Trick or Treat

October 31st, 2016 → 5:47 am

    “Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
    Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
    Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
    Thou com’st in such a questionable shape
    That I will speak to thee.” – Hamlet

And what I will say is:  “Would you like a Snickers or a Twix?”

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Filed under: Blog & Other

Shakespeare’s Co-Authors

October 27th, 2016 → 5:45 am

“Thus play I in one person many people.” – Richard II

The latest Shakespeare gossip is that Christopher Marlowe may have been Shakespeare’s co-author!  And that, essentially, perhaps many more of Shakespeare’s plays than we ever really realized were co-authored.  It kind of makes sense, as the theatre was so collaborative in those days; writers were also actors, actors were also stage managers, everyone did a bit of everything.  It’ll be fascinating to see what else science turns up – although, of course, nothing will ever stop the speculation, conspiracy theories, and general unknowns about our favorite Bard.

Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art

Lack of Time

October 19th, 2016 → 5:53 am

“Cormorant devouring time.” – Love’s Labor’s Lost

(Note: The cormorant is a ravenous sea bird that eats fish in large numbers.)

All of a sudden I’m crazy busy and can’t find enough time to get everything done.  I hate when it gets like this.  It’s exhausting!

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

“Commerce” in the 16th Century

October 15th, 2016 → 5:40 am

“It would make a man mad as a buck to be so bought and sold.” – Comedy of Errors

This line from Comedy of Errors has nothing to do with buying or selling anything.  It’s said by a servant who’s just pissed off at being ill-treated and abused and made to stand out in the cold.  The line struck me as, even in the 16th century, commerce clearly had a negative reputation.  We knew this already from Merchant of Venice, of course, but fascinating to see the same negative connotations pop up in other plays as well.

Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money

“Markets” in the 16th Century

October 7th, 2016 → 5:16 am

“I’ll meet with you upon the mart.” – The Comedy of Errors

I’m currently reading The Comedy of Errors with my online discussion group.  And I came across the above line in the first Act, where “mart” is used in reference to a market.  I looked into it, and it was quite common hundreds of years ago to use the word “mart” instead of “market,” though that isn’t generally done today.  As an economist in my day job, I find that fascinating.

Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money

The Downward Spiral of Trump

October 4th, 2016 → 5:03 am

    “Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful
    Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
    That has a name.” – Macbeth

And that name is Donald J. Trump.

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