Obama's speech

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth.

This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

進入公司前...後...

進入公司前:

老闆：萬分歡迎，沒有你我們的公司肯定大不一樣！

職員：如果工作太累，搞不好我會辭職的

老闆：放心，我不會讓這樣的事情發生的！

職員：我週休二日可以休息嗎？

老闆：當然了！這是最基本的！

職員：平時會天天加班到淩晨嗎？

老闆：不可能，誰告訴你的？

職員：有餐費補貼嗎？

老闆：還用說嗎，絕對比同行都高！

職員：有沒有工作猝死的風險？

老闆：不會！你怎麼會有這種念頭？

職員：公司會定期組織旅遊嗎？

老闆：這是我們的明文規定！

職員：我需要準時上班嗎？

老闆：不，看情況吧

職員：工資呢？會準時發嗎？

老闆：一向如此！

職員：事情全是新員工做嗎？

老闆：怎麼可能，你上頭還有很多資深同事！

職員：如果管理職位有空缺，我可以參與競爭嗎？

老闆：毫無疑問 ，這是我們公司賴以生存的機制！

職員：你不會是在騙我吧？

進入公司後: 從後往前讀

七言絕詩

失業半年返職場，湯雞還神燒炮仗，開工本應喜洋洋，誰知世態變炎涼 ·
掃地阿嬸識雞腸，看更得過文學獎，學士碩士唔馨香，皆因博士也在場
助理一職百人搶，人工一定唔理想，五六仟蚊算中上，十二個月無雙糧 ·
萬人之下一人上，簽約兩年要裝香，資源增值假現象，強逼發揮你所長 ·
冷氣滴水修故障，電腦中毒你當殃，修理馬桶最平常，老細座架要保養
打字影印寫文章，有空送信兼抹窗，早場做到午夜場，七天工作真無良 ·
週一驗貨到南昌，週二見客在新疆，週三蒙古收爛賬，週四重慶釘木箱 ·
週五東莞曬臘腸，週六返港天已亮，週日加班無補賞，晚上終於胃潰瘍 ·
對住老板要讚賞，對應上司扮羔羊，對付下屬要表揚，對待同事要禮讓 ·
公司文化漸端詳，不懂都要頂硬上，同事有功必定搶，下屬有錯不原諒 ·
老細鬧我正粉腸，開會猶如打靶場，比人插到胃氣脹，鬧完仲要拍手掌 ·
返工慘過去當娼，皆因形勢比人強，無奈只有扮智障，只為月底那份糧 ·
笑臉迎人裝模樣，像是置身於歡場，這種壓力無法想，長此下去會缺氧 ·
打算請假來休養，老細面孔像晚娘，再講除非嫌命長，返回座位暗神傷 ·
妻兒少見無印象，晚餐白飯豆瓣醬，家裡只有四面牆，卡啦OK 廁所唱 ·
身心疲累自惆悵，真想回鄉去插秧，或是少林當和尚，不知不覺進夢鄉
夢裡見到文天祥，廟前幫人看面相，招手要我捧個場，端詳面相看手掌
贈言我來日方長，各行各業可多嘗，虛心學習要忍讓，只要奮發心向上
挖角升職薪水漲，有家有樓有車輛，撥開雲霧見太陽，天空海闊任飛翔 ·
臨行美金作打賞，天祥雙眼直發亮，睜眼還是四面牆，身旁還是孩子娘 ·
擦牙洗面打開窗，早餐多士凍鴛鴦，以上所講無誇張，全是打工眾生相 ·

I really like him....a man who can say something like this from the bottom of his heart cannot go too wrong as a president


【明報專訊】奧巴馬的外婆在大選前夕離世，令他最後的一日拉票活動添了傷感氣氛。他在競選集會上落淚稱讚外婆是美國眾多默默貢獻的「沉默英雄」之一，並發誓一旦當選，將為所有「沉默英雄」工作。

奧巴馬周一上午在佛州獲悉外婆鄧納姆(Madelyn Dunham)去世的消息。他後來在北卡羅萊納州一個集會上，向數以千計支持者表示，患有癌症的鄧納姆在睡眠中安詳辭世。他語帶哀傷地說﹕「她正在回家，我們在喜悅中亦有眼淚。」

奧巴馬憶述外婆的生平，談起她的婚姻，她與奧巴馬外公如何捱過大蕭條、如何帶奧巴馬母親捱過二戰，「她是那種很謙卑很直率的人……她是那種在全美國都有的沉默英雄。他們不出名，名字不在報紙上，但他們每天努力工作，照顧家庭，為子孫們做出犧牲……在人群裏有很多這樣的沉默英雄……」

「這正是美國的精神」，奧巴馬呼喊道，「這正是我們為之奮鬥的……還有一天……我們就可以為美國帶來轉變，讓全美國的沉默英雄得到尊重！」

86歲的鄧納姆在奧巴馬成長過程裏起了重要作用。奧巴馬小時候大部分時間與她一起生活。奧巴馬曾說，外婆對他的性格和人生觀有很大影響。鄧納姆的健康在上個月惡化，奧巴馬曾暫停競選活動，到夏威夷看望她。

法新社

這一代家長的卑哀

I found the following article on a blog...tells exactly why I am so reluctant to have baby....



我要做Portfolio 了, 不是藝術工作者存放作品的 Portfolio, 也不是近日計身家少了一截的 Investment Portfolio, 而是幫米米做的小一入學試 Portfolio
Portfolio 是甚麼呢, 就是孩子報讀小學的個人履歷, 好像揾工用的CV
不明白, 一個早晚還要找奶喝, 玩得忘形時會忘記上厠所的四歲小娃
可以有甚麼個人成就能放進 Portfolio 內
Portfolio 放些甚麼呢, 除了幼稚園的成績表外, 就是林林種種的課外活動證書, 名校對課外活動要求很高, 小孩子参加得越多越好, 所以我們這些望子成龍的家長, 就一窩蜂的把小朋友的課餘時間填滿了興趣班, 你以為證書很巴閉嗎, 其實只要上夠班, 自動有證書, 換句話
小孩子 Portfolio 裏證書夠不夠, 就看你老子錢袋重不重, 那些夠米請個私人司機加貼身賓賓服侍小主人一天跑三個 playgroup 的, 自然證書滿瀉, 跟小孩肚子裡有多少斤兩沒多大關係
很多課外活動課程為了吸引家長, 會積極舉辦比賽表演, 終極目的是找個藉口分派豬肉獎狀, 好讓 Portfolio 又多項功名, 話說去年米米的芭蕾舞學校頒了「飛躍進步獎」給她, 朋友恭喜我, 我說班上十個小朋友有七個拿了這個獎, 有甚麼好恭喜
姐姐的個案更好笑, 她的小女兒参加了白雪公主表演, 我笑她, 是不是飾演七個小矮人身後那棵草呀, 姐姐說, 我個女飾演白雪公主噯
我立即肅然起敬,然後她訕笑: 班上所有女孩子都是白雪公主噯
哇哈哈哈哈哈哈
你以為家長看不穿整個 system 的運作嗎, 但在沒有選擇的情況下
我們都閉上嘴巴打開銀包, 跟著這個浪潮浮沉, 最令人沮喪
就是彈鋼琴畫圖畫這些活動已經是標準基本要求, 要考進名校
最緊要出奇制勝, 孩子們現在學甚麼 Kumon, Phonics, 珠算
在我的年代簡直聽也未聽過, 音樂呢, 要學 trumpet, timpani, 古箏
我看遲早送他們去跳水跳傘再加花式飛行才差不多

米米可以有甚麼過人之處呢, 我抓破頭也想不到
我們這些媽媽, 走在一起便長嗟短歎, 慨歎成為這個不人道的系统的犧牲品, 但一轉頭, 便積極打聽哪個課程 popular, 一面大聲的自我安慰「我才不稀罕孩子入名校」, 一面卻默默的在校友會籌款活動中穿起圍裙賣曲奇
所以, 我放棄扮清高, 乾脆由 Day One 便承認, 無錯, 我會盡我所能, 幫米米考好學校, 尤其是我的母校, 這不是 ashamed 的事, 這是做母親的責任
隨波逐流, 唉 …
請不要笑我

婚姻存摺

我的『婚姻存摺』是出嫁那天，媽媽遞到我手上的，當時我以為會是一大筆錢，打開一看發現只有1000元，我用失望的眼神看著媽媽，媽媽卻笑著說：「這是我特意為你們辦理的『婚姻存摺』，以後每逢值得紀念的日子，都可以存一筆錢，等到老的時候，裡面除了錢，還有無限的幸福。」

當時，我對母親這份心思不以為然，倒是丈夫記在了心上。

婚後沒多久，他就先後存了兩個500元，一個是因為他升職了，第二個是因為我手術治愈出院。當時我嘴上笑他無聊，其實心裡甜蜜無比，畢竟他把我的健康也當作一件讓他感到幸福的事。

沒過多久，我懷孕了，這一次，我足足往裡面存了2000元。

但很快，我們開始有了爭吵和冷漠；孩子出生帶來的快樂是短暫的，洗不完的尿布、餵不完的奶，進一步加劇了我們感情的惡化。

而那本『婚姻存摺』像被遺忘了，寂寞地躺在抽屜角落，上面的數字久未見漲。

我們鬧離婚的時候，媽媽說：「你們先把存摺上面的錢花光了再離吧，雖然錢不多，但是你們共同的財產。」

於是，我第一次取了1000元，然後拎著幾件心儀已久的衣服離開商場時，我又回去對售貨小姐說：「對不起，我不買了，請你退回我剛才付給你的錢。」

也許當時的局面窘迫極了，但我腦海裡想到的是那1000元婚姻積蓄的來源：

他是個害羞的男人，但曾在街頭大聲地對我說「我愛你」，我為此存下100元；

他記得我的生日、鞋號、密碼及最怕的事，我為此在生日那天存下300元；

他對女人有風度，也有距離，不給暗戀他的女下屬任何機會，我為此存下500元…！

想到這1000元裡就有這麼多的幸福積累，再看看婚姻存摺上的兩萬多元，我的眼睛忽然就有些濕潤起來。

晚上回到家，我把存摺交給他，說：「趕緊花吧，花光了好離婚！」

第二天晚上，他把存摺遞到我手上，我打開一看，發現反而多了1000元。

他說：「那上面的每一元錢都記錄著我們走過的歷程，我第一次發覺原來是這樣的愛你，索性又存進了1000元。」

我們從此又和好如初了！

人生

人生吧....

0 歲出場

10 歲快樂成長

20 為情彷徨

30 基本定向

40 拼命打闖

50 回頭望望

60 告老還鄉

70 搓搓麻將

80 曬曬太陽

90 躺在床上

100 掛在牆上 ...