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Sarah

Toddler Drops The King’s Speech Oscar

The trouble with Oscar statues is that they aren’t packaged the same way Mattel and Hot Wheels toys are – there is no explicit age warning.

As seen in the clip, 15-month-old Lara Egan, the daughter of The King’s Speech’s co-producer, Simon Egan, lost her grip of her father’s Oscar at a celebration on Feb 28, the day after the highly anticipated awards ceremony.

“Like everyone else I was celebrating off in one corner of the garden with some friends when I saw my daughter looking very cute with the Oscar having her picture taken,” Simon recalls.

Immediately after the award fell out of her hands, Simon heard it hit the concrete.

Shortly after contacting the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy replaced Simon’s damaged Oscar with a brand new one.

“I had no idea that they had an ‘Oscar Hospital’ on standby,” he told the press.

Thanks to the Academy’s quick response however, Simon no longer needs to worry about how a damaged award will look on his mantelpiece.

March 8, 2011 by

Roger Ebert Always Has Something to Talk About

With all this talk about discrimination circulating in cyberspace, classrooms, and within our communities, it’s important to recognize what people can accomplish despite certain setbacks they have. During reading week, I met with a visually impaired public relations professional and had an entirely new interview experience, where nodding and grinning were insufficient responses. Nevertheless, this person has built and maintained a successful company and has great ambitions for further expansion. When someone’s driven and goal-oriented, such setbacks seem minor in relation to their long-term plan.

I look at Roger Ebert and admire his perseverance since he was diagnosed with cancer four years ago. This is a man who I used to watch weekly on Sunday nights for commentary about upcoming film releases and sometimes anxiously wait to see whether he thought a film deserved a thumbs up or down. Today he continues pursuing his passion for entertainment by taking advantage of social media and new technology to engage with his loyal fans. The TED talk he delivered on Friday in California, by using an Alex-equipped MacBook shows just how powerful technology is. Computers are much more than the ‘Facebook machines’ that many people use them for – they connect people, offer therapeutic opportunities, both by blogging and for medical purposes, and can even save lives. Aided by the computerized voice and a supportive family, Roger is able to continue inspiring film buffs worldwide and that’s something positive to think about. Two thumbs way up!

March 6, 2011 by

Driving with Friends

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUHDFafqykI

I know there was already lots of hype about this commercial right after it aired during the Super Bowl, but it’s still an incredible new technology. I remember reading about some new gadgets that car manufacturers will be adding to the dashboard within the next few years (after I clicked a few links while researching the consequences of texting and driving), but it’s much more powerful when you see what’s already available. This Chevrolet video makes me wonder about what features I’ll have at my fingertips when I buy my first car.

The bachelor’s excitement about a machine reading aloud his friends’ Facebook status updates also demonstrates how much Facebook continues becoming a, dare I say, ‘fundamental’ part of our lives. Surely this will make people who have disabled their accounts second guess this choice and make those who have not yet created an account feel even more out of the loop.

Compared to how thankful I am for having a smartphone and Internet access to occupy me while in waiting rooms, I don’t think it’d be as enjoyable to have a robotic sounding voice tell me what people have tweeted.

You can already listen to whatever artist, song, or radio station you want in the car. Is it really necessary to mute the radio commercials long enough to learn that your friend just landed in Miami while you’re driving around running errands?

February 21, 2011 by

Maria Aragon Was Born To Be A Star!

In her interview on Friday with 104.5 CHUM FM’s Joey Brooks, Lady Gaga said that her intent with her latest single, ‘Born This Way’ was to create a song with an “un-apologetically positive and strong and empowering” message.

Each time the station introduces her song now, they refer to her performance on the Grammys, when she emerged onto the stage from an ‘egg’ before launching into a highly choreographed dance.

Lady Gaga always gives something people to talk about, but now that she has broken records for digital downloads, she is making headline news. ‘Born This Way’ is the fastest selling single on iTunes – quite an accomplishment for a 24 year old. Speaking of young talent, Lady Gaga also intends to invite YouTube superstar Maria Aragon to join her on stage at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on March 3rd. I can’t help but think about how Avril Lavigne once joined Shania Twain on stage and look where that punk princess is now…like what the hell! Imagine what the future holds for 10 year old Maria, especially once she has some professional vocal training.

February 20, 2011 by

Mazel Tov to the Cast and Crew of Being Erica!

CBC just announced their 2011-2012 line-up today and Being Erica made the cut. Mazel Tov to the show’s creator and executive producer, Jana Sinyor, as well as the rest of the cast and crew. Thanks to Jana, millions of Canadian fans have been introduced to Erica Stange, a (fictional) hardworking Jewish woman from Toronto who has as many embarrassing moments growing up as the rest of us. The show’s success can also be measured by the fact that an American adaptation of the show for ABC is in the works.

Here’s the list of other returning shows to look forward to next year:

22 Minutes
Battle of the Blades
Being Erica
Best Recipes Ever
Doc Zone
Dragons’ Den
the fifth estate
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight
Heartland
InSecurity
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Marketplace
The Nature of Things
Republic of Doyle
The Rick Mercer Report 
The Ron James Show
Steven & Chris

According to Maclean’s, new programming pickups for the 2011-12 season include Mr. D, starring Gerry D and produced by Topsail Entertainment; Michael Tuesdays and Thursdays,  featuring the writing and acting talents of Bob Martin and produced by Rhombus Media; the co-production Camelot, from Take 5 Productions; Kevin O’Leary in Dealer to Leader, developed by Wide-Eyed Entertainment in conjunction with CBC; and Cover Me Canada, produced  by 11 Entertainment.

February 11, 2011 by