I got 44, but most of the words came up 2 or 3 times

Our office was burgled yesterday; phones were taken from handbags.

Security were brilliant and took all the details, and said we would be entitled to a new, digital lock on the door. But bloody pen-pushers in the admin office have refused on grounds that fitting new locks is "too expensive". As opposed to replacing stolen stuff?

Gah.

Yes, I love raisin toast. And apricot jam.

My latest trick is, if I'm tempted to buy muffins or cookies (which I often am...bloody Ritazza on campus) is to offer half to one of the other students. Those cookies are always massive anyway.

For a birthday present, our lab group bought a nice fruit bowl from Woolworths and filled it with tropical fruit from the market. Less than 20 quid altogether, but she really liked it

H: I own two diamonds, both presents from my mother. They're nice enough, but I don't wear them unless I'm visitng my mother.

I prefer cheap and cheerful stuff!

You know, I've never understood the fuss over diamonds. I think jewels should be colourful!

What a nice guy

I suppose every girl is different. Maybe you could fill a fancy box with all her favourite foods; that would be a nice personal gift.

Or make a photo album of the two of you with some handwritten notes.

I don't if most supervisors dislike students taking holidays: one of mine does (see my previous post), but the others are OK.

The one who disapproves of holidays is actually retired but still comes in 8-5 every day. But he reads the paper from cover to cover, then makes tea, then reads a few emails. So when he tells me that holidays are unnecessary, I take it with a pinch of salt. I wouldn't be bothered about a break if I read the paper all day long, either!

Economic Left/Right: -6.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.67

Same quadrant as Mandela and Dalai Lama: worse places to be.

(blushes: I didn't know what "protectionsim" meant)

I've never heard of "pen drive". It's a flash stick as far as I'm concerned!

My dad's American ex-wife would say she was "p*ssed", meaning annoyed. But in the UK she was telling everyone that she was drunk (which she usually also was, but that's beside the point).

So true! I was at a one-day event last week, and presentations were over-running as usual, mainly cos some gobshite who liked the sound of his own voice a bit too much was "asking questions" of every speaker. In reality he was making speeches of his own that had no relevance: and we missed our coffee break cos of it

I also hate people who don't say thank you when you hold a door or step out of their way; and people who take two seats on a train whilst other people are standing; and people who slurp on their food in public - yeurch

No problem. I don't use MSN; why do you ask?

Not "skin", sorry. I meant "skim".

I don't think that all PhD theses are equally brilliant: you either get the PhD or you don't, and the same thesis could be viewed very differently by different examiners. Only last week an internal examiner told me that many examiners don't even read the thesis, they just skin the introduction and the discussion. On the other hand, a decent examiner will read all of it, and therefore, perhaps, will be more critical.

Well, I didn't say that there were actually positions available right now: but this is a place that does offer lots of PhDs. You need to contact them.