Friday, 15 June 2007
@ 5.49 pm
Not enough cash (tm)
The interesting thing about having written down a plan for life, being a required part of a course last semester and all, is that when opportunity knocks, there's actually something to measure that opportunity against. It's no longer just a case of going "Woohoo! Opportunity! Go!" It's a (slightly) more measured response, with pros and cons and the whole shebang, which can then be measured against the existing plan to see if it is better or worse. The plan provides a baseline comparison, as Si put it.
So when the opportunity to go to apply for a PhD scholarship at Limerick (as in Ireland) University, writing a thesis on the aviation industry and the EU's energy policy (I mean seriously, how cool would that be? Very cool!) arrived in my inbox, after the initial rush of "Exciting! Yeah!" passed, there was some yardstick to measure that new future with my current future. It didn't measure up, as it turns out, so I think I'll let it pass. More money, that's what I need, so a job (shock horror) would be more appropriate at the end of the MBA, rather than yet another thesis.
And thanks once again to the TBALC brains trust, who are an excellent resource for offering advice. It really is quite amazing the range of responses you get from a somewhat similar group of people!
Probably the best idea was from Claire, who declared that if I was to be based in Ireland, I could spend three years stalking Damien Rice. Fanboy that I am, it's an ever so slightly creepy plan, but, it does make for an excellent segue from talk of a PhD into your Weekly Dose of Damien. (Well, everyone but Scott, who refuses to click on the YouTube video links. And don't worry, I'll get sick of this schtick soon enough.)
This week, it's a version of one of my favourites, La Professor La Fille Danse....
Don't ask me to sing the French bit at parties.
So, other than PhD dreams, this week hasn't had a whole lot going on.
One expedition of note, our second visit to Fat Eddie's on the weekend wasn't quite as successful as the first, especially in terms of the number of bartenders to people wanting to be served. Took some time to wave down the bartender, and in the meantime I started writing a journal entry about supply and demand for my Business Economics assessment in my head. Quite apart from the fact that that last sentence was intensely geeky, the journal in question is really interesting (no, wait, I'll get to the interesting bit) as it's made up of everyday observations put in terms of whatever economic theory we're studying at the time, and reading back through it I realise that around 90% of my entries are about either (a) the fact the MBA is sucking up all my time and money (which in actual fact it isn't, I just like to complain), (b) musing on carbon sinks and carbon trading, or (c) bars. Seriously, it's like a glimpse into my current state of being, where life is tending to revolve around these three themes. I'm actually not terribly upset about this.
But wait, more stuff happened as well. Like the Felt website being launched. You should go there and check it out, as it's a friend's new business, and if I haven't spammed you about it already, I probably don't have your email address. Tell all the crafty type people you know. Do it!
And what else, hmm. Facebook. Yes, that happened. To me even. *Shakes fist in Si's general direction*
