Monday, August 11, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

As many, worthy lady, to yourself.

 

Eglamour

The Two Gentlemen of Verona     Act IV, Scene iii, Line 8                                   

Right back at you. That’s what Eglamour is saying to Silvia in response to her Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good morrow. The word morrow was used to mean morning.

I had thought for a moment that perhaps Today’s Totally Random Line might be one of those that we could work into our daily lives, but on second thought, perhaps not. The problem is that it only works because Sylvia offered a thousand times good morrow, not simply good morning. If someone were to wish you good morning and you replied with as many, worthy lady (or sir), to yourself, well, that just doesn’t make much sense. So perhaps we should work on getting Silvia’s line into daily use. Instead of good morning, next time you’re greeting someone, try going with a thousand times, good morrow; or maybe a thousand times, good morning, since morrow may throw them off. Then, if we use that enough, eventually we’ll get other people to use it, and we will then have our openings for As many, worthy lady (or sir), to yourself.

Yeah, that sounds right.

Update: My sister Jean, who stayed over with us last night, just came into the room where I’m typing. Naturally, I took the opportunity to say a thousand times, good morrow (I should have gone with morning). Jean, thinking I said a thousand times we quarrel replied with, that sounds about right. 

So that didn’t work out at all. Don't worry, I’ll keep trying.



A thousand times good morrow, Mr. Blagys. Say, I don't suppose you have any treats up there, do you?

See! Mojo gets it! 

As many to yourself, little buddy; but, sorry, no on the treats. 


Saturday, August 9, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Who’s there? Othello?

Ay, Desdemona.

 

Desdemona

                       Othello

 

Othello                Act V, Scene ii, Line 24                                   

 

This is the last scene of the play, and Othello being a tragedy, you know what that means. Yup, lots of dying about to happen.

Othello spends the first twenty-three lines of this scene talking to himself and the sleeping Desdemona about how and why he must kill his wife, before she wakes and utters the first part of Today’s Totally Random Line. He goes on talking to her and, after chatting for a bit, that’s exactly what he does: he smothers her with her pillow.

Again, tragedy.


Mojo listened to this last act of Othello with me (I have the Arkangel CD of Othello stored on my pc), and now the little guy is practically in tears. He was especially touched when Desdemona's maid Emelia started singing 'Willow, willow, willow' over her lady's dead body.

He's such a sensitive little fellow. 





Friday, August 8, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

No longer Earl of March, but Duke of York:

The next degree is England’s royal throne;

For King of England shalt thou be proclaim’d

In ever borough as we pass along;

And he that throws not up his cap for joy,

Shall for the fault make forfeit of his head.

 

Earl of Warwick

King Henry the Sixth Part III     Act II, Scene i, Line 195                                   

Warwick is talking to Richard who will become Richard the Third. No, not in this play, but in Will’s later play aptly titled Richard the Third.

You know, I can’t seem to help it, but that line about losing your head if you don’t throw your cap for joy as Richard passes makes me think of the United States of America in 2025…



Quick! Pull up Mr. Blagys, pull up!


 

Tuesday, August 5, 2025


Today’s Totally Random Line


What! Is my Lord of Winchester install’d,

And call’d unto a cardinal’s degree?


Exeter

Henry the Sixth Part I               Act V, Scene i, Line 29                            

I’ve no idea what’s going on here other than what I read in the stage direction: Enter Winchester [in Cardinal’s habit], a Legate, and two Ambassadors.

Presumably, based on Exeter’s comment, the Cardinal’s habit is something new for Winchester. I suppose I’d be a bit surprised too if someone I knew showed up in a Cardinals habit.  



These two see a lot of cardinals in cardinal habits. 
No surprises here.

 

Monday, August 4, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Away, and talk not; trouble us no more.

 

Saturninus

Titus Andronicus                          Act I, Scene i, Line 478                                   


I’m not sure what the context is here as far as Titus Andronicus goes, but it has perfect context to the phone conversation we just ended. We’ve been in Cally the past six days, and we just got off the phone. with Walker who’s back minding the ranch. We called to check in and make sure everything’s ok. Naturally, things are fine: he’s fine, Mojo’s fine, everything is fine. Walker was not too interested in talking (no surprise), and though he didn’t say it, we’re pretty sure his feeling was Away, and talk not; trouble us no more.

It's just amazing how incredibly timely these Totally Random Lines can be!



A Cally resident we ran into this morning.

Again, no Mojo; he's back at the ranch with Walker P.
 We'll be flying home tomorrow and back with Walker Peter and Buster P. Mojo late in the evening.


Sunday, August 3, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

His discontents are unremoveably

Coupled to nature.

 

Senator

Timon of Athens     Act IV, Scene iv, Line 227                                   

 

Of course, in today’s context, the senator is talking about Timon, who wants nothing to do with humanity. Timon has had it with people. I believe his attitude can be summed up in the immortal words of my friend Uwe: I hate people.

But, in a larger sense I think we can apply Today’s Line pretty much universally. Sometimes the nature referred to can be our own, and sometimes that nature can be nature at large. Case in point:

If either of our young men here, whether it be mild mannered Otto or SuperAug, makes a wrong move, his subsequent discontent will be unremoveably coupled to nature (in this case the nature being embodied in gravity).
 For the record, there were no wrong moves in this case. 

And just so you know, Mojo was not present for today's pic. He is averse to any situations that have a possibility for discontent, unremoveably coupled with nature or otherwise.

Monday, July 28, 2025


Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!—So, gentlemen,

With all my love I do commend me to you:

And what so poor a man that Hamlet is

May do t’express his love and friending to you,

God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;

And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.

The time is out of joint:--O cursed spite,

That ever I was born to set it right!—

Nay, come, let’s go together.

[Exeunt]

 

 

Hamlet

Hamlet                             Act I, Scene v, Line 86                                   

Oh boy, that’s a long one, isn’t it. I had to add the last four and a half lines above because it’s the end of the scene. Anyway…

This is the scene where Hamlet meets and talks to the ghost of his father. The ghost says that his brother, Hamlet’s uncle, murdered him, and he tells Hamlet that he must take revenge on his uncle. Then the ghost disappears and Hamlet’s buddies come rushing up to see what happened. They saw the ghost, but they didn’t hear what the ghost told Hamlet. The prince swears them to secrecy and then ends the scene with today’s short speech.

Hopefully, with that short explanation that I gave you, today’s lines should be pretty clear to you.


Clear as mud, Mr. Blagys.

  Today’s Totally Random Lines   This last old man, Whom with a crackt heart I have sent to Rome, Loved me above the measure of a fa...