Happy Chinese New Year 2008 – Year of the Rat

Happy Chinese New Year to all. February 7, 2008 marks the start of the Lunar New Year celebration. Bye-bye, piggy! Welcome, Year of the Rat!

Chinese New Year begins on the first day of a new moon in the first month of the Chinese calendar. The new year ends 15 days later with the Lantern Festival, around the time of a full moon.

This holiday is known as Lunar New Year outside of China. It is a very important day throughout East Asia in countries that have had extensive interaction with Chinese over the centuries, whether geographically, such as in Vietnam or Korea, or because they have large ethnic Chinese populations as they do in countries such as the Philippines, Thailand or Indonesia.

The Chinese zodiac calendar works on a twelve year cycle with each year being represented by an animal. Last year was the Year of the Pig, this is Year is the Rat and next year will be Year of the Ox.

The Year of the Rat falls in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032, 2044, 2056, etc. These don’t exactly line up with the Gregorian calendar, so for example, if you were born before the Chinese New Year (sometime between January 21 and February 20, depending on the moon) in any of those years, you are still considered to be born in the year of the Pig.

For more fun Year of the Rat gift ideas, please visit Unique Mouse and Rat Gifts.

Super-Dee-Duper Tuesday Primary Election Results

Voters turned out in record numbers in 22 states and said “I Love You” in different ways to the five major candidates with Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain being the biggest winners. Apparently, Barney said “Vote!”

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won 9 states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts.

Senator Barack Obama won 13 Democratic state primaries including Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, North Dakota, Minnesota, Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware and Georgia. Looks like it will continue to be a tight race for the two right till the finish.

On the Republican side, winning results were split between three candidates with John McCain gaining the largest number of delegates. McCain won in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Jersey and New York. Mitt Romney won in Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota and Utah. Mike Huckabee won in Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia and West Virginia.

I live in California and walked to polls early in the morning. I was voter #44 – a good sign of a strong turnout for my district. During the last election in November, my voter number was in the low fifties – just before closing! This time was different. Looks like it was a record turnout here as well as in many other parts of the country. Many districts here in California ran out of ballots and had to extend the closing time while extra ballots were brought in.

Looks like everyone is excited about all the candidates this year. I read in the paper today that “You have to participate for it to be a Democracy.” I’m glad to see it in action. The Purple Dinosaur would be so proud.

If you’re looking for unique gifts, such as a Purple Dinosaur Night Light, Profiles ID Badge Holder, Elephant Wallet or American Flag Gum or Toothpick Case, then please click the links to see more. Visit Patriotic Gifts for other creative ways to express your renewed interest in politics.

Cool New Valentine Gift Ideas for Your Hottie

Looking for some original, last-minute gift ideas for Valentine’s Day? This is a great opportunity to feature some of our most popular items:

Flame Drinking Flask – This 6 ounce liquor flask features a fiery flames design, shown here with our red aluminum background color. Yes, you can pick your hottie’s favorite color accent for this “firewater” flask. Let them know just how hot you think they are!

Dragon Money Clip – Another very popular item for men is our dragon money clip that features a Celtic winged dragon, shown here in a cool iridescent cobalt blue. We can even add engraving – a warm sentiment, his name or even St. Valentine’s Day 2007, for example. We have handsome money clips in more than 100 designs so you can find just the right image to express your feelings toward him.
Red Heart Ring Box – Planning to pop the question? Hoping she’ll say yes to your marriage proposal? Looking for something nicer than the plain ring box the jewelry store provides? Kyle Design has beautiful wooden ring boxes inlaid with a stylish heart. Let her know you “think outside the box” with such an elegant and creative way to present an engagement ring.

“Love” Beaded Lanyard – If your special Valentine has to wear a name badge to work every day, then why not surprise her with a stylish beaded ID lanyard with the Chinese Character for Love? If you have to wear a badge holder, make it special and pretty so that she’ll actually want to wear it. We offer options if you have a preference of silver or gold, plus we offer several types of badge attachments – clip, key ring or spring hook – to accommodate whatever arrangement you need.

I Love You Light Switchplates – Or maybe what they’d really appreciate is something for the home that let’s them know how much you care every day of the year. Our Sign Language Light Switchplates feature the an original etched metal design incorporating the ASL symbol for “I Love You”. What could say it more directly? An elegant addition to their special room. Available in either silver or gold with choice of color accents to complement your decor.

If you’d like to see other creative gift ideas for Valentine’s Day this year, please visit: Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts and Home Decor.