http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:50:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Via Electoral-Vote.com, we find a website with pictures of some of the disputed ballots in the Minnesota Senate recount. You can also vote on whether each ballot should count, though it's just for fun. If Franken wins the recount, the eyes of the nation will be on the ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/931 When in bridge, I'm the suit that is mostly desired; When I'm up, I'm false charges that have been conspired; When I'm last, I can wake those already expired; But you probably know me for saying "You're fired!" Who am I? UPDATE: Riddle solved by Ro. See comments for answer. http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/927 I’m always curious to see what search terms bring people to this site. Here is a list of some of the search terms that brought people here today: shakespeare and technology tudor riddles riddle for a waste paper basket plays genres josh lymon secret service codename descendants of king george vi shakespeare reading group what did the tudors ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/920 We know who our next president is going to be, but political junkies are still keeping a close eye on the race for the Senate. If the Democrats can take 60 of the 100 seats, they will have a fillibuster-proof majority. Right now, they have 57. All signs point ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/917 Is Obama president yet? http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/915 I am excited to announce a new (though temporary) weekly feature to the blog, inspired by the book Euonia by Christian Bök. The book has five chapters, each using only one of the five vowels (A, E, I, O, U), and excluding the other four. I thought it ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/907 From Richard III: Hear me, you wrangling pirates, that fall out In sharing that which you have pill’d from me! Which of you trembles not that looks on me? If not, that, I being queen, you bow like subjects, Yet that, by you depos’d, you quake like rebels? Shift around the letters, and ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/904 Via the Shakespeare Geek, we find a website that uses a Markov chain to generate an alternate version of Hamlet. Check it out! From what I can tell, the site works from a table of which words follow other words in the play, and how often. It then constructs ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/900 I'm the final frontier, as a few would suggest; I loom large on the keyboard, but nothing when pressed; I'm a Washington needle; your car's place to rest; And I'm traded on TV, as Paige can attest. Who am I? UPDATE: Riddle solved by a Glo County H.S. student. See comments for answer. http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/893 Via Electoral-Vote.com (which I'm still reading for some reason), we find another really cool map. This is an animated GIF showing the electoral results by county for every presidential election from 1960 - 2004. It's called Purple America, and it was created by from Robert Vanderbei from Princeton ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/885 Michelle Obama's Secret Service code name is Renaissance. Very cool. Her husband's codename is Renegade, and the kids are Radiance and Rosebud. More codenames can be found here and even more here. At first, I thought it was odd that they would give all of the family members names that ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/882 The First Folio (1623) delineates Shakespeare's plays into three genres: Comedy, Tragedy, and History. More recent scholars added the category of Romance to describe some of his later plays, and there is also a fifth, more nebulous, category that goes by several different names, which describes plays like Troilus ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/875 I was looking over the current electoral map, and I realized something extraordinary. If Obama took the states where he won by 7 percentage points or more, and McCain took all of the states where Obama won by 6 points or less, Obama would still have won the election ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/871 From Richard III: Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac’d peace, With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days! Shift around the letters, and it becomes: Oh, a mosaic of midnight paeans to this worthy president-elect cried mirthful pomp. "Yes, we can!" http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/867 I've always been a fan of both Rahm Emanuel and The West Wing, but only just learned, via The Media Dude, that Rahm was the model for the fictional Josh Lyman. Josh Lyman, of course, becomes Chief of Staff for Matt Santos, as life continues to imitate art... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/860 I'm the shape of the world, whether circle or sphere; I'm a cartridge of ammo; or eighteen holes clear; I'm a lean cut of meat from the back of the steer; And the tab to buy each of your buddies a beer. Who am I? UPDATE: Riddle solved by Ro. See comments for answer. http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/855 I was impressed by McCain's gracious concession speech. Typically, during these speeches, the conceding candidate's supporters boo the winner, affording the candidate the opportunity to be portrayed as a healer by urging post-election unity. In this speech, there was some of that, but it was kept to a ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/850 As I write this, Ohio is being called for Barack Obama, which pretty much locks in his victory tonight. And this is a historical moment for so many reasons. It's not just that we are going to have an African-American president, which in itself is a monumental marker of progress. ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/847 I know, voting can be a hassle. And it really won't make much of a difference anyway, right? But here are ten reasons you may want to consider showing up and making your voice heard on Election Day. 10. Because It's a Ritual You may not be personally deciding who ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/835 I’ve been watching reruns of The West Wing on Bravo. Lately, they’ve been showing episodes from the last two seasons. I am a huge fan of the show, but only have the first four seasons (the Sorkin years) on DVD, so this is a big treat for me. ... http://www.shakespeareteacher.com/blog/archives/833