Much throwing about of brains

I'm still strolling through Hamlet, although if you've had enough of that you can scroll down to the links and comments section.

Towards the end of Act 2 scene 2, our melancholy Dane, brightens up considerably when a troupe of players arrive at Elsinore. He is quite stage-struck and listens eagerly to gossip about the changing theatrical fashion. Apparently these controversies have been intense to the point of getting physical, as Guildenstern reports that "there has been much throwing about of brains."

Even the twit Polonius is jazzed by the new arrivals. He tells Hamlet that these are

The best actors in the world, either for tragedy,
comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical,
historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-
comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or
poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor
Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the
liberty, these are the only men.

(Harold Bloom borrowed from that speech and subtitled his little book on the play "Poem Unlimited.")

One little exchange sums up my theology. It occurs when Hamlet tells Polonius to make ready accommodations for the actors and the latter replies that he will "use them according to their desert."

Hamlet replies:

God's bodykins, man, much better: use every man
after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping?

(It is my prayer that none of us get what we deserve...)

He continues,

Use them after your own honour and dignity: the less
they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty.
Take them in.

HEALTH CARE. President Obama unveiled his plan for reform yesterday.

THE PICK OF THE LITTER. Here's an op-ed busting health care whackadoodleism by one of my favorite WV state senators.

PROBABLY BETTER THAN NOTHING. A scaled down jobs bill is moving in the US Senate with bipartisan support.

ONE PARTIAL SOLUTION TO THE JOBS PROBLEM. Here's another op-ed from the same place by my friend Rev. Matthew Watts about how adhering to HUD guidelines could create jobs for low income people.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN. Economist Jeffrey Sachs calls out the climate change denial industry here.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED