Word: absurder
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...things that Rousseau did not do or see or say, things he cooked up himself (such as the innocent fiction that he had been to Mexico in the army of Napoleon III and had seen real jungles) or that were invented by friends (like the playwright Alfred Jarry's absurd story that he, like Pygmalion, taught the old boy to paint). And it would finish with the belief that Rousseau (1844-1910) was one of the greatest protomodern artists...
...party. But the fun grows a bit forced over the long haul; even the most bizarre conversations cannot forever hide the fact that not much of substance is happening. Handl's people are splendidly funny because they all, with the possible exception of Castleton, are permanently set in their absurd ways. Not much room is left over for suspense. A little more forward momentum might have made The Sioux a minor classic. As it now stands, or careens, the novel is a curiosity tres chic...
...failure of divestment to cause direct harm to apartheid is inextricably linked to its failure to make a truly effective symbolic statement. The symbolic value of divestiture would consist of a "headline splash" one time, and one time only. Furthermore, the absurd selectivity shown by divestiture advocates is truly appalling. If Harvard were to divest of all stock in companies which profit from profound "evil." It might be reduced to holding only domestically-chartered savings and loan stock. Everything from stock in companies which deal with the Soviet Union. Chile, EI Salvador, and Iran (among many others), or make nuclear...
Divestiture is not an exercise in moral hand-wringing, an effort to isolate ourselves from events in South Africa. We believe it is absurd and useless to argue that we can ever be morally pure, because everything in which we invest, everything we buy, and every place we spend our money is somehow connected to a venture or an idea we find morally repugnant. Of those who continue to charge us with trying to wash our hands of apartheid through divestment we ask, why divest from Baker? Why not invest only in South Africa-related companies so we can have...
Reactions to the ruling worldwide varied from dismay to disgust. Said Iceland's former World Chess Federation President Fridrik Olafsson: "Endurance is a factor in all chess matches, and it is absurd to help the champion by giving him a respite." Quipped ex-Champ Spassky: "Campomanes should be called Karpomanes." Meanwhile, Karpov remains champion, and in September the confrontation will begin anew, with no score. In August the chess federation will meet in Graz, Austria, and is expected to go back to the old 24-game rule, ensuring that there will be no repeat of the Moscow marathon...