I’m the athletes in Utah; in Halifax, planes;
I’m the dance of Chicago; or Harlem refrains;
I’m a novel by Toni; a film Ken explains;
And the new Diet Pepsi that flavor contains.

Who am I?

UPDATE: Riddle solved by Annalisa. See comments for answer.

Via the Shakespeare Blog, comes news of an upcoming theatre event in England:

All eight of the bard’s history plays, covering 100 years of English history, are currently being performed at the RSC’s home in Stratford upon Avon (until 16 March) and then between April 1 and May 25 in London at The Roundhouse. The plays are Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VI Parts I, II and III, and Richard III

The RSC’s Artistic Director, Michael Boyd, has formed an ensemble of 30 actors (who have been preparing for 2 and a half years) to stage this epic venture and he believes it is the first time the history cycle has been staged by one company of actors.

Wow. That’s a lot of Shakespeare. I’ve always wanted to see someone try this, too. I’ve been working my way through the same series of plays from the BBC.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll get a chance to make it over to England to see this one by the end of May. But they’ve been preparing it for two and a half years. There’s no way these shows are ending on May 25. I feel fairly confident they will be coming to New York at some point.

And so, we wait.

I did this one already, but some felt that the O.J. Simpson reference was a cheap shot, so let’s try another anagram of the same passage.

From Othello:

Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then, must you speak
Of one that lov’d not wisely but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplex’d in the extreme;

Shift around the letters, and it becomes:

Othello’s wanting absolution, but too bad. Never expunge the element of the fatal. No matter how many times he explains, we will not keep it out.

Is any spoken excuse good enough to justify a murder?

I’m the boys dressed in blue; I’m the girls pushing mints;
I’m a man or a plane that goes searching for hints;
I go looking for talent in hoops or in sprints;
And I narrate a novel in Harper Lee prints.

Who am I?

UPDATE: Riddle solved by Annalisa. See comments for answer.

President Bush now has a job approval rating of 19 percent.

How bad is that? Even sugared gum was signed off on by one out of five dentists. That’s 20 percent.

His job approval is only 14 percent on the economy. The remaining 5 percent who gave him a thumbs-up overall must have been dazzled by the undeniably admirable job he’s been doing managing the Iraq situation.

It’s been a while since I’ve really written anything, but I’ve been busy with a number of things, mostly work related. I’ve also been working on a new resource for this website which should be available shortly. Watch this space!

Last weekend, I attended a social studies conference that I’ve been meaning to write about. One of the speakers was Phil Gersmehl, who discussed the latest research in spatial intelligence. It seems that there are now believed to be eight different types of spatial intelligence, each housed in a different section of the brain. He suggested that geography education, at an early age, could help to strengthen these abilities. I say, it’s never too late.

Via The Media Dude, here’s a geography game that will help you practice your map skills. His brother, The Boy Wonder, points us toward an old Nintendo game called Warehouse 18, which is less about dexterity and more about using spatial thinking to solve visual puzzles.

And yeah, I’ve been pretty busy with these, too.

When I rule three by five, I am partially lined;
I’m a listing of pages you’re looking to find;
I’m a way to express how the market’s inclined;
And the pusher of buttons your hand is assigned.

Who am I?

UPDATE: Riddle solved by Nilda. See comments for answer.

By now, you’ve probably seen the “Yes We Can” video, but I found it inspiring and wanted to post it here anyway. Enjoy!

And if you thought that one was inspiring, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet:

To traverse troubled waters, I’m built at great cost;
I’m the place on a ship where the crew can be bossed;
I am found in a mouth for the teeth that are lost;
And if burned even once, I can never be crossed.

Who am I?

UPDATE: Riddle solved by Annalisa. See comments for answer.