It’s only a job.  I am still here.

Perhaps this is the spark that I need for a new start.
Perhaps I am that one missing graphical statistic for the seeking-for-work market to reach the tipping point – come on, the uphill curve must stop somewhere!
Perhaps the moment has come to face the twists and turns of life.

Thank God for a beating heart!

Perhaps there is such a fixation as destiny.
Perhaps I will have to follow a new path.
Perhaps it’s not good to work so hard – it really doesn’t matter in a psychiatry ward.
Perhaps I am too brown to continue to move up the tier.

Perhaps I was born in the wrong side of the globe.
Perhaps I have to learn the recipe for clatite cu spuma de mure.
Perhaps it’s time for a dental check-up.
Perhaps I want to go to Paris, too.

I lost my father when I was a kid due to heart disease; perhaps he needed a heart no more in the next life.
Perhaps earthlings don’t feel the same way as the angels.
Perhaps it makes no difference if I have a heart in heaven – happiness interminable.
Perhaps a heart is very cheap trade in hell –- no heart : no feelings : no pain.

Perhaps my mother will have to expect fewer calls from me this Christmas.
Perhaps Santa will have to appear (and appeal) to Congress and present a “sustainable” business plan for a bailout.
Perhaps the magic of the season may work for me in time for a “happy” New Year.
Perhaps holidays “unpaid” is the best way to celebrate its true value.

Perhaps my wife would love to have some Maryland crabs sautéed in olive oil and lots of garlic for dinner – it’s been a while.

The world is round.  Worldwide economy is down to the dumps.  Money changes everything.  Justice is blind. God is omnipotent. Tomorrow never dies.

According to the 2008 World Health Statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer in the world – 29.9 % of the total number of deaths in 2004, that is, ischemic heart disease (12.2%) and cerebrovascular disease or stroke (9.7%) combined.

Like you, I, too, may be heartbroken (or simply broke) but this “man-made” tragedy should make us stronger and better (not bitter) persons.  Give to no one the right to hurt you (and vice versa)… otherwise, you will have to stay and live with them in agony forever HAHA!

Perhaps you have your own story to tell.  Perhaps…

Perhaps this is my story.  I say it again; God is watching!  Whatever happens in life, I will be happy and successful someday.  I walk one foot forward in every step to remind me that I can only live a day at time. Yes, everything happens for a reason.

It’s only a job.   I am still here… to be with the ones that really matter (most).

When times are rough (as they sometimes will) and you are feeling down or lonely, have some sushi.  Trust me, you’ll feel wasabe happy and sashimi healthy!

BEFORE

Try the “Viking Roll” from Ginza Japanese Restaurant.  I believe there are a number of the franchise around New York City area.

AFTER

The “Vikings” were here!!!

Barely a couple of weeks ago, it was officially declared that the country (with the entire universe) is in economic recession. As expected, everyone’s tightening belts (as others are eating more to cope with depression).   The thought of it is sad and our most-trusted experts are consistently sowing the seeds of fear in us that the worst is yet to come.  I have my share of strict budgeting but I am optimistic that the “Grinch”, a.k.a, the lucrative “Wall-to-All” bailout series, the soaring unemployment statistics, the irrational price differential of gas and vodka, and the likes (that may be toying in your thoughts right now), won’t steal the holidays totally.

Last night, a fundraiser was held at The Sparks (Café) in New York City in support of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV-AIDS (GYCA).  Together with the dedicated officers and members of the organization, supporters, and friends, I was very pleased to be a part of the host committee for the event.  The evening was blissfully relaxed as the guests exchange greetings and updates over an open bar – bottles of beers (donated by Brooklyn Brewery) and wines (courtesy of De Bortoli Wines and a number of bottles from Park Lane Liquors and other individual donors) – while checking the silent auction of some interesting art pieces and other bestowed personal effects. Let it be known that 100% of the silent auction plus the ticket sales go to GYCA!

The hors d’oeuvres and desserts were very enticing but the conversation with friends and former colleagues who showed up to support the cause was more engaging.  Yes, I went home hungry for home-cooked dinner but I was so “spirited” to reflect on the unexplained (feeling of “high”) experience of kindness and giving.

Growing up, my mother, and some matter-of-facts in my life, made me believe that “the more you give, the more you receive”.  At church, people give discretely (or anonymously) as the collection box is being passed around because God sees it anyway.  The rich and the “profitables” make sure that they shed off some of their earnings as tax-deductibles. Some people give to impress and some are just happy to give, plain and simple.

My personal mantra about generosity is “to give is to cure, not to injure”.  It is very sound and fair to say that people should only give what is in excess of their pockets.  We could only give for as long as it doesn’t hurt since giving is an act – in fact, an act of love. Well, some people believe that love hurts; no doubt, it hurts if only and if you give too much to the extent of the “giving-it-all-with-nothing-left-of-me” drama.  Remember that Jesus Christ, the redeemer of our worldly sins, was crucified because He had nothing with him to equal (and bail himself out from) the costly betrayal of Judas.

The point of the matter of all these is, “Thank you!”  I am so grateful for the love in so many people, friends and strangers alike, around me.  I see smiles everywhere.  Everyone has very personal stories to tell, the headlines are scary, and bank account accounts are bleeding dry, but the hope for recovery and a better tomorrow remains.

Yes, it’s the joy and hope that that keep us believing in the young people of the world – the future leaders – who are making a difference.  We believe in engaging the youth and organizers with the knowledge, skills, resources and opportunities they need to effectively carry out their work and change the course of the worst pandemic in human history, i.e., HIV-AIDS. Very nice these young people (sic), right?

It’s never too late to empower these young leaders to advance their initiatives on the ground.  You could still donate to GYCA by clicking this link.  You may also visit the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) and extend your support to the youth movement around the world.

Epilogue:

I remember Fr. Juan Sanz, S.J., a great teacher, a remarkable counselor, a very charismatic speaker, and a very dedicated soccer coach in my high school at Ateneo.  In his exact words at a mass sermon, he said, “Some men give love to get sex while some women give sex to get love.”  Obviously, he was talking in the context of (discouraging the sinful act of) pre- and extra-marital sex.  If the same words would echo in our thoughts, it would be an added “red flag” before making any “uneducated” judgments that may eventually lead to “unprotected” actions.

This holiday season, give, love, and hope.  For all the lovers out there, if you can’t be good, be safe.  If you can’t be safe, be good.  For Christ’s sake!!!

While the media swarmed Clark County Court in Las Vegas, Nevada today to cover OJ Simpson, 61, after a 15-year verdict for kidnapping and armed robbery, tomorrow, Saturday, December 6, 2008, all lights and camera will be focused at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De La Joya million-dollar boxing bout.

The Mindanao-born (south island of Philippines) WBC Lightweight Champion boxer, (Emmanuel Dapidran) Manny “Pacman the Destroyer” Pacquiao, 29, will put up a 12-round, non-title fight against the Mexican-American, Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Joya, 35.

This boxing “dream match” is one of the most anticipated TV coverage for most Filipinos around the world.  I know some groups of friends who have been planning for months now for tomorrow night’s game with get-together party, drinking or just “chip-in watching” (a sign of the time recession-proof alternative to pay for the pay-per-view fee).  Pacquiao will receive $15 to 30 million (share of the pay-per-view), plus a guaranteed amount.

Tickets reportedly sold out just hours after they went on sale. The total gate revenues were said to be nearly $17 million dollars. That amount would give the bout has the second largest gate revenue in boxing history (after the De La Hoya-Mayweather Jr. fight in 2007 which generated $18.4 million in gate revenue).

I would be unforgivably remiss if I fail to mention that Pacquiao’s victorious fame in the ring has also earned Philippine pop-culture his ubiquitous presence.

He has appeared in ads for more than a dozen international brands, including Nike, McDonald’s and San Miguel Beer (a top-selling beer in the Philippines).

A movie based on Pacquiao’s life was released in 2006 entitled, “Pacquiao: The Movie”. The movie is believed to have flopped at the box office. Also in 2006, around the time of Erik Morales rematch with Pacquiao, he produced and recorded the song, “Para sa’yo ang Laban na ‘to (This Fight is for You),” which caters to national pride and his struggles in the ring.  He is featured in the boxing video games, “Fight Night: Round 2″, and “Fight Night: Round 3″.

Along the way, Pacquiao has been showered with a number of other prestigious honors, which include being named the 2003 Person of the Year in the Philippine archipelago, as well as recognition by HBO, Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association as America’s 2006 Fighter of the Year.

Pacquiao ran for a congressional seat to represent the 1st district of South Cotabato in August 2008, but he was defeated.  He has said he will enter politics after he ends his boxing career.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Pacquiao was the Philippines’ national flag bearer. He became the first Filipino athlete to appear on a postage stamp.

Manny Pacquiao owns a lottery outlet that’s supported by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, which is part of the government’s charity arm, and is frequently called upon to provide funding for essential health and welfare activities.

I may be playing favorites but I predict that Pacquiao’s powerful “southpaw” punches will prevail in the ring over De La Joya’s “orthodox” stance until the 12th round in a unanimous decision.  I make this guess while thinking as a businessman. Well, promoters, advertisers, and (with due respect to the most honorable) politicians alike “strike while the iron is hot”.  Let’s face it, Pacquiao is as hot as hell in the box office! Whatever happens tomorrow night, I may be too smashed already to call my die-hard aficionados (my mother included) in the Philippines to exchange post-fight analysis.

After tomorrow’s fight, only one thing is for sure – life goes on.  More potential stories would certainly unfold and here are some of them:
-    Both Pacquiao and De La Joya will add millions of dollars to their names while the fanatics either win or lose their hard-earned $10 bets.
-    Pacquiao will release a second album, “This Fight is for You Again ”, while De La Joya will re-launch his album “Oscar De La Joya Story” back-to-back with Britney Spears on a world tour.  Another prospect of a collaborative project is a Pacquiao-De La Joya album entitled, “Dream Voice”.
-    Both will be a featured in a starring role in the movie,  “The Golden Pacman”.
-    De la Joya will be invited to join (and probably will consider)  “Dancing with the Stars”
-    Pacquiao will launch building the most-expensive campaign machinery for the national elections in the Philippines in 2012.
-    OJ Simpson will be serving his sentence in a Nevada jail.  Indeed, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”.
-    The automakers’ plea for government bailout will be debated forever in Congress until we all find ourselves taking the “tuk tuk ” to work.  Remember people – they already have your votes.

today, my “baby” itchywings.com officially turns 1 in cyberspace. you see, the site is in its “baby steps” stage but i thank you for (re)visiting and for just being there! i share with you the hope to carry on anything-under-the-sun accounts that may perhaps bind our consciousness and aspirations.  i’ll  strive harder to craft my enthusiasm to write; i hope you will be there to read and to guide me where this site needs change for the better.  as i mentioned in a previous post, the itchywings.com’s legacy of “follow your itch… fly!” is based on fulfilling one’s dreams. let’s keep the “dream weaving” to actuality. for now, here’s a short poem dedicated to you entitled, “a year in a dream/a dream in a year”:

in the heart of wintry fall in ‘07,
time passed by unnoticed.
crafting a blueprint –
holographs of the mind’s eye.
yesterday’s gone in solitude;
weathering nurtured fortitude.
insatiable longing for dreams,
no matter how trivial.
greatness in many ways surface!
slow and steady wins the race.

Many happy returns to all Americans who exercised their right to keep democracy alive in today’s election!

There are moments in our lives that we remember very vividly.  These same moments serve as the strength currency of our lives; and oftentimes, we get drowned in our thoughts and tears flood our eyes for mixed reasons.  Senator Obama’s tears last night in his final rally in North Carolina reflected his greatest moment.  (I’m sure that his grandmother, Madelyn Payne Durham, would be joyfully watching this election night in the heavens with her head erect!) Tonight is his big night, probably, his most unforgettable night.

It’s almost 11 p.m.  I am about to hit the sack so I shall see you tomorrow.  As you read this while I enjoy a deep slumber, I pray that you experience Senator Obama’s message of hope.   Life goes on no matter what happens. As President Clinton said,  "he is in the right side of history", and the signs are clear that America transcended skeptic isms and the "effects" that are bonded with it.  Thank God that America rocks!

Tomorrow is a new day.  Tomorrow will be a different America.  Tomorrow, I’m quite confident (wanna bet?) that it will be Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America.  And we shall remember John McCain, his incomparable service to this great country and his campaigns with respect.  Yes, we can make a difference for the sake of next generation.  Tomorrow, the booze industry will be alive again. Cheers to President Obama!

Let’s all move on and hope for better, peaceful, and prosperous change for this country and the whole world.  Trust me, life is beautiful!

May you have peace in your world and have a good night.

In a couple of days, Americans will be electing the country’s next president. Democratic Senator Barack Obama maintains a double-digit lead in the polls over Republican Senator John McCain . Also in the running for America’s top executive are  Bob Barr (Libertarian Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), and Ralph Nader (Independent Party). Whoever wins the election on November 4, 2008, the next president becomes the heir to a government defined by an unimaginable challenges to hurdle.

Based on a variety of sources *, here are some of the concerns that are worth reflecting on before heading for the polls on Tuesday below (in no particular order):

Environment: An atmospheric CO2 level of 385 parts per million (ppm); the safe level is 350 ppm.

Economy: Congress decisions on extending President Bush’s 2001 + 2003 tax cuts; a social security program that is expected to pay more in benefits than it take through taxes by 2017 if not reformed; A record of $482,000,000,000 Federal budget deficit.

Iraq/Afghanistan: Troop levels of 140, 000 serving in Iraq and more than 30, 000 serving in Afganistan; 270 detainees who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Energy: A national oil-consumption rate of 20.7 million barrels per day; the country produces 8.5 million barrels per day.

Health care: 46 million uninsured Americans, that is, 15% of the US population (as of 2007).

Education: Below proficient – reading: 68% (4th grade) & 70% (8th grade); below proficient – math: 62% (4th grade) & 69% (8th grade); national high school graduation rate – 68.8%.

Housing: Late mortgage payments at a 23-year high; the lowest home prices since August 2004; foreclosures at an all-time high at the end of 2007.

Trade: In Summer 2008, thousands rioted in Seoul, South Korea to protest government’s decision to import U.S. beef; an international trade deficit of $58.6 billion on average in the first half of 2008, because the U.S. imports more than it exports.

Foreign policy: Approximately 25 severe crises and 6 wars going on in regions around the world, including the U.S-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the “axis of evil” and beyond.

Crime: The Supreme Court’s 2008 5-4 rulings: that the constitution prohibits imposing the death penalty in child-rape cases and overturning the District of Columbia’s handgun ban.

Immigration: Ongoing construction of the 700-mile, $49 billion fence along the U.S.- Mexico border.

Marriage: States that allow same-sex couples to marry – 2 (MA & CA): States with constitutional amendments banning it – 26.

Women: A supreme court that could seek to overturn Roe vs. Wade ; five justices will be 70 or older by the time the court meets in October, including the oldest member, 88-year old John Paul Stevens — the ages of supreme court justices: 88, 75, 72, 72, 70, 68, 60, 58, and 53.

Public Financing : Revised campaign financing restrictions that prevent congressional candidates from raising money in excess of usual limits in order to compete with wealthy self-financed opponents.

As my last pitch in this final weekend of a long race for the White House, I ‘d like to share a prayer ** from a pocket size, laminated pamphlet given to me by a former colleague named Anne (I heard she eventually joined the religious congregation, “Pink Sisters”) on my birthday when I was in the university and was working as a research assistant for UPEcon-Rockefeller Foundation. I “revisit” this prayer most of the time; and may this same prayer help you, too, not just in making your decision come election day, but also in your daily life.

“O God, author of life and source of goodness. I come to you and implore Your divine assistance; with sincere promise to decide and to do things: not according to what I want, not according to what others desire, not according to my own benefit nor my own advantage, not for profit nor for prestige, but for the common good, especially in submission to Your Holy Will.

I come to You and ask Your divine understanding; with sorrowful heart may I receive your forgiveness: for my rash judgments, for my blinded emotions, for my selfish interests.

Enlighten me with Your truth that I may listen to my conscience, and grant me Your grace that I may follow Your commandments.

I come to you and offer you, my humble Savior and loving Redeemer, my penitent self… make me an instrument of creation never an agent of destruction; help me to assist and serve people, never to abandon them; let me share life, never lead anyone to death.

I come to You and thank You, O God my Father, for creating me, for letting me exist, much more for giving me chance after chance to live.

I come to You my Creator, to let You know I am resolved to respect and protect life. I accept Your special gift to us – the gift of life; this is Your gift of love too.

I pray, may I not lose or neglect Your gift of life; may I value more fully Your gift of love. Amen.’ “

I joined the pollsters bandwagon and created my own non-scientific and groundless scenario, “Itchy Polls ”, with the electoral vote projection using Yahoo’s political dashboard with my initials hidden on the map (Go unearth it!). Do I hear Puerto Rico? It’s fun to do the math, so check it out.

On Tuesday, go out, “follow your itch” and vote!

At the end of all this election excitement, let’s try to divert some of our energies to charitable deeds and donate some of our extra time and funds to the deprived and disadvantaged population around the world. God bless us all and God bless America!

(*GOOD News; **”Prayer Before Making A Decision ”: Text by Fr. Ruperto Santos, STL)



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I am extra cautious to write these days. I feel that there are so many sad things going on in people’s lives with the present financial crisis. I refuse to cause more panic. If you say something these days, it’s either you get to be confused with economic skeptics or be tinged with politics.

Speaking of politics, we’ll have to go back to the issue of who shall claim the slogan “CHANGE”. I just don’t get it why people can’t think whatever they want to think and change their mind whenever they want. I said it before and I will say it again this time. I believe that people who change their minds (“flip-flops”) are the people who really use their minds. In short, thinkers do change their judgments to whatever they believe is right at a certain moment depending on the situation. To underscore my point, change works in the context of time. Yes, there is a degree of relevance when people deviate from the flow or from what they believe in. Change always depends on the call of the times.

Let’s move on. So what’s the real deal in the shifting from uncertain to dismal global economies? Are we ready for this?

Greed. Okay, let’s blame this insatiable vanity in human nature. Corruption. For God’s sake, when is enough enough? Poverty. Well, it’s easy to throw stones at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shame on interest rate parasites that exploit those who struggle to make ends meet. God bless America — the land where spending is “priceless”. To work hard is human and to have a high credit score is divine. To some people, sky is the limit for as long that wallet-size plastic cards are swipe-able. Don’t get me wrong; I am a fan of spending, too. This is the only way I know I could help boost the economy – to put my money back in the market. This is simple economics for everyone. This is the same reason why the government doled-out billions of “seed money” (a.k.a. , stimulus check) to taxpayers. The simple rule is to spend, squander, splurge or whatever way to condition people to be shopaholics.

It is very frightening when we start to engage ourselves with any monetary ventures or dealings where there is no certainty. It’s too risky to gamble on luck. It becomes more worrisome when we understand nothing or have very limited knowledge about the issue. Nobody knows the real reason behind all this gloomy economic disarray. I try to listen and read all over the place but I just can’t grasp the complicated functions of the market structures; gee, nobody knows or offers any solutions in terms and language I can understand! How could I be so brainless? And nobody seems to be accountable for all these troubles. Everyone is pointing at each other. The politicians, financiers and experts alike are making all efforts to present their own versions if-I-were-the-blah-blah-blah talking points. What about today? What happened yesterday?

When you see some simplified attempt to make a point, it all boils down to the fact that the ordinary people like you and me are the ones who pay the price. Why? Because we love this country so much that we are willing to sacrifice and suffer more for the sake of “economic corrections”. The government and economists make us believe that market fluctuations are normal adjustments in a transitory or transient recession , which I will originally coin as “trancession” (This term will soon be in the glossary of economics literatures. Again, remember that you read it here first!) There must be someone out there who can dissect this financial phenomenon. Do Bear, Fannie and Freddie, Merrill, Lehman, AIG and the other most-likely-to-collapse companies hire ghost or extra-terrestrial executives and accountants that they can no longer control their books? This is exactly the kind of corporate trickery that makes the poor poorer and the working class thrives in the dog eat dog cycle of survival. It is very depressing but we have to do something…anything. Nobody can salvage us from this financial pandemonium but ourselves. We may not control this economic crisis but we can take responsibility of our own personal financial actions.

Here are 8 simple “trancession” survival tips:
1. Stick with the classic “Live within your means!” Have some time to look at your present monetary standing. Learn to stop and reach for that pen, pad and calculator to see how much are you really worth. This is as simple as determining your spending power and be conscious of not going overboard. Then, make a rough 6-month budget before you start planning Friday drinks.
2. Save like ants but think like Bill Gates. You may be the richest man in the world with excessive surpluses but you may also think of the poorest and the under-privileged of the world. If you are Bill Gates, you are probably reminded every minute that there are millions and millions of people out there who are extremely desperate for a dollar just to survive for a day. Donate to charities and good causes if you get the chance in your own little ways. Trust me, it’s the real deal high. Some of us are fortunate that we don’t have to deal with hurricanes and other natural calamities.
3. Believe that some things are still FREE. Accept free lunch offers. Not all people are “friendly users”. Clip those discount coupons. Hunt for those freebies. Use it, share it and be proud of it! Just recently, I won a free coffee for a week (Customer of the Week) from Starbucks in Austin St., Forest Hills for responding to the trivia question of the week. (Thanks to Squidward! FYI, Squidward is the character that lives in the Moai head statue under the sea known as “Bikini Bottom” in Nickelodeon’s series SpongeBob SquarePants. Don’t ask me how I knew about squids and sponges but as bonus information, Squidward has 438 self-portrait frames hanging on the walls of his infamous residence.)
4. Take a walk and take a shower everyday. This is a very therapeutic activity to relax and rid yourself of the bad germs that are clinging on your skin while waiting for the opportunity to multiply and eat you alive. Remember that prevention is a step ahead than costly cure.
5. Spend some time to pray. When you pray, don’t think of religion but remind yourself that everything has an end. Nothing is permanent and nobody is immortal. This way you can pay more focus to family, good friends, constructive activities, true love, faith and hope, justice for all and world peace.
6. Read a good book that interests you. If you get hooked up to reading, you’ll be surprised that you’ll be smarter – as you divert those urges and energies from extravagant spending – instead of wasting your minutes on senseless calls or watching expensive cable networks.
7. Say “thank you” at all times. This simple gesture goes a long way. I hope that this reach the hearts and conscience of the greedy capitalists, opportunistic financiers and corrupt public servants who think that power and money can assure them of happiness ever after.
8. Last but not the least, be vigilant of whom to entrust your suffrage come November. Don’t be swayed by flowery words and sugar coatings. A lipstick on a pig or pit-bull is animal cruelty but a lipstick on a politician is still a lipstick. Cast your vote for the genuine guardian of the great American dream – a decent and comfortable life in peace and freedom. After all, it all boils down to the economy, smarty.

At this very moment, people are tightening their belts, shock-absorbing the ballooning mortgage payments and the soaring prices of gas and basic commodities and thinking of ways to endure this uncertain economic recession. Only one thing is for sure, Starbucks coffee costs and tastes the same from Wall Street to Main Street.

For the record, I have spent some thinking about the best definition that could be written about “the word” almost all earthlings (and probably some extraterrestrials) are chanting. “Phelps! Go Phelps!” I have a strong foresight that with the glory and honor that Michael Phelps had at the recent XIX Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, the surname “Phelps” will become another common noun or verb as the same root word “phelps” to be added in the Merriam-Webster, Oxford American and online dictionaries or even in Wiktionary and will be passed on by this generation to the next generations to come.

To this date, Michael Phelps officially becomes the greatest Olympian for grabbing 8 gold medals in 8 events in a single Olympics surpassing the record of 7 gold medals in 7 events of another great American swimming superstar, Mark Spitz, at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.

As my very first contribution to lexicography, I attempted an amateurish exploration of definition-writing of a very important name in the Olympic history that gave new consciousness to swimming and Beijing, in general, and raised the viewer ratings of most, if not all, government TV stations all over the world.

What is “Phelps”?

Definition

Phelps [felps]
Noun
1. Phelps – standard achievement of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics (Origin: Beijing 08.08.2008)
2. Phelps - United States swimmer and record holder of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics (born in 1985)
see also Michael Fred Phelps

[Presumptive Origin -- Phelps is a contraction and simplification of Phyllyppes -- Greek: philos (love) + hippos (horse) = lover of horse].

“phelpspower” [counterpart of horsepower] - a measure of the time rate of swimming (1 “phelpspower” = 8.88 m/sec or whatever a great mathematician derives in the future).

Noun
1. phelps - great splendor or glory of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics
2. phelps - a shiny golden shimmer on water

“phelpsuous” adj

“phelpsum” – a category of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics; a periodic date of in a century at exactly 8:08 a.m. to 8:08 p.m. of 08.08.08

“phelpsian” adj

Noun
1. phelps – Water Cube speedster; swim like a sailfish (believed to be the fastest fish)
2. phelps – Speedo icon [“phelpspeedo”] in the 21st century

“phelpspeedometer”– [noun] a measure a speed and strength in water

Here’s another first attempt to explain the Phelps phenomenon and I came up with 3 numerological analogies why Michael Phelps is destined to get 8 gold medals in 8 events in the Olympics that kicked-off on 08.08.2008 in the heart of China. (The number 8 is believed to be lucky in the Chinese tradition.) They are the following:

I. 08.08.2008 = 8 + 8 + (2+8) = 8+ 8 + 10 = 26 → 2 + 6 = 8
II. Michael (7) + Fred (4) + Phelps (6) = 17 letters → 1 + 7 = 8
III. Michael Phelps won his 1st gold in August 10th (Day 1) and his 8th gold in August 17th (Day 8 ) → 8 gold medals in 8 days for Mr. 8!

Destiny indeed!

Now, I won’t bother myself with the rumors that Michael Phelps is genetically engineered to swim and never will I entertain any tinge of thought that he is a secret government robotics project. Given the fact that sports develops discipline and self-confidence, there is no doubt that the believe-it-or-not! victory of Michael Phelps is a perfect model of successful diversion of excessive energy towards to more productive or even stellar achievements for children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I was never diagnosed with ADHD in my early youth but I begin to self-analyze since my fixation with vacuuming while I re-channel my energy every time I am feeling very stressed and disappointed. (Yeah, I should be on a flight from JFK heading for LHR at this very moment but sometimes the numbers just don’t add up for some reasons!) The result seems to be “stellar” (clean) because I wouldn’t stop until I see the last dust clinging on the floor. My wife calls it obsessive-compulsiveness. Okay, fine! I feel good about it after all. It’s funny because I consider vacuuming an opportunity to exercise. I feel bad though because vacuuming is not an Olympic event and it spoils my going to the gym and forget about the costly membership wasted.

Well, I can’t wait to see more words like phelpsophobia , phelpsnia , phepsism or contraphelps being used and accepted in layman terms. I feel the same of excitement to the next bestsellers ranging from “Phelps Diet” to “Life or Sports Phelpsophy ” not to mention the Phelps Street or Phelps Avenue or Phelps Monument that could soon be inaugurated in the coming months. Do you smell a lifetime of product endorsements? Michael Phelps may opt to not to swim after Beijing but he will definitely retire prosperous.

Discipline, dedication and hard work really pay off in an Olympic dream but destiny makes reality looks natural and effortless. Thanks to the magic of Speedo and most importantly, the miracle of the greatest fan that cheered with the rest of the world, Debbie Davisson Phelps – the mother, the “wind-beneath-my-wings” and the true heroine to another dream come true that is Michael Phelps.