Some thoughts for today, and The Dissertation Blues, March Edition

Hi All!
    A few disconnected, but all fun, thoughts for today:
    Today, March 11, would be the 61st birthday of Douglas Adams, author of A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Today, the Google Doodle honors the author, who died in 2001, with a cool interactive graphic that features some of the iconic images from Adam’s cult-classic novel.

    I honestly have always had a special place in my heart for this book since I read it in the sixth grade. (But for some reason I always have this recurring mental block remembering Mr. Adam's name and think that Ray Bradbury wrote it... total brain fail!!) So, to make up for my brain spazzes through the years, here's a cheers to Mr. Adams -- thanks, in memoriam, for a great novel, and the answer to "life, the universe, and everything" (aka, the number 42.) Check out the doodle at Google.com, today only!

    Okay! Next topic: So, Spring Break starts at Fordham University this week! But just to clarify: for grad students, spring break does not equal a trip to the Bahamas or even, for some, a trip home to see the family.  Most of us get excited for Spring Break because, with no classes to attend or to teach, it is a time to hunker down and catch up on work. Even if we do head to our hometowns, we are usually bringing at least some reading to do on our trip! (Perhaps, instead, we can hitchhike through the galaxy, or through nineteenth century America, or Elizabethan England, or turn of the century Russia, from our armchairs/ train seat/ airplane seat.)
    This year, Spring Break ends on an especially fun day: St. Patrick's Day! Here in NYC, St. Patty's day equals fun festivities for all -- not just the Irish or Irish Americans! This year, the big NYC parade will take place on Saturday, March 16th, so you even will have an extra day to take part in, and recover from, the festivities!!

    What are you doing for Spring Break? And what are your St. Patty's Day plans, here in the city and across the graduate student nation? If you have a second, let us know here at the Grad.Life blog! For this blogger, it's... you guessed it: more dissertation time!! Here's the March edition of my aunt's poem, The Dissertation Blues!

The Dissertation Blues

Part III: 

March

by Joy Zitelli

I'll rub up against the Blarney stone

to pay off this student loan

consult with St. Patty for some luck

My PHD will earn some bucks 

For nowI'll drink green beer

since dinnertime is drawing near

I'm craving cabbage and corned beef

to squelch my hungry tummy's grief...

Instead, I've got this vocabulary stew

to digest with 

dissertation blues.

Enjoy everyone! Until next time, Liza