Ack!

More marking? It never ends, does it? Alas, this is the worse possible type to mark. Exellent, concise answers? Good to mark. Large blanks spaces and early exits from the exam? Good to mark. Long meandering answers that are utterly confused and show total lack of understanding? Not good to mark. And you should see the handwriting...

Heh - nah, it's not that bad. A look in the paper today shows that I'm living in the "world's greatest country". Yay! According to Anholt Nation Brands: "Brand UK continues to rank high because its scores are so consistently good in most categories and in most countries. Other countries get better scores here and there, but the UK hardly gets a low score from anyone."

William Shakespeare, David Beckham (?!), Stonehenge, Stiff Upper Lip, it's all there. Not so sure of the stiff upper lip these days, but I did watch the film of "The Battle of Britain" the other day. Lots of 40s derring-do, a fair few "Tally Ho Red Leader!" quotes, and all the rest of it. We may have changed since then, but no-one's noticed yet. :-)

Graduation 2006

It had to happen, didn't it? That I'd finally get round to showing off... ;-) Anyhow, here is a photo of me in my robes. Funnily enough, it's the best of a bad bunch!

PS. This is my Mum (and the newly graduated Dr David Marchant in the background).

5-a-side

A lot has happened in the last week or two, but I'm going to try to update a bit more again for those of you who still check this site! :-)

I'm fresh from a game of footy, if that's the word to use. Actually, I'm badly battered. We started last week, a weekly game between Psychology and Sports Science. Yes, *SPORTS* science, and funnily enough, they're a bit fitter than we are. Last week was ok-ish. I think that out of the ten of us who showed, I was the worst. I'm badly out of shape and was soon puffing and panting. And it was so cold as well. My throat was really hurting about ten/fifteen minutes. I got better eventually though. Then again James "getting better" isn't up there with Pele in his prime(!) This week was a little better, at least I think I was playing better. Ended up playing in goal more this time. Some good dives, one clash with the goalpost (my leg is *hurting*) and one football in the face for my troubles. But I'm much more pleased with my performance. Not crap. Merely below average. Plus, we play on an artifical grass surface. It's a bit weird, with fake grass and fake earth. Odd, little brown bobbly stuff that gets inside your shoes, inside your socks (?), everywhere in fact. It's all over the office floor too!

More tomorrow. Seems rather un-British to mention it but I graduated two weeks ago. So I'll have to put a few photos up when I can. Catch you all later.

Argh!

Too... much... marking...

Must... update. :-(

Weekend but one

As you may have guessed, last weekend was pretty much scratched. As such, I thought I'd talk about the weekend before that instead (now that I'm fully recovered).

Sally and I went to Bradford. Yes, sunny, romantic Bradford!! *ahem*

Ok, ok, who in their right minds would go to Bradford for the heck of it? We went to the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (here). And pretty good it was too. We went to the IMAX cinema, which is one of those huge, curved screens that shows 3D films. We ended up seeing an educational one about life at the bottom of the sea, but "wow" was it good. Is this the future, or is it just too damn expensive?

It felt like you were really there - and I'm not just saying that. The credits an inch from your nose, it was full-in-the-face even as it started. Copepods right in front of you, I even made to push a fish away from me once when it seems to be getting a little too close for comfort. Possibly as close as I'll ever get to going down into the deep Atlantic in a diving bell (the most annoying part of that being that two American PhD students managed it. The jammy you-know-whats). Anyway, good fun. If you're passing through Bradford, give it a whirl. But perhaps don't go there especially...

PS. How come students always come knocking at lunchtime. They may be free, but that's because it's LUNCHTIME. Why do they never assume that we're having lunch ourselves??

Down but not out

Oh dear.

I was going to update this Blog on Monday but it got so hectic, I never had the chance. Then came Tuesday and a poor selction of things to eat in the Union building. I chose the Pork Stroganoff/rice - not my usual type of choice.

Oh dear x2.

I knew that something was up when I got the *gurgles* half way through it. About two hours later I was in a lot of pain. About an hour after that, I did something I've never done before - end my workshop early - as I was NOT WELL well. I was violently ill on Tuesday night - almost enough to make me miss Battlestar Galactica on Sky One - and since then, I've eaten nothing in 48hrs. Actually, that's a lie. I've just eaten a bowl of soup (Leek and Potato). And it's hurting. Which is weird since I feel much better today. :-(

Happy New Year Everybody!!

Yep, it's 2006.

And I'm back in Hull and trying to get some work done. As you may have guessed, I backed up a few days before Christmas and went back to York. From there - after a few tasteful pressies on Christmas Day itself - in was on to Sally in Huddersfield, and then the two of us off down to Twickenham to see in the New Year with my old school friends Alex and Julian. A good time had by all. The food was plentiful, the drink was everywhere, and sooner or later, I think I'll have to come up with a good New Year resolution. You know, like get a long-term job somewhere, not just deal in short-term contracts. Get a little bit fitter, write a best-selling book and make my fortune, that sort of thing.

Until pigs fly, I wish you all luck with yours. :-)

Happy New Year everyone (belatedly).

Good news

Oh, and some good news.

I've just found out that my contract will be extended from Jan 22nd to May 31st. So the worrying is over. And even better than that, the rest of my marking doesn't have to be handed back until the New Year. *phew*

Anyone for chess?

Oh heck, I'm out of brown sugar now. Well, no worries. For some reason, it makes the coffee taste slightly better! :-)

Anyhow, anyone for chess? Some of you will know that I've been playing on www.redhotpawn.com for a while now. Yes, it's a *CHESS* website. [Honestly, some people... ;-)]. I'm playing as Caffeine King. And since you can play six concurrent games for free, I have three slots available at the moment. If anyone fancies their chances playing me, why not join up (it is free) and challenge me? Just don't forgot to tell me who you are...

Irritating things...

Wow, things more irritating than Kevin Costner?

Yes, they do exist. Gripe number one is the fact that the students have left. Now I know that some of you may think that having the students go home - post exams - for Christmas is a good thing, but it also means that all the eateries have closed too, including my coffee bar. Disaster!! I'm down to the emergency Nescafe instant. It's horrible... :-(

Also irriating, but much more fun, is this brainteaser - just move the blocks down to the right. If you can do it, tell me how!! If you can't, then I'm with you in spirit. :-)

EDIT: Actually, I've just done it. 176 goes, rather than the 161 it can take. Anyone able to top that? (I'm guessing yes).

Here's a thought...

Slowly but surely, more and more people are reading this thing.

Who are you all? :-)

Still, as I randomly mutter on about utter nonsense - apparently one of my strengths - you can rest assured that I can't slag anybody off. You'll be reading it!! lol. Actually, can I slag off Kevin Costner? I don't even know why, but I can't abide that man. Maybe it's the wife-beating, or the way he fills the films he directs with long, lingering shots of *himself* staring off into the sunset, or maybe it's simply because he managed such a piss-poor English accent in "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves". Hmmm..., I think it's the last one.

Oooh. Talking about films - and I rarely do as I rarely go - we saw "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" on Saturday. Since this was one of my most favourite chidrens books, I just had to see it. It's pretty darn good. I'm not sure about Ray Winstone's Mr Beaver and his "Aslan is a geezer, you muppet" accent, but it was good for a laugh. But the White Witch? Since when did she become such a dangerous swordfighter? And with two at once? Don't remember that in the book!! :-)

Time, and the whizzing past thereof

I never have enough time these days. Which is bizzare really, as I never seem to be achieving anything. There's a lot of activity, with a lot of clock watching going on in the quiet moments. So since I was sent this link by my friend Craig, I've taken to checking it more often that I'd like. It's strangely addictive. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Human Clock.

Part of the reason this site has been quiet lately is that things just keep falling into my lap - and that's in a "needs doing" way, not a "ooh, that's nice" way. I found out last Monday that I had an interview for a lectureship at Sheffield Hallam University on the Thursday and I had a 20mins presentation to write (+10mins for Q&A) - finding out what that was to be about on the Tuesday. Needless to say, I didn't get the job as I'd have mentioned it much earlier if I'd have done so, but the feedback continues to be good. In the end, it was the same sort of stuff I got when I went for the Leeds Trinity post. Nothing to fault at interview (nothing they could suggest to help me improve), and a specific mention that my presentation - to a room full of lecturers - went down very well indeed, with the people there asking the poor guy who had to phone me up and let me know I didn't get it to make sure that he passed that on. Alas, my research just didn't dovetail as well with the current lecturers as some of the other people there. In other words, a very successful failure. :-)

I just hope something else crops up soon. This particular contract of mine ends in late January...

Absolutely Ravenous

I was over in Huddersfield last night - and went out for a meal with Sally. Great time, had all three courses and some wine and so on. I was stuffed by end of things. Which makes it weird that on the train back to Hull this morning, I was absolutely STARVING. Really, really, painfully, stomach-digestingly hungry. Strange how that happens after a big meal? I've been taking it easy today (as per), have had a couple of cups of coffee, and a sedate - if large - lunch. And guess what? I'm *still* hungry. I can't believe it!!

As my Dad always says, I must have hollow legs. :-(

Lack of photos

It's been a little while since I've put a photo up, but worry no longer. About a month or so ago, I was down in Reading for a PsyPAG committee meeting. Since we were a roving band of postgraduate psychologists, we all wanted to stop off in this particular pub. And who could blame us? Well, Rachel could. (As she was one of the locals who organised the meeting/meal, and she was able to tell us that the pub in question was a bit pants). But your intrepid hero needed a photo opportunity so here it is. Apt.




Note: weekends away from Sally appear to provoke demonic possession!

Pitter-patter

Oh, and while I'm blogging,

A huge congratulations for Andy + Fi. Yesterday saw Sam Jack Horrocks brought into the world at 6lbs 9ozs. Well done you two (slightly more credit going to Fi, I suppose!!).

Time Sinks

It's finally happened. I have time on my hands. Not much, granted, but some. Thesis is in - the corrected version - the storm of paperwork is over - so I'll graduate in January - and I've sent the latest issue of the Quarterly - the postgraduate Journal I edit (with lots of help!) - to the BPS for printing. So, erm... what now?

Papers. Writing papers - I'm supposed to scrape up two and send them off for publication by Xmas. Jackson, Coyne & Clough (2006) anyone? But this new-found freedom has coincided with lots of new computer games - and the pressure on me isn't as much as I need to get things done. Civ IV, The Movies, WoW, Guild Wars... I'm just thankful that Oblivion has been delayed. That thing could be the biggest time-sink of all time.

Feeling slightly geeky (this is a 32-year old talking here),
Me.

Wow, what a day!!

Phew. But the good news is that almost my entire workload has firmly shifted into the Out box. In fact, I'm a little unsure about what to do next. Long and short of things is that I'm feeling much better, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I spent some of last night playing "The Movies" on my PC. What a great game. What terrible films my studio produces!! Actually, you have to see them to believe them. Bad black-and-white films set to madcap piano music. I wonder if I can somehow link them to this site? That really would be something. They are terrible, in full 1930s filmorama.

Plus, I fell through a desk today. Yep. Smashed it completely - though not my fault. Not the left desk, not the right desk, but the utterly unsupported curved bit that joined them together. And in the main departmental office too. At least five people came running. Most ran to my aid. One cried out "Thank God it wasn't a student!"

At least I'm not likely to sue(!)

All hands to the pumps.

Seriously, it's a crazy week. So crazy in fact, so snowed under with everything that I am, that the only natural response is to side-step all of it, and write a Blog for myself. The awesome power of distraction.

To tell you the truth, things aren't going well right now. You loyal people who check fairly often, can't have helped but notice that blogs are few and far between at the moment. There are reasons for that, but no need to go there at the moment. When it gets like this, I get reflective - quite possibly reflective for the wrong reasons. But reflective I am. A friend of mine recently lost a grandparent, and knowing the age of most of you, I'm guessing that you have too. I've lost all four, with my Mother's parents passing away quite close together several years ago now. From then on - as an only child - it's been my parents and *me*. And since I don't go home as often as I'd like, they're getting older and frailer each and every time. It's distressing.

But life goes on. Elsewhere, Jason and Serena have brought Lauren into the world. Andy and Fiona were expecting on November 7th and while they haven't heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet just yet, it's a baby over the weekend, or one induced on Monday. As I say, life goes on. I've recently read a book about the Fermi Paradox. The idea that if aliens exist, why aren't they here to be seen? Turns out, we might be living in a dark, cruel universe that just keeps knocking back any civilisation that evolves up out of the slime. Life just happens, and life just keeps on plugging away and coming back in a different form. I kind of like that idea. I think it's reassuring, not desparing. Still enough of my rambling - and this is a ramble - let's all remember that life goes on, and it's worth fighting for.

Thank you for listening. Ridiculous as it may sound, the above has helped me make an important decision. :-)

It's been a while...

I haven't written here for ages, have I? Not entirely my fault, as while I've had my Karoo broadband modem and what-not for a good week now, I still haven't had my line "activated", whatever that may mean. The good news is that it's happening tomorrow - between the unlikely time of 8am and 6pm - at which point I can e-mail from home and have more time to fill you all in on my exciting adventures.

Yay!

Oh, and while I have the chance, fingers firmly crossed for Andy and Fiona, who if all goes according to plan, are expecting their first child *today*.

Double Yay!

And another one.

It's *Dave's* viva today. In 20mins, in fact. Good luck mate. :-)