What's on Nam's Mind

Hey

2010-10-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, please do me a favor and head over to my column on Examiner.com. If you like my content, feel free to subscribe to me.

Much appreciated,
Nam

Calgary Racial Issues Examiner
(http://www.examiner.com/racial-issues-in-calgary/nam-tran)

The Art of Team TnT (video)

2010-04-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Team TnT's artwork. Enjoy!

Melo: A Short Documentary

2010-03-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

On The Real: Reverse Racism

2010-03-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

So I was surfing the internet the other day and an interesting term came about and really got my attention. The term that was used is "reverse racism." I have heard of this term before, but never really thought about it critically, so I sat here at desk and began to analyze the term and here is what I came up with: If the term is used to describe racism against the dominant group (which most people consider are the white people) then the term "reverse racism" is racist within itself because, well, it assumes that white people are superior to other "races." And FYI, it is impossible for visible minorities to be racist just because we, as visible minorities, do not benefit from being racist as the dominant group or white people do. When we make assumptions or make attributes about a person based on their skin colour, we are merely just prejudice and are reproducing false ideologies, which is very negative for our oppressed brothers and sisters, so we should all stop it. This is just my take on it.

On My Mind: Arianny Celeste

2010-03-14T00:39:00.000-08:00

She's really into MMA.That's sexy.

Concepts of Life: Hegemony

2010-03-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hegemony: The act of dominating and controlling people of society without the use of physical force.

On My Mind: UFC 111 - GSP vs. Dan Hardy

2010-03-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Are You Ready? UFC 111 Trailer

2010-03-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

On The Real: Individual Racism

2010-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

People are the products of the their community. People gain knowledge from society. A person is racist or makes racist comments because of the knowledge that they have gained from society. So when a person makes racist comments or make behaves in a way that demeans "races" or an ethnicity, that person is at fault, but not that much fault. Should you be mad at that person? Of course you should. But you have to understand that those comments or actions were only made because of what society has embedded in that person's mind. For example, there is no way on Earth that a young child, maybe about 2 or 3 years of age would know, or even understand the "N" word. So that word is learned through social interactions such as hearing it on the television, or hearing someone use it. So for a young child to learn anything racist, that child must have learned it through his/her community, so therefore racism is a learned trait. So you shouldn't get that mad when someone is racist, but you should definitely be upset. And on that note, you should be very mad at a racist for not attempting to learn and understand the truth about race. That is what you should be angry about, because everybody has the capability and time to learn about "race" theories and its history. All you really need to do is pick up a book, such as Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr., read it, and that will be enough. You don't need to take a college course to understand race relations.

On The Real: The End of A Man's Life

2010-03-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed that when a man enters a long-term relationship or gets married, he'll tend to say that his life is ending? And have you noticed how when a woman enters a long-term relationship or gets married, the assumption is that she is beginning her life? Why are these two concepts of relationships on the opposite sides of the spectrum? For males, I think it is because when they get into a long-term relationship, they are not able to "play the field" anymore and also, they are not able to engage in as many activities with their guy friends anymore, if they were to be a bachelor. But, women are like that too. They go out to have fun and "play the field" just as much as guys do. And if a women were to get married, in my personal opinion, would lose more in life than a male would. I say that because, if for a example a specific woman were to have a great career, when she gets married, chances are she won't be as actively into it as she would be if she was single or not married. So let me elaborate, when a woman gets married chances of her staying home with the children are pretty high, if she chooses to have children. So if she were to have children and stay home with her children, then she'll likely quit her job. But when a man gets married or into a relationship, all he really loses (most of the time) is his ability to date and have sex with many different women, and hanging out with friends a lot. But his career is still intact. And chances of him staying home and becoming a "Mr. Mom" are pretty slim because of societal influences of "masculinity" in males. So there is a big double standard between males and females, and I just wanted to address it. Comment on how you feel about this.

On My Mind: Beautiful Bar Refaeli

2010-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

The most beautiful person on the Earth . . .

Concepts Of Life: Patriarchy

2010-02-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

Defn: "rule of the father"

- The domination of males over not only females, but also gay males in society.

Ex. Father assumes the position of power in the home, whereby he makes all the decisions in the household.

On The Real: Avatar: Racist Movie?

2010-02-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

So I finally got the opportunity to see James Cameron's' movie Avatar, and I must say, it was kind of racist. The first reason why I believe it is racist is because of how the Indigenous group in the movie was portrayed. If you pay attention to their hair styles, you'll notice that it is very similar to the hair styles of Aboriginal or Native people's hair during the European colonization times, and today, but it's rarely seen. With that said, they portrayed the Indigenous group as uncivilized people or savages. Another reason why I refer to this movie as a racist movie is because of how the movie ended; once again the white male has to go against his own "race" to help and save this group of uncivilized people. It shows a state of dominance, where all people of colour need the white male to help us because they have more abilities than people of colour do.

But all in all, Avatar is a fun movie to watch.

P.S. Next time you go out or rent a movie to watch, try to be critical and ecstatic (analyzing it from outside the box) while watching the movie, you'll get a whole different message than just watching it for entertainment value.

Epic Parkour Fail!!!!

2010-02-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

YEAR OF THE TIGER!!!!

2010-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Anderson SIlva: Legendary Highlight

2010-02-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

Why are some people calling "Avatar" a racist movie?

2010-01-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

What's your take on it? Do you believe Avatar was a racist movie? Do you see any resemblances of this movie to "Pocahontas"?

Demar Derozan aka Kid Dynamite For the Dunk Contest

2010-01-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

MMA: Team Jackson

2010-01-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

The best MMA team in the UFC: Team Jackson. This a highlight of Team Jackson's three most popular fighters.

Showdown!!!

2010-01-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

On The Real: All-American Basketball Alliance

2010-01-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

So, read this and tell me how it's not racist, because most of the stuff that I saw on here are stereotypes of "black" people and this commissioner is using that and the "white race" to get something out of it, may it be monetary gains or white dominance. So how is that NOT racist?

"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," Lewis said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."

Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas' indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans' dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.

"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

Source: http://outofbounds.nbcsports.com/2010/01/post-133.html.php

Steve Nash - Captain Canada Mixtape

2010-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

A mixtape that I made on one of my favorite NBA stars. Enjoy!

Cung Le Hero Mixtape

2009-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Anthony Johsnson and Jon Jones Mixtape... Check it out!

2009-11-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

UNICEF

2009-10-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Remember to donate to UNICEF this Halloween to help out unfortunate kids with basic needs. Don't be cheap now.

Nam

Anticipate NBA

2009-10-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

On The Real: Evolution is Unacceptable in High School?

2009-09-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that there are so many close minded and stubborn people in this world.

On My Mind: Trampoline accident

2009-09-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

haha, don't try this at home lol.

BALLIN'!!!: I LOVE THIS GAME

2009-09-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

Just a basketball mixtape I recently made. Enjoy!

On The Real: "Islam Is Of The Devil" Shirt Gets Girl Kicked Out Of School

2009-08-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

On The Real: Poverty

2009-08-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

A video on poverty that I made with stats to show what a big problem poverty really is.

BALLIN'!!!: NBA Top 10 John Stockton and Karl Malone Plays

2009-08-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

BALLIN'!!!: Top 10 Rookie Plays 08'-09'

2009-08-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

On The Real: Malcolm X Speech

2009-08-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Check it out

BALLIN'!!!: Magic Johnson Top 10 Assist

2009-08-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

On My Mind: Brad Pitt For Mayor as told by The Young Turks

2009-08-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt is AWSOME!!!

On My Mind: Magic Turns 50

2009-08-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

The great Magic Johnson turns 50.. Here's a clip of some of his best plays.

On The Real: Think About It...

2009-08-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Would the police have used force if it was a white family? Just think about it.. Also if the family was from a higher class, would the police have used force?

BALLIN'!!!: Top 10 Plays of 08'-09'

2009-08-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

On My Mind: UFC 101

2009-08-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for UFC 101... Bj Penn vs. KenFlo and Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin.

Here's a little 10 min preview of UFC 101 just to let you guys pre-game the event and get pumped for it.

BALLIN'!!! Top 10 Alley Oops 08'-09'

2009-08-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

On My Mind: America's Favorite Dancer

2009-08-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Jeanine Mason won the title of America's Best Dancer in SYTYCD season 5. Here's my favorite "Jeanine" routine.

BALLIN'!!!: Top 10 International Plays

2009-08-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

On The Real: Stereotypes in Cartoons

2009-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

So I was watching this cartoon with my nephew the other day and noticed that the characters who have "foreign" ancestral heritage (people of colour), were based on stereotypes of their groups. There was an Asian character who was nerdy, but more importantly, did not speak English well and had a Chinese ascent. There was also a black girl, who had a lot of attitude and spoke with a "ghetto" accent. Now I see these stereotypes all the time in TV shows for adults or young adults, but in cartoons?

Because of shows like this, I think, it is why so many people prejudge. It's because we see how each "race" is "suppose" to behave and look at very young age, and over time these myths about "race" become our realities. Now if this is true, than our realities of society would be false, right?

So what we can do to stop spreading these false realities is to be critical of what we are watching on TV and challenge our children to be critical also. Ask questions; look through different societal lens; which ever method you choose, ALWAYS challenge the media.

On My Mind

2009-08-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

LOL !!!

BALLIN'!!!: Top 10 Dunks of 08'-09'

2009-08-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

On The Real: Racial Profiling

2009-08-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here is an intelligent video on racial profiling. Check it out, maybe it'll help you see society from different lens.

On My Mind: Feel Good Music

2009-08-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

BALLIN'!!! Top 10 Assist of 08'-09'

2009-08-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

BALLIN'!!!: Top 10 Buzzer Beaters of 08'-09'

2009-07-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

More info on the Henry Louis Gates Case

2009-07-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

So in my previous entry I discussed the case of Henry Louis Gates, but didn't put up any information about the arrest. So here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_of_Henry_Louis_Gates

I know Wikipedia isn't a very reliable source, but I read it through and the article is very accurate.

On The Real: The Case of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

2009-07-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

A great video on the issue of the arrest of Henry Louis Gates. This video is analytical and shows both sides of the story. It also analyzes why each participant had the right to be upset.

And another thing to note, well I guess this would just be my two cents, but in many of the media, it says that Henry Louis Gates overreacted when he was initially asked to show his ID, I don't agree with this statement just because of the history between black people or any people of colour and the police. Through the history of prejudice and racial profiling throughout not just the US but all over the world, people of colour, in this case a black man, will be sensitive and upset to a situation where they are wrongfully accused of a crime. It's because people of colour still have bitter feelings of being treated differently and badly, and always stereotyped to be certain characters, of who they are not. So to be wrongfully accused of breaking into your own home, we should be very upset and act aggressively, just because of all the sensitivity towards the history of predjudice.

On My Mind: Shaq Diesel is AWSOME!

2009-07-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

So here are some funny and well, just awsome videos of Shaq Being Shaq.

On The Real: Usage of the term "Gay"

2009-07-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

So I was just talking to some of my friends the other day and realized that the term "gay" is thrown out a lot, and I was thinking to myself, being the sociology major that I am, why do we keep using this term when a male behaves in a feminine way? I even see this a lot in the media, but they don't directly come out and say the word "gay", they'll just say something like, do we need to take this to my bedroom (male talking to male), or something like that. Are gay males suppose to be feminine? or is it because that's all people see in society, gay males behaving femininely? And whose to say what behaving femininely is, or how female should act. Do women have to act a certain way for them to be a women? Do males have to act a certain way for them to be males? People have to start realizing that "gay" people are just like straight people, and yes, some may be more feminine than others, but straight people are split up like that as well. So the main point that I'm trying to get at is that you should start watching the terms that you use, and analyze them. Try to see why you use certain terms for different situations and how society uses these terms, because a lot of these terms creates inequality for many groups of people. And for all the "gay" folks in the world, don't be ashamed of you are, love yourself and be proud of who you are, because if you don't love yourself and be proud, it just shows the "haters" that there is something wrong with you being gay because even you don't accept yourself.

Lil' Story: At the carnival

2009-07-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

So I took my nephew to the Stampede (An annual carnival held in Calgary) the other day, and while we walking around, we came across the duck game. I asked him if he wanted to play it and he replied "yah". So I paid the carny 5 bucks and my nephew was allowed to pick 3 ducks. Most kids were just standing in one spot, picking which ever duck that came into their sight. But my nephew is special. He found this one duck that he particularly liked and he really, really wanted it, so since he couldn't grab it with the first try, he decides to chase after the duck. This kid is 2 years old. So as he was chasing this one specific duck, he runs into 2 poles that were holding up the game stand. The poles didn't stop him from getting his duck though. So after I finished cracking up, I decided to grab the duck for him, and all he won was a small prize.

Paying for the game $5.00, watching my nephew bulldoze through everything to get a duck, Priceless!

On The Real: Representations of "race" in the media

2009-07-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Don't Stereotype Asian American Men

So I was surfing YouTube the other day and came across this interesting and eye opening video. I have always known that Asians or minorities are represented in certain and limited ways. The video shows a very good example of Hiro (Masi Oka) from the show Heroes. Although Hiro is represented as a hero in the show, if you look deep enough into the video, you will see that he does not speak English and that he is a stereotypical nerd, and that the protagonist in the show are white (Peter and Claire). This is just one example, there are many other sources of stereotypes from the media. But I want to take this subject matter deeper than the video does. Asians, most of the time, are seen in the media as either nerds who are really smart and good at video games, who also can't get any girls, or they are shown as drug dealers/gangsters. But why is it that White actors/actresses are seen as pretty much every social category (nerd, gangster, cop, athlete etc.)? When people watch the media these representations start to become realities in everyday life, even though these realities are fictional. Some Asians will start to behave in the nature that they are represented by and some will be confused of who they really are because they don't fit into any of the stereotypes/categories that their "race" is represented by in the media. While the white children will benefit mostly from the media because they are represented as pretty much everything and can see themselves as different characters in a wide array of categories. I'm not trying to blame anything on the white people of the world, but everybody, not just white people, have to start to look at things deeper than what is shown on the surface. We have to be more critical of things in the media, and even literature, to not make the same mistakes as previous authors had made. This theory can be applied to all minority groups, whether you're black, Latino, or gay, stereotypes are always being shown in the media and in literature.

Some more thought provoking videos:

Kal Penn

Yul Kwon

Summary of UFC 100. If you haven't seen it, don't read this, unless you want to.

2009-07-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

UFC 100 was amazing! Great cards and best of all great fights. So here's a little summary of what happened. Kay so, Henderson KO's Bisping with a huge right hand in 3:20 of the second round, and gave Bisping a little extra to keep his mouth shut after he got knocked out. GSP defeats The pit bull Thiago Alves by unanimous decision in the fifth round. GSP constantly took the Pit bull down, pounding on him, while the Pit bull took GSP down once. Good job GSP! Bring the belt back home to Canada! And now for the upset, well I was upset anyways, Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar. Now I'm not saying Brock doesn't deserve to win and be champ, he is a phenomenal athlete, but I'm a fan of Frank Mir's and Frank Mir has taken the longer journey in the UFC and deserves to be the champion more so than Brock does. So here's what happened during the fight, well Brock takes Mir down and pounds his face. That was pretty much what happened during the whole fight. Frank Mir gets TKO'd at 1:48 in the second round. Pretty much no damage was done to Brock.

The Calgary Stampede

2009-07-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hey world, how's everybody doing? So I went to Calgary Stampede a couple days ago and thought I would share some pics with you guys. The Stampede seemed to be smaller this year and seemed, to me atleast, to have less games, but at the end of the day it was still pretty fun.

Check It Out

2009-07-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, check out my other blog (http://eqopp.blogspot.com/). It's for a good cause.

Thanks

UFC 100!!!!!

2009-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm so pumped for UFC 100! Mir and GSP all the way!

UFC 100: Intro

UFC 100: Preview

On The Real: Prop 8

2009-07-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

It may be kind of late to talk about this issue, but I just recently read about it. I am Canadian, so I don't follow American news that often. So, onto the issue of Prop 8. I always thought we lived in a free society, where we had our own free will. I am not gay, but I am an Asian person and considered a minority in this society by many, and if the government were to not allow me to let's say, eat Western foods such as hamburgers or doughnuts, I would be pretty upset. I would be upset because I wouldn't be treated as an equal, in this society of equal rights and opportunities for all. So why are we against same-sex marriages? Are gay people not human beings as we are? Do they not eat, sleep, and breathe in air like everyone else? How would you feel if it was the other way around; if gay people were the dominant group and didn't allow man-woman marriages? Before you judge someone based on anything, may it be their skin colour, or socioeconomic status, or their sexual preferences, you should try putting yourself in their shoes and look at the world through their eyes, and maybe that will help you change your view about the world and become more compassionate, and more importantly, a better, open minded person. So for all of us minorities out there in society, we must band together to break perceptions and inequalities set on us to have free will in this world.

K'naan, sick Canadian rapper

2009-07-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, I'm not sure if you know who K'naan is, but he is one of my favorite rappers. He is a Canadian rapper who released his second album just a few months ago. His lyrics have a lot of meaning to it where he raps about everyday issues in the world and not just about his cars or jewellery, which is the main reasons why he is one of favorite rappers. So check him out and get his album in stores now.

Here's a couple of his songs from his new album:

Take a minute - K'naan

ABC's - K'naan feat. Chubb Rock

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

2009-07-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to the greatest pop artist ever. MJ had creative and revolutionary dance moves and evolutionized the pop music genre that touched millions from all different cultures. He is and will always be the King of Pop. Let MJ live through his music.

Here is my favorite MJ music video and song, what's yours?

On My Mind

2009-07-08T23:31:00.001-07:00

Damn, can't get these songs out of my head. So catchy and good.

The Veronicas - Take me on the floor

Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West and Ne-Yo

What's up world!

2009-07-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is just a random blog that I decided to create. This blog will just be random stories that I'll share with you guys, so check back often!

By the way, please check out my charity site, all the info you need will be on that site.

Equal Opportunities

http://eqopp.blogspot.com/

See you guys later!