Monday 30 March 2009

Is there any escape?

Afraid I haven't updated in quite a while, mostly due to being very busy and having nothing interesting to say.

A week and a half ago, my computer died, completely wiping the contents of my hard drive. Luckily, I had backups of most of my thesis, which is now over 75000 words, although the backups were all a bit scruffy and in different places. So reconstructing the thesis has been taking quite a bit of my time. I also have around 70 undergraduate essays to mark. Not the biggest load of marking I have ever had, but still enough to turn me into a bit of a hermit.

In addition, I a trying to put in a job application and get some funding for a mini conference at a time when there seems to be precious little money around for such things. Bah.

So I am filled with a really dull feeling of ennui. At a time when there is so much work to be getting on with, the temptation is to do precisely nothing. Or at least, to do precisely nothing related to my academic work. Life is so lacking in light and shade at the moment, especially as I am also pretty short of cash. I almost wish I could blow my entire overdraft on a holiday somewhere hot where I could forget about everything, get drunk on horrid cocktails, get high, and allow myself to be seduced by attractive strangers. However, that would not be a terribly good idea for my career, my finances and possibly my relationship.

Still... Anyone know of any moral philosophy conferences coming up in the Carribean?

4 comments:

  1. "I almost wish I could blow my entire overdraft on a holiday somewhere hot where I could forget about everything, get drunk on horrid cocktails, get high, and allow myself to be seduced by attractive strangers."

    Wow! Sounds like you need a break! A FUN Break!! I know the feeling, I'm grading exams and papers and trying to finish chapter one of disseration. It's rough!

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  2. Almost forgot:

    http://www.conferencealerts.com/seeconf.mv?q=ca1xaxh3

    And

    http://www.conferencealerts.com/seeconf.mv?q=ca1x668m

    These are the closest I could find to warm climate conferences.

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  3. Thanks Matt, nice to know I'm not the only person in this situation.

    The California one would do nicely. Shame I don't really have much to contribute on the topic!

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  4. As a native Californian I have to say its as fine a place as anywhere, except maybe Italy.

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