The forgotten blog.

 Well not forgotten just under used.

 I’ve not posted in a while for a few reasons, partly I have been ill, partly I have been snowboarding (I did make it up despite being full of cold) and partly as I have been in a bad mood.  I think that blog venting is good on occasions, but my posts would have just been sulky and let’s be honest sometimes it’s best NOT to share.

Turns out I have to go get some surgery done on an old issue, nothing serious but it does mean that I will miss a few weeks of the season, which is bollocks.

On the plus side I watched For Your Eyes Only the other night for the first time in years, gotta love 80’s Bond.

Rogger '007' Moore

It’s been fairly hectic over the last few days, I disappeared to the mobile receptionless depths of east Sussex for our church’s Alpha weekend away.

It was largely a really positive time, God was clearly doing some exciting things in people’s lives and that was a real pleasure to see. On occasions though, I found it a little hard being a leader, it sometimes seemed I was slightly disconnected from what God was doing. Making sure other people were being prayed with and continuing my role of providing a little extra rhythm to the worship, left me feeling a little distant from just receiving from God. But a wise friend said that God sometimes seems to afford us a little extra ‘clarity’ when we’re in the role of ministering, so that we can keep an eye out and be alert. After events later that day, I think this proved to be true.

We made it home from the weekend in time for the evening service and I’m glad I didn’t bail in favour of an evening in front of Top Gear.

I came to a place of feeling quite empty during the service, but a truth dawned on me, I’ve been shopping at other Supermarkets. Obscure, yes, but hang in there. I began to realise that I had been lost in idol worship over the last few weeks, going to the telly, or a friend, or food for comfort and re-energising, rather than coming to JC Maxx. Yes, friends, telly and food are good things, but they aren’t the total solution and can never fully satisfy, God really is the best resource and when I finally realised that I’d been shopping elsewhere, He totally met me last night and it was rather inspirational.

Very exciting.

On a  side note, James Bond’s ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is really much more amusing than you ever remembered. Innundated with innuendo I can’t quite believe this slipped under the radar for general PG viewing, but watched with a symbiotic comedy partner and with the freedom to add your own commentry, this film can definitely provide a hilarious night in.

A meeting of Chinese and North Korean defence chiefs pledges close ties ahead of new nuclear talks efforts…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: china tour. The blog is also related to: china rain.

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – The lending industry has long been asking for permission to gather much more detailed information about who has been paying their bills on time, and they might get it under legislation proposed by the Federal Government. 

Consumer advocates say they are concerned the legislation will be used by lending institutions to spruik more loans, instead of for responsible lending.

But the Government says the legislation will give consumers more rights as well.

According to the Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig, the new laws will paint a more complete picture of a person’s credit history – and for the first time will include the good with the bad.

“What the current Privacy Act only allows is negative information such as defaults on loans to be recorded on a person’s file. This change will ensure that Australia substantially is in line with other countries,” he said.

“But the real positive thing that comes out of it is that an individual’s repayment history paints a much clearer picture of how an individual’s credit obligations have been discharged.”

But consumer advocates say they fear the changes will be used by lenders to increase their profits rather than to lend more responsibly.

Carolyn Bond from the Consumer Action Law Centre says more information does not always lead to better lending practices.

“Research shows that it will lead to more credit approvals – so more credit out there,” she said.

“We think this is likely to lead to overall more defaults and for example it allows lenders to do a lot more upselling – you can request $2,000 and they’d decide to offer you $20,000, for example.”

But David Bell from the Australian Bankers Association says there are adequate protections in place, and the banks have no interest in taking on more high-risk loans.

“In Australia we’ve made very good lending decisions, hence we’ve been able to avoid the worst of the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis. That is a different situation that we’re talking about here,” he said.

“Of course in the US, their data collection there under positive credit bureau systems collects a lot more information than what’s proposed here.

“We believe on balance, collecting this extra information with the right privacy measures in place will make banks and other lenders, will allow them to make better lending decisions.”

Senator Ludwig says the changes to privacy laws will not take effect until additional protections come into play, that will help keep the banks honest.

“These requirements will be strengthened under the national consumer credit protection reform package,” he said.

“Chris Bowen, the Minister for Human Services, will also be bringing that bill forward and we don’t intend to make changes to the credit reporting until that bill is through.

“So that we have protections for both the consumers and particularly vulnerable consumers, and those businesses won’t be able to use the comprehensive credit reporting until that is implemented.”

Source: Proposed laws could help banks spy on bills

Z mojego ulubionego cyklu zabawnych komiksów,  czyli opisywane przeze mnie w tym poście paseczki z Wulffmorgenthaler.com. Jak zawsze skrupulatnie i do rzeczy. Co prawda to prawda, product placement jest bardzo widoczny, zarówno w telewizyjnych taśmowcach (standard) jak i wielkich kinowych produkcjach. Bardzo obłożone w PP są na przykład seriale rodem z TVN, niepodzielnie rządzi tutaj W-11 – serialiku którego wprost nie cierpię, przede wszystkim za “wyrafinowaną” grę aktorów, ale także Magda M, gdy jeszcze była emitowana, Na Wspólnej kipi od tego typu reklamy,natomiast Teraz albo Nigdy zostało nakręcone chyba tylko po to, aby reklamować produkty i zarabiać. Ani fabuły, ani przekazu, sądzę że jak zapłacą mi dwa razy tyle co aktualnie zarabiam – spłodzę dużo lepsze scenario. Po TVN wiadome jest, że największym dostarczycielem “przestrzeni reklamowej” dla firm i ich produktów będzie Polsat. Tak też jest. Stacja ta może emituje mniej pojedynczych PP w serialach i filmach niż TVN, natomiast suma ich wszystkich jest największa ze wszystkich stacji. Również publiczna TVP nie próżnuje. Zarówno Klan jak i Plebania są pełne tej jakże dyskretnej reklamy. Nie zapomnę nigdy któregoś odcinka, w którym to Grażynka z Ryszardem (ten od taksówki.. jakiej? tak – chyba fiat marea kombi, którą wygrał jego koleżka Cezary Żak i podarował Ryśkowi bo miał akurat szeroki gest..) wracają z zakupów i wykładają caaały stół w swojej malutkiej kuchni reklamówkami z Biedronki… to musi robić wrażenie, wiadomo na taksówce mało się nie zarabia, a poza tym w Biedronce “codziennie niższe ceny!” Pamiętam także kurczaka w folii do której wsypuje się przyprawy Winiar, a także PP herbaty Minutka w Plebanii. Ogólnie wszyscy jak mogą, tak wciskają, no ale w końcu i jednym i drugim to się opłaca. Szkoda tylko że nadal jest to nieudolne i przede wszystkim niekorzystnie wpływa na odbiór seriali i filmów przez telewidzów. Koniec końców to dla Nich są one tworzone prawda?

Mój ulubiony perwersyjnie chamski PP w Na wspólnej made by TVN oczywiście. Polecam as hell!

Miażdży owa czterominutowa reklama moje marketingowe serce..

A tak Sony promowało się w filmie o Bondzie. Swoją drogą te produkcje zawsze są obfite w PP, wg mnie nie ma bardziej usianego reklamami produktów filmu w przeciągu ostatnich kilku lat.

]]> http://akibatguna2istrimuda.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/bond-shine-live/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:15:27 +0000 adhadi praja http://akibatguna2istrimuda.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/bond-shine-live/

one of greatest song of quartet Bond, instrumental song exactly..Shine is an instrumental violin song that mixtured by instrumental India’s ornament. i do love the way they playing a violin, viola and cello…Great performance girls !!!!

Bond terdiri dari empat wanita asal Australia dan Inggris (Hm, four hot babes with excellent musical talents!). Mereka adalah Haylie Ecker (biola satu) , Eos (biola dua), Tania Davis (viola) dan Gay-Yee Westerhoff (cello)–kuartet instrumen yang keren dan seksi. Ya, tak hanya kulaitas musik mereka yang cukup bagus, tetapi mereka pun memiliki bahasa tubuh yang memesona setiapkali beraksi. Kita barangkali sudah akrab pada tembang-tembang bagus yang dibawakan mereka seperti Quixote, Victory, Oceanic, Duel, Liber Tango, Winter Sun, Kurobasha, Bond Medley, Bella Donna serta Khasmir. Walaupun disebut classical string quartet, tapi alunan musik yang mereka  lantunkan  terasa meriah dengan campuran pop, folk, etnik, dan banyak lagi. Apalagi disentuh dengan ‘electronic synthesizer’ membuat aura musik klasik yang mereka lahirkan menjadi lebih segar, hidup dan menggairahkan. Nah, di bawah ini saya punya album Bond bertajuk Born. Bagi yang suka, silakan download.

1. “Quixote” (Magnus Fiennes) – 4:44
2. “Winter” (Yoad Nevo) – 5:42
3. “Victory” (Tonci Huljic) – 4:40
4. “Oceanic” (Camille Saint-Saëns (excerpt from Carnival of the Animals – the Aquarium), produced by Magnus Fiennes) – 6:42
5. “Kismet” (Gay-Yee Westerhoff) – 5:12
6. “Korobushka” (Traditional, arr. Brian Gascoigne) – 4:48
7. “Alexander the Great” (Huljic) – 2:57
8. “Duel” (Huljic) – 4:20
9. “Bella Donna” (Eos Chater) – 3:15
10. “The 1812″ (Tchaikovsky, arr. Gareth Cousins & Julian Kershaw) – 6:37
11. “Dalalai” (Huljic) – 4:06
12. “Hymn” (Fiennes) – 4:50
13. “Victory (Mike Batt Mix)” (Tonci Huljic) – 3:25
14. “Viva! (Orion Mix)” - 3:15

วันนี้มาคุยเรื่องของตราสารหนี้ดีกว่านะครับ ตราสารหนี้ก็คือเงินที่เราไปให้บริษัทหรือรัฐบาลยืมเพื่อประกอบกิจการต่างๆ เงินที่เราให้ไปนั้นถือว่าเราเป็นเจ้าหนี้นะครับ ไม่ใช่เป็นเจ้าของเหมือนการซื้อหุ้น เพราะฉะนั้นแล้วการเป็นเจ้าหนี้เราจะได้ผลตอบแทนในรูปอัตราดอกเบี้ย ซึ่งแน่นอนจะได้รับน้อยกว่าการเป็นเจ้าของ บางคนก็ถามผมว่าถ้าเป็นแบบนี้ซื้อหุ้นไม่ดีกว่าหรอ ผมก็จะบอกว่าแน่นอนซื้อหุ้นผลตอบแทนมากกว่าแต่ความเสี่ยงมากกว่าตราสารหนี้อยู่แล้ว ถ้าพูดในเชิงของเปรียบเทียบทั่วไปนะครับ ถ้าบริษัทล้มยังไงเจ้าหนี้ได้เงินคืนก่อนเจ้าของเสมอนะครับ แต่ถ้ากำไรเหลือเจ้าของการหารกันไป

ตราสารหนี้ นั้นก็มีหลายแบบนะครับ หุ้นกู้ ตั๋วคงคลัง พันธบัตร เวลาที่เขาจะออกมาเนี่ย เขาก็จะต้องไปอิงอัตราดอกเบี้ยในตลาดว่า ตอนนี้จะออกตราสารตัวนี้อิงอัตราดอกเบี้ยแล้วจะให้กี่ % ก็ว่าไป แล้วก็กำหนด Pricing ออกมาว่าจะขายในราคาเท่าไหร่ นั่นแหละก็จะมีเรื่องของ ราคา อัตราดอกเบี้ย และผลตอบแทนที่เราอาจจะคิดคำนวณกันว่า ถ้าเราถือครบเราจะได้เท่าไหร่ๆน้า แต่มันยังมีอีกเรื่องที่เราต้องคิดก็คือในมุมของเวลาที่เปลี่ยนแปลงไปก็ทำให้อัตราดอกเบี้ยในตลาดเปลี่ยนแปลงเช่นกัน

ในเมื่อเวลามันเปลี่ยนไปได้ อัตราดอกเบี้ยในตลาดก็เปลี่ยนไปได้ ซึ่งตรงนี้แน่นอนมันมีผลลัพธ์ที่เกิดขึ้นกับตัวตราสารหนี้ที่เราถืออยู่แน่นอน ถ้าเราถือตราสารหนี้อัตราดอกเบี้ยอยู่ที่ 10% แล้วอยู่ๆ มีอีกตัวนึงลักษณะคล้ายๆกันออกมาแต่ดอกเบี้ยมันตกลงไปอยู่ที่ 5% จะดีกับเราไหม? แหม ของเราก็ยังได้ 10% เหมือนเดิมซิครับ แต่คนอื่นได้ 5% ซะแล้ว แต่กลไกลของตลาดตราสารหนี้นั้นจะทำให้ 10% ที่เราถือนั้นเปลี่ยนไป เนื่องจากผลตอบแทนอ้างอิงในตลาดมันลดลง ในทางการเงินนั้นก็ทำให้ Yield มันเปลี่ยนไปเช่นกัน เพราะฉะนั้น ในเมื่อใครๆเห็นเราได้ 10% ก็คงอยากจะได้ เพราะเขาซื้อกันตอนนี้ที่ออกใหม่ก็ได้แค่ 5% พอเป็นเช่นนี้แน่นอน ตัวตราสารหนี้ที่ 10% นั้นจะถูกปรับราคาขึ้นทันที

ถ้ามองในมุมกลับ ในช่วงดอกเบี้ยขาขึ้นนั้น ถ้าเราได้ซื้อตราสารหนี้ 5% อยู่ๆ ก็มีตัวคล้ายๆกันออกมาอยู่ที่ 10% ล่ะ ? ใครๆก็ต้องขาย 5% ออกมาซื้อ 10% อยู่แล้วล่ะ ราคา Bond ที่เราขายก็จะเกิดการ Discount ขึ้น เพราะฉะนั้นในช่วงที่เราไม่รู้จะลงทุนอะไร อะไรก็ไม่แน่นอนผมก็มองไว้ว่า “ลงสั้นเข้าไว้ๆ“

Bond knows it.  The Most Interesting Man In The World knows it.  Your father knows it.  You should too.  Every gentleman should know their drink.

Think of your drink as your alcoholic stamp, your booze flag.  A drink says a lot about a man. What you order should be what you are comfortable representing, and most importantly, what tastes good.  If you like the Crantini, by all means, go for the Crantini.  Chances are you’ll be called out by the guy drinking the Coors Light.

Sadly, A beer, no matter how imported, is not a drink.

Go confidently to your local drinking establishment, order up a ___________, sit back, and enjoy, knowing that you are drinking your drink, the way your father did, the way his father did, the way his father did…

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is close to $4 billion dollars in debt and they will soon be looking for a buyer. The studio owns – among other things – the rights to the James Bond franchise, but this situation doesn’t seem to be affecting the momentum of the next film in the series. Apparently, the 23rd Bond film is already in pre-production and will start filming in the latter half of 2010. We can expect it to come out sometime in 2011 if everything goes according to plan. If you can’t wait until 2011, here is a short review for Casino Royale and my thoughts about Quantum of Solace from the end of last year. Also, if you’re really impatient and you happen to have several billion dollars lying around I’m sure you could buy MGM and get things moving a little faster.

Tja, jag klippte mej idag, det blev asnice, lite annorlunda färg blev det också av bara farten ^^ Jag orkar inte ta några bilder nu, så ni får en extremt dålig cambild, va bara tvungen att visa för jag är så nöjd. Självklart klippte jag mej hos världens bästa Linda Davidsson på Bond!

Imorgon ska jag nog faktiskt försöka ta lite riktiga bilder

**Determination of danger to community for bond amount, 8 C.F.R. § 1236.1(c)(8) **

It is necessary to remand the record to the IJ for clarification of his finding that the respondent presents a “potential” danger to the community.  An IJ should only set a bond if he first determines that the respondent does not present a danger. If the IJ intended to find that the respondent failed to meet his burden under 8 C.F.R. § 1236.1(c)(8) to show that his “release would not pose a danger to property or persons,” then pursuant to our decisions in Matter of Guerra, Matter of Adeniji, and Matter of Drysdale, that determination would require the respondent to remain in custody without bond. However, if the IJ meant to find that despite the potential of danger, the respondent has met his burden  then it would be appropriate to consider the other factors in the case relevant to determining the amount of bond necessary to ensure the respondent’s presence at further proceedings, including his criminal record as it relates to the likelihood that he will appear at future hearings.

http://www.justice.gov/eoir/vll/intdec/vol25/3663.pdf

If you would like easy to understand information on the new Registered Disability Savings Plan please visit www.rdsp.com.

Are you hoping to get the 2009 Grant for your Registered Disability Savings Plan?

Many of you will remember that to get the 2008 Grant deposited into your RDSP you had to make sure to contribute by March 2nd, 2009.  Notice - This was unique for 2008 Grants.  For 2009 Grants, you will be required to contribute by December 31st, 2009.  If you do not contribute before this time, any contributions you contribute in 2010 will be for 2010 Grants and will not be applicable to 2009.

Why has the deadline for Grants changed from 2008 to 2009.  As many of you may recall, the 2008 contributions were originally supposed to be received by December 31st 2008 in order to get the 2008 Grant.  As BMO was the first bank to offer RDSPs, and did not begin to offer them until late in December of 2008, that left little time to get your RDSP set up and your 2008 contributions in.  In response, the Finance Minister extended the deadline to March 2nd, 2009 to make sure there was enough time for people to open a plan and contribute for 2008.

This was for 2008 only! Make sure to contribute every year by December 31st to get your Canada Disability Savings Grant for that year.

Considerando che il Romano due pappine a sto sbruffone le darebbe volentieri….

http://www.video.mediaset.it/mplayer.html?sito=iene&data=2009/11/17&id=5502&from=iene

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

By

William L. Watts

&

Deborah Levine

, MarketWatch

The dollar pared gains as the trading session wore on and U.S. equities backed away from the lows of the day.

/quotes/comstock/21o!x:seurusd

CUR_EURUSD

1.47

,

-0.01

,

-0.49%

“The tone appears to be one of conso …

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By

William L. Watts

&

Deborah Levine

, MarketWatch

The dollar pared gains as the trading session wore on and U.S. equities backed away from the lows of the day.

/quotes/comstock/21o!x:seurusd



cur_EURUSD



1.47


,

-0.01

,

-0.49%

“The tone appears to be one of consolidation as the market focuses on this week’s key events,” said currency strategists at Brown Brothers Harriman in a research note. “The U.S. dollar is continuing to gain ground as markets pare back ‘risk-on’ trades.”

The single currency changed hands at $1.4690, down from $1.4720 in North American trade late Friday.

The dollar rose to 92.09 Japanese yen, up from 91.43 yen Friday.

The dollar Index


/quotes/comstock/11j!i:dxy0

(

<A href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/DXY" title="US Dollar Index Future – Spot Price”>
DXY




76.35


,

+0.47

,

+0.61%

)

, a measure of the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of rival currencies, rose to 76.719, up from 76.446.

A holiday in Japan curtailed volume in Asia, while a lack of major economic data kept activity under wraps in Europe, strategists said.

The dollar remained higher after the Conference Board said the U.S. recession is bottoming out and a recovery is near. The private group’s Index of leading economic indicators rose 0.6% last month. Analysts surveyed by MarketWatch predicted the index would rise 0.7% in August.

See more on leading indicators.

Fed chatter

Meanwhile, ideas the Fed’s rate-setting Open Market Committee could opt Wednesday to signal it’s ready to begin outlining an exit strategy from its massive monetary-stimulus efforts helped pressure equity markets, spurring support for the dollar, analysts said.

U.S. stock indexes stayed under pressure on Wall Street, with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index


/quotes/comstock/21z!i1:in\x

(


SPX




1,071


,

+6.01

,

+0.56%

)

off 0.4%, following lower markets in Europe. The greenback has tended to rally when economic fears are on the rise and to fall when investors are more inclined to take on risk.

See Europe Markets.


See Market Snapshot.

“Given the recent improvements in the housing and manufacturing sectors along with the rise in consumer spending and equity prices, the Fed has plenty of reasons to be upbeat,” Kathy Lien, director of currency research at Global Forex Trading, wrote in an email. “If they become more optimistic, it would initially help to drive the dollar higher but given the schizophrenic nature of the currency market, a rise in risk appetite may erase the dollar’s gains.”

Also under discussion is the central bank’s mortgage-debt buying programs, which many credit with keeping mortgage rates low for borrowers and supporting the struggling housing sector. Some analysts expect those purchases to be slowed down to last longer, much like the Fed declared for its Treasury-buying program last month.

Read more in Bond Report.

Still, dollar weakness has been exacerbated in recent weeks amid signs the greenback is taking on a role as a funding currency for carry trades, in which investors sell a low-yielding currency and purchase higher-yielding currencies.

Also this week is a summit of the leaders of the Group of 20 Global economic powers, which gets under way Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Nervousness before that meeting has also spurred traders to exit pro-risk trades, said Boris Schlossberg, director of currency research at GFT.

“If the talk out of the G20 actually turns into some concrete policy action, the news of further government regulation of capital markets could cast a pall over risk assets and precipitate a profit taking sell off that many analysts have been anticipating for weeks,” Schlossberg said.

William L. Watts is a Reporter for MarketWatch in London.


Deborah Levine is a MarketWatch Reporter, based in New York.

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Source: Dollar holds gains before Fed meeting – MarketWatch

it’s a dbs…

came by this car accidentally and had to take a few shots

Bubbles and oysters; dresses and heels; feathers and sequins; burlesque and beer; and even a few fresh powder turns in between. Cornucopia was a weekend to remember!

When I was invited to participate in Whistler’s Cornucopia 2009, I was beyond excited. I’d heard for years about the wine tastings and seminars, sensational gastronomic experiences and the exclusive parties where girls wear heels – even whistler girls – and inhibitions are set aside. Cornucopia – which was recently ranked one of the top Top 10 International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbestraveler.com – lives up to the hype, and then exceeds it.

My first stop was the House Party, Best of BC – a festival opener featuring a variety of food and wine tastings in the foyer of the Whistler Conference Centre, including Pemberton’s potato vodka and seared halibut by Windset Farms.

Then, it was on to ARTrageous, which is put on by the Whistler Arts Council.

Here’s a great little preview video of ARTrageous:

A feast for the five senses, this event featured artists creating live paintings and roaming characters wearing costumes created out of materials donated by home improvement stores – the work of Carey from Paintertainment. The craft table is my favourite station at ARTrageous, complete with glue guns, feathers, beads, sequins and all kinds of delightful crafty bits and bobs. This year, the theme was burlesque so the craft was nipple tassels.

The grand finale of the night was Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dollz, a rockabilly punk act featuring live burlesque dancers. The girls are sexy, the costumes are elaborate, and the nipple tassels are swinging – and occasionally on fire!

Friday night, I headed to the infamous Casino Royale at Ric’s Grill. Vegas show girls, topless Bond Girls painted head to toe in gold glitter, Vegas-style games with fake money, fire dancers, Go-Go dancers, a contact juggler and hula hoop girls were all part of the circus of colour, sex, and magic.

The showgirls were cute, but in high demand. My friend and I got shuffled out of a photo shoot with them by an affluent gentleman who wanted to take a picture with them. Our egos were wounded.

We enjoyed canapes, a buffet meal, and a decadent chocolate fountain. Of course the open bars throughout the venue made for a fun night – especially that strawberry-infused champagne.

Somehow, I managed to wake up the next morning for Whistler Blackcomb’s early opening to do a few turns – which were epic, by the way. After a quick disco nap, I was off to my third night of Cornucopia.

Cornucopia is a girl’s chance to get dressed up. So, a few of us ladies – including one girlfriend in bejewelled Manolos, braved the snow in heels and short dresses.

The first stop was the CRUSH Gala Grand tasting, one of the signature events of Cornucopia that takes place in the Whistler conference Centre ballroom. This sellout wine showcase has been expanded to two days due to popularity. I’m certainly no wine guru, but I know what pleases my palate. Some of my favourites were Dirty Laundry’s Pinot Noir, Road 13’s Riesling, Inniskillin’s Ice Wine, Miner Family’s Oracle, and Poplar Grove’s Syrah. The Dirty Laundry clothes peg made my night.

After CRUSH it was on to our final – and most anticipated – destination, the Bubbles + Oceans Afterparty at Araxi Restaurant. The spotlights out front illuminated huge fluffy white snowflakes, and created a sense of anticipation for night to come.

Araxi does seafood and they do it well. The oyster bar was amazing as always, and the canapes were melt in your mouth.

We enjoyed sampling from the champagne stations along the perimeter of the room, including one of the more unique blends by Ayala, which should be available in Whistler in the coming months, according to the rep.

After a great night of socializing, drinking and eating, I finished the night off with a chocolate espresso cocktail in the lounge. I left Araxi with the most delicious feeling of contentment.

By the end of the weekend, I had consumed copious amounts of champagne and food – and slept very little. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Snow sports are the heart and lifeblood of this town I call home, but cultural events like this are what give Whistler its dancing shoes.