2004 United States Democratic Convention Quotes

29th July 2004
Boston, FleetCenter

Senator John Edwards
Democratic Vice-Presidential Nominee

"Like all of us, I have learned a lot of lessons in my life. Two of the most important are that first, there will always be heartache and struggle—you can’t make it go away. But the other is that people of good and strong will, can make a difference. One lesson is a sad lesson and the other’s inspiring. We are Americans and we choose to be inspired."

"We choose hope over despair, possibilities over problems, optimism over cynicism. We choose to do what’s right even when those around us say “You can’t do that.” We choose to be inspired because we know that we can do better—because this is America where everything is still possible."


The Edwards family, from left, Cate, Jack, Elizabeth, John, and Emma Claire, stand on stage after John Edwards spoke to delegates during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter in Boston.
29th July 2004
Associated Press / Amy Sancetta

Reverend Al Sharpton
Former Democratic Presidential Candidate

"I was raised by a single mother who made a way for me. She used to scrub floors as a domestic worker, put a cleaning rag in her pocketbook and ride the subways in Brooklyn so I would have food on the table. But she taught me as I walked her to the subway that life is about not where you start, but where you're going."

"And I wanted somebody in my community -- I wanted to show that example. As I ran for president, I hoped that one child would come out of the ghetto like I did, could look at me walk across the stage with governors and senators and know they didn't have to be a drug dealer, they didn't have to be a hoodlum, they didn't have to be a gangster, they could stand up from a broken home, on welfare, and they could run for president of the United States."


Rev. Al Sharpton speaks to delegates during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter in Boston.
29th July 2004
Associated Press / Steven Senne

Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow

Vonda Shepherd; OST Ally McBeal

Well I'd rather you be mean than love and lie
I'd rather hear the truth and have to say goodbye
I'd rather take a blow at least then I would know
But baby don't you break my heart slow

03/04 - A Parsing Reflection

It had been an eventful year. One filled with exhilaration and triumph; although for a handful of moments me, I was, am, heartbroken and lost.

Suffice to say, it had been one of the most rewarding year in my life. I treasure what I have learnt. Among them and especially, about the passion in seeking and following the direction(s) of life - a passion none of us can ever afford to lose.

Looking forward, my only wish is that the forthcoming year show the same balance, excitement, opportunities and fulfilment. I simply could not ask for more.

03/04, thank you very, very much. :p

"You must do as you have always done: Keep moving forward, build on the past, improve. Because the rest of the world is not about to stand still." --- CIA Director George Tenet, Farewell Address, 8th July 2004

Finding that elusive relationship; you just got to hang on

--- By Stefan ---

Many relationships form without you realizing.

I've heard much more about boy-girl relationships than any other in my entire life. It seems the most difficult to handle and yet people are just so happy to jump right into it. Some get to be torturer, while others are tortured. But the key is, we are all so happy to subject ourselves to the complexity and uncertainty of boy-girl relationships.

Before you know it, someone has become a part of your life and he/she plays a part in your sorrow and joy. Gradually, your emotions are dependent on each other. In the process, some people resisted that bonding and preferred to control their passion and 'love less'.

An important girl once told me that she wouldn't subject herself to that kind of emotional dependency that'll make her vulnerable. She couldn't love. She doubts relationships. Doubt means she questions love. Doubt means she is not ready.

Ideally, love is mutual and two-way. Realistically, it doesn't happen most of the time. So when it's unbalanced, one party experiences pain. Your body racks with the strain of a surge of emotions- disbelief, regret, disappointment and closure.

You try to rationalize yourself everyday. You try to numb yourself in work. You try very hard to stop remembering the good old days. You try letting go. You try not to cry.

You try, with all your might and emotional strength, to put out hopes that continually rekindle themselves.

Letting go is a technique, which comes with experience. Sadly, the more easily you are able to let go, the more lightly you view each relationship. It's a bad inverse effect.

Life doesn't stop. It brings such beauty and sometimes sorrow. You grow. You experience. You accept. You live.

Relationships form, and unfortunately a lot of them break. You don't get many people who'll love you genuinely and eternally. Cherish what you have and don't dismiss their presence and efforts easily.

Yeah, I realize it's part and parcel of our lives. Those who manage to break out of it successfully secure a life partner. Perhaps that's why people risk so much to seek THE ONE.

Easier said than done.

I can't do it myself.

Paris & Bastille Day

Wikipedia: Bastille Day


14th July 2004, Paris
Associated Press / Michel Euler

Senator John Edwards

Win or lose this fall, Edwards in many ways has already won: he has beaten the odds and, at 51, will almost certainly take his place as a leading figure in the Democratic Party for years to come. His out-of-nowhere performance this year would not surprise those who have known him since he scraped his way out of Robbins, N.C., the mill town he talks about at every stop and in every speech. That's because shooting the moon has long been Edwards' strongest game. He has for years been willing to ignore local conventions, bet the farm on a hunch and streak past his stunned, sometimes resentful rivals as he collected an armful of glittering prizes. It is a career arc that, in national politics at least, might be shocking were it not so much like that of another Southern pol who jumped at mid-life into high-stakes politics and found himself in the White House seven years later. --- TIME Magazine, 11th July 2004


Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards greets his four year-old son Jack after getting off his airplane in Raleigh, North Carolina.
12th July 2004
AFP / Justin Sullivan

孙燕姿 - 任性

It's remarkable how a 4-minute song can sometimes so succinctly sum up a fairly long period of one's life. Music has the capability to convey fully what it was like, bringing with it an additional clarity in which no words by themselves can capture.

固执算不算任性的要求
付出也可能看不到结果
终于你还是选择了放手
用逃避 让感情犯错

承诺算不算任性的要求
人总是不能太容易感动
当爱失去自我失去包容
只想要 从混乱解脱

Origins of a Pseudonym --- XafëL

The last surviving Rebel ship flickered with psedomotion and vanished into hyperspace; and after a thirty-hour battle, the heart of Kanchen sector was finally theirs.

"Secure the fleet from full battle status, Captain," Thrawn ordered, his voice grimly satisfied as he stood at the side viewport.

"Deploy for planetary bombardment, and have Captain Harbid transmit our terms of surrender to the Xa Fel government."

"Yes, sir," Pellaeon said, keying in the order.

Thrawn half turned to face him. "And send a further message to all ships," he added. "Well done."

Chapter 20, The Last Command
Timothy Zahn

"Shaken Kaleidoscope"

Occasionally, the prosaic routine of day-to-day life would be interrupted. It could be someone. It could be something. But one thing for certain, is that the stagnated but yet reassuring status quo ante would be lost.

We would be obliged to make difficult decisions, discard our innerself reservations, accept undefinable risks, and subject ourselves to uncertainty that is beyond our reach, control and comprehension.

No matter what happens though, we should not step back from the challenge. We must step up to it. Otherwise, life would be pretty meaningless, wouldn't it?

"This is a moment to seize. The kaleidoscope has been shaken. The pieces are in flux. Soon they will settle again. Before they do, let us re-order this world around us." --- Tony Blair

Tokyo & Sunflowers

6th July 2004, Tokyo
AFP / Toru Yamanaka

New York City & Fireworks

4th July 2004, New York City
Associated Press / Stuart Ramson

"I am Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq"

The preliminary arraignment was much anticipated, and after six months of isolated confinement and persistent interrogation, the world had expected to see a confused, defeated and disillusioned man.

"I am Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq and commander in chief of the armed forces" - thundered the first words of the defiant 67 year-old man.

Scoffing at the legal process, Saddam said with a half-smile that "this is all theater, the real criminal is Bush". He also insisted that he be referred to as "president of the Republic of Iraq" and asked who the judge was and under what authority he was holding the hearing.

At times, Saddam, rather than the judge, seemed in command of the hearing, firmly signaling that he be allowed to speak. He occasionally lectured the young magistrate, making his points with emphatic hand gestures.

Insisting that the court had no jurisdiction to strip him of his presidential immunity for alleged crimes committed during his rule, Hussein refused in the end to sign a statement acknowledging that he had been informed of his rights and that he had been read the charges against him. He waved off the document, saying that he needed to consult an attorney.

When told by the judge that counsel would be provided later if he could not pay for his own, Saddam offered a sardonic reply: "Everyone says, the Americans say, I have millions of dollars stashed away in Geneva. Why shouldn't I afford a lawyer?"

In another exchange, the former dictator said no one had the authority to strip him of his title of president if he is being accused of committing the crimes while he was in office. "I'm elected by the people of Iraq. The occupation cannot take that right away from me," he said.

Partially sourced from wire services