Settle down, settle down, I know it has been a while since my name last appeared on Ovi's front page, but the prodigal son has now returned so enjoy it while it lasts! Last night I was laying in bed aching all over from some variant strain of swine flu when I realised there was less than fifty days to the end of 2009 and my mind invariably wandered to who or what should be awarded the prestigious Ovi's Event/Person of the Year.

Last year we awarded the title to the “Financial Crisis”, which we felt had affected the entire globe, but one of our readers, Eva, left a rather lengthy comment/diatribe that has been ringing in my ears all year. The gist of her complaint concerning our choice of “Financial Crisis” was summed up in one of her many paragraphs:

“In my mind, if you want to declare something as an 'event of the year', or 'person of the year', why not.... yes WHY NOT try to be positive, and chose an event that might bring some hope for the future?”

Be positive. Hope for the future. Optimism. Well, I guess that truly is throwing down the gauntlet to the Ovi editors, especially after the year we have all just faced. If we are going to follow through on only nominating upbeat events and people then the following must be struck from the list: Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Israel/Palestine, Swine Flu, the global climate, Gordon Brown, the financial crisis (!), Newcastle United Football Club, Somalian pirates and, yes, Michael Jackson moonwalking off this mortal coil.

So, positivity then. Clear my mind of all the cynicism and misery that has seemingly plagued 2009 and focus. Focus. Events and people that restored the world's optimism? Right, how about the incredible landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, which proved to us all that landing on water is actually possible. The inauguration and presidency of Barack Obama, which seemingly hit a reset button on the United States' foreign relations around the globe and even inspired the Nobel Committee to reward the President for his actions fighting for world peace.

How about the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century that lasted almost seven minutes and was believed to be the most widely observed total eclipse in human history. A controversial suggestion, which I do not agree, could be the brave decision of the Scottish government to release Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, imprisoned for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, on compassionate grounds, since it certainly polarised the world's opinion.

How many do we have so far? Four? Four! Good grief; I didn't know trying to be upbeat was so hard, but let's continue. My own vote for Event of the Year would be “Cinema” in order to move away from the political, spiritual and environmental problems plaguing our planet. 2009 has been an incredible year for cinema with awesome advancements in film-making, especially the improvement in that 1950s gimmick, 3D. There have been a number of excellent films that have utilised 3D in truly creative ways this year, one of which is Up!, but it is the anticipation of James Cameron's Avatar that could still be the Cinematic Event of the Decade.

Feeling nauseous yet? Have I overdone the upbeatedness (my own word)? Well, Eva, this year Ovi will be aiming for a glass half-full Event or Person of the Year, so if you have any suggestions to add to the rather short list, or if any of our other readers feel I have overlooked any other cheery event from 2009 the please add it to the comments section and the Ovi editorial team will announce the winner in January 2010... and, don't worry, you won't need a loaded gun to hand.