Inspired by and Rescued Bruce Mau plus Books I Love

I want to thank Bruce Mau for inspiring me since 20010103 when I fell in love and bought a copy of his autographed Life Style (blue cover) at David Mirvish Books. So I took an opportunity to make this video.

As you can see in the video, I thanked Bruce by picking up 4 copies of Life Style and casually laid a copy at each of my coffee tables and desks so I can read them at random and without worry about getting them dirty.

You can click to see the original full size readable version of the following photos. And from these two Flickr sets, “Bruce Mau Life Style & Massive Change” and “Books I Love“.

P.S. Checkout these articles, “Bruce Mau Design tries to solve Toronto’s problems” and “Design Principal“.

Hello to my long lost 3000+ Flickr Photos!

Hello my 3000+ Flick photos! (thanks to my spending spree in upgrading to Flick Pro) It is nice to be reminded of some great memories I’ve created over the years, check them out here.

- Wonderful people I met at 2011 Banff World Media Festival
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157626966019046/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157626847392929/
- Cool interview with the award-winning team 5468796 Architecture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157625095971443/
- Chinese New Year & V-Day food pix
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157623309689345/
- Calgary Tea Party
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157623521506656/
- Bees & Veronica Spicata
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157622056841188/
- My friend Cam’s Misspent Youth
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ideas/sets/72157623527821941/

and more from my Flickr sets.

Love That Lingua Franca – a common third language

I highly recommend you have a read of National Geographic Traveler Contributing editor Daisann McLane‘s Sept 2011 article, “Love That Lingua Franca“. I had fun and also learned something unexpected at the same time.

Chinese government’s $400K Time Square ad

The Chinese government’s Time Square ad, allegedly costing $300K – $400K per month, is worth every penny. Because it is much more expendable than the blood, toil, tears and sweat needed to create a legal system that respects the rule of law and human rights. Just ask Ai Wei Wei, Liu Xiaobo, and Liu Xia.

中國政府花三十至四十萬一個月賣廣告，頂替要建立一個公平、公正法治體制的人力物力，其實好平。問問艾未未，劉曉波和劉霞便會明白。

[HT Edward & Mad Dog]

Joseph Smarr (Google Plus) interviewed at OSCON 2011

Joseph Smarr (Google Plus) interviewed at OSCON 2011 [via Craig Newman]

Malcolm Gladwell 2011 Honorary Degree Recipient Speech at University of Toronto

Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers) got a free degree from University of Toronto, his and my alma mater, and we the public get a free Gladwell story, not a bad deal. (Great story, worth watching again after first viewing: time code 5:58)

English and Chinese Interview with Lee Cheuk-yan (李卓人)

In English (英文)

The Alliance‘s Lee Cheuk-yan and Mak-hoi-wah visted Calgary yesterday (July 31, 2011) and I had a chance to interview Mr. Lee Cheuk-yan. The following are clips of my video interviews with him.

中文 (In Chinese)

支聯會的李卓人、麥海華昨天(2011,七月三十一日)訪問卡城，我有機會訪問李卓人先生。以下是訪問的短片。

My English video interview with Lee Cheuk-yan

My Chinese video interview Part 1 and Part 2.

Mr. Lee‘s bio in Chinese.

李卓人

“李卓人，現任香港立法會議員（新界西選區），亦是香港職工會聯盟秘書長及香港市民支援愛國民主運動聯合會主席。自1978年畢業於香港大學土木工程系後，開始投身工人運動，參與勞工組織的工作。首份工作為觀塘工業健康中心幹事，組織工人關注職業健康及安全問題。兩年後，轉往香港基督教工業委員會工作，負責組織工傷者及家屬，成立香港工業傷亡權益會。其後，李卓人開始組織獨立工會，創立成衣業職工總會並擔任總幹事。1990年成衣業職工總會與其他獨立工會共同創立香港職工會聯盟，成立時共有25個屬會。李卓人轉擔任職工盟總幹事，推動獨立工會運動，走在爭取勞工權益及民主的最前線。

作為工運人士，李卓人在80年代初開始參與香港民主運動，並在1989年與其他民間團體一起成立香港市民支援愛國民主運動聯合會，被選常委，至2003年開始擔任副主席，並在創會主席司徒華先生離世後接任主席。

1995年，李卓人代表香港職工會聯盟參加立法局選舉並當選。除1998年臨時立法會一年外，李卓人一直透過新界西直選當選立法會議員至今。“