Perfect Description

I've been reading The Thurber Album, which is a collection of stories about people by James Thurber. This morning, I discovered, in his essay about his favorite English teacher, that He nry James actually has some merit. Thurber quotes him:

"When she touches a thing the ugliness, God knows how, goes out of it."

When I came to this line, I thought of my love, because this is such a perfect description of her.

The URJ and RJC

Yesterday, the New York Times ran a full page add by the Republican Jewish Committee stating that the Union for Reform Judaism does not speak for them regarding the War in Iraq. This is fine, the two organizations are independent bodies and therefore do not have to agree. However, the add is misleading to the point of absurdity. It states in large type "Freedom is Worth Fighting For" which the URJ absolutely agrees to. The URJ's resolution focused on encouraging a clear exit strategy in a way that maintains and strengthens the peace and stability in the region. Furthermore, it makes it seem like no Jew opposes the war, which is false. (In poles, about 2/3 of American Jews oppose the war.) The add also states "We support our troops," insinuating that the Union does not. However, the resolution passed explicitly mentions that the Union supports the troops and funding should be used to provide troops with the maximum security possible. The add also states that the RJC supports the War on Terrorism. The War in Iraq as part of the War on Terror is based on false information at best, and manipulation at worst. In fact, the URJ supported the invasion of Afghanistan as a response to September 11th. Furthermore, resolutions passed by a specific body do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all of its members, let alone non-members. This is commonly understood. Take as an example bills that congress passes.

Another Reason to Hate My Hometown

I hate South Bend for numerous reasons, but I want to focus on the latest one in this entry.

During February the past two years, Notre Dame has hosted a Queer Film Festival. The Festival is scheduled for its third iteration in February. Last year (or earlier this year, if you don't think in terms of an academic schedule), the Festival made national news because of its suprising location. So, this year, the newly inaugurated President John Jenkins, C.S.C., appointed a committee to consider the fate of the Festival. Currently, the spoken objection is simply that the word Festival conjures up a support for a certain side of a debate, not an exercise in academic freedom. The identity of members of the committee is being kept secret, and in the end, Father Jenkins can do what he wants. However, the ranking of Notre Dame as the No. 1 place for unqueerfriendliness will only be solidified if the Festival is eliminated.