Word: backgrounder
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...photograph capturing a street scene from a handheld camera, the image immediately places the viewer within a hostile environment, almost repelling us. Yet, it is precisely this jarring quality that makes the photograph intriguing. A white “No Parking” sign stands out against a darkened background, as if attempting to ward off the viewer, and a motor scooter parked along the curb occupies much of the foreground. Adding to the discord caused by the blatant violation of the sign’s message, the vehicle creates a definite barrier between the two worlds of the viewer...
...introductions to talks: “On more than one occasion, she has clearly explained (to scientists as well as lay audience members) the cutting edge of research of science fellows in a way that reflects a deep understanding of the subject matter.” Given her background as a historian, Faust’s scientific literacy is noteworthy; it demonstrates an interest in and commitment to learning the particulars of science, and is evidence that she listens carefully to the fellows...
...those terms, the naysayers are right. Missing Kissinger doesn't point readers left or right. Rather, the human fallout of the Knesset's political posturing is an incessant background hum. In a way that sneaks up on them, several of the book's characters have their lives eaten away by their army experiences. The deadbeat heroes elicit a dead-pan wit. "He had no future," Keret writes of one of his leading men. "He didn't even have a near present...
...Scholar and a Gentleman James Graff's profile of François Bayrou [March 26], although most interesting, seemed to give an unfair and somewhat distorted impression of the French presidential candidate's intellectual background. I am writing here as an academic, not a politician. Bayrou is a farmer's son, for sure, and a gentleman farmer, probably. But while he is no product of a French administrative or political grande école, he is a doctor of literature. He is, therefore, quite an erudite individual. No nitwit! And an excellent, learned writer in his own right. Françoise...
Regardless of the socially-conscious pretensions of Harvard administrators, students, like all men, naturally gravitate toward others who share their interests, their background, and their worldviews. If students cannot express that inclination in their House placement, they will seek the camaraderie in cultural organizations, sports teams, and other extracurriculars. And thus will leave the Houses empty of any real sense of community...