December 3rd, 2014 → 5:49 am
“If ever you have looked on better days,
If ever been where bells have knolled to church,
If ever sat at any good man’s feast,
If ever from your eyelids wiped a tear
And know what ’tis to pity and be pitied,
Let gentleness my strong enforcement be.” – As You Like It
The world could really use more kindness, understanding, and empathy right now…
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
November 20th, 2014 → 5:52 am
“I do desire we may be better strangers.” – As You Like It
A town in Germany that is subject to an unwanted neo-Nazi march every year, this year played a truly excellent prank on them. The town held a fundraiser for the Exit program (a nonprofit that helps people break from extremist groups like neo-Nazism), where for each meter marched by the neo-Nazis, money would be donated to the Exit program. The neo-Nazis were essentially, and unwittingly, marching against themselves! The prank raised 10,000 euros for the Exit program. How completely awesome – reading about this story totally made my day.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
October 26th, 2014 → 5:47 am
“I have heard of your paintings, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” – Hamlet
I’m not usually one to care much about celebrity gossip, but this caught my attention. Renee Zellweger got so much plastic surgery done that she, literally, is unrecognizable. Every time I see the before and after pictures, it freaks me out!
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
October 13th, 2014 → 6:13 am
“Every why hath a wherefore.” – Comedy of Errors
The above quote basically says that there’s a reason for everything. Being an academic, I’ve always liked this rather famous quote. I’ve always liked thinking that with enough study and effort, you could understand anything. But I read recently that “there is no ‘why’ in the heart of darkness“; that at bottom, there is no fathomable reason for pure evil. Is this true? I have to admit, now I’m confused…
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
September 14th, 2014 → 5:53 am
“You are as a candle, the better part burnt out.” – Henry IV, Part II
Apparently the age-old Shakespeare denier conspiracy theorists are at it again. This time a bunch of scholarly professors, battling out whether the theory is worth an academic publication or not. I can tell you that I did do a bit of research on this myself a number of years ago, and I found it all bunk. No one wrote Shakespeare but Shakespeare.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Stupid/Evil People
September 4th, 2014 → 6:08 am
“Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.
Close up his eyes, and draw the curtain close;
And let us all to meditation.” – Henry VI
Bernie Madoff‘s second son, Andrew, died yesterday. His first son committed suicide two years to the day of his father’s conviction. Andrew died of cancer, but he has said the cancer came because of the stress of his father’s actions. I don’t know if the sons are also guilty (they always claimed innocence), but their death is certainly tragic. The entire Madoff arc is tragic. One big, enormous, heartbreaking tragedy.
Filed under: Blog & Other & Stupid/Evil People
July 27th, 2014 → 8:31 am
“The common curse of mankind – folly and ignorance.” – Troilus and Cressida
I thought about saying this was one of the world’s problems, but the more I thought about it, so many of the others derive from folly and ignorance that I’ll keep it singular. I imagine it’s part of the reason I became a teacher.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
June 28th, 2014 → 7:05 am
“More are men’s ends marked than their lives before.
The setting sun, and music at the close,
As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last,
Writ in remembrance more than things long past.” – Richard II
100 years ago today Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated, and the world slid into its first World War. It is humbling to look back on it now; the horror, the uninevitability of it, the profound waste. There is a world that existed before June 28, 1914, and a rather different world that was borne after it.
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Literature/Theatre/Art & Other & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
June 26th, 2014 → 5:47 am
“This is the third time; I hope good luck lies in odd numbers…
They say there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death. – The Merry Wives of Windsor
Or bites? Who is this guy who keeps biting people on the soccer field? What an absolute weirdo.
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
March 20th, 2014 → 5:58 am
“The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief.” – Othello
There was a story on NPR yesterday about a guy who bought a game console online, but then never received it. When he realized he’d been cheated he exacted revenge by texting 37 Shakespeare plays to the seller’s phone. It came to nearly 30,000 text messages. I like the joke, but my question is, did he type it all in himself?!?!
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Stupid/Evil People