G'Day From Downunder

Now that I've got all the anger out of my system regarding the $3000 suit men in the finance industry and the rotten banking system and bankers that you and I get ripped off by everyday, let's change the subject for a while. So put the kettle on and let's have a relaxing cup of tea and talk about some good things in the world!

Maybe an Australian Irishman shouldn't have views on American politics, but I do so here goes.

A fresh wind is blowing and I can sense it in my bones that given the chance President-Elect Barack Obama can become the Messiah that the USA and the rest of the world need right now.

I believe he has the will to change things. What we all need to do now is support him. The old saying goes 'Rome wasn't built in a day' so don't expect the woes of yesterday to be right tomorrow.

He knows what the problems are, we know what the problems are, so give him breathing space to do his job.

After no one in their right mind would want his job anyway considering he has inherited a massive economical mess and two wars that are not looking like cake walks.

Never have I seen, read or heard so much positive comments about a Presidential Candidate since JFK.

Obama, it seems to me, even eclipsed JFK. I see no negatives in his election he is a man of his time; he is the best man to address the equality issue, the best man to address the religious interference issues in the international conflicts.

He is young, vibrant, and charismatic and yes, its time. The world needs young men and women to look after the future of our grandchildren.

It's time for old men, old ideas and old attitudes to be retired. What's needed is new blood with new ideas for a new world.

The Republicans have been wounded and wounded badly in this election and no doubt it hurts.

This is not a time to reflect on what might have been - it's time to unite and move on.

It's a time for everyone to reach down into their souls and pull out something special to contribute to the great nation that you can recreate.

Just because you got knocked down doesn't mean that you can't get up and win the fight (only when you get knocked down can you look up at the great heights that you can scale).

You can borrow that quote from me as I have used it many times myself, thank God.

Beyond America, in my regular phone calls and visits to Ireland and also in my regular visits to New Zealand, everyone I have spoken to was hoping and wishing that Barack would be elected. Australians too were at one with Obama..

If there is a heaven and if Martin Luther King and JFK are there, and I say "if"? I bet they are looking down saying I wish I was in Barack's corner and boy oh boy is he in for the fight of his life.

So, now it's time to get on with the job of fixing up the mistakes of yesterday.

Let's all put our shoulders to the wheel and help push the load, remembering we have the driver who was democratically chosen and wanted.

Then, when we get to the end of the road we can all rest and smile and know that we had done our best when the chips were down.

Moving on to another positive fact, Ireland beat Australia 57 to 53 in the international Second Test in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where Irish legend Ronnie Delany won the 1500-meter Gold Medal all those years ago in the 1956 Olympics and set the high bar for all the Irish athletes that would follow.

The international rules game or sometimes-called Compromise Rules Games is spectacular to watch it's a very fast, skilful and exciting game.

It is a mix of Australian (Rules) and Gaelic football. This year's was the series that nearly never was.

After reviving the series in 1984 the games were always very hard fought (and not always in the best sporting spirit) between the professionals of the Australian VFL (now AFL) and the Irish amateurs of the GAA.

In spite of the Irish being amateurs they were well matched to their professional counterparts.

The series is alternated between both countries; the next one being in Ireland and I strongly urge anyone who is visiting Ireland that they should not miss the game if you are there during the series.

As I said earlier this is the series that nearly wasn't as the 2007 didn't go ahead due to rough tactics and rather brutal tackling by the Aussies. The GAA were up in arms and snubbed the series.

It took almost a year of negotiations to get it back on the rails again with changes to the tackling rules.

The new rules were a change for the better because they made for a more flowing and exciting game.

Now that the Irish have won the series on Australian soil the Aussies are determined to win the series on Irish soil next year, my money is on the Irish.

To those of you who are interested in the sport of kings the Irish came and tried to conquer, but there is only one King in Australia: trainer Bart Cummings, when it comes to the five million dollar Melbourne Cup.

Bart has won his twelfth cup on the eve of his 81st birthday; no other trainer comes even close.

Aidan O'Brien and Dermot Weld brought Europe's best horses but they never got a look in.

They might as well have stayed home and watched it on TV, at least then they would have been closer to the finishing line.

The local horse 'Viewed' beat the might of Europe and won at $41 to 1 by a short nose.

My money was on the $21 to 1 shot which was beaten by the (above) nose.

To the joy of the bookies and just for the record, Septimus, Ireland's and Europe's best came in 18th.

To make matters worse Aidan O'Brien was called in by the Stewards of the course to explain the failure of his horses to perform.

Hopefully the Stewards didn't put Aidan's nose out of place to prevent him from returning next year with another lot of Irish hopefuls and not to the bookies' delight as it was this year.

By the time you are reading this I will be in the land of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand) and hopefully gathering some items of interest to satisfy your curiosity and broaden your knowledge of what's happening on this side of the world.

Even though I'll be in NZ my heart will be in Ireland as Ireland will be playing the All Blacks and more importantly my favourite team Munster will be playing the All Blacks on the following Wednesday in the new Thomand Park in Limerick. It's in celebration of the famous Munster victory over the All Blacks thirty years ago.

To my young son Jonathan, who will be at both games, I hope you bring back happy memories. My thoughts are with you.

So until I return from the land of The Long White Cloud be good to those who love you and congratulations on your choice of President.

Slainte from Downunder.