And we thought only Singaporeans were kiasu. This from the News Tribune article "Black Friday darker than usual." :

In Columbus, Ohio, Nikki Nicely, 19, jumped onto a man’s back and pounded his shoulders when he tried to take a 40-inch Samsung flat-screen television to which she had laid claim. “That’s my TV!” Nicely, 19, shouted. “That’s my TV!”

A police officer and security guard intervened, but not before Nicely took an elbow in the face. In the end, she was the one with the $798 television, marked down from $1,000. “That’s right,” she yelled as her adversary walked away. “This here is my TV!”

Is it worth getting elbowed in the face for a savings of about 20%? On a darker note, this is the first time a death has happened due to Black Friday – a staff employee of Wal-Mart, Long Island, NY, was trampled by frenzied shoppers.

A Wal-Mart worker on Long Island died after being trampled by customers who broke through the doors early Friday. And fights and injuries occurred around the country at some other stores operated by Wal-Mart, the nation’s leading discount chain and one of the few retailers thriving in the current economy.

We are all just animals, really. In fact, I think we’ve regressed in the evolutionary chain.

Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th President of the United States, and will be sworn in on the 20th January 2009.

change they need, and change they get.

A lot hinges on Obama’s performance for the next 4 years. Being the first black president, people have high expectations of him. If he were to not deliver on good policies or decisions, it will be a definite blow to the idea that non-whites can govern, and the racial divide will grow even further in the social strata.

There is as well a high risk to his position in the Oval Office, as it is widely rumored that he has been targeted for assassination attempts – which is very plausible. The Secret Service will have a tough job on their hands protecting the next President.

It will be interesting to see what decisions he will make as to the war in Iraq, as well as the many economic policy changes needed. It’s not an enviable job really, being in Commander-in-Chief when international sentiments against the US are unfavorable, there is a huge national debt, and the economy is in turmoil.

He has a tough time ahead, but watching him throughout the whole presidential election campaign, I believe he can do it. So, congratulations, Senator Barack Obama. You deserve this, for the fine campaign you and your team have conducted, and also because you have held yourself up most admirably.

EDIT : There’s an absolutely lovely photo essay on Barack Obama out on the Big Picture site by Boston Globe. Check it out!

Colin Powell endorses Obama as his choice of US President, and this is widely regarded as the final nail in McCain’s presidential bid efforts – the first nail being McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A4LfWhU0Uk

I sincerely hope that come November, Barack Obama will be elected President. Throughout the entire campaign, he has shown himself to be calm and a honorable man, with a good grasp of key issues that plague America, the ability to spot talented people AND listen to them, and most importantly, a genuine care for the people.