The Expendables (2010, Movie)

The Expendables is a simple action movie that delivers. The story is weak, the acting is bad, and there's no soul here. 

Cloud Atlas (2012, Movie)

A very complex multi-threaded movie, where the language is sometimes difficult to understand due to the accents and poetic styles used. This is six loosely connected tales, with settings ranging from the nineteenth century to the post-apocalyptic, all utilizing the same base group of actors for each story.  I just don't think it is effective to put them all in the same movie. Cloud Atlas tries to mystify you with its cinematic chicanery while constantly reminding you that you're not paying attention to what's truly going down. 

Usually I do like sci-fi movies. But this one is just not my favorite genre, and I was lack of patience to ponder.

By the way, I could not see any Buddhist thought of reincarnation though. As a whole, if a movie doesn't really begin to tie things together half way, then it's just too much work of somewhat stunning-looking web of confusion. 

The Great Global Warming Swindle (2007, Documentary)

A compelling and powerful SCIENTIFIC case to debunk the Global Warming lie. Heck even Patrick Moore the co-founder of Greenpeace chimes in expose the truth! He states: "I don't even like to call it the environmental movement anymore, because really it is a political activist movement, and they have become hugely influential at a global level". This movie reopens a healthy and much needed debate over global warming. 

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012, Movie)

I viewed the movie as a kind of alternative history piece in that it gave different reasons for slavery, why the war was fought and the reason Lincoln's son died along with why the South lost the Battle of Gettysburg. 

I was very surprised at how much of a plot there really was, and I kind of enjoyed the combination of vampire lore and "history," as it were.

JPL 33rd American Heritage Event

This year's theme is "Celebrating JPL's Cultural Diversity". 

"International Cuisine Sampling" features food sampling from African-American, American, Chinese, East Indian, Filipino, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latino, Native-American, Polish, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. My favorite was Sushi.

The Entertainment and Demonstrations include musical, dance by numerous ethnic and cultural groups, including African-American Soloist, Armenian Dancing, Chinese Dancing & Singing, East Indian Classical & Folk Dancers, Hawaiian Dancing, Henna Artist, Japanese Origami, Jazz Propulsion Band, Native-American Pow-Wow Dancing, Photo-booth, Polish Folk Dancing, etc.

We three girls were the leading roles of Chinese folk dance "Beautiful Scenery". See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLWRGhh6tLc

The Path of the Yogi, Past & Present Lives of the Great Yogi Shangpa Rinpoche (Book, 2012)

Inspired by the true story of the 1st Shangpa Rinpoche, a realised being and Tibetan yogi of the 19th century, a team came together  to create this book - an intimate recounting by the 2nd Shangpa Rinpoche himself. 

We are in the presence of the 2nd Shangpa Rinpoche, as he shares his intimate perspective of the journey of his previous incarnation.

This book is filled with examples of the excellent qualities we look for in a true teacher.  It is infused with the devotion, gratitude and excitement of unfolding blessings, that Rinpoche inspires and that we yearn limitlessly to share.  

I was fortunately enough to receive this book from Shangpa Rinpoche himself, even with his autograph, when he visited our Buddhist Association. 

北京遇上西雅圖 Finding Mr.Right ( 2013 , Movie)

二十年前，《西雅圖夜未 ​​眠》以它溫情兼幽默的風格，打動了無數觀眾，《北京遇上西雅圖》繼承了其笑中含淚的特點，在致敬中不免有所借鑒和模仿，但其整體作為原創劇本新鮮的元素不少，不失為一個流暢合理的故事。 影片各方面的完成度也較高，觀影時令人感覺輕鬆舒適，湯唯和吳秀波在片中貢獻了出色的表演，尤其是湯唯前後形象的轉變，展現了她對不同類型角色的駕馭能力。

張愛玲曾說，於千萬人中遇見你所要遇見的人，於千萬年之中，時間的無涯的荒野裡，沒有早一步，也沒有晚一步，剛巧趕上了，那也沒有別的話可說，唯有輕輕問一句：“哦，你也在這裡麼？”。 兩年後，各自開始新生活的兩個人，在帝國大廈的頂樓如《西雅圖夜未眠》中的主人公那樣，再次相遇。 這一次，兩隻手終於牽在了一起。