At 2am we rescued a fox cub who had fallen in the canal, wrapped it in blankets and sat with it until the @RSPCA_official arrived. Just got a message to say it is doing well and off to fox rescue. A little message of hope right there.

Slight oddity of narrowboat life - to move into our new home, we have to first move the home to a more convenient location...

Was gonna be like 'Why does everyone go on about British people only talking about the weather when all I overhear abroad is 'ooh looks like rain'. But maybe it's like quantum physics? My mere English presence turns their thoughts to the sky, against their will? Who knows?

New blog post (finally!) up - https://t.co/tMsacIZUKb As a real life academic (not me!) said in a proper conference yesterday, the header is @MashiRafael because he's quite good looking really (if that doesn't persuade you nothing will!)

My favourite thing about cities with metros (#Barcelona) is how everyone, from little kids to grown men, does the same 'whew, made it' sigh after running and catching a train. Even when the next one is due only 2 mins later.

Currently planning my IR revision classes. Definitely more invested in these exam results than my students...

Less than two weeks til I present at #LASA2018 - the flights are booked, final paper draft submitted, new business cards ordered. Anyone would think I was off to an international conference... #wheresmypassport #gradlife #Barcelona

The second winter killed all of my boat dreams: yesterday I spent a stressful half hour reversing 57 feet of steel round a bend after we reached a flooded lock. 10/10 would not recommend driving a narrowboat backwards.

Same article also features Word Art in the appendix. I think I may be in a time warp. https://t.co/a2SWN369Vs

Web Sites is the other one - anyone got any thoughts on when that all became one word? My spellchecker disagrees with the 2003 academic article I'm currently making notes on.

One of the weird things about researching Internet-based electoral campaigns is realising how much more comfortable with the language we've all become: sharing hyperlinks to your web log through electronic mail anyone?

Reading academia from a more innocent age (that is, 2006): A presidential nominee 'will be at least a credible candidate... likely to have sufficient credentials that will curtail the kind of harsh personal criticism you might see when a total novice runs for Congress.' Ahem.

I've shifted my research focus from the excitement of Bolivia to the Southern Cone. This brings such joyful findings as 'there is nothing surprising about the behaviour of the PSCh in power' - just the thing for my 6th hour in the library today.

Thoughts based on the Norway workshop organised by @gibcruz (it's great!) - think Tesco, fruit, and napping workmen:

I finally decided to talk Venezuela.

New blog post up. It's very meta: there's a picture of a tweet and everything! https://t.co/t5jnUwlu42 #EvoMorales #AngelaMerkel

I've started a new blog! A serious academic one, because I am now a serious academic. (I wish.) Expect more Bolivia.

When your library makes a Smiths ref and the world is that lil bit brighter. (This is Ox. It's not if but when with the double decker bus.)

My Battenberg is modelling a 3:1 colour ratio coz I can't do volumes and I got too excited too soon with the cocoa powder.