Feelin' Blue (in a good way)

Not that it really matters (does anything ever?), but I'm putting the final results here for posterity.

Turns out I was right on both counts, but by being super conservative in fear of jinxing him, I ended up grossly under-estimating his margin of victory.

Numbers to savour:

365 - 173

52.7% - 45.9%

I hereby salute the man for his political savvy and ambition; his amazing oratory skills; his unwavering message of positivity, courage, hope, and change; his uncanny luck and timing; and last but not least, his awesomely run campaign.

Yes! We! Can!

"We are the ones we've been waiting for.

We are the change that we seek."

"Rosa sat,

so that Martin could walk,

so that Jesse could stand,

so that Obama could run,

so that our children can fly."

Now quickly get to work to restore the global economy, achieve world peace, make poverty history, end world hunger, reverse global warming....before the right-wing extremists get to you!!!

Sayin' it as I see it

Ok, that's it.
I can't keep it in for fear of jinxing it anymore, so I'm gonna say it loud and clear.

Everybody's saying the race is narrowing, but then again it's in everyone's interest to say so.
McCain needs to say it otherwise all his supporters will loose faith and give up.
BO needs to say it cos otherwise all his supporters will be too confident and not vote on Tuesday.
The media needs to say it cos it makes for more interesting news.

But the bare, simple truth is - the math just don't add up for McCain:
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/mccain_surge/

He's got no money, no consistent message, no charisma, no luck, and no hope.

Plus his fatal miscalculation re his running mate...I'm not even gonna cheapen my blog by mentioning her name.

So, here goes:

It's gonna be a BO landslide.
He'll take > 300 electoral college votes, and he might even go > 50% nationally.

Ok, I've said it.
Now let's see if I jinx him or not.
Fingers crossed!!!

That dreaded 4-letter word

It's not often that I become emotionally affected when it comes to stuff about LOVE...afterall I'm the cynical, negative, take-it-or-leave-it kinda guy right?
Well this piece managed to move me tremendously...it's written by Adrian Tan, a fellow ACSian whose younger brother Edmund was my schoolmate. They're both more well known for their wit & humor, but I think there's much truth & wisdom in these words (not to say there isn't truth & wisdom in wit & humor):

Rather, I exhort you to love another human being.
It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false.
Modern society is anti-love.
We've taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings.
It's far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise.
Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance.
It is hard work – the only kind of work that I find palatable.
Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness.
In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way.
We learn the true worthlessness of material things.
We celebrate being human.
Loving is good for the soul.
Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person.
Despite popular culture, love doesn't happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor.
It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming.
It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.
You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.
You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated.
You are not doing it to be loved back.
Its value is to inspire you.
Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone.
You either don't, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology.
It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

It made me realise what a completely selfish jerk I've been these last few years in terms of my relationships, and for that I'm truly ashamed.
But all is not lost...with this painful realization comes a steely determination to change for the better. It will not be easy, but I sure as hell am gonna give it a darn good shot.

The full text of Adrian Tan's speech can be found here here.

Thank you K for sharing.

Attention Seeking

This is my virgin attempt at blogging, so this is gonna be just a test post.

Was in Hong Kong recently to watch the Rubgy Sevens, and boy, was it fun...40,000 people, all having a ball of a time....the alcohol helped, of course!

The biggest cheer (more like a roar) was for these 2 streakers who ran across the length of the pitch to dive under the posts.

I took a series of 5 shots, and I thought this one turned out pretty ok.

Now that's what I call attention seeking, but then again, so is blogging isn't it? =P

More HK Rugby Sevens photos can be found here.