99995 bottles of beer......[sighs heavily @ long road ahead]

Aww don't worry. I had the same dismal letter from the ESRC last week, who have funded a whopping 1, yes that is ONE PhD in my research area! I am managing a FT degree with teaching work and a little sideline freelance marketing/media work.
The research councils are extremely competitive in the open comp's [I think I had a 26:1 chance] and knew it was unlikely, but it was still really disappointing. Also the lack of feedback about exactly where the application fell down and what they were looking for this year is fustrating as it makes it difficult to improve the application next time around.
I am glad you are going to stick with it though. Good for you. All the best.

Alas I do not have snooker loopy, just the Rabbit (medley version).
I also have the sound track to Bugsy Malone - that's fairly sad.

wow chas & dave circa 79 - I'm impressed. I was going to say I have the acolade of seeing the 2xs once at The Hackney Empire & once at The Mudchute festival ( deepest darkest east-end family fun day on The Isle of Dogs), but both occasions have been in the last decade I think 79 trumps Hackney Empire!
Sylvester Bonita Applebum samples "why?" by Carly Simon. On the subject of samples have you ever heard the Grey Album by Dangermouse which samples acappella from Jay Z's black album and samples from The Beatles White Album. Dangermouse is the man behind Gnarls Berkely, which sends me into a frenzy of irratation everytime I hear that bloody over played piece of s*** excuse for a song "Crazy" played. Can't believe it's the same artist.

Also & I defy anyone to declare anything more shameful
I have a signed Chaz n'Dave CD - jealous?

Sue, I have the whole of Raw Like Sushi on my iPod, LOVE Buffalo Stance & Manchild.
I also have De La Soul Magic Number, Tribe Called Quest Bonita Applebum & Can I kick it.
These are not songs of shame, they're too kool for skool.

BTW Sylvester you weren't by any chance listening to Bobby Friction & NihalON R1, last night were you? I heard them ask the Rishi Rich project the same question last night.

500 miles by The Proclaimers.
I made my friend come up the front with me @ The I.O.W festival this year and try and start a conga.

During a discussion of Kant in an ethics class when I did my M.A I quoted Witney Houston
"Its not right but its OK". True story.

using iChat & jabber. Amazing & the best bit, just clicked to print out the transcript.

Yes - tells us a bit more.

Agree. I've really enjoyed this discussion & Golf-pro, Richmond, Sue, Ed - everyone infact.
its nice we can have some meaty debate without spiralling into personal insults. ( the helmet argy bargy was a bit of a blip). Obviously I don't agree with you on a lot of it - but I do value your imput & ideas.

Good luck with your project Golf -Pro. I am Science & technology studies, though I work PT for a media analysis research group as well ( as you might have guessed!)

oops I mean Lancaster [spelling is not my forte either!]

Do you mean The Lancester Evening Post?

(Good) Journalists should not apply terms in a blanket way to any major conflict. The choice to describe an event as a death rather than a fatality, loss of life, mortality, murder, un lawful killing, accident - take your pick is a subjective manipulation of language, and an editorial and ideological decision depending on the political leaning of the institution.
There was a very interesting paper on this recently where someone looked at all the different UK newspapers and interviewed the editors on their policy for using the word terrorist and asked them for their definitions for other terms like fundamentalist.
Actually come to think of it, there are dozens of books and research on this.
Bias is natural, it annoys me when journalists in particular bang on about objectivity - what a load of baloney. Good journalism in my opinion acknowledges its bias.

Do you know Robert Fisk in the Independent? A highly successful journalist with a PhD, who has taken up the objectivity, is rubbish debate with The Times & is overt about his political leanings and bias.
We might not all agree with him politically, but to me that is honest journalism.

404 - how is your tooth? Did you check out the Brighton Dentist in the end?