Word: formalisms
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...Space Telescope in 1990 now appears poised to steer NASA into its post-shuttle orbit. Former astronaut and retired Marine general Charles Bolden Jr. is President Obama's likely nominee to head the space agency; the two are expected to meet at the White House May 19 for a formal interview. Years before his famous Discovery flight, Bolden traveled to space with a payload specialist named Bill Nelson - now a powerful Florida Senator and one of Bolden's strongest backers. While Bolden, 62, is widely respected within the space and military communities, critics are raising red flags over his ties...
...Israeli journalists who attended the press briefing described the two men as "grim and formal," as if they had both come away from the session with a newfound wariness of each other, like circling prizefighters. Obama wants to rally Arab nations to create a bloc against Iran's nuclear ambitions, and he thinks that the only way to bring the Arabs on board is to achieve headway on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu wants Iran defanged, but the hawkish Premier doesn't see the linkup or why he needs to make concessions to the Palestinians, especially ones that might jeopardize...
...without fail, it began once again—the flurry of e-mails hit the Eliot House list. With the famed Fete only days away, Eliot students of all classes, from rising sophomores through soon-to-be-graduating seniors, began posting their formal tickets for sale, along with desired prices. While the occasional solicitor lamented his or her inability to make the end-of-year ball, munificently allowing some layman the chance to enter the white tent in his or her place, more and more of the e-mails appeared to be planned and timed in advance. Deadlines of when...
While the Fete is particularly renowned, other formals on campus—including the freshman formal—draw similar patterns of behavior. With money to be made, more and more people seem to be looking forward to the green, not the gala. You don’t need to be an economics concentrator versed in game theory to understand demand; with friends from other houses, seniors trying to get to that elusive 12th formal, and guests visiting from out of town, there will always be people clamoring for admission. Buying formal tickets simply to sell them, however...
...which, before people can even get excited by the invitations posted to their door, they are bombarded with offers and flashing-light e-mails for tickets to buy. Open markets: great. Free country: fantastic. But if people are not able or do not want to go to their formal, then they should be given their dues back, rather than make a profit, because the House Committee has put a lot of time into creating a great event. Those tickets that aren’t taken can be put up in a raffle or lottery like any other high-demand event...