10 years later, ‘Star Wars Kid’ speaks

An image from the "Star Wars Kid" video (One Minute News)"Star Wars Kid" was one of the first breakthrough Internet memes. But whatever became of the kid parodied by millions as he clumsily swung his imaginary lightsaber with reckless abandon? He recently spoke out publicly for the first time, sharing his thoughts on being arguably the first large-scale victim of cyberbullying.

“What I saw was mean. It was violent. People were telling me to commit suicide,” the now-25-year-old Ghyslain Raza said in an interview with MacLean’s.

Back in 2003, Internet memes were few and far between. For context, YouTube did not launch until February 2005. Those were the days when a viral video had the online stage to itself for months at a time, as word of its existence spread through word-of-mouth chatter at the office or classroom.

Unlike most viral videos today, Raza did not post his own video online. The then 14-year-old high-school student had innocently made the video of himself on November 3, 2002, in anonymity as part of a school video club. Some of his classmates secretly posted the video online in April 2003, sparking a torrent of views.

By the end of 2006, an independent estimate said the video had been clicked more than 900 million times. The video has more than 27 million views on YouTube alone and more than 100,000 viewer comments.

The video was parodied across mass media, including popular shows such as "Family Guy," "South Park" and "The Colbert Report." "Star Wars" creator George Lucas himself appeared on Colbert as part of a contest to see who could make the best version of a "Star Wars Kid" knockoff video starring host Stephen Colbert.

Curiously, none of the shows or numerous news outlets that covered the video ever tracked down the kid behind the phenomenon.

That’s because Raza did not seek out the attention. Instead, he found himself the victim of taunts and bullying at his school. The bullying became so bad that Raza was diagnosed with depression and ended up dropping out of school and being sent to a children's psychiatric ward.

“In the common room, students climbed onto tabletops to insult me,” he told Trudel. “No matter how hard I tried to ignore people telling me to commit suicide, I couldn’t help but feel worthless, like my life wasn’t worth living.”

Raza’s family initiated a lawsuit against the families of the four students responsible for posting the video online. The family eventually dropped one of the cases and settled out-of-court for an undisclosed amount with the other three families.

Since then, Raza has attempted to move on with his life. He is now a law-school graduate who said he is speaking out to provide encouragement for other kids who are experiencing cyberbulling.

“You’ll survive. You’ll get through it,” he said. “And you’re not alone. You are surrounded by people who love you.”

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Man who elbowed President Obama in pickup game speaks

Ouch! President Obama received 12 stitches when he was elbowed in the lip during a basketball game in 2010 (Atlantic …

It’s probably not how what he hoped to be known for. But the man responsible for Obama’s busted lip with his elbow during a basketball game back in 2010, has finally spoken out.

“I had no desire to bring attention to myself in an accident that caused somebody pain. I didn’t want to disrespect the President of the United States,” Reynaldo Decerega, owner of the offending elbow, told the Boston Globe.

Back on November 26, 2010, the programs director for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, found himself in a pickup game with the president, when the elbow incident occurred.

The president took an elbow to the lip and got 12 stitches. Decerega got four stitches on his elbow.

“I felt horrible,” Decerega told the Globe. “I’ve played basketball a million times in my life and I’ve never elbowed anybody. So the first time I do this, it’s to the President of the United States? What is the probability of that? Nil, right?”

Well, unfortunately for Decerega, the probability was 100%.

Not that Obama’s split lip was the first presidential injury related to athletic exertion.

George W. Bush in 2004 took a spill while riding his bike on his Crawford, Texas ranch, suffering some minor scrapes and scratches. After getting cleaned up, he completed the ride.

Former president Bill Clinton required surgery for a torn tendon after he took a tumble on the steps of pro golfer
Greg Norman's house in Florida in 1997. Directly after surgery Clinton announced, “I feel great,” and asked his doctor how soon he could swing a golf club again.

And Dick Cheney, vice president to George W. Bush, who suffers from congestive heart failure, shot fellow hunter Harry Whittington in the face with birdshot while quail hunting in Texas in 2006.

For his part, to show Decerega that he is a good sport, Obama sent the 40-year-old a gift basket with a photo of the pair’s memorable moment.

"For Rey,” the president signed it, “The only guy that ever hit the president and never got arrested. Barack."

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ADVISORY: Fattah Speaks to Major Science and Policy Leaders on Federal Investment in Research

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Fattah (D-PA), the lead Democratic Appropriator for science, research and technology, will be the main speaker Friday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual Science and Technology Policy Forum in Washington, DC.

Congressman Fattah will speak on the current policy issues affecting researchers and their institutions and what impact the issues have on the federal budget. The Forum is widely viewed as the major public meeting in the United States on Science and Technology policy issues.  The nation's top major science policy leaders, including government and industry officials, university faculty and administrators, diplomats and others interested in public policies affecting science and technology will be in attendance.

The Pennsylvania Representative will also update the audience on the Fattah Neuroscience Initiative which is designed to make game-changing progress in the understanding of and therapies for brain development, cognition, disease and injury. The initiative also calls for developing public-private partnerships in brain science research.

According to Fattah, "Scientific research sponsored or conducted by the United States government has benefitted all Americans. However, the effort to protect and promote scientific research is never-ending and never easy in the halls of Congress."

WHO:      
Congressman Chaka Fattah

WHAT: 
American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Science and Technology Policy Forum

WHEN:
Friday, May 3, 2013  
8:15 AM

WHERE:
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
13th & Pennsylvania NW • Washington, DC

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

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Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Speaks at the Millennium Challenge Corporation Forum on Global Development

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. government's Millennium Challenge Corporation is hosting its second-annual Forum on Global Development with top leaders and practitioners in international development to discuss the critical role of foreign assistance.

Who: 

• Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is expected to discuss the importance of foreign aid and its role in U.S. national security and diplomacy
• Senator Patrick Leahy
• Deputy National Security Advisor Michael Froman

Moderated by Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University and former CNN Washington bureau chief.

When & Where:

• April 29, 2013, 9:00 AM EST – 11:00 AM EST, at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

Press must confirm attendance no later than 6:00 PM April 28 to fontainesa@mcc.gov or (202)499-9581. The event will be live-streamed at http://www.mcc.gov/2013-forum.

What:

MCC will honor four award recipients at the Forum. MCC's Corporate Award will recognize Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont for its commitment to partnering with local NGOs for sustainable community development. The company's projects have focused on diversifying the incomes of coffee roasters, helping advance food security in the communities where it works.

MCC's Country Commitment Award will recognize Sophia Mohapi, CEO of Millennium Challenge Account-Lesotho, for facilitating large-scale partnerships to promote economic growth in Lesotho. Mohapi helped facilitate the Government of Lesotho's commitment to contribute more than $150 million to MCC-funded poverty reduction programs.

D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario will present MCC's Next Generation Award, recognizing Jessica O. Matthews and Julia Silverman, co-founders of Uncharted Play, for advancing youth leadership and innovation in international development. Uncharted Play's flagship product is the SOCCKET, a soccer ball that stores kinetic energy and provides light for those living off the electrical grid in developing nations.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government agency designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.

SOURCE Millennium Challenge Corporation

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