A Mighty Shame

Title: A Mighty Shame
Source: Washington Post

Author: Asra Q. Nomani

Date of Publication: Sunday, June 24, 2007.

Summary:

Daniel Pearl, journalist, was beheaded the 1st of February, 2002 at the age of 38, in Pakistan. He was one of the many journalists who were kidnapping and assassinated by terrorists. His wife, Marianne, pregnant at the moment wrote a book about his husband life, work, and legacy. This book’s rights were later purchased by Paramount Vantage in order to make a movie of the book. The author of the article, Daniel’s friend, Asra Q. Nomani, accepted to collaborate, in the attempt to illustrate her friend’s life. After watching the movie, she was disturbed because of the lame and lull attention Daniel Pearl receives in the movie. According to her “A Mighty Heart” became only one more Hollywood release.

Personal Reaction:

The life of a person is invaluable. According to the article, seems to me that Daniel Pearl’s life has been mitigated to mere facts. The opinion of a friend and co-worker of him is quite refreshing. Daniel Pearl was one of the many journalists who were doing there job, he and 203 journalists have been killed since 2003. It is almost impossible to conceive that these people were executed, beheaded, and videotaped to give to the world a message of terror.

Vocabulary :
juggle (ENTERTAIN)
verb [I or T]
to throw several objects up into the air, and then catch and throw them up repeatedly so that one or more stays in the air, usually in order to entertain people:
We all watched in amazement as he juggled with three flaming torches.

idle
adjective
1 not working or being used:
Half these factories now stand idle.
It’s crazy to have £7000 sitting idle in the bank.

2 [before noun] without any particular purpose:
idle chatter/gossip/speculation
an idle glance

3 lazy and not willing to work:
He’s a very able student, he’s just bone idle (= very lazy).

4 An idle moment or period of time is one in which there is no work or activity:
If you have an idle moment, call me.

5 without work; unemployed:
Almost half of the workforce are now idle.

idleness
noun [U]

idle
verb [I] (UK ALSO tick over)
If an engine or machine idles, it runs slowly but does not move or do any work:
He left the engine idling and ran into the shop.

idly
adverb
I was just glancing idly (= without any particular purpose) through a magazine.
We cannot stand idly by (= do nothing) while these people suffer.

lopsided
adjective
with one side bigger, higher, etc. than the other; not equally balanced:
a charming, lopsided grin

gaggle
group noun [C]
1 a group of geese

2 DISAPPROVING a group of noisy or silly people:
There was the usual gaggle of journalists waiting for the princess when she got out of her car.

innocuous
adjective
completely harmless:
Some mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact poisonous.

innocuously
adverb

innocuousness
noun [U]

tick away/by phrasal verb
If time ticks away/by, it goes past:
With the final seconds ticking away, Milan scored a goal.

bland
adjective USUALLY DISAPPROVING
lacking a strong taste or character or lacking in interest or energy:
I find chicken a little bland.
Pop music these days is so bland.

blandly
adverb

blandness
noun [U]

ditty
noun [C]
a short simple song

cameo (PERFORMANCE)
noun [C] plural cameos
a small but noticeable part in a film or play, performed by a famous actor:
He appears briefly towards the end of the film in a cameo role as a priest.

glib
adjective glibber, glibbest
speaking or spoken in a confident and persuasive way but without honesty or careful consideration:
He’s a glib, self-centred man.
No one was convinced by his glib answers/explanations.

glibly
adverb
He spoke glibly about an economic recovery just around the corner.

glibness
noun [U]

extol (-ll-)
verb [T] FORMAL
to praise something or someone highly:
His book extolling the benefits of vegetarianism sold thousands of copies.

underscore
verb [T]
to underline

hoopla (EXCITEMENT)
noun [S or U] MAINLY US
exciting noise and activity in celebration of an event:
The usual hoopla surrounded the arrival of the pop star.

lull
verb [T]
to cause someone to feel calm or to feel as if they want to sleep:
The motion of the car almost lulled her to sleep.

lull
noun [C]
a short period of calm in which little happens:
There has been a lull in the fighting.
a lull in the conversation/traffic