July 12th, 2013 → 6:25 am
“What craker is this same that deafs our ears
With this abundance of superfluous breath?” – King John
I recently came across a discussion of the origin of the slur “cracker” (which took place because a witness in the George Zimmerman murder trial testified that Trayvon Martin referred to Zimmerman as a “creepy-ass cracker”). To my surprise, the earliest use of the term is apparently Shakespeare (!), in the quote above. Who knew we could thank Shakespeare for such treasures as “hobnob,” “madcap,” “bloodstained,” and yes, also “cracker.”
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Other
June 16th, 2013 → 6:11 am
“For [us] the foolish over-careful fathers
Have broke their sleep with thoughts,
Their brains with care, their bones with industry.” – Henry IV, Part II
To caring fathers everywhere, who worry, work, and love their children. Happy Father’s Day.
June 5th, 2013 → 7:46 am
“Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines.” – Sonnet 18
Frank Bruni had a funny op-ed in the New York Times yesterday, railing against the scourge of summer (he used the above quote in his article). He claimed that summer can be too hot, too buggy, and too joyfully demanding. I happen to enjoy summer so I can’t quite sympathize, but if I were attacked by as many frightening bugs as he seems to be, I’d probably like it a little bit less too.
May 27th, 2013 → 6:55 am
“Unregarded age in corners thrown.” – As You Like It
Last week I read about Yuichiro Miura, the 80 year old Japanese man who climbed Mount Everest. At the time I was impressed, but I also assumed he must just have really good health. Yesterday, however, I read how in fact he had both hip surgery and heart surgery not long before making the climb. As one who has had her fair share of physical impairments, now I am even more impressed.
May 16th, 2013 → 6:23 am
“If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.” – Romeo and Juliet
Well, the wedding my husband, son, and I flew out to Nevada to attend never took place. Our neice, in the end, broke it off. At least we got to see family and have a bit of memorable fun time. Personally, I think 19 years old is too young to get engaged in the first place, but when I say that, I then can’t help but think of my in-laws who got married that young and yet still stayed together for 50+ years. Even now they hold hands together when they sit on the couch and watch TV at night (it’s so friggin adorable). Who knows what makes love work?!?
Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life
May 12th, 2013 → 7:43 am
“He did it to please his mother.” – Coriolanus
We’re in Nevada right now with my in-laws. So for the first time in many years my husband is actually with his mother on mother’s day. It’s adorable. I can’t wait till my own son is old enough to do nice things for me on Mother’s Day!
Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life
May 7th, 2013 → 6:24 am
“If it be a man’s work, I’ll do it.” – King Lear
My heart breaks when I read stories of people in their fifties who have been unemployed for six months or more. They are too young to retire, but old enough to suffer from ageism. And the longer they stay out of the job market, the harder it gets. I’m glad the recent unemployment report was better than expected, but my heart goes out to the millions still who have been without a job for months on end.
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Other
May 5th, 2013 → 6:13 am
“Freedom, high-day! high-day, freedom! freedom, high-day, freedom!” – Tempest
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
May 2nd, 2013 → 5:44 am
“I cannot tell what the dickens his name is.” – Merry Wives of Windsor
Yes, that screech of letters and numbers up there is a name someone in Sweden tried to give their baby. They weren’t allowed. Yesterday New Zealand released its own list of banned baby names, which include: Lucifer, Messiah, Christ, King, Anal, and others. After having done some research on this important and fascinating topic, it appears that the U.S. is one of the most liberal countries for naming babies; we pretty much don’t ban anything so there are apparently hundreds of people with the name Noun in this country. (Don’t worry, Comma, Period, and Semicolon are represented as well.) The one thing I did find odd is that New Zealand bans the name Justice. Justice? One of my son’s best friends at school is named Justice. His dad is a polling worker on election day. What’s wrong with Justice?
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.