An account of my makeover from English major to professional biomedical scientist-- over considerably more than six months.
Monday, March 16, 2009
I Did Not Want to Return Until I Had All My Ducks in Order
However, as Ambivalent Academic bluntly and wisely advised me in an email conversation, one cannot possibly do any science that way. Let alone be human.
I think things are working out. That is, if I don't blow the wonderful opportunities given to this damsel in distress by several generous scientists (and one in particular). Gulp. (I haven't been able to find thank-you gifts grand enough to express my overwhelming appreciation, either, and now I must content myself with sending thank-you cards in short order.) I will have more to tell you all soon. I hope it'll be good.
AA is totally correct. I've been waiting to have a party at my new house until my ducks are in a row. I'm beginning to realize that I may very well be waiting forevah.
While real ducks can be quite orderly figurative ducks NEVER are. A grad student friend of mine spent a lot of time trying to get all her experimental ducks in line until her committee finally said, "Look! You can reorganize and review the literature forever to try and figure out the best way to do this...it would be much more efficient to just DO the experiment and then take those results to figure out how to improve things." Scientists cannot afford t be perfectionists.
I'm glad things are moving forward for you -- looking forward to good news!
It's my latest major contribution to the world. I'm very glad you like it.
JaneB,
Dr.Carb is a jerk who can kiss my butt. And I fervently hope you get what you want one day.
Candid,
Party? Will you make some more chocolate cake?
(Don't worry, though. I live too, too far away to crash your shindig. And Google Analytics will only tell one so much about her readers :)
Ambivalent,
"Look! You can reorganize and review the literature forever to try and figure out the best way to do this...it would be much more efficient to just DO the experiment and then take those results to figure out how to improve things."
This sounds like Dr. Method and Theory, when he gears up to gently bully students out of their unproductive over-earnesty . . . there's nothing like being embarrassed out of your perfectionist's complex . . .
You're totes right, though! Dudette! I'm working on it.
Toaster!
I don't think I quite understand what any of you mean through this ducks metaphor.
Dude, get with the program. Didn't you grow up in the South? Don't Southerners expose their children to down-homey bromides at some point? Why else would one be a Southerner?
(Ain't dissin' too hard, mind. The entire paternal Shoemaker lineage hails from the Deep South. And it's only their Baptist Creationism that bothers me. :)
Hee hee, Cath--
So, does my brand-new 'tude mean that, were I to apply for a job with your Esteemed Company, you would nevertheless toss my application into a bonfire of Rejection and Doom?
PhysioProf,
You just made my day. Are you thinking of penning a self-help book?
Dude, get with the program. Didn't you grow up in the South? Don't Southerners expose their children to down-homey bromides at some point? Why else would one be a Southerner?
(Ain't dissin' too hard, mind. The entire paternal Shoemaker lineage hails from the Deep South. And it's only their Baptist Creationism that bothers me. :)
I am first-generation American who happened to grow up in the South. Idioms are difficult when one of your parents speaks bad English and the other delights in swearing. I learned so many words incorrectly this way (for example, parent's accent has no "tr" and replaced it with a "f"). So no, I don't understand a whole shitload of homilies, bromides, or idiomatic expressions. I just recently learned "bite your own nose off to spite your face".
Having all ducks in order means there is nothing left to do. Then what fun would life be? :) I think of having all ducks in order as preparing to die, so fuck that shit and live on the Internetz with us, where I'm sure we all have craptons of ducks out of order. I know I do. :)
PP: I have your ducks - they will be returned if you can tell me what exactly how the doppler effect applies to said ducks.
TS: think circus side show ducks going around you have to shoot them down to get the prize -easier if they are in a row.
Juniper: May the Force be with you. I have made a Jedi name for you - Schju. Good lord I smell so geeky right now. Go mind control those ducks! You want all to be in a row... You want all to be in a row....
PP: that should read how exactly rather than what exactly I got distracted - it happens frequently concentration span of zip - I love the internet age..
17 comments:
Glad to have you back, Juniper. I missed having you around :) Hope things are working out.
Thanks, PiT! I missed hanging out on your blog.
I think things are working out. That is, if I don't blow the wonderful opportunities given to this damsel in distress by several generous scientists (and one in particular). Gulp. (I haven't been able to find thank-you gifts grand enough to express my overwhelming appreciation, either, and now I must content myself with sending thank-you cards in short order.) I will have more to tell you all soon. I hope it'll be good.
Well, let's hear it for the acceptance of disorderly ducks and Juniper's humanity!
Yay! Win for Science, Ducks and
Humanity!
Very true, and good to have you back. Disorderly ducks are more fun.
AA is totally correct. I've been waiting to have a party at my new house until my ducks are in a row. I'm beginning to realize that I may very well be waiting forevah.
While real ducks can be quite orderly figurative ducks NEVER are. A grad student friend of mine spent a lot of time trying to get all her experimental ducks in line until her committee finally said, "Look! You can reorganize and review the literature forever to try and figure out the best way to do this...it would be much more efficient to just DO the experiment and then take those results to figure out how to improve things." Scientists cannot afford t be perfectionists.
I'm glad things are moving forward for you -- looking forward to good news!
I don't think I quite understand what any of you mean through this ducks metaphor. Are the ducks in order here similar to getting one's shit in order?
Good to see good news! I earnestly hope it goes well for you.
Yes Toaster. For the purposes of this metaphor ducks=shit.
You have to get your ducks in a row before you can shoot them.
Or some such management-speak shit.
Who moved my fucking ducks!?
biopunk,
Yay! Win for Science, Ducks and
Humanity!
It's my latest major contribution to the world. I'm very glad you like it.
JaneB,
Dr.Carb is a jerk who can kiss my butt. And I fervently hope you get what you want one day.
Candid,
Party? Will you make some more chocolate cake?
(Don't worry, though. I live too, too far away to crash your shindig. And Google Analytics will only tell one so much about her readers :)
Ambivalent,
"Look! You can reorganize and review the literature forever to try and figure out the best way to do this...it would be much more efficient to just DO the experiment and then take those results to figure out how to improve things."
This sounds like Dr. Method and Theory, when he gears up to gently bully students out of their unproductive over-earnesty . . . there's nothing like being embarrassed out of your perfectionist's complex . . .
You're totes right, though! Dudette! I'm working on it.
Toaster!
I don't think I quite understand what any of you mean through this ducks metaphor.
Dude, get with the program. Didn't you grow up in the South? Don't Southerners expose their children to down-homey bromides at some point? Why else would one be a Southerner?
(Ain't dissin' too hard, mind. The entire paternal Shoemaker lineage hails from the Deep South. And it's only their Baptist Creationism that bothers me. :)
Hee hee, Cath--
So, does my brand-new 'tude mean that, were I to apply for a job with your Esteemed Company, you would nevertheless toss my application into a bonfire of Rejection and Doom?
PhysioProf,
You just made my day. Are you thinking of penning a self-help book?
Dude, get with the program. Didn't you grow up in the South? Don't Southerners expose their children to down-homey bromides at some point? Why else would one be a Southerner?
(Ain't dissin' too hard, mind. The entire paternal Shoemaker lineage hails from the Deep South. And it's only their Baptist Creationism that bothers me. :)
I am first-generation American who happened to grow up in the South. Idioms are difficult when one of your parents speaks bad English and the other delights in swearing. I learned so many words incorrectly this way (for example, parent's accent has no "tr" and replaced it with a "f"). So no, I don't understand a whole shitload of homilies, bromides, or idiomatic expressions. I just recently learned "bite your own nose off to spite your face".
Whoo-Hoo!!! I have been waiting with baited breath, then when you do show up here again, I am MIA all damned day...
i'm glad you didn't disappear forever. because i am convinced that ducks never, EVER get in order. they're all perverse like that.
Having all ducks in order means there is nothing left to do. Then what fun would life be? :) I think of having all ducks in order as preparing to die, so fuck that shit and live on the Internetz with us, where I'm sure we all have craptons of ducks out of order. I know I do. :)
PP: I have your ducks - they will be returned if you can tell me what exactly how the doppler effect applies to said ducks.
TS: think circus side show ducks going around you have to shoot them down to get the prize -easier if they are in a row.
Juniper: May the Force be with you. I have made a Jedi name for you - Schju. Good lord I smell so geeky right now. Go mind control those ducks! You want all to be in a row... You want all to be in a row....
E.
PP: that should read how exactly rather than what exactly I got distracted - it happens frequently concentration span of zip - I love the internet age..
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