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May. 7th, 2012
"In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself"
May. 7th, 2012 09:00 amThe buzzard never says it is to blame.
The panther wouldn’t know what scruples mean.
When the piranha strikes, it feels no shame.
If snakes had hands, they’d claim their hands were clean.
A jackal doesn’t understand remorse.
Lions and lice don’t waver in their course.
Why should they, when they know they’re right?
Though hearts of killer whales may weigh a ton,
In every other sense they’re light.
On this third planet of the sun
Among the signs of bestiality
A clear conscience is Number One.
-- "In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself" by Wislawa Szymborska, translated by Stanislav Baraczak and Clare Cavanagh
The panther wouldn’t know what scruples mean.
When the piranha strikes, it feels no shame.
If snakes had hands, they’d claim their hands were clean.
A jackal doesn’t understand remorse.
Lions and lice don’t waver in their course.
Why should they, when they know they’re right?
Though hearts of killer whales may weigh a ton,
In every other sense they’re light.
On this third planet of the sun
Among the signs of bestiality
A clear conscience is Number One.
-- "In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself" by Wislawa Szymborska, translated by Stanislav Baraczak and Clare Cavanagh
"In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself"
May. 7th, 2012 09:00 amThe buzzard never says it is to blame.
The panther wouldn’t know what scruples mean.
When the piranha strikes, it feels no shame.
If snakes had hands, they’d claim their hands were clean.
A jackal doesn’t understand remorse.
Lions and lice don’t waver in their course.
Why should they, when they know they’re right?
Though hearts of killer whales may weigh a ton,
In every other sense they’re light.
On this third planet of the sun
Among the signs of bestiality
A clear conscience is Number One.
-- "In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself" by Wislawa Szymborska, translated by Stanislav Baraczak and Clare Cavanagh
The panther wouldn’t know what scruples mean.
When the piranha strikes, it feels no shame.
If snakes had hands, they’d claim their hands were clean.
A jackal doesn’t understand remorse.
Lions and lice don’t waver in their course.
Why should they, when they know they’re right?
Though hearts of killer whales may weigh a ton,
In every other sense they’re light.
On this third planet of the sun
Among the signs of bestiality
A clear conscience is Number One.
-- "In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself" by Wislawa Szymborska, translated by Stanislav Baraczak and Clare Cavanagh
Keeping a Journal
May. 7th, 2012 12:00 pmAt the end of each day some ancient philosophers would keep track of what happened during the day – what they did well and what they did badly. The idea is that if you want to change yourself and get rid of bad habits, first you have to track yourself. Humans are such forgetful and unconscious creatures, we don’t always realise who we are or how we’re behaving. So we need to keep track of ourselves.
-- Jules Evans
Personally, I mostly like the exercise of stringing words and sentences together. I just do not have the imagination or intellect to write fiction or serious non-fiction. Jotting down tidbits about my days and my musings is about as much as I am good for. I only need to keep the synapses firing a little in order to keep from suffering total brain death and to feel a little good about myself.
-- Jules Evans
Personally, I mostly like the exercise of stringing words and sentences together. I just do not have the imagination or intellect to write fiction or serious non-fiction. Jotting down tidbits about my days and my musings is about as much as I am good for. I only need to keep the synapses firing a little in order to keep from suffering total brain death and to feel a little good about myself.
Keeping a Journal
May. 7th, 2012 12:00 pmAt the end of each day some ancient philosophers would keep track of what happened during the day – what they did well and what they did badly. The idea is that if you want to change yourself and get rid of bad habits, first you have to track yourself. Humans are such forgetful and unconscious creatures, we don’t always realise who we are or how we’re behaving. So we need to keep track of ourselves.
-- Jules Evans
Personally, I mostly like the exercise of stringing words and sentences together. I just do not have the imagination or intellect to write fiction or serious non-fiction. Jotting down tidbits about my days and my musings is about as much as I am good for. I only need to keep the synapses firing a little in order to keep from suffering total brain death and to feel a little good about myself.
-- Jules Evans
Personally, I mostly like the exercise of stringing words and sentences together. I just do not have the imagination or intellect to write fiction or serious non-fiction. Jotting down tidbits about my days and my musings is about as much as I am good for. I only need to keep the synapses firing a little in order to keep from suffering total brain death and to feel a little good about myself.
Hamlet (3,1) Lawful Espials
May. 7th, 2012 06:16 pmBeginning the third act, we will let Marvin Rosenberg give us a little set-up, with Claudius setting a trap for Hamlet, and Hamlet setting a trap for Claudius. It is a court of deadly secrets.
The architecture of Act III is superb. After the peak of Hamlet’s last soliloquy, Shakespeare sustains a further movement ascending again in waves to a new summit. A steely structure in the first scene supports the forward action. A trap is set for Hamlet, by his might opposite. Great preparation for Hamlet’s walking into it. Hamlet enters on the way to setting his own trap, scents a snare, scents a snare in life itself [to be or not to be], can’t escape that, [then]confronts the adversary’s bait - Ophelia. Hamlet’s love story hangs in the balance; under great stress, Hamlet separates himself from Ophelia, who is left pointing toward desperation. The Shrewd adversary concludes from his trap that Hamlet is dangerous, and plans to exile him. Hamlet goes forward to set his own trap.
The first scene begins with Claudius and Gertrude sifting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for any discovered intelligence on the distracted, bedeviled Hamlet:
KING CLAUDIUS
And can you, by no drift of circumstance,
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?
ROSENCRANTZ
He does confess he feels himself distracted;
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
GUILDENSTERN
Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did he receive you well?
ROSENCRANTZ
Most like a gentleman.
GUILDENSTERN
But with much forcing of his disposition.
ROSENCRANTZ
Niggard of question; but, of our demands,
Most free in his reply.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did you assay him?
To any pastime?
ROSENCRANTZ
Madam, it so fell out, that certain players
We o'er-raught on the way: of these we told him;
And there did seem in him a kind of joy
To hear of it: they are about the court,
And, as I think, they have already order
This night to play before him.
LORD POLONIUS
'Tis most true:
And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties
To hear and see the matter.
KING CLAUDIUS
With all my heart; and it doth much content me
To hear him so inclined.
Good gentlemen, give him a further edge,
And drive his purpose on to these delights.
ROSENCRANTZ
We shall, my lord.
Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN
KING CLAUDIUS
Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;
For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,
That he, as 'twere by accident, may here
Affront Ophelia:
Her father and myself, lawful espials,
Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,
We may of their encounter frankly judge,
And gather by him, as he is behaved,
If 't be the affliction of his love or no
That thus he suffers for.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
I shall obey you.
And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.
OPHELIA
Madam, I wish it may.
Exit QUEEN GERTRUDE
Claudius is as desperate to uncover Hamlet's dark secret as Hamlet is to learn of Claudius's, and they shall both learn that the absolute worst case is the truth, and the mortal conflict is set.
The architecture of Act III is superb. After the peak of Hamlet’s last soliloquy, Shakespeare sustains a further movement ascending again in waves to a new summit. A steely structure in the first scene supports the forward action. A trap is set for Hamlet, by his might opposite. Great preparation for Hamlet’s walking into it. Hamlet enters on the way to setting his own trap, scents a snare, scents a snare in life itself [to be or not to be], can’t escape that, [then]confronts the adversary’s bait - Ophelia. Hamlet’s love story hangs in the balance; under great stress, Hamlet separates himself from Ophelia, who is left pointing toward desperation. The Shrewd adversary concludes from his trap that Hamlet is dangerous, and plans to exile him. Hamlet goes forward to set his own trap.
The first scene begins with Claudius and Gertrude sifting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for any discovered intelligence on the distracted, bedeviled Hamlet:
KING CLAUDIUS
And can you, by no drift of circumstance,
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?
ROSENCRANTZ
He does confess he feels himself distracted;
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
GUILDENSTERN
Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did he receive you well?
ROSENCRANTZ
Most like a gentleman.
GUILDENSTERN
But with much forcing of his disposition.
ROSENCRANTZ
Niggard of question; but, of our demands,
Most free in his reply.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did you assay him?
To any pastime?
ROSENCRANTZ
Madam, it so fell out, that certain players
We o'er-raught on the way: of these we told him;
And there did seem in him a kind of joy
To hear of it: they are about the court,
And, as I think, they have already order
This night to play before him.
LORD POLONIUS
'Tis most true:
And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties
To hear and see the matter.
KING CLAUDIUS
With all my heart; and it doth much content me
To hear him so inclined.
Good gentlemen, give him a further edge,
And drive his purpose on to these delights.
ROSENCRANTZ
We shall, my lord.
Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN
KING CLAUDIUS
Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;
For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,
That he, as 'twere by accident, may here
Affront Ophelia:
Her father and myself, lawful espials,
Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,
We may of their encounter frankly judge,
And gather by him, as he is behaved,
If 't be the affliction of his love or no
That thus he suffers for.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
I shall obey you.
And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.
OPHELIA
Madam, I wish it may.
Exit QUEEN GERTRUDE
Claudius is as desperate to uncover Hamlet's dark secret as Hamlet is to learn of Claudius's, and they shall both learn that the absolute worst case is the truth, and the mortal conflict is set.
Hamlet (3,1) Lawful Espials
May. 7th, 2012 06:16 pmBeginning the third act, we will let Marvin Rosenberg give us a little set-up, with Claudius setting a trap for Hamlet, and Hamlet setting a trap for Claudius. It is a court of deadly secrets.
The architecture of Act III is superb. After the peak of Hamlet’s last soliloquy, Shakespeare sustains a further movement ascending again in waves to a new summit. A steely structure in the first scene supports the forward action. A trap is set for Hamlet, by his might opposite. Great preparation for Hamlet’s walking into it. Hamlet enters on the way to setting his own trap, scents a snare, scents a snare in life itself [to be or not to be], can’t escape that, [then]confronts the adversary’s bait - Ophelia. Hamlet’s love story hangs in the balance; under great stress, Hamlet separates himself from Ophelia, who is left pointing toward desperation. The Shrewd adversary concludes from his trap that Hamlet is dangerous, and plans to exile him. Hamlet goes forward to set his own trap.
The first scene begins with Claudius and Gertrude sifting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for any discovered intelligence on the distracted, bedeviled Hamlet:
KING CLAUDIUS
And can you, by no drift of circumstance,
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?
ROSENCRANTZ
He does confess he feels himself distracted;
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
GUILDENSTERN
Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did he receive you well?
ROSENCRANTZ
Most like a gentleman.
GUILDENSTERN
But with much forcing of his disposition.
ROSENCRANTZ
Niggard of question; but, of our demands,
Most free in his reply.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did you assay him?
To any pastime?
ROSENCRANTZ
Madam, it so fell out, that certain players
We o'er-raught on the way: of these we told him;
And there did seem in him a kind of joy
To hear of it: they are about the court,
And, as I think, they have already order
This night to play before him.
LORD POLONIUS
'Tis most true:
And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties
To hear and see the matter.
KING CLAUDIUS
With all my heart; and it doth much content me
To hear him so inclined.
Good gentlemen, give him a further edge,
And drive his purpose on to these delights.
ROSENCRANTZ
We shall, my lord.
Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN
KING CLAUDIUS
Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;
For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,
That he, as 'twere by accident, may here
Affront Ophelia:
Her father and myself, lawful espials,
Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,
We may of their encounter frankly judge,
And gather by him, as he is behaved,
If 't be the affliction of his love or no
That thus he suffers for.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
I shall obey you.
And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.
OPHELIA
Madam, I wish it may.
Exit QUEEN GERTRUDE
Claudius is as desperate to uncover Hamlet's dark secret as Hamlet is to learn of Claudius's, and they shall both learn that the absolute worst case is the truth, and the mortal conflict is set.
The architecture of Act III is superb. After the peak of Hamlet’s last soliloquy, Shakespeare sustains a further movement ascending again in waves to a new summit. A steely structure in the first scene supports the forward action. A trap is set for Hamlet, by his might opposite. Great preparation for Hamlet’s walking into it. Hamlet enters on the way to setting his own trap, scents a snare, scents a snare in life itself [to be or not to be], can’t escape that, [then]confronts the adversary’s bait - Ophelia. Hamlet’s love story hangs in the balance; under great stress, Hamlet separates himself from Ophelia, who is left pointing toward desperation. The Shrewd adversary concludes from his trap that Hamlet is dangerous, and plans to exile him. Hamlet goes forward to set his own trap.
The first scene begins with Claudius and Gertrude sifting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for any discovered intelligence on the distracted, bedeviled Hamlet:
KING CLAUDIUS
And can you, by no drift of circumstance,
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?
ROSENCRANTZ
He does confess he feels himself distracted;
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
GUILDENSTERN
Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did he receive you well?
ROSENCRANTZ
Most like a gentleman.
GUILDENSTERN
But with much forcing of his disposition.
ROSENCRANTZ
Niggard of question; but, of our demands,
Most free in his reply.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Did you assay him?
To any pastime?
ROSENCRANTZ
Madam, it so fell out, that certain players
We o'er-raught on the way: of these we told him;
And there did seem in him a kind of joy
To hear of it: they are about the court,
And, as I think, they have already order
This night to play before him.
LORD POLONIUS
'Tis most true:
And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties
To hear and see the matter.
KING CLAUDIUS
With all my heart; and it doth much content me
To hear him so inclined.
Good gentlemen, give him a further edge,
And drive his purpose on to these delights.
ROSENCRANTZ
We shall, my lord.
Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN
KING CLAUDIUS
Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;
For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,
That he, as 'twere by accident, may here
Affront Ophelia:
Her father and myself, lawful espials,
Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,
We may of their encounter frankly judge,
And gather by him, as he is behaved,
If 't be the affliction of his love or no
That thus he suffers for.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
I shall obey you.
And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.
OPHELIA
Madam, I wish it may.
Exit QUEEN GERTRUDE
Claudius is as desperate to uncover Hamlet's dark secret as Hamlet is to learn of Claudius's, and they shall both learn that the absolute worst case is the truth, and the mortal conflict is set.
Commencement Speeches
May. 7th, 2012 09:00 pmI know that I'm supposed to tell you to aspire to great things. But I'm going to lower the bar here: Just don't use your prodigious talents to mess things up. Too many smart people are doing that already. And if you really want to cause social mayhem, it helps to have an Ivy League degree. You are smart and motivated and creative. Everyone will tell you that you can change the world. They are right, but remember that "changing the world" also can include things like skirting financial regulations and selling unhealthy foods to increasingly obese children. I am not asking you to cure cancer. I am just asking you not to spread it.
-- Charles Wheelan
Yeah, Good luck with that! It is all about pursuing your own interests and taking advantage of your advantages to make the most of it. The invisible hand will have to take care of the rest.
.
-- Charles Wheelan
Yeah, Good luck with that! It is all about pursuing your own interests and taking advantage of your advantages to make the most of it. The invisible hand will have to take care of the rest.
.
Commencement Speeches
May. 7th, 2012 09:00 pmI know that I'm supposed to tell you to aspire to great things. But I'm going to lower the bar here: Just don't use your prodigious talents to mess things up. Too many smart people are doing that already. And if you really want to cause social mayhem, it helps to have an Ivy League degree. You are smart and motivated and creative. Everyone will tell you that you can change the world. They are right, but remember that "changing the world" also can include things like skirting financial regulations and selling unhealthy foods to increasingly obese children. I am not asking you to cure cancer. I am just asking you not to spread it.
-- Charles Wheelan
Yeah, Good luck with that! It is all about pursuing your own interests and taking advantage of your advantages to make the most of it. The invisible hand will have to take care of the rest.
.
-- Charles Wheelan
Yeah, Good luck with that! It is all about pursuing your own interests and taking advantage of your advantages to make the most of it. The invisible hand will have to take care of the rest.
.