Going for a haircut at 3 pm! I have a picture of the haircut I want and I have enough hair to afford it. She'd better be good!

I've written my ethics section finally - about 3,000 words in the end. There's a lot to think about but I developed a bioethical framework with which to approach it, paid particular attention to ethical matters with descriptive phenomenology (which basically says you're not allowed to use other formative theories - including ethics!) and conceded that there is no easy answer to adopting an ethical approach to mixed methods research. There isn't either - no-one has really looked at it. I had to conclude that I would have to remain pro-active towards identifying impromptu ethical issues as they arose and adaptive towards them.

Hmm, this is the kind of question that needs to be answered after a beer or two (but it's only around 2 pm and I've got work to do). I can perhaps after offer you some hard-earned words of wisdom after my 28 years on planet Earth. Watch this space Fredrhatt. As Swartzenegger says: "I'll be back".

Thank you everyone (and very well done, PhDbug) for you well wishes. It's not till April, so there's plenty of time to prepare and make sure I know my stuff.(up)

Yes it is very quiet. I was having a nose around PhDbug's mansion. Blimey, her library is enormous! I've also noticed that there are post-it notes stuck to nearly everything, with reminders to write and publish articles. I thought I'd borrow her house phone to ring for a taxi but it has no numbers on it - just direct lines to journal publishers and universities. PhDBug is a scholar - make no bones about that. My brain hurts from the cerebral stimulation, in fact! I'm going to give PhDBug an 8/10, I think. The food was nice, but the butlers looked a bit weary from all the hard work that Bug makes them do. Also Sneaks ruined it a bit for me again, after cruelly pushing me in Bug's lake and cackling like a witch.

HI Keithjames84, I'm most likely going to find myself in a very similar situation to you. A lot of PhDs can take up to 4 years to finish, and it is unfortunate that funding does not always reflect this. Is there no chance you could get your funding extended? I don't know your living circumstances, but could you move in with friends or family until you have written up. What about doing some paid work for the university, such as teaching (though this may now be difficult given the stupid immense cuts that are going to take place)?
I'm planning in getting a full or part time job when my funding runs out. I should have all my data and just need to write up. If they ask about my past 3 years, I will tell them that I was a teaching assistant at uni (not that I was doing a PhD), so not exactly a lie, just not as accurate as it could be. I'll hopefully get something minimum wage, or maybe a call centre job (they pay about 12.5K in the NW of England). Could you do something similar, or do you have children and family commitments?

I wouldn't worry about having a fat arse - unless it's actually space-hopper shaped. Latest fat arse research indicates that it is healthy to have a fat arse (so the reports in the media say). Apparently when fat is liberated from your bum, it doesn't realise the damaging, inflammatory chemicals that are released when fat is broken down from other areas of your body.

Get this! I have had an abstract accepted to give an oral presentation at the most major conference for my general discipline later this year! I have a 10 minute slot with 5 minutes of question time after. It's going to be packed with the most important and major researchers in my discipline, so basically, everyone who is anyone is going to be there. I am excited because this is a massive coup for me! I'm nervous because it's packed with real experts and they could pick me to bits...
What a day of contrasts it has been for me.

Oh dear, Bug. You've lost the musical cushions game and you know what that means...thems the rules!

Oh and yeah, it was the flippin' council's fault. They really should have gritted the road. Someone actually got in touch with them about it but they told him that he would need to ring the police to inform them, so that they could then get in touch with the council to do something about it. How convoluted and stupid is that?

Jojo and Florence, thank you for your advice. I've actually written down what you've said on paper. I've spoken to the chap and he seems like he'd like to settle amicably, as he doesn't want to claim from his insurance and I don't want him to claim from mine. It's a bit premature but, I think, we might just be able to settle it amongst ourselves. I'm mindful of what you said, Florence about it becoming a serious legal matter because of the expense.

Jojo, I'm fortunate that I wasn't injured. I must have only hit his car at about 5 mph, so I won't need to make an injury claim.

Hi Eska. I've taken pictures for evidence (on my phone) and there was someone else with me in the car, so I have support for how badly it was parked. The only thing is, I would have continued to just skid down and possibly regain control if the back end of his car hadn't been sticking out of the side road. The damage isn't too bad because the collision wasn't fast (I was just skidding down) but I'm hoping he doesn't try to claim on my insurance.

I've had a bit of an unfortunate incident with my car. No-one was hurt fortunately. What happened was I was driving down a steep hill and then all of a sudden my car hit a patch of snow and ice and just started to skid down. There was nothing I could do. As it slid down there was a car on a side road that was parked badly and had it's end sticking out. My car collided into the part of the car sticking out of the side road. Anyway, the police station wasn't far away from where it happened, so I went there to report it. It just so happens that the car was owned by a policeman who works there. He wasn't happy. He said he had only left it there temporarily whilst he got someone to move their jeep so he could park it properly. Who is actually liable here? Is it bad news for me?

Bit of an effeminate conversation here, but I'd like to say I'm probably edging the overweight side of the BMI scale, BUT, I hide it really well. I'll do something about it when I get my PhD done though - something like a get fit campaign. IN the meantime I'll launch Operation Walminski Eat Less...:-(

I'm surprised you need a distinction. I always thought that you're okay with a Merit to do a PhD. Anyway, I'm sure you'll be okay because you won't need to be as in-depth with your writing as with a PhD I would think.