REYIS OF SUNSHINE

gq:

Superhuman of the Year: Oscar Pistorius

GQ correspondent Andrew Corsello sits down with Oscar Pistorius, soon to be the world’s first paraplegic Olympic runner. A taste below:

“Don’t get me wrong—it’s a privilege to be an icon for those who were born the way I was or who have been injured,” says Pistorius. “It may sound strange, but I’ve got to focus on the fact that what got me to where I am is my ability as an athlete. It’s about track now.” Which isn’t to say that Pistorius, who recently became the new face of Thierry Mugler’s fragrance, is indifferent to the way he presents to the world. “For walking around, I wear normal prosthetics. During the summer, I go with a more Mediterranean look. At the end of summer, I get them sprayed to lighten them up a little—they now come in twenty-eight different shades. Just for kicks, I go for the ones with the really impressive calves.”

shortformblog:

Three reasons Anwar al-Awlaki’s assassination is a major development

We could say all sorts of things about Anwar al-Awlaki, but we’ll let this Yemeni official say them for us: “He’s the most dangerous man in Yemen. He’s intelligent, sophisticated, Internet-savvy, and very charismatic. He can sell anything to anyone, and right now he’s selling jihad.” A high-profile get for the United States, the al-Qaeda recruiter was killed during an ongoing bombing campaign coordinated with Yemen. Obama is expected to speak on al-Awlaki’s death soon. Why is this such a big deal? Here’s a breakdown:

• one Anwar al-Awlaki was considered one of al-Qaeda’s top recruiters and had been highly sought after by both American and Yemeni officials for years.
• two Al-Awlaki was also internet-savvy, using his fluent English and Web presence to draw recruits. Experts say this is a future model for terror recruitment.
• three Despite his pedigree as a internet-savvy spiritual leader, al-Awlaki was also a U.S. citizen, meaning some see civil rights issues in this situation. source

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