Heck, I've received an e-mail from a very high impact journal saying that I've been recommended be a colleague (obviously someone who doesn't like me) as a suitable reviewer for an article. In my youthful enthusiasm, I've said that I will do it (it's by some very noteworthy authors closely related to my field), and I'm just wondering if anyone else here has ever peer reviewed an article? What was it like? Is it potentially difficult and time consuming? I'm going to try and be balanced in any feedback I give, but I'm just a bit worried that I may not have much to say :$

Congrats on the submission, Poppy. It'll soon all be over for you now, and you well deserve it.

Algaequeen, sometimes I find that just getting away from work for a little while is top banana for de-stressing at the amount we have to do. In fact, I spent the entire weekend off partying and became a social Tyrannosaurus Rex. I went out for a meal and a lot to drink on a Saturday. On Sunday, I recovered from Saturday and then did it all again by going to a gig with some mates but managed to get drunk off two pints of beer...not like me at all. Anyroad, at the risk of hypocrisy, I'm really feeling the thunder today so it was helpful while it lasted.

I'm slagging no particular profession off when I say this, so I hope no-one takes offence, but why do we need to make research so complicated and high-brow so that it means only the few can actually appreciate and partake in it? Take philosophy, without its bombastic and verbose nature, it wouldn't be nearly as complicated. When I started my PhD it was like learning an alien language but having been immersed in it for a while, I feel as if a lot of what I do is just a bit too pretentious. There's just no need. It's akin to wrapping a malteser in fancy, gold leafed paper. It's still a malteser. If my writing has matured in anyway, a big if, it is because I don't use big fancy words and ridiculously complicated way of explaining what are essentially simple concepts, once you have shovelled all the rubbish off.
So instead of, I am making a patient reported outcome measure that has the demonstrable measurement properties of construct validity and internal consistency..yada...yada. I say I'm making a reliable questionnaire that has proof for what it is supposed to measure. By doing this, I can increase participation from equally intelligent members of the public who don't happen to have swallowed a few textbooks full of big words with my future research.
Obviously, I understand that some of us use extremely complicated equipment that can take many years to learn, but I like to think of things like this as the few exceptions to the rule.

I've got some ideas: pre-packed pasta salads, packs of dessicated savoury rice that you just add water to and boil for a bit, frozen curries, pot noodles (again you only need add hot water to these), microwave popcorn (my favourite) and Dairy Lea dunckables.

Right, well, where do I start? Yes! I speaketh the truth when I say that I've read other work which is just far better written, better referenced and flows much better. I tend to avoid it now though, since I don't enjoy feeling like an undergrad :$

At it again tonight. This stupid, stupid research questionnaire of mine.

Aye aye!!! http://www.treehugger.com/aye-aye-small.jpg

It never seems to end!

I get the impression, it's not the most stable kind of job. Cheers, Eska!

Sorry if this is a silly question, but does anyone know what an university associate teaching position is? What kind of money does it pay? I've tried looking it up on Google but I can't seem to find out anything.

I'm going to have to disagree, I think a grand sounds about right. I get £300 a year, and with that I have to use if for conferences and any equipment I need. But like has been mentioned, there are other potential sources from where you can get grants and such like.:-)

Hi M_asimuk, I'm very sorry to hear about your PhD hunting experiences so far. I could be, by some very remote chance, be wrong, but I don't think it's a question of race. In all my time as a student at university, a total of 9 years now, I have never encountered a single instance of racism. Lecturers and supervisors, are by and large, much too smart to ever be small minded and racist. I had a lot of trouble trying to get on a PhD course, like you, despite glowing references and two first class degrees. It really is that competitive and becoming more so. Perhaps the person who had lower results than you had done more relevant courses than you, or had some research experience. Maybe they just performed better in the interview. There a lots of maybes, but I do not think that racism is one of them. Have you asked for feedback from your rejections? Perhaps if you can get this feedback, you can find out areas where they thought you were possibly lacking (if any) and correct them.
I'm sorry you've had no luck so far, but whatever you do, don't give up. Like I did, keep on the lookout, network, ask around and you'll get there in the end.

I think you need an air compressor to use it, since it is powered by air. They are safe though - safer than electric drills. Here is a really good page on how to use it: http://www.cdxetextbook.com/toolsEquip/hpt/usingAir/airdrill.html

You're a stronger person than me if you can give up sausages and ice cream! If I gave up my sausages, I'd have to chuck all my ketchup away. Worse still, if I gave up all my ice cream (which would include my mint flavoured Vienetta), my freezer would be empty.