Word: mattering
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...Shaffer was a kindred spirit to Mankiewicz: a cunning wordsmith with a playwright brother; his identical twin, Peter, wrote Equus and Amadeus. Like Mankiewicz (and Pinter, for that matter), Shaffer was fascinated by the ability of language to reveal, conceal and distort the workings of a person's mind and desires. In Sleuth he created a Chinese-box plot that on the surface was a very theatrical mystery, but at heart was a parable of sexual envy and English class hatred. Again, right up Pinter's dark alley...
...about Laura Bush's snubbing of Ahmadinejad made me queasy [Oct. 8]. It is that holier-than-thou attitude that gives America's enemies more ammunition. I don't wish to condone Ahmadinejad's policies, only to say that we will get nowhere by childishly ignoring him. Eventually, no matter how much it deflates our self-esteem, we will have to begin an open dialogue with our enemies. There are too many to simply dismiss them as tyrants and ostracize them from the global community. Currently, our only policies for dealing with hostile nations consist of sanctions and military action...
...like to think that in most things that matter, Harvard has been a leader. But on gender issues it has been astonishingly—even comically—backward. Although there have always been women at Harvard—sweeping floors, washing shirts, typing letters, caring for books in the library, serving tea in the President’s house, or donating large buildings in honor of their husbands or sons—the University has been slow to acknowledge their presence and even slower to admit them to the company of scholars...
...College had an exciting opportunity last spring to have a conversation about how to create a safe, legal, and fun social scene. Unfortunately, the Committee on Social Clubs, created to discuss the matter, excluded students. It is regrettable—and somewhat perverse—that when the administration decides to change the Handbook for Students, they don’t discuss the handbook with students. And it’s truly troublesome that the College has decided to value legality over safety...
...With Christians making up about 33% of the world's population and Muslims making up around 22%, the letter says that finding common ground, "is not simply a matter for polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders." Is it, instead, essential for the survival of humanity. "The relationship between these two religious communities [is] the most important factor in contributing to meaningful peace around the world. If Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world cannot be at peace. No side can unilaterally win a conflict between more than half of the world's inhabitants. Thus our common future...