Really who needs a parachute to jump out of a plane?
That really takes a special special sort of person
"Right before we jumped, I had a moment. I thought, in two seconds, I'm going to be his last chance for survival. It's all up to me now," Palmer says. "Then I looked at Travis. I've seen a lot of people jump, and I've seen a lot of fear. And there was none."
"Kyle Singler is the Blue Devils' leading rebounder and, far more impressively, their leading stitch recipient: according to the Winston-Salem Journal, the freshman forward has already had 23 stitches this season. A UNC student who was standing near my press-row seat at the Feb. 6 game told Singler -- amid a string of expletives -- to "go play hockey" instead of hoops. I had interviewed a pre-stitches Singler for SI's preview issue back in October in Durham, and when I saw him in the locker room following that win over the Tar Heels, he looked incredibly different. Among the changes were a sewed-up chin, cuts above and under his eyes, and welts all over. Duke has earned a rep for flopping, but there's plenty of physical evidence that Singler is absorbing ungodly amounts of real contact."
Here are some other juicy bits in praise of "our Fair and Handsome Kyle" from that Journal article
"Kyle Singler will turn 20 on May 4, and his best competitive birthdays are almost certainly ahead. He’s a 6-8 freshman on the roster, but years beyond that in basketball wisdom.
As the season expands, so does the range of Singler’s game. “Right now I’m more comfortable on the court,” Singler said. “I’m seeing more things. Whether it’s through practice or whatever, the game’s slowing down and I’m picking up my reads a lot quicker.”
Singler doesn’t look venomous, even with the dab of red chin hair covering another site of surgical stitches. He leads the Blue Devils with 23 stitches since arriving from Oregon last summer, mainly because he’ll stick his chin anywhere.
Freshmen are supposed to hit the wall earlier than veterans. Singler has begun scaling the wall instead, making him a leading contender for the ACC’s rookie award.
[Coach K] recently compared Singler to freshman Shane Battier, except that Battier played with superb scorers and concentrated on other matters. When Coach K reconsidered, he portrayed Singler as a mix between Battier and Mike Dunleavy, a fine outside shooter as a fuzzy-chinned freshman.
“Kyle, the last three weeks, has gone to another level,” Krzyzewski said. “Forget about freshman of the week. He’s one of the better players in the league now. He brings tremendous versatility, competitiveness and toughness. He can shoot, defend, pass - and he’s a winner. He’s got it all, and it’s just a matter of physical maturity now. He’s a young body, but he doesn’t have a young heart.”
Because tonight is Bush's last, I thought I'd share those that came before it. For old times sake. And also because I'm a nerd.
January 23rd, 2007
Thank you very much. And tonight I have the high privilege and distinct honor of my own as the first President to begin the State of the Union message with these words: Madam Speaker.
In his day, the late Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., from Baltimore, Maryland, saw Presidents Roosevelt and Truman at this rostrum. But nothing could compare with the sight of his only daughter, Nancy, presiding tonight as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Congratulations, Madam Speaker.
Two Members of the House and Senate are not with us tonight, and we pray for the recovery and speedy return of Senator Tim Johnson and Congressman Charlie Norwood.
Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: The rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour when decisions are hard and courage is needed. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors underway and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked of us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined enemies and the wisdom to face them together.
Some in this Chamber are new to the House and the Senate, and I congratulate the Democrat majority. Congress has changed, but not our responsibilities. Each of us is guided by our own convictions, and to these we must stay faithful. Yet we're all held to the same standards and called to serve the same good purposes: to extend this Nation's prosperity; to spend the people's money wisely; to solve problems, not leave them to future generations; to guard America against all evil; and to keep faith with those we have sent forth to defend us.
We're not the first to come here with a Government divided and uncertainty in the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and we can achieve big things for the American people. Our citizens don't much care which side of the aisle we sit on, as long as we're willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done. Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans and to help them build a future of hope and opportunity, and this is the business before us tonight.
A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy, and that is what we have. We're now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth, a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs so far. Unemployment is low; inflation is low; wages are rising. This economy is on the move, and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government but with more enterprise.
Next week, I'll deliver a full report on the state of our economy. Tonight I want to discuss three economic reforms that deserve to be priorities for this Congress.
First, we must balance the Federal budget. We can do so without raising taxes. What we need is spending discipline in Washington, DC. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 and met that goal 3 years ahead of schedule. Now let us take the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the Federal deficit within the next 5 years. I ask you to make the same commitment. Together we can restrain the spending appetite of the Federal Government, and we can balance the Federal budget.
Next, there is the matter of earmarks. These special interest items are often slipped into bills at the last hour--when not even C-SPAN is watching. [Laughter] In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over 13,000 and totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of the earmarks never make it to the floor of the House and Senate. They are dropped into committee reports that are not even part of the bill that arrives on my desk. You didn't vote them into law; I didn't sign them into law; yet they're treated as if they have the force of law. The time has come to end this practice. So let us work together to reform the budget process, expose every earmark to the light of day and to a vote in Congress, and cut the number and cost of earmarks at least in half by the end of this session.
And finally, to keep this economy strong, we must take on the challenge of entitlements. Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are commitments of conscience, and so it is our duty to keep them permanently sound. Yet we're failing in that duty. And this failure will one day leave our children with three bad options: huge tax increases; huge deficits; or huge and immediate cuts in benefits. Everyone in this Chamber knows this to be true, yet somehow we have not found it in ourselves to act. So let us work together and do it now. With enough good sense and good will, you and I can fix Medicare and Medicaid and save Social Security.
Spreading opportunity and hope in America also requires public schools that give children the knowledge and character they need in life. Five years ago, we rose above partisan differences to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, preserving local control, raising standards, and holding schools accountable for results. And because we acted, students are performing better in reading and math and minority students are closing the achievement gap.
Now the task is to build on the success without watering down standards, without taking control from local communities, and without backsliding and calling it reform. We can lift student achievement even higher by giving local leaders flexibility to turn around failing schools and by giving families with children stuck in failing schools the right to choose someplace better. We must increase funds for students who struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need. And we can make sure our children are prepared for the jobs of the future and our country is more competitive by strengthening math and science skills. The No Child Left Behind Act has worked for America's children, and I ask Congress to reauthorize this good law.
A future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have affordable and available health care. When it comes to health care, Government has an obligation to care for the elderly, the disabled, and poor children, and we will meet those responsibilities. For all other Americans, private health insurance is the best way to meet their needs.
But many Americans cannot afford a health insurance policy, and so tonight I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax--or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their job. For Americans who now purchase health insurance on their own, this proposal would mean a substantial tax savings--$4,500 for a family of four making $60,000 a year. And for the millions of other Americans who have no health insurance at all, this deduction would help put a basic, private health insurance plan within their reach. Changing the Tax Code is a vital and necessary step to making health care affordable for more Americans.
My second proposal is to help the States that are coming up with innovative ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive Federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with Congress to take existing Federal funds and use them to create Affordable Choices grants. These grants would give our Nation's Governors more money and more flexibility to get private health insurance to those most in need.
There are many other ways that Congress can help. We need to expand health savings accounts. We need to help small businesses through association health plans. We need to reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology. We will encourage price transparency. And to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we need to pass medical liability reform. In all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies but by patients and their doctors.
Extending hope and opportunity in our country requires an immigration system worthy of America, with laws that are fair and borders that are secure. When laws and borders are routinely violated, this harms the interests of our country. To secure our border, we're doubling the size of the Border Patrol and funding new infrastructure and technology.
Yet even with all these steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border, and that requires a temporary-worker program. We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis. As a result, they won't have to try to sneak in, and that will leave border agents free to chase down drug smugglers and criminals and terrorists. We'll enforce our immigration laws at the worksite and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers, so there's no excuse left for violating the law.
We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals. We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without amnesty. Convictions run deep in this Capitol when it comes to immigration. Let us have a serious, civil, and conclusive debate, so that you can pass and I can sign comprehensive immigration reform into law.
Extending hope and opportunity depends on a stable supply of energy that keeps America's economy running and America's environment clean. For too long, our Nation has been dependent on foreign oil. And this dependence leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes and to terrorists who could cause huge disruptions of oil shipments and raise the price of oil and do great harm to our economy.
It's in our vital interest to diversify America's energy supply. The way forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power by even greater use of clean coal technology, solar and wind energy, and clean, safe nuclear power. We need to press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles and expand the use of clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel. We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol, using everything from wood chips to grasses to agricultural wastes.
We made a lot of progress, thanks to good policies here in Washington and the strong response of the market. And now even more dramatic advances are within reach. Tonight I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal. Let us build on the work we've done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next 10 years. When we do that, we will have cut our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all the oil we now import from the Middle East.
To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels by setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017--and that is nearly five times the current target. At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks and conserve up to 8 1/2 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017.
Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but it's not going to eliminate it. And so as we continue to diversify our fuel supply, we must step up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways. And to further protect America against severe disruptions to our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.
A future of hope and opportunity requires a fair, impartial system of justice. The lives of our citizens across our Nation are affected by the outcome of cases pending in our Federal courts. We have a shared obligation to ensure that the Federal courts have enough judges to hear those cases and deliver timely rulings. As President, I have a duty to nominate qualified men and women to vacancies on the Federal bench, and the United States Senate has a duty as well, to give those nominees a fair hearing and a prompt up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.
For all of us in this room, there is no higher responsibility than to protect the people of this country from danger. Five years have come and gone since we saw the scenes and felt the sorrow that the terrorists can cause. We've had time to take stock of our situation. We've added many critical protections to guard the homeland. We know with certainty that the horrors of that September morning were just a glimpse of what the terrorists intend for us--unless we stop them.
With the distance of time, we find ourselves debating the causes of conflict and the course we have followed. Such debates are essential when a great democracy faces great questions. Yet one question has surely been settled: that to win the war on terror, we must take the fight to the enemy.
From the start, America and our allies have protected our people by staying on the offense. The enemy knows that the days of comfortable sanctuary, easy movement, steady financing, and free flowing communications are long over. For the terrorists, life since 9/11 has never been the same.
Our success in this war is often measured by the things that did not happen. We cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our allies have prevented, but here is some of what we do know. We stopped an Al Qaida plot to fly a hijacked airplane into the tallest building on the west coast. We broke up a Southeast Asian terror cell grooming operatives for attacks inside the United States. We uncovered an Al Qaida cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America. And just last August, British authorities uncovered a plot to blow up passenger planes bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean. For each life saved, we owe a debt of gratitude to the brave public servants who devote their lives to finding the terrorists and stopping them.
Every success against the terrorists is a reminder of the shoreless ambitions of this enemy. The evil that inspired and rejoiced in 9/11 is still at work in the world. And so long as that's the case, America is still a nation at war.
In the mind of the terrorists, this war began well before September the 11th and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled. And these past 5 years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this enemy. Al Qaida and its followers are Sunni extremists possessed by hatred and commanded by a harsh and narrow ideology. Take almost any principle of civilization, and their goal is the opposite. They preach with threats, instruct with bullets and bombs, and promise paradise for the murder of the innocent.
Our enemies are quite explicit about their intentions. They want to overthrow moderate governments and establish safe havens from which to plan and carry out new attacks on our country. By killing and terrorizing Americans, they want to force our country to retreat from the world and abandon the cause of liberty. They would then be free to impose their will and spread their totalitarian ideology. Listen to this warning from the late terrorist Zarqawi: "We will sacrifice our blood and bodies to put an end to your dreams, and what is coming is even worse." Usama bin Laden declared: "Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers among us."
These men are not given to idle words, and they are just one camp in the Islamist radical movement. In recent times, it has also become clear that we face an escalating danger from Shi'a extremists who are just as hostile to America and are also determined to dominate the Middle East. Many are known to take direction from the regime in Iran, which is funding and arming terrorists like Hizballah--a group second only to Al Qaida in the American lives it has taken.
The Shi'a and Sunni extremists are different faces of the same totalitarian threat. Whatever slogans they chant when they slaughter the innocent, they have the same wicked purposes. They want to kill Americans, kill democracy in the Middle East, and gain the weapons to kill on an even more horrific scale.
In the sixth year since our Nation was attacked, I wish I could report to you that the dangers have ended. They have not. And so it remains the policy of this Government to use every lawful and proper tool of intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, and military action to do our duty, to find these enemies, and to protect the American people.
This war is more than a clash of arms; it is a decisive ideological struggle. And the security of our Nation is in the balance. To prevail, we must remove the conditions that inspire blind hatred and drove 19 men to get onto airplanes and to come and kill us. What every terrorist fears most is human freedom, societies where men and women make their own choices, answer to their own conscience, and live by their hopes instead of their resentments. Free people are not drawn to violent and malignant ideologies, and most will choose a better way when they're given a chance. So we advance our own security interests by helping moderates and reformers and brave voices for democracy. The great question of our day is whether America will help men and women in the Middle East to build free societies and share in the rights of all humanity. And I say, for the sake of our own security, we must.
In the last 2 years, we've seen the desire for liberty in the broader Middle East, and we have been sobered by the enemy's fierce reaction. In 2005, the world watched as the citizens of Lebanon raised the banner of the Cedar Revolution. They drove out the Syrian occupiers and chose new leaders in free elections. In 2005, the people of Afghanistan defied the terrorists and elected a democratic legislature. And in 2005, the Iraqi people held three national elections, choosing a transitional government, adopting the most progressive, democratic Constitution in the Arab world, and then electing a Government under that Constitution. Despite endless threats from the killers in their midst, nearly 12 million Iraqi citizens came out to vote in a show of hope and solidarity that we should never forget.
A thinking enemy watched all of these scenes, adjusted their tactics, and in 2006, they struck back. In Lebanon, assassins took the life of Pierre Gemayel, a prominent participant in the Cedar Revolution. Hizballah terrorists, with support from Syria and Iran, sowed conflict in the region and are seeking to undermine Lebanon's legitimately elected Government. In Afghanistan, Taliban and Al Qaida fighters tried to regain power by regrouping and engaging Afghan and NATO forces. In Iraq, Al Qaida and other Sunni extremists blew up one of the most sacred places in Shi'a Islam, the Golden Mosque of Samarra. This atrocity, directed at a Muslim house of prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from Iraqi Shi'a, and it succeeded. Radical Shi'a elements, some of whom receive support from Iran, formed death squads. The result was a tragic escalation of sectarian rage and reprisal that continues to this day.
This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we're in. Every one of us wishes this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. Ladies and gentlemen, on this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let us find our resolve and turn events toward victory.
We're carrying out a new strategy in Iraq, a plan that demands more from Iraq's elected Government and gives our forces in Iraq the reinforcements they need to complete their mission. Our goal is a democratic Iraq that upholds the rule of law, respects the rights of its people, provides them security, and is an ally in the war on terror.
In order to make progress toward this goal, the Iraqi Government must stop the sectarian violence in its capital. But the Iraqis are not yet ready to do this on their own. So we're deploying reinforcements of more than 20,000 additional soldiers and marines to Iraq. The vast majority will go to Baghdad, where they will help Iraqi forces to clear and secure neighborhoods and serve as advisers embedded in Iraqi Army units. With Iraqis in the lead, our forces will help secure the city by chasing down the terrorists, insurgents, and the roaming death squads. And in Anbar Province, where Al Qaida terrorists have gathered and local forces have begun showing a willingness to fight them, we're sending an additional 4,000 United States marines, with orders to find the terrorists and clear them out. We didn't drive Al Qaida out of their safe haven in Afghanistan only to let them set up a new safe haven in a free Iraq.
The people of Iraq want to live in peace, and now it's time for their Government to act. Iraq's leaders know that our commitment is not open-ended. They have promised to deploy more of their own troops to secure Baghdad, and they must do so. They pledged that they will confront violent radicals of any faction or political party, and they need to follow through and lift needless restrictions on Iraqi and coalition forces, so these troops can achieve their mission of bringing security to all of the people of Baghdad. Iraq's leaders have committed themselves to a series of benchmarks: to achieve reconciliation; to share oil revenues among all of Iraq's citizens; to put the wealth of Iraq into the rebuilding of Iraq; to allow more Iraqis to reenter their nation's civic life; to hold local elections; and to take responsibility for security in every Iraqi Province. But for all of this to happen, Baghdad must be secure, and our plan will help the Iraqi Government take back its capital and make good on its commitments.
My fellow citizens, our military commanders and I have carefully weighed the options. We discussed every possible approach. In the end, I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance for success. Many in this Chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq, because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far-reaching.
If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi Government would be overrun by extremists on all sides. We could expect an epic battle between Shi'a extremists backed by Iran and Sunni extremists aided by Al Qaida and supporters of the old regime. A contagion of violence could spill out across the country, and in time, the entire region could be drawn into the conflict.
For America, this is a nightmare scenario; for the enemy, this is the objective. Chaos is the greatest ally--their greatest ally in this struggle. And out of chaos in Iraq would emerge an emboldened enemy with new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America. To allow this to happen would be to ignore the lessons of September the 11th and invite tragedy. Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more important at this moment in our history than for America to succeed in the Middle East, to succeed in Iraq, and to spare the American people from this danger.
This is where matters stand tonight, in the here and now. I have spoken with many of you in person. I respect you and the arguments you've made. We went into this largely united, in our assumptions and in our convictions. And whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure. Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work, and I ask you to support our troops in the field and those on their way.
The war on terror we fight today is a generational struggle that will continue long after you and I have turned our duties over to others. And that's why it's important to work together so our Nation can see this great effort through. Both parties and both branches should work in close consultation. It's why I've proposed to establish a special advisory council on the war on terror, made up of leaders in Congress from both political parties. We will share ideas for how to position America to meet every challenge that confronts us. We'll show our enemies abroad that we are united in the goal of victory.
And one of the first steps we can take together is to add to the ranks of our military so that the American Armed Forces are ready for all the challenges ahead. Tonight I ask the Congress to authorize an increase in the size of our active Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 in the next 5 years. A second task we can take on together is to design and establish a volunteer civilian reserve corps. Such a corps would function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them. It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.
Americans can have confidence in the outcome of this struggle because we're not in this struggle alone. We have a diplomatic strategy that is rallying the world to join in the fight against extremism. In Iraq, multinational forces are operating under a mandate from the United Nations. We're working with Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the Gulf States to increase support for Iraq's Government.
The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran and made it clear that the world will not allow the regime in Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons. With the other members of the Quartet--the U.N., the EU, and Russia--we're pursuing diplomacy to help bring peace to the Holy Land and pursuing the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security. In Afghanistan, NATO has taken the lead in turning back the Taliban and Al Qaida offensive--the first time the Alliance has deployed forces outside the North Atlantic area. Together with our partners in China and Japan, Russia and South Korea, we're pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
We will continue to speak out for the cause of freedom in places like Cuba, Belarus, and Burma, and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of Darfur.
American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our work in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger and poverty and disease, and that is precisely what America is doing. We must continue to fight HIV/AIDS, especially on the continent of Africa. Because you funded the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people receiving lifesaving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000 in 3 short years. I ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. And I ask you to provide $1.2 billion over 5 years so we can combat malaria in 15 African countries.
I ask that you fund the Millennium Challenge Account, so that American aid reaches the people who need it, in nations where democracy is on the rise and corruption is in retreat. And let us continue to support the expanded trade and debt relief that are the best hope for lifting lives and eliminating poverty.
When America serves others in this way, we show the strength and generosity of our country. These deeds reflect the character of our people. The greatest strength we have is the heroic kindness and courage and self-sacrifice of the American people. You see this spirit often if you know where to look, and tonight we need only look above to the gallery.
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa amid great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine, but Coach John Thompson took a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. [Laughter] Dikembe became a star in the NBA and a citizen of the United States, but he never forgot the land of his birth or the duty to share his blessings with others. He built a brand new hospital in his old hometown. A friend has said of this good-hearted man: "Mutombo believes that God has given him this opportunity to do great things." And we are proud to call this son of the Congo a citizen of the United States of America.
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment and began filming children's videos in her basement. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just 5 years, her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to Walt Disney Company, and with her help, Baby Einstein has grown into a $200 million business. Julie represents the great enterprising spirit of America. And she is using her success to help others--producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new project: "I believe it is the most important thing I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe." And so tonight we are pleased to welcome this talented business entrepreneur and generous social entrepreneur, Julie Aigner-Clark.
Three weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says: "We got guys and girls overseas dying for us to have our freedoms. We have got to show each other some love." There is something wonderful about a country that produces a brave and humble man like Wesley Autrey.
Tommy Rieman was a teenager pumping gas in Independence, Kentucky, when he enlisted in the United States Army. In December 2003, he was on a reconnaissance mission in Iraq when his team came under heavy enemy fire. From his Humvee, Sergeant Rieman returned fire. He used his body as a shield to protect his gunner. He was shot in the chest and arm and received shrapnel wounds to his legs, yet he refused medical attention and stayed in the fight. He helped to repel a second attack, firing grenades at the enemy's position. For his exceptional courage, Sergeant Rieman was awarded the Silver Star. And like so many other Americans who have volunteered to defend us, he has earned the respect and the gratitude of our entire country.
In such courage and compassion, ladies and gentlemen, we see the spirit and character of America. And these qualities are not in short supply. This is a decent and honorable country--and resilient too. We've been through a lot together. We've met challenges and faced dangers, and we know that more lie ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence, because the State of our Union is strong, our cause in the world is right, and tonight that cause goes on. God bless.
See you next year. Thank you for your prayers.
Note: The President spoke at 9:13 p.m. in the House Chamber of the Capitol. In his address, he referred to John Thompson, Jr., former Georgetown University head men's basketball coach.
A few nights ago when I couldn’t really sleep I somehow got started on a Wikipedia bender where I think I somehow traced the history of organized crime and the Mafia in America and Sicily (note: Salvatore "Totò" Riina= incredibly scary; never cross him) but during my binge I came upon again the article about the actual Last Words of Dutch Schultz which some people say “is everything from the ravings of someone on the brink of death to poetry to secrets of the mob world.”
And so because I found a transcript and want to clean off my desktop here they are:
(another quick note about Dutch Schultz -his death scene was pretty good theatre. My favorite part? “According to legend, Schultz who was shot while urinating did not want to be found dead on the floor of a men's room. He therefore picked up his hat, staggered back to his seat in the backroom, sat down, and slumped over the table. Schultz called for someone to get an ambulance; Bernard "Lulu" Rosencrantz , whose body had been ripped open from two shotgun blasts and five bullets, dutifully pulled himself to his feet, and rather than go immediately to the phone booth near the bar, he demanded that the bartender — who had hid behind the register the entire duration of the shootout — change his quarter for five nickels; Rosenkrantz didn't want the phone company getting twenty more cents than they were owed. The police gave Schultz brandy to try and dull his pain and attempted to interrogate him while waiting for the second ambulance; when it arrived, Schultz gave the paramedics $700 in cash to ensure that they gave him the best possible treatment. At the hospital, Landau and Rosencrantz waited for surgery and refused to say anything to the police until Schultz arrived and gave them permission; even then, they provided the cops only minimal information. When the police queried Rosenkrantz, he continued to refuse to answer any of their questions, and repeatedly demanded an ice cream soda [Abe] Landau, who nearly died at the scene reportedly used his last bit of strength to give the police a fake name and address- Gotta love the mob code- before he expired of blood loss eight hours after the shooting. Meanwhile, Rosencrantz was taken into surgery; the doctors, incredulous that Rosencrantz was still alive, were unsure of how to treat him. He survived for 29 hours after the shooting before succumbing to his injuries.)
Statements made by Arthur (Dutch Schultz) Flegenheimer were taken down by a Newark police stenographer, F. J. Lang. The notes covered a period from about 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon until Schultz died. During that period he was delirious most of the time, but lucid at intervals. Schultz at this time was irrational, suffering with a fever of 106 degrees and a bullet in his stomach. Sergeant Luke Conlon and other detectives from Newark police headquarters were at his bedside. One of the officers had a newspaper. A transcript of all he said follows:
(Schultz noticed newspaper and spoke) - Has it been in any other papers? George, don't make no full moves. What have you done with him? Oh, mama, mama, mama. Oh stop it, stop it; eh, oh, oh. Sure, sure, mama. Now listen, Phil, fun is fun. Ah please, papa. What happened to the sixteen? Oh, oh, he done it, please. John, please, oh, did you buy the hotel? You promised a million sure. Get out. I wished I knew. Please make it quick, fast and furious. Please. Fast and furious. Please help me get out; I am getting my wind back, thank God. Please, please, oh please. You will have to please tell him, you got no case. You get ahead with the dot dash system didn't I speak that time last night. Whose number is that in your pocket book, Phi1 13780. Who was it? Oh- please, please. Reserve decision. Police, police, Henry and Frankie. Oh, oh, dog biscuits and when he is happy he doesn't get happy please, please to do this. Then Henry, Henry, Frankie you didn't even meet me. The glove will fit what I say oh, Kayiyi, oh Kayiyi. Sure who cares when you are through? How do you know this? How do you know this? Well, then oh, Cocoa know thinks he is a grandpa again. He is jumping around. No Hobo and Poboe I think he means the same thing.
Q. (from Sergeant Conlon) - Who shot you?
A.- The boss himself.
Q.- He did?
A.- Yes, I don't know.
Q.- What did he shoot you for?
A.- I showed him boss; did you hear him meet me? An appointment. Appeal stuck. All right, mother.
Q.- Was it the boss shot you?
A.- Who shot me? No one.
Q.- We will help you.
A.- Will you help me up? O.K. I won't be such a big creep. Oh, mama. I can't go through with it, please. Oh, and then he clips me; come on. Cut that out, we don't owe a nickel; hold it; instead, hold it against him; I am a pretty good pretzler -Winifred- Department of Justice. I even got it from the department. Sir, please stop it. Say listen the last night!
(Statement by Sergeant Conlon) - Don't holler.
A.- I don't want to holler.
Q.- What did they shoot you for?
A.- I don't know, sir. Honestly I don't. I don't even know who was with me, honestly. I was in the toilet and when I reached the -the boy came at me.
Q.- The big fellow gave it to you?
A.- Yes, he gave it to me.
Q.- Do you know who this big fellow was?
A.- No. If he wanted to break the ring no, please I get a month. They did it. Come on. (A name, not clear) cut me off and says you are not to be the beneficiary of this will. Is that right? I will be checked and double-checked and please pull for me. Will you pull? How many good ones and how many bad ones? Please I had nothing with him he was a cowboy in one of the seven days a week fight. No business; no hangout; no friends; nothing; just what you pick up and what you need. I don't know who shot me. Don't put anyone near this check~ you might have -please do it for me. Let me get up. heh? In the olden days they waited and they waited. Please give me a shot. It is from the factory. Sure, that is a bad. Well, oh good ahead that happens for trying. I don't want harmony. I want harmony. Oh, mamma, mamma! Who give it to him? Who give it to him? Let me in the district -fire-factory that he was nowhere near. It smoldered No, no. There are only ten of us and there ten million fighting somewhere of you, so get your onions up and we will throw up the truce flag. Oh, please let me up. Please shift me. Police are here. Communistic...strike...baloney...honestly this is a habit I get; sometimes I give it and sometimes I don't. Oh, I am all in. That settles it. Are you sure? Please let me get in and eat. Let him harass himself to you and then bother you. Please don't ask me to go there. I don't want to. I still don't want him in the path. It is no use to stage a riot. The sidewalk was in trouble and the bears were in trouble and I broke it up. Please put me in that room. Please keep him in control. My gilt edged stuff and those dirty rats have tuned in. Please mother, don't tear, don't rip; that is something that shouldn't be spoken about. Please get me up, my friends. Please, look out. The shooting is a bit wild, and that kind of shooting saved a man's life. No payrolls. No wells. No coupons. That would be entirely out. Pardon me, I forgot I am plaintiff and not defendant. Look out. Look out for him. Please. He owed me money; he owes everyone money. Why can't he just pullout and give me control? Please, mother, you pick me up now. Please, you know me. No. Don't you scare me. My friends and I think I do a better job. Police are looking for you allover. Be instrumental in letting us know. They are English-men and they are a type I don't know who is best, they or us. Oh, sir, get the doll a roofing. You can play jacks and girls do that with a soft ball and do tricks with it. I take all events into consideration. No. No. And it is no. It is confused and its says no. A boy has never wept nor dashed a thousand kim. Did you hear me?
Q. (By Detective) - Who shot you?
A.- I don't know.
Q.- How many shots were fired?
A.- I don't know.
Q.- How many?
A.- Two thousand. Come one, get some money in that treasury. We need it. Come on, please get it. I can't tell you to. That is not what you have in the book. Oh, please warden. What am I going to do for money? Please put me up on my feet at once. You are a hard boiled man. Did you hear me? I would hear it, the Circuit Court would hear it, and the Supreme Court might hear it. If that ain't the pay-off. Please crack down on the Chinaman's friends and Hitler's commander. I am sore and I am going up and I am going to give you honey if I can. Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
Q. (By Detective) - What did the big fellow shoot you for?
A.- Him? John? Over a million, five million dollars.
Q.- You want to get well, don't you?
A.- Yes.
Q.- Then lie quiet.
A.- Yes, I will lie quiet.
Q.- John shot and we will take care of John.
A.- That is what caused the trouble. Look out. Please let me up. If you do this, you can go on and jump right here in the lake. I know who they are. They are French people. All right. Look out, look out. Oh, my memory is gone. A work relief police. Who gets it? I don't know and I don't want to know, but look out. It can be traced. He changed for the worse. Please look out; my fortunes have changed and come back and went back since that. It was desperate. I am wobbly. You ain't got nothing on him but you got it on his helper.
Q. (By detective ) - Control yourself.
A.- But I am dying.
(Statemnt by detective) - No, you are not.
A.- Come on, mama. All right, dear, you have to get it.
At this point, Schultz's wife, Frances, was brought to his bedside. She spoke.
(Statement by Mrs. Schultz) - This is Frances.
Schultz began to talk again, saying:
Then pull me out. I am half crazy. They won't let me get up. They dyed my shoes. Open those shoes. Give me something. I am so sick. Give me some water, the only thing that I want. Open this up and break it so I can touch you. Danny, please get me in the car.
At this point Mrs. Schultz left the room.
(Sergeant Conlon questioned Schultz again) - Who shot you?
A.- I don't know. I didn't even get a look. I don't know who can have done it. Anybody. Kindly take my shoes off. (He was told that they were off.) No. There is a handcuff on them. The Baron says these things. I know what I am doing here with my collection of papers. It isn't worth a nickel to two guys like you or me but to a collector it is worth a fortune. It is priceless. I am going to turn it over to... Turn you back to me, please Henry. I am so sick now. The police are getting many complaints. Look out. I want that G-note. Look out for Jimmy Valentine for he is an old pal of mine. Come on, come on, Jim. Ok, ok, I am all through. Can't do another thing. Look out mamma, look out for her. You can't beat him. Police, mamma, Helen, mother, please take me out. I will settle the indictment. Come on, open the soap duckets. The chimney sweeps. Talk to the sword. Shut up, you got a big mouth! Please help me up, Henry. Max, come over here. French-Canadian bean soup. I want to pay. Let them leave me alone.
Schultz sank into unconsciousness then. It was 6:40 P.M. He died less than two hours later, without saying anything else.. Sphere: Related Content
It seems like in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (?! that sounds like something on Legends of the Hidden Temple) Harrison Ford finds the Fountain of Youth, or just a great photoshop artist (I mean isn't he like 70?) Meh, I'm not that excited. I guess it could just be a case of Indiana Jones and the Burden of Unreasonable Expectation though I think I like this new poster more than one for Raiders . But doing research today on the various posters, like for Raiders and Last Crusade I have to say this one for Temple of Doom has to be my favorite. Harrison Ford such an 80s badass.
Based on the theory of General Relativity, Albert Einstein knew that a man in the emptiness of space wouldn't be able to detect whether or not he was falling ; he called this "a happy idea. (quote lifted from here)
Take us back to New Mexico and August 16, 1960? Joe Kittinger: We got up at 2 a.m. to start filling the helium balloon. At sea level, it was 35 to 40 feet wide and 200 feet high; at altitude, due to the low air pressure, it expanded to twenty-five stories in width, and still was twenty stories high!At 4 a.m., I began breathing pure oxygen for two hours.That's how long it takes to remove all the nitrogen from your blood so you don't get the bends going so high so fast.Then it was a lengthy dress procedure layering warm clothing under my pressure suit.They kept me in air-conditioning until it was time to launch because we were in the desert and I wasn't supposed to sweat.If I did, my clothes would freeze on the way up.
How was your ascent?
It took an hour and a half to get to altitude.It was cold.At 40,000 feet, the glove on my right hand hadn't inflated.I knew that if I radioed my doctor, he would abort the flight.If that happened, I knew I might never get another chance because there were lots of people who didn't want this test to happen.I took a calculated risk that I might lose use of my right hand.It quickly swelled up, and I did lose use for the duration of the flight.But the rest of the pressure suit worked.When I reached 102,800 feet, maximum altitude, I wasn't quite over the target.So I drifted for eleven minutes.The winds were out of the east.
What's it look like from so high up?
You can see about 400 miles in every direction.The most fascinating thing is that it's just black overhead-the transition from normal blue to black is very stark.You can't see stars because there's a lot of glare from the sun, so your pupils are too small.I was struck with the beauty of it.But I was also struck by how hostile it is: more than 100 degrees below zero, no air.If my protection suit failed, I would be dead in a few seconds.Blood actually boils above 62,000 feet.I went through my 46-step checklist, disconnected from the balloon's power supply, and lost all communication with the ground.
I was totally under power from the kit on my back. When everything was done, I stood up, turned around to the door, took one final look out and said a silent prayer: "Lord, take care of me now." Then I just jumped over the side.
What were you thinking as you took that step?
It's the beginning of a test.I had gone through simulations many times-more than a 100.I rolled over and looked up, and there was the balloon just roaring into space.I realized that the balloon wasn't roaring into space; I was going down at a fantastic rate!At about 90,000 feet, I reached 714 mph.The altimeter on my wrist was unwinding very rapidly.But there was no sense of speed.Where you determine speed is visual -- if you see something go flashing by.But nothing flashes by 20 miles up -- there are no signposts there, and you are way above any clouds.When the chute opened, the rest of the jump was anticlimactic because everything had worked perfectly.I landed 12 or 13 minutes later, and there was my crew waiting. We were elated.
I mean seriously how had I never heard of this guy before a random moment of slacking off today? Such an incredible badass. I can't even imagine staring down at the clouds from that far above and deciding:" ok let's fall." And then falling and falling through darkness and cold. All by yourself for four minutes before even opening your parachute. But not knowing you're falling until you see your balloon drifting away above you. And doing this after the fact that "In the first test the stabilizer chute was deployed too soon, catching Kittinger around the neck and causing him to spin at 120 revolutions per minute. This caused Kittinger to lose consciousness" wow. And how cruel is history? Here's a guy who did this absolutely amazing/breathtaking/heartstopping and dangerous thing that, I'm sure as a soldier and as someone of that generation didn't think of it this way, but as something that you think will secure your legacy. And unless you are a student of aeronautics or physics or of the space program you probably will never hear about him (until his obituary, at least.) Well I know it's not much but I'll always remember your badassity, Joe Kittinger (or at least remember there was a guy who fell from heaven once...) He truly is a Real American Hero. word.
I had totally forgotten to think of a certain drink, or drink theme for this week but then I remembered the scene in Casino Royale where James Bond, at the card table gives out a drink recipe. It sounded cool and classy and so I thought it was perfect. I thought it would take some "leg work" but it was actually (embarrassingly) easy to find the recipe and information about it (I got mine here.) It is called The Vesper,which I find to be an exotic and elegant name for a very sophisticated drink:
Shake until ice cold and serve in a deep champagne goblet with a large thin slice of lemon peel.
According to Fleming Bond invented this drink because " I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad."
Hmm I think that's how I like my everything "large, very strong, very cold and very well-made"- James knows my taste well.
Jack Bauer is easily more terrifying than a 100 meter tall, atomic breath shooting lizard. In this Japanese commercial watch him make his way this subway train full only of Japanese schoolgirls, not even bothering to speak in their language (repeatedly yelling yes in English apparently works) to prevent/make sure they drink this low calorie drink, Calorie Mate. I think I have no clue. I've watched it 5 times and I still don't know whats going on (here's the college humour clip which has like no context)
(and oh yay here's another one: bonus. And this one kind of makes sense)
(ah it's a series. this is getting exciting.perhaps more exciting than last season)
(i think this is the last one, though I don't think it really matters)
Is it strange that I know really want to try a Calorie Mate? I mean if it works for Jack...
This was from the X-Games last night and I remember seeing it before I went to bed and I was absolutely shocked. It's Jake Brown who is apparently an Aussie performing a backside 720 in the Big Air Skate before he fell a long long way. It's pretty scary and the thud is sickening but it is still amazing.
The first time I saw it I thought he had actually died, I didn't see how anyone could be okay after that. And he walked away. How? After falling like 40 some feet. Dude is seriously a bad ass. But the ultimate kicker is that he didn't win; he came in second (to Bob Burnquist)! Though I guess you really can't be pissed about not winning after you survived that.
I don't know what its been lately, whether I've just had Matt Damon on the...mind or whether I've become more defiantly confrontational in my own head towards certain people but I had that certain scene from Good Will Hunting in my head
Sean: My father was an alcoholic. Mean fuckin' drunk. Used to come home hammered, looking to whale on someone. So I had to provoke him, so he wouldn't go after my mother and little brother. Interesting nights were when he wore his rings... Will: He used to just put a belt, a stick, and a wrench on the kitchen table and say, "Choose." Sean: Well, I gotta go with the belt there. Will:I used to go with the wrench. Sean:Why? Will: Cause fuck him, that' why.
But then I remembered the rest of the scene; it is a truly amazing scene where you can actually see the bravado and facade melt away from Will. It's really powerful and emotional, and if you don't remember it you can watch it here, with Japanese subtitles as a "bonus feature" And because I didn't want something that emotional this early in the morning I remembered my absolute favorite scene from that movie a scene that is probably more "cool" and damn badass. (The fact it has Cyril from Oz as the asshole, took me aback at first; sometimes I forget that actors play different roles.)
"My boy's wicked smaht!" (and fucking hot; jesus!) Anywhoo I'm off to write Hubby my monthly missive so this'll be a very light day, but I'll take that scene with me as a reminder to "at least [not] be unoriginal" (though by quoting someone else's thought in that manner is somewhat ironic and unoriginal it seems...)
Sphere: Related Content
(I'll leave you with this- its as good as anything for the forseeable future) The Third of April, a Tuesday evening.
ev livid e : im watching the mjump out of a tree and fall onto the ground ev livid e : its really cute a dam e : a death of an inncoent animal a dam e : tsk tsk ev livid e : they were alive ev livid e : now mouse lemurs in the jungle! you ar emissing out! watch this! a dam e : before impact a dam e : ok i may lose you and start watching the godfather so i'm going to save this convo now ev livid e : ok peace! ev livid e : i love nature a dam e (11:53:55 PM): i'll give you 2 minutes to say something witty to be immortalized ev livid e (11:54:10 PM): badass mothafuckas do whatever they want to the universe a dam e (11:54:26 PM): perfect
How could I almost forget this? It is truly the greatest speech given, by one of the best fictional Presidents ever.
President Whitmore; I would follow you into the gates of hell,sir.
What a great movie. (and I know I'm being pretty lazy today (clip, blah, clip, yada) but it is a holiday and there are mexican beers to be drunk. you should do the same ;)
Today is a day to celebrate America, and the trueness of its spirit. In that vein here's an interesting article about George Washington that shows him as a hero and a badass, but also a "regular" man. There was a great documentary on the History Channel, maybe last year, about this as well with such info like one of the reasons he agreed to fight was because he was getting cheated in his import/export business by his British partner. This is a basically informative video about the signers of the Declaration, and the sacrifices they endured which reiterates to me Ben Franklins' warning "We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately.". I would mute the volume on the video, if I were you; cheesy 80's music sort of ruins the mood
And finally, this man holds a pretty special place in my heart. His name is Jacklyn Lucas, and he may be one of the most badass men ever. He enlisted to fight in WWII when he was 14, claiming that he was 17. He got into a lot of disciplinary problems because he really wanted to fight in the war. When he got to Iwo Jima he and some other soldiers came under gun and grenade attack. Jack Lucas (bad ass name as well) dove on one grenade and reached out and pulled the other underneath him as well. And he survived! He justifiably won the Medal of Honor, the youngest winner since the Civil War. And he's a Dukie! Probably the best of us all. He was introduced at halftime of one of our football games last year and as his story was told to us, we were all shocked we had never heard about him and he got like a 5 minute standing ovation (and I really hope we build him a statute at Duke; if any one deserves one, and stands for all that Duke should represent, and all Dukies should aspire, to be it is him) [You can bug Larry Moneta, our VP, about it at larry.moneta@duke.edu. He always loves mail.]
So today I saw Red Eye, which was a lot better than I anticipated, which had a pretty badass female lead. And this is one of those bad ass strutting songs. It's by Peaches (O Canada) and its off her newest studio album called Impeach My Bush. The song is called Boys Wanna Be Her and I guarantee that you will be singing the chorus for the next day or so ( until the next installment of this treasure series of course) and feeling pretty bad ass the whole time. Enjoy
Today I've actually had two songs stuck in my head Neko Case's Star Witness and James Brown's Super Bad for very different reasons. Neko because it is an amazing song and it has some emotional resonance for me and James Brown because it conveys a certain bad ass attitude that Die Hard exacerbated. But since I will most assuredly write more about Neko on this site (love. her.) and Star Witness, I'll probably forget about Super Bad in a few days so I wanted to immortalize it and give it its moment in the sun. So here it is, the only video version I could find- James Brown Super Bad
A&E is showing 24 in order at 11 a.m. pacific time, and as of yesterday they started on Day 2. This episode has maybe my favorite Jack Bauer line ever. In case you don't remember the context there is a nuclear bomb somewhere in L.A. and CTU believes that someone that Jack put into prison while Jack was undercover has information about the bomb. The problem is that as Jack put this guy into prison he's not likely to trust him. Jack directs that the prime witness in a trial against Wald be brought into CTU. What follows is godlike in its awesome badassity.
{Marshall Goren is being brought into the conference room. He sits down as Jack asks Michelle to leave. She exits}
JACK BAUER: You are Marshall Goren?
MARSHALL GOREN: Yes.
JACK BAUER: Eight counts kidnapping a minor, two counts child pornography.
MARSHALL GOREN: Yeah, hey look I already made my deal. I testify against Wald and I walk.
[Jack pulls out his gun and blasts a bullet through Goren's heart}
GEORGE MASON: OH GOD........JACK ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?
JACK BAUER: YOU WANNA FIND THIS BOMB, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE!
GEORGE MASON: Killing a witness?
JACK BAUER: That's thething about people like you George, you don't want to get your hands dirty. I’d start rolling up your sleeves.............I'm gonna need a hacksaw.
