Remembrance: Renato Dulbecco 1914-2012

Renato Dulbecco died three days ago (Feb. 19) at age of 97, he would have been 98 today as he was born 2/22/1914.  NY Times had an obituary on him yesterday.  As yet I haven't read his “Remembrance” (WSJ obituary).  It would be an inexcusable oversight for not reporting the death of such a giant in medicine.  I am disappointed; here is my version of Remembrance of Renato Dulbecco.

He was the one demonstrated that DNA of a virus can integrate into the chromosomal DNA of the host cell, causing the uncontrolled cell growth, which is the genetic basis of cancer, and for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1975.  His article in Science in 1986 helped starting the Human Genome Project.

photo credit: N.Y. Times

He was in the same class with Salvador Luria in a medical school in Italy.  As we know Luria and Max Delbrück spent the war (WWII) years as the “enemy scientists” in the States (Luria from Italy and Delbrück from Germany); they shared the Nobel Prizes in 1969.  After the war in 1947 Luria went back to Italy to bring Dulbecco to his Lab at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  Dulbecco and James Watson (Dulbecco was 14 years Watson’s senior) were with Luria in the same time.

Dulbecco wrote an article reminiscing their “Phages Days in Indiana” in “Inspiring Science: Jim Watson and the Age of DNA” (a 'must have' book for those who are interested in medicine and history).  Dulbecco wrote on the day Luria announced a “Whiz Kid” coming from University of Chicago, at which time he himself just arrived from Italy and didn’t know what “Whiz Kid” means.

Watson entered University of Chicago at age of 15, but Dulbecco was also a “Whiz Kid” himself entering the university at age of 16.  His initial interest was math and physics before entering medical school.  Dulbecco wrote “The plaque technique and the development of quantitative animal virology” in “Phage and the origins of molecular biology” (again a 'must have' book) which was a break through technique in the frontier field when molecular biology was being born.  He couldn’t have done it without his savvy and strength in math.

When Luria sent Watson to Cambridge University to eventually meet up with Francis Crick, Dulbecco was recruited to Caltech by Delbrück.  He later went to Salk Institute, of which he was one of the founding fellows and eventually became the president of the Institute.  Paul Berg worked with Dulbecco at Salk Institute and thus born the recombinant DNA technique, for which Berg was awarded the Nobel Chemistry Prize in 1980.  This is Chapter 22 “The creation of altered forms of life” in Alan Lightman’s The Discoveries.

Before coming to the States in 1947, Dulbecco also worked at Rita Levi-Montalcini’s Lab in Italy.  She was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the growth factor, the study she did in the Washington University at St. Louis (founded by T.S. Eliot's grandfather), where Paul Berg began to follow Arthur Kornberg before they moved to Stanford.  Rita Levi-Montalcini will be 103 years old next month.

Dulbecco wrote an addendum to his autobiography in the nobel.com site in 2005, “At the beginning of 2006, when I will reach 92 years of age, I will give up the Italian connections, and will retire at La Jolla, to follow the work going on at the Salk Institute, and to play the piano.”      

I recently read Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers: the Story of Success”; I was going to write a book report (a critique), but never got time to do it.  If you read the above story carefully, you’ll notice the secret (or not-so-secret) of getting a Nobel Prize is to go to work with a Nobel laureate or a future/potential one. 

My letter-to-the-editor on Ike Memorial was published at Observer Reporter today

My letter-to-the-editor to Observer Reporter was published today.  There was a lengthy editorial praising the design of Ike Memorial, which will be at the “National Mall”.  I used Lincoln Memorial to make my point.

Upon learning that Marian Anderson was denied the use of Constitution Hall in Washington because of her race, Eleanor Roosevelt made arrangement for her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people.  Lincoln would be very pleased.

During the height of WWII, there was a powerful show of “Lincoln Portrait” at Lincoln Memorial, during which Carl Sandburg read Lincoln’s words and we heard, “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

We often heard that Churchill mobilized the English language and sent it into battle to fight Hitler (this saying was often attributed to JFK, but it was originally spoken by Edward Murrow—the great radio journalist during WWII); it is less well known that Carl Sandburg, using Lincoln’s words, did the same.

What more can I say about “I have a dream”? Upon hearing it Lincoln would have said that that was his dream, too.   

此處不留娘 (Lin), 自有留娘 (Lin)處

photo credit: Sports Illustrated

I read in one of his posts, Te-Chia wrote, “你只要是個人才，不用怕沒出頭的機會 . . . 只要你是個人才，不用擔心，你將在適當的舞台嶄露頭角”  He was talking about Jeremy Lin.  If he were a female, then one can say, 此處不留娘 (Lin), 自有留娘 (Lin)處.

In the Sports Illustrated story, we read that the Houston Rockets general manager posted in his Twitter, “We should have kept @jlin7.”  Golden State Warriors lamented, “Son of a b----.”  Both teams dropped Lin.

Linsanity frenzy continues: cover story at SI

Linsanity frenzy continues.  This is the cover story on Feb 20 Sports Illustrated as expected.  A word for caution: a great general doesn’t have to win every battle, and a great athlete doesn’t have to win every game.  The top priority of all the great players in the opposing teams is trying to figure out a way to stop the seemingly unstoppable.

When asked about Linsanity phenomenon the night before the Knicks:Lakers game, Kobe Bryant responded, “I have no idea what you guys are talking about.”  Kobe learnt it very quick next evening (Feb 10) at Madison Square Garden, the game when Lin outscored Bryant at 38 points.

Lisanity and Va-Lin-tine’s Day

I am reading a book of “There's A Word for It” talking about the words adding to American language since 1900.  The words keep growing every day, “Linsanity” (LINSANITY was a big banner on top of the front page on 2/13/12 Wall Street Journal) was added not even two weeks ago, it is already a household world.  And we all just had a Va-Lin-tine's Day.  Rumor had it that America’s most powerful basketball fan is itching to play with Lin at White House.

Photo credit: Wall Street Journal

Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair is a love story of our friends and Stephen Foster

On our trip to the America West a few years ago, a congenial group of Taiwanese Americans from New Jersey and Pittsburgh were in the same bus.  We ourselves provided our own entertainment on bus; a friend of us sang Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, revealing that he first sang it to his future wife and continues to sing to this day as love never grows old.  Reminiscing the love pursuit of his wife in his younger days, Foster composed this song for the love of his wife, Jane (Jeanie).

John McCormack (tenor) sang Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Po9CZRzzWI&feature=related

This chorus is best heard by using a earphone,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMxk9bzAcYI&feature=related   

Oh Susanna by Stephen Foster (premiered in Pittsburgh in 1847)

I would be remiss if I fail to mention Stephen Foster while talking about American music or more appropriately its history.  We have every right to claim him as a Pittsburgher, even though many of his songs are stories of the American South.  He was born and buried in Pittsburgh. His Memorial (see photo) sits in front of the Cathedral of Learning Tower at the University of Pittsburgh; it was also designed by Charles Klauder to accompany his Cathedral of Learning.  Foster also briefly attended Washington and Jefferson College at Washington, PA, a town 20 miles away from us.

I sang Oh Susanna in my school days in Taiwan.  It is a story of “I came from Alabama” with a banjo, to “I soon will be in New Orleans” to look for his girl friend, Susanna, and that leads some to say it is a Confederate song, but it is an all American folk song in every sense.  It had its premiere in a Pittsburgh ice cream parlor in 1847.  It was written for a men’s social club of Foster, so here is Oh Susana by a Men’s choir,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqQL5JsbTq4  

Whitney Houston’s Star Spangled Banner

Star Spangled Banner by Whitney Houston, singing at Super Bowl XXV in 1991,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h9NN5FhJ7I

Francis Scott Key

As a lawyer, Francis Scott Key went to Fort McHenry (at Maryland) to negotiate the release of a prisoner and witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy during the War of 1812.  He then wrote a poem of “Defence of Fort McHenry”, which later became Star Spangled Banner.

Thomas Morgan

Thomas Morgan was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1933.  Using Drosophila (fruit fly) as the model organism, Morgan established the role chromosome plays in hereditary.  Morgan is the great-grand son of Francis Scott Key from his mother’s side.  

I love Valentine's Day, it is so romantic!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I love Valentine's Day, it is so romantic!

Linsanity: Jeremy Lin takes the world by the storm

Linsanity propels MSG (Madison Square Garden) shares to records high.  Jeremy Lin is all American.  The best New York athlete (Hint: not Jeremy Lin).  Jeremy Lin: a stock market star too? [He graduated from Harvard with a concentration in economics, too].  Jeremy Lin word generator captivates the Linternet. . . . 

All of above are just a few examples of numerous articles in the Wall Street Journal when I searched “Jeremy Lin”.  There is a half a page report of “The Likability of Jeremy Lin” in the WSJ Sports section today.  And the Big Red LINSANITY is on the top of the front page today.

Lincoln and Dixie (I Wish I was in Dixieland)

Speaking of “Oh Shenandoah” was a Confederate song, it reminds me of the story that I read in Carl Sandburg’s Lincoln The War Years (Book IV).  On April 8, 1865 (the day before Robert Lee surrendered to Grant, practically ending the Civil War and six days before Lincoln was assassinated), Lincoln was sailing back to Washington D.C., after visiting General Grant at City Point, VA.  A military band came on board to the River Queen (the boat on which Lincoln and his entourage were sailing), Lincoln called for a playing of “Dixie” saying, “That tune is now federal property”.

The word ‘Dixie” means Southern United States, the song “Dixie” (or “I wish I was in Dixie”) was adopted as a de facto anthem of Confederacy, so Lincoln’s requested (點歌) this song surprised all present.  Sandburg wrote, “Lincoln wanted it to be a goodwill song of the reunited States.”

Lincoln also asked the band to play “Marseillaise” (French national anthem), as Chambrun (a French newspaper reporter) was with him.  In fact, Lincoln liked it very much, asked it be played twice.  Twinkling his eyes, Lincoln told Chambrun “You must come over to America to hear it.”

 

Over the years, I checked out Sandburg’s Lincoln (see photos) from the libraries numerous times; it has been out of print and there is no eBook version.  Thanks to Josephine’s 'daughterly' love, I am now the proud owner of these treasured books (I call them Bible of Lincoln biography books) as she managed to buy them from someone selling online.

I decided not to post any YouTube Dixie song, lest some may think it is too divisive; I simply use “Dixie” song to show who Lincoln was.   

Oh Shenandoah is an American folk song and American treasure

As you may have noticed that the series of music talk in my blog is not about music, as one cannot make much sense talking about something one knows little, instead I focus on the story or legend that comes with it, as David McCullough (one of the living American historians I respect and read) said the music that has stood the test of time, “means still more when we know their story.”

The folk song “Oh Shenandoah”, dating to early 1900s, was said to be sung by the Confederate soldiers longing to go home in Virginia during the Civil War era.  It is traced back to the native Indians; the name of Shenandoah says it all.

When Sissel (from Norway) came to America and wanted to sing something American, she chose Shenandoah,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1EG_4IBzbA&feature=related   

When the Civil War came, the Confederacy practically had no Navy.  They ordered non-armed merchant ships from Britain, then bound for other countries, such as China, and armed and manned by Confederacy sailors.  One of these ships was called Shenandoah.  Lincoln’s Union had serious talk with Great Britain and the last two ships were never delivered.

Happy birthday, Abe Lincoln—the moral lawyer

(This is what I posted at Sermo—a physician-only online site—on Abraham Lincoln’s 201^st birthday on 2/12/2010)

Celebrating his 200^th birthday last year, I had several posts about our greatest President (Man of God, Man of Letter, political and military genius, and I never wasted an opportunity to defend Mary Lincoln.)  He spent the last four years of his life as the President in the War Years, and yet his entire professional career was as the Prairie lawyer.

One would not read too many kind words about the trial lawyers at Sermoland, and this is an injustice to the moral lawyer that Lincoln came to represent.  Lincoln relied and defended the truth; he refused to take the case unless he believed the plaintiff was telling the truth.  He would never defend a guilty man (He could never be OJ's lawyer.) Once during the course of a trial he discovered his client had indulged fraudulent practice, he walked out of the court room.  The judge ordered him to return, he said “my hands are dirty and I've gone away to wash them” and refused to return.

The success of his law practice comes from his ability of speaking a simple language with persuasive clarity that jurors could understand; his talent in seeing real point in a complicated case; his seemingly inexhaustible resource of anecdotes, and above all, his sincerity and morality; he always made his clients feel that they were trying the case together.

Lincoln was involved in two medical malpractice cases and he was on our side.  A stark contrast to John Edwards--the poster child of the current malpractice crisis; never had a politician/lawyer stooped so low.  He shared many fine qualities as a trial lawyer with Lincoln, such as the passionate appealing to the jurors. What sets them apart is the morality or lack thereof.

Edwards made a fortune in his 16 cases of cerebral palsy.  A 2006 NIH study showed that in 9 out of 10 cases of cerebral palsy, nothing a doctor did can prevent it.  On many occasions when other lawyers were involved in Lincoln's team, if he thought the fees were too high, he would demand it be reduced to a reasonable amount, and that prompted Judge Davis to say, “Lincoln, you are impoverishing the bar by your picayune charges.”

Happy birthday, Abe! With great admiration to the moral jury lawyer, my case closed.

(I have stopped calling Lincoln “Abe” after I discovered that he didn’t like to be so called.)      

Happy 200th Birthday, Abraham Lincoln

(Today is Lincoln’s 203^rd birthday, the following is what I posted at Sermo on his 200^th birthday on 2/12/2009.)

It was perfectly fitting that Carl Sandburg, then 81-year-old poet-biographer, who knew you well, spoke in the joint session of the Congress on your 150^th birthday in 1959, and the Battle Hymn of the Republic was played by the US Army Band; your favorite song and lyric.  And I am sure you were very pleased with the occasion.

Your bicentennial birthday is coming up tomorrow and Doris Kearns Goodwin may stand where Sandburg stood, talking about your leadership, she is a worthy scholar, whose eloquence, I hope, will match yours.  In case you do not know, her book of Team of Rivals can be found on President Obama's desk at White House, along with the Bible.

You remain an enigma in spite of 14,000 books about you; a great emancipator you are, but talk of you being a racist has been around; you saved the Union, but some criticize you starting an unnecessary war that caused the enormous suffering of the Republic.

How wrong you were when you said on that fateful day in Gettysburg, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”  What you said here had since belonged to the ages, like Edwin Stanton (your War Secretary) said of you when you drew your last breath, “Now he belongs to the ages.”

The success of your law practice comes from your ability of speaking a simple language with persuasive clarity that jurors could understand; your talent in seeing real point in a complicated case; your seemingly inexhaustible resource of anecdotes, and above all, your sincerity and morality; you always made your clients feel that they were trying the case together.

You may or may not know that history has not treated your wife, Mary, nicely or fairly.  Rest assured that I have never been tired of defending her.  You know it was Mary’s unwavering and inflexible devotion/confidence on your political ability and prospect was what drove you to the top of the political arena. 

You must have the fond memory of that election night in late 1860.  You went to the telegraph office [at Springfield, IL] to hear the election returns over the wires.  The news from Pennsylvania and New York confirmed your victory came around midnight.  You rushed back home, shouting, “Mary, Mary! We are elected!”  She was indeed your “Cheerleader-in-Chief”.

We continue to do the job you started; sitting on your Memorial (how majestic you are!), you've watched Marian Anderson singing on April 9, 1939, listened Carl Sandburg's speech in July 1942; you heard Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I have a dream” speech in 1963, and Obama has visited you on many occasions, and, in fact, he will kick off your bicentennial celebration at your Memorial.

Obama swore the oath of office on the Bible you used on March 4, 1861.  You have no equal; but good thing will come out of it if someone is trying to emulate you.

I am sending invitations to my colleagues at Sermo, whose community is as diverse as America is, full of intelligent, analytical, and educated doctors and independent free thinkers, to say a few words on your 200^th birthday.

To know you as you really were is the best way to remember and revere you.  Happy Birthday to You!      

Amazing Garce for Whitney Houston

I always feel the hymn “Amazing Grace” should be sung or played for each and every funeral or memorial service.  It makes one feel sad but inspires hope in time of sorrow or loss, although if one studies the history of this song, it was not originally intended for this purpose.  I show you two versions of it, both are for Whitney Houston to celebrate her life.

Amazing Grace by Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSc-CDL61u8&feature=related

Judy Collins sang Amazing Grace with Harlem Boys Choir in 1993,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6vR-TQ7n68 

Whitney Houston RIP

Whitney Houston died today at age of 48.  I wouldn’t go that far to say today the music died.  But it is a great loss of another American music talent.  It is a tragedy of her ignominious downfall in recent years due to drug abuse, which probably “did her in”.  (When the flower girl in My Fair Lady said “did her in”, the lady in the high society had no idea of what it means: “killed her”.)  During her interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer in 2002, she said, “The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy.”

Her music had a deep root in American soul and gospel music.  This is her “I Love the Lord”,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW3up6Sr65U&feature=related

“I’ll Always Love You” is my all time favorite; we’ll always love you Whitney Houston, RIP (Rest in Peace),
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QaI-M9sxW4

The Lion Sleeps Tonight in The Lion King

Speaking of the smell and taste of Africa (非洲氣息) of Paul Simon’s Graceland album, it takes me back to my high school days when “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was the king, and that was in Taiwan. Like Graceland, it was originally recorded in South Africa.  The Tokens group introduced to Americans in 1961.  Disney’s “The Lion King” re-introduced it to another generation (see the link to YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8milJNj_W0

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King all came out in 1990s, and then a dry spell came.  It all depended on Pixar’s Toy Story, A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2 etc. to keep it going.  Steve Jobs invested on Pixar in 1986 and sold it to Disney for $7.4 billion in 2006.  It was said when Bob Iger (Disney’s CEO) told Jobs the deal will be sealed, Jobs wept.

Jobs couldn’t get along with Disney’s former CEO, Michael Eisner, the deal was made possible when Bob Iger took over.  It doesn’t hurt that Iger’s wife was the roommate of Jennifer Egan at the University of Pennsylvania, a former (in early 1980s) girl friend of Jobs.  

I can’t stop loving you by Ray Charles

I can’t stop loving you, Ray Charles!  I began to hear this song even before I came to the States.  Valentine’s Day is around the corner, but “I can’t stop loving you” is not quite suitable for the day of love, despite its name, as it laments for love lost; Taiwanese would call it a 失戀歌,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQXsM1l2wZ8

Te-Chia Chen 每個人心中都有一些遺憾，不一定是感情上的問題，所以聽聽失戀歌也是不錯的排解方法。所以音樂是一種治療劑，可解百病

Te-Chia Chen 每個人心中也有一些得意事，不管是哪一方面的事情，聽聽音樂，調節心情，為另一場劇情做準備  

We shall overcome by Joan Baez

In my post of “Steve Jobs’s love life” I talk about the romance between Jobs and Baez in early 1980s.  Joan Baez performed in Jobs’s memorial service.  Ma Yo-Yo (馬友友) did per Jobs’s request.
http://doctorjytsai.blogspot.com/2012/01/steve-jobss-love-life.html

This is “We shall overcome” by Joan Baez, who also performed this song in front of President Obama at the celebration of music from the civil rights era at White House on February 9, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkNsEH1GD7Q   

Our musicians were better than yours

I often tell my daughters that the musicians I grew up with were better than those in their generation.  This is today’s comic in Observer-Reporter.  I am not alone, the dentist (Jeremy’s dad) shares my view and Jeremy also agrees as he only says “We know how to get it for free.”  (This Jeremy is not our Jeremy Lin of NY Knicks.  I normally watch baseball, football and hockey only, but now I am watching Jeremy Lin as I am typing.  It is sensational! It is phenomenal!)

You may have noticed that I began to have posts labeling “music” in my blog to prove  that “our musicians were better than yours”.

Katy’s report to World Journal (世界日報): Lunar New Year celebration by Chinese Restaurant Association

Katy’s dispatch to World Journal (世界日報) reporting Lunar New Year celebration by Chinese Restaurant Association at Pittsburgh was published on Feb. 7.

You may read it directly online,
http://www.worldjournal.com/view/wjnjpanews/17422194/article-%E5%8C%B9%E8%8C%B2%E5%A0%A1%E4%B8%AD%E9%A4%90%E5%8D%94%E6%9C%83%E6%85%B6%E9%BE%8D%E5%B9%B4-%E9%80%BE700%E4%BA%BA%E5%90%8C%E6%AD%A1?instance=panews

 
The Lunar New Year celebration by the Chinese Restaurant Association was held at Rivers Casino on Feb. 5.  More than 700 people indulged in the abundant and scrumptious sea food buffet, thanks to the effort of the president of the association, Michael Chen (陳飛) and the 15 board members.

The lion dance accompanied by the spirited and lively drum and gong started the festive feast at the second floor of the casino at 8PM.

王麗雅 was in charge of the program; she asked Michael Chen why the casino was chosen for the annual celebration.  There are several reasons: It is not easy to find a fancy restaurant that can accommodate more than 700 people.  The location is perfect with the casino sitting in the center of the city that provided easy and free parking.  The All-You-Can-Eat sea food buffet is a steal.  王麗雅 added that one also can try one’s luck and ‘win’ after the feast.

Michael Chen pointed out that the Chinese restaurants, through their hard work, continue to thrive and prosper despite the global economic downturn, providing fine food at an affordable price.  The coming president, 李永壽, hoped that all the association members will cooperate and unite to meet the challenges coming our way, making business prosperous and successful.

The New Year celebration is the biggest event of the association, sponsored by many restaurants.  The entertainment was provided the professional ballroom dancers (Kristen & Bandon and Erick and Lisa from their dancing studio) and many talented singers, the likes of  夏丹宇、馬曉美、韓英亮.  The guests were treated with beautiful songs of 「歡天喜地過大年」、「萬事如意」、「壯志在我心」.

The association also provided $8,000 lottery prizes.  Many got $100, $200 or $300 prizes.  Unfortunately some lucky (or unlucky) ones failed to come up to claim the prizes.  The last three big prize winners ($600, $800 and $1,000) claimed the award in awe and rapture.  Everyone received $20 coupon from the casino for the slot machines to try their luck.  (Katy Tsai, 張瓊月)

(The following is Katy’s dispatch.)

匹茲堡中餐協會慶龍年 逾700人同歡

【賓州匹茲堡訊】 世界新聞網 北美華文新聞、華商資訊

February 07, 2012 06:00 AM

中國餐飲業協會匹茲堡分會5日在匹茲堡河流賭場（Rivers Casino） 舉行龍年新春海鮮晚宴，該會理事長陳飛及15位理事邀請華洋嘉賓700多人出席。

晚會在晚上8時開始，包下整個賭場的二樓，由紅黃雙獅伴著熱鬧的鑼鼓聲高昂闊步登場。

主持人王麗雅首先問陳飛，為何挑選匹茲堡河流賭場作為聚餐地點？陳飛解釋，首先要找700多人聚餐的地方實非易事，其次是新的河流賭場位居匹茲堡市中心，交通地點適中，加上停車場很大且免費，而且晚宴採取自助餐方式「All-you-can-eat」， 出席者可各取所需大快朵頤。王麗雅打趣補充說：「還有第 四，就是可以贏錢！」

陳飛在會上表示，這幾年全球經濟不景氣，中餐業者刻苦努力經營，仍然保持中餐價廉物美的品質。即將出任下屆理事長的李永壽也表示，希望新的一年中餐業者團結一致，共體時艱，生意更興隆。

每年新春聚會是中餐協會最大的年度盛事，當天晚宴由多家餐館贊助，席間有娛樂界人士Kristen、 Bandon與Erich、Lisa搭檔表演交際舞，還有歌星夏丹宇、馬曉美、韓英亮高歌「歡天喜地過大年」、「萬事如意」、「壯志在我心」等娛樂嘉賓。

匹茲堡中餐協會並準備了8000元現金摸彩，不少人抽中100元、200元、300元的獎金，但不時發生得獎者未出現而棄權重抽的情況。最後三個大獎分別為 600元、800元及1000元， 幸運兒歡天喜地領獎。河流賭場並贈送700多位嘉賓每人20元賭場禮券。有些出席者散席後，乾脆拿著贈券就到一樓賭場玩 吃角子老虎機。（張瓊月)