Day: January 21, 2008

Martin Luther King was assassinated at the young age of thirty-nine, not much older than I am today. In his famous “I have a dream” speech in 1963, he talks about how the check of freedom issued to all citizens, including African Americans, has come back because of “insufficient funds”.  That is one step ahead of where we Chinese would have been in 1963, because it was neigh impossible to become a citizen then. If I were a contemporary of MLK, I would be waiting two more years in Hong Kong or some other place in the British West Indies for the Immigration Act of 1965, when the quota of 105 Chinese a year was finally lifted. Chances are 1,000 to 1 for being a barrister/solicitor, 10 to 1 a scientist or a teacher, and even money on shopkeeper or restaurant cook. How far the journey has been, such a dream, and how fortunate we are to have it!

In honor of the day, consider checking out the slideshow on Slate: “In Memoriam: Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Fascinating interview in NY Times Magazine with Maya Soetoro-Ng, Barack Obama’s sister, who identifies herself as “I’m half white, half Asian. I think of myself as hybrid. People usually think I’m Latina when they meet …”

On a far less thoughtful note: the teaser trailer of the new Star Trek movie – it looks cool; it almost took my breath away. Heavy emphasis on “almost.” I so don’t know whether to be terrified that it’d be crap or be excited because it might actually be good (J.J. Abrams has bummed me out with how “Alias” ended after all, plus, re-booting Star Trek – well, honestly, it’s not like re-booting the “Bond, James Bond,” or “Batman” franchises). Oh, well. We can always have the best of thoughts for the future, can’t we?

Oh my – the Giants pulled it off; they’re going to the Super Bowl!!!

A NY Times look at the Cambodian immigrants of NYC.

Apparently, you can’t use the cold as your excuse to avoid outdoor exercise. Oh well. Guess old-fashioned laziness will do just fine.

This NY Times article about these guys selling books to the Strand — well, it reminds me: Got to get around to selling some of these unwanted (to me, anyway) books in the house…

In the Theater section of the NY Times: this sounds like a great review on the works of some major British actors doing Shakespeare: Zoe Wanamaker, Simon Russell Beale, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Ewan McGregor; so cool!

Hmm, so now the NY Times has gotten its say on the Austen stuff on PBS. Considering that I’ve never read “Northanger Abbey” or “Mansfield Park,” the movie adaptations of these two might prove interesting. For Americans, take note: “Mansfield Park” stars Billie Piper, the ex-Rose of the current incarnation of “Doctor Who.”

The passing of actor Allan Melvin, character actor known as “Sam the Butcher,” the love interest of Alice on “The Brady Bunch,” plus his roles on “All in the Family” and so forth.

The passing of actress Suzanne Pleshette; nice tribute by Time critic Richard Corliss.