So, Harvard Law is thinking of changing – just a bit – its pedagogical reliance on the Socratic method for a more problem-solving method? Hmm.
May/June reading: Shakespeare’ Julius Caesar. Very interesting read, since it’s been years since I last read it (way back in 9th grade English). With adult eyes and increased knowledge on both Shakespeare and Roman history, I came to really appreciate what was going on in the play:
– Brutus thinks he’s the hero, but he really isn’t, because he really believes his fight for the Ideal Roman Republic will succeed – and maybe that makes him naive.
– Who really is the Hero: Brutus and his conspirators (and while we know Brutus’ agenda, what exactly were the others getting, besides expressing their personal dislike of Caesar?) vs. the no less ambitious and probably less-democratically inclined Mark Antony and Octavius (soon to be Augustus) Caesar? History and Shakespeare notes that Antony and Octavius win (well, actually, just Octavius, since Antony didn’t win either), but we are meant to still feel bad for Brutus, I think.
– And fate (or Fate) really will do a number on you.
– And, boy, is that Mark Antony a sly politician. No wonder he’d lose, because he’s no smarter than Brutus. Octavius’ one weakness was his youth, but he’d overcome that, as History illustrates.
– Women really don’t come out looking so good in Julius Caesar: neither Caesar nor Brutus listened to or confided in their wives.
(Disclosure: I spent a semester studying Roman history in college; yep, that’s what being a history major at a major liberal arts school does to you – and, mind you, I chose to take that class and it proved quite interesting – those Romans were certainly something).
Monday night: NYC’s local WB channel broadcasted the series finale of “Everwood,” which I taped and will watch later, to at least bear witness to the end of a perfectly good WB show before the local WB becomes the local CW. Why CW chose to renew “Seventh Heaven” over “Everwood,” I can’t begin to fathom. No, actually, I can: “Seventh Heaven” is a long-running 10-year old show that has the pretense of Good Christian and Family Values (never minding the fact that Rev. Camden’s denomination was never clear beyond that the Camdens were some kind of Protestants, since they were pretty obviously not Catholic).
On the other hand, “Everwood” was a show that got pretty visceral over such realities as: life sometimes really, really suck; death really, really sucks; there are times when you hate your parents or your kids or both, and vice versa; love can drive you really, really crazy; and it’s hard to make the life and career balance; and when you’re talented, what do you do with that talent? Plus, “Everwood” had a diverse (well, sort of) world view: you got your Jews and your Christians; an older interracial married couple (who the writers broke up with the passing of Irv, leaving poor Edna a widow again); the married middle aged couple who dealt with the wife’s cancer bout (Dr. and Mrs. Abbott’s travails were very nicely portrayed); Ephram Brown’s travails of love, life and getting over having left NYC for Colorado due to his dad’s good/sometimes selfish intentions; etc.
Maybe CW was too afraid to keep such a show on. Who knows? Everwood, CO, will be missed.
Meanwhile, CW’s keeping UPN’s sitcoms of “Everyone Hates Chris” and “Girlfriends.” For one perspective, I’ll highlight that Slate has an interesting article analyzing the show “Girlfriends.” I sometimes watch the reruns (or at least I did when our local UPN aired them; now that they lost the UPN name and rights, they don’t air them anymore), and I find the sitcom funny. I can see how it transcends and confronts issues of race and class, and it’s a nicely done ensemble, but more importantly – well, it’s just funny. (Kelsey Grammar’s a producer, so he, being the ex-Frasier, ought to know what he’s doing). Plus, it’s funny watch the two attorneys: William, who so loves being an attorney at Big Firm, and Joan (played by Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Diana Ross; well, during the course of the series, Joan leaves Big Firm, since she realizes that she hated being a lawyer – oh, well, nothing new there in the world of law practice and for lots of attorneys).
I was behind on my Time magazine reading, so I mention these here now:
Dragon Boat Racing is apparently turning into quite a business opportunity.
And, Time reports that yogurt may turn into the next best thing since pizza and coffee in the wonderful world of food business. Huh?
Sigh. I wish I had another weekend already. In fact, a three-day one would be nice…