I'm curious, what high school exactly? You can PM me if you don't want the entire board to know and I promise I won't stalk you. Or rather, I won't stalk your parents since I'm sure you're not living at home anymore anyway.

At any rate, I think if you've done so much reading about education you'd realize that there's yet to be an even remotely accurate ranking system of American high schools and that schools that rank highly on some ratings systems don't even appear in the top hundred or even five hundred on others. But I have no doubt that your school was a good school, even so. ;)

For tonight's address, I'd like to direct everyone to a wonderful game to help peak your interests...

State of the Union Address Drinking Game

I think this is the year he uses "Don't mess with Texas!"


RUgreek

Damn, I just noticed this. I took 7 and I thought that was a lot.

- Collin
-- Not feeling so special anymore

I'd be so drunk right now if I followed the games with this year's speech. :D

My thoughts on the speech...
I think Bush's speech was awesome.
I think the Democrats tried to over-do the "God" thing because they are trying to look "moral" now. PHONY wasn't even the word.
I think they have become the doom and gloom party.
The two touching moments where the Marines parents were there and the lady from Iraq were priceless..
Bush looked more confident last night than he's ever looked


GO BUSH! :D

I'm just mad they cancelled Alias :rolleyes:

his social security plan sounded nice and pleasant in the speech, but as usual I'd like to see the fine print if it ever gets implemented. Yea, the dead soldier's parents and the arab woman hugging was nice, but anything but spontaneous as the reporters tried to sugar coat :rolleyes:

Democratic response was lame so I tuned most of it out.

...is it really relevant whether it was spontaneous or not?

They considered this one of the most emotional and moving state of the union speeches ever. David Brooks considers Bush's public speaking to be beyond awful as do most of us but he points out that it is his ability to draw emotion through a crowd that makes him connect.

I think the best part was the emotional part in which the soldier's parents and the Iraqi woman hugged.

It was interesting that Democrats jeered when Social Security was brought up, since that's mainly not an American thing but done in places like Britain. It was in response to Bush saying Social Security will be "exhausted and bankrupt". Supposedly the number floating around is 75% of the payout can still be made so you can say bankrupt, but exhausted?? No.

Social Security was left completely general. I think that was the right way to go for the President. Republicans and Democrats are scared to touch this issue so it's really bizarre that the President wants to.

Afterwards, there was decent commentary by Reid on Social Security. The problem with Reid is that the Democrats and the Republicans don't give him any respect and see him as weak. The evil woman, who will not be mentioned by name, had nothing valid to say but I think I am still sexually attracted to her after Hillary Clinton.

As for what is said and what will be done, they say that Bush's key strength is focusing on a few things on his plate and doing them as opposed to changing everything. I don't know how Bush can accomplish anything on Social Security though if both parties don't unite on this.

When the speech had ended he was talking to a Congressional Black Caucus member and they said that he had brought up several issues after a talk with them regarding gangs, AIDS, and DNA testing as well as defense rights in death verdicts.

-Rudey

Haha, I think we set a new record for "smiley eye-rolls" in this thread.

Overall I think the speech was good - he's not that great of a public speaker, and certainly much better off-the-cuff than he is in cases like last night.

You can't really argue with his ability to bring out emotion though, and last night was a case of that.

I too was surprised by the boos; I often forget how rowdy the State of the Union can get, and I think that's one of the reasons I like it so much. It's as close as we get to the old days when Congressmen were challenging each other to duels.

He didn't say as much on Social Security as I thought he'd say, although I knew there would be a loud response, one way or the other.

The moment where the soldier's parents and the Iraqi woman hugged was the moment I'll remember. Unreal moment.

No, i thought it was a very nice gesture and I don't mean to downplay any emotions involved. But when you sit the two of them together in a live tv broadcast, I think the new reporters shouldn't make it sound like it was a shocking and unexpected occurence. I thought the moment was pure and heartfelt, but I disagree with the news summary afterwards trying to make it sound unexpected.