September 15th, 2012 → 6:49 am
“A staff is quickly found to beat a dog.” – King Henry VI, Part II
Protests against the U.S. appear to be gaining ground across the Muslim world; last I read they had spread to 20 different countries. All over a stupid video equivalent to a schoolkid prank? Have you seen the quality of that thing? I’m sorry but in my opinion what is really going on here is that some fundamentalists are using the video as an excuse to attack the U.S. because they need a scapegoat for their problems. Absolutely nothing justifies the killings and destruction that have gone on in recent days over a stupidly amateurish YouTube video.
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
August 24th, 2012 → 6:00 am
“We have seen the best of our time.” – King Lear
A friend emailed me the other day asking if I thought the world was on the decline; if morals had been abandoned by politicians, if the current generation was excessively lazy, if entrepreneurs and businesspeople were unconscionably conniving. I don’t know, but the fear that we are on the decline appears to be a repeated one throughout history. Every generation seems to think the next one is lazier, the politicians even worse, etc. I know they are from his plays, but Shakespeare repeatedly has characters saying that this is it, but was it? We have a lot of problems in this world, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not so narcissistic to think MY time is the pinnacle.
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
August 22nd, 2012 → 6:44 am
“Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart.” – Troilus and Cressida
A couple of days ago Todd Akin, the Republican challenger for the Senate seat in Missouri, made some remarkable claims, including that in instances of “legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” It’s ignited a firestorm of debate about abortion, women’s rights, and the Republican party. Akin has come under pressure to apologize, and indeed he has, but what has surprised me so far is that nobody is pointing out how his “apology” was totally bogus. He did not admit that he was wrong, merely that he used poor word choice. Indeed, he maintains that his heart (and thus his beliefs)Â are the same as ever. Why is anyone considering this an apology??
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
August 18th, 2012 → 8:09 am
“He’s loved of the distracted multitude, who like not in their judgement, but their eyes.” – Hamlet
I’ll give it to him, Paul Ryan is handsome. But that’s all I’ll give him. If you like his policies, or anything else about him, you’re part of the distracted multitude.
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
August 6th, 2012 → 8:10 am
“Now see that noble and most sovereign reason
Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh,
That unmatched form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy.” – Hamlet
What is up with all the shootings lately? Is there that much madness in the world? Is the opportunity to do mass harm just too easy? Things looked sunny and warm and happy yesterday, but clearly not for everyone…
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
August 4th, 2012 → 6:49 am
“Make not your thoughts your prisons.” – Antony and Cleopatra
I think of this quote every time I have to listen to one of my colleagues spout his crazy theories during lunch. Untested theories are all well and good, but they become prisons when you absolutely refuse to broach criticism of them or accept alternate perspectives that might challenge them.
But lately this quote has come to mean something more to me. Some days I just can’t get past my own annoyance at the world, and that in itself then frustrates me more! Ha! I wish sometimes I could just let things go already… let stupid thoughts just escape the prison of my mind and disappear…
Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life & Stupid/Evil People
July 14th, 2012 → 8:16 am
“This is the time that the unjust man doth thrive.” – Winter’s Tale
The scandals concerning bankers and Wall Street just keep coming. From Enron to Madoff and now to Barclay’s and the LIBOR manipulations. To be honest, Wall Street messing up and doing stupid things now and again doesn’t bother me as much as the rewards that these people continue to get. Inequality is a real problem in the U.S., in a way it hasn’t been since the 1920s. Extreme inequality isn’t just unjust, as I’ve stated in earlier posts, it is actually harmful to overall economic health. Bankers, who do not produce much of fundamental value and who keep making mistakes to boot, in particular simply get paid too much (i.e. “inefficient amounts” of) money. It does appear that this is the time that the unjust man (for let’s face it, they are also mostly men) doth thrive.
Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Stupid/Evil People
June 19th, 2012 → 8:03 am
“Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.” – Coriolanus
It probably is easier in nature to know who is your friend and who is your enemy. In “civilized” society, the backstabbing can be an utter surprise. I have got to remember that when I face the world every day…
Filed under: Blog & Stupid/Evil People
June 3rd, 2012 → 6:23 am
“His sword can never win
The honor that he loses.” – All’s Well That Ends Well
After four posts about Assad and what is happening in Syria I’ll probably lay off after this one. But Shakespeare just nails it with some of this stuff! Not only is violence, war, cruelty, and all that stuff bad, but it is also dishonorable. Doesn’t Assad care a wit about his honor?
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People
June 1st, 2012 → 7:47 am
“For this relief much thanks.” – Hamlet
I imagine John Edwards is feeling immensely relieved this week, after his trial ended with zero guilty verdicts. I know I’d be giving thanks if I were him.
Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People