Is this cute or ugly? [link]

I can't decide!! i need to see it on a human. i'm leaning towards cute though.

There's no other playwright (or writer of any kind, actually) even close to being as influential as Shakespeare in the latter regard.

See I'm not so sure of even this statement. When you look at the impact that writers in other languages had in dealing with the constraints of verisimilitude and in shaping the way that subversive text could be fit within a rigic framework there are some amazing things that come to the surface. That also throws to the side the classic Greek and Roman writings that predate Shakespeare. Yes, he is important, but I don't think he's the penultimate example of writing. I don't think that any one writer could ever have that influence.

Ugh. Fuck cancer. Turns out my choir director's wife and fellow alto has a worse diagnosis than expected:

The kidney mass is identified as transitional cell carcinoma of high grade and stage. The one good thing about this diagnosis is that it is now crystal clear that removing the kidney was the right and only thing to do. The bad news is that this cancer has a not inconsiderable likelihood of reoccurring elsewhere in the body. As the doctor explained, there are two things that have to happen for that to occur: first, cancer cells have to have escaped the kidney, which is likely to have happened over the last year as the cancer was growing through areas packed with tiny blood vessels; second, the cancer cells have to find a place to set up camp, which is less likely though not negligible.

ETA in the rest of her post she much more optimistic than I can imagine in her circumstances--not in a faux cheery way, but tough and grounded. Of course, she blogged it two days after the diagnosis, so maybe that's how long it took to get to that point.

That sounds scary, Susan. I hope your fellow alto has managed to avoid metastasis.

I can't decide!! i need to see it on a human. i'm leaning towards cute though.

I can't either! I need something cute, though, to wear to meet the boy's family. I mean, I probably own something, but that's no fun!

See I'm not so sure of even this statement. When you look at the impact that writers in other languages had in dealing with the constraints of verisimilitude and in shaping the way that subversive text could be fit within a rigic framework there are some amazing things that come to the surface. That also throws to the side the classic Greek and Roman writings that predate Shakespeare. Yes, he is important, but I don't think he's the penultimate example of writing. I don't think that any one writer could ever have that influence.

Shakespeare's linguistic influence comes from being the most widely disseminated text from the period where Modern English emerged. As Ginger notes, Shakespeare and the King James bible are cultural bedrock for English as we speak it today.

So I'm just arguing his influence on an extra-literary level. The English language was going through a period of extreme fluidity and change in his time and he had a huge impact on how English would and could be used going forward.

It's his genius, but also his timing.

I wanted to ask - why are the only shoes they own sneakers or sandals? do they never have to dress up? Or am I crazy?

I think it's weird. But I also think the resort's dress code is weird. They should just not allow kids. Because it's VACATION. Kid's shouldn't have to wear shoes on vacation unless it's for safety reasons. Like frostbite.

Vortex, I'm not so flummoxed by the woman complaining about buying shoes (although, yo? even if you don't have the kids shoes, if you can afford to go to such a high-falutin' joint, then you can pony up for some loafers) as I am that a resort in Mexico WON'T ALLOW SANDALS?!

What are you supposed to wear to the pool or the beach? 4" Manolo stiletto's? What if you leave to sightsee? Do you have to pack your Prada's?

I have to wonder if it's only the restaurant(s) and bars in the resort that have the rule. One would hope...

I wish I'd had a teacher like you and a class like that when I was in high school, Kristin.

me, too. I think it also depends on the parents and what the principal thinks they will complain about. When I was working on a play in my high school after I had graduated from college, I was basically told that we could not mention God/Faith, because of separation of church and state. The play we were doing was the Diary of Anne Frank, so it sort of needed a mention, but they were afraid parents would think we were preaching at their children. (this is upstate ny about 10-12 years ago, so things may have changed for the better)

I think it also depends on the parents and what the principal thinks they will complain about.

This is still very true. Draconian Dictator thinks they will complain about everything. The students feel like he treats them like they are in elementary school instead of high school.