Breakfast at Richard Branson’s

I’ve admired Virgin Group’s main man Richard Branson for years (since I read his autobiography “Losing my Virginity” one quiet Christmas/New Year holiday). Since then, I’ve tried to learn from Richard whenever I can.

Have a read,

* “Breakfast at Richard Branson’s“

* “Entrepreneurs quiz Richard Branson“

Worth Reading: WIND Mobile/Globalive is Canadian, Facebook facial recognition, Canucks fans, Calgary postal strike, FT app

* Financial Post, “Globalive declared a ‘Canadian owned and controlled company’“

* CTV News, “Court victory clears way for Globalive“

* CNN, “Facebook lets users opt out of facial recognition” (Note: This is ass-backward, kinda like the “negative option billing” thing cable companies tried on us until we complained loud enough and they stopped.)

* Bloomberg, “Facebook Under EU Privacy Probe Over Facial-Recognition Prompt for Photos“

* TorStar, “Drubbing brought Canucks fans closer, but the real healing begins tonight“

* Calgary Herald, “Calgary postal service disrupted as workers walk off job for 24 hours – Job action expected to last 24 hours“

* Macrumors, “Financial Times Won’t Give Apple A Cut, Drops iOS for Web App“

Tammy Marquardt, mother cleared of murder, freed – A reminder of the fallibility of our justice system

* CBC News (with video), “Murder charge against mother dropped – Tammy Marquardt spent 13 years in prison after discredited testimony“

“Charges have been withdrawn against an Ontario woman who spent 13 years in jail after being convicted of killing her toddler — in part because of evidence from now-disgraced pathologist Dr. Charles Smith.

Tammy Marquardt was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of her two-year-old son Kenneth Wynne in 1995.

But the conviction was based on evidence from pathologist Charles Smith, who was recently stripped of his medical licence for professional misconduct and incompetence. He testified at Marquardt’s trial that Kenneth was strangled or suffocated, when the toddler had actually died of an epileptic seizure.

Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal for Ontario quashed Marquardt’s second-degree murder conviction, calling her a victim of a miscarriage of justice and ordering a new trial.

Marquardt said nothing could be done to compensate for what Smith has done.

“I don’t think that anything could vindicate,” Marquardt told reporters outside an Oshawa court. “He has to live in his own personal hell and so there’s nothing that really that I or anyone else could do.

“I would ask him what he thought he was doing and who he thought he was and why, why did he do it? What possessed you to play God?”"

* Toronto Sun (with video), “Wrongly convicted 17 years ago, woman finally freed“

* Montreal Gazette, “Mother cleared of murder – 13 years in prison; Pathologist’s faulty testimony led to verdict“

* CP, “Crown withdraws murder charge against Charles Smith victim“

“Shortly after Tammy Marquardt was sent to prison in 1995 in the death of her two-year-old son, she had the word “freedom” tattooed on her arm.
But it wasn’t until Tuesday that she could truly say she was free.”

Scott MacIsaac piano performance at University of Calgary (June 7th)

Time flies and it has been two years since my first report of the talented Scott MacIsaac playing at the 2009 Winners of the Calgary Concerto Competition concert. Yesterday, I had the pleasure to video interview/chat with Scott in depth to get to know him a little bit more before he leaves Calgary in August to study piano at Yale School of Music plus I also interviewed Scott’s loving parents. It will take me some time to write the article plus edit & process the interview video clips, but I hope to post the interview soon.

For those that loves piano & classical music, Scott will perform once more at University of Calgary, Department of Music‘s CONTRASTS Chamber Music Festival (June 7th, 2011)  before he leaves for Yale to study with Professor Boris Berman. Hope you have time to attend CONTRASTS.

By the way, here are YouTube videos of Scott MacIsaac at Toronto Symphony Orchestra Competition: Final Round (May 29th, 2011) performing Sergie Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no. 2 in c minor op. 18. Scott won second prize at the TSO competition. Enjoy.

TSO Piano Competition: Concerto no.2 in c minor op.18, I. Moderato

TSO Piano Competition: Concerto no.2 in c minor op.18, II. Adagio sostenuto

TSO Piano Competition: Concerto no.2 in c minor op.18, III. Allegro scherzando

Lisa Kudrow at Banff for Web Therapy

Lisa Kudrow will be at Banff World Media Festival 2011 to receive an award of excellence in digital media for Web Therapy. It is a very innovative and funny show. Have a watch of the Meryl Streep episode , Julia Louis-Dreyfus episode, and Molly Shannon episode. It will be quite fun to see Lisa and listen to her interview at Banff.

Update: see a brief report of me meeting and listening to Lisa at Banff.