Gung Hei Fat Choy

Gung Hei Fat Choy is the English transcription of the Chinese phrase "Happy New Year".
Today is the first day of the Chinese lunar new year 4707. It is the Year of the Ox.

The ox is one of the twelve lunar astrology signs. It is also the one I was born under (some 48 years ago). So this is my year!

Other oxen (more famous than I) include

• Diana, Princess of Wales
• Walt Disney
• Vincent van Gogh
• Bruce Springsteen
• politicians: Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolph Hitler and Saddam Hussein
• actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Clark Gable, George Clooney, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Fonda, Anthony Hopkins, Rock Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Meg Ryan, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Sellers and Bill Crosby

The Ox is a benevolent symbol of quiet, even tranquil strength and kindness. Almost universally, the ox is revered as one of mankind's most valuable helpers with power to pull plows to level fields to grow agricultural crops. In Buddhist thought, the Ox became a symbol of the mastery of human nature and of contemplative learning. In the Chinese zodiac, people who are born in the Year of the Ox are considered to be as calm and dependable as their animal symbol. They are modest and able to bear nearly any amount of hardship without complaint. They are logical and systematic. An ox person with their mind made up is rarely dissuaded from their course. Because of their honesty and patience, these people are always welcome and typically have many friends who appreciate their quiet but relaxed sociability.

Oscar nominations commentary

The Oscar nominations are out.

Most of the expected favourites scored nominations but there were a few unexpected surprises:

• The Reader claimed the fifth Best Picture nod (over The Dark Knight and Wall E)
• Kate Winslet (who scored a rare double at the Globes, claiming both Best Lead and Supporting Actress wins, only scored a single nomination in the Lead category for The Reader (the role that won her the Best Supporting Actress prize at the Globes, rather than for Revolutionary Road)
• Michael Shannon claimed a (well deserved) Best Supporting Actor nod for his role as a mental health clinic patient in Revolutionary Road while the better known leads in that film (Leo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet) failed to receive an acknowledgement.
• Clint Eastwood received neither a nomination for direction or acting for either The Changeling or Gran Torino

Although The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received the most nominations (one more than Slumdog Millionaire)-- many of the former's nominations were in technical categories so the latter should still be favoured to repeat its Globe win as Best Picture. Also, the favourites for Best Foreign Film (Dancing with Bashir (Israel)) and Best (feature length) Documentary (Man on A Wire) both made the cut.

49 from North of 49: update

The votes are in the CBC radio's 49 from North of 49 contest to select a definitive "all Canada" playlist of song selections in honour of Barack Obama's inauguration today.

Readers of this blog may recall that I set out my own list on this blog a while back. In comparing the CBC's listeners' consensus list to my list, I note that 5 songs from my playlist were also included on the CBC list and that a further 6 artists with selections on my list were cited (for other song selections) on the CBC list. Considering that the CBC list included French language selections (which my list (unilingual anglophone that I am) excluded) the artist overlap is actually close to 50%.

Among the song selections that made both my personal list and the CBC list:

American Woman - The Guess Who
Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
Closer to the Heart - Rush
Four Strong Winds - Ian & Sylvia

Among the artists named on the CBC's list that also made my list (for other song selections):

Joni Mitchell: cited on the CBC list for A Case of You and Both Sides Now (even though the Judy Collins cover version is better known) while I cited her recording of Help Me

k.d. lang: cited on the CBC list for her cover of Hallelujah (I cited Leonard Cohen's original) while I cited her for Constant Craving

Neil Young: cited on the CBC list for Helpless and Rockin' in the Free World while I cited his recordings of Old Man and Heart of Gold

Oscar Peterson Trio: cited on the CBC list for Hymn to Freedom and Place St. Henri (from Canadiana Suite) while I cited their recording of Night Train

Barenaked Ladies: cited on the CBC list for If I Had $1,000,000 while I cited One Week

The Tragically Hip: cited on the CBC list for Wheat Kings and Bobcaygeon while I cited New Orleans is Sinking

Another five of the selections I included on my personal list were also included in the CBC's top 100 vote getters (position 50 to 100) including Raise a Little Hell by Trooper, Snowbird by Anne Murray, Takin' Care of Business by Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Try by Blue Rodeo. Interestingly, many of Canada's most popular international superstar music exports (including Celine Dion, Shania Twain and Avril Lavigne) were totally shut out of the CBC list.

Condo reno update (10th in a series)

Our kitchen counter is coming soon! Allset Interiors has confirmed that Konrad (from their fabricators) will install our Ceasarstone countertop on Monday. Simultaneously, Celcon (our general contractor) will be back on site overseeing the installation of the glass wall and door in our ensuite shower stall by Canada Shower Door. On Wednesday, Mohammad, Dekla's agent will return to finish up installation of the Scavolini cabinet (the vertical unit with the garage door that sits on top of the counter and houses small appliances). Simultaneously, Celcon will also be sending their tiler back in to start installation of our glass tile kitchen backsplash.


Meanwhile, we are becoming hopeful that we will qualify for some government tax credits to recover some of our renovation expenditures. The province of Quebec announced an economic stimulus measure yesterday that will allow homeowners in that province to claim a refundable tax credit on outlays of between $1,500 and $2,500 to recover 20% of amounts between $7,500 and $12,500 paid to qualified renovators during 2009. There are rumours that other provinces may match and that federal Finance minister Jim Flaherty will do likewise in his federal budget. Given that we have a balance of over $12,000 to pay this year in final progress billings and the holdback, we are hopeful that we will receive rebates of some of these cost through tax incentives.

The Return of Millionaire on ABC?

Several websites are publishing rumours that-- in the wake of the success of Slumdog Millionaire (Best Picture - Drama award winner at the Golden Globes)-- ABC is considering a multi-night, multi-week network prime time revival of the series this Summer to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the show's North American debut. The network is said to be keen on securing original host Regis Philbin's commitment to return. The Rege's gig hosting CBS's Password was recently suddenly interrupted when CBS announced it was dropping the series from its Sunday night schedule. (It was scoring solid household and viewer ratings but skewing old demographically.) It is too early to ascertain whether the new series will incorporate any of the new elements (such as timeclock limits) from the Meredith Vierra hosted daytime strip or (alternatively) the elements introduced in ABC's own earlier Super Millionaire revival (which included a $10 million top prize.) Hopefully, at a minimum, they will bring back the phone-in contestant selection and "fastest finger" hot seat contestant qualification rounds MIA from the half-hour syndicated version. ABC is also developing a prime time revival of The Superstars competition series (that used to air on Sunday afternoons)-- pairing celebrities with athletes in paired teams-- for its Summer schedule. These two additions could make ABC's schedule more competitive with CBS (home of Big Brother) and NBC (home of America's Got Talent) this Summer.

Globes Recap

While I was pleased to see (TIFF fave) Slumdog Millionaire and Vicky Cristina Barcelona triumph (both deservedly) as Best Pictures, there were a few surprises. I was not expecting to see Kate Winslet score a double win in both the Supporting and Lead Actress categories (for Revolutionary Road and The Reader). I had considered it a toss up between Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn in the Best Actor category going in, but since the nominators ignored Milk in the Best Picture and Director category, it appears the writing was on the wall. I was a bit surprised by how thoroughly John Adams swept the TV Drama categories. 30 Rock deserved its three awards as much as Mad Men was deserving of the Best Drama nod.

As for the telecast, I am sure NBC will take alot of heat about letting Darren Aronofsky's bird finger and Christian Colson's tongue slip in f bombs-- not to even mention Rourke's salty acceptance speech. Maybe they have to limit the amount of alcohol served to the tables in future?

CES gadgets

The annual Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is unspooling in Vegas. The show offers a mega-sized snapshot of the future for techno-gadget nets (like moi).

Among the items on the agenda expected to be unveiled at this year's show

• The game show Jeopardy will shoot episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy at the convention.
• Microsoft will unveiling its Windows 7 operating system beta
• Augmented reality technology that will show products in 3D
• Wi-Tricity: a technology that allows wire-free power charging of small devices
• Palm-sized micro projectors that connect to smart phones allowing users to project images and content such as photos and video
• Wireless technology that charges cellphones and laptops by simply setting them down on a work surface or table
• Flat panels HDTV that offer 3-D images, internet-based service (courtesy Samsung and Yahoo!) and built-in streaming movie rentals (courtesy LG and Netflix)
• More "netbooks": slimmed-down, environmentall friendly ("power sniper") PCs (about half the size of a laptop) with price tags less than $500 and long lasting batteries
• The Sansa slotRadio player and companion line of slotRadio music cards from SanDisk, designed for the casual music consumer – square and about as think as deck of card, it comes bundled with a fingernail-sized memory card that holds up to 1,000 tunes pre-selected music files, selling for under $100
• The Firebird gaming desktop (from HP/Voodoo)-- the "little brother" of the critically acclaimed Blackbird but about a third of the size, retailing at an $1,800 price point
• A cellphone made of recycled plastic water bottles (from Motorola)
• A 3G watch phone (from LG)

Here comes the fiture! What will they think of next?!

TV Reality Update

CBS's "Game Show in my Head" (executive oproduced by Ashton Kutcher and hosted by Joe "Fear Factor" Rogan) debuted Saturday night to mediocre ratings against an NFL Football Playoff game on NBC. The two-episode launch of CBS’ non-scripted Game Show in My Head posted the following results:

8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.37 million (#3 in timeslot)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 3.38 million (#3 in timeslot)

Meanwhile, the special sneak peak of NBC's Superstars of Dance (hosted by Michael "Riverdance" Flatley; most recently seen as a substitute judge for Len on Dancing with the Stars) debuted to stronger ratings last night. It scored a 6.3 overnight rating for its first hour (third behind Desperate Housewives on ABC and Cold Case on CBS) and a 6.1 at 10:00 PM (tying CBS's "The Unit" for the time period lead).

Tonight Superstars of Dance makes its regular NBC timeslot debut opposite the unmpteenth season premiere of The Bachelor (super-sized to two hours), followed on ABC (@ 10 PM) by the debut of True Beauty where the concept of beauty gets a facelift as contestants (both male and female) are judged by both their inner and outer beauty. The show is from Tyra Banks and (the inescapable) Ashton Kutcher with Vanessa Minnillo as host. Tomorrow is the 2 hour season debut of The Biggest Loser on NBC (in a couples themed edition)

New 2009 Cruiseship Launches: The Vital Stats

Now that 2009 is here, we can look forward to the launch of three new highly anticipated cruise-ships by the major North American cruise lines in late Summer – early Fall.

The new debuts vital stats are as follows:

Celebrity Equinox

Inaugural saildate: August 8, 2009
Rating: 5 stars
Tonnage 122,000 tons
Length 1,033 feet
Beam 121 feet
Passenger Capacity 2,852
Crew Size 999
Total Inside Cabins 102
Total Outside Cabins 1,323
Cabins & Suites w/ verandas 1,177
Suites 56

The second in Celebrity's new Solstice class, the Celebrity Equinox will introduce the Lawn Club, a half-acre area with real, growing grass, featuring a country club atmosphere, featuring The Patio on the Lawn . Passengers will also be able to take in glassblowing demonstrations and lectures at the Hot Glass Show. Staterooms on the Celebrity Equinox (and sister Solstice-class ships) are 15% larger than those on other Celebrity vessels. Flat-screen televisions and wireless in state-room Internet access is also standard. Spa enthusiasts staying within the AquaClass category of veranda staterooms have exclusive access to the relaxation room as well as the aromatherapy and steam room. AquaClass quests also gain exclusive, complimentary access to Blu, a 130-seat specialty restaurant.


Carnival Dream

Inaugural saildate: September 21, 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars
Tonnage 128,000 tons
Length 1,004 feet
Beam 121 feet
Passenger Capacity 3,646
Crew Size 1,369
Total Inside Cabins 688
Total Outside Cabins 1,079
Cabins & Suites w/ verandas 775
Suites 54

The Carnival Dream will be the largest vessel in Carnival's "Fun Ship" fleet. Among the Dream's new services and amenities are a two-level miniature golf course, an enlarged WaterWorks aqua park and the Piazza -- an indoor/outdoor cafe and live music venue . The ship also features a 23,750-square-foot spa Cloud 9-- Carnival's largest health and wellness center to date-- and scenic whirlpools that will extend beyond the ship's beam. The Carnival Dream will also have new stateroom categories including "cove" balcony staterooms located close to the waterline, deluxe oceanview staterooms featuring two bathrooms, and spa staterooms and suites with exclusive spa privileges and amenities. Adults on board can also enjoy Serenity, an adults-only retreat.

Oasis of the Seas, Royal Caribbean


Inaugural saildate: December 5, 2009
Rating: 5 stars
Tonnage 220,000 tons
Length 1,181 feet
Beam 154 feet
Passenger Capacity 5,400
Crew Size 2,150
Total Inside Cabins 496
Total Outside Cabins 2,210
Cabins & Suites w/ verandas 1,956
Suites 166

The Oasis of the Seas, the largest ship ever built, will be divided into seven "neighborhoods," each offering its own unique experiences. In Central Park , guests can peruse the art gallery or unwind in a refined wine bar. Elsewhere, activity minded passengers can head toward the Boardwalk to try out the world's first onboard carousel and zipline as well as two rock climbing walls. The Royal Promenade, will, meanwhile encompass a wide variety of dining and entertainment options, including Rising Tide -- a levitating bar that ascends and descends over three decks. Dining options will include Chops Steak House, Sorrento 's Pizzeria, Seafood Shack and Johnny Rockets as well as a donut shop and ice cream parlour in the Promenade. In addition to traditional staterooms, the Oasis will also offer loft and multi-level suites alternative