Insomnia Beckons Yet Again

After an unpleasant surprise this evening at the start of my night shift -- 37 cases on queue &*%^$# -- things thankfully quietened down at around 2am, though the stress from that experience has left me tired yet unable to sleep, dammit.

So here's an entry that hopefully won't get me into too much trouble. :)

John Kerry's Speech At The DNC

I have both Kerry's and Edwards' speeches on video, Gen, if you're ever interested in borrowing that. ;)

And after watching the Democrats' top choice give his acceptance speech this morning, I have no doubt that Bush and Cheney will be beaten -- badly.

Of course, I could be wrong. But like I said, this is just my perspective. It's part gut feeling, part mass opinion. But you can't deny the widespread cynicism and distrust the American people have for the Administration post-Iraq, post-Abu-Ghraib, post-no-WMDs-as-claimed. Screw 9/11. Bush mangled his one chance for a second term, choosing to parlay that prime opportunity into a personal vendetta that, for all we know, was instigated by his good ol' dad ( wasn't there some rumour that Saddam sent an assassin after Bush Sr. following The Gulf War, though the mission failed? ). Here's a perfect example of taking an entire country for granted. Big mistake, Mr. President.

Kerry's address today was, I think, very sincere. I didn't think much of Time magazine's profile, which seemed to paint him as a rather unremarkable politician, though a patriot at heart. The turnaround came when a Steven Spielberg-produced/directed short film was aired, narrated by none other than the distinguished Morgan Freeman, complete with Band-Of-Brothers images of Kerry and comrades in Vietnam, endless endorsements from friends and family, and a superbly written script that put a lump in my throat ( I kid you not! ). Propaganda, you scoff? You bet. But I tried my best to see a little beyond the hype, and what I discovered is a man with good intentions, possessing decades of experience in the military, followed by the legal system and the US Senate, and who has been working slowly but surely to this very moment, finally ready to take that great leap forward and offer himself as the new leader of the free world.

His speech lasted almost an hour, and like Edwards', was delivered with much conviction and eloquence. And although his running mate eats up the camera with his boyish Southern charm, Kerry is more of a slow burner, growing on you with each passing minute as you soak in his words and catch little glimpses of the soul within.

With graying hair and a sometimes goofy grin, he still exhibited admirable strength and resolve, putting forth ambitious plans but backing them up as best he could. Numerous worthy quotes and slogans had the crowd up on their feet, and I am awed by his command of the audience -- how he managed to captivate them, how he switched topics effortlessly when the occasion called for it, how he touched on so many different yet important subjects in such determined yet intimate ways, quoting individuals' names and relating their very personal trials to millions ( maybe billions ) around the world.

But most telling is his message to George W. Bush, whose own Republican campaign has already begun hurling insults at this very dynamic duo. "Let us be optimists, not just opponents," Kerry implored, asking for mutual respect and promising to unite America in every way possible, even by harnessing the talents of Republican politicians for his Cabinet if their skills and expertise are invaluable.

I can't predict if Kerry will follow through with these vows when and if he takes over the Oval Office. But like I mentioned before, I saw something that strongly resembled authenticity and integrity during those 45 minutes he spoke. I firmly believe that he has had these plans for many long years, but only recently found the courage, support and appropriate timing with which to put them into motion.

Perhaps the most endearing comment came from his daughter, Vanessa, when she introduced her father. Speaking of her late grandmother's reaction when Kerry told her he'd decided to run for President, she replied, "It's about time!"

Well, it's about time the US repaired its tainted reputation and restored its people's faith in the Administration. Let's hope Kerry and Edwards will have a chance to achieve that goal.

P.S. With regards to Kerry's disdain for American companies who outsource jobs overseas, and the possible review of the US-Singapore free trade agreement, I say: Let our politicians solve that problem. That's what they're paid for. :D

A Delayed Congratulatory Entry

My profuse apologies for overlooking this during my last post!

Happy wishes go out to a friend I've known for almost 20 years, whose wife gave birth to an adorable baby boy on the 26th of July. Baby-phobic that I am ( I always have this nightmare that I'll accidentally drop someone's kid ), I still managed to keep my arms steady and carried him for quite a while, which was a wonderful experience. Of course, it helped that he was extremely dopey from the effects of an epidural. :)

But then, my mom, who was there as well, just had to say that I don't appear to have any intention of giving her grandchildren. C'mon, that's not entirely true! Find me the right guy, and I'd be happy to have a whole football team of them. But finding the right guy might be impossible, and I refuse to be matchmade, so you'll just be patient, mom. :D

Time to get back to work. Break's over. :/