Word: sighteness
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...handsomely that, on the whole, it doesn't read as funny as it plays. Talladega Nights is a comedy based more in the nuance of the moment than in the power of the punch line. Like Ferrell's Elf, it's not a movie of sight gags and set-ups, but a measured comedy that keeps a steady simmer while poking fun at the quirks of American characters and culture. It's smarter than your average summer comedy, and also a bit shrewder...
...familiar faces. The 50-odd passengers include the usual suspects--Western "security consultants" in faux fatigues, Iraqi officials in dark suits. And some surprises, like the three women in white Indian saris with blue borders. The nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's order, are a comforting sight. One of them, Sister Benedetta, kindly gives me a laminated picture of the soon-to-be saint and a genuine relic--a microchip-size piece of Teresa's sari. A lapsed Hindu, I'm nonetheless grateful for any and all gifts that purport to holiness; somewhere in my bags...
...Sunnis in Baghdad, the sight of policemen is cause for concern rather than reassurance. Traffic checkpoints are especially perilous. Recently three TIME staff members--brothers, all Sunni--were detained at a police checkpoint for five hours. They began to worry when a Shi'ite friend who had been riding with them was allowed to leave. When the men showed their media badges, issued by the U.S. military, the cops accused them of being American spies. "We'll send you to the Interior Ministry," a cop said, obviously enjoying their discomfort as he bundled them into the back of a pickup...
...next time I visited Cuba was in 1983 as a journalist. Attending a social gathering, I saw Raśl and Vilma again. At first sight, Raśl, wearing his green fatigues, seemed serious and stern as he went through the official greetings required of him. But later I saw him talking to people and laughing. That is when I realized how different he seemed from my first impression. You could see how he was enjoying the jokes and the bantering. He intrigued...
...audience break into deafening cheers, stomp their feet, clap their hands and chant "Sa-mi! Sa-mi!" until at last the lights go down. The orchestra swells and Sami Yusuf, 26, emerges through billows of smoke, dressed in a chic black suit and white open-collar shirt. Catching sight of him, the crowd goes crazy, screaming and whistling as though Elvis just entered the building. But when Yusuf begins to sing, it's clear he's not quite like other rock stars. "Peace and salutations upon you, O Messenger of God," he croons. And for all the palpable excitement...