Saturday Shakespeare

I think thou art an ass.

The Comedy of Errors 3.1.15

Thanksgiving

For all things beautiful, and good, and true;
For things that seemed not good yet turned to good;
For all the sweet compulsions of Thy will
That chastened, tried, and wrought us to Thy shape;
For things unnumbered that we take of right,
And value first when they are withheld;
For light and air; sweet sense of sound and smell;
For ears to hear the heavenly harmonies;
For eyes to see the unseen in the seen;
For vision of the Worker in the work;
For hearts to apprehend thee everywhere; --
We thank Thee, Lord.

--John Oxenham

Ya think?

Study Links Drop in Test Scores to a Decline in Time Spent Reading

By MOTOKO RICH

Published: November 19, 2007

Harry Potter, James Patterson and Oprah Winfrey’s book club aside, Americans — particularly young Americans — appear to be reading less for fun, and as that happens, their reading test scores are declining. At the same time, performance in other academic disciplines like math and science is dipping for students whose access to books is limited, and employers are rating workers deficient in basic writing skills.

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Saturday Shakespeare

...His reputation is as arrant a villain and a jack sauce as ever his black shoe trod upon God's ground and his earth...

The Life of King Henry the Fifth 4.7.133-135

The Methodist take on NCLB

I found an official statement from the United Methodists on one of my least favorite federal mandates: No Child Left Behind.

I like what they have to say.

Optimism

Just when I think that I have no reason to look forward to the future, I find something like this on Dave's blog.

Play a game. Feed the world.

How cool is that?

No surprise here

I yonked this from Julie Carter
It's because I'm bad, very bad.

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

A new look at terrorism from Princeton

Why are better educated, more advan­taged individuals more likely than others to join terrorist groups? I think of terrorism as a market, with a supply side and a demand side. Individuals, either in small groups or on their own, supply their services to terrorist organizations.

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Saturday Shakespeare

Bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!

Hamlet Prince of Denmark 2.2.565-566

Eating my heart out

Argh! Argh!

Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner are doing “Cyrano de Bergerac” at the Richard Rodgers Theater in Manhattan.

I will never get to see it.

Argh!

On the other hand, Kline, and many other actors of note, are going to be in the movie of The Tale of Desperaux.

Plus, I had a bobcat in my front yard yesterday morning.

I suppose there are some benefits to living in the hinterland.