Or laughed out of the place. Would be a great ice breaker though.

That's if anyone dare admit to any

yes, he's in denial, like me.

Ah yes, Mr Martin, I once remember being at a wedding reception somewhere and this coming on. I hasten to add I was already on the dancefloor before it started. Tried to dance to it, couldn't get the hips going.

oh yes, and how could I forget:

Hanson = MmmmBop

I've tried to hate this record, but I can't. Damn it.

I notice on the BBC website, mention of those songs it's uncool to like, but secretly you do like. They are showing the top ten records people love but are too embarrassed to admit. ELO - Living Thing won, but I just remember this song from the end scene of Boogie Nights.

Got me thinking, what seriously uncool records do I like. Here's a few to make me blush

Rainbow - Since You've Been Gone (the last record I listened to before I went to pick up my degree result a couple of weeks ago)
S Club 7 - Bring It All Back
Atomic Kitten - Right Now
Toni Basil - Mickey
Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
Wham - Young Guns Go For It
and for real embarrassment...
Girls Aloud - Biology

What is everyone else embarrassed to say they like (within the anonymity of this forum). Remember, it only qualifies if it is uncool.

Hi Ann, you, me and 404 doing the night shift.

I once did something similar 404, cocked up my anto-virus one year licence, meaning I couldn't update my definitions. Had to reinstall it and email the provider to grovel.

Anyone on tonight, or just me?

Yes, very true. They do say that completing your PhD is all about finding the right place to bail out and write up what you have, rather than trying to explain life, the universe and everything.

Phantom posters, you can add that to your dossier on me, if you like!

... so welcome back.

Okay, I'm not brave enough to write a separate post for it, so I'll write it here:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE PGFORUM IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT STU IS BACK!

As the resident PGForum rottweiler, our man Stu protects us all from those trolls who occasionally attempt to invade our board.

Your topic sounds very specialist, so it depends on who has the facilities to support your research. This should narrow things down. If you want funding, your topic will need to be interesting to the uni department for them to take an interest in you.

In terms of start dates, PhDs can start at any time according to the sponsor's needs. In the UK, research council and university-funded PhDs usually start in the autumn in line with the academic year and also so that new students get the benefit of their peers starting at the same time.

As you're in the realms of science, you have 2 options - compete for a blue sky PhD (and find a uni with facilities to support your research) or respond to a given topic.

If you go for the former, there are very few places and you'll need to prepare a very detailed proposal and it's unlikely you'll secure one this year. Also, a department will only fund you if your work is interesting to them as they will own the intellectual rights.

For the latter, your proposal need not be as detailed, but again highly competitive and you still have a chance of getting one in the autumn (although most have been filled already).

Nope, I take the original post as gospel, which means I win!