Russell Crowe & Simon Pegg Break Down their careers

Two GREAT videos of Russell Crowe & Simon Pegg breaking down their careers!

2020 July, “Russell Crowe Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ”

2020 June, “Simon Pegg Breaks Down His Career, from ‘Shaun of the Dead’ to ‘Star Trek’ | Vanity Fair”

xxx

Being happy isn’t getting what you want, it’s wanting what you have. – New Quotes I Love

New additions to my collection of Quotes I Love. I and these are all from the wise and insightful late Carrie Fisher (1956 – 2016). All quotes found from this Inc. post so I seriously hope they fact-checked them all.

“I haven’t ever changed who I am. I’ve just gotten more accepting of it. Being happy isn’t getting what you want, it’s wanting what you have.” – Carrie Fisher (1956 – 2016)

“Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” – Carrie Fisher (note: I fact-checked this one via Google books search with hep from this 2017 Quote Investigator post)

“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” – Carrie Fisher

“Going through challenging things can teach you a lot, and they also make you appreciate the times that aren’t so challenging.” – Carrie Fisher

“No motive is pure. No one is good or bad — but a hearty mix of both. And sometimes life actually gives to you by taking away.” – Carrie Fisher

“It’s the most amazing thing to be able to forgive.” – Carrie Fisher

“I heard someone say once that many of us only seem able to find heaven by backing away from hell. And while the place that I’ve arrived at in my life may not precisely be everyone’s idea of heavenly, I could swear sometimes — I hear angels sing.” – Carrie Fisher

Bianca Andreescu, US Open Champ #TeachableMoments

In life, I believe we can and should take stock and learn from #TeachableMoments whenever we can. I don’t play tennis but I see lots to learn from 2019 US Open Champ Bianca Andreescu (and her interaction with 23 times grand slams and multiple US Open Champ Serena Williams)!

pix 00 – 2019 US Open Bianca Andreescu vs Serena Williams

I went to a pub and it was a ton of fun watching Bianca played and won live with other Canadians! But I learned a lot more from her many post-game press conferences, news articles and off the court behaviours (who can forget her Rogers Cup on court moment (see video) with Serena?!) and desire to inspire the next generation of tennis players (especially Canadian female players).

Bianca is so talented and look at what she achieved in just one year! What an epic year! I LOVE quotes, and there have been much online talks of  attribution/misattribution of quotes involve underestimating/overestimating what one can achieve in one year or five/ten years. But another way of looking at it may be to simply give Bianca‘s visualization process (?) as mentioned in the news and her press conference a try. In fact some Twitter user pointed out that Bianca writing herself a cheque for winning the US Open when she was young and her visualization process was not unlike what fellow Canadian Jim Carrey did (see Jim’s video interview with Oprah). (NOTE: One day I may write more about why this is important to me but that can wait for now.)

For the record, I tweeted 20190811 (with video link in tweet and also below),

“My eyes were wet when I rewatched Bianca & Serena courtside uncensored talk a few times+their press conf twice each. Best in sport moments transcend technical skills, winning/losing & become #teachablemoment re how to treat other w empathy & respect, try2be better versions of us.“

I may still add/update this post to share a list of my own #TeachableMoments from these last few weeks and months from Bianca. Until then, the following is a list of most of the raw sources that I learned those #TeachableMoments from. Enjoy and have fun!

• Here is how Bianca answered a question re her immigrant parents in the US Open press conference @15m53s timecode (note that this is in light of how Syria and other immigrants/refugees have been mistreated by world politicians like US President Trump and others):

• Bianca‘s desire to inspire other tennis players (like Serena has inspired her), especially younger Canadian players! (Note that Bianca herself is ONLY 19 years old, that in itself is impressive!)
• (NOTE: I may add more in the future if I can find some time.)

xxxxx

=====  References & Sources of inspirations for my #TeachableMoments =====

* 20190908, TSN (with video) “A day after US Open win, Andreescu already hungry for more”

* New Yorker, “In Her U.S. Open Victory, Bianca Andreescu Shows the Swagger That Serena Williams Brought to Women’s Tennis”

* 20190907 CBC News, Bianca Andreescu wins U.S. Open, becomes 1st Canadian to claim a Grand Slam title

* CTV News Toronto (with video of viewing party in Toronto), “The most Canadian way to accept a trophy? Bianca Andreescu says ‘sorry’”

More Heartbreaking News From Hong Kong

20190812 Hong Kong anti-extradition protest at HKG airport – Pix 01 protesters and signs – Hong Kong Police took a nurse’s right eye [HT Pasu]

20190812 Hong Kong anti-extradition protest at HKG airport – Pix 01 protesters and signs [HT Pasu]

20190812 Hong Kong anti-extradition protest at HKG airport – Pix 03 [HT Pasu]

More Heartbreaking News From Hong Kong

Following added on 2019 Aug 12:

• Following news via HKFP. This particular pair of atrocities broke so many HongKongers’ hearts and triggered even more protests: “Hong Kong police shoot projectiles at close range in Tai Koo, as protester suffers ruptured eye in TST“
• “Video: Hong Kong police make bloody arrest, assisted by officers suspected to be undercover as protesters“
• “HKFP Lens: Hong Kong police step up crackdown against protesters – photos from the frontlines“
• “All flights cancelled out of Hong Kong as thousands of protesters besiege airport over police violence“
• Photos: 20190812 Hong Kong anti-extradition protest at HKG airport [HT Pasu]

THR Podcasts (Sacha Baron Cohen, Gal Gadot, Ricky Gervais, Jessica Chastain, …)

 

THR Podcasts (Sacha Baron Cohen, Gal Gadot, Ricky Gervais, Jessica Chastain, …)

Here are a bunch of interesting podcasts from Hollywood Reporter (THR) starting with Sacha Baron Cohen, one of my most favourite and insightful comedians, and the one that started me on this interesting journey. Have a listen of any one or more of these podcasts as I copied and pasted from THR. Enjoy!

* ‘Awards Chatter’ Podcast — Sacha Baron Cohen (‘Who Is America?’)

* Ricky Gervais, Jessica Chastain, Gal Gadot, Stephen Colbert, Aaron Sorkin, Kate Winslet, Emilia Clarke, Lin-Manuel Miranda,

* Helen Mirren, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone,

* Lady Gaga, JJ Abrams, Julia Roberts, Trevor Noah, Jerry Seinfeld,

* Michael Moore, Jane Fonda, Matthew McConaughey, Natalie Portman,

Higher Loyalty – James Comey

Bought James Comey‘s “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership” the day it came out as a Kindle ebook and I’ve enjoyed reading it so far. And I got a chance to start reading the “James Comey’s memos” (PDF file) (via CNN).

Watched a whole bunch of Comey TV interviews and enjoyed all of them. Here are some samples.

And this BBC 22 minutes interview “James Comey on Donald Trump and the FBI”

26 Apr, 2018 update: James Comey gets real in CNN town hall

xxx

Christian Louboutin – Great minds of our time

I was introduced to the luxury footwear designer Christian Louboutin (1964 – ) thanks to my late French friend Laurent as he happened to know Christian as a family friend. Here are a few videos I am watching today. And I’m thrilled to include Louboutin to my Great Minds of Our Time series.

An Audience with Christian Louboutin: Full-length video | NET-A-PORTER.COM (published Nov 25, 2011)

Christian Louboutin Addresses FIT Graduates (published May 23, 2014)

Christian Louboutin Interview | NET-A-PORTER.COM (published Nov 13, 2009)

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I wrote and shared this entry in memory of Laurent Jean Philippe Ravalec, my late and awesomely unique French friend, where one of our last video chats (which I documented here) happened in November 2015 just a day after the horrible Paris attack.

Talking to my French friend Laurent about Food (published April 7, 2012) is another video of us chatting about our common love: food!

Laurent, I miss you my friend!

Watch “Revolution Trilogy” 睇「革命三部曲」

(Watch my trilogy of documentaries.)

Watch my docs Revolution Trilogy 睇「革命三部曲」

20190812 Director new preface re the word “Revolution”:

The title of my debut documentary “Long Hair Revolution 「長毛革命」” was decided in 2004, so 15 years ago. The rationale is similar to “industrial revolution” or “internet revolution”, ideas for improvement. Nothing to do with violence.

“長毛革命”在2004, 15年前定名, 其實跟”工業革命”或者”互聯網革命”道理相同, 是嶄新改革的意思, 完全同”暴力”沒有任何關係.

It saddens and pains me that Hong Kong today has deteriorated so badly that the word “Revolution” has now been twisted by both the HK and BJ governments to mean violence and the guaranteed and international recognized free speech right is almost gone in HK.

可憐今天的香港, 還是逃不了中國幾千年以來皇帝”以言入罪”, 沒有”言論自由”的悲哀。

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Director/producer/independent reporter Kempton Lam has made three full-length documentaries from 2004 – 2015. Kempton’s debut documentary Long Hair Revolution 「長毛革命」 has been collected by the Canadian National Archive since 2009. The three documentaries are collectively known as “Revolution Trilogy” 「革命三部曲」 and are in Cantonese with English subtitles (廣東話、英文字幕). You can watch the three films at this YouTube Playlist (beautifully projected on your big screen HDTV or on your computer). Enjoy!

Long Hair Revolution 「長毛革命」 (full-length 2005) (read film & Canadian national archive info)

HKtv Revolution 「香港電視革命」 (full-length 2015) (read Director’s Statement)

Umbrella Revolution: History as Mirror Reflection 「雨傘革命實錄：以史為鏡」 (full-length 2015) (read Director’s Statement)

Canadian Defence Minister Harjit “badass” Sajjan and a new quote I love

Hon. Harjit Sajjan has been named Canada’s new Minister of National Defence by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The more I watch and read about Minister Sajjan, I more I admire him. Here are some items and videos that I found to help me understand Minister Sajjan a little. For the record.

November 4th, 2015, National Observer, “You have no idea how badass Trudeau’s Defence Minister really is”

Nov 4th, 2015, Vancouver Sun, “Five things about Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s new minister of defence”

HIGH SCHOOL:  In a 2012 profile by Vancouver Sun columnist Daphne Bramham, Sajjan said when he was a 16-year-old student at Charles Tupper Secondary, he started travelling in the wrong circles. His classmates included future gangster Bindi Johal, who was murdered in 1998, and others who Sajjan later helped arrest as a member of the VPD. It was during this period that Sajjan chose a different path and become a baptized Sikh.  “It wasn’t really a religious thing. It was an identity thing. I needed the commitment because I knew it would keep me on the right path. I found the true meaning of Sikhism and I loved the warrior aspect of it … When I was fighting to understand who I am, that (warrior) aspect was something that I really identified with.”

April 6, 2015, The Province op-ed “Harjit Sajjan: Fear-based politics threatens our security” (highly recommended as it is

Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967 – 2014)

I just recently watched Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (love him in it), I had planned to watch him in “A Late Quartet” later but now I will do so today in honour of his passing. See reports in THR, The Guardian, LA Times, THR (Theater appreciation).

Love Phil in these films as well,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_Nights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche,_New_York
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Late_Quartet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ides_of_March_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Wilson%27s_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_III
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubt_(2008_film)
and especially awesome in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capote_(film)

Feb 4, 2014 update:

– Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Acting Teacher Remembers the Actor: ‘He was willing to journey to very complicated places’

– Critic’s Notebook: How Philip Seymour Hoffman Rescued American Movies

– CNN: Piecing together Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final hours

interview Horatio Tsoi, former HKTV documentary producer/director

This is my Cantonese interview with Horatio Tsoi, former HKTV documentary producer/director on 2013/10/27 訪問蔡錦源港視前高級編導.

Cantonese interviews with HK Legislative Council members Claudia Mo & Alan Leong Kah-kit

The following are two Cantonese interviews with HK Legislative Council members Claudia Mo & Alan Leong Kah-kit.

立法會 毛孟靜 議員政總十月二十一曰訪問

立法會 梁家傑 議員政總十月二十一曰訪問

Be curious. Have empathy. Wonder what it is like to be someone else.

Adding this to my long list of Quotes I Love,

“Be curious. Have empathy. Wonder what it is like to be someone else. Make a friend who is not like you.” – Roger Ebert‘s final words from his 1994 PBS 11th Hour speech

Goodbye Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

Terrible sad day for movies lovers to hear the news that Roger Ebert is no longer with us. I’ve got the pleasure and honour to met him once in 2000 at the Toronto International Film Festival. He was pleasant, nice, and larger than life. I remember in one screening, a volunteer had no idea who he was and didn’t let him get into the theatre for a screening which got him quite upset. I think they eventually figured out who Ebert was and let him in.

I love how Ebert writes about movies and can bring out things that I miss even though sometimes our tastes are not quite the same.

Goodbye Ebert. I know wherever you are, they will be playing movies you love non-stop.

“Roger Ebert dead at 70 after battle with cancer” Apr 4th, 2013, Chicago Sun-Times obituary

EW, “Werner Herzog on Roger Ebert, ‘the good soldier of cinema’ — EXCLUSIVE”

I then read these two pieces by Ebert, “A letter to Werner Herzog: In praise of rapturous truth” and “review of Encounters at the End of the World”

Apr 5th, 2013 update:

via PBS, “In this 1994 clip, Roger Ebert answered the question: What final message would you leave for future generations?”

TorStar, “For Roger Ebert, it was always about the movies: Howell”

CBC, “Roger Ebert mourned by world leaders, film industry vets”

The Hollywood Reporter, “THR’s Todd McCarthy Remembers Roger Ebert“

Happy 57th birthday, “Long Hair”, Leung Kwok-hung!

I want to wish “Long Hair”, Leung Kwok-hung, happy 57th birthday, good health and all the best! Here is my 2005 documentary “Long Hair Revolution” filmed only two months after his election to Legislative Council of Hong Kong. I’m happy to say my first documentary has been added to the federal government “Library and Archives Canada” permanent collection in Ottawa.

Long Hair Revolution 長毛革命 @ national archive of Canada

“Chilling” effect on federal archivists and librarians

From “ABCs of ‘behaviour regulation’ for federal librarians and archivists”

“The code says that LAC staff, which includes Canada’s leading librarians and archivists, who set foot in classrooms, attend conferences or speak up at public meetings on their own time are engaging in “high risk” activities.

Given the dangers, the code says, the department’s staff must clear such “personal” activities with their managers in advance to ensure there are no conflicts or “other risks to LAC.”

The code is already having a “chilling” effect on federal archivists and librarians, who used to be encouraged to actively engage and interact with groups interested in everything from genealogy to preserving historical documents, says archivist Loryl MacDonald at the University of Toronto.“

Football and Why Malcolm Gladwell may never be invited back to speak at University of Pennsylvania ever again

Football and Why Malcolm Gladwell may never be invited back to speak at University of Pennsylvania ever again, I think! If you love football, learn more about Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Malcolm Gladwell at University of Pennsylvania 2/14/2013

Feb 15, 2013, DP, “Gladwell’s condemnation of football raises eyebrows – Students reacted negatively to the speaker’s suggestion that Penn boycott the sport”

Feb 20, 2013, The New Yorker, “HOW MUCH PROOF DO WE NEED?”

P.S. I would really really LOVE to know what the discussion was like at the post-talk dinner table ! :)

P.P.S. I am aware that some hockey players are affect by CTE as well and we Canadians should be ashamed of ourselves in doing nothing about it while enjoying our hockey games!

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness

Adding this to my long list of Quotes I Love,

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” – Mark Twain (full copyright free project gutenberg text)

[HT Leila Boujnane]

TED & related Talks (Some of my favourites)

Here are 7+ hours of TED & related Talks (20+ videos in total). Enjoy.

Precious and Candid Bob Dylan interview (1986) posted by Christopher Sykes

Here are a few videos about Bob Dylan posted by Christopher Sykes. I LOVE interviews, masterful interviews done well are awesome to watch. These interviews are very cool. You get to see Bob drew Christopher LIVE on camera!

Bob Dylan, 1986 – Part 1 of 4

Bob Dylan, 1986 – Part 2 of 4