P.S. Netflix And Squid Games Season 2 (AKA See You All In Hell)

WHILE I LOVE THE SHOW I CANNOT STAND FOR THIS TWO PART WTF-ERY. BRIDGERTON, EMILY IN PARIS, AND NOW IN THE SECOND SEASON OF ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATEST SHOWS TO CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF EVERYONE...

THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT US?

YOU MAKE US WAIT OUT OF WHAT I CAN ONLY WONDER IS NEW SUBSCRIBER MONEY AND SOME MORE CASH FOR SEASON 3?

WASN'T NETFLIX BUILT ON BINGING?

BINGING EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE IF WE SO DESIRED?

NOT WAITING LIKE OTHER PEOPLE'S CHANNELS AND NETWORKS?

I GET YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE LIVE TV GAME AND MAYBE TAKE SOME TIME AWAY FROM A NETWORK CHANNEL OR TWO, BUT THAT'S NO REASON FOR THIS TWO PART WTF-ERY.

NONE OF THAT IS IT? 

IT'S BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO LONG TO FIT INTO ONE SEASON? 10 EPISODES WAS TOOOOOO LOOOOONG?

I CALL FIDDLESTICKS. 

SEASON 1 WAS 9 EPISODES. WE WOULD HAVE GLADLY TAKEN 12. 

ARE YOU KIDDING US?

DIDN'T FIT?

IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE...CASH AND I'M NOT SAYING I WOULD DO IT DIFFERENT (BECAUSE I'M A CAPITALIST WHO BELIEVES YOU GOTTA GET YOUR SHOT).

I'M JUST CALLING IT AS I SEE IT.

WHICH IS FIDDLESTICKS.

AND YES...FOR SURE I'LL STILL BE WATCHING SEASON 3. 

I'LL JUST BE CURSING YOU WHILE I DO IT.

Resources + How To Help: Los Angeles Fire Resources, Donations, Groups

Compiling some lists for resources that affect people in the L.A. areas and where they can help out. 

From GoFundMe, The Lim Family who lost everything in the Eaton Fire.

GoFundMe Verified Fundraisers
https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/wildfire-relief/california#/

GoFundMe has put together a list of verified fundraisers that people can donate too, or share if they have family and friends, and when going over some of the different gofundme's, they really are helping to give people at least something to help start over amid so much chaos and descruction: Like for the Lim family who lost everything in the Eaton fire, the father Alex a police officer, and his wife Janet, a teacher. 

Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
https://supportlafd.kindful.com/?campaign=1040812

From their page:

"LAFD Wildfire Emergency Funding Alert

Emergency Funding Alert – Your local LAFD firefighters need your help to save lives and protect property during this wildfire. The LAFD Foundation is actively seeking funds to equip our LAFD members battling wildfires with equipment and supplies such as:

• EMERGENCY FIRE SHELTERS – These personal fire shelters are deployed when the unthinkable happens and firefighters become overrun by flames. These light, compact shelters are designed to reflect radiant heat, protect against convective heat, and trap breathable air within.

• HYDRATION BACKPACKS - Firefighters can be on the front lines of a wildfire for up to 12 hours. These unique backpacks carry three quarts of water and are vital to keeping firefighters healthy on the fire line.

• WILDLAND BRUSH TOOLS – Clearing fire roads and creating natural barriers to slow the spread of fire is a necessary but labor-intensive and exhausting process. These light and durable hand tools are specially designed to help ground crews cut through tree limbs, clear brush overgrowth, and remove potential fuel sources."

Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund
https://pasadena.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=6192

The Pasadena Community Foundation Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund will provide support to local nonprofit organizations as they respond to the devastation of the fires and its aftermath.

CCF Fund, Disaster, Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery Fund
https://www.calfund.org/funds/wildfire-recovery-fund/

From their site:

"For the LA County wildfires, we’ve activated our fund to complement immediate relief, addressing the long-term recovery needs of neighborhoods long after media attention has shifted away. Thousands of generous individuals, foundations, and corporations have already answered the call and provided critical contributions. Our disaster and recovery efforts support an array of critical recovery services, including housing, case management, mental health, and medical care for displaced residents. It also aids in rebuilding essential infrastructure like emergency communication systems and offers financial disaster assistance, labor law education, and immigration services to low-wage workers and immigrant families."

Below is a list of resources from their site:
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RESOURCES FOR IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS

Although CCF does not provide direct funding to individuals, there are entities that do. If you have been impacted by a disaster, please reference the resources below:

Los Angeles County

• The Red Cross of Los Angeles County: Disaster relief services, including shelter, food, and emotional support.
• 211 Los Angeles: A comprehensive helpline connecting residents to essential health and human services, including disaster preparedness and emergency response information.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: Distributes food to individuals and families in need.
• Pasadena Community Foundation: Established the Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund to support immediate and pressing needs arising from local wildfires.
• LAFD Foundation: Supports the Los Angeles Fire Department by funding essential equipment, training, and public outreach programs, enhancing the department’s emergency response capabilities.
• Direct Relief International: Works globally and locally to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty and emergencies by providing essential medical resources to healthcare providers.
• National Disaster Distress Helpline: Provides 24/7 crisis counseling via call or text for individuals affected by traumatic events or disasters.

For state-wide information and support:

• California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Foodpantries.org
• California Fire Foundation – Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency (SAVE)

For the most up-to-date Information on the status of disasters:

• Alert. LA – L.A. County Emergency Alert System
• Los Angeles Fire Department – Latest fire updates
• CAL FIRE – Statewide fire conditions and updates

Restaurants Offering Free Meals

Check out the two links below for lists and maps of restaurants serving free food. If you want to help I'm sure some of them could use your help (call, make sure, etc.) via donations to help give out free. I am going to list out all the restaurants in this post as another resource and list:

Eater Lists (check those links for most up to date)
https://la.eater.com/2025/1/9/24340065/los-angeles-restaurants-offering-food-shelter-relief-fires-first-responders-firefighters-evacuees

Arcadia

• Sushi Kisen — Open for dinner and offering 20 percent off all meals through Saturday, January 11

Atwater Village

• Bar Sinizki — Offering free sandwiches to Angelenos in need on bread donated from Bub and Grandma’s. Sandwiches will be served until the kitchen runs out of ingredients.

Beverly Hills

• Crustacean — Open and offering free pho and garlic noodles to evacuees, first responders, and firefighters
• Spago — Open and offering free meals to first responders through the weekend
• The Hideaway — Open and offering free meals to evacuees and first responders between January 10 and 17

Culver City

• Fat & Flour — The Culver City location of Fat & Flour is open as a place of refuge and offering free bread and coffee to those in need

Echo Park

• Lowboy — The Echo Park bar is offering free burgers and fries to Angelenos in need of food from 3 p.m. until they are out of supplies. Meals can be picked up at its to-go window.
• Gra — Open as of January 9 to offer free to-go meals for firefighters, first responders, and evacuees
• Mírate — In the bar area, the restaurant will offer shelter and bowls of pozole to first responders and anyone displaced by the fires from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Fairfax

• Trophies Burger Club — The Fairfax burger spot is open as of January 9 and offering free burgers to firefighters and first responders

Frogtown

• Loreto — Open on January 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; offering free La Colombe coffee, pastries, shelter, and Wi-Fi to those who have been evacuated from fire-impacted areas

Hollywood

• The Benjamin — Open for the weekend and donating 100 percent of its Friday and Saturday profits to communities impacted by the fires
• Hard Rock Cafe — Open as of January 10 and offering free meals to first responders, donating meals to World Central Kitchen, and hosting a drop-off for emergency items
• Linden — Open as of January 10 and donating $20,000 to wildfire relief efforts, plus 20 percent of January proceeds to supporting those impacted by the fire

Inglewood

• Sunday Gravy — Open as of January 9 and offering free meals to first responders and evacuees, plus accepting donations to purchase a meal for someone else

Jefferson Park

• Harold & Belle’s — Open as of January 9 and offering free meals to first responders

Koreatown

• MDK Noodles — Open as of January 9 and offering free knife-cut noodles for first responders and firefighters
• Love Hour — Open as of January 9 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; accepting donations and offering free meals for firefighters and Angelenos displaced by the fires
• Open as of January 10, and offering free meals to first responders and those impacted by the fired

Los Feliz

• Desert Rose — Open as of January 9 offering free sandwiches to firefighters

Melrose Hill

• Bar Etoile — Open as of January 10 and offering free meals for those in need

Multiple Locations

• Wake & Late — Offering free breakfast and coffee as of January 9 at the Hollywood and Downtown LA locations for first responders; the Pasadena location is closed
• Maple Block — Open and offering free meals to first responders at the Culver City and Downtown locations
• Bacari — All locations will offer 50 percent off meals to first responders; the restaurant will also donate to the Los Angeles Food Bank with a goal of providing 20,000 meals to those impacted by the fires
• Jon & Vinny’s — All locations are open as of January 9 to offer refuge and the restaurant is delivering pizzas to first responders and firefighters
• Ospi — The Brentwood and Venice locations are open as of January 9 with Wi-Fi, water, and chargers, plus free pasta for first responders and evacuees
• Highly Likely — Open as of January 9 at both the Highland Park and West Adams locations, offering free meals for first responders and those impacted by the fires
• Goop Kitchen — Offering meal delivery to firefighters and first responders in need
• Detroit Pizza Depot — Open as of January 9 in Hollywood and Downtown as a place of refuge and giving out free meals to evacuees, firefighters, and first responders
• Tatsu Ramen — Offering free hot meals to first responders and displaced Angelenos at the Melrose and Sawtelle Japantown locations
• Simpang Asia — Offering free meals to first responders and firefighter crews through Sunday, January 12, at its Palms and Venice locations
• Blu Jam Cafe — Offering free meals to all firefighters and first responders at Blu Jam locations; also accepting in-person provision donations
• Bread and Breakfast — Offering free breakfast to firefighters and first responders at its Burbank location
• Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf — Offering free coffee or tea to first responders between January 10 and 17

North Hollywood

• Ozzy’s Apizza — Open as of January 9 as a place of refuge and giving free meals to evacuees, firefighters, and first responders

Pasadena

• Saucy Goat Chick Mafia — Open as of January 9 offering free meals to first responders and 20 percent off meals to those impacted by the fires
• Mountain Mike’s Pizza — Open as of January 9 offering free meals to first responders and as a place of refuge for displaced locals
• Oba Sushi and Thai Tapas — Offering firefighters and first responders free hot meals

Pico-Robertson

• The Rooster — Offering free meals to first responders between January 9 and January 12, and 20 percent off meals for those in need

Santa Monica

• Le Great Outdoor — Closed for dine-in on January 9; raising money to deliver food to firefighters through online orders
• The Lobster — Open on January 10 and offering 50 percent off meals to firefighters, relief workers, and evacuees
• Petit Grain Bakery — Closed until January 11; packing up goods to donate to firefighters along with Helms Bakery and Fonuts

Silver Lake

• LaSorted’s — Open for business and offering free meals to first responders and evacuees as of January 9 at both the Silver Lake and Chinatown locations

Studio City

• OyBar — Open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and offering free meals to those in need; donating proceeds from its regular business to World Central Kitchen

Venice

• Night + Market Sahm — Cooking meals for first responders at the Venice, California location

Virgil Village

• Bé Ù — Open and offering free meals to evacuees and first responders until 3:30 p.m.
• Sqirl — Open as of January 9 as a place of refuge and offering free breakfast to first responders

West Adams

• Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine — Offering free hot meals to first responders and displaced Angelenos

West Hollywood

• Benny’s Tacos and Rotisserie — Offering free meals to all first responders with valid identification

Westwood

• Danny Boy’s — Open as of January 9 at both the Downtown and Westwood locations; offering free pizza to firefighters and first responders 

delish Lists
https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63393286/los-angeles-wildfires-free-meals-restaurant-list/

Bar Etoile: This local Hollywood spot will serve a free meal to those in need.

Bé Ù: This Vietnamese street food restaurant in the Hollywood area is giving away free meals to evacuees and first responders. Plus, they are delivering meals to fire stations.

Blaze Pizza: Numerous locations of Blaze Pizza are dishing out free 11" pizzas to first responders. All participating locations are noted on the chain's Instagram page.

Crustacean Beverly Hills: Any evacuees or first responders can stop in for a complimentary bowl of Mama's pho or garlic noodles.   

Desert Rose: The LA location of Desert Rose is offering a free sandwich to firefighters who have a valid ID.

Detroit Pizza Depot: The chain's Hollywood and downtown LA locations are dishing out a free pizza to anyone who has been displaced, as well as first responders.

Fat Sal's Deli: First responders can receive a free meal at the deli's Culver City, Venice, Encino, Westwood, and Hollywood locations.

Highly Likely: Both the restaurant's West Adams and Highland Park locations are providing meals to first responders and those who have suffered loss as a result of the fires.

Joe's Pizza: All locations in LA County will provide a free meal to firefighters and first responders who stop in

KFC: First responders in Southern California can get free KFC Bowl beginning Friday, January 10, through Monday, January 20, at participating KFC restaurants across the region. Law enforcement officers, emergency medical services members (EMTs or paramedics), fire service members, and members of the military engaged in relief efforts (who are carrying their first responder ID), can visit one of the select participating locations to enjoy a free KFC Bowl.

La Sorted's: The restaurant's Silverlake and Chinatown locations are providing free meals to both first responders and evacuees.

Love Hour: Love Hour, located in Koreatown, will be serving free meals to first responders, firefighters, and anyone affected by the fires. Additionally, they are collecting donations throughout the weekend.

Low Boy: This Echo Park restaurant is giving out free meals at their to-go window for those in need.

Mountain Mikes Pizza: First responders who arrive in uniform at this Pasadena pizza joint can receive a free meal. 

NORMS: Now through January 12 from 7 am until 11 pm, NORMS, which has multiple locations, will provide a free entree to firefighters and police officers. They will also be donating $1 from every Bigger Better Breakfast sold to the LAFD Foundation Emergency Fund.

Ospi: All those who have been displaced, as well as first responders, can head to the Brentwood or Venice locations of Ospi for free pasta. The restaurants also have free WiFi, chargers, and water bottles and are delivering food to evacuation shelters.

OyBar: This Studio City restaurant is giving away free meals, no questions asked, to those in need. Patrons can also bring in donations in turn for a free meal and beverages will be sold at discounted prices.

Ozzy's Apizza: First responders and those who have been displaced can find solace at this North Hollywood locale, where you can enjoy free pizza and movies.

Roberta's Pizza: Locations in both Culver City and Studio City are giving away free pizza to first responders.

Rock & Brews Restaurant: Both the restaurant's El Segundo and Redondo Beach locations are giving one free pizza to any firefighters, police officers, or EMTs who stop by.

Shake Shack: All locations in LA County that are not in affected areas will be giving a free Shackburger to first responders now through Sunday.

Spago: Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck's Beverly Hills restaurant is offering free meals to first responders through the weekend, according to its Instagram page.

Sunday Gravy: The restaurant, located in Inglewood, is offering the displaced, as well as first responders, their choice of spaghetti marinara or spaghetti bolognese, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. You can also donate to buy a meal for those affected.

Wake & Late: The chain's Hollywood and downtown LA locations are providing free breakfast and coffee to first responders.

Yeastie Boys Bagels: The famous LA bagel company is using its many food trucks to bring free bagels to those in need and is taking recommendations on its Instagram page of where to deliver. 

Wait. DEI Is Responsible For the LA Fires? AKA Actor James Woods Is An Idiot AKA It's Like "Woke" Is The New "PC" All Over Again

First--let me say this post has nothing to do with any politics, left/right, etc.--and while some people may think this post is "too soon", this isn't Facebook with your mom's friend's cousin who you might see next Turkey Day where you may worry what she might say (because you actually worry). 

It's a blog, and while I am not daily as I once was, it's still a blog, so it all happens in real-time.

And I also don't care what your mom's friend's cousin thinks about what I say on FB.

Back to the topic at hand...

Will there be things to look at after the fires, the devastation they caused, after this is all done? 

Absolutely. 

Is putting that you support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion one of the issues to look at?

That would be a huge MF NO. 

These people--these people who tell you to not be "Woke" and that DEI is BS--really want you to believe that somehow, this equaling of power for everyone, is taking away from other things.

That you just can't have both. That somehow valuing a diverse workforce and community, that having equity for everyone, actually pretty simple things to not only consider (because you at least have to start there) and do, isn't worth it. That it doesn't make a difference.

But it's really about keeping power and money in their hands. 

It's like these Old (and new I guess) White People who are like "I'm not PC! HR can take that! We don't need..."--and on and on and on--those same people keeping up traditions of patriarchy, sexism, racism, and xenophobia. So while I feel for all of those who've lost so much--and I can't even comprehend all of it as I do not live in LA--I can't help but say for James Woods, who throws things out like this at this time (and I can understand people's anger) as well as his past hashtags on Gaza--not discriminating between innocent people and actual terrorists--he's just the picture of bullshit. 

And while I do not wish for anyone's house to be burnt to the ground, families and children having to figure out what comes next after something so horrific--including the Woods' family--I know there are people out there who think in some ways, karma came to kind of bite him back.

And I'll just leave it at that.

Thoughts are out there to everyone who's been affected by the fires in LA.

2024 Mini Blog Run #26: That's A Mini Wrap

I feel like there could be a part 2. But some of the time has been spent getting lost inside the interwebs and I'm afraid as the New Year is approaching I will find myself in other endeavors.

Here's to 2025 and a lot more Asian America.

2024 Mini Blog Run #25: Revisiting John Cho's Op-Ed Article "Coronavirus reminds Asian Americans like me that our belonging is conditional"

I was checking out some other information about John Cho's latest film Afraid, and thought that I wanted to post a little bit of this from 2020 instead and then link out to it.

"It might be a small moment, like a salesperson greeting you with “konnichiwa.” Or it might be a string of moments, like the press tour that Kal Penn and I took to promote “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” in 2004, a few years after 9/11 [...] Asian Americans are experiencing such a moment right now. The pandemic is reminding us that our belonging is conditional. One moment we are Americans, the next we are all foreigners, who “brought” the virus here."

There's a piece of me that thinks about Selfie and how it was ahead of its time. That now, this would work. People wouldn't necessarily see it as AM/WF--I mean we would, but not in that way--and I could be dreaming, but I think in another world, it just works. 

They had great chemistry--Cho and Gillan.

And yes, I do want to see Asian on Asian love.

But still, this shouldn't have been denied. 

We should have had more episodes.

2024 Mini Blog Run #24: Hikaru Utada - Electricity

How can you deny anything Utada does?

She just....is.

One day I'll have to track down all the lists that left her off...

And write them a very strong email.

I mean I'm not an animal.

 

2024 Mini Blog Run #23: Jon M. Chu x Wicked

Wicked has moved up into the top 6th spot on the worldwide list for 2024.

It just passed Mama Mia to officially be the highest grossing Broadway to film adaptation.

I think you have to start to talk about Jon M. Chu in some different ways now.

His accomplishments are becoming just too great.

2024 Mini Blog Run #22: Sandy Liang x It's Sold Out (AKA You're Not Getting It)

You are not going to get your hands on one of these. 

Sold out.

2024 Mini Blog Run #21: Random Infographic What Rep. Ted Lieu Does For You

https://x.com/RepTedLieu/status/1772658520175096008

If I were a politician I'd want people to know what I've done for them too.

And I'd want to make it easy.

Asians. We don't just do it. We make it easy for you to understand.

2024 Mini Blog Run #20: Maya Erskine x Mr. & Mrs. Smith

 

As I think about the end of the year, I still did want Maya Erskine to have won for her character in this series, because it was new and it was innovative, as well as pure Americana. I didn't want Shogun to win, because it was based on Shogun. People can disagree, but how do we move forward and make people appreciate other things that we as Asian Americans can do if we don't laud Asian Americans in other roles? 

It doesn't mean we have to not like other shows that have things like martial arts in them. It doesn't mean an Asian American woman can't play certain characters--that's the whole thing about this--but it also means we have to laud and give honor to, these other depications of who we can be.

2024 Mini Blog Run #19: keshi, Soft Spots, and Vevo Studios

 

Sounds to sooth even the hardest of hearts.

2024 Mini Blog Run #18: But Kamala Didn't Make It?

Sometimes I just think about what we've lost versus what we've gained, and that loss, it's what helps to fuel the next generation, the next perishable moment that hopefully doesn't rot with the stench of doing nothing.

But nothing stays golden. Robert Frost and S.E. Hinton knew that.

So sometimes we have to take a break too, watch the nightfall and the colors fade.

Because Kamala didn't win.

As much as we wanted that it didn't happen. 

The world wanted nothing to do with us.

I'm not saying there weren't mitigating factors like the assasination attempt, the way it was handled.

But when all was said and done. 

They didn't want her.

A South Asian BIPOC woman who had all the receipts.

We did not get to see that.

I guess I can take a shower later.

2024 Mini Blog Run #17: Jimmy O. Yang x Love Hard x This Really Is A Xmas Classic

 

You know what? I don't care what any of you say. Just like Die Hard is an Xmas movie, so is this.

I love it. You can hate it.

But it's not only sweet and cute, but it is something of a boon from an Asian American male sense as well.

Like what other Christmas love story movie do you know where there are TWO Asian American romantic male leads (and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas does not count)?

Some people still may want to talk about how the Asian guy had to be the catfisher, but I still maintain that this is offset because of Tag.

And that scene where Josh talks about how it was him? Like him all along? You know that gets every damn Asian American man whos sees it.

So yes--this absolutely goes on the list, and it has to be a classic.

Xmas Love--actually, it is Love Hard .-)

2024 Mini Blog Run #16: Lee Isaac Chung

I'll be honest and say I have not seen Twisters yet, but I know it did hella good at the box office, and I will see it...but I'm just happy to see more people out there doing what they want, and I think it's just great to have everyone out there as more role models in the arts.

Do what you want to do. 

Look at some of the others who've paved the way for you.

From Minari to Twisters to the future.

Sounds pretty good to me.

2024 Mini Blog Run #15: Jenn Tran = You Got You!

 

At the end of the day even those who didn't know quite what was happening, when they found out, they weren't happy with how Jenn Tran, the first Asian American and Vietnamese American on The Bachelorette, was treated. 

By the show. And the man she picked (aka what's his name).

But like all great Vietnamese Americans (because we are awesome damn you), she landed back on her feet and became a symbol of VIET ASIAN AWESOMENESS for all incredible women who got duped by a nobody man and made it out WAY BETTER.

Now I don't know what the The Trưng sisters would say about this all, but you know...