Muammar Qaddafi

August 31st, 2011 → 4:59 am

“The foot, That leaves the print of blood where’er it walks.” – King John

Colonel Qaddafi was an awful leader – treacheous, sadistic, his steps trailed by blood and murder.  It appears that his reign is really just about finally over.  Praise God.  I wish the people of Libya sterngth in putting their country back together.

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians

Rick Perry

August 29th, 2011 → 6:17 am

    “And in his brain,
    Which is as dry as the remainder biscuit
    After a voyage, he hath strange places crammed
    With observation, the which he vents
    In mangled forms.” – As You Like It

Rick Perry doesn’t believe in climate change, nor in the separation of church and state, and he has expressed a wish for Texas to secede from the Union.  This is the Republican’s political savior?

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People

Hurricane Irene

August 27th, 2011 → 11:59 am

“The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.” – Julius Caesar

Good luck East Coast.  Here’s hoping Hurricane Irene doesn’t hit too hard, nor cause too much damage.

Filed under: Blog & Other

People

August 26th, 2011 → 8:31 am

“Love all, trust a few.” – All’s Well That Ends Well

This just felt particularly apt today.

Filed under: Blog & Other

Marlon Brando

August 24th, 2011 → 5:44 am

“A dish fit for the gods.” – Julius Caesar

I watched a rather old production of Julius Caesar last night, which had Marlon Brando in it as Mark Antony.  After watching him in A Streetcar Named Desire awhile back as well, I can attest that I now totally get why Brando is considered such a huge, transformative actor.  He was quite handsome as well!  My god, his magnetism really does just jump off the screen.

Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art

First Day of Classes

August 22nd, 2011 → 7:02 am

“The labour we delight in physics pain.” – Macbeth

Today is the first day of the new semester at UMSL.  Welcome back to school!  Hopefully teaching will bring me joy (as it usually does) and physics (i.e. cure) the pains in my hip and in my heart!!

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Love

August 20th, 2011 → 12:12 am

“I know no ways to mince it in love but directly to say ‘I love you.'” – Henry V

I still miss you Grandma.  And I wish I could tell you, laughing over cappuccino at a cafe along Bagdat Caddesi, that I love you very much.  Seni cok seviyorum buyukanne.

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Death

August 18th, 2011 → 7:41 am

“The private wound is deepest.” – Two Gentlemen of Verona

My grandmother passed away yesterday.  It’s hard not to have regrets, private thoughts deep in the darkest recesses of your heart.  When my mother lay supine in a coma, days before her own death, my grandmother bent over her body and cried “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so very sorry,” over and over again.  We each enter our own personal hell when someone we love dies, and I’m still looking for the anodyne that helps to draw out the pain…

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Iowa Straw Poll

August 14th, 2011 → 7:05 am

“They laugh that win.” – Othello

Congratulations to Michele Bachmann for winning the Iowa Straw Poll, I guess.

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians

The Environment

August 13th, 2011 → 7:01 am

“How hard it is to hide the sparks of Nature!” – Cymbeline

A few weeks ago I did an interview for HEC-TV on the environment, and the letter I sent to the EPA with Natalie Portman.  Well, here it is!  I’ve gotten a few emails from followers asking why I haven’t blogged about the environment yet, as I am an environmental economist in my day job, and I have no real excuse for the delay…  I will promise that this won’t be my last entry on environmental issues, and I’ll repeat it as many times as anyone will listen: we need to put a price on carbon already!!

Filed under: Blog & Other