Not dead yet

...a state that still doesn't seem quite real after yesterday's prelim exam (the second of two eight-hour, three-question exams I must pass before proceeding on my way toward my PhD in political science; they're very much an end-of-the-beginning sort of rite of passage), which -- in addition to a surprising number of injuries I managed to suffer the last few weeks -- was the reason for the recent paucity and then absense of posts hereabouts. I'm back now, and have something resembling free time, so expect more regular posting for a while...at least until finals, anyway!