"There are men of character in the U.S. Congress, both House and Senate. There are women of character, too. But the evidence for 'character' needs to be
Biden’s tricky tango with Congress
“There are men of character in the U.S. Congress, both House and Senate. There are women of character, too. But the evidence for ‘character’ needs to be something other than the iteration of the word itself,” writes Marjorie Garber in her book “Character: The History of a Cultural Obsession.”
That is a useful frame for trying to make sense of the dramas that proliferated on Capitol Hill this week as Congress took up multiple nominations to President Joe Biden’s Cabinet and held its first hearing on the January 6 insurrection. As Garber notes, the translation of individual traits into a “national character” most often occurs at “times of stress, as a marker not so much of social progress as of social and cultural anxiety.”
Zoom effect
Updated Feb 5, 2021, 11:57 am IST
This virtual ecosystem has triggered a self-critical and comparative response on our mien, whether true or imagined
With increased time being spent in front of cameras for Zoom calls on work or for social activities, the aspiration for perfect looks has grown manifold, and even become an obsession for many. Experts analyse this disturbing trend (Representative Image)
Imperfection is beauty.’ Or is it? Probably this concept is being challenged on a daily basis in today’s world. Since work-from-home has become the norm, Zoom video meets have become commonplace. This has created a new phenomenon being called “Zoom dysmorphia.” Experts describe this as a disorder involving obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance.