World Baseball Classic winners - Japan & Korea

• Sat., Mar. 21 Korea 10, Venezuela 2  
• Sun., Mar. 22 Japan 9, United States 4
• Mon., Mar. 23 Japan 5, Korea 3

Japan is the winner of WBC again, after an awesome 4 hour game last night of back-and-forth.
I did not want to go to bed at 2 am because I wanted the game to continue!

Korea played a great game as well, I was very impressed. Both teams are winners in my mind, and thanks to both team for demonstrating the beautiful fundamental Asian baseball.

Japan's win over USA and Korea's blowout over Venezuela were examples of good fundamentals and efforts that lead to success, not just talents alone. Shame on Venezuela to not play their best and looked down on their opponents.
 
I truly believe Korea or Japan can beat any MLB team because all the players work 200% hard with 1000% heart. I wait for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and hope that Toronto Blue Jays will make at least one playoff before then.

Toronto Pearson Runway Run 2009

I found about this event via FlyerTalk and it sounds like so much fun as I have always loved airplanes and travel. I signed up for the 2K Walk for $20 (+2)

Toronto Pearson Runway Run 2009. More race details, and Map

The GTAA is pleased to host our second annual Toronto Pearson Runway Run.

On Saturday, June 13, 2009, Toronto Pearson will open its Runway 06R-24L to two thousand members of the general public and airport community. Walking or running side-by-side with jets is an experience to remember. Bring your family and friends to participate in this event.

Register now! Click here. Registration will go live on Wednesday, February 25, 2009.

Date of Registration	5K Run	2K Walk
Until March 31	$30	$20
Until April 30	$35	$25
Until June 1	$40	$30
Teams (max.10)	$300	$200

Note: Registration closes June 1, 2009.

Classic World Baseball Classic - Semifinals

In case my fellow readers do not follow baseball (sorry. It's a bit funny that I don't have many readers, and most people I know don't follow baseball), the World Baseball Classic has been ongoing since March 5, 2009 and now is into the last weekend of Semifinals and Finals in Los Angeles

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament, first held in March 2006. It is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world. The 2009 WBC, the second edition of the event, is in progress, with subsequent tournaments held every four years thereafter.

As a result, I have had lack of sleep in the last few days no thanks to the west coast schedule (complete schedule and results). Going to bed at 1~2 am for couple days straight does make me feel old, this is the norm in my last life in University :-)

• Mon., Mar. 16 7 PM Venezuela 2, Puerto Rico 0
• Mon., Mar. 16 11PM Cuba 7, Mexico 4
• Tue., Mar. 17 7 PM United States 6, Puerto Rico 5
• Tue., Mar. 17 11PM Korea 4, Japan 1
• Wed., Mar. 18 7 PM Venezuela 10, United States 6
• Wed., Mar. 18 11PM Japan 5, Cuba 0
• Thu., Mar. 19 11PM Japan 6, Korea 2

It has been fun, something I had not enjoyed much from Blue Jays. Watching all-star players play and leave it out there for their country, just like the Olympics, is phenomenal. The dramatic USA comeback to beat Puerto Rico in the bottom 9th inning, the 4 games between Japan and Korea that's full of love and hate, and Japan beating Cuba twice.... classic!
 
Regardless, here we are, down to the final 4 great teams, and I am certain it will be great games ahead, even better than the 2006 Japan-Cuba championship game.

• Sat., Mar. 21 Korea vs. Venezuela 9:00pm EST 
• Sun., Mar. 22 United States vs. Japan 8:00pm EST
• Mon., Mar. 23 Semi 1 Winner vs. Semi 2 Winner 9:00pm EST 

Old Times at ER

It is indeed Old Times for ER (March 13, 2009, Season 15 Episode 13 "Old Times")
We got to see previous characters blended into this season's story perfectly, and then gone again.
10.7 million viewers tuned in, best rating in several years, despite NBC's quiet non-promotion

I will miss ER dearly, after 15 years.

• Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter)
• George Clooney (Dr. Doug Ross)
• Julianna Margulies (Carol Hathaway)
• Eriq La Salle (Dr. Peter Benton)

Leader vs Manager

I can Google all I want for this question, but I am trying to find my own definition, in myself.

This metaphor seems to be a good start

Management is concerned with getting up a ladder in the most effective and most efficient manner.
Leadership is making certain the ladder is on the right wall.

as well as
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.


Peter Drucker - American (Austrian-born) management writer (1909 - 2005)

Recap: Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and DST

Life last week

• Thursday
• pub night catch up with Stratford friends
• good old times
• Friday
• lunch catch up with eMedia friends
• more gossip as always, not good ones necessarily
• Saturday
• dinner at FUNE, not bad
• TSO performance - Eastern Portraits
• The performance was so-so, the camera flashes and patron coughs ruined the experiences a bit. Of the 3 chapters, I only enjoyed the pipa concerto. I am no musician to judge though but I find the cellos too "quiet" despite the theme of silence is golden, and the Tokyo String Quartet were surpressed by the orchestra to really stand out
• Tan Dun: Secret Land for Twelve Cellos
• Tan Dun: Pipa Concerto (Canadian Première)
• Alexina Louie: Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (TSO/CBC Co-Commission/World Première)
• Sunday
• lost one hour due to DST time change ahead

I totally did not know Tan Dun was this famous.
Tan Dun (pinyin: Tán Dùn, 譚盾, 谭盾; born August 16 in Changsha, Hunan Province, 1956) is a Chinese contemporary classical composer, most widely known for his Grammy and Oscar-award winning scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.

Best Job in the World? Vote for Clare from Taiwan

I must say, this is a great publicity trick

For my colleagues and boss are reading this, my job is the BEST job in the world
For everyone else, maybe it's The Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef at Australlia

Please vote for Clare from Taiwan (sorry Canada)

RRSP deadline is TODAY, for 2008 tax year.

If you want to contribute to your 2008 tax year RRSP, today (March 2, 2009) is the last day you can contribute AND report as your 2008 tax year RRSP contribution (otherwise you can report it for 2009 tax year )

After today, you can "only" report it as 2009 tax year contribution

This is my first year contributing to RRSP (as well as TFSA, both in TDW) and I had to contribute a LOT this year so I don't pay a LOT of taxes to CRA. In addition to my company RRSP contribution

Sigh, I need a LOT of cash :(

I do agree with the article, there is barely any RRSP sales pitch or advertisement this year due to the economy. When people are worried about jobs and savings, RRSP is the least of their concern. More reasons for me to be very grateful and hopefully come out well ahead