By Katrina Romero
Shinoda flies solo, Asians on ice, spoken word competitions and much more in this edition of News Bites.
Yamaguchi Glides into Hall of Fame
Figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi was inducted into the 2006 Olympic Hall of Fame on Dec. 8 for her achievements as an American athlete. Yamaguchi's father was present at the Chicago ceremony to accept the award on her behalf; she was unable to attend after just having given birth to her second daughter last month with husband Bret Hadican, an NHL hockey player for the Carolina Hurricanes. Other Hall of Fame inductees included: sprinter Evelyn Ashford, swimmer Rowdy Gaines, gymnast Shannon Miller and the 1984 men's gymnastics team (Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, Jim Hartung, Scott Johnson, Peter Vidmar and alternate Jim Mikus).
LP Rapper Emphasizes Independence
Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda's solo project, The Rising Tide, recently debuted at number 67 on the Billboard 200, selling over 28,000 copies its first week. Shinoda, who named the project Fort Minor instead of introducing the album as a work of his own, admitted he wanted music listeners to focus more on the music produced as opposed to flocking to it simply because of his name. The Rising Tide was executively produced by rapper Jay-Z and features rappers Common and Black Thought and singers John Legend and Kenna, as well as Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn. Linkin Park is currently in the studio working on their third album.
American Speed Skater Racing to Gold at Winter Olympics
17-year-old ice speed skater Hyo Jung Kim will be heading to the Winter Olympics in Italy next year after successful completions at the trials in Michigan. Kim, who was born in Korea but has spent most of her life living in California, is believed to be a high contender for the speed skating competition. Her parents originally came to California in 1980 and moved back to South Korea in 1992, leaving Kim in the United States to train under American coaches. Although she has not yet broken any international records, her coaches say that upcoming success for Kim is in the cards.
Audience Members Sought for Comedy Shows
Audience members are wanted to attend the ImaginAsian show tapings, which will take place Jan. 7 and 8 at the East West Theatre in Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles. The event, taped by ComedyZEN, will have three possible shows to attend for each of the two days and will feature such stand-up comedians as Steve Byrne, Bobby Lee, Dat Phan, Tom Rhodes, and Eddie Gossling. Although it is free to attend one or even all available show tapings, reservations are required and may be found by going on to the show's website at http://www.comedytheory.com/.
Talking the Talk to Fame
Spoken word artists are sought for the Projekt Newspeak Slam auditions on Jan. 21, a poetry showcase and competition in Los Angeles. The annual event, which offers cash prizes to winners, aims to expose and establish new talent as well as inspire others to pursue the arts. Bands, singers, beatboxers and M.C.s are also welcomed. Artists are required to have a prepared piece ready, but video auditions are also accepted and are due by Jan. 14. Additional audition information may be found by going on to Projekt Newspeak's website at: http://www.projektnewspeak.com/.
Kobayashi takes 67 Burgers and a Title
Takeru Kobayashi finished 67 hamburgers at the Krystal Square Off in Tennessee last month to win $10,000 and retain his title as Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Champion. Kobayashi, who ate between 27 and 57 hamburgers in order to qualify for the final round, said that this year's event was a bit of a struggle but that he will lose weight and try to beat his record next year. He also holds the title of hot dog-eating champion after consuming 49 hot dogs in 12 minutes at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York. This year's Krystal Square Off event, sanctioned by the Federation of Competitive Eating, also paid $5,000 to the second prize winner and $2,500 to the third place winner.
Published: Thursday, December 22, 2005
