Sneaks! You took the words right out of my mouth - to quote Meat Loaf - especially if much of the future is with online degrees... We are a ready made uni in waiting.

This forum needs some organised silliness pronto - else wally will go off the edge.

yeah, I'm going to layer up today- just about to venture out to my teaching. But I like my new(ish) cyber look... so my avatar wil lhave to shiver just a bit longer.

The LibDems have 22 ministerial positions, and Cam only needs 20 LibDem votes to swing things the tory way... And if those 22 LibDems want to hang onto their top jobs, well what are they going to do?

Hiya! Am enjoying my chocolate with a glass of red wine, hhhhmmm.

Hi all, KB and I met today and had a lovely day of lunch and shopping, it felt like I'd known her for ages...

:-)

Are other Northerners still up for meetingin Manchester?

There's nothing wrong with having a crush on someone, surely he and his mates will think your firend has good taste? I'd just carry on as normal, and if anyone asks just be honest about it, why not? It's a natural thing, and your friend will probably go off him anyhow - at which point he will probably pursue her! Such is life...

How do you know there's no chance?

Hi 4matt, I live in a one bedroom housing association flat, so the rent's really cheap. It's in a converted Vistorian villa and I have beautiful bay windows in the living and bedroom and a giant arch window in the kitchen and gardans that are shared but massive and really well cared for by a gardner. It's also in a great location for transport, the local - huge and gorgeous - park and for shops, and the conversion is really well thought out so its cheap to heat. However! It is in a different city to my work and my department is in yet another city, so I spend a lot of time and money on the train. But I've decided to stay here because my friends are close by, I love the flat, moving is a pain and my contracts at work are temporary - at present. I'm 41.

FABULOUS! Have a wonderful time tonight, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

Hi Sue, so sorry to hear you didn't get the job. I can only re-iterate what the others have said: see if you can diversify, and keep going, you've done so much to be proud of and it has to pay off at some point, however niche your current area. Sending virtual hugs (((())))) x

Hey Alpacalover, WOW, it sounds as if you are totally on top of things, well done! And all best of luck for the viva tomorrow, I bet you will shine and be a super cool Dr. 8-)

LOVING the poem Jepsonclough.

I didn't notice the ad before either, I screen them out too. I think proof reading services are a bad idea anyhow, my friend's boyfriend, who once won an award for being a top English teacher, offered to proof read my stuff, but I've declined. I reckon I need to do this myself so that I can stand on my own two feet. Plus, no-one else can really understand exactly what you are trying to say and much can be lost, or expressed, in a grammatical detail.

Hi Sneaks, yeah, i'd go for some kind of pampering experience, like reflexology or a massage or something, but as you say it's the baby sitter situation then isn't it. Or some nice perfume, if you can find out what she likes? Or a meal out somewhere?

I don't know much about what 21 year olds like, apart from not doing essays or their own research, but I do know that mums like time off and time to themselves. My babied friends dreeaaam of afternoons wandering around the shops alone, or just going to the cinema. So something that supports that kind of experience.

Catalin, I know! For about two weeks when I was re-drafting my chapter my living room was half decorated and even though I spent copious rest time squashed into the sofa between piled up furniture, I didn't touch the painting once, or do any housework. I'm just catching up now. It's as if PhD work is 24/,7 even if I don't realise it. During writing periods I seem to either work or recover from work, and that's it.

Hi Wally, I don't have one. In fact, my supervisor never even mentions the phrase 'theoretical framework' (or 'methods' for that matter), but my old one did all the time. I have definitions of the concepts that I am applying and I outline them in my introduction - one of them is quite important to my work and I think it will offer something useful and new outside of that, I may try and get it published after all this is over. I do have three literature based chapters in which I discuss the history of the various concepts, how I have developed them and how they merge in my analysis. When I once said 'theoretical framework' to my supervisor he looked at me a bt askance and I had the feeling that he was thinking, 'put that copy of "how to get a PhD" down and think for yourself instead', maybe my project just doesn't need that kind of definition for what I am doing.