Open Bar: We're going to build a bar, and make the drinks pay for it!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Alright, I've narrowed down my potential PhD research program to one of 8 proposals.  Like to get some thoughts:

1.  How did the National Socialist Underground go undetected for so long?  LE and intelligence implications in the wake of the NSU killings.

2.  The internationalisation of far-right terrorism in Europe

3.  How does far right terrorism and political parties and organisations interact?     Institutionalised cooperation or creation of a conducive environment and narrative (re: Paul Wilkinson’s study)?

4.  Shifts in public debate as a precursor to far-right violence?

5.  Does right wing terrorism have unique strategic characteristics that make it harder to detect and counter (terrorism versus hate crime, rhetoric mirrored by government etc)?

6.  Russia’s response to far-right militarism

7.  Comparing Germany’s far-right anti-immigration terrorism of the 1990s with today’s terrorism: similarities and differences.

8.  Cumulative terrorism?  Assessing the validity of the concept and associated risks.

I like number 5.  It seems to both be more practical, and I think you'd probably have an easier time with your defense.

[MMIX]

Alright, I've narrowed down my potential PhD research program to one of 8 proposals.  Like to get some thoughts:

1.  How did the National Socialist Underground go undetected for so long?  LE and intelligence implications in the wake of the NSU killings.

2.  The internationalisation of far-right terrorism in Europe

3.  How does far right terrorism and political parties and organisations interact?     Institutionalised cooperation or creation of a conducive environment and narrative (re: Paul Wilkinson’s study)?

4.  Shifts in public debate as a precursor to far-right violence?

5.  Does right wing terrorism have unique strategic characteristics that make it harder to detect and counter (terrorism versus hate crime, rhetoric mirrored by government etc)?

6.  Russia’s response to far-right militarism

7.  Comparing Germany’s far-right anti-immigration terrorism of the 1990s with today’s terrorism: similarities and differences.

8.  Cumulative terrorism?  Assessing the validity of the concept and associated risks.

I like number 5.  It seems to both be more practical, and I think you'd probably have an easier time with your defense.

Hmm, its not my line of country but 5 does look juicy. Also if it is something you find particularly appealing then you should run with it. I say this as someone who undertook 8  [yes that is eight] years of doctoral research only to realise that if my doctoral thesis was lying at my feet being kicked to death defending it would be amazingly far from my mind that I would almost certainly turn my back and abandon it to its fate with scarcely a backward glance or moment of doubt. I suspect that the necessity of teaching my way through those 8 years may have jaundiced my view of academe, though.
I also like the look of 4, it strikes me as one which would offer career opportunities, just a thought.

[LMNO]

If I saw them as articles to click on, 3, 4, and 5.

[Junkenstein]

Alright, I've narrowed down my potential PhD research program to one of 8 proposals.  Like to get some thoughts:

1.  How did the National Socialist Underground go undetected for so long?  LE and intelligence implications in the wake of the NSU killings.

2.  The internationalisation of far-right terrorism in Europe - Pretty broad, may be better with focus on a particular aspect?

3.  How does far right terrorism and political parties and organisations interact?     Institutionalised cooperation or creation of a conducive environment and narrative (re: Paul Wilkinson’s study)? - Corruption elements have got to feature in this so I'd be interested.

4.  Shifts in public debate as a precursor to far-right violence? - Is there enough material here? Suspect so, but wondering if you're thing of particular examples/eras.

5.  Does right wing terrorism have unique strategic characteristics that make it harder to detect and counter (terrorism versus hate crime, rhetoric mirrored by government etc)? - You could write this in your sleep, really.

6.  Russia’s response to far-right militarism - At home or abroad? Both?

7.  Comparing Germany’s far-right anti-immigration terrorism of the 1990s with today’s terrorism: similarities and differences. - Should be plenty to compare/contrast but may be worth looking at France in parallel.

8.  Cumulative terrorism?  Assessing the validity of the concept and associated risks. - Is the concept somewhat valid? Assume somewhat at least, if there's little on the subject could be a good point to stake a claim as expert on etc.

Gut preference to 3 if corruption elements are important. Hope it goes well.

[Da6s]

3, 5, & 8 stood out to me.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I suspect that the necessity of teaching my way through those 8 years may have jaundiced my view of academe, though.

No, it really does suck that badly.

[MMIX]

I suspect that the necessity of teaching my way through those 8 years may have jaundiced my view of academe, though.

No, it really does suck that badly.

Yeah, an ivory tower is just like any other tower block; the lifts break, there are dangerous dark corners and people piss in the stairwells.

[Cain]

Interesting, thanks for the feedback everyone.

I will admit, the ones that interest me the most are the ones I unfortunately don't have the language skills to fully pursue, and I'm obviously still very much at the planning stage.  Still it's nice to get just some general impressions and feelings - I'll be sleeping on it for a couple of days before I make a final decision regardless, and I may open it up to the Facebook hordes as well.

[Da6s]

Because I love this state.

Watching news before opening ceremony of the shitshow begins, there's a segment about a new ad by CDOT in Denver. This ad is a billboard with a crumbled up white car shaped like a joint that reads "Don't hit and drive".


NBC local affiliate in Denver decided you know what, I want to know how much a joint the size of a car would cost. So they figured up the weight for an average sedan X the average cost of .5 oz of heathen devil plant in Denver. A joint the size of a car would cost 19.5 Million.

Fuck I love it here. Should never have spent the depression months in TN. Should've come back immediately after the navy mistake. 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I suspect that the necessity of teaching my way through those 8 years may have jaundiced my view of academe, though.

No, it really does suck that badly.

Yeah, an ivory tower is just like any other tower block; the lifts break, there are dangerous dark corners and people piss in the stairwells.

The part that kills me is that astronomers aren't bad.  They have, though, managed to fill the entire operations group management with dickheads.  And it's the logistics people that are mostly nice.

It's fucking bizarre.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Interesting, thanks for the feedback everyone.

I will admit, the ones that interest me the most are the ones I unfortunately don't have the language skills to fully pursue, and I'm obviously still very much at the planning stage.  Still it's nice to get just some general impressions and feelings - I'll be sleeping on it for a couple of days before I make a final decision regardless, and I may open it up to the Facebook hordes as well.

Yeah, it's kind of a big step.  Definitely worth thinking about.

[Cain]

Yeah, ideally I'd want more time to think about it, but the deadline being on September 1st definitely means focusing the mind somewhat.  And they want a somewhat detailed, 3000 word essay on the research proposal and how the study is to be carried out.

I'm hoping to do the actual writing during my time off in the next 2 weeks (though I must also attend a wedding...), and the rest of the materials they want are easy.  It's just that one, big thing...

[Cain]

In other news, shitty guest management continues to be shitty.

An unauthorised guest slipped by me last night...had no official management response yet, but since I got a 10 minute bollocking for the last one, I'm sure one is being prepared.  And tonight...someone in management decided to ban a former guest from being here ever again.  Not effective immediately...no, in 4 days.  So I get an email saying they can be here xyz night...and nothing about tonight.  Student is here.  Says he spoke with the manager, has permission to be here tonight.  Email the manager.  Nothing.  Find his permission slip for the following nights that he's still allowed.  Someone has already taken a copy of his ID, which we only do when they are staying.  But the paperwork's not been changed, so it's not clear.

I've basically decided, in the absence of other information, to let him stay for tonight as well as the following nights.  Kicking him out for one night, especially when he's adamant he has permission, makes no fucking sense.

However, I'll probably get told it was the wrong decision, and get it in the neck from management.  Again.

Incidentally, I wrote an email over 7 months ago now about problems with overnight guests and telling guests from residents.  After my last bollocking, I re-emailed it, and was told I'd get a reply in a week.  That was nearly 2 months ago.

[Cain]

I'm actually feeling kinda sick from dealing with all this bullshit, though that could also have something to do with the insomnia, bad ventilation and lack of eating I'm doing.

[Cain]

Also, while I'm here: kids today want to bitch about "annoying fetch sidequests" in video games?

I have two more people to kill and I'll have completed Threads of the Webspinner.  You little shits are spoiled rotten.