Word: perfectible
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...indeed a fantasy, never to be attained. Anything a reporter writes is, in the true sens of the word, a "story," one person's account of a particular event, hardly to be trusted as Divine revelation. But at the same time, the reporter should recognize that objectivity, like perfection, is a fantasy worth pursuing, a goal that is not only noble, but practical. The more nearly objective, or more nearly perfect, his or her reporting is, the more it will be relied upon--by readers who are spending their money in search of, if not truth, at least trustworthy information...
...brilliant impersonator in movies, scores highest in constricted caracatures where much is made of a given character's lack of awareness (particularly personal awareness--a lack of self-consciousness). In other words, Sellers is at this best when he is smallest, and Clouseau's oblivious, unfazed determination is the perfect vehicle for him. But whenever these little men become remantic, as in Edwards' The party or Strikes Again, Sellers begins to take himself more seriously (his narcissism, unfortunately, bleeds through even when these characters fumble their love-making attempts), and in Strikes Again he lost his timing and embarrassed himself...
...classification of scriptwriters as "schmucks with Underwoods." Puzo has no illusions or false pride about his screen work. "I'm fascinated by the movies simply because it is an enormous machine for making money and no matter how bad they run it, it still makes money. It's the perfect industry to put your nephew in and your idiot cousin, because they'll be geniuses...
...anticlericalism, and with reason. The regional ruler, the Count de Foix, had defended his fief from exorbitant church taxes. But when the aristocrat died, the bishops of Pamiers imposed ever more onerous tithes. The new church exactions doubtless influenced many villagers to consider the teachings of the Cathar parfaits (perfect ones, the heresy's elect...
...growing power struggle between the Cathar Clergue family and a prominent Catholic family blew the whole affair into the tribunals of the Inquisition. Father Pierre and his brother Bernard, the corrupt bailiff of the town, were sentenced to prison, there to die soon after. One Cathar-a not-so-perfect parfait given to shady business dealings and fornication-was burned at the stake. Beatrice de Planissoles, the chatelaine, was released along with her latest swain, another priest-but Beatrice was sentenced to wear the yellow cross of repentant heretics. As for the zealous bishop, he went on to become...