Your Mythical PhDs

E P Thompson

E. P. Thomason’s The Making of the English Working Classhas a lot of interesting things to say about this, and about other aspects of artisan culture.

In a bookshop in the early 1980s I found a paperback book entitled Travelling Brothers by R. A. Leeson. I read the notes on the back cover and it seemed interesting so I bought it.

About craftsmen out of work going to another town "on tramp" with a document of introduction and being given food and drink upon their arrival at a designated inn, then being met by craftsmen of the same trade there and helped to find work but if none was available given money and sent to another town, and so on until they found work in the craft they had learned.

Do you know the book?

No, I did it on working class political movements.

ShropshireMiss

I did mine on early Victorian political history.

Did you note the Regency Acts that were passed but never implemented?

SD I think that you are right.
I also think that option C is very often to blame.

I did mine on early Victorian political history.

But could it also be that in their everyday life, at work or wherever, they are put upon and can do nothing about it, so they put on people when they can the chance, often cloaked in anonymity.

I have found, more generally, that when people are down, some "take it out" on others, and some become greatly compassionate towards others. It seems to polarise people one way or the other.

My Ph.d was done in the 1990s when the internet was comparatively new and was concerned with how people navigate it, interpret menus, icons and so on. There was a lot less standardization then.

Im now interested in how people behave in discussion forums in respect of the behaviour usually known as trolling.

For example:-

A posts a topic. Instead of replying B de-contextualises a word or phrase and then attempts to derail the entire thread by attacking A and/or changing the subject. Often they succeed. Trolls often have a little clique of followers who then pile in like lemmings to agree with them and conduct a witch hunt of A.

In the real world we would probably tell them "Dont change the subject" and simply continue the conversation.

Is this behaviour:-

A personal attack
Malicious to simply cause mayhem
Narcissistic and attention seeking
Grasshopper mentality and inability to concentrate
Inability to conduct a discussion by "turns at talk"

Holby used to drive me nuts. Always plenty of parking right at the front door. I've trudged hundreds of miles through hospital car parks over the years!

Mine would be on the instant availability of parking spaces in TV dramas, when the lead characters arrive anywhere. No one has to read the info and never gets a ticket.

I would like to do a study on why I will start something with great enthusiasm and then totally lose all interest in it ...........but to be honest I really can't be bothered...........

Ogden Nash said, ‘a door is something that a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of’

^Aveline

I'd like to understand more why it is that cats always feel that they're on the wrong side of whatever door is closed.
Also, what is the attraction of me in the bathroom and why I apparently need them to escort me there.^

Whilst you're looking into this, could you please check to see whether this is purely cats or whether dogs do it too.

I am because my dog does exactly this plus sits on my lap and tries to climb on my head when I'm lying in bed.

Does he believe he's a cat? He's a bit big at 17.8kg ?

Musicgirl

Mine would be weather based too as in why is the heating automatically turned on in communal buildings on October 1st, even if there is a sudden miniature heatwave then automatically switched off on May 1st, even if there is a mini ice age?

Back in the 1970s I worked at a small establishment.

One day, in what started as a warm summer day, the weather, for some reason I do not know, turned very cold.

So I asked the man in overall management charge of such things if he could put the heating on please.

It was all done centrally from a large industrial size boiler system.

He did so, promptly, but said I was fortunate because in the civil service the heat is not put on until the first of October.

I think I said that that was a ridiculous way to do things, done by the date rather than the weather conditions and he said that nevertheless that is what happens.

I was just thinking the other day, after hearing a senior singer badly sing a hit from the early 80's, that artists seem to peak in their 30's. Songwriters, anyway. So many very talented musicians that keep playing the same brilliant music they created in their younger years, but not much production from them in their 40's and onwards.

What is the peak age for songwriting vs novel writing. Many novelists seem to peak in their 50's.

There would be an awful lot of listening to great albums involved, but somehow I could incorporate the effects of listening to music while eating chocolate.

I have a PhD in Political Science. I live in the U.S., an ongoing source of interest as it melts down, as you can imagine! My dissertation was on early democracy in Onitsha (Nigeria).

Mine would be weather based too as in why is the heating automatically turned on in communal buildings on October 1st, even if there is a sudden miniature heatwave then automatically switched off on May 1st, even if there is a mini ice age?

I would like to research ( no idea if its full title ) why people on a trip out be it shopping, day at the races, day at the seaside, sightseeing, wherever, have tons of chat, chat, chat, laughter, silliness and as soon as they get in the car, train, bus, whatever mode of transport, to set off home, they barely utter a word, the conversation dries up along with their balance on the plastic and the laughter and silliness don't raise their lovely head.

So that is what would be my subject but I don't know the correct title !!!!

Sorry, Esspee, thanks for the offer but I think, in order to ensure that the same standard and uniformity is applied throughout, I need to do all the sampling myself. However, if you decide to set up your own comparative study, I am happy to advise.

I suspect, Marydoll, that your research will show that the behaviour you so brillantly describe is mainly confined to males in the north of the continent of Europe,

In my experience it is prevelant not only in Glasgow, but in most of the UK, Denmark,Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands.

It becomes less frequent as you move south through France, and is practically confined to the beach, or to workmen doing hard physical labour such as demolishing buildings or laying cobbles in the south of Europe.

In Muslim countries it is still regarded as an offence to public decency, even in locations where no women are present.

HillyN Do you need an assistant? To sample I mean. I am a connoisseur of dark chocolate and am prepared to put in the hours necessary to assist you.

Parsley3 would you mind publishing your results on completion of your research :-) If you need any additional material I'm happy to help :-)

I am afflicted by the same phenomena and would really like to understand it and if possible eliminate said crumbs. We don't even have any bread preparation in that area.

Lovely thread, made me smile, thank you GNers

Mine would be "The human male and the line of least resistance."
I would investigate why they seem to, for example, reach into the wardrobe and wear the first item they find or put something down in the nearest spot knowing that the female will move it to its rightful place.

Here are DH's socks at the present moment to illustrate my thesis!

To quote something I read earlier:

I am working on my PHD;
Projects Half Done!

That is so apt for me.