Tuesday 26 June 2007

Valedictorian Speech 2007

My grade 8 graduation will begin in just 3 hours!! And I will be spotlighted as valedictorian. And I'm doing another musical performance with my friend David at the end of the ceremony. It's going to be a hell lot of fun. I thought somebody might be interested, so here is a transcript of my valedictorian speech:

VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH 2007
By: Danny Zhang

Hello, parents, school staff, the administration and honoured graduates. It is here and right now that we deboard the train of elementary school. (Pause) We will cross the platform and soon depart on the High School express. (Smile) I am humbled and so honoured by this opportunity to speak at graduation as valedictorian! I see this ceremony not only as a celebration but an event to savour all the good stuff and lasting memories we’ve seen together. (Hand motions) Graduates, doesn’t it seem that a short while ago, you were sitting at your Grade 5 graduation? Can you believe it? We’ve witnessed, at this school, (Hand motions) 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, three tremendous years full of endless adventures, all kinds of fun, many new steps toward maturity and a whole lot of new knowledge.

I know I’ve been though a lot here. (Hand motions) Ohhh…there was WAPE Day in Grade 6, Mono Cliffs in Grade 7, then the awesome Quebec City trip later that year, (Using one breath, hand mtions) band trips to Wonderland, being part of student council, school dances, talent shows, playing with the band in school concerts, the science fairs, spelling bees and intramural ball hockey. Working on the yearbook was a thrill as well, not to mention that a mere two weeks ago, about 70 of us had a whale of a time in our Nation’s Capital, on the fantastic graduation trip to Ottawa. I’m sure everyone has their own personal memories beyond those extra-curriculars ranging from earning the Honour Roll recognition to the bloopers in gym class to what else? Just havin’ fun with your friends!

My favourite memory though has to be the Brass Ensemble which I was a part of this year along with 10 other very talented musicians. We played beautiful music and had the greatest laughs together. Every Friday, I always eagerly looked forward to our rehearsal because it really was a special and fun group. We won a silver medal at the Kiwanis Music Festival and then had our well-deserved time of glory playing in the TDSB concert at George Weston Hall in the Toronto Centre for the Arts. It took a lot hard work, alright, (Hand motions) but we were all committed. And I want to give a big thank you to Mr. Karpenko who has made the music program here very illustrious. The good times I had with Brass Ensemble is truly something I will forever cherish. How ‘bout it brass? Let’s have a reunion sometime in the future!

And what’s a valedictorian’s speech without shout-outs and more thank you’s? So I think all of us should give a warm applause for Ms. Brown, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Zangolli, Ms. K and Ms. Gill, (Hand motions) who are undoubtedly the backbone of our school. (Applause) Also, every hard working teacher here who put dedicated work into the good cause of education. To name a few who have made a difference in my life: Mr. Robinson, Ms. Meszsesan, Ms. D’Silva, Ms. Belizaire, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Donkena, Ms. Matas, Mr. Fong, Ms. Magowan, Mr. Kocicka and Ms. Zapior. Then, there are the custodians who maintain our sometimes messy school. And also the courteous support staff who are reliable for help whenever you need it. Thank you all so much. Let’s give them a well-deserved ovation! (Applause) It is because of your great work that I’m able to say: (Hand motions) Donview, what a school!

And finally, shout-out to all of the graduates. (Hand motions) We have made it! In a short two months time, we’ll once again embark on a mission but this time we’ll be on different trains headed to all directions. I may never see many of you again, but you can bet (Slight pointing) I’ll never forget you! The “Donview Era” of our lives is about to end and it has been an unforgettable one! We have grown up so much here at this school and achieved a bundle of goals. (Slowly) It is with great pride tonight that we step out the doors and embrace the ups and downs of the next 4 tumultuous years. (Pause, then expressively) It’s a heck of a challenge! Remember, inspiration is everywhere, follow your dreams and express passion in your lives! Don’t be afraid to take chances, be positive, be a good friend and have fun! And lastly, I wish you have a fabulous summer and the best of luck in all your future endeavours… (Point) but don’t forget me! (Wink)

Thank you all, keep your knees loose and so long! (Wave)

-Danny

Sunday 24 June 2007

So Close, Dustin!


The Toronto Blue Jays have had more than their share of almost no hitters. On that list include Halladay vs. the Tigers in 1998. Jim Clancy’s near perfecto in Minnesota; and of course the consecutive “lost-it-on-the-last-out” starts in which Dave Stieb came to the doorstep of history, but was rejected in outstanding attempts. You can now inscribe another name onto that list. Dustin McGowan, earlier this afternoon, carried a no-no into the 9th before Jeff Baker hacked his way on to break many fans’ hearts. No hitters are stupendously tough to come by these days and for young Dustin, he was all so close!

It had been a game of dominance for McGowan, inching, out by out, closer to history before the magic was temporarily lost on that first batter in the 9th inning. By the 7th, the nice getaway day crowd applauded for every strike. They audibly cheered on the 25 year old righty as he cruised his way through the game, only to run into the bump just 3 outs away from a no hitter. Then, Dustin was encouraged by an inevitable standing ovation, a reminder that even though the hit was registered, his performance was exceptionally fabulous.

“I felt good...you give Baker the credit for putting a good swing on it...” remarked McGowan who did still earn the 1st shutout and complete game of what looks to be a promising career. If it’s any help, Dustin, you hurled only the 17th one hitter in Blue Jay history and that’s one heck of an accomplishment! What a show the phenom put on! It was more than enough to keep everyone happy. Overall, and I mean every aspect of the game, power, pitching, defense...was present this afternoon, in what was a magnificent game!

Somewhat overlooked, Frank Thomas sent into orbit the 499th majestic round tripper of this career. That’s a lot of home runs! Perhaps he’s not getting the publicity all other 499er’s got in the past, but for a cool veteran guy like the Big Hurt, it might be better to not be over-pressured. You can bet that 500 will be a really loud smash and Frankie will be assured a ticket to Cooperstown.

And how ‘bout V-Dub? Isn’t he starting to sock ‘em too?! I think Wells still needs more plate discipline but it’s never too late to help your team. This team is at .500, the table is set for the next 18/21 to be played away from home. An immediate 10 game road trip is on the schedule. Sounds tough, I know. But look at what momentum can do! Look at what happened Friday night in the 10th which really straightened out the path for Saturday and Sunday! The time is now to get it rolling! Let’s go get ‘em, boys!

-D

All For the Buck

It's a boring Sunday, last before the end of middle school. Needless to say, I'm so excited about graduation. Yaayy! I'll have my report card marks up tomorrow or later today. FYI, I'm leaving for China on July 7th. And don't forget to tune into my radio show at blogtalkradio.com/dannyz312 tomorrow night at 8:30 PM to talk tennis!

All For the Buck

If you pay even the vaguest attention to pro sports, you probably don’t need me to tell you that professional athletes get paid a lot these days! It’s a positive fact! It is also one of the wackiest industries out there. Baseball is my sport and I’m not the expert you would find to talk soccer or football or even hockey for that matter, so I don’t have the best idea of player salary in the leagues other than the MLB. But I can certainly say that the Boys of Summer have very bulging wallets! The baseball market has inflated like blowfish in the past decade, partly because of our economic development, but you gotta figure that’s just an insignificant portion of what’s happening. The main reason is that players crave for more and give some credit to very generous General Managers and owners as well. Oh boy, believe me! They’re more willing to give than Mother Teresa! Why? We ask. Why do they deserve more today than they deserved back in the days? It seems unanswerable and to me, it is obfuscating. Historic players have performed at the same level as today’s and some even exceedingly great. Think how different is the market now than it was 10 years ago, yet 10 years ago a $100 million contract was out of the picture, unheard of, never entered the equation and off the charts.

Nolan Ryan was the first player in history to get paid $1 million/year. That was back in 1979 which I thought was still pretty crazy. Since then, the top paid players have cashed in $2 million (1981), $5.8 million, $10 million, $15 714 286 and today, Alex Rodriguez of the slumping Yankees sits on the throne by hauling in a hefty $26 million. You want something preposterously insane? There you go, A-Rod’s stratosphere contract! Getting paid $26 million to play a “game” is just plain non-sense. Sure, it’s competitive, but how about running for President? Doesn’t that make the baseball competition look like some after-school day care? Sure, baseball’s risky but how about serving in the military, or being a police officer? Which one would you rather pick? It takes skill to hammer a ball 400 feet but being an artist requires some super-capability as well (to me at least).

The market inflation has also give a lot of small-market teams headaches. It’s not fair for them to have in hand, a budget that’s a spit in the sea! The Yankees are in the hundreds of millions on their salary, but last year, the payroll for the entire Marlins organization was a miniscule $14 million. A handful of single players were paid more than that. The list includes Jeter, Bonds, Randy Johnson, Clemens, A-Rod, Sheffield… I never thought I’d say this, but I think MLB needs to put a salary cap on things to control the wild situation concerning $$$. Perhaps Billy Beane does a good job with it, but does he really like to fiddle with dimes and nickels when shopping in a lavish mall of buck-crazy free agents? I doubt it!

Toronto’s own GM JP Ricciardi has had an impact on the huge market inflation. When he got BJ Ryan and AJ Burnett $50 million bucks each, a rise in the price tag on the jobless free agents and other free-agents-to-be became inevitable. In the winter of 06-07, he does it yet again, with the rush to sign an aging, slow as snails Frank Thomas for $9 million/year. The free agency of 06-07 was absurdly crazy. Overpaid is an understatement. You’ll have to come up with a whole new set of adjectives to describe the following list: Alfonso Soriano’s “colossal” 8 years for $136 mil, Carlos Lee’s “staggering” 6 year-100, Gary Matthews’ fluke year got him a wholesome 5 years for 55 million (seriously, Matthews had a .240 career batting average up until 2006! 11 million per? Does whoever signed him need to go to a mental hospital?), Gil Meche’s luck that he was one of the few decent pitchers on the market earned him a very enjoyable $11 million/year too. The Cubs rewarded a consistent but not terrific Ted Lilly with $40 million over 4 years. JD Drew was hyped for huge payday, not to mention San Francisco now being filled with overpriced Barry’s, the latest addition (Zito) pocketing a mammoth amount of $126 million in the next while. Is this what they teach in General Managers’ class? How to write cheques with 8 or 9 digit numbers?

Vernon Wells sure wasn’t complaining either, because he was guaranteed a titanic sum of $126 million over 7 years. I can’t imagine why players get so much. Say I was a sports writer and I made $50 000 a year. It’s decent money but I’d be envious to know an average baseball athlete is paid 20 times that and a whole bunch a lot higher. Is his job 20 times harder than mine? Does he give in 20 times the effort? Does he contribute 20 times more to society than I do? No! Then how is it fair that those people are millionaires in an instant and I still have to commute to the office, do a legitimate job and at the end of the day, can’t even pool my lifetime salary together to beat his in a year or less? If it’s anything, pro athletes get 20 times better treatment than the Average Joe like you and me. Oh and plus, injuries to ball players don’t obscure them from getting paid whatever they’re “owed”. Some of it is totally unjustified, but there’s the world we’ve known for a long time now, full of gaps and differences.

I have to ask, when did this pure, simple game of baseball develop into a bidding war? Money is wrecking the game! Baseball is America’s pastime and it should be about anything but the cheques. God knows how many players even play the game for passion nowadays. Before, virtually every guy in the clubhouse had true love for the game, hustled their guts out, and couldn’t care less about the buck. To the athletes in the game right now, if you think you deserve $10 million a year (which is what nearly 100 players get paid or more), you’d better give it 200% every day! Don’t get me wrong, I admire the Reed Johnson, your Ryan Freel, Grady Sizemore and the Ichiro Suzuki, who work so hard and don’t mind living in a rented apartment. When it’s all said and done, a 7-digit salary per year still seems out of place for baseball. To the Richie Rich owners, this sport, no matter how much you invest in it, will still only be an entertainment industry and will merely affect fans like us, not the “Real World”. And next up on my salary crackdown list: movie stars.

-D

Friday 22 June 2007

Quick Stuff

Some really fast points before I go:

-I'll post an article I wrote tomorrow
-I've a radio show on Wimbledon scheduled for Monday at 8:30 PM
-I got a very satifactory report card today
-I am very involved with graduation
-I am delighted to see 600 from Sosa, but really, the guy's an idiot who's actually been caught cheating
-Go Jays!
-I heard that some writer on the Los Angeles Times wrote: President Bush is a duck so lame that he's almost quadripeligic. It's a funny and true statement.

Alrighty, so long for now!

-D

Sunday 17 June 2007

Alexandre Despatie

I'm back, finally after a fantastic visit to Ottawa! Boy was it great.
Now, I'm back to my sports writer mode and will now start posting.
ALEXANDRE DESPATIE
It's hard to imagine yourself tumbling off a 10 metre platform; do beautiful twists and turns in mid-air, then entering a swimming pool head first making a splash that you will miss if you blink. Sounds impressive, eh? I've always been compelled by the posrt of diving and coming from a diving superpower nation by the name of China, I've seen my share of outstanding divers. Close to home, my hometown Wuhan produced a 4 time Olympic champion diver, Fu Mingxia. She was just 13 when she first participated in the Barcelona Games of 1992!
I encountered another superstar diver here in Canada. His name is Alexandre Despatie. The 22 year old who was born in Laval, Quebec has more than 30 championships under his belt, including Commonwealth and World. Despatie is also the proud owner of an Olympic Silver Medal. This guy is no short of amazing. Actually, he's been amazing for 9 years now! It began in the 1998 Commonwealth games where Despatie saw action as a 13 year old! His dives were already unbelievably awesome back then, but who would dare to say this Canadian phenom would become Commonwealth Champion? There was a bewitching spirit in Kuala Lumpur on that night. The then Alexandre, who wasn't even in high school yet, "out-dove" all the competitors on the 10 metre platform and set a Commonwealth record on his was to snagging the gold medal! He waved our Maple Leaf, he pumped his fists and he made Canada proud!
The pride of Laval entered the 2000 Sydney games with high expectations. Canada wasn't let down, of course. Alexandre finished fourth on the 10 metre platform, not too shabby for a 15 year old! Despatie was "fantastique". In the first few years of the new millenium, Despatie kept adding to the mantlepiece with gold medals at the World Aquatic Championships, Grand Prix Championships, and Pan American Games, oh and he defended that Commonwealth title as well in 2002. Daily, the tireless athlete wakes up at 7:30 AM then its splash time at Claude-Robillard Centre. In the afternoon, he does important out of pool training. I'd call it a pretty busy, hectic and exhausting day, but that's the life of a pro athlete. You gotta give maximum effort and Alexandre belongs right in that category.
Going into Athens, expectations were again set high for Despatie. And again, he did brilliant picking up a shiny silver medal on the 3 metre. On the tower though, Alexandre just couldn't bear the extraordinary Chinese and got himself a marvelous 4th place once again. The young 19 year old was also an ambassador for McDonald's Restaurants in Quebec and like you would've guessed, the honour was given to him after the '98 victory, when he was just 14.
Three more gold came his way at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. What more can you ask for, except that big missing piece in the puzzle. The distinguished Olympic Gold and the eternal and elite title of Olympic Champion is the only thing missing in this sensational diver's life. So what do you say, Alex, can you mix together the right formula again and make Canada proud one more time? The sky is the limit and the next stop is Beijing.




-D

Sunday 3 June 2007

Update

Sorry, guys, my new house doesn't have telephone or internet access yet and I'm writing this connected to some remote wireless service. Anyway, I'm mostly done settling down and will write more soon, including 2 new posts this week. I didn't get to do my show last Tuesday and I'll schedule one for next Thursday.

-D