2009

Another year in physics approaches. I'll begin the year with a visit to another dept. and a paper on noncommutativity, which is looking like it might shape up well. I would like to be able to stretch it into two papers, but that might not be feasible. That's January, and probably a chunk of Feb. taken up with.

In March it's another visit and back to QCD, and a paper for which the preliminary results have been sitting around for a couple of months, waiting for some serious attention. Lookinig forward to getting that one out for political reasons, but no-one is going to cite it, I can tell you that now.

Beyond that, no current plans. I suppose I could try the string field project -- recently had an idea for a paper based on my PhD, a subject I left behind years ago. Don't know if it's tractable, and if it is I don't know what it would reveal... it would be a hard sell, since no-one cared about my PhD. Well, a few guys in Japan did, but not in any serious way. Still, it might be nice to write a short paper and throw it at Int.J.Mod.Phys.A. Sigh.

Politically, I need another QCD paper before August. Even more importantly, I need a paper with someone in my current institute, which is going to be tricky. Hang on. Sending an e-mail about that now... ok, done, self promotion sucky uppy e-mail sent. I also need a referee from the current institute. Which will be impossible if I don't write a paper with someone. But being seemingly the only person doing analytic (as opposed to numerical) field theory in a group which is pronouncedly split between lattice and strings doesn't make that particularly easy. Shit shit shit.

Then, beginning in August, it's application time again. And seeing as I'm onto my second postdoc, this means writing big impressive research proposals and applying for 5 year and permanent positions semi-seriously.

HAHAHAHAH hah ah ah oh dear, I almost believed that for a moment. I'm screwed. There are so few jobs anyway, and no reason for anyone to give one to me. Ha. I'm 30 and shortly to be turfed out of my chosen career because I don't work on trendy bandwagon subjects. Oh dear. On that note, I need a bacon sandwich.