© The Duplex by Glenn McCoy

“LAST March, Costas Karamanlis, just elected as Greek prime minister, shocked his countrymen by announcing that the country was “effectively run by five davatzides (pimps), ” reports The Economist. Indeed, it would be funny, if it wasn’t true. I guess a bit of house-cleaning would do the Greeks good, and speaking of house-cleaning I can’t fail to think back to the part in Zorba the Greek where the loving neighbors stripped a house empty while its owner was still dying in the bedroom.

Oh, the wonderful and only Zorba . I love him. My favorite quote is from the postcard he receives from Romania: “I’m still alive, I’m eating mamaliga and drinking vodka. I work in the oil mines and am as dirty and stinking as any sewer rat. But who cares? You can find here plenty of all your heart and belly can desire. A real paradise for old rascals like me. Do you understand, boss? A wonderful life … plenty of sweetmeats, and sweethearts into the bargain, God be praised! All the best.”

I apologize for temporarily abandoning these blog, but I have excusable reasons. I am in the process of writing my master’s paper and getting it in defendable shape. I know you will undestand. To leave you off with a quote for the next couple of days when I might not post: “Being smart is overrated, being aggressive isn’t” ~ James Granato (Political Science Program Director, National Science Foundation), during his visit in our department.

It’s finally looking like spring might be around the corner. Today was one of those sunny, crisp days that make you feel like a million dollars. Perhaps it’s just a side effect of the rush from the 95 minutes spent in the gym, but even coming to the office at 8 pm seemed bearable. And I know that in 3 months it will still be light out at 8 pm! Not too much going on to write about, obviously.

Thanks, Dan! This is absolutely hilarious.

This site with science photographs is great. I really should not have given up on college biology and Dinosaurs and Darwin. I still have nightmares about not being able to identify the dianosaur’s digestive stones (yes, they were in their stomachs and we played with them in lab!) on a pop quiz and slipping down the road of fuzzy social science. Oh, and this what the professor actually said about this class: “I love to teach this class because it’s for all the people who loved dinosaurs as a child.” Hmm, no, I was not one of these people I just really wanted to go to med school. And now that I found the interview with her I am mad at her because we never got to see any funky eggs: Soja has also led students to study the oviraptorid egg stored on campus.”The focus area for the students is how to develop a way to preserve the egg,” Soja said. “Students love seeing this fabulous specimen and [the study] been tremendously exciting to work on with Colgate students.” I feel screwed, cause I all ever got when I took that class was to touch some stones that they found in dinosaur shit and a solid B grade.

Now the only lab I am allowed in is Pond Lab, home of the progesterone hormone and currently hosting the political science department. Sometimes I am convinced I am sitting on Russel Marker’s old desk and I can feel his intelellectual spirit of a great inventor whispering in my ear: “Discover! Advance humanity!” Speaking of which, I really should be working on my master’s thesis and voting and leftness and cool political behavior things like that. Yeah, and if it’s still not obvious from my posting I have not slept much lately.

© The Duplex by Glenn McCoy

It’s almost the end of spring break and I have been watching this special beach week on the Travel Channel every day, sitting in the middle of central Pennsylvania and surrounded by melting snow. I have been trying to decide which one of these I like most. Tough choice, and very irrelevant given the miniscule size of my bank account.

Still, I think I am settled on the region of Fernando de Noronha in Brazil as my favorite. Now the question is, should I visit the outer sea or the inner sea beaches first. Dream on…

Absolutely the best thing I have heard in a long time. Husky lead voice, touching guitars. What more can you want on a cold evening? Curled on a soft pillow on the floor, I wonder if the 60’s were really as romantically rebellious as they sound in songs like this. Notes: The line about the crossroads is a reference to Robert Johnson, a guitar star who supposedly sold his soul to the devil for the ability to sing the blues; and the neck of Allman’s accoustic guitar is inlaid with mother-of-pearl spelling out “Melissa,” suggesting the song is not about a girl. Interesting.

Melissa by the Allman Brothers (1968)

Crossroads, seem to come and go, yeah.
The gypsy flies from coast to coast

Knowing many, loving none,
Bearing sorrow havin’ fun,
But back home he’ll always run
To sweet Melissa… mmm…

Freight train, each car looks the same, all the same.
And no one knows the Gypsy’s name

No one hears his lonely sighs,
There are no blankets where he lies.
In all his deepest dreams the Gypsy flies
with sweet Melissa… mmm…

Again the morning’s come,
Again he’s on the run,
Sunbeams shining through his hair,
Appearing not to have a care.
Well, pick up your gear and Gypsy roll on, roll on.

Crossroads, will you ever let him go? (Lord, Lord)
Will you hide the dead man’s ghost,
Or will he lie, beneath the clay,
or will his spirit float away?

But I know that he won’t stay without Melissa.

Yes I know that he won’t stay without Melissa.

.
P.S.Oh, and as always there are some omni-scient people , whose comments make me laugh my ass off. My favorite is “I think it’s about a man who killed somebody and is on the run from the law.” Ha-ha!

Today was so cold that I had memories of Colgate winters coming back constantly, hitting me with the fury of those oh-so-chilli-winds in upstate New York. And I wanted to say hi to fellow ‘Gaters reading this and to let you know that y’all are my bestest friends and I miss you very, very much! Write, call, or visit immediately!

This was supposed to be my first post inspired by the wondeful world of political science. Clearly, it is not. But the cartoon was too good to pass, plus I am one of those cartoon-obssessed generation X-ers Dan is talking about .