There and gone

The theme at Goat Rope lately is Shakespeare's Hamlet, along with the usual links and comments about current events. But before I go on, I want to pass on a "deep" thought that occurred to me about the theater.

WARNING: Some thoughts that seemed deep to me at the time turned out to be either total gibberish or else totally obvious-- like the time I was blown away by the fact that every time there were three cats in a room they would make a triangle if you drew line segments between them. (OK, I'm embarrassed, but what can I say?)

Anyway, here is my my deep and quasi-Buddhist thought about theater: the coolest thing about it is its impermanence. First there is nothing, just an empty stage. Then a more or less magical performance. Then the stage is struck and it's empty again with no residue.

Not there, then all there, then all gone. Just like us. And everything else.

EASY CHOICES. Here's an op-ed by yours truly about policy options for helping WV get through the Great Recession.

HAITI. This is the latest on the American Friends Service Committee's Haiti relief efforts, along with background on its approach.

NIGHTMARES, EARTHQUAKES, HAITI AND MORE are on the menu in the latest edition of the Rev. Jim Lewis' Notes from Under the Fig Tree.

CLIMATE CHANGE. This NY Times editorial argues for the benefits of a climate change bill.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED