Hope is on the way

So today is the day.

Despite what some of my ex-colleagues (yes you, SJ) might claim, I don't remember JFK; but I have always been captivated by him: the youthful optimism, the charisma and the all-too-short 'Camelot' administration. We've waited a long time for a successor.

I was lucky enough to be working in Philadelphia in July 2004 when Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama introduced himself to Democrats and a national television audience, giving the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Obama told the story of his working class family and urged the nation to elect Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, saying he would ensure more educational and economic opportunities for all.

I watched Obama speak and, even then, it was crystal clear to me that I was watching the first black president of the USA. And today that day has come: his inauguration. At least two million people are expected to attend the inauguration in a record turnout for such an event, along with a television audience in the hundreds of millions if not billions.

Has there ever been so much faith put upon one man?

I, like most of the world, can't wait to hear his speech - already we know that it'll be up there with JFK and Martin Luther King. And I, along with most of the world, wish him the very best of luck.

In his own words, Yes we can.

Philadelphia on my mind

Naturally, there's been a lot of contemplation recently. Apart from anything else, I was pretty much flat out at work for most of last year so there wasn't a lot of 'me time'. Not that I'm complaining - it was a great year.

For some reason I've been thinking back to my time in Philadelphia. I spent a lot of time in Philadelphia from 2001-2005. At one point I even had a visa to allow me to work full time if I wanted. I used to fly over for a couple of weeks at a time, staying with my good friend Steven or in various hotels or apartments. After a while I started to use my spare time to explore the city and the area, and it started to feel like a second home to me.

Now Philly isn't the most beautiful city in America, and you wouldn't want to stray too far off the beaten track in some districts. But it has some beautiful parts and important historical landmarks, an amazing Museum of Art (the steps to the gallery are the ones that Rocky Balboa runs up in the original Rocky), Philly cheesesteaks and South Street.

It has the schuylkill river and the boathouses, its own twin towers and its bridges to New Jersey.

And it has The Eagles. Philadelphia is a real blue collar sporting city, with baseball, basketball, ice hockey and American football teams all in national leagues. In fact the Phillies are baseball's reigning world champions. But when it comes down to it Philadelphia is a football town. They'd swap the World Series tomorrow for another shot at the Superbowl. Can it happen this year? Maybe, but highly unlikely. I'll be watching on Sunday anyway in hope.

So where's this all heading? I was saying that I was thinking about Philly. Specifically, I was thinking about a time when I borrowed a car and was driving back through the city after a day out. The radio was on, I was cutting through the heart of the city, and I captured a few moments on video...

Eagles start the party

So Rangers couldn't do it on Saturday, but the Eagles sure did last night. It was one of those great sporting occasions where all the cards had to fall into place, and they did.

Chicago or Minnesota had to lose, and Chicago did (thanks Pazen & Andrew); Tampa Bay had to lose, and they did; leaving the Eagles needing to beat hated rivals Dallas Cowboys for a place in the Playoffs.

They didn't beat the Cowboys - they destroyed them 44-6 at the Linc. So it's off to Minnesota next Sunday for the first - and hopefully not the last - playoff game.

Isn't sport wonderful.