Here we go again

Traveling that is. I'm off in two days time for three weeks. This time I'll try to keep up with blog posts at least sporadically. It's mostly an academic trip so I will occasionally have time on my hands and, more importantly, access to the internet.

I'm starting out with a long weekend in Brisbane (one of these days I'll get around to explaining why I keep going there). Then I'm off to Cambridge to work with my friend Imre Leader for a few days (jealous of his Wikipedia entry? Me? Never.)

The central part of the trip will be to the 2007 conference on permutation patterns in Saint Andrews. Have a look at the PDF slides of my talk if you dare. Sorry, but if you want to hear the jokes (except the lame one about six degrees of separation) you'll have to turn up.

If you look at the conference programme you'll note that I'm speaking in the last slot on the final day. Those of you unconnected with the academic world may not be aware of the significance of this. It means one of two things:

• I'm a real pain in the butt, and a terrible speaker, so they're giving everyone the chance to skip out early, and humiliating me in the process; or


• I'm a well organized and entertaining speaker who can be counted on to wrap up the conference well, tying together some of the threads left loose by previous speakers. That way, no one will be tempted to skip out early.

Since I'm staying on another week to work with the fine folk there, I certainly hope it's the latter.