J.Yang has slummed it in the valley with the Wakefield twins; slumber partied with Huey, Dewey and Louie; joined Krakow in stalking Angela; and climbed every mountain with the Von Trapps.
Originally from San Diego, he's lived and traveled the world (okay, not all of it) in pursuit of that most elusive of targets -- inspiration.
He's authored and published a book, written for online and offline publications, and maintained a variety of popular blogs on subjects ranging from movies and technology to personal stories and amateur musings. He's just wrapped up his second book, a fiction novel for teens, and is hard at work on his third one.
You can reach him at digitaljon@SPAMgmail.com. He is BFF with his iPhone so he should answer promptly.
I've been hearing a little bit of hype for this movie and was expecting a pretty great time. Instead I left feeling like I'd been taken for a ride. There were plenty of good things, such as the cinematography, the acting, and the basic story line, but there were an equal number of ridiculous things. First off, where was the motivation? In films like Gladiator or Braveheart, we see the hero acquire skills, get motivated, and then kick some ass. In Mongol, a young Genghis Khan basically runs around, turns on his friends, and then somehow defeats his enemies with weather.
Don't be upset if I'm ruining the story for you. The Wikipedia entry for Genghis Khan was more interesting than the movie. Plus, it's never a good sign when you see horseshoes flashing during the opening scene when the Mongols reputedly didn't use horseshoes. So much for attention to detail.
The movie isn't historically accurate of course, and I didn't expect it to be, but even as a myth making piece, it was overly long and just confounding in how little of it makes sense. Having said that, I'd definitely watch the second one (of a proposed trilogy) because the set up here allows Genghis to kick ass and take no prisoners in the next film. Strangely enough, this was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. Don't believe the hype.
The best thing I read post watching the film was one critic's hope that the second volume would be called "Mongol II: The Wrath of Khan." Genius!
My soon to be released book for teens is called "Exclusively Chloe," it's all about a normal girl who gets adopted, quite literally, into the celebrity life. It's my first fiction work and I'm super excited about it.
It's set to come out May 14, 2009, from Puffin/Speak and I could tell you all about it but then you'd just wish you'd read it. As the release date nears, I'll have more information, some contests, and maybe a secret or two. Everyone loves secrets, you know you do!
I also wrote this other book called "The Rough Guide to Blogging" and it's the ultimate reference for all things Weblog. Whether you want to start your own blog or just explore the blogosphere, this guide will teach you everything you need to know.
Chapters include: Creating a Blog, Blog Design, Advanced Blogging, Audio and Video, Podcasting, Blogging for Money, Corporate Blogging plus much, much more. Whether you're an experienced blogger or just getting started, this is the right book for you. Check out the book's blog!
I'm available for television appearances, library talks, relationship advice, general counseling, and all-expenses paid trips to Europe. If you have questions, concerns, or rants, you can reach me at digitaljon@SPAMgmail.com
I've been hearing a little bit of hype for this movie and was expecting a pretty great time. Instead I left feeling like I'd been taken for a ride. There were plenty of good things, such as the cinematography, the acting, and the basic story line, but there were an equal number of ridiculous things. First off, where was the motivation? In films like Gladiator or Braveheart, we see the hero acquire skills, get motivated, and then kick some ass. In Mongol, a young Genghis Khan basically runs around, turns on his friends, and then somehow defeats his enemies with weather.
