Morning
how are well all? I am in a happy mood as I successfully defended my thesis to a panel of professors the other day and it looks like I'll be getting a degree. Yay.

On the con side I'm now unemployed.

Swings and roundabouts.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:17, 5 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

you can now watch jeremy kyle unencumbered by employment.
every cloud, my friend!
EVERY cloud!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:19, Reply)

What a sweet sweet world we live in...
and I can play late night poker to bring in cash.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:19, Reply)

also...
Toast?
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:19, Reply)

One white one brown
Brown for first course, white for pudding...
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:20, Reply)

as i just explained to spakka...
i have virtual sourdough but real wholemeal.
i have real orange marmalade but virtual lemon.
real wholemeal+real orange=virtual wholemeal+virtual lemon.
virtual sourdough+real orange=real sourdough+real lemon.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:29, Reply)

Hm
the agony of choice...

I'd have to say the sourdough and lemon, it should perk me up for the moving of boxes I have to do in an hour.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:30, Reply)

so is that...
virtual sourdough+virtual lemon=real sourdough+orange.
or
virtual sourdough+real orange=real sourdough+real lemon.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:33, Reply)

Oh
definitely virtual sourdough+virtual lemon=real sourdough+orange
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:34, Reply)

coming right up!
tea or coffee?
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:35, Reply)

Tea
always tea...
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:36, Reply)

inserts joke about real-i-tea...
and runs!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:39, Reply)

You'd better
run fast... I'm a dab hand at throwing toast
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:42, Reply)

ducks!
oh come on, forgive me! that was crying out to be had.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:46, Reply)

Well ok
*administers rueful admonishment*

Now sit back down at the table and stop playing with your knife and fork
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:48, Reply)

would you like a crispy won-ton?
i have 2 left, 1 chicken 1 prawn.

won-tons for brekky, how decadent!!!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:51, Reply)

Oooh
don't mind if I do... do we have doily's to eat them off?
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:53, Reply)

indeed we do, pink ones.
it's the last one, prawn, enjoy...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:56, Reply)

*nom nom*
*dabs edges of mouth with a scented handkerchief*

*gives forth a satisfying eruction*
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:01, Reply)

*gives forth a satisfying erection*
Rude!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:03, Reply)

*raises hand to mouth in shock and horror*
*calls for epsom salts*
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:04, Reply)

this thread's getting a bit narrow!
i can barely squeeze my won-ton engorged body in here!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:06, Reply)

I think
I'm running out of epsom salts....
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:06, Reply)

Plus: SQUEEZE yourself like an octopus

(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:07, Reply)

have you seen the size of me?
16stone of taut, agile plumber...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:10, Reply)

So... a large octopus?
Meh, you're smaller than me. Plus I am weak as all I lift is paper.

*feels hollow and unmanly inside*
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:11, Reply)

okay, here goes...
*gets corset, struggles into corset, tightens corset, passes out*
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:13, Reply)

Thats the spirit!
*heaves hard on corset strings*
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:14, Reply)

must get thinner...
must die trying...
must eat anti-matter...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:16, Reply)

Still got plenty of space left...
on my wonderfully huge screen!
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:21, Reply)

it keeps getting W I D E R
is this what it's like at the edge of the universe?
wow!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:25, Reply)

Well done
on the thesis thing - does that mean a doctorate ?

Unemployment - it sucks. Be prepared not to work this year in your area of expertise (I hate to say that, but face reality) and hope that next year things are better. Just remember that everyone is in the same boat, and it's nothing to do with whether you as an individual are good enough or not.

Alternatively, get a TEFL qual. and go abroad and teach English for a while until things here get a little better.

Whatever, good luck.
( I_Was_Mordred, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:21, Reply)

Not
a doctorate - an M. Phil. A PhD would be the next step. Have to wait and see on that. It may involve moving to America.

Yeah I know what you mean - given my core area of expertise at the moment is mid-nineteenth century Argentina I doubt I'm going to find much. Also relatively conversant with modern Argentina too, but its damned hard to get jobs with NGO's, think tanks etc. relating to that. Plan is get a crappy job, look for a better job and see if I want to do a PhD.

The sweet sweet air of freedom is nice. Its only just sinking in.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:24, Reply)

good luck indeed!
you'll need it out there *points "out-there"*
it's a chuffing jungle.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:30, Reply)

It'll be a challenge
but luckily I was employed full time until December and have still got a bit of the money saved up. Not fun working during the day and studying at night, but it's given me a bit of a cushion.

I'm aiming for a job that pays £750,000 a month and involves being on a beach with supermodels. I haven't found any vacancies yet...
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:33, Reply)

If you've still got some cash
then go on holiday. Wonderful cheap deals to be had at the moment - I'm off to Egypt tomorrow with the g/f, £300 each for 7 nights in a 5* for B&B and flights.

Or do the TEFL and go over to Argentina to teach English for a while - time spent over there would also look good to any NGOs.

Just a suggestion like, but better than getting a McJob and feeling your brain cells atrophy...
( I_Was_Mordred, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:55, Reply)

I was
thinking about that. Might go to Greece to see a girl I know from undergrad who lives in Athens.

I have thought about going back to Argentina, I still keep in contact with a lot of the people I met over there. I have been looking at some jobs that involve being there, but I've not heard back yet from any of them.

Where did you find a deal that good on the holiday?
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:03, Reply)

On Teletext holidays
but basically put "late holidays" into Google and it will explode.

Top Tip - use TripAdvisor to check out where you are going to. It's aces for recommending hotels etc.

Thankfully the one I'm off to gets loads of recommendations - saw lots of all inclusives in Turkey that were full of FAIL in terms of quality when reviewed.

But yes, take a break. Better to do so now than to use up all your funds and then be stuck.
( I_Was_Mordred, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:28, Reply)

Goddam
it did explode... I was looking for cheap holidays before - late holidays seems to work better
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:06, Reply)

Greetings O La La La De Zap
Congrats on the thesis defense. May your result open up many opportunities.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:28, Reply)

Cheers Spakka!

(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:30, Reply)

Congratulations!
I know sweet FA about Argentina... what degree have you done?

If your degree IS anything to do with Argentina.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:34, Reply)

Cheers
twas in Latin American Studies. I elected to study Argentina. I'm currently sat at my desk looking at the large pile of books that need to be packed and then out to the garden which is bathed in sunlight. Its a dilemma... pack, or go and read in the garden...
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:41, Reply)

go and pack...
in the garden.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:48, Reply)

Al Fresco?
It could work... I could throw everything out of the window... and then... dance... in the garden in a dress whilst going 'tra-la-la-la'
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 9:49, Reply)