Well I found it funny, Sneaks!:-) The problem is, I'm not sure how viable and lucrative a career living off the state is going to be when the next lot get in government. I'm not being political here, but the Tories don't much like poor people...

Ha, ha Sneaks, yeah, I've thought that too, but it would be a hard, hard life! Especially, as Walin says, when the next lot get in.

hmm - then become an MP it is, I quite fancy a moat to upkeep and perhaps a few duck houses.....

I'm sure as long as I called the child tabetha or toby then they would give me money!?

You know what, after seeing Mandelson's plan to convert academics into a slightly more highbrow version of McDonalds till workers, today is the day I come to my senses and thank my luckiest of lucky stars that I am not in the midst of embarking on an academic career. I think acadmeia is about to become intolerable. I strgonly suspect that the consumerist logic that to which Mandelson has given a green light will translate into a demand that academics are at their desks 9-5 Mon-Fri "happily" dealing with every trivial request that comes their way from their "customers" in the name of good service. And then be expected to go home and plan lectures, and produce world-leading research until 3 o'clock in the morning. What a joke.

I suppose domination by the Tories will have it's good side. Hopefully, Mandelson's plans will not come to fruition.

Right, here goes. I've thought long and hard about everything over the last few weeks, and although my market research job gives me an income, I just know hat I'll look back on my life as being essentially unfulfilled if I don't go on to spend at least some of it working academically again. So I'm going to finish drafts of 2 papers that are in advanced states of completion. I've got a couple of people who are prepared to look them over and offer comments. I aim to submit them for consideration at particular journals that I have in mind by January. That would get me up to 4 articles. Then we'll see what transpires after that.

Hey WJ, That's great news - it seems that you have achieved so much and come so far, and that you deserve to get where you want to be; keep going, we are supporting you. Good luck and thanks for updating us 8-)

Good news W.J.Gibson, keep cracking! I hope that post PhD I can maybe get one of two extra publications out, might make all the difference for an interview etc.