More on Job Applications

I recently posted the BBC's discussion of interviews. More helpful, particularly for academics, are the following two threads on Crooked Timber:

1) The importance of a web presence. I hope that's fulfilled, between this blog and my academic page, which people occasionally find via searches.

2) Laying out a CV. There doesn't actually appear to be much consensus, merely personal preferences (e.g. whether to list papers under review and whether working papers should be separate from publications).

I wish this advice had come before, rather than after, most of this year's round of applications. Nonetheless, I now have three interviews lined up over the next two weeks - so maybe it's the interview advice I need...

Of course, there's always general job-related discussion here.

Exams

Via CT, here's the ideal exam paper for any philosophy student. And, via their comments, here are some more funny (though sometimes well-known) stories about exams and answers.

Interviews

Since I'm still currently job-hunting, I thought this BBC article on interviews might be informative. As it was, it wasn't much help, but good for a laugh, or at least a bit of mild amusement. I note they couldn't resist mentioning Oxbridge admissions interviews, in light of today's news about how we're still failing to admit enough state school applicants.

MPS Update

As I announced yesterday, I was giving a talk at the well-established Moral Philosophy Seminar in Oxford (where I've previously seen the likes of Scanlon, [Bernard] Williams, Pogge, Sen, Parfit, Raz, etc). I'm happy to say that my talk drew a fair-sized audience and good questions, particularly from Raz and Broome, who both pushed their point a bit. I'm grateful to all who attended.

After the seminar, I got taken to dinner at Cafe Zouk. I could get used to be a speaker and having meals (and drinks) bought for me, given the chance...

There is now a discussion thread up at Ethics-Etc (direct link to the paper here). Any further comments welcome.

(It's also apparent that this talk has led to people searching for me online)

Moral Philosophy Seminar

Today I present the main arguments of my thesis to the Moral Philosophy Seminar - 4:30 in the Philosophy Faculty. Here's an abstract:

This paper challenges the common assumption that democracy requires majority rule. I assume that we can adopt a contractualist approach to uncover the demands of political equality and argue that contractors would not necessarily accept majority rule to make decisions in their society. I first reject broadly consequentialist arguments, arguing that firstly no procedure guarantees ideally best outcomes, secondly that in cases of pluralism there is no need to suppose there is a uniquely best outcome, and thirdly that we need to be fair between different individuals. I develop this need for fairness into a case for weighted lotteries, drawing on the Taurek-Scanlon 'saving the greater number' debate. This leads to my conclusion that democratic ideals can be realized by selecting a random vote to determine the outcomes of decisions.

Another Sunnyvale gig

Tonight I saw Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element for not only the third time this term but my third successive gig. I might not have bothered, given that I had no one to go with, but I wanted to pick up their new remix album and they'd announced that it would be their last gig before a break to work on new material.

The email advertised a start time of 8pm, but in fact when I got the Wheatsheaf at half-past that was the time on the posters, and in fact it was almost another half-hour before we could get in. I always like to catch the support bands, but I'm not surprised so many people choose to arrive late.

Von Braun 6/10
As it is, I'm there in time to see supposedly hotly-tipped new local band Von Braun. To be honest, I didn't see what the fuss was about - they were perfectly adequate, in a Franz Ferdinand kind of way, and get better through the set, but nothing struck me as special. Even though they were the most convential band line up of the night, my attention was still rather focused on the screening of Metropolis in the background.

Space Heroes of the People 8/10
The second band are a rather unusual threesome - keyboardist, electric double bass and drums. I very much enjoyed a rather energetic set, including a performance of their Sunnyvale remix 'I Love You Every Time You Struggle Heroically Against Imperialist Oppression' and end up buying their CD too. I have to say it's not quite as good on CD as live, but a nice momento.

Rothko 5/10
The most established band of the night, I hadn't heard of Rothko before despite a string of albums to their name. It's more instrumental post-rock, with the frontman noodling away at some keyboard like device. To be honest, I didn't find either the music or stage presence that interesting - though I notice the background movie had now switched from Metropolis to Godzilla.

Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element 7/10
The problem with seeing Sunnyvale live on a regular basis is that - the odd technical hitch aside - they're remarkably consistent because most of it's pre-recorded anyway. Maybe it's only worth turning up for the announcements, which are punctuated by slabs of noise like 'Godzilla vs Kathleen Hanna' (appropriate given the video in the background). Still, I suppose the good side of consistency is that you're rarely disappointed, but to be honest I would welcome some new material. I guess I have the remixes to keep me amused in the meantime...

UPDATE: Though they had said it'd be their last gig for a while, they've just announced a support slot to The Kills at the Carling Academy 15/06/08.

Viva

Well, the final (oral) examination of my thesis is now complete. Things didn't get off to an auspicious start, when the room supposedly booked ended up being in use for a meeting, so we had to relocate to Adam's office. After that, I enjoyed most of the discussion, although it of course raised a number of problems for my thesis. How urgent these are, and how much has to be addressed in corrections and how much later, I'll have to wait for the official reports to find out. I do know that, at least in some sense, I passed though!

Friends in High Places

My friend Sonia - who did the MPhil in Politics at the same time as I did - has obviously gone on to make quite a name for herself at the IPPR. Here she is talking about her latest report on BBC News.

Graduate Junction

I already have an academic webpage here, but now there's a new(ish) social networking resource for graduate students (via).

If I Was Running Eurovision...

Belgium - Front 242 - Moldavia (I wanted the C-Tec side project, but couldn't find them on YouTube)
Finland - Nightwish - Wish I Had An Angel OR HIM - Buried Alive By Love
France - Avril - Like Everybody Else (not a live video as it was hard enough finding something that wasn't Avril Lavigne)
Germany - Rammstein - Du Hast OR Guano Apes - Pretty In Scarlet
Italy - Lacuna Coil - Our Truth
Netherlands - The Gathering - Amity
Norway - Apoptygma Berzerk - We're In This Together OR Leaves Eyes - Ocean's Way
Portugal - Moonspell - Vampiria
Sweden - Covenant - Go Film OR Opeth - The Grand Conjuration

I'm sure I should be able to think of more. Suggestions welcome.

Cohen Conference

Details here:
Friday 23rd January 2009 (1st wk HT), 09:30

Conference: The career of G. A. Cohen
On January 23-24 2009, with the generous support of Philosophy and Public Affairs, we will be hosting a conference to celebrate the career of G.A. Cohen, who is retiring after 23 years as Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory. We have assembled a team of distinguished contributors; those already confirmed include:
Professor David Estlund (Brown University)
Professor Cecile Fabre (Edinburgh)
Professor Michael Otsuka (UCL)
Professor Joseph Raz (University of Oxford)
Professor John Roemer (Yale)
Professor Seana Shiffrin (UCLA)
Professor Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain)
Professor Andrew Williams (Warwick)
Professor Gerald Dworkin (UC Davis)
Professor Joshua Cohen (Stanford)
Professor Tim Scanlon (Harvard)

Summer

You can tell it's summer because we had a week of nice sunny weather and now it's raining again. Nonetheless, we pressed on with our MCR Pimms and croquet events this afternoon.

I'd only ever played one game of croquet before, ending up on the winning side. Sadly that record's gone - I can't even claim to be undefeated - since we resumed after a rain-break (with different teams) and although we never actually finished, first and second had come in and I was bringing up the rear, having been caught up for the last few moves retaliating against black in third (they were closely chasing the lead, but I told them they didn't want to croquet me...)

If Music be the Food of Love...

Apparently wine actually tastes better with music. That's somewhat interesting in itself, because while I'd say many experiences are more pleasurable with music, this claim is actually stronger - that you have the pleasure of the music and more pleasure from the wine. It could thus be an example of something like G. E. Moore's organic unities (the whole being more than the sum of the parts).

A sceptic might wonder whether this kind of claim could be true. Can the wine really taste better? Surely its taste isn't affected by music, even if people's perceptions are somehow tricked. This is a case though where there doesn't appear much room for scepticism since, intuitively, what you taste is what you taste (if you get my drift). If it seem to taste good to you, then it tastes good, irrespective of 'objective quality' of the wine. In this respect, it's like pain - if you feel like you're in pain, you are.

I'd like to know more about what music might complement what wine. The report claims "cabernet sauvignon was most affected by "powerful and heavy" music", but it seems that they deduce this from Carmina Burana by Orff and go on to recommend All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), and Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who) - that seems slightly odd in itself to me, but I don't know the full details of the study.

In any case, I wonder what wine would suit my listening habits. Thom Brooks also picks up on the story, but has nothing to add about wine for Rammstein or Metallica.

Carrots

I'd seen this on Facebook, but I didn't go and buy carrots. Did anyone?

Cohen Jokes

I've only been to two of G A Cohen's Humour Seminars this term, but I thought this was much more interesting - and amusing - than the first. The idea of academics sitting around dissecting jokes doesn't actually sound all that funny, but when you actually see these people doing it - in All Souls' Old Library - it's actually pretty funny just because it's so ingruous. That, in fact, was part of Cohen's point: jokes need some bomination of incongruity and sense.

The puzzle comes with how these combine. He illustrated with a fairly routine example of two people complaining about restaurant food. The first says 'the food is terrible' and the second 'yes, and the portions are so small'. This, he said, could make sense, but at the same time it seems prima facie absurd to make both complaints. Interestingly, had the order of the two complaints been reversed, the joke doesn't seem as funny. Had the second merely said 'yes, and they've stopped giving jumbo portions' it would have been more absurd but made less sense. Taken to a limit, if the second said 'yes, and I'm going to the movies this afternoon', the joke wouldn't have made any sense.

I can't be bothered to type out many of the jokes in full, but hear are the bones of a few:

A husband and wife are trekking through the jungle when suddenly a giant ape jumps out and starts ravishing the woman. 'Quick! Do something!' she cries, to which her husband responds 'tell him you have a headache'.

A man rings the Jewish solicitors Cohen, Cohen, Cohen, Cohen & Cohen.
1: I'd like to speak to Mr Cohen please.
2: I'm afraid he's in court right now.
1: Ok then. Can I speak to Mr Cohen?
2: He's off sick.
1: How about Mr Cohen?
2: He's at lunch.
1: Then can I speak to Mr Cohen?
2: He's on holiday.
1: Well, in that case I'd like to speak to Mr Cohen.
2: Speaking.

Two men facing a firing squad. 'Any last words?' the captain asks. The first remains silent, but then the second starts hurling insults at them. The first nudges him and says 'Quiet down Pete; don't make trouble.

Why Moral Philosophers Can't Provide Answers

At least since Plato, many philosophers have pretended to have some sort of insight that makes them best placed to answer moral questions. Today, most take the more modest line that they can't really provide answers. The purpose of philosophy seems to be conceptual clarification and making distinctions. Thus we can, for example, isolate potential differences between (say) killing and letting die, and thereby clarify exactly what is at stake in a question. This may lead us to reject certain bad reasoning, but when it comes to deciding substantive issues philosophers are no more better than the proverbial man in the street.

There was a fine example after today's moral philosophy seminar. A visiting economist wanted to ask the five moral philosophers round the table whether one should tell a married friend that his wife is cheating on him. (I believe the example was fictitious). Assume all the normal caveats, about how the cuckold is unaware and will never find out. What should you do?

It seems that he genuinely wanted an answer to the practical question but, as philosophers of the modern/modest sort, we were reluctant to give one. By the time it reached my turn, we'd quibbled with what was being asked so much that all I committed myself to was 'I think being an unknowing cuckold makes his life in one way worse - though not necessarily worse all-things-considered - and this gives you a pro tanto reason to tell him'.

Spurs 0-2 Liverpool

Well, while there was still the title, a UEFA Cup spot and two relegation places to play for, none of that affected today's game - with nothing left for either team to play it was unlikely to be a classic. Things may have been different if some individuals had futures to play for, but Rafa has already revealed that Harry Kewell's time on Liverpool's books (read: treatment table) is coming ot an end. That none of Riise, Crouch and Alonso made the 16 man squad may also be indicative of their respective futures.

Voronin got a rare start, and scored. Some Liverpool fans have been very critical of him this season. I'd say he's been inconsistent, but shown some promising moments - the problem perhaps being that, like Kuyt, he's not an out-and-out goal scorer. Given that he was brought in on a free to replace Robbie as fourth striker, I'd say it's worth giving him another season - although if anyone was to put in a reasonable offer (and Celtic were rumoured to be interested) I'd be happy to make a profit. Even if Crouch also leaves, we can play Babel as a striker or promote Nemeth from reserves, so I think we have some options, as long as Torres stays fit.

Speaking of 'El Nino' it was our number 9 that not only set up Voronin's opener but scored his 24th league goal of the season, surpassing RvN's record for league goals by a foreign player in his debut season. All the more impressive given that they were all from open play - and this one away from home too! Let's hope he doesn't suffer from 'second season syndrome' now defenders will know about him (to be fair, I'd guess they've known about him for a while - but it doesn't help much).

Good also to see Reina keep a clean sheet and win the golden gloves for the third season running.

Penguin Attack

First they came for the pigeons, and I did not speak out as I was not one.

Then they came for the people.

Cambridge

I spent much of the last two days in, or travelling to/from, Cambridge. Never having been there during my time in Oxford, it was something of an adventure, but it seemed a very nice place - no doubt helped by the weather.

I stayed in Churchill college, which is a modern one set in spacious gardens - rather like a cross between St Catz and St Hugh's. I was also treated to lunch in Jesus, Cambridge by my friend Clare - much larger than Jesus, Oxford it also seemed a very nice place. Given the chance, I'd very much welcome the change of scenery.

Despite only leaving Jesus at 13:50, I managed to just catch the 14:15 train to Kings Cross and, from there, get back to Oxford - changing at Reading and despite a train being delayed (I realized it was worth switching platforms and jumping on a train to Bristol, despite the announcement telling other poor souls to wait where they were for 20 minutes) - and get back to Oxford station at 16:45, allowing me to make it up to the department to hear Richard Tuck give a paper for the political theory research seminar. Ironically, he's based in Jesus, Cambridge this year, and would have been there if it wasn't for the fact that he was in Oxford while I was in Cambridge...

UPDATE: Sadly I received notification that, as has been the wont with recent interviews, I was considered appointable but not the best applicant.

Liverpool 1-0 Man City

It's been a while since Liverpool were left with nothing to play for by May, but today - with a 4th place finish guaranteed (either way) - this game was somewhat over-shadowed by the battle for Championship promotion and relegation. With that in mind, I'm disappointed that Insua was the only one of our successful reserve side given a game, but maybe Rafa was keeping the reserve league play-off final (later this week) in focus.

Anyway, the strong team gave Torres the chance to equal Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for a foreign player's debut season of 23 league goals. He also extended a club record, by scoring in his eighth successive home league match - in fact, I believe 21 of the 23 have come at Anfield: imagine what he'll be like if he starts scoring away next season!

Duties to Talents?

Arguments over social justice, inspired by Rawls and Nozick, are full of questions about whether people 'own' their talents or can legitimately expect to benefit from them (or, more properly, their exercise).

This interesting POV on the BBC website, focusing on Amy Winehouse and Snoop Dogg, suggests that people may have duties to their talents. The argument seems not to be a Kantian one, that we have a duty to ourselves to develop our own talents. Nor is it a claim that we have duties to others to exercise our talents for their benefits ("When people say that you have a duty to your talent, they all too often mean that you have a duty to them. But they're misstating the case.").

It's less clear what the argument is, but it seems to be based on a duty to the talents as such (if that's distinguishable from oneself). I suppose it's just about plausible that we might do wrong by destroying artworks, even if no one ever saw them - but it's surely less plausible that we have an analogous duty to create them (such an argument certainly wouldn't hold with respect to people). Moreover, the argument - such as it is - is tainted with religious ideas ("When that young woman sings, it's the revelation of a divine gift. But when she behaves as if the gift were hers to destroy if she feels like it, you can't help thinking of divine wrath.").

Whatever you think (and I'm still not sure what to make of it), it was still an interesting read.

The Rise of the Right

I have to admit, I didn't vote yesterday. I had kind of intended to, not that I had much preference, but - despite getting up at 6:30 - was busy for most of the day.

The BBC reports the BNP are growing in support. It's hard to know what to make of this - it could simply be protest voting, of a sort arguably encouraged by our FPTP electoral system where there's very little responsibility.

In any case, it's an excuse to link to Pop Will Eat Itself's classic warning about the 'rise of the right' Ich bin ein Auslander (video, lyrics).

May Day

Today was May Day in Oxford (and elsewhere, I believe). I didn't go down to Magdalen Bridge this year - much less stay up the night, as I had a busy day planned - but I did get up early for champagne and strawberry breakfast in college.

The rest of the day involved the applied ethics seminar in the morning, a tutorial on Republic, a post-interview meeting with one of the tutors in college (I came 2nd for the third time!) and the DPhil social in the department, before the real highlight: Jerry Cohen's Valedictory Lecture, which included his impersonations of the likes of Gilbert Ryle and Isaiah Berlin.

Chris Bertram, over at CT, also reports on the lecture, with photos, including my friend Kieran's banner. See also Virtual Stoa and Leiter.

The lecture was followed by a drinks reception in All Souls that (like the lecture itself) probably had a great concentration of eminent political theorists than most conferences I've been to - including what might as well have been an official MANCEPT outing - then many of us going to All Bar One and eight of us on for a curry. A thoroughly great night all round.

Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool (CL semi final, AET)

We were always going to be up against it after last week's disappointing draw, and so it proved - we were good enough to force the tie to extra time (which was more than I really expected, given our poor recent record at Stamford Bridge), but sadly then conceded a couple of quick goals.

It's hard to say what went wrong. Benitez's pre-match criticism of Drogba may have been ill-advised - he really was a disgrace in the first leg, but I'd rather have him diving than riled up the way he was tonight. I remember the way he destroyed us in the UEFA cup (playing for Marseille) yet, like Heskey, I think he's too often a sleeping giant given his pace and strength - tonight we saw the striker he can be when effective.

Even so, I think maybe we could have handled him had we not lost Skrtel to an early injury. Already without Agger and Aurelio, it was a big ask, even if few teams have a fourth choice centre back fit to lace Hyypia's boots. More problematic than the change of personel was that it cost us one of our substitutions, denying us the necessary attacking threat (Crouch) and fresh legs going into extra time.

Chelsea had the better of the first half and, despite a touch of off-side about their goal, I couldn't really complain. We came back well in the second, but I did wonder for a while where the goal was coming from. I was just wondering whether it should be Alonso or Benayoun to make way for an attacking change (Pennant or Babel) and thinking that Benayoun - though he'd been quiet - was the kind of player who could make a goal out of nothing, when he ghosted past several Chelsea players on the edge of the box and unleashed Torres for the equaliser.

At this point I hoped the momentum was with Liverpool and, indeed, I think it probably was, but there was to be no further breakthrough in normal time - so, as many had predicted, with scores at 1-1 (2-2 aggregate) the match went to extra time. Sadly, Chelsea seized the initiative - Essien had already had a goal ruled out for off-side before Drogba struck and then Lampard converted a penalty, all in the space of about five minutes and the tie was effectively over.

If there was any hope of recovering the two goal deficit, it was soon over when Torres was withdrawn - apparently suffering a tight hamstring. To be honest, I'd have been inclined to leave him on longer, thinking that half-fit he's still worth having, and there was little lost if he picked up an injury with our season heading to a premature end. Sadly, this left us a bit shapeless up front too.

Babel's long range shot past Cech restored a little hope, but it wasn't to be. I think Hyypia - though he couldn't complain about conceding an uncharacteristically clumsy penalty for chopping down Ballack - could feel slightly aggrieved not to have won one of his own. I also think we probably should have had more than a minute's added time (since extra time included at least two substitutions, a disllowed goal, a converted penalty and two further goals) with which to search for the equaliser that would take us to penalties. At the end of the day, I think we were at least as good as Chelsea over the two legs (I'd have been disappointed with a 1-0 lead from the first), but there clearly isn't much between the two teams so - after we got the better of them in 2005, 2006 and 2007 - I suppose it's only fair that they won through this time. I guess we might as well toss a coin in future...

Transitivity and Footballers, Old and Young

I've recently been thinking again about transitivity (you can find another example, also concerning football, here), due to writing a presentation for G A Cohen's Contemporary Political Philosophy course, focusing on this paper.

I was interested, therefore, to observe an intransitivity in the PFA player of the year awards: Ronaldo was voted player of the year, and Fabregas young player of the year, although Ronaldo was also eligible for that one! How can Ronaldo be the best out of all players but not best out of the young ones? (A subset of which he is a member). This seems to violate the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives axiom - and that, presumably, is what happened - people who voted for David James, Adebayor or Gerrard for the main award (letting Ronaldo beat Fabregas) chose to back Fabregas rather than Ronaldo.

It's possible, therefore, that no individual has intransitive preferences. Then again, some footballers aren't too bright. Micah Richards reveals, in his BBC column, that he voted for both Ronaldo and Fabregas, rather than working out which was best and voting twice for him: that would have been complicated, since he's also quoted as saying "Liverpool's Steven Gerrard is the best player I have ever seen" (although, in fairness, that may not mean this year).

Miller Bites

My supervisor, talking about national responsibility (topic of his recent book) over at Philosophy Bites. Thanks to Sarah for the link.

See also G A Cohen - whose valedictory lecture will be given this Thursday. I'll also have to listen to Melissa Lane on Plato and totalitarianism soon.

Birmingham 2-2 Liverpool

Birmingham are a team we've struggled to beat in the league over recent years and, with very much a 'second team' (as at Fulham) and them fired up not only by their struggle to avoid relegation but to bounce back from a 5-1 derby drubbing. this was never going to be an easy game.

Even so, we had a decent defensive line - even if Hyypia, Finnan and Riise are all past their best - so I was disappointed to go two goals down. I was cheered somewhat by the way we bounced back - Crouch proving he's still in good scoring form with the first and Pennant again proving effective - he's got to play on Wednesday I feel. That Benayoun's equaliser came via a deflection off Jiadi was particularly pleasing, since his antics in front of Reina had arguably cost us the second by distracting him ahead of what was a great free kick.

Anyway, one point virtually guarantees 4th spot and CL qualification (theoretically if we lost our remaining two, and Everton won their three, we could slip out - but the blues would have to overturn a goal difference of fifteen in our favour in the course). Now hopefully we can put our focus into this year's competition - although, having heard how Chelsea beat Utd, I'm not too confident ahead of Wednesday. I'd rather Chelsea won the PL though, and think there are some signs (1, 2) United might be losing it...

Half Rabbits gig

The Half Rabbits (6/10) + Sennen (7/10) + Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element (7/10) + Cogwheel Dogs (6/10)

Proof the people who matter read blogs - my post on my last gig received a comment from one of the bands! Anyway, since I wasn't doing anything else, my friend Nick was also free on the Friday night, and the bill featured four bands for just £5 in support of OxJam, we decided to check it out.

First up, the Cogwheel Dogs were a rather unusual line up - female singer/guitarist and a guy with a new-fangled cello. It's quirky, with song-writing as unusual as the line-up, but soon grows on me. I have to say the single, 'Cress', was probably one of my least favourite songs, despite the unusual offer of the single plus a piece of encapsulated cress for £3 (Nick and I were struck by the word encapsulated - apparently, according to her bio, Rebecca "is driven by the omnipresent, nagging desire to encapsulate things"). Other songs, like 'Ducking Stool', were rather good though. Not much stage presence, but certainly a band I wouldn't mind seeing/hearing again.

Sunnyvale were second on the bill, and delivered pretty much as expected - at least Stuart's bass didn't give up after two songs this time! I have to say sound levels were rather high and it did seem to put a lot of people off: at the start of the set Nick and I (sat at a table on the side) couldn't see much, but by the end we had a clear view as people retreated towards the bar. Chief talking point: is it really true that to say 'How Spiderman Was Tricked By His Wife' is a song about Spiderman?

Incidentally, I found out that the reason I'd only been seeing them as a two piece lately is because Giles is taking time out to work on film projects. Also that they're launching a new remix/out-take CD-R with another gig @ Wheatsheaf on 30th May. I also got to give Stuart a couple of quid for Audioscope (BBC story) / Shelter, after recently being sent one of their old CDs.

While their experimental post-rock noise may not exactly be radio-friendly, third band Sennen (MySpace) look considerably more mainstream. In fact, as they're setting up (putting fairy lights round the drum set!) Nick and I speculate on what they might sound like - based on the fact that one guitarist looks very like Matt Bellamy (Muse) and the other someone out of The Feeling. Predictably, it's show-gazing indie and not - as I'd guessed - death metal. One of the early songs reminds me very much of The Cure's 'Friday I'm In Love' while latter on I was thinking their rockier numbers were more like BRMC as they seemed set to go out on a high - only to reveal after a gratuitous solo that they had one more song. Rather generic and derivative, but I honestly think they could be indie one-hit wonders. Also, while perhaps not the greatest band ever, I think assessed purely on live performance probably the best band of the night.

Finally, The Half-Rabbits - who I hadn't seen before, but I'd heard good things about them from Nick, who'd seen them twice before, and via Nightshift etc. I have to say I wasn't particularly impressed. They sounded rather like Interpol and - while not bad - I didn't think they were anything special in either music or performance.

Sometimes three or four bands all putting in good sets can make a really great gig. I think to be honest tonight just fell short of that. All the bands were solid, and I wouldn't be averse to seeing any on another bill, but none quite captivated me and I wouldn't be particularly inclined to go out of my way to see any again. Still, it wasn't a bad way to spend an evening and it was in support of both charity and local music.

Photos available over here.

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

If ever there was a draw that felt like defeat, this has to be a pretty good candidate. Chelsea offered very little going forward - with Drogba seemingly more intent on going down (and winning a number of free kicks for doing so - though Kuyt didn't when Ashley Cole lunged through him, in the most blatant free-kick-not-given I've ever seen). We were as dominant as one could ever expect to be, such that not adding to Kuyt's goal would have felt harsh enough, so to concede to a 95th minute own goal was a real sickener.

While the tie is still technically on a knife-edge, Chelsea now have the advantage of an away goal (something they never had in 2005 or 2007) and Stamford Bridge has never been a happy hunting ground for us as far as I can remember, save one year when we won thanks to Bruno Cheyrou(!) - I don't think we've even scored there under Benitez, as we'll need to next week. Sadly, I don't think this is our year - in which case, I hope whoever comes through the Man Utd/Barca tie can stop the Chavs in Moscow.

Fulham 0-2 Liverpool

It's pleasing to see that we can now make eight changes and still put in a professional performance and win. Particularly pleasing as we controversially lost this fixture last season, again with a weakened team and eye on the CL. Maybe Rafa was being cautious, or maybe he's concerned to get fourth place sewn up, but the line-up today was all first team players - when personally I'd have liked to have seen Insua, Plessis and Nemeth given a run out for the senior team.

Hopefully knocks to Hyypia and Mascherano aren't too serious, and Stevie's neck injury will have recovered in time for Chelsea on Tuesday. I think Pennant may have played his way into the team with a goal and an assist today - plus the fact that he has in the past done quite well against Ashley Cole. Several people on the Liverpool message board seem to be debating Pennant versus Kuyt, but I'd play them both (on the 'wings' of our 4-2-3-1) with Babel on the bench as an impact player.

CL Ticket Lottery

Tickets for events such as Wimbledon and the Oscars are routinely allocated by lottery. It seems that, to meet UEFA guidelines, all the Champions League semi-finalists have to announce their ticket procedures now in case they should reach the final in Moscow. I'm pleased to see that the Liverpool website says "Once we have received the applications they will not be taken first come first served because that would be unfair. Instead, we will have a random process. Having weighed up all the options and the concerns that fans had last year we feel that the system we have come up with is the best and fairest way of distributing tickets."

What's in a Job Title?

According to the BBC article, Bez (of Happy Mondays fame - seen in action here) is a "dancer". The court judgement they quote describes him as a "journalist and a musician".

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Wikipedia entry fudges this important controversy, refering to him as a "dancer and percussionist".

Teaching Jobs

I recently applied for a job that required me to outline two courses I could devise and teach for final year undergraduates. Thankfully, as far as I'm aware, the job application process isn't as bad here as the other side of the pond, where it seems candidates are regularly expected to submit statements of their 'teaching philosophy', sample syllabi, student evaluations, and who knows what else. Here the norm is apparently to rely on referees (as if any of mine have any idea what I'm like as a teacher...)

Anyway, this post on Leiter Reports about advice for those applying for teaching jobs still seems to be of some relevance.

And, while I'm linking, I think I may have linked to this humorous attempt at writing a teaching philosophy before, but I also recently saw this observation about student evaluations. This, of course, raises the same question about who's competent to judge the performance of experts as Plato did long ago.

Sunnyvale Gig

Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element (8/10) + Foxes! (7/10) + 1877 (7/10)

Attempting to put right the dearth of recent gigs, I made it two in two nights (after this) by checking out some more local bands at the Purple Turtle. Contrary to some false advertising, the event wasn't free, but at only a pound not much to complain about (contrary to McDonald's poundsaver menu adds, this gig was much better than a burger).

Sadly, the PT seemed pretty disorganized. Doors were supposed to open at 8 and they were indeed open when I got there at half past but, after I saw a band setting up and sat around for half an hour, a security guy then threw me out of the performance area because they weren't ready. I had to wait in the other half of the PT until gone half nine - although there was no real indication when they finally started so by the time I actually made it to see 1877 I was only able to catch their last song. It sounded very Joy Division influenced, like Editors or Interpol. While I can't really pass much judgement from that one song, I'd certainly be willing to see them on a bill again.

Next up were Foxes! who featured a rather unusual line-up of a female singer-drummer and two guys with guitars (one of whom shared singing duties). They describe themselves as indie / powerpop / folk rock, which I suppose just about covers it, though I can't really think of anyone they sound much like for purposes of comparison. It's an upbeat kind of indie-rock that has feet tapping and people dancing - and it looks like they've brought quite a crowd of admirers, who great each song enthusiastically. Despite the poor singer having coughing fits between each song, they go down well.

Headliners Sunnyvale were due on stage at 10:45, but it's around 11:20 by the time they finally do get on. This is the fourth time I've seen them, which is more than I've seen any other band, though it shouldn't be concluded I'm that big a fan - this is over a period of six years on the local scene! Nonetheless, this is the first time since I bought the Techno Self-Harm EP, and I think I enjoy it more for knowing and recognizing most of the songs (even though they now have a full length debut album).

Sadly, things don't go too smoothly as - after just two songs - Stuart announces that his bass is busted. This results in a brief delay, before he resumes using a replacement (from 1877), which he has to play upside down because he's left-handed. Sadly, that delay when the night was already running late means the band only get two more songs - 'How Spiderman Was Tricked By His Wife' and 'Girl Thief' - in before calling it a night (whether due to technical troubles or a midnight curfew, I'm not sure). Only four songs was massively disappointing, but given the gig was only a pound one can hardly complain about not getting value for money. I enjoyed what I heard, and can't hold the technical difficulties or PT's inability to keep time against them. I guess now I might have to go see them again at one of their up-coming shows (25th April @ Wheatsheaf)...

Liverpool 3-1 Blackburn

On their day, Blackburn are difficult opposition, as shown by the way they frustrated us earlier in the season. Thankfully today was one of their off-days, perhaps because they now have little to play for - it seemed they'd hardly turned up.

Even so, it looked like it might be one of those days when it took an hour for Gerrard to open the scoring. After that, it wasn't quite the opening of the floodgates but it certainly paved the way for Torres to net his 30th of the season (in front of the Kop, unsurprisingly) before Voronin put a slightly flattering gloss on the score at the end - only to have it pegged back by an injury-time consolation from Santa Cruz.

Mark Hughes may well moan that things could have been different had Skrtel been red-carded when he brought down Roberts. The commentators on the radio certainly seemed to think it could, if not should, have been red - but Samba could well have seen red earlier on for a challenge on Gerrard, so I don't think there's much to complain about.

With Everton set to play Chelsea this week, hopefully this leaves us in pole position for 4th.

Winchell Riots gig

Winchell Riots (8/10) + Her Name Is Calla (8/10) + This Et Al (7/10)

I haven't been to a gig in quite a while - at least, unless you count the cover band at Nick & Roo's wedding - but tonight I put that right by going to see The Winchell Riots (formed by ex-members of Fell City Girl) play a gig at the Wheatsheaf, with Nick & Roo.

Opening band, This Et Al, weren't one I'd ever heard of before, but they were pleasant enough, with songs ranging from stoner rock to upbeat indie-pop - while none really stood out at least there was some variety.

The band I'd really come to see was Her Name Is Calla, who we saw supporting Glissando at the Port Mahon last July. A truly multi-instrumental post-rock group, they only serve up three of their typically epic songs, but are typified by closing number New England, which veers from fragile vocals over sparse backing to a rousing crescendo which culminates with all four of the band beating drums. Thoroughly enjoyable.

As I said, it was Her Name Is Calla that I'd initially come to see, having joined their mailing list at the previous gig, but - while I was never a Fell City Girl devotee (having seen them only once) - the chance to check out Phil McMinn's new band was a welcome one. I don't remember Fell City Girl making a particularly distinctive impression on me, though the songs from their later Swim EP did grow on me.

The Winchell Riots were playing to launch their debut EP, Histories, which I bought after the show, and I thought they had a lot more character and individuality - though that's probably me being unfair to FCG. Perhaps they can go on and achieve the big things FCG were tipped for. They'll need to write some more songs first though - Phil admits they have no more for the encore, so resorts to a solo performance of FCG classic February Snow to popular acclaim and participation. (That YouTube video is actually from the gig itself; here's the FCG original)

Music Personality Test

See my results here.

Pretty interesting, but I wouldn't call them terribly accurate. It seems to assume, for example, that if you like rock and metal you prefer music that's 'edgy and aggressive' rather than 'reflective and complex', as if all metal was Amen rather than Tool.

Consequently I get some inaccurate ("People with low scores on the reflective and complex music-preference dimension tend to be traditional, physically active, and prefer the straightforward to the complex") and contradictory ("People with high scores on the energetic and aggressive music-preference dimension tend to enjoy taking risks and engaging in thrilling experiences. They also tend to be dominant, imaginative, and energetic. They tend to be politically liberal, and believe that freedom, independence, and excitement are important aspects of life. When it comes to lifestyle, lovers of edgy and aggressive music, tend to come from the middle to lower classes" versus "People with low scores on the energetic and upbeat music-preference dimension tend to be introverted, less assertive than the average person, and detail oriented. As for politics and values, they tend to lean to the conservative side, and value intellect, ambition, and high art. When it comes to lifestyle, low scorers on the energetic and upbeat dimension often come from the middle and upper classes") personality results...

Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal (CL, 2nd leg)

So, after two recent draws (1, 2), it's Liverpool who establish an aggregate victory and progress to the Champions League semi-finals - and pretty much ending a season that had initially promised so much for the Gunners.

I have to say, this was the most nervous game of football I've endured in a long time, probably more than either of the recent CL finals I've experienced. It was always going to be close, but the way Arsenal began looked ominous - they were all over us, opening the scoring after just twelve minutes. I always though one away goal wouldn't be enough! Thankfully, at Anfield, almost anything is possible and - having been very much under the cosh for almost half an hour - we equalised when Hyypia lost Senderos at a corner to head home. I'm not so sure whether it was our belief growing or Arsenal (who'd been on the back of a poor run, until beating Bolton) faltered, but certainly the goal swung things in our favour.

If Arsenal had had the best of the first half hour, then we probably edged the next third of the match - either side of half-time - coming out after the break all guns blazing in the search for a winner (at 1-1, the prospect of extra-time and penalties loomed). No surprises who delivered, in front of the Kop - Torres scoring a goal worthy of winning any match. The 2-1 lead (on the night) was always precarious, however, because another away goal for Arsenal would take them through.

At this stage, both teams were looking tired and nervy, but while Liverpool may have been caught between whether to stick or twist, there was only one option for Arsenal - to attack. The commentators had been warning all game about the impact Theo Walcott could make, coming on from the bench to run at tired defenders, and their words proved prophetic as - after a fluffed corner at the other end - he was allowed to run most of the length of the pitch and cross for Adebayor (with two other Arsenal players) to tap in from close range. It was a great run, passed several players, although to be honest I was disappointed with the defending. Had it been Hyypia, instead of Aurelio, on the half-way line I guarantee he'd have - as the commentators put it - 'taken a yellow [card] for the team' (i.e. cynically brought Walcott down, although - unlike Rob's favourite Solksjaer moment - with cover behind him).

I'd been literally shaking with nerves during parts of this match and now, with one late (85th minute) goal looking likely to snatch defeat from the jaws of defeat, I was utterly deflated. When the commentators had earlier been building up Walcott's potential impact, however, I'd been reassuring myself that our own Babel is also quite an impact player, and so he proved. Just minutes after the goal, he charged into the Arsenal area before going down under contact from Toure. The penalty gave us a chance to restore our lead (3-2), but it took nerves of steal from Gerrard to score - seemingly completing a real rollercoaster of a match. In fact, there was time for Babel to prevent any further see-sawing, as a long ball gave him the opportunity to race through Arsenal's half (the tired Fabregas was never going to catch him, despite his despairing attempt to grab Babel's shirt) and slot in the decisive fourth.

It's hard to sum up such a match; it's a real shame either team had to lose (of course, I'd far prefer Arsenal to Man Utd or Chelsea). At the end of the day, whether through inexperience, lack of squad depth or (related) tiredness Arsenal lost. Of course, Wenger's first response was to blame the ref. While I think Toure's challenge on Babel probably did merit a penalty, I have to admit that it was probably no worse that Kuyt's on Hleb in the first leg, so in that respect Arsenal can count themselves unlucky to have one given against them but not get one themselves. Neither, however, were cast iron penalties, so perhaps to the extent that one makes a 50/50 challenge in the box one opens oneself up to moral luck...

How to Pay the Rent

I just got paid for last term's teaching, and was pleasantly surprised that it was actually a bit more than I'd been expecting - although it still won't cover a term's rent until I get round to reclaiming tax (which, with the new tax year, I should be able to do as soon as I get the various necessary P60s - which will probably take a while).

Teaching, on an hourly paid basis, can just about support you, if you can get enough of it (and, sadly, exams next term mean there isn't much to go round) but it's not exactly a decent living. That's why I'm job-hunting now. It seems, however, that it's possible to earn up to £30,000 (via) - more than most of the lecturing jobs I've applied for - writing essays for other students!

As the article notes, these essay writing services normally claim their products are to be used as guides or templates. I've been tempted to provide my students similar model answers myself, and don't see anything wrong with that. The problem is that most of them allow students to not only ask for any essay title they like but also include further personalisation, such as the bibliography style (and, presumably, what's on it/referenced). Their defences would be more credible if they made it harder to pass off these essays as one's own - e.g. supplying them in a distinctive format, in PDF files, with the source clearly identified, and copies submitted to online plagiarism checking sites.

White Wedding

Last night was my friend Nick's wedding. Since I'm not currently in Oxford, it meant a quick trip back. This reminded me how bad public transport can be. Buses from my house to Colchester station are supposed to be about every 20 minutes on a Saturday but, since the one I went for didn't seem to turn up, I had to wait about 25 minutes - ironically it took me about as long to get to Colchester station as it then took to get to Liverpool Street. Thankfully the rest of the journey went smoothly, with short waits for quick trains - even one from Paddington that only stopped at Reading and Oxford (which I don't think I've ever had before). Sadly, things look like they'll be much worse today, although at least I'm not in Kent.

I wasn't at the service itself, but the reception was held in Teddy Hall - which confusingly has a hall named the Wolfson Hall. Nick and his wife had booked an indie covers band and chosen songs to be played between and after their two sets, which gave the night a really individual feel - they both have good taste in music and the result was very them. I did think a few of the song choices were a bit odd though, but that will have to be a separate post.

Since Nick and his wife have known each other since school, there were obviously lots of old friends who have known them both a long time. There weren't too many from Oxford, although we did have a 'Jesubite' photo (the couple plus me, Lisa, Sara, Steve & Vicki). It didn't matter too much, as I knew several from the stag weekend and met a few others (through them), then spent most of the night dancing anyway. I should also mention the food - there was a very nice buffet selection (which I wish I'd had more of!), particularly the brandy snap baskets and - instead of a traditional wedding cake - a selection of cup cakes.

All in all, it was a very fun night, and I wish the two of them many future years of happiness together. Too bad that when it ended, at midnight, there hadn't yet been any snow though. Waking up this morning, Oxford was covered in a particularly beautiful layer of white that really would have made it a white wedding!

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see this match as I was travelling back to Oxford for a wedding, but I did get to follow most of the second half. This is the third meeting between these two sides this season to end in a 1-1 draw (first, second). I suppose I should be grateful that it's better than last season, when we got knocked out the FA and League cups in the space of a week!

Another 1-1 draw on Tuesday, in the second leg of our Champions League quarter final,
will see the match go to extra time (which, other things being equal, I'd probably settle for right now - we'll be at home and I think our players seem fresher). It's no doubt with that in mind that both managers chose to rest players, with Benitez making eight changes including handing a debut to 20 year old Plessis (who's earned good reviews in the reserves this season).

Liverpool's second string had the better of the first half, and led through a Crouch goal. (I was surprised not to see Crouch last week, given how he tormented Arsenal last season). Sadly, Bendtner made some amends for clearing a shot off our line on Tuesday by equalizing and that was how the match ended, despite cameo appearances from Gerrard and Torres.

I can't say I'm too disappointed. Assuming Everton beat Derby, they'll now only be three points behind us, but their remaining five games include Arsenal and Chelsea, which will both be tough even if the London clubs rotate/rest players. A point from the Emirates isn't bad, especially with the side we put out (though Arsenal rotated too) and Tuesday is more important now.

Random Acknowledgement Link

I was just working on an application for a job in Aberystwyth when I remembered that I once read some papers for Nkiruka Ahiauzu, who's a lecturer in law there. I saw the one she gave in Oxford has been published, with me thanked: ‘Multiple Principles and the Obligation to Obey the Law’ Deakin Law Review. Vol. 10. No. 2. 2005. p. 524-44.

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (CL, 1st leg)

So the second match between Liverpool and Arsenal this season also ends in a 1-1 draw (read about the first here); again with Arsenal probably dominating play, but not overly exerting Reina. Many pundits said an away goal could prove crucial, but at one a piece I think this is still the most closely balanced of the four semi-finals (Chelsea's shock defeat makes that now close, but I'd still expect them to progress at home).

Arsenal have such dangerous attacking players that I wouldn't bank on a clean sheet at Anfield, and if our away goal is cancelled we need a win or extra time (which could be a distinct possibility). Before that, there's another visit to the Emirates in the league, but I'd probably be willing to concede defeat there in exchange for progress on Tuesday. Only time will tell whether arsenal will still be in the hunt for two trophies...

UPDATE: It's something of a shock to see Wenger criticizing someone for not seeing something on a football pitch.

Priority in Practice Report

I'm happy to say the Priority in Practice workshop (mentioned here) was enjoyable. I got to see several interesting papers and, though I didn't really meet anyone I didn't kind of know already, I did get to catch up with some familiar faces and cement a few acquaintances. Plus, since there was no registration fee, it proved that there is such a thing as a free lunch too!

I stayed with my friend Mike in LSE halls too, which gave us a welcome chance to catch up (though we in fact have a gaudy [college reunion] next week to do that). He helped escort me round London - I now have somewhat better bearings, and was able to walk from UCL back to Liverpool Street, which took about an hour and gave me a blister, but was good exercise, a chance to see the sights and did avoid the very crowded rush hour tube.

Liverpool 1-0 Everton

Torres was unavailable for the Goodison derby, but it was his finish that made the difference here in a typically tight game. Too bad we spurned some other chances, but I'd always take 1-0 in one-off games.

Hopefully five points ahead with six games to play puts us in a stronger position, and takes some pressure off our up-coming Premier League visit to Arsenal - I'd like to say maybe we can afford to lose that, but we have some other tricky fixtures still (I'm including those at the bottom, because they'll either be scrapping for their lives or suddenly playing without pressure, and teams often start winning once relegated).

Priority in Practice

I'm off to London today, to stay with a friend for a couple of days and attend the Priority in Practice workshop. Sadly, this clashes with the annual PSA Conference, which I have a feeling I should be at, but I can't afford it anyway. (A particular shame as it's held in Swansea and I just applied for a job there). Anyway, no updates - including the Merseyside derby - until I get back.

If We're All Incompetent Anyway, Why Not A Lottery?

In a timely follow-up to my recent post on incompetence, Keith Sutherland writes a very interesting post over at OpenDemocracy. He claims "surveys show that the public does slightly worse in estimates of the parties’ positions on most issues than it would do if it proceeded by flipping a coin", though sadly the link only reveals the table of contents from this book (certainly seems worth checking out).

If this was true, it would certainly be a blow for those who defend epistemic theories, such as David Estlund, who places considerable stress on democracy being 'better than random' (although he does, in fairness, nuance this account somewhat - for example, noting that what really matters is avoiding what he calls 'primary bads').

If voters are so incompetent that their votes are effectively random, then we can't have much faith in majorities, for the majority itself is effectively random. This means there's no real reason to prefer a random majority to a randomly chosen individual voter.

In fact, Sutherland proposes randomly constituted chambers. His forthcoming book (a much revised version of this one) in Imprint Academic's exciting new series on sortition (which, by the way, also includes my friend Olly) presumably sets out the argument in more detail. I have to admit, I'm not sure the solution to low political competence is more democracy; but then as Carole Pateman noted long ago, competence may be an endogeneous factor in the political system.

Plato and Incompetence

While I'm thinking about Plato: In both Republic and Statesman, Plato compares the art of governing to navigation. He likens the demos (people) to an incompetent ship's captain, easily persuaded by demoagogues with pretty rhetoric but no true knowledge of statescraft, while the ones who does know (the navigator, analogous to the philosophy) is dismissed as a useless star-gazer.

Aristotle responds, in the Politics, that people don't have to be competent to perform a task themselves in order to be capable of judging it, pointing out that one needn't be a chef to judge the quality of the meal one eats. There's probably some truth to this, but it also begs the question against Plato, who explicitly deals with such a response: in the Gorgias he compares the philosopher to the doctor administering drugs, demagogues to confectioners, and the demos to children - of course the people prefer sweets to medicine, but that's no indication of what's really good for them, as they aren't capable of rational choice.

Though both Plato and Aristotle accept that certain ends are rational, I think that this dispute may ultimately come down to the question whether we accept this or Hume's dictum that reason ought only to be the slave of the passions. If we agree with Hume, then we might think that the people should set the end (i.e. destination of the ship), leave getting there to the experts, but at the end of the day hold the experts to account. (Although this, of course, involves some problems - the people wouldn't know, for example, whether anyone could have done better or, if so, who). Plato, however, thinks we're not like passengers on a ship wanting to be taken to a particular, given destination by the best route; rather, we don't even know where we should go.

Anyway, I'm digressing slightly. The real motivation of this post was recent scientific research indicating that less competent people are more likely to over-estimate their competence and make bad judges of others (via Scott Adams).

The fact that the majority of people believe themselves above average is, I thought, reasonably well known. To some extent, the fact that incompetent people over-estimate and competent people under-estimate their ability isn't too surprising, as there's more room for error in that direction. In any case, it seems to offer some kind of support for Plato's thesis that most people not only don't know what they're doing but aren't fit to judge those that do. (This runs counter to what Willmoore Kendall argues is the implicit premise behind Locke's theory - that most people are rational and just).

Adams thinks this explains why people vote. I think it may play some part, but not for the reasons he suggests. He claims his political preferences switch in ways suggesting he isn't capable of judging who should be president but, recognizing his incompetence, he abstains. It may be true that most people over-estimate their ability to make the right choice (assuming, of course, that there is one), but even so observed levels of voting surely depend on people over-estimating the efficacy of their votes - which, in large scale elections, is near zero. I've written on these issues before, here and here.

Wells and Plato

Today, I finished reading two books. Firstly, Malcolm Schofield's Plato: Political Philosophy - an academic text I was reading as a refresher before teaching Plato next term, review forthcoming in PSR. Secondly, for leisurely/bed-time reading, H. G. Wells' sci-fi classic The Invisible Man (text available here). There are some surprising synergies between the two!

The Invisible Man is actually, in many ways, like Well's later short story The Country of the Blind (which may be compared to Plato's Cave, if read as an illustration of how the ignorant masses will be sceptical of and persecute those of greater insight). Both illustrate that one man's difference can be a blessing as well as a curse, although Griffin certainly seems to mostly profit from his invisibility.

Obviously, the relevant Platonic image here is the 'ring of Gyges', which gives the wearer power to turn invisible and so commit injustice with impunity. One with such a ring is obviously more fortunate than Griffin, in that he can switch between visibility and invisibility at will, and thus doesn't face many of the problems such as eating or going about in public. Nonetheless, Wells' novel illustrates certain problems faced when invisible, such as being identified by footprints (and being cold, though going naked may have been less problematic in Greece).

Certainly Griffin does seem to be driven mad by power, proposing a reign of terror, and thereby nicely illustrates the tyrannical soul that Socrates describes. Given the choice between being such a man, able to do injustice but lacking internal order, or the moderate and just philosopher whose soul is harmonised, the latter looks more appealing to me.

Also it's worth noting that the novel contains numerous uses of 'incontinence', in either the archaic sense of immediately or perhaps more generally as lacking self-control (although without emphasis on bodily functions) - to illustrate that the term used for Aristotle's akrasia was not always as absurd as it sounds today.

Man Utd 3-0 Liverpool

Benitez has yet to pick up so much as a point against Manchester United (though, contrary to some reports, he has beaten them). Sadly, I didn't have too much hope of that changing today, as United edged the first half and went in a goal to the good, following a mistake by Reina (who, despite making several very good saves, was unfortunately at fault also for the second).

The real talking point, of course, was the sending off of Mascherano (who Hansen had picked out as a key player before the match). While I won't claim that it dictated the result, I think it certainly explained why the game wasn't closer.

Maybe he was a bit of an idiot given that he was already on a yellow card, but the fact is his dismissal apparently came simply for asking a question - and, while certain questions can, depending on tone, sound like dissent, it seems strange to interpret it as such given that Liverpool had just received a free kick. Whatever was said, I think it wouldn't have happened had it not been for the recent fuss over Ashley Cole and Chelsea, which itself raises issues of justice. It's the first dismissal Liverpool have suffered this season and I have to say I don't think our players are generally as guilty of harrassing referees as those of Man Utd or Chelsea (John Terry's recent remarks striking me as particularly hypocritical).

Without our midfield enforcer, and already a goal down, it was no surprise that late efforts from Ronaldo and Nani were able to put a gloss on the result. Unfortunately, we now have an international break before a crunch clash with Everton (for which Mascherano will be suspended). We're still two points clear of our blue neighbours, so if we win that then 4th place should be in our hands.

White Easter

Last night I went out for a few drinks with a couple of old school friends, neither of whom I'd seen in about a year. There wasn't too much gossip to catch up on really, but it was nice to see them again and find out where they were living, who they were seeing, what they were doing (both just got jobs), etc.

It was pretty cold, but I wasn't expecting to wake up today to snow. There are plenty of pictures of the white Easter on the BBC website. It's too bad I'm not in Oxford, which I always think looks quite picturesque in snow, although it's better that I don't have much to do and can enjoy the warmth indoors.

Sadly, it seems that after a few years of buying us CDs (presumably because we'd out-grown eggs), my mum's gone back to buying my brother and I Easter eggs. I did pass a advert for Now 69 today that was marketing it as something like the 'perfect gift for Easter', so maybe we're now unusual in that respect...

Stag It

As I said when I got home, I didn't stay in Essex long - I've recently come back from Nick's stag weekend. Since far more of my peers have PhD than spouses, this was my first stag night/weekend, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it turned out very enjoyable, even though the only other person I really knew was Steve, with most others going back to school with Nick (and, presumably, therefore his fiancee too).

Getting into London Friday was no trouble, although I'm glad I allowed plenty of time as the Circle line at Liverpool St was closed both due to a suspicious package/bomb scare. We lunched in the Iron Duke pub at Victoria station - although I only actually had a couple of pints as I'd brought sandwiches (which were certainly cheaper). At this point there were only four of us, but we caught the train down to Bearsted (Kent), with others due to meet us later.

On arriving in the village the first thing we wanted to do was locate some sort of shop - which turned out to be a Tesco Express on the other side of the village (and up a hill, as almost everything was). Perhaps we should've got some food, but we loaded up on alcohol, before heading off - back past the station and up yet another (bigger) hill - to find Coldblow Farm, where we were staying.

It turned out it was quite a way to the farm. From the Black Horse pub, the directions told us to go along Pilgrim's Way, take next left and they were first farm on the right. It turned out that was still about a mile and a half (maybe more) and almost all up, sometimes steep, hill. Nonetheless, with a bottle of cider to keep us going, we pressed on with all our bags - I'm not sure the woman who greeted us at reception really believed that we'd walked from the station (not to mention via Tesco).

The barn itself was more modern than expected. Although it had rough stone walls and an old wood-burning stove, it also had radiators and a modern (if compact) kitchen, that actually compares favourably to mine in Oxford. We were told we were welcome to use the pile of manky old mattresses, which we did - firstly, as crash mats for a high jump competition, then later as bedding. While we were getting unpacked, Tim and Steve (who'd taken a later train) joined us.

In the evening, we set off back to the Black Horse pub that we passed earlier for dinner, where we were also due to meet the seventh member of our party. Walking down the hill, in the dark, was quite an adventure and made me wish I'd brought my bike lights to use as a torch. It was a good job we'd made reservations on our way up too, as the place was packed (I suppose it was 9:15 on a Friday night). I didn't have a starter, just the pasta in pesto with olives and tomatoes, but it was ncie and some of the other options looked very fancy (three of us had duck!).

After another long walk up the hill back to the barn, we spent the rest of the evening talking, drinking and playing poker (I only watched), before finally turning in around 3:30am. Unsurprisingly, we weren't really early risers the next day (at least we slept well in our sleeping bags!) so, after some discussion of what to do - not helped much by leaflets featuring attractions as far away as Southend (closer to home for me) - we ended up walking back into Bearsted for breakfast/lunch in a pub.

We had discussed going to see Leeds Castle but, finding it was a coach ride away, that possibly wasn't running, and charged £15 admission (for a yearly pass!), we decided against that. We'd seen, on a map by the Black Horse, that there was a Thurnham Castle much closer, though someone we asked in Bearsted denied its existence. After topping up with drink and food, we decided to set off again towards it, stopping again at the Black Horse to meet Mike (the worst player of the game I've ever met) and refresh ourselves with a quick drink.

The walk to Thunham Castle was quite eventful itself - we started off along a footpath that I think was part of the North Downs Way, before turning off to climb straight up a bramble-covered hill that we thought might be part of it. It turns out it wasn't, but this gave us a good view of the surrounding fields and another hill, this time with steps. Up that and we were almost there - we'd climbed the remains of the old earthwork defences and we now saw the remains of an old wall. To be honest, there was very little to see there, but we had the satisfaction of having discovered the castle, from the opposite side to the official entrance, and took the chance to engage in some climbing and frisbee (throwing the frisbee to people sat on the wall adding an element of risk to the game - perhaps moreso after the frisbee broke).

The walk back from the castel was almost as interesting as that to it. We detoured through a newly planted wood, to an iron age enclosure (not sure what that was) and then over a field in what we thought was roughly the direction of home. The paths weren't well marked, so it was mainly down to Chris and Michael's sense of direction that we were able to cut a more direct route back to our barn, though it did (as ever) involve some hills. (The Downs are definitely better described as ups).

When we got home, the carnivores set up a barbecue to cook sausages and bacon (which I'm told were very good), while I had some salad rolls I'd bought from Tesco earlier. It rained quite heavily that night, but thankfully there was a carport-like roof we could use as shelter, and we had by this pointed started to use the barn's fire exit as a shortcut to the toilets. Later the evening again turned to drinking and poker (I joined in this time, and came 3rd I think - helped perhaps by not always knowing whether I was bluffing), before finally ending with drinking games (circle of fire). It probably says something about our demographic that when I suggested 'current Premiership goalkeepers' as a category for people to name, it was deemed on a par with Chris' 'moons of Saturn'!

The second morning we managed a slightly earlier start, to check out by 10am, although sadly we failed to make it to the station in time to catch the hourly replacement bus, so had to stop off at another pub. It seems half of Kent's trains don't run on Sundays, so we needed one bus to Maidstone and another from there to Sevenoaks (about an hour) before being able to get a train to Victoria - the total journey almost two and a half hours, although at least well co-ordinated. I took leave of the others in London and made my own way home - unfortunately there were some engineering works there too, but I was able to get as far as Marks Tey and have my mum pick me up there.

The weekend may have cost about as much as I'd spend (excluding rent and college meals) in three weeks in Oxford, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable time - much like Scout camp, with alcohol - and a fitting way to mark the end of Nick's single freedom.

Liverpool 2-1 Reading

I didn't get to follow this game, or even find out the score until the next day. It was disappointing to hear we'd conceded a fairly sloppy opening goal, but reassuring how we were able to come from behind - Mascherano's job isn't really to score goals, but nice for him to get his first for the club, while Torres' job very much is goal-getting - 9 in his last 6 games now, making him the first Liverpool player to score 20 league goals in a season since Robbie Fowler (in the 1995-6 season). I hope we can keep our good run of form going through the next five games: Man Utd, Everton and Arsenal x3.

Home

I arrived home today, leaving Oxford slightly earlier than I'd originally planned, having submitted my thesis. Won't be here long - I'm going away for a stag weekend tomorrow morning - but then I'll be based in Colchester until 11th April.

Fabre Review in Print

The long-running wait for my Fabre review is finally over (see previous posts here, here and here). In fact, it seems the JVI had been running slightly behind schedule, and published a bumper issue (vol.41, nos 2-4) in December, without me realizing (perhaps I wasn't in Oxford). Anyway, that included my Fabre review.

For those without online access, the reference is: The Journal of Value Inquiry (2007) 41 pp.375-9. Time to update that CV...

UPDATE: I don't think I'm culpable for missing this - I received the new issue contents alert email 14/03/08.

Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool

With our two goal lead from the first leg, I wasn't overly worried about this fixture. I knew Inter would have to attack, leaving space for the likes of Torres and Babel, and that a single away goal - leaving them needing four - would pretty much win it.

It has to be said the first half was nervier than I'd hoped, with Inter almost constantly probing, but the fact is that they created few really clear chances and we had a few of our own too. Early in the second half, they again had a defender sent off for two stupid bookings and, if that didn't finish things, Torres' away goal did. Inter may have been unlucky to play for 100 of 180 minutes with ten men, but that's the price defenders pay for cynical fouls and, it has to be said, they rarely looked too threatening up front. I've not seen that much of Ibrahimovic, but what I have suggests he's one of the most over-rated players around.

No Point Voting

One thing I've been thinking about lately is the apparent failure of rational choice to explain voting (I wrote a series of posts on this before). To put it simply, the chance of your vote making a difference, in a reasonably large constituency, is near zero - though there have in fact been cases of ties (and another) - so it doesn't seem worth the cost (time, effort) to vote.

I've just seen there's going to be an uncontested election in Oxfordshire this week (BBC news). Interestingly:
The council said it would never discourage people from voting, despite their [sic] being just one candidate.

Which surely just means that they won't discourage people wasting their time... This could be a really interesting case for rat choice discussion, since the expected benefit is presumably zero - although, of course, one wonders whether those who believe in something like a civic duty to vote still think it applies even when they know the vote makes no difference. (Although I'd contend that, in practice, they can know this in most safe seats, not only uncontested ones).

Submission

Today I submitted my thesis. Err, there's not much to say other than that really... It did feel good, obviously, but also slightly anti-climactic. I'm not too sure what to do with myself for the rest of the day, but I'll be watching the football and then going to Intrusion at the Cellar later.

I'd never realized how expensive this process could be. It cost me £30 to get two copies softbound, from Maltby's on St Michael's St. I don't know how that compares to other places, but I'd had them recommended and they did do a nice job and were ready in 24 hours (even if, weirdly, the shop door was locked when I tried to pick them up at 10am this morning). I'd bought some large envelopes, but then it cost me another couple of quid in the Exam Schools, because apaprently they have to be padded envelopes. And then the lady at the desk said I'd written the name in the wrong corner. Oh well, at least it's done; just the wait now...

UPDATE: You can read the thesis on my academic website.

On Deaf Ears

I'm not sure how many cases there have been of deaf couples wanting to select deaf children, but they're a fairly common staple of applied ethics debates. (The most famous case involving, I believe, a couple of lesbians in the US. Academic discussion can be found in the BJME 2002). The BBC now has a feature on the issue, which happens to quote Julian Savulescu.

International Fame

I linked to this before, but now I see it's doing the rounds on the blogosphere. Or, at least, it's here. For the record, I'd consider giving up the academic dream if offered a suitable recording contract...

Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle

It has to be said that, on current form, this match should have been a home banker. Nonetheless, Liverpool have had a habit in the past of gifting struggling teams a return to winning ways, so I was slightly more apprehensive than I probably needed to be. After 40 minutes, that apprehension was growing, before Jose Enrique gifted us a goal - clearing the ball into Pennant, only to see it loop back over his own 'keeper, registering only Pennant's second Liverpool goal.

Within minutes, Torres had fired in another and the points looked pretty safe. There was still time for him to set up Gerrard for a third, before the two of them were taken off for a well-earned rest. I wouldn't say we're over-reliant on these two as any team relies on top players (Ronaldo and Rooney, Lampard and Drogba, Fabregas and Adebayor), but I do worry how we'd fare without either or both of them.

The Poverty of PPE

Chris Brooke is currently serializing a 1968 pamphlet on what's wrong with the PPE degree, over on the Virtual Stoa - introduction to the series here. It'll be interesting to see what's changed in the last 40 years and what might still be fixed.

Liverpool 4-0 West Ham

I didn't watch/follow this, due to being in the pub with the GPTW crowd, but I was actually slightly apprehensive about keeping up with Everton in the race for 4th - we needed to win this game in hand. Thankfully, West Ham haven't been too solid recently, having just been beaten 4-0 by Chelsea, and it turns out they were ready to succumb again.

After I said Torres looked tired in his last game, he goes and bangs in a second successive home hat-trick (following 'Boro). Interestingly, almost all his league goals have come at Anfield, which is a bit odd, because I'd have thought he'd have been well-suited to playing on the counter attack. Still, it's our home form that's been poor this season and, if Torres keeps scoring, that should soon be sorted. A fourth from Gerrard underlines just how important these two are to us.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Just had to report this amusing lunchtime conversation, between me, another finishing PhD student (LT) and a Masters student (BH):

Me: The thing is, I'm not sure I want to spend the next 3-4 years working on one big project again. I'd rather be able to move around several areas.
LT: Yeah, I know what you mean.
BH: I'm sure it isn't, but 3-4 years on one thing just seems such a waste.
[LT mimes as if to hit BH]

GPTW

I just received this message from Dan: For reasons entirely out the control of the speaker, this week's scheduled talk at the GPTW has been cancelled. Instead - as as it seems a shame to cancel the 8th Week meeting - I will be leading a discussion on the nature of property rights and personal responsibility in non-ideal contexts. The discussion is entitled, "If you're an egalitarian, how much should you pay for a Radiohead album?"

New Arrivals

One of my cousins gave birth the other week (21st Feb) and one of my old school friends is expecting a baby any time now. I just saw this news story about a 21 year old boy who's fathered seven children, all by different women. He'll have to go some to beat this girl I heard about the other week, who at 16 has given birth to two sets of triplets, and also has seven in total. It's probably not PC, but I do wonder about sterilisation sometimes...

Bolton 1-3 Liverpool

We don't have a particularly great record against Bolton, though last year's defeat (due to a dodgy free kick) still hurts. This season Bolton have been struggling and now, without Anelka, I was feeling a bit more optimistic ahead of the match.

We were lucky to be gifted a lead when Jussi Jaaskelainen managed to spill Gerrard's off-target effort into his own net (pic). Second half goals from the lively Babel and Aurelio pretty much wrapped up the game, even if Cohen got a late consolation.

It was good to see Skrtel get another game, though I'm not sure about Carragher at right back and don't know why Arbeloa didn't play (given Finnan was injured). Hopefully a few games in the side, and finally a goal, will help Aurelio's confidence and Babel too will probably profit from a relatively rare 90 minutes even if he did fade (I do find that a bit worrying, from a 21 year old athlete). Too bad Torres couldn't have a rest, as he looked tired and not at all as dangerous as against 'Boro.

Party Like It's 1989

Last night we had a joint MCR 1980s party with St Hugh's. While much of what passed for fashion was questionable (at best), I think the 1980s have an undeserved reputation for bad music. Sadly many people think only of the cheesy pop. While some of that stuff (Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Madonna) is ok in the context, the songs I particularly remember from the night were Enjoy The Silence, Sweet Child O' Mine, Love Cats and Fight For Your Right (To Party). Too bad there was no Sisters of Mercy or Faith No More...