Seems we're losing the ability to present...
It was remarkable that Tom was able to talk for an hour straight, without pausing, without mistakes, grammatical or otherwise, and with a perfectly conceived factual, dramatic, and narrative arc. With excellent stories. All without notes. At the age of 94.
On May 5, 1993, Senator Robert C. Byrd, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, initiated a series of fourteen addresses in opposition to the proposed line-item-veto concept. During the following five and a-half months, he delivered each of these speeches -- packed with names, dates, and complex narratives -- entirely from memory and without recourse even to notes or consultation with staff aides.