Colbert Nation on Shakespeare

http://blog.indecision2008.com/2008/10/03/stephen-colbert-compares-the-candidates-to-shakespeare/ A friend pointed out this link while I’m at Disney.  Stephen Colbert apparently did a bit (with Stephen Greenblatt, no less) comparing the presidential candidates to Shakespearean characters.  I have not watched it yet.

Attack of My Shakespeare Geeklets

So we’re in the middle of Disneyworld at about 9pm, waiting for the fireworks to start.  We have run into some friends who have a 2yr old of their own.  My girls find a way to entertain him by singing the ABC song. “ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP,QRS,TUV,W,X,Y,Z,now I know my ABC, next time won’t you sing with me!” “How cute is that!” says the mother of the 2yr old. They’re not done.  “ZYXWVUT, SRQPONM…”  There’s a pause as it dawns on this woman (and people around us) what the kids are singing.  “LKJIHGF, E, D, CBA…” “Who taught them *that*?” I shrug and look at my 6yr old.  “Do the Shakespeare, that’ll really freak them out.” Katherine looks at me and says, “I don’t remember it.” “Yes you do, you’re just shy.” “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day, thou art more lovely and…something.” The funny part?  Nobody even noticed that little trick.  I think it’s because adults in the wild can still recognize the alphabet backwards (with a little time to think about it), but the Shakespeare goes right past them. 🙂

Kenneth Branagh To Direct Thor?

http://splashnewsonline.celebuzz.com/2008/09/kenneth-branagh-to-be-a-marvel.html Ok, this is pretty cool.  We’re at a place in time when comic book movies are huge.  Iron Man, Spiderman, Batman.  And they pick Kenneth Branagh, he of Hamlet and Henry V, to do Thor?  That should be downright fascinating.