NEW YORK (AP) -- A draft of one of the most popular songs of all time, Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," sold Tuesday for $2 million, which the auction house called a world record for a popular music manuscript. A working draft of the finished song in Dylan's own hand went to an unidentified bidder at Sotheby's. The selling price, $2.045 million, included a buyer's premium. The manuscript is "the only known surviving draft of the final lyrics for this transformative rock anthem," Sotheby's said. The draft is written in pencil on four sheets of hotel letterhead stationery with revisions, additions, notes and doodles: a hat, a bird, an animal with antlers. The stationery comes from the Roger Smith Hotel in Washington, D.C. Dylan was 24 when he recorded the song in 1965 about a debutante who becomes a loner when she's cast from upper-class social circles. "How does it feel To be on your own" it says in his handwriting. "No direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone." Scrawls seem to reflect the artist's experimentation with rhymes. The name "Al Capone" is scrawled in the margin, with a line leading to the lyrics "Like a complete unknown." Another note says: "...dry vermouth, you'll tell the truth..." Sotheby's described the seller as a longtime fan from California "who met his hero in a non-rock context and bought directly from Dylan." He was not identified. The manuscript was offered as part of Sotheby's rock and pop music sale. In 2010, John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for "A Day in the Life," the final track on the Beatles' classic 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," sold for $1.2 million, the record for such a sale.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 25: The Fender Stratocaster electric guitar played by musician Bob Dylan on July 25, 1965 at Newport Folk Festival, better known as 'the night Dyan went electric' is seen at an auction preview at Christie's on November 25, 2013 in New York City. The guitar is estimated at $300,000 to $500,000
US legend Bob Dylan performs on stage during the 21st edition of the Vieilles Charrues music festival on July 22, 2012 in Carhaix-Plouguer, western France
US President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to musician Bob Dylan during a ceremony on May 29, 2012 in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The award is the country's highest civilian honor.
By Stephen M. Silverman Eli Wallach, a gravelly voiced character actor who appeared alongside such giants as Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits, Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part III, died Tuesday, his daughter Katherine told The New York Times. He was 98.
A recognizable screen presence since the 1950s, Wallach's beginnings were anything but star-studded. He was born Dec. 7, 1915, and grew up Jewish in a mostly Italian Brooklyn neighborhood.
His immigrant Polish parents pushed him to become a teacher – he received his master's in education from the College of the City of New York – but the acting bug bit him. He studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan, where one of his classmates was Tony Randall.
After two years of Army service during World War II, Wallach debuted on Broadway in 1945 and won a Tony Award for Tennessee Williams's 1951 The Rose Tattoo. Williams also wrote the script for Wallach's movie debut, the 1956 Baby Doll, costarring Carroll Baker and Karl Malden and directed by Elia Kazan.
Oddly, Wallach often played Mexican bandits in movies, most memorably in 1960's The Magnificent Seven, in which his ornery character threatened Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner.
Wallach also graced TV with various roles, both on dramatic specials and such series as 77 Sunset Strip.
Special Oscar in 2010
Honored with a special Oscar in 2010, Wallach noted in his acceptance speech, "As an actor I've played more bandits, thieves, warlords, molesters and Mafiosi than you could shake a stick at." But, he noted, as a civilian his hobbies included quietly collecting antique clocks and watching tennis.
He also said that he had recently received a letter from the Pope, who told Wallach his favorite movie was The Magnificent Seven.
Two years before his Oscar, when he was honored in New York, one of his costars, Kate Winslet, told the crowd, who included Wallach and his longtime wife (since 1948), the actress Anne Jackson, "Eli Wallach is my very own Sexiest Man Alive! The truth is Annie, if I had been around 60 years ago, you would have had some tough competition!"
Winslet went on to say, "He's always smiling, always chatting, always concentrating, and always telling stories. … He could go take after take after take."
And he never seemed to quit. "There were days, I must confess, when I'd worry about him getting tired. But not Eli," said Winslet. "I'd say to him, 'Eli, please, would you go home now ... We've been here for 20 hours and it's nearly midnight and you've done your close up!' But he'd look at me, almost offended, and say, 'Oh no … I'm not going home. Not when I'm playing with you!' "
Oscar Pistorius sits in the dock during his trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. The Blade Runner, 27, has been a day patient at Weskoppies mental health hospital to see if the state of his mind played a role in the shooting dead of Reeva Steenkamp
The trial of Oscar Pistorius is set to resume again on Monday as the athlete comes to the end of a 30-day psychiatric assessment. Pistorius is currently a day patient at Weskoppies mental health hospital where he is being observed to see if he has Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
The findings will then be used as evidence for whether or not the disorder played any role in the shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, 2013. He has three days left of monitoring by four psychiatrists which has been ongoing for the last six weeks .
The tests have been evaluating whether or not he was criminally responsible on the night he shot Reeva dead. The decision by Judge Thokozile Masipa followed a request for a psychiatric evaluation by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel. The prosecutor said he had no option but to ask for it after an expert witness for the defense said Pistorius had GAD.
This picture taken on November 4, 2012 during the Feather Awards held at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg shows model Reeva Steenkamp, girlfriend of South Africa's Olympic sprint star Oscar Pistorius
There are three possible outcomes from the evaluation:
1 . Pistorius was mentally incapacitated at the time of the shooting. This could lead the trial to collapse and would potentially see him being committed to a mental institution until he is no longer ruled to be dangerous. 2 . He could be found to have diminished responsiblity. The trial would continue but it would have to be taken into consideration if he was found guilty. 3 . The experts could disagree with the defence psychiatrist.
Pistorius says he killed Steenkamp by mistake, thinking there was an intruder in his home. The prosecution says the Olympic runner killed her after an argument.
The hospital was established in 1892 and was originally called the Pretoria Lunatic Asylum (Krankzinnigengesticht te Pretoria).
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: "The hospital's medical director followed an enlightened approach to caring for the mentally ill, in line with the policies of psychiatric hospitals in contemporary Europe.
"However, his ideals of no restraint and minimal confinement of patients could not be maintained during the war years owing to insufficient accommodation and a lack of suitably trained attendants.
"It is concluded that the humane care of the institutionalised psychiatric patient was (and is) not guaranteed by enlightened policies, but depends on sufficient resources to put such policies into practice."
Organic food promoter Jerome Rodale died on Dick Cavett's show.
His guest Jerome Rodale -- also known as J.I. Rodale -- was known as an extreme advocate for sustainable agriculture and organic farming. He died of a heart attack on Cavett's couch while New York Post columnist Pete Hamill was being interviewed. As he was talking to Hamill, he heard a loud snoring sound. Cavett explains, "That was a death on camera -- we weren't live, obviously. The show didn't air." That doesn't stop people from asking and talking about it. He adds, "In one of my New York Times blogs I wrote last year, once a month now, someone comes up to me and says, 'I'll never forget the look on your face when that guy croaked on your show,' and I'll say, 'You were in the audience?' 'No.' It never aired. I must have described it so brilliantly."
"It was a horrible thing that happened, and the audience thought it was part of the show because when you're at a show, whatever you see is part of the show," Cavett says. "When a light falls and kills someone, it's part of the show."
Cavett's supposed response then he heard the snorting noise? "Are we boring you Mr. Rodale?" At least that's how legend has it -- Cavett says he doesn't know if that's true and he'd have to look at it again, but it's difficult to watch. He says, "The staff couldn't look at it for a while, and when we did, we were stunned -- and all had forgotten -- that he said in it, 'I plan to live to be 100' at one point. And one thing you never want to hear or say: 'I've never felt better in my life.'"
This file photo combination made with undated photos provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Jerad Miller, left, and his wife, Amanda Miller. The couple ambushed two Las Vegas police officers and killed a Wal-Mart shopper before they were killed earlier this month in a back corner of the store were well-armed with handguns, a shotgun and ammunition including armor-piercing bullets. According to Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie who said Monday, June 23, 2014, the two suspects who died June 8 after a 15-minute shootout with SWAT officers even broke into a Wal-Mart ammunition display to replenish their ammunition. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, File)
Las Vegas police bow their heads during a memorial service for Joseph Wilcox at Palm Downtown Mortuary on Sunday, June 22, 2014, in Las Vegas. Wilcox went for his own legal and concealed handgun after a couple killed Officers Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck at a nearby pizza shop and walked into a Wal-Mart, fired a shot in the air, and declared the start of a revolution two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, David Becker, Pool) June 23rd 2014
By Ken Ritter
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A man and woman who killed two Las Vegas police officers in a pizza shop and a shopper in a Wal-Mart before they died in a store shootout earlier this month were heavily armed and carried ammunition including armor-piercing bullets, Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said Monday.
Jerad and Amanda Miller wore adult diapers and carried four handguns, a shotgun, water and food, Gillespie said. The couple also smashed a Wal-Mart sporting-goods display case with a baseball bat to get more ammunition as they exchanged gunfire with SWAT officers, he said.
The husband and wife died June 8 after being cornered in the back of the store in the 15-minute shootout. In all, 52 shots were fired by the Millers and police inside the store. The husband and wife fired 36 shots, Gillespie said, and police fired 16.
"The two suspects involved in this horrible event were well-armed and ready to kill as many cops as they could," Gillespie said in the latest update of the investigation of the shooting that left officers Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck and Wal-Mart shopper Joseph Wilcox dead.
Wilcox was killed trying to draw his legal handgun to stop the Millers, who entered the store after shooting the officers eating lunch in the nearby restaurant.
The suspects "were prepared on that day to hunker down and stay in that Wal-Mart as long as they needed to," the sheriff said.
Gillespie wouldn't disclose more about a motive for the Millers' rampage and declined to say what was contained in a note left with a swastika symbol and a "Don't Tread on Me" flag in the pizza shop where the officers were ambushed.
He didn't say how many shots were fired in the CiCi's Pizza. That information was not immediately being made public, Sgt. John Sheahan said.
Gillespie said police still believe the Millers acted alone.
Police said previously the Millers shared an ideology with militia and white supremacists that law enforcement officers were oppressors. The couple was kicked out of an encampment of supporters of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who engaged in an armed standoff in April with federal Bureau of Land Management agents trying to round up Bundy cattle in a public land trespassing dispute.
The Millers each had a handgun when they killed Soldo and Beck, and each took one of the officers' 9mm handguns and two spare clips of ammunition. The guns they brought with them were obtained by Amanda Miller in Indiana, where the couple lived before moving to Las Vegas in January.
Jerad Miller, 31, could not legally own weapons as a felon. He was convicted of vehicle theft in Washington state and had a criminal record in Indiana.
During the shootout in the Wal-Mart, a split-second exchange of gunfire changed the outcome of the fast-developing situation, Gillespie said.
Officer Brett Brosnahan came face to face with a surprised Amanda Miller rounding the corner of an aisle, and he wounded the 22-year-old assailant in the upper right shoulder.
Brosnahan wasn't hurt. He retreated before Jerad Miller, who had pulled a pistol-grip .12-gauge shotgun from his gym bag and donned a cloth vest and belt of shotgun shells, was mortally wounded in the chest by another police officer firing a military-style .223-caliber rifle.
Gillespie quoted Jerad Miller as declaring the start of a revolution and firing one shot into the ceiling after entering the Wal-Mart. He said the assailant shouted, "Stand down. You have failed. I am in charge now," as Sgt. Kurt McKenzie tried to get him to surrender near the back of the store.
Jerad Miller died lying prone on the floor. His wife lay nearby on her back, pointing a handgun at him before putting it to her own head and pulling the trigger. She was pronounced dead later at a hospital.
Happy 32nd birthday, Prince William! It has been quite a year for the Duke of Cambridge, taking on the role of doting father to the adorable and dapper Prince George. Though we've come to know and love William over the years, his almost 1-year-old son is the ultimate trendsetter and style star in the family now. But today we're celebrating the birth of the handsome Prince William by showing all the times he and his son made strikingly similar facial expressions. It's become pretty clear that lil' G inherited the ability to look sassy, brooding and charming all at once from his suave dad.
Witchy sez:
Prince Poopie Pants is a chip off the old block . Happy Birthday Prince Wlliam you are in good company ... 'ME" hahahaha!!
LOS OLIVOS, Calif. (AP) - From outside the gates of Neverland Ranch, it appears as if Michael Jackson's former home and fantasyland has been frozen in time.
The backyard circus is long gone, but heartfelt notes placed by saddened fans at the property's entrance remain intact five years after Jackson's death. And visitors are still making the pilgrimage.
"I figured it would just be a closed gate, but I still wanted to see it for myself," said James Chen of Seattle, a fan who stopped outside Neverland during a recent road trip with his father.
While many Jackson ventures are thriving after his death, including a new album and Cirque du Soleil shows, there's not been similar movement at Neverland, despite rumors the property could be transformed into a Graceland-like homage or sold to the highest bidder.
Caroline Luz, spokeswomen for Colony Capital LLC, the real estate firm that bailed Jackson out after he defaulted on the $24.5 million he owed on Neverland, said the Santa Ynez Valley property about 150 miles north of Los Angeles is being maintained, but she declined further comment.
The estate was built in 1981 by real estate developer William Bone, who called it Sycamore Valley Ranch. Jackson paid $19.5 million for the hilly, oak- and sycamore-studded property in 1988 and rechristened it Neverland after Peter Pan's island dwelling. He soon added such over-the-top amenities as a zoo and small amusement park.
For nearly 20 years, Neverland was both Jackson's home and a pop culture landmark.
It's where Elizabeth Taylor lavishly married Larry Fortensky in 1991; where Oprah Winfrey famously interviewed Jackson live in front of 90 million viewers in 1993; and where then-wife Lisa Marie Presley and Jackson welcomed children from around the globe ahead of the United Nations' 50th anniversary in 1995.
Jackson later turned his back on Neverland after his 2005 acquittal on charges he molested children at the ranch, opting to live elsewhere in the world until his death in 2009.
"I guess they ruined it for my dad," Jackson's eldest son, Prince, told a civil court jury last year.
With no crush of fans or media throngs in years, and the amusement park just a whirling memory, Neverland's future remains unclear.
During a recent stop outside the property, a landscaper could be seen zipping along the driveway in a red buggy as a guard manned the security shack at the front gate. The wireless router inside was named "SVR Security," a nod to the property's original name.
"It has been really quiet," said local real estate broker William Etling in his office a few miles away in the wine-tasting town of Los Olivos. "There hasn't been any noise about stuff happening out there. I'm surprised they haven't sold it to someone else already."
Etling, author of the Santa Ynez Valley tell-all "Sideways in Neverland," wondered who the buyer of the $35 million, 2,600-acre property might be when a nearby 3,250-acre ranch recently sold for $22 million.
His only guess: Someone who really likes the King of Pop.
Hillary Clinton looked positively gleeful when Chris Colfer surprised her at a recent book signing in Los Angeles. Colfer headed to the Barnes & Noble at The Grove on Thursday, June 19, to a get a personalized copy of Clinton's new book, "Hard Choices." Apparently, the former U.S. Secretary of State did not notice the "Glee" actor until he approached her table. Photographers at the event captured Clinton's priceless reaction when she looked up and saw the 24-year-old star.
He tweeted about the memorable moment afterwards. Apparently, Colfer has long been a fan of the politician. And who could really blame him for getting starstruck over Clinton anyway? Check out photos from the signing below:
Hillary Clinton looked positively gleeful when Chris Colfer surprised her at a recent book signing in Los Angeles. Colfer headed to the Barnes & Noble at The Grove on Thursday, June 19, to a get a personalized copy of Clinton's new book, "Hard Choices." Apparently, the former U.S. Secretary of State did not notice the "Glee" actor until he approached her table. Photographers at the event captured Clinton's priceless reaction when she looked up and saw the 24-year-old star. He tweeted about the memorable moment afterwards.
By Jeremy Bloom We’re all constantly in search of the secrets to a long and healthy life— ways to extend our lives in order to spend more time with family, friends and loved ones. As we look to older generations who have led fulfilling lives, we are reminded of the importance of forging meaningful relationships and cherishing those closest to us. Almost six years ago, I started Wish of a Lifetime (WOL), a non-profit with the mission of helping seniors realize their lifelong dreams. We have granted nearly 1,000 wishes to seniors in all 50 states. One of my favorite wishes is a 94-year-old WWII veteran’s wish to return to Normandy to put a "footprint in the sand" on same Omaha Beach where he landed on in 1944. We have also had our fair share of adrenaline junkies whose wishes were to skydive or learn to fly a plane, and one even asked for a private lesson with the Rockettes. Through our partnership with Brookdale, a provider of senior living solutions and our founding corporate sponsor, we have extended our mission of enriching the lives of seniors by granting wishes across the country.
Rose’s Wish: A Reunion With Her Sisters A few weeks ago, we met three sisters who were blessed with the gift of longevity when we granted the wish of 101-year-old Rose Shloss (right) to reunite with her sisters - 110-year-old Rubye Cox (middle) and 104-year-old Ruth Branum (left) – after spending 10 years apart in different parts of the country.
At the sisters’ reunion, Ruth told me, "This is the best day of my life, I feel like Cinderella!"
Think about the history these three women have lived through: The Great Depression, World War II, Pearl Harbor, and the first person landing on the moon, along with discoveries and inventions like indoor plumbing, washing machines, telephones and electricity. "We had a telephone, a three-party line that was a box hanging on the wall in the dining room. We had to ring when we needed the operator to call a number for us. Quite a change from our communication today," said Ruth. "Our first car was a Model T Ford. I was probably 9 or 10. No longer did we have to depend on a horse and buggy for transportation. We learned to find things to entertain ourselves — baseball, croquet, hopscotch. Occasionally we went to a movie for 10 or 15 cents. The first movie actor I can remember was Rudolph Valentino. He played in
The Sheik (1921) and The Sheik’s Son (1926). We lived very simple lives, nothing like the fast pace of today."
Follow the Sisters’ Advice "The odds of reaching 110 are about one in 7 million," according to Karl Pillemer, MD, a Cornell University gerontologist. "If you add the fact that the three sisters are all currently more than 100 years old, the odds are so incredibly small that it would even be difficult to calculate them." When we discussed the keys to leading a long and fulfilling life, all three sisters agreed that you should work and keep active. "I would rather wear out than rust out!" said 104-year-old Ruth. They shared these longevity tips with us as well: Love for others is imperative. Love your neighbor as yourself; forgive as you have been forgiven.
Embrace new experiences and meeting new people.
Learn to cook for yourself and eat healthy food. Have a curious mind and develop a love for reading. Relish in studying and learning.
Pursue your goal in life and give it your best. With drive and ingenuity, there is no limit to what you can do.The sisters reflected on the monumental changes in modern society and opportunities for women’s advancement, bearing witness to the pivotal changes in gender roles, from women’s suffrage to the Civil Rights Movement and "leaning in." "There is no stigma on women working no matter what the job — ditch digging for the city or CEO of a global company. With drive and ingenuity, there’s no limit to what a woman can do," said Rubye, 110.
"In today’s society, I would advise young women to get a college education first. Then pursue your goals and give it your all," added Ruth. Rubye, Ruth, and Rose remind us to cherish those fleeting moments we have together, as we remember the importance of connectivity, maintaining relationships and spending time with those closest to us. Take a tip from these sisters: Marvel at the change in the world around you and take that extra moment to appreciate those near and dear to you every chance you have . Thanx Jeremy
Witchy sez :
The biggest killer of older adults are being over-prescribed medications & put in old folks homes to die. You would be surprised at all the old folks dumped in those places never to see anyone they know ever again. Sad but true...............
I'd like to spend an afternoon with the amazing sister's and hear all of their many stories and advise.
Words of wisdom, no doubt!
Helen Hunt Jay Leno Well one of Leno's producers, Dave Berg, is dishing all the juicy secrets in a new tell-all book. And we're talking juicy -- like how much stars wanted to be paid to come on the show and which celebrities were major divas.
First up, though, Berg spoke with the "Fox & Friends" anchors about who he considered the "riskiest" guest to have on the show. And it turns out it took some effort to get him there.
"That guest happens to be a very good friend of mine. And that's Dennis Rodman. He was perennially late. He would never get in his limo. He lived 50 miles away, but I had to bring him to the studio in a helicopter. But he was still late!"
Somehow this doesn't really surprise us. Now, actors are often expected to appear on shows and talk about their latest projects.
Berg writes that actress Helen Hunt had a pretty hard time of it, and she refused to come back on the show for 14 years after a producer talked to her about it.
Berg believes it's a toss-up as to who was the biggest diva ever to come on the show: Teri Hatcher of "Desperate Housewives," or singer and fashion designer Jessica Simpson.
According to the New York Post, Simpson refused to come on the show unless Leno's crew coughed up the $18,000 required to have her hair and makeup done. And when Hatcher got bumped from the show in 2009 so President Obama could make an appearance, Berg says her people told him a Louis Vuitton handbag would make a really great apology gift.
Hatcher ended up getting a bouquet of flowers instead.
Several times, though, some persuading was in order. To get President Bill Clinton to appear on the show for an interview, they had to send him a $12,000 tandem bicycle in 2004.
Clinton sent the bike back as his wife, Hillary, was a U.S. senator at the time and couldn't accept expensive gifts.
He also never went on the show ... maybe because Leno made more than 4,000 jokes at Clinton's expense during his tenure, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Berg's book includes lots of other humorous anecdotes about Jesse Jackson having terrible stage fright, Eddie Murphy requiring eight cream soda drinks in his dressing room, and Christian Bale refusing to come on the show after being asked personal questions like where he grew up and what his first acting job was.
As for the other funny stories? Guess you'll just have to check out the book.
President Brarck Obama and First Lady Obama's oldest daughter Malia spent a day working with the best in Hollywood. The 15-year-old was spotted on the set of Halle Berry’s CBS sci-fi series Extant (produced by Steven Spielberg) in Los Angeles working as a production assistant.
"She helped with computer shop alignments and the director also let her slate a take," a source told The Wrap.
According to a source, Malia laughed and said, "My first time. This is a big deal."
The White House declined to elaborate, but President Obama opened up about his eldest daughter’s interest in film in a 2012 interview with People, and he told The New Yorker earlier this year that Malia is "an aspiring filmmaker."
Malia turns 16 on July 4 and will be entering her junior year of high school this fall.
Shortly after Obama was inaugurated in 2008, Parade asked the new president to get personal and tell us what he wants for his children. Six years later, the powerful letter he shared with us still resonates. "These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have," he wrote.
Extant stars Halle Berry as an astronaut who returns home from a 13-month long space mission pregnant. The sci-fi drama is set to premiere July 9 on CBS.
President Obama letter to his daughters follows in the post below .
Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th President. On this historic occasion, PARADE asked the President, who is also a devoted family man, to get personal and tell us what he wantsfor his children. Here, he shares his letter to them.
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey. When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other. Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason,that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something. She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us.It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we knowAmerica should be. I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential. These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Oscar Pistorius leaves the high court in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, May 20, 2014. Pistorius is charged with murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentines Day in 2013.
Johannesburg - A psychiatrist's suggestion that Oscar Pistorius had generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) at the time of shooting his girlfriend has sparked panic amidst the disorder's sufferers, the Sunday Times reported.
The SA Depression and Anxiety Group's director Cassey Chambers told the newspaper that it had received "hundreds of calls" from people who were concerned that having the disorder could lead to "unpredictable, unstable and violent" behaviour.
"We have had people asking if their loved ones with GAD need to be hospitalised immediately."
Chambers said that the chance of sufferers of the disorder turning violent were slim.
"Anxiety is an introspective issue and sufferers of GAD are highly unlikely to be dangerous to others," she said. Last week, Pistorius - who has been charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp - began a 30-day mental evaluation at the Weskoppies psychiatric hospital in Pretoria.
Postponed until June 30 Pistorius, a Paralympian, was admitted as a day patient by the hospital following an order by Judge Thokozile Masipa in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
The ruling came after a defence expert witness testified that the 27-year-old, who has admitted to shooting Steenkamp, suffers from generalised anxiety disorder.
Masipa said the evaluation would determine "whether he was capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act or acting in accordance with appreciation of the wrongfulness of his act".
Pistorius shot dead Steenkamp through the locked door of his toilet in his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day last year. He has denied guilt, saying he thought she was an intruder about to open the door and attack him.
The State contends he shot her during an argument.
He is also charged with three contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.
The rapper, actor and producer talks about playing cops, why he scowls and asymmetrical warfare
Question :In 22 Jump Street, you play a cop for the second time this year. Has your attitude toward the constabulary changed since your N.W.A. hit "F-ck tha Police"?
Answer :Not really. I still hate bad cops. I hate cops that are corrupt. I always liked good cops that come and do what they are supposed to do. For these roles I just think about all the cops that messed with me and my friends growing up and all the stupid stuff they said to us.
Question :You’re also angry a lot. I’ve been analyzing your mad face. It’s all in the eyebrows.
Answer: Not really . I still hate bad cops that are corrupt . I always liked good cops that come and do what they are supposed to do . For these rolls I just think about all the cops that messed with me and my friends growing up and all the stupid stuff they said to us .
Question : How do you stay credible as an anti-authority rapper and make family-friendly stuff like 'Are We There Yet ?
Answer : I wouldn't consider myself anti-authority . I'm anti-rich and poor . I just be myself . Success has made me a calmer person personally , but I still got a lot of people I know who suffer and don't have hat they need to get through , and it really pisses me off .
Question : You grew up in South Central L.A. , but I imagine your kids have know very little deprivation . How do you ensure they don't end up entitled ?
Answer : I don't mind them feeling entitled . We've been on the bottom of the barrel so long , just to have anybody in my generation or in my family that feels entitled means we've done something . My sons are well grounded . Their cousins and friends are regular people that don't have a lot .
Question : Did you introduce your music to your kids ?
Answer : As long as they can sit in the car and roll with me . If I'm listening at my demo , they're listening at my demo .
Question :Do your kids use a lot of curse words ?
Answer : Sometimes , but you know kids got crazy language . I know kids cuss , they do their thing , but I tell my kids , don't do it in earshot of any adults or you're in trouble . No bad language in the house .
Question : In a new song "Everythang's Corrupt," you rap about be broke How can you do that and be so wealthy and successful ?
Answer : What do you mean ? I've never just sung for me . I've never just rapped for me . If I just rapped for me , I would be on an Island somewhere , just happy with myself . I rap for people who can't rap , people who can't say these things , people who are going through it .
Question : Why did you include a shot from the capture of Osama bin Laden in the video ?
Answer : That image has to do with fighting a war sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioned spot 8,000 miles away . It shows the time we are in and how dangerus the future will be .
Question : How is Obama presidency going ?
Answer : Obama reminds me of the black kid at a white school that don't nobody wants to play with . That's fine ... he goes in there and does his thing , does what he can .
Question : Do you get hit up for political donations ?
Answer : Sometimes , but I'm not really into the political game . As far as paying politicians and stuff like that , I'm into "You do your job and I'll do mine." Politicians not going to do more with my money than I can help whatever cause or whatever situation I want to help .
Question : Do you ever wish you could go back in time and choose a less square name ?
Answer : I'm not really a square ... I am a cube .
Question : A cube is just a square in three dimensions .
