What a Year! What a Year!

I usually write this kind of stuff on New Year's Eve, but since I'll be heading downtown to embrace 2009, here it is:

When the flame of 2007 burned itself out, I made two new year's resolutions for the brand spanking new 2008.

1. Make Harry and I's Internet Radio Show a popular crowd-pleaser.

2. Beat the Danny of 2007 in terms of kindness, creativity, vocabulary, school/community involvement, intelligence and willpower.

Well, the first one died out after about 4 months into the year, but I'm glad we had a great time. Besides, we were able to use our account to help get some ridiculously high marks for English culminating. And I revisited the account to do daily shows during the Olympics.

For the long list of things I wanted to achieve in 2008, you can check off every one of them, because I truly did beat old self in all those things. Job well done, Danny!

It's been a year like that. A year marked by personal growth, maturity, and overall CHANGE. This was without a doubt, the best year in my life...so far.

To say time flew by is a massive understatement. Time felt like it was going faster than the speed of light. Time was, as one wise author writes, a dimension. However, the timeline of 2008 was not without speed bumps. There were plenty of trials and tribulations, and I'm proud to say we got through it all.

In this past year, I've met so many new people and learned a lot about what's important in life. I've learned, but not mastered, time management. I've discovered a lot about myself. I've improved as a person. And that's probably my biggest accomplishment this year.

It was a year when my homeland, China, proved itself to the world in what I think was the most extravagant Olympics ever.

It was a year when many of us were dazzled by the performance of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, when Canada won 18 medals, all in the second week, when an age controversy plagued Chinese gymnasts, but we still won 101 medals, 51 of them gold in the end.

It was a year when we, the Chinese, rose up to defend our nationhood in a sea of Western criticism on the subject of Tibet, and when we all pitched in to help the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake.

It was a year when America elected its first black president, the junior Senator from the Land of Lincoln, who brought hope to the United States and the world alike.

It was a year of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin and their counterpart on SNL, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

It was a year when oil soared to $148 a barrel only to be slammed down to $35, bringing gas prices from 140 cents a litre to what is now 66.4.

It was a year when the failed Conservative policies of Stephen Harper were given another chance, and when Harper dictatorially prorogued Parliament to avoid a defeat at the hands of the new coalition.

It was a year when Roger Federer only won one Grand Slam, when Nadal beat him in an epic 5 hour Wimbledon final, when the Williams Sisters made a huge comeback, and when the tennis world was introduced to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.

It was a year when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the World Series, when the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was renewed, when the Leafs continued to downspiral into a seemingly bottomless pit, and when we bid Yankee Stadium farewell.

It was a year when the world financial markets went head first down a toboggan hill, when millions of jobs were lost, when the entire nation of Iceland almost went bankrupt, and when "bailout" became a familiar term.

It was a year marked by a plethora or snowstorms, and rainstorms, and temperature that swung 30 degrees in a week.

It was a year when citizens around the world took symbolic action against climate change, in the first ever Global Earth Hour.

It was a year when we survived our first high school exams, and survived our first major lockdown.

It was a year when volleyball became a lunchtime favourite, when we went to movies more often, and when we learned about what a lung collapse is.

It was a year when more friendships strengthened than weakened.

It was a year with more triumphs than regrets.

It was an amazing year for me, but a not-so-good one for many others.

But it has come to an end.

In the spirit of an optimist, I will say: MAKE 2009 THE BEST ONE YET!

-D

P.S. New Year's Resolutions:

1. Find a paying job. [All suggestions welcome! :)]
2. Finish my "big project". I'll reveal it when I'm done.
3. And as always: Beat the Danny of 2008 in terms of kindness, creativity, vocabulary, school/community involvement, intelligence and willpower.

Comments?

Texeira Worth $180 Million??!!

Once again, I whisper under my breath: WTF??!!

Mark Texeira to the Yankees for a ridiculous total of $180 million over 8 years. This maddens me. This infuriates me! This is absolutely unbelievable!!

The US economy is in more than a sticky wicket. The interest rates have been slashed to nearly zero. Millions have lost their jobs this year. Stock markets have dipped 40% in the last year. Banks are nosediving into the ground. Yet baseball players...oh how lucky they are, baseball players are raking in money like never before.

WTF??!! WTF??!! $180 million??!! 1-8-0??? I mean, I like Teixeira as a hitter and I look forward to seeing him hit live. But $180 million is just preposterous, pompous! The Republicans said "Drill Baby Drill!" I say to the MLB: "CAP BABY CAP!"

In the Toronto Star today, Vernon Wells said that the race in the AL East next year will be tough. It will be tough for the Blue Jays because of what the Rays did this year, the way the Yanks are spending money, and the way the Red Sox always pulls through. He commented on the way Aaron Hill is recovering and reflected on what went wrong in the Jays '08 season. Being an honest man, Wells remarked that hitting was virtually non-existent and all the pressure was on the pitching staff, who did amazingly well. As well, Vernon Wells joked that he might be booed if he plays for Team USA in Rogers Centre during next year's World Baseball Classic.

In other Yankees news, less pompous news, an exhibition match against the Cubs in early April will feature prices of 25 cents for the bleachers. This is all an attempt to "relive" the events of 1923-when prices were indeed just a quarter. My opinion? This kind of thing should happen more often, especially seeing how elite the prices at new Yankee Stadium will be once the regular season starts.

Leafs got "carved up like a Christmas turkey" tonight.

Raptors...well, one of my friends are calling them Craptors, and one has "given up" already. I really think we should give them some time. The team has been on a roller coaster this season and people need to be calm about it. It's frustrating, no doubt, but this team has the capability to be great. Going to sell 50/50 tickets at the ACC on New Year's Eve! Can't wait!

-D

Holiday Break

I can't believe it's already December 20th!!

School is finally out and let the partying begin (okay, let's not forget to keep up with the studies)!

Unlike most years, I actually have homework from all four of my courses this year. Not Herculean tasks, but small things that HAVE to get done.

What is going on with the Raptors lately? It seems like everybody's in a big slump. Toronto lost 91-83 to Oklahoma City last night. I mean, OKLAHOMA CITY! They're the worst team in the league. Of course, losing streaks always bring out frustration. But obviously, new strategies have to be implemented if this team is to be taken seriously.

Boston Celtics are on a 17 game winning streak. Reminds me of the Rockets last year. How long can it last? One thing's for certain, they have a great chance to defending this year, with the way they're playing.

Baseball market is still going crazy.

Mats Sundin signed with the Canucks. When he started putting off self-imposed deadlines, the chances of him returning to the Leafs got smaller and smaller. I'm not surprised he's not coming back. Perhaps it's best Sundin didn't come back. The entire Leafs organization is in an absolute mess right now. I don't know what to say.

World Junior Hockey Championships take place in Ottawa over the next couple o' weeks.

Doc Ellis, the pitcher who once tossed a no hitter while under the influence of drugs (opium I believe) has died at the age of 63.

I haven't heard much about the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame voting yet. Ricky Henderson is the star of this year's slate of candidates. I will post my ballot sometime over the holidays!

We're getting a "snow-maggedon" here in TO this week. About 10 cm of snow fell on Tuesday night into Wednesday. Yesterday, the winds howled and we got dumped on with around 15-20 cm of snow. Tonight into tomorrow, another 10-15 cm is expected before the next storm moves in Tuesday night into Christmas Eve. The uncertainty on that one is still pretty high-the snow could be mixed with some rain. But this will definitely by the second straight year we have seen a White Christmas and I'm lovin' it!

-D

Monday Night Notes

Well, it's 11 o'clock on a Monday night.

I SHOULD be in bed.

Well, just wanted to say it is the last week before Winter Break and I can hardly wait. It's been a busy semester, and I look forward to taking a couple weeks off. Got lots planned already, should be fun.

Can't believe Sabathia went to the Yankees for 161 million dollars. Isn't this supposed to be a time when the US economy is in the worst period in 80 years? Why are these athletes still setting payday records?? It's absolutely ridiculous!!! MLB DEFINITELY needs a cap before GMs have shown that they can't control themselves in hiring players for way too much money.

AJ Burnett has also signed with the Yankees...always HOPED he'd be back. I liked the guy. But guess we are all enticed by the greenback.

Raptors are...surviving, let's just say.

How bout 'em Bills, starting off the season 4-0 and on the verge of elimination?!

Just learned today that the best performing stock exchange of 2008 was Tunisia.

Okay, seriously, time to go to bed.

-D

A Year of Writing

Yes, it's been a year.

It was about a year ago this time that I decided to seriously run this blog and boy, have I run with it. Over the past year, through what was a very snowy winter, we kept up to date on the baseball offseason, watched some great basketball together, not to mention a flabbergasting Australian Open. I ran a radio show for about 10 weeks with an inspirational friend. When baseball started, I wrote about that. There was the NBA All-Star Break. And through the first half of the year, I bashed Hillary Clinton.

When June gave way to July, I said I wanted to make something out of the summer, so I wrote a couple 3000 word articles on topics dear to my heart. Oh, and of course, there was that Wimbledon showdown between Rafa and Federer.

And then there were the Beijing Olympics. I live blogged through it all, almost living on the couch along with my laptop. Those were the best times of the year, I think. I miss the Olympics the most. The days of reduced sleeping hours, of press credentials, of national anthems, of Usain Bolt, of Michael Phelps, and of gold medals and last place finishes. And of course, of the radio shows-which I still have a hard time believing pulling off every day.

When fall came, it was school, baseball, and Obama v. McCain. I live blogged Election Night, and provided my insights on other political events the October 14th Election, and Crisis in Parliament.

There were happy posts, angry posts and teary posts. But all in all, about 100 of them in the course of the past 12 months. Twelve months full of adventures.

I was flipping through the old posts last weekend, when I came across one I penned on Friday, January 4th, 2008. It was titled "The Ten Predictions of 2008".

How many of them came true? Well...take a look:

• Roger Federer will be the victor of all 4 Grand Slam titles. Aussie, French, Wimbledon and US! Move over Pete Sampras, Federer is the King of Tennis!

Kind of ironic, isn't it? Many tennis fans probably had the same prediction as me. But as it turns out, it was not Roger's year. First, Djokovic knocked him out in the Aussie Semis, then he got crushed by Nadal at Roland Garros, before running into that "best final ever" at Wimbledon. Federer didn't come close to the medals in Beijing (singles-wise) but the man salvaged his year by winning at Flushing Meadows.

• Italy will capture the EuroCup 2008, proving to us once again, that Italy is now the envy of the soccer world.

Italy was great, but Spain was greater. Simple as that.

• Michael Phelps will win 8 gold in Beijing and become the poster boy of every magazine in the United States!

Yay! There's one that came true! Phelps did win 8 golds in Beijing, albeit, not easily. And yes, yes he did become the poster boy of every magazine in the United States...and beyond.

• Canada, our home and native land, I sense, will bring home at least 20 medals from the 08 Olympics!

Close, but no cigar. Canada won 18 medals in Beijing, but that number could easily have been 20. A good performance for the Canucks in China, but there's always room for improvement!

• The Vancouver Canucks will take home the Stanley Cup! Finally, a Canadian team!

Man, what happened to the Canucks down the stretch? It was like they were in first place, and all of sudden dropped out of nowhere. The Cup did come oh-so-close to Canada after the Detroit Red Wings won the title. Now, only if it could cross the Ambassador Bridge in 2009.

• The San Antonio Spurs will for the second straight year be able to say: "We are the Champions!"

San Antonio was caught in that super tight race in the Western Conference down the stretch. They did manage a berth in the Western Conference finals, where they ran into the Kobe-run LA Lakers, who were oh-so-strong through out the year. They lost 4-1 to LA. But I doubt the Spurs would have beat Boston either way.

• Writers and fans go mad in March as Florida State will repeat as NCAA Champions!

Who am I kidding? Florida State didn't have a chance to begin with. Kansas was crowned champions after an intense match against Memphis.

• My idol sprinter, Jeremy Wariner, will break the Men's 400 M World Record (43".18 by Michael Johnson). Do I dare say in Beijing?

Oh man, I don't even want to talk about this. God knows what happened to Jeremy Wariner down the home stretch. Forget about 43"18, Wariner didn't even get the gold medal, running an ugly time of 44"75. Well, Wariner's still young, and there's still next year.

• World Series? World Surprise! My guess: Houston Astros!

World Series was World Surprise alright, but the Astros were out long before the World Surprise even began. But hey, I'd settle for a Phillies v. Rays Series any day. Besides, it was crazy enough that Game 5 lasted 3 days!

• Canada will win gold at the 2008 World Men's Curling Championships! Who says no body watches curling!

Three words: Yes they did!

There you have it, I went 2-10 for 08. I'll make my predictions for 09 when that year begins!

-D

Proroguing Sucks!

Straight and simple!

Prorogation sucks!

It's undemocratic, lame, and even dictatorial.

I don't know why the Governor General agreed to the Prime Minister's request to suspend Parliament yesterday. It's utter stupidity. Now, we have no lawmakers for 2 months, as the country sinks even deeper into an economic crisis. And why is this? 'Cause the Conservative Prime Minister wants to save his job. It's all about keeping face and I dearly hope the coalition together so that Mr. Harper gets the message that enough is enough!

No body is holding him accountable now. It is infuriating. And definitely one of the most classless acts Mr. Harper has ever done.

Okay, just had to get my political emotions off my chest.

Now to sports. I was flabbergasted that Sam Mitchell was given the pink slip this week. The man was Coach of the Year just a couple seasons ago. And the Raptors weren't even THAT horrible. It was a streak of mediocrity that I think could be easily turned around. But I also respect Colangelo's audacity and risk-taking style.

I believe Jay Triano has what it takes to lead the Raptors team until the end of the season. He's a very smart man, and has plenty of experience.

Brian Burke's finally here! This is only one step in what I see as a rebuilding in the Leafs organization. It is clear that the old ways will not work for Toronto. Don't even hope for Sundin anymore. In 2008, it's all about change!! :) And the Leafs, if they expect to win a Cup anytime soon, has got to make colossal changes! Burke's a good start, now let's see what he can bring.

Jays cut 24 front office jobs this week. One sign that no body can escape the economic downturn.

Speaking of the economy, 533 000 jobs were cut in the US last month alone. I'm surprised the Dow's only down 20 points right now.

-D

Constitutional Crisis

Think the Florida Recount in 2000 was a test for the US Constitution??!!

Think again!!

Right now, right here in Canada, our own constitution is getting tested in unprecedented ways. Just 7 weeks ago, on October 14th, the Canadians elected a Conservative minority government. Parliament officially opened on November 19th. On November 27th, the Finance Minister tabled the government's economic statement, a move that would prove as costly as poison.

The opposition parties, which compose the majority of the House of Commons, united together and tabled a motion of no confidence. That vote was originally scheduled for this Monday, but the Prime Minister pushed it back to December 8th.

This week, parliamentarians and commoners alike have been engaged in fierce debate about what the government should do. If the motion passes next Monday, the Conservative minority falls and there are two options. There could be another election, though costly and fatiguing. Or, the Governor General will ask the opposition parties to work together in a coalition government. The latter has already been arranged, all that needs to be done is the vote.

To add to the incredible circumstances, the Prime Minister will ask the Governor General tomorrow to prorogue parliament, a term many of us have never heard before, and probably will never use again. It means that the House will go on holiday break until the Conservatives bring their budget forth on January 27th. The GG is entitled to reject the PM's prorogation request, but it would be extraordinary.

If Parliament indeed gets prorogated, we'd have to wait until January 27th to see these MPs heckle eachother again. The coalition may hold in place until then, but the possibility of an election will increase by the new year. And then there's the issue of Dion becoming Prime Minister. And if we go into an election campaign in the spring, the Liberals will have to do so with Dion as lame duck leader with their leadership convention in May.

This is complicated and entirely political. But for now, I am enjoying the daily hour of shouting match-Question Period! You should check it out on the net! Amazing, heated exchanges.

Well, the drama continues and we can only wait...

-D

Journalism is Risky Business

Yes it is!

Learned that first hand today.

I wrote an editorial in my school's newspaper concerning our intramural dodgeball tournament, which was extremely disorganized. I did not name names, but made one mention to our Athletic Council, which I was a part of. Though I felt some guilt in make a criticism of the tournament, I felt it was necessary to voice what many of the students and teachers thought about it. Besides, it was my honest opinion that the tournament was a disaster.

Well, the paper came out today and let's just say some people weren't too happy with the article. First off, our head of Physical Education Department yelled at me at 8:30 in the morning. Then, he kicked me off the Athletic Council.

The news of this controversy spread fast, even I was surprised about how many people knew the story by lunch time. The paper was getting immense readership by this time.

Even teachers were kept in the loop, and I talked to many people, most of whom supported the article. I have to admit, the things I wrote were not too harsh. I understand why certain people are upset, but I think they wre massively over reacting.

The best thing to do, I think, is just to talk to some of the editors in the paper and teachers too. And if things calm down enough, I will approach the head of the Phys Ed department once again to discuss this issue.

One thing I found somewhat ironic was the fact that the paper was proofread by a staff advisor and the principal. Neither of them had any problems with it yet the Phys Ed department is going beserk over the opinion of one student.

Somebody said to me two weeks ago: "Journalism is a risky business...".

Yes it is.

-D

AL MVP-Dustin Pedroia??!!

The first thing I whispered to myself when I saw the small headline "Pedroia wins AL MVP" can be shortened into three letters: WTF??!!

I'll admit this-I haven't been the most informed person when it comes to the baseball offseason. But the choice of Dustin Pedroia for AL MVP came as a huge shock. He's a fantastic player, for sure, and that'll probably be true for a long time to come. However, is he the most valuable player in the entire American League? A definite no!

First off, Dustin Pedoia plays on the Boston Red Sox, a team that has quite a few valuable players. Had he been the second baseman for a team like the Florida Marlins, Pedroia's impact would have been much, much greater. If you take away Pedroia's contributions to a mediocre team, it would make an insurmountable difference. The Red Sox are not a mediocre team. In fact, there are few batting line ups as relentless as Boston's. Simply put, Dustin Pedroia's contributions to the Red Sox, a team that also employs Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Jonathan Papelbon, were far less than that of a true leader on a less mainstream team.

In all due respect, Pedroia is an amazing hitter, who sprays the ball, hits for average, possesses some pop, and makes the pitcher work. His D is also quite impressive. But that can be said for a lot of players. On a team like the Red Sox, he is just not a stand out. In order to be the MVP, a player must be outstanding, dazzling fans on the field, but also an irreplaceable figure in the clubhouse. In the AL, it's not Dustin Pedroia that does those two things the best.

Now that the criteria has been set. Here's a list of players who deserve the award more than the Red Sox second baseman.

1. Justin Morneau

Morneau came in a distant second. The margin of victory (60 points) for Pedroia was also quite shocking. At the end of the regular season, I honestly thought that the AL MVP race was going to be a toughie for the writers. Perhaps, it'd be a very close vote. But as it turned out, that was not the case.

Morneau's power numbers and RBI stats were much more impressive than Pedroia's. In fact, Morneau drove in 50 more runs than Pedroia, a margin that could have easily won a dozen more games for any ballclub.

As well, Morneau plays for the Minnesota Twins, a city where baseball sellouts don't occur on a nightly basis. He is the undisputed leader in the clubhouse there and has a slickly deft glove as well.

2. Carlos Quentin

Ask yourself a simple question. Where would the Chicago White Sox be without Carlos Quentin? They probably would not have had the opportunity to play some October baseball without Carlos' help. He was solid on offense all season long, providing timely hits when the White Sox needed them

He dazzled and shined on the field and was a fan favourite. Quentin really helped to carry the White Sox through much of the season. He is undoubtedly a recognized face in Chicago and definitely of insurmountable value to his club.

3. Cliff Lee

I know Lee won the Cy Young, but there is no rule that says a player can't win two awards in one season. The stats Lee posted on the mound were just as impressive as any hitter in the league. His contributions and his value simply came from doing a different job.

The Cleveland Indians won a total of 81 games during the regular season. Cliff Lee posted 22 individual victories. If you can't do the math, Cliff Lee was credited with over 25% of all Cleveland wins. Can you say that for Dustin Pedroia?

His dazzle-razzle ERA of 2.54 was also best in the majors. Again, the main question is, where would the Cleveland Indians be without Cliff Lee? He was the focus of their team, the ace, the fan fave, all of which qualify him for this prestigious award.

While the selection of Dustin Pedroia was somewhat ridiculous in my opinion, the winners of other major end of season awards were deserving of their honours. For the most part, the writers voted for the most meriting candidate.

On that note, this Pedroia mistake is forgivable.

-D

Busy Weekend

It sure is a crazy weekend in Canadian sports!

Last night, at the ACC, Wendell Clark's #17 was lifted to the rafters, the highest honour for any Leaf. Not to be outdone, the Montreal Canadiens, the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, invited Patrick Roy to the Bell Centre for his jersey raising ceremony. I'm not a big hockey guy anymore, but I know enough about the sport to respect what those two guys did for the sport. Clark had his own era in Maple Leafs hockey while Patrick Roy won the most games ever for a goaltender. Congrats to both of 'em!

And did anyone notice that the music played during Wendell Clark's raising was the same as the music played after Obama's victory speech in Chicago on Election Night??

Also happening in Montreal today...the Grey Cup! Remember the days when Toronto Argos used to dominate?? Nothing seems to be going right in Toronto sports these days...not even the Argos. Not a big football fan anyway, but I do notice an increase in football's popularity with Canadians recently.

The Raptors are in the last minutes of their game against the Boston Celtics. A slaghter right from the getgo. At one point, there were down by only 4 points, but that optimism didn't last long. At last check, there were down 114-99. A record of 6-7 definitely does not do justice as to what this team is capable of.

Not much else to say other than that.

Article coming later tonight or tomorrow...stay tuned!

-D

Jot 'Em Down

There's been a lot of movement going on in baseball. Big names being tossed around. Trades being negotiated. It's what the sport does when everyone's bored and cold.

The AL Cy Young came out earlier this week. Can't say I was surprised-Cliff Lee-22-5 with an ERA around 2.50ish...totally deserves it. On the other hand, woulda been nice to see Doc Halladay net another one.

Jake Peavy, AJ Burnett, and CC Sabathia are all on the Yankees' radar. It could be a scary division if New York and Boston both flex their money muscles. The Jays, of course, would like to have AJ back, but I just don't see it working out. And I highly doubt we'll be able to persuade Manny Ramirez to come here...besides, the guy's a tool.

Trevor Hoffman won the Roberto Clemente award. Congrats.

They're working hard on getting baseball back in the Olympics. A US delegation made the pitch to 20 IOC members earlier this week. These are all efforts for 2016-an Olympics I hope will take place in Chicago. MLB said they might be willing to let the best pro players participate if baseball is reassured a spot on the Olympic programme. The final decision will be made next October in Denmark. Can't wait.

Raptors hosting the Miami Heats today at the ACC.

Leafs lost last night in Vancouver 4-2...when's Brian Burke gonna get here?!

-D

Good Volunteering Opportunity

Last week was ridiculously crazy.

On Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to go down to the Air Canada Centre and sell 50/50 tickets for the Toronto Raptors. Awesome experience! And it counts as volunteering hours, how sweet is that?!

My salesman skills were not bad, but there is obviously room for improvement. I got this volunteering opportunity with CICS-a community organization aimed at helping new immigrants. It was just real cool to get inside the ACC on a staff pass and we even got to catch the fourth quarter after we were finished selling.

The view was nothing like I've ever seen. We were herded up to the 6th floor, where the media sits and where the NHL Replay Room is located. Super cool. I even got to sit by a phone which was labeled "Associated Press". Just that label alone was enough to satisfy my aspirational little heart. :) (Toronto lost the game 100-93, but that's not important)

Otherwise, life is good. I just got promoted to Junior Editor in my high school's newspaper. Yay me!

Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto won RoY. Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy. Joe Maddon and Lou Pinella won Managers of the Year. Good stuff. Good voting by the writers.

Matt Holliday has been traded to the A's!

-D

Election Night 2008

12:21 AM: I am actually tearing up as I watch the first and second families take to the stage. Just look at that crowd-the emotions-what a journey we've travelled. The buildings around Grant Park have "USA" formed by light patterns. All those American flags. All those screams. All those drops of sweat. All those smiles. 21 months-50 states-49 debates-Barack Obama is now the President-Elect of the most powerful nation on Earth.This is simply wonderful...simply wonderful.

11:59 PM: At one minute til midnight-Barack Obama takes the stage at Grant Park to deliver his victory speech.

11:38 PM: McCain is gracious a loser. Some of his supporters are not. Anyway, we are waiting for Obama's victory speech in that electric Grant Park.

11:17 PM: Here we go-Florida has voted for Obama! That's my first miss of the night-40 for 41. Jesse Jackson is crying as so many others are tonight. John McCain has begun his concession speech-he does not look happy at all.

11:14 PM: I can't wait for the speech by Barack Obama. I'm looking for a different tone from his tonight, though I think he will stick to his message of change. Colorado has been called for Obama right now-bringing his total to 306.

11:07 PM: No words for this moment! Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States. He has won Virginia as well. Look at them party in Chicago and Atlanta and Harlem!!!! A historical moment!!

11:00 PM: THERE'S THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!

10:57 PM: Three minutes to go before California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho close. This might be it. The moment we have waited for many many years. Just a couple minutes away. Obama has all but got it!

10:39 PM: I am 34 for 34 in state projections so far!! Yay!

10:19 PM: The scene in Grant Park is absolutely unbelievable. It is just filled with people, flags, and a party atmosphere! Gives me goosebumps. This is an election that will be talked about for decades to come!

10:05 PM: Iowa goes for Obama. Arizona is still too close to call. This is an incredible night. Getting closer now to 270. The McCain headquarters looks like a funeral compared to Grant Park. This map is as blue as it's gotten in a long time. Obama's jumped into the lead in Virginia and closed the gap significantly in Indiana. This might be a massive blowout for Obama tonight. And I still haven't missed a state yet in my projection.

9:58 PM: Not that it matters, McCain has won Texas. At the top of the hour, a bunch of states will close their polls and we may get an official call for the Presidency in just over an hour!

9:42 PM: That's it. Break out the champagne and celebrate in Grant Park!! Obama CAN'T lose this now. He's got 200 with California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii yet to come, which will easily put him over 270! This is it! History has been made in America!

9:22 PM: BIG NEWS! Barack Obama takes Ohio!!!! This is very significant! Before this thing began, I thought that if he won either Florida or Ohio, he's over the top with the help of the West Coast. Huge development! It's 195-76 Obama.

9:15 PM: Obama has closed the gap to 1% in Virginia, now trailing McCain by 30 000 votes. Ohio, Pennsylvania are so slow in reporting their results. Indian's not changing much, McCain leads by 40 000 votes and Florida is still looking pretty solid for Obama.

9:04 PM: Another slew of results are in. Blue states and red states distributed onto the map. John McCain now with 70 electoral votes. Barack Obama has 175. No big surprises yet. Texas and Louisiana are too early to call. New York goes for Obama (suprise! surprise!). Missouri is real tight. We're in for a fight!

8:49 PM: It's a slower night than I imagined. Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana are all too close to call. McCain is leading by 10% in Virginia and 4% in Indiana. Otherwise, Obama is pulling ahead in the "battleground" states. In 10 minutes, we'll go out west of the Mississippi with 156 new electoral college votes up for grabs.

8:34 PM: About 14 million votes have been counted. Barack Obama leades by approx 58 000 votes. Alabama has been projected for McCain.

8:31 PM: Look at this! Kay Hagan has been declared the winner in North Carolina. So for the first time since 1952, no Bushes or Doles are elected to public office. This was an extremely nasty campaign in NC with Dole calling Hagan an atheist at one point. I didn't think Democrats would win 60 seats in the Senate, but it looks like they might just pull it off!

8:29 PM: New Hampshire's hotly contested Senate seat has gone Democrat. Senator McConnell has not be projected the winner yet. Grant Park is filling up fast. They're singing the Anthem at McCain's HQs. Democracy is at work in America!

8:17 PM: Wow! Look at these vote totals. Just a quarter of Florida's votes are in, but there has already been 3 500 000 votes counted. This is just incredible. In North Carolina, Obama is up by 150 000 votes with just 4% in precincts reporting.

8:02 PM: A slew of calls for Obama brings him to 103. McCain stands at 34. Pennsylvania is blue-despite McCain's hopes. The Southern states are too early to call. Obama's still leading by 320 000 votes in Florida. To be frank, I expected Florida to be a lot closer.

7:57 PM: At the top of the hour, 171 new electoral college votes will be up for grabs. Polls in 15 states set to close. Get ready, folks! It's crunch time!

7:46 PM: South Carolina has been put into the column of Senator McCain. Make that 16 for McCain and 3 for Obama. Forty-seven states left!

7:33 PM: A string of Too Early to Calls and Too Close to Calls does nothing to change the electoral map. It's still Obama 3, McCain 8. Good news though-Obama is up by 112 000 in Florida.

7:27 PM: Three minutes to go before the very interesting Ohio and West Virginia close their polls.

7:17 PM: Indiana is shifting between Obama and McCain like the Dow Jones going up and down. McCain leads by about 500 votes. Two minutes ago, Obama was up by about 1 800. This is what tonight is all about!!

7:11 PM: I'm on the nail in terms of House projection. NBC predicts 261 for the Dems and 174 for the Republicans, within 2 of my own projection. Supporters are now just being let into Grant Park in Chicago for Obama's victory party.

7:01 PM: Get this!! Indiana is separated by 38 VOTES!! 38 VOTES!! This is incredible. Kentucky is projected for McCain. Vermont is in the Obama column. Mark Warner, the keynote speaker at the DNC, is expected to pick up a Senate seat in Virginia and Lindsey Graham will keep his Senate seat in South Carolina.

6:55 PM: The Kentucky hard numbers just jumped like a rocket. McCain is up by just 5000 votes in Kentucky, or just 3 %. In just 5 minutes, 58 electoral votes will be up for grabs in Virginia, South Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, Vermont and Georgia.

6:47 PM: Here we go! Just 13 minutes til a block of states shut their polls. Early results in from Indiana-OBAMA is leading by 711 votes. It is a tight race already, as we expected. In Kentucky, McCain is doubling up on Obama. It's early and we are expected to see 140 million votes counted after the dust is settled.

-D

On the Verge of History

In just over 24 hours, the first polls will close in the 2008 General Election!

Here are my projections:

PRESIDENCY:

D-Barack Obama 337

R-John McCain 201

SENATE:

Democrats-58

Republicans-40

Independents-2

HOUSE:

Democrats-263

Republicans-172

And here's my own electoral college map:

<p><strong>><a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008/pick-your-president/">2008 Election Contest: Pick Your President</a></strong> - Predict the winner of the 2008 presidential election.</p>

Tomorrow starting at 5 PM, I will be live blogging on Election Night!

I've never been so excited in my life. The campaign's been going on for so long, I just never want it to end. It's become part of my life, talking about it, watching the speeches...but America will have a new President-Elect (hopefully) in less than 30 hours!

-D

PS: RIP Madelyn Dunham-Obama's maternal grandmother died today at the age of 86. It's truly sad that she will not get to see the outcome of this election.

Down the Stretch They Come

The World Series is over. So, let's switch to the POLITICAL GEAR!

Election Day is just ONE DAY AWAY!!

I'll be live blogging on election night. Keep it right here for all the updated, unfiltered information.

This is AMAZINGLY exciting! The process of democracy is about to unfold just 43 hours ago!

More to come, including my projections for the Presidency, House and Senate!

-D

Congrats Phillies

Well, that certainly was worth the wait. It was a historical finish to the 08 World Series last night when Brad Lidge, who had been perfect in save chances all season long, struck out Eric Hinske (who else..?) bring to Philadelphia their first pro sports championship in 25 years.

It was unexpected. The AL had been dominant, as usual, and a Tampa win would have made a brilliantly inspirational underdog story. But the Phillies outpitched them, albeit not by much and squeezed out victory.

Long story made short, Tampa Bay stopped hitting. Everything seemed to go the Phillies way. But that's what's beautiful about baseball. It's so unpredictable!

So, now that another season is in the rear view mirror, bring on the free agent and trade markets. Mike Jacobs of the Florida Marlins, who slugged 32 homers this year was dealt to the Kansas City Royals for reliever Leo Lunez. Ken Griffey Jr. is now jobless. The White Sox declined his option.

Ken Macha, former manager for the Oakland A's has been hired by the Brewers. He's a really great manager, and with that young crew they've got in Milwaukee, the Brews will be a force to be reckened with next year.

The Raptors won their season opener in Philadelphia last night. Bosh had more than two dozen points. Overall, a great offensive game.

The Leafs won!!! Even more surprisingly, they won in Shootout!! Yup, that's right, the New Jersey Devils were beaten 6-5 yesterday by Toronto. Feel good win, but nothing much substance wise.

Argos will close out an ugly season tonight.

5 Days until the US Election! (I will be live blogging that night!)

-D

THE PHILLIES ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!

It took 3 days, but it's official!!

28 years after their last win, the Philadelphia Phillies have won it all!

Their 2nd championship in 125 years, and the City of Philadelphia's first sports banner in quarter of a century. And it came in one of the weirdest World Series Game ever!!

More to come tomorrow!!!!

-D

The Fall Classic

Did you SEE that finish last night at Citizen's Bank Ballpark??

That crazy bottom of the 9th is exactly why baseball fans refer to the World Series as the Fall Classic. It's moments like those that won it for the Phillies that will be etched in memory. I've lovin' this!

Really, I don't know who to root for in this Series. Who isn't touched by Tampa's miracle story, how they are on the verge of going, literally, from worst to best in just one year's time? But then again, those Phillies have a story of their own, having been under the radar all season long.

I thought this would be a superb series, and last night sure proved why. These are two very potent teams, with strengths in different areas. Tampa Bay has the starting pitching and can flat out fly while Philadelphia can flat out hit. This is no A-Rod-Jeter World Series or a Manny-Big Papi World Series, this is the Utley-Howard World Series and the Longoria-Crawford World Series. Joe Madden and Charlie Manuel are incredibly different managers. The former, as shown last night, can get very creative. The latter, is subtle, but will become intense when necessary.

I think that this Series will go the full 7 because neither side has a clear edge on the other. The youngsters are not blinded by the limelight at all. They all seem to be enjoying it. I'm enjoying it too.

But I do hope that matinee World Series games will make a return sometime soon...

I'm tired of having to go to bed in the 5th inning!

-D

Phillies vs. Rays-An Unlikely Matchup

If anybody told me in April that the 2008 World Series was going to be a match up between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays, I woulda laughed at them. The Phillies? The up and down, roller coaster-like, inconsistent, trade-this-player-for-that Phillies?? No way, not in 08. And the Rays? Are you kidding me? Sure, they are a bright young team with a ridiculously fast outfield, but they've been cellar dwellers for a decade. They couldn't make the steep climb all the way to the pinnacle of the AL East, could they? Well, 6 months later, those doubts have been ripped apart, cooked, stewed, and absolutely chewed up. I am truly impressed and somewhat shocked.

Tampa Bay has been impressive all season long. Right off the blocks, they were in contention. They were perched either first or second in the standings virtually from start to finish. Many skeptics doubted their ability to endure the grinding 162 game schedule. To be honest, I didn't think they'd make it this far either. But the guys proved us wrong by not only defeating the red hot White Sox in the ALDS, but fighting out and winning the ALCS against a very tough Red Sox team.

Phillies, on the other hand, have been under the radar all season long. Everybody was talking about the Mets. The spotlight early on was on the Mets inability to play good baseball. It cost Willie Randolph his job. Then, everybody started rambling on about how hot they were, climbing atop the East by the dog days of summer. Come September, the Mets were in the driver's seat, threatening, but unable to pull away. Later that month, they choked. They choked like they had done just a year prior. It was like all the gas in their tank spilled out at once. Taking advantage of all of this, the Phillies cunningly slided into first place and sailed to their first World Series berth in 15 years.

This was supposed to be the year that Yankee Stadium received its emotional send-off. It did, but it came one month early. The Mets were supposed to have had the NL East locked up, but they choked...again. Bostonians had started to believe that a new Red Sox dynasty was at birth, only to see their beloved Sox stop completely hitting in the ALCS. It was the year where Cliff Lee racked up 22 wins, and Josh Hamilton led the AL in RBIs. In all things improbable, we top it off tonight with the Phils and the Rays in one of the most bizarre World Series matchups in recent memory.

Oh and by the way, these two teams have a grand sum of exactly 1 World Series title in a combined 137 seasons of existence. No Philadelphia sports team has ever won a championship in the last quarter of a century! And if Tampa wins, the Rays will become the first ever team in pro sports history to go from having the worst record in the league to become Champions. How's that for an unlikely match up?!

-D

Back in 2004??

In about half an hour, Red Sox Nation will hold its breath once again in hopes of witnessing another improbable comeback in the League Championship Series. It's become all too familiar. Remember 04? THE year for Boston? Do you recall Boston being down 3-0 to the Yankees and coming within a couple innings of going home empty handed for another year? And then, do you recall how Dave Roberts stole the show from Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th followed by that infamous blast by David Ortiz in the 12th? And how the very next night Johnny Damon trotted home in extras to force a Game 6. And how Boston held firm in New York and stunned the baseball world by advancing to the World Series?

We might as well be back in 04, cause after seeing the Sox down 3-1 to the Rays, I thought they had no shot of coming back. Boston was demoralized by Tampa at Fenway in Game 4, losing 13-4. The next night, they were down 7-0 in the 7th, but somehow, with the ghost of Dave Roberts and Johnny Damon lurking somewhere in Boston, the team pulled the greatest comeback in playoff history. JD Drew was the hero that night, singling in the winning run in the 9th inning. Saturday night in Tampa, Boston held firm, just like they did 4 years ago in Yankee Stadium. And tonight, nobody knows how Game 7 will play out. Jon Lester, who 2 years ago, was embattled with lymphoma, will attempt to save the Nation. Matt Garza, who 2 years ago, nobody had every heard of, will try to push Tampa into uncharted waters.

This is baseball at its best. Whomever advances, this ALCS has been full of drama. This feels like the World Series already...watch out Phillies!

-D

An Aside

It's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted. Long time, I know. These two weeks have been ridiculously busy, with all kinds of stuff at school and outside of school. In particular, the last 5 days have been insane. To be honest, I don't even remember much of the stuff that happened during the weekend. Well, just for the heck of it, I'll describe what it was like.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH

First thing in the morning, homework. After homework, it's off to the campaign office for the final weekend of volunteering in the Canadian federal election. I got to go shop for goodies for election day as well as do a literature drop in a couple apartment buildings. After coming back to the office, some friends and I organized a few kits of things. We were done by 3, earlier than we expected and decided to go play some baseball. Sandlot style of course. We did that for a couple hours. I came home. I was tired. I somehow still managed to stay up until 1 o'clock.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12TH

First thing in the morning, homework. After homework, it's off to more campaigning, this time at another MP's office. We were sent on a drop in the Warden/McNicoll area (for those who live in Toronto) and finished our work at around 3 again. I rushed off to violin lessons at 4:30 and came back at 5. More homework during the evening and I was really tired again.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13TH

First thing in the morning, homework! Finally, homework was finished! At arond 11, a friend and I made our way, one last time, to the campaign office. It was the day before election day, so there was loads of stuff to do at the office. We did things like typing and drawing charts. The lunch was particularly delicious with the potato salad and the chicken strips. We finished around 3. I went home to see the Dow close up 900 points. Completed some work for my school's newspaper and was tired by the time I went to bed.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH

Ha, the big day. Election day 2008 for Canadians. I just couldn't wait to finish school so we could get the scrutineering started. School itself was busy as usual with an SLC meeting at lunch and a not so smooth science period tucked in the end. I went home, got rid of whatever I didn't need for the night and headed out to GET OUT THE VOTE.

Four friends and I were assigned to Kingslake Public School for the evening. We made our way on foot there and swore into the polling stations. There were 7 polls in that one gym. After cross-referencing stats on who's voted and who has not, we hit the streets to knock on some doors. The group of five decided to split into 3 and 2. I was part of the 2. We walked up and down the streets in our polling area and knocked on dozens of doors to remind voters of Election Day. We even stopped by at a rather ugly apartment building. Across the street from the apartment, we found a nearby washroom, tucked nicely on the lower level of a strip mall, which we needed to use pretty badly.

After about 2 hours and 15 minutes of knocking, we strolled back to the school to do more cross referencing. After we did that, it was time to hit the phones to pull out the last lazy bunch of voters. In the meanwhile, we also got to catch up on some homework in the school's front lobby. At around 9:15, the five of us made it into the gym to do one more cross referencing. As the clock slowly ticked to 9:30 and the doors closed, we grabbed a chair and sat at our respective counting tables.

At my table, there was some initial confusion as to how many voters hit the polls on the day. But we got that sorted out after about 20 minutes. The counting took about 20 more minutes. The paperwork took a few more minutes and we were off out of that gym. We had requested a ride to the victory party, but there was very little sign anybody was coming to pick us up. We waited for more than half an hour before we finally decided to take public transit and as we just stepped out the door, we caught up with our ride. We squeezed into the car and finally arrived at the party at quarter after 11.

The results were already flooding in. The Conservatives had emerged victorious once again. They had strengthened their majority and the Libs (who I was working for) lost significant ground. After some desparately needed food, we shared a few laughs, took some pictures, and ordered some very unique drinks. After Stephane Dion, the Liberal leader had made his concession speech, we all parted ways. It had been a really long day and actually, I didn't feel extremely tired for some reason. As the clock struck 2 AM, I drifted away to sleep.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH

Morning paper-"MINORITY FOR CONS". After lunch, there was this thing called Club Olympics being organized by the SLC. It was where extra curricular clubs compete against one another in small games like Capture the Flag. It was fun and I got to miss class. So, things were good. After school, I headed to an editorial board meeting with the school's newspaper and now I'm back at home, feeling very drowsy.

Anyway, so the party I disliked the most won another election. But at least the two candidates I campaigned held their seats. The stock markets are on a roller coaster ride. No body seems to know what the hell's gonna happen to the economy. Obama's still owning McCain in the polls. Debate tonight. I need serious work on the violin. The Leafs are just what they promised to be. The Rays and Phillies look to be in good position to set up a very interesting World Series. And it's 1380 days until London 2012!

I am tired.

-D

PS: This is my 100th post! Woohoo!

Don't Worry...I'm Still Here!

It's been 11 days since I last posted...

Long time, I know. I've just been insanely busy with everything related to school and extra curriculars. It's really good for time management and they're mostly things I love to do. So, no harm, no foul. Life is good.

A lot has happened in the world of baseball since I bid adieu to Yankee Stadium in my last post. The Angels, Red Sox, Tampa, Dodgers, Phillies and Cubs all clinched a spot for October play. The Brewers and Mets went into the last Sunday of the season tied atop the NL Wild Card. Brewers won, so not only did we see the Mets freefall for a second straight year. We witnessed the last ever game at Shea Stadium. Again, having been there earlier this summer, I can somewhat relate to this event instead of pretending to be sad.

The White Sox had to make up a postponed game against Detroit because they were within 0.5 games of Minny. They won that and ensued with another victory over the Twins to reach the playoffs. And since the only playoff club whose gear I own, I will be rooting for the ChiSox. You know what I'd love to see?! A Windy City World Series!!

So, then, the MLB playoffs ACTUALLY started this week! After some 5 months and 162 games, it's all come down to this. Right now, it's not looking good for the Cubbies, who last won it all exactly a century ago. They're down 0-2 in the series to Joe Torre and his crew. The other 2-0 lead belongs to the Phillies who are in position to sweep the Brewers. The Red Sox have a 1-0 lead on the Halos while Tampa leads the other Sox by 1 game as well.

It should be a fun matchup tonight-Buerhle vs. Kazmir-two lefties, two aces, what more can you ask for? And speaking of lefties, there seems to be near unanimous opinion that Cliff Lee will capture the Cy Young. Personally, I'll push the case for Roy Halladay who ended up just 2 wins shy of Lee and probably should have had 4 or 5 more. There was a run early in the year where Halladay lost 4 consecutive complete games. To me, Doc is a lot more reliable and valuable to a team than Cliff. Lee had a spectacular season, there's no denying that, but Halladay has eaten more innings and can claim a much better SO-BB ratio. Those stats are important too!

There's a guy in baseball named Zack Hample who is one of a kind. He's not a player, but instead a fan. Hample, over the past 17 years has collected 3 814 baseballs. Don't believe me? Check out his website at www.zackhample.com or snaggingbaseballs.mlblogs.com. It is truly amazing what this guy does and truly amazing how much luck he has too. For example, he made headlines in New York City earlier in September by catching homers on back to back nights at Yankee Stadium. Just this past Sunday, Zack snagged the third-last home run ever hit at Shea Stadium, via the bat of Carlos Beltran. Nonetheless, it is still the last Mets homer ever hit at that place.

Lots of good stuff happening in politics. Sarah Palin looked credible last night. She actually knew her stuff and did pretty well, I thought. The second presidential match up will take place this coming Tuesday. The Canadians also took to the roundtable for two leaders debates this week. Frankly, it doesn't do much to persuade my opinion, as I am a hardcore Liberal. Speaking of which, I'll be out canvassing for a couple local MPs this weekend. Lovely!

The weather's getting cold here in TO!

497 days til Vancouver 2010! 1393 days til London 2012!

-D

Good Bye Yankee Stadium!

Can you believe I rooted for the New York Yankees yesterday?? And usually, I never want to hear Jon Miller and Joe Morgan on a Sunday night, but yesterday was a "once-in-85-year" moment so I naturally had to watch.

There is really only one thing I can say about Yankee Stadium-I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO VISIT IT EARLIER THIS SUMMER!

But I was so disappointed that the tour tickets that day were sold out. I couldn't try to explain to explain how bad I felt when we couldn't get tickets. I'm not a Yankees fan at all, though I rooted for them last night, but that stadium belongs to all baseball fans. It's exactly what people nickname it-the Cathedral of Baseball. Yankee Stadium has a certain grandeur and charm that no other stadium has and I'm happy to have at least had a chance to walk around the perimeter.

What a way to close it out too. The pre-game ceremony was absolutely amazing, Andy Pettitte pitched a decent game and Mariano Rivera closed the book on the storied arena. However, did Jose Molina, of all people, have to hit that last historic home run?? I mean, Jose Molina?? Johnny Damon would've been a better candidate. With all due respect, it was an important home run, but I guess not everything can be perfect.

I'll sure miss the place. I would've loved to have watched a game there, to have had the Yankee Stadium experience. What's mind-boggling is that they managed to draw in 4 000 000 fans for the 4th straight season, even though mediocrity was the keyword of this 08 season for NYY. That's the definition of a true baseball city and to NYC, this is like losing a part of their soul. I don't agree with Derek Jeter when he says: "We've got the greatest fans in the world." but the passion of these Yankee fans can't be undermined. They love baseball. They love the House that Ruth Built.

And to think, all the history that have taken place there, all the popes, singers, boxers, football players, and finally, the great baseball players who have come and gone through that stadium for the past 85 years. It truly is magnificent. If you've never been there, definitely go and see Yankee Stadium before the wrecking ball dawns on the Bronx. It's worth it, trust me!

Thank you, Yankee Stadium for such wonderful moments!

-D

The Lockdown Story

*It's been one crazy week at my high school. I had 7 extra curricular meetings in the course of 4 days, including 3 simultaneously in 3 different corners of the school. But the most adventurous thing happened on Wednesday where there was a gun scare at the school. Victoria Park CI was locked down at about 2:15 PM for two and a half hours. I got home at 5:15 PM that day, my dad had left work early to come pick me up and it was overall an exciting experience. Someone reported that they had seen a gun, but it was later concluded to be a false alarm. Two people were taken into custody and there were tons of media and police presence, especially because a student was shot at another Toronto school the day before. The following is something I wrote on the lockdown. Just for those who are curious about the inside tension.*

Deep down, we all knew that it was not IF, but WHEN we would experience a major lockdown during our high school tenure and this Wednesday, we put an end to that question.

So, everybody knows what happened, heard all the rumours and whatnot, but the most exciting part, at least in my opnion, was what everybody did to entertain themselves during those 3 hours. Well, here's my story...

I had a guidance appointment at 2:15 PM that day, and we were in English class with Ms. Burwell in Room 129 (just so you get an idea of my setting). We were listening to a tape of Richard III and just as I was about to get up and go to my appointment, the PA tells us we're in a lockdown mode. To be honest, I was quite disappointed, I really wanted to get my volunteer hours filed in guidance.

And so, the class scrunched into the back corner, sat on the floor, you know the drill...and that's what I initially thought it was. A drill. I was thinking, okay, let's get this thing over with so I can go to freakin' guidance.

5 minutes passed without announcements...

"VP, we're still in a full lockdown mode." our Vice-principal Ms. Wong said over the PA at about 2:25.

Alright, let's get on with the show, people, I thought. Then, 15 more minutes passed, then 20. This "drill" was getting suspiciously long without any explanation. Okay, maybe it'll be like a minor lockdown like last year. And at least we're not doing any work.

So to entertain ourselves, we lay on the floor with a backpack as a pillow, just chit chatting about life. Kevin J was trying to do a crossword in the Metro. Justin was just being...well, Justin. Harry and I lay there, bored, blank-minded, bored.

Shortly afterwards, we heard helicopters overheard...at that point, it was pretty much a given that this was not a drill, nor was it minor at all. This was serious and we needed to come up with better ways to pass time.

As the clock neared 3, Harry, Justin, Kevin and I decided to test our geography wits and name countries of the world. After that got boring, we tried to name colleges, food and drink...and by now, I really had to go to the bathroom.

The supposed "dismissal bell" rang, we were told to ignore it and heard more choppers overhead. Our teacher took a peak outside, there was nothing going on. At that point, the few of us began asking questions like "Who was President in 1920...Which Prime Minister came before Louis St. Laurent...". Yea, never thought George Washington's name would be mentioned in a lockdown eh?

After a while, the room started to get really hot. My urgency to urinate was not getting any better. Everybody started to feel antsy. And you know what you should do when you feel frustrated in a lockdown? Do your homework! Seriously, after drawing some "Pyramids of Energy" for science, I felt alot cooler and calmer.

By now, we had probably wiped the floor sparkly clean by lying on the ground, kneeling, sitting, rolling around and being flat on our stomachs. The three of us, Harry, Justin and I decided to arm wrestle eachother (yea, the games were getting lamer and lamer) and can you believe Justin beat both of us? Don't mess with Justin, he's got the guns!

YunLin, Julia and Stephanie came to join our crowd and Kevin brought back a deck of cards from somewhere. What else could we do? First, Harry performed a magic trick with the cards and then we played a chipless version of Texas Hold 'Em. It was past 4 PM, this lockdown was nearing the 2 hour mark!

I suggested we try to learn how to count cards in the game blackjack. But that didn't fall through. And as we were playing 21, Ms. P's voice made a return to the PA. We were told of the incident and informed of how to exit the building. No lockers, lots of police, lots of parents and media, southeast exit only...blah blah blah. Let's just get the hell out!

The third floor was released first, then the math hallway, and then we were told that a police officer would be releasing the rest of the rooms one by one. We pulled up our blinds and were taken aback by the scene outside. There was police tape everywhere. The students exiting the building were herded in a straight line toward the tennis courts. There gathered what seemed to be a chaotic mob.

20 more minutes passed by, the neighbouring room was released, and we were still stuck inside. Did they forget about us?

And finally, just after 5 PM, our saviour, our angel, a police officer finally came to the door and let us out in an orderly fashion of course. The hallways were ghostly empty. There was the Emergency Task Force present. One of them was carrying a really scary gun and he was standing right in front of my locker. It was intimidating just to make eye contact with these people.

We made the short walk to the exit, absorbing what has lasted through much of the afternoon. And as Harry and I stepped outside, we looked around the sun-basked field and took a deep breath.

It's over...

-D

The Improbable

After stringing together an amazing 10 straight victories, the Jays have looked wobbly tonight in Boston. Still, 12 of 15 is a pretty darn good run. I don't think it'll be enough to propel the Jays into playoff contention, but it is baseball and you have to take it day by day. We currenly sit 7.5 back of Boston, having split the double header in Fenway today. We could've had a chance to go into tomorrow 5.5 back, but a lack of offense after the 2nd inning and a bad break for Scott Downs combined to a Red Sox comeback, with the final score being 7-5.

After the 6th inning, it just didn't look like the Blue Jays were "supposed" to win this game. Rather, it was the Red Sox who had the momentum and "destiny" on their side. It is a devastating defeat for us nonetheless and if we miss the playoffs by just 1 game, I think this is the one we'd regret.

Can you believe MLB had 7 or 8 doubleheaders today??!! Hurrican Ike PP'd two crucial Astros-Cubs game. Haven't heard how they're going to make up that. The White Sox were postponed today again. Tomorrow, Ike's remnance will probably postpone more games. Tomorrow night, Ike's supposed to hit Toronto and bring 100 mm of rain...whew...in for a real bad storm!!

Things are quiet on the basketball courts and the Leafts will make their usual attempt for the Cup. I don't care much for football (sorry, Tom Brady)...

-D

Federer the Champ!

This is more like it!!!

Roger Federer winning Grand Slams in slamming fashion! Last night at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, the former world number one disassembled British boy Andy Murray in straight sets, convincingly 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. This was a huge relief for Roger, who has been under so much pressure to win this Open and did not crack. The year has been filled with emotions, scrutiny and doubt but he rescues it here with a five-peat in New York.

You know, alot of people have been saying how this is the end for the Fed Express. I've never believed so. I started calling him the best tennis player ever lived at the start of this year. Not once did I waver on that call, not when he lost in Melbourne, not when he was thrashed in Paris, not when he epically lost in London. In fact, I think those experiences made him a better player, if not, then a better person. No body could win all the time, and this year has tested the character of Federer. I think it's safe to say that the guy is one of the mentally toughest players ever to live, not to mention the most sportsmanlike. Look out for him next year, he is far from over! Sampras' record will be snatched away, you can bet on it!!

And how bout those Toronto Blue Jays??!! NINE IN A ROW!!! NINE STRAIGHT WINS FOR TORONTO! That's never been done in close to 10 years!! Wow, now this is how a long winning streak feels!! Darn good, I tell ya. They've been on fire at the plate, solid on the mound and coming up big in the clutch. Say, just 20 minutes ago, the Jays were down 2-1 in the 4th inning to the White Sox, but now, they've tacked on 4 runs to lead it 5-2. This is how teams win games. This is the Jays team we've been missing for 15 years. Now the question is, just how long can this streak last? And will they, maybe, just maybe, repeat what the Rockies did in 2007??!!

Now go watch some baseball!!

-D

PS: Thank you to all those who frequent this site! We now have over 10 000 amazing hits! Keep 'em coming folks! And feel free to make any comments and suggestions, criticisms accepted! Thank you all so much!

The Story of Arthur Ashe

As a Manhattan-bound “7 Train” pulled out of Willets Point-Shea Stadium, a teenager, about 15, was bored and crept up against the subway window staring out at the green patches that dotted the site of the annual Grand Slam tournee, the US Open. He suddenly turned to his neatly dressed father and asked: “Dad, what's that white bowl thing for again?”

His father, who knows everything surrounding the sport of tennis and more, smiled and said: “That's where all the great tennis players of the world come and play every summer. The white bowl over there is called Arthur Ashe Stadium.”

The boy seemed confused: “Who the heck is Arthur Ashe?”

The father, patient, drew another smile and began his story: “Well, let me tell you about Arthur Ashe, son.”

“Once regarded as one of the best players in the tennis world, Arthur Ashe was equally famous off court as he was on court. Having been an African-American born in the South, Virginia to be exact, Ashe didn't have many opportunities. The South was still extremely segregated back then, in the 40's and 50's when Arthur Ashe growing up. Black folks and white folks could not sit in the same café together, could not use the same bathrooms, and couldn't even drink from the same water fountains. They simply did not get along. D’you learn all this stuff in school?”

The teen responded: “Yea, wasn't until the 70’s until things started to get better, right?”

The father continued: “Good. Yes, yes, things were bad back then for black people. Though his chances were limited, when Ashe picked up a tennis racket, there was something about him that made him stand above the rest. He was horribly skinny but so talented that anyone who saw him play knew he was destined for great success in the sport.”

“It was with that great promise, UCLA offered Arthur a tennis scholarship. Ashe did not disappoint, bringing back two NCAA titles before graduating in 1965.”

“Get to the good part, dad. Why did they name this stadium after him?” The boy hurried along.

“Alright, Arthur Ashe turned professional in 1969 after winning the US Open in '68. By then, he was already 26. Now remember, Roger Federer is only 27, and he's got 12 Slams under his belt. So, tennis was a very different sport back in those days too. But something else happened in 1969. Ashe, along with a few others, formed sort of a player's union. Now, we call it the ATP...”

The boy interrupted, “I know the ATP, don't they decide the rankings and whatnot?”

“Exactly,” the father began again, “See how important a thing Arthur Ashe co-founded? At the time, he was tops in the world. Widely respected as a tennis player, but of course, his skin colour was still a bit of an issue. He was denied entry into South Africa for a tennis tournament...”

“Oh yes!”, the teenager excitedly interjected, “we learned about that in civics, about how apartheid totally segregated South Africa. So, what did Ashe do about it?”

“Precisely, son! Apartheid was wrong and Ashe was a victim of it. So, he stood up tall and strong against the South African government, denouncing the egregious racial segregation. Whilst all that was going on, he kept playing top-form tennis. In 1970, Ashe was champion at the Australian Open in Melbourne and in 1975, Arthur Ashe displaced the great Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon, once again establishing himself as World #1.”

“Did he win anything else, dad?”

“Unfortunately, no. However, he was still a spirited person in fighting for the right causes. Ashe was a great guy all the time. He got married, adopted a kid. Things were going well for him, but then he was struck by a devastating heart attack. Ashe went through a really complicated heart surgery, something like quadruple bypass...anyhow, he had a remarkable recovery, and really wanted to get back to playing again. But the heart is something not to be messed around with, you know. That wasn’t the worst of it for Arthur though...”

“Oh no, what happened to him? Another heart attack?” the teenager seemed engrossed.

“Well, you know about HIV and AIDS right? Arthur Ashe was infected with it in 1988 from a blood transfusion. They knew very little about the disease back then. So, he kept it a secret for several years. Really, here was an amicable person who made history as the first black man to win the Aussie Open, Wimbledon and US Open and still to this day, is the only black man to do so. And here was this monstrous disease that tortures whomever bears its virus. It was just tragic, simply tragic.”

The train reached Hunter's Point by now. The rush hour subway was packed, elbows and boots were poking into their personal bubbles. The father and son did not seem to care.

“So, after coming out publicly about his infection, Ashe did so much to be an avid advocate for the disease. Talked about prevention, told the world's AIDS victims to be strong about it, and truly never complained about it. You know what he said when someone asked him ‘Why does God
have to select you for such a bad disease?’”

“What?”

“Arthur Ashe said: ‘In the world over — 50,000,000 children start playing tennis, 5,000,000 learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5,000 reach the Grand Slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to the semifinals, 2 to the finals. When I was holding a cup, I never asked God 'Why me?' And today in pain I should not be asking God, 'Why me?’’”

The teen, somewhat taken aback: “Wow, what a classy guy. Is he still alive today?”

“Nope, unfortunately not. The disease took his life in 1993, but not before he finished writing a memoir of his up and down life. Too bad, he was only 40 something when he died. But hey, he made his mark in the world-and that's why that stadium was named after him.” the dad sat back, signaling that he had finished the story.

The father and son remained silent for a few minute, as if to comprehend the life that Arthur Ashe lived. As they slowly snapped back to reality, the train pulled into Grand Central Station. The dad said good bye to his son and got off to work. The teenager, meanwhile, rode to Times Square to meet his friends.

When the boy passed by Arthur Ashe Stadium again on his way back, he thought of what his father told him in the morning.

And that's the day he decided to start learning tennis.

-D