Evolution

Google tests cars that drive themselves

2010-10-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

News

Boy, this will really help with laziness.

"Positive"

2010-10-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

Time wasted is the truest form of death among the living, shut like a coffin in the sex-washed wind of the purple night.

Then there is purpose. Suddenly there is the surprise of new life, of a story passed on generation to generation, of a legacy.

And it is beautiful as it is "Magic".

The blog is back as the secret is out!! My wife is pregnant and I am going to be a dad sometime next April.

王力宏「你不知道的事」《戀愛通告》主題曲完整版MV 全球網路大首播

2010-10-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Monitor Audio - Bronze or Silver series?

2010-08-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

Few that are serious about audio equipments would be ignorant of Monitor Audio. Lately when exploring options to upgrade my home theatre system, one of the major considerations and dilemmas I had is the speaker system.

For this, I was advised of the Bronze and Silver series of Monitor Audio which both have excellent reviews online. Sitting in a room with the speakers blasting around you, you can feel the room come alive with sound and music. Ultimately, it came down to whether you would be spending more time listening to high precision music or watching high definition movies, and of course, a difference in price tag of over $2,000. For the later, just a bronze system would suffice saving me a chunk of my budget for a better projector.

高圆圆

2010-08-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

出生日期：1979-10-05
身高： 167
体重： 48
三围： 83，60，87

Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i

2010-08-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

It is actually quite exciting to get your first SLR camera. I was erupting with excitement as this will be mine. This promises to be not just another toy, I promise you all.

The Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i is a 15.1 megapixel Digital SLR camera featuring CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Image Processor, ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800), 14-bit A/D conversion, 9-point wide area AF with cross type centre point, 3.4fps with up to 170 JPEG burst , auto Lighting Optimizer, Full HD (1080p) movies with HDMI output, Live View Function for stills (Quick, Live and Face Detection AF modes) and video, EOS Integrated Cleaning System, and a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coating. The camera measures 5.1 x 3.8 x 2.4 in./128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9mm and weighs approx. 16.9oz./480g (body only).

Samsung Wave

2010-08-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Just got myself a new cell phone after two years with the Iphone. Simply love the Wave's presentation (even more so than the new Iphone). I was torn between getting the incredibly hot (ridiculous waiting time) Iphone 4 or the new and innovative Samsung Wave. Guess after Steve Job's last conference where he shirked all responsibilities about the flaws of the new Iphone, I was inclined to go the other way. For style points and phone signals, Wave already has Iphone beaten.

The good: The Samsung Wave has a gorgeous, crystal-clear Super AMOLED touch screen. The 1GHz processor keeps the phone running smoothly, and the Wave has great call quality. The Wave also has a 5-megapixel camera with HD video capabilities.

The bad: Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 user interface is much improved over its previous versions; however, it is not as intuitive as others are, particularly as you get deeper into apps. No chinese input. Samsung App store is really limited. Running on the new Bada system has pros and cons, obviously most people would have preferred the Android.

The bottom line:

Samsung unveiled the Wave at Mobile World Congress 2010 and it is the first phone to run Samsung's Bada mobile operating system. Samsung didn't design the OS to compete with Apple's iOS and Google's Android, but to bring the smartphone experience, regardless of cost or geographic location. As such, the Wave and Bada particularly affect markets where smartphones aren't normally subsidized by carriers and thus cost a premium to own. The Samsung App Store are attracting developers through events and updates can be expected.

NEW Heineken Commercial - very funny

2010-08-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

iPhone4 vs HTC Evo

2010-08-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

午后時光

2010-07-28T14:58:00.001-07:00

情幽幽意悠悠

一阙恋曲

在心头

白领美丝

2010-07-28T14:55:00.001-07:00

龙蕾

2010-07-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

姓名：龙蕾
民族：汉
籍贯：北京
生日：1月31曰
星座：水瓶
身高：177cm
体重：52kg
三围：86cm(Bust)/60cm(Waist)/89cm(Hip)

Bechstein's 'W. Hoffmann' Pianos

2010-07-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

Showcase Pianos now making W. Hoffmann pianos available at its stores.

The "W. Hoffmann" is completely made in Europe by Bechstein. Prices start at $7,900 for an upright, and at $25,900 for a grand. This is great news for piano lovers that has a tight budget (Baring second handed or third handed).

(Above) Taiwanese music artist Kenji chose this yellow-painted upright Hoffman piano which lights up the eyes for sure.

Krause Berry Farm

2010-07-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

We were up early to get to the Kraus Berry Farm in Langley. The weather is perfect, not too sunny with cool breezes to help out. The drive took us close to an hour and if you know me, you know I am half-asleep by the time I got there.

It is my first time to a berry farm. Why? Because I blame laziness and it would have prevailed still if not for my late card session yesterday that I felt I needed to make it up to Sharon somehow.

There we were picking berries, eating the delicious corn pizzas and berry pies, feeding the pets and enjoying the festive atmosphere where face-painted kids were running around abundantly. I didn't even think it would be that much fun, but it was. And of course, the blue and rasp berries we picked were so cheap, with almost two baskets costing us less than $10 (in the market, it would cost us easilyover $25).

I would recommend that you come with your family or friends because it is more fun as a group. And anyways, I got wondering how long this good weather is going to last, because we haven't have any rain for quite some time already.

三国杀

2010-07-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

好久没有打牌了，是有那么一点技痒。今天尝试了新游戏，“三国杀”，觉得跟我妹买给我的“Bang”其实满类似的。

记得小时候沉迷于“Magic”游戏时，每天都回花不少钱买不同的牌组，希望能抽到更好的牌成组。其实“三国杀”基本上也是一样，其上瘾程度是一样的。

今天一玩就玩了十来个小时，深觉冷落了娇妻，也浪费了不少时间。以后还是减少游戏时间吧。

Iphone 4 Press Conference

2010-07-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell, Steve Jobs is going down the list of factors for the recent antenna complaints: Smartphones have weakspots, AppleCare has not been slammed with complaints, return rates are super low, and it only drops "less than 1" call per 100 more than the 3GS. He has also promised to give free protective cases to new Iphone 4 buyers to alleviate the so-called “death grip” problem: holding the phone with a bare hand can muffle the wireless signal.

Iphone 4 conference livefeed
The message of this conference seems to be the reiterated declaration by Steve that "We are not perfect." and "We have a return policy." which translate to "If you are not happy with what you get, return it.".

It is what it is, if you want an Iphone, you have to live with the pros and cons.

HP Photosmart C309a

2010-07-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to Costco to purchase the HP C309a multifunction Printer. Needless to say having instant rebate of $140 on the price tag of $309.99 is an instant eye-catcher, but I decided upon it after reading its cool reviews.

These newer devices are coming into their own as a quality option for printing and scanning. The HP Photosmart Premium All-in-One is a combination Printer/Scanner/Fax/Copy device. Unlike many devices in this category, the Fax All-in-One uses individual ink tanks and offers photo quality printing on glossy and luster surface papers. The printer has built-in duplex, or double sided printing, and includes wireless, USB, and Ethernet in the standard configuration. The HPFax All-in-One goes a step further and also includes Bluetooth as a standard feature.

You can use the HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One without a computer if you like. The color LCD gives you access to all features, and a very well laid out control panel makes it easy to select which options you want. For printing photos directly, you'll work directly from a memory card using the built-in card reader that supports SD, CF, Memory Stick, and xD cards. You can also connect a PICTBidge compatible device via the provided port.

The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One uses a five ink system - pigment black for text, cyan, magenta, yellow, and photo black for photo printing. The inks are HP's Vivera and available in two sizes. The XL size gives you about 2.5 times the prints at less than twice the cost, making it a much more effective way to print.

The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One does have an automatic document feeder, so if you have several pages to scan, you'll appreciate this feature. At high quality, a scan takes about 12 minutes to complete.

The primary reason you'll be looking at one of these devices though is most likely the printing. The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One includes automatic duplex printing, making it easy to print on both sides of the page, and is reasonably fast at printing normal documents. The key though is photo printing and the quality level generated and, in this area, the printers did a very good job.

Another unique feature to the HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One is the iPrint Photo application for your iPhone or iPod Touch. The app uses the BlueTooth connection to let you print any image on your iPhone or iPod directly to the printer.

The HP 564XL Black ink cartidge is about $35 and can do approx. 250 pages. The 564 color combo ink cartridge is about $27 for approx. 300 pages. All in all reasonable prices.

Rex, the robotic exoskeleton

2010-07-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

It took 7 years and $10 million but the Rex exoskeleton which is capable of supporting the full weight of a person and moving him or her around in a familiar bipedal fashion is finally ready. Operated using a joystick and control pad, it is simple enough for handicapped users to self-transfer in and out of, effectively making their dream of walking a reality.

It's about to go on sale in New Zealand, its home country this year, with an international launch following in 2011. But such a sophisticated equipment does not come cheap. Estimated initial asking price of $150,000 (US) is high but then how do you value the chance to walk?

So I guess the million dollar question is how do you make it more accessible to the public instead of limiting it to the few with the financial means.

三十有一

2010-07-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

月色如痕，光阴如影，三十余载一叹而过。

回思，你我都是痴傻寻梦之人，穿行于远山之外，以云为墨，以风为笔，写情愫于万里长空。何时至始，昔日胸怀不再。摘一朵花，看花瓣一片片落入水中，慢慢沉睡。看透了，领悟了，也许学会放下，懂得珍惜。

我未曾沉睡的记忆，沿着光阴的轨迹，走着走着，踩着那残留的脚印，一步一步，丈量你对我的期望和厚爱。

夏天炎热难捱有凉风敲窗。我吹灭了生日之光，默许了每年如一的心愿：愿家人身体健康，孩子得以尽孝。

结婚两周

2010-07-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

新婚两周，感觉特忙碌，琐碎事情源源不绝，时间永远不够用。当然新婚也有许多惊喜，比如发现我的内人原来手艺不错，餐餐佳肴让我也增胖不少。新居需要许多心思去布置，也需要购买许多用品。平时不爱逛街购物的我也渐渐学会注意物价。

昨日打羽毛球时被朋友取笑体力退步了，反应迟钝了。这也难怪，毕竟幸福是有代价的。结婚后，生活有了规律，吃和睡都充足下，人有那么一点偷懒而缺乏运动。好吧，下定决心，要去健身，游泳，磨练一番，不要做那99%婚后暴胖组。

身体健康是最重要的人生目标。大家都要保重啊。

David Stern on LBJ, the Decision and Dan Gilbert

2010-07-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

News:

Dan Gilbert just got fined $100,000 for his reaction to Lebron's decision to leave Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami Heat. Ouch!! As if losing millions after Lebron left isn't enough.

I still retain my position that LBJ has played the whole world as a publicity stunt and even though he is a great basketball player, he has disappointed me as a person.

As for David Stern, his reaction has shown that he remains protective of the public face of the NBA - LBJ. Period.

Stern: LeBron's The Decision was ill-advised. No fine.
Stern: Dan Gilbert's letter was ill-advised and imprudent. $100,000 fine.
Stern: Jesse Jackson's comments are outrageous. No problem, he is a friend of the family, NBA cares after all, you know.

Consumer Reports Confirms iPhone 4 Defect

2010-07-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

News:

All the weird reports of how if you touch the left side of the phone, there will be signal loss. The signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal.

In response to related complaints from customers, Apple released a statement on July 2 claiming the problem was not one of reception, but of faulty software which “mistakenly displays two more bars than it should for a given signal strength.”

Apple has yet to respond to the Consumer Reports confirmation of Iphone 4 defect and its stock has continued to suffer.

Despite its signal defect, Iphone 4 is still ahead of its competition and is easily the best smart phone on the market or coming out for that matter. Its sharp display and video camera capabilities are remarkable. It is simply beautiful to hold. And for those who are worried about the signal defect, there are rumors that there is a case cover for Iphone 4 that fixes the problem.

In the end, people still want to own the new Iphone. I know I am.

钟丽缇 - 性感女神

2010-07-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

钟丽缇简介

英文姓名：Chung, Christy
身高: 168 厘米
体重: 49 公斤
三围尺寸: 胸围 (36英寸) ; 腰围 (23英寸) ; 臀围 (36英寸)

Lebron going to Miami

2010-07-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

The long anticipated decision of the big-name free agents to the likes of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh came to light yesterday night. All three are headed to South Beach, Miami. While for fans of great basketball players, such an outcome may be exciting and fun, such is not so for the Cleveland fans.

Let's face it. Dan Gilbert, Cleveland Cavalier's owner, has given Lebron everything he wanted. The city of Cleveland has given Lebron all the love and attention he will never get elsewhere. Still, at the end of the day, all that matters is whether Lebron can become more than just the face of basketball and transform whatever individual success he has accomplished thus far into championships. If not, he has no legacy. If not, he is just another Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and John Stockton - great players but not champions. Can you blame him for his decisions? I think not.

I am a huge fan of Lebron but there is a reason why Wade stands out over him in my mind. Wade is a winner, filled with determination, desire and a passion for the game. Despite what Lebron says, the game is just a tool for his fame and fortune, an ego boosting mechanism. Kobe haters find all sorts of excuses to put him down. Sure, he would not have won the last two championships without Pau Gasol. But there is no denying he is a hungry monster who will do anything to win. He will play through broken fingers, bad back and one healthy kidney if god forbid, there is a 1% chance he can contribute to win. Lebron may have more talent than everyone else, but his heart is still nowhere close to a champion.

So there was LeBron James, the MVP, the man of the hour, sitting in the middle of his own “Truman Show” on Thursday night. His personal network ran his commercials and celebrated his greatness and let him hijack a platform to build his brand and break hearts. It's the way he broke the news that has labeled him immature, a traitor and weakling.

He is still young, only 25. People will get over this betrayal if he can find a way to redeem himself as a serious basketball player.

Now that this is a fact, we need nicknames!! Here are a few really innovative ones.

1) K-F-C (King James + Flash + CB4)

2) Trio - 5 (305 is area code for Miami)

3) Cerberus (Three headed beast that guarded the gates of Hades)

4) Triple A

5) Tri-Force

Market Review: Deflation?

2010-07-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

The fact is ... the market is schizoid right now.

On one hand, we're facing deflation, on the other gold is spiking. In the EU they're talking austerity but in the US they're talking about renewed stimulus. Gold is jumping, but so are Bond prices - that's very weird.

As global liquidity flooded the China market, it meant China's economy has gained even more momentum but at the same time has taken on more risk of the threat of the influx of liquidity reversing. Also, instead of the widely anticipated inflation, we have ourselves deflation.

The spring of 2009 was also the period of the great inflation scare, in which everyone from Glenn Beck to US Federal Reserve presidents was warning that an awful surge in prices was just around the corner. That obviously didn’t happen.

At the heart of the inflation/deflation debate was and is a debate between two visions of the economy. One vision is basically an updated Keynesian view: sticky prices revised gradually based on unemployment and excess capacity, the possibility of persistent economic malfunction because people are trying to hoard cash rather than buying real goods. And this view also said that we were and are in a liquidity trap, in which things that might have been inflationary under other conditions — like a large expansion of the monetary base — weren’t at all inflationary under current conditions. In fact, the likely outlook was for falling inflation, and possibly deflation.

The other vision was basically a crude quantity theory of money view: the Fed is printing money, the government is running deficits, one plus one equals high inflation, maybe even hyperinflation.

Now consider that the expansion in the monetary base served largely to fill the void left when structured finance fell apart and a staggering amount of liquidity went up in smoke. The Keynesian model -- as I understand it -- does not incorporate this particular fact set. The lack of inflation over the past year or so does not vindicate the Keynesian model.

When the new financial regulatory regime is established and some level of structured finance is allowed to be rebuilt, THEN in the absence of a monetary contraction, serious inflation will occur.

There are no "scare tactics" here: just solid economic science. The Obama administration has destroyed American jobs. The Bush and Obama administrations have imposed on every American a debt, including unfunded liabilities, in excess of $200,000. This debt will never be paid back and you will never get the "free quality health care" you dream about or the government keeps promising. Facts, people. Not scare tactics, but cold hard FACTS.

Obama has already repeatedly broken his pledge not to raise taxes on anyone earning less than $250,000. Obama's health care is already causing insurance premiums to rise and jobs to be lost. Here, the outcome will be Japanese zombism.

Or perhaps the US will simply default on its obligations. It is happening in Europe (no, there will be no one big enough to bail us out). People want hope, be it denial of how bailouts have simply converted private debt to public debt.

It is true that interest rates and inflation have not yet taken wing, but this is no guarantee that these things are not 'just around the corner', for example. To wit, the government's injection of 'liquidity' has been largely targeted to keep interest rates low. If it were true that interest rates "do not" rise in an environment of low consumer demand, one has to ask why the government has so heavily mortgaged the future to serve the present.

My belief is that we need to reduce government spending dramatically, cut taxes to the bone, and push rates to under 0 so as to force banks to pay interest for any money they haven't lent out and in so doing facilitate credit flow.

History has spoken enough, are we ready to listen?

Wedding Banquet

2010-06-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

The banquet is held at Fairmont Pacific Rim which just opened in January. Many thanks to my dad who insisted on the place as it is beautiful (and of course very costly).

Once again, most of the ideas came from my sis, Silvia, and my wife, Sharon, who both came off as obssessive perfectionists when it came to wedding planning. Of course, they worked around the clock to give the wedding an identity and I confess, I am one of the most idle groom thanks to them (But apparently, guys are like that.....).

Manuel was gracious and kind enough to agree to be our MC even though the crowd required him to speak mandarin at parts. I contemplated whether to find him a nice, tall Chinese female host but decided against it as that may cramp up his loose and easy style. I personally thought that the small confusion at the introductions of special guests was cleverly covered up with wit (对不起，我是外国人。) . I take full responsibility for the screwup, after all, it is not an easy task for the MC when the rundown keeps changing every few minutes.

We had two music groups performing. First, the Eslite String Trip led by Ruth Huang performed for the reception. Then we have Luis and his gang from Music Vancouver to entertain during dinner. They were both amazing so I have heard from guests' reviews (I didn't have time to sit down and enjoy.)

There were many positive reviews, basically on how much things there were to do. In the reception area, which is opened all night, there are the photo booth, the candy table, the albums and the bar. If you stayed inside, then you could enjoy nice MVs, slides, music and food. In other words, we want you to have fun everywhere you go.

We have to thank Jennifer and Silvia, our coordinators for the event. Things would surely be a mess without them.

Last but not least, I want to thank Kent for taking such wonderful pictures and if I may just lament for a bit, we forgot to take enough family pictures at night!!

Wedding Ceremony

2010-06-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

After going back to our place, we had a short photo session, family pictures mainly. Then we were onto the 2nd part of our wedding, the ceremony, which is held at our backyard. The whole setup was organized mainly by my sis, Silvia and Sharon.

Many thanks to Monica and Daniel for playing such wonderful music and Shota Shushi for well, their sushi. There are many more to thank, like Ms. Chen for her flower arrangements, Thomas Hobbs for their beautiful flowers and vases, so if I missed any, pardon me.

We got many praises for our chocolate fondue as well as the live butterfly release at the end of the ceremony. But I attribute a lot of it to good luck, as unreliable weather reports had us worried that it might rain. As the photos show, the weather was beautiful, it was perfect.

In actuality, we expected just about 30-50 guests, but so many of our friends took time off their busy schedules to make it, so it turned out close to 100 guests. I cannot express how touched I am to see all the familiar faces and to share my joy with them.

I guess it is now a signed and sealed deal - Married. At last.

迎娶

2010-06-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

迎娶？什么东西啊？

毕竟我受的是西方教育，习惯了西方文化。而且被人玩弄也不符我形象。不过，老婆的第一个要求，还是尽量满足为妙。

不过紧张真是在所难免，早上错误百出，出门时忘了胸花和捧花。六台迎娶车队，分配人手就已经乱成一团。路上还碰上塞车，让人担心会误了迎娶吉时。不过，路塞很快瓦解了，我们也在原定时间抵达了新娘家。

看着可爱的两位花童带路，来到了大门，伴娘队跳出挡路，第一关：心心相应。从六个唇印中选出新娘的唇印。开什么国际玩笑！！心里大叫不妙。算了，不行大不了就付买路钱，再不行就硬闯！！闭上眼，随便指了指，就这个吧！什么？竟然猜对了。

第二关，体能测试，一分钟内做99下Push-ups。看了看我的朋友，还好有那四五个还算老当益壮，这关每人20下轻松而过。

然后，第三关，买路钱520，也就是我爱你的意思，照给就是。第四关，唱十首有“爱”或“LOVE”的歌。平常对音乐过耳不忘的我竟然卡机。几经辛苦，连郭富城的“对你爱不完”都用上了才过关。

最后一关，示爱。有完没完？人一紧张，什么诗词歌赋，鸟儿花香，一落而空。罢了！老婆，我爱你！！

岳父终于把老婆交给我。出门前，大家拥抱送别。我们也开始了另一个旅程。

Wedding Preparations

2010-06-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

The long-awaited day approaches and suddenly reality hits.

I stood there just taking in how so many of the decorations and other to-do items are cramped into the last day as tension seized my body. Everyone was busy and it is simply fulfilling to see everything fall into place and the vision come to life.

Special thanks to all my friends from overseas that came in a few days earlier to help out. Chee Meng lost his luggage(suits and clothes) in the process and sadly would probably miss the early bride ceremony tomorrow morning. Kent and Jennifer are really great helps with invaluable experience and expertise in event planning. I didn't even know Janet has such amazing handwriting (people can't even believe that it isn't printed).

In all excitement, I was already envisioning what the day after would look like. The wedding is all but a ceremony, it is afterall a mark of adulthood and independence, at least for me it is.

Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer

2010-06-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Canadian banks: Bastion of Stability

2010-06-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

7 reasons Canada is rated as a 'bastion of stability'

Despite what is common propaganda, there are many clues to why Canadian banks were not in as suggested good shape. For one, why did we need transparent regulations deregulated in secret in 2008.

Canada Banks' Relief Toxic Assets

Oct 17, 2008

Under a ruling expected on Friday, the country's biggest banks and insurers will be able to postpone recording losses on assets that have become hard to sell and hard to value amid the global credit crunch

刘俐

2010-06-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

英文名 : Kibby Lau
昵称 : 雞髀、奇髀、藍莓
出生 : 1989年09月17日 (1989-09-17)（20歲）
中国 : 福建武平縣
職業 : 模特兒、演員
語言 : 廣東話、普通話、英語
三圍 : 32B-25-35
教育程度 : 中五
出道日期 : 2008年

Sharon's Birthday

2010-06-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

Sharon's birthday cannot be more inconveniencing when we are all tied-up with wedding preparations. Nonetheless, we did get time to share a very "quiet" dinner (as both of us were mad at each other). The thing is I did not get a lot of time to spend with her and made her feel neglected, I admit I need to do a better job taking care of her feelings.

So in the end, we did not enjoy the music of the Starry Night. We did not enjoy the delicious dinner (not cheap either). But how do you stay mad at someone you love madly? Maybe the flowers helped remind her how much I really did care.

Maki Nishiyama

2010-06-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Name: 西山茉希 Maki Nishiyama
Profession: Model
Born: Nov 16, 1985
Birthplace: Niigata
Height: 168cm
B/W/H: 82/58/85
Blood Type: O

Meisa Kuroki

2010-06-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Profile

Name: Meisa Kuroki
Profession: Actress & Model
Birthdate: May 28, 1988
Birthplace: Nago, Okinawa, Japan
Height: 165cm
Blood Type: A

Iwasa Mayuko

2010-06-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Profile

* Name: Iwasa Mayuko (岩佐真悠子)
* Nickname: Iwamayu (いわまゆ)
* Birthdate: February 2nd, 1987
* Birthplace: Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
* Blood Type: A
* Height: 155cm
* Bust: 83cm
* Waist: 58cm
* Hips: 86cm

想通

2010-06-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

随着成家之日渐近，心态的改变是必然的。我反复思考有什么需要改善，何谓自身之误，如何积极，如何果断心思细密。要琢磨的事偏多，尤其是如何处理好人际关系更是个很大的学问。以前的自己太过任性，太过幼稚，该长大了。

筹备婚礼，琐碎缠身，庆幸有朋友和家人的热情帮忙，让我明白成长了许多。与Sharon多次激烈的沟通后，彼此也有了更深的了解，更坚定了彼此走下去的决心。

CMHC: Canada's very own ticking economic time bomb!

2010-06-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

CMHC: Canada's very own ticking economic time bomb!

May 30 2010
The Star

Stanley Taube

For the past few years, Canada has been basking in the glow of international economic praise.

Our banking system is the best in the world. There has been no need for government bailouts. True, we have recently been running large deficits. But they are manageable in terms of the size of our economy. Our dollar is strong. Investors want to invest in Canada. Best of all, our real estate market, with a short hiccup in late 2008 and early 2009, has been moving steadily upward. Historically low mortgage rates have made housing affordable to practically anyone wishing to purchase.

Not for us the housing disasters that have occurred practically everywhere in the world. No toxic investment paper, as was created in the U.S., by bundling mortgages into investment vehicles that had very poor underlying security. Not for us the “ninja” borrowers (no income, no job, no assets).

We look smugly at states like Nevada and Florida, where real estate values have fallen by up to 50 per cent from their highs in 2006 and 2007. And this gloomy scenario has been repeated in Ireland, Spain, France, Italy. You name it, and real estate has dropped dramatically. Even Manhattan in New York and Kensington in London have not escaped.

So is Canada really the nirvana of the world? We are part of the Planet Earth. Our economy is very much interwoven with many other countries. Are we that much smarter then practically everyone else? Maybe luckier?

Or is there a potential financial disaster lurking just over the horizon, waiting to put us into the real world of true financial crisis? I believe there is. And that disaster is the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

CMHC is a federally owned crown corporation that insures mortgage lenders against losses on their mortgage investments. It charges insurance premiums for this service. These premiums are higher for those mortgages where the borrower has little equity in his home. For example, the premium for a mortgage that amounted to 95 per cent of the home's value would be 2.75 per cent. The premium is generally added onto the mortgage balance. Accordingly, a borrower who takes out a 95 per cent mortgage could owe 97.75 per cent of the value of the home. Until recently, mortgages could be insured for 100 per cent of a home's value!

This all works very nicely if real estate values stay steady or keep rising. The CMHC program encourages people to buy homes by making mortgage loans available that private lenders would not give. But here are the problems:

Mortgage lenders invariably shift the riskiest assets into the CMHC program. You have 5 per cent down payment? Off you go to CMHC! You have 25 per cent down payment? You're our kind of client! We will retain your mortgage for our own account.

At the end of 2009, CMHC had $473 billion in outstanding guarantees. This is up from $408 billion at the end of 2008. With the frantic pace of real estate activity in the past few months, that figure is surely over $500 billion today.

And what is backstopping this huge obligation? CMHC had $9.3 billion in equity at the end of 2009. There is also a very paltry $1.3 billion for loan loss reserves. So there is approximately $10.6 billion available before CMHC runs out of money. After that? Well, CHMC obligations are direct obligations of the Government of Canada. We taxpayers are on the hook for the rest.

Let's assume that real estate in Canada falls a very reasonable 20 per cent in value. Given the recent run-up in prices, rising interest rates, ever increasing listings and fewer buyers who qualify for mortgages, a decline in values is virtually inevitable. Tens of thousands of borrowers will be unable, or unwilling, to make their payments.

The 20 per cent hit that CMHC could take would be more like 25 to 30 per cent. There are significant expenses in disposing of repossessed property — taxes, utilities, insurance, real estate commissions, legal fees, and so on. I would estimate that CMHC (which, in effect, is the federal government) could wind up $125 billion in the red.

This would blast an enormous hole in our government's finances. Canada would be put into the same category as the other prolific spenders. Which is where we should be. We are merely postponing the inevitable.

Stanley Taube is a lawyer and author. He has taught political science at the University of Toronto.

My personal take on this, CMHC can convince people to buy, with whatever incentives they can think up, the losers will always be aplenty. Assuming this fairy tale of a strong real estate market continues, then we will be seeing people being priced out. But on the contrary, when the market adjusts as it usually does, each successive buyers will lose money. Speculators, suckers or whoever the niche, everyone eventually loses if they own a home whether or not the mortgage is payed off. Those who bought near the top just lose more.

对联

2010-05-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

上联：情已欠费爱已停机缘分不在服务区
下联：思无应答想也占线感情不能再充电
横批：心若移动如何联通

上联：假名假姓假地址
下联：骗吃骗喝骗感情
横批：愿者上钩

上联：风在刮，雨在下，我在等你回电话
下联：为你生，为你死，为你守候一辈子
横批：发错人了

上联：爱国爱家爱师妹
下联：防火防盗防师兄
横批：恋爱自由

上联：看背影急煞千军万马
下联：转过头吓退百万雄师
横批：我的妈呀!

上联：说你行你就行不行也行
下联：说不行就不行行也不行
横批：不服不行

上联：忆往昔，红米饭，南瓜汤，老婆一个，小孩一帮
下联：看今朝，白米饭，王八汤，小孩一个，老婆一帮
横批：与时俱进

上联：为你痴为你累为你受尽所有罪
下联：为你死为你狂为你咣咣撞大墙
横批：为爱疯狂

上联：爱与被爱都艰难
下联：有情有缘要时间
横批：情义无价

某大龄男子于公园中遇一大龄女子
男出上联：空有一身牛劲，无地可耕
女对下联：枉闲二亩良田，等人来犁
横批：浪费可耻

上联：爱已停牌，情也斩仓，缘分滑到跌停板
下联：思正牛市，想无熊市，感情无法投长线
横批：赶紧补仓

上联：男生，女生，穷书生，生生不息
下联：初恋，热恋，婚外恋，恋恋不舍
横批：生无可恋

上联：我爱的人名花有主
下联：爱我的人惨不忍睹
横批：命苦

Iron Man 2

2010-05-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tony Sparks is back and loving the limelight. Downey's wit and charm has made Iron Man a national icon while the generator in his chest that keeps him alive is slowly poisoning his blood. The little blood monitor--helpfully named the "Stark Blood Monitor," tells him his Blood Toxicity is relentlessly climbing toward death, albeit a ridiculous pace which also dictates the pace of the show.

I get the feeling that this sequel is more about Iron Man's struggle with his identity and facing death than anything else. As a man trying to deal with imminent death, Downey must control his affections for his assistant Pepper Potts. Then you have the irritating U.S. government who are pressurizing him to hand over his suit.

The story would not be complete without a villain and thus a gold-toothed Russian named Vanko (Mickey Rourke) shows up with a lame hatred of the Stark family. With a man as intelligent as Vanko, he sure didn't put up much of a fight which is rather disappointing. Why would he put himself in danger if he can have droids do his work for him?

A couple of interesting characters do make their appearances. New comer Scarlett Johansson is Natalie, aka Black Widow. Don Cheadle takes over from "Iron Man 1's" Terrence Howard as Tony's pal Lt. Col. Jim Rhodes, known as War Machine which is a brand of silver Iron Man armour. And Samuel L. Jackson is eye-patched S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury. All of which points at the next sequel.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts is promoted to CEO which Gwyneth never really pulled off and what is supposed to be lover's banter falls flat. Sam Rockwell snakes around as a Stark-lite rival industrialist which really represents corporate evilness and greed. John Slattery ("Mad Men") has a nice nostalgic moment as Tony's late father, which I swear was dull and blank even though it was meant to be emotional.

Overall, the movie is fun, funny at parts and worth a movie ticket as compared to a concurrent film Russel Crowe's "Robin Hood".

7/10. Might as well watch it since sequels are sure to follow.

The fall of the Euro

2010-05-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

If volcanic ashes were not enough, how about an economic crisis? Greece proved to be a spark for what would be an overhaul of the Euro system which has seen the Euro dollar take a plummeting since the start of the month. The immediate impact of the euro crisis has been (a) a fall in oil prices (b) a fall in long-term interest rates, both of which have transnational implications, which means this would be a good time to examine what exactly is wrong with the Euro and where is it headed.

Perhaps the most startling and frustrating thing about the debate over the fate of the euro is the way almost everyone avoids confronting the core issue. With a unified currency, adjustment to differential shocks requires adjustments in relative wages - and because the nations of the European periphery have gone from boom to bust, their adjustment must be downward. At this point, wages in Greece/Spain/Portugal/Latvia/Estonia etc. need to fall something like 20-30 percent relative to wages in Germany. Of course this would set off wide-spread discontent.

The Greek budget crisis has made it clear that something must be done to limit fiscal deficits in eurozone countries. The attempt to do so with the group's Stability and Growth Pact has failed and there is now political consensus in Europe that new rules are needed to prevent large deficits.

There have been no agreement on what should be done and none expected soon. The European Commission proposed last week that the national budgets of each country be examined by the others before they are approved. It would clearly be anathema to the German government to have its spending and tax policies approved by France, let alone by Greece and Portugal. The problem therefore to find a way to prevent excessive deficits while leaving member states free to shape their own spending and tax policies.

Here something may be learnt from United States. Although the 50 states share a currency and each sets its own spending and tax policies, state deficits remain very low. Even California has a deficit of only about 1 percent of the state's GDP and total general obligation debt of less than 4 percent of state GDP. The basic reason for these small deficits is that each state's constitution prohibits borrowing for operating purposes. In some states, these self-imposed restrictions go back to the 19th century, a time when excessive borrowing led to state defaults. Those states wanted to assure potential lenders that such excess borrowing would not happen again. Over time, all states adopted such rules to help make the bonds they issued for capital expenditures attractive to investors.

If the EMU governments were to adopt similar constitutional rules, the interest rates on their bonds would fall. Of course, important differences exist between EMU members and the U.S. states. Because Europe lacks a central fiscal authority, some provision must be made for temporary deficits when economic conditions warrant. European nations also have national security responsibilities that may require surges in defense spending. But if the budget rules are well articulated, the effectiveness of the fiscal discipline will remain.

Germany recently adopted such a constitutional amendment. Germany's central government must reduce its deficit to 0.35 percent of GDP by 2016 unless a decline in GDP causes a larger deficit. Other EMU nations could follow Germany's example because doing so would bring down their interest rates. The European Central Bank could accelerate this process by restricting collateral to bonds issued by governments with satisfactory constitutional limits on their deficits. The combination of national self-interest in achieving lower interest rates and an ECB rule on allowable collateral would create a powerful restriction on deficits. It would also leave member governments free to determine the structure and levels of their taxes and spending, as long as their decisions did not violate their self-imposed constitutional limits.

Meanwhile, Gold and the US Dollar have been great beneficiaries from the Euro crisis as people seek alternative to the Euro for real value.

Ethan and Monica's Wedding

2010-05-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

The afternoon ceremony was held at the beautiful Northview Golf & Country Club. Monica is beautiful as always and they looked so happy together. Did I mention this is my first Korean wedding? It was really fun to watch Ethan carry Monica into the Banquet room (I heard in Korea, they have to carry the bride's mom in as well).

Anyways, led by Daniel Bae and Ken Hsieh, two relentless funsters, kiss requests were aplenty. Never have I seen a more shy bride who shuns and blushes, poor Ethan had to grab her by the waist and turn her into a helpless angle to relieve his passion.

It was simple but sweet. It really warms my heart that yet another good friend has found her happiness and bliss.

欧洲之行之尾 - 巴黎购物

2010-05-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

离开了希腊，又回到巴黎，要待两天，顺便把该买的解决一下。我们这两天住在La Defence的Sofitel。虽然是五星级酒店，不过稍嫌位置偏远，是巴黎的最西边。还好它是巴黎的商业中心，地铁就在旁边，而且不到五分钟就可以步行到[新凯旋门]。

办完酒店手续，我们赶往[LaFoye]购物。因为今天是周六，而巴黎的百货公司周日都休息，这里真是人潮汹涌，在退税区的团队更是挤的水泄不通。其实巴黎的本产名牌真是比外地便宜很多，就拿LV来说，加加减减后落差可能两三成不止，而且款式又新又多。欧元最近不景气，大家可能都是乘机消费。商店八点打烊，我们回到酒店时已经九点多了。

第二天，我们更是神勇，从[凯旋门]一直走到[巴黎铁塔]。由于是周六，人潮拥挤，排队都要几个小时，因此我们打消了上塔观景的打算。在[塞纳河]边享用了此行的最后晚餐，兴奋的同时，深感疲累。

两个礼拜不停的走动，双脚发疼，尤其是小腿跟脚板，虽然睡眠充足，不过体力始终消耗未复。照了下镜子，我是晒黑了。这里的气候使得我们皮肤干燥。想想，我们身上还真不少战利品呢。

要离开欧洲时，不要忘了退税。退税过程很慢，建议大家以后不要取领现金，直接寄单存入信用卡比较方便。我们团队之前就是因为退税过程太慢，差点赶不上飞机，最后也只有一两个人有退到税，大家怨气冲天。我们来来回回，scan了，打印了，也耗上一个多小时。有些单还一定要寄去退税，不能领取现金，简直荒谬。反正搞到我们问了无数次，那里的人又英文不好，浪费了很多时间，赶紧追机，最后刚好赶上，一肚子火起飞了。

算了，总算能松一口气，终于可以回家了。幸好长荣这次没多少人，有一半是空位，也许是最近的暴乱和火山灰的影响吧。我们可以换到我们想要的位子。

快点休息吧。到了台湾后，隔天还要赶去新加坡，然后后天又要飞往日本结温哥华。光想就已经累了。

希腊之游 - Santorini

2010-05-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

希腊之美胜过言语，照片为证。

我们住在离Fira不远的Imerovigli的Heliotopos酒店。在网上订购时，大家对Heliotopos的评价很高，尤其是服务。几天下来，的确如此，每天都可以免费享受Breakfast in Bed的服务，每天都有无数问题向他们求助，而他们总是有求必应。这是个小酒店，仅仅十间房间，服务员基本上是一脚踢。

我们第一天尝试走去市区，本地人都说很近，但他们的二十分钟，我们走了三十，而且处处是梯阶，必非平路。每天这样走还得了？不瘫才怪！！算了我们城市人还是搭计程车吧。

有人说Santorini很奇怪，驴比人多，酒比水多，教堂比房子多。好笑吧?

我们总是看到人在油漆，因为大多的围墙都是以白为色。蓝色的屋顶，蓝色的天空，蓝色的海洋，这里一年没几天雨，所以阳光普照，天天是蓝天白云，这是它们独特的美。

在这，每天看到Athens暴乱的新闻，多少也有点担心，不过本地倒始终没受影响。

大多数的人都在Santorini花个三天，而我们来了五天，逛风景，去做spa，拍摄，还玩不够啊。

这里实在太简陋，贫穷，不然也不失为一个适合居住的地方。我一直都是偏爱山海，多过草木。如此美景，不枉一游。

希腊之游 - 婚照

2010-05-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

等待已久的一日终于来临。我们昨晚非常早睡，希望今天的状况可以最佳，不过由于心情紧张，可能睡眠品质都没那么好。

早上要出发时，临时发现我忘了怎么开手挡车，搞得手忙脚乱的，琢磨了好一会儿，租车老板就帮我换了一台自挡车。看了看时间，糟了，已经八点四十五分，迟了十五分钟，赶紧飞速赶去Julia摄影队的酒店。

忙碌了好多天，昨天还特地去按摩解压，今天轻松多了，状态良好。Sharon依旧美艳可爱，表情自然。

两天前在OIA闲逛时遇到今天会为我们摄影的Julia摄影队，发现摄影师Jackie原来是旧相识，十年前左右曾经为Sharon拍过照，世界还真小。由于我人生地不熟，今天拜托Jackie开车，才发现他不仅技术好，对希腊的路更是比回家还熟。加上助理和造型师，我们五人一车一路上，说说笑笑时间飞快。有时聊到其他也来希腊的情侣，各有各的故事，更觉希腊真是浪漫。

有时在沙滩玩耍，有时观赏夕阳，有时在Santorini的层层阶梯独特的民族村，跑跑停停的摆POSE，怕照，其实还蛮好玩的。一边欣赏风景，一边听到热情的希腊人的祝福，那种感觉真是难以形容。今天不知不觉已经九点了，幸福的感觉还没结束。

由于后天还要飞往巴黎，所以麻烦了Julia帮我们想办法把衣服带回台湾。之后我跟Sharon买了晚餐，回到酒店，躺在沙发上，细细回味这一天的美丽，喜悦和兴奋。今天，Sharon换了五套服装各有各的风格，配合着希腊独有的风景，照片出来一定很美。听说大家希腊组的照片都没有选少于一百五十张，那么以我们如此俊男美女，不是要选个。。。。听说摄影师拍了九百多张哦，我的天啊！！

欧洲之游之五 - 比萨，佛罗伦斯和罗马

2010-05-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

来意大利当然非来观看比萨铁塔，世界人造七大奇迹之一。尽管多人努力稳住斜度，最终都无法避免斜塔会倒塌的命运，这是个奇迹也注定是个悲剧。

在比萨坐着马车游城一圈，发现房屋都有数百年的历史，尤其多是教堂和大学。

这一天都在巴士上过。一下就到托斯卡尼风味晚餐的时间。饭后又是开上山住宿于一间古老庄园。

庄园实在太简陋，也就不用对人显眼，反正我们都打了叉叉，大家心里有数就是。

今天的行程可丰富了，先是前往佛罗伦斯。佛罗伦斯被认为是文艺复兴运动的诞生地，艺术与建筑的摇篮之一，拥有众多的历史建筑，和藏品丰富的博物馆。在[领主广场]，这里有宏伟的旧宫，兰奇长廊中的雕塑杰作长廊。不远处是该市的宗教中心[圣母百花大教堂]，连同其庄严的穹顶，在托斯卡纳大公国时期，据说其阴影能覆盖整个托斯卡纳；陪伴巨大的主教座堂的是极为美丽的[乔托钟楼]，以及[佛罗伦萨圣若望洗礼堂]，在其青铜大门之中，还有一扇黄金的[天堂之门]。

佛罗伦斯是诗人但丁，艺术巨匠米开朗基罗和世界闻名的艺术家及科学家的达文西之故乡。如此美城给人无穷的灵感。

其后就赶往意大利首都罗马。

参观了另外一个世界七大人造奇迹之一的[圆形竞技场]，教皇国梵蒂冈，然后花了一百五十年才完成也是世界最大的教堂[圣彼得大教堂]，[万神殿]和[许愿池]，大家都舍不得结束意义深厚的团游。怕了此行唯一一张群体合照后，大家收拾好行李和心情，准备回家的旅程。

不过我和Sharon现在才开始希腊之游，兴奋难以压抑。

欧洲之游之四 - 时尚之城米兰和水上古都威尼斯

2010-04-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

离开了瑞士，一小时多就来到了意大利的米兰。参观了[米兰大教堂]，尤其壮观的屋顶，我们穿过艾曼纽二世回廊来到文西广场，欣赏着达文西和他四徒的雕像。然后稍有点时间逛了下，买了麦当劳，继续赶往威尼斯。

逐渐毁沉的威尼斯必须乘船方能抵达，从港口大约三十分钟的游程。走过叹息桥参观其美景，然后乘坐威尼斯代表交通工具 - 贡多拉。技术高超的船夫轻控着长型的燕尾船在狭窄的河，拱桥水梁，古昔港弄之间，唱着Opera，香槟助兴，何其浪漫。不过，我们这团没有预备香槟，让人有点失望。

晚餐是美味的意大利面，然后漫步返回港口，一边欣赏威尼斯的日落。

欧洲之行之三 - 瑞士

2010-04-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

早餐后前往卢森小镇。瑞士真是整洁，景色优美，河边的天鹅，蓝天白云，市民友善，难怪被誉为最适合居住国家之一。瑞士表，钟，巧克力特别有名。看了许久的Cuckoo钟，我们终于买了一个中型的为念。然后享用了可口的冰淇淋后，又是两个小时的路程前往瑞士英格堡。

在山边，我们先用完午餐，享受风景，再搭乘层层的缆车，包括首创的360度旋转缆车前往海拔3，020公尺的铁力士山，也就是瑞士中部的最高峰。

去了千年冰洞转了会儿，差点在黑冰滑倒。奇怪的是，如此高峰，竟然感觉凉爽而不冰冷。

又是忙碌的一天，晚上的酒店是新开的B4，相当时尚，房间也非常舒服，不过网络断线，让人郁闷。

欧洲之游之二 - 梵爾賽宮Versailles

2010-04-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

早上八点准，大家都用过早点，兴高采烈的准备前往[梵爾賽宮]。因为疲累，昨晚我们睡得相当熟，没有什么时差的影响。

第一眼看到[梵爾賽宮]时，不仅因为它的雄伟震撼，心里也觉得法国人對這宮殿一定既爱且恨。多少血泪為建造這宮而流，多少人为此挨餓至死。Louis XIV的挥霍使国力积弱，民不聊生。不过[梵爾賽宮]又是法國人的驕傲，巴黎旅遊業的一大卖点。

宫殿内书画雕像无数，金碧辉煌，不过全宫最美的还是御花园，美轮美奂，井井有条的花市，高雅的喷池与池边雕像。再远望那重重绿林，做皇帝也不是一无是处嘛。

Louis XIV建此殿，无非是因为骄傲，想宣扬名气。虽然后人对Louis XIV不断唾骂，我觉得现代的法国人始终没有从历史学习，依旧自大狂妄，排斥异己，歧视异族。文化和艺术固然重要，但必须与时并进，这点法国依旧失败。

在人潮拥挤中，突然传来有个团友的皮包被扒了，损失$2,000多美元。一对老夫妻假装挤位乘机拉开包链，扒走皮包。大家心情一沉，双手不自禁的护包。早闻法国意大利扒手云集，没想到这么快就遇上了。

饭后，大家前往法国独有的TGV子弹列车前往以生产芥菜及葡萄酒闻名的第戎，然后再乘巴前往瑞士。

加减之下，今天花了十个小时有多的时间赶路，行程相当紧迫，疲累说今晚一定又是一觉到天亮。

欧洲之游之一：浪漫城市巴黎

2010-04-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

起飞前个礼拜，因为火山灰的顾虑，欧洲之行面临危机，不过很幸运的，计划不变，我们起飞了。

为了避开火山灰，飞机必须绕道而行，以致飞行往巴黎的时间比平常花了三个多小时，整整十五个小时，疲累不在言下。抵达巴黎的那一刻，握着Sharon的手，心里充满激动与兴奋。

巴黎ROISSY CDG机场又旧又脏，处处烟味，让我不太适应，鼻子过敏，喷嚏不断。数了一下，团队仅有二十人之多，四队年轻情侣包括我们，其余都是长辈。导游Louis风趣的自我介绍，解释有许多人为了火山灰临时爽约被罚三成的团费。我们之前的一队因为飞机停飞，多逗留了一周有多。我们相当幸运能避开那紧急时段。

旅程开始，巴士带着我们前往世界三大美术馆之一的奥赛美术馆 - 罗浮宫。罗浮宫可谓精宝无数，就算走马看花也需花上三日以上的时间，不过我们此行只为罗浮三宝 - [蒙娜丽莎的微笑]，[胜利女神像]及[维纳斯]。

午餐是法式的田螺餐，精美美味。饭后，大家士气高昂的搭乘[塞纳河]游船，欣赏两岸浪漫景色。如此美景，可惜非夜游，不过一样让人心醉。

接着Louis拉着我们去了行程之外的圣母教堂及充满艺术气息，艺术家聚集的书家村。这时明显已经没多少时间在巴黎逛街了，而且当头霹雳的是巴黎竟然周日休业，而我和Sharon仅有五月九的周日一日才能巴黎自由行。

Louis体恤大家购物兴趣，大方的给了我们一个小时多的时间逛巴黎最大的百货公司[LaFoye]，那里什么名牌都有就是没有[Hermes]。到的时候，见到一堆大陆团急着退税，原来他们已经逛了好几个小时，购买力真是惊人。晚餐自负。

走了一天，脚板隐隐作痛，躺在床上就睡着了，明天七点叫早。

Sony HX5V

2010-04-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Went and got myself a new camera for upcoming Europe trip.

Sony CyberShot DSC-HX5V is a 10.2MP CMOS Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle Zoom with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization. The camera also features HD movie recording, integrated GPS receiver and compass, ISO 125-3200, Intelligent Sweep Panorama Mode, and a 3.0″ Clear Photo LCD™ display (230k pixels). The camera measures 4 1/8″ x 2 3/8″ x 1 3/16″ (102.9mm x 57.7mm x 28.9mm ) and weighs 6.0oz. (170g).

The Sony HX5V also includes both a GPS receiver and compass built-in, allowing it to tag images with both the location and direction in which they were captured. I am not really that into this feature but since we will be travelling, it might prove to be convenient.

The thing I love about HX5V is you turn it on, compose the image and fire. Don't worry about the settings except to ask yourself if you should be in Program Auto, HDR, HHT or iSweep Panorama. And maybe 4:3 or 16:9. Then let the camera take it from there.

You'll be as surprised as I was when you get the picture you wanted instead of the one you expected. The Sony HX5V will capture what you saw, what attracted you to the scene, not what a camera sees through its tiny lens, crammed on its tiny sensor. The Sony HX5V is a convenience.

Brian and Lilian's Engagaement

2010-04-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Not even 24 hours since arriving in Taiwan, I was on the bus from Taipei to Taizhong for Brian's engagement. It was a 2 hour drive setting off at 8 in the morning yet it didn't seem at all too early for the 20 some of us. I was even a little more than excited since I took it as a rehearsal of what is to come of my own engagement in a week's time.

The morning ceremony was rather messy since there was no main coordinator directing and the many traditions were simply confusing. The little chicken boy was in tears without his dad around and I had my hands full trying to pacify him. But at last, all went well and it was a day not to be dampened.

The lunch engagement banquet was held at 新天地 which is designed for wedding banquets. It can host up to 8 weddings at a time if I counted right. The setting was nice but I did find that the place was a little cramped especially when the Bride was struggling to walk through in her fluffy dress. We, the groom's side, promptly left the tables quietly without goodbyes when the fish was served. It is one of the traditions I found funny and interesting.

Overall, it was still lots of fun and a joyous event for all. Here are some pictures taken with Claire's camera. Enjoy.

Silvia's Engagement - April 17, 2010

2010-04-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

What a hectic month April has been. I just arrived in Singapore 4 days ago hoping to help my sis with her engagement, but she is as independent as ever, already planned everything.

The engagement actually went better than I expected. I am especially grateful to my secondary school good friend, Eddie Lim, who came despite busy work to photograph the event. The black and white photos are proof that he is talented since he has never done wedding shoots before.

Phil and Silvia (P.S.) really brought out the crowd with a duet and moving speeches. They also got a great band and singer (details later) which swayed the crowd the whole night. They have some great ideas like the outside photo booth which was a great hit.

It is almost overwhelming to meet all these friends and relatives which has seen me grow up but has lost touch as I have been overseas for so long. I almost hated for the night to end.

The Singapore trip was short but fun. Well done, sis.

My Engagement - April 10, 2010

2010-04-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

感谢来百忙中抽空观礼的亲友们，昨天我和Sharon有了难忘的文定之日。

原本没有预计会有那么多观众，一下子被50多人围绕，我们都十分感动和受宠若惊。虽然后来上台致谢时，舌头突然打结，不过整体来讲，一切还算顺利。

忙碌的一天终于结束，相信大家也相当的累了。筹备已久的婚宴告一段落，真想扑倒在床上大睡一场。

临睡前，先贴一些照片与大家分享，等体力复原后再Update吧。

三个傻B笑话

2010-03-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

一男入厕，刚把门关上就听隔壁问：“你来了？”
　　
他说：“是啊。”
可心里想，这隔壁是谁啊？我认识他吗？奇怪！
这时隔壁又问：“你来干吗啊？”
他生气的说：“拉屎啊！来这能干吗？！”
隔壁又问：“那你什么时候走啊？”
他想这人是有神经病！懊恼的说：“拉完就走！！”
这时隔壁又问：“那一会你来我这里一下吧，好吗？”
此人心里一惊：“靠！原来是同性恋！”
他大骂道：“你他妈的去死吧，变态！”
隔壁又说：“恩，先挂了吧，一会再给你打过去，我旁边来了个傻Ｂ！我说一句他接一句！！

甲老师在批改英语作文，忽然大发雷霆：“我从来没看过这么烂的英语作文”
乙老师见状问：“写的是什么啊？”
甲老师：“写一个王子和公主的故事。”
“不错啊”乙说。
“他竟然在开头写王子问公主‘can you speak chinese?'
公主回答‘yes',
接下来的全部都是中文

有一个神经病，不知从哪里弄到了一把手枪，他走在一条小黑色胡同里。

突然遇上一个年轻人，神经病2 话不说将其安在地上用枪支着他的头！问道：“一加一等于几？”

年轻人吓坏了！沉思了许久.回答：“等于2？？”

神经病毫不犹豫的开枪杀了他！然后把枪拽在怀里~冰冷的说了一句：

“你知道得太多了！”

非诚勿扰

2010-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

最近，紧追“非诚勿扰”男女速配综艺节目，觉得美女众多眼前一亮，男生则是使劲耍宝夺人所目，相当的有娱乐性。从第一期到现在的第十四期，相当多对速配成功，但绝大多数令人印象深刻的美女竟然都是剩女。以下是我反省后的结论：

1．沈薇有中國古典美的味道，皮膚白皙，腹有詩書氣自華，是一位知性美女，集气质，才干，漂亮于一身的一位天使。

2．武萧懂得打扮和挑衣服，拥有甜蜜的笑容，也算是个美女。照我观察，她对老师的反应似乎有点过激，对男嘉宾却不够热情。她率直，敢怒敢言，隐约流露出一种强悍，是典型的女强人。

3．马伊咪一眼夺目，有点气质，有点个性，许多男人的一见钟情。起初，确实对她印象不错。不过越来越觉得她要求过高，眼光即短又浅。有深度内涵的男生，她不要。有理想胆识的男生，不适合。小男人，免谈。大男人，怕被管。不够男人，没意思。小姐，你到底想怎地？而且发现她皮肤不太好。

4．马诺性感无敌，写真为证。拥有喷火的身材，无穷的自信，样貌有点委屈，处事智商低的惊人，话无分寸语带刺。求求你，顾下其他人感受，行吗？

5．说到谢嘉，虽然不打扮，这里那里都缺了点什么女人味，不过她的心灵成熟，思想细密有深度，在众女中是理性的象征。不过，毕竟男人是视觉的动物，我开始有点担心她到节目停播那天也找不到对象。

6．昨晚，男嘉宾来了有史第一个老外，国语流利，人帅品行优，有稳定工作，并大胆的宣布仍是“完人”。在场，谢嘉回应，“我也是，完人。”。然后，其他女嘉宾反应尴尬，现场欢呼。

看了其中的6-7集后，想起古时女子的三从四德。

“三从”已成为封建婚姻留给妇女们的枷锁。而所谓的“四德”是指：

　　一德、品德，就是说做女子的第一要紧是能正身立本；

　　二容、相貌，指出入要端庄稳，重持礼，忌轻浮随便；

　　三言、言语，指与人交谈要会随意附义，善解人意，并知道该言与不该言；

　　四工、治家之道，相夫教子、尊老爱幼、勤俭节约等生活方面的细节。

不过，矫正过头的今天，现代的女性该有些什么基本要素？不少女人失却了基本的人格底线，修得四不德：

　　一不守、守雌，殊不知女性修养乃“柔弱者者胜刚强“（老子《道德经》）的最高道幸，是守望家园的镇妖之宝。女性的强势已动摇社会与婚姻的基础。

　　二不贞、贞操，情感，性感的开放导致了社会放纵。昔日的从一而终，洁身自爱，荡然无存。

　　三不真、假情假意假身躯，为权为金为名利。

　　四不工、治家无道、婚姻失调，教子无方，为老不尊等

当然，现代还是有不少德才兼备之女。水是滋润可爱，月亮是弯月幽情，明白这是为什么吗？是一种修养，一种污泥而不染之洁净，一种高而不骄的谦虚，一种从内渗出的气质。

我来买手机的.....

2010-03-28T03:02:00.001-07:00

Do you feel qualified?

2010-03-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

A Congressman was seated next to a little girl on the airplane when the he turned to her and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.'

The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the total stranger, 'What would you like to talk about?'

'Oh, I don't know,' said the congressman. 'How about global warming or universal health care', and he smiles smugly.

OK, ' she said. 'Those could be interesting topics. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?'

The California legislator, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.'

To which the little girl replies, 'Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming or universal health care when you don't know shit?

Health Care Reform & A Stronger Canadian $

2010-03-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

In a 219-212 vote late yesterday, the House of Representatives approved the largest healthcare overhaul in four decades. The bill, which failed to garner a single Republican vote, will be signed into law by Obama, who called it "a victory for the American people."

The healthcare measures will cost $940B over ten years and cover 32M uninsured Americans. The bill is a mixed bag for insurers, who stand to gain over 20M new customers but are unhappy the bill doesn't substantially address the problem of rising healthcare costs and further reduces government subsidies to the industry. Pharmaceutical companies, on the other hand, emerge as clear winners from the bill, while large businesses are worried about higher costs and stricter coverage rules.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar is charging towards par with its U.S. counterpart. Canada's currency has risen about 7 percent since early February, peaking on Friday at 99.38 U.S. cents, its highest since July, 2008. Many analysts expect it to return to parity with the U.S. dollar, and stay strong through 2010 or longer.

What this means is that cross-border acquisitions have become more attractive. There are also greater availability of debt and equity financing. What does this means for local businesses if consumers are heading south for cheaper products or looking to acquire U.S. assets by Canadian companies looking to grow?

Canada's economic recovery has outpaced the U.S. and corporate balance sheets are stronger. Debt and equity markets have been willing to finance deals, and may be even more enthusiastic about a U.S. purchase that could be financed in both U.S. and Canadian dollars. In short, Canadian companies are better positioned than many of their international peers to purchase foreign assets, having better weathered the financial crisis than most, and emerged from the recession with stronger balance sheets -- relatively high levels of cash and low levels of debt.

But staying true to “No Risk, No Gain” belief, while there is no doubt with the U.S. being a significant market, if you buy a strategic asset which has a great fit with your business, you can achieve synergies, but at the same time, you have to be ready to take some volatility along the way.

The U.S. economy is still unhealthy with high levels of national debt that has to raise concerns and lead to the question, “How far can the U.S. currency fall?”. Of course, there would be less incentive to purchase an asset when it will be worth less in the future. Agreeing on a price is fraught in an economy where no one is sure if the biggest risks are still ahead.

The soaring Canadian dollar does help Canadian companies in another way, allowing them to import at lower costs, especially inventory and equipment upgrades.

Overall, Canada’s economy is heavily reliant on immigrants with new money and the commodities market. Then there are other causes for concern with local businesses struggling to keep up with increasing competition and most fresh graduates are victims of structural unemployment (stuck in a job well under their qualifications).

睡功

2010-03-23T00:27:00.000-07:00

一天内睡功只能练一种功法。

1)安神式：

上床前洗漱完毕，再以热干毛巾捂双眼几秒钟。以穿薄棉质内衣入被内，调枕高度至适度，缓缓躺下，仰卧。

上肢自然伸略曲，手心向下置于身体两侧，下肢舒伸，脚分开同肩宽，足尖呈八字分开(不勉强) ，摇动调整身体至感觉适坦。

以目视房顶，慢慢将神光收回，轻轻合眼，内视鼻尖，一直向下看至下丹田(指脐部一带范围)。轻合齿，舌缓卷轻抵上腭。

吸气时不要注意口、鼻，而是想像气从四面八方(上下左右前后……)进入下丹田，呼气从下丹田通过全身向四面八方发射；如此呼吸3遍(或6遍、12遍)后转入自然呼吸(仍然是如前述进、出)，在真入睡后如又醒了，仍然按自然呼吸进行。

在睡功中出现身体膨胀或腾空感觉均属正常反应，不惊不喜任其自然。
此功法疗效：安神、养精、解乏。

2）、降血压式：

以热干毛巾捂鼻梁几秒钟，再顺鼻梁向下慢慢擦至脖部。以穿薄棉质内衣入被内，调枕高度至适度，缓缓躺下，仰卧。

上肢自然伸略曲，手心置于大腿根，下肢舒伸，脚自然伸。

轻轻合眼，内视鼻尖，一直向下看至涌泉穴。上升到下丹田(意念气缓缓从涌泉穴向上进入下丹田)，以不勉强吸为度；呼气时从下丹田下降至涌泉穴，以不勉强呼为度。如此，呼吸3遍(或6遍、12遍)后转入自然呼吸。

出现腿麻、凉、胀及气流感属正常反应，不惊不喜任其自然。

此功法疗效：清心火，降血压。

3)、补虚还阳式：

入被前及预备式，意念运用同安神式。

然后将两掌心盖肚脐窝(男左手在内，右手盖在左手之上，女则反之)，呼吸从以肚脐及腰之间的中心地带为中心，从四面八方进出，如如此呼吸3遍(或6遍、12遍)后转入自然呼吸(仍然是如前述进、出)，在真入睡后如又醒了，仍然按自然呼吸进行。

此功法对有些人会感觉腹部时有响动，属正常反应，不惊不喜任其自然。

此功法针对阴即二虚，体弱无力、气短神疲者；

功效是温阳补虚，还阳和中，消食导滞。

4)、调气扶心式：

入床前先洗漱完毕，然后原地站立轻轻踏步50下，踏步时微仰头，眼微开而不用神。再以穿薄棉质内衣入被内，调枕高度至适度，缓缓躺下，仰卧。

上肢自然伸略曲，手心向下叠掌复盖膻中穴(两乳头连线中)，下肢膝微弯曲，将二脚底轻轻相抵，摇动调整身体至感觉适坦。

以目视房顶，慢慢将神光收回，轻轻合眼，内视鼻尖，一直向下看至膻中穴。轻合齿，舌缓卷轻抵上腭。

吸从四面八方进，呼从膻中穴注向气海穴。其余同安神式。

功中有些人有气动声响，属正常反应，不惊不喜任其自然。

此功法功效是调气降逆、宽胸利膈。对胸痛、气管炎、胸膈闷满、心脏疾患有一定疗效。

5)、保肝明胆式：

入被前及预备式，意念运用同安神式。

然后将两掌心盖肝胆区(男左手在内，右手盖在左手之上，女则反之)，肝胆区在心窝沿最后一根胁骨1/3处。

想像肝胆形状，然后闭目，舌抵上腭，吸气时，想像气从从四面八方向肝胆区压，呼气从齿缝呼出，吸呼转换时舌由上腭转下腭。从四面八方要自然缓长，不宜刻意过度。如此吸呼3遍(或6遍、12遍)后转入自然呼吸。

练习此功法时，有些人会感觉肝胆腹部时有响动，属正常反应，不惊不喜任其自然。

此功法益气舒肝、明胆开窍。对慢性肝炎、肝肿大，肝区不适，火盛，胆痛有疗效。

6)、扶脾健胃式：

入被前及预备式，意念运用同安神式，然后将两掌心盖左胁胃脾区 (男左手在内，右手盖在左手之上，女则反之)，胃脾区在心窝沿左胁最后一根胁骨1/3处。然后闭目，舌抵上腭，吸气时，想像气从从四面八方向胃脾区压，呼气从齿缝呼出，吸呼转换时舌由上腭转下腭。从四面八方要自然缓长，不宜刻意过度。如此吸呼3 遍(或6遍、12遍)后转入自然呼吸。

此功法和胃定痛，扶脾去胀。对脾大、脾胃不和、胃炎、胃病痛胀、消化不良有疗效。

World's easiest quiz

2010-03-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ!

(Passing requires only 3 correct answers out of 10!)

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get cat gut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

Remember, you need 3 correct answers to pass.

Check your answers below.

ANSWERS

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years

2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador

3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
November

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs

7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert

8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange
(of course!)

What do you mean, you failed?!!

Me, too...!!!

四书五经

2010-03-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

凡是对中国传统文化稍有了解的人，都不会不知道《四书》。它是《论语》、《孟子》、《大学》、《中庸》四部著作的总称。南宋著名学者朱熹曾讲过，“先读《大学》以定其规模，次读《论语》以定其根本，次读《孟子》以观其发越，次读《中庸》以求古人之微妙处。》

由于朱熹注释的《四书》既融会了前人的学说，又有他自己的独特见解，切于世用；又由于以程颢、程颐兄弟和朱熹为代表的“程朱理学”地位的日益上升，所以，朱熹死后，朝廷便将他所编定注释的《四书》审定为官书，从此盛行起来，到元代延佑年间（1314——1320）恢复科举考试，正式把出题范围限制在朱注《四书》之内，明、清沿袭而衍出“八股文”考试制度，题目也都是在朱注《四书》里。

由于这些因素，使《四书》不仅成为了儒学的重要经典，而且也成了每个读书人的必读书，成了直到近代全国统一的标准的小学教科书。

五经指的是《诗经》《尚书》《礼记》《周易》和《春秋》，简称为“诗、书、礼、易、春秋”，在之前，还有一本《乐经》，合称“诗、书、礼、乐、易、春秋”,这六本书也被称做“六经”，其中的《乐经》在秦始“皇焚书坑儒”后从此失传亡佚，就此只剩下了五经。东汉在此基础上加上《论语》、《孝经》，共七经；唐时加上《周礼》、《礼记》、《春秋公羊传》，《春秋谷梁传》、《尔雅》，共十二经；宋时加《孟子》，后有宋刻《十三经注疏》传世。

惭愧，惭愧。我身处外国不知中国，只知“现代后”而不知“现代前”，将来如何教子？

US VS CANADA

2010-03-13T23:23:00.001-08:00

US SHIP: Please divert your course 0.5 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

CANADIAN REPLY: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

US SHIP: This is the Captain of the US Navy Ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

CANADIAN REPLY: No, I say again, divert YOUR course!

US SHIP: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS MISSOURI. WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW OR WE WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE AND DRASTIC MEASURES!!!!

CANADIAN REPLY: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

When did you first realize?

2010-03-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

"Darling," murmured the girl to her boyfriend, "when did you first
realize that you were in love with me?"

"Well, I suppose," whispered the man tenderly, "it was when I started
getting angry with all the other guys in the office who said you were a
lousy lay."

Bentley Mulsanne

2010-03-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

Pictures are courtesy of my good friend, Manuel.

Fazioli piano owners were invited to join Bentley Vancouver to enjoy a preview of the new Bentley Mulsanne on Thursday the 11th of March.

It looked..... fairly similar to older recent models, which is somewhat disappointing. The interior is almost a straight copy. But, customers will have a choice of 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, and be able to specify a custom colour scheme. Additionally, the car will have far more advanced technology compared to the Arnage, and can be specified to feature a NAIM premium audio system complete with iPod/MP3 compatibility, with Bluetooth and an advanced MMI capability. Overall, it is quite a view, giving a grandeur feeling that is unique to Bentley. Price? Somewhere over the $500,000 rainbow.

I didn't make it to the Jaguar's reception the day before for its 2010 XF but I heard it is the bomb(good food kept coming) and there is a huge factory discount (Imagine $50/mth, zero down).

Anyways, as long as they are free, its always fun to go.

忙碌再忙碌

2010-03-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

已经一年多没有来TOSHI了。虽然还是等了一个多小时才入座，不过最后还是尝到新奇的美食，服务生随忙服务却周到，吃的开心，心情十分受用。

这两个礼拜忙忙碌碌，也不知何时起，右脚隐隐做疼，后背肌肉拉伤还未复原，疲累仿佛堆积如山。有时，闭上眼躺在床上久久难眠，想着做不完的事等着，想着不在身边的人，想着不明白的事，想着可能的遗憾，想着。。。想着。。。

心情变得沉重。最近，公司决定封锁网路，删掉游戏，禁同事交谈等等，不仅难以理解，甚至不通情理。虽然我已经通知月底辞职，但对于公司的无理决策，恼怒难休，为我其他的同事，深感不平。当然，我也明白主要是台北总行的指令，但是既然已经直接影响到我们每天的工作，也许还是应该有人向上头反映一下。试问不能时刻更新新闻与讯息的话，还有什么职业标准？试问不能与同事交谈的话，僵硬的工作环境怎么能维持良好的工作效率？更何况，做完事后，在不影响他人的情况下舒缓一下，有何不妥？我也不排除有小人在无中生有，煽风点火，打小报告的可能性。

工作之外，婚礼细节很多需要安排决定，其后欧洲之旅也需要仔细策划，有时还真佩服我爸，事事都能妥当处理，而我觉得有点力不从心。没关系，我撑得过去，一件一件的把事情做完。

还有十来天就算解脱了吧。月底时，我就会飞往台湾，与Sharon碰面，好好休息几天。

现在请帮我加油！！

Engagement Invitation (In Taiwan)

2010-03-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

Boy, it has been a hectic week and I may be suffering from fatigue more than I am willing to admit.

Meanwhile Sharon has done a good job planning the engagement and here is the finalized invitation.

Everyone is invited!!

Living Proof

2010-03-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

"Honey," said the husband to his wife, "I invited a friend home for supper."

"What? Are you crazy? The house is a mess, I didn't go shopping, all the dishes are dirty, and I don't feel like cooking a fancy meal!"

"I know all that."

"Then why did you invite a friend for supper?"

"Because the poor fool's thinking about getting married".

Wedding Songs

2010-03-03T23:40:00.001-08:00

Nice So-You-Think-You-Can-Dance routines

2010-02-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

RBC VIP Olympic Invite

2010-02-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

What a day! What a day!

I was at Level 36, complimentary of the RBC VIP Olympic invite. This executive floor has been converted into a hospitality suite, complete with full kitchen service, bar and three breakout rooms. The decor rivals that of trendy Yaletown bars; electric blue, modern white, clean lines of glass tables complemented the spectacular view.

The morning tour of the Vancouver Art Museum which was featuring the 18 unpublished transcript of Leonardo Da Vinci, was quite the way to start off an eventful morning. Lunch was back at Level 36 where the room exploded with cheers as Jasey Jay pulled a miraculous come-from-behind victory in Slalom claiming Canada's 12th gold medal and second of the day. This came just 5 minutes after Canada won the Men's Team Pursuit Speed Skating Gold and before the room calmed down from the excitement.

Just when you thought the day would not get any better, we were treated to one of the best performance on ice ever by the best skaters around the world at the Pacific Coliseum. This is the day I made up my mind to teach my future daughter the art of dancing on ice, figure skating. Particularly impressive is Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and their playful routine, as well as the graceful Evan Lysacek from USA.

Its been a long day and I still have a Mercedes Benz party at Canvas Lounge tonight.

What a day!

羞涩的温柔

2010-02-26T22:06:00.001-08:00

張學友 Private Corner

2010-02-26T20:47:00.001-08:00

Wrong Side

2010-02-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

A young priest gets up in the morning and goes to breakfast. On his way two nuns look at him and he says, "Good morning sisters" and they reply in a sing song manner, "You got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

This stuns the priest who thought he had been very polite but he just goes on. He encounters a Brother a little while later along the way and he says, "Good morning Brother." The Brother replies in a sing song voice, "You got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." The
priest looks confused at all this but goes on.

He gets a little farther and he comes across a fellow priest and he says, "Good morning Father." The priest replies in a sing song manner, "You got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Now the priest was mad. He continues his walk to the dinning hall not saying a word to anyone.

The Bishop sees him and says, "Father" The young priest was not going to take any more even from the bishop. He looks at the bishop and says, "No I did not get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

The bishop looks at him stunned and says "What?" The priest realized his mistake and said "I am sorry your holiness, what is it you want." The bishop looks at him and says, "All I was going to do was ask you why you had on Sister Ann's shoes?"

2010-02-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

It was Schneider's birthday, and that morning there was a knock on the door. "Telegram!"

He opened the door excitedly, "Is it a singing telegram?" Schneider asked the messenger boy.

"No Sir. We don't do singing telegrams anymore."

"I've always wanted a singing telegram. Can't you bend the rules and make an old man happy?"

"Sorry."

"Please," begged Schneider. "Today's my birthday."

"Oh, all right," said the boy, "Dah-dah dah... dah-dah-dah, your sister Rose is dead!"

嫩美模

2010-02-18T22:41:00.000-08:00

陈好 - 万人迷

2010-02-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

姓名：陈好

出生日期： 1979-12-09

身高： 1.66米

体重： 50公斤

三围： 86，63，89

Valentine's Day Movie

2010-02-15T22:21:00.000-08:00

The Valentine's Day Movie is so bad, here is what critics have to say:

1) This may not be Titanic but it is a DISASTER!!

2) This is many bad movies for the price of one.

3) It feels like watching paint dry.

4) Imagine someone really really cute or someone you really really like, giving you a box of really really nasty chocolate for Valentine with the price tag still attached.

5) Valentine’s gift from hell

But at the end of it all, its just a movie for the romantic couples to just watch together. Through the good and bad.......

情人节

2010-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

今年，春节对我特别有意义。其一，它与情人节落在同日，仿佛亲情爱情融为一体，正合迎婚之意。其二，这是我与Sharon的一周年庆，也是我们的第一个共度的情人节。

情人，这是多么温馨甜美的语音，不由得想起两句古诗：

“情人怨遥夜，竟夕起相思”。

这种唯美而幽静的韵味，描写的是两情人之间的心有灵犀，情生一脉，在人世间能找到心心相印的有情人，比起一辈子都遇不到中意者的人来说，可谓是尘世中的无上的幸福了。

情人节送礼表达情意，贵在“心思”二字。

Sharon为我细心准备了本随身记忆Agenda，里面装满了我们的点点滴滴的回忆，写着她最深的感情。那时，我的心哭了，一股冲动想抱着她，也让她知道我有多爱她。

而我也送了Sharon一个Swaroski 的心形项链，希望能靠在她心中，用项链上的粉色的钥匙开她心锁。唯一美中不足的，就是没帮女生戴过项链的我竟然帮她戴反了。想起来真是可笑。

许多东西虽然短暂，却是毕生难忘。以后在在柴米油盐的搅拌中，平淡似水的日子里，心中仍会想起这个情人节而再次被感动。

祝大家情人节快乐。

Canada wins first Olympic Gold in Canada

2010-02-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

Vancourites!!

Time to rejoice after the first weekend of Winter Olympics 2010. After the latest heartbreak as moments after Canada's Heil put up a score of 25.69 to catapult into first place, US's Kearney put together the run of a lifetime to steal the Gold. But Alexandre Bilodeau, who won the men’s moguls tonight, became the first Canadian to win an Olympic title inside our country’s borders. He did it with seriously sick skiing

What a moment!

What a valentine's day!

What a Happy Chinese New Year!!

Evolution

Google tests cars that drive themselves

"Positive"

王力宏「你不知道的事」《戀愛通告》主題曲完整版MV 全球網路大首播

Monitor Audio - Bronze or Silver series?

高圆圆

Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i

Samsung Wave

NEW Heineken Commercial - very funny

iPhone4 vs HTC Evo

午后時光

白领美丝

龙 蕾

Bechstein's 'W. Hoffmann' Pianos

Krause Berry Farm

三国杀

Iphone 4 Press Conference

HP Photosmart C309a

Rex, the robotic exoskeleton

三十有一

结婚两周

David Stern on LBJ, the Decision and Dan Gilbert

Consumer Reports Confirms iPhone 4 Defect

钟丽缇 - 性感女神

Lebron going to Miami

Market Review: Deflation?

Wedding Banquet

Wedding Ceremony

迎娶

Wedding Preparations

Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer

Canadian banks: Bastion of Stability

7 reasons Canada is rated as a 'bastion of stability'

刘俐

Sharon's Birthday

Maki Nishiyama

Meisa Kuroki

Iwasa Mayuko

想通

CMHC: Canada's very own ticking economic time bomb!

对联

Iron Man 2

The fall of the Euro

Ethan and Monica's Wedding

欧洲之行之尾 - 巴黎购物

希腊之游 - Santorini

希腊之游 - 婚照

欧洲之游之五 - 比萨，佛罗伦斯和罗马

欧洲之游之四 - 时尚之城米兰和水上古都威尼斯

欧洲之行之三 - 瑞士

欧洲之游之二 - 梵爾賽宮Versailles

欧洲之游之一：浪漫城市巴黎

Sony HX5V

Brian and Lilian's Engagaement

Silvia's Engagement - April 17, 2010

My Engagement - April 10, 2010

三个傻B笑话

非诚勿扰

我来买手机的.....

Do you feel qualified?

Health Care Reform & A Stronger Canadian $

睡功

World's easiest quiz

四书五经

US VS CANADA

When did you first realize?

Bentley Mulsanne

忙碌再忙碌

Engagement Invitation (In Taiwan)

Living Proof

Wedding Songs

Nice So-You-Think-You-Can-Dance routines

RBC VIP Olympic Invite

羞涩的温柔

張學友 Private Corner

Wrong Side

Telegram

嫩美模

陈好 - 万人迷

Valentine's Day Movie

龙蕾