I got a form for 'extension of time to submit thesis' last week - didn't ask for it, it just arrived in my pigeonhole (and everyone else's). I've worked out that this means I pay fees to allow me to work in the lab for up to another year (my three years are up in Oct.) - so it's different from being 'thesis only' where lab work not allowed).
I've pretty much decided I should apply for it - the thought of not being allowed in the lab in 12 weeks time completely freaks me out - but need to talk to my supervisor - that's what I'm finding really difficult. I don't know how to bring up the subject. I don't want to complicate things, I just wish everything had gone well and I didn't need the extension :( What if my supervisor says I can't have it? (wants me out of the lab asap?) I guess that's what I'm most scared of...

No, not an admirer (if only someone was that keen!)... it's an academic who comes to have long social chats with someone else in the lab - there's just one 'caller' at the minute, but there have been others. Anyway, I'd rather they didn't because 1.I get a bit tired of saying 'no, x hasn't been in today yet' 2.it means I can't do certain experiments (safety reasons) 3.I don't want to hear the conversations! (loud mp3 player to the rescue) I did see a really good idea somewhere - a sheet of paper on a door that said 'I'm not here, I am... (list of options)' with a drawing pin through whichever was correct.

I've been tempted to work with the door locked - to keep an academic out! (not my supervisor)

oh no! but I see you stole my technique...

Finally, this topic got me thinking about the way our country is governed. I used to have a problem with it (again, remember I'm not a politics student so my opinions are probably very simplistic, ignorant...) - I thought that the wide range of opinions in society weren't represented by the few parties in power. But then I read that the purpose of the opposition is to oppose - that it's not 'right' for just only party to rule a country. So, that helped me understand the difference between a dictatorship and our election system (sometimes I used to think, 'if I'm not getting what I want, what's the difference between the two?') Yesterday I started to think that it would be useful if the opposition was completely fluid, flexible, looking at public opinions and always taking the side of those most opposed to the view of the ruling party? Is that daft?

I think I do, but it's not of the same standing as someone who has seriously thought out the issue. I guess on some small level I disagreed with the invasion of Iraq and something I heard recently about GWB China - nuclear maybe? But I can't even remember what! So this leads me to MistaG's last post - does it really matter what my opinions are? I'm not even American - it seems that we do waste a lot of time discussing things that don't really concern us.I think Damon Albarn said that it's interesting to think how many things we wouldn't know about if it weren't for the media, that aren't really important for us. The media really is shaping the world we live in. I'm not saying that we should ignore all the world issues that we're presented with, but that we should realise the uniqueness of our situation in history?

And isn't it true that because GWB is SO powerful, the amount of criticism that is directed at him will be in proportion to this?

Some thoughts from me...

I agree that's it's not right to base an opinion solely on hearsay or to claim an opinion as your own just because it's popular...but isn't this what we all do? Okay, our sources may differ from those of 'the masses' - if we seriously research something using credible sources then our opinion should be closer to the truth(?), but who of us can ever claim to have formed a totally original opinion on a particular topic? Even if we think it is now, it's almost certain that someone has been there before...

I wouldn't say that I agree with the statement 'Bush is an idiot'. I'm not a student of politics, and I don't follow it in great depth as a hobby or interest. All I 'know' is what I have been fed by the media - so I know that GWB says silly things in speeches which are funny to read, and that the vast majority of people in Britain, and 50% of Americans disagree with his politics. This is all I am basing my opinion on - so do I have a right to an opinion?

Are you okay? We haven't heard from you all day - was the rumour true?

I'll make sure I post again early Monday morning!

well, that's interesting, because I'm also usually totally against fruit with savoury stuff (esp. the sultana-curry thing) so maybe you'd like it Stu? You said you had a banana for breakfast - bacon is also quite a popular breakfast item! Why not try them together???

I am totally serious about the banana & bacon thing. It's really yummy, I think you'd be converted if you tried it! It wasn't my idea, no. The bananas (ideally) go mushy, and lose all their sweetness so the two go really well together.

I guess I wasn't so much interested in this for the political side of things (although that is huge, central maybe), I was focusing more on the nuclear issue. I heard a talk by Joseph Rotblat (physicist, Nobel peace prize winner, anti-nuclear campaigner) about a year before he died and he showed us figures of the numbers of nuclear weapons in the world - I really regret not taking notes now, but I just found a figure on the internet - 27,600; 10,000 in the US. Surely that's not good! And Mia, I would also like to hear something - could you manage an abstract?

It's 26 here, I took my thermometer outside. Bananas wrapped in BACON on the BBQ.

This is an article from the Institute of Physics magazine I read very recently http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/19/6/3. Just wanted to know what people make of it - it is potentially pretty frightening, but I don't really believe it will happen. If you go to this Professor's website you can hear the recording of what George Bush says, I'd like to know what came next.

I know, 'there's more to the picture than meets the eye' (Neil Young, and others before him I'm sure!). I'd just like to think that SOME of them are true? or at least some of the time.