Try whistling this...

My first post in some time; seemed like the blog might die but Noam has kept it going nicely. So, an eventful few days. Last week saw the successful completetion of the Masterclass for the 2005/6 kids - big pat on the back for Greg and I methinks. Well worth the stress.

So, as Noam commented we had some of the potential PhDs in the office on Thursday and Friday. A real mixed bag. On the plus-side, it was nice to see three ladies pitch up - the group really needs some gender balancing so here's hoping they made the grade. The guy Noam mentioned also seemed well-adjusted - Alastair Edge tells me he was formerly one of his M.Sci. students. I'd like to see him get a position*. Then there were the odd ones: notably the Oxbridge pair. One couldn't talk and the other couldn't shut up.

The weekend was excellent - got to Hampstead without incident on Sunday and spent a nice afternoon watching Sky Sports and wandering across the Heath with Jonny Church before heading into Holborn for some Belgian ales. Later met up with Tobias and had a couple in Leicester Square.

Sunday was fantastic - grabbed a fry-up with JC in Vauxhall before taking a flight on the London Eye, then hit Westminster to abuse some MPs with tales of the simulations. Met my Lincoln MP (and her cheeky PA) and chatted to some like-minded (!) PhDs before presenting my work to the judges. Had a raging argument about CDM with one of them (who later emailed to say he loved our argument) and then came home with a prize for my efforts. I even caught an early train and got in a few chapters of Geachy's Vietnam book. Top bombing.

* It goes without saying that we want Steve to get the position he deserves too, given his talents, work for the ICC and also his sexploits.