I'm curious. I've never experienced this behaviour in an academic environment - who do they name drop?

I'm currently in DC (on fieldwork) and just met the biggest namedropper ever. They toured me round so many things and introduced me to, frankly, irrelevant people (I'm trying to sort out interviews with elites...she took me to the Congressional job service.) She also introduced herself to tons of people and was seemingly constantly trying to network. Most of her contacts seemed shallow (or wildly irrelevant) but, hey, I did have some interesting stories because of it.

Based on my recent experience, I think people who namedrop tend to have superficial relationships with those people. Also, it doesn't really matter who you know, so I wouldn't really worry about it.

I agree with the others, yours is a completely normal reaction. I think there are three main points. First, even if she is offering, it's not really fair on his mum and could easily make things weird between the three of you (money (or free rent, in this case) and relationships is not really a good idea.) Second, £300 on travel a month is tons; how long would it take each day? Commuting destroys both body (you get fat because you're sat on your arse and it's tiring, which puts you off exercise when you get home) and soul (it's boring.) Third, couples should create their own space where they can jointly feel comfortable rather than moving in to someone else's space where you feel you can never relax.

I had a weird day, a very weird day. I'm currently in DC doing fieldwork (which is great!) but today I was just overwhelmed by craziness.

It started off with a Christian New World Order dude telling me that Prince William is clearly being lined up to be the new ruler of the world and that "nothing happens without someone wanting it". I thought about trying to explain how in my research there are so many actors and compromises that policy process outcomes are never the outcome of any single person (that's before I start talking about the outcomes of policy). but I didn't - it would have been a waste of time.

It was quickly followed by a Masters-level-educated "researcher" telling me that, as part of her "research" she had found out that the Holocaust never happened. Idiotically, I prolonged the conversation by asking her if she had interviewed any holocaust survivors, which she ignored and then continued to spout absolute shite that wasn't even vaguely consistant with actual history.

I then had an interview with someone who had done a PhD (tip for elite interviewers: do try to find people who have done PhDs - they are way more liable to help you out and understand your position) and she happened to mention that it's strange doing a PhD because you have to try to be fair and openminded in judgements, and can't jump to conclusions.....which is, imo, exactly how you avoid being a conspiracy theorist.

So anyway, I topped the day off by walking past a group protesting outside a metro station. I was happy to ignore it until I saw a picture of Barack Obama with a Hitler moustache and a British flag in the background saying something like "Declare Independence from Britain". I just had to find out what they meant. It was something that linked the financial bailouts (hence Britain) and climate change that somehow meant that Obama was trying to kill off 80% of the population of the planet. I can't really explain it, but, then, neither could he.

Anyhow, I have spewed forth my story in order to ask the question: do you ever worry your work is becoming detached from reality or is following lines of thought that don't tally with important facts? I also wrote it because, fuck me, its been a strange day.

I have my own desk in a six person capacity office, which currently only has four people (of whom only one regularly shows up.) Because of this situation, and because I moved into the office before everyone else (it was a faculty staff room previously) it has been well decorated by me and the other guy who comes in - really quite homey now.

I work a 5/6/7 day week at the office, but don't really have much of a set routine time wise (my hours are something like 10-12 get there 4-7 leave.) The weekend is normally a half day, although I sometimes just get in the groove.

I've liked quotes at the start of writing ever since I wrote a night-before essay where the quote at the start and the conclusion linked up perfectly. Just seemed like a nice bit of structuring.

I've already picked my starting quote. It's from the Wealth of Nations and serves as a talisman against (what I imagine) would be the main arguments against my thesis.

I've also got quotes for the start of my chapters, generally from ex-Presidents to add a bit of primary source oompha to the chapters arguments.

You may want to re-examine what the purpose of a literature review is (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=purpose+of+a+literature+review&meta= ) - it is not about summarising anything and everything that has been written in your field but about drawing out themes and points from the literature and also explaining where you stand with regards to the literature.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/page/subject/rae2008

Neither of the above tell you how good they are for PG courses, but they can give you an idea.

Fair enough. I visited Southampton (I like how no-one has questioned Brum) when my sister was living there and wasn't too impressed, particularly with the centre. However, I won't pretend to have had extensive experience of it (which I do have of Sheffield, Loughborough and Brum.)

Not based on anything other than my personal feelings about where to live, but I liked Sheffield. Very nice feel for quite a big city.

Loughborough is okay, although very studenty. York is pretty, although the University campus is out of the centre, so could be annoying.

Aston (Brum) and Southampton are not places that I would like to live in.

Never been to Exeter, although the English Riveria (Torquay-way) is nice.

I'm at Leeds. My School allows me access to my shared office (it's technically a six-person office, but only me and another guy show up) whenever I want. We have keys to the building (which is mostly just teaching rooms and PGR offices with few staff or School offce) and to our offices. But, I also know that other Schools don't offer the same thing and some don't even offer office space.

I know at Sheffield there is a 24hr library with computers and everything.

How big is your uni?

Today has not been a waste because I cleaned my room and, in the process, found a register I had lost.

I'm occupying the student union's bar in solidarity with the undergrads...or because after 3.30 today I will be free from work for the first time since the start of august.

I went to a protest a while ago and I've been agitating in my seminars (I teach politics, I feel they should be political.)