his past, but also a darker truth. This is not the first time his work has inspired a movie, as Dick's stories have been behind other sci-fi blockbusters such as "Blade Runner" and "Minority Report." "Paycheck" will star Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman, and is currently in production in Vancouver, Canada.

The Swimsuit Portion is Crucial

The 18th Annual Miss Asian America Pageant will be held on Saturday, August 16 in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre! The event starts at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6), and tickets can be purchased now by phone ($25 reserved seating, $100 VIP). There will be 22 lovely young ladies vying for the title this year, showcased in Ethnic Costume, Self-Introduction, Swimsuit, Evening Gown, and Talent segments. The pageant titles will be awarded by a judging panel based on beauty, poise, and personality.

The competition is fierce for the title of Nisei Week Queen, as these pictures will attest to. Courtesy of www.niseiweek.org

63rd Annual Nisei Week Festival Hits Streets of Little Tokyo

On August 9th, the winner of the annual Nisei Week Queen competition will be announced from the pool of 6 finalists. "This 63-year-old tradition provides an opportunity for young women to enrich themselves by introducing them to cultural activities and community service; building public speaking ability, poise and confidence and learning team work and friendship," said Michelle Suzuki, chairperson of the Nisei Week queen's committee. The festival will continue until the 17th, with the Grand Parade and Taiko performances on the docket for August 10th. Street Arts exhibits will also be held on those days, as one of the oldest Japanese American festivals in the country celebrates the Japanese community in Los Angeles.

Rafu Shimpo Celebrates Triple Digit Year

Just after the turn of the 20th century, a small neighborhood paper debuted in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo district. Since 1903, the Los Angeles Japanese Daily News (better known as The Rafu Shimpo: www.rafu.com) has tirelessly served the Japanese community in LA and become a cultural icon. In celebrating is "hyakunen" (100th Anniversary), the paper is planning a year long series of events and a special keepsake publication due out October 1st, which will chronicle the history of the community. Thursday, September 11th will mark another huge milestone: the 30,000th edition of the Nikkei reader.

The paper has received numerous accolades from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, The Japanese American National Museum, and the Los Angeles Dodgers on their annual Japanese Community Day, among many others.

APA congratulates the Rafu Shimpo!

August 1, 2003