April 28th, 2013 → 6:33 am
“When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.” – Twelfth Night
It was a cold, rainy day here in St. Louis yesterday and Vincent, Mommy, and Daddy stayed holed up in the house eating oreos and playing with any foolish thing Vincent decided to make a toy. At one point he tore all his clothes off, put mommy’s hat, gloves, and socks on, and ran around the house with a London Big Ben keychain in is hand. We don’t know why either, but it was pretty darn hilarious.
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life
April 23rd, 2013 → 6:09 am
It’s Shakespeare’s birthday today, or at least, we think it’s his birthday today. The earliest record we have of a William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon is of a baptism on April 26, and assuming he was born just a few days before the ceremony (as was custom), the logical deduction is that today is most likely his birthday. Anyhow, in honor of William Shakespeare’s (likely) birthday, I thought I’d quote Sonnet 105 in full, where the bard talks about idolatry, and how a lover should not idolize his love, although by the end of the Sonnet, that is exactly what he is doing!
“Let not my love be called idolatry,
Nor my beloved as an idol show,
Since all alike my songs and praises be
To one, of one, still such, and ever so.
Kind is my love today, tomorrow kind,
Still constant in a wondrous excellence;
Therefore my verse, to constancy confined,
One thing expressing, leaves out difference.
‘Fair, kind, and true’ is all my argument,
‘Fair, kind, and true,’ varying to other words;
And in this change is my invention spent,
Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords.
‘Fair,’ ‘kind,’ and ‘true’ have often live alone,
Which three till now never kept seat in one.” – Sonnet 105
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
April 21st, 2013 → 6:20 am
“No profit grows where is no pleasure taken.
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.” – The Taming of the Shrew
Another semester is nearing an end. I can’t believe there’s only one month left of classes! Now’s the time I get the stray student or two coming to office hours to discuss their courses, their majors, their future… And one piece of advice that I really do think is true, is that you should study what you most affect (i.e. “enjoy”). Life’s not worth it otherwise.
April 19th, 2013 → 6:07 am
“O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?” – Julius Caesar
I have always hated – and I mean hated – the saying that “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” And now, apparently, I’ve been vindicated by recent research. A new study, tracking a group of people over a decade, finds that heartache and stress just wears a person down; it doesn’t bolster them up. What Neitzsche was thinking I have no idea. Hadn’t he ever been deeply burned or cut? It leaves a thin delicate scar, vulnerable and pink. Heartache is heartache pure and simple, there is nothing good about it.
April 15th, 2013 → 6:24 am
“O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!” – As You Like It
Continuing with the theme of linguistic differences and changes in meaning of things over time, I came across an interesting piece of research the other day, where a bunch of anthropologists tracked emotion words in literature over time (i.e. literally tracked the frequency usage of “happy” words in google books from 1900-2000). And one of their conclusions was that people were happier 100 years ago than they are today, because they used more “happy” words in their published writings. Personally, I find this bogus. Not just because economics research does not seem to be finding significant happy distinctions like this over time, but also because I am an author. Have you read any books from 1900? I have. The writing style was very different back then. Effusive, saccharine, adverb-laden in a way modern writing most definitely is not. It doesn’t mean our happiness levels have changed, it means our writing styles have. Subtlety and “show-not-tell” are the mantras of fine literature today; they weren’t back then.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Other
April 13th, 2013 → 5:39 am
“[I] am enjoin’d
By holy Laurence to fall prostrate here,
And beg your pardon: pardon, I beseech you!” – Romeo and Juliet
Every now and again we all do stupid things. The other day I acted quite insensitively to a good friend of mine. I’m so embarrassed thinking about it now. Please forgive me, Arkadasim, I beseech you!
As a side note, I notice that it is extremely difficult (impossible?) to find the words “sorry,” or “apology” in Shakespeare. There are “pardons” and acts of “forgiveness” and “repentance,” but no apologies as we would recognize them today. According to scholars on this, in Shakespeare’s day apologies were more about seeking forgiveness from God for your sins, not other people. It was a religious thing, not an individualistic thing. I find this temporal distinction in what it means to say you’re sorry fascinating…
Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life
April 10th, 2013 → 5:48 am
“Death, in thy possession lies
A lass unparalleled.” – Antony and Cleopatra
Whatever you think of Lady Thatcher, you have to admit that she was unparalleled. The first woman prime minister of the U.K., the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century, driven, headstrong, path breaking… The above quote, as originally intended by Shakespeare, was used to describe Cleopatra – another unparalleled, path breaking, female leader.
Baroness Thatcher, rest in peace.
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians
April 8th, 2013 → 5:30 am
“How can I then return in happy plight
That am debarred the benefit of rest?
When day’s oppression is not eased by night
But day by night and night by day oppressed.” – Sonnet 28
It was a wonderful weekend, with warm sunny weather, children’s laughter in the park, tart lemonade and homemade fried chicken… But it was also exhausting with hours in the sun, screaming children, plates overflowing with food… To be prepared for work today, I really need more sleep.
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life
April 3rd, 2013 → 6:04 am
“In nature’s infinite book of secrecy
A little I can read.” – Antony and Cleopatra
A recent study found that over 1 million people die prematurely in China due to air pollution. I do remember the air being pretty bad when I was in Beijing in 2007; my throat hurt when I woke up in the mornings, and the snot in my nose came out black. I think nature is telling us to do something about this already…
April 1st, 2013 → 6:07 am
“Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun; it shines everywhere.” – Twelfth Night
Let’s certainly hope so today. Happy April Fool’s Day!