This Obama chap sure knows how to make a speech. Here's a catalogue of his best (stolen from Metafilter with a couple of extras)...
The Speeches of Barack Obama2002 Speech Against the War in Iraq (
text,
partial video)
"Delivered on Wednesday, October 2, 2002 by Barack Obama, Illinois State Senator, at the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq war rally (organized by Chicagoans Against War in Iraq) at noon in Federal Plaza in Chicago, Illinois; at the same day and hour that President Bush and Congress announced their agreement on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, but over a week before it was passed by either body of Congress."
[NOTE: Since that day, the full video of the speech has been lost. The video above is the only known footage of the speech, a single 13-second clip, supplemented by a collage-style re-enactment of the rest of the speech by Obama supporters across the country.]Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (
text,
video,
Mefi)
Obama's break-out moment on the national stage, his inspiring keynote address vaults him from a little-known state senator to political rock star and potential presidential candidate.
"Call to Renewal" (
text,
video,
Mefi)
Obama speaks about the role of religion in public life and the best ways to put to rest the partisan divide it often manifests in our politics.
Announcement of Presidential Campaign, February 2007 (
text,
video,
Mefi)
Delivered on a cold February morning outside the old Illinois State House -- the same place Abraham Lincoln announced his candidacy.
Speech on Technology at Google (
video)
Participating in the search giant's "Candidates@Google" program for the second time, Obama discusses his views on technology and takes questions from the audience of Googlers.
Speech at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (
text,
video)
Obama's speech at the influential Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Iowa gives him a chance to sway the electorate in the nation's first caucus.
Iowa Caucus Victory Speech (
text, video
part 1,
part 2,
Mefi)
After his stunning upset win over presumptive favorite Hillary Clinton, Obama delivers a powerouse address to an ecstatic crowd of supporters in Des Moines.
"Yes We Can" Speech (
text,
video,
music video,
Mefi 1,
Mefi 2)
After an unexpected loss to Clinton in the nation's first primary, Obama gives a surprisingly triumphant speech that forms the basis for will.i.am's "Yes We Can" viral video.
"The Great Need of the Hour" (
text,
video)
Delivered at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s church in Atlanta, Obama's speech calls for the seeking of social justice and economic equality among all people of the United States.
"A More Perfect Union" (
text,
video,
Mefi)
After controversial statements by his pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright surface in the media, Obama delivers a bold speech on the nature of race in America.
Clinching the Nomination (
text, video part
1,
2,
3,
Mefi)
After clinching the Democratic nomination, Obama speaks to a capacity crowd in St. Paul -- in the very same arena that will soon host the Republican National Convention.
"A World That Stands as One" (
text,
video)
Delivered in at the Victory Column in Berlin before a crowd of 200,000.
Introducing Joe Biden (
text,
video,
Mefi)
Obama debuts Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential nominee.
Formally Accepting the Nomination (
text,
video,
Mefi 1,
Mefi 2)
Obama's formal acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination at Invesco Field in Chicago is followed by a spectacle of fireworks and orchestral music.
Fredericksburg in the Virginia Rain (
video)
Delivering a determined speech during an evening rainshower to a crowd of 25,000 in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Bittersweet Speech at Charlotte (
video,
Mefi)
On the verge of winning the presidency, Obama speaks emotionally on the death of his grandmother in Hawaii.
Last Speech of the Campaign (
video)
Fired Up? Ready to Go!
Manassas, Virginia, 11/3/08General Election Victory Speech in Chicago (part
1,
2,
3)
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 7:37 PM
Dear "the media",
Shut up about Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross upsetting Manuel off of Fawlty Towers. They didn't bomb Syria, they didn't rape a pig, they were just naughty boys who should have known better that got over-excited. Do you know how many people were offended by the show before it was mentioned in the Daily Mail? 1 - Manual off of Fawlty Towers himself. Do you know how many people that have complained to the BBC now? 4,700 and rising. The fact that these people weren't offended until the story was in the Daily Mail, yet are apparently now "sickened" enough to complain to the BBC (about something they probably haven't even listened to) is evidence to me of something I've always suspected: The Daily Mail have used some kind of brain washing technique to turn their readers into some kind of zombie army that does it's bidding on command. Maybe it's more sinister than that, maybe "the chosen" receive a text message that activates them, explaining to them what they're outraged about and who to complain to about it (typically the communist BBC or some local council).
The susceptibility of certain sectors of the British public to fall for "sense of outrage" that the media rely on is actually quite frightening. It shows a complete lack of reasoning. How many people that have complained about this "sickening act" have actually listened to the broadcast, and actually, of them, how many were literally sickened? How many, on hearing the words "He fucked her" collapsed on the floor and started puking all over the formica, managing between wretches to cry out "WHY? WHY ARE THEY SAYING THIS TO MANUEL OFF OF FAWLTY TOWERS?" with vomit dribbling down their chins? I suspect none.
Stupid media.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:21 PM
This is Christopher Hill. He's a 32 year old software development manager. He doesn't take any prescribed medication or suffer from any known allergies or health problems. In circumstances only really understood by him, he's dislocated his shoulder pushing a shopping trolley in Tesco.I have my right hand back now, which means I'm able to type up an explanation for that x-ray in my last post. Mind you I'm not entirely sure how I dislocated my shoulder pushing a shopping trolley in Tesco, as it all happened in a bit of a blur. I remember pushing down on the handle to support my weight, an action I've performed many times before, and an action that the common or garden shopping trolley is usually able to withstand. This trolley however was off a different design. The result was it upended and threw me face down to the ground, arms stretched out forwards.
Maybe this dramatic illustration will help:
You might think that such a incident would be a little bit embarrasing. In fact, as soon as I hit the ground all I really cared about was the pain. I lay there for a few moments while my brain calculated the damage. I knew straight away that my shoulder was dislocated. I sat on a sofa (this was one of those big Tescos with a homeware department) and held my arm. Apparantly I was quite pale and sweating buckets. An paramedic chap turned up in one of those Medicars and gave me gas and air. This made me feel quite peculiar without really dulling the pain. In the end he decided the best thing would be to get an ambulance to take me into Addenbrooks hospital (for I was near Cambridge) where the conversation at that head of this post took place.
After nearly two hours of sucking on gas and air, I fell into a state of paranoia and fear. I'd started to lose a firm grip on reality and couldn't figure out how pushing a trolley in Tesco could cause me to have to be brought to A&E in an ambulance, where people were talking to me in that tone of voice nurses use when they talk to seriously ill people. My confused brain started telling me that something serious had actually happened in reality, and my belief that I had simply dislocated my shoulder was a construct that my brain had concocted to shield me from the truth, which was that I was critically ill and might die.
"Liv," I said. "I'm a bit confused."
"You're in hospital."
"I don't know what's real and what's not."
"This is real, I'm real."
Hmmmm, I thought. Maybe I should say something that I've never said to Liv before to see how she reacts. That might make me able to judge how firm a grip on reality I have.
"Liv..." I said.
"Yes?"
"I'd like some steak please."
"What, really?"
The nurse turned up and said that she was going to re-locate my arm using a relaxation technique. I suspected this was her way of saying that she wasn't going to give me any pain relief. It was. It took five minutes to slowly move the arm into position. Five painful minutes, and then click...
"FUUUUUCK"
"All done! I've never done that to someone without pain relief before you know!"
"I could tell."
As painful as the re-location was, it was a bit like having a bucket of water thrown over me, I immediatley felt more
with it, and felt complete relief.
Today's the first day I've needed no pain killers. I went to the fracture clinic in Sheffield this afternoon, and it seems to be mending just fine. I've got to have some physio, and then in a couple of months it should be back to normal.
Thursday, October 16, 2008 5:45 PM
I'm vaguely sorry for posting so many Sarah Palin related links to my Friend Feed, but you have to admit - she's comedy gold. Each new day of the US election campaign has brought fresh Palin bounty.
Friday, October 03, 2008 3:09 PM
I don't like the overuse of the exclamation mark. In its place, which is to denote surprise, shock or alarm it's fine. When it's used out of place I find if irritating or occasionally offensive.
For example, I was filling in a web form them other day. I missed out a field, I think it was my phone number or something (let's say it was for the sake of argument). I clicked submit and the form came back saying "
You have to enter your phone number!". If the form had come back saying "
You have to enter your phone number." that would have been fine, it's a statement of fact which would have seemed quite reasonable in the circumstances. However, by adding the exclamation mark, they turned it into "
You have to enter your phone number, you twat. I mean, it's quite straightforward, there's a field, called phone number, marked as a required field. You'd have to be literally retarded not to realise that you are in fact supposed to enter your phone number here." which I think is quite rude.
Similarly, last week I ordered a cable on the internet. Today I got an email saying "
Your order has shipped!". So what exactly is shocking, surprising or alarming about the fact that they have sent me the cable that I paid for them to send me? Are they usually so incompetent that they usually just forget?
If you think I'm being over sensitive about this issue, consider this. When I buy a sandwich at M&S, I give them the money, and they give me the change. They don't then say "
YES! We've done it! We've sold you a fucking sandwich!" and go around high fiving each other. If they did, I'd find it highly irritating and probably write a blog post about it to vent my spleen.
Monday, September 22, 2008 12:54 PM
