In what may become a monthly ritual I've changed the name of the blog, leaving behind the descriptive pleasantries of snowflakes, Voltaire and Hogarth for something more prosaic and... useful. 'Intermittent notes' seems to be about right because this is far from a regular blog, yet there have been productive periods already and they will come again.
There's mention of the PhD in the title, but then there's also recognition that this is more than just a dry academic chronicle - oh yes.