That is to say I’m not inhaling some sort of tobacco product, but I am vaping on a great semester. A brief update and then it’s back to studying.
Ice sculpture outside of the IDS Center, downtown Minneapolis. A subtle indication the Stones are coming to town this summer. I took this between sets at the Dakota by Mick Sterling, doing a tribute to the Stones (two blocks away). You cannot make this stuff up.
Before anything, let me note, the Stones are coming to town! A band I listened to my first stint at the U and one I continue to enjoy today. I actually met the Mick Jagger at the Sofitel Hotel in Bloomington (a depressing suburb of Minneapolis) in 1975 or ’76. I was working at Darcy McManus and Masius, an advertising agency not far from there. We had lunch there regularly (great salad and I have the dressing recipe if you would like). I was paying the bill when Mick walked in with Keith Richards and complemented my shoes (blue canvas with gum soles) and I said, “would you like them?” he laughed and said “thanks, but no, Mate” and I said “live forever.” True story.
After this post, I am writing him, reminding him of our close encounter and asking for tickets for the upcoming show. I’m certain he’ll remember me as he has had restraining orders on me for years. I’m a firm believer in always stay in touch with the one’s you touch, or in this case, those who have a restraining order against you.
But I digress, a quick recap: Greek History is an absolute hoot. We are studying the Iliad and Herodotus, a fifth century (BC of course) historian. He is a delightful nut ball. He writes the most outrageous things and then defends it by saying “Hey, that’s what I was told!” the guy ought to run for president.
My other history class, with the topic for this one is Rise of Hindu Nationalism, It’s a Hands-On History class (required for History majors) and amazing. While this one is on nationalism in India, it is really about the study of history. My professor—and I could actually say this about all my professors—is totally woke on the subject. The nationalist issue in India, between Hindus and Muslims, makes the race issue in the USA look like a mosquito bite. I wish them luck. I think sadly, as Leonard Cohen said, “There ain’t no cure, there ain’t no cure, there ain’t no cure for love.” In this case, hate.
POL 3085, Quantitative Political Analysis, is brilliant. Having sat in over hundreds of focus groups (all qualitative) in my life back in the ancient days of advertising, it is very cool to see analysis of opinion put to something other than dog food. I have been able to connect my Anthropology class to this one, tying Natural Selection to Voter opinion. Stay tuned.
Finally we have Earth Sciences which also dovetails off of my Anthropology class. Did you know Ring of Fire, written by June Carter Cash and song by her husband (his name was Karl, or something like that) isn’t’ just about falling in love but an Actual Ring of Fire that goes around several of the 13 major tectonic plates that live on our lithosphere? It rings around New Zealand up to Japan, further north to Alaska and down the western border of North and South America? It looks like someday we will all be falling in to a “burnin’ ring of fire.”
That’s it for now. And if by any chance you have a line on Stones tickets, “Start Me Up!”
More later, Yip, Yip.
walkingtowellesleydotcom 
Maybe you can fabricate some back stage passes like ya did back in the day? 😂
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