At a guess, I would mindmap it. Write down all the ideas in the book on a sheet of paper, each in their own separate area, and then start connecting them. After a bit you'll probably have to redo it so that the ideas are easily linked (and so it makes any vague form of sense.) Then consider the layering of the arguments - what argument leads to the next? What are supporting views and what is the main view.

Once you've done that you'll hopefully have a structure and also a concept of what the central ideas of the book are. Write, then edit to size :-)

I also (as well as being fatter) currently have a beard. That's a phd change.....although its going tomorrow - just saw a photo of me with it.

Fat and bearded. Hmmm, I'm not sure I like what the PhD is doing to me!

I'm fatter.



Currently, that is all.

Goal 1: Not fall asleep.
Goal 2: Do some work.
Goal 3: Lunch.
Goal 4: Repeat goals 1 and 2.

I'm not sure about achieving goal 1 (I had 4 hours sleep last night), but I'm sure going to try!

======= Date Modified 27 Apr 2010 17:19:29 =======
Area of Research: Sarcasm on Internet Forums: Do readers get it?
Brief Topic of Research: Sarcasm is often conveyed through timing and through the intonation of the voice. Because it is impossible to utilise these methods textually on the internet, sarcasm often goes unnoticed; particularly by non-native speakers of the communicating language. This research would thus review the methods that have been utilised to communicate sarcasm on the internet with a view to establishing a framework for the recognition of it by non-native speakers.

Yes, you're being unfair. If, as you say everyone has a crush on him, then he will inevitably have higher standards for a potential mate. It's the inverse of "beggers can't be choosers". I'm not defending the morality of judging people by appearance, but attractiveness is a major feature of attraction and is also implicit in your sentence "but then, everyone does, as he's gorgeous". Anyhow, if it helps you could just do the classic female eye-roll-with-exhalation-"men".

Why do people continually request stupid things of them? An Ethnographic Study of the Online Interactions of PhD Students

Well, since supervisors must have been students once upon a time (possibly in a galaxy far far away.) How about a bong and an ounce of hash?

I have several notebooks, random bits of paper and... well the other day I wrote something on the back of a lightbulb packet. Mostly I write when I can't be bothered to log on to the computer and my creative juices are flowing. One of the reasons I utilised the lightbulb packet the other day was because I left my primary notebook in my parents' house. The other reason was that I couldn't be bothered to get out of bed.

I was thinking unemployment. Maybe a part-time job in a bar.

======= Date Modified 21 Apr 2010 21:38:58 =======
Sneaks, as a Politics student I encounter stuff like this daily. While it's nice to have a subject which a lot of people are open to discussing it does get slightly wearisome having to discuss things when people just fail to understand A) basic facts of political knowledge (like the electoral system) B) how to look at things from different angles (like the concept of democracy.) I've had such joyous conversations, ones like "If you've ever been robbed you should vote Tory" and "Nazis are socialists - see their actual name is National Socialists".

Then there's just David Cameron's policies - "Only graduates with a 2:2 or above should be allowed on PGCEs" (the vast majority of PGCE students already have a 2:2 or above and academic achievement is not the main requirement for being a good teacher) "We should take away benefits from people who refuse to work" (already government policy), "Public Sector chiefs won't be paid more than 20x the salary of the lowest paid person in a department" (affects 223 jobs at most...out of 7.1 million (0.00%.) This one really angered me because he said he was putting forward a radical agenda. If he wanted to make it radical he could have applied it to the private sector.)

I personally think that only Politics graduates should be allowed to vote.....and PhD voters should count double.

Hopefully the full relationship is

Chicken > Egg > Electoral Failure > Suicide

Okay, it's now 29. Weird thing is the stuff isn't brown. I've got this pale water that tastes of synthetic chocolate. Oh well, its not the worst stuff I've ever drank.

So my aim of writing 1'000 words a day was a pathetic failure. In part this was due to laziness, but it was also to do with feeling like crap. Constant discomfort in the lower right-hand abdomen, difficulty sleeping, headaches, etc. In fact, I felt so bad that I went to the Doctors today (which is a big thing for me or any average 23 year old male.) After several pokes, prods and listening to the workings of my digestive system my doc was a bit stumped. Since I seemed relatively alright she decided to follow a trial and error policy. Her solution (for this week at least): Chocolate Superlax. Sadly it's in drink form, but if anyone wants one I do have thirty (read 29 - I do follow doctors orders.)

Life just seems to have a sense of humour. Needless to say, I'm working from home today....close to the toilet.

I will beat that (I'll get in quick before anyone else weighs in) with a 102.

Although I do have a lot of endnoting to catch up on.